Commander Drakov was in the command centre when a technician called him over.
'You have something?'
'I think so, sir. An intermittent signal. Just a second and then it goes. I didn't think it was anything significant before, but I've seen it...see? There it goes again.'
'Well spotted. Has it moved position?'
'No, sir. Whatever it is hasn't moved in twenty minutes.'
Drakov stared at the screen waiting for another blip which didn't come. 'How far out?'
'Three point two one million miles. Shall I inform Major Burns, sir?'
'Yes. The coded message.'
The technician keyed the message into his terminal and sent it on the secure frequency. 'Sent, sir. We should receive the coded response in a...There it is. A one. Message received and understood.'
On the flight-deck of his fighter, Burns read the message again.
'Captain Castell. Can you set the coordinates from this message?'
Castell took the code and checked it against the pre-arranged list of communication codes. 'Three point two one million miles, quadrant gamma delta nine point seven. Static. I S.'
'They're just sitting there,' said Burns. 'I S?'
'Intermittent Signal. That's what command is picking up. It could be a technical fault the enemy isn't even aware of.'
'Hmm. Or it's a case of step into my parlour said the spider to the fly. They'll pick us up the second we take off. We'll be handing the advantage back to them.'
Castell asked, 'So what do we do? Wait for them to come to us?'
Burns rubbed his chin thoughtfully then said, 'No. We take the fight to them. At the moment we have a fix on them and they might not realise that. If it is a technical fault, command will be watching out for the signal and advise us if they change position. We can't surprise them, but at the same time we know they are out there. Let's go hit the bitches.'
Patrick got the coded command from Burns. 'You wanted action, Liz. You got it.'
Danders said, 'Buckle up, people. Taking off in five, four, three, two and bye bye moon.'
The four ships left the moon with Burns' ship leading. They had a long way to go, but already the air in the fighters was thick with tension and the anticipation of battle.
Chapter 60
'Developments, Commander Drakov?'
'Yes, Excellency. I decided to tell you in person.'
Davron said, 'I'm about to have a drink. Can I tempt you?'
'No, thank you, sir. I'll be on duty pretty much around the clock and I need a clear head.'
Davron took his glass to his chair, brushed away a couple of Muffin's hairs and made a mental note to have the chair cleaned, but he still sat on it. 'Go on.'
'Major Burns and his fleet have left the moon to engage the enemy. We picked up a static signal which could only have come from the aliens. Intermittent and possibly unintentional. Of course it could be a trap.'
Davron swirled the glass making the ice chink. 'More than likely. We have four good ships with great people. How long before they engage?'
'Assuming the enemy stay put, about twenty-nine hours from now. If they move, and they could conceivably do so without us being aware, it could be anyone's guess.'
Davron said, 'I don't like using guesswork when peoples lives hang in the balance. The ground crews?'
'On red alert. One word from me and they go.'
'I wish we had more to throw at them. The crews all fired up for action? No negativity?'
Drakov said, 'All feeling positive and focussed. Except...'
'Spit it out.'
'Lieutenant Carver. He's in charge of one of the ships ready to go. He still has reservations about the Romulus and her crew. He hasn't ruled them out of being a part of the alien attack.'
'Carver is still suspicious, hey?'
Drakov nodded and said, 'Perhaps that's a good thing. A little objectivity can go a long way.'
'He isn't convinced by the D N A results?'
'Those just add to the suspicions, sir. Your biological son Patrick died in battle. That's irrefutable. This...version of Patrick admits he and his crew are not of this Earth. Some cock and bull story about faster than light capability sending them out of one universe into this one. Every astrophysicist I've asked say it's impossible. Can't be done.'
'Two hundred years ago, landing on the moon was considered impossible. And what about you. Are you still suspicious about Patrick?'
Drakov said, 'Let's just say I'm trying to stay open minded. Sir. You look distracted.'
'Oh. It's just...Say. Have you heard anything about a flying chimp on the loose?'
'That monkey escaped?'
'Ape. I'm not sure escaped is the right term, but he's taken off somewhere. Patrick would be mortified if anything happened to him. I've listened to the news reports, but nobody has reported seeing a flying chimp.'
Drakov stood by the door to leave and said, 'I'm sure he'll turn up. With respect, sir, I have more important things to worry about.'
'Of course. I'd appreciate being kept in the loop when you have time.'
'Yes, sir.'
Drakov returned to the command centre, immediately asking for an update.
'Anything?'
'No, Commander. We're watching for a signal like a whole bunch of hawks. Not a single blip. Should we advise Major Burns?'
'No. They're aware of the situation and any transmissions even on a secure frequency risks being intercepted. Haven't you been on duty all day?'
'Yes, sir. None of us want to leave.'
Drakov said, 'Highly commendable but not very efficient. Go home and let the fresh shift take over. That goes for the rest of you. Get some rest and if we need extra hands, I'll come and drag you from your beds personally. Go.'
The shift changed over and new eyes concentrated on the screen looking for that telltale signal which would alert them to what the aliens were doing. So many people were involved. Ground crews, engineers, command centre technicians and of course the crews on the five fighters itching for the orders to take off to defend their planet. Drakov checked the time. Twenty-four and one half hours before Earth's last hope met the threat from space.
Drakov thought of Carver's words. Was this Patrick Davron and his crew a part of the plan to attack Earth? Despite the upbeat, back-slapping encouragement he and His Excellency had given the troops, he knew their odds against the superior technology was a slim chance at most. If the Romulus was suddenly turned onto their own ships, it was game over.
He took another look at the screen then said to the fresh technician, 'I'll be in my office. You get the slightest signal on this thing, come and get me.'
'Yes, sir.'
Drakov walked away to leave his people to do what they did best.
Chapter 61
The hours and thousands of miles of space rushed by and still no more signals pinpointing the enemy's location had been picked up by command. There was no communication between either ships or command and even conversation between the crews was nominal. Belle and Matlock took regular breaks from the laser cannon turrets, always leaving one on watch. Akrins fussed over the engines, spending his time checking them. Danders became the main pilot and Patrick became the extra pair of eyes watching the continuously scrolling display on the screen.
'Seventeen hours and fourteen minutes.'
'Really? I'd never have guessed,' said Danders. 'I could use a coffee if you're making one. And a sandwich wouldn't hurt.'
'Meaning get the hell off the flight-deck and let me do the flying.'
Danders grinned at him and said, 'You got all that from coffee and sandwiches?'
'Nope. That I got from your body language. Coffee and sandwiches coming right up.'
Patrick found Belle in the kitchen and couldn't resist a hug and kisses. 'Are you ok?'
'Fine. We're more used to this than you are. You've seen action, but this is different. Ship to ship combat. You know what concerns me most? Being caught on the toilet when t
he crap hits the fan. Damn. I could have phrased that better. You know what I mean.'
'Yeah. Not much I can do about that except perhaps keep curry off the menu. Anyway, I think we...'
The whole Romulus suddenly shook and for a second Belle and Danders held their breath.
'Engines?' Belle asked as the ship settled.
'Battle stations,' called Danders. 'Get busy, people.'
'Good luck,' said Patrick as they went their separate ways, him to the flight-deck, Belle racing to the turret.
'They came out of nowhere,' said Danders as Patrick strapped himself into the seat.
'Were we hit?'
'Close enough to scorch the paintwork. No real damage.'
Patrick could see the enemy ships all over the screen, all firing at the four human ships. 'There must be a dozen.'
'Make that one less. Somebody got lucky.'
It was each fighter for itself with the four dodging laser fire from the drone ships blasting at them.
'These must be from a mother ship,' said Patrick. 'See anything?'
'Nothing. Two on our tail. Jazz!'
'Only one now,' replied Belle. 'Dale. One on your end.'
Matlock said, 'Loop us up, Liz. Now.'
Danders took the Romulus in a wide arc up and away from the pursuing drone and they saw the laser from the enemy ship skimming past the underneath of the much larger ship. Matlock responded and blasted the drone to pieces.
It was the same story for the other three fighters as they narrowly avoided being hit as they returned fire. Two drones were closing in on Burns' ship and their shooter hit one with a glancing blow which had it spinning away still firing its lasers randomly in all directions. A fighter finished it off but not without Burns ship suffering a serious hit. Five drones were called back to their mother-ship hidden in deep space and fled away but not before a fighter took one out before the others vanished.
Danders called out on her radio. 'Major Burns. Can you hear me?'
The screen flickered into life showing the chaos behind Captain Castell. 'We took a big...' The image went off then returned. '...significant damage. Three injured one seriously.'
Akrins asked, 'April. How is April?'
'Sorry, Akrins. She's the one hurt the worse. Not sure what. The major and doctor are doing what they can for the injured.'
Akrins persisted. 'Is April going to be...damn it. What's happening with the transmission? Captain Castell. How is April hurt?'
Burns appeared. 'We're patching up our life support systems. I can't spare much time on here. Toby. April has taken a hammering and our Doctor Crowe is working on her now. She would stand a better chance on Earth in a hospital but we need to fix the ship to do that.'
'Abandon the damn ship and we'll take you home.'
Burns said, 'The ship's hurt, not dead. We'll need it to fight the aliens with.'
Akrins admitted that made sense. 'I'm coming over there.'
'You can't help April,' said Burns.
'Maybe not. But I can work on the life-support systems and get the ship patched up enough to take us back. I'll suit up while you send a list of tools and parts you need. Then we'll get us all back to Earth.'
'Agreed. I'll send the list over right away.'
The list came over on the ships computer and Patrick copied it. 'Got that, major. Dale. You and I can get this ready for Toby. Toby. You get ready to cross over to that fighter.'
Chapter 62
Matlock helped Toby in the airlock with the tools and parts. 'Ready, pal?'
'You and Belle need to watch out in case they return. That ship is a sitting duck.'
'We have the ship surrounded. We'll be able to see anything coming at us from any direction. Go do engineering magic.'
Akrins closed the hood on the shuttle as Matlock went through the inner airlock door which hissed shut behind him. He heard Danders voice in his helmet speakers.
'Opening the airlock in five seconds. Good luck, Toby.'
Akrins engaged the shuttle motor as the airlock opened and he could see the damaged fighter half a mile away with the airlock opened to allow him access. No light illuminated that airlock, just a small sign of the damage inflicted on the ship. This was the first time he had used the shuttle and used only the slightest power to take it across the void.
'I'm inside,' he reported. 'Close the airlock door.'
'Damn it,' said Castell. 'Controls not responding.'
'I'll try the internal controls.'
Akrins cut the motor and flipped the hood of the shuttle then floated out. He had to stop the shuttle floating out of the airlock by hand as he thumped the controls to the airlock door. Nothing happened.
'Try it together. On three. Three.'
Again nothing. In frustration Akrins thumped the controls and the outer door closed up around him plunging him into darkness, just the tiny helmet lights showing him the way.
'I don't suppose the inner door is working by any chance?'
Castell said, 'Trying it now, Toby. Got it.'
The inner door partially opened, just enough for him to wriggle his way into the ship. Burns reached down to help him through.
'Welcome aboard. Can we get the tools and parts through this gap?'
'Just about. What's working?'
Burns said, 'Not much. No gravity.' He pulled Akrins down. 'We're using suction boots. Hold still and and I'll slip these over your boots. Ok?'
'Better. What else is playing up?'
'Emergency battery lighting in half the ship. Life support coming and going. Basically we're stuffed.'
Akrins took the flash-light off Burns and said, 'I'll pass stuff to you. At least with no gravity it will seem light.' He crawled back into the airlock and used the suction boots to get around. He found safety line and pulled the shuttle to him then secured it. The tool-chest came out first which he passed through the gap to Burns. 'I realise you have tools but these are my own. Stuff you won't have.' The container of assorted parts was next. 'I want to see April first.'
Akrins found the sickbay with flickering lights and odd things floating freely without gravity. Doctor Crowe, a man in his late forties with grey thinning hair, had been injured himself and a bandage covered his forehead. April was strapped to the bed and breathing apparatus covered her face. Her eyes were closed.
'How is she, doc?'
'Internal injuries. She was trying to help me when we were hit again and she was bouncing around the walls hard. She hasn't opened her eyes since then. Toby. Without a hospital operating theatre...'
'Don't you give up on her, you hear me? We'll get this tin-can home if I have to get out and push.'
Passing through to the flight-deck, he saw Captain Castell trying to coax life from the brains of the ship, the computer.
'Where's the ship's engineer?'
Castell said, 'Engine room. Through that hatch.'
Akrins dropped through the hatch and found Burns and his engineer who had an arm strapped to his chest, working on an engine control panel.
'This is technician Bruce Murray,' said Burns.
'Hi. No offence, major, but we could use more room to move in here. Me and Bruce will kick this thing into submission.'
'I can take a hint.'
Burns left the two men to do battle with the engines.
Chapter 63
'I don't mean to tell you your job,' said Murray, 'But no way will that part fit on that one.'
'Is that right, Bruce? Well how about if we turn this like so, twist this union around like that then bend this wee pipe this way a bit. There.'
'But that's impossible.'
'I once did something like that while we were fighting off two ships and leaking plasma.'
'Ok. It fits. Sort of. But no way will it work.'
Akrins sighed then said, 'Flick that sensor on.'
'We'll blow up the ship.'
'In that case, we'll have nothing to worry about. Flick the bloody sensor.'
Bruce's finger we
nt to the sensor but he hesitated. Akrins had had enough and he pushed Murray out of the way and hit the sensor. Murray covered his head expecting to have it blown off his neck but instead the unit hummed into life.
'It...it worked.'
Akrins said, 'Oh yea of little faith. Go tell the captain we have the engines on drive. And when we're on the move we'll get the rest of the ship fixed up. Don't just stand there. My girlfriend needs to get to a hospital. Move it.'
Murray went through the hatch and Akrins was already working his magic on another part of the ship. Minutes later he heard the engines kick in and humming sweetly. 'Bloody amateurs.'
Four solid hours had the gravity working, the life-support fully functioning and the four ships were eating up the miles back to Earth. Akrins returned to the sick-bay.
'How is she?'
'Thanks to you, she's stable,' said Crowe. 'I just don't think we can keep her that way long enough.'
Akrins stared down at April's pretty face, at least what he could see of it under the mask. 'How long?'
Crowe shook his head. 'Maybe a few hours. I couldn't put a number on it.'
Akrins' heart felt heavy in his chest. He had fallen hook line and sinker in love the moment he had set eyes on April Golightly. He was sure his heart couldn't stand to lose her.
'What...What if we could go faster? Much faster.'
Crowe said, 'The sooner we can get to Earth, the more chance she has.'
Akrins went up to the flight-deck and spoke to the captain.
'Put me through to the Romulus.'
'You're through.'
'Patrick?'
Patrick said, 'Great work on the ship, Toby. Soon be home.'
'Not soon enough. April won't make it that far.'
There was a pause then Patrick said, 'So sorry to hear that. Toby.'
'You can do better than that. If I bring her over there and we go F T L, we can save her life.'
Another long pause. 'You know why we can't do that. It's too unpredictable. We could end up anywhere and she'll die anyway.'
'We have to try it, damn you.'
Danders replied. 'Toby. You know he's right. If we could control it we'd do it. We could all get killed doing it.'
Akrins knew this was true but he couldn't get his mind to accept it. 'I can't lose her, Liz. I love her.'
'I know, Toby. Trust me. If there was any other way...'
Jazz Belle could see the pain in Akrins' eyes and felt his heartache. She slipped quietly away off the flight-deck.