Table of Contents
Title Page
Preface
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Copyright
Realms of Time
A SCRAPYARD SHIP NOVEL
Written By
Mark Wayne McGinnis
Preface
Here’s where we left things off in the previous book (Space Vengeance):
…Keeping to his promise, Captain Jason Reynolds takes The Lilly to Allied space and returns the rhino-warriors to their home world. Jason quickly discovers the Craing fleet, of fifteen hundred warships, has returned, with the intention of destroying everything that remains of the Allied worlds.
…A possible new Caldurian ally, Granger, offers up new and advanced wormhole travel technology to the Earth Outpost, for the United Planetary Alliance (EOUPA) fleet—but at what price?
…Nan and Mollie are back on Earth and trying to make something of their scrapyard living conditions. With the help of an advanced drone Mollie has named Teardrop, Nan constructs a remarkable prefab home, with all the bells and whistles.
… Captain Stalls is still causing mayhem and taking his fleet of pirate ships, as well as his cloaked, weaponized, luxury liner, Her Majesty, to Earth. He’s looking for some payback with Captain Reynolds and destroying Jason’s home planet will be top on his list. But first he must find Nan, and make her his own.
…Having had his fleet decimated before, Admiral Reynolds is looking for some retribution of his own. Now, with hundreds of recently commandeered Craing warships, as well as the remnants of the Allied fleet, and, of course, The Lilly, a ferocious battle with the Craing fleet ensues. The very survival of the Allied worlds is at stake. Things are looking promising for the Allied forces until the Caldurian, Granger, arrives, with a highly advanced vessel, named the Minian. When the ship enters the fight, on the wrong side of things, The Lilly pursues her back to Earth space.
…Brian and Betty (and a being called the hopper) have just escaped from an embattled, and adrift, space freighter in a small craft, called a bin lift.
… Captain Stall’s pirate fleet arrives in Earth’s solar system but does not fare well against Earth’s remaining EOUPA, and the Craing’s warship forces. Stalls escapes by the skin of his teeth, in a shuttle. With the information he had earlier tortured out of Brian, Jason’s brother, Stalls finds Jason’s home, in San Bernardino, CA.
…Nan and Mollie barely have a chance to enjoy their newly built home, when Stalls makes his appearance. In the end, the home’s security measures aren’t defensible against Stalls’ ship. But Nan and Mollie didn’t give in without a desperate fight. Near death himself, Stalls shoots Nan in the head. It was only with Mollie’s help that Mollie, and mortally wounded Nan, were able to escape out the back of the house. Stalls, barely conscious, had Nan in his gun sights—if he couldn’t have her, no one would.
…Apparently, there’s no easy way to land a freighter bin lift craft. Brian’s indiscriminate crash, landing on top of Nan’s newly constructed home, and Captain Stall’s head, was indeed timely.
Chapter 1
“What the hell is it doing?”
“Circling, sir,” Perkins replied, now standing beside Jason.
“We’re being hailed, Captain. It’s the Minian,” Perkins said.
Jason didn’t respond as he continued to stare at the Caldurian vessel on the overhead display.
“What’s our damage?” Jason asked, looking about The Lilly’s fully staffed bridge. Ricket was moving between several stations, Gunny Orion was on tactical, and McBride was at the helm and looking back for further instructions.
Perkins, the only one who had been thrown to the deck, stood and turned his attention to his virtual notepad. “No fatalities; a broken wrist in Engineering. No outer hull breaches. Miscellaneous minor damage to all decks. Repair drones have been dispatched.”
“That ship just took The Lilly’s shields down in what, two plasma strikes?” Jason queried out loud. Hell, if they hadn’t phase-shifted into the Independence when they did, they would have been destroyed.
Now, as The Lilly hovered within the Dreadnaught’s main corridor, Jason had an uneasy feeling. Something told him the Minian had no intention of destroying The Lilly, but could have quite easily.
The battle raged on in open space. Under the direction of his father, Admiral Perry Reynolds, and the combined forces of EOUPA and Allied fleets, along with the addition of nearly four hundred Mau warships which felt her pull had become recent allies, they were now getting the upper hand on the Craing. Until recently, the Craing’s two thousand strong fleet was considered unstoppable, indestructible. But no longer. Less than eight hundred of their enemy’s ships remained, and Jason expected the Craing’s forthcoming surrender within moments. That is, if the Minian, with its highly advanced Caldurian weaponry, stayed the hell out of this battle.
“Captain, we’re being—”
Jason cut Seaman Gordon off. “I know, the Minian—”
“No, sir. It’s the admiral.”
Jason, nodding his assent, pointed to the display.
“What in God’s name is going on?” His father’s voice filled the bridge. “We’re detecting massive energy spikes coming off that foreign ship.”
“We’re fine, in case you’re interested, Admiral,” Jason voiced back sarcastically. He instantly regretted his quick retort. Definitely an offense, if he were still in the Navy.
The admiral let it pass with only a mild reprimand. “We know you’re fine, that’s what sensors are for. Tell me about that ship.”
“It’s the Minian. The limited information we have is it’s a new Caldurian vessel. Travels the multiverse as easily as we do our own solar system. They’ve been hailing us for the last few minutes.”
The admiral stared at his son with an incredulous expression. “So answer the damn hail and let me know what they want.” The display segment showing the admiral’s face disappeared.
“Go ahead and acknowledge the hail from the Minian, Seaman.”
Not totally surprising Jason, Granger’s smiling face appeared on a new segment.
Jason nodded toward Orion as she entered the bridge, returning from Dreadnaught One. Together, four recently clustered Dreadnaughts composed the ten-mile-long Meganaught. She took her seat at the tactical station.
“Jason,” Granger said, “I do hope you and your crew have not been harmed.”
“No, no harm at all. Although I would like to know why you fired on our vessel.”
“I am but a low-level emi
ssary. That was not my doing. Let’s just say it was a cautionary signal from my superiors. A warning, if you will, concerning your recent use of wormhole travel.”
“Wormhole travel that you went out of your way to provide to us?”
“Regrettably, that was a mistake. A decision intended to level the playing field against the Craing has brought you within reach of advanced technologies for which your society simply is not ready.”
“You want to put the genie back in the bottle? I’m not sure that’s possible. We have our own relationship with the interchange.”
“I’m sorry, Jason, the decision has already been made. Although we cannot stop you from contacting the interchange directly, we can make it unpleasant enough for you that doing so won’t be worth it.”
“What is it you’re really afraid of, Granger? I know when someone’s bullshitting me. We’re no threat to you, with or without the ability to travel throughout the universe.”
Granger’s eyes shifted to someone off screen and then came back to Jason. His smile was gone and he was clearly agitated.
“We are not a violent people. But we are not opposed to taking steps that will ensure the security of our society.”
“From what you’ve told me, your society no longer inhabits our same space and time. Why would—”
Jason stopped himself mid-sentence. He knew why. “The multiverse. This technology also allows us to move within the multiverse, doesn’t it? You don’t want us moving into your neighborhood.”
Granger stared back but held his tongue. Again, he looked off screen—he spoke guardedly to someone near him.
“I’m sorry, Jason. Please just do as you’re asked; don’t tempt fate.”
About to reply, Jason was startled to see another segment added to the overhead display. It was of Earth.
“No doubt, Jason, you are viewing twenty-first century Earth on your display?”
Jason nodded; the seriousness of the situation was elevating to a new level. What were the Caldurians willing to do to make their point? Wipe humanity from the planet? Destroy Earth?
“Captain, a new wormhole is spooling,” Orion said.
Jason wasn’t going to sit back and watch their home world face annihilation right before their eyes. He turned his attention to Ricket, sitting at his station toward the front of the bridge. Jason caught his eye and Ricket nodded his head.
A second wormhole began to form, just as the Minian disappeared into the first one.
“Helm, phase-shift us to that wormhole!” Jason barked.
Less than ten seconds behind the Minian, The Lilly was back in Earth space.
“Cap, the Minian is three thousand miles off our stern,” Orion reported.
“On screen.”
“Detecting energy spikes. Not sure what. She’s firing, sir. Five missiles headed toward Earth.”
“Can you take them out?”
Orion shook her head. “No time, Captain.”
Jason watched as the five projectiles continued on a singular trajectory and then, as they suddenly separated apart, changed to five individual courses.
“Not missiles, Captain,” Ricket said, moving to another station. “More like drones. Drones being fed an incredible amount of data. One minute to contact, sir.”
“Where?”
“Multiple continents: Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and North America, Cap,” Orion interjected.
Jason looked from the feed of Earth to the view of the Caldurian ship.
“Gunny, any weaknesses you’ve been able to detect on the Minian?”
“No way—not a one. It’s The Lilly on steroids, Cap. She’s as close to indestructible as—”
“Helm, phase-shift The Lilly directly into the bridge of the Minian.”
McBride nervously glanced back at Jason.
“Now, Ensign. Do it now!”
Chapter 2
After a bone-jarring phase-shift into the forward section of the Minian, everything went black. Anyone standing now lay on the floor unconscious. Those who were seated found themselves on the floor as well. Jason tried to rise, but thought better of it when spikes of pain shot through the back of his head. Where are the emergency lights?
“Captain, are you all right?” Jason recognized Orion’s voice. She sounded scared.
“I’m alive, Gunny. What’s your status?”
“I’m OK, I think.”
Jason heard people begin to move around. A few moans and several expletives. Orion was at his side. In the blackness, he felt her hands moving around his body, checking him out for injuries. When she reached the back of his head, her hands moved with more care.
“Cap, you have blood on the back of your head. A gash, two or three inches in length.”
Dizzy, Jason tried to sit up and felt a wave of nausea engulf him. “Thank you, Gunny. Check on the others. And see if you can get some lights going.”
The Lilly shook, seemed to fall or slide for several moments, and then resettled at a different angle. Wherever they’d landed, presumably somewhere inside the Minian, the location was unstable.
Jason leaned forward and touched the back of his head. It felt sticky and, sure enough, he felt an open gash, easily an inch wide and several inches long. It throbbed, but the bleeding seemed to have slowed to a trickle.
Slowly, he got to his knees and, like a blind man, groped—trying to get his bearings as to where he was actually situated on the bridge. His left hand brushed against something solid to his left. Reaching in that direction, he realized it was the command chair. Fighting off another wave of nausea, Jason blacked out.
He had no idea how much time had elapsed. Somewhere there was a faint light moving in the distance. Someone was sobbing. Then more hands were on him, feeling around his body.
“I’m fine; check again on the others,” Jason urged.
“The others have been taken care of. “Dira’s lightly accented voice was close to his ear. She’d found his injury and was wrapping a bandage around his head. When finished, her hands continued to check his body. Then they were on his face, her fingertips gently checking his skin. Dira leaned in close and he could smell her familiar fragrance.
“You’ve been out for close to an hour, but you’ll be okay. You have a concussion. Don’t move around too much until I’ve had a chance to treat that gash.”
“Dira, where’s Mollie? Is Mollie all right?”
“She’s with me, standing right in front of you.”
“I’m sorry … so dizzy. We need to get the emergency lights turned on.”
“Definitely a concussion. The lights are already on, Captain,” Dira replied. But there was something different in her voice.
“So, I’m blind?”
Jason felt Mollie pull herself onto his lap and hug him close. He reached for her, taking her small face into his hands and felt her tears. She had been the one sobbing. Now, uncontrollably shaking, she cried into his chest.
Hugging her tight, he leaned over and whispered, “Come on, I’ll be fine, Mollie. It’s all going to be fine.” He felt her pull away, trying to speak, to say something between sobs.
“Daddy… Mommy’s… dead.”
“What? Oh no. Please no.”
Dira’s voice was soft and sympathetic, “It was an unstable, nearly catastrophic phase-shift. It sent multiple power spikes throughout The Lilly. Many systems went offline. I’m sorry to say, Nan’s MediPod shut down before she could be saved. There was no way to get the MediPod up and running again fast enough…”
Jason reached again for his daughter, trying to pull her in close, but the blackness pulled at him, engulfing him. Fighting now to stay with his daughter, consciousness gave way to deeper darkness and utter silence. He desperately clung to his final thoughts. I’m coming, Nan. Wait for me.
* * *
Mollie crawled into the MediPod even before its clamshell lid completely opened. Jason, coming awake, took in a deep breath as realization of recent events flooded his mind. Dread cours
ed through his body as he put his arms around his daughter and held her tight. Oh God, Nan is dead.
He kissed Mollie’s forehead and she shifted her position so she could better look at him. Her eyes were puffy and red … and questioning. She didn’t need to speak to convey what was going through her mind: How could this happen? How could Mom be taken from me? More jostling around and Mollie pulled one of her arms free. Gently, she wiped away the tears beneath Jason’s eyes.
“I’ll take care of you, Dad.”
“We’ll take care of each other, sweetie.” They hugged each other tight. Jason saw Dira standing alongside the MediPod. Her face showed concern and something else. “Captain, I’m sorry. We need you. Things are happening—”
“Help us out of this thing,” he said, lifting Mollie up to Dira’s outstretched arms and sitting up. With another deep breath, Jason climbed out and was on his feet. Mollie, now standing near Dira, looked up at her father. Jason took a quick look around Medical and realized all the MediPods were occupied, as were the hospital beds in the next room. His eyes lingered on the MediPod where Nan had lain, seeing instead another crewmember’s face through the small observation window.
“I’ve got to go to work, Mollie. I’m sorry. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Dira nodded and attempted a weak smile. “She’ll be here with me. Go, they need you.”
* * *
Jason left Medical and walked into a crowded corridor. Brian was the first to greet him. He’d obviously spent time in a MediPod himself. The MediPod had gone to work, replacing Brian’s eye in the process. The bandage he’d seen around Brian’s head was gone and he seemed miraculously no worse for wear. His face showed concern when he stepped toward Jason and the two brothers hugged.
“I’m so sorry, Jason.”
Jason nodded. Before he could comment, Perkins nudged him on the elbow. “Captain, we have a situation.”
Jason hurried down the corridor after Perkins, nodding back towards his brother before disappearing into the bridge.
“Captain on deck,” announced the AI as Jason moved to the command chair. The bridge showed some damage, and several stations were unoccupied.
Realms of Time (Scrapyard Ship) Page 1