Legacy of the Centaur (RFVIII), Chapter 20

Spoiler alert: This is the work-in-progress of the 8th book in the Reckless Faith series. You may read the prologue here: https://devonai.wordpress.com/2023/10/31/reckless-faith-viii-prologue/

“Are you sure it was a duress signal?”

On the bridge of the Antares, her crew listened in to the urgent conversation occurring between John and Vecky. The Percheron, without any warning, had just dropped its invisibility shield, broken orbit from Tartarus, and accelerated away at 0.9 c. Though the crews of the other ships had noticed immediately, attempts to contact the Percheron had been unsuccessful. Vecky had shared with them the odd communication she’d received from Cynthia, hence John’s question.

Also present on the Antares were Evangeline and Richter. The former had come over with the intention of having a private conversation with Fuyue, while the latter had followed her for a reason he didn’t specify. There had been no time for any of them to socialize before everyone realized they had a big problem. Lesath was in the command chair, while Fuchner manned the flight controls. Sargas, Fuyue, and Faen sat at their stations, monitoring the ship’s systems.

“Why else would she mention Arture, as a joke?” replied Vecky. “I know none of us are above a little dark humor but that would’ve been in particularly poor taste.”

“No, I agree. Unfortunately that means that Mister Eckes and his people have somehow managed to commandeer the Percheron. They’re most likely headed to Alnair. Captain Lesath, are you still listening?”

“I am,” she replied. “I’m guessing you want the Antares to go.”

“Yes. They still don’t know about your ship. Will you go?”

“Affirmative, except what do you want us to do if they try to land on Alnair?”

Ari’s voice could be heard over the connection. “Ferro here. Can you keep a secret?”

“We would be honor-bound as Sortarii to keep your secrets, Terran.”

“Okey dokey, then. There’s a code you can transmit to the Percheron to override its systems and establish remote control. It’s a remnant of an Umberian failsafe feature that was part of our original orb’s programming. Only Tolliver knows about it, not Dietrich and not even our own government. If word of this gets back to them, it will damage our trust with them. That’s why I need your word before I give it to you.”

“As I said, our word is our bond. The clock’s ticking, people; if you want us to do this we need to leave now.”

“Send her the code, Ari,” said John, “and get after them, Captain Lesath. As for the Faith and the Fox, we can only hope the Alnairians aren’t emboldened to attack us now that we’re only two ships. If so, we’ll have no choice but to teach them a harsh lesson.”

“Transmission received from the Faith,” said Faen.

“We’ll keep you updated,” said Lesath. “Watch your six. Antares out. Fuchner, get us to Alnair.”

Aye, Ma’am,” he said.

In FTL, it only took a few seconds for the Antares to cross the distance between the two planets. The green and blue world was a welcome relief from seeing the barren surface of Tartarus, even if the situation was dire. Sargas and Faen began scanning the moment they arrived.

“If the Reckless Faith had that failsafe feature,” began Eva, “then it’s possible the Antares has it, too.”

Lesath nodded. “Trust me, I’ll have Faen look into it as soon as we get the chance. The crew of the Faith may not be the only ones who know about it.”

“Got it,” said Faen. “The Percheron is in a low orbit; the flight path seems to be stable. If whoever is flying her intends to land, they haven’t started their entry approach yet. There’s also an Alnairian heavy cruiser nearby that appears to be on an intercept path.”

“All right. Let’s give them one last chance to reply. Send a query, text only, encryption level five.”

“Aye, Ma’am.”

As the seconds ticked by, the cruiser, a long, boxy ship bristling with weapon turrets, continued to draw closer to the smaller Percheron. It became obvious to those watching that the cruiser was preparing to dock.

Lesath sighed. “Okay. Send the code. I’m not sure what kind of connection we’re supposed to be able to establish, but I guess if it works then we’ll find out.”

Faen sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. “We’re receiving an unencrypted data stream, in an Umberian code, but the bitrate is extremely low. So far, it’s coming in at sixty-four bps.  Unless it speeds up, it’s going to take a while for any useful information to be transmitted to us. If you don’t mind, I’ll concentrate on that for now.”

“Fine, but we’re out of time if we want to prevent the ships from docking with each other. Sargas, open a wide-band frequency and prepare to transmit.”

“Done,” he replied.

“Alnairian cruiser, this is the independent vessel Antares. The ship you’re approaching is under our protection and care. Break off your rendezvous or we will fire on you, over.”

Again, the crew and their guests waited impatiently for a reply. When the two ships were so close that there was no longer a visible gap between them, Lesath spoke.

“Give ‘em a volley of hot plasma across their bow, let’s see if that makes them more talkative.”

“With pleasure,” said Fuchner.

The deck vibrated as a swath of brilliant blue energy streaked between their bow and that of the cruiser. There was no response.

Eva said, “They probably know that they’re too close to the Percheron for us to risk destroying them.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” said Lesath. “Leonid, anything?”

“Literally just the words ‘initializing transfer’ have come through so far,” Faen replied. “Considering all other contact attempts have failed, it’s progress.”

Lesath watched the scene unfold with frustration. “Suggestions?”

“We’re still invisible to them,” said Richter. “We should attempt to dock on the Percheron’s starboard side. I have the override codes to open the airlock from the outside, which regardless of Faen’s efforts, should work right away if we’re in physical contact with a panel.”

“I love that idea,” said Fuyue.

“Hell yes,” added Eva.

Lesath nodded. “In my past life, I would have balked at the prospect of close-quarters combat on a ship. Since my induction into the Sortarii, however, we have a huge advantage. Fuchner, do as Richter says, as quick as you can.”

“The Alnairian cruiser has docked with the Percheron,” said Sargas.

“Then there’s no time to lose. Miss Adeler, can I assume that you and your Sortarii relic are coming along?”

Eva gestured toward the staff at her side. “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

“Fuchner, Leonid, I apologize but you’re most needed here. Everyone else, fall in on me. We’re going to the port airlock.”

The pair from the Reckless Faith already had everything they needed for both weapons and supplies, but the selected crewmembers from the Antares had to stop by its armory to pick up their preferred items, as well as some medical kits. Despite what Fuyue had said about their status within the ranks of the Sortarii, only he and Eva had their staffs as their primary weapons. Richter had to assume that whatever means were required for the remainder to imbue a wooden implement with such power had not yet been available to them. As far as he was concerned, bullets, superheated plasma, or a sharp blade would be just as useful for the task at hand. The Alnairians, after all, were primitive compared to previous foes.

Once they were done in the armory, the group passed through the main cargo bay on their way to the port-side airlock.

Faen’s voice could be heard over the intercom. “We’re snug against the Percheron. The lock has been verified and purged. Good luck.”

The group entered the inner airlock, and Lesath confirmed that information via a wall-mounted monitor. The outer doors opened, revealing a metal surface that covered over with frost as soon as they laid eyes on it. A thin layer of fog spread out over the deck before quickly dissipating. Richter pried open an access panel on the hull of the Percheron, revealing a port of a particular shape. He already had the corresponding cable in his hand, along with his PDA, and plugged in the device. Seconds later, he turned to the others, smiling.

“I’m in. This won’t take long.”

As predicted, the outer doors to the larger ship soon opened. The team moved inside, and allowed them to close behind. Once the pressure had equalized, Eva hit the button to open the inner doors.

“Stay on your toes,” she said. “We don’t know if we’re going to encounter friend or foe.”

Smoothly moving forward, they found themselves in the Zero-G room, as expected. There, they had a brief but adrenaline-fueled standoff with Ray and Lieutenant Al-Nilam. Once everyone realized they were allies, their guns were lowered. Eva rushed forward and hugged Ray.

“Thank god,” she breathed. “What the hell is going on?”

She released him and stepped back. Richter shook his hand.

“It’s bad,” Ray began. “Eckes has killed Mintaka and Agena, destroyed both Christie’s android and the orb, and seized the bridge. Colonel Dietrich must have locked down the interior doors, because we’ve had to override the hydraulic mechanisms to move between rooms. As you probably already know, however, there are no access panels to the ones that go to the bridge, at least not from the outside.”

“That’s by design,” said Richter. “Unfortunately it’s working against us in this case.”

“Exactly. The ship is running on its backup computers now. I have no idea if Christie’s consciousness has been preserved, but…”

Ray trailed off, and tears came to his eyes. He wiped off his face, and looked away.

Al-Nilam put his hand on his shoulder. “We were trying to figure out another way to access the bridge when we noticed the Alnairian ship approaching. When it looked like they were getting ready to dock, we had to come here to try to repel boarders.”

“That could still happen at any moment,” said Lesath. “I’m sure Eckes is trying to figure out how to open the outer airlock doors as we speak. If he does, we’re going to have a nasty fight on our hands.”

Eva said, “We’re working on trying to establish remote control using an override code. That may be the only way to get to the bridge. In the meantime, who else is still unaccounted for?”

“Literally everyone other than ourselves and the three people I already mentioned,” replied Ray. “We haven’t had time to manually access the lab, engine room, crew quarters, gun rooms, et cetera. We can assume that Dietrich, Haverbrook, Brockway, and Mungavin are on the bridge. If true, that leaves five others somewhere else on the ship.”

“Hopefully they’re all okay.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it. The bridge crew, I mean. We heard an awful lot of gunshots just before the ship departed from Tartarus.”

“Grim.”

“I could probably break down the door,” offered Fuyue, “but I can’t guarantee the force of the strikes wouldn’t harm anyone on the bridge, or do critical damage to the ship’s superstructure.”

“I have an idea,” said Lesath. “Richter, one consequence of the orb system being down is that the Percheron isn’t running any electronic countermeasures, correct?”

“That sounds right to me,” he said.

“So that means that we can use the matter replicator on board the Antares to transport something off this ship.”

“I think I see where you’re going with this,” said Eva. “Though using it on Eckes would kill him, it won’t give us access to the bridge.”

“Yes, but we can try locking on to the doors and transporting them away. Without redundant material present, that would reduce the mass of the doors by what, thirty to fifty percent?”

“That’s my understanding of the limitations of the device. It’s a great idea. Do that once or twice, and we should have no problem forcing our way through them.”

A deep thumping sound could be heard from outside the port airlock.

“We’re running out of time. We’ll do both. Fuyue, Bailey, Adeler, you’re with me. The rest of you guard this room.”

She and the other three ran down the central corridor and arrived at the starboard side entrance to the bridge. Eva glanced over the railing to the stairway and noticed the body of Lieutenant Agena splayed across the steps.

“Ready,” said Fuyue.

“Leonid, are you listening?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” she said. “I’m reading one life sign from the bridge.”

“Lock onto it and transport it to our cargo bay.”

There was a blood-curdling scream from the bridge for a moment, before the sound was abruptly cut off.

“Got him, Captain. At least, what’s left of him.”

“Serves him right. Good work. Now lock onto the door in front of us and do the same. Hell, do it twice, one right after the other.”

A cascade of dancing green light appeared across the door frame, accompanied by a sound like sand being poured onto a hard surface. The process was repeated, and silence returned to the hallway.

“All set over here. There’s a nice sheet of metal dust coating the pile of goo that used to be Eckes. I’m not cleaning that up, by the way.”

Without waiting to be prompted further, Ray shoulder-checked the door. It collapsed inward like a styrofoam panel, scattering gray chunks everywhere. The others followed him in, somewhat more tactically.

A horrible scene lay before him. Colonel Dietrich, Major Mungavin, and Lieutenant Haverbrook lay in a bloody heap by the rear consoles, devoid of life.

“Jesus Christ,” muttered Ray, then he spoke to the others. “Check the crew. I’ll see if the helm is responding.”

Fuyue and Lesath moved to look at the stack of victims while Ray leaned over the console at the pilot chair.

“They’re dead, no doubt about it,” said Lesath. “Shit.”

Ray sat down, and settled in behind the flight controls. “I’ve got full control of the helm. Sub-light only, but it’s enough to get us out of here.”

“Excellent. Leonid, has the Alnairian ship fixed any moorings?”

“They’re attached via a magnetic lock,” she replied. “You should be able to pull away without any damage. I assume you want me to disengage the Percheron, too?”

“Yes, it’s time for both of us to get back to Tartarus. Follow us, and make sure we’re not pursued. Mister Bailey, take us out of here as soon as you’re ready.”

“I’m going to need a heading,” he said. “Eva, see if you can access navigation.”

Eva sat down at a console. “I’m on it.”

“The Antares is clear,” said Faen.

Lesath said, “Forget the heading for now, Bailey, just break orbit and aim for Alnair.”

“Fine by me,” he said, pushing forward on the throttle lever.

The ship vibrated for a moment as it separated from the cruiser and accelerated away. The star at the center of the system appeared ahead. Fuyue rested his staff against a console, and sat down.

“FTL drive is still offline,” said Eva. “The best we can do is 0.9c.”

“Can you override the lockdown?” asked Lesath.

“Give me a sec… yes, I’ll do that.”

Ray glanced over his shoulder. “Tell the other team that their first priority should be to check on the other two Gray Men in the hold and make sure they’re still secure. And try not to kill any of our people along the way.”

Lesath keyed her radio and relayed the instructions to the others.

“Leonid,” she continued, “contact the Reckless Faith and the Fox and give them an update.”

“I will comply,” said Faen.

“The cruiser is in pursuit,” said Fuyue.

“Shocking,” uttered Lesath. “Leonid, find out how the negotiations with the Alnairians are going at Tartarus. Adeler, I don’t suppose it’s too much to ask to reactivate the invisibility shield?”

Fuyue gestured at his screen. “I can work on that.”

“I’d appreciate it,” said Eva.

“Captain, I wouldn’t worry about the cruiser in the short term. We’re already ten thousand kilometers away. While they’re matching our velocity, they don’t have any weapons that can touch us at this distance.”

Lesath nodded. “Good, though I fear this evolution will be interpreted as hostile no matter what kind of agreement, if any, has been reached between Scherer and their main fleet.”

Ray said, “In that case, I say we provide them with a definitive illustration of our power.”

“I’m not blind to the carnage here; believe me, I’d like nothing more than to obliterate that cruiser. But unless something has changed that I’m not aware of, Scherer is still in charge of this mission.”

“I’ve got a vector for you, Bailey,” said Fuyue. “I’m sending it to the HUD.”

Coordinates appeared on the main screen, along with an arrow pointing in the direction the pilot needed to turn. Ray followed the path shown.

“Rendezvous in seventeen minutes,” said Eva, then glanced at the bodies behind her. “If I know John at all, this is going to be a declaration of war. Captain Lesath, you should decide now if you’re willing to commit the Antares to what’s about to happen.”

Lesath looked at Fuyue. “If not for the Thesprotians, this would be something with which the Sortarii wouldn’t involve themselves. As it stands, Master Fuyue, I think this is worthy of our effort.”

Fuyue said, “It would be obviously so, if not for the unknown state of Kheiron, though I fear we’ve run out of time to determine the relevance of his status. Mister Bailey, justice will be served for your friends, one way or the other.”

Ray’s expression became steely. “Good. Let’s show these assholes who they’re missing with.”

Continue reading: https://devonai.wordpress.com/2024/04/22/legacy-of-the-centaur-rfviii-chapter-21/