Scrapyard Ship (16 page)

“We did, Captain. What you are seeing is the U.S. military at odds with itself. Not quite a coup, but close.”

“How is that even possible? It’s not like we’re a third-world nation.”

“You’re preaching to the choir. For now, you’re on your own. Army Chief of Staff, General Slayton, apparently had divergent views last night. As of right now, the U.S. Army has every intention of taking that ship of yours. As far as they’re concerned, it’s just too valuable of a resource to be left in your hands. The good news is your requested Navy pilots, as well as a Company of Navy SEALs, are cooling their heels at Air Station Meridian out of Mississippi. I need to go—the President is on the line. I’ll get back to you.” The Secretary of Defense hung up.

“Captain to XO,” Jason said, watching as the army assault crew approached his ship.

“Go for XO, Captain”

“Perkins, initiate a shift to several hundred miles from here. You can come back and get us later.”

“No can do, sir. Ricket is working on it, but the phase-shift option and several other systems, including shields, are off line.”

“Offline? How the hell did they go offline? The ship’s just sitting there,” Jason asked, getting nervous about the assault teams approach. Not so much for The Lilly and her crew, but for the approaching Army personnel who had no idea what they’d be up against.

“Ricket thinks it could be sabotage,” Perkins replied.

“Hold on, XO. Captain to Billy.”

Go for Billy, sir. We’re locked and loaded just waiting for your orders.”

“Energy weapons only, on stun. Is that clear?”

“Understood. Definitely looking forward to putting the spank on the U.S. Army,” Billy said, not even trying to hide his excitement.

“They are sixty meters out, approaching west and east of the ship. Deploy now, be careful. Captain out.”

Jason and Mollie watched from their above perch as the scene unfolded below on the desert floor. Both gangways deployed simultaneously. Two SEAL teams rapidly moved down the ramps with weapons held high. Each SEAL was equipped with new, full-body hardened combat gear. Their helmet Heads Up Display (HUD) provided a full virtual representation of their surroundings, including the position of the approaching two Army assault teams. Jason felt a fleeting pang of jealousy. Not only would he miss out on the action, but the use of the new assault gear. Billy, in the lead, looked up at Jason’s hidden position and gave a quick salute.

“Showoff,” Jason said. Obviously, Billy’s HUD had detected his and Mollie’s life forms along with all the others. Jason was tied into the SEAL team’s comms. But this was Billy’s operation. He was totally in his element.

“Captain to XO,” Jason said into his NanoCom.

“Go for XO.”

“Can you scan for the Army comms signal and patch me in?”

“Yes, and have already been monitoring. You’re now patched in.”

Both sides were surprisingly quiet; the result of redundant training—soldiers at this level didn’t need micro-managing. The invading troops moved quickly and Jason had the uneasy feeling he’d greatly underestimated the capabilities of the U.S. Army.

“Ricket to Captain”

“Go Ricket”

“General Peter Bickerdike of the U.S. Air Force was not the only Craing to come aboard last night. Escorts, aides, and their assistants were constantly moving in and out of the ship. That’s when we believe numerous Craing devices were planted. We’ve found two. There are still several more disrupting the AI.

“Hold on. Let me get this straight. With the advanced level of technology on this ship, saboteurs couldn’t be detected?” Jason barked back.

“We believe we’ve rectified the problem,” Ricket replied.

“XO to Captain,” Perkins broke in, excitedly, “We have a new contact, sir.” Jason realized right then that the Army assault team was a diversion. Probably keeping from sight something much larger. “It’s the Craing ship, sir—she’s left high orbit and is on a direct course for The Lilly.” Jason’s mind reeled. The implications were staggering. Had the U.S. Army been infiltrated and aligned with the Craing? Jason’s ears rang with his father’s reluctance to work through government and military channels.

“Ricket, do we have weapons capability?”

“No, sir”

“What do we have?” Jason barked back.

“Only those systems not controlled directly by the AI—I’m surprised coms are even working.”

“So no shields, no weapons, no ability to phase-shift away?” Distant gunshots echoed off the rocky ridge.

“Not right now,” Ricket replied evenly.

“Billy for Captain.”

“Go Billy.”

“We’re taking fire, sir.” Billy said, out of breath.

“You’re going to have to handle them—we’ve got bigger problems.”

“We’ve already rounded one of their teams up and incapacitated them. But you’ve got a four-man team moving around the East Ridge, coming directly at you. They must have stayed behind on one of the Black Hawks. Jason, they know your position, you have mere minutes.”

Jason grabbed Mollie’s arm and pulled her to her feet. “We’ve got to scramble, kiddo,” he said, trying not to frighten her more than necessary. Jason looked up towards the top of the ridgeline, which looked to be several hundred feet above them. “Come on, let’s keep moving,” as he picked up the pace. More gunshots rang out below on the desert floor.

“I’m scared, Dad,” Mollie said, looking up with tears in her eyes.

“I know, little one, me too, but I have an idea. Just keep moving up toward the top of the ridge, OK?”

“Captain to XO,” Jason said.

“Go Cap.”

“Can you connect me to Admiral Malinda Cramer, commanding officer at Air Station Meridian?”

“I’m on it,” Perkins replied.

“Billy, what’s the status of that Army four-man team?”

“They’ve split up, looks like they’re trying to flank you on two sides. I’m on my way but still a half-mile out. One other thing, they’re not coming up as human on my HUD—think they’re those hybrid Craing-human things.”

Jason’s NanoCom beeped. “Captain Reynolds, this is Admiral Cramer.”

“Admiral, are you aware of our situation here?” Jason asked her, as he helped Mollie climb over a large rock formation and climbing up next to her.

“Yes, and it’s a cluster-fuck, Captain. No one’s real sure how to respond to the Army’s actions. We’re a bit stymied.”

“I need air support and quickly. I’m being chased up a damn ridgeline by an Army assault team. We’ll be the two individuals wearing shorts and running for their lives.”

“Seriously? Can’t your fancy spacecraft help you, for God’s sake?”

“Not right now. Seems it’s broken.”

“Let me see what I can do,” she said, and disconnected.

Jason and Mollie made slow progress up the ridge. They heard the sound of automatic weapons below and then the
thump thump thump
as bullets pummeled the ground nearby. Several ricochets pinged-off rocks just inches from Mollie’s head. “Why are they shooting at us?” Mollie screamed.

“Keep your head down!” Jason barked, looking over his shoulder and mentally vowing to put a bullet in whoever would shoot at a child.

“Billy to Cap.”

“Go,” Jason ordered, as he tried to shield Mollie from another barrage of bullets.

“Looks like one of the teams has held up down below, while the other one is closing in. “I’m still a third of a mile out,” Billy said, sounding frustrated.

Jason looked up. They were more than seventy-five feet from the top of the ridge, but then what? What would they do? The good news was this last section of the ridge had larger rocks to shield them from gunfire.

“Mollie, I want you to do something for me,” he whispered, knowing that sound easily bounced off the rocky walls. “I want you to continue up the ridge and—”

“No way! You’re not leaving me up there alone,” she spat back, fear in her eyes.

“It’s only for a few minutes. I need to check on something, I’ll be right behind you—just get started, OK?” Jason told her, trying hard to look confident and that everything would be okay.

“You know, I really hate you sometimes,” she said, scowling down at him as she reluctantly kept climbing.

Jason quickly moved back down the ridge to his previous location where there’d been rock protection. He could hear the soldiers moving down below.

“XO to Cap,” Jason heard in his comms.

“Go,” he whispered back.

“Craing ship is approaching, they have weapons lock.”

“Get everyone inside, batten down the hatches.” At that moment The Lilly came under fire. Bright bursts of blue light thundered from the Craing ship that now hovered no more than a mile to the West. A cockroach—lifelike and menacing, slow and deliberate—it approached. The Lilly shook while the bombardment continued. The incredible heat turned the sandy desert landscape to molten glass. Several more rounds were fired close by and pinged up towards the top of the ridge, where Mollie would most likely be by now. Jason knew he’d have only one chance. The two soldiers were less than ten feet from his hidden position. But the rock he hid behind would not shield him once they came around the next bend.

The noise from below was near deafening as The Lilly continued to take relentless fire. Jason took a deep breath and readied himself. In one continuous motion, he pulled himself over the rock and leapt. He caught them by surprise, as both had turned to watch the ship being pummeled. They were Army Rangers in full assault gear. The Ranger on his right took the full brunt force of Jason’s body, as he was knocked forward and his face careened into solid granite. The Ranger’s M4 rifle continued its fall down the mountainside, end-over-end and out of reach. Using the unconscious Ranger’s body and his protective vest as a shield, Jason reached for and unholstered the soldier’s side arm. Startled, the other Ranger was already wildly shooting, never pausing to consider the life of his fellow Ranger. The rounds kept firing into Jason’s human shield, until the Ranger’s clip emptied. Jason pushed off the dead soldier and brought up the 9mm Beretta and, without hesitation, put a bullet between the Ranger’s eyes.

“Ricket to Cap.”

“Go.”

“We now have minimal shift capability,” Ricket said steadily.

Jason watched as the Craing ship landed, continuing its onslaught of plasma pulse fire. “Phase-shift to the top of this ridge. Make sure you’re back far enough, out of direct line of fire. Also, make sure you don’t put her down on Mollie’s head. She’s up there somewhere.” Jason turned to see waves of heat rising from the ship’s still fiery hot hull. Then, in the next instant, The Lilly was gone. Relieved, Jason turned to make his way back up to the top of the ridgeline. The first bullet hit Jason in the back of his shoulder; the second tore through flesh and bone at the side of his head.

Chapter 12

Jason was on the ground looking up. He felt wetness on his back—the bullet had gone all the way through. He could feel the tingling of nanites already at work repairing the damage. The two Army Rangers were advancing up the hill faster than he’d expected and were now just several feet from him, rifles poised to take a shot.

One of the Rangers spoke into his comm unit. “We’ve got him. He’s alive, but he looks to be in critical condition with a round to the head. Confirmed. We’ll transport now,” the Ranger said, and moved to lift Jason. The Ranger’s face exploded into a bloody mess. He’d taken a round to the back of his head fired from an M4 rifle Billy had found, several yards down the mountain. Almost immediately, the second Ranger’s face disappeared—an almost identical headshot.

Crew from The Lilly arrived from the top of the ridge just moments later. Strong hands lifted Jason onto a stretcher and then headed back up the hillside. Billy was one of those who carried him.

“You look like crap, man,” he said, with a grin.

“How’s Mollie—on board?” Jason asked, worried.

“Yep, except for some scratches to her knees, and worrying about you, she’s fine.” Billy leaned over closer to Jason. “Nanites already doing their thing. Weird as hell; a minute ago I could see your skull—wound is pretty much closed now. That’s some weird shit, man.”

* * *

Dira and Mollie were waiting at the top of the gangway for the men to bring Jason aboard. Both looked relieved to see that not only was he alive, but barking orders to be put down. Mollie rushed over and hugged her father; then preceded to yell down at him, “Don’t you ever leave me alone like that again! I was scared to death!”

“You got it, I promise,” he said. Dira was attending to his injuries. When he looked up, their eyes locked. He saw worry in her eyes, and then embarrassment. She frowned. Once finished with a temporary field dressing, she turned on her heels and stormed off.

Jason got to his feet. He was sore, but he’d live.

“Captain to Ricket.”

“Go for Ricket,” the mechanical man replied.

Jason, now halfway to the bridge, queried on the ship’s status. “How we doing on internal systems, Ricket? Weapons online yet?”

“Not yet, Gunny’s working on that. Maybe five minutes.”

“What’s the condition of the hull?”

“Critical. Definitely cannot take another barrage like that last one, at least not without shields.”

“You’re not giving me much to work with here, Ricket. What’s the farthest we can phase-shift away in her current condition?” Jason asked, hating the sound of desperation creeping into his voice.

“Up to three miles; unfortunately, that keeps us within easy range of the Craing guns.”

“Keep working on it. I think I have an idea. Captain out.”

Jason rushed onto the bridge to surprised faces.

“Captain, the Craing vessel has powered up its thrusters. She’s been scanning us and knows we’re sitting here on top of this plateau, defenseless. She’s getting ready to come finish us off.” Jason stood motionless for several moments in thought, then looked over at Perkins.

“XO, how many Craing are on board that ship. Have we scanned her?”

“Yes, about one hundred seventy-five.”

“Bring up that diagram again, the internal ship configuration.”

“Okay, but there’s no way to board her without getting our systems on line,” the XO replied, incredulously.