The Pattern Ship (The Pattern Universe) (27 page)

‘Pod, where are you when I need you, Dammit!’ he voiced his mental frustration into the ether.

He was in space in an unfamiliar ship with an A.I. that barely scraped by. He needed to get to the answers without any delay and wasn’t sure if this ship had the capability of landing with another T-Ship in tow. Zeke had no idea how to get it to respond without a D-Field generator and meanwhile his friends, Ship AND Zirkos were missing, presumed captured, or worse dead. He was in major trouble.

“Dammit Pod, I need you” he uttered futilely.

‘I’m here, Zeke. I’m outside the ship,’ the mental communication activated his built-in device.

‘Geesh! Pod, how did you do that?’ Zeke mentally voiced ‘and why didn’t Arty inform me of your approach’

“Arty, detect anomalies in proximity to the ship.”

“None detected, Commander,” the A.I. responded.

‘Bloody Hell, where have you been Pod, I’ve missed you.’ Zeke blurted. Well he had, he realised.

‘I have been, err’m doing stuff, Zeke’ Pod hedged.

‘Okay, never mind. Can you transport me across to Ship I need to get aboard?’

‘No can do, Zeke.’

‘Damn, why not?’

‘I need to produce an atmosphere. I am instructing your ship to increase air pressure and I will port it across until there is sufficient atmosphere for you to breathe.’

‘Oh, okay, how long will that take?’

‘Not long.’

He felt the pressure increase, decrease and this went on for about ten minutes, his ears popped each time as the pressure regulated itself in his ear drums. After a while it stopped.

‘Heating air to ambient temperature,’ Pod advised him.

‘Zeke, ready to port you across, stand by.’

Zeke was suddenly in the control room of Ship. He immediately felt at home, although it was strangely empty without the A.I. and Zirkos.

Pod ported in beside him. Zeke smiled, stupidly as it materialised.

They went through the whole ship and could find no trace of anything, no battle scars, no body parts, nothing was missing. Except the processors that made up Ship.

It was then Zeke noticed the cube of Alacite was missing. In its place was a piece of crystal. He went to touch it , but Pod stopped him, warning him out loud.

”No Zeke, its a message.”

“What do you mean its a message?”

“That piece of crystal has been removed from a Nubl. If you touch it there is a strong possibility that it will transmit a signal, probably a locator beacon. It will tell the Nubl precisely where we are.”

“I believe it is a message and it has only one meaning.”

“Oh Christ, you don’t think...”

“Yes, Zeke. The Nubl are coming.”

~~oOo~~

Book Two
The Nubl Wars
will available from the end of March 2014.

Message from Tobias Roote

I hope you have enjoyed reading the first book in the ‘Pattern Book’ Series.

Follow the developing stories of Zeke, Pod and the Nubl Hives in Book 2 of the 'Pattern Universe' in '
Nubl Wars
' coming soon.

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Tobias Roote