“Sir, Shadows have successfully inserted.” The TAO declared.
“Switch to bodycam. On-screen,”
A team of distorted humanoid figures marching in a tactical stance holding automatic suppressed particle rifles in formation down a security-packed corridor filled the viewscreen. Their personal stealth systems built into their combat gear worked without a flaw. They blended in like air, distinguishable only to each other and Aurora by a fine, grainy full-body tactical blanket outline. An encrypted IR beam generated by an attachment on their rifle barrels showed the bridge where they were aiming. The team’s leader told the rest of the team what to do using hand signals. They formed a double-file line in the corridor, then a hand gesture told them to advance. Their objective was only about twenty meters away.
Two armed and uniformed soldiers turned the corner with their automatic rifles at low-ready. The order to fire was given. The two leading Shadows on the left snapped, aimed high and fired within an instant. Their targets dropped straight backward in a disorganized wad.
“Odyssey is approaching the border detection grid!” The Sensors officer declared.
“Relay to the Shadow team,”
“Aye!” The order was carried out in seconds.
A sharp right turn, two more shots dropped two more targets in a seeming instant. A left turn, then an abrupt right. There.
The next order was to breach and clear. One of the Shadows impressed a string-like device around the edge of the door’s frame. The Execute gesture caused the door frame to glow in their headgear. They could pass through it like it wasn’t there. Another gesture caused the team to flood into the room through the door like a stiff breeze, checking the corners high and low. There were six tangos in the room, all heavily armed and wearing some sort of sophisticated ballistic body armor. No matter. Six precise shots above the eyebrows dropped each tango crumbling backward into a wall.
The next gesture was an order to rig the nuclear power reactor and the associated computer equipment with high-explosives. This process was more delicate, but never any less prompt.
The team’s leader signaled to phase back to Aurora. They were back in seconds.
“Execute.” The team’s leader commanded.
A command to the Shadow’s forearm control panel caused it to beep thrice, and then the word “DETONATION” flashed on the display.
USSC Odyssey
A corner of the viewscreen lit up with the image of a large fireball billowing into space.
“That’s our cue!” Smith declared.
“The detection grid is down!” Jones’ declared.
“All-ahead-full, Helmsman!” Aaen commanded authoritatively.
Wilson carried out the order with a swell of enthusiasm. They were flying right into one-big-freakin’-hornet’s nest; it was getting denser by the second.
The reverberating electrical hum swept through the hull. “Another round of high-intensity sensor sweeps! They’re scanning in waves, most likely to compensate for the detection grid’s going down. Holy-CRAP! There are about three hundred ships converging on our position!”
Smith rushed to Jones’ station and glared at the readings pouring in. “Have they detected us?” He asked sharply.
“It doesn’t look like it—wait!” Her finger traced a jagged navigational line on her computer’s screen. “They’re adjusting course...! They’re scanning for a weapons target!”
“Captain! The stealth system!” Smith advised sharply.
Aaen glared at the viewscreen, commanding, “EXECUTE! Give it everything we’ve got, Connors!”
The bridge dimmed even more darkly this time.
Jones’ eyed the installation’s order marker precisely. “Crossing the installation’s outer boundary in five...four...three...two...one!” It was done; and the largest cluster of ships she had ever seen was virtually about to cast a huge shadow on their hull!”
“They’re right on top of us! One thousand kilometers and closing!” The reverberating electrical humming sounds came back. “They’re all around us! Looks like they’re looking at the detonation point! Doesn’t look like they’ve found us yet!” Yet? She questioned that much.
“Hold your course, Mr. Wilson!” Aaen commanded. Those three-hundred-plus ships were EVERYWHERE in the viewscreen!
Jones noted a few dozen of the ships had crossed their flight path. “COLLISION ALERT!”
Aaen abruptly commanded, “Evasive maneuvers!”
Jones looked at her computer with shock and awe.
The way back had been cut off.
The way ahead was full of hostiles, and judging by new readings filing in: the installation had just gone to high alert. There were high-sensitivity automated defense systems activating all-over-the-place! Oh, SHOOT!
We’re surrounded, she thought dreadfully, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her sleeve amid the building psychological pressure of the moment, glaring at the viewscreen in horror. The hostiles high-powered engines rattled the hull violently as the hostiles spun around the viewscreen in a shaking blur as Wilson struggled to keep from colliding with the hostiles, watching the distance-to-contact plummet toward “0” as he sharply maneuvered Odyssey into a tight, sharp barrel roll in between a dozen hostiles flying towards them. The navigational instrumentation said the hull had completed a 180-degree rotation to port. Odyssey’s sublight engines’ muffled rolling thunderous roars ripped through the bridge as Odyssey came within three inches of twelve ships while on a twisted, arched flight path. An almost deafening flood of alerts and alarms rang through the bridge.
“ALL HANDS: BRACE FOR IMPACT!” Smith shouted. The crew screamed and shouted in horror.
“WE’RE ALMOST THERE!” Jones declared at the top of her lungs as the rest of the installation became visible.
Seconds later, Odyssey emerged. Wilson leveled the ship out manually as the rest of the crew caught their breath.
“Report,” Aaen commanded.
Jones reviewed the latest sensor data, then replied, “Destination in one billion kilometers on our starboard bow. ETA: five minutes if we maintain present speed,”
“Standby to execute,” Smith commanded.
“Tactical, maintain standby on all weapons,”
“Aye, sir,”
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