Chapter 32
Perkins insisted he was fit for duty, which would make Jason’s life easier. Double shifts, prolonged hours sitting in the command chair, had started taking their toll. Earlier, Jason had gathered the remaining crew together in the mess as a way to convey information and address any ship-wide issues. It was more apparent than ever how understaffed they currently were. Their skeleton crew was down-right anemic. Once they were back at the outpost, finding able-bodied applicants would be no problem. Serving aboard The Lilly was in high-demand. For now, Jason needed to bolster morale and reestablish discipline. Ship life had become lax and overly casual. He also needed to address the rumor mill.
“Yes, Lieutenant Commander Perkins is alive. Yes, he is fine and will return to duty shortly. And yes, he has undergone some minor physical changes. It’s temporary.”
The crew immediately started to speak amongst themselves in hushed murmurs.
“This is not for open discussion, people,” Jason said, reprimanding them again for their lax conduct. “When the XO returns to duty, you will not bring attention to his—” Jason had absolutely no idea how to talk about this. At the back of the room, Nan and Dira were standing together, both smirking. Jason continued, “When he returns to duty, just ignore his differences. Don’t gossip or talk behind his back—give him a break, OK?”
Chief Horris raised his hand.
“Chief?”
“Captain, what’s our destination? You know, now with the overlords dead.”
“There’s really no point in continuing on. We’re headed back to Earth. Anything else? Anyone? Then you’re dismissed.”
Now, Perkins stood at the entrance to the bridge. Jason turned in his seat and nodded to his XO. He looked fine, Jason thought. Apparently his garment replicator had no problem with his physical alterations.
"I am ready to relieve you, sir," Lieutenant Commander Perkins said.
"I am ready to be relieved," Jason replied and relinquished the command chair.
* * *
Jason entered Orion’s domain. Other crewmembers on board also utilized the gym, but there was no mistaking that it was Orion who was in charge. A sectioned-off area of the forward hold, the gym was comprised of different sections one would find at any well-appointed facility, including aerobic, endurance, conditioning and strength-building. The similarities stopped there. Orion, from what Jason had gleaned since being on board, was a well-known sports figure on her home planet of Tarkin. He’d learned that on her planet the women were the larger, stronger of the sexes. The only similarity between females from Earth and Tarkin is they were both the bearer of offspring.
Orion’s acclaim as a sports figure came from the team sport of Bend. Two teams on an elevated field, of sorts, and something they call the Lorm. Jason had assumed the Lorm was equivalent to some kind of ball. Orion had scoffed at that. Turns out, the Lorm was a four-sided open square, with only metal struts connecting the sides together. Easy to grab, get your fingers around. That is, if you could heft it. At nearly three hundred pounds, only the strongest, most agile females competed at the national or international level. Few athletes competed beyond their twenty-fifth birthday. The toll on one’s body was cumulative, causing tendons and joints to wear down quickly. Jason found out Orion didn’t like talking about her life on Tarkin, but she did mention she had retired as some kind of superstar athlete and was undefeated.
Now, looking around the ship’s gym, Jason assumed that much of what was in evidence here was reflective of what Tarkin Bend athletes would have utilized for their training. The other sections of the gym, uniquely configured to Orion’s predisposition for weapons and self-defense, were the dojo, where he stood now, and the weapons practice range next door.
Nan and Mollie were on mats. Both wore a modified version of their spacer’s jumpsuits—but looser. Orion was wearing sweats and a snug tank top. Seeing her here, with her tattooed skin and enlarged musculature, Jason was confronted by her beauty, femininity, yet overt masculinity. Billy, a cigar-smoking, macho SEAL, having such attraction to Orion, reminded Jason that there was someone special for everyone and, if nothing else, Billy and Orion were the most quintessential power couple.
Orion was talking in low tones to her two students. Another woman entered the gym. Like Orion, she wore sweats and a tight-tank top as well. Dira rushed over and joined Nan and Mollie on the mats, both greeting her with excited smiles.
Orion looked over at Jason and gestured for him to come closer. He removed his shoes and stepped onto a mat.
“Thank you for coming, Captain,” Orion said.
“My pleasure, but I’m not real sure why I’m here.”
“I just want you to be clear on what I’ll be teaching these three. I have a rough idea from what Nan has told me, as well as Dira, but I’d like your input, too, especially from a Navy SEAL standpoint.”
“As both Nan and Dira, and even Mollie, have discovered, life in space can be dangerous: Craing mutants, rhino warriors, Serapin-Terplins, man-sized insects, pirate raiders … there’s no one size that’ll fit all combatants when it comes to self-defense. Weapons training will be just as important as hand-to-hand drill, what we call close quarters combat training. Being able to think strategically, intuitively and even in new or abstract ways, may save their lives. So I’d concentrate on those areas, as well. Does that help?” Jason asked.
“Yes, sir. I think I have the perfect training regimen for them.”
“Good. Don’t go easy on them.”
“Little chance of that, sir,” Orion said with a smile.
Jason noticed all three students were watching him. They were excited, having fun. If Orion did her job right, they wouldn’t feel that way in an hour or so. Jason was hailed.
“Go for Captain.”
“Cap, we had changed course back to Earth, were about to transition FDL, when we detected an anomaly. Showed up on our long-range sensors.”
“What do you have, McBride?”
“A fluctuating wormhole. It’s there one second, gone the next. It’s as if it’s in transition.”
“Just stay clear of it. We’ve got bigger issues to contend with, Ensign,” Jason said.
“That’s just it, sir. There’s a ship at its mouth and the fluctuation is changing—becoming more stable. We estimate the wormhole will stabilize enough in the next hour for the ship to pass through.”
“And you have determined it’s a Craing vessel?” Jason asked.
“Definitely, Cap. It’s a Dreadnaught-class warship.”
“I’m on my way. Hail Ricket.”
* * *
“Captain on deck” was announced as Jason entered the bridge. Ricket was already there. Perkins relinquished the command chair and stood at his side.
“How are you doing, XO—with everything?”
“Fine, sir. To be honest, I barely notice the difference. Although it does seem to cause a bit of uneasiness with the crew. Sir, as I mention on comms, we have something of an anomaly occurring.”
“Captain, the wormhole fluctuations are down to four-minute intervals. We’ve noticed the ship consistently moving forward—it should breech the mouth during the next fluctuation,” McBride said at the helm.
All eyes were on the display. There was nothing but open space, countless stars.
“Here it comes again, Captain,” McBride said.
A section of space seemed to move in and out of focus. The contours of the wormhole were fluctuating rapidly. A massive shape, blurry at first, then came more in focus. As if breaking free from a gravitational pull, the ship shot forward then stopped.
“That’s not a Craing Dreadnaught,” Jason exclaimed.
Jason was more than a little familiar with Craing Dreadnaught vessels. He’d recently fought against one on the outskirts of the solar system. Propulsion systems destroyed, along with most of her weapons, the remaining remnants of that ship were now in high-orbit around the moon—a space station, of sorts, used for their fleet of Allied Craing vessels. But this ship was nothing like that. In contrast to the boxy, angular shape they were used to, this vessel was rounded and was comprised of multiple nearly-transparent rotating spheres.
Ricket took several steps closer to the display. “Captain, this is not a Craing Dreadnaught. The Lilly’s sensors, as well as my own, confirm that much. More advanced technology here. Approximately thirteen miles in circumference.”
“Captain, I’m not detecting any major life forms—not much is moving around on that vessel,” McBride reported.
“Maybe it’s some kind of drone ship?”
“No, sir, at least not entirely. The ship’s shields are down, as you can see from our scans. I’m seeing clearly-defined living spaces. It’s huge.”
Jason took in the 3D representation of the vessel. “Is it operational?”
Ricket said, “Yes, sir. Multiple background systems are running. It’s as if those on board were there one minute and gone the next.”
“Could this have something to do with our shutting down the Loop?” Jason asked.
“Possibly,” Ricket replied. “And since wormholes do not necessarily conform to any prerequisite time continuum—we may have altered the course of a ship in transit from years in the future. One other thing: although there are no life signs, there are organic remains. There’s also an abundance of other, smaller life forms.”
Jason knew he needed to make a decision. Any delay now could impact saving lives on Earth. He wasn’t sure if The Lilly should go up against those three Caldurian technology vessels—vessels potentially more advanced than The Lilly herself. Jason continued to look at the strange ship. Perhaps, somehow, that ship could level the playing field.
“Does that vessel have armaments, weapons?”
“Definitely Cap, but nothing like I’ve seen before,” McBride replied.
“What’s that?” Jason asked, pointing to a large section near what he assumed was the forward end of the vessel. “It looks like some kind of courtyard.”
“Whatever it is, it’s close to a half-mile long, not quite as wide,” McBride said.
“Sound general quarters. Prepare to phase-shift into that area. Hail Orion; we’re going to need some new battle suits. I’ll need Billy and Rizzo, and you too, Ricket; we’re taking that ship.”
* * *
They’d converged at the armory on Deck 2. Orion helped Jason and his team make final adjustments with their battle suits. Each wore a phase-shift belt and carried a multi-gun.
“Sure you don’t need me along on this one, Cap?” Orion asked.
“Not this time, Gunny. I want you here on tactical. We may need to blow something up, which seems to be a unique talent of yours.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jason saw her give Billy a quick glance; she obviously did not like being separated or, more likely, not having his back.
“I’ll take good care of him, Gunny.”
Jason, Billy, Rizzo, and Ricket filed out of the armory and headed toward the DeckPort. Jason was being hailed.
“Go for Captain, XO.”
“Captain, we’re ready to phase-shift,” Perkins said.
“I want to phase-shift in with rail-guns charged and ready. As soon as Gunny is at her post, go ahead and phase-shift.”
At the aft airlock, Jason watched his HUD display until the readings changed. They’d just phase-shifted. Once The Lilly’s forward ramp deployed, Jason led his team off the ship.
The courtyard was not what Jason had expected. As if walking into Central Park, they were surrounded by large trees and rolling green hills. There were beds of flowers with strange shapes and colors. A slight breeze rustled branches and leaves above. A lake shimmered a short distance from where The Lilly sat. Jason spotted a waterfall—one where the water rushed upward into the air—seemingly ignoring the laws of physics. A small island hovered, weightless. In the distance he saw the reflective outside perimeter of the ship itself. Thousands of buildings of various heights occupied long, quiet mezzanines and green belts. The structures were nearly transparent. He felt as if they were surrounded by a glass city. A city with thousands of windows looking down on them. Jason figured this vessel, this city, was easily the size of Manhattan. The familiar blue glow of a phase-shift portal hovered nearby. Then he noticed more portals, hundreds of them, throughout the city.
Although there wasn’t an actual track, far in the distance a tram was winding its way in their direction, toward the central courtyard. Soundlessly it approached and hovered several inches above the ground. Like the buildings, and everything else here, the four-car tram was almost completely transparent. Doors opened at the mid-point of each of the four cars. Jason glanced inside. Empty. The doors closed and the tram continued on its way without making a sound.
Jason felt he could spend weeks, months, exploring this place. He heard his NanoCom chime.
“Go for Captain.”
“Captain, a fleet, maybe two hundred ships, is approaching. Looks to be our pirate friends again,” Perkins said.
“Hail them. Inform them they are too late to the party. We’ve claimed this vessel for the Alliance. Let Stalls know we’re aware of their presence and we won’t hesitate to fire on his fleet. Starting with his ship. You may need to phase-shift back to open space to further convince them. Keep me abreast of the situation, XO.”
“Aye, sir,” Perkins replied.
Billy pointed toward the air above. A small flock of birds with bright red feathers flew overhead and disappeared into the trees.
Jason brought the ship’s layout onto his HUD. Four blue icons indicated their current location within the courtyard.
“This way,” Jason said, heading out of the courtyard toward the city ahead. The further they went, the more apparent it became that the ship had been left unattended for weeks, perhaps months. Eerie, like walking down the streets of a modern-day ghost town, trash and leaves from the nearby park skittered across the wide thoroughfare. Jason noticed the buildings, although transparent, were actually various shades and muted colors.
The first corpse found was sprawled awkwardly on a bench. As if waiting for a bus. A bus that would never arrive. Ricket knelt down next to the body and proceeded to poke and prod at the remains. Partially decomposed, it seemed obvious to Jason by the large eyes and somewhat triangular-shape of its head.
“Looks like Perkins. Is he Caldurian?”
“Yes, I believe so, Captain. This is interesting,” Ricket said and continued to probe the body. “The DNA of this individual is similar, almost identical to that of human. In fact, it is human.”
“I thought our scans showed this to be a Craing vessel,” Jason said.
“Mistaken; this vessel is like nothing I’ve come across before. Highly-advanced, and this is a far more cultured civilization than any you’d find on a Craing vessel.” Ricket stood and looked up at Jason.
“Any idea what killed him?”
“I know exactly what killed him.”
“What?”
“An implant. Interesting, it’s not dissimilar to the nano-devices aboard The Lilly.”
“The ones in our own heads?”
“Yes.”
“The one in my daughter’s head?”
“Yes.”
“Can our nano-devices be triggered to do that? To snuff the life out of someone?”
“I believe so. I may be able to disable that feature.”
“Feature? Let’s make that a priority,” Jason said, scowling down at Ricket.
Jason stood back and hailed The Lilly.
“Go for XO.”
“What’s the status on our pirate friends?” Jason asked.
“I was just about to hail you, sir.” Perkins said. “They say we are free to leave, but if we try to take this ship, take it out of their space, they’ll fire every missile they have. Our scans indicate they have conventional missiles, as well as nuke and fusion-tipped missiles. If they fire a barrage, which is likely, The Lilly won’t be able to fend that off.”
“Then we need you to stall them somehow,” Jason said. “We’re going to try to get this ship moving, perhaps jump it to FDL. I take it you’re speaking with Stalls? Tell him you need to retrieve an away party … thirty, forty minutes max. Tell him we’re not interested in this old bucket, it’s been gutted. Dead in space. Maybe they can tow it and sell it for scrap—whatever, make something up.”
“Aye, sir, I’ll get you some time. Oh and Captain, at this point Captain Stalls believes I’m dead. So Ensign McBride is handling communications with them.”
“Understood,” Jason said.
“One other thing, Cap. And this is really strange; The Lilly’s bridge has completely reconfigured itself. Multiple virtual consoles have been added, and three more actual consoles in the open area, toward the front of the bridge. They emerged from beneath the deck plates. Truth is, without Ricket here, we have no idea what’s going on.”
Jason listened to the XO and watched Ricket moving about, investigating the local area. “That makes certain kind of sense, XO. Don’t touch anything. I’m cutting this expedition short; we’ll be on our way back shortly. Oh, and have McBride tell Stalls we’re leaving in fifteen minutes. That should be believable.”
“Aye, sir.”
Jason brought his attention back to his team. “Ricket, The Lilly has undergone a reconfiguration. New virtual and actual consoles.”
Ricket listened, then nodded. “And that is why we will not find a bridge on this vessel. Like most things with Caldurian design, the bridge is virtual. At least for now, The Lilly is the bridge. I need to get back to the ship, Captain.”
“Head on back. See if you can establish control, and fire up the propulsion system.” With the advanced level of anything Caldurian, Jason felt fairly confident that as long as The Lilly was still within the confines of this vessel, no harm could come to her or the crew. “Go ahead, we’ll continue on here for a few more minutes.”
“Yes, sir.” Ricket ran off in the direction of The Lilly.
Jason, Billy and Rizzo continued on. As they moved further into the glass city, it was evident the vessel’s systems were coming back on. Hover drones, hundreds of them, were moving about. Jason and his team brought their weapons to bear, then relaxed as they realized they were fairly innocuous. Each drones, robot-like, had two arms with multiple-fingered hands. No head and no legs, the upper front section of each drone had several clear indentations. Jason thought it gave the drones somewhat the look of a face. As the team continued on, they found more bodies.
“Cap,” Billy said, “over here.”
Billy had turned down a smaller side street and was now waving Jason over. This block of structures was distinctly different from the others. Through its glass walls there were row after row of MediPod-type devices, as well as a variety of others. Here there were more bodies. Too many to count.
“This is their hospital,” Billy said.
“And from the looks of things, the populous knew the end was coming. They converged at the one place they thought could help them,” Jason replied. “Who would do this? Who would instigate mass genocide?”
“Yeah, and if we had been around, we’d be dead too,” Billy added. “Maybe we should get as far away from this place as possible.”
Jason watched as the drones systematically picked up the remains of the dead and transported them off to somewhere else.
The three watched in silence for a few more minutes as the drones continued to transport bodies through portal windows. The hover tram had made it into the city and was making stops every few hundred feet.
Rizzo shook his head. “Cap, can you imagine the pirates getting hold of the technology here in this place? Or worse, the Craing?”
“No, and that can’t happen. If we can’t get this vessel moving at FDL, we’ll need to destroy it,” Jason said.
Their conversation was cut short by a new sound, more like a vibration beneath their feet.
“Looks like Ricket’s made some progress. Let’s get back to the ship.”