Make sure the bay's pressurized, and then use the cargo loading ramp to put some distance between the crew and the intruder. Aaen thought. But it won't take very long for the intruder to catch up. . .and then who knows what will happen if it should. No time!
The Captain snapped around. "Sensors, is the docking bay pressurized?" he asked directly.
"Yeah—just enough. The atmosphere containment field is just barely online. I wouldn't want to stay in the docking bay for any longer than I had to." Aaen detected a strong hint of doubt in her voice. He looked at the Captain, and then the First Officer. The First Officer returned the look, and then he looked at the Captain.
"Aaen," said Communications, leaning toward Aaen. "What's going on?" she whispered, appearing curious.
Aaen kept looking at the Engineering compartment as he replied, "The intruder's on its way up. We've gotta get outta here, and there's really only one viable method of escape."
"How?"
"We'll all have to use the cargo loading ramp while the intruder's trying to gain access to the bridge. If everything goes the way I think it will. . .we'll get off the ship at about the same time the intruder gets to the bridge. If it works, it'll buy us some time to get to a safe area on the station."
"Are you sure there is a safe area?"
Aaen turned his head subtly. "Maybe."
"There's that scratching sound!" said Jason, looking to the medical bay.
"Do we have any sidearms that we can use?" the Captain asked.
"Just those!"
"No! I mean, can the ship fire particle cannons on the inside?"
"No. All of the ship's cannons are on the hull."
Stupid question, Aaen thought.
"I hear it!" said the Engineer. "It's getting louder in here!"
"Let's pack up and get outta here!" Aaen yelled.
"I agree, Captain." said the First Officer.
The Captain looked at Operations. "Can you interface with the station's main computer to control the lights in the docking bay?" he asked alarmingly.
"Not with the station's main computer.—"
"It's getting louder!" said the Engineer.
"Engineer! Stop what you're doing an' get outta that section!" said the First Officer.
Aaen noticed the Engineer wasted no time following that particular order—he quickly inched his torso halfway through the crawlway into the medical bay.
"Warning: unauthorized life form detected entering Engineering Section of the main bridge." the Main Computer droned. "Engineering seal will be compromised in two-minutes.
"Operations! See if you can get any power to the docking bay lights!" said the Captain.
"I'm working on it!"
"Okay! Let's get the sidearms and other gear that we need, and get ready to move out!" said the First Officer.
Jason and Sensors rushed to carry out the order. Jason gave a sidearm to the First Officer; Jason took the second sidearm. The scratching noise was getting gradually louder. The Doctor stood in front of the main bridge hatch.
"Okay. Everyone stay together." said the Captain. "Everyone is to proceed to the aft cargo ramp. We'll set up a perimeter at the foot of the ramp, and then figure out what to do from there."
Wrong. Aaen thought. The perimeter is set up when you figure out where to make a stand! He started getting nervous for the rest of the crew about what might happen in the next few minutes.
"Everyone ready?" the Doctor asked, looking at the rest of the crew, taking out her scanner and scanning the way ahead, beyond the hatch. "I'm not detecting any life forms. I think it's okay to proceed. Captain?"
He nodded.
"Warning: bridge engineering section hatch seal compromised."
"Let's go!" the Captain whispered loudly.
"Captain, it might be a good idea to use your command codes to lock down the bridge."
"Oh. Right." the Captain said, turning around. "Computer! Lock down the bridge! Authorization code—" he stated his command authorization code.
"Authorization code confirmed. Now locking down bridge computer stations."
A chain of beeping sounds filled the bridge; Aaen looked around to the tactical and sensor stations—the screens turned black with red lining and text indicating the stations had been locked due to command override.
A metallic pop filled the bridge.
"It's on the bridge!" the Engineer whispered loudly.
Aaen looked forward. The Doctor opened the hatch, leading into the next compartment, through a second door, and then left through a maintenance hatch. Aaen was third in line behind the First Officer. Aaen looked behind him; the Captain was in front of the Engineer.
"It's coming! I can see it's shadow!" said the Engineer, frantically.
"Stay together!" said the Captain. "Where's Dimitri?"
"He's probably still on deck two." the Doctor replied, quietly. "I'm sure he'll be fine."
After a third hatch, the crew turned right to find themselves in a flat stage-like area full of variably marked crates. To the left: the ramp, raised. A red light blinked at regular two-second intervals, filling the cargo bay and glaring against the ramp.
"Lower the ramp!" the Captain said. The First Officer carried out the order using a control panel to the crews' left. The ramp gradually lowered in ten seconds; a pneumatic hiss filled the air. The atmosphere was getting thinner with each passing second. Aaen started feeling a little woozy but managed to stay upright. He noticed the rest of the crew was just trying to stay conscious but was succeeding—so far.
The First Officer raised his sidearm, stepping aside and aiming his sidearm to the rear. "Someone close that hatch. Quick!"
The Engineer was prompt in starting to carry out the order. The sound of rustling printed materials and computer equipment echoed from where the crew had come. "It's, coming!" he quickly away from the hatch.
The ramp lowered. The Doctor led the crew down the ramp to the hangar floor. The Captain gestured for the crew to assume a circular formation. The crew took a knee.
The Doctor waived her scanner around her, pausing at Odyssey. "The intruder's coming!" she whispered loudly.
The Captain gestured for sidearm to be directed toward the top of the ramp and the dorsal hull.
Aaen looked around. Visibility was low with most of the light in the bay coming from the Odyssey's forward lights. The crew was at the mouth of the bay. Boy, the atmosphere is thin in here.
Aaen tapped the Captain on the shoulder and then pointed to a door at the front left corner of the bay. The Captain nodded.
"Everyone!—" he whispered loudly and then pointed to the door. The First Officer kept pointing his sidearm atop Odyssey, while Jason kept aiming at the top of the ramp.
That metallic scratching noise, again. . . Aaen became wide-eyed. It's getting louder, Aaen thought.
—POP! A spine-tingling metallic scream faintly, but sharply echoed.
"That was a maintenance hatch!" said the Engineer.
The Doctor looked at her scanner, waving it over Odyssey. "Looks like it's on top of the ship!" the Doctor whispered loudly. "We need to get out of here, Captain!"
Aaen kept an eye on the dorsal hull. No more talking, he thought, determinedly. The door was less than a hundred meters away. Aaen looked forward at the door, and then up and behind the crew. A shape, he squinted. What's that light?. . . More wide-eyed, he pointed to the top of the hull and loudly whispered, "First Officer! Jason! Suppression fire!"
*****
Steve H. told Jordan Foutin, "You are the next Tom Clancy. You really are a gifted writer."
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