He Who Dares: Book Three (5 page)

“Fuck you, Jenkins, you had your chance! You are not getting the haul away from us!”

“I wasn’t thinking of that, Mike.”

“Like hell you weren’t! Back off and stay backed off.” He growled.

*  *  *  *  *  *

“That stupid fucking kid, who the hell does he think he is?”

“He doesn’t think, he knows.”

“Knows what?” Rock demanded.

“He knows he’s going to pull that ship out of there, and haul her all the way back to the dock, or die trying."

“Shit! He’s going to blow that pile of crap and take the
Queen Ann
with him.”

“Not with Andrew in the engine-room.”

Rock didn’t look convinced and snorted. “You watch, I bet we’ll be hauling that ship before long.” He chuckled.

Jenkins gave him a sour look, but said nothing. Rock wasn’t far wrong and he knew it. The
Prometheus
was old and even with her more powerful fission pile there was a limit to her output.

“That’s odd.” Rock murmured.

“What!”

“Take a look.” He said, a sneer crossing his face.

“Shit!” Was all Jenkins could think to say.

“What did I tell you?” He gave his captain a nasty grin.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Mike’s struggles were finally rewarded when he saw the radar altimeter start to climb. It wasn’t great, but at least they were making headway. An alarm flashed in the corner of his eye, but by the time he looked it was gone. He looked over the instrument panel, a frown creasing his forehead. He wasn’t sure which alarm flashed, and that worried him, but he dared not let his attention be distracted even for something as unimportant as a momentary alarm.

“Gramps! Everything all right down there?”

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, why!” His Grandfather snapped back.

“Um, well, I just saw a warning light flashed and wondered what it was.”

“It was nothing, you concentrate on getting us out of here, and I’ll worry about the engines.” It didn’t sound like Gramps; snappish was the word that came to mind, and very unlike his grandfather’s normal voice. He pushed it to the back of his mind and concentrated on fighting the strange eddies that tried to pull the
Prometheus
and her tow back down again.

“By Christ! You’re doing it,
Prometheus
! Keep it up and we’ll be able to launch life pods if necessary at this rate.”

“I hope not, Captain. That would ruin our contract.”

“No fear of that lad, at this rate you will have us out of here in less than two hours.”

Captain Phillips was correct in his prediction, as the creaks and groans from the
Old Lady’s
hull lessened, but even so, Mike sweated blood as he fought the helm. His arms ached so badly he thought they’d drop off, and the muscles across his shoulders and back were numb. No matter what the geneticists had done, even Avalon enhanced muscles had their limit. At last he lifted the
Queen Ann
where at least they could launch the life pods, and any shuttlecraft if necessary to get the passengers and crew to safety, but their troubles weren’t over yet.

“Mike?” The engine-room screen lit up again.

“What’s up, Gramps?” He flicked his eye to the screen, then looked again. Suddenly, his Grandfather looked old.

“I need you to do something for me, son.”

“Huh?” Mike felt a knot forming in the pit of his gut.

“The old girl’s had it Mike, I need you to put her on autopilot and get to the life pod as soon as possible.”

“What!”

“Do it, son. Get to the life pod, now. I’ll meet you there.”

“Oh shit!”

“
Titan
, this is the
Prometheus
, do you copy?”

“We copy,
Prometheus
.”

“Can you get down here and take over the tow, Charlie?”

“Oh god! Gramps?” Charlie Jenkins heard the call, and after seeing the telltale reading of the radiation leaking from the
Prometheus
, he knew what was happening.

“She’s done for, Charlie. I had to pull out all the stops to get us this far. She won’t last much longer.”

“On my way,
Prometheus
.” Charlie snapped, already pointing downward to his helmsman.

“Gramps! No. We can make it!”

“No, we can’t son. We have about fifteen, maybe twenty minutes before she gives out. Now get to the life pod! That’s an order.”

“But, Gramps…”

“Do I have to repeat myself, sailor?”

“No, sir.” Mike answer miserably. He knew that tone of voice. Gramps brooked no argument on some things, and this was one of them. Swearing a blue streak, Mike keyed in the autopilot, and bounded down to his cabin. It just took a moment to throw what little Gramps and he had brought aboard into a kit bag and dash for the life pod.

“I’m here, Gramps.” He called, switching on the pod’s systems.

“Good, now close the hatch and wait for me.”

“What!” For a second, he thought his hearing was playing tricks on him. “What did you say, Gramps. I didn’t hear it.” His grandfather came on screen them and gave him a wan smile.

“You heard me right, son. Close the hatch. It’ll keep the stray radiation out. I’ll be right there.”

“Radiation! Like hell, I’m leaving the hatch open. You have a couple of minutes to get here!”

“Close the hatch, Mike.” In the confusion, Mike looked at the hatch control, then back at his grandfather, unsure.

“Do it, Mike.” With a growl of protest, he stomped across the short space and hit the close button. The hatch hissed shut, and the moment it did the launch sequence started. Mike looked at it in horror, throwing himself across the pod to try and stop the launch. Nothing he did worked, and the seconds to launch continued counting down.

“You need to get into the shock frame, Mike.”

“Gramps!” It’s launching! I… I… I can’t stop it!”

“I know, son.”

“Wait… What do you mean you know…!”

“I’m not coming with you.”

“What!” He stammered. “I don’t understand.”

“Like I told Charlie, I had to pull out all the stops.” He held up his rad badge. It was solid black instead of white.

“Oh god!”

“Go, Mike, and may God’s speed be with you.”

“Gramps, I can’t stop the launch!” He screamed. Without thinking, he started scrambling for the exit hatch, but he knew it was useless. Once the launch sequence had started, there was no way to unlock the hatch.

“I know, son. I’m controlling it from here.” Mike beat on the hatch, then the cycle control to no avail.

“GRAMPS! Don’t do this…” He screamed. “We can get you treatment…”

“Too late for that, son. Massive radiation overdose.” Mike froze in horror. Gramps knew it, knew it when he’d pulled the rods all the way out. The shielding had failed and he knew it. That flash he’d seen was the radiation warning alarm, but Gramps must have killed it the moment it went off. He sat on the acceleration couch and cried.

“Why, Gramps?” He said at length.

“I had to do it to have any chance of getting the
Queen Ann
to safety.”

“But you could have put on a rad suit or…”

“I did put the rad suit on, and or what? Disengage the tow, and run for safety?”

“Oh god!” Mike then had a moment of perfect clarity. The decision, to disengage and run, leaving 300 passengers and crew to their fate, or stay and run the pile to the max knowing it would kill you.

“Gramps!” Was all he could say pass the lump in his throat.

“I know, son. And I love you too. Have done from the moment I brought you back from the hospital.”

“Ready to take up tow,
Prometheus
.” Charlie Jenkins voice was soft, almost sad.

“Breaking tow,
Titan
.” Mike felt a lurch as the
Prometheus
broke away, bucking and twisting without the drag of the
Queen Ann
.

“Have the tow,
Prometheus
.”

“Thank you, Captain Jenkins. Take them to safety.”

“Aye aye, Sir.” Charlie snapped formally.

Mike just sat and stared at the bulkhead, unable to move or say a word.

AUTOMATIC LAUNCH IN THIRTY SECONDS – PLEASE STRAP IN AND REMAIN IN YOUR ACCELERATION COUCH UNTIL AFTER LAUNCH.
Mike’s eye flicked up to the counter, watching the numbers spin down. He didn’t move, or lay down, he didn’t care.

“Gramps.” He whispered.

“Lay down, son, and strap yourself in.”

“Gramps!”

“I uploaded a chip to your personal comp. When you get time you might want to play it.” The old face smiled at him. “You made the second half of my life even more interesting than the first half, son, and I love you for it.”

TEN SECONDS TO LAUNCH’
. His body seemed to have a will of its own, and without conscious thought, he lay down and strapped in.

“Go with God, Mike.”

“GRAMPS!” He screamed one last time before the thrusters kick in and boosted the life pod clear of the
Prometheus
.

Up and out, the gravity pulling at his body feeling like a giant hand, pressing him down into the jell-pak mattress. Mike simply let the pod do what it was programmed for, but no sooner had it cleared the atmosphere when a tractor beam reached out and snatched the pod from its course. Immediately, the pod shut down its drive, as programmed and waited for retrieval. Through the armor-glass port, Mike saw the
Titan
and the
Queen Ann
emerge from the thin atmosphere like some leviathan from the deep as the life pod was heading for a docking with the
Titan
. To Mike it felt like they were adding insult to injury. The pod docked with a loud thud, and the hatch light turn from red to green, signaling air equalizing on both sides. The moment the hatch opened, Mike dived out, roughly pushing the deckhand out of the way, as he raced for the bridge.

“You money grubbing son-of-a-bitch!” He yelled at Jenkins as he stormed onto the
Titan’
s bridge.

“Mike… I…”

“Break off the tow, the
Queen Ann
is safe now, go get the
Prometheus
!” He yelled.

“I can’t!”

“You son-of- bitch!” Without even thinking, Mike stormed across the deck, fist clenched, ready to swing at Jenkins. Rock Hanson jumped in between, grabbing Mike by the upper arms to push him back.

“Get your dirty hands off me!”

Rock gave him a nasty grin and let Mike move in whipping his knee up to catch him in the crotch. Instead of Mike doubling over as expected, Rock yelled out in pain, his knee hitting something solid. He let go and grabbed his leg, and Mike simply pushed him out of the way. He lunged for Jenkins but before he could lay a hand on him, two deckhands grabbed him from behind. Both were older and tougher, and they jerked him back to slam against the bulkhead.

“Mike! I can’t go down and get, Gramps!”

“Why the hell not!” Mike yelled back, struggling with the two men.

“Because, Gramps ordered me not to.” His face had taken on the look of stone, motionless.

“Like hell! Since when did you start taking orders from Gramps!”

“Since before you were born, Mike.”

“What?!” He asked in confusion. Just then, the screen came to life, Gramps face behind the fuzzy image.

“Captain Jenkins!”

“Yes, sir,” Jenkins snapped back turning to face the screen.

“You will take the
Queen Ann
to safe harbor.”

“Aye aye, Sir.”

“Gramps! Order him to come and get you!” Mike pleaded.

“Too late for the, Mike. The forward compartments have already collapsed. The heavy, overhead cross bracing supporting the Samson post, is about all that’s holding the engine room together.”

“We can still get you!”

“Too deep for that.”

“I’ll come and get you if this son-of-a-bitch is too scared to.”

“No you won’t. Captain Jenkins, you will ignore any orders from my grandson to do anything other than what I have ordered you to do.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

“Good.” For a minute, the static got worse, then cleared.

“Attention on the bridge,” Jenkins snapped, squaring his battered cap on his head. “Admiral on deck!” He came to attention and saluted the screen. Even Rock struggled to his feet, and for a moment looked at the other crewmen, then came to attention and saluted with them.