Flying outside, he is stunned; Sharz’s vessel is unrecognizable. Superstructure juts out where entire sections of hull are missing. Fortunately, many of the shield emitters remain intact, even as the hull all around them is gone.
The engineer pilots the shuttle to the front of the ship, becoming more despondent as he goes; it is clear their vessel is crippled beyond any chance of repair. He discovers the source of the transmission, and smiles. A small, dust covered, ground vehicle rests in the shadows of Sharz’s vessel. The disparity in size and technology, would be humorous enough, but the fact that they are nose to nose, adds to the absurdity of the scene. The primitive vehicle’s once gleaming solar panels are now all but useless, thanks to the volume of dirt thrown on them from the upside-down ship. Its antenna points to Earth, diligently transmitting the data it collects.
The ‘Mars’ program has long since been abandoned by NASA, and handed over to enthusiasts, thus mere hobbyists were the most recent recipients of its information. In either case, the idea that a device is transmitting to Earth, from the camera which points at Sharz’s craft, is unnerving. The engineer reviews the most recent images, and is shocked to find they show their craft crashing, right up to, and including, images of the engineer standing in front of its camera. He is about to destroy it, when he suddenly realizes that after all that has happened, it still functions, while their craft, is a ruined mess. He takes his time, and finds the commands to shut down its transmitter, and does so.
Sharz listens to the report of the primitive human probe, then frowns when the engineer states that there are others on the planet, and that he is shutting each one down.
K’peck and Archmic install a cannibalized console in the hatchery, then begin a thorough, deck by deck, examination of the ship.
Without warning, the power fluctuates; it does so only for a fraction of a second, but in that brief moment, internal gravity fails, causing everyone and everything to drop toward the ceiling. Fortunately, the eggs remain secured to the floor by the residue left when they are laid. The eggs in the shuttles do not fare so well, and cause the handful of Den Mothers to panic.
Sharz stares upward, then as a chill runs up spine, orders, “Prepare all crew to shut internal gravity off; move the eggs to the ceiling, it will become the floor.”
K’peck glances to Archmic, then hesitantly says, “The repair crews will have difficulty moving from level to level.”
Sharz nods, then says, “They will manage. We are Gamin!”
Archmic stares at the ceiling, and wonders how they can safely transition from one to the other. “Oh my!” He exclaims, then questions, “What about the gravity room?”
Sharz spins around and excitedly states, “Yes! That room is designed to do exactly what we want!”
“What about the eggs?” K’peck presses.
Sharz grins as he replies, “We will load all the eggs into the shuttles, along with as many of us that we can. The remainder, and the humans, will use the gravity room.”
“There is no way everyone will fit in that room!” K’peck states bluntly.
“Being a matter of life or death, I think we will all manage it.” Sharz replies.
The vessel’s six remaining shuttles are soon packed with eggs, then skillfully flown outside, where the pilots await further instructions.
Meanwhile, a repair team arrives at a section where the hull is missing, and immediately begins absorbing the remnants, before crafting a fresh sheet of material. The engineer who is repairing the damaged metal stares at his absorption tool in disbelief; it has stopped working and now breaks apart in his hands. He drops the useless tool, then stares at his gloves; they darken before his eyes. He hurriedly takes them off as his hands begin to burn. The team rushes him to the medical area, where they apprehensively examine their own suits.
Sharz listens to the report of the injured Gamin, then reluctantly orders all repair crews to stand down. He deliberates over their options, but can find no solution to their dilemma.
The engineer piloting the shuttle that was traveling from probe to probe, silences the final one, then returns to the vessel. He is flying over the ship when he notices an odd discoloration on the underside of the ship. Much of the gravity lift plating is missing, as is a vast amount of armor and hull that protects, what is normally the underside. He lands on an intact section, then shuts down the shuttle’s thrusters. He opens the ramp, then gets up to leave. Without warning, the hull beneath the shuttle gives way, plummeting him into the ship. He struggles to get back into his seat, then curses as the shuttle falls through another level, until finally coming to rest.
With shaking claws, he contacts Sharz, and reports, “Prime, we have a new problem.”
“What is it?” Sharz replies with a deep sigh, thinking it has something to do with the alien probes.
“I landed on the underside, and fell through two decks before stopping.” The pilot replies, still unnerved by the experience.
“Understood!” Sharz replies, then orders, “Join the other shuttles; they’re outside, waiting.”
Sharz closes his eyes as he gathers his thoughts. The Atlan gas is still damaging his craft, but as the shuttle was stopped, two decks in, it would seem to have some limits. The baffling thing is the way it spreads through even the densest of materials.
Archmic reluctantly intrudes when he reports, “Three hundred Gamin, and over one thousand one hundred humans are waiting in, or near, the gravity room. It’s going to be a tight squeeze, and the environmental systems are already not coping; the room is getting warmer.”
“The eggs?” Sharz questions.
“They have been loaded into the shuttles, which are now outside, as is the shuttle which fell through the armor.”
“Let’s hurry!” Sharz orders.
The gravity room is organized chaos. Sharz pushes his way through the crowd, and into the room.
It feels as though it takes forever, but eventually the room is packed beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Gamin and Human bodies are mashed into one another.
Sharz shouts over the din created by many conversing, “Prepare for a reduction in gravity.” He taps the room’s controls, reducing the gravity to seventy percent normal, then fifty percent. He progressively reduces it to zero, then immediately applies gravity to the roof, incrementally increasing it. The massive group becomes a jumbled mess of arms and legs as everyone rotates to the new up and down orientation.
Though it feels as though it takes a long time, the process is completed relatively quickly. Once the internal gravity is a match for the planet’s, Sharz contacts the engine area, and orders, “Shut down internal gravity.”
The operators are less fortunate, and although prepared, still fall to the ceiling the moment they shut off the internal gravity. They stand, look up at their upside-down consoles, and grin.
People and Gamin alike, happily exit the stuffy room, and even though the humans ordinarily struggle with the Gamin air, they too are relieved to be out of the room. The closeness of so many bodies, especially the muskiness of the Gamin, was far worse than the thick soupy air outside.
Sharz has been deliberating over what to do, and orders, “Shut down all life support, except to the hatchery, and to one passageway leading to the main hanger. Repair crews are to seal all doorways, and any leaks they find.”
K’peck nods, then suggests, “Should we attempt to repair the severed power grid sections?”
“Yes, but make no attempt to absorb any gas damaged components.” Sharz replies.
Sharz watches the gravity room empty as he considers what else to do.
Archmic approaches Sharz, and says, “The console we installed into the hatchery is being moved, and should be operational by the time we return.”
Sharz tilts his head as he says, “The Atlan gas spreads through metal, like the corruption it is, with amazing speed.”
Archmic nods in agreement as he adds, “We have little information to go by, but all indications are tha
t it easily spreads through our hull and armor.”
“Cut the sections off!” Sharz orders, then explains, “Absorb the hull and armor that remains unaffected, giving it nothing to spread to. Then install shield emitters inside our ship, so that we can maintain our atmosphere!”
He glances up when there is no reply, and comes face to face with the Den Mother who visited his bridge. He is too busy trying to save them to deal with her.
She glares at Sharz and venomously states, “I warned you, young Prime! Now you have killed us all!”
Sharz stands tall and replies, “I have done no such thing. We yet live, and if you would let me perform my duties, we will all survive this.”
She snorts, “Hmm,” then gazes around as she demands, “and how do you expect us to launch this vessel?”
“This craft is not going anywhere.” He states bluntly, then he defensively holds his claws up and steps forward while confidently stating, “We will wait here for the fleet. They will come.”
“You disrespect me, Prime!” She states as she stares angrily into his eyes.
Sharz growls, “And you dishonor us all, with your negative attitude.”
“We are doomed!” She states while looking around, daring others to disagree.
Those around her shake their heads, then leave as they follow Sharz’s orders.
Absorbing the ship’s inner workings and separating corrupted sections from uncompromised material, takes considerable effort. Installing new shield emitters, and relocating others, then connecting them to the power grid, is another momentous task. All the while, the ship continues to bleed atmosphere at an alarming rate.
The Den Mother returns to her shuttle, where she waits. She discusses their situation with the other Den Mothers, berating Sharz the entire time. A fresh explosion of gas from a collapsing section of hull gets her attention. She takes a deep breath, and is about to complain, when it dawns of her that she has the means to breath indefinitely. With a stark realization, she comprehends that Sharz is protecting her, and the eggs.
The outspoken Den Mother contacts the other shuttles, and instead of complaining as they expect, tells them to be patient, and to follow Prime Sharz’s instructions; he has a plan to save them all. She sits in the chair next to the pilot, one of Sharz’s crew, and unexpectedly nods to him and says, “I appreciate all your Prime is doing to safeguard us.”
The pilot is not sure if he should reply, then after a brief pause, says, “He is a great leader, and well respected by us all.”
Miraculously, as the Martian days and nights pass, the venting gas diminishes, then almost stops completely. Vast sections of the hull have been absorbed, and where possible, contaminated sections have been pushed away, and fall onto the ground beside the vessel.
Archmic steps from his bodysuit, then strides up to Sharz. His grin already giving away his good news. He stops, then proudly states, “A few minor fissures remain, but these are too dangerous to repair, and while we’re still venting atmosphere, it’s nothing compared to when we first landed.”
“Landed!” Sharz chuckles, “Now that’s funny.”
“The life support systems have been rerouted where possible, and in some sections, shut down completely. We’re no longer in danger of suffocating!” Archmic reports gleefully.
Sharz relaxes, then questions, “What of the corruption?”
K’peck steps closer, and reports, “The Atlan gas has limits, so it would seem. After penetrating three to four decks, it travelled no further.”
“That’s still a considerable weapon.” Sharz laments, “All we did was land on the surface! Imagine what would have happened if the hull were exposed directly, as the human cities were.”
“The only reason the bunker with Lisa survived, was because the acidic properties of the gas had been expended.” K’peck states, then hurriedly adds, “That’s our assumption, anyway.”
Sharz nods, then says, “Great work! We have an active shield grid, life support is maintaining, and I hear that all Power Units have been reconnected to the power grid!”
Archmic and K’peck smile, then like most others who have not slept in days, retire to makeshift bunks in the hatchery. Sharz too has not slept, having been kept awake by stimulants all this time. He finds a bunk, any bunk, and falls into a deep sleep the moment he lays down.
The crewman who owns the bunk stares at his Prime in shock. He then realizes that while all repair crews were ordered to periodically rest, his leader was awake the entire time, directing, and assisting, with repairs. The crewman glances around at those who are waking, and talking, then motions for them all to be quiet. He elicits the help of others, and as quietly as they can, they erect a barrier around the bunk, shielding it from any direct noise and commotion. The group then takes turns standing guard, each making sure that those nearby remain quiet.
A day and a half pass on the Martian landscape before Sharz wakes. He steps from behind the temporary screen, and stops, stunned.
His entire crew of nearly two hundred, silently stands before him, their fists raised. As one they shout, “My life is yours, Prime Sharz!” The noise reverberates through what is left of the ship, alarming most of the people who hear the sound.
Sharz lifts his fist, and as he has seen Regent Voknor do, replies, “My life is for the clan.” He stares at those around him and realizes that they are probably the luckiest crew to have ever existed. Not a single death has been reported, though many are injured, some permanently; after all they have endured, none have died.
K’peck moves closer to Sharz and asks, “Your orders?”
Sharz gazes at his loyal crew, then says, “We should relocate some of the ship’s weapons, and get them mounted where we can defend ourselves. In addition, begin fabricating gravity plating, and get some engineers to examine the sub-light and main drive engines.”
An image flashes across Archmic’s mind of the main drive engines resting atop one another at the bottom of the crater, from when they broke off the ship. The chances of them being functional is practically zero, but still worth investigating.
Lisa steps through the throng of Gamin; many recognize her and move aside to allow her to easily pass.
She stops in front of Sharz, then timidly requests, “I have been hearing about some probes that you found. Do you know if any belong to NASA’s Mars Rover program?”
“I am unfamiliar with the terms you are using.” Sharz replies, baffled.
Lisa glances around, then says, “We have lost everything. If we could recover one of the Rovers, it would be something.”
Sharz nods as he replies, “I will order its recovery, and store it in my trophy room!”
“You have a trophy room?” Lisa stammers in surprise.
He steps forward and places a clawed hand on her shoulder as he replies, “I do now!”
The crew dissipates as they break up into teams, to comply with their Prime’s orders. Many feel the tasks are simply something to keep them busy, while others appreciate the idea of being able to offer some sort of defense, if they are attacked.
K’peck travels with a small group of engineers, and soon discovers that both main drive engines are indeed damaged beyond repair. Surprisingly one of the sub-light engines is still functional, and although it does not offer much hope for them to be able to travel far, they carefully uninstall it.
Engineers develop a plan to construct a small vessel, one that could transport all of them, which would be preferable to being a stationary target. Sharz reviews the early drafts of the plans, and grins when he sees that they plan to cannibalize his ship for all the parts required. He approves their plan without a moment’s hesitation.
The days come and go once more as the engineers work tirelessly to get some weapons operational, while at the same time, tackling the issues of manufacturing a new, smaller vessel.
A Gamin engineer approaches Lisa and says, “I have something to show you.”
Lisa apprehensively glances at Akardy, then
her son, as she hesitantly replies, “Can I bring my son?”
“You can bring as many as you wish.” The engineer answers.
Lisa, Johnny, and Akardy, follow the Gamin engineer to a shuttle which rest on what was the ceiling of the hangar deck. He motions for them to wait, then strides inside.
Moments later, a Mars Rover trundles down the shuttle’s ramp. It is spotless, and literally gleams. Its wheels do not squeak, and appear to be brand new. Impressive for having been on the surface of Mars for so long.
The engineer proudly states, “I restored it to its original specifications.”
“Cool!” Johnny exclaims as he stares at the six-wheeled machine.
He walks over to the Mars Rover and grins. He has always wanted to see one up close. He turns to the Gamin and innocently queries, “Original?”
“Yes!” The Gamin replies, then reluctantly adds, “I did augment its memory capacity, and battery storage, but I did so utilizing its original components.”
Lisa beams, “It’s beautiful! Thank you.” She gazes up at the Gamin engineer in awe. With all that has happened, he found the time to do something so special.”
Johnny unexpectedly laughs, then says, “Is that the one that nasty man had to clean the solar panels on?”
Lisa’s jaw drops; she had no idea Johnny knew about Edwards, and his task of cleaning the Rover’s panels. She considers how he died, then sighs as she replies, “It could be.”
Akardy wonders what Lisa and Johnny are talking about, but says nothing. The Gamin stands beside the Rover with pride, then all turn when Sharz approaches.
Sharz nods to the engineer, then addresses Lisa, “I would be honored if you would let me keep this device. I will keep it safe.”
Lisa smiles as she responds, “One day we will build a museum, but until that day, I would love for you to keep it safe.”
Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles) Page 187