Paul climbed in the anterior seat and sat down. He pulled down the canopy and said, “Tiffany, can you connect us in a common audio link?”
“Yes. It is established,” Tiffany replied.
“Brinley? Gretchen? I am ready to follow your lead,” Paul reported. “I packed up everything I could think to bring.”
“We are just signaling to the Trade Master of our readiness for departure,” Gretchen said.
Paul watched as the hanger bay lights shifted. He checked the runabout’s controls for atmosphere, fuel, and status. All looked good. He prepared himself for the loss of gravity manipulation and was strapped in when that happened. He tapped the thruster controls and the runabout lifted gently off the landing deck. The darkness of space was outside as the hanger bay doors slid open. Even though they parted only a portion of their full width, the opening was huge.
“Paul, we have exited the hanger bay and are awaiting your departure,” Gretchen said.
“On my way out now,” Paul replied as he guided the tiny craft out past the enormous hanger bay doors. The gently floating sensation was oddly comforting as the runabout flew into space. After clearing the hanger bay, he caught his first glimpse of the other runabout. It too had the sleek blue hull. It was hovering some distance ahead. The hanger bay it had left was already closed behind it.
“So Brinley, what hanger do we head for?” Paul asked.
“The ones which were at my safe zone, those close to E Habitat,” Brinley replied. “I plan on going there and figuring some method of gaining entry. Try to keep up.”
Brinley’s runabout rocketed away rapidly.
Paul maneuvered his own runabout in a course following that. They were moving at a much greater speed than when they have arrived at that hanger bay. Paul could not follow the landmarks on the hull, but was left to trust Brinley as she navigated for both of them.
“I am displaying the mapping program we have made,” Tiffany stated.
They flew in silence. The runabouts were a consistent distance from the Vanguard’s hull, until they came to the hanger bay J-90. That had been part of the save zone Brinley called home. As they flew over it, it was all darkness. Just a deep dark cave into the hull of the ship. There were no lights or illumination sources anywhere around it.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Paul asked.
Brinley snorted, but did not reply further.
“Paul, this location corresponds with the location labeled J-90,” Tiffany stated.
Brinley hit the controls for exterior lighting on her runabout. The beams of light shot out and revealed a ghastly sight.
The hanger bay doors were open, and debris was floating all around, both inside and just outside of the open door. A medium sized shuttle was wedged into a side alcove against tanks of thruster fuel and solvents. That shuttle’s doors were open and there were obvious signs of damage from its impact with the sidewall. Against the back wall were large blotchy stains of deep reddish brown, the last remains of people who had been inside the bay when it had been opened to space. One body was floating, connected by a tether line, but the bubble helmet was cracked, and the person inside was dead. His was the only intact body.
They flew to the three other nearby hanger bays which had been part of Brinley’s home, but each was as badly damaged, or worse than was J-90.
“Dead? They are all really dead. She actually did it,” Brinley said as they surveyed the last hanger bay. “Larissa killed them all. I was hoping it was not true, despite what Tennard and Sigmond said. But I see it is real.”
“Brinley, I am so sorry,” Gretchen said.
“No time for sorry now. I have to figure a way inside. None of the systems appear operational, and it looks like everything had been de-powered. I am not sure how to get inside now,” Brinley replied.
“Tiffany? Do you have any suggestions on gaining entry?” Paul asked.
The AI replied, “These hanger bays have suffered significant damage. I recommend two possible courses of action. First: return to a known safe zone. Second: consider another attempt at an unknown hanger bay. I conjecture that Brinley will reject the first option, so I have located a hanger bay which appears to correspond to a location near the opposite end of E Habitat. That assessment is dependent upon the accuracy of the plotting and mapping I have been doing. Shall I display that hanger bay’s location?”
“Do it. I am not going back to another safe zone until justice has been delivered,” Brinley said.
“Course plotted and on your display,” Tiffany stated.
Tiffany used the com link to project a red line which displayed in a semi-transparent manner on the canopy window in front of both Paul’s and Brinley’s pilot’s chair. There was also a ghostly image of the details of the hull. Brinley could see though the display, but also read the display as a map.
“Follow me Paul. We will be going over unknown territory,” Brinley said. “I will take this one slow so we can be ready for anything. But we are going in.”
The two runabouts flew past various parts of the hull following the path which Tiffany had designed. The display shifted and altered as they moved. They flew directly toward the unknown hanger bay. The gently arching hull showed variations of what Paul was beginning to see as typical hull strata: lights, sets of equipment, protrusions of permalloy, and a multitude of other mechanical things. After a bit, they crested a large collections of cube shapes and the hanger bay doors were revealed. The worn looking yellow caution stripes which covered the exterior of the hanger doors were visible as they drew near.
“How will we get the doors to open?” Paul asked. “The last time that shuttle had manipulation arms to enter the code. I have looked through the manual here, and find no such thing on this runabout. Brinley what do we do?”
“Is there a way to dock with an airlock?” Gretchen asked.
“No,” Brinley replied. “Not with a runabout. That is one of many reasons they are seldom used. I am not sure how we will get the doors to open, but I am going inside. Maybe there are Free Rangers here, and I just do not know about them?”
Brinley maneuvered the runabout as close to the hanger bay doors as she could and then flashed the external lights.
There was no response.
Brinley flashed the lights again, but still no response.
“Tiffany?” Gretchen asked. “Can you send a signal?”
The AI answered on the communication link, “I have tried all know methods of contact, but there has been no signs of reception.”
“The macroactinide capacitor enhancers are gone,” Brinley stated. “Those have been kaput since the mutiny, or maybe even before, at the time of the Outbreak. Long ago.”
“But you have only tried distant signals, right?” Paul asked.
“That is correct,” Tiffany replied.
“Could you send a signal through a physical contact?” Paul asked.
“Perhaps, but it would depend on what type of physical contact. You stated the runabouts do not have manipulation arms,” Tiffany answered.
“But they do have locking clamps for securing them down to the deck!” Brinley exclaimed. “Would that work?”
“The power for a signal to be sent from the communication link through the runabout’s locking clamps would be more than the communication link is capable of producing,” Tiffany stated.
“But what if I used a fusion pack to make the connection?” Paul interjected. “I could set the runabout down on the control box out here, clamp on, then target the signal to the locking clamp or even send the signal through the entire hull of the runabout if need be. The fusion pack should be able to send enough power. I just have to figure a way to modulate that power and target it.”
Paul was busy looking through all the Dome 17 equipment he had packed into the posterior seat. “Tiffany, conjecture some method of modulation from the gear we brought to the Vanguard. I have the fusion pack. I have Willie’s pistol, a few data sticks which do not work, a data sti
ck reader, and the tool kit, torches, and I do not know what else?”
“Conjecturing,” Tiffany replied. “No conjectures possible, excessive amount of unknown variables.”
“Well, I am just going to set this runabout down on the control pad and see if I can get the locking clamps to bite onto the controls,” Paul said. He fired the thrusters until the runabout was moving at an ever so slow pace. The runabout had its belly toward the control pad, which was just to the side of the hanger bay doors, and the ship approached the control pad smoothly.
The runabout gently nudged against the hull where the control pad was located. Paul’s maneuvering was spot on and the locking clamps closed over the control pad.
“I did it!” Paul cried out. “The locking clamps sealed over the control pad. Now I will send signals through the runabout to activate the controls. What was the proper sequence to open these doors?”
“It was green, yellow, yellow, white, white, blue, red, blue, amber,” Gretchen said.
No matter how Paul adjusted the fusion pack’s power, he could not seem to trigger the proper sequence on the control pad. He tried numerous methods of power flexing and modulation, but was unable to activate the controls.
“Paul?” Tiffany asked, “Can you splice the communication link directly into the fusion pack’s outlet?”
“Yes, that is no problem. Can you then do the modulations?” Paul asked.
“I conjecture that if the fusion pack’s energy output is steadily increased in a controlled manner, the control pad will reach a point where it is overwhelmed. At the zenith of that power surge, the control pad will be susceptible to purging of the sequences. I will then enter a simple override code. The window for that operation is very narrow, but there is a 57% chance of success,” Tiffany reported. “Shall I proceed?”
“Yes. I will place the splice,” Paul said as he took out the proper tools to modify the com link. “Is there a risk with doing this?”
“There are always unknown potentials, especially with integrating modern technology with the Vanguard’s old technology. However, I conjecture the risk is miniscule. This plan is also our only known opportunity for activation of the hanger bay doors. Should this work, we can recreate it inside the hanger bay to close the doors and cycle the system,” Tiffany responded.
“The splice is in place,” Paul said.
“I am in position to get inside with this runabout,” Brinley relayed. “I will fly us inside as soon as the doors are open enough.”
“Brinley, we do not even know what is inside,” Gretchen commented.
“I am going in,” Brinley said with determination.
“Integration initiated,” Tiffany reported. “Surge proceeding.”
There was a sudden flooding of red light from all around the one end of the hanger bay doors. Those doors jerkily started to open.
“Override partially successful. System operations taking place on backup power system,” Tiffany reported. “Only one of the three sections of the hanger bay are responding. I have also encountered unusual readings and a presence in the nonphysicality.”
“What do you mean?” Paul asked. “Did this work?”
Before Tiffany could answer, Brinley cried out, “It is open enough!” She boosted the thrusters so her runabout jetted toward the now incompletely open doors. The runabout sped inside the hanger’s darkness.
“Lights!” Gretchen called out. “It is totally black in here!”
Actually, the hanger bay was not shrouded in complete blackness, as some of the red light from the exterior was shining in making ruby colored shadows.
“Paul, I strongly advise following Brinley’s runabout inside. She cannot access any controls, and the partial control I have here is tenuous. There is resistance from the presence, an active resistance. After we sever this connection, I conjecture that there is a 79% chance the hanger bay door will close. Perhaps close rapidly,” Tiffany stated.
“Understood.” Paul adjusted the controls to unlock the clamps and fired the thrusters. His runabout flipped over in a barrel roll and headed toward the hanger bay door which was still open. He focused on getting inside, and did not pay attention to all that Tiffany had reported. Inside he could see that Brinley had activated the lights on her runabout. Shining out from the interior, the section of open door was narrow and tall.
“Is the door closing?” Paul asked as he pushed the thrusters to maximum.
“Yes, Paul. The door is closing. Scanning shows you will make it inside if you maintain maximum thrust. However, your velocity will put you at risk for collision with whatever items may be inside the hanger bay,” Tiffany warned. “That includes the runabout with Gretchen and Brinley. I advise extreme caution after entry.”
“Paul, just come in. You will be fine!” Gretchen relayed. “We are moving out of your pathway.”
Paul’s runabout cleared the doors with about a meter to spare as it rushed into the hanger bay. Brinley’s runabout was in place at the end of the bay, toward the corner. Its lights were showing that the hanger bay was empty: no debris, no shuttles, no runabouts, no vessels of any kind. From what he could see in the limited lights from the runabout, the hanger bay walls all looked bare and also strangely uniform. Paul put his runabout into a tight banking turn to encircled the inside of the hanger bay allowing him to slow down without suffering too many effects from the altered inertia. He also then remembered to activate his own lights. They did not add much to what he could see of the large empty bay.
The hanger bay doors closed. Paul had slowed his vessel down to about half of its previous velocity. He was just banking into another turn when the whole runabout shuddered. Gravity manipulation was activated in the hanger bay. He did not expect it, and his orientation to what was now down, was a big surprise. He tried to adjust the runabout to a gravitationally upright position while at the same time decelerating as much as possible. The belts holding him into his chair bit into his shoulders and lap. Despite his best efforts, the jolt of sudden gravity manipulation, and the runabout’s speed were too much to overcome. He did crazy firing of the thrusters, but to no avail. His runabout swirled sideways and slammed into some structure. His mind thought was either a wall or floor or ceiling, but did not clearly identify it. He was disoriented. For some odd reason he scolded himself for not knowing which way was up. He was perplexed as to proper direction. He could not exactly tell what he had impacted, and felt foolish for not being able to label it as floor, or wall, or ceiling. The runabout’s tail fins bent as it slid into a corner where it came to rest. Paul was shaken badly, but not seriously injured. After a few deep breaths, and a shake of his head, he could now tell where down was. The runabout was on its side. Being able to know up from down was somewhat reassuring.
Brinley was more successful in landing her runabout, but it too was a close thing. Her ship was not carrying the velocity that the crashed one had. Nonetheless, her landing was rough. The runabout managed to sit upright on the deck, but only after a quick roll and a hard crunch upon impact. Neither Brinley nor Gretchen were hurt by the unexpected gravity manipulation and subsequent hard landing. Hearing the sounds of the landing, Brinley worried about the status of her runabout.
The hanger bay was plunged into darkness as the exterior lights on Paul’s runabout were smashed in the crash, while those on Brinley’s were lost due to a power failure of the lufi-amalgum batteries.
“Gretchen? Brinley? Are you two injured?” Paul managed to ask. He was fumbling in the dark seeking the fusion pack to cast some light out from his wrecked ship. None of his controls were working.
Gretchen patted Brinley on the shoulder, and Brinley squeezed her hand. “I think we are safe. For now, anyway. We lost external power connections, and are only on partial power. How are you?”
“I have been better. I never crashed a runabout before, so this is a new experience,” Paul lamented.
“I still have never crashed a runabout,” Brinley commented. “But this was closer than
I ever want to come. I wonder if…”
Before she could finish, yellow flashing lights happened in the hanger bay, and there was a slight shaking of the runabout.
“It appears that the hanger bay is being pressurized,” the AI Tiffany reported. “That is a positive development. I was uncertain what to advise should you three have been trapped in the runabouts. The pressurization will take some time, and I am unable to conjecture the exact length of wait you will have. I have checked the seals on each craft and they are secure. This reminds me of a story about two men who were stuck in a public toileting area…”
“Tiffany, do you think now is the time to again try your humor?” Paul interrupted rashly.
“Is there a better time when a distraction might be needed?” Tiffany replied. “However, if the humor is causing you distress, I can attempt some other approach.”
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 40