“I know—It’s not me… just a sec, I’m trying something here…” she said.
“Operation has been delayed for more than seventeen hundred years. Operational fail safe is in effect. No further mission delays can be permitted,” said the male voice.
“It’s no good. There’s some sort of hard coded—”
“There was a crash-landing, computer. A crash. A big, big crash. We haven’t been delaying, we just didn’t know anything about the operation,” Max said.
“I know there was a crash. I was there—Oh he can’t hear you,” the computer lady said, “It’s some sort of prerecorded—What are you guys doing in there? No, no, no. Do not touch that!”
“Coordinates accepted,” said the male computer voice. “Darkwave Jump in sixty seconds. Maintenance crew, please clear the area”.
“What did you do?” yelled Max at the pair in the jumper, but they didn’t hear him. He switched his mic full on and tried getting them on the radio. There was no response. Bob was still troubleshooting the hatch and Freenan’s attention was focused on the Jumpers monitor.
“Danger. Danger. Please Evacuate the jump room. Darkwave Jump is imminent,” said the lady computer. “That means you, Max.”
Freenan looked up at Max. The man was smiling, as usual. Either he had no idea what was happening or just thought it was another exciting adventure.
“I don’t think they can hear us in there,” Max said.
“Max!” came Snow’s voice over the radio.
“We have a problem—” Max said.
“You have to stop it. You can’t let it jump!” Snow said. By the sound of her voice she was near panic.
“I’m trying but the computer, the other computer, it says this is mandatory,” Max said. “I want to say it’ll be okay—”
“It won’t be okay! They will see us. They will know. You have to stop it, Max! We aren’t ready…”
“Thirty-five seconds and counting,” said the lady computer.
Max banged on the window of the jumpship to get Freenan’s attention again. He signaled to Freenan, swiping his hand across his neck, “Shut it down! Shut it down!” he yelled.
Freenan punched buttons and swiped the screen then shrugged. His expression said, I’m-sorry-but-we-will-just-have-to-see-what-happens-and-also-I’m-a-little-excited-to-see-what-that-is.
“Twenty seconds” said the lady computer.
Max reached for his axe. It wasn’t there. He had left it… where? Not here. He looked around for anything club like.
But there was nothing club-like in the room. There was nothing even club-adjacent.
“Ten seconds” said the lady computer, “You gave it your best try, Max. Time to get out.”
He climbed up on the console and leapt across and on top of the jumpship. Scrambling around he looked for something, anything he could break. He grabbed a long metal antenna and tried to pull it off, but it was unbelievably strong. It bent and flexed but it would not break.
“Five seconds” said the lady computer, her electronic-tinged voice was concern-tinged as well.
Max slid forward and hammered an important-looking box. He beat it with his fists.
“Four… Three… Two… One…”
His fists slid within the gloves of his suit, slicked with blood but he didn’t stop. Raising his fist high he slammed it into the module, again and again.
“Jump” said the lady computer.
Chapter 65
Snow looked out the upper half of the control center window, the half that was not blocked by ice. She saw it before she felt the deep, momentary rumble. The universe was separated into two parts, just for a moment. An elongated ovoid of space, not much longer than the shipwreck, was cloven from, then back to, the rest of the universe. The contents were the same both before and after. But they had shifted.
At the far end of the disturbance there was now a small ship that had not been there before. About the size of an automobile, it was the darkwave jumper. Something slid lifelessly from it.
Max. She recognized him. By his long legs maybe? So Max was the first to die. Was it a mercy? They were all doomed of course. But how long before that doom came calling?
The universe parted again. This time it was silent and there was no small sphere. A flat green energy field split the universe in two, far above the surface of Mega. Again, it was a momentary thing. So quickly did things return to normal that Snow wondered if she had seen anything at all. She searched the heavens for some indication that what she saw was real. And there it was. A small golden sphere. A ship? Of course it was. It sat above the bow of the Longissima. Above and forward of her. A dark hole opened in its side and a flurry of dark shapes streamed from it, down to the planet below.
The hole closed in the sphere and it flew immediately away, straight towards Grailliyn on the horizon. It was fast. Very fast. Soon it was no more than a dark spot. Then it was gone completely.
The promise of doom had been kept. They’d not had to wait long.
* * *
The end of Book 1.
This series is a trilogy, and the adventure continues in book 2, Starship Invasion.
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Series Reading Order:
Lost Colony Uprising Trilogy Book 1: Starship Relic
Lost Colony Uprising Trilogy Book 2: Starship Invasion
Lost Colony Uprising Trilogy Book 3: Starship Overlords
About the Author
DARCY TROY PAULIN lives on the West Coast, where he enjoys hiking, kayaking, and rarely mowing the lawn.
Series Reading Order:
Lost Colony Uprising Trilogy Book 1: Starship Relic
Lost Colony Uprising Trilogy Book 2: Starship Invasion
Lost Colony Uprising Trilogy Book 3: Starship Overlords
More books?
Yes, there will be more books set in this world. Please visit Darcy's website for information, and sign up for Darcy's newsletter or follow Darcy's Facebook page.
For rights inquiries, technical issues, errors or omissions, etc, please don't hesitate to contact the publisher at [email protected]
www.darcytroypaulin.com
Cover illustration by Sarah Tyrrell, Briar Fox Design.
Starship Relic (Lost Colony Uprising Book 1) Page 30