by Murison, J W
Steven knew nothing would happen until the ship itself had picked a new captain. They could go on board and carry out necessary maintenance, but that is all the ship itself would allow. In the mean time, Steven thought it prudent to at least start a list of likely candidates for the crew.
One of the scientists was a computer expert and he had begun to build a website. Steven had decided to put application forms on it and hope that the right people would reply. They would for the most part be able to cross match names with university databases. That would cut away a lot of the deadwood.
Eventually Howe called a halt to the training and reported to Steven, ‘we’re as ready now as we’re ever going to be sir.’
‘Ok Colonel, you and your men have an hour to snatch something to eat and drink. Be ready at the end of that hour.’
He turned to his waiting people, ‘disengage from mineral resupply. Navigation plot a course for a rendezvous with the other ship.’
The pretty blond flushed again, ‘yes sir, coordinates set. ETA will be twenty minutes with interplanetary drive.’
‘Chief, prepare to engage interplanetary drive.’
‘Roger.’
‘Ok people, let’s go save some lives. Helm engage.’
‘Yes sir.’
Twenty minutes later, Saturn in its full glory swam into view. It was a breath taking sight.
Howe reported, ‘I have the other ship on sensors sir.’
Haley, the ships new navigator and helmsmen almost squealed, ‘I have a visual sir.’
‘Well done, we’ll leave this bit to the ship shall we? Could you manoeuvre us until we are a few hundred meters from the other ship and approach from behind please. I don’t want to alert anyone on board to our presence. You have forty minutes Colonel.’
Thirty minutes later after having reviewed the situation, the Colonel and his men were waiting at the airlock ready to go.
‘We’re ready Captain.’
‘Ok Colonel, standby.’ Steven nodded to Howard who engaged the docking system.
Chapter 26
Mary Gordon was feeling weak and feverish. Andy Myers held a cup of water to her lips and she sipped at it. Her blouse front was stained green and red. None of them had escaped the vomiting the alien food had induced.
‘Thank you,’ she muttered. Her eyes turned back to the scene outside. What a beautiful place to die, she thought to herself, but what a bloody stupid way to go.
The hammering on the door had stopped for a while and they were all glad of the respite. She wasn’t sure of what was worse, the maniac outside or the slow death from starvation. They had even discussed trying to open the door themselves and letting the madman kill them as he had threatened to do on so many occasions, but it was the thought of being eaten that had stayed their hand.
Mary knew they could live for days yet with the water that was being provided for them, but she also knew that she would be the first to die. Her feverish mind wondered if her companions would stoop to the level of the man outside.
There was one thing they were confused about and had discussed at length. What had happened to the body of the man in the engine room? Sales had accused them of stealing it from him. It was an enigma that had helped to pass many hours of waiting.
At first they had passed away the hours by continuing with their work, but it came to a stage where they just couldn’t go any farther. At first her colleagues had came to her for advice and it had helped keep her alert, but now they had all fallen into a strange lethargy. It was hopeless and they were all intelligent enough to know it.
It was Mary who felt the strange vibrations first. She had lain on the floor so long; she had begun to feel a part of it.
‘Did anyone feel that?’ She croaked.
Andy’s was the only head that had come up in response. Slowly he got up and came over, ‘yeah I felt something. Maybe we brushed one of those big rocks out there. Do you think our orbit might be destabilising?’
Mary shook her head, ‘I don’t know …’ the ship physically shuddered and Mary cried out in alarm.
Andy who had come to admire the courage of this small woman took her hand in his. ‘Don’t worry Mary, if something bad happens it should be a lot quicker than the way we are dying now.’
Mary was able to force a small smile, ‘thank you Andy, will you stay by me?’
‘I would be honoured to.’
Hardly were the words out of his mouth when the door shot open and armed men stormed into the bridge.
‘Everyone stay where they are. Don’t move.’ A command rapped out. They got such a shock it hadn’t even entered their minds. The armed men in strange uniforms went straight through and out the other door.
A handsome man in his early thirty’s approached Mary and Andy. He gave Andy a strange hostile look and Andy suddenly felt very self-conscious and let her hand go.
They young man stood over her, the hostile look replaced by one of concern. Mary stared at the man in front of her. Although she had never seen him before he bore a strange familiarity. She realised that he strongly resembled her first cousin, but that couldn’t be possible, he was much older and this man held a presence that her cousin never possessed.
He knelt down at her side. Mary began to feel herself choke up.
‘Hi Mum how are you feeling?’
She reeled as though she had been slapped, ‘what! Who are you?’ The man smiled and then she saw it in his eyes. Tears welled up and cascaded down over her cheeks. ‘Steven … no it can’t be.’
The smile broadened as tears welled up into his eyes and it left her in no doubt. ‘Oh my God it is you, how can this be?’
A tear broke free and ran down his face, ‘it’s a long story Mum, but it’s going to have to wait for a few minutes until we’ve dealt with Sales and we can get you safely aboard my ship.’
‘Your ship?’
Explanations would have to wait. A large figure appeared at his shoulder and it left her in no doubt as to his identity. ‘Watch yourself Stevie.’
Buzz pushed past and swept her up into his large arms, ‘hi Mary, I’ve waited a long time for this.’
‘Oh Buzz you big rogue,’ Mary half laughed and cried.
Grinning with tears in his eyes Buzz headed for the airlock, ‘let's get you home woman.’
Steven turned to Andy who had stood to follow, ‘don’t move, don’t even twitch. Once we’ve dealt with Sales were going to deal with you and your partner. Steven headed for the engine room. Andy sat back down again with a sudden sinking feeling.
Sales had been lying in a strange delirium. For a moment he thought he felt something and came half to. But then he felt the vibration of running feet and shot up fully alert. His first thoughts were they’re coming for me, but the second was steeped in evil. Food!
He raised the weapon towards the door he thought they were coming from. As it opened he fired. A blue uniformed figure fell in to the Engine room. In his delirium he never even realised that they weren’t the people stranded with him on the ship and that they were armed.
The figure behind burst into the room and rolled onto the floor, fire lancing from the weapon in his hand. Sales felt something pluck at his clothing but gleefully fired at the rolling figure.
Then he heard something behind him and turned as four more streaks of flame fired at him. He felt no pain only a spreading numbness. Again he fired and bodies dived out of the way. His vision was beginning to recede, but he could still make out his assailants at the end of a long tunnel.
His dying brain told him there were still more behind him and he turned again, the weapon in his hand spitting out its last remaining rounds. He never even knew it was empty, but he kept pulling the trigger instinctively as a single figure approached.
It stopped in front of him for a second as though going to talk. Then its arm came up and there was a bright flash. Behind it came a darkness that Sales had never known before. For a brief fraction of a second he resisted the temptation, then slo
wly slid into oblivion forever.
Howe watched Sales slump to the floor. There was little blood flowing from the bullet hole he had just put in his forehead. He stood over the body for a moment to make sure there were no farther sign of life.
‘Area clear Captain, Sales is dead.’
‘On my way, have you any casualties?’
‘We might have a few I’m just checking now.’
Steven arrived a few seconds later with concern written all over his face. Howe went straight over to him.
Steven gave Howe the quick once over, but he seemed to be intact. ‘What's the butchers bill Colonel?’
Howe grimaced, ‘three casualties, two flesh wounds and one man took a round in his side. I don’t think it hit any Major organs, but we won’t be sure until we get an x-ray.’
Steven walked over to the body and frowned, ‘he looks like a colander, what went wrong?’
Beaver walked over to stand at his side, busily wrapping a makeshift bandage around his upper arm, ‘damndest thing I ever saw Captain. He was waiting for us, firing as we came through the door. He got me first. I managed to get out of the way but then he hit the man behind me. I pumped round after round into him but it was as though he never even felt it.’ Colonel Howe cleared his throat. Beaver looked up in surprise, ‘oh sorry Boss; didn’t mean to get carried away.’
Howe accepted the apology with a slight nod of his head, ‘as Beaver was saying sir, he took round after round as though they were made of paper. I can guarantee there wasn’t one of us that didn’t put at least half a dozen rounds into the man, but he just wouldn’t fall. Even after he ran out of ammunition he was still pulling the trigger. I had to walk up and put one in his head.’
‘By the looks of him Colonel it was the kindest thing to do.’
The Colonel seemed to sigh with relief. He wasn’t really sure how the man would react.
‘The important thing now is to see to the wounded and fix this ship. Are you fine?’ he asked Beaver.
‘Yes sir it’s just a scratch.’
‘Good then come with me. I have a couple of men I want you to keep an eye on.’
Steven led them to where Andy Myers was sitting waiting with his companion. Steven looked down at them with cold eyes, ‘these men were a part of Sales team and were responsible for crippling this ship. I want them secured; at no time are they to be allowed to roam around our ship on their own.’
Myers was bursting with questions and angry. He stood to his full height, which was a couple inches higher than Steven, even though he didn’t feel it at the time. ‘Hey hold on a minute, I was obeying orders which came straight from the President of the United States, ask him, and what the hell did you mean by your ship, how did you people get here?’
‘Oh I think everything will become clear soon enough, but as for your President, well I’m afraid we don’t take orders from him.’
‘So who do you take your orders from?’
Colonel Howe and Beaver both pointed to Steven and declared unanimously, ‘him.’
Myers shook his head in confusion, ‘but you’re both American troops.’
Howe shook his head with a wry grin, ‘we retired … early.’
Beaver burst out laughing and grabbed Myers by the shoulder, ‘yeah, real early. Come with me.’
Steven stopped him, ‘one second, there's something he has to do first.’ He pushed the small point on his wrist pad, ‘chief we’re ready for you but before you come could you try and get your hands on something like a body bag and take it over with you.’ He turned back to Beaver, ‘he and his friend can parcel up their companion for transport back to Earth.’
Beaver shrugged, ‘why not just pop him out the air lock.’
‘I will not contaminate space with rubbish like that. Besides were not animals. It might be hard to believe, but he may have family. It’s the decent thing to do.
‘Colonel Howe, take over here and over see the repairing of the ship. I’m going to see what we can do for the wounded and try and make the people we rescued comfortable.’
‘Yes sir.’
Steven left them to it and quickly made his way to the ships med centre. The ship was full of Doctors but unfortunately not medical Doctors. However one of the scientists had taken over and was working under the ships direction.
He found his mother sitting up with a strange pad on her shoulder. She took his hand anxiously, ‘what's been happening Steven. How come I can’t see anything but you all can?’
Steven took a deep breath and smiled, ‘it’s a long story Mum.’
Chapter 27
The Chief was able to obtain from the ship, something that at least was long enough to hold a body and could be sealed. He arrived in the Engine room of the other ship knowing he was going to come across an unpleasant sight. What he didn’t expect to see was a down cast Myers under guard.
His jaw dropped, ‘Andy is that you?’
Myers head whipped up, a sudden surge of hope lighting his eyes, ‘Jesus Christ, Matt McGuire.’ The two men advanced on one another.
Matt found his voice first, ‘what the hell are you doing here?’
Andy laughed, ‘I was gonna ask you exactly the same thing.’
‘I’m chief Engineer on the other ship, you?’
Andy’s face fell, ‘I’m the guy who’s being blamed for crippling this one.’
Matt’s eyes became a little guarded, ‘I’m sorry to hear that Andy, I could sure do with your help.’
Andy half smiled, ‘it’s nice to know someone still thinks kindly of me. So what the hell’s going on?’
‘I’ll tell you once I fix this ship.’
Beaver stepped forward, ‘I don’t think so Chief, once these two have picked up that body they’re going to be under close arrest until we get back to Earth.’
Matt frowned, ‘then what?’
Beaver shrugged, ‘I don’t know, but I’m presuming they’ll be let go. They were after all, only following Sales orders.’
‘I’ll vouch for this man.’
Beaver shrugged, ‘it ain’t up to me Chief.’
Matt got onto his communicator, ‘captain can you hear me?’
‘I can hear you Chief, what's up?’
‘The man you’ve got under arrest, Andy Myers, he’s a personal friend of mine, if you release him into my care I will personally guarantee his good conduct.’
There was a pause while Steven considered the request, ‘Ok chief, but if he touches or tries to remove anything then I will throw you both out the air lock.’
‘I give you my word sir.’
Andy grimaced, ‘he sounds serious.’
Beaver grinned evilly, ‘he’s meant everything he’s said so far, so I wouldn’t push it, but before you do anything else, you can help shove your friend into this body bag.’
Andy’s eyes went cold, ‘he was no friend of mine.’ He and his assistant shoved Sales body into the bag and Beaver and Andy’s assistant dragged it away.
Matt grinned, ‘right let’s get to work.’
Andy scratched his head, ‘work on what?’
Matt laughed, ‘you managed to destroy one of the drive couplings, now we’re going to replace it.’
‘So that’s what that was?’
‘Yep.’
‘So how you gonna fix it if you can’t see it?’
‘Who said I couldn’t see it? Oh God what a mess, what the hell did you do man?’ Matt knelt down and looked into the section the drive coupling had occupied.
Andy got down on his knees beside him his eyes sparkling. He could see Matt’s hands move around inside the compartment but couldn’t make out what he was touching. ‘Jesus! You can see what you’re doing, how?’
‘Trade secret. There's more damage here than we thought, this will have to be repaired first. Can you hear me ship dude.’
‘Are you referring to me?’ The ship replied cautiously.
Matt grinned at Andy’s confused look, but ignored him, ‘yeah that’s rig
ht, we need to fix the points the drive coupling is attached to before we can refit a new one. Can you do it on your own or will we have to replace it.’
‘I would have fixed it before now, but I do not have the proper materials.’
‘Maybe we do. Babe do have we the materials he needs?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can we do a direct transfer?’
‘Yes but the process has to be initiated from the command consoles on both bridges.’
‘Ok that’s no problem at your end but what about here?’
‘You will need permission from my mate. Most command functions are cut off when a captain and crew die but that is one of the few that can be accessed, and only to help fix a damaged ship.’
‘Your builders are pretty smart Babe.’
‘These are problems that have been encountered over thousands of your years.’
Matt nodded, ‘I would imagine so. May I have your permission to initiate the transfer, ship dude.’
‘I am not comfortable about having your friend near my command console. He has already caused me great distress.’
Matt gave Andy a strange look, one he knew well. ‘What is it Matt?’
‘He doesn’t like you much, and doesn’t want you near his command consoles.’
Andy shook his head in disbelief, ‘he really said that to you, you can hear them?’
‘Yeah of course I can, listen Andy, these ships are thousands of years more advanced than anything we got back on Earth, they are like living entities. They have feelings and you can hurt them. These ships are actually mated to one another. This is the male ship ours is the female.’
‘Can he hear me, can you hear me, eh, ship Dude?’
Matt nodded, ‘he can hear you.’
‘Look I don’t know nothing about your people or where you come from, but here if we do something wrong we apologise for it. I would just like to say I am sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. If I had known you could be hurt I would never have touched you.’ He looked to Matt who was obviously listening to the ships reply.