Dark Vengeance (30 page)

“Are you on the bridge?”

“No, I’ve stepped into the port ready room. This is a private matter.”

“What’s up?”

“Our good buddy, Perk Murphy, is asking for permission to open the inner door of the airlock on level 2, B deck.”

“Why does that give me déjà vu, R.J.?”

“Long, long ago, in a place far, far away, you and I made that same exact request of a Captain on this very ship. Do you remember?”

“Wow! You really know how to make someone’s mind flip, R.J.”

“Me, too,” he replied.

“Why does he want in there?”

“He’s been assigned to do security sweeps all over the ship until he gets his permanent assignment from you. But, inspecting that airlock is not part of that and he’s supposed to be off-duty right now.”

“Are there any flags that prohibit us opening that airlock door?”

“No, there are not.”

“Give him approval to go in then. I’ll take a stroll down there and have a chat with him.”

“Sounds like a very good idea to me, Adrian. Remember, he was near death the last time he was in that airlock.”

“How can I forget.”

“I’ll be curious to know how that little talk goes.”

“Tarn out.”

I took the direct lift down to level 2 and somehow managed not to meet anyone passing by. Even though the B level was the least redesigned deck, directions from the wall maps were needed to find my way.

The closer I got to the airlock location, the more the ship appeared as it was on my last tour of duty here. Memories began popping up. A sight flush of fear from what had happened back then tried to well up within me.

The heavy, gray oval airlock door was half open when I arrived. I stepped through the hatchway and found Perk sitting on the floor leaning back against the conduit-covered wall, drinking from a silver flask. He jerked around at the sound of someone entering, saw me and relaxed. He raised his flask in salute and took a drink as I sat beside him.

We leaned back in silence for a moment. Finally, without looking, he held out the flask for me to take.

“I don’t think so, buddy.”

“Just try a taste. It’s important.”

I took the flask and sipped from it. It was apple juice. “Not our usual brand,” I said, handing it back.

“You know this stuff actually has a bite to it, but it won’t do you in. It’s not the alcohol type either, you know.”

“What’re we doing here?”

He took another drink and held it out to me again. This time I accepted.

“The ship is so different. This is the only place that hasn’t changed much. You remember the last time we were here, Adrian? I was unconscious so I don’t, but still this place is almost as it was, the only connection left to back then.”

“Believe me, being unconscious back then was probably a better alternative. Don’t knock it.”

He gave a short laugh. “Last thing I remember was slipping a dagger through the neck of ET from behind. Bet that came as a surprise to him.”

“Surprised me too, seeing as how he was about to burn a hole in my chest.”

“You know what the high point was back then, Adrian? It was when we were down in that alien ship’s hold and thought we’d have to stick around for the explosion. We thought we were gonna die winning.”

“I kind of try not to think about it.”

“Even when you spotted that elevator it was bad odds that we’d get back to the airlock in time.”

“You had to set charges on the airlock outer door. Then you warned me to wait until you were clear. Bad joke.”

He coughed up a laugh. “How the hell did we make it back again?”

“You were snoozing. I floated you into this airlock and hit the big red emergency pressurize. When that inner door opened, R.J. and Doc were already there with med kits waiting.”

“My God.”

“Yeah, he must’ve played a part.”

“Wish I could’ve seen the fireworks when those bastards’ ship blew.”

“It wasn’t much. They were running raw antimatter, not the friendlier stuff we use nowadays. As soon as the blast hit, the antimatter containment was lost and it was instant nothingness. Just black space again.”

“Did you ever tell Global Space the whole story?”

“They’ve got video of the aliens flying away and exploding. They had a little trouble with the idea of us flushing ourselves out a coolant exhaust but other than that they bought into the whole thing without much arguing. But you didn’t answer my question. Why are we here?”

“Continuity, Adrian. Until now my life has had a big blank spot. We were fighting that alien, then suddenly I was in sick bay. Sitting here in this place now, just as it was, I’ve filled in the missing pieces. It’s finally all real to me.”

“I get it.”

He took the flask back and drank. “And now look at us, Adrian.”

“What do you mean?”

“The first time I run into you and we’re headed back to war.”

“How do you know that?”

“That’s what they had to promise me to get me to sign on.”

“Did they mention that’s highly classified and that a lot of people’s lives depend on it?”

“Why, yes they did, Sir,” and he handed me back the flask. “You want to fill me in on the details?”

“We’d better play it by the rules on this one, Perk. It’s too important.”

“Well, I like that part.”

“I’d better go get some sleep before R.J. starts calling me for my next eight.”

“I still got to catch up with him. How is he?”

“Better than ever. I put you down for bridge clearance. Go say hi.”

I pushed myself up and gave him back his flask. “Don’t forget to shut the door when you leave.”

“Oh, that’s funny. Real funny.”

“I owed you one.”

Chapter 19

It became a wonderful first week underway. Undercurrents began to form within our skeleton crew. Navigation officer Adira Murphy had two potential love interests competing for her affection. The gossip stream indicated that no one could tell if she actually cared for either of them.

Life Sciences officer Parth Sharma seemed to be one of those who know everything but say nothing. He was famous for beating ship’s computer at chess on level 9. The achievement was so unusual many speculated he was cheating, though no one dared to actually suggest it to him. His profile listed him as being from Kanpur, but there was no mention of family. Personally, from my interactions with him, I had the feeling he was probably the smartest, most reliable person on board.

Shaun Page manned the helm with strict polish and bemused me to no end. It seemed that every time I was about to ask him for something, he would somehow turn and inform me of that particular item before I could ask. Each time it left me bewildered and wondering if he was psychic somehow. His profile said nothing about telepathy.

Cale Collins seemed too young to be at tactical. I wondered if his persistent playing of computer war games while off duty had played a part in his high performance scores. Sometimes those computer game eccentrics do work out to be the best. They tend to see targets as only that and are not inhibited by the collateral aspects. I’ve been told that later in life they sometimes suffer from a very special brand of PTSD.

My bridge engineer, Alexander Bronson, was old enough to give me confidence. He was in no way intimidated by the new stellar drives. They were just another wonderful source of power and speed. His profile mentioned that in his off-time on Earth, his hobby was speed runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats. There was a subtle scar on the left side of his jaw. I wondered if that had been the result of a bad time trial, but there had not been an opportunity to ask.

Over several days I had taken to eating in the general cafeteria rather than captain’s mess. It seemed to be a touch awkward at first for the rest of the crew, but eventually the visits settled down into no big deal. There had not been an opportunity to invite someone new to join me so my dining mates had consistently been Elachia and Perk; R.J. being on the bridge when I was not. Apparently the association had bestowed Perk with a much greater degree of respect. Most aboard had not realized his role in the previous incarnation of Electra, though recently those rumors had begun to swirl.

Five days from Earth, I was slouched in the command seat when something unusual finally cropped up. Adira called to me without looking up from her nav console. “Captain, target approximately two AUs to starboard. It just suddenly appeared. It appears to be paralleling our course.”

“Is there a transponder signal, Elise?”

Elise Troy scrambled a few switches on her console. “No, Captain. No identification signals at all, and there are no communications taking place on any frequency sweep that I can see.”

“Adira, does Nav show it as a vessel or something else?”

Parth Sharma left his station to join Adira. He leaned over her and watched the radar display intently.

“It has to be a ship, Captain. It’s matching our speed. The reflection is changing shape and going in and out of focus,” Adira replied.

“Put that up on one of the main viewers, please.”

We all stared at the radar signature displayed on the left-hand main view screen. It was a blurry image constantly changing shape.

“A spacecraft clearly attempting to conceal its type and identification, Captain,” suggested Parth Sharma.

I turned to Elise. “Try to hail them, Lieutenant.”

“Yes, Sir. Transmitting on all channels. Unidentified spacecraft this is the Starship Electra. You are paralleling us on starboard at approximately 2 AUs. Please identify.”

We sat listening to the com console sweeping rapidly through channels searching for a signal. There was nothing but static.

“Keep trying, Lieutenant.”

Elise Troy continued her call as we watched the blurry image hold its heading. There continued to be no response.

“Mr. Collins, can you get a weapons lock on it?”

“Yes, Captain. A stealth missile has the range.”

“Mr. Collins, under no circumstances are you to fire. Please target and lock on to that image.”

Collins voice rose slightly in pitch. “Acquiring target, target acquired, target locked in.”

We continued to watch the radar signature on the overhead screen. Abruptly it disappeared.

“Where’d it go, Adira?”

“It appears to have changed course away from us, Captain. There’s no sign of it on long range anymore.”

Parth said, “Apparently it was a ship, Captain. Perhaps just here for a look at us.”

“They could have said hello, Mr. Sharma.”

“Indeed, Captain. Their reluctance to be identified may also suggest other motives, as well.”

“Mr. Sharma, perhaps it would be prudent to bring up the long range radar at your station also so we have two sets of eyes keeping an eye out.”

  “Understood, Captain.”

We sat pondering the implications of the unexplained visitor. Elise called out again. “Captain, incoming message from Enuro. It’s marked confidential.”

“Please relay it to the port ready room, Elise. Mr. Sharma you have the Conn.”

“Aye, Sir.”

In the port ready room, I took a seat on the edge of the wood grained conference table and folded my arms. An image of Chancellor Tcal appeared on the main wall viewer.

“Captain Tarn, our subspace tracking shows you well underway with apparently no significant trouble reports. We suspect a very sound ship is taking you and your fine crew safely back to Earth. Congratulations again on taking command. The Enuro ruling council has completed its review of the Star Seven incident. They send their gratitude and appreciation for your most selfless efforts in helping to return that starship to home port. A formal recognition of your actions will be transmitted to Earth as soon as it is complete. In other good news, Captain Mars has been released from quarantine and is in perfect health. He sends his apologies for not being able to meet with you and Commander Smith to convey his thanks personally. Also, the Star Seven will not need to be destroyed. It has already been cleared of all bio hazards and is being moved to the same space dock from which Electra was just released. So, all in all quite a good result, wouldn’t you say, Captain? Perhaps it bodes well for the dark days ahead. Take care of yourself, and again give my regards to Commander Smith. Tcal out.”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, a subconscious release of tension from secret fears carried within. Mars was okay. Star Seven would continue to fly. Could we have been that lucky?

On the bridge, R.J. was waiting to take the Conn. I motioned him into the ready room and closed the door.

“We had a visitor a short time ago. Somebody who did not want to be identified.”

“What do you mean?”

“A ship off our starboard side a couple AUs away. Wouldn’t respond to hail. Kept screwing with our radar. We locked weapons on it and it bugged off. No sign of it since.”

“You had to lock weapons on another ship!?”

“We weren’t absolutely certain it was a ship. That proved it out pretty quickly.”

“Were they just curious?”

“They did not seem to be friendly. I suspect it was more than that. I have not mentioned my concerns to the crew yet. You’ll want to keep it under your hat for now. Sharma’s on top of it. You can confide in him as necessary. I didn’t ask him outright to study the radar records but I know he will. If that ship comes back, or Sharma finds anything, you call me immediately, right?”

“Are you kidding? Of course. It’s kind of a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes. That’s what bothers me. And by the way, I received a transmission from Chancellor Tcal. Mars is okay, and the Star Seven is out of quarantine and in space dock. Tcal sent his thanks and best wishes to you.”

“But do you think that ship will come back?”

“I kind of doubt it. Just keep an eye out.”

“Mars is okay and Star Seven lives on? Well, that was too much to hope for.”