Countdown

by John Walker

  ***

  “We’re emerging!” Borden shouted. “Everyone strap in and pray we’ve gone to the right place!” Or that the Gold Empire assholes we’re about to encounter won’t think we’re an enemy. This feels like a stupid idea all around.

  The closer they got to their destination, the harder it was for Borden to relax. He worried about being captured, having their ship confiscated, or worse… just blown out of the sky. The ship rumbled as they emerged into normal space. The stars looked fine as the scanner kicked in, but something felt wrong.

  What’s the deal? Borden craned his neck, looking all around. He expected to have a visual on other starships. They were supposed to have arrived at a populated part of the Gold Empire. Instead, they found themselves in a quiet stretch of space. A nearby space station orbited a moon. That can’t be the only civilization out here.

  Unless someone sent us here to be safe.

  Lyson came onto the bridge, leaning over his shoulder to lookout. “This isn’t where we’re supposed to be.” She turned away, tapping at the console behind him. “No, this certainly isn’t what I expected at least. Is this some secret base they told you about, Borden? What’s going on?”

  “That’s… a lot of questions.” Borden rubbed his eyes. “I have no clue. These are the coordinates we were given. I thought we were going to their capital world. The biggest city or something. This…” He gestured to the screen. “Has a shitty space station in the middle of nowhere. And it doesn’t look all that used.”

  “I’m scanning it now,” Lyson replied. “Maybe this is what they consider a safe house… so to speak. I’ve never seen it before, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot.”

  “I thought you worked for these people,” Borden muttered. “Shouldn’t that mean you know?”

  “I’m a contractor. A scientist, not a military version. How should that make me some kind of crazy expert on all their locations? Sheesh.”

  “Sorry I pushed.” Borden brought up a star chart, looking for the nearest populated world within the Gold Empire. “I guess we’d better start a plan to get out of here. I wonder why we’d be sent here, though. That seems so strange to me. You got any idea why? I’m talking even a guess.”

  “Maybe they were worried about what might happen back there,” Lyson said. “What would happen if Alden died?”

  Borden considered that for a long moment. The Gold Empire military might find itself in chaos. Leaving their fate up in the air. Who would be in charge? With no one ready to step in, there’d be some internal conflict until the politicians figured it out. Hopping into the capital may have been a bad plan.

  “I see your point,” Borden said. “We could be here to lay low. I wonder how long we’re expected to stay, though.” He checked the scans for a buoy. It appeared offline. “Shit! We can’t even send a message out of here without bringing that thing back online. I’m okay at knocking them out, but bringing them back? Not so much.”

  “Between Vic and me,” Lyson replied, “we can figure something out. I’ll get him up here in a minute. You’ll want to close the gap on it. Proximity will increase speed. I’m assuming you want to get word back to our people to find out what happened? See if we can proceed to a civilized system?”

  “Bingo.”

  “Right. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Borden fired up the engines, altering course to intercept the buoy. It wasn’t transmitting, but the reactor remained online at low power mode. That gave him some hope that it might not be such a big deal to fix it. Assuming my computer people are all they say they are. He smirked at the thought. I’m keeping that comment to myself.

  Vic came back with Lyson. They were in the middle of a conversation about the best method of connecting with the buoy. Borden ignored them until they began flipping switches behind him, getting deep into the technical jargon. He glanced back.

  “You already connected or just theorizing back there?”

  “Performing a diagnostic sweep,” Vic replied. “There may be no point in going there if we… oh shit.”

  “What?” Borden asked, twisting in his seat in an effort to see what they were looking at. He couldn’t. “What’s wrong? What do you see?”

  “Reactor’s online,” Lyson said. “But this thing is old as hell. The transmitters are fried. I don’t suppose we have any replacements in the ship?”

  Borden huffed. “You kidding?”

  “Hold on.” Vic brought something up on the front HUD. “Check that out. The station must be here to service the area. They’ve got a fuel depot and plenty of parts. Life readings… are… minimal.”

  “That doesn’t mean abandoned,” Lyson said. “And they haven’t hailed us as far as I know so any interaction with that place seems like it’ll be unnecessarily risky.”

  “You got an alternative?” Vic asked. “Someone sent us here, they must know the place is safe. We hop over, let them know we want to fix the buoy, grab the parts, and get to work. Simple.”

  “Oh boy.” Borden shook his head. “If only things ever went that smoothly. I’m happy to communicate with them. Find out what’s going on, but we can’t plan a trip unless we know it’ll work out.”

  “Let me go,” Vic said. “Even if they’re hostile, this is what I do. Get in and out.”

  Lyson replied, “Analysis of the buoy is done. Looks like some burned-out circuit boards. They’re not huge. You bring back a few, we can swap them out in no more than a couple hours tops.” She turned to Borden. “If you think he can do it, then I’d say we try. Better this place that we have a good idea of what’s going on than risk another jump.”

  “Yeah.” Borden stared at the scans for the station. He really didn’t like the fact there were life forms but no contact yet. With the buoy out, they should’ve been gagging for aid. And if they have any starships aboard, they could’ve fixed the thing themselves. Maybe he wasn’t being fair. Technicians may have been in short supply.

  How dangerous can it be for Vic? Borden looked back at the man. And do I give a shit?

  “We have to be honest about something,” Borden said. “What if you can’t make it in and out of there? What do we do for you? Because no one on this boat can come looking for you.”

  “What’s going on?” Hayes shouted just before she stepped onto the bridge. “You guys know we’ve got scared civilians back there, right? They’re kind of freaking out about what’s going on.”

  “We’re working that out,” Borden said. “Well, Vic?”

  “I can do it,” Vic replied, “and if it doesn’t work out, if you have to leave without me, then that’s fine too. I’m thinking the people on that station want help and are afraid to ask.”

  “Supplies might be low,” Lyson added. “In which case, they’re going to need some comms sooner than later.”

  “Alright.” Borden nodded. “Move aside for Hayes to get her seat.” She pushed through to sit beside him. “You’d better prep up. When we get closer, I’ll hail them for a chat. Until then, Doctor… why don’t you do your best to calm our passengers down? We’ll do what we have to from up here.”

  “Sounds good.” Lyson took off with Vic, leaving the two pilots alone.

  “We’re going to the station,” Hayes said, “right?”

  “Unfortunately.”

  “Parts for the buoy?”

  Borden smirked. “How’d you know?”

  “I scanned it while I was down below. I figured that had to be the only reason we cared. You sure this is a good idea?”

  “It’s a terrible idea,” Borden replied. “It has some merit, though. The people there might need our help. And if we were sent here for a reason, then we’ll be doing the Gold Empire a favor.”

  “If it turns out to be dangerous?”

  “Vic knows the risks. He made it clear we can bail on him.”

  “Providing we don’t go inside a hangar,” Hayes pointed out. “Because then we could be stuck there.”

  “Docking clamp should be fine. We ca
n hack those if need be. Then move to another section should he want to depart from a different part of the whole. I’ve done a couple jobs infiltrating them before. They’re not as bad as you’d think but it can be dangerous. Regardless, once that thing’s back online, we can find out what happened at Gallik.”

  “You think the Gold Empire won?”

  “I hope they did.” Borden set a proximity meter to know when they should begin sending a request for communications. “I just…”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m not exactly optimistic. More for the ground forces than anyone. That sweep we did showed how many pricks they sent down there. And I don’t know how tough the Gold Empire troops were. I know we’ve dealt with them in the past and they weren’t exactly the best of the best. Zem made them look like raw recruits.”

  “But Zem’s scary,” Hayes pointed out. “I wouldn’t want to mess with him.”

  “Yeah…” Borden sighed. “That’s true. All of them were. Rita was down there so I have to think they made it. Even if they had to run, I’m guessing they survived somewhere. Maybe we’ll even rendezvous with them eventually. Find ourselves fugitives from multiple governments. That’ll be… fun.”

  “Or at least exciting.” Hayes turned away. “Looks like we’re in range to chat. You want me to start the process?”

  “Yep. Hail the place. Time to make something happen… and determine whether or not our allies are dumbasses for sending us here.”

  Chapter 3

  Commander Sasha Duran wiped sweat from his brow. He ran the Gold Empire battleship Broken Light, an older vessel that had been in operation since the rebellion. Though it had been refitted three times since then, it was still considered an older ship of the line… one that wasn’t always the most reliable.

  So they stuck us out here on the edge of our civilized space.

  Commodore Alden had sent him and two destroyers to protect a particular system well away from any of their colonies. The order hadn’t made a lot of sense until he’d arrived. When he did, his briefing made it clear they were an early warning battle group.

  One meant to act as a message to the rest of the fleet should the ervas attack.

  Sasha had fought the ervas before. Three times, in fact. He’d come out on top in each of those engagements, earning himself a fair amount of glory in the process. The final conflict got him a promotion and command of the Broken Light. Alden tried to make it sound positive yet… when Sasha had boarded the old thing, he felt like he’d been relegated to a garbage trawler.

  Many of the primary functions required repair. He spent a week in dry dock with his engineers fixing aged equipment, patching circuits, and turning it into a space worthy vehicle. By the time they were done, he had some more confidence that they wouldn’t all be killed the first time it entered hyperspace.

  And since then, the Broken Light proved herself stubborn. She broke, yes, but the technicians knew her well. They could get systems back online faster than most ships of the fleet. Most of the parts proved to be somewhat simple; easier to address and alter. This meant customization—and the result of that was versatility.

  Their opponents had no idea what to expect when facing her. Weapons were not standard nor were their defenses. They had an edge during the opening volleys. Even then, unless the enemy happened to have a seriously good tech officer, they’d have a hard time determining exactly what they were up against.

  I only hope the ervas find it just as difficult.

  Sasha suffered from nerves from a recent report. A large hyperspace signal appeared in the sector. He moved to intercept; to be ready to hit the enemy immediately upon their arrival. Daisy Grendon, his tech officer, prepared a message to send the moment they knew who they were facing.

  Alden needed the information in the event it turned out to be the ervas and not another Gold Empire fleet… or even pirates out on the prowl for plunder. They’d dealt with enough of those in the last few weeks to make that a real possibility. Enough so that they’d already heard all the complaints about the clampdown.

  We used to tolerate these bastards. I’m so glad we’re over that nonsense. Colonists don’t need to be victimized by them and taxed by us.

  Marston Bailey acted as his pilot. He’d been with the ship for six months though he came highly recommended. He gave up the pirate side of things, opting to join a ship on the honest side of the military. Psych eval suggested he’d grown tired of the senselessness of his previous post.

  Surprisingly, Parse let men like him go. Sasha always figured he’d have them killed or drummed out. Some considered them spies, which is why they were put through the wringer with the psychiatrists. Alden insisted on ensuring anyone in his division met strict standards. It took time, but Sasha trusted it.

  “Sir,” Daisy said, “the ships will be emerging at any moment. The energy signature is not one that comes from any reactor we make. They are definitely ervas.”

  “Can you be one hundred percent certain of that?” Sasha asked. “If we inform the Commodore and we’re wrong, there’ll be hell to pay.”

  “I’m certain.”

  Sasha rubbed his chin, continuing to stare at the screen. He didn’t have a lot of time before they’d be busy, perhaps even too busy to send the message. And if the enemy had a method of jamming a signal, it would be all over before it even began. The decision was made. Better to be safe than sorry.

  “Send the message,” Sasha ordered, “get it out immediately. Let me know when you have confirmation our buoy sent it.”

  The local buoy may not last long when the enemy arrived either. The ervas understood how to invade Gold Empire territory. They’d done it plenty of times. They hit satellites, buoys, anything they could to cause havoc within the ranks and to prevent meaningful retaliation. Which is why I had to prepare our message before we needed it.

  “They’re here!” Daisy shouted. Five ships appeared on the viewscreen: ervas warships. Their silhouettes showed up on the HUD, identifying them as battleships. “Oh my God… sir, this is the most powerful battle group we’ve encountered. I’ve never read a report of that many large vessels coming at us at the same time.”

  “Yes, I know.” Sasha cursed under his breath. Part of him wanted to turn tail and run from the threat. But they had to slow them down and put up enough resistance to prove they weren’t going to lie down in the war to come. This is definitely a declaration of war. We can’t win this fight. As long as I’m smart about it, we can survive.

  “They’re deploying fighters,” Daisy said. “Shall we launch?”

  “Negative,” Sasha replied. He tapped the comm, reaching out to his two destroyers. “Attention, move to the enemy group’s flanks. Hit them as soon as they are in range. Have your helms plot courses to get you out of here on my command. We’re not staying long. Just enough to give them a bloody nose.”

  Which might be wishful thinking. Sasha didn’t know why the ervas might’ve stopped there. Alden hadn’t given him that information but had simply sent him to that point specifically. Nothing in the system seemed worth the time for the enemy to bother with. What did they want? Is this a staging area?

  He’d already checked star charts when they arrived. Nothing stuck out as being of specific interest. It was in good proximity to other Gold Empire holdings, specifically some of the outlying colonies. But why not jump directly to them and attack? Unless they don’t know where our places are specifically.

  Sasha thought for a long moment.

  I get it. The buoy in that system had been deployed to make long-distance communication with the remote areas easier. If the ervas had some idea of how to hack it or gain control, then they’d have up-to-date information on current events. So they’re here for that. The question is… why didn’t Alden have me destroy it? And what would it mean if they did so?

  Sasha leaned back in his seat.

  That’s a risk I’m willing to take.

  “Daisy, shut down the comm buoy after our message gets thr
ough,” Sasha ordered. “Then Marston? Target the thing. I want it taken out before we leave the system.” He peered at their time to target. “Looks like we’ve got just under a minute to make that happen before you need to open fire on these dirtbags. Get ready.”

  Both destroyers reported in position and prepared for the fight. Sasha issued orders for them to withdraw once they went through three cycles of fire. That would be all they could get off before risking serious damage from their opponents. Intelligence suggested the ervas ships could pop off twice for every one shot the Gold Empire got off.

  Which is why we usually go at these fights with overwhelming force. Of course, the Broken Light didn’t suffer from the same limitations. Which is the only reason why we’re still here.

  “We are in range,” Marston said, “permission to open fire.”

  “Granted. Hit them hard.”

  The cannons discharged; the main ones first. Four wide beams struck the middle battleship’s shields half a second before the secondary weapons opened fire… ten additional attacks. The reaction from the enemy’s defenses caused a flash that probably would be seen two systems away as some sort of strobe effect.

  Their destroyers opened up next, tearing into the flanking vessels. Their assaults came from the traditional Gold Empire weapons with a vastly inferior response. But their presence after the initial attack meant the outer ervas had to make a choice. Ignoring them meant giving up their flank so they could attack the Broken Light.

  However, if they went that route and those destroyers packed a real punch, they’d be in real trouble.

  Ruses. Sasha clenched his fists in anticipation of their move. The Broken Light’s weapons would be back online within forty seconds… not enough time to get a shot off before the ervas returned fire. His goal was to have two of their five aim away. I can take three of them for a bit more, but if all five come after me, we’re getting out of here.

  The two outer battleships pivoted, turning to face their attackers on the outside. Sasha felt the tension in his shoulders lift even as they took a full barrage from two of the ships. Marston got them moving upward at the right moment, evading one of the assaults.