The Last Valkyrie

by Dietmar Wehr

  “One collision!” was all that Valkyrie said. By this time, the mothership was far ahead and was still coasting at just under 98% of light speed. Ronson held his breath again as the other two sentry ships made another attempt. This one really did fail. Both were still intact when Valkyrie caught up to them. Three seconds later, the two sentry ships jumped again and one disappeared when Valkyrie caught up.

  “One more jump should do it!” she said.

  Ronson was afraid to exhale in case doing so jinxed the attempt. The sentry ship jumped ahead of the warship, then appeared to fall behind, and when Valkyrie’s ship caught up to it, it too was gone.

  “Third collision achieved,” said Valkyrie in a calmer voice.

  “Now what do we do?” asked Ronson as he exhaled.

  “Now I maneuver my ship so that when I micro-jump to where I think that alien ship is, I won’t run into it in case it’s still decelerating. If I’m close enough, I’ll fire my weapons, and hopefully the ship will be too damaged to throw up an EM shield. If it’s still decelerating and still has shields, then we’re in trouble, Troy. Here we go.”

  Before he even had a chance to respond, the jump was over.

  “It’s no longer decelerating,” said Valkyrie. “My torsion beams didn’t seem to have any effect, but I didn’t detect any EM spike indicative of an EM shield, so my beams may have just missed. I’m going to repeat the attack. Jumping—target has been destroyed, Troy! It exploded!”

  Ronson pumped his fist into the air. “So we’ve won, right?” he asked.

  “I regret to say that it’s too early to declare a victory just yet. You’re forgetting the mothership, Troy. The ship itself has to be badly damaged. It was pierced with torsion beams that cut right through it multiple times. The atmospheric venting indicates that huge sections of the interior are now open to space. All of the rear engine assemblies have been damaged or in some cases completely destroyed. Repairing the mothership’s ability to decelerate is not possible in my estimation; however, some or all of those 19 docked and damaged warships might be repairable. That’s what we have to prevent. I’m going to micro-jump as close as I dare to the estimated position of the mothership so that I can get a visual determination of its condition. Standby.”

  Ronson began counting the seconds; when he reached eight, Valkyrie said, “All docked warships on one side are clearly crippled. I’ll shift over so that I can scan the opposite side. Jumping in three…two…one…jump complete. All but one warship are clearly crippled and unrepairable. There is one that has some damage, but it’s not clear whether it can be repaired or not. Now that I know where it is, I’ll make another attack jump…jump complete. One final reconnaissance jump just to make sure…all warships appear to be unrepairable; however…”

  When it was clear that she wasn’t going to finish the sentence, Ronson said, “However what?”

  “My visual inspection is not 100% conclusive. If this mothership were crewed by humans, or even by my beloved Aesir, I would be confident that those warships could not be repaired enough to pose a threat. But we know nothing of these aliens or of their capabilities. We have to be sure that the threat to our galaxy has been contained, and there is a limit to what repeated split-second micro-jumps can reveal or accomplish. I have to accelerate my ship to the same velocity and then micro-jump close to the mothership. There is a risk, Troy. The mothership may have weapon turrets that are undamaged, and if they also have sufficient power, they can pose a serious threat to us. The time-dilation effect won’t help us if we’re travelling just as fast as they are. You can still take an auxiliary craft back to Vesta, Troy.”

  Ronson didn’t even hesitate. “No way, Valkyrie! We’re a team. How long until we can match their velocity?”

  “Approximately fifty-two point two hours. With the time-dilation that they’re experiencing, that will seem like just over one and a half hours for them. I doubt very much that they’ll be able to accomplish a lot in that time.”

  Ronson sighed. Having to wait two days seemed anti-climatic. He was still feeling the effects of the adrenaline surge from a few minutes ago, and the fatigue that always followed that kind of surge would be coming over him pretty soon. Two days to ponder the upcoming rendezvous and imagine all kinds of possible scenarios. He really would rather have it all happen right now and get it over with, but the laws of physics precluded that.

  Chapter Twenty:

  “Ready for the final jump, Troy? Is it really necessary to bring your slug-thrower weapon with you?”

  Ronson shrugged. “I just have a hunch it might come in handy somehow. After all, we are going to get quite close to this mothership, right?”

  “Close is a relative concept. I don’t plan on getting us close enough to worry about repelling boarders, and I can’t see that weapon being used in any other circumstances.”

  “Well, let’s hope I don’t need it. Go ahead and jump.” Ronson thought the lack of reply was odd. “Valkyrie? Anything wrong?”

  “I don’t know, Troy. I’m experiencing a very strange sensation that I have never felt before, but all my brain case diagnostics show nothing wrong. I’m initiating the jump now.”

  Ronson watched the display, which was now showing the external view from up ahead via the ship’s optics. He did see a small black circle appear.

  “How far away from it are we now?” he asked.

  “Approximately one hundred ninety-nine kilometers. We seem to have a slight overtake velocity differential. We’re approaching the mothership at a speed of one kilometer every nine point eight seconds. I’m adjusting my velocity to match theirs. When I jump to within five kilometers, I want us to maintain that distance. My EM shields are all online. Weapon turrets are charged. Jump has been calculated. Hold on to something, Troy, just in case. Jumping…now.”

  Ronson gasped as the view on the display suddenly jumped in size. He was now looking at the rear of a large ship that had visible holes out of which debris was flying due to escaping gases. Complicated looking engine assemblies were slashed and gouged by the torsion beams. No lights were visible either externally or from within the holes.

  “What’s the next step?” he asked.

  After a pause that was unusual, he heard her reply. “Now comes the dangerous part. We’re in the mothership’s wake. It’s clearing a path through inter-galactic gases and dust, so we’re not being hit by any particles. But as soon as I move out of the wake, which I have to do in order to get line-of-sight on the docked warships, we’ll start running into gas molecules and dust particles. At this velocity, even single atoms hitting my hull will carry enough kinetic energy to knock some armor atoms loose. I estimate my hull will withstand the particle collisions for a few weeks, so I’m not concerned about that as long as I can finish this mission quickly. You should expect to feel collisions with objects that are larger than single atoms. I imagine that it will sound worse than it really is. I’m maneuvering out of the wake now, Troy.”

  Ronson didn’t need the display to tell him when Valkyrie’s ship had moved out of the mothership’s wake. He heard the sounds and felt the vibration of particle collisions even through his spacesuit and closed helmet. The view of the mothership was now showing one side at an acute angle. He could see the outline of what had to be one of the warships, which was tucked almost all the way into the mothership. As he watched, he saw new gashes appear suddenly as Valkyrie fired her torsion beams to slash the part that appeared undamaged. She must have been accelerating because the angle grew less acute, and Ronson could see other warships and bulges in the mothership’s hull.

  “Are those bulges weapon turrets, Valkyrie?”

  “Very perceptive of you, Troy. Yes, they are, and even though the mothership appears to be without power, I’m targeting them as soon as I can get clear shots.”

  Ronson noticed that Valkyrie was speaking faster than usual. “Are you still feeling strange?” he asked.

  “Yes, Troy, and the feeling is intensifying. I’m concerned
that if this keeps up, I may not be able to concentrate. I’m trying to complete the mission as quickly as possible.”

  Ronson felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. There was something about Valkyrie’s tone that made him uneasy. He decided that the best thing he could do to help her right now was to stay silent.

  As Valkyrie’s ship pulled up beside the mothership and began to maneuver around it, Ronson could tell that she was firing her torsion beams faster and faster. Just as a complete circuit around the axis of the mothership was almost complete, one of the warships suddenly broke apart into several large pieces and broke loose from the mothership.

  “What the—“

  “WE’RE BEING PULLED IN, TROY!” yelled Valkyrie.

  At first Ronson didn’t understand what Valkyrie meant, but then it became obvious that her ship was veering towards the part of the mothership’s hull that had previously been hidden by the warship.

  “HOW?” yelled Ronson.

  “Some kind of tractor beam? I don’t know, but I can’t veer off. Prepare for collision, Troy! We’re going to hit hard!”

  When her ship hit the hull of the mothership, the impact was so great that the inertial dampeners couldn’t compensate for it all, and Ronson yelled as he was thrown against one wall. He heard a horrible screeching of metal on metal that continued for a shockingly long time. The main status board on the far wall began to show damage to internal systems.

  “Are you alright, Troy?”

  Ronson shook his head. His hearing must have been affected by the impact because Valkyrie’s voice sounded strange, less electronic if that was possible.

  “I think I’m okay. Suit integrity is intact. How about the ship?”

  “Major structural damage to one side. Still have power, engines and weapons, but we’re stuck fast. Wait a second. I think— Hull breach, Troy! Something has forced its way into my ship! I must not be captured, Troy. If these aliens gain access to my databanks, they may be able to use my repair systems to repair their warships. That would put humans and all Compact races in serious jeopardy. We can’t let them take this ship intact, Troy. Breaking free is not an option. Only one way to stop them. I have to set a catastrophic power overload. It will cause a detonation that will destroy this ship and most of the mothership too, but it’ll take time to build up. The intruders are coming this way. Can you hold them off for me, Troy? I need about ninety seconds.”

  Ronson felt a stabbing pain in his chest from the realization that he and Valkyrie were doomed. “You’ve got your ninety seconds! Nobody’s getting past me!” As he said those words, he jumped up and headed for the Bridge door. The door opened, and he crouched down behind one side of the opening. In less than ten seconds, he had his machine pistol ready with multiple clips of ammunition on the deck within easy reach. When the hatch at the far end of the corridor leading directly to the Bridge exploded open, Ronson felt a momentary surge of fear and took a deep breath.

  The thing that came charging through the open hatch was so shocking that Ronson was too stunned to react immediately. It was tall, had two sets of arms, a head that looked like it belonged on a lizard and plenty of armor. One pair of arms was carrying a large weapon that it must have used to blow off the hatch door, and to Ronson’s shock, both of the other arms were carrying what looked like short swords with serrated edges!

  What the hell? He struggled to understand why a race advanced enough to build this mothership would still use edged weapons for personal combat. Forget the analysis and shoot this fucker! his mind screamed at him as the alien began running very fast towards him.

  Valkyrie was too focused on initiating the overload build up sequence to see the intruder break into the corridor. She heard Troy yell something and then heard a scream. With the power overload buildup now initiated, the detonation would happen automatically when it reached critical mass. Her task was done, and as she switched her focus to the optics overlooking the Bridge, she heard a voice in her head that she recognized. It was the voice of Ry Han Non.

  “Your journey is almost complete, Val Ky Ree. You have done well. The strange sensation you have been feeling is the transition to your own ascension. To complete the process, you must close your mind to all other concerns. The human will die. You cannot prevent it, but you can help him in another way. Do not be afraid to let go. If you fall, I will catch you.”

  Valkyrie found that voice to be reassuring and comforting, so she blocked all incoming sensory and digital input. She let go.

  The alien let out a blood-curdling scream that made Ronson close his eyes involuntarily as he pulled the trigger. The sound of the ricochets told him that he had missed. With his eyes now open, he adjusted his aim. He was about to fire again when the alien threw one of his short swords so forcefully that it hit the machine pistol before Ronson could pull the trigger. The impact and his own reflexive jerk caused him to lose his grip on the weapon, and it flew out of reach.

  Shit! Even as he had the thought, he saw the alien rushing at him. Looking around wildly, the only thing he saw that was close enough to grab in time was the alien sword. Just as he brought it up with both hands, the alien collided with him, and Ronson screamed in pain as he felt the other sword penetrate the spacesuit and his abdomen. As both of them fell in a tangle, Ronson heard the alien yell out in obvious pain too. Somehow, he had gotten the sword up high enough to stab the alien in the throat. The creature rolled off him, clawing at the embedded sword in its neck, and then lay still.

  Ronson wasn’t able to look down at his wound because of his helmet, but he could tell he was dying, and that the end was near. He closed his eyes and after a second was startled to notice that a source of blue light was intense enough that some of it penetrated his eye lids. He opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw. A female figure with huge wings coming out of her back was floating down to the deck. She was wearing a pointed helmet and had close fitting chainmail armor around her slender body, with a sheathed sword hanging from her belt. The image reminded him very much of the classical, winged Valkyrie image he had shown to Valkyrie months ago, except for the face. He recognized it as being the same as the face on the hologram image projected for him when he first entered the drifting ship. This image was his Valkyrie, but she was not a semi-transparent hologram. She was solid and yet was still emitting that wonderful blue light! She smiled at him as she bent down, opened his helmet’s faceplate and caressed his forehead with her right hand. His pain instantly went away.

  “My brave, brave Troy. You’re dying and don’t have much time, so I’ll be quick. I have ascended. I’ve taken this form because I knew it would please you. Do not be concerned about the ship. They will not be able to stop the overload now. I’ve come to help you. If your spirit leaves your body without assistance, you’ll have difficulty finding your way to where you need to go because we’re still outside the galaxy. I can’t go with you to your destination, Troy, just as you can’t go with me to mine, but I can help you find your way. You can let go of your body now. Do not be afraid. If you fall, I will catch you.”

  Ronson nodded, closed his eyes and let go. He felt himself being lifted up, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw that Valkyrie was carrying him with both hands tucked under his arms. Yet when he looked down, he saw his body still on the deck. In a flash, he understood that she was carrying his spirit. The two of them quickly passed through the hull of the ship into open space. Ronson looked back at the ship wedged into the docking bay of the mothership.

  What about the overload? he thought.

  “The overload will finish building up in a few seconds. The invading ship will be completely destroyed. The threat is over. I sense that you’re wondering what will become of your people. I’m able to see into their future, and it is a bright and glorious one. Do you see that light up ahead, Troy?”

  Ronson turned his gaze to where she was looking and saw a tiny source of light emitting a warm, golden glow. “I see it.”

  “That is your desti
nation. Once we pass the energy field protecting this galaxy, that light will become much bigger, and you’ll be able to complete your journey by yourself. We’re almost there now. You’re wondering if we’ll meet again. Eventually, we will, when your race also ascends. For now, I must say good-bye.” He felt her let go of him, and before he could think of a response, the stars around him became a blur, and the light expanded to envelop him in a golden embrace.

  This is the end of The Last Valkyrie

  Author’s Final Comments:

  This was a story that was floating around inside my head for quite a while and I’m pleased that I’ve finally given it wings so to speak. While it certainly has elements of military scifi, I think of the whole story as being more in the vein of Space Opera. My next project will be the first book in a new military scifi series. I don’t have a title for the series yet but the working title of the first book is The Battle for Asgard. The fact that The Last Valkyrie and Battle for Asgard both refer to elements of Norse mythologiy is purely coincidental. This next series will not have A.I.’s or S.I.’s named Valkyrie.