by Roland Starr
“Nothing! The ship is in a bad way! We’ll have to check it out now. The rest of the men with you were sucked out of the hole in the hull when the area depressurised. You were pinned down by one of the cannon. Your space suit saved your life, Philo!”
“Wayland called me just before the explosion, and said something about trouble with some of his circuits.”
“I’d just left him when the explosion occurred,” Vonner spoke harshly. “Look, Philo, I must make contact with Alba! They will have witnessed the explosion, and I don’t want them leaving the security of their ship and walking into trouble here. Just sit still and rest until I come back to you!”
Curran nodded, and flopped back on the floor. Vonner moved away, making for another airlock, and when he opened its inner door he saw a shuttlecraft inside. Entering the shuttle, he sat in the control seat and operated the communicator. A few moments later Farrell’s voice spoke to him from Alba.
“Thank God, Captain!” There was unmistakable relief in Farrell’s tones as he answered Vonner’s identification report. “We monitored the explosion aboard Orion! What’s the situation now?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’m about to check. I don’t want any assistance from Alba! You must maintain Red Alert and continue full power into your deflector shields. We have lost some of the crew, but Colonel Curran is alive and so is Chief Wayland. Stand by for a report from me shortly. That is all!”
Vonner cut the line and left the shuttle, but before he could clear the airlock the communicator in the small craft was bleeping madly, and he stifled a sigh and re-entered it, opening the line once more.
“This is the captain,” he announced.
“You didn’t give me a chance to report, Captain!” Farrell said firmly. “We have positive evidence that at least ninety per cent of Alba's crew entered the converter aboard this ship, and were probably dead before being converted. Doctor Morley is still carrying out tests on residue found in the converter, and although it isn’t official yet, she is certain that death occurred through Pteturium poisoning.”
“Thank you for the information,” Vonner said. “Is there any news on the shuttle craft that is missing from Alba?’
“Nothing at all, Captain, but Commander Hanton thinks the shuttle detached at least eight weeks ago, and if that is the case then there can be no hope for any members of the crew aboard it. The shuttle would have exhausted its fuel and life support systems in a matter of four weeks.”
“All right! Save any further information until I get across to Alba! Right now I have to check out this ship.”
The line went dead and Vonner sat thoughtful for a few moments, digesting the news that Farrell had given him. How and why the poison had entered the ship’s ventilation system was not his concern at the moment, and he left the airlock and went back to Curran, who had not moved his position.
Vonner was afraid that Curran had died, but the colonel opened his eyes when Vonner bent over him. He still looked weak and badly shocked, but managed a tight grin as he peered at Vonner through his visor.
“Did you get through to Alba?” he demanded.
“Yes, and everything over there is all right! But we’ve got to check out Orion now, Philo! Do you feel up to it?”
“I’ll manage until we’re certain Bardo is gone!” came the steady reply.
Vonner helped Curran to his feet.
“Let’s stick together, and check out the control room before attempting anything else. From the control room we can learn the full extent of damage sustained.”
But the elevators were not working, and Vonner led the way into a stairwell. They found it difficult ascending the iron rungs to the upper deck wearing their space suits, but Vonner knew it was too risky for them to divest themselves of their only protection. Eventually they emerged into the upper corridor and went along to the control room.
Curran was moving slowly, evidently still suffering the effects of being involved in the explosion. Vonner drew ahead of the colonel, and was relieved when the control room door slid open at his presence. He went into the control room, pausing on the threshold to look around, and was appalled by the number of red warning lights flickering on the various control panels. At first glance it seemed that at least half the ship was out of action.
Vonner went to the main control console and called up the engine room on his personal communicator. There was no reply, and he kept calling Wayland while he operated the various circuit testers. He soon discovered that the starboard side of the ship was almost completely out of action, and most of the area below the control deck had been depressurised. Making a mental note of those areas which he would have to avoid, he plotted a detour to the engine room, wanting to establish contact with Wayland, and turned to face Curran, who was standing on the threshold, the control room door closed at his back.
“Nothing from the engine room, Philo!” Vonner said. “We’d better get along there and try to open one of the doors. Wayland said he was trapped in there because the power was not operating.”
Vonner fell silent when he saw that Curran was not looking at him, and turned to follow the colonel’s gaze. He froze slowly when his eyes saw the figure of a man standing beside the astrogator’s desk, for it was Ed Bardo.
The silence that ensued was heavy and oppressive, and for a few moments Vonner was shocked speechless. He took in Bardo’s figure, and it was sinister and deadly. Bardo’s eyes were gleaming, as if fed with an inner brightness. But then Vonner remembered that each time he had confronted Bardo and used boldness and resistance he had overcome the image. He started forward resolutely, until Curran called urgently.
“Captain, Bardo split into two figures just before the explosion, remember!”
Vonner looked around, but there was no replica of that motionless figure. The control room was deserted except for the three of them. Tightening his lips, Vonner started forward once more.
“Bardo, I don’t know what you are or how you operate, but you’re not taking over my ship!” Vonner kept his tones curt and filled with determination. He reached out as he approached the motionless figure, intending to grapple with it, but Bardo emanated a bluish glow and sparks showered from his fingertips.
“Get back, Captain!” There was a hoarse note of warning in Curran’s tones. “He’s a living bomb now! That’s what happened down in the sickbay! He separated into two images, and one of them exploded. I think he halved his power when that happened, and if that is so then he’s weakened himself and we ought to be able to deal with him. Step aside and let me use my laser!”
Vonner moved backwards steadily, and clenched his teeth when he saw Bardo lurch towards him, maintaining the short distance between them.
“Get out of the way, Captain!” Curran shouted, and there was a tremor of tension in his voice. “I can remember what happened when Bardo separated. The beam of the cannon hit him, and one of his images flew along the beam and hit the cannon, as if its power source attracted him. That was what caused the explosion.”
“He was probably trying to feed upon the power,” Vonner said, moving backwards more quickly, feeling awkward in the bulky space suit. But Bardo followed him, stayed with him as if they were joined together by invisible wires. Vonner felt a momentary panic in the back of his mind as Bardo began reaching out for him, and he glanced to the right, looking for the wrecked communications console. He darted to the right then, placing the heaped wreckage between himself and the ominous figure of Bardo. “Shoot him, Philo!” he rapped urgently.
“I daren’t, Captain!” There was agony in Curran’s voice. “If I hit him he may explode!”
“It’s the only chance we’ve got! Shoot him! He’s the only image left now, and we can destroy him. Hit him now, Philo!”
Bardo suddenly darted around the console, intent upon coming into contact with Vonner, who skipped away desperately, making for the astrogator’s desk.
“Shoot him, Philo!” he repeated. “For God’s sake! Even if he kills us, we’ve
got to destroy him!”
Bardo turned to follow Vonner, but Curran moved forward, getting closer to Bardo than Vonner, and immediately Bardo turned and made for the colonel.
“It’s our power source, our life force, that’s attracting him,” Curran said harshly. “I’ll get him out of here, Captain! You stay out of range. I’ll get him into a less vital part of the ship and destroy him. He can’t feed on any power around here because only the life support systems are operating.”
Vonner followed at a distance, watching Bardo attempting to close upon Curran. But Bardo appeared unable to move fast. He was like a man sleepwalking, and Curran, in his cumbersome spacesuit, backed off, looking like a man leading a bear.
“Don’t shoot him, Philo,” Vonner said sharply. “It looks as if he’s too weak to do any more damage to the ship. See if you can lead him into an airlock. If you can get him in, then dodge out. I’ll close the door and we can open the outer door. He’ll be blown out into space.”
“I don’t think that will get rid of him!” Curran retorted, moving backwards along the corridor. “He must have been sucked out of the sickbay in the aftermath of that explosion, but he got back aboard. We’ve got to destroy him.”
Vonner picked up a small metal tester and hurled it at Bardo. The grey box struck the figure and exploded in a puff of smoke. Shock waves pushed along the corridor, and Bardo rocked but did not turn away from Curran.
“Don’t get closer to him than I am, Captain,” Curran warned. “If I can operate this laser by remote control it will be safe to use it on him. But you’d better get out of the line of fire, and stay well back in case I do have to shoot.
You’ll be caught in the explosion if you’re too near!”
“Keep leading him along the corridor,” Vonner said. “I’ll fetch a weapon and a tripod. It will take a few minutes to set up a remote control firing circuit, but you’re moving slowly. Keep going, Philo, and I’ll be back shortly.”
“I’ve got him under control, Captain!” Curran retorted. “It’s okay!”
Vonner started back along the corridor, moving away from the two figures, and he began to run, glancing back over his shoulder as he did so. He knew where the nearest store of weapons was situated, and he wanted a laser and a firing circuit. But before he reached the end of the corridor he heard Curran shout, and looked back over his shoulder. He saw Dalus Wayland emerging from a stair-well, and the Chief Engineer, unaware of the situation, was closer to Bardo than Curran himself.
Bardo was turning to face Wayland, who had halted in shocked surprise, and Curran yelled for the Chief Engineer to get away. Vonner, at the end of the corridor, realised there was nothing he could do, and he was in the line of fire should Curran start shooting. He stepped to the corner, his eyes wide as he watched the scene along the corridor.
“Get back out of range, Dalus!” Curran shouted, but Wayland remained where he was, shocked by the sight of Bardo. “Get that door between you and Bardo!” Curran went on urgently.
Wayland moved then, as Bardo reached out both arms to grasp at him, and the Chief Engineer darted back into the stairwell, closing the door at his back. Bardo continued towards the door, attracted by Wayland’s presence, and Curran came towards the ominous figure, trying to regain its attention. But Bardo was reaching for the door, single-minded in his desire to reach any kind of a power source.
Vonner could only watch, his lips dry, his eyes wide. He saw Curran halt and set himself, and the next instant a brilliant shaft of light darted from the levelled laser in the colonel’s hands. The beam struck Bardo, and Vonner tensed as he saw a flash. But Bardo did not disintegrate under the flailing power as an ordinary man would have done. He seemed to constrict, to lose his form as a man, and the next instant a glowing ball of light seemed to flash back towards Curran, along the beam of the laser. In a flash there was distortion, and an explosion followed. Shock waves blasted along the corridor, and Vonner felt it tug at him even as he moved back around the comer out of a direct line. When he moved forward to check he saw Curran lying on his back in the corridor, and smoke was drifting upwards from his space-suited figure. There was no sign of Bardo.
Vonner went forward slowly, pausing when he reached the door leading into the stairwell. He opened the door and found Wayland halfway up the ladder, peering down and awaiting developments.
“I think it’s all right now, Dalus!” Vonner said, and turned to approach Curran.
The laser in Curran’s hands was twisted and melted out of recognition, and the colonel himself was dead! Vonner peered down at the misted visor of Curran’s helmet, looking at the dead face behind it, and he noted, with growing amazement, that the colonel had taken on a resemblance to Bardo himself. It was incredible, but Curran’s familiar features looked like Curran and Bardo!
Bardo had been attracted to the laser beam, Vonner thought dully. Was it possible that when he collided with Curran the two had fused into one entity? His mind seemed to cringe as he delved into it for an answer, and he realised that it was better that some answers were not apparent, could never be available. But Bardo was gone, and with him the threat of extinction which had overshadowed the ship for the past three months.
Vonner turned slowly as Wayland came to stand at his shoulder. He looked into Wayland’s face and saw the puzzlement in the Chief’s face, and shrugged as Wayland opened his mouth to speak.
“No,” he said quietly. “Don’t ask any questions, Dalus. I couldn’t even begin to answer some of them. Just rest content that the menace Bardo posed against us is gone and done with, and Philo gave his life to save us! There’s a long trip to Earth ahead of us, and we’ve got much to do before we can continue. Orion won’t ever see Earth orbit again, but we shall! Let’s set to and ensure that when we do pull out of Uralis Digis orbit we’ve left nothing to chance for a successful conclusion to this flight.”
Wayland nodded slowly, his eyes glinting behind his face visor, and Vonner suddenly felt weak and dispirited, remembering that the stimulant Doctor Morley had administered to him was about to wear off. He would pay for the excesses of mind and body to which he had been subjected during the past twenty-four hours, but he had accomplished his painful duty. The rest of the flight should be uneventful now! He could think no farther than Earth orbit, but there was a challenging future awaiting him beyond that goal, and aboard the Alba was the woman who would make it all possible!
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