Duggan thought about it. They were still quite a distance away from their destination and he didn’t necessarily want to give the new technology an extended stress test if he could avoid it. Given the choice, he wanted to use it as little as possible.
“How long can we maintain stealth?” he asked.
“As long as we can provide enough power for the modules, they should keep running. I’ve read the guidelines which suggest a maximum running time of no more than twenty-four hours, but as far as I can tell that’s just for certainty. The equipment itself should remain stable in extended operation.”
“I’ve never liked the word experimental,” said Chainer. “Whatever Admiral Teron says, this stuff isn’t long off the drawing board.”
“These are a little bit beyond experimental,” said Breeze. “They’re just not ready for widespread use across the fleet. I don’t even know how many of our warships are going to be suitable to have the stealth equipment installed.”
“It’d be a game-changer if we could make all of our spaceships vanish,” said Chainer.
“You have a talent for the understatement, Lieutenant,” said Duggan. During the return voyage from Vempor, he’d been impressed beyond measure when Captain Julius had briefly run through the warship’s capabilities with him. The Ghasts had their Shatterer missiles, the Dreamers had energy shields and now the Confederation had something of its own – as long as it lived up to the promise. The prototype had been the ES Lightning and Teron had offered it to Duggan to get the missing soldiers back and to see how well it worked against the Dreamers.
“Activate the stealth immediately,” said Duggan, coming to a conclusion. “I’d rather get blown up by malfunctioning technology than an enemy battleship.”
“Here we go,” said Breeze.
The effects were instant. The output from their engines dropped to twenty percent and there was a grumbling from within the hull, the sound deep and reverberating.
“That’s a whole lot of extra load,” said Chainer. “I’ve never heard anything quite like that before.”
“It takes a monumental amount of power to keep us hidden,” said Breeze. “Everything’s holding steady, though. There’s no sign of failure in the equipment so far.”
“I’d rather find out here than when it really matters,” said Duggan.
The ES Lightning continued its course towards Kidor. Duggan only had to make slight adjustments, which was enough to inform him of how unwieldy the warship had become with its stressed engines. Things would get difficult if they had to perform evasive manoeuvres. Even coming into a smooth orbit would be difficult at the speed they were travelling.
“Still no sign of life,” said Chainer. “No sign of the beacon either.” He frowned. “We’re getting to the point where I’d have expected to hear something from it.”
The image of the planet on the bulkhead viewscreen became steadily more detailed as the ship’s sensors resolved additional details from the surface. Duggan had seen a hundred planets like this one and didn’t care if he never saw another. He called up information from the AI and used it to determine when to prepare for the approach to their target area. The plan was to execute a half-orbit at high speed and then land as close to the cave as possible. Ideally, they’d have been able to get a message to the soldiers by responding to the emergency beacon, but it didn’t seem like they had the option. The lack of a broadcast was worrying and he tried not to think about it.
When they were only a few thousand kilometres from the surface, Duggan dragged the unwilling nose of the warship until it was pointing where he wanted it. They were travelling much too fast to go through a dense atmosphere without burning up, so he did his best to reduce their velocity. Nevertheless, the hull temperature climbed a fraction. In a few minutes, it would increase rapidly and it would take good judgement to keep their speed high without the outer armour melting to a sludge.
“Beginning the approach,” said Duggan. There was no response and he glanced across at the others. Each face was a picture of concentration, their features a mix of focus, determination and fear. Duggan felt pride well up in his chest at the strength of his crew.
At the last possible moment, Duggan turned the headlong plunge of the ES Lightning into a steep, banking descent. The nose temperature went up to twenty percent of its design tolerance in seconds. The surface of the planet flashed by far below, barren plains of stone and jagged peaks of high mountains.
“Forty percent on the hull,” said Breeze.
“Nothing from the beacon,” said Chainer. “If it was still working, I’d have found it by now.”
“Sixty percent. Not long till we’re too hot.”
“I’m detecting another vessel, Captain,” said Chainer. “It’s big and it’s high, difficult to get a lock on.”
“The battleship is still here,” said Duggan with a grimace.
“Lost them again,” said Chainer. “They’ve gone over the planet’s curvature.”
“They didn’t see us,” said McGlashan.
“No, they didn’t,” said Chainer, realising the significance. He ran through a few quick checks. “With the angles and distance involved, a ship that size would have had a high probability of detecting us. That’s assuming a similar level of sensor technology to our own.”
“We either got lucky or they didn’t see through the stealth,” said Breeze.
“I’ve got my hopes pinned on the latter,” muttered Chainer, not taking his eyes from his screens.
“The hull is approaching ninety percent of tolerance,” said Breeze. “We need to slow down, sir.”
“Understood,” said Duggan. He reduced their speed, hoping the additional few seconds of travel time wouldn’t prove to be significant. The hull temperature continued to rise, though slower than it had before.
“Five thousand klicks until we reach the target area,” said McGlashan.
“The Dreamer battleship is visible again, sir,” said Chainer. “They’re in a small-diameter circle over the pyramid. We’re in full view of them and we’ll remain so until the rescue is complete or…” He was wise enough to cut off the sentence before his mouth could finish it.
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” said Duggan. “Can you identify any change in their behaviour?”
“They haven’t changed course.”
“No sign of a weapons launch,” said McGlashan.
Chainer wiped his sleeve across his forehead. “The lab guys have come up with the goods this time.”
“Let’s not congratulate them yet,” warned Duggan, wary against tempting fate. “Are we close enough to try direct contact with the spacesuit comms?”
“I’m pretty sure there’s too much rock between us and them. I’ll give it a try.”
The hull reached ninety-five percent of its maximum heat. If it got any higher, the soldiers they were trying to rescue would fry as they ran for the boarding ramp, with or without their spacesuits. Duggan swore and reduced their speed even further. The outside temperature remained static, though it felt like eighty degrees inside.
“Twenty seconds till we’re at the landing site,” said Chainer.
Duggan pulled at the control bars, willing the spaceship’s straining engines to overcome the massive inertia. He saw the place – a wide valley strewn with rocks. He guided the ES Lightning between the rough walls, keeping as close to the ground as possible.
“There’s our spot,” said Chainer. “I count three big missile craters and plasma burns in the surrounding area. There’s metal alloy amongst it – that’s the landing shuttle. I’ll bet the beacon got taken out at the same time.”
Duggan saw a good place and went for it. He ignored the AI’s recommendation to engage the auto-landing systems and instead dumped the ES Lightning hard onto the rocky ground. The ship scraped along the surface for a distance, ripping deep grooves into the rock and smashing several huge boulders away.
“Get on the comms!” said Duggan. “I’m damned if we’re going outside to
look for them.”
For the briefest of moments, he felt a panic when he realised the cave might have collapsed from the missile strikes. He checked the external sensor feed and to his relief, the cave mouth was still there, tall and narrow in the face of an overhanging cliff.
“Anything?”
“Not a peep, sir,” said Chainer.
Duggan thumped his fist against his console in anger and frustration.
CHAPTER FOUR
“WANT ME TO SUIT UP?” asked McGlashan.
Duggan wasn’t sure what he wanted. The last transmission from the troops had mentioned Ghasts. He wondered if they’d had an engagement with the enemy and come off worst. If they went to explore the cave there might be nothing more than dead bodies to be found. Duggan wasn’t sure he wanted to see the dead, though another part of him knew he would never rest until he was certain. Above, the Dreamer warship continued to circle, each passing moment increasing the chance it would detect an unusual visual reading or the heat pouring away from the ES Lightning’s hull. Duggan had recently learned there are times when choice can be nothing more than an illusion and now was one of those times.
“I’ll go,” he said, pushing himself from his chair. “Give me ten minutes after I leave and then take off if there’s no sign of my return.”
“We’re going nowhere while you’re still alive,” said McGlashan, her face resolute. “Don’t think you can throw yourself after the others to repent for your own feelings of guilt.”
Duggan stopped mid-stride, wondering if McGlashan had spoken the truth. He shook his head. “That wasn’t the plan, Commander,” he said softly. “Truly it wasn’t.”
She stared back, not knowing if she believed him. “If they’re gone, they’re gone, sir.”
“I know and I have no intention of losing myself as well. I’ve come to terms with it. This is just how I am – I can’t let others do my duty for me.”
Chainer laughed. “No kidding?”
Duggan smiled in return, though his face remained grim. “I’ve been told I’ll never change.”
Chainer’s mouth opened to say something in response. Whatever he’d planned to say didn’t come out. Instead, he jerked as if in shock. “I’ve got a voice on the comms,” he said.
“One of ours?” asked Duggan before his brain told him it could be none other.
“Shhh…it’s faint,” Chainer replied, holding his hand in the air. “This is ES Lightning, please respond.”
The bridge speakers came to life, with words that sounded as if they were spoken from an infinite distance. “This is Lieutenant Ortiz, do you copy?”
“This is Captain Duggan. We’ve landed outside. How many of you are left?”
Ortiz didn’t waste time on greetings. “We lost four in a firefight, sir. The rest of us are coming to you.”
“Four? Shit. Don’t hang around. The Dreamer battleship hasn’t gone anywhere.”
“Roger that.” The connection went quiet for a few seconds. “We’re coming now. A few of the boys are pretty weak.”
“We’ve brought a couple of med bots with us. Get them aboard and fast. We’re packing some stealth technology. Don’t be surprised if you need to look hard to find us.”
“I gotcha,” she said. Her breathing sounded laboured and her voice lacked its usual strength – four months in a suit would take its toll on even the fittest person.
“How long till you get here?” asked Duggan, anxious to complete the pickup and be away from the planet.
“Minutes,” said Ortiz tersely. “Not many minutes.”
The bulkhead screen showed the mouth of the cave. Darkness wasn’t a significant impediment to the ship’s sensors, but the cave sloped steeply downwards, limiting their view within.
“What a shitty place,” said Chainer to himself.
“Keep an eye on the battleship,” warned Duggan.
“I am, sir.”
“Come on,” said McGlashan. “Look! Movement in the cave!”
“You’re right,” said Duggan, stepping closer to the screen. There was something within. The details were indistinct but it looked like a figure in a spacesuit.
“Uh, we’ve got movement above as well, sir,” said Chainer.
Duggan turned sharply. “What sort of movement?”
“There’s been a deviation in their course.”
“No sign of a weapons launch,” said McGlashan.
Duggan didn’t like it and he became even more jumpy. “Lieutenant Ortiz, you need to move faster.”
“We can’t go faster than this – not without leaving someone behind.”
“Very well,” said Duggan. “Things might get hot soon.”
There was more movement in the cave and the crew squinted, as if this would somehow make the details clearer.
“I count four,” said McGlashan. “There’s number five.”
“And six,” said Breeze. He panted as if he’d been holding his breath.
“Four missing, Lieutenant Ortiz said. Six is all that’s left.”
Chainer delivered the bad news. “I’m fairly sure the crew on the battleship are suspicious, sir,” he said. “They’re coming in lower and they’re no longer circling.”
“Do you think they’ve spotted us?”
“I think they know there’s something not quite right,” said Chainer.
“How high are they?”
“Eighty thousand klicks, give or take.”
“They’re going to see our troops as soon as they leave the cave, aren’t they?”
“There’s a decent chance – it might take them a few seconds if they aren’t looking for something as small as a bunch of soldiers.”
Duggan did some quick working. If the enemy launched missiles, it would take slightly under twenty seconds for them to reach the surface. The ES Lightning was close to the cave mouth so there wasn’t far to run. Duggan estimated a soldier at his or her peak could cover the distance in fifteen seconds whilst wearing a spacesuit. He snarled angrily at the numbers – as much as he wanted to, there was no way he could predict how this would play out.
Owing to the perspective, it wasn’t easy to be sure if the troops had left the cave. In the shadow of the overhang they gathered into a group and then as one they broke into a clumsy run towards the ES Lightning. At least two of the figures struggled and they leaned against the others for support.
“Come on Lieutenant, you’re nearly home,” said Duggan.
“I’ll believe it when we’re at lightspeed, sir,” she replied, the words sounding as if they’d taken a great effort.
“Don’t speak, just run.”
“The first pair have passed beneath our hull,” said Chainer. “They’re going to make it!”
Duggan didn’t want to greet success prematurely. “Like Lieutenant Ortiz said. When we’re at lightspeed.”
“Crap, there’s a launch from the battleship,” said McGlashan. “Fifty missiles.”
“Have they targeted us or the soldiers?” asked Duggan. It didn’t make much difference – the splash from so many missiles would kill everyone and destroy the ship.
“The missiles are dropping in a grid pattern, sir,” said McGlashan. “With a few hundred metres between each one.”
“They don’t know exactly where we are!” said Duggan. “There’s still a chance.”
“The lead two soldiers have come onboard,” said Chainer. “Now four…six.” He was silent for another moment. “That’s the lot! Got them! Closing the boarding ramp. Done!”
As soon as he heard those words, Duggan pulled at the control bars. The Lightning surged away from the surface. Once they’d reached two hundred metres, Duggan gave the engines full power and the warship gathered speed, howling under the stress of maintaining the stealth shroud. He closed his eyes for the briefest of times, hoping against hope they would escape unscathed from the incoming missiles.
The external feeds blazed white. Enemy missiles detonated against the surface in many places nearby, spil
ling plasma for hundreds of metres in all directions. Each blast overlapped with the others, making several square kilometres of the planet brighter and hotter than its sun. The ES Lightning didn’t sustain a direct hit, but was caught by the ferocious heat. The warship was rocked and buffeted. Its armour, already blisteringly hot from the approach to Kidor, became molten. Several thousand tonnes of white-hot alloy were pulled away from the hull, leaving a trail of white streaks in the air behind, visible through the fading light of the Dreamer missile blasts. On the bridge, damage alerts flew across a half-dozen screens.
“We’re too hot,” shouted Breeze.
“The battleship has descended to thirty thousand klicks,” said Chainer.
“They’ve launched another fifty,” said McGlashan, steely and calm. “Same grid pattern. There’s another fifty coming right after. You need to change course, sir.”
There was hardly a moment to react before the second wave of missiles exploded. This time, the Lightning was at the periphery of the inferno. Heat licked across wounded metal, yet without inflicting the same damage as the first wave. Duggan increased their altitude as quickly as he could and soon they were dozens of kilometres above the bombardment.
“We need to get out of here,” said Chainer, letting everyone know what they’d already realised.
“We can’t go to lightspeed with the stealth modules active,” said Breeze. “There’s a cooldown period after they’re deactivated before we can use the fission drive.”
“I know, I know,” muttered Chainer. “The battleship is following us. If they knew exactly where we were they’d have destroyed us by now. Since they must only have a general idea of our location, they might follow us until they manage to get a proper lock on.”
“We haven’t got much choice,” said Duggan. “We’ve done well to get as far as we have.” He watched the tactical display. The Dreamer warship was less than twenty thousand kilometres away from them – a monstrous construction of alloys and weapons, with spindly outcrops and curved edges. “It’s still directly behind us. We can’t go any faster while cloaked.”
Fires of Oblivion (Survival Wars Book 4) Page 3