SHU'KAN Page 10

  They both quietly stored data on their chips and allowed the information to save. They then broke a cable, with no little effort, from the helmet to take back for analysis.

  ‘C’mon, Chief. The boys will be waiting for us.’

  They climbed out of the ship and headed back to the hangar hatch.

  By the time they’d lumbered back over the rubble, Seaman Tassone was finishing his inspection of the cargo netting.

  ‘That should do to hold it long enough to render it unconscious,’ he said. ‘Let’s do this.’

  Admiral Cook smiled at the young soldier’s enthusiasm. He remembered being young and immortal. ‘Let’s put together some type of plan,’ he interjected. ‘That thing physically is a match for any of us. The last thing we want to do is get ourselves killed. I’ll take point with Tassone here. Chief, you cover our six and our flanks with your other two soldiers here. Everybody comes back alive, got it?’

  ‘Yes, Sir,’ they chimed in unison.

  ‘Good, let’s go.’

  Chief Grimmett turned the wheel lock to the hangar bay door. It creaked as he pushed it open. A small hiss of leaking gases escaped as the seal broke. ‘After you, Sir.’ He waved them in with a gesture of his hand.

  They moved in stack formation. They were only going to get one shot at this. The stairwell wound down and finally opened into a large hangar bay. It was dark with the exception of their suit lamps. He gave a hand signal to pause as he swept his light as far as it would reach. Directly to their right was a large work bench that was littered with a large assortment of tools and parts. To their immediate left two massive shuttle platforms sat. One was empty; the other held a shuttle that was still attached to a fuel tether. It, like everything else was covered in a fine layer of red dust. The hangar bay doors were too far to be seen, but assumedly, they were directly opposite from them.

  He chipped in to his suit com. ‘Chief, have one of your men guard the exit in case it slips past us. The rest of us will search the bay. -Tassone, keep that cargo net handy. The rest of us will keep our heat rifles at the ready. Remember, the goal is to capture it alive, but if it appears anyone’s life is at risk, don’t hesitate to fire.’

  ‘Aye, Sir.’

  He moved toward the work area slowly scanning right and left. As he reached the end of the shuttle platform, he positioned himself to peer around it. He quickly looked around the corner then pulled back to safety. –And just in time. Just as he pulled back, a large metallic object flew past his helmet missing him by inches. He’d got enough of a look, though. ‘It’s one of the spider-looking ones. This is going to be harder than we thought. The good news is it’s trapped. Its back is to the hangar door.’

  The hangar for the colony was built specifically to accommodate its shuttles with just enough room for one visiting shuttle from Earth ships. Space was maximized for repair and maintenance, and elbow room was not a luxury as on Earth. This design allowed for mere inches between moving parts. The remaining shuttle was nearly touching the hangar door.

  ‘It cannot get around the shuttle to avoid us, and as far as I know it can’t walk through walls. That means the only way to escape is if it goes through us. –Tassone. I want you and one of the other crewmen to climb on top of the shuttle. Take the cargo net with you. Chief and the rest of us will push its back against the hangar door. You be ready to drop that net when we do. –Got it?’

  ‘Aye, Sir.’

  He waited for them to clamber on top and start moving down the shuttle. ‘Ok, Chief. Let’s go.’

  He took a breath and spun around the corner of the shuttle. Chief Grimmett was seconds behind him. They pointed their heat rifles in unison, but nothing was thrown at them. Huddled against the hangar door the creature hissed and waved its long hairy legs. It was slightly different than any arachnid found on Earth. Instead of eight legs, it had six. It walked on the four rear legs and defended itself with the two front legs. Its abdomen was heavily scarred. Clearly it had fought to survive. It appeared thinner than its relatives that had invaded Earth. But even in its weakened state, it was more than a match for the four of them. It continued to swing its long arms and hiss. Its mandibles slashed back and forth building frothy bile. It was clearly interested in a fresh meal even as it struggled against its own survival instincts.

  ‘Tassone,’ he chipped, ‘are you and the crewmen in position?’

  ‘Aye, Sir. We’re right above it.’

  ‘Drop the netting, now!’

  The netting fell over the creature and entangled its two front legs. He rushed forward to pull the remaining netting down over the creature. ‘Chief! Grab the other side! Help me get its other legs secure!’

  They struggled together as the creature thrashed and bucked. Even malnourished, it was strong. Just as he thought they had it, a corner of the netting ripped. They were losing it!

  ‘Chief! Get back! It’s getting loose!’

  Just as Chief moved back, it erupted from under the netting.

  ‘Crewmen,’ Admiral Cook chipped, ‘it’s coming your way! Stop it before it gets to the exit stairwell!’

  He heard the sound of weapons fire and a scream. Oh, God! What have I done?!

  Chapter Six

  Midshipman First Class Kyle McConnel walked briskly to Dahlgren Hall. It was almost time for the noon meal, and he’d promised to cover down for Prevost. They’d been inseparable since they were Plebes. Their friendship was always good, but after Sea Trials, they’d become blood brothers. Like him, Prevost was family to the service. His father also attended the Academy. He’d retired as a Captain and now worked as the Manager of all the grounds keeping at the Academy. Prevost wasn’t exactly thrilled having his father work where he went to school, but that’s why they related to each other. It wasn’t fun being the son of Earth Fleet’s top Admiral either.

  He found his squad’s table and sat down. All the Plebe’s but one were waiting as they should be. Being a Plebe sucked. But all cadets at the Academy went through it their first year. Earth Fleet Academy has followed this tradition for centuries dating back to when it was the U.S. Naval Academy.

  Plebe Johnson sat down with a huff. He’d been running and was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

  ‘Why are you late, Plebe?’ McConnel asked.

  ‘Sir,’ he said through gulps of air, ‘I tried getting here on time, but some of the Firsties put me on an elevator tour.’

  He smiled slightly. An elevator tour was common. Plebe’s were snatched up randomly, ducked taped to a chair, and then put on an elevator to ride for hours. ‘I’d ask why you didn’t chip that you were going to be late, but then we already know why you didn’t.’

  The entire campus was covered by a chip dampening field.

  ‘That’s unacceptable, Plebe. As of 0600 tomorrow, you hereby have your right turn privileges revoked until lights out. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, Sir.’

  One of the females slowly raised her hand. He suppressed a sigh. ‘What is it Plebe Turner?’

  ‘Sir, if he can’t turn right, then how is he supposed to get to class or the dorm?’

  ‘He’ll simply have to take three left turns. Now, if there aren’t any more questions, let’s begin our meal.’

  An hour later Midshipman McConnel was again enjoying the beautiful late spring weather. He’d taken it easy on the Plebe’s today. He remembered being tortured, so liked to be a little easy. –But he had limits. At times, he had to be a hardball to instill a valuable lesson.

  He walked casually to his first afternoon class. He still had about thirty minutes and wanted to enjoy the weather.

  ‘Hey, handsome!’

  He heard her voice as she tugged on his arm. Rachel Belk was smiling and looking beautiful. ‘Hey to you, good looking.’ He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but shows of affection were prohibited at the Academy. He smiled instead knowing that she understood.

  ‘It’s a fantastic day,’ he said casually. ‘The sun feels great doesn’t it?’


  ‘-Sure does!’ She fell into step beside him. ‘It’s hard to believe we’re graduating soon. I got my assignment orders today.’

  He stopped walking and looked down at her. He could tell by the look on her face that she didn’t get the Carthaginian. As a junior medical officer, the chances of getting assigned to a combat ship were small. Most lieutenants started on a medical frigate.

  ‘I’ve been assigned to the Frigate Forger,’ she finished.

  ‘I suspected you’d end up there,’ he sighed. ‘It’s the only medical Frigate that survived the attack.’

  They sat on a bench shaded by a large oak tree. The weather was starting to get warmer and the shade was welcome.

  ‘Look at the bright side,’ she said. ‘At least neither of us has to follow the traditional route.’

  ‘Yeah, you’re right,’ he smiled. ‘It’s just sinking in that we are graduating. We spent four years doing whatever it took to get through this place and now I’m kinda sorry that we’re leaving.’

  Earth Fleet was granting waivers for all medical, flight, and communication officers. For now, specialized training will be conducted hands-on to quickly fill the urgently needed positions. The Hiver’s attack wiped out the majority of seasoned officers.

  ‘I know how you feel,’ she replied. ‘We have lots of memories here.’

  She looked deep into his eyes. He could tell that she was thinking of the same memories. The little time they had together as Midshipmen and during holidays was well spent. They’d taken turns spending the holidays with each other’s families.

  They both sat quietly for a few minutes enjoying each other’s company. He watched her look around the academy grounds. The slight breeze kept pulling at her hair causing it to curl in front of her right ear. She absently tucked it back again.

  It’d been three years since they’d started dating. He was going to ask her to marry him, but hadn’t decided on how to do it. They were perfect for each other.

  ‘What’re you looking at?’ she said with a sly smile. ‘Don’t think for a minute you’re getting away from me this weekend. We’re having dinner at my parents, remember?’

  ‘What dinner,’ he teased. ‘You never told me that.’

  ‘You know darn well we’re having dinner!’ she said punching him in the ribs. ‘You better knock it off.’

  ‘Hey you two, fraternization is not authorized!’

  Coming up the walkway was Bill. He was grinning from ear to ear.

  ‘Thanks for covering for me at lunch, Kyle. You probably saved a Plebe’s life.’

  ‘Have you gotten your assignment yet?’

  ‘Not yet,’ he replied. ‘But I should know something at least by Monday.’

  ‘No problem, but you owe me one. –Guess what? Rachel’s going to the Forger.’

  ‘That’s a shock,’ he replied. ‘-But don’t worry. It’ll save her from being in Med School till she’s fifty!’

  ‘You’re a butt!’ she argued. ‘You don’t know anything about Med School. –At least I’m doing something that requires some intelligence, ‘Mall guard.’’

  ‘Hey, that’s ‘Security Officer,’’ he said with mock indignation. ‘I majored in Criminology. -And I’ll have you know, the world needs a little security right now.’

  ‘Ok, you two,’ he interrupted. ‘We all need to get to class. –Let’s go’

  They all walked on and chatted for a couple more minutes, then separated to attend their respective classes. Bill was a guy that he’d grown to depend on. He was hopeful that they’d get to serve together in the future. Between the two of them, they worked hard to keep each other sane since both their fathers were career.

  He was about to enter the Hall to his next class, when he heard a cry. He paused for a minute thinking he was hearing things. –No. There it was again.

  He jogged around the corner of the building and listened for the sound again. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He noticed the door to the maintenance shed was ajar. He walked over and peered inside. The building was full of lawn equipment. A single illuminate hung from the center of the room displaying an old mower. It was stained green from the spring grass and the smell was strong.

  He stood still for a moment allowing his eyes to adjust. He could see now that a second room was in the back. The door was cracked and the shadow of a figure was moving back and forth. He quietly walked over and peered in.

  What he saw horrified him. Lying face up on the ground was a female cadet barely conscious. Her clothes were torn from her from the waist down. She moaned in pain while blood seeped from a nasty head wound. Standing over her was one of the curators buckling his pants. His breath was heavy from an obvious struggle.

  Kyle surged forward in a rage. He tackled the man slamming him into the wall. ‘What’re you doing?!’ he hollered. He rolled to his knees and swung with a right hook. He felt the satisfying crunch of the man’s teeth. He tried to follow with an upper-cut, but was stunned by an elbow to his temple. He fell backwards and shook his head to clear his vision. A shovel missed him by inches as he rolled out of the way. Spinning on his hip, he kicked the man’s legs causing him fall on his back. Kyle stumbled to his feet trying to get his head to stop ringing. His ear was numb and his head was pounding. The man bolted for the door. He ran after him and tackled him from behind. Both of them crashed to the floor creating a dirt cloud. They struggled; each of them trying to get the upper hand. Kyle ended up on bottom as the man’s hands closed around his neck. He choked while he struggled to breathe.

  ‘I’ll teach you to put your nose where it doesn’t belong, you little runt!’ the man rasped.

  Sweat and dirt covered his face. He couldn’t get a good look at him. ‘You’re not getting away with this,’ he choked. ‘I’ll make sure of it!’

  Kyle was starting to see dots. If he didn’t do something soon, he was going to lose consciousness. He desperately tried to get free, but couldn’t break the man’s iron grip! God, help me! he silently prayed.

  Leisurely stretching a leg to turn off the monitor, she settled back on a fresh silk pad. Satisfaction rippled through the minds of her brood as they felt her contentment. She allowed them to feel her emotions to reward them for working hard. She issued some final commands then relaxed her large abdomen. It was swollen with her unborn, and it was almost time for the birthing. Every cycle she bore children to add to her brood. This was no different than the others and the pain was expected. For a thousand cycles she’d borne children. It was the only way to replenish the pure breed. Reproduction was not possible with the mutated ones. Most times she’d selectively inspect each to determine its quality. If she was satisfied, she’d allow it to feed on a fresh kill from the brood. If not, she’d savor the delicacy of a youngling. Only once was she forced to keep all of her birth. Her war with a rival Queen had depleted the size of her brood. But here, safe from competition, she could look forward to the pleasure of feasting on at least one of her younglings.

  The construction of the shipyard was nearly complete. She could now commit resources and labor to mine the necessary material to begin production. Even now her brood was surveying the planet’s richest veins.

  The species from the last star system were reproducing satisfactorily. Production rate was surpassing her expectations. Yet, even after accelerating their genetic material for forced growth, the supply of food was not keeping pace with the consumption of her brood. The mental strain to keep them from feeding on each other was becoming wearisome. Perhaps she’d allowed too many of the captured to mutate. The food ships were filled to capacity with thousands suspended in reproduction chambers. She could allow her brood to gorge on itself for a time to prune out the weaker members, but this would run counter to her plans. –No, she’d have to increase the number of her production facilities; and that meant building them on the surface of the planet. Usually, this would be a dangerous move if warring with another Queen, but here there was no threat. Food was still needed during the interim, a
nd there was only one other source. She’d begin preparations immediately.

  With her decision made, she concentrated on the business at hand. Her abdomen was swelling more the closer she got to the birthing, and the pain was increasing. It would soon be time. She focused on relaxing her aching body.

  Admiral Cook feared the worst as he ran back to the hangar entrance. Looming over Seaman Brannon was the creature. One of its legs was badly wounded, but it fed on Brannon’s carcass nonetheless.

  ‘Stand aside, Sir! I got this bastard!’ Chief Grimmett leveled his heat rifle to fire.

  ‘No!’ he jerked Chiefs weapon aside as he fired. The heat pulse left a searing black mark on the rear of the shuttle. ‘We need it alive!’

  He looked above the creature. Some kind of engine part was suspended from a hoist. ‘Fire there!’ he said pointing.

  The hoist came crashing down neatly pinning the creature. Even as it struggled, Chief Grimmett struck it with the butt of his rifle. After the third attempt, it quit moving. ‘Should have just let me kill it!’

  ‘I know how you’re feeling right now, Chief. But it does us no good dead. We need it to study.’

  ‘Yeah. Tell that to Brannon.’

  He didn’t reply. He was just as angry as Chief was. This was his soldier. He died on his watch, and now he had to live with it. He’d lost hundreds of soldiers during the invasion, and it never got any easier.

  Seaman’s Tassone and Jennings stood quietly looking at what was left of Brannon. –Neither looked to good.

  ‘Let’s get this thing secured,’ he said. ‘The last thing we want is it to regain consciousness and start chewing on one of us.’

  ‘-Aye, Sir’

  By the time the creature was back on the ship, everyone was about to collapse from exhaustion. Even in a half-starved state, it was heavier than it looked. They had to drag more than carry it to the shuttle. It regained consciousness while they were landing in the Carthaginians hangar bay. Seaman Tassone just about shot it again before Chief Grimmett restrained him. The chains they’d found on the hoist held as restraints while a full security detail secured it in a cargo hold. He’d chipped the ship’s doctor, Lieutenant Commander Stiles, to meet them at the hold.