Scrapyard Ship 3 Space Vengeance (15 page)

The crew exchanged quick glances with each other.

“
You’ve heard that name before?”

“
We’ve had run-ins with him and his clan before. Most freighters moving through this part of space simply pay his tolls. He makes a quick example of those that don’t.”

“
You’re taking me to Earth; after that, you’re free to go where you want.”

“
What is Earth?”

Brian waited for another wave of nausea to subside and his head to clear before speaking again. “Take me to your bridge; I’ll give you the specific coordinates.” Brian gestured with his weapon for them to all get moving. The hopper followed.

To Brian, it seemed as though they had walked miles. He could tell Betty was watching him, had seen him waver and rub his aching head.

“
What’s wrong with you. You sick?”

“
Don’t worry about me. Just worry that I don’t accidentally pull the trigger on this weapon. All of you keep going.”

Brian’s NanoCom was working overtime: first, with the hopper’s constant hissing and clicking—the creature wanted to go home—and now, translating the back and forth murmurs between the crewmembers.

“
Stop talking, all of you.”

They made their way through a maze of intersecting corridors and finally entered the freighter’s small bridge. Brian found the navigation station but had no idea how to access it. He nodded toward Betty and she reluctantly stepped in and entered a code. Several small displays filled with numerical information and another one that showed icons of their own sector, as well as a nearby planetary system. Brian sat down at the station and within several moments was able to pinpoint their current location and its relationship to Allied space, which was relatively close, as well as to Earth in the far away Sol solar system.

“
We don’t have the propellant for a trip like that,” Betty said.

Brian looked at her in disbelief.

“
Sorry! But we’re on the return leg of a three-month, thirteen planet circuit.”

“
Can you make it here, over to this sector?”

Betty looked at the screen and chewed at her lip. She leaned in over Brian’s legs to access the input device. Her chest lightly brushed against Brian’s arm and she became flustered. She adjusted her stance and leaned in again to enter the coordinates. She stood back and shrugged. “Probably could make it.”

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Jason thought about Ricket’s request overnight. As much as he wanted to acquiesce, the needs of his crew and Earth itself had to come first. Ricket would have to take his chances with the rest of them. If they were successful at dealing with the Craing fleet, he’d be open to discussing the matter further. Jason found Ricket up on Deck 4B and delivered the disappointing news.

“
I understand, Captain. I apologize for proposing the procedure at such an inopportune time.”

“
Let’s see how we do against the Craing. We’ll talk about it again after that.”

“
Yes, Captain.”

Jason looked down at the bench top. There was a myriad of high-tech looking devices at different levels of assembly. Jason picked up one of their standard battle helmets and noticed the HUD visor was active. “What are you working on here?”

“
Something I’m calling a phase-time-comparator circuit. Or PTCC.”

“
What’s it do?”

“
It is just about ready for implementation, if you decide it’s worthwhile. Go ahead and put on the helmet.”

Jason did as Ricket requested.

“
What it will do is allow for playback of previous timeframe visuals based on current optic references. For example, I have set the parameters for exactly thirty days in the past. Now, as you look around viewing the current timeframe, either a smaller window or a direct visual overlay will display the corresponding visual timeframe of thirty days ago.”

Jason slowly turned and surveyed the room. A smaller window was activated and seemed to show the exact same visuals. “Oh, wait,” he said, turning back in the other direction. “That’s really cool. I actually see you in the little window. You’re doing something with the phase-synthesizer. And you’re not wearing your Dodgers cap. I’m impressed. To be honest, I can’t really think of an application I’d need this for today, but if it’s not too much trouble—”

“
No, not at all. It will be uploaded into our next battle suit design.”

Jason took off the helmet. “Can this PTCC thing be added to our wraparound bridge display? Perhaps a way to rewind and fast-forward through visual time?”

Ricket took the helmet from Jason and thought about it for a moment. “Of course. That’s a good idea, Captain.”

* * *

Jason entered the bridge and heard the new AI’s male voice announce: “Captain on the bridge.”

He hesitated. “So this is what it looks like when every station is manned, huh?”

There was a whirlwind of activity as the bridge crew prepared for disembarking from the far side of the moon. Above, the Dreadnaught filled most of the wraparound display.

“
Aye, Captain,” the XO replied, now standing to his right. Like insects, hundreds of tractor drones scurried about the Dreadnaught’s outer hull.

“
Captain, we have a problem,” Perkins said, concern in his voice. “One of the tractors is misbehaving.”

Another video feed was added showing a close-up view of a tractor drone caught in some kind of frenetic loop. Its clawed arms whipped and flailed spastically as sections of the Dreadnaught’s hull tore free. In less than thirty seconds the tractor drone had burrowed itself into the hull and was out of sight.

“
I can’t even imagine the kind of damage that thing is causing,” Jason said.

Perkins stood up, watching the display with two fingers to his ear, then nodded.

“
Captain, apparently it was a programming glitch. It’s been brought back under control. It was halted before there was any serious internal systems damage.”

Jason let out a breath.

Changing the subject, Perkins said, “The outpost’s come up with a name for the Dreadnaught, Captain.”

“
And what’s that?”

“
The Independence.”

“
I like it. Seems appropriate. What’s the latest status of the Independence?”

“
All systems are now operational. We needed to retrofit replacement parts coming out of the phase-synthesizer,” Perkins replied. “They’re shuttling over some crewmembers as we speak. It’ll still seem like a ghost ship, but we’ll have enough crew there to keep critical systems alive.”

“
Good. According to the admiral the rest of the outpost fleet is ready.”

“
Yes, sir.”

Jason brought his attention back to the bridge and the small white cube sitting atop the Comms station. “And we’re ready to test this thing?”

“
Aye, sir. Everything seems to be properly installed and configured. The Caldurians synchronized the equipment—and tested that it talks to the interchange. I think we’re good to go. Ready to jump across the universe, whenever you’re ready.”

“
That, or get stranded a thousand light years from home. Let’s hope we don’t lose favor with the Caldurians, or worse, the interchange. Seems we’re not only putting our own lives at stake, but those of the entire fleet.”

“
Having second thoughts, sir?”

Jason shrugged. “We either attempt to use this technology, or stick with FTL and show up in Allied space several weeks from now. Two options, and lives are at stake either way.”

“
Aye, sir.”

Jason saw one of the Gordon brothers, Michael, at the Comms station.

“
Opening a channel with the interchange, sir. Connection established and in-and-out coordinates have been relayed.”

Thirty seconds later, space distorted and a spectrum of colors emanated from an irregular opening.

“
McBride, ready a long-range probe and deliver it into the mouth of that wormhole. I want to see what we’ll be dropping into on the other side.”

“
Aye, Captain.”

All eyes turned to the display.

“
Probe’s away, sir,” McBride said.

The probe was at the mouth of the wormhole. It seemed to hesitate, then was quickly swallowed up into the blackness at its center.

“
We’re receiving a signal from Trumach space, sir. Must be our connection through the wormhole,” Gordon added.

“
Yes, that goes without saying, Seaman,” Jason replied.

The wraparound display came alive with new visuals.

“
It’s got to be from the Craing fleet, sir!” Orion said from Tactical. Three drab brown Craing battle cruisers were holding stationary. Further away, three more warships were firing missiles in the direction of a blue, Earth-like planet.

“
Trumach,” Jason said aloud.

“
Seems they’ve just arrived, sir. Minimal damage indicated. But that will change with that latest missile barrage.”

“
How many warships are in the vicinity?”

“
Medium-range scans indicate ten. The rest of their fleet isn’t far, though. Looks to be en route to the next system,” Gunny replied.

“
Captain, two of the cruisers are maneuvering to set down on the surface.”

“
Helm, new coordinates. Change our outpoint to the far side of that planet. And somebody get down to the Zoo. Find Traveler and tell him to prepare his warriors for battle.”

“
Outpoint reconfigured, sir.”

“
Make the announcement for general quarters, XO,” Jason said. “Deploy the rail-guns; hell, deploy everything.”

“
Aye, Captain.”

“
Helm, phase-shift us to the mouth of that wormhole.”

“
Aye, sir.”

The bridge flashed white as they phase-shifted into position. Then, poised at the mouth of the wormhole, The Lilly hesitated briefly and was drawn in.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

They’d traveled sixty light years in an instant.

Trumach filled the forward section of the display.

“
She’s beautiful,” Orion said aloud. “We’re undetected, sir.”

Jason agreed. It was similar to Earth but different, too. No polar icecaps, less ocean, larger and greener continents.

“
Where do we stand, Gunny?”

“
Long-range sensors indicate the entire Craing fleet, which is more like two thousand vessels than fifteen hundred, has already moved past us by Trumach space and is about to leave this sector. Ten warships are still here in Trumach space and no more than five light minutes distance. As indicated earlier, three light cruisers look to be patrolling open space, while two of their large heavy cruisers have now set down at one of Trumach’s major population centers. The Craing have destroyed Trumach’s capital city, as well as key communication hubs around the planet.”

“
Two thousand? Somehow they’ve added five hundred additional warships. What about the heavy cruisers on the ground? What are they doing?”

“
Unloading, Captain. I’m seeing a large deployment of troops from both vessels,” Orion replied.

Jason’s orders had been fairly explicit: don’t directly engage the Craing before the rest of the Allied forces arrive.

“
Gunny, those troops. Are they Craing?”

“
No, sir, different physiology. My guess is they are rhinos,” she said.

Traveler’s voice bellowed from behind and filled the bridge. “Different rhinos,” he said, striding over to Orion and looking at her display. “Those are Reds.”