Paws and Planets (20 page)

As she made her
way out of the relaxation area and into the deserted corridor her
brain was racing as she considered her options.

The klaxon
ceased as she stopped by her cabin to put on her armour as the
emergency protocol dictated. As she snapped the shoulder sections
into place she reflected that it had been a long time since she had
last worn it. Emergency drills were a frequent occurrence but were
usually concerned with hull breaches, decompression and the like.
She took a last look round her cabin as she left. As she passed the
armoury on her way to the bridge, where the forty laser rifles were
stored, she saw Leftenant Haslett’s team removing them from their
recharge slots in grim silence. These forty men and women might not
yet know why the protocol had been ordered but they knew trouble
was afoot. Their sombre and determined faces told Wanda that they
also knew this was no drill.

Ship
grapevine again
, thought Wanda,
I’d better tell everyone on
board what’s happened else they’ll be adding two and two and making
ten out of it.
She nodded at them as she passed and their
anxious faces watched her pass.

A deep breath
and she entered the bridge.

Denis looked
up, “no reply yet and no deviation to their approach either.”

Wanda stared
open eyed at the hazy shape on the bulkhead-screen. Stars, it was
big, a huge squat mass of menace and it was coming in fast, really
fast. She looked at the moving figures on the bottom right of the
screen as they flickered with the computer’s calculations on the
decreasing distance.

“Speed has
remained the same too,” Denis added.

Indecision was
not a prerogative of a ship’s captain.

“I’ll make a
short broadcast to the ship,” she said, “then I’ll give my orders
to the crew. Colony sections?”

“Section heads
are gathering their people in to the safety areas. I’m waiting for
the word that they’re ready, then I’ll close the final
airlocks.”

“Very good,”
said Wanda, “any panic?”

“Couple of
minor incidents, that’s all,” he replied, “mostly parents being
separated from their children.”

Wanda nodded,
“open the ship-wide comms link.”

Soon her voice
of calm was being heard throughout the ship. She had no way of
knowing the individual reactions to her words but she hoped they
would stem incipient panic.

Like her crew
and passengers she could only to wait.

On the bridge
the tension continued to mount.

What were the
aliens going to do?

There had been
no attempt by them to make contact. They had ignored all the
Melbourne’s ‘First Contact Signals’ although the bridge crew knew
that they must have received them.

There was
mounting trepidation as the bulkhead-screens filled with the
rapidly clearing image of the massive ship.

“It is
definitely slowing down now,” announced the communications ensign,
her eyes remaining transfixed to the screen as her fingers
continued to transmit the hailing messages, “the bounce back bleeps
are not getting any closer.”

The
Melbourne
shuddered.

Not friendly
at all
, thought Wanda recognising its cause for what it was, a
missile of some sort hitting the hull. “Engines stop,” she ordered,
“all power to the outer shielding mechanisms.”

“We’ll lose
manoeuvrability,” Denis warned.

“They’re bigger
and faster than us,” she replied, “and armed. Trying to outrun them
is not an option.”

* * * * *

The ponderous
bulk of the alien vessel edged closer. It did not fire another
missile, as Wanda knew, one was enough. There was no way the
Melbourne
was a match for their ship and she (and presumably
they) knew it. This ship, clear visuals were available now it was
so close, was simply bristling with weaponry.

Not friendly at
all.

Wanda’s only
chance was to persuade the occupants aboard that the Melbourne was
no threat and to try and persuade them to let them go.

But how?

* * * * *

Aboard the
Ammokko
, the Dglai were preparing to board. They were not
interested in negotiations. They wanted the
Melbourne
and
what it contained, animate and inanimate.

* * * * *

Up until she
was informed about the grapples, Wanda had entertained some hope
that even though there had been no overt response to their hails,
that whomsoever was inside was at least not unfriendly. Okay, there
had been the missile, but it had done little damage, glancing off
the
Melbourne’s
thick underbelly. A warning shot, Wanda had
decided, not so politely requesting them to heave to.

Perhaps they
only want to know what we look like. Perhaps after they will let us
go when they see that we are no threat to them? Perhaps. Perhaps.
No other missiles have followed the first. With all that weaponry
they could have blasted us into fragments by now if they’d wanted
to.

What kind of
creatures are they? Big? Small? Reptilian? Birdlike? One eye or
two, or ten or twenty? No eyes at all?

Stars, she’s a
big one!

* * * * *

The alien ship
came to a ponderous halt on the
Melbourne’s
starboard
side.

“Activate the
starboard hull sound mikes,” ordered Wanda.

Those on the
bridge listened to the thuds and scrabbles as the Dglai’s grappling
mechanisms latched on.

No longer did
any one of them believe that the alien creatures were friendly.

“Warn Leftenant
Haslett.”

Down on the
starboard lower deck Leftenant Haslett and his team were
waiting.

“Not friendly
at all,” said Wanda aloud and meeting Denis MacBrayne’s eye.
“Inform the colonists to remain in their emergency areas.”

He understood
what she was not saying.

Wanda shrugged
in answer, “they didn’t even attempt a parley.”

“Do you see
their hull?” exclaimed one of the bridge crew, a young ensign,
“it’s all patched and dented.”

“An old ship,”
commented another to no one in particular, his gaze on Wanda, she
was the Captain; she would know what to do.

But Wanda
didn’t and her face showed it.

“Open the link
to Haslett,” she ordered, “divert it through the bridge tannoy and
keep it open so we can all hear.”

Leftenant
Haslett was both calm and dependable, his voice, with its running
commentary came over …

< They’re
trying to break through the airlock on AG deck. Keep calm everyone.
We don’t know they’re definitely unfriendly. Don’t fire until I
give the order. Brown, did you hear what I said? That’s better, now
remember, they’ll only be able to get through one at a time, the
opening will not be that large. Course I’m sure man, stands to
reason. >

There was a
pause ...

< Yes. The
seals are holding but not for much longer. Oxygen on.
Safety-catches off. >

Wanda could see
in her mind’s eye the forty pulling their safety visors into place
and pulling at the toggles connecting their helmets to their oxygen
cylinders. She knew also that they were wearing their grav-boots so
that if the area became decompressed they would be able to keep
their feet. They wouldn’t be able to run but they would be able to
move and more importantly, to fight.

All Wanda and
the others could do was to listen and wait as Leftenant Haslett
directed the men and women under his command to take up defence
positions along the sides of the corridor behind him. Wanda would
know if decompression occurred from the bridge as the sensors
reacted and emitted their shrill warning.

< They’re
almost through. Get ready. >

< Stars
afire! The decompress gauge isn’t moving at all, they must have
some sort of seal over the airlock. >

< What’s
that? >

< Captain,
they’ve inserted some sort of long rod through the hole. Must be
testing the atmosphere. Wonder if it’s to their liking. Right,
they’re removing it. Get ready men! >

Wanda , Denis
and the others could hear hammering noises through the tannoy.

< Hear that
Captain? That’s the air-lock breaking down. >

< Get Ready.
>

Wanda heard the
air-door fall in then some unknown noises and the first cries of
disbelief, then an infinitesimal silence as Leftenant Haslett
frantically caught at his disarranged thoughts.

< They’re
huge! Big and green … with wings. Dragons. By all that’s holy …
dragons. Bloody big dragons at that. >

< What are
they doing Leftenant? >

< Standing
staring at us. >

< Try to
engage them in communication. >

Silence.

< They’re
carrying some sort of spout things in their arms. Look like they
might be some kind of weapons but nothing like I’ve ever seen
before. Stand fast you men. >

Wanda and the
others heard the roars and the shouts of panic.

< Fall back.
Fall back. >

Leftenant
Haslett continued to call out his orders to retreat and Wanda knew
by his laboured breath that he was falling back with his men and
women.

< Fall back.
Behind that bulkhead. Hurry. Hell, these things are blasting out
great gouts of flame. Leave him Brown, he’s dead. >

Short, sharp
breaths as Wanda rightly interpreted as him leading the survivors
behind the big bulkhead on AG deck.

< They’ve
incinerated about a dozen. Whole front rank has gone. Rifles aren’t
having much effect, they’re too big and are wearing some kind of
plate armour. >

< Get out
Leftenant, up to the next deck. Use the stern access shaft.
>

< Wilco.
>

Wanda winced as
she heard the cries and shouts of pain, mercifully short, as those
who were left fought their way to the shaft.

< It’s no
good Captain. They’ve got us covered. Close all the access shaft
hatches. We’re goners but we’ll take as many with us as we can.
Good luck to you all. >

Wanda looked at
Denis who was fiddling with the comms link. He cut the tannoy
connection and the bridge went silent.

“Do as he
says,” she ordered, “close the emergency airlocks.”

“Will they be
able to get out?” asked one of the younger members of the bridge
crew, her voice tinged with fear.

“They’re a
metre thick,” said the actual youngest, his face one of shocked
apprehension.

Each deck and
section on the
Melbourne
was designed to be able to survive
on its own in case of a major hull breach, the lower deck hatches
being especially thick. In fact, above AG deck was
the
major
rib of the ship’s frame.

That’ll hold
them for a time
. She raised her eyebrows in Denis’s direction
and he shook his head.

“They’re dead,”
he said and cut his own comms link.

Wanda nodded,
glad that she hadn’t had to listen to that heroic last stand. Denis
had though and her second in command was white faced and
grief-stricken at the demise of his ship-mates. “Colony sections
are asking what’s happened,” he told her.

“Tell them it’s
under control.”

“They know all
the emergency hatches and doors are tight.”

What do I do
next? What
can
I do next
?

“Ma’am?”

“We wait,” she
answered. “Keep all comms links open to the colony sections but
one-way. I want to hear what they are saying. Engine Room?”

“We’re in
contact,” answered the shaking comms ensign. “Don’t know for how
long .. I think … no … shit … they’ve broken into one of the
mainframe connectors. Shit, shit, shit. Can’t get through to
Engineering. I’ll run a diagnostic.”

His fingers
rattled over his console.

“Connection is
severed,” he reported after a tense few minutes, “all along the
bottom decks of the ship, but Ma’am what if they destroy the main
cable-connectors that run along the length of the ship above AG
deck? I can divert some of it through the upper decks but that’ll
take time.”

“Do it, divert
as much as you can,” ordered Wanda, “I need to speak to
Engineering.”

“External
monitors dis-functioning now Captain,” said Denis.

“Can we enter
the engineering executive codes from here if we don’t manage to
restore comms?”

He shook his
head, “no, I always said it was crass stupidity to put the main
data links along the one cable processor.”

“The
Melbourne’s
designers never thought something like this
would happen,” she answered, “what is in effect akin to a hull
breach along the entire length of the ship. Do what you can
Denis.”

* * * * *

Days passed and
the ‘dragons’ made no further move to invade the rest of the ship.
When the crew listened in at them from the deck above they could
hear faint sounds of movement, thuds and bangs but they had no idea
what they were doing. By the third day most of the comms links had
been diverted and communications were re-established. Once she had
got through to Engineering Wanda ordered them to place a stasis on
the power-core, not decommissioning it entirely, they might still
get out of this if these aliens decided they had what they needed
and decided to go away but enough to make it unusable unless the
correct codes were entered.

Tempers got
frayed during the endless discussions about what to do next.

All attempts to
make contact with the invaders were ignored.

On the fifth
day they lost contact with the provisions section where was kept
the water, the livestock and the growing edibles. One moment they
had been talking with its crewmembers, animal handlers and growers,
the next, silence.