Black Desert
Page 38
“Gel pack holding and nanobots and super Sarin released,” said the Professor.
“Fire second and third shots,” instructed Stiers.
Twice more the disrupter and air cannons spat death towards the vast ship. “Two hits,” said Ramirez as more debris flew off.
“Sealing and invasion successful,” said Lillishenger.
“Two shots remaining,” said Ramirez. “Recommend holding until we can assess the damage.”
“Not advised,” said Gowan. “There is no more vulnerable place we can hit them. We should fire now before they figure a way to stop us.”
“That will leave nothing in reserve,” said Ramirez.
“Okay,” said the Captain. “Fire four and five now. Let’s enjoy ourselves while we can.”
Again the guns fired and they watched as the first one hit and scattered more parts of the alien ship. The second one missed as the alien craft turned faster than the Challenger computers could cope with.
“Fourth shot hit and fifth shot wide of target,” said Ramirez.
“They are manoeuvring away,” said Gowan. “Our computers are compensating. I am recording hits on Fleet but at this distance I can’t see how bad the damage is.”
“Fourth shot in and sealed,” said Lillishenger. “Fifth shot unsuccessful but the nanobots are still trying to get inside their vessel.”
“The alien ship is turning away and reversing course,” said Ogden. “And we are trapped inside their shields.”
“Nothing else we could do,” said Stiers. “Looks like we’re going on a ride.”
“They have reversed direction but are not yet applying maximum power,” said Ogden.
Lillishenger said, “Maybe they have to lower their shields in order to engage their interstellar engines. Maybe they only have thruster power at this point.”
“We can’t get out. That’s for sure,” said the Captain. “Wherever they’re going, we’ll be going with them.”
The huge alien vessel quickly slid away from the moon and towards the outer edges of the solar system but they were moving very slowly.
“They have cut their thrusters,” said Ogden. “They are preparing to fire main engines.”
“Slap your size, try this for size,” said Ramirez. “If anybody wants to wave goodbye to Earth, now is the chance. It will be the last time you see it.”
“I have happy memories,” said Ogden.
But the big ship did not fire its engines. Instead it just floated aimlessly as if it had little power.
“Sensors?” said Stiers.
“Confused life,” said Lillishenger. “They are sick and dying in there.”
“They started it,” said the Captain.
The nanobots are attacking their systems. There are a bunch of them working on their shield console and more on the engines.”
“So it doesn’t sound like they’ll be attacking Earth?”
“No,” said the Professor.
“Can we get a message to Fleet?” Stiers asked.
“Not while their shields are operational,” said Ogden. We are drifting now. We’ll be unable to return to Earth. We are out of the gravitational field.”
“We’ll row,” said Stiers. Gowan thought he sounded as if he meant it.
The shields collapsed an hour later and they drifted very slowly away from the ship. Stiers did not fire the engines as they were too far from Earth or the Moon. He sent a message to Fleet warning that rocket ships would have to come out to rescue the derelict hull. There was no life registering inside.
Ogden asked, “How big is their vessel?”
“Very big,” said Ramirez.
“They must have some kind of gravitational pull. Can’t we thrust against that?”
Ramirez looked at Gowan then at Lillishenger, both of whom were working anxiously on calculations. “It’s worth a try,” said Gowan. “If we start now.”
Stiers swung the ship round manually and pointed the anti-grav towards the big ship. He fired up and they felt resistance as gravity fought anti-grav. Slowly they moved, gathering pace till they could just about beat a lethargic snail. Speed cut in as the engines strained and their journey to the Moon continued, albeit very slowly.
“We have to make it back,” said Ogden. “They can’t rescue us out here.”
“Fleet are asking if we need rescuing,” said Gowan. “They are afraid we are too far out of orbit.”
“Tell them we’re limping home trying to gain speed,” said the Captain. “Ask if they can chuck us a rope.”
They reached peak speed but Stiers kept the engines working past the stage where they were doing any good. They kept moving slowly. “We still have manoeuvring thrusters,” he said. “They’ll be our last chance but we can’t wait till we’re stationary or drifting. The timing has to be right. I’ll fire them manually.”
“You don’t trust the computers?” said the Professor.
“If we don’t get home, I want it to be my fault, not that of the computer,” said the Captain.
As their speed slowed again he fired thrusters and they were propelled forward for what could be the last time. They could see the Moon and Earth glowing blue and white behind it. Myriads of dots on the holos showed where Fleet vessels were waiting. The thrusters burnt out and the ship continued its passage before slowing. Stiers used the momentum to turn to vessel so the anti-grav faced the moon. For a while they seemed to hover on the edge of space then indicator lights showed green all over the place indication anti-grav was restored.
“Anybody care to go home now?” asked the Captain. “I think we’ve done okay.”
EPILOGUE
They gathered outside San Franciso at the small marker that indicated where the memory of Jenny had rested all these years. Sean had passed on two weeks before. Eric was there but very frail and supported by his family. The entire crew of Challenger including Lillishenger were also present. Three months had passed during which briefings and debriefings had abounded and their time chamber examined and catalogued.
It had been a brief war. Thirteen dead on the flagship and two other Fleet vessels destroyed with the loss of a further eight lives. Ten on the flagship were wounded but recovering.
Satellite pictures from way back had confirmed the existence of their home for a century – it had always been there without anybody ever knowing what purpose it had served.
Expeditions to the floating alien ship were frequent and its technology was looted time and again. It was now on a course for the sun but would take forty years to reach there. Fleet estimated they could make safe trips there for the next twelve or fifteen years. A lot was happening while Jenny slept the long sleep.
“So, you’re staying on with Fleet?” said Stiers.
“Sure,” said Ramirez. “Junette and I have both signed on for another term but I think any excitement is now over. We’ll just be watching.”
“Just in case,” said Gowan and took his hand.
“And you two?” the Captain asked Ogden.
“The Professor and I have been offered University chairs,” said Ogden.
Ramirez said, “Make sure they give you a big one.”
“We’ll be together in the same place again,” said Lillishenger. “And you, Captain?”
“I’m not a Captain,” said Stiers. “I’m just a simple rancher going home to my family. I kind of miss them.”
“But they offered you…”
“I know what they offered – and I’ll always be available if they need me again. But I signed up to protect Earth and I think we did that very well. Now I’m due back home. My war is over.”
“Thanks to my mother and the Dunfields, you are all very rich,” said Eric.
“I don’t really need much more than Junette,” said Ramirez.
“Isn’t he lovely?” said Gowan.
“Sometimes I can’t believe my ears,” said Ogden. “I also can’t believe I allowed him to reprogram my answer machine. Every time I try to retrieve my holo message
s, his face comes up and calls me ‘Fatso’.”
“It calls me ‘old lady’,” said the Professor.
“You guys all need to visit my ranch before you go onto the next stage of your lives,” said Stiers. “Smell a real piece of what we almost died for.”
“You knew we’d pull through,” said Gowan.
“Oh sure.”
Stiers thought of the holy shrine that Jenny’s grave had become and that old patch of dirt in the desert they had called home for a century and of the wondrous ways the Almighty works to pull everything into line when needed. For that is who Stiers gave thanks to.
“Anybody hungry?” asked Ramirez.
“I could use a hamburger,” said Ogden.
“You could use a diet more,” said Ramirez and neatly dodged the handslap headed his way from Lillishenger.
THE END
Copyright 2014 by Peter Francis
All rights reserved.
Except for the purposes of reviews, no part may be reproduced without the permission of the author.
Contact the author on peter.francis88@yahoo.co.uk
Other books by the same author:
Last Demon
Ziggurat
The Colour of Dying Flesh
Flee to Zero
Dargaville
Dark Red Blood
Ice Blue Legs
Dark Grey Smoke
Two Dead Labradors
The Fourth World
Death Bell
Death Beach
The Man with the Photofit Face
Rental from Laredo
Let’s Go Play at the Adams 2