Cadets: 2 The Ship of the Gods

by Edward Miller

  Amanda, her father, and Doctor Basha looked at her and broke into laughter. “You have a very valid point,” said Amanda. “Now let’s get moving and get the ship’s systems online.”

  As they made their way towards the bridge, Amanda hoped she could pull off the miracle everyone was hoping for. While she sounded upbeat and positive when discussing the situation with her father, deep down inside she was scared and unsure of herself.

  Ryan maintained a constant vigil on the bridge. Every thirty minutes he had Rawlings checking the long-range scans and tracking the Karang armada. According to the latest readings they were less than six hours away from entering the Sol system.

  “Jill,” said Ryan, “has the fleet finished restocking the weapons on all the ships and installing the new power packs?”

  “According to the latest update from Captain Haywood, they are finishing up with the Fleet Admiral’s ship now. All ships will be fully restocked and ready to go before the Karang get here.”

  “Great,” said Ryan. “As soon as you get word that all ships are armed and ready contact the admiral for me.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said.

  Ryan started to walk back to his chair when Jill called out to him. “Ryan—I mean Captain.”

  He could tell by the excitement in her tone and the look on her face that it was good news. “What is it, Jill?” he said.

  “Amanda is on the com. She is asking for you,” gushed Jill.

  Ryan quickly donned his headset. “Put her through to me on a direct line.”

  “Aye, sir,” said Jill smiling. “She’s all yours.”

  “Mandy,” said Ryan, “how are you?”

  “I’m fine,” said Amanda. “It’s good to hear your voice. I was worried sick when I heard you went off looking for your father. How’s everyone holding up?”

  “Considering the situation, we’re doing okay, but we can’t hold on much longer. We’ve lost about seventy-five percent of the combined fleet, and the Karang’s sheer numbers are more than we can handle. How much longer do you think it will take until you get the ship operational?”

  “We’re working on it. There’s a lot I still have to grasp, but we’ve overcome the most important hurdle and it seems like we are getting ready to bring all the systems online and get the ship powered up and ready to go.”

  “I’m sure you can make it happen. If anyone can pull it off, you can. I have all the confidence in the world in you.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that. I’d love to talk longer but we both have much to accomplish. Just promise me one thing, Captain Thompson.”

  Ryan knew what was coming but he played along with her anyway. “What’s that?”

  “Please stay safe. Promise me you will come back to me. If anything were to happen to you I don’t know what I’d do.”

  “That’s a two-way street, Mandy,” said Ryan. “The same goes for you.”

  “Okay,” she said. “See you soon.”

  The line went dead as Amanda signed off. Ryan hoped he could keep his promise to her, but he wasn’t very confident that he could. Considering the odds, it was a long shot at best. One thing he knew for sure. He was going to do all he could to buy her as much time as possible.

  It was less than two hours before the Karang would enter the Sol system—not a very comforting situation to be in, thought Ryan. On the positive side he had just received confirmation that his father’s ship, along with the remaining ships of their combined fleet, was fully armed and their shields re-powered and ready for action. That gave them a total of twenty-nine ships against one hundred and twenty-five. Not exactly the odds you would want and by no means a comforting thought, but you play with the hand you’re dealt. He was just about to ask Jill to contact his father’s ship when she called out to him.

  “Captain,” said Jill, “I have the Fleet Admiral on the com.”

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

  “Putting him on screen now, Captain.”

  “Sir,” said Ryan, “I was just about to contact you. I guess you must have read my mind.”

  “Like father like son,” said the admiral. “Anyway, I wanted to go over our plans now while we have the time. Once the Karang get here we’re going to have our hands full and there will be little time for conversation.”

  “I agree completely, sir,” said Ryan. “What are your orders?”

  “Obviously we are grossly outnumbered, so a head-on attack would not be the best course of action, not to mention that it would be pure suicide. At best, we can whittle away at their numbers but I’m under no illusion that we’re going to defeat them. What we really need is to impede their progress as best we can. If we can slow them down, we can buy Amanda and her team more time to get the ship powered up and hopefully end the war and send those bastards back to hell or whatever godforsaken place they came from. At the very least and in the event that they can’t get the ship operational, we can give our forces on Earth more time to evacuate as many people as possible and prepare for a ground invasion.”

  “That’s a great idea, sir,” said Ryan. What would you like my fleet to do to assist you?”

  “I was just about to get to that. Here’s the plan. I’m going to have our remaining eighteen ships attack from various angles, some from above their fleet, some from below as well as from the side. While we may only take out a few of their ships, I’m hoping my maneuvers will get them to break formation to chase us down. That’s where you’ll come in. I want you and your fleet to take refuge behind Pluto’s farthest moon, Hydra. This will hopefully interfere with their sensors, making your ships invisible them. Then, after we break off our attack, I want you to lie in wait until they pass you. At that point have your ships move out and come up on their six. Hopefully it will catch them off guard. If we’re lucky, they will stop their forward movement to address being attacked from behind. And that will buy us even more time.”

  “I see what you’re trying to do,” said Ryan. “Not only will we initially get the drop on them but hopefully they will stop to engage us. It’s a good idea.”

  “Honestly, it’s just a stopgap measure. It will buy us at the most an hour or two. But every minute counts.”

  His father hesitated and Ryan knew that meant his next order wouldn’t be one he wanted to hear.

  “Listen up, Ryan,” said the admiral. “This is the most important order I’m going to give you. Once any ship loses their shields or exhausts their ordnance, it is to retreat back to the wormhole and make its way back to the training planet. And the number one priority is to make sure that you are not followed. We need to have some ships survive so we have some protection for the future. But it is imperative that the Karang do not follow any of our ships. We cannot have them find the location of the training planet, or all of our sacrifices will be for naught. You got that, Captain Thompson?”

  “But sir,” said Ryan, “what about if we have escape pods out there from damaged ships? They’ll be sitting ducks and have little or no chance for survival.”

  “Listen up, Ryan, and listen well. As much as it pains me to say this, you of all people know the drill. We all know our duty and we all understand the big picture. It is more important to save our species than it is to save a handful of survivors, even if I’m one of them. Hopefully the Karang will not be concerned with a few escape pods, and after they leave the area Captain Haywood can send out some shuttles to get the survivors. Are we totally clear about that, Captain?”

  Ryan knew his father was right. He was well aware of the oath everyone in the fleet had taken, but he’d be damned if he would find himself in the same situation as before. He would not and stand by and do nothing again, as he had when his mother had been killed. He also knew that now was not the time to bring that up or argue the point. He said what any good son and officer would say given the circumstances. “I understand completely, Admiral. You can count on me.”

  “Good,” said his father. “You have your orders. Time to move out. Be s
afe and pray that Amanda gets that ship up and running as soon as possible.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Ryan. “And sir?”

  “Yes,” said his father.

  “You be safe as well.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  The screen went blank. Ryan sat back and ran the plan through his mind numerous times. It was sound but it was also a Hail Mary at best, and probably the same thing he’d do if he were in command. He also knew his father would fight until his last breath and never give up, which was exactly what he would do as well. He had no illusions about either of them coming back alive, but he’d be damned if he wouldn’t do everything in his power to try and make that a reality, as improbable as it might be.

  Amanda sat down in what appeared to be the command seat. It was in the center of the room and faced the large wall of monitors. In her hands she was holding the headgear she’d attempted to use the previous day, the same one that had sent her to sick bay. Every time she’d been subjected to adverse reactions from the Semina Vitae’s equipment, the second time she’d tried to use it adjustments had been made and the outcome had improved. Regardless of that she had to try again. Even though the alien in her visions had told her it would be safe, she approached the task tentatively.

  She continued to watch the monitor that was in the middle of what appeared to be the control center of the ship. She could see what was left of their combined forces in orbit around Pluto. There were twenty-nine of them, all shaded in a bluish-green color. Suddenly a group of the ships left Pluto’s orbit and appeared to be heading back towards Earth. She counted thirteen objects and knew immediately she was looking at Ryan’s fleet. One thing she was certain of, they weren’t coming back to Earth. Obviously they were performing some type of defensive maneuver the Fleet Admiral had come up with.

  To the far right of the monitor she could see a large mass of ships heading towards the Sol system. They had a reddish hue around them and looked like a swarm of angry bees. It was the Karang fleet. Amanda got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach and took a deep breath. It was now or never.

  “Okay,” she said. “Let’s try it again.” She placed the apparatus on her head and closed her eyes. At first nothing happened and she started to get a sinking feeling of hopelessness. Then, one by one each monitor in the room started to power up. Systems throughout the ship were activating.

  “Whatever you’re doing is working,” said Commodore Laurent from the engineering deck. “All the power levels are starting to rise and I can hear the engines starting to rumble.”

  “It is truly amazing Amanda Williamson,” said Kyron. “All the tales foretold throughout the centuries are coming to fruition. The Ship of the Gods is no longer a story passed down from the elders. It is real. And we are the ones fortunate enough to be answering the call of the prophets. We are truly blessed.”

  Amanda watched as tears started to flow from Kyron’s eyes. A feeling of awe washed over her. Maybe, she thought, just maybe everything would work out and they would defeat the Karang.

  “Amanda,” said Doctor Basha. “Are you feeling any pain or pressure inside your head?”

  Amanda had almost forgotten what had happened before. She smiled and looked at the doctor. “No. Nothing at all. In fact I feel much stronger than I ever have. Almost euphoric.”

  “Look at her eyes,” said her father. “They’re glowing!”

  Kyron looked amazed. “You have the eyes of a goddess,” she said.

  Amanda felt more confident than she ever had. Her vision was crystal clear. She could see everything on all the monitors at the same time. She heard her father and Kyron mention something about her eyes. “What’s wrong with my eyes?” she asked.

  She watched as Doctor Basha moved closer and took out a small handheld device. The doctor waved it in front of her eyes briefly then looked at the readings on the scanner.

  “Well?” said Amanda. “What’s going on?”

  “This is amazing,” said Basha. “According to my readings, your vision has increased tenfold. Not to mention that you have what appears to be a natural ability to see in total darkness.”

  “That’s amazing,” said Amanda. “I also feel stronger than I ever have. And I can see and compute all the data on all the monitors simultaneously.” She noticed the doctor fiddling around with another scanner. “Why are you checking my vitals?” she asked.

  “Why?” said Basha. “Let’s see. Maybe because your eyes are glowing like a jack-o-lantern, or a she-devil, and you have increased visual range.”

  “Maybe so,” said Amanda. “But I feel better than I’ve ever felt. Everything seems clear to me. I understand what to do now.”

  “That’s great,” said the doctor. “But your blood pressure and heart rate are elevated as well. And your brain waves are off the charts.”

  “Are they at dangerous levels?” asked her father.

  “She’s young and strong,” said Basha. “So for a limited time I’m not overly concerned. But if this should continue for a day or two, I’ll have to treat her with drugs to get her levels back to normal.”

  “Let’s get through the next few days first,” said Amanda. “My only concerns now are getting the ship fully operational and stopping the invasion. According to what I’m reading from the monitors and from the information that I’m continuing to process, we should be at full power in less than four hours.”

  “The sooner the better,” said her father. “Lord knows what’s left of our two fleets isn’t going to be able to do much. If we’re lucky we should be up and ready just before the Karang reach us.”

  “Fear not, Admiral Jonas Williamson,” said Kyron. “Your daughter will fulfill her destiny and destroy the Karang and save both our species as it was written eons ago.”

  Amanda stood up and walked to one of the monitors. She started accessing multiple programs simultaneously. She watched as power levels continued to rise. “Good,” she said. “We are now at twenty-five percent power and systems are all showing green. As long as we continue at the current pace, we should be ready to lift off in three hours and fifty-two minutes. I’m going to head down to the engineering section and explain the systems to Commodore Laurent.”

  She left the bridge with the doctor and Kyron in tow. Within minutes they had entered the vast engineering section of the ship. She walked up to the commodore. It was obvious to Amanda that Laurent was in awe of the power systems.

  “Commodore Laurent,” said Amanda, “do you have any questions for me?”

  The commodore seemed a bit started and looked up. It was obvious that she had noticed Amanda’s eyes. To her credit she didn’t say anything.

  “Amanda,” said Laurent. “It’s good to see you up and around. How are you feeling?”

  “In spite of my glowing eyes,” said Amanda, “I feel totally rejuvenated. Now I know everything there is to know about operating the ship. Have you figured out the power supply yet?”

  “Not completely,” said Laurent. “At first it almost seemed too simple. From what I could gather, it appears to be some type of solar energy system. But how it works, let alone powers such a vast ship, is beyond my pay scale.”

  “I’m impressed,” said Amanda. “The ship does work using solar power, as well as molecular and sub-atomic particles. The Semina Vitae devised a way to make all three work simultaneously.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by a call from her father on the bridge. “Amanda, I need you to get back to the bridge immediately.”

  “Go,” said Laurent. “Your place in on the bridge. I’ll stay down here and keep a watch on the power supply.”

  “On my way, sir,” said Amanda. She made her way back towards the bridge. As soon as she entered and looked at the monitors it was obvious why her father had called. The Karang had dropped out of light speed and were just minutes away from engaging the fleet.

  “They are here,” said Kyron.

  “Yes, they are,” said Amanda. “And we need our forces to hold t
hem at bay for about four more hours. Then we will be ready for them.”

  Amanda sat down and went back to work monitoring the ship’s systems and doing everything she could to try and coax them into loading faster. She looked up at the screen again and noticed that Ryan’s fleet had taken refuge behind one of Pluto’s moons, Hydra. She understood the plan. Let the Karang leave Pluto thinking they have a clear and unimpeded path towards Earth, then attack them from behind. She also understood that this was merely a stopgap measure and a suicide mission. She hastened her pace, hoping that they would get there before that happened.

  Admiral Thompson ran the plan of attack through his computer one final time. Looking at the tactical display he figured that they could take out another fifteen to twenty enemy ships at best before their shields failed and they were sitting ducks.

  “Admiral,” said Lieutenant Diego, “the enemy fleet has dropped out of light speed. They will be in weapons range in fifteen minutes.”

  “Ms. Barnes,” said Thompson, “inform all ships to begin attack patterns in five minutes and to follow procedures as discussed during our last communication. Also, it is imperative that once their shields are exhausted they are to retreat and make their way back to the cadet training planet, as per my orders.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Barnes. “Sending message fleet-wide now.”

  Thompson looked to his exec and longtime friend. “Well, Niles?”

  “We gave them a hell of a run, sir,” said Niles. “You pulled out every trick in the book. With any luck we’ll have taken out two-thirds of their fleet, more than double our losses. Unfortunately for us, they had a much larger fleet of ships than we did.”

  Thompson looked at his longtime friend. He was glad Niles hadn’t turned out to be the traitor, but he was still dumbfounded that any of his command crew could have been part of the traitorous group known as the IC-12.

  “You’re right about that, Niles. We sure as hell gave them a run for their money. If we only had the time to get our fleet back to full strength before they came after us we could have defeated them.”