Meanwhile, back on the Flamboyant...
DOWN THE WELLES
or
Deep in a hole
Scott Kellogg
- I -
Welles E655632-3
Twelve System Defence Boats and an unidentified forty
thousand ton ship of the line bore in on the tiny gathering of
starships.
The Flamboyant's radio crackled: a woman's voice, "This is
Lt. Dragoon of the League of Suns Navy aboard the scout ship
Spindleman. For the duration of this emergency I am proclaiming
martial law and assuming command of all vessels by the authority
of the League of Suns. All vessels will report their status or
be judged hostile."
Jietlshaiepr almost choked, "This is Lieutenant Jietlshaiepr
aboard the Gunned Escort Flamboyant out of the Zhodani Consulate.
Lieutenant, you're out of your sphere of influence. This is a
free and independent system."
Lt. Dragoon snarled, "Welles has requested the League's
protection, and THAT makes it our sphere, Zho."
A Droyne chirped in, "This the trader Shoolist is,
maneuverable, jump fuel have lost. Re-enter atmosphere
impossible streamlining destroyed."
"This trader Kivas, power plant damaged. Computer
destroyed. Wounded aboard. Drone dead. Rendezvous Flamboyant
with waiting."
"Cruiser Chekbas here, hull by nuclear blast irradiated,
maneuver drives damaged, down to two point one G, two laser
batteries out of action, loss of some jump fuel. Cutter
undamaged and deployed."
Jietlshaiepr sighed in disgust as the Droyne surrendered the
authority of their vessels. "This is the gunned escort
Flamboyant. We are undamaged and are proceeding to rendezvous
with the Kivas. Under our control is a VIXEN class missile
platform. We have three light fighters deployed."
The radio gave mute testimony to the fact that no other
would answer the call to friendly shipping.
A note of hesitancy came into Lt. Dragoon's voice, "Droyne
Cruiser Cheekbass... you will rendezvous with the trader Shoe
list and remove all crew then make for jump point... You should
just be able to make it. On second thought, head for jump point
now. Have your cutter take the crew off and rendezvous at jump
point you will jump for the Price system and contact the League
there. Inform them to send reinforcements.
"Droyne trader Shoe List, you will prepare to scuttle your
ship. Head for jump point to shorten transfer time.
"Droyne Trader Key Vast, prepare to scuttle.
"Zho Escort Flamboyant, take off the crew of the Key Vast.
Direct your missile platform and fighters to engage the enemy."
The radio burst with tiny objecting voices as two Droyne
merchant captains heard the orders to scuttle.
Kfoks audibly restrained himself over the radio, "Dragoon,
No disrespect intended... are you out of your Mind? Do you Really
think *Three* *LIGHT* Fighters can take on *TWELVE* Vrrsheerrrsh
*SDBS*, and *DO* Something!? *Other* than be Wiped out?"
"Flamboyant squadron," answered Dragoon nastily, "Why don't
you pull some sneaking, underhanded Zho trick on them?"
"My compliments on your bigotry, asshole, but I'm Vargr."
snapped Kfoks. "Flamboyant, On mark, I'm switching frequencies
to preset B. Mark! Let's get the hell out of here. We'll
rendezvous with you at the Kivas. We'll pick up survivors and
jump the hell out of here."
Niedrsha looked over the course projections. "Forget
jumping, we'll never have time to pick 'em up and make jump
point. They are coming in from outside the gravity well. We'd
have to run right through them to get to jump distances. We could
hide on the surface. We'd loose the VIXEN if we did jump: it's
out of fuel."
"She could make an in system jump." chimed Miakr.
"To where?" asked Niedrsha.
"The system gas giant."
"Program it in, but don't execute it." ordered Jietlshaiepr,
"We may need it's cover."
"Coming up on the Kivas!" shouted Niedrsha. The once sleek
needle like trader hove into visual range. The hull was opened
up like a can just aft of the bridge. The engine room was
visible through a rent in her stern just forward of the control
surfaces.
Jietlshaiepr grabbed her surgeon's kit. "I'm going to
teleport aboard. Dock with the ship and be ready to receive
casualties..."
Suddenly, Shtam came onto the bridge lugging a tool kit, "I
have a plan: no time to explain. Jietlshaiepr, take me across
with you."
Jietlshaiepr looked startled for a moment. "All right, it
had better be good. Button up your battle dress. I'm going to
take us outside the rent in the bridge, and then inside."
"I am going to the engine room. Leave me outside."
- II -
The bridge disappeared as the two winked over to the
stricken trader. The Kivas leaped towards them as they matched
vectors with their grav belts.
"What on Zhdant are you up to?" wondered Jietlshaiepr.
Shtam smiled, "Just a sneaking, underhanded Zho trick I
heard of once: preparing the power plant to overload. The
pirates will take this ship aboard. If I am quick, I can give
them a fusion bomb in the bargain." He jetted around to the
engine room.
Jietlshaiepr crawled in through the hole in the ships
plating. Twisted wreckage showed a nearly vaporized computer
room.
Shtam's disembodied voice came to her in the darkness, "You
will have to set up some explosives. Perhaps Gresha if you can
not. We have to make it appear as though we tried to scuttle the
ship but the attempt failed in the rush: wire up some of the
ship's missiles with a bad detonator. Once they've found one
surprise and defused it, it should satisfy them enough to take
this ship on the capital ship."
The computer was half molten. A small Droyne shadow lay
across the panels where it hadn't become glowing slag. The
operator's body had shielded the computer for a tiny instant. An
intact iris valve stood nearby going forward.
"I found an injured one back here." called Shtam. "Their
engineer I assume, unconscious. It's in pressurized combat
armor."
Jietlshaiepr called back, " We don't have time for full
treatment now. Make sure it's not going to get banged around and
have Vole take him back to the Flamboyant when we're docked.
We'll have to treat them there."
Jietlshaiepr teleported through the iris valve, and onto the
bridge. Suddenly, there was a huge metal beam at eye level,
millimeters away from her helmet. "One more teleport like that
and I'm history."
The bridge was a burning shamble. The beam had fallen from
the ceiling along with other structural pieces causing the air to
hiss slowly into the vacuum. The panels were ablaze filling the
room with black smoke. Blue alien emergency lights lit the
bridge dimly through the smoke, but the sensors of the battle
dress saw clearly. Two Droyne in combat armor were fighting the
blaze at the other end of the beam where it had pinned a third to
its acceleration couch. The draft from the air leak was drawing
the smoke away from the fire keeping it alight. It wouldn't be
long till the air was too thin to burn. Why not dump the
atmosphere to put it out?
The two barely noticed as she floated forward. The pinned
Droyne's armor was cracked. She tried the strength enhancement
of her battle dress to move the beam.
It was set tight.
"Flamboyant," radioed Jietlshaiepr, "We're going to need one
of the tillys on the bridge: I need a heavy lifting crane. Get
Rackan into the suit and get him over here."
One Droyne managed in slurred Zhodani, "You sick make well?"
"Yes, I am a surgeon." she replied quickly, "I have a team
coming with heavy equipment. But we have to get it in here from
outside, we'll have to seal his suit."
The two Droyne glanced back with indeciperably alien
expressions nearly completely hidden by armor. "Chrr, what say
you?"
In answer Jietlshaiepr bent to make a closer examination of
the trapped Droyne. The beam rested across the chest and right
shoulder of the creature. The shoulder was dented and cracked
but the chest armor hand held up under the impact and had kept
the mass from crushing the chest. The armored wing casing was
bent at an odd angle. A quick glance at the two uninjured Droyne's
wings showed the wing must be broken inside the casing, but the
armor appeared to be sealed. For now it would serve as a temporary
cast but it would be crazy when it came time to take it off.
Jietlshaiepr quickly began sealing the cracked plates of the
creature's armored suit. The fire was fading: the air was
getting dangerously thin and poisonous.
A minute later Jietlshaiepr was half finished with the
sealant when Niedrsha sounded on the radio, "Kivas, this is
Flamboyant, we are now positioned next to your air lock. Lock to
lock docking appears impossible, your linkup system appears to be
shot away. We are now ready for evacuation of casualties.
Rackan estimates he will be with you in ten minutes."
Jietlshaiepr transmitted, "Flamboyant, I want Gresha outside
with a fusion gun, some explosives and detonators. First burn a
hole into the bridge big enough for the tilly. Next take the
detonators and wire up the Kivas's missile magazines. Vole, you
bring across casualties. There is one unconscious in the engine
room. Kaezorr, you know about micro-gravity, you go with Vole.
Let's move, people!"
Moments later she finished sealing the little Droyne's armor
and stood up. The fire was out: nothing left to burn. Could
the trapped creature still breathe? No way to tell if it was
even alive inside the dead combat armor.
Turning to the other Droyne, she spoke in Zhodani, "Get to
the Flamboyant, the equipment..."
"Galanglic speak please." interrupted the Droyne.
She translated, "Get to the Flamboyant, the equipment will
be here in a few minutes. I can't do any thing more until we get
you crew aboard the Flamboyant."
"Leave my Kivas." said the captain quietly.
A chirping sounded on her radio. The Zhodani speaking
Droyne stood up. "Teleport others to aid must I." The creature
vanished immediately.
The captain floated to the communicator on a side panel and
chirped into it. Two colored hexagonal pie charts lit up: three
slices of the first were out and two of the second. In a moment
the lit slices became the video projections from the helmets of
the surviving Droyne crew.
The captain chirped sadly into it's comm set. The others
answered slowly.
Two of the cameras flashed brilliantly as someone began
blasting away wreckage with a plasma gun.
"Viepchakl," thought Jietlshaiepr, "they're well armed for a
merchant crew.
She moved aft to the iris valve. With the bridge in vacuum
there's no need to keep it closed.
As it opened she saw Gresha with a fusion gun.
"We need a pretty big hole to get the tilly in here. Start
blasting around the iris valve. Give me the detonators, I'll set
the magazine."
"Right, Jiet. You'd better get on the radio, Dragoon's
breathing plasma since the fighters started back."
"Blast! I haven't time to deal with that idiot! Niedrsha,
do you read me? Patch me into the ship's radio." She moved aft
around the ship's hull as Gresha started blasting a hole in the
bulkhead.
Lt. Dragoon's voice seemed hoarse as it came over the
circuit, "...boyant come in. Damn you bastards!"
"Spindleman, this is Jietlshaiepr of the Flamboyant we are
conducting vital rescue operations. Do not jam this channel."
"Flamboyant, you will redirect your fighters to engage the
enemy."
"*Request* denied."
"Flamboyant, do you know what ship that is?! It's the
raider Star Rider. If it gets away it'll kill hundreds! Maybe
thousands!"
"Dragoon, that ship is a ship of the line, it has a screen
of twelve ships that are individually more than a match for my
ship. The combined firepower of all our ships couldn't even
scratch their defenses."
"God damn it, Flamboyant! If that ship gets loose there'll
be more victims than ALL our ships. It must be stopped!"
"Viepchakl! You fool! Don't you see WE CAN'T STOP IT!"
"Ok, coward Zho punks! We'll stop it ourselves! Spindleman
out!"
Miakr interrupted, "Jiet, they're on an intercept course."
Jietlshaiepr shook her head, "Not for long, they're dead."
In the engine room, she found Shtam working feverishly on
the drives.
"How's it going?"
Shtam didn't look up. "I have the power plant operational,
I do not dare turn it on: they would pick up the power and might
suspect the trick. It will take a few more minutes to rig the
containment vessel for overload. Then we can super-compress the
plasma and bang!"
"We have twelve minutes before we have to leave. Can you be
ready?"
"I will be ready. Is the magazine set?"
"I'm on my way." She opened the hatch that lead forward to
the turrets. A tube lead up toward the turrets.
Kaezorr was floating down leading Drert and two Droyne who
pulled a large Droyne figure in armor. One of the Droyne was
carrying a PGDP-12. "We had to dig something out of the
wreckage. They said it's alive." she explained.
Jietlshaiepr lowered her shield and probed the recumbent
creature: no life. In fact, there was nothing there.
Confused, she put her psionic shield back up. The Droyne
reappeared. Psi invisibility?
"Take them back to the ship. I'll examine it there."
She went up the tube to the turrets. They weren't far
forward. Quickly, she rigged the missile igniters together and
wired up the detonators. Just fire up one missile and the whole
magazine would go.
"...Nine, Eleven, Twelve missiles going up simultaneously...
that ought to look like a pretty good self destruct..."
She set the detonator timer to zero and put the battery in
backwards. An obvious mistake, it'll look like the timer went
down and didn't fire the missiles.
"I only hope they buy it."
- III -
It took all of Jietlshaiepr, Gresha, Shtam, Kaezorr and Vole
to maneuver Rackan in the tilly to the bridge of the Kivas. The
metal tyrannosaur tore the bars away like paper as it entered the
wrecked bridge.
"All right, Rackan," cautioned Vole, "The armor may bend
back when we remove the beam so do it slowly. It'll mess up the
sealant."
Rackan growled, "I don't take order's from robots..."
Jietlshaiepr cut him off. "No, but you'll take them from
*me*. Lift slow and easy like you're handling eggs. I have to
reseal any leaks that open in the armor."
Rackan locked the huge arms of the tilly onto the beam.
"Ready."
"One millimeter at a time." She cautioned, "Go."
The arms began to strain at the beam not moving it.
"Vole, help him."
Vole moved in and locked his own robotic arms on the beam.
"I'm going to use my laser welder," he warned. "It should help
bend the beam which is what we're going to have to do."
The laser lanced out and began heating the beam. A moment
later, Rackan focused the tilly's laser welder on the beam.
Slowly, slowly, slowly the beam began to bend.
A foggy mist began spraying from the Droyne's shoulder.
Jietlshaiepr put a patch on the leak, but another came open worse
than the first.
A second patch went on and the spray stopped. "Ok,
carefully now..." she cautioned.
Again they lifted. The beam had moved about a centimeter
more when a trickle started from the Droyne's back.
"Blast! I can't reach it! He's on top of it! Keep going!"
The leak changed from a trickle to a jet, still she could
not reach it.
"All right! Lift! For all you're worth!"
The beam came up faster, but still slowly. Jietlshaiepr
threw her mind into her arms and lifted. The strength enhancers
complained along with Vole's and the tilly's arms.
Sweat dripped off her face as she watched the torrential
leak helplessly. Other leaks began seeping from the shoulder.
Suddenly, under the heat and strain, the superdense structural
beam buckled.
Jietlshaiepr grabbed the suit patches. One slammed over the
hole in the back plate slowed it. A second closed it over.
The leaks on the shoulder took three more patches.
"Ok, get him back to the Flamboyant so we can get the fuck
out of here!" sighed Jietlshaiepr with relief.
- IV -
They jetted back slowly to the Flamboyant pushing Rackan in
the tilly. The cargo lock beckoned invitingly.
"Get moving team," warned Niedrsha from the bridge, "The
SDBs are closing. Range: one point five million kilometers. Our
escape margin's gone. If we start running now they'll still get
us in range before we make the surface."
They floated slowly toward the open hatch. The massive bulk
of the modified cargo carrier-battle suit was hugely difficult to
maneuver. It floated through the airlock and bashed silently
into the wall of the hold.
Shtam punched the door control. The lock door slid quickly
in place. Gravity came up slowly but too quickly for Rackan in
the clumsy suit. He collapsed onto the floor.
Jietlshaiepr hit the pressure controls, "Full throttle,
Niedrsha, get us the fuck out of here!"
- V -
Jietlshaiepr counted heads. Out of twelve passengers and
crew, two dead, four wounded, three of them badly. She stripped
their armor off as she listened to Niedrsha's tactical report over
the intercom.
"Four SDBs have peeled off after the Chekbas and Shoolist.
They'll both reach jump point before they can intercept. Chekbas
will reach jump point in seventeen minutes, the Shoolist in
thirty two.
"The Shoolist's captain is out of his head! They're gonna
try and jump outsystem with no fuel! They're gonna misjump
deliberately!
"One of the SDBs is closing on the Kivas. Two more are
after the Spindleman. The Star Rider is slower than the SDBs, it
also is closing on the Kivas. It will intercept the Kivas in
about five hours. Niedrsha cleared his throat, "That leaves five
SDBs after us and the VIXEN. They will be in firing range in one
hour, fifty three minutes, thirty two minutes before we reach the
surface.
"Spindleman will be in their range in forty five minutes."
Miakr came over the intercom, "Jietlshaiepr, what should I
do with the VIXEN? It can't follow us into the atmosphere..."
"Send it after our tail. It just might buy us some time.
And it just might live if it makes one pass and keeps going."
"Right Jiet... It's on it's way. Interception... thirty
six minutes... twenty seconds."
The pilot Droyne was small. Maybe a few centimeters shorter
than Dr. Malenkoviepr. No wonder Mako had a rapport with such
tiny creatures. Two of the four ribs were broken on the right
side along with what passed for the collar bone. The right wing
was a ragged mess where hollow bone had made a compound fracture.
Vole and Tuerz worked on a large patient with a broken leg.
Suddenly, Drert leaned over the pilot. He held the same blue
crystal from the Ancient site. The point of the crystal flared
up like a star.
Jietlshaiepr turned her head from the bright flare. Her
hands trembled as she held the wing of the tiny creature.
Freezing heat flowed into her fingertips. She tried to let go
but her muscles were locked tight.
Every hair on her hands began to stand on end. The
sensation swept up her arm. The hair of her head prickled as
though it had become thorns.
Suddenly, everything changed. The sensation swamped her
body like a wave of honey. A low moan passed her lips as her
every nerve was kissed, stroked, fondled, wrapped in a fur
blanket and put by a warm fire.
- VI -
A minute later she found herself barely standing with Vole
peering into her face.
"What happened?" she sang dreamily.
"I don't know." the robot said confusedly. "I was preparing
to set the Droyne's leg when my limbs jammed: my neural activity
sensor went off the scale. Then you started moaning and Tuerz
howled. He collapsed but you were still standing."
"Too much for him I guess... Where's Drert?"
The gunner was over in the corner surrounded by the Droyne
who were not stirring. The examining tables were empty, instead
the tiny creatures were clinging to Drert like young opossums to
their mother.
Jietlshaiepr picked out the one who had been half crushed.
No sign of any injury, or that any had taken place. It seemed
to be sleeping quite contentedly.
"Tuerz!" Kfoks burst into sick bay. "Are you all right?
What happened?"
The slender Vargr looked up dreamily. "Vargr! Taek, you
should have been here. I haven't felt that good in..."
"What happened?" Kfoks demanded.
"I don't know cub, but I think I ruined my outfit..."