Cadets: 2 The Ship of the Gods

by Edward Miller

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” said Amanda.

  “Have you been able to get any of the ship’s engines online?” asked Laurent.

  “Unfortunately no,” said Amanda. “Other than that the monitors that are showing us what’s taking place between the Karang and our fleet, nothing else. And it’s frustrating as hell.”

  “You must calm yourself, Amanda Williamson,” said Kyron. “All the legends about the Semina Vitae have proven truthful to date. I am confident that all will come to pass as foretold by the elders.”

  “She has a point,” said the admiral.

  As if on cue a slight rumbling was felt on the ship. Then, as had happened two days ago, systems started powering up throughout the ship. This time a cylinder rose from the floor. Inside it was what appeared to be a headset. Kyron fell to the floor and bowed in reverence. The rumbling came to a halt. Amanda, her father, and Commodore Laurent stood still, their eyes transfixed on the cylinder.

  “Now what?” asked Amanda.

  Kyron stood and approached the cylinder. “Come forth, Amanda Williamson,” she said.

  Amanda walked over to Kyron. “What is it? What do you see?”

  Kyron pointed to the side of the clear object. There was an indentation and it was obvious to Amanda by the shape of it what she had to do. She removed the amulet from her neck and placed it into the cylinder. Within seconds it opened and the headset slid out. Amanda tentatively reached for it. Taking it out, she held it in her hands. “Now what?” she asked.

  “I think the answer is rather obvious,” said her father.

  “Indeed,” said Kyron. “I concur.”

  “I was afraid you were going to say that,” said Amanda. She took a deep breath and placed the apparatus on her head. For an instant there was nothing. Then she felt a slight pressure. She felt dizzy and fell to her knees. Images started to appear in her mind, coming in waves. She could see the Karang destroying planets, then the battle between the Semina Vitae and the Karang.

  Then came the familiar face of the alien she had spoken with before. “The time is almost upon you, my child. You must prepare yourself to give all that you are to the vessel you will command. Clear thy mind of all that is irrelevant and become one with the ship.”

  Amanda was concerned. A tremendous burden had been given to her, and although she was confident and sure of her abilities, the task at hand was far more than she had bargained for. The fate of billions rested solely upon her. “What if I make a mistake?” she asked. “I am but one single person. The situation is far beyond what anyone should have to bear alone. What if all the ships are in close proximity and I need to open fire? I’ve seen the firepower of the ship. You’ve showed me visions of it destroying hundreds of ships with one shot.”

  “Stay the course, Amanda Williamson. Remember the visions of previous battles. The ship was designed for the sole purpose of defending your planet from the Karang. You have but one focus to deal with. Clear thy thoughts and let your inner mind control the ship and all will be as promised. Now I must take my leave. The Karang approach and you must master control of the ship. Let thy mind guide thee. Be strong and fear not.”

  Amanda felt a searing pain in her head. Seconds later she could feel a warm liquid running down from her nose. She wiped her face and looked at her hands. They were covered in blood. Then she fell to her knees and lost consciousness.

  It had been almost three days since Ryan and his fleet had left the wormhole. They had put a huge dent in the Karang forces, but Ryan knew the harsh reality of the situation. In all they had destroyed almost sixty percent of the enemy’s ships and had lost about seventy-five percent of their combined forces in the process. Unfortunately the numbers of the two armadas were not even close. The Karang had started with a fleet of three hundred ships, while the combined forces of Earth and Altarra had numbered sixty, plus the thirteen ships in Ryan’s command. Now with the numbers at one hundred and twenty-five enemy ships to twenty-nine of theirs, they were facing total annihilation. Their only hope was that the ship Amanda and her team had found could really do what was promised.

  “Sir,” said Jill, “I have Captain Haywood on the com.”

  “Put him on the main screen,” said Ryan.

  “Captain Thompson,” said Haywood, “we have all of the reserve torpedoes and power supplies for their shields ready and on standby to deliver to both fleets the moment they arrive.”

  “Thank you, Captain Haywood,” said Ryan. “They should be here very shortly. According to the visuals from our surveillance satellites, they are less than thirty minutes behind us.”

  “We’ll have them restocked and ready for action within a few hours,” said Haywood. “How about your ships? Do you need more ordnance?”

  “No,” replied Ryan. “We’re fully loaded. Don’t mean to cut you short, Captain, but I need to contact Admiral Williamson.”

  “No problem,” said Haywood. “Signing off.”

  Ryan stood up and stretched his legs. He needed to get some answers. “Jill,” he said, “see if we can contact Admiral Williamson.”

  “Aye, Captain,” she replied. “I’ll contact Command and see if they can patch me through. It will take a few minutes.”

  “Okay,” he said. He sat back down. Waiting was not something he was very good at. If he had a fatal flaw, it was his impatience, as his father had pointed out to him on more than one occasion. On the plus side, his father’s ship managed to escape with the remaining fifteen others and should be arriving shortly. On the downside was the fact that he had not seen nor heard from Amanda for an extended period of time and it was taking a toll on him.

  “Captain,” said Jill, “I have the admiral.”

  Ryan knew Jill well enough to tell by the look in her eyes that something was wrong. He took his seat and put on his headset. “Put him through to my direct line.”

  “Already done,” said Jill.

  “Admiral,” said Ryan, “what’s your status? We are coming down to the wire.”

  “I’m well aware of the situation,” said the admiral. “We’re very close to getting our answers.”

  “Can I speak with Amanda?” asked Ryan.

  There was a slight hesitation before Admiral Williamson replied. That was never a good sign. “She’s in sick bay at the moment.”

  Ryan took a deep breath. He could feel himself starting to lose control, and that was one thing he could not allow himself to do. Composing himself as best he could, he pressed forward. “What happened, sir?

  “We found a headset that appeared from out of the floor of the ship. It’s obviously some type of control device. Amanda put it on and systems started to come online. It was also apparent that she was in contact with someone or something. Suddenly she screamed out in pain and fell unconscious to the floor.”

  Ryan was using every ounce of inner strength to stay calm, but with everything that was going on he was close to depleted. Fighting back tears he pressed on. “Sir, is she okay?”

  “She’s stable,” said the admiral. “Her vitals are strong. The device caused an electric shock to her brain, which caused some minor swelling. Doctor Bashir doesn’t think it will cause any long-term damage. She has had her in an induced coma since yesterday. She wanted to keep her under a couple of days, but we don’t have that kind of time. We’re bringing her out of it today. Hopefully her memory is intact. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Thank you, sir,” said Ryan. When you talk to her, tell her I asked about her.”

  “I’ll do one better. I’ll have her contact you.”

  “Thank you again, sir. It’s most appreciated. Thompson out.”

  Ryan leaned back and tried to make sense of all the events that had taken place in the last six months. It had certainly been a roller coaster ride, and the most dangerous part was still to come.

  “Sir,” said Rawlings from the weapons station, “I am detecting sixteen ships dropping out of light speed. Their lead ship identification beacon is the UEDF Constit
ution.”

  Ryan was relieved that his father and what was left of the combined Altarran and UEDF ships were safely back. “Jill,” said Ryan, “open a channel to the Constitution.”

  “Not necessary, sir,” said Jill. “The admiral is hailing us. Putting him on the main screen now.”

  Ryan smiled at his father. “Glad to see you made it back, sir. I have a video showing how many of the Karang ships made it through the wormhole. The good news is we cut their numbers down more than half. Unfortunately, we counted one hundred and twenty-five that made it through.”

  “It still was a great idea, Ryan,” said his father. “Regardless of the outcome we gave them a hell of a fight considering that we were greatly outnumbered and overmatched. More important, do you have any news concerning Admiral Williamson and his team’s progress?”

  Ryan hesitated. “Yes, sir. They found the ship and have managed to get some of the systems online and working.”

  “That’s great news. Do they have any idea how much longer until they get it fully operational?”

  “Well,” said Ryan, “they did run into a problem. It seems that the stress from using the apparatus to get the systems online injured Amanda.”

  Ryan could see the look of concern on his father’s face. “I’m very sorry,” said his father. “Do you know how serious her injuries are?”

  “Not entirely. From what Admiral Williamson told me it was some type of electrical overload and caused some minor swelling to her brain. They have her in an induced coma but are bringing her out of it in a few hours.”

  “Hang in there, Ryan,” said his father. “She’s a very strong-willed young lady. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

  “Thanks, sir,” said Ryan. “And you’re right. She is one tough girl.”

  “Listen up,” said his father. “We’ve got to get our ships restocked as well as get the new power packs for our shields installed. Keep me posted on Amanda’s condition and any progress with their mission. I want a report every two hours.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Ryan. “Will do.”

  With that the screen went blank. Ryan appreciated all his father had said, and though he understood the positive message, he knew the reality of the situation. Everything relied on Amanda getting the ancient weapon armed and operational. It was as simple as that. Without it, Earth and Altarra were doomed, along with most life on both planets.

  Amanda opened her eyes. The inside of her head felt like it was on fire. Even worse, it felt like it weighed a ton. It was dark and she could hear the beeping of equipment. Then it all came back to her. Finding the headset, putting it on, the conversation with the Semina Vitae, then the searing pain inside her head.

  Sitting up she recognized immediately that she was in sick bay, probably onboard one of the UEDF ships. There were IVs in her arms and electrodes on her head. The pain in her head was still there but her mind was crystal clear. It was obvious that they were running out of time and she had to get moving. She pulled out the IVs and removed the electrodes from around her head. Alarms began to go off all around her. As she stood up, the doors to sick bay flew open and Doctor Basha and Kyron entered the room.

  The doctor glared at her. “What do you think you are doing, young lady?”

  Amanda almost found the situation humorous. There stood Doctor Basha at five feet tall next to the massive Kyron and she was actually more afraid of the doctor. “I understand your concern, Doctor,” she said, “but we have much more pressing issues at hand. And I must get to the ship.”

  “How is it that she awoke on her own?” asked Kyron.

  “That’s a damn good question,” said Basha. “I had her heavily sedated. There’s no way she should even be conscious, let alone fully awake and cognizant.”

  “Well as you can see, I’m wide awake and in full command of my faculties,” said Amanda. “While I appreciate your concern, it should be quite obvious that I feel fine. Now can I please return to the ship?”

  Amanda watched the doctor walk towards her. The tiny woman stopped directly in front of her and placed her hands on her hips. “First of all,” said Basha, “I’m the doctor, not you. I will decide if you are fine. Now give me a few minutes to check your vitals. If, and I say if I feel that you are healthy enough to proceed, I will release you from sick bay. Does that meet with your approval, Miss Williamson?”

  It was obvious to Amanda that Basha was upset with her, and she truly understood the doctor’s good intentions, but she wasn’t going to waste time debating with her. “With all due respect,” said Amanda, “I understand and appreciate your concern, Doctor Basha. You can certainly check my vitals, but regardless of the outcome I will be returning to the ship. Unfortunately there will be no discussion about it. We, or should I say I, have no choice in the matter.”

  “Unfortunately,” said Kyron, “I must agree with Amanda Williamson. The Karang will be here shortly. Without the Ship of the Gods, we are all doomed.”

  “I fully understand the stakes,” said the doctor. “But you need to understand my position. If she returns to the ship and passes out again she will be of no use to anyone.”

  “The doctor makes a valid point, Amanda Williamson,” said Kyron. “You will be of no use to any of us if you are not able to maintain consciousness.”

  “I, too, am well aware of the stakes,” said Amanda. “The Semina Vitae assured me that I am ready for the task at hand. I truly understand and appreciate everyone’s concern for my well being.” Softening her tone, Amanda pressed on. “How about we compromise? If it makes you feel better, Doctor, why not accompany me to the ship and monitor my progress?”

  “That’s a very good idea,” replied Basha. “I’ll run a cursory check on you now. As soon as I’m finished I’ll grab my bag and come along with you. That way I can maintain a visual watch of you and be there should you run into any medical problems.”

  “That works for me,” said Amanda.

  “As your guardian, Amanda Williamson,” said Kyron, “I concur with having the learned doctor accompany us on our journey.”

  “It’s so nice of the two of you to agree with me,” said Basha. “Especially since I outrank both of you.”

  The sarcastic tone in her voice was obvious to Amanda. “That you most certainly do.” She tried hard not to laugh, to no avail.

  The exam took only a few minutes. Amanda watched as Doctor Basha grabbed the medical file and her bag. “Your vitals are barely stable,” she said. “Blood pressure is a tad too high and you still have four small nodular-shaped objects on the outer perimeter of your brain where the headset was attached to you, not to mention that your oxygen level is low and your heart rate is high. Under normal circumstances, I’d keep you under observation for seventy-two hours at the very least. But we are far removed from a normal situation. Anyway, I’ll be there to keep an eye on you.”

  “Okay,” said Amanda. “Let’s get moving. There’s much to do and little time to get it done.”

  The three of them walked out of sick bay and made their way to the main deck. Doctor Basha spoke to the captain and asked him to contact Amanda’s father, Admiral Williamson. As soon as the admiral responded he gave the orders to bring Amanda, the doctor, and Kyron to the ship, and within a matter of minutes the three of them were on board the Ship of the Gods.

  Amanda rushed to her father’s arms and hugged him. “It’s good to see you, sir,” she said.

  Her father held her tightly. “I must say, you gave me quite a scare.”

  “Honestly,” said Amanda, “I was totally freaked out. But now, after speaking with the leader of the Semina Vitae, I feel confident that we can and will defeat the Karang. I just find it odd that he communicates with me mostly when I’m unconscious.”

  “Perhaps that is when it’s easier to communicate with you, Amanda Williamson,” said Kyron.”

  “Maybe,” said Amanda. “I just wish that the rest of you could hear him as well, just for my own sanity.”

  “You are the chosen o
ne, Amanda Williamson,” said Kyron. “It is your destiny and yours alone to speak with the gods.”

  “It is what it is,” said her father. He turned to face Doctor Basha. “I can’t thank you enough for taking care of her and bringing her back to me.”

  “You’re very welcome, Admiral,” said the doctor. “But in all honesty, she awoke on her own. There’s more going on here than I can understand or explain.”

  “One cannot understand or explain the power of the gods,” said Kyron. “Their wisdom is beyond anything our small minds can comprehend.”

  From behind her father Amanda heard the sound of applause. She looked up and saw Defense Minister Legrande slowly and methodically clapping his hands. “Bravo,” he said. “Now that you are back, Ms. Williamson, is it safe to say we can continue our mission and get this ship up and running?”

  Amanda turned bright red and was about to let him have it. “Speaking of small minds—”

  Her father interrupted her yet again and turned to face Legrande. “First of all, Defense Minister Legrande, that’s exactly what we plan to do. And before you open your mouth, I suggest you walk away and let us handle the military operation of the mission. Are we clear about that?”

  Legrande smiled. “Absolutely, Admiral. I will contact the president and tell him that we are preparing to test the ship’s systems shortly. Keep me up to date on your progress.”

  Amanda watched Legrande walk away. She turned to face her father. “Why did you stop me from telling that spineless waste of a human being off?”

  “Because we have more important things to do,” said her father. “And fighting with that idiot isn’t one of them. Now let’s make our way to the bridge. Commodore Laurent is down there waiting for us.”

  Amanda took a deep breath. “You’re right, sir. We do have more important things at stake here. I’m just sick of politicians always sticking their noses where they don’t belong.”

  “What does his nose have to do with him being a spineless egotistical waste of humanity?” asked Kyron.