by David Bruns
He tensed again as he heard the tread of running feet in the hallway below him. Two men, dressed as crewmen of the Invincible, took position beneath him, exactly as he’d hoped. One, armed with a pulse rifle, posted at the corner. The second man, holding a detonator, flattened against the wall behind him. He slipped the detonator into his pocket and spoke rapidly into a communicator. He whispered to the other. It looked like he was about to leave.
Ojambe lifted the grate. At the last second, the corner scraped and the armed man looked up.
Ojambe’s weapon came out in one fluid motion. The discharge of the Colt in the space of the maintenance tube was deafening. A neat hole appeared in the man’s forehead.
The marine was already through the hole in the ceiling, using one arm to flip his body so he landed on his feet. His weapon came up again, but detonator man lashed out with a kick that knocked the Colt away. The man backpedaled, digging in his pocket for the detonator. Ojambe lunged forward, punching the man in the throat.
Choking, the man jerked the detonator out of his pocket, mashing down the red button. Ojambe covered the man’s thumb with his own and held on. He body-slammed the detonator man against the wall, driving his knee up at the same time. He felt the man’s body contract in a tight spasm of pain.
Ojambe fought to keep the detonator depressed. The man thrashed under him. Ojambe head-butted his captive, then used the split second of disorientation to draw his Ka-Bar knife.
As the man made one last attempt to break free, Ojambe drove the knife into the soft flesh under the man’s jaw, snapping his teeth shut with a solid click. The man with the detonator stopped moving.
Ojambe heard footsteps behind him and he turned to find his marines and Scollard’s two men running down the hall. He smiled. “He depressed the dead-man switch, but I got to him first.” He let the body slide to the floor, then sat down next to it, careful to keep his own thumb firmly on the dead man’s thumb. “Looks like I’ll be camping out here for a while.”
The man they called Topper stepped forward, drawing a razor-sharp machete from a scabbard slung over his shoulder. He slashed once, severing the dead man’s hand at the wrist.
He grinned down at Ojambe. “Hey, Lieutenant, looks like you’re mobile again.”
Chapter 34
ISS Invincible – Mess Decks
Addison gathered with the rest of the team outside the door to the mess decks. Ojambe was carrying a severed hand that dripped blood on the floor. The sight made her want to gag.
Laz examined the doors. “They look okay, but we have no idea what’s on the other side. Shall we open them?”
Addison felt the ship bank at a hard angle and the pulse of the rail guns firing rippled through the deck plates, reminding her of the battle that still raged outside. She shook her head. “We can’t risk it.” She looked up. “I’m going to climb through the maintenance tubes and punch a hole through the roof.”
“I’ll go, ma’am,” one of the marines volunteered.
Addison stopped him. “The crew knows me. When I come crashing through the ceiling it’ll be easier to explain.”
Quickly, she slid out of her pressure suit and found the nearest maintenance access. Laz followed her, handing her a small laser-cutting tool. “You’re going to need this. Be careful, Addie.”
“Always,” she said with a quick smile.
Laz snorted. “Never, you mean.”
Addison quickly climbed up into the main tube, then looked for a ventilation system access panel. She cut the grate off, mentally measuring the duct. It would be a tight squeeze, especially with her flight suit on. Addison stripped off her flight suit, leaving only a T-shirt and shorts.
The ship lurched heavily and lost speed. Addison winced. Her ship had just been hit.
She stretched out her arms and slid into the duct. By wriggling, she was able to make decent progress. The first vent showed light ahead of her. She peered through the louvered opening.
The space was full of crewmen from the Invincible, hundreds of them. Most were sitting, a few standing. Addison energized the cutting laser and sliced at the louvers. They fell into the crowd. When she looked down again, she saw faces turned up toward her.
“It’s the XO!” someone said. People started milling around, talking excitedly.
“Quiet!” Addison called. “Stand back so I can make a hole big enough to get through.” She slashed at the duct material until she had a large enough exit, then plunged the twelve feet down into the room. A group of the crew caught her and lifted her onto her feet.
She’d sliced her shoulder open on a jagged edge on the way through the duct. Someone started fussing with it and she waved them away.
“Where’s the bomb?” she said. “We found a detonator outside. Where’s the bomb?”
“Over here, XO,” said a voice. The crowd parted. Addison had been wrong. Baltasar hadn’t rigged the windows to blow, he’d rigged a person. Ensign Proctor gave her a wan smile. “It’s me, I’m afraid.”
The rest of the crew was leaving as wide a berth as possible around the ensign. Not that it would matter. If that bomb blew, they were all dead.
Addison knelt next to Proctor. “Zoe, I need you to tell me all you can about what Baltasar’s done with the ship.”
She nodded. There were tearstains on her cheeks, but her red eyes were dry now. “He was able to convert the bridge crew—all except for me. I think he gave them a shot.”
Addison’s thoughts flashed to the test tube they’d taken from Laz’s cargo. It was some kind of bioweapon that could turn humans into Swarm drones?
“Okay, what else?”
“He was working to transfer all control functions to the bridge. All weapons, all engineering, everything. He’s vented all the decks between here and the bridge, too.”
He’s built his own little castle, Addison thought. And he’s the king.
“Anything else?”
Proctor shook her head, her green eyes pleading with Addison.
“It’s going to be okay, Zoe,” Addison said. “I promise.”
Proctor forced a smile. “I appreciate you saying that, ma’am.”
Addison turned her attention to getting the crew freed. She hammered on the doors until Laz opened them. He grinned when he saw her skimpy outfit. “Do you ever stay fully dressed anymore, Addie?”
She glared at him until his smile faded. Then she spoke to the crowd. “Listen up, people. Your ship has been taken over by an alien force. Captain Baltasar is with the enemy and he’s put the bridge crew under Swarm control as well. He’s running the ship from the bridge.” She swept her eyes across the crowd, acknowledging the nods with her own. “We need to take this ship back the hard way. Every rail gun, every laser turret, every torpedo right now is being used against our own people. I need volunteers to take back our ship deck by deck, station by station, weapon by weapon. Who’s with me?”
The hands sprouted up around her.
“Crew chiefs, pick your teams and get going. Fighter pilots?”
More hands.
“Get your asses down to what’s left of the flight deck and get in your birds. Every Swarm fighter you take out is one less that we have to deal with.” A herd of pilots ran for the doors.
As the space emptied, Ojambe stepped forward, still holding the severed hand. “What about me, ma’am?”
Addison took Ojambe’s arm and led him to Ensign Proctor. “Lieutenant, this is Zoe Proctor. You two are now roommates until we figure out a way to get that thing off her.” She lowered her voice. “I don’t know how to say this, Zoe, but I’d like you to move to the flight deck, just in case . . .”
Ojambe held out his hand to Proctor. “No problem, ma’am. We’ll be fine.”
Laz watched them leave. “Ah, young love,” he said. “What about us, Addie? What are we going to do?”
Addison strode into the hallway and started to put on her pressure suit. “You and I are going to take my bridge back.”
Chapter 35
; ISS Independence – Bridge
Noah Preble, commanding officer of the ISS Independence, watched the unfolding battle with growing horror. The Constitution drifted away from the field of battle, her engines clearly out of commission. Swarm fighters clouded around her like stinging hornets.
The Victory had just done some kind of suicide run at the combined firepower of a Swarm ship and the Invincible, peeling away at the last minute and exposing her less-armored underside to devastating fire from Invincible. What was Rimaud thinking?
“Captain, it looks like the Victory was running interference for a small ship that tried to board the Invincible,” his sensors officer said.
“Tried?”
“There was a huge explosion on the Invincible’s flight deck, sir. I can’t tell if the ship actually made it onboard.”
Preble held his face still. At least the Victory still had some mobility. He punched the intercom on his armrest. “CAG, this is the captain. I want you to direct your fighters to cover the Constitution. She’s out of range of the Swarm lasers, but those fighters are tearing her apart.”
Commander “Ajax” Tianopolis responded immediately. “Aye-aye, sir. Redirecting now.”
“Open a channel to Captain Rimaud, Comms.”
The thin white face of the Victory’s commanding officer appeared on the viewscreen. “What’s this ‘high jinks’ business, Sean?” Preble demanded. “You took a hell of a risk back there, sir.”
“Captain!” his sensors officer broke in. “One of the Swarm vessels is breaking formation. It looks like the Invincible is escorting her.”
Preble studied the tactical display before looking back to his fellow captain. “Sean, we’re getting killed trying to take on the Swarm ships one-on-one. The Russkies teamed up and took one out all on their own.” He tapped the tactical display. “While Baltasar is otherwise occupied, maybe we can do some damage. What do you say?”
Rimaud nodded. “I’ve lost three engines, but I’ve got a bay full of torpedoes. If you can drag me along with your tractor beam and open up a hole in that fat bastard over there, I can cram a whole world of hurt right down their throats.”
“You got it, sir.” Preble paused. “One other thing. I’ve sent all my fighters to cover the Connie. You might want to do the same.”
Rimaud let out a hollow laugh. “That’s a good idea. At least they’ll have a home if . . .” His voice trailed off. “Enough talk, Preble. Let’s get started. Victory, out.”
“Captain, the Victory is maneuvering into our stern,” his sensors officer called out.
“Very well,” Preble said. “Engage the tractor beam. Ahead half speed, helm. If the tractor beam holds, increase speed.” He pointed at the Swarm vessel dominating the screen. “Weapons Officer, target rail guns on that spot directly between their fighter bays.”
The hull of the Independence stuttered under the continuous rail gun fire and the screen before them lit up with thin streaks of light. The Swarm vessel responded by disgorging even more fighters. A broad stripe of green laser fire reached out, turning the Indy’s shields into a rainbow of energy.
Preble gritted his teeth. “Give em everything we’ve got, Weps.”
Chapter 36
ISS Victory – Torpedo Bay
Sweat poured down Sam Avery’s face. The thermal controls in her pressure suit had either failed or been overwhelmed by her exertions. Right now, she’d give almost anything to be able to wipe her face with a cold washcloth.
The thermonuclear torpedo slid into the tube, pushed by three crewmen. A fourth slammed the door shut and threw the latch. The loss of gravity in the space made the job much easier.
She felt the ship give a sudden jerk as if it was being pulled. What the heck was going on now?
“XO, what’s your status?” Rimaud’s voice was loud in her headset. Sam blinked away a bead of sweat that trembled on her eyelash.
“Captain, we have five of six tubes loaded. Number six in progress—give it another five minutes.”
“And you’ve verified that you have local control to fire?”
Sam’s eyes tracked over to the manual launch panel floating in space a few feet away. It was tethered to a capacitor bank. On paper, it should work.
“Yes, sir, we’ve rigged up a local launch system, but it’s got some limitations.”
Rimaud hesitated. “Tell me.”
Sam cursed the genius engineer who had designed out the manual launch bypass on each tube that existed on the older starships.
“Basically, sir, we get one shot. Whether we fire all six or only one, the capacitor bank needs thirty minutes to charge after we use it.”
“Thirty minutes?” Rimaud’s voice was incredulous.
“Yes, sir. Thirty.” Sam fantasized about putting one of those engineers in a torpedo tube and launching his ass into space.
Rimaud snapped her back to reality. “Can’t be helped, XO. We’re teaming up with the Indy to see if we can take out one of these alien vessels. They’re towing us in and trying to open up a hole for us to dump a bunch of nukes into.” Rimaud paused like he was trying to figure what to say next. “This doesn’t look good, Sam. As soon as you hit the launch button, get your tail into an escape pod. Get as far away as you can as fast as you can. Understand?”
“Sir—”
“That’s an order, Sam. However this ends up, UEF will need to rebuild and they’ll need people like you. I’m ordering all nonessential personnel into the pods as soon as we’re done here.” He paused again. “You’re a good officer, Sam. The best. You make sure you live to fight another day.”
There was something in her eye again, but it wasn’t sweat. “Aye-aye, Captain.”
***
Rimaud stabbed at the buttons on his armrest. “This is the captain.” He could hear his voice echoing in the distance. “With the exception of a handful of people who have already been notified, I am giving the order to abandon ship. We are about to attack a Swarm vessel with a full complement of nuclear torpedoes. Given the damage we’ve already sustained, it is unlikely that the Victory will make it safely out of the blast range in time.
“We’ve all lost friends and crewmates today. I don’t want any false heroics, people. There’s no shame in living to fight another day. May God bless you all. Rimaud, out.”
He cut the feed and drew a deep breath. “Time to contact, helm.”
“Six minutes, Captain.” The man’s voice was hoarse.
“Very well.” He spun in his chair. “Comms, Sensors, Weps, I want you all to go. Mr. Welby and I have this covered from here on out.”
All three started to protest and he cut them off with the flat of his palm. “Enough! You heard me—no pointless heroics. If—when—we win today, it will be at a terrible price. You are the future.” He pointed at the door. “Now go.”
“Four minutes to contact, sir,” Welby said.
“Get the hell off my ship, all of you!” Rimaud yelled.
As the three officers ran for the exits, Captain Sean Rimaud sat down heavily. He touched the intercom. “XO, are you still there?”
“Yes, sir,” she said between heavy breaths.
The ship, although sheltered from the bulk of the Swarm attack by the Independence, still hummed with the drone of Swarm energy. He could see that the Indy had opened up a sizeable hole in the alien ship.
“Captain, the Indy says they are breaking in thirty seconds!” the helm called.
“Standby, Sam.” The Independence banked away, and the Victory took the full brunt of the Swarm energy weapon. The screen oversaturated and Rimaud was slammed forward in his seat as the Swarm beam stopped the big ship’s progress.
“Fire, Sam!”
***
Sam Avery was slammed into the bulkhead just as Captain Rimaud gave the order to fire. She mashed down the big red button.
Nothing happened.
Sam looked up in horror at the lone torpedoman she had ordered to stay behind. He was short and stocky, his pressure
suit tight around his middle.
“What’s wrong?” Sam screamed.
The torpedoman launched himself across the bay to where the launch panel was connected to the capacitor bank. The bank was behind a cage that was covered in warning signs. “That last hit knocked the whole bank off its base, ma’am. Let me—”
He wriggled his stout body between the capacitor bank and the wall and heaved backwards. The bank moved a few inches. “Almost there, XO.” He pressed his feet against the wall and his back to the capacitor bank. “Just a tiny bit—”
There was a flash of energy and the torpedoman was gone. At first, Sam thought the Swarm laser had reached them, then she saw chunks of exploded pressure suit. He’d shorted out the capacitor bank.
Sam hauled the launch panel to her. The indicator showed yellow—partial charge. She punched the red button and four torpedo tubes launched.
“Torpedoes away, Captain!”
Sam pushed off toward the far wall where the last escape pod remained. She kicked at the door switch as she passed into the tiny room. The pod launched immediately, sending her body bouncing around the capsule.
Sam Avery snagged a seatbelt and hauled herself into a chair. She faced the single tiny window, looping her arm under the other strap. She had just managed to get her body strapped in when the blast wave hit the tiny escape pod.
***
Rimaud could imagine the powerful Swarm laser blasting away at the meters of tungsten that sheltered him from space.
Sam! What the hell is taking so long?
“Steady, helm,” he said. It looked like they were driving right into the mouth of hell.
Seconds felt like hours in the maddening drone of the Swarm energy. He could count on Sam. She would get those torpedoes on target—as long as he held on.
A huge bang sounded somewhere behind him.
“Shields are gone, sir,” the helmsman shouted.
“Torpedoes away, Captain!” came Sam’s voice over the intercom.