John Stronghill the “Brain” coughed and picked up the two stones, “With these stones?”
Henry and the other members of the team look at him, and ask, “You think we should cover them with these stones?”
“It would be a good idea.”
Henry thought for a moment because the idea was great but had a small problem, “With them, we’ll get mobility, but we’ll be almost completely blind. We may lose our way and might easily get lost in the desert.”
Henry heard Berry Flint from the other side of the room. He was sitting on one of the boxes of equipment, cleaning his nails with a little knife. “I reckon I’ve got a solution for that.”
“How…” Henry asked, watching him with interest, “… if it isn’t some secret that is.”
“Commander, when you order the suits, order storm transmitters as well.”
‘What the devil is a storm transmitter?’ Henry thought to himself. “I’ve never heard of them?”
“On the planet Enuana those transmitters are used by the pilot of the huge transporters to fly through the storm. Static storms rage on that planet and therefore, their navigation systems don’t work properly; so they use storm transmitters.”
“And what is its purpose?”
“They are usually fired off from a transporter to correct its course or orbit after flight deviations during the strongest of storms. They are built to be automatically launched when transporters are are stuck in a storm cloud. The, transmitters fly out above the clouds, and then they send a strong signal to the exact place from where they were launched, and this signal is received by the computer within the transporter, thus correcting the course.”
Henry stared at Berry who was still cleaning his nails with a knife and asked, “You worked in the mines.”
Berry looked at him and smiled nonchalantly. “I didn’t.”
“Well, then how come you’re so well informed about these ‘storm transmitters’?”
“I won some at gambling. Those were one of my best wins – the transmitters get fancy prices.”
Henry shook his head and continued, “Without those transmitters, we won’t find the way to Absolute. We might lose our way in the desert since I’m sure the Being will encircle us with sandstorms all the time.”
Diana was taken aback, “You’re going to Absolute?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going with you.”
“I think that won’t be possible.”
“Why?”
“Your grandfather has clear instructions to return you back to safety. Absolute, is definitely not something I can call as safe.”
“My grandfather can’t forbid me from doing anything.”
“For you he is your grandfather but for me he is commanding officer. I really don’t intend to over-rule his orders.”
At that moment Kir interrupted their conversation. “Commander, she’s going with us!”
Henry was aghast and wanted to snap back but he controlled himself, “I don’t think it is a wise decision.”
“It’s a great decision and if you want to know why then ask Diana.”
Diana watched Kir for a couple of moments and then she turned towards Henry, a bit curious about this person called Kir. “I am the only one out of the team which has been to Absolute and besides, I know the city very well. That could be an asset, if you ask me.”
“Really? One visit was good enough for you to know the city very well?” Henry tried his hand at sarcasm.
“Yes, indeed. Didn’t grandpa tell you about my photographic memory?”
Henry did not like what he heard about taking Diana to Absolute, especially with orders to bring her back safe; but then he did not fancy acting like a chaperon either. “Well, now we know that too. Your grandpa won’t like it, but he doesn’t have to know about it.”
Everybody in the tent laughed.
“But now we have a bigger problem.” All of them watched Henry, “And that is who will bring the transporter with the equipment here? I doubt there’ll be any volunteers considering the reputation of this planet.”
The Sergeant turned to Mark Bontovic. “Mark should be able to do that. He’s a genius at remote controlling aircrafts, so we won’t need a volunteer.”
Mark looked at him in astonishment, not believing what he just heard. His face went bloodless, “I didn’t know I had such capabilities, Sergeant.”
“You can control the T-Borg in the arena; this isn’t far from that.”
“I don’t think so. This is different, and I’m not sure that I can…”
“Sergeant, are you sure he is T-Borg?” Vandor Bult joined, “Mark is a loose talker, so I don’t take any of his words without a pinch of salt.”
That statement made Mark go red. Somehow that also did the trick. “Sergeant, I’ll need some equipment to make contact with that transporter. I have to shut some loud mouths up. I am T-Borg and no one can deny that.” He turned to Henry and added, “Commander, rest assured that transporter is coming home from orbit.”
“I’m glad to hear that. See that it’s done.” Henry said.
“All will be ready tomorrow.” Sergeant added.
“All right Mark, I have complete confidence in you.” Henry turned to Vallery, “That takes care of just one part. We have to bury Aurelia and Randy.”
“All taken care of for the burial. If we are done here then we can proceed to the place earmarked for burial; John will deliver a short speech.”
“Agreed.” John said with a sight of sadness.
Outside the Crater
XI
On the third day, after some hard work and the attaching of numberless pieces of magnetic rock to the hulls of the transporters and fighters, we were finally ready to go out on the surface of Godeena. Mark had made a helmet complete with remote control, and he had trained with one of the transporters; though some were skeptical, he had made them change their minds when he played with it around the crater.
During one of the training sessions, while Henry was watching, Sergeant Colburn approached him. “I’ve just received a message that the equipment has arrived.”
“Super. I can see Mark is ready for the performance.”
“It seems that it is amusing him.”
“He has found the right toy.”
“Shall I call him?”
“You may. He has amused himself enough.”
At a quick pace, he went over to Mark, who was completely occupied with his exercises. The Sergeant patted his shoulder with a large palm. “Mark, it’s time.”
Mark easily landed the transporter beside the lake, took the helmet off and looked at the Sergeant with large blue eyes, which were as prominent on his pale face as an oasis in a desert. “I am ready.”
“Take the equipment with you and let’s go to the Commander. After that, we have to work.”
“Great. All the equipment is on me, and we can go right away.”
Henry watched Mark as he approached him; he looked like a nervous clown. Across his chest ran different color wires that were connected to a control console, which frankly looked rather fragile. When they came nearer Henry asked them in a serious voice, “Have you prepared everything as you said?”
“All is ready. You’ll be able to watch on the holo-screens as I make the landing.”
“Come on, let’s do that then.”
In the meantime everybody gathered before the command tent, looking for Mark with impatience. They slipped aside when they passed by them, and then they rushed behind us into the tent, in which Vallery was waiting for us among the communication equipment. Mark asked her for the activation code for running the aircraft, and when she read it, he quickly typed it into his equipment and connected himself to the main communication panel. In the center of the command table a holo screens switched on and, amongst the static, they soon saw the gray partitions of the hangar in the cruiser stationed in orbit.
After a brief
communication with Major Bauer, the commander of the cruiser, the hangar’s partitions began to pull in, and soon we caught sight of dark space filled with sparkling stars. Mark started the motors of the transporter and easily started to navigate it towards the exit of the hangar. Soon the transporter was outside the cruiser, and he directed it towards the blue surface of the planet. He passed into the atmosphere without a problem and directed himself towards camp. In the beginning, it seemed that all would go smoothly, but when he came within twenty miles of the crater the Being formed a dome above it with his sandy clouds, leaving only a narrow passage through which the transporter could pass. As it came close to the entrance of the passage, somebody behind Henry broke the silence worriedly.
“He won’t make it.”
He turned around and hissed through his teeth, “Enough! I won’t hear another word!”
Mark was occupied with the controls, and so he didn’t hear the comment. With great precision, he was directing the transporter towards the passage between the whirling clouds. In silence we all watched the passage becoming wider and wider in the holo screens. The sandstorm grew wild when he got within several meters of the entrance. Suddenly one part of the greyish-yellow sand cloud shaped the face of the boy and attacked fiercely and hit the cabin of the transporter. The picture which they were watching began to switch off and on from the intense static disturbances. Mark, who had been completely concentrated on running the transporter, swore angrily and tried to do something using the small console in his hands. “To hell, what’s happening now?!”
The transporter shook strongly and began sliding slowly towards the whirling cloud. At that moment they noticed a boy watching them curiously, but it lasted only briefly; he waved his hand and the hologram picture on the desk darkened. Mark was fighting for more time with the remote control, but it was clear that he had lost the aircraft.
He angrily took off the helmet and threw it onto the floor, and then turned towards me and lowered his shoulders. “I’ve lost it!”
“Well, you’ve done your best.”
Looking at the remote control in his hand he commented, unconvinced, “The Being might have taken over control before I could land, but I think that it didn’t fall far from the edge of the crater. For a moment I caught a view of the crater and then the Being broke the communication and knocked down the transporter.”
“From what height did it fall?”
“Previous reading was at 150 feet, maybe a little lower.”
“That means the possibility exists that the equipment remains undamaged.”
“Yes, it didn’t fall from a significant height.”
Henry turned to Vallery. “Major, have you had got the coordinates of the ship’s last position before it fell?”
“We only have the coordinates from when the Being got it. Unfortunately, it fell into the sandstorm. I was able to read no more.”
Henry her after a short pause as he thought, said, “I think we could calculate the probable location of the crash. Put into the computer the possible direction of travel and the time at which Mark was still in control.”
Vallery quickly typed in the data she had, and they looked at the satellite view of the crater. About a hundred meters from the very edge a red twinkling light denoted the position of the crash. “I mean somewhere in that place.”
Henry closed his eyes. I think the time has come when there are no more delays. Then with a serious tone determined, “We have worked on protecting our ships for the last three days. Now we’ll see if it works.”
Vallery with a serious tone established because she believed in her protector from Hades, “I don’t think Brain has made any mistakes regarding the rocks and pebbles from the crater.”
“I hope not,” Henry said in a grim voice and then he turned to Berry, who was watching the dead holo screens with interest. “Are you ready, Berry?
Berry wasn’t comfortable with where we were going, but he responded with a smile. “I can’t wait to take off.”
“Then prepare the transporter.”
“Yes, sir.”
As he went out of the tent, Henry turned to everybody present. “Vandor, you and Keniko are coming with me. Bring your armaments with you. Keniko, take Diana’s clothes, you are the only one who they’ll fit.”
Diana asked him, “Can’t I help you?”
Henry didn’t want to argue with her about his decision, so he concluded the conversation. “You’ll only take your suit when we go to Absolute. Now I’d like you to rest from all activities and give your suit over to our disposal.”
Henry turned to Keniko, ignoring Diana’s angry look. “Miss Diana will kindly hand over her equipment.”
Diana, who was red in the face with fury from being excluded, quickly turned around on her tiptoes and left the tent. Keniko followed her, and Henry turned to the Sergeant. “We’ve had enough amusement today. Sergeant Colburn, order them to do some work!”
He commanded loudly, “Everybody who isn’t going with the Commander, follow me!”
While they were going out of the tent, Henry addressed Vandor. “Take the light weapons; there’s no need to take the Khak with us, it’s too massive. See you at the cruiser!”
“I’ll be there soon.”
Henry called Vallery, who was switching off the communication equipment. “Vallery!”
“You need me, Commander?”
“We have to arrange something.”
She stood upright and looked at him with her like emerald green eyes. On her face, he perceived some concern. Henry spoke in a serious voice, “If anything happens to me take the crew out of the crater!”
Vallery was surprised watched and said to him, “Commander it’s not good thinking before acting. I …”
Henry interrupted her speech with a wave of his hand and concluded, “In case something happens to us…” he gazed directly into her green eyes, “...leave the planet without hesitating!”
She returned his gaze and confident answer, “I hope I won’t have to take over that responsibility. I know that John is right about the rocks placed on the hull of the transporter. Now it’s up to you to believe in him. Trust me; he’s one hundred percent high-maintenance in what he said.”
Henry is thrilled how Vallery has confidence in him and make claims, “We’ll find out soon.” Then he turned and accelerated steps out of the tent.
*
His crew was waiting for him in the transporter, armed and ready for action. “You’re extremely quick!”
Berry smiled contentedly and tapped Vandor on the shoulder. “We have missed the action. It got a little boring in the crater.”
“Let’s go then.”
When they had taken their places, Berry crossed himself and started the motors. The transporter shook a little, lifting the surrounding dust and leaves which had gathered there during the recent days. The transporter got to the height of the edge of the crater, and then he gently pushed the control stick. Before we sank into the whirling clouds, he sighed loudly and said, “Now we’ll see how mighty the Brain is.”
Berry accelerated rapidly, and they flew like an arrow into the dark, turbulent mass. All in the team sighed loudly when the clouds began to part in front of them. The rocks on the body of the transporter protected them, repelling the clouds thirty meters away from them; it seemed as if a transparent shield was protecting them, upon which electric sparks discharged wildly. The Being was enraged, having realized that he wasn’t able to get at their prey.
Henry was a relieved and satisfied assert, “We have to thank John when we get back. This is working perfectly.”
“I agree with you, Commander,” said Berry. “I’ll buy him a drink when I see him next.”
“Now watch where you’re flying,” grunted Vandor. “It’ll be no problem to treat him to drink.”
Berry turned to him and smiled with a satisfied look on his face. “You don’t have to take care of me, Vandor. I am a rathe
r experienced flier. This is only a routine flight in comparison to the ones I’ve flown on numerous planets trying to escape from the police.”
Henry looked at him, surprised. “How is it that I don’t have this data in your file?”
He only laughed loudly. “For the simple reason, that they didn’t catch me!” While he was speaking, he had a look at the map. “Now we’re close to the place of the crash. Soon we’ll see its remnants.”
Henry caught sight of a box half buried in the sand and shouted, “Here on the right side!”
Berry turned to the right abruptly, towards the place he had indicated. Vandor fell on his back against the hull of the transporter and swore, “You idiot! Inform me when you do such sudden turning!”
“Seatbelts serve to hold you in place and if you were strapped in you wouldn’t have such problems.”
Vandor growled angrily, holding his hurt shoulder, and then quickly put on his seatbelt. “Who gave you your pilot’s license?! It must be that he is an idiot. Personally, I wouldn’t let you fly no carriers for the transportation space waste.” he said.
“Tantras Hamal, if you’re interested.”
Vandor whistled, lifted his lower lip and nodded, “Then you must be really good if you got it from him.”
“They say so.”
Henry knew that Tantras Hamal was one of the main Mafia godfathers in the quadrant, but it couldn’t be proven as he also had a large number of legitimate businesses. But Henry was much more interested in the box they were approaching. “Berry, leave those stories for now. Try to land us by the box in the sand.” I turned to Keniko, who was putting on a helmet and checking the visor where it had been scratched. “Are you ready?”
Damn, I’m not ready. She lifted her thumb. “You bet.” Her voice was agitated because she didn’t want to go where the Being rampaged.
Berry landed softly not far from the box. The clouds whirled up wildly while bluish lightning hit the edges of the sand walls which encircled them, making a bluish dome cut up now and then by the numerous lightning strikes that looked like huge and tiny roots. They had the feeling that they were inside a living creature that was trying to crush them, and that wasn’t that far from the truth. The whole time the dome twisted and vibrated, creating waves, but the meteoric stones repelled an attack by the Being. Henry looked towards Keniko and noticed the primeval fear in her green eyes.
Godeena: SF Novel Page 23