by Mark Tufo
Breeson’s entire face turned a bright red as he swallowed back the vitriol that flew to the tip of his tongue.
“And if you did not notice, Commander, because you were too busy attempting to mistakenly lay blame upon the Ogunquit, we were also fired upon twice by the strange war machine.”
“We do not detect any damage to your vessel whatsoever, High Councilman.” Those last two words came out through clenched teeth.
“Perhaps we are better equipped to deal with the power surge that struck us. Perhaps you should think about that before you decide to do something rash. Something that would jeopardize all of the great things our two peoples have accomplished through the millennia.”
“We are still in a state of battle, High Councilman. I will keep active scans and my weapons trained until such time I deem that this ship and my personnel are no longer in danger.”
“Admirable, Commander, but our detection systems show that a significant portion of your weapons are pointed at us.”
“It is our chance to repay the favor of your offer of help, High Councilman. As you yourself have said, you were attacked twice as well, and if it were to happen a third time, we would relish the opportunity to shoot our mutual attacker down. My colonel here says your buckle drive is active; I do not think it wise you leave right now; there are many unresolved issues and we are all aware that traveling in a buckle is not quite as safe as we’d once thought.”
“Is that a threat, Commander? You do realize that under article 72 of the Interspecies Treaty, all High Councilman Star Cruisers are equipped with the kill codes for every ship in all our respective fleets, do you not?”
“I never much liked that executive order. I’ll tell you what, it sure is a blessing to have an Engineer as gifted as Major Gralter.”
“That is not good,” Porter said aloud to us.
“What’s going on?” Tallow asked, not picking up on the subtleties of the conversation.
“As part of our peace process, we wanted to make sure that the leaders of all our species were never fired upon by any commanders or rogue units that did not agree with the treaty. All ships carrying high councilmen have in possession a signal that they are able to execute that will render any other ships inert. It would appear, however, that Commander Breeson has circumvented this safety procedure. It is likely we will be firing at each other soon.”
“Can we take them?” Serrot asked.
“It would be much better for us to run. The Iron Sides is one of the newest ships in either fleet, the most heavily armored with the newest technology in weaponry. We would not last long if she turned everything against us.”
“And we let ourselves be taken onto this ship, why?” Serrot asked.
“The alternative was a slow, painful death,” Porter said in all seriousness.
“Yes. A majestic, fiery death would be more suitable,” Lendor said, fascinated by what he was watching.
“I bet I could fly this ship to safety,” Cedar said to me without an ounce of boasting. She was merely stating fact.
“Why so much fuss over us? No one even knew we existed a few days ago,” I told her. I grabbed her hand and pulled her a few feet from the screen. “This doesn’t feel right to me. How can the Genogerians be saving us from…people?”
“Because we were told that, Winter. You have to have a little faith, especially considering the source.”
“You’re alright with all of this?” I asked her.
“Alright with it? Are you crazy? I’m angrier than I’ve ever been! We keep getting pulled back and forth and none of it through our own decision. When….and not if, we get free and I get a flying machine to pilot again, I am going to make a lot of people pay.”
“Okay good. I thought it was just me. Do you know who you plan on shooting first?”
“I’ll figure it out when I get there.” She gave my hand a slight squeeze. “I want to see what’s going to happen.” She was pointing to the screen.
“Any update?” I asked Lendor quietly.
“Breeson wants to send a boarding party this way to help with any repairs we may need. Lodilin respectfully declined, said the situation was well underhand.”
“It’s pretty tense,” Tallow interjected.
“Would have never been able to figure that out if you hadn’t told me.” I smiled at him.
“Funny, Win. We’re about thirty seconds from a space war and we don’t have anything but our hands to fight with.”
“Well, when you put it like that.” My mood soured quickly with the truth in his words.
“Commander Breeson, we will be leaving now,” Lodilin stated.
“Perhaps we should dispense with the banalities and civility, High Councilman. I am not letting you leave; at least not until we have thoroughly gone through your ship. I do not know if you attacked us, but you were complicit. We show no damage to your ship, yet we have suffered a loss of structural integrity and have also lost possession of some high-value assets.”
“I am sorry, Commander, that your ineptitude behind the helm has caused damage to your ship for which you will undoubtedly be held accountable, but you will not use the Ogunquit as a means to acquit yourself of whatever happened aboard your vessel.”
“You are going to power down your buckle drive and I am going to send four teams over. If you attempt to leave or my teams are not met with extreme courtesy, I will declare it an act of war and open fire.”
“Have you lost your mind, Commander? Colonel Runger, I see you in the background. I am executing order 112, subsection 12. I want you to relieve Commander Breeson. He is unfit for command. You will be acting Commander until such time as the Iron Sides is brought back to her base and Commander Breeson is brought before a judiciary tribunal.”
“That going to work?” Tallow asked Porter.
“Not very likely. High Councilman Lodilin is stalling.”
“For what reason?” Before Tallow could even get his question out, there was a quick blink of the lights in the room we were in and then a warning issued so softly it sounded like what one might whisper into the arms of their lover in the middle of the night.
“Prepare for Jute Buckle in five minutes.”
“This is not good.” Porter looked alarmed.
“We’re going to buckle?” Cedar asked. “Will we be able to do so before they fire?”
“High Councilman, it is you that needs to stand down. Commander Breeson has done nothing to warrant implementation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice relieving of duty. If anything, he has shown unbelievable restraint in the face of your acts of aggression. Had I been at the helm, I believe the time for talking would have been long over.”
“Very well,” Lodilin replied. “Send your shuttles; we have nothing to hide.” He nodded and the screen to the Iron Sides went black. The leader turned to us, though I do not think he could see us.
“Portaliton, get our guests secured. I will come and see them as soon as I can.”
“Of course, sir.” Porter nodded. “Come, we must get strapped in. The Jute Buckle happens with such a speed that when not properly secured, there have been instances of living tissue melding with walls, ceilings or equipment. Sometimes it is merely a loss of skin or limb, but oftentimes the price tag is much higher.”
“Yeah, strapped in sounds good,” Tallow gulped.
“We’ve buckled before; what’s different?” Cedar asked as we left the room and were moving quickly down the corridor.
We came to a door with markings on it that meant nothing to any of us except Porter.
“Jute Buckle warning, three minutes and counting.”
“These special chairs were not designed with your size in mind, but we should be able to adjust the straps firmly enough,” Porter replied.
“Should be?” I got into one, as did everyone else.
“We do not have much time. Pull the lap harness across,” he explained.
It did little to ease our fears when we pulled the strap, which was ov
er a foot wide and nearly an inch thick, across our laps.
“Into the buckle.” He demonstrated. There were five audible clicks. “There is a button on the seat, down on your right-hand side; it will adjust the strap until it fits snug. There will be an uncomfortable pressure.”
There was a soft whirring. There was so much extra material I did not think the slack would be drawn in. I was wrong and then some. Lendor, being the largest of us, was the first to feel the effects.
“This is a little snug,” he said as the whirring on his seat got louder. “I do not like this. This must be a mistake.”
I was looking over at him; he appeared to be getting shorter as the strap pulled him deep into the chair cushion. I thought he was being overly dramatic until my strap pulled taut.
“Whoa,” Tallow exclaimed, then said no more. I gritted my teeth and waited for it to stop. Cedar had her eyes shut and was breathing in through her mouth and out through her nose.
“I can feel you looking at me; this will prevent panic,” Cedar said through the corner of her mouth, not breaking her breathing rhythm.
The pain was tolerable; it was more the discomfort that was getting to me, but I thought I could make it for the two minutes plus without complaining too much. That changed when Porter reached behind my chair and pulled a webbing of the same material across my chest; he had to fold it over to keep it from covering my head. He buckled it in, hit another button and then moved on to Cedar.
“Wait…” I said weakly as I watched the straps begin to be pulled into their respective slots.
“All I can offer you is that time does indeed keep marching along, even though it will feel as if it has stuck and oftentimes even backed up.”
I was close to panicking; Cedar’s breaths came a little faster, but she still looked as if she could have been resting.
“Get this thing off me!” Lendor looked angry as he fought against the restraints. He could not do much, though, as his arms were pinned to his sides.
“This makes me wish Haden had struck truer with his sword,” Tallow lamented.
“In through your mouth…hold the breath for a count of three…exhale through your nose for the same count…count to three again, repeat,” Cedar offered.
The panic welling up in me was beginning to take over my higher reasoning. I wanted to thrash, much like Lendor; instead, I took my sister’s advice. I was not immediately comforted, nor did I completely forget about my surroundings, but the technique eased the runaway panic; I was able to rein it in before it took off with me bouncing around wildly upon the saddle.
“I need to get out of this!” Lendor shouted. Where he got the wind in his lungs to do it, I have no idea.
“Lendor, do as Cedar said,” I managed to get out, fearful that if he did not do as I asked that he would once again drag me into the frenzy he was feeling.
Serrot, who was abundantly quiet, was doing the best of us all; he had passed out.
“Happens sometimes,” Porter said as he finally got into a seat and buckled in.
“Jute Buckle, two minutes.”
“Two minutes? We’ll be dead by then! Undo me! I would rather be part of the wall!” Lendor was like a wild animal in a cage.
Of all the lies I’d been told through my life, it was Porter’s that seemed to carry the greatest weight. He assured us that time would indeed keep flowing along. That was a lie that lasted for nearly a decade.
“Jute Buckle, one minute-thirty seconds.”
Even when the ship began to announce each passing second, I thought maybe Genogerians had a completely different type of time cycle, that a second for them equated to a week for us. All the breathing exercises in the world weren’t going to work much longer and then I felt like I was being stretched, but not like a regular buckle. Those felt like something had grabbed your head and your feet and was slowly elongating you through a steady and firm pull. This was a violent tearing, as if hooks had been placed in my rib cage on each side and I was being cracked open, like one might split an orange. A normal buckle was mentally disorientating; this buckle was physically painful.
As quickly as it had started, it was over. The straps immediately loosened, and I hunched forward, pulling in large draughts of air and wincing at the pain my body registered. Lendor was already out of his chair and nervously pacing the room.
“Never again.” The whites of his eyes showed as he pointed at the chair.
Serrot had not stirred.
“You alright?” Tallow managed to swivel his head to me.
I nodded.
“Cedar?” I asked.
“We done?” She opened up one eye.
“Your sister is a few arrows short of a quiver,” Tallow said as he stood then came over to help me stand up.
“I am glad to see that worked.” Porter was standing. He gently placed a large finger against the side of Serrot’s neck. “He is fine, though it is not recommended to travel that way; he is going to have a headache he will not soon forget.”
Cedar had gone over to look at him.
“Now what?” I asked.
“We wait,” Porter replied.
It wasn’t long until High Councilman Lodilin strode in. “I wish I had more time to explain. At best, the Jute Buckle has provided us with thirty minutes. There is little I will be able to do to stop Commander Breeson from boarding this ship. It is imperative that none of you are aboard.”
“What exactly do you propose to do with us?” I asked.
“Porter, as he desires to be called, is quite an accomplished pilot and was brought onboard for this possibility, which has led to an eventuality.”
“High Councilman, you have said we do not have much time, yet you have told us nothing.” Cedar seemed impatient, like she knew where this was headed and wanted to get to the good part quicker.
“The Iron Sides is not the only one presenting surprises today. I have an unregistered ship and an unregistered pilot aboard. He will take you away from here so that we may rendezvous at a later and safer time,” Lodilin said quickly. We had already exited the room and were presumably heading to where the ship was. Porter carried a limp and groaning Serrot.
“And the Rhodeeshians?” I asked.
“They will most likely already be onboard, as they were much closer to the hangar.”
“What are you going to tell the commander? Will you not be in trouble?” Lendor asked. “Especially after your escape maneuver?”
“I will tell him that I feared for the safety of my crew and I wanted us both to have time to calm ourselves and think the situation through. And if that doesn’t work, there are four Genogerian destroyers en route; that should be enough to dissuade him from doing anything rash.”
“Are we worth all this?” I needed to know.
“More than you know.” Lodilin turned to Porter. “Be safe, my son.” He leaned in and placed his head against the other in what appeared to be a gesture of affection. “I hope to see all of you soon.” He had turned and was heading back the way he had come.
“We do not have much time.” Porter led us into a large area where there were ships of all various sizes docked.
“Won’t they be able to detect our departure?” Cedar asked, running her hand along the hulls of the ships we passed.
“The humans are not the only ones with new technology. They mistakenly believe that we only use what they give us; I can assure you that is not the case.”
“We taking one of these shuttles?” Cedar’s eyes were wet with excitement at the prospect of flying. Personally, I was sick of that particular mode of transportation; I would never again complain about walking.
“It is a shuttle in that it will allow living cargo, but that is the only similarity these ships have with that.” Porter pointed ahead of us to one of the sleekest, most menacing vessels I had ever seen. Unlike every other ship in the hangar, this one was difficult to keep in sight; it looked more like a hole had been created where a ship had been.
“We call
this Deep Onyx. It is a black so dark it absorbs nearly all light that comes in contact with it,” Porter explained.
“The protrusions, are they weapons?” Cedar was moving quicker than any of us to get to the vessel. I had the irrational fear that I would be pulled into the depths of the hole the ship created if I got too close. Lendor and Tallow, to some degree, seemed to share that same feeling.
“There are two phase cannons, two electron barrels, and a mini-railgun; there are not many ships that could suffer all her potential.”
“Defensive capabilities?” Cedar asked astutely.
“You have knowledge of flight?” Porter studied her.
“You could say that,” she replied.
“Stealth is her one and only asset, but it is most effective. Armament was sacrificed to make her as invisible as possible.”
“Doesn’t shooting the weapons give away your location?”
I was happy when Porter hit a switch and a hatch opened up and we were able to view a well-lit area inside; it broke up the illusion that we were traveling into a cave from which there was no exit. My happiness was compounded upon seeing Frost and Ferryn sitting on their hindquarters, patiently awaiting our arrival. Frost came over and rubbed up against me and Cedar.
“It is good to see you again. I am happy that we will continue our journey together.”
“As am I,” I told her, stroking the side of her face as she leaned into it.
“Stealth and maneuverability. Those are what she relies on. That is what we will rely on,” Porter continued.
Within five minutes we were all onboard. Serrot was loosely strapped into a bed, Porter assured us it was only so he did not roll out, and that the ship did not have Jute Buckle capabilities.
“What are you doing?” Porter asked when Cedar unbuckled herself and followed him into the cockpit.
“I am going to watch everything you do and you’re going to teach me how to fly this thing.”
“That is wholly unnecessary.” He snorted as if she had questioned his ability to pilot.
“Can you be injured?” she asked. “Or killed?”