by John Walker
“Yes,” Cassie replied. “And it’s not good. I’m not going to be able to help the marines directly right now. I’m still on the com so I can walk through stuff, but our connection to the probes has been severed. Damn it!”
“Give me more details about this new reading,” Desmond said. “Can you determine the source?”
“Seems to be coming from within the core.” Salina sighed. “But I can’t make out much … The interference is intense. I’m working on a way around it.”
“The enemy’s falling back,” Zach said. “Permission to pursue?”
“Hold on.” Desmond leaned forward. “Hail them again, Salina.”
“Um … They’re picking up this time.”
“This is Captain Desmond Bradford of the Earth ship Gnosis. We’re on a peaceful exploration mission out here. Cease fire so we can talk this out.”
The computer translated the voice, “We’re not here to talk, Captain. You took something from that planet you visited and we want it back along with the scientist Gil Vaedra. I believe you have him aboard.”
“I’m not giving you anything,” Desmond replied. “You’re not in any position to negotiate. I happen to know that your targeting advantage just got taken away by the energy build-up from that planet. Stand down and let us conclude our mission. We’ll let you do whatever you want here.”
“You don’t understand, we’re not asking. We’re insisting. I need that technology and the doctor. He owes us a great deal. You’ve meddled with us enough. If not for what you hold, I’d blow you out of this system immediately and salvage what I wanted. However, considering the circumstances and what’s happening here, I decided to be merciful.”
Desmond scowled. “Pray tell. What’s happening?”
“That build-up won’t stop. Whatever fools you sent to the station must’ve woken it up. This sector’s even more forbidden than the last you invaded. That will lead to quite the chain reaction and no one’s going to want to be here when it goes off.”
Desmond muted the conversation and turned to Salina. “Confirm what they’re saying?”
Salina shrugged. “I wish I could. It makes sense. The power is building. Obviously, it can only get so high before something happens. Even if it only blows up all the mines, that could be bad. Let alone the other satellites around here.”
“When will it reach critical mass?” Vincent asked.
“Less than fifteen minutes if my calculations are correct,” Salina replied. “And … I’m pretty sure they’re right. The structure of the planet isn’t strong enough to contain it. In fact, I think somehow that place has been turned into a bomb. The marines probably want to hurry if we have any hope of getting out of here in time.”
“Cassie, give them the bad news,” Desmond said. He unmuted the line. “Listen, we know what’s going to happen. Doesn’t it stand to reason we work together to get out of here? Honestly, what’s the point of fighting anymore?”
Zach moved the ship suddenly, narrowly avoiding another attack. “I don’t think they’re interested in talking anymore.”
Desmond shook his head. “Okay, if that’s the way we have to do it.” He killed the connection. “You’re on free fire again, Zach. Vincent, did we get the bombers launched?”
“Yes, sir,” Vincent replied. “They’re out there and ready.”
“They have authority to open fire. Salina, plot us a course out of here. We might be dropping into hyperspace in quite the hurry when the marines get back.” Desmond drew a deep breath. “We’re all about efficiency right now, folks. No wasted actions and total focus. If we want to get out of here alive, everyone needs to bring their A game.”
Chapter 11
Heat glanced over his shoulder as they made their way into the first corridor. The others seemed on edge and he didn’t blame them. Though they were in a facility that didn’t look remarkably different from any other sort of high tech building they’d been in, something still felt alien and strange.
Smooth walls carried a bright sheen to them, almost as if something like mercury writhed just beneath the surface. As they advanced beyond the airlock into a larger hallway, it became more unnerving. The hatch behind them closed and blended in perfectly with the rest of the wall. Only a glowing rectangle the size of a hand beside it gave any indication it was there at all.
Light seemed to emanate from the seams of the walls, bright enough to illuminate the entire area but without a definite source. The material picked up whatever glow came out and reflected it along the corridor, enhancing it until everything around them was clearly visible.
Gorman led them around a curve and they paused before another smooth wall. He fiddled with his computer and another rectangular section glowed before the wall parted, another door allowing them entrance to a corridor exactly the same as the one they were leaving. If not for the map, there’d be no way to know they were progressing.
We could be going in circles and have no idea. “Do we really know where we’re going?” Heat asked. “Because if we get lost in here …”
“The map says this way,” Gorman replied. “And Cassie just helped with the door so we’re good.”
Another hundred paces took them into an actual room. Though the walls, ceiling and floor mirrored the previous room, there were tables and chairs breaking up the empty space. They were shorter than what a human might use but not considerably. Shelves lined one of the walls and there were boxy protrusions, likely cabinets, on another.
Anderson spoke up, “Looks like some kind of break room or something, right?”
“Maybe,” Heat said. “Is there a computer in here we can use or do we have to keep pressing on?”
Gorman shook his head. “We need the main control room to get what we’re after but the door over here to our left might be on lockdown. It leads to what looks like a stairway, then we go up and push through one more locked down door. Another couple minutes and we should be downloading the info and ready to extract.”
Heat gestured. “Lead the way. Getting through the door is all you … and the girl in your head.”
“You know she’s sharing the com, right?” Gorman asked as he approached the door. “It’s not like she can’t hear you.”
“I am here,” Cassie replied. “But I’m ignoring everything but questions. You ready to get through the door?”
“I’m near it … Do you need me to do anything?”
“No,” Cassie said. “Hold on.”
Another panel lit up, this time red. It flashed several colors before sliding open. “See?” Gorman turned to the others. “Piece of cake so far. Nothing to worry about at all.”
The lights overhead changed, turning a deep red. The walls went from rippling silver to a deep blood tone and a high-pitched klaxon went off somewhere deep within the station. Heat and the other marines all stared at Gorman, none of them saying a word. Cassie’s voice broke their brief silence.
“What’s that sound?”
“Getting through this door set off an alarm,” Gorman replied. “We probably need to hurry. Can you shut it down?”
Cassie didn’t answer immediately but they heard her muttering over the line under her breath. After a moment, she cursed. “No, in fact, I’m not able to access anything over there now. There’s some kind of interference building up from the planet it looks like … Salina’s pulling a scan now but if you can hear me, the only thing we’ve got left is advice.”
“Shit,” Heat said, “so now we have to rely solely on Gorman’s tech skills?”
“I’m afraid so,” Cassie replied.
“Thanks for the confidence.” Gorman waved his hand at the others. “Come on, we have to hurry before this place locks down or something worse.”
“Automated defenses?” Vine asked. “Because I’m kind of tired of them.”
“You didn’t even go into the base last time,” Kelly said as they hurried through the door. “You can’t be tired of anything.”
“Stow it,” Heat grumbled. �
��Radio silence unless you have something useful to say.”
They rushed down a hallway which Heat had thought would be shorter based on Gorman’s description. He brought the map up for himself to see and noted they would be approaching another door shortly. At that point, they would be in a long, narrow hallway, forced to wait for the security to go down at an extreme disadvantage.
“Kelly, Vine … Get your asses back to the entrance of this hall and hold it.” Heat gestured. “You get contacts, let us know but hold the entrance. This is a death trap if we don’t have some advance notice.”
“On it,” Vine replied, leading the way.
“Gorman, you’d better get us through there fast,” Heat said. “For all our sakes.”
“I’m on it now.” Gorman leaned against the wall and began working on the computer. The klaxon continued to belt out the high pitch alarm all around them and if not for the sound suppression of their helmets, it would probably be painful. As it was, it simply became unnerving, especially considering how empty the station felt.
I genuinely thought we’d find some bodies here … Anything at all to show inhabitants. They couldn’t have possibly rotted into nothing, could they? Heat shook off the thought and directed his attention back down the hall to where he sent Kelly and Vine. He needed to worry about the threats in the present, not the deaths of the past.
When they got back to the ship safe and sound, they’d be able to delve into the data they took and discover what happened to the people there. Until then, it was moment to moment concerns and getting out of there. Anything else would be nothing more than a distraction.
***
Squadron Leader Nolan Coplan hadn’t anticipated a need for the Rhino bomber squadron on this particular mission. They were at the ready when they entered the system but receiving the order to launch surprised them all. As they fell in beside the Gnosis, Nolan stared at the chaos raging before them.
The other two squadrons were heavily engaged and blasts from the capital ships made the distance between both exceptionally dangerous. Who knows when this system ever saw so much activity? The thought made his stomach tighten up with an oppressive dread. At one point, people lived there … an entire population and now, they were all gone.
Their dead space stations and vacant planets remained as the only markers for an entire species.
“Acquire targeting,” Nolan spoke firmly, forcing his mind back to the present. “We’re dropping two bombs a piece to test their defenses then we can coordinate with the Gnosis if we don’t bring them down. Scans indicate decent shields, but we won’t know how they react to our ordnance until we’ve made contact.”
The enemy wasn’t bothering with evasive maneuvers and as a stationary target, Nolan didn’t have any trouble getting tone. He watched his HUD, holding until the rest of the squadron showed green. “Very good.” His eyes narrowed, and he drew a deep breath. “Okay, team. Fire. Hit them.”
The bombs popped out of the hull and hurled forward, rocketing toward their targets. Nolan gripped his flight stick tighter, eyes fixated on the scanner overlaying the canopy. The tiny blips approached the target but when they were less than three hundred feet from detonation, red beams burst from the enemy ship.
Each blip winked out one after another, annihilated by some type of defensive laser. “Did you see that?” Lieutenant Mariah Pine, Rhino Three, blurted out the question. “They got them all! Really? Half, I could see … a few more, but twelve? While fighting the Gnosis?”
“Settle down,” Nolan replied. “Gnosis Control, did you see what just happened?”
“Affirmative,” Commander Bowman replied. “Fall back and wait for orders. Ensure your turret defenses are primed just in case.”
“Understood.” Nolan frowned, checking to see how the other ships were faring. They’d already lost three fighters, but the exchange had proven to be lopsided, favoring the Gnosis. According to battle reports, the enemy suffered more losses. Not enough to declare a victory but if they kept their focus, they’d likely come out on top.
We have to find a way to help. Nolan thought. We can’t sit here waiting for our chance to throw more bombs their way. No … There must be something. He checked the area, focusing on the mines. Surely there had to be a way to use them. The Gnosis proved they were magnetic, attracted to anything the size of a fighter and above.
The probes didn’t attract them but maybe we can rig something … Our bombs are larger and they have a more concentrated metal. We can guide the ordnance and try to drag the mines toward the enemy. Nolan offered his idea over to the Gnosis, sending it to Commander Bowman. He estimated it would take a minimum of five bombs to pull off his plan.
If they let us try it, I’ll be surprised but considering the urgency of our situation, the captain might be ready for something potentially crazy.
***
“Contact!” Vine’s report made Heat’s stomach tighten. “Opening fire!”
“What do you see?” Heat asked. Weapons fire drowned out any response. “Repeat, I didn’t copy.”
“Some kind of automaton,” Kelly replied. “On treads. Came through the door and immediately opened fire. We’ve taken cover just inside the corridor. It’s using beam weapons only and my scans say they’re … potentially non-lethal.”
“But might shut down pieces of our armor,” Vine added. Another burst of fire went off, this time from both marines. Heat considered sending someone else but held on, giving his men a chance. A moment of silence brought a quick report. “Hostile down. It was tough …”
“Gorman, how much longer?” Heat turned on the door. “That thing won’t be the only one out there.”
“I get it,” Gorman replied. “Give me a minute.”
“You’ve been at it for several.” Heat paused. “I’m heading down to see this thing. Let me know before you open the door.” He rushed down to Vine and Kelly, pausing at the door. A pile of smoldering wreckage sat in the middle of the room, pieces of metal scattered to the four walls. Dents in the wall indicated that their rounds wouldn’t go through.
“Told you it was down,” Vine said. “I scanned it. Thing was older than dirt. Several hundred years.”
“Talk about a serious warranty,” Kelly added.
“Enough.” Heat peered around the area, scowling. “That can’t be the only one.”
“Maybe not,” Vine agreed, “but considering how ancient it was, it might’ve been the only one still functioning.”
“Door’s about to open,” Gorman said. “Get down here.”
“Let’s fall out …” Heat gestured. “Go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.” The others hustled down the corridor but he stayed put, temporarily lost in thought. Defenses were part of the hardened systems Cassie couldn’t hack before, so they didn’t have any idea how many things like the lumbering robot they had to worry about.
It didn’t seem to take a lot to bring down so that was something. He hurried back to the others, bringing Jeb up on the coms as he went. “Are you nearly through?”
“Another few mines and we’ll be close enough for a pick up,” Jeb replied. “You guys done over there?”
“Not yet, sadly.” Heat arrived at the door. “We’re about to breach what we hope is the final area. Thank God we had enough data to find our way or we’d be wandering around this place for days.”
Jeb hummed. “Yeah, it looks pretty big. Give us another five minutes and we’ll be there.”
“I’ve got some more bad news,” Gorman said. “Cassie just informed me there’s a crazy energy build-up on the planet. It’s probably going to blow up.”
“Can this get any better?” Heat pointed at the door. “Open it then. We have to hurry like hell if we don’t want to be obliterated. Christ, I suddenly miss superstorms and ridiculous mutants.”
Never thought I’d say those words aloud.
***
Dennis took a shot to his starboard side as he tried to bank out of the way of a missile. The shields flared but
held and he continued on his course to get away from the other enemy all over his tail. He led them back toward the Gnosis, hoping they’d be stupid enough to get close to the capital ship’s automated defenses.
I need a little cover from this guy. He’d been pursued for the last two minutes, constantly dogged and harassed. Shane tried to dislodge him but ended up with a problem of his own. They were temporarily separated but had a rendezvous point setup near the bombers. Even one of them could help at this point.
He hit the afterburners and made an all-out run for the ship. His opponent kept after him, firing again. Dennis tilted his ship, flying between the attack then banked again to make his profile more difficult to target.
“He’s still on you,” Shane called. “I got mine and am on my way but you’re going to have to do something pretty spectacular to shake him.”
“Tell me something I don’t know!” Another hit shook his ship and the shields dropped down to ten percent. “I can’t take another round but I’m almost there … Another ten seconds and he’ll be in range of their turrets.”
“Then pretend you’re Alicia,” Shane said. “Do something crazy.”
Dennis cursed under his breath and jammed the stick forward, instantly going into a steep dive. The moment he found himself on the new course, he banked to the left, then immediately pulled the stick up and to the right. It caused him to spin, making his vision darken and the safety belts dig deep into his skin.
The enemy shot passed him, near enough to the Gnosis that the cannons kicked in. Several blasts chased Dennis’s opponent for a moment before they caught him and tore up the vessel, turning it to a massive orange globe.
“That was tough.” Dennis felt sick to his stomach and his head hurt. An alarm was buzzing in his ears, indicating that the shields were not coming back online. He checked the scanners and saw there were still seven enemy fighters out there, taking on nine Gnosis fighters.