Bug Hunt - Part Seven

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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