Jinks on Sirius 4

by C. E. Engelbrunner

  As Beaumont entered, he opened the file and Igor's voice filled the room, with an urgent, sober tone, "Sojuz Outpost to Buster K. We've been expecting the cargo ship La Fleur for three days now. It's long overdue. No trace of her, no contact. Please, if you can find something out about her, let us know. Best regards. Igor. Sojuz out."

  Both pilots looked at each other, frowning and irritated by the message.

  "He sounded worried. I mean, we've know him for years. He wouldn't be like that for no reason." Beaumont said.

  "Yes, I hear you." McCall responded "That was unusual. Send back a short confirmation that we are investigating."

  Beaumont nodded. He spoke the short message into the com and pressed the send button. Igor would get their answer in about three days, maybe they would find something out by then.

  McCall took action right away and said "Let's go, checklist search & rescue. Long range scanners on." McCall hit the switch for the long range scanners.

  "Check."

  "Doppler radar on."

  "Check."

  "Transponder search on long range."

  "Check."

  "Let's see what we got," McCall answered and concentrated on the main screen. There were only a few automated beacons, shining off rocks and satellites, showing themselves within the sector. They checked sector by sector not finding the ship they were looking for.

  After a while something bigger popped up on McCall's screen. It was right in front of them along their course. Amazingly, the ID of the cargo cruiser La Fleur appeared on the screen, including its heading, speed and course data.

  "Look at the speed, it's just drifting along. The course to the Sojuz seems right, but the speed, it's too slow."

  Beaumont frowned, "Yeah, looks like engine failure or something. It's going at about 49000 knots. That's almost nothing in deep space. Like an old NASA rocket."

  They checked the distance to the La Fleur.

  "Only half of an AU," said McCall.

  "Close enough for communication, should we?"

  "Sure, go ahead."

  Beaumont set the transmitter to direct communication, adjusted the main antenna on the Buster K to the location where the La Fleur should be and started broadcasting,

  "La Fleur, La Fleur, this is Hyperspace Cruiser Buster K, do you read me?"

  They listened to the static in the speakers for a good 45 minutes because the signal needed more than 15 minutes to get there and back. At the same time Beaumont repeated his call several times. Nothing so far.

  McCall had already accelerated the Buster K to get closer to the La Fleur.

  "Getting closer, only 100000 kilometers to target," he announced.

  "Should be close enough to hear them now on direct com. I'll try again."

  Again Beaumont hit the com button on his yoke: "La Fleur, this is Buster K. Come in. If you are in an emergency, give us a sign. Over."

  Nothing again. They stayed on course moving closer and repeated the call. Again without a response. Finally they could see the ship through the front windows of the flight deck.

  The La Fleur was a bigger ship than the Buster K. A 600 foot long rig with freight containers attached. It looked like it was carrying a full load. The bow fuselage contained all of the crew compartments, engine rooms and of course the bridge.

  They adjusted the speed of the Buster K in line with the La Fleur and took position alongside it so as to see the bridge. They saw light shimmering on the bridge through the armored glass, but couldn't detect anyone or any movement.

  "Should we give light signals?" Beaumont asked

  "Couldn't hurt, bring it on." McCall brought the Buster K to a 90 degree angle in order for the strong landing lights on the ship's bow to have a greater effect.

  "Helloooo, anybody hooome." Beaumont called out as he searched the area within the light beams. They shone over almost the entire front of the La Fleur. Anyone in proximity to a porthole or on the bridge would definitely notice this. They kept the lights shining for a while, turned them off for a short break, then turned them on again. Nothing. The La Fleur kept its low speed without any reaction as the Buster K sailed along just 90 feet next to her.

  "Wait! I think I saw something!" McCall shouted.

  "Where?"

  "Behind one of those windows, maybe about 20 feet behind the flight deck."

  Beaumont looked at the spot on the La Fleur's hull, but saw nothing.

  "Uh, maybe just a reflection from our lights."

  "I was pretty sure, but maybe you're right."

  McCall looked again but there was nothing. He shook his head and pointed at the console. "Time to ask HER. Maybe she can set up a connection to their mainframe," said McCall as he pulled the switch for the voice interface.

  "Good afternoon, flight crew of the Buster K. How can I be of assistance?" The female voice sounded.

  "Yes, you can assist us. We need you to make contact with the ship next to us. Please try to connect to their system. As you can see, we got no response to our prompts. That means we have clearance for emergency procedure. Execute." McCall commanded.

  "Connecting, stand by, please."

  It didn't take her long to make the connection and for them to hear the status update she had received from the La Fleur, "I am connected now. The flight system of the La Fleur has acknowledged us as friendly. The ship is in emergency mode due to a reactor failure."

  Beaumont paled and McCall, alarmed, hastily grabbed the yoke, ready to bank away as he asked, "Identify problem, quick, is there a leak?"

  "Negative, Captain McCall. No sign of a failure. All reactors of the La Fleur are on idle. But the system was put in escape mode. Should I ask for more information?"

  McCall let go of the yoke and stopped the bank maneuver. Beaumont also took his hands off the throttle for the moment.

  "Yes, investigate further, there must be a reason." Then he added: "And while you're at it, please put us on a circular course around the fuselage of the La Fleur."

  "Affirmative, commencing course."

  The Buster K started circling slowly around the other ship, still at a 90 degree angle. Beaumont activated the landing lights again to offer them a better view.

  "STOP! Right there!" McCall shouted suddenly.

  "I see it." Beaumont pointed out of the window to below the La Fleur. The ship usually had 5 rescue pods attached below. 3 were missing.

  "Looks like they abandoned ship. Computer, please request the crew manifest and the last way point."

  "Displaying data on your main screen", the female voice said. Lines of names, ranks and also the cargo manifest popped up. Both pilots looked at the screen and found nothing unusual, except one entry. Crew of 7, plus one passenger. The manifest showed:

  Jean Lerille, Captain

  Henry Rosen, First officer

  Jack Harper, Third Officer

  Giovanni Caprese, Machinist

  Ling Fu, Machinist

  Harvey Cooper, Cargo master

  Laverne Brown, Cargo master

  Matthias, Passenger

  The passenger had no last name, just 'Matthias'.

  "A dog, a cat? A horse, a chimp maybe?" McCall pointed to the screen and shrugged.

  "Maybe, but not the standard procedure according to regulations. They should have written who, or what this guy, well whatever, is. What do you think, should we enter the ship?" Beaumont looked questioningly at McCall.

  "Better not, I don't like the looks of this. Computer, please get me the last way point on their journey"

  "The Sirius colony was the last way point, and it was the last regular stop. They stayed for almost 36 hours in the planet's orbit. Do you need to know more?"

  "Hold it for a moment, let me think." McCall frowned and said, "The Sirius colony is our next stop too, but what do we do with this Ghost ship?"

  "We can program its system to continue to Sojuz, but we'd have to program a ride for her on full auto. Risky."

  "Yes, I agree. And if this was a failed evacua
tion attempt, those poor bastards are now floating around somewhere between here and Sirius in deep space."

  "Then let's take the ship in tow." Beaumont suggested.

  "Sounds good to me. Computer, can you confirm that all of the La Fleur's systems are nominal and safe?"

  "Yes, Captain McCall, all systems are safe and fully operational, except for three missing escape pods."

  "Ok, then please request it to follow us back to the Sirius colony at a minimum safe distance. Commence."

  "La Fleur is confirming request, ship will follow us at cruise speed."

  The La Fleur lined up behind the Buster K, and as if attached by a rope they both both floated in a turn of 180 degrees and went on a course toward Sirius.

  "I wonder if we'll find the the crew." Beaumont said after the engines had come to life and both ships had gained speed.

  "Yes, let's keep all the scanners online."

  "Maybe our robot girl isn't all that bad, huh?" Beaumont grinned.

  "She does her job and is definitely cheaper than a third man in the cockpit." McCall answered in a dry tone.

  "Thank you, Captain McCall." the acknowledgment of gratitude sounded from the system.

  Beaumont and McCall had to chuckle even though the tension about the abandoned ship was present between them.

  Chapter 4: The Noise of Silence

  Almost four days later, they arrived at the Sirius colony, that was a habitable and earth like planet that orbited around the Sirius suns. They had found no trace of the crew of the La Fleur along the way. No distress beacon, no radar contact, no debris, nothing. Both ships got into the orbit of the Sirius colony, and just as they were making the regular initial contact, they realized there had been no communication at all with Sirius since they came into range for direct communication. They probably hadn't noticed because they had been distracted by the situation with the La Fleur.

  "Now I'm getting nervous. This is really a bit concerning." McCall said, looking as uncomfortable about the situation as Beaumont did.

  "Oui, me too. There is something bigger going on. This is something more than we thought at first."

  Beaumont frowned and checked his screens for any sign of life on the planet's surface. Any radio communication, any movement. Other than animal life, he couldn't detect anything.

  “Lyman City, this is Buster K, come in.” McCall hollered. He let go of the button and listened to the static. “Lyman City, do you copy? Please answer, this is spaceship Buster K requesting to land, over.”

  As they came over the horizon, they also couldn't detect any movement around the colony. Literally nothing. The Sirius colony, commonly called Sirius 4, was a bit bigger than Earth, with a single landmass. It had only one continent about the size of Australia. A world with swollen sea levels in a retreating ice age. The perfect place to settle. Its only settlement was called Lyman City, named after the first Administrator of the colony.

  "I'm starting to hate this word, 'Nothing'. But the colony is still there, no signs of destruction of any sort." he said.

  "And all the beacons are online, and their radar is up and running. We should be visible on their screens for sure."

  "What do you say we put the La Fleur in a steady orbit and take a look down there. We wanted to go there anyway." Beaumont looked firmly at McCall.

  McCall nodded slowly. "Out here we won't be getting help from anyone anyway. I'd say we have to go down."

  "But isn't there a military base near by?" Beaumont asked.

  "Forget them! They're just a bunch of hush, hush top secret motherfuckers. They won't care unless someone attacks them directly."

  Beaumont nodded, "So, how do we go about this? Slow re-entry, or a hard drop like back in the old army days?"

  "I'm for a hard one. We don't know what's going on down there and don't wanna give anyone a clear target." McCall answered and flipped a few switches.

  Beaumont ordered the flight system of the La Fleur to go into a steady orbit at 350 km around the planet, while McCall prepared the Buster K's flight systems. A "hard one" meant that the ship used their retro propulsion engines and anti-gravity systems to bring them to a complete stop above a fixed position on the planet. After that they would just fall down like a rock until thicker atmosphere hit the fuselage and turned the ship into an aerodynamic body again. It would be a rough ride, but most military pilots and veterans preferred this kind of re-entry, as did McCall and Beaumont. No job for sissies.

  As the Buster K slowed down, the La Fleur appeared to be accelerating until it was just another light among the other bazillion stars. It took a while for the Buster K to come to a full stop. The anti gravity drive started to whine when they were about 300 kilometers above the silent colony. Both pilots had to made the corrections for the course and altitude to keep the ship in the right spot. The absorbers kept them both from blacking out from the g-forces. And finally the flight system announced a complete halt in space.

  "Okay", McCall said, "with, or without music?"

  "Musical entertainment is considered a serious distraction to flight crews and is against regulations!" The female robot voice announced loud and clear. "Entertainment features are only allowed when the ship is on full-auto."

  "Screw that, flight sys! Going DOWN!" said McCall and released the anti-g drive.

  The Buster K fell from orbit like a meteor, while Beaumont hit the music button.

  "Oh hell!" McCall yelled, as Beaumont just grinned and an ancient, french punk rock song filled the flight deck, some kid yelling:

  "ÇA PLANE POUR MOI..."

  "Against regulations, go to full auto!" the robot voice yelled, as the Buster K bolted downwards into the planet's atmosphere.

  "I CAN'T HEAR A THING, IT'S TOO LOUD IN HERE!" McCall yelled back.

  "YOU MISSED THE CIGAR, HAHA!" Beaumont added.

  It was only a few minutes until the Buster K hit thicker air and slowly sailed into an aerodynamic flight path. The air was roaring around them as they flew a circle around the colony below them.

  "Atmospheric controls." McCall announced.

  "Atmospheric controls nominal."

  The Buster K created several sonic booms over a wide area around the surface of the planet as they slowed and circled farther down.

  "They should hear us by now." McCall said.

  "Oui, that should rock their huts and barns, but I got nothing at all. Nothing on the low range com, no radio, no data transmission, only their beacon. Merde!"

  Beaumont responded and pointed at the screens.

  "What now? Should we go straight to the Airport?"

  "No way!" McCall said, "if something weird is going on, I don't want to be in the middle of it."

  Beaumont nodded and offered an alternative, "The Beach?"

  "Yeah, let's put our lady down there. The cliffs will give us cover."

  "By the book, like in the old days." Beaumont grinned.

  "By our book! Ready?"

  Beaumont just nodded grimly as McCall brought the ship into a very steep dive towards the ocean.

  A loud and annoying sound came from the instrument panel as the computer announced: "INCOMING! TRACKING BY RADAR! INCOMING!"

  Both pilots glanced at the screen and saw a very fast blip coming towards their position.

  "Jam it!" McCall quickly commanded in a low voice.

  "Radar jam on. Chaffs deployed"

  They focused on the radar screen watching the blip continue toward the ship.

  "INCOMING! IR TRACKING! INCOMING!" Ms. Computer shouted.

  "Flares deployed!" Beaumont announced.

  "INCOMING! IR TRACKING! INCOMING!" Ms. Computer again.

  "ENGINES OFF!" McCall called out.

  Beaumont looked a bit pale when he glanced at McCall, but said nothing.

  "Calm down buddy, we still have the anti-gs, " McCall said.

  "INCOMING! TRACKING G-WAVES! INCOMING!"

  "OH CRAP, this sucker is state of the art. All systems OFF!" McCall yelled.

&
nbsp; Beaumont flipped the switches and turned the systems off.

  The Buster K was now nothing more than a glider, flying at the speed of sound. McCall took the ship into a steep turn as the drone just missed their wing tip by a foot.

  "Shit, are you serious?" Beaumont exclaimed.

  "Damn, what else can we do? Uh, it's getting hard to steer, help me on the yoke!" McCall pressed out through his clenched teeth. They put the ship into another steep turn, gliding on the wind as the drone came back for toward them, and missed again.

  They steered into another steep dive toward the cliffs along the coast. They glided lower and lower, the killer drone on their trail.

  "MAC! TOO STEEP!" Beaumont yelled.

  "ALL SYSTEMS ON, GOGOGO, I CANT HOLD HER ANYMORE!" McCall shouted, as Beaumont flipped the engines on. The power whirred up loudly while the ship was racing downwards and the drone was still closing in.

  Just before plowing into the steep cliffs, both McCall and Beaumont pulled up hard on their yokes and the Buster K swooped up steeply, only a few feet away from the hulking boulders and began a reassuring ascent.

  The drone tried to correct its course, but the momentum was too strong for the small engines. It smashed into the cliffs and exploded in a huge fireball.

  "Mon dieux! What a ride!" Beaumont was sweating but could now allow himself to relax yet.

  “Boola-Boola.” McCall groaned.

  “No, we did not shoot that down, it crashed.” Beaumont corrected.

  McCall just rolled his eyes and said, "Let's get the ship down below the cliffs. I don't want to make ourselves an all to easy target."