by PJ Strebor
“How’s everything?” Nathan asked.
“All good, Captain.”
She still needed to get the stick out of her ass.
“Relax Leah,” he said around a smile. “Remember your training and you’ll do fine.” She tensed with the effort to relax.
“Yes, sir.”
He tapped her console. “Starboard stealth engine needs attention, wouldn’t you say?”
A quick examination of her readouts showed the carapace had not been secured over the engine. “Shit.” She quickly remedied the issue. “Sorry, sir, I could have sworn I –”
“Relax, Leah. That’s an order. Take a breath. No, I mean it take a deep breath like this.”
Following his lead she took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. Then two more for good measure.
“Feeling better? Less stressed?”
Surprise lit her face. “Yes, sir.”
“I’ll get Lieutenant Okuma to teach you some basic relaxation techniques. It’ll help.”
“Thanks, skipper.”
He returned to his seat and checked the time. Seventeen minutes.
“Maneuvering reports the reactor is back online,” Grace said. “Buffer capacity is at six percent and climbing.”
“Very well.”
CHAPTER 22
Date: 25th July, 326 ASC
Position: Stealth vessel Deception approaching Saint Joan.
Status: Z plus seventeen minutes.
“Commander, approaching the minefield,” Max said. “Speed is now flank. Time to reacquisition of helm control seventeen minutes. ”
“Very well,” the Commander said. “Let’s hope Nathan’s programming gets us in as easily as it got us out.”
“Our torpedo is loaded, sir,” Stella said. “We are ready to fire as soon as we have helm control.”
Spotiswood grunted.
Max continued to examine his readouts as Deception weaved through the lethal field.
***
Nathan checked the time. Six minutes. He keyed his comm. “Deception this is Adroit. Respond to my signal.” The hiss of static was his only reply. That’s it. Time for plan b.
Stepping from the briefing room he took his place beside Grace.
“Okuma – Captain.”
“Yes, Captain,” Moe said.
“Please tell me you’ve got the environmental force field working.”
“Negative at this point,” Moe said. “But we’re close.”
“We’re out of time, Moe. Get everyone back aboard. Now.”
“We just need a few minutes.”
“Don’t force me to make it an order,” Nathan said.
“How are you going to get out, with the hangar doors closed?”
“I’ll use our pulsar.”
“Nate that could damage the boat. Breach the hull.”
He checked the time. Five minutes. “Dammit Moe, get aboard now. That’s an order.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“D-O prepare to close the boat bay hatch. Is the rest of the boat sealed up?”
“Aye, sir. Just the boat bay left and we’re good to go.”
“We’ll need shields.”
“I can give you partial on the bow but that’s all we’ve got the power for at the moment.”
Nathan stifled a sigh. “Hold off on shields until I tell you. Just do what you can, Grace.”
“Helm, prepare to get underway.”
“WEO – Captain.”
“Applebee, sir.”
“I need pulsars.”
“I’ve only one pulsar. Sorry, sir.”
“I’ll need it in one minute. Maximum output. Don’t tell me no, Applebee, make it happen.”
“I’ll do my b, ah, aye sir.”
“Okuma – Captain.”
“Everyone’s aboard who’s going aboard,” Moe said. Her tone sounded quiet, her manner measured. A chill ran down his back.
“Get up to the bridge, pronto.”
“Sorry, I can’t do that.”
“What?”
“You know what will happen if you try blasting your way out of here.”
The hull will be breached, the plague set loose. The crew will die.
Pain jabbed at his heart.
“I’ll open the hatch in thirty seconds.” Moe said. “No arguments, Nate. You know this is the only way. One life stacked against eighty-three. Right?”
Not since the death of his entire family had Nathan experienced the deadening numbness of such grief. A foul sickness in the pit of his stomach, his mind blank.
Moe.
“Right,” he whispered. “Grace, seal the boat bay.”
“But what about –”
“She’s doing her job,” Nathan shouted. “Now you do yours. Seal the fucking boat.”
Choked with emotion she could only nod.
“Helm, hover the boat.”
“Opening hatch, now,” Moe said. And with that simple comment his oldest and best friend would die. “Hatch fully open. I’ll see you on Mount Kratos.” Her transmission went dead.
Nathan swallow bile and fought back the tears threatening to blind him. “Helm, take us out.”
“Aye sir, ahead dead slow.”
Damn, ahead full, girl. Once again he cursed his ruined hand. On his readouts Adroit’s widest aspect cleared the hangar.
“Power levels are dropping, Captain,” Grace said. “Engineering reports that we have a ruptured power conduit.”
“Helm, both ahead full.”
“Full ahead, sir?”
Nathan leaped from his chair, strode to the helm and pushed the throttles into the red.
“Hard over to port. Now damn you.”
He had to hang onto Perrie’s chair as the boat surged away from the doomed base. The power readings were dropping rapidly.
“Captain,” Grace said, “we’re losing too much energy. I don’t think we can make orbit.”
***
“How soon till we get back control of this boat?” the Commander barked.
“Five, four, three, two, one, now,” Max said.
“Max, paint the base and prepare to fire.”
Max maneuvered Deception into position and locked his targeting scanner onto the Pruessen base. I sure hope you’re not down there, Nathan.
“Target locked.”
“Fire!”
Deception shuddered as the single torpedo burst from her tube.
“Torpedo away,” Max said.
***
Through the view hood Nathan saw the torpedo’s wake streaking through the upper atmosphere.
“Helm, thirty degrees over to port.”
“Aye sir.”
The boat struggled to gain distance from the condemned base. The power readings were about to bottom out and they were too close to ground zero.
If this is an air burst, it will knock us down.
“D-O, get me some power. Divert from weapons and shields.”
“I’ve done that, Captain. The senior engineer reports that he’s working on the power conduit. We’ll continue to bleed energy until it’s repaired.”
Shit. We’re too bloody close. He swung the viewing hood around and took in the surrounding vista. Green savanna stretched in all directions to the horizon. There off to their right, a small clearing in a depression. He swung the hood back to the helm.
“Perrie, look there thirty degrees off to starboard.” The ensign hovered over the viewing hood. “Do you see that clearing?”
“Aye, sir.”
“Set the boat down there, and bring us about to face the base.”
“Aye, sir.”
“And Perrie, breathe.”
“Detonation astern,” Willet yelled from tactical station. “Air burst, we’ve got an air burst.”
Shit.
“Leah, do your best.” He squeezed her shoulder.
Nathan rushed to his chair and struggled to strap in. Grace reached over and helped him. She glanced at the grommit helm officer then back to
him, her eyes wide. Adroit swung about to port so violently Nathan was pressed into his harness. A moment later the skids crashed into the soft earth.
“Put everything we’ve got left into the forward shields.”
“Done.” Grace looked him in the eyes. This time the fear shone through. I know. It might not be enough.
Seconds later Adroit trembled as the shockwave slammed into her.
“Captain, I’ve diverted power directly from the reactor into the bow shields.”
“Excellent, Amos. Well done.”
On his screen the debris wake followed the shockwave. “Here we go,” he whispered. Please don’t let Moe die for nothing.
Fragments rained down on Adroit’s shields and armor. A steady chattering like hail on a thin metal roof.
“Forward shields are taking hits but are holding,” Willet said.
Within seconds, the deluge passed and everyone began to breathe again.
“All departments, systems check,” Grace said over the open comm channel.
Nathan unbuckled and sauntered to the helm station.
“That was a fine piece of flying, Leah.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“But here’s the thing. A couple of minutes ago I gave you an order and you questioned it. Did you think I was unaware of the power situation?”
“I wasn’t sure, sir.”
“Well, young lady, here’s something you can be sure of. If you ever disobey another of my orders, I will personally see to it that you never sit in the pilot’s chair again.”
“Captain, permission to speak freely.”
“Permission denied.” Her eyes remained cast to her dead console. “I don’t care what your thinking process was, you were wrong. Those few wasted seconds could have killed everyone aboard this boat. Am I being absolutely clear about what I expect from you?”
“As clear as a combat sphere, Captain.”
“Good. Now take twenty minutes to get the adrenaline out of your system. I recommend coffee, if cookie has got any going.”
She sprung from her chair. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
Nathan resumed his chair and as the bridge hatch snapped shut he thought of Moe. He fought back the urge to openly weep.
***
Ensign Leah Perrie found no coffee in the mess, so headed for the supply department. She stepped into the stores office, looked around and listened. “Should have known Fish would still be in damage control,” she said to herself.
To spare her back from the low overhead, she sat in Fish’s chair. Damn, the old man’s tough. I guess he was right, but when I saw the power levels drop I thought, hmm. You thought what ensign? He’s Nathan bloody Telford for crissaske. The hero of the Genevieve Incident. The savior of Cimmeria. I’m sure he meant what he said. Gulp.
The hatch opened and Lieutenant Wanganeen stepped through. He examined a scanner and only looked up when he peripherally noticed Perrie.
“Aren’t you on duty?” he said.
“Captain gave me down time.”
He nodded and continued to read his scanner as he turned toward cargo hold two. The hatch opened and Fish stepped inside. He too held a scanner. What the hell’s going on?
The environmental control officer and the damage control officer stared at one another.
“I hope I’m wrong, Fish,” Wanganeen said.
“I hope we’re both wrong, Leroy,” Fish replied.
Perrie followed as they weaved through the hold until they both stopped at the superstructure.
They stared at a point toward the top of the bulkhead. Perrie couldn’t see what the fuss was about. Then she heard the faint hiss of escaping air.
“Shit,” Fish said.
The ECO pulled a small breach patch from his bag and plugged the leak.
Perrie’s blood ran cold.
CHAPTER 23
Date: 25th July, 326 ASC
Position: Saint Joan.
Status: N minus twenty minutes.
Nathan answered his comm. “Captain.”
“Captain, I need to have a word. In private, sir.”
He recognized the ECO’s voice. “Very well, Leroy. Briefing room.
As he stood, the hatch opened and Ensign Perrie walked to the helm. Her dreamlike manner and ashen complexion painted a picture of someone walking to her own funeral.
Grace noticed it too, her expression troubled.
“With me,” Nathan said. They stepped into the briefing room. Leroy and Fish awaited them.
Nathan remained standing. “Let’s have it.”
“Hull breach, Captain,” Fish said.
“It was only a minor breach,” Leroy said, “but enough to get into the air ducts and spread it throughout the boat.” Leroy shrugged, seemingly resigned to his forthcoming death.
Nathan felt a stabbing pain to his heart. Moe died for nothing. Nothing.
“Is it the only breach?” He addressed both of them.
“Yes, sir,” Fish said. “We both checked the boat thoroughly.”
“Well that’s something, I suppose,” Nathan said.
All for nothing.
Ten minutes later the boat’s senior officers assembled around the briefing room table. Some took the news of infection better than others. After receiving the death notice no one spoke for what seemed like a long time. The shock had set in and every face had assumed a drawn, maudlin expression.
Nathan found it difficult to concentrate. Moe’s face, in all her moods, kept appearing. But Moe was gone. He forced her image from his mind’s eye.
“I don’t expect any of you to be happy about this situation but we still have a job to do,” Nathan said.
“Job?” Amos asked.
“Denying this vessel to the enemy.”
“Just blow it up,” Amos said.
“Hang on a minute,” Grace said. “We may have only forty-two days of life left but I want those days.”
“Me too,” said Fish.
“What’s the point of doing anything,” Leroy moaned.
Nathan examined his senior officers. Opinions were split between a quick death now and a cruel lingering death later. He would never allow them to die of the Derwent Plague.
A cruel smile cut Noffke’s face. “We could surrender.”
“What?” Amos blurted.
“The base is gone,” the marine said. “Perhaps they’ll take us to the Pruessen home world. With what we’ve got in our bloodstreams we could wipe out the entire central nervous system of the empire. That’s the way I’d want to go out.”
“Wouldn’t work,” the T-O said. “They’d scan us beforehand.”
Heated discussions broke out, but went nowhere. Nathan had let this situation fester for long enough. He slammed his open palm onto the desk three times until silence returned.
“Doctor Jahn,” Nathan said, “exposure to hard vacuum will kill the plague. Right?”
Jahn considered his words thoughtfully. “I see where you’re going, Captain, but there are risks.”
“You’re asking a Pruessen?” Amos growled. “Meaning no disrespect, Captain.”
Nathan set a hard eye on his senior engineer. “I’ve seen it work, Commander.”
“I’m not sure I’m following you, Captain,” Grace said.
“You’ve all done EVA training or you wouldn’t be on this boat.”
“You want to expose the entire crew to hard vacuum?” Amos asked.
“Considering the alternative,” Nathan spread his hands wide. “I’ll go first.”
His comm beeped. He had left strict orders not to be disturbed. “Captain,” he said tersely.
“Have I caught you at a bad time, Nate?”
Nathan’s jaw swung open.
***
Moe maneuvered her air buggy to Adroit’s isolation tank. As soon as the hatch opened, she carefully edged the narrow buggy inside, shut down the systems, and dismounted. The outer hatch snapped shut.
On the other side of the clear composite window, thre
e people stared at her. Nathan said nothing but smiled as he pressed his palm to the window. Moe pressed her palm against his. There were tears welling in his eyes. Behind him Grace held her hand to her mouth, tears glistening on her cheeks.
“Prepare for radiation decontamination,” Doctor Jahn said, over the speaker. “Disrobe.”
She dropped her hand from the window and nodded once to the square head. As she began removing her uniform Nathan turned his back. Grace continued to stare at her until Nathan turned her around to face the infirmary. The doctor remained in place. Moe wasn’t prudish about her body, but the thought of a Pruessen ogling her didn’t sit well.
“What about you, doc?” Moe said.
“What about me?” he said.
Moe pointed at Nate and Grace and raised her eyebrows.
“Oh, for goodness sake,” Jahn said. “Young lady I’m a doctor. You got nothing I haven’t seen a thousand times before. Now stop being silly.”
As she began to disrobe the doctor’s attention remained fixed more on his readings than her. Fully naked she prepared for decon.
No sound or bright lights appeared during decon, but Moe’s skin tingled as an epidermal layer was shed. Some of her hair fell to the deck.
“Arms above your head,” the doc said. She complied.
After a minute the decon ended. The sound of extractors came to her ears, as the hard radiation was flushed into the planet’s atmosphere. The doctor scanned her vitals.
“Yes, you’ll live,” Jahn said, around a smile. “You will need a series of treatments, but you should be fine,” the doctor said. “Place your hand in the sleeve and I’ll give you your first shot.”
Moe slid her hand into the increasingly tight sleeve, that ran from the tank to the infirmary. It locked tightly around her arm. She barely felt the hypo as it hissed into her hand.
“You may get dressed,” the doc said.
Once fully dressed Nathan and Grace turned around. Nathan said something to the doc who smiled and nodded. He disappeared from the infirmary and a moment later the inner hatch opened. Nathan stood in place, the intensity of his expression threatening to initiate Moe’s first blush.
“Captain,” she said, “permission to come aboard.”