Aaen looked left at the
glare of his helmet lights against the twin hatch. "So, how are we gettin'
in, Jensen?" Redundant locks will have engaged in the event of a
power loss as a safety precaution to prevent the hatch doors from opening
without detecting a physical presence near the inside of the hatch; otherwise the
main computer would require direct input on the inside control panel from
someone in a space suit to prevent any maintenance personnel from being sucked
out of the jeffries tube. The only other way to get in would be to
override the locks on the hatch. . . Or. . . Aaen reasoned, looking
right at Jensen, who was slowly waving a blinking tricorder over the mouth of
the hatch.
"It looks like the
hatch controls are frozen, probably because of a power surge after the Starbase power
grid went offline."
"We can't
get in?" asked Communications. "Are we stuck in here?"
"Well, we can try
to—" Jensen said.
"–Lieutenant Commander,
can you override the hatch locks with your tricorder?" Aaen asked.
Jensen input a few brief
commands into his tricorder. "Negative, Lieutenant."
Aaen looked at the
hatch. "These hatch doors are. . .what? Two inches thick?"
"Yeah, give or take
a centimeter."
'Give or take a
centimeter?' Aaen
thought, skeptically.
"Why? What are you
thinking, Lieutenant?" Jensen asked.
"Aaen?"
said Sensors.
"Relax, Ensign,"
Aaen said, turning to Lieutenant Commander Jensen. "Lieutenant Commander,
if the tricorder can't interface with the hatch controls, and we have no way of
getting anyone on the inside to open the hatch, then I suggest breaching the
hatch."
"What?"
said Communications.
"The Odyssey's stuck
to the Starbase until we can release the docking clamps—which
I can do from the helm station, and get the mooring rings to detach, which can
only be done from Starbase." Aaen said. "That, or
we combine our cannon power on the mooring rings and cut the Odyssey loose,
manually..
"You're talking
about damaging the Starbase," said Sensors.
"No. I'm talking
about damaging the mooring rings keeping the Odyssey operating
independently. We can't rely on any of the other ships to help us. If we cut
the Odyssey loose, with what little power she still has
available, she could blow the hatch open for us."
"I don't think so,
Lieutenant," Jensen said.
"I didn't you
would, sir. Which is why I have another idea."
"This should be
interesting." said Sensors.
"What was that?"
said Communications, snapping, drifting right.
"What was what?" Jensen
asked.
"I heard
something!"
"I didn't hear
anything," Aaen said.
"Communications, I
want to you focus on slowing your breathing. The suits' radio sounds like
static because you're breathing so fast. You need to slow your heart rate, and
stay calm." Jensen said.
"What if. .
.there're in the docking bay?"
"We would have seen
them by now if there were." Aaen said. Communications drifted toward Aaen.
"And there'd be dead drones drifting through the docking bay because we
would have protected ourselves."
Communications nodded.
"Away team,
get into the hatch–now." said the Captain.
"Copy that,
Captain," Jensen said, drifting to look at Aaen. "Aaen, how do you
propose we breach the hatch?"
Aaen reached around his
left hip with his right arm, retrieving his slightly angled type-two sidearm from its holster, holding it in front of him, pointing the weapon at the
hatch, gently resting his thumb on the firing button. "The dampening field
doesn't seem to be affecting our weapons, only the power grids of the Starbase,
and docked ships."
"The jeffries tube
might still be pressurized, Lieutenant. If it is, there's enough pressure to
send us all flying."
Aaen turned his head.
"We'll still have to pull the doors apart. If we do that slowly, we'll be
able to withstand the air pressure, if there's any air in there at all."
"Captain?"
Jensen asked.
The Captain gasped.
"Just do it, already."
You don't like it when
someone else demonstrates brains. . . Aaen grinned. Particularly when it's someone you
apparently don't like, and you know they're right. Aaen's grin
increased.
"Everyone get back
and hold on tight to the hand grips," Aaen said.
"What setting are
you putting that sidearm on, Lieutenant?" Jensen asked.
"Considering the
metal the hatch is made of, the alloy's density, melting point, and the hatch's
locking mechanism's. . . Setting level ten should work."
"You sure?"
Communications asked.
"We'll know in
about ten seconds." Aaen said.
"I'm scared."
Sensors said. "WAIT! What if there are . . . on the other
side of the hatch?"
Aaen looked at Sensors
with slightly raised eyebrows.
"Sorry."
"I'm not reading
any life signs," Jensen said, holstering his tricorder.
"Alright, here
goes." Aaen reinforced his grip on the port hand grip, and then extended
his right arm, taking aim at the top-center of the hatch. Pressing the firing
button, a bright yellow beam immediately started to sear and then dig into the
target.
I'm through! Aaen thought,
inching the beam down the center crevice to the bottom of the hatch. He stopped
firing and then holstered the sidearm.
"Not bad,"
Jensen said.
"No implants trying
to pry the hatch open." Communications said. "Whew!"
Aaen drifted forward and
then rolled right, looking through the vertical hole in the hatch. "Looks
pitch black in there. I don't see anyone."
"If there were
anyone in there, they probably would've been evacuated when the attack started.
Let's get in there." Jensen said. "Everyone take a side of the hatch
and get ready to pull the hatch open on my mark."
The away team complied.
"On three.
One. . .two. . .three!" Jensen said. The away team inched
the doors open in ten seconds.
Aaen drifted forward,
the glare from his helmet lights gave him the first look inside. Aaen gasped.
"Pitch black. Looks like main power's still offline."
"Alright, away
team, to get inside Starbase, we go straight, and then right, and
then left," Jensen said.
"Lieutenant
Commander, how long are these jeffries tubes?" Aaen asked.
"The first stretch
is two hundred meters, right for about a hundred fifty, and then left for
another two hundred. From there, we go through another hatch, and then we're
in."
"Away team, hurry
up and get inside. Figure out what happened to Starbase. See if
there are any survivors of the attack." said the Captain.
"Yes, Captain,"
Jensen said.
I'd be willing to
bet Starbase was
attacked by an unknown–but impressive–force, main power's out, and odds are
that unknown force is probably on board Starbase. Aaen reasoned but
kept to himself.
"Lieutenant Aaen,
would you like to take point?" Jensen asked.
"Sure. I'll
go inside the long, dark and creepy jeffries tube first." Communications
and Sensors giggled lightly. Aaen positioned himself in front of the hatch,
drew his sidearm with his right hand, and then pulled on the left edge of the
hatch with his left. He started floating forward. His helmet lights glared for
fifteen feet in front of him. Ten seconds later, the end of the first stretch
became visible.
THUD.
"You okay,
Lieutenant?" Jensen asked.
"Yeah–" Aaen
gasped, reaching around him to stabilize himself. "Just fine."
Angling right, Aaen rested his feet against the corner.
"What do you
see?" Jensen asked.
"Right now: darkness.
It's pretty eerie in here. I don't see anyone else in here." —Yet.
"I can still see
your internet helmet lights," Jensen said.
That's comforting. Aaen thought jokingly,
still keeping to himself.
"Are you sure there's
no one. .or nothing. .in there with you, Aaen?" Sensors
asked.
"Not that I can
see."
Sensors let out a hard
gasp.
"Away team, follow
Aaen. I'll be right behind you." Jensen said.
Aaen looked right—the
Sensors and Communications were positioning to enter the same way.
"Just pull on the
edge of the hatch, follow Aaen," Jensen said.
"Okay."
Sensors said.
"Jumping to the
second turn." Aaen said.
"Understood."
Jensen said.
"Hurry, Aaen."
the Captain said.
You wanna come up here
and join the party? Aaen thought, wide eyed.
The second jump took
one-third less time than the first. Aaen felt his heart rate increase and his
breathing.
"Remember to stay
calm, Lieutenant," Jensen said.
"Right." Aaen
stabilized his momentum and then angled left. "Oh my goodness!"
Sounds of hesitation and
anxiety filled the away team's communication system.
"Communications,
just let your inertia carry you through the tube, there's noth—" Jensen
said.
"—Lieutenant
Commander! Sir!" Aaen said, still breathing heavy, but controlled.
"What?"
Jensen asked. "What's wrong, Lieutenant?"
"The hatch doors at
the end of the third stretch—" Aaen breathed heavy again. "That's not
possible. . ."
"WHAT?"
said Communications. "Are there—?"
"Negative, so far,
Communications. Lieutenant Commander, I can't see the way ahead very clearly,
but we're gonna need that tricorder! I'm seeing some kind of flashing light up
ahead."
"Acknowledged.
Proceed to the hatch, Lieutenant."
"Sir." Aaen
pressed his feet against the second corner. Aaen felt his heart rate gradually,
dramatically increase over the next five seconds. He kept the sidearm in front
of him, adjusting his aim to keep the sidearm trained on the flashing
light. Those are either sparks. . .or someone's in trouble. Aaen
thought. Halfway there. Aaen thought, checking the power output
setting on the sidearm. Back to standard setting. He made the
necessary adjustments on the sidearm's twin power setting controls. The power
gauge showed one row of green lights. He maintained his aim.
"Right behind you,
Aaen." said Sensors.
"Lieutenant, what's
going on?" the Captain asked.
"Right now, I'm
about fifteen meters from the last hatch before entering Starbase,
Captain. Lieutenant Commander, it's pretty smokey in here towards the end of
the third stretch." Aaen glanced left. "Looks like some power
conduits blew out. Ugh!" Aaen noticed he was starting to drift toward the
foot of the jeffries tube. "Away team, there's partial artificial gravity
about ten feet from the hatch, right after you get through the smokey area.
It's only about ten percent of optimal. Communications, Sensors–you might get a
little light headed."
"Lieutenant!"
Sensors said. Aaen looked behind him—Sensors was drifting toward him quickly.
Wide-eyed, Aaen reached out his left hand, helping to slow the crew member
down. Sensors took a position to Aaen's right. The rest of the away team
quickly followed. Communications was behind Sensors, Jensen was behind
Communications.
"Lieutenant, what's
that flashing light ahead?" Jensen asked.
Aaen looked through the
center crevice of the twin hatch doors. "I'm seeing a dim, flickering
panel, and sparks coming from the cornering power conduits. Lighting isn't
good, and there are still a few objects floating around.
"Tricorder scans
don't show any life signs within fifty meters. There's minimal atmosphere
beyond this point within tricorder scan range. Force the hatch open. Let's
proceed." Jensen said.
"Captain, is Odyssey picking
anything up on the sensors station?" Aaen asked.
There was a pause.
"No,
Lieutenant."
"Acknowledged.
Proceeding into Starbase." Aaen said, wrapping both hands
around the left hatch door, putting his right foot on the other side. He
gasped, applying firm pressure. The hatch hissed open over five seconds. Aaen
activated the magnets in his boots and then proceeded. The faint, dull sound of
his magnetic boots grabbing the deck plating came as a subconscious
relief.
"Lieutenant?"
Jensen asked.
Aaen took a breath
before replying. "There's a hull breach in here. An emergency force field
is active and holding—barely."
"Woah! .
. . Looks like a torpedo hit here. There aren't any other ships out
there." said Communications.
"That means Starbase was
attacked by either one ship or a small number of ships. Besides, what kind of
torpedo can get through three feet of tritanium–carbon steel hull
plating?" Aaen asked.
"Good question,"
Jensen said. "Right now, we need to focus on getting to main engineering,
and mission ops. Our priority is getting main power online so the Odyssey and
the other ships can launch, and then getting the ships launched."
"Are we splitting
up?" Aaen asked.
"Mission Ops is ten
decks up from here. Engineering is eighty decks below." Jensen said.
"We should try to
get to Mission Ops, first. Once communications is restored with the rest of the
base, coordinating restoration of main power should be pretty easy." Aaen
said.
"Agreed,"
Jensen said. "Away team, gather around. —There's still a question about
whether or not there is an intruder presence on board. There's a weapons locker
one deck up from here, section five. Go up that ladder, and then left for about
fifty feet. There should be more sidearms like Aaen's, and some type-three compression rifles. We need to be armed and ready in case we encounter
any intruders on our way to mission ops or engineering."
"Are we splitting
up, sir?" Aaen asked.
"We might have
to."
"I heard a
noise!" said Communications, looking sharply left.
"That was just your
magnetic boots—" Jensen said.
"—No! Listen!"
said Communications, looking up and around.
"I heard it, too,
this time. It sounded like metal shrieking, collapsing. Lieutenant Commander. .
.are you sure you're not detecting anything on your tricorder?" Aaen
asked.
"Now that you
mention it, I am detecting a faint energy reading two
decks up, a few sections behind you, Lieutenant." Jensen pointed with his
left hand.
"Can you identify the
type of energy signature?" the Captain asked.
Jensen entered a few
commands into the tricorder. "Negative."
Something doesn't add up. Aaen raised his sidearm to shoulder height as he looked up in the direction Jensen pointed. "I'll
go first up the ladder."
"Communications,
Sensors–follow Aaen. I'll bring up the rear." Jensen said. "Aaen,
when you get to the next deck up, turn left and proceed for about fifty feet.
The weapons locker room will be on your right. Everyone follow Aaen!"
Aaen quickly walked to
the ladder and started climbing. His magnetic boots grabbed the deck plating
and each rounded ladder footing as he climbed.
"Is the energy
signature moving, sir?" Aaen asked.
Jensen paused, briefly.
"Affirmative. It doesn't necessarily look like whoever or whatever it
is is in a hurry. It's fading in and out, but covering some impressive ground.
Why? What'do you think we're dealing with, Lieutenant?"
"The sooner we can
get to the weapon locker, the better," Aaen replied.
"Odyssey to
away team: we're picking up something on sensors. Sensor readings aren't
conclusive, we can't tell who or what it is
we're detecting, but you're definitely not alone in
there!" said the Captain.
*****
Steve H. told Jordan Foutin, "You are the next Tom Clancy. You really are a gifted writer."
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