by K R Sanford
Marco took a well needed breath and reached out for the viewer. “Show me visual, Sally, will you,” he said.
The Eagle shot into the spiraling gray vortex. The barriers through the wormhole streamed with multicolored ribbons of chaotic light. It was making Marco nauseous.
“Don’t stare at the viewer for more than a few seconds or you will feel vertigo,” said Sally.
“Yeah, that’s right,” said Marco. “Reduce the window to twenty-five percent.”
“Complying,” said Sally.
Energy whips ripped across the ship's path to find ground. Marco reached forward and turned off the viewer. He sat back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
“Sally, at our current speed; estimate exit time until we reach the end of this wormhole, if you, please.”
“Eighteen minutes, Captain,” replied Sally.
Marco frowned. “That's not enough time, Sally. All stop. Hold us right here.”
The Eagle slowed and came to rest in a storm of distorted arms of high energy. Surging tentacles of lightning bolts whipped toward the ship like hideous white fists.
“Hold us in the center, maintain shields at full power,” said Marco.
Sally replied with a slight raised pitch in her voice, “Complete and holding.”
“Thank you, Sally,” said Marco. “Release the bridge and voice off”
“Standby, Marco,” replied Sally.
“I'll see you soon, Sally,” said Marco.
He reached under the leather fold in the arm of his chair. The pale green microlight began to glow inside the leather. The red lights faded and the full illumination of the bridge restored. The consoles went to standard. Marco activated the ship's intercom. The speaker chirped and his voice sounded.
“This is the Captain. All personnel, report to your stations. Repeat: all personal, report to your stations, Captain out.”
Marco tapped another sensor. “Devin, this is the Captain. Are you available? Devin?”
“Yes, Captain,” replied Devin. “I’m here.”
“Will you report to the bridge? I would like to discuss that subject you mentioned earlier.”
“Very good,” said Devin. “I will join you shortly.”
“Thank you, Devin,” replied Marco. “Captain out.”
Marco, intrigued with Devin's game box, picked it up and lifted the lid. He pulled out the deck of cards and held it in his hands. He cut the cards halfway and turned it over. “Hierophant,” he said out loud, “The number five in the Major Arcana.”
He reflected on his present situation. It confirmed he would conserve the energy of the ship, as well as his brooding emotions.
The magnavator door hissed and Hector stepped onto the bridge, Grantham followed.
Marco replaced the cards and closed the lid of the box and set it back on his console.
“Where are we?” asked Hector.
“We're stopped dead in the wormhole,” replied Marco.
“By choice, I hope,” said Hector with a sound of alarm.
“For now, we're here by choice,” replied Marco. “But not for long, I suspect.”
“Correct me if I'm wrong,” questioned Hector, “Are we attracting free flux in this space?”
Marco dipped his head. “We sure the hell are, Hector, and I plan to get this ship moving as soon as possible.” Marco looked up at Grantham. His face was blank, no expression and his eyes were dazed. “How are you, Governor?” asked Marco.
Grantham tried to focus on the Captain. “The conditions in the Middle Corridor,” he said. “So many millions were dead in such a short time.”
“Oh,” replied Marco. You had a chance to see the intelligence.”
“He saw them,” replied Hector.
The magnavator door hissed again and Ryan stepped on to the bridge. Clorissa and Devin followed.
“What's up,” said Ryan.
Hector threw back his thumb at the viewer. “We're in the wormhole.”
“It doesn't feel like we're moving,” said Clorissa. “Shouldn't we be moving if were in the wormhole? The Eagle is a magnet for radical energy.”
“That's why you're all here,” replied Marco.
Commander Majors turned to his console and switched on the viewer. The viewer was filled with distorted images of the vortex. They watched as giant tentacles whipped lightning bolts through the wormhole. A tentacle passed over the bow of the ship. It splintered miles of free-charged energy back into the vortex walls.
“We can't stay here, we'll get disintegrated,” snapped Ryan.
“Captain,” said Clorissa. “We have to study this phenomenon. How long can we survive such an exploration?”
“Are you all out of your minds?” said Ryan. “We can't survive in this stuff unless we’re moving! We're going to vaporize!”
“Captain, do something!” barked Ryan. “Get us out of here or I will!”
Marco held up his hands. “All right, Bradley is twenty minutes dead ahead. He'll have his best guns trained on us when we leave the vortex. He means to rip this ship apart. Clorissa, how long before one of those arms smashes into the ship?”
Clorissa balked at Marco's calm, “Any second, Marco, at any second.”
“Then here's what we do” ordered Marco. “Ryan, you go with Devin. Find a way to attach the cloaking device to the shields of this ship. Hector, Clorissa, go down to the hologram platform. I need a projection of an astro program shot in front of our bow. When we come out of this wormhole, I want us to look like a star system being spit in their face. Only we're going to be hiding in our own illusion. Got it?”
“Marco, it won't work,” said Hector.
“Why not?” questioned Ryan. “It's a brilliant idea.”
“Yes, it's fabulous,” said Clorissa. “We can do it. We can make it work.”
“Because,” replied Hector. “It's too simple.”
“Oomph,” grunted Ryan as he threw up a hand.
“Shut up!” said Clorissa. She grabbed Hector's ear and pulled him out of his chair. “Let's go wise guy.” She dragged him to the magnavator and pushed him inside.
Grantham gave a belly laughed that sent vibrations from one end of the bridge to the other.
Marco called out, “Brace yourselves!”
The ship got slapped with a tentacle. It sent them spinning, knocking everyone to the floor.
Ryan got up. He pulled Devin into the magnavator then turned to Marco. “How are you going to sail the ship by yourself?”
Marco jabbed his finger at the magnavator. “Don't worry about it Ryan, go! You haven't much time.”
Ryan brushed his hand over the sensor and the magnavator door shut.
Marco pulled himself from the floor and he fell back down against his chair. He slipped his finger into the arm of his chair and gave the order, “Sally on.”
“Sally on. Welcome home Marco,” replied Sally.
“It's good to be home,” answered Marco.
“Security code cleared and standing by,” reported Sally.
“Stabilize; reset course, speed to pre-shut program,” commanded Marco. “Execute now.”
“Complete,” replied Sally. “Light speed in four, three, two
The Eagle got slapped again. Sirens and screeches sounded from every station. Marco struggled to his chair. He slid his right leg across the floor and pulled himself up sideways in his chair.
“Sally, open intercom to the V.I.P. suite; then give me a full systems check.”
“Affirmative, Captain,” replied Sally.
Anguish twisted on Marco's face.
“Hello, Elsinor, Lucia,” he said as he struggled to speak.
“Yes, Captain,” replied Lucia. “We hear you. What's going on?”
Marco gulped a few quick breaths. “Do you think you can find your way to the bridge? Make your way
“We know how to get to the bridge,” said Lucia. “Are you hurt? You sound like you are in pain.”
“I may have broken my leg,�
� he replied.
“We'll be right there,” said Lucia.
Marco heard the sound of hushed voices over the intercom, a door hiss open then shut.
Marco beckoned. “Sally, start auxiliary engines. I need maximum speed.”
“Auxiliary engines online,” said Sally, “maximum speed initiating.”
Marco alarmed at the swirling energy whips passing along the sides of the ship.
“At least we're moving,” he said.
“Marco,” announced Sally. “The processor at the relay bus in the main helm controller has failed. It’s not responding. The main engines cannot perform at maximum without a replacement module.”
“Thank you, Sally,” he said. “I'll see if I can do that.”
He looked to where his leg jammed against the cover of the helm. He pulled himself around and reached for the cover. The pain in his leg made his eyes glaze over. He sat back against his chair and wiped tears away from his eyes. He repositioned his hip forward on his chair, and made an attempt for the cover.
“Captain!” shouted Ryan. The intercom blistered. “What’s happened to our main engine? Marco?”
“Aaaaaah,” cried Marco as he pulled himself back up in his chair. “Sally, open the call.”
“Go ahead, Captain,” replied Sally.
Marco grimaced. “Ryan, we'll be back up to light speed in a few minutes. Do you have that holograph programmed yet?”
“We'll be ready,” replied Ryan. “It will be a
“Ryan, I can't talk now, I have work to do. Captain out.”
Marco stretched forward on the edge of his chair. He was teetering on his hip. He tried again to reach the relay bus for the damaged processor. He gripped his fingers under the lever. At that moment, the magnavator door hissed open. He turned his head to see who was there. His hip slipped off his chair and down on the deck he went. The helm cover dropped on his leg and he cried, “Aaah damn that!”
“Eeeek, Oh no!” screeched Elsinor.
Marco turned. Elsinor and Lady Lucia stood over him wearing the ship's jade jump suit.
“Pull the bottom cover off Hector's station,” he said. “It’s like this one here,” pointing to the one on top of his leg.
“I'll do it,” said Lucia.
Marco lifted the helm cover off his leg and slid under the console on his back.
“It's off,” reported Lucia.
“Good, come over here.” Marco pulled out the damaged processor and handed it to Lucia. “Find that module and bring it back here. It will be at the exact location as this.” He pointed under his console.
Lucia was back in seconds. She shoved the module into his hand. Marco raised an eyebrow and snapped the module into position.
“Okay, Sally,” groaned Marco, “Complete diagnostics and engage engines. Resume previous program.”
Lucia and Elsinor looked to each other and shrugged.
“Complete,” replied Sally. “Main engines engaged; light-speed in four, three, two, and one. Main engines are holding; capacity is warp eighty-five K.”
Marco breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Sally,” he said. “Release the bridge.”
The lights on the bridge reset. The console flickered and Marco slumped on the deck. His eyes rolled back in his head.
Lucia screamed, “Come on, Elsy,” said Lucia. “Help me get him straightened out.”
“Oh my,” gasped Elsinor. “He is out for sure. Did you hear? There's a woman behind the walls.”
“That's got to be their computer,” said Lucia with a playful smile. “It's a very smart ship, no doubt about that.”
“You're not going to set his leg under that table, are you, Lucia?” replied Elsinor.
“First, let's take a look at his injury,” said Lucia. “Then we can decide how to make him stable.”
“Now, Lucia,” said Elsinor. “Cut away his pant leg. It's the only way to get this done right.”
“Okay, you're right again, Elsy.” Lucia pulled out a pearl handle pocketknife. She flipped the blade out with one hand then resting her thumb up against the edge. She put the tip of the knife under the hem and slit his pant leg up to his knee. The pant leg fell to the deck. They studied his injured tibia.
“It's a simple break,” reported Lucia. “We can set this. Find something to make a splint, Elsy.”
Elsinor grabbed Devin's game box and dumped the contents onto the command chair. She held the box open over the arm of the chair and snapped it in half like she was making kindling for the fire. “We'll tie him together with the game cloth.”
“Oh, Elsy,” gasped Lucia. “Not Devin's game cloth. Cut some strips from Marco's pant leg while I set this bone.”
'Tell me when you're ready, Lucia,” said Elsinor. “I can push the bone in place while you pull.”
Lucia worked her foot into the Captain's crotch, then placed both arms around his foot and leaned back. Elsinor held the bone at the break until it set in place.
“Well there,” said Elsinor. “The Captain is a lucky boy. He's going to need someone to look after him, and won't that someone be Lucia?”
Lucia giggled and Marco stirred. “We'll have to hurry,” said Lucia. “He's coming round.”
* * * *
Devin and Ryan made final adjustments to the ship's primary shields.
“Well that should do it,” said Ryan.
“If there is a way the cloaking device can have a test,” said Devin.
“It's going to get tested right now, Your Majesty.” Ryan turned the primary shields to full power. The watery substance of the Amedans device flowed over the ship's shields. An egg-shaped shroud formed around the Eagle and they disappeared.
“All right, it works,” sang Devin. “You don't know how happy this makes me. We have a chance.”
“Let's hope it holds tight,” said Ryan as he adjusted the communicator on his wrist. “This is Ryan; bridge, respond. Come in, Marco. Marco, are you there? Hello?”
“What do we do, Lucia?” said Elsinor.
“Talk to the computer,” replied Lucia. “I'll try to get Marco to wake up.”
Marco's face beaded up in sweat. His eyes opened long enough to fix on Lucia. Lucia could hear Elsinor attempt a dialog with the woman in the walls. Marco's eyes shut and his head rolled to one side.
“Well, he's no help,” said Lucia.
“Two minutes to vortex breech,” reported Sally.
“Oh, Devin, where you are?” said Elsinor. “The Captain is lying on the floor with a broken leg and he passed out cold, just passed out cold. Lucia fixed him up real fine. Sorry about your game box.”
* * * *
Hector, standing on the hologram platform signaled Commander Majors.
“Hector to Ryan. Commander, are you there?”
“Right here, Hector,” said Ryan. “Marco's in trouble.”
“I heard,” replied Hector. “You go to the bridge, see what you can do. We're almost done here.”
Grantham held the hologram projector in place while Clorissa made the final connection.
“Hurry, Clorissa,” said Hector. “We have one minute.”
“Be quiet,” snapped Clorissa. “I’m going as fast as I can. Oh crap, now look what you made me do
Clorissa dropped the brazing laser on the deck. Hector scrambled after it and stuck it back in her hand.
“How's the weather up there?” said Hector.
Grantham grinned and Clorissa shook her head. “See what I have to put up with?”
Grantham turned to Hector. “How much time do we have?”
“Ten seconds,” said Hector.
“I can't do it in time,” said Clorissa. “I’ve failed.”
“Hold it in place,” ordered Hector. “I’m going to switch it on, don't move.” He stood on the bottom rung of the ladder. He reached out with one hand and pushed the activation strip. The holograph flashed white light. His hand went to his face. He slipped and fell hard on the deck.
* * * *
Lurking at the mouth of the wormhole three battle cruisers grouped in wedge formation. Frank Bradley and Stokes stood at the navigations table on the Flagship Titan.
The room bustled with technicians and military personnel. They dressed in the crisp blue uniform of the United Interstellar Forces. Security guards with side arms stood at the exits in formal red blouse and slacks. The table in the center of the room laid out the vortex anomaly where Bradley and Doctor Stokes waited.
“Commissioner,” replied a tall ensign. “We're detecting hyperspace distortion traveling at level nine inside the wormhole. It’s heading our way,”
Bradley's round face and chubby lips quivered. His small hands rotated like propellers over his chest. “A starship,” he squealed. “Put it on the screen.”
The vortex swirled gaseous clouds, scattered debris and blackened voids. The eye erupted in gusts of white light. Flashes of reds, blues and ambers rotated like an asteroid on fire. The phenomenon exploded into a rainbow wheel.
“Make ready,” sneered Bradley. “When he pops his head up, shoot it off.
What a joke, ah doctor?”
The eight-foot Stokes twisted a lanky neck to Commissioner Bradley. His large yellow eyes narrowed. A grin stretched across his lips.
Bradley waited. “They have to come out sometime,” he affirmed. “And it looks like they are on their way.”
“It will be interesting to see your weapons in action,” said Stokes, “And on a mission worth both our interests. After this, my people will gather all the minerals you need. No civilization can process ore like
“Yes, yes, good doctor,” retorted Bradley, dismissing the overture with a flip of his hand. “You'll get your chance to prove all that. Now step back and watch the show, if you don't mind.”
The vortex erupted in a wheel of white light cutting into the Milky Way. The middle of the wheel trailed swirling stars, planets, moons and asteroids. At its core, a corona illuminated the faces onboard the Titan.
“Aren't you going to shoot?” cried Stokes.
Bradley turned his obesity toward Stokes. “Hold on, boy,” he cautioned. “Let's see what we got here. What's the data on that thing out there, fellas?”