A nearby trio of heavy fire explosions sent sparks inside his cockpit, and Chase swore as he saw his starboard shields were offline. Chase put his ship into a spin, making it more difficult for the enemy to score another precise hit.
His HUD flashed bright red, and a message superimposed on it.
Collision Alert, change course now!
But Chase had no intention of changing course since his weapons were not powerful enough to bring the shields down adequately for his plan to succeed. Meanwhile, the enemy’s hyperspace engines were nearly fully charged.
Chase diverted life support power to the thrusters and accelerated toward his target. The next part would be extremely tricky.
Chase took a flight path that would make his ship and the frigate collide. He plotted the course into the computer’s memory so it would free up his mind to change the shield’s balance distribution as he bounced back off the enemy’s shields. That was hoping his ship wouldn’t explode on impact doing so.
Both the timing and angle of approach would have to be just right, and he would need to transfer power from the frontal to port shields in real time to augment his odds of survival and make sure the maneuver drained off just enough shields from the frigate to allow one of the missiles to make it through.
Chase took a deep breath an instant before his ship’s shields grazed the frigate. His mind went on overdrive to make the minute sub-millisecond adjustments to shift the shields’ power required to make sure his StarFury would survive the maneuver.
Every alarm and visual warning inside Chase’s cockpit lit up or blared, but Chase stayed laser-focused on the task.
His StarFury bounced off the shields the way he had hoped, and not a minute too soon. The StarFury shield’s generator overloaded. Chase compensated by cutting off thrusters and redirecting power to the shield via secondary power nodes. Even though this custom StarFury lacked a secondary generator, Chase’s mind was interfacing with the ship’s systems so fast he could do it by manually redirecting power into the circuit, effectively turning his brain into a secondary system.
That drained a lot of his mental energy, but he managed to keep the right amount of focus. He turned his ship around and saw the first missile impact on the shields. They dropped to twenty percent. Chase then fired one last supercharged volley of shots that impacted the shield nearly at the same time the second missile hit. The shields dropped, and the last missile scored a direct hit on the hull of the ship.
Multiple explosions detonated in succession around the point of impact, and Chase worried the secondaries could take the entire frigate out. But eventually the ship’s lights flickered, and its engines shut down.
The frigate’s short-range batteries stopped firing around the same time. Chase checked his instruments to confirm the ship wasn’t going anywhere and was satisfied to see both the hyperspace engines and the sub-light engines had also been taken offline.
Lights inside Chase’s ship turned off as well, and his StarFury systems all went offline.
Crap! That wasn’t part of the plan.
10
Daniel and Fillio stopped in front of Daniel’s quarters.
“You sure you’re okay?” asked Fillio.
“I’m fine, thanks. Today was fun, thank you for insisting on raising my spirits. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime. Besides, I may need you to do the same for me in the future. I’m no stranger to depression myself.”
“You’ve said that before, but truth be told, I’m having a hard time picturing you depressed.”
“It comes and goes. It’s the nature of the beast, I guess.”
Daniel nodded. Having little experience with the affliction himself, he didn’t really know what else to say on the subject.
“I see. And sure thing, count me in if you ever need lifting up, I’ll be there.”
“Careful what you promise, Daniel, I may hold you to it.”
Daniel smiled. “You may. Wanna come in for a coffee?”
Fillio studied Daniel for a moment. “I’d better not. We have an early start tomorrow.”
“Right, the convoy missions. I wonder why I let you convince me to go on these runs.”
“Isn’t it obvious? Because it’s best you’re in the cockpit than left alone with your thoughts. At least for the time being.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Probably?”
Daniel put both his palms in the air. “Okay, okay, you’re right. Thanks again, Fillio.”
“Sure thing. Good night, Daniel.”
“Good night.”
Out of frustration, Chase punched the console in his cockpit.
He had managed to disable the enemy, but he disabled himself in the process. He couldn’t give the Zarlack time to recover. If they fixed their engines before Chase reactivated his dead StarFury, they’d surely run and take with them whoever had sent the distress call. Not to mention Chase’s chances on locating his brother.
I can’t let that happen.
When Chase noticed some of the lights on the deck of the frigate turning back on, he knew he had to find a way to the ship and fast. After all, he only needed to be there, he didn’t need his StarFury, at least not right away. And that gave him an idea.
Chase found the manual release of his canopy inside the cockpit and created a force field around him before pulling on it.
I hope I’m not gonna regret this.
But it was not like he had any choice anymore. He was now exposed to space with only a few minutes of air contained in his force field bubble. He flew toward the frigate and stopped, looked back at his fighter for a second, and kept going toward the enemy ship’s cargo bay.
“Any luck with the diagnostics?” asked Aphroditis.
“They came back negative,” said Ares. “According to my findings, the solar eruptions of this system’s star shouldn’t interfere with our systems. If anything, all these diagnostics I’ve run on the system prove only one thing: Whatever has been interfering with the communications isn’t related to any spacial anomaly. This is a robust system, safe and well designed.”
“And yet I can’t contact Chase.”
“Which brings me back to your instinct about him.”
Aphroditis took a deep breath. “Chase has to be the interference itself.”
“Sure looks that way, but I’m having a hard time understanding how it’s possible.”
“If it were anyone else, I’d agree with you, but Chase has demonstrated an uncanny ability to control tech with his mind.”
“About that, I don’t remember this being on any of the Furies’ list of powers.”
“That’s because it isn’t. We fought them by the millions during the First Fury War. I’ve never heard of anything like it before. Chase’s ability to affect technology with his mind has been a conscious power up until now. Perhaps now it’s working on a different level.”
“Mind elaborating on what that level would be?”
“Subconscious.”
“I’m not sure I understand, how?”
“Let’s theorize Chase is in a state of mind where he doesn’t want to hear us. I believe his power over matter and technology are still growing; as far as we know, he may very well just be scratching the surface of his abilities.”
“That’s a scary thought.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because, after all, he’s still part Fury.”
“Chase is nothing like the rest of his species.”
“For all our sakes, I hope you’re right.”
“I know I am. I may have doubts about a lot of things, but I don’t have any about Chase. As for the lack of success contacting him, it’s plausible he could be affecting the transmission on an instinctual level, without even realizing.”
“That’s a bit of a stretch.”
“Perhaps, but that would explain a lot.”
When Chase arrived inside the frigate, he passed by the small cargo ship that had sent the distre
ss call. It looked like a beat up ruin, and Chase was amazed that this once flew.
It didn’t look like it would fly again any time soon, though. Heavy repairs and a massive hull overhaul would need to happen first. Hopefully, Chase’s StarFury was in better shape. Though Chase was still worried it might be tricky to get his ride working again.
One problem at a time.
There was no atmosphere left in the cargo bay, and there were a couple of frozen Zarlack corpses floating around. Chase worried that the crew inside the cargo ship could have been killed too, so before trying to access other parts of the frigate, he decided to check the beaten-up cargo.
It only took a couple of minutes to get around the ship. Its cargo door was down, and just like the rest of the area, there was no stable atmosphere onboard, but Chase didn’t find any bodies either, which he thought was a good sign that the crew had either escaped or were taken prisoner.
Either way, he felt a sense of duty in trying to find them. And weirdly enough that surprised him. Before leaving the Earth Alliance, he was sure that none of these things were his problems anymore. He had fought and repelled the Obsidian Empire and their Zarlack allies enough times during their engagements, and he felt that he had done his part in this war.
The air was getting thin, so it was time to get a move on. Chase proceeded to fly toward the nearest airlock access to the rest of the ship. There were lights on toward the other side, so some of the systems must have been restored already. And that meant Chase had to hurry.
11
“Is the ship ready to go?” asked Aphroditis.
“It still requires you to bring your belongings aboard, but other than that, we’re ready.”
“And the modifications to the holo-comm systems?”
“Completed. I’ve done two small tests to a friend of mine. I could establish a link.”
“But does that mean the system will perform well with Chase?”
“The only way to know is to try it. At least the new frequencies I’ve set up are still allowing for long-distance holo-communications. My friend is way farther, and he could see me without interference.”
“Let’s hope that’s enough. I guess I should try to call Chase now.”
“Not before your stuff is onboard the ship.”
“Aren’t you a little paranoid?”
“Perhaps, but I’d rather have a good head start, should someone be tracking us. Especially if that someone is Argos.”
“Wouldn’t they have done so with your tests already?”
“That’s a possibility, though I’m hoping the short duration of these tests would mitigate that outcome.”
“But you can’t guarantee it?”
“I’m afraid not. So I’d rather you quickly pack and then you can try to contact Chase.”
“Report,” said Argos.
“We’ve located a potential source for the subspace holo-transmissions, master,” said Argos’ engineer.
“Good. Any firm coordinates? I feel like killing Olympians today.”
“I’m afraid we only have an estimated location. The target area spans multiple systems.”
Argos growled. That’s not the news he wanted to hear. But some progress was better than none.
“What’s the next step then?”
“The frequencies seem to have changed, and the new one has an encryption that’s much easier to crack. Unfortunately, the communications were very short. However, I believe I can pinpoint a much smaller area of space the next time they use it on this new frequency.”
“Very well. Keep at it and let me know the moment you have a location.”
“Yes, master.”
Once inside the ship in an area with an atmosphere, Chase dropped his force field and was relieved to see that the air was breathable. After all, he had never been on board a Zarlack ship. As far as he knew, they might have been breathing a completely different atmosphere.
The gravity, however, was higher than on Earth and Alliance ships. But it didn’t require Chase too much an effort on his part to move about. It just meant it would require slightly more energy to do so.
On the first junction inside the corridor from the cargo bay, Chase was greeted with laser weapon fire. He blocked it with telekinetic energy and sent the laser shots back toward a couple of Zarlack troops, burning a hole through their skulls. The bodies made a satisfying thump when they hit the ground.
Looks like they know I’m on board. I’d better hurry.
Chase expanded his consciousness to try to sense the energy of the life forms on the ship. There were over a hundred on board. Chase focused on identifying the Zarlacks, their energy was the most common one, so that he could filter out different life forms. And he only found one. It was female and faint. Chase focused on that life force in order to communicate with her. Her mind was in disarray, and pain, suffering, and fear permeated through her thoughts.
Hang on, I’m coming for you.
Chase felt she was in danger. He stopped running down the corridor and jumped forward and took flight. On his way, he met more Zarlacks. Dispatching them was easy, as cold-blooded creatures, they didn’t seem to appreciate Chase’s fireball, and he incinerated a good dozen of them on his way to his destination.
He felt he was near her position when he heard a nerve-wracking scream nearby. A female voice.
I hope I’m not too late.
Chase arrived in front of an open door, and when he entered the room, he saw a massive Zarlack with an energy leech in his hand. He had not heard Chase enter and was laughing.
Chase’s eyes lowered toward the corner of the dark room and saw a woman collapsed on the floor, lying in a pool of blood. Chase couldn’t sense her life energy anymore, and he shot a healing ball of energy toward her, hoping it wasn’t already too late.
But the sphere impacted with an invisible wall and lit up a red force field. That got the attention of the massive Zarlack, and he turned around.
Before Chase could fire his next attack, a blaring alarm resounded, and Chase sensed many life forms approaching.
Dammit!
12
Chase fired five fireballs at the force field while the Zarlack guard growled loudly. To Chase’s surprise, the force field was holding his attacks. Eventually, he realized he needed to find another way around it, and so Chase expanded his consciousness outward in an attempt to locate the ship’s computer.
Chase quickly found it, and his first contact with the alien computer was not a good one. The system was so different from any other computer he had ever interfaced with. It took Chase more time than he had anticipated locating the controls.
During his mind hack, he hesitated to cut all power to the ship as a way of quickly dropping the force field, but that could prove deadly to everyone, including himself. Not to mention he might need a few Zarlacks alive to try to locate Argos.
Chase finally found the right system, and the force field went down. The instant it did, Chase felt burns on his back; he was being fired upon by more troops.
Chase turned around and unleashed a shockwave that sent four Zarlacks crashing against the nearby walls. Two lost consciousness upon impact, and he incinerated the other two quickly, but then he felt something restrict his arms to the sides of this body.
Before he could look at what had grabbed him, he was hurled backward and against the wall.
That’s when he saw the energy leech extending from the hand of the Zarlack all the way around his chest. Chase grew his aura and smashed through the leech.
The massive Zarlack, at least three times the size of Chase, lurched forward with his fist, but Chase jumped back to his feet and blocked the attack with his palm and a good dose of telekinetic energy. Chase pushed his mind and broke both the creature’s kneecaps.
The Zarlack screeched as he fell forward, and Chase ended his life by punching through his rib cage with an energy-infused fist. The Zarlack convulsed before dying and spat large quantities of purple blood from his mouth, co
ating most of Chase’s head and shoulder with the gooey fluid before drawing its last breath.
“That’s disgusting,” said Chase, shaking his head in order to shed some of the fluid.
Chase burned his aura stronger, and the purple blood boiled and evaporated. He kneeled next to the dead woman, her head half-submerged in her own blood, and quickly put his hands on her. He tried healing her, ignoring the stench emanating from the evaporated lizard blood. But he couldn’t bring her back to life. She had been dead for too long.
Chase turned the woman around, and for a moment, he thought he saw Sarah. That sent a cascade of shivers down his spine. But after blinking a few times, he saw she only slightly resembled his wife.
She had the same fiery red hair, but where humans have eyebrows, she had ridges. She wasn’t human, and Chase had never seen her kind before.
The resemblance with Sarah was enough for Chase to feel his heart darken, hatred quickly overwhelming him, and a thirst for vengeance pushing him to the brink of insanity.
When he heard more footsteps coming his way, he arranged the bloodied hair of the woman on the side of her face and got back up. Fires of hell burned in his eyes. Chase didn’t realize that his aura had turned orange.
He stepped outside the cell, out of control, and killed everyone he met with more savagery than he ever thought possible. Decapitation, implosion from the inside out, dismemberment, he spared not a single Zarlack and did not stop until the last one, whose heart he forcefully removed from its chest.
When it was over, Chase fell on his knees and passed out.
When Chase opened his eyes, he didn’t understand where he was. It looked like Earth: lush green vegetation and the sun bursting through the foliage.
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 83