Modulus Echo

by Toby Neighbors

  “Here we go,” Kim said as the alien vessel suddenly extended the grappling arms.

  They came fast, almost like bullets from a gun. Kim shifted a little, moving the Echo as if they were flinching away from the grappling arms, but they were well within the alien’s range. The arms shot down and the first to encounter the flux shield was simultaneously crushed and ripped away from the alien ship. The spinning currents of gravity flung the snaky grappling arm away.

  “That’s one,” Kim said.

  The next two reached their shielding at the same time. One was pulverized, the grappling end destroyed by the powerful flow of gravity. The stub of the grappling arm sparked as it withdrew. The second was caught in the spinning gravity, crushed instantly and pulled down toward the center. Ben’s power meter as read by the exterior sensors on the Echo’s hull, immediately started blinking.

  “We can’t take another hit like that,” Ben said. “The heat signature is getting too high.”

  “What happens if it gets higher?” Pershing asked.

  “The more mass the flow of gravity takes in,” Professor Jones explained, “the more powerful the cyclone becomes. At the moment, it is self-perpetuating, which is why it draws so little power from the ship. But as it encounters matter, it reacts like a black hole. Crushing whatever gets caught in the swirl down to atoms and releasing more energy.”

  “And that’s bad?” Pershing said.

  “It speeds up the gravity flow,” Ben said, “which narrows the safe zone at the center.”

  “So if it gets too big or powerful, it will rip the ship apart,” Pershing said.

  “Precisely,” the professor exclaimed.

  “Lovely,” Pershing said. “Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  Chapter 18

  “Don’t worry,” Ben said. “I can shut it down if the power gets too hot.”

  “But then we have no defenses,” Pershing said. “How long until the shielding can be raised again?”

  “Theoretically, we should be able to raise it back up almost immediately,” Ben said. “Given that spinning up the flux shield takes a few minutes.”

  “Theoretically?” Pershing said.

  She couldn’t believe how careless civilians were. They acted without any concern for contingencies. How she had come to be in a civilian vessel that was older than she was and cobbled together with junk from a backwater planet she only recently heard of was a complete mystery to her. But destiny was calling to her and she was determined to answer. The greatest threat in the history of the human race had just appeared and she was going to lead the fight or die trying.

  “Well, we’ve never tested it to see how long it would take to start again,” Ben said. “But it should work.”

  The fourth grappling arm hit the shield and was sent flying. General Alicia Pershing saw exactly what she expected from the aliens. They blinked. Sending more grappling arms meant losing their hold on the ships they had already taken. And the Echo’s shields seemed to be more than a match for the grappling arms. Of course, if the aliens knew how close the shield was to failing, they might risk another attack, but for the moment, they hesitated and that was the closest thing to victory the tiny commando mission would get.

  “Swing us back around,” the general ordered. “We put the fear of God into them. I don’t think they’ll take another stab at capturing us now.”

  “We’re going to the rendezvous point?” Kim, the cocky pilot asked.

  “That is correct,” Pershing replied. “Ben, keep the shields up until we’re close.”

  “Sure,” the young engineer said.

  Their undisciplined vernacular irked the general. She was a brigadier general and they were felons, yet they showed her only the slightest respect. Not that she needed it from them. They were a means to an end. If she had the resources to replicate their prototype shield and gravity weapon, they would have been arrested already. She admired the courage and resourcefulness of the small crew, but just one mission with the small band of outlaws made her long for a proper Imperium ship.

  “The alien vessel is altering course,” Nance said.

  “To follow us?” Ben asked.

  “No,” Nance said, although Pershing could have answered that question without looking. She knew exactly what the aliens would do. They might be from another galaxy, but they weren’t a mystery.

  “They’re heading for the wormhole,” Pershing said.

  “She’s right,” Nance said.

  “Taking their ill-gotten gains and making a run for it,” Kim said.

  Pershing thought the pilot’s comment was the height of hypocrisy. How could outlaws fault someone for doing the very things they were known for doing? But then she had to admit that the crew of the Echo didn’t view themselves as criminals. They were rebels and smugglers, but their greatest crimes were acts of war. Perhaps, despite the fact that they claimed to be independent of the Confederate rebellion, they saw the destruction of Royal Imperium ships as an act of war. They were difficult to understand, which made Pershing nervous. She preferred to be surrounded by people she could manipulate or, at the very least, anticipate with a fair amount of accuracy. The crew of the Echo was completely unpredictable.

  “That should make getting our people out easier,” Ben said. “I’ll feel better once that ship is out of our galaxy.”

  “Any chance of closing the wormhole, Professor?” Kim asked.

  “Theoretically, it should be possible,” Jones said. “But I haven’t done the research yet. You all have me too busy.”

  “It’s going to get even more busy,” Pershing said. “The commandos should have the royal family. They’ll need immediate medical attention.”

  “Of course, of course,” Jones said.

  With every second, the two ships moved farther apart. Pershing had no doubt they were being monitored, their behavior in the system studied. She was doing the same to the aliens, but she wasn’t learning much. They seemed to be scavengers, but could there be more to the aliens? And did they break off the attack because they didn’t want to lose what they had, or because they knew help was on the way?

  “Nance, monitor that wormhole,” Pershing said. “Someone, bring up Alpha team’s coms.”

  “I have Alpha team,” Professor Jones said, sounding almost giddy. He was clearly enjoying the fantasy of being a naval officer in the Royal Imperium Fleet. “Staff Sergeant Visher.”

  “What’s your SitRep, Staff Sergeant?”

  “Alpha team is at the rendezvous point with six emergency landing pods, General.”

  “And Major Le Croix?”

  “He got held up in the ship by the aliens, but he fought his way out.”

  “He made contact?”

  “Yes, General, that’s my understanding. He’s just at the edge of our com-link range.”

  “Very well,” Pershing said, feeling a slight thrill. Fighting battles in space was an enjoyable tactical exercise, but what she wanted was intelligence on the beings inside the ships. “We’re on our way to pick you up.”

  “Thank you, General,” Visher said.

  “Ben, lower the shields,” Pershing ordered. “I want you, Magnum, and the professor down in the cargo hold ready to assist Alpha team.”

  “Okay,” Ben said, slipping out of his seat. “Shields are down.”

  “Any sign that the alien is changing course?” Pershing asked.

  “No,” Nance said. “They’re holding on their current trajectory. Distance between us is over three hundred kilometers.”

  “Keep a close watch on that alien ship,” Pershing said. “Kim, be prepared for evasive maneuvers. It’s still possible they’d fire some sort of weapon at us. A torpedo or large-yield warhead wouldn’t surprise me.”

  “How reassuring,” Kim quipped.

  “There’s no need for commentary. Let’s get to Alpha team and move on. Our job here is done.”

  “General? If the alien ship is leaving the system, wouldn’t it be better to b
ring all available warships here?” Nance asked. “If this is the only way in or out of our galaxy, it seems like this is the most important system from a strategic point of view.”

  “That’s correct,” Pershing said. “And if half the fleet hadn’t just been destroyed, that is exactly what we would do.”

  “You know that was an accident,” Nance said.

  “Yes, I’ve heard,” Pershing said, doing her best to hide her true feelings. She had some respect for the little crew, but she couldn’t forget what they had done to the Fleet. It may have paved the way for her destiny, but it was still a horrific act of terrorism.

  “I don’t blame you for the loss,” Pershing said. “You may have fired the shot, but it was the admiral general’s asinine plan to bring as many ships into the system as possible. The man was not a tactician. His solution to everything was more ships. It didn’t matter that your shields had proven more than a match for our overwhelming firepower.”

  “Would he have really bombarded innocent worlds?” Nance asked.

  “Admiral General Volgate was somewhere between an officer and a politician,” Pershing said, considering the threat that had lured the Echo to the Celeste system. “Men like that are capable of anything.”

  “If he had ordered you to carry out that mission,” Kim said from her seat in the ship’s cockpit, “could you have carried it out?”

  “I would have argued against it,” Pershing said.

  “And if he insisted?” Kim continued.

  “Then I would have followed orders,” Pershing admitted. “The worlds in question were in various stages of rebellion and had strong ties to the Confederacy. I may not have agreed with the politics, but I cannot deny the strategic value of the targets.”

  “That’s cold, General,” Kim said.

  Pershing had to bite her tongue to keep from lashing out. She couldn’t believe anyone outside of the military had the nerve to criticize her. They had no idea what she had endured, fought through, and overcome just to survive, much less rise to the top of the command structure. It was easy for others outside the military to pass judgment. It cost them nothing to look at the sacrifices of others and pretend it was all for nothing. Pershing knew better. She had fought and bled for the Royal Imperium. She had lost friends and ordered soldiers into situations knowing they would die carrying out her orders. The responsibility of her actions in the field and her decisions as a commander weighed heavily on her, which is why she worked tirelessly to be the kind of officer who viewed every decision through the lens of her military experience rather than playing politics.

  “I may not always agree with the orders I’m given,” Pershing said. “But the chain of command is what makes a military function. Once it’s questioned, everything breaks down and we become as dysfunctional as the Confederacy. The galaxy needs strong leadership. The soldiers under my command deserve my unwavering support. You think of the innocent lives on a rebellious planet that might be lost, but I think of the lives of my soldiers who I know would be lost having to fight on the ground. I know that loss personally, I’ve endured it. Have you?”

  Kim didn’t answer right away, and General Pershing thought she had finally put the cocky pilot in her place. But when Kim spoke, there was calmness and weight to her words that made Pershing take notice.

  “You think we haven’t lost people we care about?” Kim asked. “My parents were killed by Royal Imperium Security Forces when I was eleven years old. Ben’s parents simply disappeared. Our entire lives were lived in constant fear. There was no safety on Torrent Four, and the very idea of justice was comical. We weren’t soldiers. We weren’t criminals. We were simply poor. And I’m not talking about the fringe that falls through the cracks of the Royal Imperium social services. Less than one percent of the population of the entire planet had the means to even apply for waivers to leave Torrent Four. We had no hope of escaping the danger and poverty until Ben found this ship. We’re not military, but we know a thing or two about the Royal Imperium’s blanket policies, General. And no matter what you really think about us, we never would have chosen this life if we’d had any options.”

  “There are always options,” Pershing said.

  “Unless you’re ordered by the admiral general?” Kim asked.

  General Alicia Pershing was surprised by the logic of the pilot’s argument. She was about to reply when Nance announced that they were at the rendezvous point.

  “Open the rear hatch,” Pershing ordered. “Let’s get our people inside.”

  She was angry, mostly at herself for getting caught up in what was really nothing more than a philosophical argument. Pershing had learned long ago that some people simply couldn’t see reason, and debate never really changed anyone’s minds, no matter how sound the reasoning or logic. She had taken her eye off the ball, and it could have cost them everything.

  “What’s happening with the alien ship?” Pershing asked.

  “It’s slowing down, General,” Nance said. “But it hasn’t fired a weapon.”

  “Why would it slow down?” Kim asked. “You think they’re watching us?”

  “Of course they are,” Pershing said. “But they’re slowing down because they can’t go through the wormhole.”

  “Why not?” Kim replied.

  Before Pershing could explain, a new alien ship appeared. It sailed out of the wormhole and began to turn. Nance didn’t have to be told to bring the images up on the big bridge displays. She zoomed in as far as the Echo’s external cameras were capable of.

  “That’s why,” Pershing said quietly.

  “Holy crap,” Kim said.

  “It’s the same ship that attacked the Deception,” Pershing said before tapping the com-link button. “Staff Sergeant?”

  “We’re boarding now, General,” Visher replied. “The pods are a little difficult inside the ship’s gravity, but we’re figuring it out.”

  “What’s that mean?” Pershing asked.

  “Our artificial gravity bubble is too big,” Ben said. “And we have no way to connect to the pods to pull them in. Nance, can you reduce gravity a little?”

  “A smaller field or lighter gravity rating?” Nance asked.

  “Both,” Ben said.

  “Staff Sergeant, we’re nearly out of time,” Pershing said as another alien ship appeared from the wormhole. “Enemy ships are inbound.”

  “Roger that,” Staff Sergeant Visher replied. “We’re working double time.”

  “Start designating those alien vessels,” Pershing ordered. “We need as much data on them as possible.”

  “There’s another one,” Kim said. “How many are coming through?”

  “It could be hundreds, perhaps thousands,” Pershing said. “It’s an invasion fleet. And we’ll be lucky to stop them.”

  Chapter 19

  Ben stood by the plastic barrier as the gravity was pulled back on the ship. He felt his stomach flip, and then he was weightless.

  “Use the cargo straps,” Ben told Professor Jones.

  The older man took hold of a strap and pulling himself down to the deck. The commando team brought the emergency pods into the cargo hold one by one. Even without gravity, the job took longer than Ben expected.

  “Ben?” Kim said over the com-link. “What’s taking so long?”

  “They’re almost done,” Ben replied. “Nance, stand by to close the rear hatch.”

  “Affirmative,” Nance said. “Standing by to close the rear hatch.”

  “Magnum, we have to equalize the pressure inside the air lock,” Ben explained. “When the hatch seals, turn on that generator.”

  Ben was pointing at the portable machinery against one wall. The big man kicked off the deck, angling up toward the top of the cargo hold at a slight angle. He reached the ceiling and pushed himself back toward the deck, angling himself like a billiard ball toward the generator.

  “They’re all in,” Ben told Nance over the com-link. “Seal the door.”

  “Closing th
e hatch now,” Nance said.

  “Just in time,” Kim replied. “Those ships are heading this way.”

  “How many?” Ben asked.

  “Six so far,” Kim said.

  “More are forthcoming,” Pershing explained. “The energy readings on the wormhole continue to spike.”

  “The hatch is secure,” Nance said.

  “Pilot, take us out of here,” General Pershing said.

  “You don’t have to tell me twice,” Kim said.

  “Nance, plot a course to Major Le Croix’s position,” the general ordered. “We should have time to pick him up before we leave the system.”

  Ben heard the chatter from the bridge, but his attention was on the small pressure gauge just inside the plastic barrier. Once the air on both sides was equal, he could open the flaps and let the commando team into the cargo hold proper. And perhaps more importantly, they could see to the emergency pods.

  “How much time is left on the emergency safety devices?” Jones shouted through the plastic.

  “Just under a half hour,” Staff Sergeant Visher shouted back.

  “Nance, you can dial up the gravity again,” Ben said. “I’m opening the barrier.”

  He pulled back one plastic seal, then another, and finally unzipped the two main sections. Nothing happened, not even a puff of air from one side to the other. His makeshift air lock had worked perfectly.

  “Dialing up the artificial gravity,” Nance announced.

  Ben felt a sudden sense of pressure, as if someone was pushing down on him from above. Fortunately, his body responded quickly and he shook off the strange feeling. Professor Jones stepped up behind Ben and peered over his shoulder. The pods were lined up across the deck.

  “We should open them,” Jones said. “The occupants may need medical attention.”

  “My guys will help you move the people up to the sick bay,” Staff Sergeant Visher said, “but these pods aren’t going anywhere without a hydraulic lift of some kind.”