Omina Uncharted

by Roland Starr

  Minutes were passing, and Vonner knew the Pravan had been right in suggesting there was insufficient time left for what they had to do. He looked at the dial on the remote control but could not understand it. He tried to work out how many minutes must have passed since Den Thol gave him the ultimatum of twenty minutes. Then he saw a flicker of movement overhead, and his pulses leaped when he looked up and saw Tryxx’s craft settling slowly towards the shore. He stood tense and wondering as the ship came to rest twenty yards away.

  The ground was shuddering with long and violent spasms, and a trickle of lava suddenly came slopping down the slope from the ridge. Vonner, looking around for sight of Den Thol, saw the ridge splitting open as an earthquake struck violently, and he was thrown from his feet, dazed and buffeted. A remote thought passed through his mind as he stared around for Den Thol, because the airlock of Tryxx’s ship was opening. He thought that Zukon wouldn’t need the device they had planted to destroy it. The planet seemed intent upon self-destruction.

  Three figures appeared in the doorway of the airlock, and Vonner tried to get to his knees. He saw weapons in the hands of the Zukons, and feared that Den Thol had been struck down in some way. Chunks of rock were still bombarding the area from the slopes of the volcano.

  One of the figures was that of Captain Tryxx, and Vonner saw the Zukon wave an arm. The two figures with him started alighting from the ship, and Vonner reached for his stun-gun, knowing that his last chance had come. If the Zukons separated he would never be able to take them. Den Thol seemed to have disappeared, and Vonner knew that with the loss of the Pravan his chances had sunk to below zero.

  Tryxx saw his hostile movement and lifted a gun, but at that moment, as the two accompanying Zukons leaped to the ground the Zukon ship began to glow in an eerie purple haze. Tryxx fell heavily, and so did the two Zukons on the ground. At that moment a great concussion struck the area and Vonner was hurled on to his back. The ground shuddered and tremored, and for a moment Vonner felt as if he were trapped on a boat at sea in rough weather.

  He tried to concentrate as he dragged himself upright, and bent and secured a hold on Bardo, lifting the unconscious man across his shoulders. His feet sank into the dark sand as he lurched forward towards the airlock, and he had covered more than half the distance when a figure appeared around the stem of the craft Lifting his stun-gun, Vonner prepared to fight, but saw Den Thol’s face inside the helmet, and the Pravan came hurrying to his side, relieving him of some of Bardo’s crushing weight.

  They lifted the Zukons back into the airlock, and Den Thol reached out a hand to prevent Vonner turning back for the crew of the other ship.

  “We don’t have the time, Captain,” the Pravan said. “Your entire crew is at risk if we don’t get aboard Orion and out of orbit before the device explodes. The Zukons have brought this upon themselves. We’ll take Tryxx and these others with us, but we must blast off instantly to have any chance of survival.”

  Vonner did not argue. They entered the craft and, as Vonner closed the airlock, Den Thol hurried to the pilot’s seat, occupied only with one thought — getting away from this stricken surface as fast as possible.

  The craft was almost rolling on the ground as if it were buoyant on a stormy sea, and Vonner had difficulty in maintaining his balance as he made his way forward to the Pravan’s side. A rain of molten rock and heavy debris stormed down upon the craft, and Vonner was horrified by the heavy impacts against the hull. He stared at Den Thol, who was pale and tense as he operated the controls of the ship but found no response.

  “Has your Ultrobeam caused any damage to the equipment?” Vonner demanded.

  “No. Switch off that jammer beside the communicator, Captain. It has been preventing us making contact with Orion. Call your ship and arrange a rendezvous up there. But I fear we are not going to make it. The minutes are passing us by.”

  Vonner went to the communicator and sat down, bracing himself against the rocking movements of the craft. He didn’t think the ship could take much more of the pounding it was receiving from the volcano. He flipped a switch and a green light went out. He heard instant improvement on the air, and sighed with relief as a voice came through into the speaker in front of him. The static disappeared and there was complete silence in the background as Lieutenant Hanton’s voice came through.

  “Orion calling Captain Vonner! Come in please!” The words were being repeated monotonously, and Vonner wondered how long Orion had been trying to contact him. He flipped another switch and spoke crisply, aware that Den Thol was trying desperately to get the Zukon craft to start.

  “Captain Vonner calling Orion! Stand by!”

  “Captain!” There was an inflection in Hanton’s voice. “We’ve been trying to get you for an hour. What’s the situation. The Pravans aboard report that they have detected an activation in the device we planted.”

  “Mr. Hanton, the device has been activated and is due to explode in a few minutes.”

  “In twelve minutes precisely, Captain. The Pravans are counting down.”

  “Good. What is the margin of time Orion requires to clear the danger area?” Vonner’s fears were non-existent. He was the captain back in control once more, and his strict training forced all personal thoughts out of his mind.

  “If we leave Zukon orbit at Lapse Eight we can remain until one minute before the explosion, Captain. What is your position?”

  “We are aboard a Zukon craft, on the ground, but cannot get ignition. Continue to make preparations to leave Zukon orbit in time to clear the danger area. If we get lift-off, fix a tractor beam on us and try to pick us up. But get out of orbit when the time limit expires. Keep me informed of the time factor. I must help Den Thol to get this ship off the ground.”

  He left the communicator on receive and went to the co-pilot’s seat. Den Thol was looking harassed and desperate, and he shook his head when Vonner joined him.

  “It’s no use, Captain, Tryxx did something to neutralise the craft. I can’t find out what it is. There’s absolutely no life in the power unit.”

  “Then there must be a cut-out switch somewhere. We have until one minute before the explosion to get aboard Orion, Den Thol. That leaves us about ten minutes to get into orbit.”

  “It will take us almost all of that time to get into orbit,” the Pravan retorted. “These Zukon craft are slow and awkward in atmosphere. Keep trying the ignition, will you? I’ll take a look around for that cut-out!”

  Vonner nodded, and strapped himself into the seat. He pressed buttons and tripped levers, but nothing happened. The control panel remained unlit and inanimate. Turbulence assailed the exterior of the craft, and Vonner experienced alarm as it seemed that the conditions outside would overturn the ship completely. He watched Den Thol from the comer of his eye as the Pravan began to examine the panels around them.

  Minutes were passing by. Over the receiver the sound of Hanton’s terse voice calling the time was like a knife cutting into Vonner’s nerves. But there was no response from the Zukon power unit, and Vonner flicked the Communicator to transmit and spoke tersely.

  “Mr. Hanton, we are unable to leave the ground. Are you preparing to leave orbit?”

  “Captain, let me send down a shuttleship.”

  “No! There is not enough time. Resume your countdown!” Vonner switched the communicator to receive and turned to Den Thol. “We have four minutes to leave the ground,” he told the Pravan. “If we do get airborne we are not going to make it to Orion!”

  Den Thol turned to him, shaking his head in despair.

  “I’m sorry, Captain, but I cannot find any sign of a circuit cut-out. I would need an hour at least to thoroughly test these systems. It seems that we are doomed to fail personally to leave Zukon.”

  They both clutched at stanchions as the craft heeled over, and the Pravan moved to a console and checked some dials. When he looked at Vonner his face was pasty and set in harsh lines.

  “We may get the end before the devi
ce explodes,” he said. “The automatic registers are showing a complete breakdown of weather conditions. The winds are reaching triple hurricane velocity. Radiation is pouring out of the volcanoes to the order of ten-million. The seismograph seems to have gone crazy! Zukon is getting ready to blow itself apart!”

  “A planet full of beings,” Vonner said softly. “If only we had arrived years ago!”

  “Do not blame yourself for this climax, Captain. Even Prava couldn’t have prepared for this. But the Zukons themselves are to blame. They knew the situation exactly, and yet would do nothing to help themselves.”

  “Three minutes!” Lieutenant Hanton’s voice came over the receiver, and Vonner tightened his lips. He was thinking of Adah Morley now, and suddenly he was able to think clearly, the stresses of the past hours having overcome the barriers erected in his mind by the brainwashing he had undergone. But it was too late to do anything about the future. His life had run its course!

  “Mr. Hanton, our time is getting short,” Vonner said, flipping a switch. “You have your routine orders for running the ship. In two minutes you’d better blast out of Zukon orbit at Lapse Eight and head back for Omina. Good luck!”

  “Captain.” Den Thol tapped Vonner’s shoulder. “May I speak to my men? Perhaps you will get Commander Bardo over here so that I may use the reverser on him. We’ll die together!”

  “I think Bardo had better go out as he is. It wouldn’t help him to regain his senses only to learn that the last minute has come upon us.”

  “Just as you wish!” The Pravan nodded slowly, and began to talk in his own language into the receiver.

  Vonner moved out of the seat and went to Bardo’s side, looking down at his crew member’s placid face. He pulled Bardo into a comfortable position, although Bardo was not able to know or care what was happening.

  Den Thol had fallen silent, and Vonner could hear Hanton’s voice over the receiver, giving orders for the preparations to leave orbit. In the background a voice called the time. There were two minutes left to the final countdown of sixty seconds to destruction.

  “Is there no chance that the remote control will fail to operate, Den Thol?” Vonner demanded.

  “No chance at all, I’m afraid, Captain.” A rueful smile touched the Pravan’s lips. “We always perfected our equipment. It will operate at precisely the right moment.”

  “One minute to blast-off!” Hanton’s voice said. “Captain, I’m grieved that there’s nothing we can do to help you!”

  “Just follow your orders, Mr. Hanton!” Vonner was amazed that his tones were so cool and matter-of-fact.

  “There’s an unidentified craft behind us in orbit,” a voice cut in at the background of Hanton’s voice, and for a few seconds a number of voices shouted in confusion. Then Hanton’s voice came through loud and clear.

  “It’s a Pravan space craft, Captain,” Hanton reported.

  Den Thol’s face changed expression and he reached out to the communicator. He began to talk rapidly in his own language, and Vonner tried to retain some semblance of hope in the back of his mind. But the seconds were passing and time was gone. He heard Hanton’s voice cut in sharply in an order to the engine room, asking for power to leave orbit, and there was not even time for goodbye, Vonner thought remotely.

  The next instant communications with the Orion was severed as the ship disappeared at Lapse Eight. In a flash it was a million miles away, crossing space to the safety of black distance.

  Vonner looked at Den Thol, who was turning to him, and the next moment he stiffened. The craft was heeling over slowly, and despite the insulation of the suit he was wearing, Vonner could feel heat getting through to his body. He glanced down at Ed Bardo, and got the shock of his life when he saw that Bardo was no longer there. Stiffening, he looked back at Den Thol, and in that split-instant there was a flash and then darkness.

  Vonner didn’t even get the chance to think that there was no pain in being torn asunder in the explosion that engulfed the planet.

  Then he was finding awareness, and the darkness passed away from his eyes. He blinked and looked around, to find himself standing in the Transporter room aboard the Pravan space ship, and Den Thol was there on his right and Bardo was lying on the metal floor, still unconscious.

  Den Thol was smiling, although he was pale and under great stress. Vonner was filled with surprise that they were not dead, but relief was not able to seep into his mind yet.

  “It looks as if we’ve made it,” the Pravan said. “That message I sent to Prava before we left the control post on Zukon. One of our ships was already on its way to Zukon to back us up. They had listened in to your conversations with Orion, Captain, and had made preparations to pick us up before they came into orbit, although there was nothing they could do until they were in orbit. They skipped into orbit, beamed us up from the Zukon ship, and skipped out into space again seconds before the device exploded.”

  Vonner sighed long and heavily, and he watched Den Thol bend over Bardo and revive the man. So ended the planet of Zukon, he thought sadly, and Captain Tryxx and countless millions of unknown Zukons had died helplessly and in vain. Their travails were at an end. The explosion would have ended a great deal of suffering.

  Already they were in the past, and the past was behind them.

  “We’ll sec Orion as soon as we reach orbit around Omina, Captain,” Den Thol said. “Now the war with Zukon is at an end we can start making plans for an everlasting peace, and divert our war efforts to preparing Omina for the arrival of the first Earth colonists.”

  Vonner nodded. There was still much to be done, but he was thinking of Adah Morley, and began to hope that with the pressures removed he might find the time to relax a little with the woman he loved. At the end of the month they would commence the two-year flight back to Earth, and the thought of monotonous routine in flying through space appealed to him after the hectic actions of the past hours.

  They would be returning to honour and glory, with a successful mission behind them, but the honour and the glory meant little to Vonner. Despite Man’s ambitions and his growing abilities, when it was all reduced to its correct perspective, it was still the simple things of life that counted most, and at that moment all Vonner wanted was the chance to forget his duty and the opportunity to spend a quiet moment with the woman he loved…

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