Devon Blake and the Starship Crash

by Douglas Warren

  travel cases. Each case had the shipping line’s logo stenciled on the side along with the words

  Emergency Supplies.

  Flim smiled, “I could be wrong, but I think these may be it.”

  Devon laughed at Flim’s joke just as Merrell and Jacinda reached the pair.

  Jacinda examined the cases carefully, a serious look on her face. “Excellent work, Flim.”

  She immediately turned to Merrell. “How heavy do you think these are?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied. “Let’s open one up and see what is in it before we start

  moving them all up the ladder.”

  “Good thinking”

  Flim and Devon were suddenly feeling out of place. Jacinda had taken charge so

  naturally that they had not even realized it. It seemed that she and Merrell worked very well as a

  team. Devon and Flim could not help but feel a little left out.

  Sensing their discomfort, Merrell turned to Devon and Flim. “What do you think, guys?”

  The two nodded in agreement and then began to wrestle one of the cases out of the rack

  onto the floor. It hit the floor with a thump, but did not seem too heavy. Devon flipped open the old-style latches on the case and raised the lid. All sorts of supplies were packed inside. He

  could see food concentrates, a large first aid kit, and two containers of water. The others

  crowded around behind him, examining their prize.

  Jacinda reached out and closed the lid of the case. “Okay, no time to waste. Let’s start

  getting these up to the top deck. They look light enough for each pair of us to handle one.”

  They all nodded as Devon fastened the latches on the case they had examined. He

  scooted it toward Merrell and Jacinda who lifted it up and turned back toward the ladder. Devon

  and Flim retrieved another case and followed the others. It took quite a bit of effort to drag the

  cases over the pile of luggage, but they managed. By the time Devon and Flim got their case to

  the ladder leading up Merrell and Jacinda were still pondering the best way to get the case up the

  ladder.

  Finally, Jacinda climbed the ladder and then Merrell picked up the case over his head

  with one end toward the open hatch. Jacinda reached down and grabbed the handle of the case

  and was able to lift it slightly. Merrell immediately began climbing the ladder while pushing the

  hanging end of the case with his shoulder. After a few moments the two were able to lever the

  case through the hatch and into the passenger compartment.

  Devon looked over at Flim. “I don’t think either of us are big enough the pull that off.”

  “Yup,” Flim nodded in agreement.

  Just then Jacinda’s head appeared through the hatch. She was smiling widely.

  “Let’s go, you two.”

  “Ah, I think we need some help.”

  Her smile grew even wider. “As long as you admit you need help. That is the important

  thing.” There was no trace of meanness in her voice, only good natured teasing. Merrell clambered back down the ladder. Once at the bottom he motioned for Devon to

  climb up.

  “After you.”

  Devon scurried up the ladder and through the hatch. He reached down, just as Jacinda

  had and helped Merrell bring this case up as well. Merrell followed the case through the hatch.

  Flim was right behind him. The four friends carried the cases to the front of the ship and set

  them on their empty seats.

  Jacinda paused. “Let me check on Mr. Jacobs before we go back down for more

  supplies.”

  She bent over Deke, who was still unconscious, and began to check him over.

  “He doesn’t seem to be too badly injured, but I can’t be sure.” She shook him lightly one

  last time. He moaned as his eyes fluttered open. All four friends let out a sigh of relief.

  Deke gave them a weak smile. “I’m back now. How long was I out this time?”

  Devon began to speak, but Jacinda spoke up before he could begin.

  “You were out for about thirty minutes. We found the supplies in the cargo hold.”

  Deke nodded, obviously pleased. “Good work. Are they easy to get to?”

  “They are a little tough. We have to drag them over a pile of luggage, but other than that,

  it is a snap. We even brought up two cases already.”

  “Excellent work Jacinda.”

  Flim groaned loudly. Jacinda looked sheepish for a moment.

  “It wasn’t just me Mr. Jacobs. We all helped, especially Merrell. I guess I just took

  charge.”

  “You can say that again.” Flim laughed. Jacinda blushed, suddenly aware that her earlier assertiveness may have been a little

  overpowering for the others.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Devon put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “It’s no big deal, Jacinda. We’ll let

  you know when you officially get bossy.”

  Everyone, including Jacinda, laughed at that.

  “You have all done good work,” Deke added. “I need you to do something else for me.

  You mentioned that there was a hole in the side of the ship. Is it big enough for you to go

  through easily?”

  They all nodded.

  “Good, then I need the four of you to go and check out the ship from the outside. We

  need to make sure that it is not in any more danger. Also, we need to see if we can access the

  cockpit from the outside. The crew may be trapped in there and might need help. While you are

  out there I also want you to check out the nearby area. Make sure you don’t go too far, but I’d

  like to get a general lay of the land. You four are going to have to be my eyes and ears until I

  feel up to going outside. Any questions?”

  Flim raised his hand. “Deke, what about the wildlife? What if there are any of those

  bowzers out there? They mentioned them in the briefing on our datapads.” Flim’s mention of

  the bowzers made everyone think about the picture that had accompanied their description in the

  briefing materials. Bowzers were big, four-legged predators covered in bristly black fur. They

  looked very similar to Earth wolves, but were quite a bit bigger. They also had jaws more akin

  to a crocodile than a wolf. All in all, they were about 250 pounds of pure mean. “Very good, Flim. I’m glad you did your homework. However, the briefing also

  mentioned that the bowzers are strictly nocturnal. As long as it is light outside, you should be

  fine.”

  The four friends nodded in relief.

  “What I want you to do is see if there is any other damage to the ship. Also, check to see

  if there is any high ground nearby. We might be able to set up the emergency transponder there.

  While you are out there I want you all to stick together. Never be out of touch with your partner.

  Make sure you all have your WristVids as well. We should have short-range communication

  using those. Don’t wander too far from the ship, though. I want each of you to take a pack with

  food and water, just in case.”

  There was silence for a moment and then Devon stepped forward. “I think I speak for all

  of us when I say that leaving the ship is a bit scary. I know the bowzers don’t come out during

  the day, but it still makes me nervous.”

  “I can understand that, Devon, but I need you to do this. I can’t explain it right now, but

  this is really important. All I can do is to ask each of you to trust me.”

  The four friends slowly nodded.

  “Thank you, now please hurry. You have to get back bef
ore night fall. Remember the bowzers.”

  Chapter 10

  Captain Leiber stood on the Bridge of the Boadicea and studied the report the watch

  officer had just handed him. He shook his head in dismay. Rubbing his chin, he scanned all of

  the available flight data received from the drop ship just before they lost contact. Everything had been going as planned until the drop ship entered the ionosphere of the planet. The flight data

  became erratic and then ended completely.

  Something had caused the ionosphere to go haywire and the drop ship had been in the

  unfortunate position of traveling through it just at the wrong moment. Despite their best efforts,

  the crew of the Boadicea still could not get their sensors to penetrate the suddenly opaque

  ionosphere. It was as if all of the electromagnetic interference in the atmosphere had suddenly

  turned solid, cutting off all contact with anything inside.

  The captain mentioned for Ensign Kepler. The fresh-faced young man practically leaped

  to his feet and hurried over from his duty station.

  "Mr. Kepler, have you found in any previous reports of an incident such as this in any of

  our databases?"

  Kepler shook his head. "No, sir. I have checked and cross-referenced all Space Safety

  Board reports and have not found anything that resembles this atmospheric condition...Sir."

  The final word was added with a little too much emphasis. Kepler frowned nervously as

  soon as he realized his mistake. He wanted so much to make a good impression on his new

  commander.

  "Good, Mr. Kepler. Have you checked the science databases as well?"

  "I have the computer running a high granularity search right now. An answer to the

  search query should be available within thirty minutes."

  Anger flashed in the captains eyes for a moment. "Mr. Kepler I need those results

  sooner. Those children may not be able to afford thirty minutes."

  "Aye, Aye, Captain. I'll see if I can adjust the parameters of the search. It would help if I

  could task more of the computer core to the search." The captain nodded. "I'll send orders to Chief Baker to retask the core." He keyed his

  WristVid. The sharp face of Chief Baker appeared.

  "Aye, Cap, what'cha need?"

  The captain would not have tolerated such familiarity from any other crew member, but

  the Chief's years of service to the commercial fleet had earned him leeway.

  "I need you to retask as much of the computer core for Ensign Kepler as you can."

  "Aye, I can do that. I'll just..." The captain politely interrupted Chief Baker.

  "I don't need the details. Just take care of it."

  "Aye Cap." Chief Baker's face disappeared from the captain's WristVid.

  Ensign Kepler activated the new bandwidth with a few keystrokes. After only a moment

  he nodded.

  "Captain, using the new core resources the estimated completion time for the search is six

  minutes."

  "Very good, Ensign."

  Even this delay concerned the captain. Every minute that passed could mean danger for

  the children aboard the drop ship. Until the crew could figure out what had happened to the

  atmosphere, their hands were tied. The drop ship had been equipped with plenty of supplies, so

  if they landed normally than they would be fine until this could all be sorted out. On the other

  hand, if the change in the ionosphere had damaged the drop ship, any rescue ship would probably

  be damaged as well. The key was figuring out what had caused this and how to fix it.

  The captain said a silent prayer that the children would be safe until his crew could

  discover the answer. He had never been good at waiting, so he decided to do what he could until

  they could send a rescue party. “Commander Saberhagen!” The captain bellowed for his second in command. A

  whippet thin man wearing an earnest expression hurried forward.

  “Yes, sir”

  “Mr. Saberhagen, I want you to personally oversee the preparation of a rescue mission for

  the missing drop ship. I would suggest you use the time until we know more to prepare a ship

  for any eventuality.”

  Saberhagen executed a crisp salute. “Aye, aye, Captain. Right away.” Without another

  word he turned on his heels and walked briskly out of the room.

  The captain trusted his second in command with the task. He knew that Commander

  Saberhagen had four children of his own, and knew that right now he was imagining how he

  would feel if it were his children in danger.

  He wished he trusted the crew of the drop ship as much. As a part of the commercial

  fleet, the Boadicea was under command of the merchant arm of the Galactic Navy. This

  included the command crew and all of the key engineering and security positions on the ship.

  The rest of the crew was not part of the navy. The drop ship was not part of the commercial

  fleet, but the rescue ship would be. Often a delicate balance had to be maintained between the

  naval and civilian parts of the crew. However, in emergency situations, naval authority was

  unquestioned.

  The captain had no children of his own, but he often saw his passengers as his children,

  for as long as they were on his ship. The thought of losing 35 of his children chilled him to the bone. It was not going to happen on his watch, if he had anything to say about it.

  Chapter 11

  The sun shown brightly, a burning jewel set in the blue silk of the midday sky. No clouds

  obscured the unbroken blue. The deep green of the surrounding forest was a great contrast to the

  vivid blue set above it.

  Devon and Flim scrambled up the hill followed closely by Jacinda and Merrell. From

  this vantage point they could see the whole drop ship.

  “Look at that,” Devon said as he gawked at the sight before him. All four friends stared

  in amazement at the ship. It had plowed a furrow through the forest for as far as they could see.

  The drop ship had come to rest against the side of a tall hill. They could not even see the front

  end of the ship. It was either deeply buried in the hill or completely gone. Either way, it did not

  look promising for the crew who had been there during the crash.

  Devon pressed the talk button on his WristVid. “Mr. Jacobs, we made it outside okay.

  We climbed up a hill next to the ship.”

  Deke’s familiar voice came from the speaker. “How does the ship look from out there?”

  There was concern in Deke’s voice.

  “It looks like the entire cockpit is a wreck. The front of the ship is stuck in a hill and I

  can’t even tell if the cockpit is still there.”

  There was silence for a moment. “Bad news. The transponder was up there. Now I want

  you to circle the ship. Make sure that everything else looks okay. Call me back as soon as you

  are done, or in fifteen minutes. Whichever comes first. We have to stay in contact.”

  Devon clicked off his WristVid. “You heard him. Let’s circle the ship and check it out

  from all sides.” Merrell and Jacinda responded with nods while Flim rolled his eyes and huffed. “First

  we crash, and now we have to walk…this wasn’t in the brochure.”

  Jacinda wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. All of them were

  sweating quite a bit in the heat of the morning.

  From this vantage point it was obvious that the ship had settled into a basin-shaped dell

  surrounded on three sides by a high hill. From here they got a much better l
ook at the ship.

  They followed the ridge of the hill around to the front of the ship. Jacinda and Devon

  shared a knowing look when they saw the crumpled mess that had been the cockpit.

  Suddenly, Devon began to feel a strange vibration through his feet. The ground beneath

  him seemed to be shaking, making him feel unsteady. He looked over to the others to see if they

  felt it too. They all exchanged quizzical looks, wondering what could be causing the shaking.

  Bits of dirt and rock began to tumble down the hillside as the shaking increased.

  Devon began to worry as larger pieces of the hillside began to slide down toward the

  ship. He sat down quickly, unsure if he could keep his feet if the shaking grew any worse.

  Without warning, the section of ridge Devon was sitting on broke away and began to slide down

  the hill. Jacinda squeaked in alarm as he began moving.

  Devon scrambled backward on his rear, trying to keep his place on the ridge, but it was

  futile. It was as if he were sledding down the hill on his bottom. He gained speed as he went,

  barely able to keep upright on top of the shifting dirt. Devon hit the bottom with a grunt, rolling

  over once and landing in a heap. He felt stunned, but could hear his friends arguing at the top of

  the hill.

  Merrell’s gentle hand on Jacinda’s arm kept her from following Devon down the hill to

  help. “Hold on. It is too dangerous right now. We have to wait until the ground quake has

  stopped, or you’ll just end up falling too.”

  Jacinda tried to pull away, but Merrell’s grip remained firm. “We have to help him,” she

  protested.

  “By getting injured too…No? Believe me, we have ground quakes on New California all

  the time. We have to survive before we can help anyone.”

  As if on cue, the shaking stopped. Devon stumbled to his feet, scattering loose dirt

  everywhere.

  “Devon, are you okay?” Jacinda shouted and waved to Devon from the top of the hill.

  He gave her a thumbs up, smiling widely. “Just a few bumps. It’s good for me to get

  dirty once in a while.” They all laughed.

  “Hold on, I’m coming back up there.” Devon began to climb back up the slope, but soon

  slid right back down. He could not gain and traction on the loose dirt of the slope left behind by