Haylee guided the kids around the corner towards their cabin while Ronald walked beside her.
“I’m telling you, the ship changed course several hours ago,” she said.
“How can you be sure?” Ronald asked.
“Didn’t you feel the shift? In the deck?”
“I’ve been feeling weird shifts and bumps in the deck since we came on board. The ship’s always doing something.”
“Well, I recognised it. There’s a particular shift that occurs when the warp field disengages. Then another when the ring powers up and thrusts us out of normal space. Trust me, we dropped out long enough to alter heading, then went back to warp.”
“I’m sure the captain knows what he’s doing.” Ronald shrugged. “Maybe he’s trying to avoid … problems.”
Haylee nodded. There was no longer a reason to be coy. The kids knew it all. So why was it still so uncomfortable to mention the invaders?
They turned a corner.
“Kids, when we get back to the cabin I want you to go into your room and read quietly for a while,” she said. “Okay?”
Elsie nodded and smiled.
“But I don’t want to read,” Austen said. “I want to go swimming.”
Ronald placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Come on now, we’ve had a lot of fun playing minigolf. You need to give your Mom and I some quiet time.”
Austen pouted but continued walking with the rest of the family.
They rounded another corner. A man and a woman stood outside their cabin door. Haylee slowed. The woman wore staff dress whites and authority like a jacket. The man, bald but not bad looking for a fifty-something, wore smart civilian clothing.
Haylee’s heart clenched. What was going on? Was this about the message she’d sent this morning?
“Mrs Haylee Scott?” the woman asked, her face warming into a smile.
“Uh, yeah,”
“I’m Maya Rice, first officer of this ship.” She motioned to the man standing next to her. “This is former Commander Braxton White, our military adviser.”
Braxton White nodded. “Mrs Scott.” Haylee’s cheeks warmed ever so slightly at his Australian accent.
“Our cruise director received your message this morning, offering your engineering services to the ship.”
“Yes. Good. Is there some way I can help?”
Maya nodded. Her smile lost all its warmth. “Would you mind coming somewhere we can talk?”
#
“The hull is breached, which means there is no atmosphere on the ship.” Braxton surveyed the expectant faces of Maya, Jaylen, and Haylee Scott. Funny how there was an even split here in the conference room between crew and passengers. He glanced at the time display. Not a lot of time to plan this mission, but with all the combined intelligence in this room they’d figure it out. They had to.
“Given the damage,” Braxton said, “the gravity will almost certainly be offline. That will make moving about the ship cumbersome but ironically, it will also make it easier to manoeuvre the weapons about. We won’t have to worry about anti-gravs or cranes.”
“How long before we’re able to confirm the gravity is offline?” Haylee asked.
“Not until we get there, I’m afraid. Sensors can’t give us that information. If gravity does turn out to be working, we may even consider shutting it off.”
Braxton waved his hand and zoomed the schematic of the ship. Haylee’s forehead wrinkled. “Hold on.” He swiped out a menu with his finger and granted her clearance so her eye lenses would display the image like everyone else's.
Haylee gave a thumbs up.
“I don’t expect to be able to gain entry through the docking ports,” Braxton said. “There’ll be nobody inside to grant us entry, so we’ll be heading for this big hull breach here.” He pointed. “We’ll moor our shuttle inside that hole and gain access to the ship’s interior.”
“Pity we can’t teleport over,” Jaylen said.
Braxton shook his head. “Again, nobody over there to operate the receiving chamber, and with the damage to that ship, I wouldn’t trust it anyway.” He swiped and a predetermined path was highlighted on the floating schematic. “This is the route we’ll need to take to get to the particle cannon, and that’s where Mrs Scott comes in.”
He turned to Haylee.
“You’ll need to dismantle the weapon,” Braxton said. “We’ll then push it out into open space. A team will be waiting to grab it and manoeuvre it through space back to Jewel of the Stars.”
“I can do that.”
“We’ll mount it in the docking cavity, which our chief engineer is already preparing.” He nodded to Sarah. “That covers the basic plan. Secondary objectives include locating food, sidearms from the warship’s armoury, finding other general supplies, and locating and rescuing any survivors.”
He stepped back from the image. “What have I missed?”
Haylee shifted in her seat. “Quite a bit. We’re going to need more than just the cannon. It has its own dedicated reactor.”
“Can’t we modify it to run off another power source?” Braxton asked.
Haylee shook her head. “It’s a major component of the weapon. Without the reactor, we might as well rebuild a brand new gun from scratch.”
“How big is it?”
“Big. I’m sure there’ll be room for it in the docking cavity of this ship, but the difficulty will be getting it out of the warship. It is usually installed while the ship is being built around it. We’re going to need to remove a section of the hull.”
“Okay. It’ll take longer.” Braxton nodded slowly. “But we can handle that.”
“There’s also the problem of radiation. Once we disconnect the cannon from the reactor, which we’ll need to do, the chamber will be exposed and we’ll be leaking radiation. I’m going to have to build something to seal the chamber during transit.” She gave an apologetic grin. “The weapon wasn’t designed to be moved. It’s part of the ship.”
“This sounds time-consuming.” Jaylen spoke up. “I’m concerned that Jewel of the Stars will be a sitting duck during all of this.”
“It will,” Braxton said. “That’s why we’ll have to get cracking over there. Any other concerns?”
Everybody shook their heads. Braxton looked into each of their eyes. Was this a mistake? He was used to leading troops into battle, not civilians. Hopefully there would be no battle, but there was no telling what they’d find on that ship. He sighed. Too late to back out now. This had to be done.
“All right,” he said. “We have a plan.”
#
Haylee pulled off her tank top and grabbed a sensible shirt out of her suitcase. She’d be changing into a spacesuit soon, but best not to show up dressed for the beach.
Ronald glared at her. The typical grin he wore when watching her change clothes was nowhere in sight. She had to clear the air between them, but right now it would take more than the sight of her in a bra.
She buttoned up the shirt and mentally checked off her to-do list. She’d gone over the schematics, and all her tools were back home on earth, so there was nothing much left but to say goodbye to Ronald and the kids.
“Well, I’m ready,” she said.
Ronald’s face clouded over. A dark storm that threatened to consume him. She hesitated on the threshold.
“You’re really going to do this.”
Haylee nodded slowly.
“You’re going to board a derelict warship and risk your life while your children wait here, hoping you’ll come back alive.”
“It may not be that dangerous. We don’t know what we’re going to find on that ship.”
Ron’s face didn’t soften.
“I guess that sounds pretty dangerous. Anyway, where are the kids?” She looked around.
“I sent them off to the youth program. I didn’t want them here for this.”
Haylee opened her mouth. “You’re not going to let me say goodbye to them?”
“I di
dn’t want them to hear us fight.”
“I don’t want to fight you Ronald.”
“And I don’t want you to go.”
“Okay, it’s dangerous.” She struggled to keep her voice calm, neutral. “But it needs to be done.”
“The kids need their mother.”
“The kids need to not be blown apart by aliens.” She let out a breath of frustration. “Look I know I might not come back. But what happens if I don’t go? That leaves this ship defenceless. If I don’t do this, we’re all dead anyway. Do you get that?”
Ronald stepped forward. “I know the stakes, Haylee. I’m not an idiot. Let someone on the crew do it. It’s their job.”
“And they can’t do it without me. They didn’t even know they’d have to bring the reactor as well as the gun.” She laughed humourlessly. “They need me. None of them have any idea about weaponry. The chief engineer is flat out, preparing this ship for the weapon. She knows Jewel Of The Stars. I don’t. What I do know is weapon systems. It’s got to be this way. We can’t afford to think of ourselves as passengers any more.”
Ronald looked down and started to pace their cabin. “Logically I understand what you’re saying.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
He turned and looked at her. His face broke. A single tear formed in his eye. Haylee’s breath caught in her throat. She’d never seen Ronald cry before.
“I … don’t want to lose you.” His voice cracked. He looked away.
Haylee rushed forward and embraced him. “I don’t want to lose you either.”
He held her tighter than he’d ever held her before. Their faces met. Their tears mingled.
“I love you Ronald, and I’ll come back to you.”
“You better,” he said, his voice regaining its strength.
“I promise.”
Time disappeared as they held each other. Eventually Haylee pulled back. She wiped her eyes with her hand.
“We should go find those kids so you can say goodbye,” he said.
Chapter Fifteen
“Bring us out of warp.” Les tensed his legs to brace against the slight shift in the deck as the warp bubble dissipated around them.
“Keep the warp ring powered up. It may waste a smidgen of power but I want to be ready to get out of here at a moment’s notice.”
The officer at helm nodded.
Les stepped forward and took in the view through the front windows. The derelict USS Boston hung at an awkward angle. It was long and sleek, sharp at the nose and wider at the back. It might have been resting, except for the nasty gash up the port side. He could see four decks through the hole.
“Scans indicate the main particle cannon is intact,” Maya said.
“Good.” Les smiled.
“Can you scan for life signs?” Braxton asked.
“I’m afraid not. We have deep space sensors, but not life sensors. A cruise ship has no need of them. Do you expect anything to be alive over there?”
“First rule when going into a situation like this is make no assumptions. But you can only use the data you have available.”
“In that case, you have a go, Commander.”
#
“I don’t miss wearing one of these.” Braxton tugged at his EVA suit.
The shuttle bay on Jewel of the Stars was cramped considering the size of this ship. A single shuttle sat centre stage, nose to the bay doors. Their ride to the USS Boston. Jaylen Banks, the security chief, stood beside the shuttle’s entry hatch.
“Got a gift for you, Commander.”
“Yeah?”
Jaylen handed him a pistol. “I procured it from the master-at-arms. Hope you won’t need it, but best to be prepared.”
“No arguments there.” He took the weapon. It fit in his hand like an old friend. “Never thought I’d get to hold one of these again.”
“I’ve also given one to Maaka.” Jaylen shifted his head to indicate a young security guard. “And I’m armed as well. Nobody else in the team is trained, so best to keep them weapon free.”
Braxton nodded. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He climbed aboard the shuttle.
The pilot, a red-haired woman, was already sitting up front. Maaka, Haylee, and a pair of Sarah’s engineering staff were packed into the seats circling the bulkheads. Braxton chuckled. Haylee looked even less comfortable in the suit than he was. But the woman had guts. Not every tourist would volunteer for something like this.
Braxton grasped a handstrap to steady himself. They’d be out of the gravity field of the ship in a moment so sitting was irrelevant.
“Everyone secure?” the pilot asked. Grunts of affirmation sounded throughout the shuttle. The deck vibrated as they lifted off. The bay doors were already sliding apart. Once they were fully open, the pilot throttled up.
“My name is Sue, and I’ll be your pilot today.” The red-head chuckled.
They darted forward.
Within seconds, weightlessness took them. Braxton loosened his grip on the strap and allowed his body to float free. Most people didn’t like zero-g, but right now it was strangely comforting. Familiar. A part of the life he’d been forced to leave behind.
Stars filled the front and side windows. Braxton turned to peer through the portholes behind his back as the shuttle turned. The Jewel of the Stars swung into view, shrinking bit by bit. She wasn’t a glamorous lady. There were no sleek lines, but she wasn’t without charm. The hull glowed from hundreds of portholes pinpricking the ship’s side in neat rows. The ship’s name was painted in huge black lettering. If a community of human beings were going to have to survive out in space on their own, this was the ship he’d want.
Braxton turned to the front windows. The USS Boston lay dead ahead. She was in bad shape but held together. There was little chance of survivors. But what if somebody was still alive over there? It would be good to have a colleague to back him up with these civilians.
Braxton pushed off, released the strap, and floated gently towards the front. As he neared the pilot’s seat he put his arms out and grabbed a handhold to stop his forward momentum. “Any indication of gravity over there?”
Sue manipulated invisible controls. “Not reading a gravity field anywhere on the ship. I’d say it’s down.”
“Just as we suspected.” Braxton took a good look at the gash in the side of the ship. “You up for mooring us in there?”
“It’ll be tricky, but I can do it.”
“Good on ya.”
They drew closer towards the gash. Before long they could stare right down the gullet into the warship’s innards. The cavity was a mass of twisted metal. Gangways and stairwells were torn off at unnatural angles. Loose equipment and shrapnel littered the void.
“You’ll wanna be careful of all that,” Braxton said.
“I know. We have deflectors to protect us from micro-meteors. We’ll be fine as long as I take it steady.”
Braxton gripped a hand-hold above the helm. What he’d give to be behind the controls.
They passed into the cavity. The jagged metal loomed like teeth above and below the shuttle.
“We need to access the weapon on deck seven,” he said. “If you can find a place to moor—”
“Uh huh.”
Sue powered down the engines and used short bursts from the manoeuvring thrusters to position the shuttle.
“There it is.” Braxton pointed. “See that number seven—”
“Already spotted it.” Sue pushed his arm out of the way. She was a feisty one.
A shrill beep tore through Braxton’s headset. A proximity alert. “Careful, you’re getting too close to that dangling gangway. You need to—”
“Please, Commander!” Sue’s voice had an edge like a combat knife. “I’m perfectly capable of flying this shuttle. Get back to the rear and let me do my job, then you can do yours.”
Braxton hung his head. She was right. He’d been sticking his nose where it wasn’t needed. What was wrong with him? He
’d never have tolerated that sort of thing back on the Hobart. The keystone of his command style was to trust his people. He was acting like a raw cadet.
“I stand corrected. Carry on.”
He pushed backward. Humble pie never tasted good, especially when eating in front of an audience, but trust went both ways. They needed to see he could acknowledge his failings.
He stayed silent as Sue got them into position without skewering the hull on jagged bits of the ship. After a long ten minutes, she extended a series of tractor and repulsor beams. They were secure.
“You’re up, Commander.” Sue’s voice now held more cheer than before.
“Okay.” Braxton addressed his team. “Avoid using the thrusters in your suit as much as possible. The hallways of this ship are full of handholds for use in case the gravity goes offline.
“Our first objective is to get us safe and sound into corridor J on deck seven. Follow my lead.”
The hatch opened and Braxton floated out first. The cavity was huge. He fired a few bursts from his jets and oriented himself towards the corridor. He thrusted forward and grabbed the nearest handhold. Jaylen followed. Then Haylee. Maaka and the engineers came last.
Once they were all hovering in the hallway, Braxton addressed his team.
“Okay, our illustrious pilot will be taking the shuttle back out to meet the cannon. Once we’ve pushed it out into open space, she’ll secure it and tow it back to the Jewel of the Stars. That means we’re on our own over here for a while. We should be fine. Just don’t take stupid chances.”
A wall-mounted console caught his attention. While eye-lenses could project a virtual interface anywhere, military craft usually had traditional screens as backup.
“First order of business, let’s see what we can learn from the ship’s computer.”
He floated to the console. His old military codes gave him limited access. He queried the internal sensors. The way was clear to their destination, but there was no sign of survivors. He switched specifically to scan for life forms. Stars! His veins chilled.
“Everything okay there Commander?” It was Jaylen.
Braxton shook his head. A pointless gesture inside his helmet. “We’re not alone. Internal sensors indicate a life form moving through the ship two decks down. These readings say the sucker isn’t human.”
Jewel of The Stars - Season 1 Episode 1 - Earth's Remnant Page 7