“How do you know?” David asked.
“As we passed through their defensive line, they didn’t turn or even send out a message to higher.”
Kyle, who was sitting at the marine station on the bridge, smiled. “I guess Jake’s modifications worked.”
“They certainly did,” Lea muttered.
Nine moved over to the communication console, pushing Bill out of the way. “I need your console.”
“Hey!” Bill exclaimed.
“What the hell are you doing?” Kyle demanded.
“I have to get a message to GIS.”
Kyle grabbed Nine, throwing it to the floor. “We should put this piece of shit out the airlock. Nine here seems intent on betraying us.”
That made Lea smile, just a little. “Nine, one more time, I’m throwing you in the brig. Political officer or not.”
“You have no authority,” Nine said.
Lea ignored the android. “Bill, resume your station and keep communication silence.” She focused back onto the monitor. “Are those two ships directly in front of the jump station?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sarah replied.
“What do you all think? Can we slip past them to insert our marines?”
David slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“If we send our marine shuttles out and then we attack them, they’ll be able to get past them,” Kyle said. “Jake made the same modifications to the shuttle crafts.”
“I didn’t order that,” David said.
Kyle smiled. “No, I did.”
“Get your marines to their shuttles,” Lea ordered.
“Yes, ma’am.” Kyle punched in several commands in his console. The console beeped. “They’re getting onboard now.”
“How long?”
“One minute.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Lea said. As soon as they fired and destroyed one of those ships, the other would certainly join in the fight. Modern ships depended heavily on scanners to tell them what was outside. If they only looked out the window with their own eyes, the Renault would be spotted.
The two enemy ships were covered and aligned in front of the jump station. The marines would have to go underneath them. What about the jump station’s defenses? Their missiles? No, they wouldn’t use them in close proximity to their own ships. If they lost those ships, the station would be doomed.
“As soon as we fire, they’ll spot us. Sarah, get ready to fire on the right ship. Liz and Polly, as soon as the missile fires, force a hard right. Try to get the target between us and its partner. It will force them away from the jump station. Kyle, are your marines ready?”
“Yes, ma’am. Lieutenant Noah Slade is leading them,” Kyle said.
“Roger.”
“What about the detonator for the explosives?” Nine asked.
“It’s at my station,” Sarah said.
Nine nodded.
“Fire!” Lea ordered.
Sarah tapped a few buttons on her console. “It’s away.”
Lea stared at the missile heading towards its target. “Liz, now!”
“Aye, ma’am,” Liz responded.
Lea felt the Renault take a hard right and accelerate. She stared at the monitor like a playwright watching her creation. The missile slammed into the ship and detonated after it penetrated the hull. The primary explosion blew out a large section, but the secondary explosions decimated the vessel. The explosion and the missiles should have forced the other ship to turn around. What about the other ship? It was on the other side of the exploding vessel. Perfect. “Kyle, now!”
“Aye, ma’am.” Kyle pressed a button on his console. “It’s a go, I say again, it’s a go.”
“Roger that,” Noah said through the console.
Lea saw the marine shuttles use the destroyed ship to cover as they maneuvered towards the jump station’s lower quadrant. “Let’s pull them away from our marines.”
“Aye, ma’am,” Polly replied.
The Renault jolted left, going past the jump station with the battle cruiser-sized ship in pursuit. “Reinforce aft shields,” Lea ordered. She stared at the tactical image, waiting. There it was. Two small objects flew out from the front of their ship. Missiles! “Evasive maneuvers! Sarah, countermeasures, go!”
Sarah’s hand flew over the console. “Activating countermeasures.”
Lea stared at the missile. “Come on,” she muttered.
Liz put the Renault into a dive, attempting to circle underneath the enemy ship.
“Come on,” Lea said as she stared at the monitor. She smiled as the missile didn’t change direction with the Renault. Lea frowned as the missile began to circle. “What’s it doing?”
“Our scanner signature is too low for it to pick us up after the countermeasures obscured us,” Sarah replied.
“Why is it circling like a shark?”
“It’s looking for another target.”
“Really.” Liz smiled at the enemy ship bearing down on them. “What does it need?” she asked as the Renault steered directly behind the enemy ship.
“An explosion would work.”
“Fire the particle beam cannons.”
“Firing.”
Lea watched the twin cannons in the fore of the Renault fire in the monitor. The beam slammed into the ship’s engine, tearing apart the hull. The circling missile acquired a new target and slammed into the ship. Lea smiled as the ship exploded. “Watch the station; and where are the other two ships? The ones that we passed.”
“Incoming!” Sarah yelled.
Lea’s mouth dried up as four missiles barreled towards the Renault. “Activate countermeasures!”
Sarah’s face went white. “I already did.”
Lea’s eyes widened, staring at the two missiles that were still coming straight at them. “Countermeasures didn’t work.” She glared at Kyle. “How long?”
Kyle studied the tiny display on his console. “They’ve attached to the jump station’s outer hull. They’re cutting through now.”
“Sarah, countermeasures again. Change the harmonics. Liz, get us away from the station. We need to draw some fire.” Lea glanced at David. “Launch fighters. We’ve got to give them as much time as possible. I—”
“Countermeasure activated!” Sarah yelled.
“Evasive maneuvers!” Liz added.
“The missile?” Lea demanded.
Sarah adjusted the weapons console. “It’s circling. They worked.”
“Will our fighters be picked up as targets?” David asked.
Sarah shook her head. “No, not if the ship-to-ship missiles are like ours. The fighter signatures are too low.”
“Let’s give them something to shoot at. Fire on another one of their ships,” Lea ordered.
“Aye, ma’am,” Sarah said. Her fingers flew across the console like mad. The Renault’s particle beam cannons blazed across space, searing another ship.
“Liz, let’s draw them away from the jump station. Let’s go.” Lea grinned. They might actually win the day.
Jarak slammed his fist onto his commander’s chair. “Farrah? Status on our targeting scanners.”
“Just a second, sir,” Farrah said.
“We don’t have a second.”
“We’ve analyzed their shield’s modulation. That’s what’s scattering our search and targeting scanners,” Farrah said. She glanced over at Alicia. “Did you compensate?”
Alicia nodded. “Just finished.”
“Sir, we’re ready.”
Jarak leaned forward. “Get me a shooting solution. Go!”
Lieutenant Noah Slade stood over the marine cutting through the jump station’s hull. “Hurry up, Marine.”
“Almost through,” Lance Corporal Wayne said.
Noah tapped his wrist and put it close to his mouth. “Team 2, Team 3, Team 4, status report?”
“Team two, thirty seconds,” a female marine said over the communicator.
“This is team three
, fifteen seconds,” a male marine added.
“This is team four, we’re through. We’re getting our team onboard.”
Noah smiled. “Roger that, team four. Out.” He jumped back as a four-foot chunk of bulkhead crashed to the floor.
“We’re through,” Wayne said. He slung his pack over his shoulder, slamming the contents against his equipment.
Noah grabbed the pack. “Easy. These handheld nukes will kill us all, especially this close to the dark matter turbines.”
“Sorry, sir,” Wayne said as he grabbed his pack and went through the hole.
“Fucking marines,” Noah muttered. He drew his pistol and paused in front of the opening. They had enough explosive to blow up three jump stations, but he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t bring back the colonel. He could do it. He took a deep breath and stepped through the hole.
Bright lights aimed at the hole blinded him. Noah covered his eyes. “Corporal?” As he stepped forward, his foot hit a large man on the floor. He looked down. Wayne! Noah’s eyes began to adjust. At least twelve soldiers wearing black jumpsuits aimed particle beam rifles at his heart. Noah raised his hands. “I surrender.”
“Your kind doesn’t take prisoners, why should we?” one of them said.
Noah closed his eyes as he felt their weapons pierce his body. He crashed to the floor. Warm blood began to form a pool around him. I’m sorry. Noah’s world went black.
25
“Fire!” Lea ordered.
Sarah’s fingers played the weapons console like a piano. “Firing.” Two missiles flew from the Renault’s fore launchers, barreling towards their target, the wounded enemy ship. With atmosphere venting out where the Renault’s cannons seared its hull, the ship tried to run. But, it was too late. Both missiles slammed into its hull, detonating on impact. Sections of its hull and its crew were flung out into space. “Target destroyed.”
“Good job,” Bill said.
“Two more ships coming in!” Sarah yelled from the weapons console.
“From where?” Lea demanded.
“Outside perimeter. The two that we passed before.”
Lea nodded. She knew that as soon as they fired upon the ships guarding the station, they’d see her.
“They’ve got weapons lock!” Sarah yelled.
Lea shot a glance at Jake. “Did they—?”
“Must have,” Jake replied from the engineering station.
“Liz, evasive maneuvers,” Lea ordered.
“Aye, ma’am,” Liz said. The Renault veered to the left, shooting scanner-scattering transmitters out the back. She held her breath for a moment. Sure, the human eye could tell what they were doing, but weapon targeting was done by scanners.
Lea focused on the ship to the left. It was between her and the other vessel. If she could keep one enemy ship between the Renault and the other one, it would be like fighting ships one at a time, right? “Liz, keep that ship between us and the other one.”
Liz nodded. “Aye, ma’am.”
“Sarah, ready our missiles.”
Sarah tapped her console. “Missiles ready.”
This was it. Just knock these two out and go back to pick up Cain and his marines.
“Missiles coming in!” Sarah yelled.
“Engaging countermeasures!” Liz shouted. She slammed her console. “They’re not working.”
Lea glared at Jake. “A little help here.”
“On it.” Sweat poured down Jake’s forehead. He had only a few seconds before the missiles reached their target. “Shifting power to the fore shields.” He looked up at Lea. “We can only take one, two hits at most. Then we’re done.”
Lea nodded. “Fire!”
Two missiles shot out from the Renault towards the enemy ship between them and the Courage. Just as they left the launchers, a particle beam hit the hull. Lea ducked as the console behind her exploded. She looked over. Sarah was down. “David, get the medics up here.”
“I got it,” David said as he punched a message into the communicator on the XO’s chair.
Nine rushed over to the weapons console. “I’ve got it.”
Lea frowned. Did she trust that POS? No. Was Nine capable of hitting the target? Without a doubt. She nodded.
“Missiles closing in on the target. Four seconds to impact.”
Lea focused on the three-dimensional monitor. Come on! Hit it already. Her jaw tightened as they impacted on the monitor. The missiles bore through the hull, detonating just inside. The primary explosion blew apart a large section of the hull. The ship began to spin. “Keep us clear of it.”
“Aye, ma’am,” Liz said as she pulled the Renault back.
Lea smiled as the ship tore apart, flinging its aft towards the last remaining enemy ship. Now, she could go back and get Cain.
“Ma’am, we’ve got a problem,” Kyle said.
Lea’s heart nearly stopped. “What?”
“The other ship’s coming around,” Nine said.
A bead of sweat rolled down Lea’s right cheek. “Liz, evasive maneuvers.”
“No, give me a shot at them,” Nine said. “I can take them out.”
“Captain McKenna!” Kyle yelled.
“What is it, Kyle?”
Nine looked up, right at Lea. “They’re clear of the debris, preparing to fire.”
“Fire at will,” Lea ordered.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Kyle rolled his eyes. “We lost contact with out marines.”
“What? Comms issue?” Lea asked. Please, please, God, be a communication problem.
Kyle shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“But you don’t know that, right?”
“No, I don’t.”
Nine’s unfeeling fingers tapped the weapons console. “We still have connection to the explosives.”
“Liz, turn around. We’ve got to go back for them.” Lea’s eyes began to well up. Her heart longed to see her husband, at least one last time. She had to try. “Liz?”
“Incoming,” Nine said.
Lea’s eyes widened as three particle beam cannons hit the Renault’s aft section. Her body shuddered in pain. “Return fire!” She glanced over at David.
As if he knew what she wanted, David tapped the control panel on his chair. His eyes never left the small screen. “Damage report incoming. Our dark-matter engines are offline.”
“Firing,” Nine said. The Renault’s twin fore particle beam cannons flared across space and broadsided the enemy ship. “Their shield has failed.”
“Fire again!” Lea commanded.
“Firing.”
Lea watched the particle beam cannons slice into their hull. She smiled as they began to pull away. “Damage?”
Nine tapped the controls on his console. “Activating the explosives.”
“No!’ Lea yelled.
“Get away from those controls!” Kyle bolted across the bridge, knocking Nine to the ground. He pinned the android to the ground, staring into its lifeless eyes.
Nine smiled. “Too late.”
The blood drained from Lea’s face as she watched a small explosion along the bottom section of the jump station. The ring twisted. Her eyes welled up. Cain! Was he dead? Could there even be a chance? “Turn about. Go to the jump station, now!”
“Captain,” David began, “what about the enemy ship?”
Anger. Rage. Hate. It all poured out of her eyes, causing David to shrink away. “Do what I fucking said!” Tears poured down both cheeks. “Scan for our people.”
“There really is no point,” Nine said. “They’ll be dead in a minute or two.”
Lea jumped from the captain’s chair and ran over to where Kyle had Nine pinned to the ground. She kicked it in the head, again, and again, and again. “You killed my husband!”
“They’re pulling away. The enemy ship is no longer pursuing us,” David said. “They’re moving away from the jump station. It looks like they’re in a hurry. Maybe, we should—”
L
ea glared at David. “Don’t you fucking dare! Go and get our marines!” Her thin lips stretched across her tear soaked face in a grimace. “I really hate androids.”
Kyle smiled. “Me, too.” He hoisted Nine up and tossed it into the lift. “Where to?”
“The air lock. Wait, I’m coming with you.”
Nine began to struggle, but couldn’t break free of Kyle’s massive arms. “No, please don’t. I can’t survive out in space.”
Lea blinked as the lift doors closed. “You’re just a glorified toaster. Shut up. Besides, you won’t get the chance.”
“I’m self-aware. You can’t.”
“Armory,” Lea said.
Nine tried to pull away from Kyle. “I’m not entirely machine. I’m partly organic.”
“Whatever,” Kyle said. “Don’t expect me to feel pity for you.”
“Please, that’s how we are self-aware. It can’t be done with hardware and software alone.”
The doors slid open. “Bring it along.” Lea turned the corner. Her life, her whole life was gone. Without Cain, why live at all? She gritted her teeth. Maybe, to make those bastards pay. She turned again, towards the armory door. Lea tapped a short code into the control panel on the wall. The door immediately slid open. “Wait here.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kyle said.
“You’ve got to listen to me,” Nine said.
Kyle’s grip tightened. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re crying like a punk.”
Lea stepped inside the armory. Rows of shelves lined the floor. Her eyes surveyed the particle beam rifles, pistols, bayonets, grenades, radios—grenades! Lea scooped up two grenades and the handheld oxyacetylene torch. This’ll fix that thing. She burst back out into the hallway. “Come on.”
“What … what are you doing? Please, you can’t,” Nine begged as Kyle pushed him down the hallway.
“Can you secure its arms?” Lea asked.
Kyle looked down at Nine. “How long does it have to hold?”
Lea tossed a grenade into her other hand. “Oh, about three to five seconds.”
Nine’s artificial features twisted as Kyle forced it into the airlock. “You’re all in danger. If you destroy me, you won’t be able to do anything about it.”
Kyle slammed Nine onto the floor. “I’m already in danger.” Kyle ripped off his belt and bound Nine’s hands behind its back. “Legs too?”
Cyber Invasion (The A.I. Conspiracy Book 1) Page 17