by Saxon Andrew
“GRACE, THAT CREATURE STAKING OUT THE PRIME TELLS ME THERE IS LIFE ON THAT SHIP!! IT’S A LOT CLOSER THAN WE ARE!”
“Danielle, you need to focus and remain calm; we need your wisdom.”
Danielle took a deep breath as she struggled to control her heart rate, “You’re right. I’m sorry. Alex, have the power cells been installed on your hull?”
“They have.”
Danielle turned to Sprigly, “Do you think that creature can detect a ship coming out of a dimensional drive?”
“Probably not coming out of the drive but it would see it as soon as it solidified.”
“Danielle, don’t forget that we need to get a Red Warrior inside that Prime to turn off the Coronado Field before it can be moved,” Sprigly interjected.
“Forget about moving it! We’ll teleport them to the Kosiev as soon as the field is down.”
Sprigly tilted right showing his concern, “There is going to have to be a field around the Kosiev to keep those creatures out. You know how fast those creatures can respond and arrive. That Coronado Field around the Prime must be shut down. You also have to factor in that if the Warrior has to breech the hull to get in, what if they don’t have their spacesuits on?”
Col. Turner had arrived a minute earlier and was listening to the conversation. He interrupted by asking, “Do you have the entry code to Mr. Gardner’s Prime?” Everyone turned to him and he said, “The small entry bay is shut off from the occupied space in the ship. I can use the code to enter the bay, then pressurize it, and go to the bridge.”
“That’s going to take some time.”
“I understand that Mr. Sprigly but if they are unconscious, blasting my way through to the bridge would kill them if they are not in their spacesuits.”
Danielle stared at the Red Warrior and knew this man was a professional. “The entry code is 100987. Can you make it through the Coronado Field?”
“My armor uses power cells. My suit’s Coronado Field will pass through another Coronado Field easily.”
The group was silent until Danielle spoke, “Then it appears there are three parts to making this happen. We must get Col. Turner inside the ship and prepared to turn off the Coronado Field without causing that Creature that’s staked out the Prime to call in help.” Everyone nodded. “Once he’s inside, we have to launch an attack against the creature and either kill it or drive it away. Once that happens, the Kosiev will jump in, teleport everyone on the Prime on board, activate its Coronado Field, and then jump away. I suspect that other Creatures will be arriving about the time we attack that creature.”
Dela stood up and announced, “I am going with the Kosiev.”
“I want you there! Does anyone have any suggestions on how we make this happen?” Danielle asked.
Jack looked around and asked, “Do you have the exact coordinates of the Prime?”
Sprigly leaned left, “We do.”
“And do you have the exact coordinates of the Creature in relation to the Prime.”
“It’s holding position eighty-miles off the portside of the Prime.”
‘What are you thinking, Colonel?”
“Your Majesty, I have studied the history of the Realm my entire life and I know that ships that didn’t have a dimensional drive were moved into the dark dimension long ago.”
Danielle smiled, “We moved entire fleets through the dimensional drive being propagated by a single Psychic Ship. Sprigly’s father, Sprig made that happen.”
“Can you make an opening between the two-dimensions the size of a man within fifty-yards of the Prime?” Everyone just stared at him in confusion and he continued, “If I can move in that close to the Prime, it would block that creature from seeing me. I’ll move inside the Prime’s Coronado Field on the starboard side and move around the hull to the port side’s bay entry.”
“But the Creature will see you,” Dela interjected.
“But how will it know that I’m not one of the ones that are already on board the Prime? It shouldn’t cause it to be alarmed.”
Danielle turned to Sprigly, “Can you do it?”
Sprigly started shaking and replied, “I’ll need Newton to work with me. We’ve never attempted this sort of control. Even my Father didn’t attempt this.”
“That’s not an answer, Sprigly!”
“I know that, Danielle. Are you certain the Creature hasn’t changed position?”
Seedel responded, “We’re due to receive another splinter from that probe in two-hours. I can tell you then.”
Sprigly looked at Seedel and said, “Let me know as soon as you find out. I’m need to go to my ship and start working on this.”
Jimmy and Lola appeared in the Control Room and Jimmy said, “Grace just told us that you need us.”
“Has she informed you of everything we’ve been discussing.”
“She has, Danielle.”
“Do you have anything to add?”
“Your Majesty, there’s no way to communicate with Col. Turner without that Creature hearing us. We’re going to have to jump in at a specified time and he is going to have to have that Coronado Field down for this to work. If he fails, then we’ll be overwhelmed by the Creatures.”
Danielle turned to Jack, “How much time will you need?”
“If I can get in without being detected, I’ll need about five minutes to enter the code, pressurize the bay, and get to the bridge.”
“Then, we’re going to give you six-minutes to get in and then we’ll start our attack.”
“Danielle, this plan doesn’t take into account any things that could go wrong!”
“I’m aware of that, Seedel, but we can’t delay any longer. Tag and Kogo would have come back if they were ok. We have to do this now!”
Sprigly began thinking furiously and after a moment, Seedel joined him. The group watched them and knew how much information was being processed in that short time and, after ten-minutes, Sprigly thought, Newton, meet me on the Kosiev!”
“What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you when you arrive.” Sprigly looked around at those in the Communication room, “I’m going to use the Kosiev’s Dimensional Drive.” Sprigly looked up, “BC!”
“Yes, Sprigly.”
“Have you been listening to what’s going on?”
“I have.”
“I need twenty-Primes that have Coronado Power Cells installed on them.”
“You can have as many as you need but none of them have the Creature Scanner installed. They won’t be able to see the Creatures.”
“Alex, can you relay your scanner’s information to them?”
“I’ll need their frequencies but I’m sure Grace can make it happen.”
Seedel asked, “I thought you were going to your ship?”
“I’m moving it to the Kosiev. That’s where we’re going to have to make this work.”
Seedel looked at Danielle, “I need to go with Sprigly.”
Danielle nodded, “I’ve learned how to operate the controls. I’ll handle the Communication Center.”
Sprigly looked around, “I’m sorry we’re going to leave you alone, Danielle, but all of us need to go to the Kosiev now.”
“Just bring him back, Sprigly,” Danielle said softly.
The moment the room cleared, Danielle finally broke down. A few minutes later, James Carter appeared. “Your Majesty, do you mind if I join you?”
Danelle smiled softly and wiped her face, “I welcome it, Carter.”
“It’s time the Empire began getting involved in what’s going on.”
“It is. You are so much like your ancestor.”
“Would you mind telling me what you know about him?”
“He was the smartest human being I’ve ever met. He was even made emperor on Bristone at one point.” James smiled and listened to Danielle tell him about his distant relative.
• • •
Two-days later, Newton looked at Sprigly, “I don’t know about this.”
/>
“We’re out of time. Sprigly thought, “Jack.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Are you at the emitter?”
“I am.”
“I need you to climb inside it and move behind the eight-modules surrounding it. There should be some space between them and the ship’s hull for you be clear.”
“I’m barely able to fit behind them.”
“Stay there. I’ll let you know when to activate your boot-jets.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Grace!”
“Yes, Sprigly.”
“Isolate the dimensional emitter Jack is in from the others and be prepared to activate it.”
“I’ve isolated it.”
“Jack, when the emitter is activated, a small hole will appear in space. I need you to use your scanner to look through that hole into our universe and tell us if we’re in the right place.”
“Will do.”
Sprigly straightened up and ordered, “Grace, activate the emitter.”
Dela looked at her panel and turned to Sprigly, “I can’t see anything.”
“Jack is the only one who can. What do you see, Jack?”
“I can see the Prime but we’re more than two miles away from it.”
“Grace, start us moving slowly forward and I do mean slowly! Be prepared to stop. Jack?”
“We’re moving closer. Move very slightly down.” The Kosiev moved slightly and Jack shouted, “That’s enough! Now move slowly forward. We’re a mile out. Now half a mile. Stop!!”
Sprigly said, “We’re starting our six-minute countdown in twenty-seconds. Everyone set your chronometers now. Col. Turner, go ahead and launch now. We’ll be arriving in six-minutes-ten-seconds.”
Jack hit his boot-jets and shot into the emitter tube, went through the hole between dimensions, and flew toward the Prime. He activated his power field and went through the Prime’s field without being burned. He hit the hull at the six-minute mark and activated his boots to lock on the Prime’s hull. The first thing he noticed was that all the viewports were open. He lifted one boot at a time to maintain contact with the hull and walked slowly up to the starboard port. He dropped to his knees and looked through the viewport into the ship…everything was pitch-black, even the emergency lights weren’t operating. If the Prime had no power, the landing bay door would not open and it would be impossible to pressurize the hull. He suddenly realized that there was no way for him to cut his way into the ship. The Coronado Power Cells on the prime’s hull would absorb the blaster beam and prevent the hull from being ruptured. He pulled his shoulder blaster out of its mount and fired directly into the Prime’s hull. The power cell the beam hit didn’t even change color; it absorbed all the blaster’s energy. And to make matters worse, there was no way for him to notify the Kosiev of what was happening before it launched its attack.
• • •
Jimmy activated the telepathic frequency and announced, “All Primes will launch now to your assigned positions around the Kosiev. Once we jump into our Universe you will teleport to your target coordinates and open fire with all your blasters. If you fail to hit the Creature, you will surround the Prime and continue firing until the Kosiev teleports those on the Prime out.”
Lola looked pensive and asked, “Grace, are you connected to their scanners?”
“I’ll do that when we arrive.”
“But…”
“It will happen instantly, Lola. They won’t be going in blind.”
Newton sighed, “It’s a good thing that Creature doesn’t move around.”
Sprigly raised his branches, “It’s conserving energy. There’s no need for it to move until something changes. Five-minutes.”
• • •
Jack was frightened and he forced himself to calm down. Even if he could breech the hull, if Tag and Kogo didn’t have on spacesuits, they would die. He rushed along the hull until he arrived at the bridge’s starboard viewport. He knelt, turned on his helmet’s lantern, and shined it into the Prime’s bridge. He moved the beam around and saw Tag and Kogo had on their spacesuits but were not moving. He shined it into Tag’s helmet and saw there was no response.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jack stood up and almost screamed in frustration…then he activated his armor’s computer, “Are there any openings into a Prime through the power cells?”
The only part of a Prime’s hull not covered by power cells are the thrusters,” his computer answered.
“Are you referring to only the rear-thrusters?”
“No, all of them are not covered.”
“How large are the steering thruster tubes.”
“They’re six-feet in diameter.”
“Which ones pass under the bridge.”
“The two forward thrusters pass under the back of the bridge.”
Jack glanced at his chronometer, four and a-half-minutes remaining. He rushed down the hull to the starboard forward thruster keeping the prime between him and the creature. He used a quick boost from his boots to enter it. He had to bend over to move inside with his armor and he moved ten-yards into it before he fell to his back. He shined the lantern to the right and saw the fuel lines that fed the tube on the bottom of the tube. He asked, “Am I under the bridge?”
“Yes!” the computer answered.
Jack pulled his shoulder blaster and manually widened the aperture. He pointed it at the upper wall of the tube and pulled the trigger. If sparks hit the fuel line…it was all over. The thruster tubes were made from high-strength alloys and it took thirty seconds before it began turning red from the heat. He had to make it happen faster and clicked the blaster’s power setting to full power. The thruster wall went from red to white in ten-seconds and then, a minute later, broke through. He released the trigger and checked the countdown on his helmet’s display; two-minutes remaining.
He gripped the sides of the hole with his armored gloves and pulled himself through it. He left the shoulder blaster behind and pulled his two-hand blasters. He fired them above him and began moving upward toward the bridge through the burned-out hole. After another minute, a three-foot wide hole opened into an empty space and he climbed higher into the ship. He arrived just below the hole with a minute remaining and lifted the two-hand blasters.
Suddenly, he saw a white vapor surround him. He realized that the fuel line had been ruptured and that raw fuel was blowing out of the thruster and into the cavity he had cut into the ship’s small bridge. Thank Creation that the vacuum of space had frozen the previous metal he had cut or the entire ship would have gone up in a massive blast. But the hole was too small for him to get through.
• • •
Jimmy checked the chronometer and released the breath he was holding, “One-minute until jump. Power all weapons!”
• • •
Jack took a deep breath and used his tongue to click the armor’s small reactor to full power. He gripped the sides of the small opening and pulled himself up. There was barely enough room for him to move. He anchored his legs and gripped the sides of the small hole and pushed with all his strength. His helmet began announcing, “Thirty-seconds.” He screamed and pushed even harder. He felt something give and the sides of the hole moved up and widened. He pushed his torso through and used his arms to push himself into the bridge. The white vapor followed him and filled the bridge. He managed to get his legs out of the hole as he heard, “…six, five, four…”
The artificial gravity was inoperative, so he pushed off the edge of the hole toward the front of the bridge. He grabbed Kogo’s chair as he passed and swung around it. He extended his left arm and pulled the black slide on Kogo’s panel down as he swung around the chair and heard, “One, zero!”
Jack managed to stop himself and looked out of the port viewport. He saw twenty-Primes suddenly appear in the distance firing their blasters. Suddenly, he saw them disappear and knew they had not hit the creature. An instant later, the view disappeared and he saw the inside of the Kosiev’
s landing bay.
• • •
The Kosiev flashed in next to the Prime and the small warship disappeared. The Kosiev’s power cells immediately activated as the Creature rushed in. Everyone on board heard the Creature’s mental scream as it hit the power cell field.”
“All ships, teleport on board now!” Lola yelled.”
Grace immediately announced, “I’m leaving the landing bay open. The Prime is leaking fuel and I’m evacuating it into space.”
Dela shouted, “GRACE, WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST TELEPORT THEM ON BOARD!?!”
“Dela, the Prime was only two-hundred-yards away from our hull. If I left the Prime where it was, our power field would have exploded it too close to our hull as the field extended.”
“How are we going to get them out?”
“I think Jack is handling that,” Alex replied.
Dela looked at the landing bay’s monitor and saw that the Prime’s port was open and Jack was exiting the ship carrying two spacesuited bodies over his shoulders.
Sprigly shouted, “GET OUT OF HERE NOW!” Sprigly took another breath and said, “Once he’s out of the landing bay, turn off the power field and push the Prime out into the Dark Dimension.”
Jimmy looked at the main monitor and saw a giant white cloud moving toward them at incredible speed. Just as it arrived, the Kosiev disappeared.
• • •
Jack arrived at the initial landing bay portal and barely managed to raise his hand and press the green button. The door to a small room flew open and Jack held on to the side of the portal to avoid being blown back into the landing bay. Stepping inside the small room, he pressed the green button on the next door. The small room instantly pressurized and the small door flew open. He collapsed to his knees as Newton and Jimmy took the two lifeless forms off his shoulders. Jack fell to the floor writhing in pain as his Red Armor disappeared into his body.
Jimmy yelled, “GRACE!! GET US TO THE DEFENSE FACILITY’S HOSPITAL…NOW!!”
Alex opened the giant landing bay door and the Prime was shoved out of the landing bay by the escaping atmosphere as Grace teleported to the giant defense facility. “All Primes may teleport back to their duty stations,” Grace announced. The twenty Primes instantly flew out of the Kosiev’s landing bay and disappeared. All of them had a story to share with their fellow pilots. Jimmy saw numerous medical technicians teleporting on board and immediately begin removing Tag and Kogo’s space suits.