Inadvertent Adventures (6 page)

"Space vessel
Jolly Jane
, surrender at once. Cut thrust and maintain your vector," an unidentified voice said through the radio.

"Identify. By what right do you intercept this vessel?" Captain Denise immediately replied, all the while gesturing for Silver to find them a vector out of there.

"Who we are is of no importance. It is who you are, and who you claim to be, that is. Did you really think you could get away with pretending to be a CSS Navy vessel?" the voice asked.

"I have a visual on them, Captain," Olaf said, transferring his screen to the captain's. "Black ship, no markings. It matches the signature of the raider in Germanicus."

"We need to get the hell out of here," Silver said as he looked around. "Best vector I can give us is three-seven-three by seven-nine-one. It'll take us to New Tasmania. I figure we can jump again from there, Captain."

"Olaf," she began, but he was already working.

"Course set."

"Maximum acceleration. How long will it take them to follow us?" she asked, wanting an answer but dreading it at the same time.

"If they match what they showed us in Germanicus, we'll make hyper just half an hour before they do," Silver reported.

"So long as we don't get shot in the ass while we're running," Olaf muttered, but received no reply.

The
Jolly Jane
ducked into hyperspace and sped toward New Tasmania. It was only a three day trip, and Captain Denise gave her orders as soon as they emerged. "Best course to Nova Norway, don't wait for an order," she snapped. The little vessel slewed sideways in space as her hyper drive clawed at the fabric of space and time.

The raider burst out of hyper almost on top of them and went burning by at nearly twenty percent of the speed of light. "He's in a hurry, isn't he?" Olaf laughed as they dove back into hyperspace.

"He saw us go, and our vector. He'll follow again," Silver said as he looked over his shoulder.

"I know. Use your last fix and recalculate for the trip to Lung Chin. It should be very close to our current course." Captain Denise smiled as she sat back in her chair.

Silver turned around and started plotting the course. It was indeed very close to their course, only three degrees negative against the galactic disk. "Course is laid in, Captain. If it's not too much to ask, what are you planning?"

"Drop into normal space immediately, Olaf," she commanded by way of reply and the ship shuddered. "Change course to match the navigator's settings and go back into hyper." She looked at Silver and smiled serenely. "Getting lost in hyper is one of our main dangers, Silver. I'm hoping that whoever that captain is thinks we're a lost ship when he gets to Nova Norway. We should emerge somewhere near Lung Chin, not close enough to reach, of course, but close enough to plot. Then we're going back to LaFontain and make our delivery."

Silver shook his head and took a deep breath. "Yes, Ma'am. I sure hope you're right."

The
Jolly Jane
emerged from hyperspace three light months beyond Lung Chin, but that was a near miss considering their inaccuracies in plotting the course. Silver and Captain Denise both plotted the course to LaFontain.

Before emergence three days later, Captain Denise gave her orders. "Mister Silver, plot us a course to Columbia as soon as we are clear. Update it every ten minutes, including while we are in port. I'll be damned if I'll let that bastard put me out of business," she snarled and received grunts of agreement from her officers.

This time it took longer to be challenged. "Space vessel entering LaFontain space, please identify yourself as soon as you receive this transmission."

"They don't recognize us," Olaf observed.

"Why should they? They aren't expecting us this time, and I doubt that their system control got a good read on us before." Captain Denise sat back and steepled her fingers as she thought. "I just wonder who is behind this at Amberson's."

LaFontain Control sent them a course and instructions to dock at Alpha-7-India. The next nine days saw the crew of the
Jolly Jane
making the standard preparations to enter port. Docking was routine, but that was the last thing that was routine about the trip.

The boxes of parts were unloaded without incident until the last one was being removed from the
Jane's
hold. The port lifer failed and the heavy box fell, breaking open to reveal an assortment of trash.

"What's the meaning of this!" the dock supervisor shouted at the top of his lungs.

"That's a damn good question," Captain Denise snapped. "That container was sealed by Amberson's in New Britannia, and the seals are all still intact." She pointed to where the container's seal was still visibly holding the container's door closed.

"The cartel wouldn't ship us junk," the supervisor snarled back. "You stole our cargo."

"Your cargo is all present and accounted for. Maybe you should talk to your supplier."

The confrontation was getting heated when a junior manager came down. "I have examined the cargo. All of the boxes are full of junk. However, all of the boxes are properly sealed, and the micro circuitry of the seals is intact. Sign here," he said as he handed over a memo pad to register their payment. When she handed it back he sneered at her. "Now get out of here. I don't know what your part in this game was, but I'm not amused."

"We need fuel…" Captain Denise began, but the dock supervisor cut her off.

"Get it someplace else. I won't fuel you."

"Exactly where else is there to get fuel? This is the only dock in the system."

The man smiled nastily and said, "Well ain't that just too bad for you." Then he turned and walked away while Captain Denise gaped at his back.

Olaf and Will were standing by the hatch as she turned around. "This is bad, Captain," Will said. "We barely have enough fuel to get out of this system."

"I know. I've always been afraid of something like this in one of these remote ports. Olaf, get with Silver and get a course plotted to the closest system. Forget about Columbia."

"Yes, Ma'am," Olaf said. He hurried away while Captain Denise and Will closed up the ship.

"We can make it back to Lung Chin, Captain," Olaf announced as soon as she entered the control room. "It'll be close, but it's doable."

"Very well. Set course and keep our acceleration low to conserve fuel. It might take a day or three longer, but we won't arrive with empty tanks and have to call a tug to catch us." Captain Denise collapsed into her chair. "Take us out, Mister Olaf."

The
Jolly Jane
had been underway for seven days when Silver started catching some strange signals. "Captain, someone is using a coded transmitter in the system. First from ahead, then behind, then ahead again."

"Can you decode it?" she asked, leaning forward to see his panel.

"No, Ma'am. The
Kiev
could, but that's just asking too much from this gear."

Captain Denise sat back and shook her head. "I don't like this. That raider knew who we were and when we were going to arrive. Silver, start scanning with the navigation sensors. That raider may be back, and if we're right about Amberson's they may be setting us up."

"Aye, Ma'am," Silver replied and immediately began scanning. It didn't take long. "Captain, I have a ship at zero-zero-one by zero-six-three. He'll cross our course in two hours."

"It's got to be the raider, Captain," Olaf said as he looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, Lords of Space," Captain Denise softly cursed. "Olaf, do what you can. Silver, can you think of a way for us to make it to a fleet base system closer than Columbia?"

"No, Ma'am. There may be an alternative, though."

"I'm listening."

Silver grinned up at her. "Ann took
Willy
and the boys to Hobson's Planet. It's not much farther than Lung Chin and the heading's not that far off."

"Plot it and change course, Olaf. Silver, record everything you can about the raider as we pass."

Both men said, "Yes, Ma'am," and began their tasks. Two hours later the raider was bearing down on them and made contact.

The close range radio beeped and a voice announced their choices. "
Jolly Jane
, cut your accel and prepare to be boarded. Or you can try to run and be blown into fragments."

"Silver, can we break free?" Captain Denise asked.

"It's close, Captain. We're almost up to point one C, and we're far enough out to break into hyper. Unfortunately, we're in his weapon's range. Germanicus recorded that very clearly."

Captain Denise sat back and closed her eyes, then pushed the button on her console for the ship-wide announcing system. "Crew, we're going to make a run for it. All hands suit up." She thumbed the button again and looked at Olaf and Silver. "You two get suited up. I'll go as soon as one of you gets back. Make the jump as soon as you are secure."

Silver and Olaf hurried to their quarters to don their environment suits. They were on their way back when the
Jane
suddenly shifted sideways. Olaf's shouted comment was cut off by the scream of the ship's emergency alarm. Both men rushed back to the control room to find the captain slumped in her chair.

"Denise!"
Olaf shouted as he dove for her.

Silver dove for the controls. "Hyper insertion now!" he shouted and the ship lurched again just before the nebulousness of hyperspace enfolded them. "Olaf?"

"She's alive but unconscious. Help me," the first mate commanded and the navigator obeyed. They carried their captain down to her quarters, then, without regard to her feelings or modesty, stripped her down and hooked her into her environment suit. She remained unconscious during the whole procedure.

"I'm going to check the rest of the ship. We took two hard hits."

"I noticed," Olaf said without taking his eyes off Denise. "Get with Will and make sure the engineering spaces are in good shape. I'd hate to not be able to get out of hyper."

Silver left him and went aft. What he found wasn't encouraging. "Will, how are we? And how are you?"

"We're screwed, Silver. We are well and truly screwed," he replied as he gazed at the slagged remains of the primary engineering panel. "I have a few broken ribs, but I'll live. The auxiliary panel will get us to a port, but we're not going to be comfortable. How's the rest of the ship?"

"The captain's out cold. Olaf is with her. We're in hyper and on course for Hobson's Planet."

"What about Jeremiah?" Will asked and it suddenly occurred to Silver that he hadn't seen or heard from the loadmaster.

"I don't know. Let's go find him." The two started their search at Jeremiah’s little office. It was empty, so they went to his quarters next.

Will pounded on the hatch and shouted, "Jeremiah! Wake up, it's your turn to cook!" he stood back and grinned, but there was no answer.

"Check pressure?" Silver asked, and Will headed forward to the control room. Once there he activated his internal instrumentation.

"Jeremiah's cabin is at vacuum." He reached up and keyed in a sequence to activate the internal security cameras. What he saw made him close his eyes. "He's gone. One of those hits was right on his cabin."

Silver closed his eyes and whispered a prayer for the little man's soul. He whispered, "We have to tell the captain," but her voice came from behind him before he could key his com unit.

"I heard. Ship status?" she asked and Will gave her the bad news. "Can we make it to Hobson's?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Will answered. "It's going to be uncomfortable, but we can make it in four and a half days."

"Thank the Lords of Space that ships can't use weapons in hyper," Captain Denise said in very soft tone.

T
HE
JOLLY JANE
BROKE OUT OF
hyperspace and immediately broadcast a distress signal, as well as everything they knew about the raider. Rather than begin decelerating as usual, they were boosting as hard as they could in system to put as much space between themselves and the raider as possible. They had only been in normal space for seventy minutes when the raider broke out behind them.

"They're too close, Ma'am," Silver reported. "If they lock us up again, we're dead."

"Understood, Mister Silver," Captain Denise replied. "Olaf, transfer helm control to Silver, then go below and help Will. We've got to squeeze just a little more acceleration out of the
Jane
or we're going to die out here. Silver, evade as well as you can, but don't drop accel any more than you have to. Rebroadcast the distress signal and information using the omni-directional gear. Make sure they know we've already called for help and that they are tagged. That may give them second thoughts about pursuing us."

"Aye, Ma'am," Silver and Olaf said together, then Olaf hit a few buttons and left. With Will hurt and Jeremiah dead, he was the next best engineer they had. Silver started setting random shifts and jogs into their trajectory to break targeting lock, even though he didn't believe that the raider was close enough to lock them up yet.

Captain Denise studied her panel and sighed. "I hope your ex-wife is still here. If she isn't, we're in big trouble."

"Yes, Ma'am, I hope she is, too."

The chase was on, but the raider had the advantage. Captain Denise went below to help out any way she could, but after two hours Silver had to contact her to report, "We are in range of their gamma ray lasers, Ma'am."

"Understood," the captain replied over the intercom. "Make the
Jane
dance, Mister Silver. Any response from Hobson's Planet yet?"

"No, Ma'am," Silver had to reply. "I'll let you know as soon as I hear something."

It was just a few minutes later that the reply they had been waiting for came. "Space ship
Jolly Jane
, this is the CSS
Kiev
, boosting toward your coordinates at maximum military power. Maintain your course as well as you can." Silver smiled as he replayed the message for the captain.

"The
Kiev
?" Captain Denise asked over the intercom. "Is that another of your radio games, Silver, or is it real?"