by S. H. Jucha
“Call for you, Captain,” the comm operator said.
Harbour set down her cup and accepted the call. She listened intently to Evan. Her only words to him were, “We’re on our way.” She wanted to scream in anger. If the gas were plumerase, it was a powerful hallucinogen, and there was no telling to what degree it affected the Jatouche. She forced her mind to focus, telling herself it was imperative to think. Thoughts occurred to her, as she raced to the bridge.
“Heads-up,” Harbour declared, as she gained the bridge. “We have an emergency on the YIPS involving our people. There’s been a gas attack, possibly plumerase. Comms, get me Danny.”
“Danny here, Captain,” was heard over the bridge speakers.
“Danny, who’s unaccounted?” Harbour asked.
“I’m waiting for Olivia, Pete, and Drigtik, Captain. I was going to find them and remind them the two-hour curfew limit was nearly up, when the station announced emergency protocols. I thought it best to sit tight.”
“Stay put, Danny,” Harbour said and hand signaled comms to drop the call.
“Get me, the captains, Evan Pendleton, Dingles, Ituau, Nadine, Lindsey, and Yasmin,” Harbour called out quickly, and the comm operator’s hands flew over the panel.
Harbour paced, thinking furiously, while she waited for the connections. Jessie, Dingles, and Birdie, of all people, arrived on the bridge at a run.
“What?” Jessie asked, but Harbour waved him off.
“Ready, Captain,” the comms operator said, when the conference was ready.
Harbour outlined what she knew from Evan, whom Danny confirmed were attacked, and the hallucinations the three were probably suffering.
“Where did they go?” Jessie asked.
“The techs who encountered them said they ran back the way they came, which would take them into the labs and assembly areas,” Evan supplied.
Leonard’s groans could be heard. “The largest and most convoluted section of the YIPS,” he said. “They could be hiding anywhere. It’ll take days to search it thoroughly.”
“Captain Harbour, their fears,” Lindsey volunteered.
“Yes, brilliant idea, Lindsey,” Harbour said. “Listen up, everyone. Evan, you’re to meet our shuttles and assign search quadrants to my teams, with YIPS personnel to direct them. Understood?”
“Absolutely, Captain,” Evan replied, pleased not to be the focus of Harbour’s anger.
“Lindsey, organize the empaths in pairs to search the areas that Evan defines. If his people interfere with reception, send them to the rear.”
“Understood, Captain,” Lindsey replied.
Evan wasn’t sure what Harbour’s order meant, but he wasn’t about to question it.
“Captains Erring and Hastings, I need your shuttles over here to ferry the teams to the YIPS,” Harbour said.
“Captain Harbour,” Yohlin replied. “We shuttle spacers, who have vac suits. It’s safer that way. Do these people have suits?”
“Oh, for the lover of Pyre,” Harbour moaned. “Birdie, recall Danny.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Birdie snapped in reply and issued an emergency recall to Danny, which allowed him an express exit from YIPS terminal docking.
“Disregard my request, Captains,” Harbour said.
“How can we help?” Leonard asked.
“Cinders here,” Jessie said, “I want at least two crew members to accompany each pair of empaths. Get your crews to the YIPS and have them meet the Belle’s shuttle. If you didn’t understand Captain Harbour’s instructions to Lindsey, she’s telling the empaths that if the emotions of any crew interfere with their sensing, those individuals are to be positioned to the team’s rear, as far back as needed.
“What are the orders to our crew?” Yohlin asked.
“The empaths will locate our engineers by the tortured emotions they’re emitting,” Harbour said. “Have your crew take directions from the empaths. If the empaths can soothe the engineers, they’re to standby. If they can’t, they might need to restrain them.”
“Be aware that restraining a distraught Jatouche will be dangerous,” Tacticnok said from the bridge hatch. Jaktook stood behind her shoulder.
Harbour schooled her reaction. She’d hoped to speak to Tacticnok privately. Somehow, word had gotten around, and the Jatouche team leader had responded accordingly.
“This is Evan. That might not be the case. I spoke further with the techs who were present at the attack. They tell me that the male engineer, who we now know was Pete, snatched up Drigtik, and the Jatouche clung to him as the three of them ran off.”
“That’s valuable information,” Tacticnok replied. “It means there is trust between them. Under these circumstances, I would not advise restraining anyone. Drigtik will attack if you seek to harm either human or him, and you don’t want to find out what Jatouche teeth can do.”
“Captain, Danny’s on approach,” Birdie warned.
“Lindsey, you better get started,” Harbour said.
“Ahead of you, Captain,” Lindsey replied. “Half of us are crammed in the airlock, waiting to board, and the other half are either in the corridor or arriving soon. We’ll find them, Captain.”
* * * *
Danny made several unauthorized and probably unsafe maneuvers to land aboard the Belle, collect the empaths, some of the Belle’s spacers, and return to the YIPS. Evan, YIPS personnel, and more spacers were waiting for them.
Once Evan got a count of the number of teams, which Lindsey had organized, he assigned sections.
“Each team has either four or five areas to search,” Evan said, apologetically. “I didn’t know there were so few of you.”
“We’re a rare breed,” Nadine quipped, and the empaths laughed.
“Remember the advice we’ve been given,” Lindsey said. “Locate them, communicate that location, approach them slowly, and don’t add to their fear, under any circumstances. Let’s go.”
The empaths hurried down the terminal arm, and the YIPS personnel and spacers quickstepped to keep up with their assigned teams.
The search was underway by eighteen thirty hours, but the empaths were quickly daunted by the size of the YIPS. Slowing their search was the necessity to investigate spaces that had to be opened by the station personnel.
A young empath queried why it was necessary to search a locked section, and a YIPS person with her team replied, “Olivia Harden has access to just about every place on this station, except for Evan Pendleton’s cabin. She’s our senior and foremost engineer.”
The youngest and weakest empaths gave out first. Exhausted and unable to manage their gates, they became unable to sense their surroundings effectively. Dejected, they returned to the shuttle, surprised to find Danny waiting with a supply of green. It had been Yasmin’s idea. She’d called on the food preparation specialists, who had spun up several kilos of the drink and rushed a large container and cups to the bay before everyone boarded. Many were able to drink, nap, and return to the search within a couple of hours.
One of the empath teams was composed of Lindsey and Sasha. Nadine had smiled when Lindsey chose Sasha. Her thought was, The perfect pairing of maturity and power. Just what the situation requires.
Sasha’s power ranged far around the team, more to the front than the rear, but it required the support members to stay far back. The YIPS senior personnel, a female tech, had to run forward, unlock an office, lab, or assembly zone, and hurry to the rear.
Lindsey held Sasha’s hand and added her power to the young empath’s. It enabled the pair to cover more area faster than any other team. They were deep into their fourth hour, when Lindsey felt her power waning, but Sasha was still going strong.
“Rest,” Sasha whispered to Lindsey, gripping her elder’s hand firmly, and Lindsey eased off on her sensing.
The search continued for nearly another hour. The team had just exited a set of labs and moved on to another area. Passing a small door, Sasha halted. “What’s in here?” she asked the YI
PS tech.
“It’s a supply section for small calibration and measuring equipment. Hardly enough room to hide anyone,” the tech replied.
“Give us access, but don’t open the door and stand back,” Sasha ordered.
Lindsey’s sensing was so depleted that, effectively, she was mind blind to whatever Sasha was focused on.
Sasha gently placed her forehead against the door. She stood that way for so long that team members who had been nervous grew bored and sat on the deck or leaned against the bulkheads.
The YIPS tech walked a good distance away and called Evan. “Sir,” the tech said, when she reached Evan, “I’m not sure what I’m seeing, being that I’ve never escorted empaths, but we stopped at a supply door, M-114.”
“Go on,” Evan urged.
“Well, Sir, the young empath, Sasha, is leaning against the door. She’s been that way for about fifteen minutes.”
“Just leaning against it?” Evan asked in confusion.
“Well, Sir, it’s the way she’s doing it. She’s facing the door and her forehead is against it.”
“Understood, stay put,” Evan ordered. He called the YIPS personnel who were accompanying the other teams and gave them the section and corridor location.
Immediately, the teams converged on Lindsey and Sasha’s location. By now, only the strongest empaths, along with a few rejuvenated youths, were able to continue the search.
When the empaths spotted Sasha, they bade the normals stand back. Then, slowly, they approached her, sought a portion of skin to touch, hand or neck, and added their power to hers. Sasha wasn’t sensing; she was sending. With all her strength, Aurelia’s powerful little sister was attempting to calm the three severely panicked individuals who cowered on the other side of the door.
When Aurelia arrived with Nadine, she eased through the group of empaths and cleared a few hands away from the side of Sasha’s neck. She placed her forehead to the door and her temple against her sister’s.
The other empaths felt an enormous boost of power, which was transmitted through the door. It was more than the simple sum of two empaths. It was the synergistic twining of two sisters who had been raised in close proximity, and it was a phenomenon all its own.
The ramping up of the empaths’ powers produced a keening from inside the tiny room. It was marked by its need, its desire for help. The empaths were cutting through the hallucinations, calming the threesome, and the engineers were desperately clinging to the mental lifeline.
-36-
Standoff
Word came to Harbour from Evan that the engineers were located, and the empaths were attempting to calm them.
“I’m going to help,” Harbour announced. “The empaths will be running low on power after all this time. They’re facing exhaustion. Dingles, get me a shuttle.”
“Only Captain Cinders’ shuttles are available, Ma’am,” Dingles said. It was a subtle means of reminding Harbour that mining shuttles required vac suits, and Harbour had yet to become qualified.
“The captain won’t need one,” Jittak said, easing through the bridge hatch, with his weapon focused on Harbour. His soldiers followed quickly behind him, and they spread out to cover the Pyreans. “If I feel anything from you, Captain Harbour,” Jittak said, aiming his weapon at her, “I won’t hesitate to shoot.”
Jaktook growled and Jessie moved to protect Harbour.
“Don’t,” Harbour warned Jessie, which froze him in place.
Dingles and the other spacers took in the energy packs strapped on the soldiers’ backs and the long, thin tubes that were held in their hands. All of them were thinking of the damage that firing an energy weapon inside a space-going vessel was going to create.
“You forget your station, Jittak,” Tacticnok said sharply.
“On the contrary, Your Highness, I’m following orders,” Jittak replied.
“Whose?” Tacticnok demanded. “Not my father’s.”
“I’ve no commands from His Excellency Rictook,” Jittak replied. “But, I do have strict instructions from Master Roknick to take action if Jatouche are threatened.”
“This is not a widespread threat, Jittak,” Jaktook protested. “It’s a focused attack on these engineers.”
“Not on all the engineers,” Harbour added. “I would say the target was Olivia Harden, and Drigtik and Pete were unfortunate casualties.”
Jessie signed briefly to Dingles, but Jittak’s weapon swung toward him.
“Captain, I’m highly qualified with beam armament,” Jittak said coldly. “I can easily remove your hand if you continue to signal your crew. To your point, Captain Harbour,” Jittak added, training his weapon on her. “The who and why of the attack are unimportant. This event proves humans can’t be trusted. You’ll indiscriminately harm Jatouche and Pyreans.”
“Well, Jittak, you’re holding the weapons,” Harbour said, her voice hardening. “What is it you want?”
“We’ll collect Drigtik, ensure all Jatouche are aboard, and this ship and one of Captain Cinders’ ships will return to Triton,” Jittak announced. “Then we’ll depart and, hopefully, never return.”
“You hope to commandeer this ship and hold it hostage for weeks until we reach Triton?” Jessie asked, in a derisive tone.
“What my soldiers and I’ll do is hold you two captains hostage in the captain’s quarters,” Jittak announced, swinging his beam weapon between Jessie and Harbour.
“And if I don’t wish to cooperate with your idiotic plan?” Tacticnok asked, as she stepped in front of Jittak. Her eyes blazed in anger, but she kept her control.
Jittak expertly slid to a new position to keep Harbour and Jessie in sight. “I have my orders, Your Highness. This action is for your protection.”
While staring hard at Jittak, Tacticnok demanded in a strong voice, “Soldiers, attention.”
The three soldiers made subtle movements to straighten, but they glanced nervously at Jittak and resumed guarding the Pyreans.
Jittak’s lips curled, revealing his teeth.
“Soldiers, you’re commanded by Her Highness Tacticnok to come to attention,” Jaktook demanded. “Where is your loyalty to His Excellency Rictook?”
Mentioning the supreme leader was what it took to break Jittak’s hold over his soldiers. Above everything, Jatouche were loyal to their ruler.
It was Tacticnok’s turn to bare her teeth, and she did so with pleasure. “Soldiers, you’re commanded to take Jittak into custody. He’s to be taken to his cabin and kept there until I order differently. Food and water are to be brought to him. Am I understood?”
The soldiers delivered a resounding affirmation. It was obvious to the Pyreans that they were relieved to be removed from Jittak’s authority.
Jittak realized he’d lost. He couldn’t hold the ship by himself, not for the lengthy period it would take to reach Triton. Eventually, he would become drowsy and be mentally overpowered by Harbour. He lowered his beam weapon, and his soldiers stripped it from him. Without a word, he turned but was halted by Harbour’s words.
“I’m captain of this ship,” Harbour said in a voice hardened by barely controlled anger, “and I don’t allow weapons aboard it. Do whatever is necessary to deactivate them and leave them here. You may have them back when you travel to Na-Tikkook.”
When the soldiers hesitated, Tacticnok added, “You heard the captain. Or do you believe her authority is any different than that of our captains?”
The soldiers stripped off their packs. They briefly chittered among one another. Then, one of them pulled a part of the weapon’s electronics package and silently held it up to Harbour. She nodded her agreement, and they yanked the component from the remainder of the weapons, grasped Jittak by the arms, and led him off the bridge.
There were audible and silent exhales of breaths.
“Dingles, find a safe place for these things,” Harbour said disdainfully, sweeping a hand toward the weapons.
Dingles tasked other crew members, who picked
up the packs and weapons, as if they would bite them. Later, Harbour would discover that the Belle lacked any sort of large vault in which Dingles could deposit the weaponry. So, he decided the safest place to store them was the captain’s liquor larder.
“My apologies, Captains,” Tacticnok said. “I had no idea Jittak would be so foolish. A complaint will be lodged with my father, when I return.”
“We’ll talk later, Tacticnok,” Harbour said. “Know for now, that your apology is accepted, although it wasn’t necessary. At the moment, I’m more interested in the welfare of our three engineers.”
* * * *
Inside the supply room, the engineers huddled together in a tight bundle, Drigtik sandwiched between the two humans. The Jatouche’s nails were dug desperately into Pete’s coveralls. Sensations of comfort fought in their minds against the terror and horrible images generated by the plumerase gas.
Hour by hour, two things happened. The engineers’ bodies slowly cleared the gas from their systems, and the empaths won the battle for their minds. The indications of success were the easing of the engineers’ tightly bunched muscles, exemplified by the relaxation of Drigtik’s fingers.
Fright and terrifying images had taken their toll. They were drained of energy, and exhaustion overcame them. Freed from their nightmares and lulled by the empaths, they fell asleep.
“Medical teams,” Lindsey whispered to the nearest YIPS tech, when Yasmin gave her a thumbs up.
Most of the empaths, except for Aurelia and Sasha, ceased their sending. The sisters dialed down their power and kept a gentle stream of support flowing to ensure the engineers experienced pleasant dreams.
When the medical teams arrived with stretchers, Lindsey whispered to the sisters, “Step back now. Let the medics take them.”
The engineers were lifted off the floor and carefully deposited on the stretchers. A medic pulled a syringe gun, but Aurelia blocked her arm.
“We need them receptive,” Aurelia said, which confused the female medic, who regarded the sleeping forms. “In here,” Aurelia added, tapping her temple.