“Crosshairs calibrated. Begin firing sequence,” Loesser ordered.
“Captain,” Rao’s voice rang out. “I believe you have made a mistake.”
“Not now, Rao,” Loesser said, not taking his eyes off the display. “I need to focus.”
“You are working at too low a power level,” Banu said. “I thought this was a full power test.”
“We are already shaking ourselves apart, Minister,” Loesser said. “I won’t risk a full power test until we find out what this thing does.”
“But Captain—”
“I said we are working at seventy-five percent, Minister!” Loesser said, turning to face Rao. “As long as I am still in charge, we won’t bring those levels up or risk any more of my ship. Is that understood, Minister?”
Banu leaned back against the cool metal of the door. The vibrations were increasing as the test proceeded, but Rao could not feel them through the shaking rage he felt at the captain. He stared at the man for a moment before responding.
“Perfectly, Captain,” Rao said in a contemptuous tone. “I wouldn’t want to circumvent your authority. Please proceed.”
Loesser waited a moment longer before turning back to his console. The shaking had become strong enough to make him grasp the edges of the metal controls. He tapped with one hand to bring up his stabilization system. Compensators snapped on and the ship’s rumbling slowed to a dull massage. A red button began to flash on his keypad, signaling readiness to fire.
“All systems and stations report readiness,” Loesser ordered. He received a series of acknowledgements from each of his officers. After waiting a long moment for the chief engineers, he received an acknowledgement click from the man. The signal was too weak to transmit voice, but it could still blink a light, it seemed.
“We are go for firing sequence,” Loesser said. “Begin countdown on my mark. Mark … five … four … three … two…”
Loesser did not sound out the last number. The ship bucked as the cannon ejected its payload at nearly three quarters the speed of light. Rao took one last look at the lonely planet and prayed that it understood why it had to die.
There was a bright flash as the energy of a star erupted across the surface of the planet. For one millisecond, it held its shape under the power of the impact. A crack formed before there was time to blink, and the planet ripped apart. The left side of the dark world was vaporized in the explosion, becoming particles of burning sand thrown into the depths of space. Tons of asteroid debris were flung away from the explosion into deep space. The right half of the planet began to revolve on a lopsided axis. It took a second for Loesser to see where it was going.
“Reverse all engines!” Loesser ordered. “Get us out of the way!”
Rao panicked as he saw what Loesser had seen. The destroyed half of the planet was not a problem, but the surviving half was tumbling in their direction, fast. The projection seemed to stretch as the ship was thrown in reverse at emergency speed. A quick maneuver from the helm and the broken planet seemed to move up and away from them. Rao realized they had sunk down beneath the tumbling chunk of rock. After another second, the planet half returned to view. The helm had turned the ship to face the explosion again.
It was magnificent. Endless flecks of burning gold spiraled out and away from the explosion. The massive section of missing planet moved away trailing asteroids and debris in its wake. Victory had witnessed the death of a planet and Rao was in awe. He could see his ultimate goal in sight even as a lingering doubt entered his mind. The ministers stepped away from the walls to stare at the projection.
“Captain Loesser!” Rao called. “Congratulations to you and your crew.”
Loesser tapped a few keys and turned on the minister. He walked across the room to stand face-to-face with Rao. His voice was controlled and quiet as he spoke only to Rao.
“You almost got us killed today, Banu,” Loesser said. “If we hadn’t backed off, we would have been killed. Then where would your damned crusade be?”
“Captain, I think you have it wrong,” Rao replied steadily. “If we had been at full power, the planet would have been entirely annihilated. We wouldn’t have had to move anywhere. Next time, you will proceed at full power. Unless, of course you want someone else to give the order.”
Loesser stared the man down for a few moments, not wanting to move away. He finally turned and walked back to his console, calling out cool-down procedures to his crew. The ministers continued to stare at the projection while Rao stared at the captain’s back. He stepped into the center of the viewing room and raised his hands.
“Ministers, you have just witnessed the test firing of the ultimate weapon. Now, let us adjourn to the ship’s dining hall to celebrate and discuss our next course of action. We have a lot to celebrate and the captain has ordered some drinks on board for the occasion.”
The ministers gathered around Rao, talking and asking questions. The man responded without giving any real answers to any question. The group moved out of the lounge and into the hallway as Loesser tapped the keys for the final shutdown. As the doors slid shut, Loesser extracted a sliver of metal from the console. He looked at the button-sized device in his palm. There was no printing on the outside, only a small projection extending less than a millimeter from the side. As Loesser stepped across the metal flooring to the door, he dropped the little device. As he stepped through the door, he turned and looked back at the little piece of metal.
“Call him,” he said as the door slid shut.
It was nearly a minute before a small shape materialized in the room. The lights had shut off and the dark fabric of a stealth suit concealed a short, barrel-chested figure in a helmet. A three fingered hand reached from the darkness and grasped the small shard. As the figure stood, he raised the helmet, revealing a porcine face with a foul expression.
“‘Bout time you grew a pair.”
13
Battleship Resolute
As the high energy particles bled away from the hull of Resolute, Lee Pearce stared at the projection screen in wonder. Admiral Chang had relayed the coordinates for M-space translation blind and they had fled the battle without checking their destination. It had been a dangerous move as time and space did not move the same way in M-space as in the real universe and they could have ended up anywhere. When they finally had the time to check, Lee realized he had never been to the remote outpost they had been sent to but had heard stories of the fantastic sights.
Terpsichore station was built as a haven for the very wealthy at the height of the Terran Confederacy. Unlike Perigee, the station was a wide dome that drifted in a stable orbit above a young yellow star. Smaller domes extended for kilometers from the cardinal points of the station, each a different habitat for whatever strange desires the investors developed. Lee could see ships from around the galaxy docked above and below the outstretched arms in all directions.
It never failed to sadden him that although the humans were out struggling for survival, the galaxy moved on, oblivious to the lives and deaths of its former masters. Lee supposed that it was the arrogance of the humans who had built the station that had contributed to the fall of the Confederacy. The station now spun as a symbol that no matter how powerful a race becomes, when they fall, the rest of life moves on as though they were never there.
“Captain,” Farthing said from the communications station. “Do we signal for docking?”
Lee thought about it. The admiral had not given any more specifics than they were to come to this location and wait for their contact. If they were to move on quickly, they would need to be free to maneuver away at a moment’s notice. If, however, their contact was who he thought it was, they would likely find him on the station anyway.
“Commander, scan for Alliance signals,” Lee ordered. “I need to know if we have any friends in the area.”
“Aye, sir,” Farthing replied, tapping keys on his console.
“Has the station activated any defensive systems?
” Lee asked the octopod. “A battleship from a conquered race might raise a few warning flags.”
“Negative, Captain,” the synthesized voice of the eight-legged tactical officer drifted across the bridge. “It doesn’t seem anyone has noticed us, yet. Perhaps, given the reputation of the station, they have but do not care.”
A shrill signal of alarm was crawling up Lee’s spine. The station’s reputation for being a hedonistic paradise was well known, but it did not explain why they would not have at least activated some shielding when a warship arrived. He turned to Farthing, whose crest had risen considerably.
“What is it?” Lee asked.
“Sir,” the commander replied, not wanting to look away from his screens. “I am not receiving any transponder codes at all. None of the ships are transmitting any signals. I am receiving an automated docking signal from Terpsichore, but there is no return code when I acknowledge.”
“None of the docked ships are transmitting any codes at all?” Lee asked, perplexed at the situation. “Can you reach any of the docking control systems?”
“Yes, sir,” Farthing replied turning back to Lee. “There is one port open on the sunward side. An automated invitation was received and clearance has been given, but I don’t think it was a live signal.”
“Scan for any energy signals on that station and give me a heads-up on the surrounding space,” Lee ordered the octopod. “I want to know if this is some kind of trap. I want shields up and engines hot in case we need to move fast.”
A stream of nods from his crew sent the ship into alert. At times like this, Lee could feel the power of his ship beneath him. It wasn’t in the engines or weapons systems, but in the crew that responded to his orders with efficiency and professionalism. As a ship captain, he felt the responsibility of each life under his command and the pride when all systems worked together to accomplish their goal. It was not a feeling he had ever dreamed of having, but now could not imagine living without.
“Captain,” the octopod enunciated. “I am reading full power to the life support systems on the station, but the docked ships are reading negative power across the board. Sir, those ships are dead in space. The docking systems aboard the station have been locked.”
“Locked?” Lee replied. “Why would they shut down their systems and then allow themselves to be locked in place?”
“Unknown, sir. A reading on the hull temperatures suggests that they have been static for at least two rotations of the station,” the octopod explained. “Particulate debris and micrometeorite impacts along the station exterior would indicate a lack of maintenance for about that same length of time.”
Lee stared at the slowly revolving station. It presented a mystery that he did not have time to investigate. Admiral Chang must have had a reason for sending them here, but it couldn’t have been the death of a space station. There were too many questions here and he had a mission to accomplish. Still, if Chang had thought to send them, there must be something they were supposed to look for.
“Goldstein,” Lee ordered the helmsman. “Take us in closer. Let’s see what’s on the other side. Get us close to the docking pylon, but let’s not get on board yet.”
“Aye, sir,” Goldstein responded. “I’ll bring her in outside the range of the automated systems. That should keep us clear.”
The projection changed as the station grew larger. Lee tapped up his own heads-up and called for an analysis of the station’s power systems. Although heat readings said the station was operating at full power, the lack of any transient signals suggested no life on board. He should have been reading some radio bleed or burst transmissions to the docked ships. Instead, he was seeing only empty power relays and dead air.
“Sir,” Artzen announced from behind Lee. “I’m showing a single power source from inside the station. It’s minimal, but it’s moving.”
“Someone’s on that station?” Lee asked. “Why didn’t we see them earlier?’
“They weren’t broadcasting until just now,” the engineer replied. “It’s not a voice or data transmission. It looks more like a power pack or something portable. I’d say whoever it is, they’re in an environmental suit.”
“I thought you said the life support was operational?” Lee said, checking his own power readout. “Why would he be in a suit?”
There were shrugs around the bridge as each officer shook their head. Lee did not like this situation at all. He had a live station and a bunch of dead ships with no explanations for any of it. The blinking light indicating the signal location moved again. This time, it moved towards the docking pylon that Resolute was approaching. Whoever it was knew they were there.
“Josh, move us in closer,” Lee ordered the helmsman. “Let the auto sequence take over. I need to find out what’s going on over there. Whoever that is has answers and I need to hear them. Have security meet me at the dorsal docking ring and bring environmental suits. If it’s good enough for whoever is on the station, it’s good enough for us.”
Lee stood and left the bridge. As the doors slid shut, he heard the sound of Farthing taking the command seat. It was good to have an officer with the felinoid’s experience on board. Truth be told, he hated the idea of sitting on the bridge and watching as other people did the dangerous work. Chang had given him leeway in how to run his ship over the years and he had taken it.
He rode the lift to the bottom of the ship and exited. It was not often he came down this far into the bowels of his own ship. It was tighter quarters and more utilitarian than the upper decks. The five-sided corridors became rounded ovals with flat metal decking beneath. It was closer to the M-space engines, so more shielding had been applied to the walls. The corridor smelled of machine oil and solvent and it reminded Lee of how efficient his crew actually was. Even down here, where the captain rarely went, the ship was spotless and functional.
He turned a corner and saw the security team already waiting. With Wellick on special assignment, he had recruited a civilian from one of his rescue missions to lead the team. Unlike either Henry Moore or Wellick, this man was enormous. A mass of dark skin and muscle stood just outside the airlock door. His environmental suit strained as he moved his arms. Before the invasion, the man had been a Confederate ground soldier. He held a rifle in a massive glove and Lee’s suit in the other. The other team members stood at the ready as Lee suited up.
“We’ve got an unknown signal moving our way in there, and some very strange power readings from the other ships. As far as we can tell, it’s just one target,” Lee explained to the giant. “I need answers about this place, so try to take the target softly, okay?”
“You got it, Cap,” Gregor the giant replied with a thick European accent. “I won’t leave anything but a few bruises.”
As Lee locked the helmet into the suit, Gregor activated the airlock panel. The team entered the small room. Gregor held up a massive hand to Lee as he backed into the airlock. Lee stood at the end of the arm and waited. Gregor had told him once that he would never allow Lee to be the first into a room if he was there. Lee appreciated the old-school approach to his security, even if it made him feel like an old woman at times.
“You stay back and let us secure the corridor. I’ll bring you in after. Stay in back. If anyone starts firing, you will get back in the airlock,” Gregor said. “I will not lose my captain on the first mission.”
Lee squeezed his way into the small airlock. This unit had not been designed for engineering transfers and small requisitions loading, not for an entire security team and captain. The door into Resolute slid shut and the pressure seals engaged. It took a few seconds for the inner door to engage. A green light flashed and the door to the station slid aside.
Two of the security guards rushed the hallway, taking either side of the door and pointing their weapons outward. Two more leapt in the corridor and covered the opposite wall. Two more stepped into the center of the hall, back-to-back and pointed their own rifles away. After a moment, Gregor was waved
into the hall by the nearest guard. He glanced at Lee, holding a single meaty finger up to halt his captain.
“Left,” Lee said. “The signal is coming from the left.”
Gregor nodded and shouldered his rifle. He stepped slowly into the corridor, waving the rifle back and forth. The other guards each took up a position to his side. Seven men, back to back, each stepped as a single wall with Gregor in the center. Lee stepped into the corridor, holding a pistol at the ready. The lights were on and showed a long, white corridor stretching into a dark doorway. There was no sound or indications of movement save for the security team. Lee heard his own clicking boot steps as they moved cautiously down the hall.
The dark door opened suddenly, causing the team to raise their weapons in preparedness. The guard directly at Gregor’s back turned and braced his own rifle against the big man’s shoulder. Lee peered past the big man to see if anyone came through the door. It took several tense moments before any movement came from the doorway.
An environmental suit, gray and battered, erupted from the door. Heavy boots clunked hard against the cold metal deck in a rapid tattoo of sound. The guards tensed as the figure ran, flailing his arms, down the hall towards them. Lee put a hand on Gregor’s shoulder to steady the man. The noise of the boots masked a vocal litany coming from the newcomer. He tried to listen, but the man was babbling.
“Halt,” Gregor’s voice boomed from his amplified speaker. “Identify yourself or I will put you down!”
The man continued running towards them. It was obvious he was not armed, but the guards were ready for anything.
“I said stop!” Gregor said. The big man fired a single shot at the floor ahead of the running man. The suit dodged right and rolled, impossibly fast in the bulky suit. The guards tried to track the man, but he was jumping from one wall to the other, rolling and weaving from doorway to doorway. Gregor fired another shot, this time aiming for the man’s chest. The suit ducked under the shot and slid on armored knees. He leapt up and over the head of the first guard, grasping the helmet and twisting the man as he sailed over. Gregor tried to reach for the man’s foot, but the boot kicked out, striking the giant’s helmet and knocking him back. Lee stepped back, looking for cover from the maddened attacker.
Resolute Victory (The War for Terra) Page 11