ON THE TRAIL
or
Is there a doctor in the sector?
by
Scott Kellogg
- I -
The engine temperature jumped five degrees in two minutes.
"We're coming out of jump." Shtam called from the engine room.
"Look," muttered Miakr softly, "I'm really..."
Shtam cut him off. "Don't worry about it. I'd have a lot
of trouble handling these engines by myself. As it is, you may
have saved us all from blowing up. Misjump is no big deal."
"Thanks, Shtam."
The jump drive moaned in sympathy. "Estimate three minutes
to relativistic space." called Shtam, "Three minutes. All hands
to stations."
Up on the bridge Niedrsha lounged in the pilot's chair. "Ok
Jiet, let's get ready." he slapped her shoulder through the
battle dress. "Any pirates just better watch out."
"I'd rather not have to deal with any more battles for a
while." cautioned Jietlshaiepr. "We're looking for a hospital,
not a fight. With Drert still in the ozone layer and Shtam minus
his leg, I have enough headaches. You just find us a starport.
I'll take it from there.
"Gresha, honey, you'd better be getting inside that turret.
I am NOT looking forward to what reception we may get when we re-
enter normal space. A misjumped ship is a very juicy target, and
pirate activity has been getting awfully heavy these days."
"Sure, Jiet." barked the vargr wagging her tail. "I
wouldn't worry too much though, we're probably in human space.
Human corsairs aren't worth much. And if we jump into vargr
space I knew most of the corsair leaders."
"Why'd you decide to hook up with humans then?"
"Well, Oddball was slowing down." she laughed, then curling
her lip exposing the sharp canine teeth of her species, "And the
bastards running the Broadsword were bigots. You folks seem to
appreciate ability rather than physiology. At least Miakr seems
to..."
- II -
The Kliemoshie limped into normal space with a whimper from
the jump drives. She panted and wheezed at the exertion while
she wiped the haze from her eyes and began to look around, wondering
where she'd got to.
"We haven't gone too far," thought Niedrsha aloud. "from
the position of the stars, I'd say no more than six or seven
parsecs. And we're still in the Massina subsector for certain."
"Got something." called Jietlshaiepr. "We're one hundred
diameters out from a gas giant... Looks like there are some
pretty big power emissions, lots of neutrinos, probably a mid to
high tech system. I hope their hospitals are in as good shape as
their power systems..."
"Picking up a radar beacon..." she announced. "Radio signal
incoming."
A woman's voice came over, "...entified craft, come in
please... Repeat, unidentified craft come in please, this is the
F.A.B. patrol ship Flamboyant. You will identify yourself
immediately."
Jietlshaiepr raised her eyebrow. "Hold on a minute here...
This is a tight beam transmission."
"So?" asked Niedrsha.
"So, why conceal your presence if you are a patrol ship?"
"Right... broadcast to the ship and the traffic at the gas
giant. Come to think of it, relay their messages too."
Jietlshaiepr hit the broadcast button. "This is the Zhodani
Courier Kliemoshie, ZC-00113. State your business patrol ship
Flamboyant."
"We are on anti-pirate cruise. Have no record of your
arrival, Kliemoshie. Stand by."
Jietlshaiepr tuned the ship's antenna to a tight beam aimed
at the gas giant. "This is the Zhodani Courier Kliemoshie,
ZC-00113. Request confirmation of status of patrol ship
Flamboyant."
She read the sensors, "The Flamboyant is closing on us at
four G acceleration, four hundred tons, streamlined, five point
two five gigawatts from their reactor. Reads out as a Fiery
class Imperial gunned escort. Usual armament lasers and particle
accelerators."
"Flamboyant to Kliemoshie, we have no record of your arrival
in system, please confirm."
"Viepchakl!" thought Jietlshaiepr. "Kliemoshie to
Flamboyant, have just arrived in system."
"Got another contact, she announced. Much larger, ten
gigawatt reactor, eight hundred tons, approaching at five G's.
at extreme range and on intercept course."
"Flamboyant to Kliemoshie, we have orders to board and
inspect all shipping. Stop engines and prepare to receive our
party."
A new voice came over the circuits. "Kliemoshie, this is
Fan Belt starport control, we have no record of any patrol ship
registered as Flamboyant. Proceed with caution. Will send patrol
to investigate."
"Niedrsha, get us the hell out of here! Red alert! All
hands shut airlocks and close battle dress."
"Engine room. Give her everything you've got!" shouted
Niedrsha. The Kliemoshie's frame squealed in protest. "Gresha,
commence firing!"
Gresha couldn't hear the order for the rattle of the
sandcaster pumping ablative sand out to shield the fleeing
courier. She knew her business. She needed no order. Laser
light streamed from the turret searching for a victim.
It swung wide of the target. The gun ship twisted and
loosed its own onslaught of destructive energy.
The very space around the Kliemoshie glowed with the
incoming fire as it vaporized the protective sand cloud and
touched the skin of the ship.
Jietlshaiepr read off "We've been hit. No damage, just
cooked a bit. Hull temperature four hundred thirty Kelvin. No
hull rupture... I read a flight of ships from the gas giant...
six G's acceleration, including a ship in the twenty thousand ton
range...at this range it will take an hour and thirty eight
minutes to intercept. Second contact I read out as a Guppy class
cruiser. Usual armament: lasers, missiles, sandcasters. It will
be in range in sixty seven minutes."
"What about the Flamboyant?" called Niedrsha.
"Closing, interception thirty six minutes."
Lasers swept out towards the pursuer on target.
The Flamboyant's hull was momentarily lost in a fog cloud.
"Good shooting Gresha! I read that out as a hit to their
fuel tanks." called off Jietlshaiepr.
"They've still got their teeth." growled Gresha. "I just
poked their stomach a bit."
Laser flare obliterated the Kliemoshie's sand cloud.
"Next one will penetrate." warned Gresha.
The Kliemoshie began to shudder as Niedrsha redoubled his
efforts to evade. The spiralling ship rolled and pitched,
straining the ability of the anti-acceleration-grav fields, while her
lasers flamed outward.
One of the Flamboyant's turrets melted away under the jet of
Gresha's lasers.
A flash of light, a blast, a shudder. Part of the
Kliemoshie turned into slag.
"Report in! Anyone hurt?" Called Jietlshaiepr.
"Shtam here. Engine Room intact. Miakr, Vole and I are
Ok."
"Gresha here. Turret unimpaired."
"The Air/Raft bay was destroyed." announced Drert as though
he was talking in his sleep, "Pressure leak in quarters section.
Bulkheads and frame intact."
"How in Viepchakl does he know that?" wondered Jietlshaiepr.
Lasers flared out again but found only empty space.
"Grrraahcht!" barked Gresha in frustration.
The Flamboyant's lasers reached out and licked the
Kliemoshie's hull. Fog fumed from the gash draining away the
life blood fuel of the courier.
"Fuel pressure's goin... gone. Fuck!" shouted Niedrsha.
"Fusion plant shutting down!" screamed Miakr.
All lights went out aboard the courier leaving all in total
darkness.
Red emergency lights came on dimly.
"Batteries on emergency power. That is all I can do. We
were low on fuel after the jump, now it is all gone." Shtam
announced calmly.
Silence came down like a sudden nightfall. The ship was dead.
Jietlshaiepr finally broke the silence. "Stand by to repel
boarders."
- III -
The ship was quickly depressurized. Crew assembled in the
lounge armed with gauss rifles.
"Twelve crew in a Fiery class escort. Sixteen in a Guppy
class cruiser, plus a complement of sixteen troops." reported
Shtam. "The Guppy is an ideal pirate raider. We ran into them
in the merchants. They have a huge cargo capacity: able to
accommodate over three hundred tons of ships. They just open
their clamshells and swallow you. I saw one eat a free trader
and still have room for two fifty ton fighters."
"We have to stand them off long enough for the patrols to
arrive. That's two hours without our engines. The Flamboyant
will rendezvous in twelve minutes, the Guppy in forty nine."
Jietlshaiepr paced appraising the situation. "Shtam, how well
can you move without that leg?"
"With the ship's artificial grav off, I'm fine. A little
slower but adequate. It seems to be regenerating itself. It
beats me what Drert did to it though."
"Right. Boarding party... Tactics... Suggesions?"
"Ambush." growled Gresha.
"Set up where? Where are they going to come in?"
"They might not board at all until we're inside the Guppy's
cargo hold." thought Niedrsha.
"No." said Shtam decisively, "In order to get the ship into
the hold they will have to have men handling her very carefully.
They will not chance our taking on a busy work crew."
"Well, if I were them, I'd burn through the hull." growled
Gresha, "They want the ship. Why else call in another ship
capable of carrying her out? Ships go for good money in this low
tech sector.
"The front wind screen's easy to smash and board through,
but it'd get the bridge shot up. Airlock is harder to fix than
the hull. Hull material is cheap, sections of it are already
damaged. Probably come in through the Air/Raft bay, it's already
smashed. Can set up ambush there."
"Right." nodded Jietlshaiepr. "Good thinking. Miakr, you
and Vole inspect the bay, find the best place to setup an ambush.
Niedrsha, you cover the bridge. Yell if you see anything and get
out. Shtam, you cover the airlock. Gresha, you ever been
teleported?"
Gresha cocked her head confusedly. "No."
"I can carry two of us in a teleport. I bet we could jump
out, get in a few good shots and catch them off guard."
"We could use the tech fourteen plasma guns: no recoil."
snarled Gresha with a wagging tail.
"Exactly."
- IV -
"Miakr, their headed your way." radioed Niedrsha from the
bridge. "Good call Gresha!"
"How many?" demanded Jietlshaiepr.
"Eight, two in combat armor, six in vacc suits. The ones in
combat armor are guarding the airlock. The rest are headed to
the Air/Raft bay with some laser welders. The ones in combat
armor have laser rifles, the rest have accelerator rifles. I
think most have snub pistols as well."
"They've started cutting." announced Vole. "Estimated time
of entry: seven minutes forty seconds... Mark!"
"Right. Niedrsha, you get down to the bay and help Miakr.
Gresha, we'll pay a little visit in two minutes, let's move to
the lock."
Gresha growled softly to herself.
- V -
"Grakvozan! Teleportation is neat!" wondered Gresha with awe
as she found herself outside the ship shoulder to shoulder with
Jietlshaiepr.
Twin figures floated out side the airlock of the Kliemoshie.
Twin plasma bolts leaped across the vacuum.
Twin explosions.
Twin figures spiraled into the vacuum, leaving a cloud of
vaporized organs and metal.
"Better than I'd hoped for. All right team, come out the
airlock, we may be able to press this attack home." Jietlshaiepr
turned. The bay was hidden by the bulk of the ship. "Bring out our
gauss rifles as well. If we get aboard the Flamboyant, plasma guns
are a bit much."
- VI -
With the power off the airlock had to be opened by hand, but
Niedrsha and Miakr had gotten through by the time the sentries
were missed.
Two vacc suit helmets peered around the bulk of the hull
before they were seared off by Gresha and Jietlshaiepr.
"That'll scare the fuck out of 'em." observed Niedrsha.
"Four on four." thought Miakr. "Let's take 'em."
They split up and jetted around the ship's hull to see the
four pirates in flight. The Flamboyant's airlock was wide open.
Miakr opened up on the trailing pirate. Gauss needles flew
undeflected, and unerringly to the target which clamped its leg
as it fired at Niedrsha.
The accelerator rifle bullet rammed its way through
Niedrsha's armor over his right arm, almost spoiling his aim.
His own gauss needles went home on the smallest of the pirates.
The helmet simply exploded. The corpse continued to float toward
the Flamboyant's looming hull.
Suddenly, Drert appeared next to Niedrsha and both vanished.
Two plasma bolts struck the third pirate which completely
vaporized the fleeing man.
Bullets clicked off Jietlshaiepr's armored torso.
"Hey you! Lay off my chest!" An indignant blast of plasma
subdivided the fourth pirate from it's groin and lower legs which
tumbled into the vacuum.
Miakr's second volley of shots shredded the remaining
pirates legs. The body hung limply, suspended in space.
The Flamboyant started moving.
"Viepchakl!" shouted Jietlshaiepr. She teleported into the
open airlock and was slammed against the side of the ship. She
quickly looked through the view port and then teleported inside.
She would have jumped a kilometer had it not been for the
ceiling.
"Hi Jiet! Welcome aboard." laughed Niedrsha as Drert stood
over him.
"To the bridge. How's your arm?" without waiting for an
answer she ran ahead.
"Never better."
None of them had been aboard a Fiery class escort before but
the bridge was pretty easy to guess at.
The pilot heard them coming. She had a snub pistol trained
at the corridor and loosed high explosive bullets at Jietlshaiepr
as she burst through.
Six shells exploded harmlessly on Jietlshaiepr's chest
plates.
"Leave my tits alone, bitch!" Jietlshaiepr slapped the
panicked pilot in the mouth. The strength enhancement of the
battle dress rocked her head back and laid her neck at an ugly
angle.
Niedrsha pulled her from the console and swung the ship into
a spin. "Fuck those Imperial designers!" He soon had it under
control and headed back to the Kliemoshie.
Jietlshaiepr grabbed the scanners. There was one more crew
member aboard. The Guppy class cruiser would rendezvous in
twenty six minutes.
"One last crew member aboard." she explained, "I'll take
care..."
"Not any more." said Drert simply. He then sat down on the
deck and began opening the chest of his battle dress.
"How..." she started to ask, but noticed Drert was lost in
an examination of his belly button, then checked the scanners.
the only life on board was them.
- VII -
The crew was quickly transferred to the Flamboyant.
"Ghrresh!" barked Gresha from the dorsal turret, "Where is
the particle accelerator?"
"What's wrong?" shouted Jietlshaiepr.
"This is a missile turret. There's an Air/Raft bay here
instead of the particle barbette and... Grraaah! Verracht! This
ship carries nuclear missiles!"
"What!?"
"This turret is armed with nuclear missiles!"
"Guppy class cruiser, twenty one minutes to interception."
read off Shtam. "Patrol cruisers: one hour forty minutes. I
make the large ship in the patrol out as a Viepchakl class Battle
rider. I think we should give some of these missiles back to
their rightful owners?"
"My sentiment's exactly, Shtam." nodded Jietlshaiepr.
"Graah, just say the word, Jiet and I'll stuff some
plutonium down their throats." snarled Gresha.
Shtam studied the sensors. "They are coming in on a nice
lateral course. No sandcasters in operation, no evasive action,
just a nice fat target. They have even opened the cargo bay
doors."
"Gresha," sighed Jietlshaiepr, "They're hungry, why don't
you give them a nice mouthful or two?" She stretched herself in
such a way that, even with her battle dress on, made one want to
throw back one's head and howl.
"Well Jiet," laughed Gresha, "I'll try but I just don't have
your... qualifications."
The black face plate of her battle dress hid her reaction.
"Stand by for evasive action. Hands to what ever stations you can
find. Gresha, fire when ready."
A soft shush announced the departure of the nuclear warhead
laden missiles.
"Nukes away!... Engine's hot and running."
"Evasive action!" barked Jietlshaiepr. "She's starting to
evade. Where are those lasers?"
Drert fired on the gaping maw of the approaching cruiser.
Just as the bay began to close the laser strike bore in blasting
the decks adjoining. Fuel leaked into space flaming briefly as
it combined with the leaking air of the ship and then snuffing
out as flame met vacuum.
The jaws jammed fast leaving a leaking flaming mouth open to
vacuum. Seconds later the missiles streaked into the hungry
mouth of the cruiser.
A blinding flash came out of the belly of the cruiser. The
silhouetted form of the top half of the ship was barely visible
above the brilliance of the brief fission powered star.
Half of the ship tumbled, glowing white hot and radioactive
from the blaze. End over end she tumbled for three seconds then
it flared again and was gone.
An expanding cloud of radioactive plasma blew into space.
- VIII -
Jietlshaiepr slouched back in the command chair exhausted.
She opened the clamshell helmet of her battle dress and sighed.
"All right." she purred. "Now, I am a little bit tired of being
shot at today. Shtam, you said that the ship headed towards us
is a Viepchakl class battle rider."
"Yes. She is unmistakable."
"Ok, now. The only ship that carries the Viepchakl in this
area is based in Tloql sector at Chronor. That being the Zhdant
itself: a one million ton battle carrier. What on the moons of
Zhdant is the pride of the Consular Navy doing here? Fan Belt is
an independent system." she pondered aloud. "Well, I guess we'll
just have to talk to them. But as soon as we hit the starport,
we're going to bed."
- IX -
It took some explaining indeed. The ship turned out to be
the Viepchakl itself, named for the once worshiped moon of Zhdant
which still bore some reverence or irreverence as the case may
be. The captain of such a ship commands respect. But, the last
thing he expected to hear was a report from an overtired and
voluptuous noble who had just captured the ship he was supposed to
be rescuing her from.
The questions came tumbling out. Where was the owner of the
Kliemoshie: Dr. Malenkoviepr? Why did the ship misjump? How
did they contact the Flamboyant? How did they take the
Flamboyant? Were there any injuries that needed treatment? Were
there any survivors among the pirates? And where did they get
Ultra top of the line Zhodani Noble Commando battle dress and
Imperial plasma guns?
Fortunately, the captain was familiar with those Zhodani who
worked with the Ine Givar and some sticky little questions got by
with the slimmest answers.
The Flamboyant was towed to the starport by the Viepchakl
while the Kliemoshie was refueled by three Zhdits class D.E.'s
and brought in under armed escort.
- X -
Jietlshaiepr never got a chance to keep her promise. Four
minutes after docking Jietlshaiepr was requested to see
Tlievriashav. Request it was, and polite too, but one does not
make the High Consul of the entire Ikar sector wait.
Five hours later, a quite exhausted, curvaceous commando
trudged up the ramp of the courier.
"Better start packin' your stuff, crew. The Kliemoshie's
being commandeered tomorrow at thirteen hundred hours."
"What!?" came the unanimous response of disbelief.
"Tlievriashav's taking her. He needs a courier for his
consular cruiser. His own was destroyed or captured by probably
the self same pirates we just fought.
"We are to be given possession of the Flamboyant, *minus* the
nuclear missiles. We have to go to Massina first but then she'll
be turned over to us."
"Massina Belt!" exploded Miakr, "Why there?"
Jietlshaiepr looked at him startled. "Well, they want to run
a number of tests on the ship to find out what they can from it.
To get a lead on these pirates. Best place to run the tests is at
the sector capital."
"What about Dr. Malenkoviepr?" asked Niedrsha.
"We'll need a ship to find him. And the old "Moshie" is
going on to bigger circles."
"Why? What's going on here?" asked Shtam. "Why does a big
wheel like Tlievriashav want a broken down shot up old courier like
the Kliemoshie?"
"You've all heard of Horltheur? Highest tech planet in the
Ikar sector, and one of the most volatile. There's been a war."
"Big war?" asked Shtam.
"Yeah, nuclear. The whole northern continent was just about
wiped out. The Zhdant is going there escorting hospital ships
from the Consulate and Fan Belt. Tlievriashav needs a courier,
and the Kliemoshie is the only one available.
"Big political push: influence gathering. The Imperium is
sending a fleet of it's own hospital ships. Accompanied by their
fleet. The Darrians, the Sword Worlds, The Dynchia, all the
governments, big and small, they're all sending ships. A big
humanitarian effort that all sides can milk for propaganda values,
and maybe save a few lives in the bargain."
"How does the Fan Belt fit in?" wondered Niedrsha.
"It's the medical capital of the sector. We can gain
influence with them while we prove to all that the Consulate is
just as humane as the Imperium if not more so."
"Wait a minute, what about recompence for the doctor?" asked
Gresha.
Jietlshaiepr laughed. "Now this is the crazy part, the doc
will get his money, but he's not receiving money for the value of
the ship, he's getting the *replacement* value. Full cost of a
new courier. And I have custody of the money till he is found: one
hundred and one million, six hundred seventy one thousand, six
hundred and fifty credits.
"Now you've got the whole story. We'll have enough time
here to use the medical facilities before we leave for Massina."
She stretched out in a mouth watering way, leaned over calmly and
picked up Niedrsha and threw him over her shoulder.
"Now, Niedrsha, there are a couple of things I need to go
over with you..." Suddenly, they were gone. Or rather, they
were gone, their clothes stayed behind. They stood there like a
bizarre artwork for a moment in the positions Jietlshaiepr and
Niedrsha had been in. Then, they slowly floated to the deck of
the cabin.
"Now that," observed Gresha admiringly "is a trick I've GOT
to learn."
========================
Stay tuned folks...
Scott