Overrun: Project Hideaway

  He heard Shriver howl in pain.

  Quickly under the cover of the flash fires and smoke, Corrado jumped on top of one of the last undamaged equipment consoles and lumbered madly across it towards the destroyed entrance door. He kicked his feet through the flames and ducked his head beneath the wreckage hanging from the ceiling and poking at his face.

  The J.G.U. soldiers were securing the room from the other side and had not yet noticed his presence in the command room. The pile of fallen ceiling at the center of the room further helped keep him from being seen.

  Corrado took two more quick steps over the command console and threw his body up and over the mound of fallen rubble. His body crashed across three J.G.U. guards. The force of his weight and the grasp of his flailing limbs knocked them down hard to the command center deck.

  Corrado grabbed the dark helmet of the closest soldier and slammed it into the ground. A fourth soldier that had been standing further back swung his fist hard into Corrado's chin.

  A loud sickening cracking sound came from the dome commander's jaw and face.

  Moving more slowly, Corrado grabbed a jagged piece of the metal ceiling that was still falling around them and stabbed it into the soldier's thigh. The soldier let loose a shrieking howl. He grabbed at his leg and fell back away.

  One of the soldiers on the ground maneuvered around on his back and lined his weapon up across Corrado’s chest.

  Corrado kicked at the barrel just as he managed to fire. The weapons rounds tore into the command consoles to the left of the pile of struggling bodies.

  Ricochets off the equipment ripped into the flesh of two of the soldiers.

  Surprised that he was still alive, Corrado quickly stood.

  Before he could escape into the passageway, he saw something that made him stop. Shriver was still alive on the other side of the rubble that divided the command room.

  Most of his body was covered with debris. But even through the smoke and flames Corrado could see him moving slightly.

  Before Corrado could run back to help him, a rifle butt slammed into the side of his head. And then darkness followed.

  * * *

  Corrado returned to consciousness in a quick burst of agonizing pain. Through a nearly debilitating sting of broken bones and ripped flesh, he raised his head from where it drooped across his chest.

  A dark-visored J.G.U. officer stood in front of him.

  Corrado sensed his body swing gently backward until his back pushed lightly up against a wall. They were in one of Science Dome 15’s white metal briefing rooms. Completely stripped of its furnishings and equipment, every movement in the room made a light echoing sound.

  A small squad of troops stood behind the J.G.U. officer. They trained their weapons across his shoulders at Corrado's head and chest.

  In front of the officer’s feet, a thick trail of blood stretched across the floor.

  Tight steel manacles bit into the dome commander's wrists, and large thick chains yanked his arms into the air. Corrado’s stretched beaten body hung about two inches off the ground. He could feel blood rapidly leaving his body through a gaping wound in his left leg. It ran down the outside of his boots and dripped onto the white metal deck.

  His face and body were battered and bruised, and his limbs were completely numb.

  Another fist slammed into his face.

  This blow bounced his body around so that it hung sideways against the wall. His shoulders bumped up against its bright white surface staining it a dark sickening red.

  His body swung slightly side-to-side. Through a haze of pain, Corrado felt his skin brush against something wet and soft.

  The dome commander struggled to open his swollen eyes and focus through the sweat and tears. His face brushed against what he knew was someone else’s damp hair.

  When his vision cleared, he saw the body of Science Dome 15’s communications director Chris Shriver swinging next to him along the wall.

  Shriver also hung by bloody wrists. But life had left his body long ago.

  Falling back beneath his weight, the chains holding Corrado’s wrists pulled his bruised body back flat against the wall. He raised his head again and stared out towards the still eyes of the J.G.U. officer. Blood spatters stained the mask the soldier still wore across his face.

  Corrado could hear their voices. And did his best not to succumb to their tortures, threats and jeers.

  But, it was ultimately not enough. His brain was starting to die and his senses were starting to leave his body. He didn’t know what they made him say or what questions the J.G.U. interrogation force even put forth.

  Corrado could only feel his body swing. He felt the metal dig deeper into his flesh. And he felt the leather of the soldier's gloved fist slam again and again into the side of his jaw. He sensed his teeth loosen from the inside of his face. Some fell down his throat. Others dropped onto the floor.

  And then after awhile his body was just entirely numb. His lips had stopped moving. The questions had come to an end.

  The soldiers turned and quietly left single-file through the doorway once his life had finally passed.

  The bright white overhead lights were dimmed. The battered bodies of Science Dome 15’s command crew were left alone swinging gently in the dark.

  The clinking sound of their chains echoed softly through the room.

  Chapter 10

  Parker ducked through the low opening and reentered the ship’s cramped cockpit.

  Before settling back into his seat, he reached absently at the flashing switches and controls in front of him. After shutting down the last of the ship’s emergency override systems, he pushed the hovering command console away from him and eased back into his flight chair.

  He rubbed his hand at the pain across his scalp and stared at the thin drops of blood that marked where Barnes had cracked his head against the cockpit window.

  "Son of a bitch," he swore quietly.

  Parker settled back into his seat and pulled the floating command console over his lap. His ears searched the ship’s silence awaiting sign of his copilot’s return.

  Parker took a breath and gazed at the darkness of the moon floating ahead of him. There was no light and no stars within its shadows. And absolutely no sign of life. There was nothing to look at and nothing to be seen. It was enough to make a single soul feel completely alone in the universe outside of Earth.

  It was the perfect place to hide.

  It was also the reason they spent most of their mission in hypersleep. So that the souls in charge of this ship would not lose their perspective. So that their actions would not be affected. To keep the madness from completely settling in.

  The crew on board the Hideaway was there to save the world from complete destruction.

  And Parker knew that success of this mission would not be left entirely up to them. Army psychologists and personality specialists had delved in painstaking detail into their psychological histories to plan for the unforeseen.

  It scared him now how they had been able to predict and plan for what had just occurred. One of Parker’s last briefings before going up focused mainly on reviewing contingency plans in the event of a Jeff Barnes panic attack. They had outlined several scenarios and solutions in painstaking detail as to what to expect and how to bring him back down.

  Despite successful containment of the panic attack, Parker still had more to do. Events were now set in motion. To protect the ship, many more actions would now be required of him.

  Parker always knew the significance of the mission they agreed to undertake. And he understood the need for the extensive networks of safeguards and action response scenarios. But up until now, he had always been doubtful. Doubtful as to how relative they’d be to actual situations experienced on the ship. And doubtful as to the extent they’d ever be used.

  He was shocked and sickened at what he had just done and now was about to do.

  They guessed everything to this point. Parker prayed they weren�
��t about to be right about anything else.

  A quick loud thumping sound jarred Parker from his thoughts. Acting like nothing had happened since Barnes had left the cockpit, Parker turned his head around.

  "Goddamn this fucking ship!"

  Barnes rubbed roughly at the top of his head where he had just smashed it against the low entrance to the cabin.

  He brushed lightly past Parker as he moved to take his own seat. Barnes’ body moved stiffly and a slight limp hampered his gait. Shreds of dark ripped fabric speckled by tiny drops of blood dangled from his uniform. Avoiding looking directly at Parker, he dropped heavily back into his vacant command station.

  Parker kept his eyes straight ahead. With a rigid punching action, he made a few more entries into the console to his left.

  "You know we have to go back, Jed," Barnes’ tone was very low. "Despite everything that may have happened, we can't just sit up here. We have to try to make contact. What good is any of this stuff, if no one is ever going to use it? We have a responsibility to do what’s right, Jed. If not for our country then maybe for the rest of the world… and for ourselves."

  Parker didn't answer. His features remained stoic and stern. He reached ahead of him and began entering a series of numbers into a keypad over his head.

  "We're not going back, Jeff,” Parker continued to work the controls and enter number sequences into the keypad. “At least not now. You have to know that."

  Barnes settled back and rested his head stiffly against his seat.

  "We are not going back," Parker said hitting a final switch and then resting his hands in his lap. "Because if they didn't call to wake us up then we are at war. What we’re carrying is the key to what is going on down there. We are up here hiding the beam cannon technology to keep it out of the hands of the J.G.U. And that is what we are going to continue to do."

  "Well, what if we’re up here forever?!" Barnes snapped at him. "Did you ever think of that! Christ! We could be up here fucking forever. The whole world could be gone for all we know. We have to bounce some detection sensors to find out what the fuck is going on! Jesus!"

  "You are going to have to find a way to calm down," Parker said softly with a coolness to his tone.

  "It’s quite possible we are the last two fucking people alive in the universe, Jed,” Barnes said not looking at him and jabbing at his own command console in front of him. “The time for being calm is completely past.”

  Barnes’ command console started to hum quietly to life and lifted from its cabinet. Disengaging from the console, it floated out toward his lap.

  "I don’t give a fuck about any of it, Jed!” Panic rattled Barnes’ voice. “We're firing up."

  His hands shook as they flew over his keyboard until Parker reached over and grabbed them together by the palm of his one large hand.

  "Major Barnes, I am captain of this ship and head of this mission,” Parker hissed. “And even if we are the only two people left alive anywhere in this universe, you will still follow my orders. You will listen to me. And you will adhere to the direction I set forth.”

  Parker released his grip allowing Barnes to yank his hands away. Only the quiet hum of the hovering equipment consoles filled the cramped cabin. Parker’s tightly clenched fingers left white indentations on both of Barnes’ hands.

  The time had finally come. He had almost waited too long.

  Parker sat back into his seat and punched three green buttons in succession. A small square panel broke away from the main console and stretched itself to a resting space directly before his eyes. It made a quiet sucking sound as it attached firmly across his face like an oversized Halloween mask and made a seal.

  "Emergency war procedures initiate," Parker said into the panel. "Captain Jediah M. Parker requesting."

  “What the…?” Barnes turned looking at him quizzically.

  A soft light flashed from the unit and danced across Parker’s eyes. His body remained rigidly still except for his right hand which he clenched and unclenched slowly.

  "Emergency war procedures, initiate," the console repeated back in a digitized voice. "Captain Parker, Jediah, M., Science Dome 15 Captain requesting war procedures."

  The apparatus clicked and hummed for a few seconds. The lights in the cockpit dimmed briefly. A large rumble came from somewhere at the back the ship.

  "War procedures initiated," the console reported. "Ship primed for emergency mission. Nuclear warheads activated. Beam cannon area sealed. Access currently restricted."

  "Warheads?" Barnes now spoke with alarm in his voice.

  A small hole opened in the flight equipment at each man’s side. Two black cylindrical devices appeared from inside. Parker took a deep breath and closed his eyes. With large slurping noises, the cylinders shot behind their heads like striking snakes and bit into their skin.

  "Ahhh, what in the hell?" Barnes yelled grabbing at the back of his neck where a trickle of blood flowed from a small wound.

  The black cylinders hovered briefly in the air next to the men and then retreated back into the equipment consoles.

  "Pilots primed for emergency war procedures," the digital voice droned again. "Two hundred meter safe zone initiated.”

  “Safe zone?” Barnes questioned under his breath.

  “Perimeter breach initiates nuclear secretion,” the voice said again.

  Parker swallowed hard at the lump threatening to choke him at the center of his throat.

  “Is Major Jeffrey Barnes still alive and aboard the ship?"

  "What the fuck?" Barnes’ eyes were wild and wide. "Why the fuck would it ask you that?”

  Parker drew in another deep breath not yet answering the device across his face. He relaxed the hand he had been clenching and folded both across his lap.

  "Is Major Barnes, Jeffrey K. still alive and aboard the ship?" the mechanical voice asked again. "You have five seconds to answer. Poison gas being primed."

  Another device detached itself from the mask on Parker's face and slid across his nose and mouth.

  "What?" Barnes gasped incredulously again.

  "Major Barnes, Jeffrey K. is still alive and on this ship,” Parker said evenly his voice muffled by the plastic device covering his lips. He stared straight ahead into the floating console. “Code yellow declared.”

  "Acknowledged," the digital voice responded. "Code yellow declared. Gas release sequence temporarily delayed."

  Barnes’ eyes looked like they were about to burst from their sockets. Blood trailed from the back of his neck and dripped onto the black collar of his flight suit. Sweat poured from his forehead.

  His hands shook as he pulled them away from the command controls in front of him. His personal console retreated and reinserted itself back into the main panel.

  "Acknowledge and set time for temporary delay," the voice said again.

  Parker did not immediately reply.

  "Thirty seconds has been allotted for response," the voice continued. "If no response is received, suspect Major Barnes, Jeffrey K. will stand accused of mutiny and be executed via poison gas for the murder of Parker, Jediah M., Captain. You now have twenty-five seconds to suspend this order."

  Barnes’ face was ashen. Violent tremors racked his hands and arms. His hair and the material of his uniform across his chest were soaked completely through with nervous sweat.

  "Captain Jed Parker. You now have ten seconds to reply," the metallic voice spoke again.

  The plastic device covering Parker’s nose and mouth pressed harder against his face. There was a quiet sucking sound as it further strengthened its seal.

  Parker turned his head. The protective gas mask only allowed him to turn part of the way towards Barnes. His entire face was covered, and his eyes were completely hidden. Only the grim set of his jaw was visible beneath the mask.

  "Major, I need to know if I can depend on you," Parker said evenly. His voice sounded like he was talking through a thick balloon.

  "Please shut it down," Barn
es pleaded calmly.

  "Barnes, I need to trust you with this ship and my life,” Parker said again. “It’s not possible for it to be otherwise. You need to think a great deal about how you are about to respond.”

  Barnes moved closer to Parker and looked with fascinated horror at the device that almost completely covered his face. He moved so close he was almost sitting with him in the captain's seat.

  “Barnes, are you with me?”

  Barnes didn’t answer right away.

  “Barnes, are you with me?” Parker asked again.

  "I'm with you sir," Barnes squawked quietly back.

  Parker nodded acknowledging Barnes’ reply. The plastic mask made a crunching sound as it bobbed up and down.

  Parker’s mouth remained set in a thin red line, and his stern expression did not change.

  "Major Jeffrey Barnes is mentally functional and does not currently pose a threat of harm to the ship," Parker said evenly. His voice sounded muffled and slightly digitized beneath the mask. "Deactivate gas sequence. Again, repeating the order for gas sequence deactivation. Code yellow cleared.”

  With a loud exhale through inflated cheeks, Barnes slumped back in his seat. He rubbed absently at the wound at the back of his neck.

  A slight whirring sound filled the cockpit as the mask detached itself from Parker’s face. It popped slightly when it broke free from his skin.

  "You have to find your composure, Major,” Parker spoke calmly once it was completely away. “If there was ever a time, this is it. You need to find it. Stay calm. And hang on. It’s the only way this will work.”

  Barnes didn’t respond.

  “It’s the only way you’ll survive,” Parker said again.

  Parker’s own command console pulled back from where it floated in front of his face and moved between them in the small cockpit.

  Parker winced slightly and pressed at the huge welt he also had on the back of his neck. The bleeding had stopped, but he rubbed at it furiously for a few seconds trying to make the sting go away.

  Barnes didn’t respond. He stared out the cockpit window towards the dark surface of the moon. Still not saying anything for many long minutes, he pressed his head back against his seat and closed his eyes.