The Garoden War. (SpaceFed StarShips Series) Book 6. An action-packed follow-on story that sees the Earth's Space Navy in action.: ‘Into the Fire.’

by Gerry A. Saunders

  He smiled to himself as he thought about the impact the sight of their ships must have had on the aliens. His Star-Destroyers were over two kilometers long and point-eight in width. The rear end of each of the ships was bulbous and housed the warp drive system. While several raised and elongated sections, bristling with weapons and force field emitters, were located at regular intervals along the length of their hulls. Overall, they were very impressive and menacing ships.

  Verice smiled again, as he mentally constructed an image of what his ships would look like as they made the first Jump in this new adventure.

  The ships were, on the whole, bluish-purple in color. But once activated the hull would come alive, with lighter bluish colored streaks appearing to swirl around and across the hull, in a random pattern.

  What a sight that will be, he thought, and could hardly wait for the moment they left. But, he knew his ships would be stuck here for a few more months. Until the Pathfinder ship had reached the first exit point, and transmitted clearance for the ships to engage their jump engines.

  After which the Pathfinder would place a guiding beacon at the Jump point, for their ships to follow. With the Pathfinder then proceeding to the next jump point. This procedure would be repeated at each Jump point, thus mapping the return route to Garoden at the same time.

  Yes, Viceroy Verice decided, as usual, their plan was perfect. They didn’t need to fear anyone.

  Then he thought about the blue sphere ship, again. It had certainly not been a match for a Garoden vessel. However, it was a shame they hadn’t been able to locate the blue ship’s homeworld at the time.

  Even so, he was confident that his ships would find it now. Then they’d send in their Planet Destructor weapons to obliterate the planet and its inhabitants.

  Chapter 6

  Premonition

  Earth 2311.

  The automated Shuttle glided smoothly up to meet the now open outer door of Andromeda’s secondary airlock. Once stationary, the shuttle extended its transfer tube to latch onto the ship’s coupling interface. Then the shuttle’s outer door opened and its transfer tube sealed enabling it to be pressurized by the Andromeda.

  The shuttle’s inner door then opened, allowing Frank and Susanna direct access to the airlock. Once inside, the shuttle’s inner door closed, and they walked across the transfer tube and into Andromeda’s main airlock.

  Both of them were pleased that they had remembered to put their Mag shoes on as Andromeda’s airlock door closed behind them. Within a few seconds, they heard a clunk sound on the outer hull, indicating that the shuttle had disengaged, retracted its transfer tube, and was already moving away from the Andromeda to start its return journey to Earth.

  Marine Captain, Reece, was waiting for them in the annex next to the main airlock.

  “Glad to see you aboard, Captain. Susanna,” he greeted.

  “You too, Tomas.” Frank acknowledged as he and Susanna sat down on the suction chairs and swapped their Mag shoes for mosaic type shoes.

  “Everyone aboard, Tomas? He knew they were, of course, but felt that it was psychologically important for his crew to feel needed.

  “Yes, according to my security list.”

  “Good. And our dignitaries?”

  “Both men are settled in… But I’m not so sure about the two females, they seem a bit different.”

  “Different? So, do you find them strange?”

  “You could say that Captain,” Tomas replied. More like spooky, he thought to himself.

  “Ok, I’ll see them all later,” Frank added, as all three of them headed towards his cabin, which was next to the control room.

  Frank was wondering why Andromeda hadn’t, as yet, communicated with him.

  ‘There aren’t any pressing matters at the moment, so I was going to wait until you were ready, Frank,’ her voice came back in his mind.

  Her quick response to his thought pleased Frank. And, sensing a new clarity in her communications, asked if she had improved her transceiver Send quality.

  ‘No. I’m not using it to communicate with you, that’s why there isn’t any transceiver degradation. But, the link between us has become stronger since the two females came aboard,’

  By now they had reached Frank’s cabin, so he didn’t reply to this, although he thought it was a strange thing for her to have said.

  “OK, we’ll talk later after I’ve checked the itinerary update and crew details,” he said dismissing Tomas, as he opened the cabin door.

  “Very well, Captain,” Tomas replied, then turned and left.

  Frank went in, with Susanna following him. She hadn’t seen the refurbished cabin before and was relieved to see that it lived up to her expectations.

  Once unpacked they sat down, just glad to sit quietly together for a while. An hour had passed before they felt like doing anything.

  “Andromeda, how are you able to communicate mentally with us from so far away, now?” Frank asked.

  “My service droids found a ‘stealth object’ on board, yesterday.

  However, on searching backwards in time, we now know that it has been with us since you first came aboard in 2301.”

  “Leave well alone, Andromeda,” Susanna suddenly ordered. Then wondering why on earth she had said that, looked at Frank.

  Frank looked back at her, a puzzled expression on his face.

  “There seems to have been a slight physical change in the objects appearance since the two females came aboard, Frank,” Andromeda told him, ignoring Susanna’s order.

  “Are you saying that this object could account for the increase in our telepathic range?”

  “I have no data on that… But, it is possible.”

  “Ok, notify our assigned Marines about this object. But order them not to interfere with it. Then send the information on our crew and passengers to my pad.”

  Susanna looked over Frank’s shoulder as he displayed his crewmembers’ data now showing on his new, and enlarged, tactical pad. Then they carefully studied each entry.

  “Quite a few people we don’t know,” she remarked, her voice sounding disappointed. Then her face brightened.

  “Oh, that’s better, Frank. See, here,” she said pointing to the next entry on the screen. “It’s my friend Alice, oh and she’s listed as Alice Watson now. So, Tim did marry her.”

  “You’re right, and Tim’s listed as well. So, you’ve got one female friend on board, at least,” Frank commented.

  “Yea. But we haven’t been in contact for almost five years. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

  Frank read out the names of more crew members they knew from earlier voyages.

  “So, Ned Parker’s in Quantum. Plus, Tim Watson and Alice, of course. Ah, Brian Waters, he’s still in Encryption. That’s good. And I see Mark Trask is with us again.”

  He glanced at Susanna. “All right so far, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, it’s good to know there’ll be some familiar faces.”

  “I see the Marine we’ve been allocated, this time, is listed as a Candice Malone?”

  “Yes,” Susanna replied, looking at her face on the screen. “I think she looks a bit like Jenny, don’t you?”

  “Well, I’m not sure about that. But, I’ll give Malone one thing. She’s better stacked than Jenny ever was,” Frank said,

  Then, thinking about Jenny for a moment grimaced as he remembered her aggressive behavior.

  Susanna, seeing the look on his face, said, “Come off it, Frank. You know you enjoyed those sessions with her.”

  “Yea, but I was forced into them. Shall we move on?”

  “Glad to,” she said, preferring not to dwell on his ordeal.

  “She was something, though,” he wistfully muttered. This, earning him a poke in the ribs from Susanna.

  “Ouch,” he grunted.

  “Get on with it. And stop ogling Malone,” she snapped.

  “Alright: I am…Ok, we’ve got Jim Pickering and MIcky Trent in computer s
ciences again,” Frank continued.

  “That’ll please Andromeda,” she joked.

  “I heard that,” Andromeda said.

  They both ignored her, and Frank continued. “So, Tom White’s the only person in Geo.”

  “Yes, but he’s doubling up as ship’s surgeon, and working with the medical droids again,” Susanna added.

  “I see we’ve got Jonathan Straus in Drone control.”

  “Oh yes, he was a likeable, young man. Remember, he fancied Jenny for a while.”

  “H’mm, more fool him,” Frank muttered.

  “Do you realize that was over five years ago. Anyway, they’re all experienced crew members, and young enough to want to be on the newer ships.

  So I don’t understand why they want to come out on what is essentially an ambassadorial trip. Do you?” He then asked.

  ‘Isn’t it obvious,’ came Andromeda’s voice in his mind. ‘They’ve missed me. And, to a lesser degree, you as well, Frank.’

  “OK, Andromeda, that’s enough,” Frank replied.

  “Show the list of dignitaries on my screen now, including their personal info… I’ll talk to the crew members later.”

  “Sorry, Frank. Assembling restricted data now,” she replied.

  Then, after a short delay, the four dignitary’s names displayed on his screen.

  “What held you up, Andromeda?”

  “Lack of data, Frank. The first two had no restrictions. The other two had solid blocks.”

  “Interesting. Ok. Let’s see…, Vice President Stevenson. Display what you have. Then interrogate the life form afterwards,” Frank ordered.

  Susanna was shocked, on hearing Frank’s last request, but said nothing.

  Frank read out the information that was displayed on his Tactical pad. As, an image of the man’s body appeared on Frank’s screen, next to a skeletal representation of the man.

  “Earth vice president, Horatio Stevenson. Held this office for eight years. Born in Nebraska in 2265. 1.73metres, 174lbs. Hazel eyes. Hair color, unknown.”

  “Unknown hair color! Why?”

  Frank ignored Susanna’s question, and moved his cursor over the man’s skeleton, enlarging and inspecting each part of it as he went.

  “What are you looking for, Frank?” A somewhat bewildered Susanna asked.

  “I’m not sure. But, mainly to satisfy me that the bodies are who they’re supposed to be.”

  “Next,” he ordered.

  The image changed to show the body of another man, complete with his skeletal image.

  “H’mm, Andrei Sergei Volkov. Russian Grand Council. Born in Moscow in 2261. 1.8metres, 182lbs. Grey blue eyes. Blonde hair,” Frank muttered to himself. Then checked the image of the man’s skeleton bit by bit, as he had the last one.

  “Okay, next,” he ordered.

  The image changed again, this time showing an attractive looking, and well-proportioned young female. But there were no skeletal details.

  Susanna was surprised at how mature she looked.

  “Her name’s Charlotte. No surname. Occupation blocked. No other accessible data,” Susanna read out.

  “H’m, estimated as twenty-four years old,” Frank muttered. But, as he stared at the face looking back out at him, something made him feel uneasy about her. He couldn’t put his finger on it. But, a shiver ran down his spine.

  “What’s the matter?” Susanna queried.

  “Next. Andromeda,” Frank ordered, deliberately ignoring Susanna’s question.

  The image changed to show another similar looking girl or young woman, but not quite so well endowed. Again, no skeletal details were available.

  “Her name’s Cindy. No surname,” Susanna said as she read the data out loud.

  “Just like the other female, all information about them has been blocked. I see they’re both in cabin eight. That used to be two cabins.

  Well, they’re in a luxurious cabin, so I assume they’re important,” she added. Then read on.

  “That’s interesting, they’re booked to go to Solvera, on some sort of training course. No details on what that is about,” she commented.

  Cindy’s image, staring out of his Pad, gave Frank the same sense of uneasiness as the other one had. The same chill. But, with an added feeling of pending disaster.

  His heart started to race as he moved the tactical pad’s cursor over her face and enlarged it. He stared at her, unable to take his eyes off her.

  ‘I’ve seen you and Charlotte before,’ he thought. ‘But where?’

  Then it hit him like a brick. The incident of the sore arm.

  “No,” he gasped, as he realized what was going on.

  “Two of them. Must stop them,” he struggled to say as he felt another mind join the first.

  But he was too late. They were already probing his mind.

  “Frank?” Susanna cried out in panic, on seeing his expression.

  Hearing her call out, he tried to look at Susanna. Then, collapsed.

  Chapter 7

  A Dangerous Liaison

  Frank became aware of the two minds invading and sifting through his mind, as he struggled back towards full consciousness.

  Then he mentally cringed, as he saw them interrogating his memory of being attacked by Jenny.

  By now, though, he had realized that these two girls weren’t attacking him. They couldn’t, as they weren’t even in the same cabin.

  He nearly slid back into the darkness as they mentally tried to arouse him. Then realized that they were attempting to see and feel the moment he surrendered to Jenny.

  He couldn’t stop them, however, and knew he was about to oblige them. But why were they doing this, he wondered?

  He could feel his body being physically shaken by other people. But ignored them. He had to concentrate on evicting these two humiliating and invading minds.

  Determination over-rode everything, as he summoned all his mental abilities. Then came a feeling of surprise, as he realized that his transceiver Implant had begun to amplify, and aid, his struggle.

  Finally, with one massive mental push, the two intruding minds abruptly recoiled, and seemed to be in a quandary now.

  Then, all of a sudden, a zig-zagging flash of light appeared in Frank’s mind. He saw something bluish in color, and Charlotte and Cindy were gone. Leaving Frank thinking that he’d sensed their feelings of pain as he forced them out of his mind.

  “Frank… Frank…,” he heard Susanna calling as he finally came around, and opened his eyes. His head was pounding.

  “Give me a moment, Sues,” he said seeing her worried look.

  Once his headache had reduced, he called Andromeda.

  “Damping Field ON, please. Then connect me to Charlotte and Cindy,” he ordered.

  “One moment… Damping Field enabled… Sorry, Frank, they do not wish to be contacted for the time being.”

  “Rubbish. Override their settings, now,” he demanded.

  Then the solemn looking faces of the two females appeared on his screen.

  “If you ever try that again,” he snapped at them. “I will personally throw you both out of the airlock. Understood?”

  “Yes, Captain. It won’t happen again.”

  “Glad to hear that. We’ll talk once we’re on our way. And you can fill me in on the details of who or what you are. And, why you are here,” he said and broke the connection. Then sat, thinking about what had just happened.

  “Andromeda. I want a complete scan of those two. I want to know everything about them, from the time they were born, to the moment they stepped aboard this ship.”

  “I’ll try, Frank. But, I’ve already checked Earth’s records, and they haven’t got any more information than we have,” Andromeda replied.

  Frank sat, tapping his fingers on his console while he waited for Andromeda to come back to him.

  “Right. I’m scanning now, Frank. But it’s impossible to do a complete scan.”

  Susanna, then cut in, wanting to be invo
lved. “If that’s the case, Andromeda. At least, try to find out how they got here, and why.”

  “One moment, Susanna. Okay, the bio scan results are in let’s see what they show.”

  Both Frank and Susanna waited patiently while Andromeda analyzed the findings.

  “I think you’ll find this interesting. Although both Charlotte and Cindy appear to be normal. The scans show they are not,” Andromeda said, and paused briefly.

  “And, their transceiver implants are more technologically advanced than yours. Which is probably the reason why they were able to manipulate you, Frank.”

  Andromeda paused again as if expecting Frank to ask her a question. Then continued.

  “Even though they are adult females, they are acting more like adolescents, at the moment.

  I think they either believe there is no one on board who would be able to resist their ability to look into people’s minds. Or, and this is more likely. They have been testing you, for some reason, Frank.”

  “They’re not of Solvera origin, are they?” Frank queried.

  “No. But, with the limited information we have, and from what they have tried to do to you. I think we must assume that they are, or could become, dangerous.”

  “Okay. So everything seems hunky-dory at the moment,” Susanna sarcastically remarked.

  “If you think that my not being able to find a standard DNA strand, is a good result. I suppose it must be so. Although, I consider you’re wrong.” Andromeda stated.