With cat-like speed, the UEDF Constitution bolted forward, flanked on either side by the Lexington and the Armstrong in a V-shaped formation. Thompson watched on the monitors as the remainder of the fleet broke into the same pattern. They closed in on the Altarran ships.
Thompson noticed Diego staring at his radar screen in disbelief. “Admiral, they’re not breaking formation,” said Diego. “They’re still moving forward.”
“Prepare to fire when we reach a distance of twenty thousand feet. Mr. Romano, as soon as we fire, break off the attack pattern. Barnes, inform the Lexington and the Armstrong to follow our lead.”
“Yes, sir,” replied all three officers.
Thompson watched intently as they continued to close in on the Altarran fleet. The alien vessels were much longer and the bows of their ships were bent forward. Odd, he thought, they looked like dragons without wings. They almost seemed defiant in their pattern. They didn’t seem to care about being shot at as they slowly plodded forward.
“Don’t you find it strange that they’re not breaking formation?” he asked Thames.
“Honestly, I find it absolutely insane,” Thames replied.
“We’ll be at twenty thousand feet in twenty-five seconds, Admiral,” said Diego. “I have a firing solution. Permission to fire, sir.”
“Permission granted. Fire when you reach twenty thousand feet.”
Turning to Romano, Thompson ordered, “Pull her up, maximum thrust immediately after we fire.”
“Aye, sir,” replied both officers.
“Firing full spreads, bays one through four,” shouted Diego.
Thompson could feel the internal gravity straining as the Constitution pulled straight up. At the same time, he could see the Lexington and the Armstrong break to the port and starboard sides respectively.
“Time till impact,” ordered Thompson.
Diego responded immediately. “All torpedoes tracking true. Impact in six, five, four, three, two . . .” Diego paused.
Thompson and the entire bridge crew were watching the main viewer. Then, a tremendous explosion filled the screen. A devastating assortment of weapons surrounded the alien fleet. It almost looked like a huge pyrotechnic show.
“Welcome to the Fourth of July,” said Thompson. The rest of the crew cheered.
As the explosion dissipated, he couldn’t believe the images on the main viewer. The alien fleet was intact.
“Diego, what the hell happened? Talk to me.”
“All the torpedoes exploded prior to impact,” said Diego. “I am reading no damage to the Altarran ships. They must have some type of energy field or shields protecting their hull, Admiral.”
“Barnes, keep forwarding this information to Headquarters.”
Barnes looked up from her communications station briefly. “Yes, sir,” she said. “Along with the audio, I’m sending a live video feed as well.”
“Sir!” Diego sounded concerned.
“What is it?” said Thompson.
“They’re breaking formation. It appears they’re moving toward the fleet at high speed. Sensors are detecting multiple weapons fire from all of their ships.”
“Evasive maneuvers,” ordered Thompson.
The ship banked hard to port as Romano tried to evade the missiles heading for them.
Barnes called out to the admiral, “Sir! I’m receiving reports of multiple hits on the fleet. At least twenty ships have reported being hit.”
Thompson surveyed the bridge. He could see the concern on the crewmembers’ faces. They needed to regroup and come up with another plan of attack. “Barnes, have the fleet break off the attack. Inform all ships to go to light speed and rendezvous at Mars orbital base.”
“Aye, sir. Sending message to all ships.”
“Mr. Romano,” said Thompson. “Hard about. Set course Mars orbital station. Activate light speed.”
The UEDF Constitution, along with thirty-four other ships of Earth’s Defense Fleet, left Sector 57 and headed to Mars orbital base to regroup. Admiral Thompson sat back in his command chair searching for answers. He had just had his ass handed to him by an angry and aggressive alien fleet. They had fired everything they had at the Altarrans and hadn’t even put a dent in them. It appeared that the Altarran ships were protected by some type of shielding they couldn’t break through. It was becoming clear that the United Earth Defense Fleet, and with it the Earth, was in serious trouble.
Chapter 11
Earth Defense Fleet
Academy, 0600
Ryan was on his way to the hangar where the UEDF Nimitz was housed. At his side were Tanner and Paul. It was only 0500, but they wanted to get an early start. He didn’t expect the rest of the crew to be there for at least another hour.
As they turned the corner, he could see the entrance to the hangar. Ryan was surprised to see Amanda, Nicole, and Jill already waiting for them.
“Looks like the gang’s all here,” he said, turning to Paul and Tanner.
Tanner and Paul exchanged glances and kept walking. “This should be interesting,” said Tanner.
They reached the secure door where the girls were waiting.
“Morning, Captain,” said Nicole. “Your bridge crew awaits you.”
Jill laughed. Amanda looked uncomfortable.
Ryan saluted them all in half jest and gave a slight smile.
He entered the combination into the keypad on the door and put his hand against the scanner. The door opened, and they all entered the hangar. The lights came on as the six cadets made their way up the ramp into the ship.
As soon as they entered the bridge of the Nimitz, Ryan looked around in awe. It was one thing being in a simulator version of the ship, but this was the real thing—the former flagship of the whole fleet, though it had seen better days. They were all gazing at their surroundings like they’d just entered a chocolate factory. A very old and abandoned chocolate factory. Ryan figured he may as well get everyone started. This was the first non-drill exercise he was leading, but he had to get used to it sooner or later.
“Paul,” he said, “how about you and Amanda check out the engine room. Run diagnostics and see what needs to be done and what improvements can be made. Jill and Nicole, I guess it makes sense for you to check the communications systems as well as the helm and navigational computer. Tanner, you know your bit—weapons systems and ship’s sensors. We only have a short amount of time to get this ship in combat-ready shape, so we better get started.”
“And what are you going to do, fearless leader?” said Tanner.
Ryan laughed. “I’m going to get the duty list together for the other forty-four cadets on their way and get their assignments ready for them so they can hit the deck running. Does that meet with your approval?”
“Works for me, Ry—I mean, Captain.”
Ryan took a long look around the bridge, his gaze stopping on Amanda. She seemed deep in thought, like her mind was elsewhere. He couldn’t help but wonder where things had gone wrong with them, though he sort of knew. It had been so long that he’d almost forgotten the sequence of events. And once he’d shut her out and moved on, it was like the door had closed, never to be reopened. They were enemies without a cause, she on one side of the door and he on the other.
Realizing everyone was staring at him, he straightened himself out and got back to business. “Well, we all know our duties,” he said. “Let’s get to it.”
They had all started to head their separate ways when Ryan decided he needed to set things straight once and for all. “Amanda,” he said, “can I talk to you for a minute?”
Amanda looked a bit puzzled, but she waited as the rest of them headed off to their respective departments. She wasn’t that much shorter than he was, but somehow she was looking up at him. His mind went blank, and he couldn’t quite get the right words out.
After what seemed like a minute of awkward silence, he finally figured out what he should probably say. He was still trying to get the words out of his mouth when the shrill of
the bosun’s whistle came from the com station.
“This is Admiral Williamson to all cadets. I have just received a report from Fleet Headquarters. At 2300 hours last night, the Earth Defense Fleet, headed by Admiral Benjamin Thompson, was attacked by a race that calls themselves the Altarrans. The initial report is not encouraging. It appears that the fleet has confirmed that twelve of our ships have been destroyed and eight severely damaged.”
Nicole let out a gasp from the communications station. “My sister—”
Williamson continued.
“I have no information yet as to which ships were destroyed or how many survivors there are. Our orders are to continue overhauling our ships, as we may be needed to pick up survivors. The fleet is regrouping at Mars to plan their next move. As of now, there are no plans for our ships to be used for battle. It is now looking like a total blackout for the academy. This does not mean that you are to stop what you’re doing. We may need these ships for the very survival of our species. Stay focused. Keep your heads. I will have more information forthcoming. Williamson out.”
There was dead silence on the bridge of the Nimitz. Ryan looked over at the com station. Amanda and Jill were trying to comfort Nicole. He knew he had to say something.
“Listen up, guys.” He made sure to pause a moment until they all turned to look at him. “I know we all have family, either out there or about to be. All we can do is hope they stay safe. But for now we need to get these ships up and running because we may be the only ones that can rescue the survivors. What do you say we all get to our stations and get busy? We’ve got a bunch of work to do. And if we really want to help the fleet, then let’s get moving and help win this thing.”
They all agreed and grabbed their instruments. Nobody said a word, as one by one they headed to their stations. Ryan could see the look of fear in their eyes. He understood because he was just as scared, but he couldn’t afford to show it. He walked over to Amanda.
“I guess we can talk later. For now, you better get down to engineering. I’m sure Paul is waiting for you. He’s gonna need all the help you can give him.”
She looked up at him but said nothing. He could see an expression of sadness and helplessness, and something else he hadn’t seen in her in a long time, at least not when looking at him. Vulnerability. He stood there for a moment watching her walk away, then returned to his duties.
Chapter 12
Uedf Nimitz,
Main Engineering
Amanda made her way down to the engineering section. Her mind was still reeling over the announcement she’d just heard. Her worst fears were coming true—hostile aliens. And powerful ones, apparently. Engineering appeared to be empty. As she entered the main engine room, she called out, “Paul? Are you here?”
“Over here,” Paul said.
Following the sound of his voice, she saw a pair of legs protruding from under the solar coils. “Need a hand?” she said.
“Actually I could use two hands,” he said. “Grab me a sonic wrench from my toolbox.”
She opened the neatly organized toolbox and extracted the wrench. “Did you hear the announcement down here?”
Grasping the wrench in his first two fingers, Paul came out from underneath the coils. “I sure did. That’s why I jumped right on these engines. It seems like we’re gonna need to work a miracle, and it doesn’t look like we have a whole lot of time to do it. I sure hope you came here to help me, because these engines are on life support.”
“That’s why I’m here,” she said. “When you’re done working on those coils, you need to check the light-speed accelerator.”
“Oh,” he said. “And you know this because?”
“I was the last one to command this ship on live training maneuvers.”
“You’re kidding me. The Nimitz?” Paul looked as if she’d just said she invented the ship.
“Yep. I have captained ships you know. I remember there was a miniscule hesitation when we jumped to light speed. I noted it on the ship’s log. I’ll bet you the accelerator hasn’t been checked since then. For training it’s fine. But if this ship has to save lives or go into battle, that little delay can make a big difference. Like life and death big.”
“Okay, well let’s take a look at it,” he said. He powered up the engineering console and started a diagnostic on the light-speed drive. The constantly changing status whizzed by on the display and ended with a one-line report that proved Amanda’s point. “Damn, Amanda. I’m impressed. The delay in the accelerator was one thirtieth of a second. I can’t believe you noticed it.”
Amanda smiled. It was good to feel appreciated. She knew there was something she liked about Paul. “I’ve spent most of my life on ships,” she said. “Plus, I originally considered taking engineering, but my dad insisted I focus on command instead.”
Paul nodded. “Well he is an admiral. I guess he wants you to follow in his footsteps. But if it’s any consolation, I think you’d be great at both.”
She didn’t know what came over her, but she lunged forward and hugged Paul, who looked completely uncomfortable. “That’s for believing in me,” she said.
“Oh I believe,” said Paul, looking flustered.
Amanda figured now would be a good time to ask Paul a question that had been bothering her for years. “Can I ask you a serious question?” she said. “And you promise you’ll answer it?”
“Sure,” said Paul. He appeared as if he had no idea where she was going with this. And of course, he probably didn’t.
“What’s the deal with Ryan and his dad? Why is he so pissed off at him?”
“You really don’t know?” he said, looking both surprised and relieved by the question. “Wow, I thought you’d know better than anyone.”
“Nope. All I know is the day his mother was murdered was the day he stopped talking to everyone. And by everyone, I mean me. And I guess maybe his dad too. Even though his dad was hardly around anyway.”
“That’s the reason right there. Did you know his father was supposed to take him to the academy for his induction?”
“Did I know? That’s all he talked about. Next thing I heard, his mom was killed the day of the induction. We were all devastated by that. But I never expected Ryan to take it out on me. Or his dad.”
“Well it gets kind of tricky there,” said Paul.
“Tricky how?”
“Well, his dad kind of bailed on him. It was bad enough his dad was away all the time, not that there was any choice, being the fleet admiral and all, but then of all days, he decided to go to a weapons briefing that day at the last minute instead of being there for Ryan. Ryan’s mom had to take him instead. And you know how that ended up.”
“But that’s not his dad’s fault,” said Amanda. “It’s just fate. Besides, my family was told Ryan’s dad had to attend that conference. I remember that now.”
“Yeah, that was the story that everyone was told. But according to Ryan, his dad didn’t have to go. He was given a choice. But because he always insisted on sacrifice for the good of the fleet, to set an example, he chose to go.”
“For the good of the fleet?” said Amanda, shaking her head. “In peacetime? Don’t get me started there. But it’s still fate. It’s not like his dad wanted his mom to die.”
Paul nodded. “No, but you haven’t heard the details yet. After his mom took him to registration, she decided to make a stop at the hospital with Ryan to visit a friend of hers.”
“Yes, I know. That’s where that lunatic tried to kill his ex-girlfriend and ended up killing Ryan’s mom when she spotted his gun. It was all over the news.”
“Ryan could have stopped him, Amanda. He said he could have tackled the guy before he shot, but the hospital guards told him to wait. There was a standoff, and the gunman stood in the hallway aiming the gun at Ryan’s mom. Ryan hesitated for just a few seconds, but by then the guards grabbed him and held him back to keep him safe. Meanwhile, the gunman just panicked and shot her and ran. Ryan watched
his mom die right in front of his eyes while the guards held him back.”
Amanda was horrified. She’d never heard this part of the story.
“He didn’t tell you this?” said Paul.
She shook her head. “He hardly talked to me at all after that,” she said. Amanda started to feel nauseous. “I can’t even imagine. No wonder he hates authority. But still, it wasn’t his dad’s fault really.”
“You have to understand,” said Paul, “Ryan was never close with his dad. His dad was virtually nonexistent in his life, and the one time he planned to make up for all the disappointments, he backs out. If his dad was there, his mom wouldn’t have died that day, simple as that. And the more he hears about his dad’s stellar reputation, the more it reminds him that it was really the academy that killed his mom.”
“So why did he even join the academy?”
“That’s the great mystery, isn’t it?” said Paul. “Best I can guess, it’s the only tie he has left to his mom, who took him to the induction. Except every day he’s here, he’s forced to deal with comparisons to his dad. Some crappy twist of fate, right?”
Amanda began to choke up. “I could have helped him,” she said. “Why didn’t he tell me? I know I could have helped him.”
“You still don’t get it, do you?” said Paul.
“No, Paul, I don’t. Why did he shut me out? Did he tell you?”
“Not exactly, but it’s kind of obvious.”
“Not to me.”
“Amanda, Ryan’s mom was really all he had. All he’s known is loss. His mom was killed. His dad was absent. His brothers were older and away at the academy. To him, after his mom’s death, it was probably safer to just clam up emotionally. I know that sounds messed up, but he sort of half-explained it to me once in one of those rare drunken stupors when we were up all night talking. Well, maybe not so rare.”
“No, I get it,” said Amanda, ignoring Paul’s comment about the drunken stupors.
“You do?”
“Yeah, it makes sense. You know you missed your calling, Paulie. You should have been a shrink.”
Cadets Page 6