Arkship Obsidian

by Niel Bushnell

  ‘No, we’ve tried that already.’ Thinking quickly, Wynn added, ‘Clear the areas around the boarding rams and rig them for detonation.’

  The Lord Chamberlain gasped. ‘Blow the ship?’

  ‘If we can’t break the rams then we’ll break their hold on us.’

  ‘We could lose half the Caerleon!’

  ‘Better than all of it,’ Wynn shouted. ‘Can you do it or not?’

  Tanis nodded grimly.

  ‘How long till the cube drive is ready?’

  The Lord Chamberlain checked his console. ‘Six minutes. By time we get those charges set we should be ready to go,’ Tanis said, ‘providing we don’t blow ourselves up in the process.’

  BOARDING

  ‘I do not recommend this,’ Commodore Valine said to Orcades Draig as he approached the boarding ram airlock.

  ‘Yes, you have already said,’ Orcades replied testily. ‘Your caution is noted, Valine, but the enemy is caught. They’re not going anywhere, and their engines have already powered down.’

  ‘Which could mean they’re powering up their cube drive.’

  ‘They couldn’t use it this close to us,’ Orcades mocked. ‘The shockwave would destroy us both.’

  Valine sighed. ‘They have little to lose.’

  ‘He wouldn’t kill thousands of innocent people just out of spite. No, they’re trapped, caught and awaiting our merciful blow to end their suffering.’

  Orcades stood in front of the airlock, flanked by a troupe of assault soldiers. The controls on the door chimed and the heavy circular hatch began to rotate.

  Valine felt the breeze rush past her as the pressure equalized. She looked out of the window next to the airlock and saw the boarding ram connected to the distant hull of the Caerleon. The tether swayed gently as the two massive vessels drifted closer. She glanced along the ship and saw dozens of other lines, all pointing towards the captured arkship.

  As she retreated to the back of the chamber the airlock came to a halt. The first platoon entered the circular corridor, adjusting to the variable gravity there, and disappeared along its length. The lead soldier’s voice boomed out of a com speaker above them.

  ‘Seal is good. Hull cutter has broken through. No resistance.’

  ‘None?’ Orcades checked.

  ‘Seems deserted.’

  Satisfied, he nodded for the next platoon to enter, then he turned to join them.

  Valine watched, only half listening.

  ‘Still no resistance, moving on,’ the solider said over the com as he entered the Caerleon.

  Suddenly, Valine’s body bristled. ‘No!’ she cried, running towards the airlock. ‘Get out of there!’

  Orcades turned back to face her, just as the far end of the tube erupted in a yellow light. A blast of heat slammed into her as Orcades was thrown along the boarding ram. He tumbled towards the airlock, flames licking the edges of the tube. His hands grabbed at the hatch, just as the fire around him disappeared. The air rushed out of the tube, and Valine’s ears popped as the pressure fell.

  Valine hung onto the airlock door and stretched out her arm towards her Valtais. She shouted at him, but her voice was lost in the torrent of noise as the atmosphere was ripped away into the cold void of space. Orcades fought against the wind trying to drag him down the tunnel, and edged closer to the door, just as it began to close. His fingers touched Valine’s and she grabbed his arm, pulling him through the airlock. The heavy door slammed shut, sealing the room. Orcades lay on the floor, gasping for breath as the atmosphere returned to normal about him.

  ‘What . . . what happened?’ he asked Valine.

  ‘They blew up their own hull,’ she replied. ‘The boarding rams have been torn away from the Caerleon.’

  Orcades stood unsteadily and gazed out of the airlock window. The tube hung in space as the bodies of his soldiers drifted out of the ruptured end. He shuddered and turned to find Valine.

  ‘No prisoners,’ Orcades said, his throat rasping. ‘We will destroy that arkship, and everyone on board.’

  Valine nodded, activating her wrist com to speak to the flight deck. ‘Call in reinforcements.’

  DEPARTURE

  ‘All explosives detonated!’ a flight deck officer cried as the Ark Royal Caerleon buckled and shuddered.

  Wynn held on to the operations table as the floor listed, determined to throw him off balance. Out of the window he could see the afterglow of the explosions ripping through their hull.

  The Lord Chamberlain activated an external camera feed. As the smoke and debris cleared he gasped, seeing the huge holes torn into the Caerleon’s hull. ‘My Gods! Half the ship is gone.’

  ‘Not quite,’ Wynn replied. ‘Are we free?’

  ‘All rams disengaged,’ someone shouted excitedly thought the smoke.

  ‘Then get us clear, far enough away to use the cube drive.’

  Slowly, the ship began to turn towards empty space.

  ‘Recall all fighters,’ The Lord Chamberlain ordered.

  ‘What about Bara?’ Wynn pleaded.

  ‘Nothing. We can’t wait any longer.’

  The ship began to accelerate, clearing the debris field.

  ‘Cube drive is almost ready,’ Tanis said quietly.

  ‘Still no sign?’ Wynn asked, feeling desperate.

  ‘We have to go.’

  ‘I can’t just leave her!’

  ‘Sir,’ Tanis said in a whisper, ‘there are thousands of people on board, thousands of lives at stake. There’s no word from Lexica. We can’t wait any longer.’

  Tears filled his eyes as Wynn nodded for Tanis to carry on.

  ‘All hands, stand by for cube drive,’ Tanis shouted.

  ‘New contacts incoming,’ a voice announced.

  The operations map flashed as two signals blipped into existence and, for a moment, Wynn’s heart lifted, hoping this was Lexica.

  ‘New signals identified: Arkship Gargan . . .’ an officer reported, ‘. . . and the arkship Hestr . . . both Draig.’

  RESURRECTION

  Bara stared out of the window at the burning Ark Royal Caerleon. The dying explosions lit up Lexica’s darkened bridge, casting moving shadows over the ceiling. The ship drifted, buoyed by the shifting eddies of the battle, as fragments of debris smashed into the ship.

  ‘I can’t believe they did that,’ Bara whispered.

  Gofal glanced up. ‘A desperate attempt to escape. It might have worked, if not for those two.’ He gestured to the dark shapes blotting out the stars: two newly arrived arkships had blocked the Caerleon’s retreat.

  ‘We have to help them,’ Bara muttered in frustration.

  ‘I don’t see how,’ Gofal replied.

  ‘If you could get the ship’s systems back online we might be able to do something! Anything!’

  ‘Your ship’s personality is fried. It’s blocking my control of its systems, and you won’t allow me to delete it.’

  Bara hit the console, her frustration overwhelming her. ‘Is that the only way?’

  ‘The only quick way.’

  She sighed, feeling like she was sentencing an old friend to death. ‘Do it.’

  The bridge became silent as Gofal interfaced with the ship. Bara stared out at the arkships exchanging fire. Was Wynn safe? she wondered.

  ‘Purge complete,’ Gofal announced. ‘The Lexica personality has been removed. I have control.’

  The lights flickered on as the ship came back to life.

  ‘We are in bad shape,’ Gofal continued. ‘No coms, the starboard stabilizer is malfunctioning, air scrubbers are down . . . we should return to the Caerleon.’

  ‘We still have weapons?’ Bara checked.

  ‘Yes . . .’

  ‘Then we fight on,’ she replied steadfastly. ‘Find me some more Gilgore towers to blow up.’

  LAST COMMAND

  ‘We can’t take much more!’ Lord Chamberlain Tanis cried over the chaos.

  ‘Sir!’ an officer shouted. ‘The Fenrir, its
grid is buckling!’

  Tanis and Wynn ran to the officer’s console to see for themselves. A holograph display identified a portion of the enemy arkship’s hull where its Gilgore grid had failed.

  ‘One of our ships is taking out the grid’s towers,’ the officer explained.

  ‘Which ship?’ Wynn asked.

  ‘I think it’s Lexica, sir, but its coms are down.’

  She’s still alive! Wynn thought, a relieved smile breaking over his face.

  ‘Target firepower on that part of the hull,’ Tanis barked as he returned to the operations map. ‘Hit them with everything we have.’

  Wynn joined him there, watching the holograph as the surface of the Fenrir erupted in fire, ripping into the heart of the enemy arkship. Cheers erupted on the flight deck as a sense of hope filled the air, but the moment was short-lived as the Caerleon shook from a renewed onslaught.

  ‘They’re still firing?’ Tanis checked.

  ‘Not the Fenrir,’ Wynn replied, scanning the map. ‘It’s the other Draig arkships.’

  The operations map glowed red with a multitude of impact points as the other two Draig vessels came to their sister ship’s defense, firing on the Caerleon, tearing into her hull. Their weapons sliced into the ship, focusing all of their firepower onto the same section of the hull until, with a cascade of violent tremors, part of the drive section split from the rest of the Caerloen.

  As the vibrations subsided an officer shouted, ‘The cube drive is destroyed. We can’t escape.’

  ‘They’re cutting us to pieces,’ Wynn said. ‘Sound the evacuation.’

  Tanis obeyed. ‘We must get you to safety as well. There’s little time.’

  Wynn took in the flight deck and the bombardment outside. He stared at the Fenrir, and he felt his anger overwhelm him. ‘Continue with the evacuation. I’m not leaving.’

  ‘What?’ Tanis gasped.

  ‘Turn the ship towards the Fenrir and give me any thrust we have left.’

  ‘You want to ram them?’

  Wynn smiled. Perhaps, he thought, his sacrifice might give Bara and the others time to esacape.

  Tanis shook his head. ‘You’re insane,’ he said, then he began to laugh. ‘I must be insane too.’

  As the flight deck emptied the Lord Chamberlain gave out his last orders, and the giant arkship turned to face its enemy. He pointed to the console in front of Wynn. ‘That button will give you everything we have left. It’s rigged for rapid acceleration. A single burst of power. It won’t be a comfy ride.’

  ‘For any of us,’ Wynn replied. ‘You really should leave.’

  Tanis shook his head.

  ‘I could order you.’

  ‘Do not make me disobey you, my prince.’

  Wynn smiled sadly and he held out his hand. ‘Together?’

  The Lord Chamberlain joined him, and their hands hovered over the thrust button. ‘Together,’ he replied.

  Wynn felt a wave of sadness overwhelm him. He had been through so much to get to this point. He had lost everything, only to regain it all again. Now, he would lose it forever. But it wasn’t his title, or his people, or his arkship that came to mind. All he could picture was Bara’s face. He looked out to the stars and he thought of her as his hand descended towards the button.

  ‘Wait,’ Tanis said, his fingers tensing.

  ‘What is it?’ Wynn asked. He followed the Lord Chamberlain’s stare, out beyond the windows. Something huge had just appeared in between the Caerleon and the Fenrir. The flight deck rocked as another giant shape burst into view, followed by another and then another. Wynn blinked, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. These were giant ships of sinuous curves, their mass overwhelming the other arkships. Their golden hulls glistened in the light of The Infinite, throwing off reflections that dazzled the eye.

  The com system bristled with static, then a hard, male voice broke through. ‘. . . This is the blessed arkship Spero of the Church of The Infinite. We are on a sacred pilgrimage to bring the light of the Infinite Gods to this part of the Cluster. Her divine spirit the Scribe has observed your dispute and it displeases her. She commands you to identify yourselves.’

  Wynn stared at Tanis, wide eyed with disbelief, and then they both started to laugh. The attacking Draig arkships stopped firing, and a strange serene quiet fell over the flight deck.

  ‘I think we might just live after all,’ the Lord Chamberlain grinned as he picked up the com. ‘This is the Ark Royal Caerleon, flagship of the House of Kenric, home to the rightful heir, Prince Halstead. The people of Kenric request sanctuary from the Church of The Infinite.’ He put down the com and smiled at Wynn. ‘Let’s see what they say to that.’

  The com system hissed and crackled, then the clipped voice returned. ‘Ark Royal Caerleon, this is the blessed arkship Spero. Your request for sanctuary has been heard by the Scribe. She requests an audience with Prince Halstead.’

  Relief broke over the Lord Chamberlain’s face, and he slumped against the operations map. ‘We did it,’ he muttered, wiping his eyes. ‘We did it.’

  DEFEAT

  ‘Identify yourself, or face the wrath of the Church of The Infinite.’

  Orcades Draig gazed at the fleet of arkships surrounding the Caerleon, great golden structures that took his breath away. So, it was true after all; the Church did have a fleet.

  Valine stood next to him, watching the giant ships drifting past the flight deck windows. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ she muttered.

  Her voice seemed to break his fascination, and Orcades found his anger growing. ‘How dare they stop me!’ he shouted.

  ‘They are the Church,’ Valine said. ‘They outnumber us.’

  ‘I will not be defeated!’ As he watched those strange ships he felt his headache worsen. Were they trying to manipulate him, across such a distance? Uncertainty took hold, and Orcades found his thoughts clouded with indecision. He turned to Valine and whispered, ‘What should we do?’

  ‘Retreat. It is the only victory we have left.’

  Orcades pondered this and nodded. ‘A victory, yes. Retreat, that is the way forward.’

  Valine turned to carry out his orders, leaving him alone at the windows. He watched as one of the Church’s arkships glided by, its movements graceful and purposeful. He forced himself to remember every contour as he vowed to destroy them one day.

  The Fenrir turned away from the guarded Caerleon, building speed as it retreated. In the distance, Orcades could see the Hestr and the Gargan drifting away, becoming distant flecks of light before their cube drives stole them from his view. As the Fenrir also prepared to leave Orcades Draig saluted the Caerleon, hoping that Prince Halstead had survived this attack.

  ‘See you soon,’ Orcades muttered as the cube drive took him to safety.

  SURVIVORS

  ‘They’re leaving?’ Bara said, as the vast shape of the Fenrir blinked away. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Without coms it’s hard to know,’ Gofal observed, ‘but those new arrivals fit the description of Church arkships.’

  ‘The Church? What are they doing so far from The Infinite?’

  Gofal didn’t answer. After a moment, he asked, ‘Do you need weapons?’

  Bara stared at his smooth face. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘If you no longer need the ship’s guns I can take them offline and patch the coms system through their omniflex relay.’

  ‘We could communicate again?’

  Gofal nodded, his blue eyes dimming to approximate a blink. ‘But no more shooting.’

  ‘Then do it!’ Bara enthused.

  The bot fell silent as he accessed the ship’s systems. The com sparked into life and a dozen voices burst into the bridge.

  ‘. . . stand by for docking.’

  ‘Ark Royal Caerleon to the Spero, we have multiple lifeboats awaiting retrieval, any assistance you can . . .’

  ‘Hanger bay six is destroyed, wait for a clear pad, Avonis Three . . .’

  �
��. . . require immediate assistance, I have casualties here!’

  ‘No sign of Draig activity.’

  ‘. . .all Kenric ships report in.’

  Bara laughed with relief, picked up the com and found a clear channel. ‘This is Captain Sēbarā Delaterre of the merchant vessel Lexica, registration MC-89409-LX, out of the Ark Royal Caerleon, request permission to dock.’

  A voice broke through the silence. ‘Bara?’ She recognized it immediately and tears filled her eyes.

  ‘Wynn!’

  ‘We’re still here,’ Wynn replied. ‘It’s good to hear your voice. Are you okay? Do you need help?’

  ‘We’re fine,’ she laughed, overwhelmed with emotion. ‘We’re coming home.’

  ICARUS

  The light of The Infinite was painfully bright, bleaching the color out of the polished stone walls of the chamber. This whole space hurt Wynn’s eyes, forcing them into narrow lines, and he wondered how the people who lived here coped with such brightness. Wearing eye shades was frowned upon, as was shielding the windows. The Infinite was a sacred thing, they said, not to be blocked. But he’d discovered there were many places without a direct view into space where most people preferred to be. Outer chambers were kept for special occasions, like today.

  Wynn blinked, finding the overexposed shapes of Bara and Gofal as they entered the room. He smiled at her, walking to meet her in an embrace.

  ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t see you sooner. Did you sleep?’ he asked, still holding her.

  ‘Slept, eaten, slept some more,’ Bara laughed. ‘They like to look after you here.’

  He turned to Gofal and took his hand. ‘Good to see you again, old friend.’

  ‘And you, Wynn,’ he replied. He took in the space and said, ‘I had heard of Icarus, but I never expected I would see it for myself. It is majestic.’

  Wynn smiled. ‘I thought you’d like it.’