by G J Ogden
Dr. Rand had selected the landing site because of the low levels of Randenite radiation in the area. However, as a precaution, she’d also rigged up her palm computer to the advanced power armor they were all wearing to provide what she’d called an “early warning system.” It was essentially a Geiger counter for Randenite radiation, which would alert them should they stray too close to a potentially harmful source. Ironically, the scientist’s early warning system would also double as a detection device, highlighting potential alien tech for them to recover. However, recovering the components would again expose Hallam to dangerous levels of radiation in the process. This time, the power armor would offer some protection in addition to his radioresistant biology, but Hallam still didn’t relish the prospect of getting dosed again. Yet he’d also accepted that there was no other way to retrieve the items Dr. Rand needed.
“It seems that we’ve arrived in spring,” said Hallam, looking at the thick sheets of ice that blanketed most of the structures surrounding the plaza. Much of it appeared to be melting rapidly, creating streams of running water on the surface, along with some spectacular waterfalls, pouring out of the alien skyscrapers in the distance.
“In effect, you could class this as spring, though it will be a very short season indeed,” replied Dr. Rand. As usual, she was studying her palm computer, which was now attached to the armor surrounding her left forearm. “However, in only a few hours’ time, this whole city will be hotter than a desert. Naturally, we should aim to be long gone before that occurs.”
There was an ominous creak of metal from somewhere far above them, and Hallam anxiously surveyed the surroundings, noting that part of one of the taller towers was breaking loose. Chunks of metal, glass, and other building materials splintered away moments later and tumbled to the ground, crashing through the side wall of a smaller building, which crumbled like sand.
“Hopefully, this place won’t kill us before it cooks us,” said Hallam, who was now far warier of the broken and decaying structures surrounding them.
“Which way do we head first, Dr. Rand?” said Dakota, stepping off the rear ramp of the mercenary fighter, which immediately began to whir shut behind her. She stopped beside Hallam and handed him an assault rifle, similar to the one Alexis Black and Cad Rikkard had employed to deadly effect at Dr. Rand’s hideout. The scientist had refused a weapon and was instead carrying the shielded metal case they needed to safely retrieve the alien components.
“I am detecting promising readings toward the south,” said Dr. Rand, using the palm computer as a sort of radar for alien tech. “During our descent to the surface, I observed that there was something resembling a small spaceport nearby. This could be a good place to search for what we need.”
Hallam racked the weapon and held it ready, then nodded to Dakota. “Last one to find some alien tech buys the drinks?” he said, offering up another friendly challenge.
“No offense, Hal, but I don’t intend to get anywhere near this alien gear,” replied Dakota. “But if you manage to score what we need, I’ll crack open a bottle of champagne. Assuming we manage to get back to civilization, that is.”
Hallam let out a short laugh and pointed back to the fighter. “Given that we’re flying Alexis Black’s ship, I bet she already has a champagne fridge concealed in there somewhere.”
“Let’s find something worthy of celebration first, shall we?” Dr. Rand cut in, ever the voice of reason.
Dr. Rand led the way, her eyes frequently flicking from the palm computer to the apocalyptic cityscape ahead of them. The gravity on the planet was currently over twenty percent higher than an Earth-normal one g. However, their advanced power armor compensated for the difference automatically, to the point where it felt no different from strolling across any of the bridge worlds. As they walked, Dr. Rand had explained that during the course of its eccentric orbit, the gravity on the planet fluctuated from roughly half a g to over two. This was apparently “mild” compared to the other planets in the system, some of which suffered far more severe extremes. Others, as they had already discovered during the perilous journey to the alien world, had been completely torn apart from the stresses.
Hallam and Dakota remained vigilant, ready to use the weapons should anything spring out and attack them. However, Dr. Rand’s assurances that they were likely the only living things on the planet made him feel more at ease than he had been on Doyle’s rogue world. The real danger was from the radiation or the risk of outstaying their welcome and getting cooked when the planet’s orbit swung it closer to the system’s star.
The group had walked through the alien streets for ten minutes but still found nothing. The electronic whine of Dr. Rand’s early warning system had frequently forced them to find alternative routes through the broken city. As such, their path had been as chaotic as the planet’s orbit. They were now standing at the perimeter of a large, oval structure with a courtyard area attached to it that had once been cordoned off by a wall. However, like much of the city, which was now glistening in the clear, sunlit sky because of the fast-melting ice and frost, the wall had seen better days. Hallam and Dakota were able to punch through and tear open a section of the barrier with ease, thanks to their rugged power armor.
Hallam stepped through the new opening first, checking the corners, paranoid that one of the wide-headed alien inhabitants was lying in wait to ambush them. Then all thoughts of being attacked vanished as he saw what was sitting in the middle of the courtyard. Though it conformed to no design language he’d ever seen before, it was clearly a spaceship. There were engines and thruster ports and a discernable cockpit. However, it was wider than it was long, with arcing, wing-like structures that swept behind it into a sharp vee, almost like a manta ray, but less graceful. In all, it was perhaps only slightly bigger than the mercenary fighter they’d arrived in, but what it lacked in size it more than made up for in grandeur. It was the most incredible-looking machine Hallam had ever seen.
“I’d love to take that thing for a spin,” said Hallam as Dakota stepped through the opening and drew alongside. Dr. Rand wasn’t far behind.
Dakota let out a long, low whistle. “What are the chances we can get it fired up?” she said, flashing her eyes at Hallam. Both of them eagerly stepped toward the alien ship, but then Dr. Rand’s palm computer began to output a low, pulsing tone.
“Do not move any closer!” barked Dr. Rand, making it sound like they were about to trigger a tripwire. Hallam and Dakota immediately froze and peered at the scientist with wide, anxious eyes. “That vessel is emitting a powerful Randenite signature…” Dr. Rand continued, leaving Hallam hanging for several more seconds with his heart in his mouth. “However, it appears to be safely shielded,” Dr. Rand then added. “We can approach it without risk.”
“Jeez, Doc, you had me worried for a second then!” cried Hallam, blowing out a heavy sigh.
“You and me both, Mr. Knight,” said Dr. Rand, for once not retorting with some mildly condescending advice or comment. “However, we are fortunate to have discovered it. That vessel may well be our best chance to retrieve a working drive core.”
“Well, it’s certainly about time we had some damn luck,” said Dakota, moving out ahead of the others onto what they now knew was a landing strip.
Hallam couldn’t argue with Dakota’s sentiment, but at the same time, he still had a hard time believing it was going to be so easy. And, as they reached the halfway point to the alien ship, his hunch proved itself to be correct. The ground began to shake, breaking the remaining ice off some of the taller buildings, while completely shaking several others to the ground. Hallam, Dakota, and Dr. Rand dropped to their knees as the quake intensified, thankful for the fact they were out in the open, rather than standing under one of the many collapsing buildings.
“Doc, tell me this is normal,” said Hallam, hoping that they hadn’t decided to visit the alien world on its ultimate doomsday.
“Because of the frequent cycles of heating and cooling, s
urface tremors are common,” Dr. Rand replied, though Hallam could tell there was a “but” coming. “But this one is particularly severe…”
The quake continued for several more seconds, during which time an already heavily damaged skyscraper over a kilometer tall began to collapse. Rock and metal thudded into the ground several hundred meters from their position with an almighty roar, like a hundred simultaneous thunderclaps. Hallam watched wide-eyed as an enormous cloud of dust billowed up into the sky.
“Take cover!” Hallam shouted, and seconds later, he was hit by the advancing cloud. He turned his head and shut his eyes, burying his face into the sleeve of his armor, but the thick, acrid dust still fought its way in through his nose and mouth, coating him from head to toe.
Finally, the ground stopped shaking and the dust began to settle, leaving Hallam retching black mucus onto the landing strip. Wiping the grime from his eyes, he saw that Dakota and Dr. Rand had been similarly incapacitated, both coughing and retching the vile-tasting mixture from their noses and mouths. However, they were still alive, and that was all that mattered, Hallam realized. Had the quake struck minutes earlier, when they were still walking through the alien streets, they would likely not have been so fortunate.
“Is everyone okay?” Hallam called out, scrambling toward Dakota and Dr. Rand while continuing to spill dark mucus from his nose and mouth, and claw the dust from his eyes.
“I’ve been worse,” said Dakota in between hacking coughs. “But not much worse.”
Hallam crouched beside the others and peered up at the alien ship, which was unscathed, besides the fresh coating of dust that was now clinging to its hull.
“Let’s get what we need and get the hell out of here,” said Hallam, standing up and hurrying toward the vessel. However, he’d barely made it two paces before the ground around them started creaking and groaning, like an old shipwreck that had been hauled up from the depths of the ocean. He halted, as if he’d inadvertently walked out onto a partially frozen lake, and was about to warn the others not to follow, when the ground around them collapsed inward.
Hallam, Dakota, and Dr. Rand were swallowed by a sinkhole and dragged down through the rock and dirt. Hallam tumbled to the bottom of the crater, his armor saving him from what otherwise would have certainly been severe cuts, bruises, and even fractures from the material clattering against his body. The sinkhole continued to expand, eventually consuming the alien vessel too. The ground beneath the ship dropped suddenly, forming a slope, down which the alien ship began to slide, directly toward Hallam and the others.
“On your feet!” cried Hallam, digging Dr. Rand out from under the rubble and hauling her upright. “We’re in trouble!”
Dakota threw the remaining rocks off her body and climbed to her feet, only to see the alien ship rushing toward them.
“Climb out, now!” Dakota cried, trying to scramble up the slopes of the sinkhole, but the loose soil just came away in her hands, and she only succeeded in digging deeper into the walls.
“We’ll have to brace it,” said Hallam, moving ahead then standing firm, digging his heels into the ground.
“Are you mad? That thing will crush us like eggs!” Dakota called back, still trying to climb out.
“Not in these suits, Dak,” Hallam called back. “The three of us can stop it, but only if we do it together.”
Dr. Rand ran to Hallam’s side and braced herself as he had done. “Miss Wulfrun, there’s no time. You must help us!” the scientist cried, her composure finally giving way, like the ground around them.
Dakota growled and joined the others as the ship thudded into the base of the crater, killing some of its momentum, but not enough to slow it fully. The landing struts crumpled beneath the vessel’s hull, dipping its wide nose into the dirt moments before it collided with three pairs of armored hands. Hallam felt his fingers dig into the alien metal as he was driven back toward the far wall of the crater, feet grinding across its rocky base. He pushed back, employing the full power of the advanced suit to slow the ship’s advance. Hallam felt his heels hit the rocks at the far wall and he pushed harder, the metal of both the alien vessel and the advanced power armor creaking under the immense strain. However, with barely a meter to spare, their efforts finally paid off, and the alien vessel eased back and finally came to a stop. The wide nose of the ship then tipped up out of the ground and away from them as they continued to push against it with all their augmented might. Hallam pulled his hands out of the alien hull and collapsed back against the slope of the crater, heart thumping and lungs burning. He glanced across to Dakota and Dr. Rand, who were similarly breathless and shell-shocked.
“I take it back,” wheezed Dakota, lying on her back and staring up at the sky. “We’re still fresh out of luck.” Then she sat up and anxiously looked around the crater before cursing. “The weapons are gone,” she said, throwing her hands out wide. “And the shielded case. They must have been buried under the rubble when we fell.”
Hallam and Dr. Rand were silent as the gravity of Dakota’s observation struck home. Losing the rifles was merely an inconvenience, but the shielded case was an absolute necessity. Without it, they would be unable to transport the alien components away from the planet, even if they managed to find what Dr. Rand needed. Suddenly, Hallam’s eyes were drawn to the glint of something metallic, part buried under the rubble, below the alien ship. He crawled over to it and dug through the mud and stones before laughing out loud.
“You do find amusement in the most unusual places, Mr. Knight,” said Dr. Rand, slipping back into her usual snootier persona. “May I ask what is so worthy of mirth this time?”
Hallam turned around and held up the shielded case. “Eat your heart out, Bob the bear. We’ve finally had some luck,” said Hallam, tossing the metal case over to Dr. Rand. “Now let’s get the alien gear we need and leave before this damn planet decides to throw us another curveball.”
11
More than three hours had elapsed since the tremor that caused the alien spaceship to tumble into the sinkhole, along with Hallam, Dakota, and Dr. Rand. During this time, Dr. Rand had worked tirelessly. She had not only managed to open an access hatch into the ship, but she had also located the alien progenitor to her Shelby Drive. The scientist was currently in the process of stripping the drive down to the point where Hallam would be needed to retrieve the vital components.
This delay had afforded Hallam and Dakota a welcome respite from being chased and shot at. However, as much as the desolate planet was peaceful in a macabre sort of way, the passage of time presented its own dangers. In the hours they had been waiting, the planet had grown significantly warmer. All traces of ice and frost had gone, and the external temperature had already reached nearly seventy degrees Fahrenheit and was climbing steadily higher all the time.
“I wonder what they were like,” said Hallam, sitting alongside Dakota on top of the alien ship. With the ice melted and the sun shining down on them, the city looked somehow more alive, despite the broken buildings and absence of any living creatures.
“They were probably a bunch of assholes, like us humans,” said Dakota, smiling at him.
“Speak for yourself,” replied Hallam, nudging her with his shoulder.
Dakota returned the smile, then stared into the distance, out beyond the limits of the alien city. “I’m sure there was a mix of good people and bad, just like on Earth and the bridge worlds,” she said, her expression turning more wistful. “I hope they were mostly decent. I’d like to think so.” Then she nudged Hallam and added, “But I don’t reckon they ever had a dynamic duo quite like Hallam Knight and Dakota Wulfrun.”
Hallam nodded, playing along. “If they had, then they wouldn’t have ended up like this,” he said, gesturing to the apocalyptic landscape. Then his thoughts turned to Damien Doyle and the tycoon’s stubborn refusal to accept the truth about bridge travel. “Something must have gone badly wrong, though, for it to end like this,” Hallam added, suddenly feeling wei
ghed down by the immense loss of life that must have occurred on the planet. “It’s hard to believe they couldn’t have known what was coming. I mean, if the doc saw it, then a civilization with the sort of technology these aliens had must have known.”
Dakota drew in a deep breath through her nose, which was still covered in dusty grime, and let it out, shrugging. “Who knows… Maybe they had their own version of Damien Doyle, or worse.”
Dr. Rand poked her head out of the hatch in the alien ship and spotted Hallam and Dakota chatting. “I believe I’m at a point where your services are required, Mr. Knight,” the scientist called over.
Hallam acknowledged Dr. Rand then pushed himself up, helping Dakota to her feet too. “Well, at least we still have a chance to stop this from happening to Earth and the bridge worlds,” he said, walking along the hull of the ship toward the open hatch, growing more nervous with each step. “Assuming I can get what the Doc needs without X-raying myself to a crisp, that is...”
Dakota followed Hallam through the hatch opening and into what appeared to be the engineering section of the alien vessel. Metal panels, bolts, and other objects were strewn across the deck, exposing part of the ship’s inner workings. As Hallam got closer and crouched down at Dr. Rand’s side, the resemblance to her Shelby Drive technology became more obvious. However, the materials used and the precision and detail of the manufacturing was far more advanced and intricate than the Shelby Drives Hallam had seen. Like the rest of the ship, the processes and technologies that the alien species had used were unknown to human minds.
“This is as far as I could get without exposing myself to a dangerous level of radiation,” said Dr. Rand. “I have marked the objects I require with these strips of ribbon torn from my base layer flight suit,” the scientist went on. She then indicated five separate parts of the alien bridge drive. “All you need to do is grab them and twist in a counter-clockwise direction to detach them. The components will then unlock and should slide out easily. Quite ingenious really. It would have made repairing any damage to the system very simple.”