John whistles in surprise as it draws closer. “Those sections that jut out are hangar decks! Each one seems to be larger than the Terran, and that ship has dozens of them. I can’t even imagine how big that ship is.”
Cindy stares in shock as it silently glides past them. The distant sun reflecting off its hull plating as it goes. A shimmering, like the heat shimmer on a hot road, covers the entire vessel.
As it passes, John points to other projections that stick out from the ship. “Sub-light engines, and would you look at that” He stops talking as the ship’s main engines engage right before their eyes. A battery of bright lights appear at the rear of the ship, and then in a kaleidoscope of colors, it vanishes.
Suddenly the shuttle’s speakers come to life. The noise is an unfamiliar garble. After a few minutes the garble repeats itself. The next time though, they are both shocked to hear a metallic sounding voice. “To anyone that can hear us, this is the science station ‘Theta’. We are in need of immediate rescue. An Atlan warmonger has devastated our planet, and crippled this facility.”
While the message repeats itself, Cindy and John stare at each other in stunned silence. John shrugs his shoulders as he does not know what to say. Cindy has no idea what they can do, but her conscience will not let her ignore their plea for help either.
“Well, let’s answer them.” Cindy says reluctantly.
John touches a symbol on his control panel and nods to her.
Cindy taps her chair’s console and says, “This is Cindy of the Earth starship Terran. We… ” Cindy pauses for a moment as she looks at John, and then shrugs her shoulders and continues, “accidently collided with your station.”
The stations transmissions cease, yet there is no reply either.
John sits back, confounded for a second. He suddenly jerks forward and says excitedly, “Oh yes! Repeat your message. I bet their system has to translate it, like ours did.”
Cindy repeats her message three more times, pausing after each attempt. She is about to resend her message a fourth time when the shuttle’s speakers finally relay a reply. “Cindy of the Earth starship Terran, this is Golward of the science station Theta.”
John and Cindy jump at the message, even though they were anticipating a reply.
“Station Theta, I am so sorry we collided with you.” Cindy offers apologetically.
“We were doomed anyway. Our life systems are failing. We need rescue.” Golward replies.
“Our ship is badly damaged, but if we can help, we will. How many of you are there?” Cindy continues with a frown. That space station is enormous, there could be thousands. She realizes with a troubled mind.
There is a long pause, and then the voice from the space station answers, “Only forty-six, out of seven hundred twenty-nine. We have examined your life systems and they can sustain us.”
“We shall make preparations, but our main hangar deck has a hull breach which will make things difficult.” Cindy states forlornly as the ramifications of the low numbers hit home. So few, on such a large facility.
“We must hurry, we will use our escape capsules to transport to your ship.” The voice seems almost frantic as it resounds from the speakers.
“Please, you are welcome aboard.” Cindy responds. She does not know what else to do, or say.
When there is no reply, Cindy turns to John and says, “Let’s get back.”
As they fly toward the Terran, Cindy looks at the planet’s swirling grey atmosphere. The image is oddly familiar. With a growing sadness, she recalls the barren planet where they found the partially destroyed Gamin spacecraft. John notices her expression, and is also saddened. They both understand that it is unlikely for there to be any survivors on the planet below.
John taps a few more symbols then not being sure what to say, contacts the Terran. “Uh folks, we’re going to get some visitors, the station’s survivors.”
On the Terran’s bridge, Andrew and Joe simply stare at each other, dumfounded. Radclyf turns to Hayato and with the smallest of gestures, the two combat veterans depart.
Andrew taps his console and asks, “How many are we looking at?”
“We’re told there are forty-six survivors.” Cindy replies.
“Very well, we shall be ready. Terran out.” Andrew states.
Arriving back inside the Terran’s hold, Cindy and John are both astounded to see three Gamin bodysuits suspended from the ceiling. Cindy is further surprised that she does not need to use the re-breather. The three men dangling above are spraying some kind of substance over the damaged portion, and then adding layers of what appears to be metal.
Cindy turns to John and speaks with admiration in her voice. “That man never ceases to amaze me.”
John nods his head in agreement while gazing upward to the hasty repairs being conducted. They both turn around in alarm at high pitch whine. A bullet shaped capsule enters the hangar and slides to an unceremonious stop near them. It is quite small, barely larger than the suits being worn by the men above. As it stops, it tilts over to rest on one of two fins that extend out from its bodywork. The capsule is soon joined by another, and then another.
George and his colleagues have noticed the unusual activity below. Once satisfied that Olaf and Patrick have the temporary repairs under control, he makes his way to the hangar deck.
The first alien to step from the escape pod appears dumbfounded, and stares at the reception committee. The small alien is greeted by Cindy, with her free flowing long blond hair, Radclyf, with what is obviously a large weapon, and George, who is fully clad in his bodysuit. The three of them stare back at the small furry being standing before them. The alien does not come up to their chests in height. It is also almost completely covered in fur, or hair. The creature’s breathing comes in short rasps as it stares at the three of them with its dark pits for eyes. The creature makes a number of hand gestures, along with a series of unintelligible sounds.
Cindy and Radclyf turn to each other in bewilderment. George’s earpiece translates the strange noises. His joy at meeting these strange beings turns to sorrow as the words continue to pour from his translator. “I am Golward, though I expect we will be executed, we surrender to you. Your trick has worked.” The small furry alien stands still,
George steps from his bodysuit and with a saddened expression he spreads his hands in what he hopes is a gesture of peace. “We have not tricked you, you are safe with us.”
Golward looks at George, and then swallows hard. “You have won. We have been fooled.”
“I don’t know who you think we are, but we’re not your enemy.” Cindy states, equally perplexed by the alien’s comments.
Golward puts a hand to his hip where a device rests. He lifts it up and stares at its display. “What are you then?” He states curiously.
George smiles as the misunderstanding is being resolved. “We’re humans, from a planet called Earth. Welcome to the starship Terran.”
Golward lifts the device up, then takes a step toward George. Radclyf quickly lifts up a hand, staying Chokichi who lays prone with Golward’s head in his rifle’s sights. With the device panning up and down George, everyone’s nerves become a little frayed.
Golward’s head leans into the device, his brown eyes scanning the small screen. “You’re not who I thought you were. We must all leave, and quickly.”
George looks to Cindy who simply shrugs her shoulders, the alien’s words just meaningless gibberish to her.
George takes this as a sign to continue. “This ship is stuck and badly damaged, we can’t go anywhere.”
The creature’s body sags, obviously in defeat. “Then we all die anyway. Our main power source will detonate shortly.”
George turns quickly to Cindy and says with dread. “We must get away from this station, or we’re all dead.”
Cindy is thunderstruck. I thought it could not possibly get any worse. “How?” Cindy responds.
John looks at the growing number of bullet shaped capsul
es. A few of them open, allowing their passengers to exit. The aliens congregate in one section, clearly in fear. As his eyes meander around, he is drawn to the open ramp.
“I have it,” John hollers loudly. The furry creatures jump nervously at his voice. “The shuttles will guide us out, the hole is certainly large enough. We just need to twist the Terran back.”
Golward glances at his hip device then stares at George for a few seconds. “We have little time.” The furry alien states with finality.
An escape plan is hastily put into action. Edwards pilots one of the Gamin shuttles, while John sits at the Terran’s helm. It takes them almost five terse minutes before the ship finally extracts itself from the space station. John pushes the thrusters harder than ever before, as he follows the directions given to him. Golward’s constant gulping and staring at the device on his hip are all the reminder he needs to hurry. Once the nose of the Terran is clear, he starts to swing the ship around.
“Edwards, get aboard, and hurry.” John states with a renewed urgency.
“On my…” Golward says.
The explosion is beyond anything conceivable. Everyone is thrown to the floor as the ship’s systems fail to cope with the brunt of the blast.
John stares at his console in dread, then shouts loudly. “Secondary shockwave incoming, hold on!”
The powerful shockwave strikes the Terran on her broadside. It hits so hard that those who stood up, are thrown to the floor again.
Edwards stares in alarm as the Terran is pushed into his shuttle. The clang of the two ships colliding reverberates through the shuttle’s hull. He tries to pilot away from the incoming behemoth, and is stunned to see the massive ship begin to roll over. The sight of the Terran tumbling sideways toward him is unbelievable. Even as the maelstrom of energies continue to course all around, Edwards is forced to keep his distance as the ship seems hell bent on crushing his shuttle. Keeping the tumbling ship between himself and the exploding space station taxes his piloting skills to the limit.
Meanwhile, on board the Terran, the internal gravity holds people where they are, but the stress to the ship’s weakened hull is incredible. Fortunately, the roll spares the hangar bay’s temporary repairs from the brunt of the unleashed energies. Alarms resound from so many systems, that Joe simply shuts them all off. Finally, the energies unleashed by the space station’s destruction dissipate.
Edwards wipes a layer of sweat from his brow, then taps his console. “Terran, this is Edwards, you guys okay over there?”
Cindy stares at the bridge crew in disbelief.
“You’re alive!” Cindy states, completely shocked that the tiny Gamin shuttle withstood the series of shockwaves. “Fantastic, get back onboard.” She adds, turning to Joe and ordering, “Open the view screens, I want to see what’s out there.”
Joe retracts the armor plating while John aligns the ship with the planet. Andrew whistles at the sight. The space station has been completely obliterated. All that remains are small pieces of debris. Joe is surprised that he has to reopen the hangar deck’s ramp, it apparently shut automatically.
Cindy slumps in her chair despondently, while Golward is obviously happy just to be alive.
George exits his suit and takes a step toward Golward, sighing as he does. “You have lost your space station and we have lost the means to repair our ship.”
Golward stares up at George, his little brown eyes blink while he says. “There is plenty out there.”
George is about to tell him that they have no way to collect the debris, when he feels a tingling sensation in his spine. Suddenly he grins like a child. “Who wants to go for a drive?” George asks as he claps his hands to his thighs. “I am so stupid!” He adds as an afterthought.
Everyone on the bridge stares at George, mystified.
George’s eyes blaze with excitement as he explains. “The vehicle we found on the moon is a mining unit. It scoops up raw materials and converts them just like our suits, but on a larger scale.”
Joe turns to George frowning, then asks what is on everyone’s mind. “How exactly do we drive it in space?”
George grins as he looks down at Golward. “Why, we strap their escape pods to it. They can be our thrusters. I am sure they have fuel, or whatever they use, left in them.”
Golward nods in excitement as well. “Yes, yes, that will work.”
After getting several looks of confusion, George realizes that he is still the only one who can understand Golward, so he translates. “It will work.”
Cindy stares at George with a creased brow. She looks at the small furry being with a mixture of sorry and amazement.
Golward notices her gaze, then asks bluntly. “Your ship, it is of Gamin design, how did you come to possess it?”
Cindy looks at George questioningly, she is curious about how it is that George can comprehend their language.
George replies slowly. “The Gamin left it behind when they left our world. We completed it, and here we are.”
“Very well. We have traded with the Gamin, and for that we have been doomed.” Golward replies.
Cindy cannot stand it any longer, and pointedly asks George something that has been bothering her. “How is it you can understand them? And don’t tell me it’s the suit.”
“I have a translator, and perhaps with Golward’s help, we can make more.” George replies hesitantly.
Golward makes an odd gesture while addressing George. “We have spare scanners, like this one, and will instruct you on their use.” The small alien pats the rectangular object which hangs from a shoulder strap and rests on his hip.
Cindy smiles at Golward politely. She has no idea what the furry creature had just said, her thoughts are elsewhere. George has a translator!
George looks at the offered device while replying. “Thank you very much.”
Cindy, George, Joe, and Golward, head to the hangar deck, leaving John, Andrew, and a rather quiet Peter, on the bridge. Radclyf follows, after giving curt hand signals to his men. Hayato and his forces are unseen and elsewhere on the ship.
Golward joins his people, and after a short discussion a few of them head to different escape pods. They retrieve a number of the devices, and then they spend a few minutes tapping away on their panels. Every now and then, one or more of them glances at the bridge crew, making Cindy feel a little nervous.
Finally, Golward approaches Cindy. He hands her a palm sized device, along with its shoulder strap that has been adjusted to its maximum length. He then beckons for her to lean forward. As she does, she spots a small device in his hand. She recoils as he tries to approach her with it. Golward makes an odd gesture while putting his hands down.
“It’s a just a transceiver. All Kord have them implanted at birth.” Golward says matter-of-factly.
George can see that Cindy is unwilling to receive the alien implant, so he reluctantly steps forward and removes his earpiece. “I will try to make more of these.” He says reluctantly.
Golward looks at it for a few seconds, says something unintelligible, and then walks off. George is shocked when he cannot understand Golward’s words.
Cindy stares at the earpiece as she asks, “You say try. Why are you doubtful?”
“I will have to dismantle this one to examine it.” George replies.
Cindy’s eyes widen as she realizes the risk, and quickly says. “No, don’t, I would rather not risk us losing our only translator.”
Cindy looks at her crew, and then at the aliens. She deliberates the pros and cons to what she is considering. Making up her mind, she walks with determination up to the group of aliens and says. “If I have insulted you, I apologize. I know you have just lost a great deal of your friends and family, indeed perhaps everything.”
Cindy crouches down and leans her head toward Golward. He presses a small device behind her ear, then waits. A sharp pain shoots through her ear as the miniscule implant is injected.
Cindy is stunned to hear Golward’s gravelly wo
rds. “The device draws power from your body and will interface with just about any translation unit.”
Cindy’s jaw drops as she instantly understands him. “Thank you again. Is there anything we can do for you?”
Golward looks back at his people before replying. “We have a few colonies that have not been visited. This was our home, and our trading post. A great many Kord have died today.” He stops talking, and walks away, clearly in distress.
Cindy watches him step away and then leaves them to watch George and Joe work. The attachment of a few escape pods to the mining vehicle goes quite smoothly. Golward comes back over, hands George a device, and says. “This will control the pods remotely.”
George grins as he looks at the contraption before him. The mining vehicle rests on its tracks, with a pod attached to each side and two more on top. “Maneuvering will be a difficult, but manageable.” He proudly says, and then asks. “So, who gets to drive?”
Edwards has been watching with interest, but as the question hangs in the air he walks away as he bluntly states. “You won’t catch me in that contraption.”
Cindy smiles and thinks. As John has said, ‘he plays it safe.’
One of the contractors steps forward and offers. “I will take it for a whirl, just tell me what you want me to do.”
Cindy stares at the man for a moment, and then says, “Okay.” She cannot recall his name, and is quite annoyed with herself for not knowing all of her crew.
In no time at all, the ground vehicle is ‘driving’ through space, collecting the mist and debris left behind. The hours turn to days, as the task of collecting the debris turns into quite a chore. When the pods run out of fuel, others are installed. The crew takes turns collecting the remnants of the space station. As the converted material is brought on board, George and Olaf are able to craft hull plates, just as they both did on Earth during the Gamin occupation.
Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles) Page 51