“Terrific! This is hopeless!” Paul said. “There are now insane artificial intelligences out there and we are here in the dark without any idea where the Jellies are, or the Roe, or the androids, or the other things that want to kill us? The Vanguard was torn apart by the Jellies, what are they doing now?”
“Paul, that is an accurate statement of the current conditions,” Tiffany responded. “I have no answers to any of your valid concerns.”
“So we are in more danger than ever on the Vanguard?” Paul muttered. “I hate this so much.”
Brinley, Gretchen, and Larissa were all silent. None of them wanted to admit that for the first time ever, they each agreed with Paul.
Epilogue
The command bridge was lit by several displays which Brinley had powered up and tricked into working as illumination sources. She could not get the controls to work. Nor could she summon up any artificial intelligence system on the ship’s equipment.
Paula looked frustrated. “We know what was behind those two entry door, but we do not know what is back there.” He gestured toward the door Larissa had found in the far corner of the bridge.
“Paulie we must start by opening something, and this door probably is crew quarters,” Brinley stated for yet another time. “It will be least likely to have enemies behind it.”
“How do you know?” Paul asked.
“The door style is not built for security. It is a basic passage door, and if we power it up, I can get it to open,” Brinley replied.
Gretchen and Larissa nodded their heads in agreement.
“Okay,” Paul said with a great mount of doubt. “It is unlikely vacuum or radiation is behind there.”
“Paulie, cheer up. If radiation or vacuum was behind there we would already be dead,” Brinley said.
Nonetheless, Gretchen and Larissa drew out their pistols and aimed them at the door. Paul began to draw his as well, but Gretchen caught his arm. “Two will be enough.”
Brinley placed the cable from the fusion pack into the access port. The door frame lit with a light blue color around it. Brinley touched the lever on the side of the door and it slid sideways.
“Meooow,” an animal noise came from beyond.
Brinley jumped back, and Gretchen and Larissa both flinched greatly.
Paul began to laugh as he stepped past them. “It is that cat Bernie. You three were afraid.”
They put away their weapons, but did not answer.
“Come on, admit it. For a moment there you were terrified.” Paul chuckled loudly as he reached down to extend his hand to the gray and black stripped cat. The cat jumped up into his arms which shocked him and he stepped back in surprise.
The others all began to laugh at him.
Paul was unsure what to do. The cat was purring as it curled up in the crook of his arm. He gently stroked its warm fur.
“Paulie, this is a crew quarters,” Brinley said as she stepped inside. A few lights came on and illuminated the small barracks. “There must be a separate power supply here. That makes sense for a redundant secondary non-essential system. Often those are independently powered. That is a toileting area. Over there are some food supplies which are in suspended animation. The machines here are working.”
Larissa walked over and looked at the sinks in the corner. “The water supply is working so we will not die of thirst.”
Gretchen walked back to where there was a connected room with six sets of bunks. “There is room to sleep twelve back here, and with the food and water we will not have to forage much any time soon.”
“I think I see where my friend came in,” Paul said and squatted down. One of the grilles was missing from an air duct. “But how could this little predator have made it all the way here?” Paul looked down at the cat and rubbed its ears. He looked up and him and blinked his eyes slowly.
“It obviously wanted to be with you,” Larissa said. “I am sure it had an adventure getting here.”
Brinley squatted down and reattached the grillwork. “If this area has power, it is probable other areas on the needle ship also have power. We will need to check them out. The flight status is unknown, the integrity of the systems is doubtful, and there are many things to investigate.”
“I know,” Paul said and walked over and sat down on a bunk. The cat stepped off his lap, then flopped down and rolled over. He reached out a paw and gently nudged Paul. Paul began stroking the cat’s abdomen.
“That Jellie which we captured will also need to be assessed. We have no idea where it was put. I hope it has died,” Gretchen stated. “But we need to make sure and prepare for if the other Jellies come looking for it.”
“I know,” Paul replied.
“The other habitats will need to be contacted. Depending on the state of those habitats and the people, we will make plans for our next moves. We need to know the fate of the Vanguard,” Larissa said.
“I know,” Paul replied. “But right now I am going to take a nap with this cat. He is content, warm, and unworried. He has the right attitude.”
The End.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Thornton lives with his wonderful wife in a trailer house which often breaks down. They have yet to have a blue automacube come and render aid and assistance or do repairs. They share their quarters with two silly dogs, and an ancient cat. At time their grown daughters will come for a visit and bring additional dogs which race through the house. Being together with people you love is the safest place you can be.
Fate of the Vanguard
(Book 8 Colony Ship Vanguard)
John Thornton
Copyright © 2015 John Thornton
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1505387575
ISBN-10: 1505387574
.
DEDICATION
Thanks go to my wife and family. This book is specifically dedicated to my sister. She never lived long enough to read the final adventure. May her new journey be blessed and more wonderful than any of us can possibly imagine. You suffered far more than your share in this life. Fare you well!
This book is a work of fiction. Of course it is! If you like this, read The Colony Ship Eschaton series.
Thank you for reading my book. I hope you like it!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Book art by Jon Hrubesch
1 Pathogenic vectors
The sky tube was shining down giving bright light and warmth to everything in the biological habitat known as the Wilds. The highlands evergreen forest was perfumed by the attractive aroma of pines, cedars, cypresses, junipers and other trees. As he walked along the trail, Hugh could almost imagine life was still good and pleasant and safe. But it was not.
A tooting kind of whistle was heard.
Hugh turned and looked around. His fellow trooper, Cveta did so as well.
“Why are you stopping?” Cveta asked. She, like Hugh, was dressed in a dark gray combat uniform. Strapped to her thigh was a revolver, and on her back was a small rucksack.
“I heard noises,” Hugh replied. He shaded his eyes with one of his blocky and strong hands. He was a muscular man, yet he moved with precision and grace.
“You heard that owl,” Cveta said. Her large brown eyes twinkled. The white of her teeth contrasted with her caramel colored skin as she smiled. “See the owl there in that fir tree, just peeking out?”
“He is up very early for an owl,” Hugh replied. “His call reminds me of my father sharpening a lumber saw on his whetstone.”
“That owl is not up early, but rather he is up very late, for an owl. He is looking for his mate. Does he remind you of anyone?” Cveta asked with a barely suppressed grin.
Hugh’s medium complexion changed as he blushed and reddened with embarrassment.
“Hugh, do not feel badly. It is good to be in love,” Cveta said, but she did chuckle. “I was not asking so much about your pining for Larissa as I was about that owl’s yellow eyes. Is that what a Roe’s eyes look like do you think?” Her a
ttempt to change the subject from love to eye color was a failed diversion.
“I have seen those small owls many times before, and they are not a Roe animal.” Hugh looked closer at the owl. Its eyes were yellow with very large round black pupils. The whole owl was not much larger than his fist, and its feathers were light gray and white. It was peering out from the evergreen tree and watching the world around it. The owl’s eyes were large and as it turned its head, it again made a tooting whistle.
“I too have seen them before. But Constable Brock sent us out here because that rancher claimed to have seen a Roe beast in the forest. Do you think it was just a confused sighting of that owl?” Cveta asked.
“Well, everyone is jumpy and anxious since those doors were found open. It seems like we have to be on guard against the purple Jellie monsters of the waters, and now the infected Roe with their evil orange eyes,” Hugh replied.
“Yes, we have those two enemies. However, you my dear friend Hugh, also have a third enemy,” Cveta said very seriously.
“I do?”
“Yes, your third enemy is distance! You are at a great distance from your beloved Larissa. Who knows where she is right now?” Cveta laughed as Hugh again blushed.
“Yes…. Well… I do not hide my feelings….” Hugh stammered. “And since she went missing, I just think… well… You should have more consideration.”
Cveta held back her laughing. “Yes, it is a grave situation. I should not make fun of her being missing. That is a serious business. You and I both know I would not speak badly about her if she was around. Too many others did that and then they too were missing.” She again chuckled a bit.
“She is a defender of our world,” Hugh replied in a huff. “It is tragic that we do not know of her fate. If Roe are in the Wilds, all of our fates may be in jeopardy, and those Jellie monsters may be still lurking in some watery place. This is a serious time.”
“Indeed, I know that is right. I just do not know what you see in Larissa as far as romance is involved,” Cveta stated. “But unrequited love is a strange thing. I know if my husband Facundo was blind to my love for him, we would not have four children!”
“You are fortunate to have found love… but well…I just,” Hugh again fumbled with his words and became embarrassed.
“I should call your love for Larissa unremitted, not unrequited. You are relentless in your passion for her,” Cveta said, again with a teasing smile.
“When I was a cadet, we were watching a clandestinely made recording of Jodie’s Minstrels. One of those smuggler performers said, ‘To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves’,” Hugh managed to say. “I believe that is true.”
“A cadet? You were how old then?” Cveta asked. “And when did you meet Larissa?”
“Well…just about… Yes, Larissa is older than I…. yes, she was there at that training session. She was a new trooper all resplendent in her uniform….her hair braided so pretty… her strength and…” Hugh was interrupted by Cveta laughing.
“A cadet’s crush on a trooper? Oh my dear friend, you have the passion of a poet and the heart of a romantic! Your fate is in your hands! I hope you fare as well as I did, or at least as well as that little owl who is looking for a mate. Come now, let us forge onward on this quest.”
The two troopers continued to walk up the winding trail until they came to the side of the habitat. The typical forest sounds were all about them. In the distance there were some added noises of a rumbling sort. The trail they followed led to where the forest ended not far from the immense permalloy wall that rose upward and arched over to meet the sky tube faraway on the distant ceiling of the habitat. The evergreens were fairly thick up to that part, but the area right along the wall was clear for about two or three meters. That gap between the evergreens and the wall was not barren, but had weeds, grasses, and other low plants which were growing along the ground right up to the wall. Some of those lower plants were in thicket clumps which prevented seeing all the way along the wall. Hugh estimated they were roughly 35 kilometers from the end of the habitat.
“There is a game trail here,” Cveta observed. “It connects into the trail we have been following. The sealed exit door we are to inspect should be only a kilometer or so that way.”
“Something is coming!” Hugh stated as he looked down the game trail in the direction that Cveta had indicated.
They could hear the crashing of a large animal as it ran along the trail. The sound was coming toward them. Through a thicket about a hundred meters away came a large, dark-brown animal. It was running and trampling everything in front of it. The animal had a long, rounded snout, and a boniness about its face. Its oblong shaped ears were high on its hornless head. The huge humped back was bounding right behind its large head. The seemingly too thin legs carried its massive body toward them, and the hooves trampled all beneath it.
Hugh and Cveta pulled back and away from the game trail. They snuck into a small opening in the forest that was nearby but off both the game trail and the trail that had led them to that location.
“A moose. A calf or a young cow,” Cveta said. “I do not see orange eyes, but it is running scared.”
The animal was at least as tall as Hugh, and charging fast. “That is not as big as the males, and luckily there are no antlers. It is not a Roe beast anyway. I hate to think what a moose would be like if it were infected.”
“But what is it fleeing?” Cveta asked. “Seldom will a moose cow run in a panic like that.”
Just then another animal appeared on the game trail, this one in hot pursuit of the moose cow. This one did have glowing orange eyes that shone out even in the daylight. It was about thigh high and running rapidly, trying to bite at the moose. It was buff colored with foam and blood at its mouth.
“That is a coyote,” Hugh said as he drew out his revolver.
“That was a coyote. Now it is clearly infected. A Roe monster!” Cveta said as she too drew out her revolver.
The moose cow was charging fast and was having trouble keeping away from the bites of the enraged coyote. The orange eyed Roe beast was leaping and nipping at the moose.
As the moose rushed past, both troopers opened fire on the approaching Roe coyote.
Blam. Blam.
The coyote was knocked down hard by the revolver rounds striking into it. It snarled and growled as it went down. Frothy foam spit from its mouth as its orange eyes blazed hatred and malice at the troopers. It tried to climb to its feet, but then slumped down and died. The glow from its eyes faded out as its blood soaked into the ground.
Hugh commented, “A pity to have to kill a fine animal like a coyote. How did it get infected?”
“No time for that now. Look!” Cveta said and pointed at the back flanks and legs of the moose cow. They were bleeding from multiple bites.
“Oh no! Is that poor moose infected now as well?” Hugh said.
Cveta took careful aim and fired at the fleeing moose.
Blam.
The moose fell and flopped around on its side. It crashed up against the permalloy wall of the habitat. Cveta ran over toward it as quickly as she could. She took aim and noted that the eyes of the moose were cloudy and just getting tinges of orange around them. She placed a kill shot into the moose’s head. It jerked once more and slumped against the permalloy.
“That was horrific!” Cveta said. “What a terrible waste of a noble animal. “It is fortunate that we are now immune. We will need to burn these bodies as quickly as we can. Otherwise whatever scavengers come along will eat the meat and become infected too.”
Hugh nodded his agreement. “That is probably how the coyote became infected. They usually prey on smaller animals like rabbits, and rodents. I wonder if some infected rats came in and that coyote ate one? My understanding is that rats are ubiquitous in the outer decks beyond the now defunct quarantine.” Hugh reloaded and then holstered his revolver. “How will we get to a safe place to se
t fire to these bodies?”
“If we could use the multiceivers we could have an automacube come and move them. That cow will weigh at least 175 kilograms, which is more than we can move by ourselves,” Cveta wiped a tear from her eyes. “I fear for the fate of our forest if this infection has broken loose here.”
“The multiceivers from the CPO are worthless now. We could just burn the bodies here, but the risk of a forest fire is great,” Hugh commented.
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 169