Lindsay took one last look at J and cursed before running for the portal.
“It doesn’t matter.” J took out a larger Wormhole Activator. “Even if you run.”
The room of the Flagship shook. Irons and Lindsay looked around, searching for the cause of a sudden earthquake in space.
“Jupiter has earthquakes?” Lindsay asked.
“You will only run back to a planet already gone,” J continued.
Irons noticed a larger purple light on the display. The wormhole was far larger than the flagship. It might have been as big as the moon and they were moving toward it.
“Sir?” Lindsay asked.
“No more games.” J coughed. “You lost your chance to serve so now you and your entire species will die. Even if you kill me, the result will be the same. The genocide of Earth.”
The room shook again.
“Captain!” Lindsay yelled.
“Man your station, Brooks. I want this thing atomized.”
Lindsay rushed through the portal with Irons close behind her.
“I told you, I would return,” J stood.
Irons turned around with one foot through the wormhole. “Not if I have a thing to say about it.”
“But you don’t,” J said before releasing that strange hiss of a laugh.
Irons stepped through the portal and instantly came out on the other side, back on the Lucky Liberty. The portal closed behind him.
“Boss!” Durham was the first to speak.
“Glad to see you made it.” Syracuse turned to Irons. “Looking a little more—”
“I got messed up some.” Irons stepped to the wheel. Looking at the display screen and the massacre of Earth’s Fleet, he realized he had to go against his own most basic rule.
“We letting that thing get away?” Syracuse asked.
Irons set his jaw as the twinge of pain in his head started. “Hannah, we still got that harpoon, right?”
“Yes, sir. But that thing isn’t a meteor.”
“Understood. You just fire it when I say.”
“Captain…” Syracuse started.
Irons glanced at the wheel then turned to the Commander. “Hill, the helm is still yours.”
“James?” Syracuse was uncertain of what Irons meant.
“I feel headache coming on.” Irons walked to the Bridge exit.
“Boss, I don’t think now is the time for a nap,” Durham said.
“He ain’t taking one,” Syracuse said. “Captain, don’t do it. We’ll find another—”
“Ain’t no other way, Hill. Listen up, kiddies. I got four final orders.”
The ship took one more hit as the crew of the Lucky Liberty turned to their Captain.
“One. Brooks, you keep givin’ ’em hell. Two, Xuyen, you open the gangplank to the cargo hold and make sure that FAC is working. Three. Hill, bring me around to face that thing then I want full reverse thruster as soon as I tell you.”
The crew went to their stations to follow their orders while the door to the bridge opened. Irons turned to step through it.
“Boss,” Durham said. “What’s the fourth order?”
“Oh, yeah.” Irons turned to face him. “Shut it, Durham.” He winked as the door closed.
“You have your orders,” Syracuse said as he stepped up to the wheel. “Move it!”
Thirty-Two
Last Resort
Irons rushed into the cargo hold and grabbed a pair of magnetic adhesion clamps. He snapped them onto the soles of his boots and walked to the gangplank.
The clamps weren’t as strong as actual magnetic adhesion boots, a fact he hoped wouldn’t matter in the next moments. As long as the FAC was operating, it should be fine.
The gangplank door lowered and the distortion of the FAC wall rippled and stretched as the door pulled on it.
The ship buckled with the lowered door throwing it off balance. Irons watched the enormous flagship make its way through the even bigger wormhole portal. He ran to the opening and hit the intercom.
“Hannah!” he yelled. The FAC kept the ship’s atmosphere contained but it did nothing to keep out the noise from the storm above and the fighting below. The cacophony was almost deafening. “Fire the hook!”
A loud pop emanated from the ship and a harpoon shot out toward the flagship with enough force to puncture it. The steel cable attached to it slackened.
“Full reverse!” Irons yelled into the intercom.
The ship flew backward, jerking when the cable was pulled tight.
“Keep her steady!” Irons ordered as the ship swayed.
Even with full thrusters, the power of the Queen’s Flagship was too much for the military— turned mining vessel— turned battle ship and the Lucky Liberty was pulled along with it.
Irons fell to his hands when the ship was struck by more gun fire. The magnetic clamps kept his feet on the floor but didn’t stop them from sliding across it. He looked out to see the Drastic Nova, Roy Allen’s ship, return fire on a swarm of LAVs.
“Captain!” Hannah yelled through the comm system. “We don’t have enough thrust to pull that thing back.”
“Set the Regulator to narrowest!”
“Sir, in atmosphere that will burn her out!”
“That doesn’t matter! We just need to keep that thing on Jupiter! Narrow the stream and keep her steady!”
Irons stepped to the middle of the gangplank and braced himself as the Slipstream Regulator narrowed and thrust the ship backwards. The line jerked but the hook stayed buried in the Flagship. He took one final look, making sure his sights were set dead on it. Not that it would have been easy to miss as big as it was but he wanted to be absolutely sure.
He gritted his teeth at the growing pain in his head. “You’re done,” he muttered.
A red glow came from behind his eyepatch and Irons lifted it. Red sparks shot out from the Cyber Eye like little embers. Irons braced himself and roared as a red beam shot out from the eye, blasting through the FAC. The distorted wall rippled like a pool that something heavy had been dropped into before it fizzled out.
The air in the Lucky Liberty’s cargo hold was sucked out and what items weren’t strapped down fell out to the planet. The clamps held but his feet continued to slide down the gangplank as the red laser blast streaked across the sky, taking out what few LAVs happened to get in its path.
The beam finally struck the Flagship, causing an immediate explosion. Irons turned his head, dragging the laser through the ship and destroying even more of it.
His feet dragged closer to the edge of the gangplank. His only hope was that the clamps would stay connected to the floor if he reached the actual edge.
The laser beam of the Cyber Eye dissipated and faded away but his ship continued to be pulled into the portal, dragged by the still functional Flagship.
He gritted his teeth. “This is gonna hurt.”
Captain James ‘Albatross’ Irons let out one more primal yell as the laser blast from the Cyber Eye shot out even wider and stronger than before. The strength of the blast countered the vacuum of the open cargo bay. It pushed him backwards as it punched a hole through the Flagship.
He kept his focus on the giant Catter vessel, carving a vertical line through the middle of the Queen’s ship. The explosion that followed was so immense, it broke the Flagship in half. The Catter tanks that were still on board slid off the two large halves, falling deeper into the planet.
The beam from his eye finally narrowed and dissipated. Irons’s vision blurred and his hands went straight to his head. The pain was almost too much but he powered through it and dropped the patch back over the Cyber Eye.
Bending forward to lean on his knees, he looked out at the Flagship and watched more explosions breaking it apart as it fell deeper into the planet.
“Sir!” Hannah shouted over the Lucky Liberty’s comm system. “Captain! You did it! The Flagship is falling toward the center of the planet.”
Irons struggled to rise. His kne
es wobbled from the neural strain of the laser blast and the physical strain of fighting the pull down the gangplank. “Can she get out?”
“The core is too dense and the gravity too strong. Anyone left alive on the Flagship will be stuck here forever.”
Irons leaned against the wall and watched numerous purple lights blinking all over the planet. The Catter ships flew into them, hopefully in retreat.
“Close the gangplank,” he muttered into the intercom.
The large door closed while the rest of the air was still sucked out until the seal was tight. Irons slumped to the floor and leaned back on the wall. “I guess that’s that.” He winced at the pain in his head.
“Captain,” Syracuse broke over the intercom. “We’re not out of the woods yet. You’d better get up here.”
* * *
Irons stepped back onto the bridge. Two fingers massaged the temple next to his Cyber Eye. His vision was clearer but the pain was still present.
“I can’t believe that worked.” Durham turned to the Captain.
“That fourth order still applies,” Irons snarled.
Durham shut his mouth and turned back around, a pleased smile forming.
The whole crew watched as more Catter ships flew into wormholes while the Flagship fell lower toward the center of Jupiter.
“That really it, sir?” Lindsay asked.
“J coulda ported out after we left.” He nodded to her arms. “How are those scratches?”
“Just scratches, sir.”
“Good soldier.”
“Where are the others going?” Syracuse asked.
“If their Flagship is down, my guess is back to their planet.”
“What if they’re going to ours?” Hannah asked.
“Won’t know till we get there.”
“I’d like to know how you plan on doing that, Irons,” Roy Allen’s voice broke in on their display. “You busted your engines and from what I’m seeing, there’s no way that boat of yours is gonna survive re-entry.”
“Allen, you smug—”
“I’m offering you and your crew passage on my ship.”
“We’ll make do.”
“He’s right, Albatross,” Syracuse said. “We’re dead in the water and sinking. Jupiter’s gravity is pulling us down. Not as fast as the Flagship but…”
“The farther we fall, the denser things are going to get,“ Hannah said. “We’ll be crushed.”
None of them liked leaving their ship. It had been part of the crew and their home for too long. Irons looked around at the bridge with a feeling of regret.
“Come on, Captain,” Syracuse said. “She did good. It was a good last run.” He lightly pushed Irons in the shoulder.
The push gave Irons an idea. “Last run for this mission maybe,” he said with a glint in his eye.
“What?” Syracuse asked, unsure of his meaning.
“She ain’t out yet, Hill.” Irons whispered to his second before turning back to the display screen. “I appreciate the offer, Allen. But I think we’ll pass.”
“Don’t let your pride get to you, Irons,” Roy said. “Come back with us.”
“How’re you planning on getting back?” Irons asked. “I know your new ships are fast and all but you’re talking about hundreds of millions of miles. Even if you had light speed—”
“What are you getting at, Irons?”
“We have a Wormhole Activator. Several, actually. How about a trade?”
Thirty-Three
Home Sweet Home
The purple light of the portal shined out into the water and the Bull Head of the USS Lucky Liberty pushed through, creating a wake along its sides. The wrecked ships from the earlier attack swayed as the waves from the damaged Lucky Liberty crashed into them.
Admiral Mona Collins stood on the deck of the Star Predator and watched, surprised as the SS Drastic Nova pulled in right behind the Lucky Liberty, pushing the old warship like a tugboat in a port.
“How did you get…?” Mona started to question how it was that an ego-maniac like Roy would agree to his ship being used for such a labor. Then she smiled. “Only you, James.”
The portal closed behind the last Earth Fleet ship saved from the Catters. It shot upwards away from the Lucky Liberty to join with the Drastic Nova.
The old battle cruiser coasted to a stop in the fleet port while a small transport shuttle flew to the damaged ship and landed on its top deck.
Irons and his crew stepped out into the light of the Earth sun, each of them glad to be home. Durham, especially.
“No Catters,” Hannah said.
“Just how I like it.” Irons smiled.
A fleet lieutenant met with Irons. “Captain. Congratulations on your return. Admiral Collins would like a word with you and your crew.”
“Sounds about right.” Irons shot a look to Syracuse.
The Commander only shrugged. “She’s your ex.”
The two men laughed.
* * *
Everyone stepped off the transport shuttle and onto the top deck of the USS Star Predator. The shuttle took off as the Admiral walked toward the crew.
“Admiral on deck!” Lindsay shouted.
All of them saluted except for Irons who only smiled, happy to see Mona.
The Admiral shot him a look of her own and cleared her throat. Irons slowly held up his hand to salute her.
Mona smiled. “You’re late.”
Irons chuckled at the remark.
“Why don’t you just kiss her and-”
“Shut it, Durham,” Syracuse ordered.
“Welcome back, Captain.” Mona extended her hand. “I trust you were victorious.”
“The sun is shining and there’s not a Catter in the sky.” He took her hand and shook it.
The two stared at each other for a moment. They tried to hide it but their connection was fairly obvious to anyone who knew either of them well.
“We should go inside for the debriefing. The senators will want to know what happened out there,” Mona said.
“Not much to tell. We went to Jupiter and sent them packing. Fairly cut and dried,” Irons told her.
Mona looked at the rest of the crew who all nodded in response to Irons’s statement. After their ordeal, they really just wanted to climb into their beds and sleep for a week. Except for Lindsay Brooks. While not quite ready to return to battle, a solid eight hours of sleep and she’d be up at the crack of dawn for a morning fitness regimen.
“Although, there was something interesting about the moon,” Irons said.
Mona narrowed her eyes. “What about it?”
“I don’t reckon you knew there was a—“
“All hail the conquering heroes!” Benjamin Stevens yelled as he stepped quickly across the deck. “Welcome back, defenders of Earth.” He made sure to shake each of their hands.
“Gee, you make it sound so cheesy—”
Lindsay elbowed Durham in the ribs.
“The Iron Albatross does it again.” Benjamin wrapped his arms around Irons. The move left the Captain speechless. “I’m sorry. That’s probably not— I’m just so excited that you’re all back and that the Earth is saved. The auto turrets…” Benjamin looked back at the Lucky Liberty to find a few of the turrets cracked and broken.
The rest of the crew looked at their ship. It was the first time they’d seen the outside of it since Mars. Not even that long ago and it looked like it had been in a meteor storm. Dents and holes dotted the part of the hull they could see. There was no way to know what the lower hull looked like till they got it out of the water. Hannah took special note of the thrusters whose nozzle extensions looked like they were about to fall off.
“The Slipstream Regulator did that?” Hannah asked.
“An effect of the modification on such an old ship, I’m afraid,” Benjamin told her. “Well, the good news is, she can be fixed. Wartech will handle that, I promise you.”
“You made it to Jupiter?” Mona asked.
&
nbsp; Benjamin clasped his hands together. “The Hypergates are amazing, aren’t they?”
“That ain’t how we made it.” Irons glanced at Hannah.
“If a wormhole brought you back—” Mona started.
“You wormholed back?” Benjamin asked.
“How else were we gonna do it?” Syracuse asked. “Regular jet thrust?”
“Is that how you got to Jupiter?” Benjamin’s eyes were wide and excited as he though about the technology.
Hannah held out a Wormhole Activator. “I haven’t figure out everything about it but…”
Benjamin gently took the device in his hands. “Oh, my goodness.” He turned it over, marveling at it. “It’s just the one?”
“There’s a box of them in the cargo hold,” Hannah said.
“This changes the game entirely, boys and girls,” Benjamin said. “Imagine what we can do with this on Earth. Never mind out there.” He waved his hand in the air, signifying outer space. “Current transportation? Obsolete, this very moment. Will you help me research it, Specialist Xuyen?”
Hannah’s eyes lit up. “You want me to help Wartech?”
“Absolutely,” Benjamin told her. “You’ll have unfettered access to our R&D department.”
Hannah’s legs wobbled as she thought of getting such a hands on look at Wartech’s inventions.
“This gives me an idea,” Benjamin said. “With the Admiral’s permission, I’d like to start up a joint company-fleet department. We’ll call it the Technology Acquisitions Division. TAD. You can use the portals to find new planets with technology that can benefit Earth.”
Irons cocked his head to the side. “So we’d be working for you?”
“Well, sort— You know I’d love that, Captain. But as a joint venture, you’d still answer to the fleet. You’d just be getting paid by Wartech.”
“Guess that’ll wipe out your gambling debts, eh, Durham?” Syracuse asked.
Benjamin laughed. “Those were wiped out the minute you were sworn back in.”
IRON SPEAR Page 17