'Thirty-nine minutes. Gee. How time flies when I'm having fun. All I have to do is find out if this freakin' bird can still fly.'
Chapter 106
'This Prince Charming,' whispered Jazz as the team advanced along the corridors to the elevator. 'As ugly as you is he?'
Patrick grinned and said, 'Even uglier, but I suppose it's all subjective.'
'A damn shame. I thought I'd trade you in.'
'Quiet!' whispered Matlock, pointing down an unlit spur corridor.
They aimed their weapons at the approaching rumbling sound. The thing making all the noise got closer, then they could make out two fiery eyes staring straight at them. Something lit up the corridor and there it was coming at them. It was a weird machine with no obvious means of propulsion, trundling towards them. It registered the enemy and from the front of it came a flashing blue electrical discharge snaking out towards them.
'RUN!' said Burns as they turned and ran back the way they came, the electrical charge gaining on them until they reached the main corridor, and they dived in every directions as the manufactured lightning filled the air around them. It stopped for a second which was all Belle required to return fire with the rifle.
'Take cover,' yelled Belle.
The explosion shook the walls and floor around them and pieces of machinery flew with such force that it would have killed anyone in its path. Lights flickered but stayed on.
'Probably wise not to go that way,' said Patrick.
'No shit,' said Belle. 'This prince? Got his address?'
'Hotel mother-ship, room unknown.'
Burns said, 'And we find him how?'
'We do what any polite visitors would do,' said Patrick. 'We ask somebody very nicely.'
Akrins snarled and said, 'Gosdore, the head turkey. And I'll do the asking.'
Chapter 107
Carver was going through the pre-take-off routine and checks. Systems were within normal parameters which suggested whatever the aliens had done to capture the fleet had been turned off. He had seventeen minutes to prepare before the explosives opened up the mother-ship to allow him to escape. With his limited experience and also being alone, he relied heavily on the computer screen check-list for the correct sequence to ensure a safe take-off. His main concern were the plasma drives temperatures. He knew that just trying to take off without the pre-heating of the plasma antenna would be catastrophic. If he could trust the computer readings, they were ready.
'Twenty-seven minutes.'
Carver continued the fine adjustments to maximise his chances of a successful evacuation of the mother-ship. One of his primary concerns was the effect of the imminent explosion. He had set the timed charges as best he could to blow a hole through the thick steel shell and hopefully weaken the solid iron-rock surface in one area of the ship, not where it would cause damage to his fighter should debris fall inwards.
His knowledge of physics told him that the steel shell would take most of the impact, cushioning the outer layer of rock. This was where it would become tricky. He assumed that he would have to blast the outer rock shell with the fighter's laser cannon, hoping that the prior explosion had at least cracked it. He knew he was putting a whole lot of trust in luck.
Timing was critical. He planned to be ready in the second cannon turret he had not wrecked escaping. If the cannon fired, he would have to shoot a way out of whatever remained of the outer ship. If the hull was breached by the primary explosion, all air would be sucked out into space and ships gravity would be lost. The fighter would then float about inside the airlock until he could blast a hole large enough to pass through, return to the flight-deck and fly the ship through the hole.
'Carver. More than a few people think you are nuts. You're going the right way to prove them right.'
Chapter 108
The translated voice froze the surrounded humans to the spot.
'Do not make a move.'
Patrick recognised the alien. 'Krilltok.'
'I still don't understand how you know who I am.'
Patrick said, 'To be fair, I don't know you. We did meet your other you in another universe.'
'You did? I have read scientific theories of such events. And you say you did this? Going from one universe to another?'
'Purely accidentally, I assure you. In fact we were leaving your sacred planet Spero.'
'Spero? Oh. You must mean Solvaron. You were there?'
'The other dimensions version, yes. The other you is quite a nice individual once we got to know you. We agreed humans would never go to your sacred planet and your people, through the orders of the other Captain Gosdore, ceased attacking our planet Earth. In our attempts to find a new planet to live on, we ended up in this universe.'
Patrick held back from telling Krilltok just how the Romulus jumped from one universe to another.
'What happened? Some kind of rift between the universes?'
'I couldn't possibly say,' said Patrick. 'My point is, we are playing out a similar scenario here. A probe from this Earth was sent to explore Solvaron. It was deemed unsuitable due to the lack of landmass.'
Krilltok nodded his domed head. 'That is true. It is just a cemetery to our people now. Perhaps we should talk about this further. Lay down your weapons.'
The humans had no options but to obey. They had put up a brave fight against incredible odds, and now their only chance was to talk their way out of trouble.
'Who is in command here?' asked Krilltok.
'I am,' said Burns. 'I also represent Earth.'
'Then you and this other Davron must come with me. The others will be escorted back to the holding cells.'
Burns and Patrick remained in the elevator with Krilltok and four armed guards. They could see their people being led away like sheep as the elevator took them up to the captain's rooms.
Gosdore said, 'Krilltok. My orders were to kill these humans.'
'Sir. I think you should listen to them. After that I'll have them killed if you so wish.'
'Why I don't throw you out of the airlock with them I don't know. I must be getting soft. You. Prince Davron. Explain.'
Patrick said, 'I am not Prince Davron or the prince's brother. I am a version of him from another universe.'
Krilltok said, 'He has told me things that suggest this to be true. I thought you would be interested in the commercial possibilities to our people if we could harness this ability.'
Gosdore had already seen the importance of this. 'You could teach us how to do this?'
This was Patrick's only chance. 'As a way to prove humans only wish to be friends with your people, yes. It isn't a simple concept and will take time. I want you to agree to release my people first.'
A croaking cackle of a laugh was Gosdore's response. 'Oh, wonderful. I am expected to take the word of human? You creatures cannot even trust each other. This is why we have avoided contact with you, because your words mean nothing.'
Burns said, 'I wouldn't deny we haven't a great track-record. But Patrick speaks the truth. We have no wish to be enemies with you. Let me speak with our command centre. Perhaps our commander's word will be good enough for you.'
Krilltok said 'It couldn't hurt, Captain. It would be a way to gain access to the technology.'
'Very well. I will listen.'
Burns said, 'If Prince Patrick could be seen to be alive, it would be very well received on Earth.'
Gosdore waved away two of her guards to fetch the prince. 'Krilltok. Put the call through.'
Krilltok accessed the main computer and put the call to Earth. An excited Commander Drakov appeared.
'Yes. Hello. This is Commander Drakov.'
Burns and Patrick stepped into view.
'My God. You're alive,' gasped Drakov.
'Most of us, Sir,' said Burns as the guards entered with Prince Patrick. 'Oh. That includes Prince Patrick, by the way.'
After a stunned pause, Drakov said, 'That's you, Prince Patrick?'
'No, Sir. I am Patrick
,' waving the guards to bring the prince closer. 'Here's the prince, sir. The prince has been held captive on this mother-ship.'
'Good God. Prince Patrick? Are you ok, sir?'
A glimmer of understanding lit up the prince's hairy face. 'Commander Drakov?'
'I am so delighted to see you alive.'
'Yes. I'm alive.'
Patrick said, 'Sir. I am attempting to negotiate a peace with these people. I have offered them the technology of going from one universe to another in exchange for our release and peace with Earth. I cannot speak for Earth though, Sir.'
'Is that their leader?'
Gosdore stepped forward. 'I am Captain Gosdore. I have authority to speak for my people. But we have trust issues. We have studied your race for some time and know you to be deceitful and warlike. Not a great combination.'
'What can I say?' said Drakov. 'We're only human. And I'm not saying it will be easy, but I'm sure we would prefer the rocky road to peace than to war. Please come to us in peace and allow us the chance to talk with you.'
Gosdore said, 'My orders are to subjugate your people to ensure stability.' Very well. 'I will advise my superiors that I will meet with you. This ship will will remain in orbit with instructions to continue our attack if your words turn out to be lies and trickery.'
A delighted Drakov said, 'Thank you. We will not let you down.'
Which was the exact second a huge explosion shook the entire mother-ship.
Chapter 109
'Carver!' snapped Burns. 'I forgot about that idiot.'
'I thought he was locked in one of the turrets,' said Patrick.
'Carver?' said the prince. 'Lieutenant Carver?'
'Yes,' said Burns. 'Damn it. What the hell has he done now?'
Patrick had figured it out. 'He's trying to blast a hole in the hull to escape in his ship. And kill us all in the process.'
Above the screaming alarms Gosdore yelled, 'This is humans being trustworthy?'
Krilltok said, 'That section of the ship has been sealed off, Captain.'
Burns said, 'He'll try to blast his way out of this ship. He has to be stopped.'
'Let us try to stop him so your people won't be at risk,' Patrick pleaded.
Gosdore said, 'That will be suicide if he breaches the outer hull while you are in the airlock.'
Burns said, 'If we don't stop him we'll all die anyway.'
Gosdore said, 'Krilltok. Arm these humans and find them access to that airlock.'
Chapter 110
'Your Excellency. I can't leave the command centre so this is a very quick call.'
'Urgent, you said?'
Drakov said, 'I hardly know where to begin. Sir. Prepare yourself for a shock. Your son is alive. Prince Patrick is alive.'
Paul's face showed a mix of emotions and he struggled to reply. 'Patrick is alive?'
'I saw him. Standing next to Patrick on the mother-ship. Most of our people are alive, they tell me.'
'I...I would never have dared hope. The aliens contacted you?'
Drakov said, 'Yes. Patrick's trying to negotiate with them or at least he was. During the call the transmission abruptly ended due to an explosion on the mother-ship.'
'We lost the ship?'
'It is still heading our way. That could be just natural momentum, but I'm hoping all is not lost on the ship. Sir. I was uncertain of telling you, but...'
Paul said, 'You did the right thing. Look. My head is a bit of a mess right now. All I can say is to keep everyone on high-alert. You know what you have to do. Call me if and when...Just call me.'
'Of course, sir. Over.'
Paul sat alone in his wine cellar, his temporary accommodation in his castle. He opened a ridiculously rare red and poured a large measure. 'Come home to me, son.'
Chapter 111
'The main entrance is completely blocked,' said Krilltok. 'It would take hours to clear it. This is a service door.'
'We still have air-pressure?' asked Burns.
Krilltok said, 'Yes. For now. Your suits will save you if there's a slight leak but not if the outer hull is seriously breached.'
They had returned briefly to the others to retrieve their helmets and to tell the others to stay put and keep calm. It was the experienced fighting team of Matlock, Patrick, Danders, Belle, Akrins, Burns and Prince Patrick who had borrowed a suit. It wasn't in the prince's nature to let others fight on his behalf. They checked the suits life-supports and their weapons were good to go.
'Open the door,' said Burns.
'I should go with you,' said Krilltok.
Patrick slapped his shoulder. 'A human caused this, humans will fix it. Bye for now, my friend.'
'Good luck. Go.'
The door slid open and the team dashed inside the damaged airlock, ducking low to the ground as the door hissed shut behind them. If the hull suddenly breached they were dead. All around them was damaged steel inner hull, and the rocky shell was all that held their lives in the balance.
Patrick said, 'Liz. You and Jazz get in the Romulus and fire her up. You in the cannon, Jazz.'
'And you?' asked Belle.
'We'll see if we can get to Carver. Go.'
Danders already had the airlock of the Romulus open and she and Belle ran to their places as the door closed back up. A blast of a cannon had the men trying to get in Carver's fighter.
'How do we get this ship open?' asked Patrick.
'He'll have sealed himself in,' said Burns. 'Our best bet is to get up on top and blast him through the turret tower.'
They climbed up the side of the ship and began clambering over the top of the fighter to get to the turret tower protruding out of the ship's hull. Through the opaque turret they could just make out the shape of Carver, his hands locked onto the twin triggers of the cannon. To emphasise the situation Carver blasted the outer shell of the ship, desperate to escape.
'Shoot in one place together,' said Burns.
Five laser rifles started burning a hole in the turret but Carver knew that if he could breach a hole in the outer shell those on his ship would die and he could still escape.
'It's going to give,' said Burns. 'Keep at it.'
The patch of turret started to glow and suddenly the cover shattered. Carver ignored them, defiantly still firing his cannon. Matlock was about to grab Carver but the prince pushed him aside and reached down grabbing Carver's helmet and twisting it off. Then he took hold of Carver's ears and heaved him out of the turret.
'You?' gasped Carver as he recognised the prince.
'Yeah. Nice to see you again.'
That introduction over, the prince rammed Carver's face into the smashed wreckage where the jagged edges shredded the skin. The prince was only just starting and he held Carver's head in both hands and ripped his neck open on the broken edges, the blood spraying obscenely until Carver was dead. Burns had to pull the prince off the dead man.
'Feel better now?'
'He died too soon,' snarled the prince.
Akrins said, 'Not the way that hull is cracking up.'
The whole airlock shuddered as the cracks spread above their heads.
'Get in the Romulus, fast,' said Patrick already climbing off the fighter. Together they ran to the Romulus, Danders already opening the airlock, risking her own life by doing so. Before the airlock had fully opened, the men were inside, Patrick hitting the sensors to close up the hatch and only one split second had them sealed in as the outer hull of solid rock breached and shattered, large chunks of it being sucked out into the vacuum of space.
Danders had the thrusters fired up and was trying to control the Romulus inside the airlock which had lost all pressure. Carver's body floated out into space and his damaged fighter was pulled towards the hole and it crashed through it, enlarging the hole. All around the Romulus the other ships were floating aimlessly Danders trying to avoid the ship crashing into the unmanned fighters.
'We have to go outside the ship,' said Danders. 'And what the hell are they?'
>
'Oh, crap,' cursed Patrick. 'Some of the drones got free.'
The few drones not used as explosives by Carver were free from their housings and floated out of the ship. Danders took the Romulus through the hole with just a few feet on either side.
'Those drones have activated,' said Matlock. 'Their programmes to attack Earth must activate once out of their housings. They're off to Earth.'
Their screen was filled with the image of Gosdore. 'The drones are active. We have tried to stop them but the controls have been damaged in the explosion. They will attack Earth if not stopped.'
'We'll see to them,' promised Danders.
The screen switched to the outside of the ship. A blast of cannon fire neatly blasted a drone to pieces.
Belle said, 'Dale? Am I having all the fun?'
Matlock was already easing himself into the turret. 'I bet I get the next one before you do.'
But it was Belle who robbed him of that honour. 'In your dreams.'
'Those things can move,' said Danders. 'And they're scattering.'
Earth loomed large just seventy thousand miles away.
'I make it nineteen drones,' said Patrick.
Matlock said, 'Make it eighteen,' as he scored his first strike.
They all knew the carnage even one drone could cause if it reached the Earth's surface. With the drones flying in different directions, the race was on to track them down to destroy them.
Chapter 112
Drakov had been desperately trying to contact the mother-ship and sagged in his chair with relief when Captain Gosdore appeared on his screen.
'Please tell me what has happened.'
'Quite a lot has happened,' replied Gosdore. 'One of your people has blown a huge hole in my ship. A Lieutenant Carver, A most unpopular man I've been told by your Captain Anglia. Carver is now dead, killed by your warrior prince. The explosion released several of our strike drones which were activated once they were freed. They are now on a pre-programmed course to attack Earth. One of your fleet, the Romulus, is in space attempting to catch and destroy them. Our medical officers are working with your doctor on the injured of both races. Most will survive. And oh. We do have a small problem.'