Battle for Time

by Gerry A Saunders

  “Twenty-two seems to ring a bell,” Charlotte voiced without knowing where she got that information from.

  “Gerry, see if you can locate that Varon ship.”

  “On it.”

  “Frank, Cindy, get the armored stealth suits on and select hand weapons,” Anton ordered.

  “Cindy knows the drill already. But, as we haven’t got the Temporal overlay to help us, I’ll have to activate the time-crystal to expand and manipulate time,” Anton warned them.

  “Okay,” Frank acknowledged and went off with Cindy, to suit up.

  “Charlotte. Can you and Susanna man the predictor stations to hold the Temporal lock on the Varon ship.”

  “I thought we needed three operators?” Charlotte queried.

  “We do, and Gerry can take the third station when we’ve located the Varon ship.”

  Within minutes, the Varon ship had been found, it was traveling at a steady pace across space. Their sensor grid quickly located an access airlock on the Varon ship and set it as the target.

  Anton’s fingers danced over the time ship’s virtual control panel as he entered the Varon’s predicated time location, to enable their Time-ship to intercept it without being detected.

  Meanwhile, Frank and Cindy stripped down to their underwear in preparation for stepping onto the base of two of the lightweight armored Stealth suits.

  Frank knew that Marines were virtually naked inside their armor, to ensure their bodies could make direct contact with the sixty or so sensors that enabled them to control their armor as if it was their own skin, and was thankful that he and Cindy didn’t have to be completely naked.

  Frank tried not to look but couldn’t help admiring Cindy’s voluptuous body. The rise and fall of her firm breasts sent his mind in a whirl until he realized that she was grinning at him while teasingly touching the top of her panties.

  “Sorry,” he muttered, having forgotten that Cindy was well aware of his wandering eyes. Then ordered, “Suit. Enable.”

  The suit instantly rose up around him, rendering him impenetrable, and ready for action.

  A short time later, Frank and Cindy came back dressed to kill, but with their suit’s stealth mode de-activated again.

  “You two look good to go,” Anton said, aiming to boost their confidence.

  “Yeah, and I suppose you think that’s gonna help us with up to twenty-two Varons to contend with,” Frank jokingly replied, while fearing that a Varon Seer might be on the ship and that the whole mission would be a disaster.

  Then Frank decided that wouldn’t apply, Tamar was the High Seer, and he hadn’t been a match for either himself or Cindy.

  “Be careful with those weapons, and don’t destroy the ship unless you have to, we might be able to use her,” Susanna cautioned.

  “Intercept point approaching,” Gerry warned.

  “Okay, get to the transfer lock. And Frank, remember you will have to kill them all if necessary.”

  “I know, Anton. It’s just that it goes against the grain.”

  “Rubbish. Just think what the Varons have done to us.”

  With that, Cindy and Frank left for the airlock.

  “I can take over from here, Gerry. Just make sure that you three remember to hold the temporal lock rigid as we approach the Varon ship.

  “It’s okay, Anton, we know what we have to do.”

  Chapter 5

  The Varon Vessel

  “Time-crystal is enabled,” Anton informed everyone as it came online in restricted mode.

  Now they were committed unless the Varon ship suddenly warped out of the area.

  Anton studied the displayed Temporal grid that had been generated by the crystal’s control system. It was currently showing the temporal intersection point as the Time-ship moved slowly towards the Varon's vessel.

  Charlotte, Susanna, and Gerry started to move the symbols that were on each side of their Predictor’s screens, aiming to cover the small white disc that seemed to be dancing around in the central area of their screens. This white disc represented the Varon's vessel.

  “We are fast approaching the temporal intersection point for the Varon ship. Sequence going live… Now,” Anton stated, keeping the others informed on their progress.

  The Time-ship phased for a split second, and its Dumbbell time field generators groaned with power as they started to expand time.

  This stretching of time meant that one hour of ships-time would be just a blink of an eye to the Varons. And, in one second of Varon time, the transfer of Cindy and Frank would be completed. All of this, hopefully being achieved without the Varons realizing what had just happened.

  Suddenly, the Varon ship was next to them and locked into sync time.

  “We have transfer tube seal,” Anton called out to Cindy and Frank over their suit coms, as the force-field generated tube, established itself. Then he released the phasable or temporal drone.

  Anton had programmed the Temporal Drone to phase itself out of normal space. Then to drift across and into the Varon's vessel. Once inside the ship, the drone would phase again, to revert to normal space, then open the Varon’s airlock.

  “Airlock open,” Anton informed them while noting that their stretching of time was becoming erratic due to the falling power level of the Time ship’s power packs.

  The power packs were needed to support the output of the reactor because of the enormous power that was required to stretch time. But Anton had misjudged the amount of power they would use to leave Earth. And the jump to escape the Varon ship hadn’t helped.

  “How are the symbols reacting?” Anton called out.

  “Struggling to keep a sync lock,” Gerry said out loud, for the others benefit.

  “Damn.”

  Frank and Cindy, protected by their bodyworn lightweight armored Stealth suits, passed through the now open airlock and into the Varon ship, without mishap.

  After checking their wrist monitors, it was clear to Frank and Cindy that the Varons were oblivious to the fact that intruders were now on board their vessel. However, Frank and Cindy also knew that the area within the Varon ship wasn’t time stable.

  “Remember, the phasing drone will stay with you and record everything it can. But, if you are separated, the drone will follow Cindy,” Anton informed them via their suit cams.

  “Copy… Uh, something’s not right,” Frank warned Cindy over their suit comms.

  “Anton, we’re pretty sure the time stretch is becoming erratic.”

  “I can see that, Cindy. I’m losing power this end. You’d better get back now before you’re discovered.”

  “If we stay, will we only lose the time advantage?” Frank quickly asked Anton.

  “Yes. But abort the mission, now,” Anton ordered.

  Frank and Cindy mentally conferred with each other on their available options.

  “Come on! Come back now,” Anton almost yelled with frustration.

  “Anton, we need to take over this ship. It’s the quickest way to get a separate power source to anchor the crystal,” Cindy pointed out.

  “What, and die trying?”

  “If needed, Anton,” Frank stated.

  “Very well, then. The generated time field is collapsing fast, so you’d better get a move on. And Frank, remember we can't take any prisoners.”

  “I know,” Frank reluctantly acknowledged through the suit's comm.

  With that, Frank and Cindy stepped cautiously into a short corridor that seemed to link with a larger passage that ran fore and aft of the Varon ship.

  “I can only sense eleven Varon minds, Frank.”

  “Same here. But I’m sure there’s another that’s opposing me.”

  “Maybe a Varon High-Seer?” Cindy whispered.

  “Time stretch function has ceased,” Anton reported, interrupted them.

  “Inconvenient,” Frank grumbled.

  Just then, as Frank and Cindy were approaching a bend in the corridor, three Varons suddenly came around it towards them
. The Varons stopped, surprised at seeing two shimmering beings in their way.

  Cindy’s weapons jerked as she quickly fired particle beams at two of the Varons before Frank had managed to overcome his reluctance to kill. Then she blasted the other Varon.

  “Your hesitation could get us both killed, Frank,” she warned him.

  “It won’t happen again,” he apologized. “Let’s move on.”

  Around the next corner, Frank and Cindy were confronted by another six, well-armed Varon crew members.

  One of them was holding a spherically shaped and shiny object, by its two handles. The sphere was about the size of a football.

  The object suddenly flashed and gave out a sub-audible burst that deactivated both of their armored stealth suits. Causing the suits to collapse to the floor.

  Both Frank and Cindy cried out in pain from the vicious burst that had vibrated their flesh and disorientated them for a few seconds.

  “Christ,” Frank said, finally managing to form a word.

  “Place your weapons on the floor,” Frank heard a Varon's voice order them, his voice coming from behind.

  Frank took note of the positioning of the six Varons in front of him. And, as he carefully positioned his two handheld beam weapons on the floor in front of him, he managed to turn his head enough to see the other Varon.

  When he looked back, he was shocked, Cindy was gone. Just her suit on the floor, and two more armed Varons. Cindy must have been quickly whisked back up the corridor they had just come along, he decided.

  Frank felt vulnerable standing there in his underpants. He didn’t really have a strategy without the suit’s valuable comms link between himself and the Time ship.

  Nevertheless, as his adrenaline spiked, Frank risked all in diving for the two beam weapons that he’d carefully placed on the floor earlier, precisely where he needed them to be.

  Frank grabbed the two weapons by their butts in one fluid motion. Then moved his trigger fingers onto the firing studs as he slid along the floor, rolling over onto his back as he went, then angled both weapons upward and fired them as he passed between the open legs of the Varon who had the Sub-Audio disrupter.

  The Varon shrieked, as particle beams tore up his legs and through his body, sending burning flesh and bone spattering across the corridor ceiling, peppering the two Varons that were behind him.

  Before the five remaining Varons could turn, Frank fired a sweeping and continuous particle beam that viciously cut through them. Leaving a red mist of blood swirling around as dismembered bodies crumpled to the floor in a bloody tangle of twitching body parts.

  Then Frank turned around to see that the other two Varons were nowhere in sight. He quickly stepped over the body parts and rounded the corner, then saw the Varons running away up the corridor he’d come down. Frank took aim and fired at them. Both stumbled as the particle beams ripped through them, sending what was left of their body parts to the floor.

  Frank then ran up the corridor, giving a passing glance at the two dead Varon’s body parts as he went in search of Cindy.

  Chapter 6

  Near Disaster

  The Varon High-Seer hurriedly placed Cindy’s inert body onto a raised one by three-meter long box-shaped unit, that was a quarter of a meter thick and had several conduits linking to the metal floor.

  The Seer’s actions had an urgency about them, as he moved over to a floor-mounted curved extension arm with an illuminated control pad at its top and audibly issued a five-digit activation command.

  Upon which, the large circular section of the floor that he was standing on, together with the extension arm and box-shaped unit that Cindy was laid on, immediately rose up slightly and floated in place above the rest of the floor.

  Then the Varon went over to Cindy and clamped her hands and feet to the box-shaped unit.

  By now, a transparent and open-topped circular wall could clearly be seen rising up around the perimeter of the twelve-meter diameter floating section of the floor.

  “Agrra,” the Varon suddenly growled as he sensed the other human was almost upon him. Then, knowing that he would be vulnerable to this human once he took off his robes in preparation for stasis, the Varon immediately touched a gold symbol on his red robe, and a mental-block exclusion-field activated around him.

  Frank came to a halt in a large open area of the Varon ship. Directly in front of him, what appeared to be a transparent, open-topped wall, could clearly be seen rising up around the perimeter of a circular-shaped and floating section of the floor.

  Then, as Frank watched, the open-topped wall started to curve in slightly, forming a transparent dome-shaped structure that continued to grow.

  “Cindy,” Frank yelled out, as he saw her and the Varon inside the dome and realized what was happening.

  It was clear to Frank that the structure was just minutes away from sealing.

  The circular dome-shaped structure was, in fact, a Varon Seer’s survival pod, complete with what seemed to be a single stasis chamber on which Cindy was secured.

  Frank knew, from the size of the Pod, that it must have limited warp capability and that when the Pod was launched, it would at best merely rupture the Varon ship’s hull or trigger a ‘Ship self-destruct’ order.

  Frank hadn’t sensed the Varon’s mind, so he assumed that its mind was either shielded, or it was able to block-out his mental commands.

  Frank needed to do something fast, but his options were limited. So, he fired both hand weapons at the transparent dome in the hope that it was weaker than he thought. But his weapons discharge just dispersed harmlessly around the dome.

  ‘You are wasting your time,’ Frank heard the Varon’s mental voice in his mind say, as the Varon dropped his red robe and swung himself onto the stasis unit’s padded top, then laid on top of Cindy.

  Frank fumed as he watched the Varon’s arms drop down over Cindy’s body. He couldn’t see what the Varon was connecting to, but Frank was sure he saw Cindy’s head and shoulders jerk a couple of times.

  ‘Whatever it takes, Varon. I’ll kill you,’ Frank mentally shot back.

  Then, ‘Anton. I need the phasing droid here now,’ he mentally sent, not knowing if Anton was able to receive his request.

  ‘I picked up your message, Frank,’ he heard Charlotte mentally reply. ‘Anton told me to tell you that you must call out the following command words: ‘One zero one,’ followed by, ‘to me.’ To ensure the drone follows your orders.’

  ‘Thanks, Charlotte,’ Frank sent back. Then, he spoke the command out loud and straight away, the phasing drone was beside him.

  Frank heard a hissing sound coming from the top of the dome as it finally sealed. Then he saw a transparent cover start to rise upwards, behind the Varon’s stasis chamber, inside the dome.

  Frank was pretty sure that once the stasis chamber cover closed over both Cindy and the Varon’s bodies, then nothing would stop the survival pod from crashing out through the ship’s hull.

  Frank also knew that if their drone hadn’t been close enough to the Varon, to record whatever the Varon’s activation command must have been, then he’d be dead within a few minutes.

  Frank pointed to the curved extension arm and control pad that the Varon had spoken into to activate his escape pod.

  “Cancel the Varon’s activation command and collapse the outer dome,” Frank quickly ordered the Drone, which instantly became semi-transparent, then drifted through the wall of the dome and solidified inside.

  Too late, Frank thought to himself, as the drone tried to cancel the command.

  Just then, the transparent cover that had been in the process of extending up and over the Varon’s stasis chamber stopped. Just as it was about to latch and seal the Varon and Cindy inside.

  Frank was relieved as he saw the stasis cover begin to open again, and the top of the Dome made a popping sound as it also opened and slowly shrank back down. Within moments, the dome’s wall disappeared into the outer edge of the floating circular
base. This, in turn, dropped down with a clunk and became part of the solid floor again.

  The Varon uttered a string of incomprehensible words as he slid off Cindy.

  Frank had his doubts but was reasonably sure that he understood why the Varon had been on top of Cindy. It was probably the only way that this small stasis chamber would support both of them.

  Then Frank moved to the right a few steps to ensure that if he had to fire at the Varon, he’d miss Cindy.

  The hairless, boyish-faced Varon, then took three steps towards Frank, picked up the red robe he’d discarded earlier and covered himself.

  “I am Captic. A High-Seer. You will not kill me,” he ordered.

  Frank sensed that Cindy was unharmed and slowly regaining consciousness. So, he ignored the Varon’s order as he forcefully probed his mind.

  Unexpectedly, Frank found little opposition as he plunged into Captic’s mind. This mind was far easier to navigate and color map than Tamar’s had been.

  So, this High Seer Captic was in sole command of this vessel. And ten of the Varon crew members had taken a stealth shuttle down to Earth’s surface to bring up some humans to run experiments on. While the mothership had jumped out to Neptune and had been waiting for the shuttle to return when it suddenly registered the appearance of a Time-ship, close to Earth.

  Now, Frank could feel the Varon’s hatred of an alien invading his mind and the frustration of not being able to stop this human from obtaining all the information he wanted.

  Frank found everything he needed before withdrawing. Then replied to the Varon’s attempt at ordering him not to kill him.