by Saxon Andrew
“Thanks, Alley.” Andres watched the Lead Engineer walk away and he pulled out a special communicator and pressed Connor’s number. Connor answered and Andres said, “I’ve just learned about the new metal for the carriers we’re building and the new missiles. Are we modifying the ship we’re sending to harass them?”
“No, we’re not.”
“Is there a reason for not giving it to them?”
Essay tilted his head, “Andres, if we send them with the new missiles, the Traugh will know their ship has been changed. They may find that out anyway but the missiles will be a dead giveaway. We can’t take that risk.”
“I just feel bad that they don’t have a chance of surviving the mission.”
“We all do, Andres. But the reason for sending them is to build up our defenses and giving them our new weapon will cause huge suspicion with the Traugh leadership. By the way, what’s the time frame on the carriers?”
“The first one won’t be completed for a year. The others six will follow within nine months. That’s if everything goes according to plans.”
“Thanks, Andres.” The call ended and Andres sighed. It just wasn’t right to send them out to die without giving them everything possible to save them. He shook his head and looked at the plans again.
Jim sat on his ship above Earth and replayed the video of Sparky and Pam’s runs through the asteroid belt. Stella sat beside him and shook her head, “They have an advantage.”
“What is that?”
“They have two of them fighting their ship. Flying the ship and targeting the weapons is a handful.”
Jim sighed and nodded, “I agree. There must be a better way to do this with just one pilot.”
Stella sat in her chair and swung her legs. After a few moments she looked at Jim, “Have you looked in your computer at the disintegrator tutorial used to train the Traugh to use their weapons?”
“I didn’t know that tutorial existed.”
“I found it looking around a week ago. That tutorial trains them to cover a specific area around their ship. Would it be possible to assign the disintegrators a specific area to scan for a target?”
“But that would prevent using more than one of them on a target.”
“Daddy said that our disintegrators are much more powerful than the Traugh’s force fields. One hit should do the job.”
“And what if more than one ship comes from that area?” Stella shrugged. Jim thought about it and smiled, “I guess that would call for one of the new missiles. The disintegrator will recharge in a second and fire on the other target. We could always take manual control if needed.” Jim looked at Stella, “I’ll mention this to Dad and see what he says.”
• • •
Admiral Whitehall looked at the two pilots and tried to smile. Sparky spoke before he could, “Don’t feel bad, Admiral. We know what we’re getting into and you shouldn’t feel bad about what you’ve asked us to do.”
Whitehall saw Pam nod and slightly shook his head, “I just hate to send you out without hope. There should always be hope.”
Pam shrugged, “Admiral, if we stayed here, we’d probably end up dead. Justice would act quickly if we gave in to our desires. At least this way, we might have a good time before we die.”
Whitehall sighed, “I think it’s time you start your mission. Do you need some time off before you go?” Sparky looked at Pam and both of them shook their heads. “Alright, here’s how you’ll go out to start your mission. We’ve loaded a series of courses into your stardrive. Activate the first one and wait for your ship to arrive at the first destination. The second course will automatically load at that point and fly your ship to that location. You’ll arrive directly above our galaxy and the third course will take you into the middle of Traugh Territory. At that point, you’re on your own to do whatever the two of you deem necessary.”
Sparky smiled, “Do you have any advice, Admiral?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. Your computer has all the Traugh communication frequencies and if I were in your place, I’d take some time to listen in to their communications before just running around looking for a target. You’ve had their language put in your brains so you shouldn’t have any trouble understanding them. Once you decide on a target, hit it and get out fast. Listen to the communications after your first attack to see what kind of response you generated. After that, you should have an idea of what you need to do to survive. I hate to do it but I feel I must remind you that you promised to survive for a year. We really need you to do that. Most of our building efforts won’t come to fruition for at least a year.”
“Does our ship have enough provisions to keep us going that long?”
“There is enough food in the storage bays to last three years. You know how to load the fuel bars into the reactors and you have enough to last five years. Two years if you are using your weapons constantly. Our Lead Scientist says that your force field with stand up to eight simultaneous hits by Traugh disintegrators. Just don’t let that many get close enough to do it.”
“What if we discover something that we deem important for you to know?”
“There are six small missiles in tubes on top of your ship that have stardrives. You can use the computer to download information to them and launch them.”
“Won’t the Traugh be able to follow them?”
“The missile’s stardrive will take it directly above the galaxy where it will broadcast what you downloaded. A ship will be stationed from now on above the galaxy about a light hour from where that missile broadcasts its contents. The missile with then self-destruct.”
“Will the Traugh be able to hear the broadcast?”
“If you launch a missile where they can follow it, yes, they’ll hear it but I doubt they’ll be able to decipher it. It’s encrypted and sent in two different languages. If what you send calls for immediate action, the ship will take your message back here to me.” Whitehall paused, “Keep in mind that you only have six missiles. Don’t waste them.”
Sparky looked at Pam and sighed, “Are you ready?”
“I guess.”
“Remember, if you use your superior speed and weapons, try to kill any ships that see you.”
“We know, Admiral. I think we’ll follow your advice and listen to them before making our first attack.” Pam’s eyes narrowed and Sparky quickly said, “Unless you want to kill something immediately.”
Pam’s eyes twinkled, “Just wanted to see if you were going to include me in the decision.”
“You know I will.” Sparky extended his hand and Whitehall shook it. “Admiral, I know you have your doubts about sending us. I understand your reluctance. However, we’ll keep our promises and do all we can to complete our mission.”
“Thank you.” Whitehall watched them leave the conference room and head toward the elevator. He walked over to the huge window and watched until the Traugh Warship lifted and roared into the sky. He took a breath and blew it out. He didn’t want to but he liked them. They were crazy…but they knew it and worked around it. He notified the Russian Leader to launch the first scout in forty-eight hours. The scouts would remain on station for a week before anther scout would relieve them. It was going to be an incredibly boring assignment but they needed to be there in the event the two discovered something critical. He looked up at the sky and knew Sparky and Pam were well on their way to Traugh Territory.
Chapter Fourteen
Pam saw the first location appear in the stardrive and she activated the drive. Up until that moment, they had used the drive to jump out to the asteroid belt for weapons practice. This was the first time they left the Solar System and saw the long colorful streaks of stars blowing past them. Both of them remained silent and stared out of the viewports as the universe passed them outside the ship’s hull. “This is beautiful.”
Sparky nodded, “Yes it is. I know Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and we’re violating it with this technology.”
“You’re too smart t
o appreciate it.”
“Not really. It’s understanding that this should be impossible that makes it even more beautiful. I wanted to do this to see this as well as handle my demons.” He looked at Pam, “You have to admit that this alone makes the mission worth it.”
Pam stared at him and then looked out of the forward viewport at the stars streaming toward them. She sighed and nodded. Thirty minutes later she said without taking her eyes off the viewport, “I don’t know how you managed to avoid giving in to your demons. I’ve been living in a perpetual nightmare since I was brought home from the Middle East.”
“It wasn’t as bad early on. It’s grown worse since I joined the Army. The Apostle’s promise to send those that want to kill out in the first wave is the only thing that helped me resist the urge.”
“I wasn’t able to resist.”
Sparky looked at her, “What?”
“I deliberately walked the streets at night. I was attacked by two men one night and I killed both of them.”
“How?”
“I had a combat bayonet that was part of my survival gear in case I was shot down. I cut the first attacker’s left leg and he dropped like a bad habit. The second took longer but I enjoyed it…a lot.”
“What happened to the first one?”
“He pleaded for his life but I just couldn’t stop.” Pam paused and looked at Sparky, “I really thought about killing you when I first saw you.”
Sparky shook his head slightly, “I had the same thoughts.”
Pam laughed, “About killing yourself?”
“No, you know what I mean.”
“I do. Now here we are; two murderers sharing a small space.”
“Pam, killing you would stop me from really feeding my demons. I no longer desire to kill you.”
Pam tilted her head, “I feel the same.”
She paused and Sparky saw her expression. “What?”
“I tried really hard not to think about those two muggers that I killed but the harder I tried, the more the images entered my mind. I’m certain the Prophet saw them.”
“It’s probably what made him decide to send you.”
“How do you see that?”
“You didn’t go out and kill someone indiscriminately. You killed two men that brought it on themselves. That showed him that you were able to control your desires.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I do. I wish I had thought of that.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t. You are brilliant and much smarter than I am.”
“I don’t know about that, Pam. Each of us has our own talents. I can’t fly like you. You also seem to be able to anticipate things I miss. Each of us can help each other make this happen.”
Pam smiled, “Truce.”
Sparky smiled, “Truce it is.” Sparky looked out of the viewport and his face showed his amazement. Pam looked in the direction he was facing and her face showed her shock. The Milky Way was far below them and its beauty defied description.
Pam shook her head as she felt tears roll down her face, “You’re right. This is worth the trip.” Pam came over and sat in Sparky’s lap as they stared at the beautiful spiral galaxy. After two hours she sighed, “Should we be going?”
Sparky shook his head, “Not yet. There’s time enough for death. This time is priceless.” Pam nodded and leaned back on his chest. After another hour, Sparky said, “Doesn’t our next course still take us over the galaxy?”
“Um hum.”
“Why don’t we start moving and see if the view gets better.”
Pam stood up and went her chair. She pulled up the next course and activated the stardrive. The ship went to full speed and the galaxy disappeared below them. They stared out of the viewport and there was nothing to see. The huge galaxy below them appeared distorted but there were no stars where they were located so the colorful streaks were missing. They sat in their chairs and Sparky sighed, “I should have realized that without anything out here in the intergalactic space, there wouldn’t be much to see.”
Pam stood up, “I’m going to take a shower. I’ll enter the final course when I get back.”
“That’s a good idea. We need to talk about our strategy before we enter Traugh Space.”
“Strategy?”
“I’ll tell you what I mean after we clean up.” Pam shrugged and left the bridge for her quarters. Sparky glanced out of the viewport and left the bridge. He still had the image of the galaxy filling his mind. It was incredible.
• • •
They sat on the bridge again looking down at the Milky Way below them, but the view was different. They knew they were located above Traugh Territory and it took away from the galaxy’s beauty. Pam sighed and looked at Sparky, “What did you mean strategy?”
“Have you thought about how we’re going to fly the ship?”
“What do you mean ‘we’?”
“I know you’re the pilot but do you ever plan to sleep? What are we going to do to make sure we’re both awake and clear headed when we decide to attack? We’re both going to have to rest before a major attack and what are we going to do with the ship while that’s happening?”
Pam tilted her head, “I haven’t thought about that. Have you developed a plan?”
“I’ve come up with a few ideas. Would I be right in assuming that we are going to be pursued a lot of the time?” Pam’s eyes narrowed and Sparky shrugged, “If we attack and manage to destroy some of their ships, I suspect the ships we attack will manage to get out a distress message that they’re under attack. That would lead to reinforcements being sent out. Our busiest time will be before, during, and immediately after an attack.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
“In order for us to be prepared for those times, we have to find a place to hide while we rest and prepare for our next victims.”
“What do you suggest?”
“We have to find a moon, planet, asteroid, or something large enough to hide our ship. If there’s a large crater with an overhang for us to land under, the better.”
“Won’t the Traugh scanners be able to see us even if we’re in a crater?”
“Not if the place we choose to hide has a high concentration of iron in its crust.”
Pam thought about it and then shook her head, “If we constantly fly in the same direction, they will localize the area we’re using to hide.”
Sparky smiled, “Which means, we have to find several places to use.”
“How do we do this?”
“The computer has a map of Traugh Space. We search it for possible locations.”
Pam looked at Sparky, “I’ll be surprised if you haven’t already found some to consider.”
Sparky laughed, “You’re getting to know me too well. We have to make sure we’re not seen while we’re looking at them. If the sound scanner hears anything, we’ll have to back off and try somewhere else.”
“Where’s the first site?”
“Pull up a list from the database titled ‘Home Sweet Home’.”
“Cute.”
“I thought so. Set a course for the first one and we’ll see if we can find anything that meets our needs.”
Pam found the file and entered the first location in the stardrive, “Here we go.” The large Traugh Warship accelerated toward the galaxy and within thirty minutes stars were streaking past the viewport. Sparky had the earphones on listening for the distinctive sound of another stardrive. Pam glanced at him several times as the moved in a star system and he shook his head. They arrived at the furthest planet from the distant star and Sparky shook his head, “I’m going to scan the five moons and see if any of them have a high metal content.”
“I think the heavy metals will be closer to the star but we can start here.”
Pam ran the scan and both of them looked at the results. Pam shook her head and turned the ship. Let’s go take a look at the fifth planet.” Sparky leaned back in his chair as the ship flew at an incred
ible speed toward the distant star. They arrived in two minutes and Pam brought the ship out of its stardrive. She scanned one of the moons and smiled, “You were right, this one had a very high metallic reading.”
“The problem is that it had a very hot core and there are constant eruptions on its surface. Check another one.” Pam moved the ship to another moon and left it to scan the third moon. The second one didn’t have the necessary metals to hide the ship. “Now this one looks good.”
Pam nodded and moved the ship down to the surface. It took an hour but they found a huge five mile wide hole in the moon’s surface. She looked at Sparky, “Is this too obvious?”
“I hate it but you’re probably right.” Pam nodded and flew the ship past the giant hole and turned right. Fifty miles later she slowed the ship. Sparky looked out of the viewport, “What have we here?” There was a tall mountain ridge running along the moon’s surface and it looked like a meteor grazed one of the mountains. There was a long rift running along the base that extended half a mile deep. “Scan the rift.”
Pam activated the scanner and they saw something. Pam feathered the thrusters and moved the ship into the rift. She turned on the front lights and they saw a hole in the center of the rift. She moved the ship to the hole and saw that it angled to the right. Sparky gripped the arms of his chair as Pam maneuvered the vessel into the hole and moved into the chamber. She followed the long chamber and after an hour emerged out of another hole that opened up on the moon’s surface. Sparky shook his head, “Where are we?”
“That chamber runs all the way through the mountain to the other side.”
“You’re kidding me!”
“No, whatever broke off the original meteor strike really made a huge hole.”
“This would be a good place.”
“We should make a slight modification.”