Fleet Academy

by M. Scott Cottrell

  “You’re right, Chief.” Matt said as he rotated to see farther toward the front of the craft. Hitting his thruster pack he began to slowly slide down the side of the craft, keeping parallel to the antenna. Matt continued down the rod for nearly fifty meters before he found where it disappeared into the hull of the craft. “It looks like it goes in here.” He said, reaching down and touching the rod, which had now grown to well over thirty centimeters in diameter.

  “I found another up here.” Lieutenant Brody called.

  “There’s another around farther too.” Kim radioed.

  “Ok. Kim go ahead and check all the way around, see how many there are.”

  “Aye sir.”

  “This is kind of strange.” Matt said to no one in particular as he jetted a bit farther along the front of the craft. He was just starting around the curved nose end of the craft when he found a large round portal. “I found something here.”

  “What is that? A door?” Tina asked as she slid up next to him.

  “I don’t know. It’s big. What ten, maybe fifteen, meters in diameter?”

  “All of fifteen, I think.”

  “Look at how it’s curved. It’s not just a flat plate; it’s almost like some kind of spherical door.”

  “Yeah. I don’t see any kind of a control mechanism either.” Tina said sliding back to look around the surface of the door.

  “Hey, I think I found another one of those doors on this side.” Kim called from the other side of the craft.

  “Ok. Go ahead and finish looking all the way around. We’ll wait here.”

  “Aye sir.” Kim responded.

  “Tina, look all the way around the edge of this thing. See if you can find anything that looks like a mechanism to open it.”

  “Got it.”

  “Chief. Go ahead and check all the way to the nose cone and see if there are any other doors or anything.”

  “Yes sir.” He said; jetting away from the holding position he had just above and behind Matt. Matt floated back from the craft and just looked at it, trying to imagine how one might open the door. He floated there for several long minutes, pondering the situation before the other three returned.

  “I counted eight of the antenna things, pretty much evenly spread around the perimeter.” Kim told him.

  “Nothing else farther forward that I could see.” Ron said as he slid to a stop.

  “No controls that I can find either.” Tina reported.

  “Ok. No way in. So, let’s head toward the rear and see what we can find.”

  “Aye sir.” They all replied as the spread out and began the journey toward the stern of the ship. Matt watched the surface slide by as they coasted down the long length of the hull. It seemed to be fairly uniformly covered with the small indentations. A few times his eyes played tricks on him, with the surface moving and changing below him. Matt chalked it up to the weird surface texture. It was nearly ten minutes before they reached the stern, with nothing new to add to what they already knew. The stern seemed to roll into a spherical dome, similar to the front, but with a bit less symmetry. Matt followed the curve around until he found a crack. “Look at this. I found a crack in the dome.”

  “I see it.” Tina said. “It looks like it continues all the way across it.”

  “Yeah.” Matt said. “Let’s see where it goes.”

  “Right.” Ron said, jetting out ahead of Matt, following the crack up the curved dome. Suddenly he jetted to a stop. “It looks like it splits here.”

  “What do you mean?” Matt asked as he coasted toward Ron.

  “The original crack keeps going, but there’s a second one that seems to be going perpendicular to the first one.”

  “Ok. Tina, Kim, you each take one of the new ones, Ron, go ahead and follow the original one. Let’s see where they go. I want to look a bit more at the intersection.”

  “Roger. I’ll go up.” Kim said.

  “I guess that leaves me with down.” Tina said, jetting along the dome down toward the general direction of the Saint Claire.

  Matt moved in close to the intersection and turned his helmet lights up to maximum. It almost looked like there was a small gap where the four cracks intersected, almost like four parts of a domed door meeting. Matt stuck his hand against the dome. This part of the craft appeared to be hard. Matt rapped his knuckles against it, sending him floating back away from the craft. “It looks like the stern dome is hard, not soft like the forward areas.” Matt radioed, just to keep information flowing to the command center. “There is a small gap in the plates that make up this door, right here in the center.” He said as he aimed his video camera at the small gap where the four pieces came together. Matt pushed his gloved finger into the gap and found resistance. “There seems to be some kind of gasket here.”

  “Affirmative EVA.” Command responded.

  “I don’t see any way in here, either.”

  “Agreed” Tina said as she coasted back to a stop near his position. “I think we need to concentrate on the doors in the front.”

  “Well, you’re the engineering officer.” Matt told her. “Ok team; let’s head back toward the nose.” Matt hit his thruster pack as he pushed of the surface, sending him off toward the side of the craft, the other three suited figures following along with him. Matt looked at the surface, trying to figure out what kind of creatures were inside, and how would they control a door as he coasted along the side of the craft. He noticed he seemed to be having to hit his thruster slightly to follow the surface, almost as if he were somehow floating away from it. A quick check showed that everyone else was pointed toward the surface doing the same thing. He passed the tips of the antenna and soon was looking at the large door looming ahead of him, gently thrusting almost continuously now to hold position.

  “Command to EVA.”

  “Go ahead command.”

  “We’re detecting a slight variation in course and are adjusting to match. Have you noticed anything that might indicate a propulsion system?”

  “Nothing command, but we have noticed that we are having a bit more trouble keeping station with it.

  “Roger. Stay alert. Also be aware that the change in course is affecting your ops time. You are now down to thirty minutes before you must return so we can maneuver.”

  “Affirm.” Matt replied as he moved closer to the door. He hit the thruster pack at the same time he pressed on the door, wondering if all it needed was pressure to open. The door seemed to move, similar to the rest of the hull, and rebounded back as soon as he released the pressure. Suddenly the door slid up and open.

  “Command, we have activity. I pressed on the door and it opened, but instead of an open door, it appears to be some kind of viewport from inside the ship. We can’t see anything inside. It appears just as dark inside as it is outside.”

  “Roger EVA.”

  Matt jetted back in and touched the viewport. Just like the door, the viewport seemed to be some kind of flexible material. It was shiny enough to see his reflection, but it flexed when he pressed on it. Just as suddenly as the door opened, it slid closed again, covering the viewport. “Command, the door closed again.”

  “Roger EVA.”

  “Command, how much are we moving? I’m having a hard time hold position and burning fuel like crazy here.”

  “That’s affirmative EVA. The craft seems to be making a very gentle course correction. We recommend that you return to Saint Claire immediately.”

  “Roger that. I want to take one more look at those antennas on the way back.”

  “Roger EVA. Keep it short and watch your pack stats. Telem indicates that most of the team is now well below fifty percent fuel.”

  “Affirm Command. My pack now showing less than thirty percent left.” Matt replied as he jetted down to one of the antenna. “Kim, Ron. Go ahead and head back to the ship. Tina, I want you to look at this antenna with me.”

  “Affirmative.” Ron replied as he and Lieutenant Yang jetted off toward the
Saint Claire.

  Matt and Lieutenant Brody moved along the side of the craft, until they were at the base of one of the antennas. “I don’t see any kind of a joint here that would allow this to move, do you?”

  “Not really. It looks like it’s fixed in that position, but that doesn’t make much sense either. It kind of looks like it’s in a stowed position.”

  “I see what you mean.” Matt answered her; curiosity and puzzlement clear in his voice. “I want to look at the antenna closer.” He said. Sliding his hand along the surface of the tube. “It doesn’t feel completely smooth. It’s almost like it’s covered in some kind of fine wires, sticking out, but they’re so small I can’t really see them.”

  “Be careful they don’t puncture your glove.”

  “Yeah. I hear you.” Matt said as he slowly moved down the long rod, sliding his hand along it as he traversed its length. He reached the end and grasped the antenna in one hand. He rotated his body so he had the other hand on the surface of the craft and lifted on the rod, flexing it several times. “It moves quite a bit.” Matt said, flexing the tube.

  Without warning, the antenna flew out of the recess it was stored in, catching Matt across the waist. Matt was doubled over the antenna tube because of the force as the shaft swiveled out from its storage position until it was perpendicular to the ships surface. To Matt it all happened in slow motion. As the shaft extended, it struck Lieutenant Brody on the lower portion of her biopack, throwing her into a violent spin as Matt was carried past her, still doubled over the end of the shaft. Within a handful of seconds the damage had been done. The shaft had extended outward from the hull to a nearly perpendicular angle. When it reached its maximum position and stopped, Matt was flung off the end with incredible speed, sending him spinning and tumbling off into space. Lieutenant Brody bounced off the hull of the craft and was cart wheeling off into space in a completely different direction. “Mayday! Mayday! This is Brody. We’re in trouble.”

  “Command here. Say status!”

  “I’m in an uncontrolled spin and my thrust pack is only partially functioning. I can’t stop my spin.”

  “Understood. What is the status of the rest of the team?”

  “Unknown. Molter was caught by the antenna, I don’t know what is status is. Yang and Hillard were on the way back to you.”

  “Affirmative. Command to backup team. You are clear to deploy”

  “Affirmative Command. Backup team is out of the lock and on our way.”

  Yang to backup team. We’re about half way back to you, we’re ok, but I don’t know where Matt or Brody are.”

  “Ok. Keep heading back. We’ll take care of them.”

  “Command to backup team. We have a locator designated as Lieutenant Molter’s suit approximately three hundred meters ahead of the Saint Claire, opening at over four hundred meters per minute.”

  “Roger.” Master Chief Wallace responded, doing some quick mental calculations. “He’s going to be out of range before we can get to him. Can you contact him Command?”

  “Negative, we have been unable to raise him on radio, however telemetry shows his suit is tumbling and functional.”

  “Roger command. He is going to be out of our range pretty quickly. I recommend you get a shuttle spun up ASAP.”

  “Roger. Shuttle crews are on the way.”

  “I see Brody.” Jenkins radioed.

  “Ok. Molter is going to be out of range, let’s try to get Brody.”

  “We can’t leave him out there!” Tempe hollered into the radio.

  “There’s not much we can do for him.” The Master Chief responded sharply.

  “Fuck that! Jenkins... Push me at max thrust. Give me half your pack thrust and then head back in. I’m going to try to reach him.” Tempe said. “He saved my ass; I’m not letting him go without at least trying. Now, push me Jenkins. Now!”

  “You got it!” Jenkins said as she lined herself up in the middle of Tempe’s back. “Here goes.” She said as he hit her thrusters at max. The modified packs generated an incredible amount of thrust and by the time Jenkins cut the thrusters at half their fuel, the two were traveling well over five hundred meters per minute. Jenkins gave her a push to separate them and then rolled to begin thrusting back. “You’re on your own Tempe. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “I hope so to.” She said as she hit her thrusters and accelerated to nearly seven hundred meters per minute before cutting thrust. “Command, do you have a locator on Lieutenant Molter?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Can you give me a fix?”

  “Affirmative… From present course. Alpha twenty, Beta minus ten, Gama thirty-five.”

  “Roger. Distance?” She asked as she rolled her suit to face the direction given to her by the communications officer.

  “Distance is thirty-eight hundred meters and opening.”

  “Roger command.” She answered, hitting her thrusters to settle her suit on the new course. She didn’t use them long, needing to save as much fuel for breaking as she could. “Command, be advised, I have his locator acquired. Also be advised, I don’t think I have enough fuel to get all the way back. Is there any chance of a shuttle pickup?”

  “Affirmative. We have a crew prepping a shuttle now, but it will be at least fifteen minutes. We are within thirty minutes of the course correction and there may not be time to make a pickup.

  “I understand Command. Tempe out.” She clicked off her comm. and watched the distance to the pinger in Matt’s suit slowly tick down, each second it took to reach him being a second closer to being stranded for good. All she could do now was to wait and listen to the radio chatter from the rest of her group.

  “Wallace to Command.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “We have Lieutenant Brody and are returning to the Saint Claire. Be advised that all of the antenna on this side have been deployed, and we think the ones on the other side are as well. They are sticking out perpendicular to the hull and seem to be moving around in about fifteen degree arcs. Also Lieutenant Brody says the door on the forward end appears to be open again, but still covered with the glass dome.”

  “Affirmative. Be advised that we are tracking the course correction the vessel has been making, and the correction is growing. We will no longer be able to maintain contact with it. You are requested to make all haste in returning to the ship. Maneuvers are at t minus seventeen minutes and counting.”

  “Roger that command. I estimate we will be in the lock in just under twelve minutes.”

  “Affirmative. Be advised you will need to be clear of the cage room before maneuvers.”

  “Roger that.” The Master Chief finished.

  Long minutes passed for Specialist Tempe as she floated toward Matt. She had plenty of time to think about what she committed to doing, the very real possibility that she may not be able to get back to the ship before it maneuvered, leaving them to die alone in space. She was close enough now to see Matt slowly tumbling through space as he floated farther away from the ship. It wouldn’t be long now before she was there. “Caitlyn, what have you done to yourself this time?” she muttered as she watched Matt’s tumbling form slowly grow bigger. It was tempting to hit the thrusters and get there quicker, but she would need every bit of thrust she could save to stop herself enough to capture him, and then stop the two of them from continuing to float away from the ship.

  “Command to Tempe.”

  “Go ahead command.”

  “Have you made capture yet?”

  “Negative. It looks like another couple minutes.”

  “Affirmative. The shuttle is nearly ready to head out, we are waiting for final word from Nav and the Captain before they launch.”

  “Understood.” She answered, fighting the temptation to speed herself up even more. It took three long agonizing minutes before she was close enough to start breaking. That would slow her down and make the capture even longer, but at this speed she would just shoot past him
with no hope of hanging onto him. She rolled herself over and hit the thruster pack, burning it for nearly thirty seconds before she tumbled back over to see where she was at. There he was, almost close enough to touch. Her hard suit computer showed that she was still over a hundred meters away, closing at three meters per second. Still way to fast. She waited a few more seconds and rolled over for another breaking thrust, slowing her velocity down to one meter per second relative to Matt’s suit. She rolled over and let the seconds slip by as she covered the last fifty meters to reach him. “I gotcha.” She said as she practically rammed into him, grabbing onto him with both hands and wrapping her legs around him to keep them from bouncing apart. She gently nudged her thrusters to flip them over and then hit full thrust, stopping the drift he had and starting to close the now nearly six thousand meter gap between them and the ship. “Be advised I have capture and am hitting full thrust.”