When the Dust Settled Read online

  McReidy took the co-pilot’s seat and strapped herself in as Kowalski slammed the throttle forward. The forcefield failed and the contents of the bay were sucked out, pelting the shuttle as Kowalski turned it to cling to Magellan’s hull.

  “What are you doing?” McReidy asked

  “The other shuttles were destroyed as soon as they were spotted. The port engine’s gone, but it’s completely protected. If we hide there, we’ll get thrown clear when the ship blows. By the time the smoke clears, we’re home free.”

  Magellan exploded as Kowalski finished speaking. They were momentarily crushed to their seats as the shockwave threw the shuttle clear.

  “Go for it!”

  Kowalski had little control. The helm was heavy and the shuttle was slow to respond. It took all his effort to hold it steady as the engines fired up to full. “Computer, engage Raindrops.”

  McReidy half turned to glance at him.

  “I’m just giving them a few more targets to aim for,” he explained. The helm came back under control and he sighed and relaxed a little.

  “How long until we’re out of range?” McReidy asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen a ship like it. And I didn’t stay out there long enough to study it. By the time I got to the shuttle bay, the first one was on its way out.”

  “Can we get a visual on it?”

  “We can try.” Gillespie swung his seat around to face the console beside him. He switched on a small screen and brought up a picture of the immediate area. There was nothing but space, littered by the debris that had once been the ship. The alien ship was no longer there. “It’s gone!”

  “What?” McReidy was peering out the front window, straining forward and twisting her head as far as she could reach. “Widen the field.”

  “Still nothing,” Gillespie told her.

  “Do a long range scan.”

  “I can’t see anything either,” Kowalski added, his eyes darting from the window to the console. “Either on scanners or visually.”

  Gillespie shook his head. “There’s nothing out there… anywhere. She’s gone.”

  A sigh of relief engulfed them for a few seconds. McReidy’s head sagged. Her knuckles were white from her stranglehold on the arms of her seat. She loosened her grip and watched the colour slowly return.

  “Where to?” Kowalski asked.

  She turned to the navigational computer, plotted their location and looked for a suitable destination.

  “There’s an uninhabited planet three days from here. An alien system who may or may not be sympathetic to us, about a week in the opposite direction. The nearest Earth base is about a month away. I don’t even know if the shuttle can make it. Theoretically, we don’t have the range.”

  “We don’t,” Kowalski confirmed.

  She glanced to one then the other. “I’d like this to be a group decision. First, we need to send out a distress beacon.”

  * * *

  In a nearby star system, a ship sat in orbit around the mining planet Tricon. With its captain down on the surface, the crew were in a relaxed mood. The day shift was about to be relieved by the night shift.

  Commander John Madison sat thoughtfully in the captain’s chair. He liked the quiet at this time of the day and chose it to look reflectively at his life. First officer on a cargo ship transporting mining supplies was not his ideal ambition. But he also knew it could have been a lot worse. The captain was a stickler for detail, insisting on perfectly laundered uniforms and polished boots. John smiled as he remembered a landing party member being sent back to the ship for having scuffed boots.

  “Commander?”

  The communications officer broke into his thoughts. He turned his head in answer.

  “Bridge commander for the night?”

  “No, I’ll stay here. I thought the captain might have been back by now.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  As an afterthought, John added. “Tell them to send up some coffee.”

  It was the one indulgence the captain permitted, although he drank only tea. English Breakfast, at any time of the day. John remembered the explanation: “Somewhere in the galaxy, it’s breakfast time.”

  The shift changed, the coffee arrived and the lighting dimmed slightly to give the illusion of night. The ship was quieter. All stations were permanently monitored, though most of the crew were off duty.

  John relaxed back in the chair, sipping his coffee. Humphries had the helm – kind of boring when they were sitting in orbit – and Tan had taken over communications. Grech was at science, reading through the latest information from the ground.

  “Commander, we’re picking up a faint distress call,” Tan slipped an earphone in and began working his console.

  “Where from?” John asked, finishing his coffee and slotting the mug into the holder on the arm of the chair.

  “I can’t pinpoint it… It’s breaking up… There’s a lot of interference.”

  “Isolate and amplify.”

  Tan tapped the keys. “It’s a bit better.”

  “Put it on the main screen.”

  “It’s only on audio.”

  The message came through the bridge. “Ship… destroyed… Crew lost… Heading one thirty… Please help…” The message was repeated, interrupted only by static.

  “Source?” John tensed.

  “It’s definitely an Earth type signal. Whatever the ship was, she’s one of ours.”

  “How far away?”

  “Best I can tell… A day… Day and a half.”

  John was silent for a moment. His hand rose to his chin as he mentally weighed up the situation. He felt himself becoming edgy. A small smile found its way to the surface and his dark eyes began to sparkle. He flicked the personal intercom. “Bismarck to Captain Decker.”

  “Giacomo here, sir,” came the answer from the planet below. “The captain’s underground. Anything I can do?”

  “Yes, you can put me through to the captain.”

  “Decker here. What’s all the fuss?”

  “Sir, we’re picking up a distress signal. I’d like permission to investigate,” John explained.

  “How long?”

  “About a day.”

  “A day! Isn’t there anyone closer?”

  “Not that we’ve been able to contact.” It wasn’t quite a lie. They hadn’t attempted to find out.

  “All right,” Decker agreed. “It’s getting late and we’ve been invited to an evening reception. I would have preferred you down here –”

  “You know I hate those things,” John groaned.

  “We’ve got a full day ahead of us tomorrow,” Decker continued, ignoring John’s interruption. “Be back at dusk tomorrow. And be careful.”

  “Yes, sir. Bismarck out.” John’s attention turned back to the crew. “Mister Humphries, plot an intercept course –”

  “Course already plotted.”

  John’s look of surprise was met by one of anticipation.

  “I didn’t think you’d take no for an answer, sir,” Humphries smiled before turning back to the helm.

  “Then what are we waiting for. Take us out of orbit. Full speed ahead.”

  * * *

  McReidy reached her arms above her head and stretched backwards as far as the seat would permit. The kink in her back refused to budge. Her arms dropped to her lap and she rolled her shoulders, her seat creaking loudly as she moved.

  Almost a day had passed and the radio was still silent. They’d picked up some shrapnel in the explosion and long range communications were out, Kowalski had claimed. At least the beacon still worked.

  She looked across to Kowalski. He had reclined his seat and was sleeping peacefully.

  As she watched him for a moment, she thought he looked young enough to still be in school. His light brown hair fell to his eyebrows, his chin fell below the collar of his bubble suit. Earlier, she had thought him dead. Now, he had managed to save them all. She smiled and looked at the clock �
� for what must have been the thousandth time.

  “Go to sleep,” Gillespie mumbled. He was settled on the floor, curled on his side with his eyes closed.

  “I can’t,” McReidy whispered, not wanting to wake Kowalski.

  Gillespie propped himself up on one arm and rubbed his eyes. “I know what you mean,” he yawned and sat up. “Coffee?” he asked, moving to get himself a mug.

  “Yeah, why not.”

  The console beside him lit up and he forgot everything else as he flew back to his seat, his fingers responding immediately. “We’ve got an answer. Someone’s found us.”

  “Commander, we’ve picked up something directly ahead of us,” Humphries reported.

  “On screen,” John ordered.

  For a moment, he saw nothing but the emptiness in front of them.

  “Magnify.”

  A tiny dot appeared.

  “Mister Tan?”

  “It’s definitely the source of the distress signal,” Tan answered.

  “Identify.” The order was directed at no one in particular.

  “It’s a shuttle,” Humphries picked it up on scanners. “Appears to be slightly damaged. It’s one of ours all right.”

  “Open a channel.” John cleared his thoughts before continuing. “This is Commander Madison of the Bismarck. Please identify and state your problem.” His face lit up as he recognised McReidy and he lost track of what he was saying. “McReidy!” was all he could incredulously manage.

  “Commander, am I glad to see you,” she cried with relief. “What are you doing out here?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? Rescuing damsels in distress.”

  John nodded as Humphries spoke to him. He didn’t hear the words but knew what was being said. His tone changed to one of seriousness.

  “Your shuttle’s not too damaged? You can land it all right?”

  “Yes, we’re fine.”

  “How many of you are there?”

  “Three.”

  “Hi, sir,” Gillespie piped up, poking his head into view over McReidy’s shoulder.

  “Three?” John repeated silently to himself almost in shock. “Your pilot?” he asked hesitantly. “Is he…?”

  “No,” McReidy answered, glancing across at Kowalski still strapped in his seat, head flopped onto his chest. “He’s just asleep. Sam, wake up.”

  Kowalski jumped as McReidy shook him. “What?” he asked, rubbing his eyes and looking about him. His focus settled on the screen as the conversation continued around him.

  “What happened to the ship? The crew...? Captain Barrett?” John asked the questions that he dreaded answers to.

  “All lost,” McReidy answered. “My report’s in the shuttle log.”

  Something in McReidy’s eyes told John there was something more.

  “Mister Tan, download all shuttle logs. Mister Humphries, use long range scanners to search for any survivors.” John switched on the intercom. “Engineering, get someone to the shuttle bay.” He barely waited for acknowledgement before switching the intercom off. His eyes never left the screen. “You need anything…? Medical?”

  McReidy shook her head.

  “We’ll be there in…”

  “Eighteen minutes, sir,” Humphries confirmed.

  “Eighteen minutes,” John repeated softly. Questions flooded his head, but they’d remain there – for at least eighteen minutes.

  Static distorted the image on the screen and it fizzled out.

  John turned it off. His hand rose to his jaw – he was unaware that he began to bite his thumbnail.

  “Shuttle log downloaded,” Tan informed him

  He used the display beside him run a copy of the shuttle log. It was brief and accurate, but it didn’t make sense. Magellan was an explorer craft. Its weapons were for defence only. The crew would have been quite unprepared for this senseless attack. There had to be more.

  “Ensign Grech, when we get to the wreckage site, I want a full analysis. If one of our ships was destroyed, I want to know by what.”

  “Yes, sir,” Grech acknowledged.

  “Mister Humphries, the bridge is yours.”

  *

  John was in the shuttle bay a minute after the shuttle landed. An exhausted crew climbed slowly out. The greetings were informal, almost light hearted. He had known Gillespie for years, and the way the man avoided his probing look was confirmation enough. He turned to Kowalski, his hand rose to the young man’s face.

  “Mister Kowalski, it looks like you might actually have to start shaving.”

  “Cut it out, sir.” Kowalski pulled back out of range and pushed John’s hand away. He began to blush slightly.

  “You two go and get cleaned up. Rodgers,” he pointed aimlessly to the doorway behind, “will arrange your accommodation. Case, check out the shuttle.”

  “Sir,” the engineers acknowledged.

  John continued as though they hadn’t spoken. “McReidy, I’d like a detailed report.”

  “Yes, sir,” she answered.

  “I’d love a shower,” Gillespie sighed as he headed to the door.

  “Breakfast,” Kowalski disagreed.

  John watched Case disappear inside the shuttle.

  “Commander, I –” McReidy began.

  “Not here.” His quiet words had a sense of urgency that silenced her. “Come on.”

  They walked in silence, boots echoing in the corridor. The tension between them increased with each step.

  They reached his quarters and he locked the door behind them. “Make yourself at home.”

  “I’m glad it was you who found us.”

  John sat down. His elbows rested on the arms of the chair, his fingertips touching in front of his chest. He said nothing, allowing her to continue.

  “I… left a few things out of my report,” she confessed, avoiding his dark eyes. “Nothing that would make any difference… officially. The ship that attacked us was completely alien, but the captain. It was Rache.”

  The name sent a sudden chill down John’s spine. “Are you sure?”

  McReidy nodded. “He’s after you.”

  “Tell me exactly what happened.”

  McReidy recalled the entire incident clearly in her head and put it into words. She was uninterrupted and stopped only after telling how the ship was destroyed.

  “How come your shuttle got away?”

  “Kowalski made a few modifications to Delaney’s Raindrops program. It set up twenty or thirty holographic shuttles.”

  “Good man.” John was impressed, but his mood changed immediately as he spoke. “And… the captain?”

  “Gone. We only have four shuttles.”

  “And one escape pod. You forget, I know that ship.”

  “He didn’t survive.” McReidy was adamant.

  John refused to believe her. “Madison to bridge. Report, Mister Humphries.”

  “Fine, don’t believe me,” she grumbled as she leaned back in the chair. “Nothing new about that.”

  His eyes narrowed. Only Humphries’ voice over the intercom stopped him from answering.

  “We’re nearing the site. There’s nothing out there but a few bits of rubble.”

  John let out a long sigh. He turned to the computer screen to his right and switched it on. An unfinished game of Strategem appeared on screen. “End program.”

  The game disappeared and he switched the screen off, turning slowly back to McReidy.

  It took a moment, then her eyes opened wide with shock. “He knew where you where?”

  “He always knew.”

  “And he let Magellan get blown up for nothing!” She was on her feet, emotions coursing through her and ready to explode.

  “Hey, don’t yell at me. I had nothing to do with it.”

  “Why would he protect you, risking the safety of the entire ship?”

  “You already know the answer to that.”

  She couldn’t think and shook her head in disbelief.

  “Rache would have destro
yed the ship anyway. The evacuation was ordered before my name was mentioned. You said so yourself.” John’s tone softened. “It’s a large galaxy in which to find one person. Hopefully, he thinks I’m already dead.”

  Exhausted, she dropped back into the chair. “So, what do we do now?”

  “Send in your report and see what Fleet Command has to say. Until then, you’re with us.” He switched on his communicator. “Kat, are you busy?”

  “Not really,” came the reply.

  “Could you come to my quarters?”

  “Now?”

  John hesitated briefly. “Yes, please,” he answered politely. “We have a guest and I would like you to help her get settled.”

  McReidy smiled at the slight frustration in his mood as Kat questioned him.

  He rose to leave. “The captain’ll freak if I’m off the bridge for too long. Kat will organise everything for you. If you need me for anything, just call.”

  As he left the room, he wondered why he had made that last statement. He had never gotten on particularly well with her. She made him feel uneasy, had never obeyed an order without arguing and constantly challenged his authority.

  McReidy’s anger flared as he left her alone. She now realised the truth of the jealousy she had of John. Since taking over from him as first officer of Magellan, she had struck trouble. At first, she thought it was because she was a woman. Continual comments of “Commander Madison wouldn’t have done it that way,” and the like had only served to anger her more. Only Gillespie, Kowalski and a few others accepted her in her own right.

  “Don’t take any rubbish from the crew. You’re in charge,” Captain Barrett had told her.

  But now she knew where his loyalties had remained.

  * * *

  The ship headed back to the mining colony. John remained on the bridge until he became too tired to stay. He returned to his quarters, but his mind was too alert to sleep. He allowed it to wander back to his days on Magellan and the Betelgeuse incident. A rescue mission gone wrong that caught them up in a civil war and the destruction of a star and the resulting court martial. He shivered at that last bit.

  Regardless of what John had said to McReidy, he was still worried by Rache. He believed the emperor had been killed in the rebel uprising that had restored Komodo to power as the true leader to the Betelian system. An alien ship meant allies somewhere and a desire for vengeance so strong that nothing or no one would stand in his way. Suddenly, the galaxy didn’t seem very large.