Not With A Whimper: Survivors

by D. A. Boulter

  “What problem?”

  “Ships incoming.”

  She went to look.

  “This here,” Tanya pointed, “is a life-pod. It says it’s from Topside One – at least that’s what the ID claims.”

  “And what’s that behind them.” Jaswinder pointed to several icons.

  “That’s the problem. Those are five European Treaty Organization shuttle-fighters. And they are moving fast – in our direction.”

  Jaswinder considered them. She beckoned Shift Commander Koji Tanaka over.

  “What do you think, Koji?”

  “Looks bad. Maybe it’s time to give Venture the order to run.”

  “And what defences do we have?”

  Koji shook his head. “Nothing that will prevent them from destroying us – if they have any munitions left after the Battle of Earth Orbit. We can pray they used it all there.” He laughed harshly. “That’s all we can do. Pray. How benevolent are your gods, Jaswinder?”

  With nothing they could do, Jaswinder simply watched as the shuttle-fighter group sped past the life-pod.

  “Well,” she said to Koji, “at least they didn’t destroy the life-pod.”

  “And is that because they have no munitions left, are saving what they have for us, or because those in the life-pod are their allies?”

  “Always the optimist, I see.”

  They continued to watch.

  “Ms Yrden, message coming in from the Europeans.”

  She looked at Tanaka, who looked back and shrugged. “Put it through.”

  “Haida Gwaii, Haida Gwaii, this is Major Karl Müller of the European Treaty Organization, commanding five shuttle-fighters now approaching you.”

  “Well, at least they have the good manners to tell us who’s about to destroy us,” Tanaka said.

  “Oh, quiet. Let’s see what they want.” She went to the comm station. “Major Müller, we have you on our detectors. Please state your intentions.”

  “Haida Gwaii, Major Müller. We seek asylum. Earth has committed suicide. There is no further reason for fighting. Nothing remains to fight over. We offer ourselves as defence for your station until you can organize ships to come in order to take off personnel. Our only hope of survival lies in getting to the colony worlds.”

  Jaswinder felt for the man. But she also felt for all the innocent civilians who had died at the hands of the military.

  “Major Müller, we have heard horrific accounts from both the surface of the planet, and from other stations and ships which were fired upon by fighters such as yours.”

  “We have heard and seen the same. We have full stocks of munitions, Haida Gwaii. We decided that we could not in good conscience participate in this madness. We fired on no one. We welcome inspection.

  “Each of our fighters carries two full crews plus what support staff we could squeeze in. We did that so all could escape Earth before some of our ships got caught on the ground by the North American missiles. We urgently need to evacuate the extra people in order to properly defend you.”

  “What do you think, Koji?” Jaswinder asked. “A trick, or on the level.”

  “Let’s see what happens if we divert him towards Venture.”

  “What? No.”

  “We’ll still have plenty of time to get Venture out of here. After all, she can jump with no velocity into hyperspace, and accelerate once she’s there. If this Major Müller does go that way, we learn something. If he tries to get us to change our minds, we learn something else.”

  “Fair enough.” She triggered the comm again. “We understand, Major Müller. Please come to a relative stop close to Venture. She will send someone out to inspect you.”

  “We copy that, Haida Gwaii, and will comply. ETA: ten hours. Major Müller out.”

  “Haida Gwaii out.”

  “So, we learn something,” Tanaka said. “Doesn’t mean he’s not after our blood. Could be he wants to close Venture to take her out first – as the one more likely to escape.”

  “Another message, Ms Yrden.”

  “Haida Gwaii, Haida Gwaii, this is Sandra Clement, a colonist, in command of a life-pod from Topside One heading your way.”

  “She certainly doesn’t sound like a European ally of the Major’s,” Jaswinder said. She looked at the screen, and saw a young woman – a girl, even. The life-pod sent vid.

  “Sandra Clement, this is Haida Gwaii, please state your intentions.”

  “We are a life-pod from Topside One. We’re carrying a mixture of people who escaped that station, mostly colonists bound for Liberty. I’m one of them. We wish passage to ... anywhere. Anywhere that will have us.”

  Jaswinder saw the tears start. Not an actress – or a very good one. But she didn’t believe that. “How old are you, Sandra?”

  “I’m nearly nineteen.”

  “And you’re in command?”

  Apparently she was – she and her also almost-nineteen year old husband. Farmers with an interest in science. Whatever next? She shook her head in wonderment.

  “My name is Jaswinder Yrden, Sandra. Of course, we will make room for you and yours. Did you hear our talk with Major Müller?”

  “Yes, Mrs Yrden. Do you want us to do the same?”

  “For the moment, yes. Can you manage that?”

  She could. So Jaswinder gave her the same instructions as she had given Major Müller. They would arrive at Venture in about twenty hours.

  “I believe her, Koji. You?”

  “Seems an unlikely enemy, Jaswinder.”

  “More fighters coming up behind the life-pod, Ms Yrden,” Tanya reported. Now they watched them. “Several different countries together.”

  “Contacting us.”

  “Put them on. We’re apparently quite popular today.”

  “Haida Gwaii and Major Müller, this is Colonel Jacoby of the USNA and other surviving forces from Earth.”

  “Colonel Jacoby, this is Haida Gwaii. May we know your intentions?”

  “Haida Gwaii, Colonel Jacoby. We copied the transmissions between you and the European Treaty Organization ships. Major Müller made good sense. We wish to join him and you.” A short silence followed. “We have to admit that we do not have full stocks of munitions.”

  “Colonel Jacoby, Major Müller. We have no argument with you – we will abide by whatever Haida Gwaii decides. If they feel you constitute a threat, we will act accordingly.”

  “Müller, Jacoby. Understood. Haida Gwaii, if you do not want us, we will attempt to dock with any Moon station that can accept us. Please let us know as soon as possible for a course correction. We have limited fuel.”

  Though Jaswinder felt revulsion at the thought of what they had done, she couldn’t just sentence them to death – which is what she would do if she sent them to the Moon.

  “Colonel Jacoby, Haida Gwaii. Please rendezvous with Major Müller’s forces near Venture.”

  She heard the relief in Jacoby’s voice. “Roger that, Haida Gwaii – and thank you.”

  The comm officer turned around. “And another one.”

  “Haida Gwaii, Nakamura Shuttle Eight. Topside One Shuttle One does not contain refugees, but USNA soldier-fanatics bent on capturing your station for USNA.”

  Before anyone in the Command Centre could recover from the shock, a squeal rang through the speakers.

  “They’re jamming the frequencies.”

  “Turn it off.” Jaswinder ordered. She turned to Koji. “Now what?” Then she reconsidered. “Never mind, I know.”

  She turned on the Inship. “Johannes Yrden, call the Command Centre immediately.”

  * * *

  Venture

  Monday 30 August

  Bettina swore. “Damn it, why is Jaswinder routing them here?”

  No one on Venture’s bridge ventured a reply.

  “We can jump to hyperspace in an instant,” Jordan told her from First Pilot’s chair. “Jaswinder knows that. We don’t have to run, just jump. Then we can proceed to that orbit outside
Pluto.”

  “Maybe. But I don’t like it.”

  “Another call to Haida Gwaii. This one from Ken Nakamura.”

  “Haida Gwaii, Nakamura Shuttle Eight. Topside One Shuttle One does not contain refugees, but USNA soldier-fanatics bent on capturing your station for USNA.”

  “That’s not Ken,” Jordan said just before a hideous squeal jammed the frequency.

  “Can we intercept?” Bettina asked.

  “No. They’ll be there in one hour. We might get close in 90 minutes.”

  Owen, sitting at the detector station, chimed in. “Ken’s changing course. He’s following Shuttle One in to Haida Gwaii.”

  Bettina frowned. “To help, or because he got hi-jacked? That wasn’t Ken speaking.”

  “Captain,” Owen called out. “The Europeans have changed course, too. They’re now closing Haida Gwaii. Jacoby and his fighters have done the same.”

  “Damn it. Can’t you get me through to any of them?”

  “Not over the jamming.”

  “Jordan. Your opinion. Are the Europeans going to aid Haida Gwaii, or Shuttle One?”

  Jordan sat there, and studied on it. “Haida Gwaii,” he said. “The Europeans and the USNA destroyed each other’s platforms. Why would they suddenly team up? And this shuttle? It started this way even before the war had begun. Seems unlikely that they would have European allies – especially not after they nuked each other.”

  “I agree. Start moving in closer. Gentle acceleration.”

  Helplessly, they watched the two shuttles approach Haida Gwaii.

  “Captain, I was able to get through to the life-pod on one of our frequencies.”

  “Ours? How would they know ours? Never mind, let me talk to them.”

  A slightly staticy face appeared. A young woman.

  “Sandra Clement here.”

  “Sandra, this is Captain Bettina Yrden. We would like to know the names and occupations of all persons aboard your pod. Please have them come, one-by-one up to the vid so we can see them.”

  “Yes, Captain Yrden. We have 21 souls on board.” She’d probably got that parlance from an old vid she saw. “I’m Sandra Clement, age eighteen. I’m a prospective colonist for Liberty.”

  The rest of the passengers reported one by one. Everyone on the bridge watched.

  “I don’t think any of those could be construed as soldiers,” Bettina said. “They are who they appear to be. Nothing to fear.” She relaxed, and then started as the 21st survivor came on screen.

  “Brian Richardson, Amalgamated Lines, Captain Yrden. We’ve met.”

  “How did you get aboard?” Besides their meeting on Haida Gwaii, Bettina still recalled Richardson from the Jaswinder incident twenty years ago. Yes, she had called him for Angela’s sake, but she wanted nothing to do with the Amalgamated thug.

  “I understand that Jeff Wittman and Lawrence Clement dragged me aboard. I don’t know for sure. I was unconscious at the time.”

  Then Ms Clement’s voice broke in. “Captain Yrden, Sandra here. That’s true. Mr Richardson was directing the escape of all the pods when someone hit him. Jeff and Larry ran out and brought him in. Captain, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. Earlier, a display fell on me, and Larry couldn’t get it off. No one else would stop to help until Mr Richardson found us, and between the two of them, they lifted it off and I got free. Right now he’s just a survivor, like the rest of us.”

  Ah, well. “Thank you Ms Clement. Now, let me speak with Richardson again.”

  “I’m sorry, he’s out. He needs medical help, Captain. He has a head injury, and drifts in and out of consciousness. It’s getting worse, and I’m afraid for him.”

  Ken Ritter had walked in for shift change, and now he spoke up. “If we have to get out of here, we should bring them aboard as soon as possible.”

  He had a point.

  “How fast can you get to Venture? Do you have enough fuel to accelerate and then decelerate? I presume you know how to pilot a life-pod.”

  “Larry’s worked it out. He thinks we have enough for a one minute burn – no more, not if we want to brake.”

  “Good enough. Do it. We can pull you in if you’ve miscalculated. We want you to board as soon as you get here, so we hope that won’t be necessary. Good luck Ms Clement. Venture out.”

  Captain Bettina Yrden sighed. Children. Children in charge of a life-pod. Still, they had made it to safety when so many hadn’t.

  “Okay, everyone. We have to prepare to receive 21 survivors. We’ll want cabins for them, food, what-have-you.”

  “Ms Clement is calling again.”

  “Great. I wonder what it is this time.”

  “Hello, Sandra, this is Captain Yrden, what can I do for you?” She hoped it was something of some importance. She couldn’t afford to waste time talking.

  “Captain, when my husband and I were wandering around Topside One, some of those soldiers met with us and they had the coldest eyes and most superior looks I’d ever seen. They didn’t seem, well, human. And they wore guns – Larry says they were ‘slug-throwers’, guns that shoot bullets, something normally not allowed on stations. Then another soldier came along, much nicer than those ones, and said that we should stay away from the ones with the cold eyes, and should return to our quarters.”

  Interesting, but hardly necessary to interrupt her for.

  “On our way back, about forty more of them came in from the shuttle docking area. It’s just something I thought you should know. We heard the other shuttle call the warning, and I recognized that voice as the kind soldier. I remember his name from his uniform. Jensen. Larry says he wore sergeant’s stripes.”

  Bettina Yrden regarded her for a long minute. “Thank you, Sandra. That’s information worth knowing. Is Mr Richardson listening in?”

  “I can hear,” the words sounded slurred.

  “Can you elaborate?”

  “’Fraid not. Up to my neck in work caused by 487’s disappearance ... and other matters related to Amalgamated.” A pause. “Wait. A Colonel Westorn had some troops and a science team on the station conducting some sort of experiment. Oh, what was her name? Christine something-or-other led it.” He shook his head. “Sorry. All I have.”

  “Thank you, Mr Richardson, I’ll pass that on.” She cut the connection.

  “See if you can get through to Haida Gwaii on a narrow beam Family channel.”

  Jaswinder’s face appeared. Thank God.

  She passed on the information. “Maybe this Sergeant Jensen is on our side after all.”

  “I hope so. The first shuttle is almost here. I wish we knew where they might try to break in. We don’t have people to cover every entrance properly.”

  Bettina fretted. She wished there were something she could do, but taking Venture in close, or sending her own security – all three members of it – would hardly turn the tide. Johannes probably had enough untrained people to worry about, and anyone other than security would just make things worse.

  She laughed to herself. How could things get worse?

  “Oh, no!” Owen turned to stare at her.

  Apparently, things had just gotten worse.

  “What is it, Owen.”

  “A USNA Patrol ship has just dropped.”

  Bettina swallowed. A lot worse. And then comm reported.

  “Jamming dropped long enough for Shuttle One to send a signal – scrambled.”

  Bettina wanted to scream. They had come so close.

  “Patrol ship is changing course. Now on intercept course for us – or Haida Gwaii.”

  “Time to intercept?”

  “Looks like about twelve hours will put her in missile range – if she chooses to fire missiles.”

  Bettina called up Jaswinder again, but got Johannes.

  “Yes, we’ve seen it. I have orders for you, Bettina. Jump.”

  “We can’t yet. We have survivors making for us. Should be ready to leave in an hour.”

  She could see that Johann
es didn’t like that, but she’d be damned if she would leave a bunch of farmers to die in space when she could easily save them. Besides, she had hours before anything dangerous could approach her.

  “Okay. As soon as they are aboard, get out of here. We’re going to try to make a jump before the patrol ship can stop us.”

  Bettina froze. “This close to the Moon?”

  “No other choice. We can’t allow the USNA to get their hands on Haida Gwaii.”

  She had one last question, but she didn’t want to ask it. “Chances for a successful jump?”

  Johannes smiled at her, a ghastly smile, she thought.

  “Jaswinder puts it at about five percent.”

  “Dad!” Owen cried out.

  Johannes obviously heard. “Owen. Remember that both your Mother and I love you. And tell Becca for us. Haida Gwaii out.”

  “You can’t abandon them,” Owen said, looking stricken.

  “We won’t. Ken, as soon as those farmers are aboard, we’re going to try to entice that patrol ship to follow us. Plot a course.”

  “Yes, Captain. You realize we stand no chance against it, right?”

  She understood that all too well. Venture’s small single beam would probably not even be able to broach the ship’s shields, let alone stop her. And the pirate – for she could think of no better term for it – would carry missiles that could tear Venture apart no matter what she did.

  She recalled Wen Carson’s game. Perhaps she could use some of his strategy to good effect.

  “Jordan?”

  “Yes, Captain.” He hadn’t left the bridge although his shift had ended.

  “See if you and the other pilots can program the workboats to home in on the patrol ship’s signature. I want to send them after it – pilotless.”

  “Yes, Captain!” He almost ran from the bridge.

  * * *

  Monday 30 August

  Wen took his position with the rest of the rescuers. Venture’s computer had guided the life-pod to one of the external docking stations. They had asked the pilot to turn down the gravity, so it wouldn’t cause problems.