Chapter 15
‘Aurora? Tarun? What’s happening over there?’ Mervyn shouted into his biolink.
Silence.
The fighters closed fast -- they could smell blood.
‘Tarun, are you there? Aurora, answer me!’
‘Someone’s bumping around inside,’ Loren said. ‘Listen -- they’re in trouble, but they’re still alive.’ The sound of hissing air grew louder.
‘I wish I could see what’s going on,’ said Mervyn. ‘Any way we can get over there?’ Loren shook her head, ‘No.’
‘Mervyn?....Loren?.... You there?’ Tarun’s breathing sounded laboured.
‘We’re here Tarun. What’s going on? You don’t sound too good,’ Mervyn said, then kicked himself for not being more tactful.
‘We’ve got a hull breach. We took a glancing blow from one of those photon blasts. We’ve suited up.’
‘What about Aurora?’ Mervyn asked.
‘Part of panelling caved in on her and cut through her suit.’
Ice trickled into Mervyn’s heart -- if they lost air pressure now she was as good as dead. He had to ask, but he dreaded the answer, ‘How is she now?’
‘I... I’m not sure... she’s out cold. I’ve slapped a nano-patch onto her suit to seal it and I’ve re-pressurised it.. She’s breathing ok, but her leg is a mess. I’ve injected gel into her suit to stop the bleeding and put her leg in an inflating splint. I’ve strapped her into the navigator’s seat until I can restore hull integrity.’
‘Tarun, it’s Loren, if you lose air pressure...’
‘I know.’
‘Tarun, are your shield deflectors still intact?’
‘Yes.’ At least the sled was still protected from radiation and particle impacts, and could still travel at superluminal speeds -- provided the strain didn’t tear the hull apart like a cracker.
Mervyn took another look at their position -- Tarun could not afford the time to work on his sled. To save himself, Tarun would have to fly the gamma jet without hull integrity and hope the shield deflectors alone could hold the sled together. It would be the biggest gamble of Tarun’s life, and he would risk killing Aurora in the process, but it was the only option. It was a hard choice and Tarun would never make on his own.
‘Tarun, forget the hull integrity,’ Mervyn ordered. ‘You’ve got fighters coming straight at you and you’re right on top of the neutron star. Either way, you’re both dead if you stop to repair the hull. You’ll just have to fly the gamma jet as you are and hope for the best.’
‘Oh, Quarks, I’d forgotten about the gamma jet. I can’t do it, Merv, I can’t fly that on my own, I’ll never make it!’
The second fighter fired, but at extreme range, and the photon blast erupted harmlessly ahead. Tarun was right: he just did not have Aurora’s skill. The odds were against him.
‘You have to,’ Mervyn said, ‘it’s your only chance.’
‘If I lose air pressure I’ll kill Aurora.’
‘I know, but it’s your only chance of saving her too.’ Even with the enhanced performance of the biolink Tarun would never be able to weave his way through the gauntlet of photon blasts, ‘Loren, we need to bring our plans forward -- their sled can’t survive another hit.’
‘You’re right,’ Loren said. Then over the biolink, ‘Ok, guys, new course on the screen -- we’re changing our plan. And we’re going in three...’ New trajectories appeared on the screen.
‘I can’t do that,’ Tarun blurted, ‘I’ve got thick gloves on.’
‘Forget the hand controls, Tarun, use your biolink.’
‘Oh yeah...’
‘Just imagine your body doing it -- you’re flying along and then you’re turning through ninety degrees and then flipping on to your head.’
‘Oh, is that all -- that’s fine then.’
‘Two...’
‘Rehearse it in your mind first,’ Mervyn advised. Tarun obviously did, but he forgot to separate his mind from the biolink, because his sled followed his every thought. Without warning, it rolled on to its back, righted itself, flipped through ninety degree, and cart wheeled end over end out of control.
‘Wow, help! I’m going to crash.’
‘One...’
Mervyn ignored Loren’s count and followed Tarun. He flipped his sled effortlessly and roared after his friend, ‘Tarun, use the sled’s momentum to twist it into a barrel-roll. You must keep your speed up.’ If he slowed even a fraction he would be a sitting target for the fighters.
‘I can’t... I’m pinned into the seat... I can’t reach the controls. Go on without us -- save yourselves!’
‘Use your biolink, you great muon, and stop the dramatics.’
‘Oh.’ Tarun’s sled twisted and corkscrewed as it tumbled. Finally it slipped into a controlled barrel-roll as it flew up the neutron star’s north face towards the gamma jet. Not the best place to cross, maybe, but it would do. Gently, Tarun slowed the roll until he regained full control.
‘Great stuff these biolinked controls,’ Tarun said stiffly, ‘I could never have stopped that spin otherwise.’
‘You’d be heading the same way as that fighter then,’ Loren said. Behind them one of the fighters cart wheeled towards the centre of the neutron star. ‘Must have tried to copy us.’
The worst was yet to come.
The gamma beam swept through a full rotation every four seconds: the difference between life and death.
‘Actually, Merv,’ Loren said, ‘Perhaps we should Suit up too -- just in case.’ In the last moments of peace Mervyn freed himself from the seat and struggled into his full spacesuit. Five layers of insulation, integral gloves and boots, an air tank on his back, and a helmet which clipped on around his neck. The friends checked the integrity of each other’s suit before strapping themselves back in. Mervyn tied his helmet within easy reach. The gamma jet accelerated towards them.
‘Power back a little so you’ve got some reserve energy, Tarun,’ Mervyn suggested easing up on the throttles. ‘You’ll have to go first. Let the beam sweep round in front of you, then follow through behind it.’ It was frustrating not being able to help his friend, all he could do was offer advice.
‘Don’t try to time it,’ Loren suggested. ‘Use your judgement and let the biolink control the sled.’
‘You’re accelerating from the neutron star’s slingshot so you’ll have to take that into account--’ Mervyn began.
‘I know! Stop bugging me -- this either works or it doesn’t -- it’s too late for advice.’
They watched their viewscreens in silence as the beam of gamma rays swept round towards the lead sled.
‘Hear goes,’ Tarun said, ‘and in case I don’t make it I’m proud to have been a Misfit -- best mates... and... and all that.’ Before Mervyn or Loren could reply the sled shot forward.
‘Tarun, pull up!’
‘You’re too close!’
The sled carried on.
‘Nooooooo,’ Mervyn’s warning came too late.
The pillar of destruction swept down and his friend’s sled disappeared.