Alien Devices: Tesla joins crew to prevent alien zombie apocalypse (The Secret War Book 2) (21 page)

 “Damn those double-coil cannons,” Will muttered looking up at
the ceiling. Bigger warships mounted extra cannons and engines. While one
cannon was firing, the others would be charging. This gave them the advantage
of firing twice as often as a ship the
Wind Dancer's
size could manage. 

“They have turned to pursue, Captain,” Rogers reported. “We
have a good head start though. The question of course. . .” Rogers looked at
the two passengers and abruptly stopped talking.

“The question is,” Abigail finished for him, “can we get away
before he achieves electrical resonance with this ship and burns through our
hull?” The others turned to look at her in surprise.

“I do have a degree in Energetics you know,” Abigail said in
exasperation, pushing the loose strands of hair back from her face.  

“Quite so, Milady,” Rogers gave a nod of acknowledgement to
her. “We may not have to entertain such an outcome for a while. Dancer is tougher
than most of her class. Even a ship of that size will have a hard time
maintaining both speed and firing double coils for any period of time.”

“There are mountains away to the north,” Will said confidently.
“They are covered in nice, thick clouds. We are making for them now. When we
get there, we will try to lose the ship in the clouds.” What Will didn’t say
was that they would likely have at least one burn-through before they reached
the mountains. Dancer had been through worse, but it would not be fun.

The odds were some of them were going to die.  Will needed to
figure out how to make that number as few as possible. First thing was to
arrange for Abigail and Tesla to abandon the ship by parachuting down on air
foils. Once on the ground the enemy ship would ignore them. That would see them
safe. 

Once Dancer made it to the mountains, the ship could hide among
the clouds. Hopefully they could ambush the battle cruiser and cripple their
props or something. Then they could swing back to pick up the scholarly-types.
Will's planning was interrupted by Tesla.

  “Captain,” the Savant said quietly. “If you are sure that
these 'warlords' cannot be talked out of their attack, I believe that I know
how we may destroy them quickly. I assume that your coil cannon uses the
standard coherent light transmission system for the discharge?”

“They are Warlords, Tesla.” William Hunting Owl looked at the
savant in surprise.

“The main difference between Warlords and your ordinary raider,”
Will explained, “is that Warlords tend to stay in one place. Yon ship attacked
us without so much as a ‘how do you do’.  I doubt that they are interested in
anything except the ship. If they cannot get her intact they will take what
they can by salvaging the wreck. They will sell as slaves those of us they don’t
kill. That is, even if we surrendered, which I do not aim to do.”

“And yeah,” Will looked at Tesla wearily. “We have a double
horn coil cannon with the two guide beams, like most everyone else. What do you
have in mind?”

“Terrible things that we humans do to each other,” Tesla
lamented, shaking his head while stroking his mustache. He shook himself like a
large terrier, and then looked at Will eagerly.

“I beg your pardon for asking about the cannon, Captain, but it
is always good to make certain of these things.” Tesla turned decisively to
Abigail. “We will attach the Aether pump to the ships cannon,” he said.

“The wiring is not built to take that level of power,” Abigail
objected.

“Now that we know how to modulate the pump, it will only be a
small trickle of power,” Tesla responded. “Well within the tolerances of the
systems. I designed the originals, I would remind you.”

“What are you two blathering about?” Will demanded crossly.
Tesla turned back to face him.

“I should like your permission to modify the cannon to accept
power from the Aether pump, which, I believe you call 'the thingamajig',” Tesla
said. “I believe that it would increase the destructive power of the cannon
enough to enable you to defeat the enemy ship.”

Will looked at Rogers at this extraordinary announcement.
Rogers shook his head in negation.  Will turned back to Tesla.

“What would we need to do?” Will asked skeptically.

“Upon returning to the workshop, Lady Hadley and I should be
able to make the connections rather swiftly,” Tesla said. “Once we have done
so, fire your cannon at them as you normally would.”

Will did not look back at Rogers. This would be his decision
alone.  He would prefer to fight than run, but he was not going to be stupid
about it.

“It will increase our wattage to the cannon?” Will pressed
Tesla, “By how much?” Tesla's body quivered at the question, while he looked
off into the distance calculating. He blinked, then refocused on Hunting Owl. 

“More than sufficient, Captain I assure you,” Tesla promised.

The ship shuddered again from another strike. There was no way
that they would make the mountains, Will despaired. Well, he had done crazier
things than try to fight a battle cruiser head on.

“Go,” Will said with a wave at the two of them. “Interphone the
instant that you are ready,” He ordered. He then looked at Abigail. “And both
of you stay down there!” He ordered.

“Very good, Captain,” Tesla literally rubbed his hands together
in glee. “Come Lady Hadley!” 

Abigail paused, looked at Will as if as if she would protest
for a moment, then swallowed and nodded at Tesla. Pushing her hair back, she
looked at Will solemnly.

“Good luck, Captain Hunting Owl,” Abigail said. She turned and
followed Tesla. Abigail and Tesla left the Bridge at a brisk trot. His First
Officer leaned in close to Will.

“Do you know what you are doing, letting him tinker with that
alien thing on the ship?” Rogers demanded. Will barked a laugh at this.

“No,” Will replied. “But I doubt that we will be any worse off
than we are now. Besides, if he is right, then we might at least give them a
black eye.” The ship shuddered from another strike. Rogers grabbed the viewer
stanchion as the ship dodged and slewed around in the super-heated air. 

“Well, amen to that, at least,” Rogers said grimly.

Reaching the workshop, Tesla ran over to the scrap heap in the
corner. Flinging flotsam about as he searched, he held up two copper rods, as
long as his forearm, in triumph. 

Tesla turned to Abigail. 

“Lady Hadley,” Tesla said solemnly, “I do apologize for
requiring your assistance so soon after such a tragedy as you have experienced,
but I cannot do this alone in the time we appear to need.”

Abigail's eyes began to water; she fought the tears down. Now
was not the time to be all full of the vapors like some sniveling thing, she
thought angrily. She took a deep breath. It was so hard to breathe sometimes;
she was so cold deep in her core. Well, she had not been able to save Father;
the least she could do was try to help save the ship and crew. There would be
time to lay down and weep later.

“Thank you, Tesla,” she said tightly. “I assure you I am quite
alright.”   

“Of course, Lady Hadley,” the savant murmured. “If we may
continue then, would you be so good as to connect the Aether pump to,” he
looked around the walls and ceiling as if he could see through the walls. His
finger stabbed out towards the power outlet on the far wall. “that power conduit,
please.” Abigail looked at where he pointed.

“There?” she asked incredulously. “But we need to wire it. . .”

“Yes, yes,” Tesla cut her off with a chopping motion, waving of
one of the copper rods he held. “There is no time for that. Simply wire it in
an open configuration.” He held up the rod again for emphasis. “Do not activate
the pump until I return!”

“We could destroy the ship if we do not do this correctly!”
Abigail objected.

“Lady Hadley,” Tesla said in a patient tone of voice as he
looked at her in sympathy. “The ship is most likely going to be destroyed in
any case. Really, you should pay more attention!” With that, the tall Savant capered
out of the workshop like a giant demented figure, leaving Abigail standing alone
in the middle of the room. She shook herself and pulled on her rubber gloves in
preparation to doing the re-wiring.

Chapter 20

T
esla bounced down the corridor, headless of
the gyrations of the besieged ship.
His attention was on the map of the
ship-wiring he saw in his mind. Even though he had had no hand in building the
Wind Dancer, he knew how the ship was put together. It was simple, really.  He
had always been able to see an image in his mind of whatever mechanism he
chose, as real as if it was before him. He was frankly bemused by those who had
to have something drawn out for them.

Tucking the rods under one arm, the Savant scrambled up a
ladder until he came out on a railed service way in the upper regions of the
ship. Tesla looked around at the cavernous open space, lined with walkways like
the one he traversed. Between the inflated cells of lift gas, the pipes and
electrical conduits of the ship ran parallel to the walkways. He traced out the
conduit patterns with his eyes and with a determined nod, moved swiftly down
the walkway towards the destination he needed. So intent was Tesla on reaching his
goal, that he nearly ran into the rigger in front of him. The young man lowered
his breath mask to gape at the Savant before him.

“Mr. Tesla!” the young rigger exclaimed. “You shouldn't be up
here, especially not without a breather and a heavy coat!”

Tesla paused to look at the young man. He was wearing the usual
mishmash of clothing that everyone on the ship seemed to favor, including a heavy,
gray woolen coat. It was rather chilly up here, Tesla realized, not that it
mattered. He pointed to the heavy rubber gloves on the man's belt.

“Give me your gloves,” Tesla commanded. The bemused youngster
handed them over. Tesla skipped down the walkway, the younger man following
along in his wake.

Tesla stopped in front of one of the electrical junctions. The
rows of fist sized glass cylinders that severed as fuses stood like soldiers on
parade.

“Does this row serve conduit E-7?” Tesla pointed with one of the
copper rods in his hand, “and this one B-2?”

“Well yes, that is right,” the Rigger stammered. “But I don't
see what you're doing up here?” the Rigger asked again.

“The ship is under attack, but it will be alright,” Tesla
reassured him. He held out one of the rods towards the rigger. “Here, hold
this.” Tesla tucked the other rod under his arm and pulled on the rubber
gloves. “Now stand back,” he said, hefting the rod.

“But I still don't see what you're doing up here,” the man
began again. Whatever else he was going to say turned into a scream of terror
as Tesla thrust the rod through a row of fuses. Sparks flew. Some of the
cylinders were shattered by the thrust, while others popped off their
connections and rolled onto the walkway. Tesla grabbed the other rod and thrust
it through another row of fuses. Electricity arced between the two rods while a
fountain of sparks spat and hissed.

Tesla nodded to himself at a job well done. He pointed back
towards the stern, addressing the shocked Rigger.

“You might wish to clear this walkway,” Tesla said, “and see
about diverting the current at that junction back there, I believe. Otherwise
there might be a problem.”

“What are you doing?” The rigger screamed at him. Tesla looked
at him, startled by his excitability.

“Why saving the ship, of course,” Tesla said. “Now do see to
that junction will you? I mustn't dilly-dally here talking!” With that he
bounded back towards the ladder. Now if only Lady Hadley had finished the
wiring. She seemed more competent than most Scholars, Tesla reflected. Her
questions were generally more germane to what was going on at least.

~ ~ ~

It seemed an eternity to Will before the call came from the
workshop. They had taken more strikes in the meantime. Devi had reported that
one of their engine props had shorted out under the onslaught. While the engine
prop was not on fire, the loss reduced their speed.  To anyone on the Bridge,
it looked as if Will was calmly standing with his hands behind his back. The
Captain acknowledged reports, while gazing out at the discharges as they
wrapped their deadly energies around the ship. In truth, he was grimly holding
his hands in tight fists, willing the ship to hold together. Waiting on Tesla's
miracle. He hated feeling helpless, but he had decided on their course, and
would not act until it might mean something.  Naomi's clear voice came singing
across the Bridge. 

“Lady Hadley reports that they are ready, Captain,” she
reported. Naomi paused, listening on her headphones. “Coil cannon also reports
fully charged and ready.”

“That is our call, folks,” Will announced to the bridge. He
nodded decisively and pulled up his goggles, flipping the smoked lenses down over
the mountings.

“Jarro, come about and center on the enemy,” Will ordered. “Naomi,
coil cannon to fire as they bear, and repeat fire as they recharge. All
lookouts on rocket interdiction.  Sound secure for maneuver.”

No matter how strong Tesla had hopped up the cannon, Will sure
that they would have to dodge about, striking their foe until they had a burn-through.
It didn’t matter, Will told himself forcefully.  Dancer was more maneuverable
than the battle wagon. The main consideration was whether they would need to
divert the cannon fire to take down any guided rockets the battleship might
fire.

They could not fly too close, Will reminded himself. If Tesla
was right, Will was confident that they could at least let the enemy know they
had been kissed. 

“Ay, yay, yao,” Will cried aloud, pumping his fist up into the
air. The cry was taken up by the others on the bridge, until the walls rang
with echoes.