There was silence on the bridge. Ryan looked at the screen and watched as the admiral looked to his right and said something to one of his assistants. Tanner, on the other hand, pointed to Rawlings and then the admiral on the view screen and shouted. “Yeah! What he said.”
Ryan gave Tanner a look, then waited for the admiral to reply. After a few minutes the admiral returned his attention back to Ryan.
“Well, it appears that your young ensign there knows the UEDF regulations,” said Mueller. “Though that was written in 2090 when the UEDF first started, it is still on the books. And since there never was a situation like what we have now, it appears your Ensign Rawlings is correct. Therefore, against my better judgment it seems that a rescue mission is called for. You have one hour to devise a recon mission and get back to me. Am I clear, Captain Thompson?”
“Yes, sir,” said Ryan. “Clear as a bell.”
The admiral scowled at him. “Mueller out.”
It was obvious to Ryan that the admiral was not pleased with the outcome of their conversation, but he couldn’t have cared less. If the fleet and his father were in trouble, he was going to do whatever was necessary to help them, with or without the admiral’s blessings. Of course it was much better that the disagreement had turned out in his favor.
Ryan waited for the screen to go blank, then walked up to Rawlings and lifted him up off the ground. “Way to go, Rawlings. I got to hand it to you.”
“Thanks, sir,” said Rawlings.
“I just have one question for you,” asked Ryan. “How the hell did you even know about that regulation?”
Rawlings looked down at the floor. “Well, sir, I have an eidetic memory. It’s a curse and a blessing. Once I read something I never forget it.”
“Damn,” said Tanner. “If I had known that back when we were in the academy I would have sat next to you during all the written exams.”
Ryan laughed, as did the rest of the bridge crew. With all the drama and bad news over the last few weeks it was good to hear laughter from his friends. “Okay,” he said. “Time to put together a mission report for Admiral Mueller and get moving. Jill, get Robertson on the com. I need to leave three ships in our system and the other ten will accompany us to the last known location of the fleet.”
“Captain,” said Jill. “I have a high priority message from Admiral Yoshika.”
Ryan’s heart skipped a beat. What was so important that Yoshika needed to call him with a priority message? “Put it onscreen.”
Within seconds the admiral was on the viewer. He seemed highly agitated. “Admiral Yoshika,” said Ryan, “what can I do for you?”
Yoshika locked eyes with Ryan. “Captain Thompson, we’ve lost contact with Admiral Williamson and his party.”
“Lost contact?” said Ryan. “I don’t quite follow. In what way did you lose contact?”
“They were on a transport preparing to land on our lead science vessel when they just disappeared,” said Yoshika.
“Disappeared? How is that possible?” asked Ryan.
“We do not know,” said Yoshika. “I am launching a full search and rescue party now.”
“Does Admiral Mueller know about the situation?” asked Ryan.
“We tried to contact him first,” said Yoshika. “However, he was on a call with the president. I will keep you updated.”
The screen went blank. Ryan fell back into his chair. Things were going downhill fast. He had to react and he had to pull it together. He could feel the eyes of his crew on him and the tension rising.
“Jill,” he said, “inform Robertson that the Kennedy and the Hastings will stay behind with him and monitor the situation with Admiral Yoshika. I want updates on the hour until they find Admiral Williamson and his party. Have the rest of the fleet ready to leave in thirty minutes.”
“Yes, sir,” said Jill. “Sending messages now. I will inform you when all parties respond.”
“Thank you,” said Ryan.
He turned to Nicole at the helm. “Set course for the Dyson Wormhole.”
“Yes, Captain,” said Nicole. “Plotting course now. We’ll be ready to depart on your command.”
“Sounds good, Nikki,” said Ryan. “As soon as all the ships check in and report their status we’ll prepare for departure.”
He sat back in his chair and tried to put everything into perspective. The fleet, along with his father and the Altarrans, had abruptly lost contact with the UEDF command center. Amanda and her father, along with the rest of their team, seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Growing up, all he had ever wanted was to be in command of his own ship. That was the goal he had strived for, all he had thought about since the day his mother had died. Now, for the second time in less than a year, he was faced with another catastrophic situation. Everything and everyone he cared for depended on his next move. He prayed that he could pull off yet another miracle.
Admiral Thompson’s head was throbbing as he opened his eyes. A bright light caused him to turn quickly to his right. That was a mistake. He became disoriented and felt as if the entire room were moving and he was going to puke. Then it all came back to him. The bridge, the explosion . . . “Damn it. Is anyone here?” Slowly he sat up as he realized where he was. “Isn’t this just dandy. Sick bay.”
“You’re welcome,” came a sarcastic reply. “Where did you think you’d be after an explosion on the bridge?” said Doctor Shareem Basha. “Maybe on a beach with a drink in one hand and Commodore Laurent in the other? Now relax and let me check your vitals.”
He knew better that to say anything. While Doctor Basha was one of the best of her profession in the fleet, she was quite a firecracker. In fact she was exactly like her twin sister, Doctor Anya Basha. Thompson always wondered what the odds were that two sisters, twins nonetheless, would both become doctors and join the UEDF. He relaxed as she ran her scanners and poked and prodded him.
“How long have I been out?” he asked.
“Two and a half days,” she said without skipping a beat. “I had to place you in a medically induced coma. You suffered second and third degree burns on most of your back, not to mention a punctured lung from the twelve-inch piece of steel I removed from under your right shoulder blade. Another inch to the left and it would have pierced your heart and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You also have a grade two concussion. Other than that, you’re in tiptop shape. Do you have any other questions for me?”
“Was anyone else injured?”
“Other than the communications console and the rest of the fleet’s com systems, no serious injuries,” she said. “A few cuts, bruises, and minor burns.”
“Did you say the entire fleet’s com systems are down?”
“Very good, sir,” she said. “The cognitive part of your brain seems to be working fine. And to answer your question, yes. The entire fleet has lost all long-range communication ability. On the plus side, you are responding well to treatment and we still do have short-range communication as well as ship-to-ship ability.”
“What’s the last status we have concerning the Karang fleet?” asked Thompson.
“The last we heard they were orbiting Altarra, bombarding the planet, and deploying their ground troops,” said the doctor.
He tried to stand up, then realized it wasn’t a very good idea. The room started spinning again. “Have I ever told you that you and your sister are exactly alike?”
Doctor Basha grabbed him and steadied him. “You do that again, Admiral, and I just might let you fall down. And now I know that your brain is damaged. My sister and I are nothing alike. Now sit still until I’m done.”
He tried not to laugh as she stood with her hands on her hips glaring at him. She was five feet tall and weighed all of one hundred pounds, the spitting image of her sister and just as feisty. Not too many crewmembers ever talked back to her.
“Can I ask, what’s the current status of the fleet?”
“According to the scuttlebutt we are r
eturning to Earth,” said the doctor. She reached down and grabbed a hypo and gave him a shot.
“May I ask you what that was for?”
“It’s a stimulant,” she said. “It will clear the fog inside your head and give you some much needed energy. Give it a few minutes and maybe I’ll release you and let you get back to the bridge.”
“Thanks, Doctor,” he said. “I would like that very much.”
“I’m one step ahead of you, Admiral. You’ve had quite a few people worried about you. Not to mention that the supreme commander has been calling every hour on the hour asking about your condition.”
“That’s odd,” said Thompson. “Didn’t Niles speak with him?”
“Oh yes,” she said. “More than once. In fact quite a few times.”
He could tell from the tone of her voice that there was a problem. “Speak up, Doctor. This is no time to pussyfoot around.”
The doctor smiled. “You know me all too well, Admiral. Permission to speak freely?”
“Permission granted. Now get to the point.”
“The supreme commander is not too pleased with Captain Thames’s plan to retreat. In fact he insisted that that was not what your next course of action would have been.”
“What was the outcome of their conversation?”
“Let’s just say that I wouldn’t suggest the three of you going out for a night on the town. Not unless of course you want to attend Captain Thames’s funeral.”
He was definitely feeling the effects of shot the doctor had given him. His head was clearing up and the pain was just about gone. “I definitely think it’s time for me to get back to the bridge, Doctor. That is, with your blessing.”
“By all means, Admiral. That’s why I gave you that shot. Under normal circumstances I’d keep you here another twenty-four to thirty-six hours for observation. But considering the current state of affairs I thought it was time for more prudent action.”
“Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it. And as usual, I agree with your take on the situation completely.”
“Of course you do,” she said. “But before you go just a couple of things.”
He knew that was coming. “Of course. I’m listening.”
“If you feel lightheaded, or if your balance starts to waver, you are to report to me immediately.” She moved closer to him and poked him in the chest. “You got that, sir?”
“Of course, Doctor. I understand completely. Now if you’ll excuse me, it seems I have a very large and very angry Altarran commander I need to speak with.”
With that he got up and headed out of sick bay and made his way to the bridge.
As the doors to the bridge opened, Thompson headed for his chair. The first person to notice him was his communications officer, Lieutenant Barnes.
“Admiral on the bridge,” said Barnes.
Niles looked up and vacated the captain’s chair immediately. “Welcome back, sir,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve had better days, Niles,” he said. “And to answer your question, not too bad considering the circumstances. Though I hear you’ve had a rough go of it the last few days. Bring me up to speed on our current situation.”
“Of course, sir. After the explosion, all of our ships and the Altarrans’ lost all long-range communications. We immediately ran a full diagnostic on all ships. After discussing the situation with Chief Fowler, it became apparent that we could not made the necessary repairs needed to reestablish communications with Command. As you are well aware, in a situation where all communications are lost with HQ, standard procedure is to return to Command and reestablish contact. Unfortunately, Supreme Commander Granthaxe was not in agreement with that plan of action.”
“Understandably so,” said Thompson. “The reason he is upset is that just before the accident I had discussed a plan of attack that we could try. Unfortunately, due to the explosion I never had the opportunity to run it by you. But now that I’m here we’ll discuss it. Let’s get back to the loss of long-range communication, though. How did it affect all the ships?”
“According to Chief Fowler, there was damage to the long-range power grid,” said Thames. “He theorized that it happened during one of the attacks. Since all of our ships are on the same frequency, when we started to send our report to HQ the overload burned out the power relays on all of our ships, plus the Altarrans’.”
“I see,” said Thompson. “While I agree that you followed procedure, I’m going to circumvent those orders and turn the fleet around.”
“But sir,” said Niles, “according to regulations . . .”
“Stow it, Niles,” said Thompson. “These decisions need to be made sometimes. You can’t always go by the book.”
“Yes, sir,” said Niles. It was obvious to Thompson that his exec wasn’t happy with his decision, but he didn’t really give a rat’s ass. Good commanders followed the rules. Great commanders knew when to break them. The bridge grew quiet. It seemed as if time was standing still.
“Ms. Barnes, said Thompson.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
“Inform Captain Bryzlov that he is to continue back to Earth and inform them of our current situation. Have him report that we are returning to the Dyson Wormhole. I have a plan of attack. Also, have him tell them we may or may not be coming back. Either way, have him prepare Command for an invasion and follow protocols.”
“Aye, sir,” said Barnes. “Sending encrypted message to Captain Bryzlov now.”
“Thank you. As soon as you are finished get me Supreme Commander Granthaxe.”
“Will do, sir,” she said. “And sir?”
“Yes, Ms. Barnes?”
“Thank you for saving my life.”
He smiled briefly. “Any time, Lieutenant. Just try not to make a habit of it.”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
Thompson paused briefly, trying to gather his thoughts. Losing communications on one ship he could understand, but every ship in both fleets losing its long-range com systems at the same time, that was quite a coincidence. Not that it was impossible, but it was highly improbable. He thought back to what had taken place on the Sentinel Islands six months before when they had been blindsided by the treacherous group known as the IC-12. There had been a traitor in their midst then and he wondered if there was one with them now—one that made him quite uneasy In fact, the hairs on the back of his neck were starting to stand up, and that meant something was rotten. He would have to start doubling security in all sensitive areas of the ship.
“One more thing, Ms. Barnes,” said Thompson.
“Sir?” she said.
“Have security doubled in engineering and the weapons bay.”
“Yes, sir. Sending the order now.”
Thompson sat back in his chair and ran the battle scenario over and over in his head. While it should be successful in the beginning, as with the other attacks, the sheer numbers of the enemy would eventually overcome them. But if he could take out half the enemy fleet and buy Amanda and her team more time, maybe, just maybe they’d have a fighting chance.
Amanda gasped for air. She opened her eyes but was surrounded by darkness. As soon as she tried to stand her head started spinning and she was feeling extremely nauseous. As she got to her feet she threw up. “Oh my God, I feel awful,” she said.
She fumbled for her slider and turned on the light so she could see her surroundings. Within seconds she could see some of her team unconscious on the floor. She ran to her father’s side and reached for her emergency pack. The good news was that he was breathing. She grabbed the smelling salts and placed them under his nose. Within seconds he started coughing. “Dad? Can you hear me?”
“Get that nasty stuff away from me,” he said. “What happened? Better yet, where the hell are we?”
“I have no idea,” she said. “I woke up just a few seconds ago myself. All I know is that we aren’t on the transport or the science ship.”
“Did you try to contact anyone?”
Amanda felt foolish. She knew that any time you are separated from command, the first thing you are supposed to do is attempt to make contact. She looked into her father’s eyes. “No, I didn’t. In all honesty the first thought that came into my mind was your safety and the team’s safety.”
“I understand,” said her father. “I’ll try and make contact.”
From behind her she heard Commodore Laurent calling her. She turned and shone her light towards her. “We’re over here, Commodore. Are you all right?”
“A little lightheaded,” said Laurent, “but otherwise I feel fine.”
Amanda motioned for her to join them as she listened to her father’s attempt to contact command. There was no reply. The only thing they could hear was static. While he made another attempt to make contact she looked around to see if of any of their supplies had made it with them. She noticed that their emergency and water rations were on the ground near them.
“It’s no use,” said her father. “There must be some sort of interference. I’ll try again later.”
Then it dawned on Amanda. Kyron was nowhere in sight. She did a three-sixty, beaming her light as she turned. “Kyron,” she yelled. “Can you hear me?” She couldn’t see her within the limited field of sight. She returned to her father’s side in a panic. “I can’t find Kyron.”
“Maybe she wasn’t brought here with the rest of us,” said her father.
“That doesn’t make sense,” said Amanda. “Her people had the amulet first and were the original keepers of it. Not to mention that before I passed out I could see that she was enveloped in the light like the rest of us.”
“Then let’s get on our feet and start looking around,” said her father. “She must be around here somewhere.”
Amanda surveyed the area. The fact that it was pitch black didn’t help matters. While all three of their sliders gave off some light, at best they could only see about twenty feet in any direction. “Which way should we go?” asked Amanda.
Cadets: 2 The Ship of the Gods Page 12