Infamy (The Mythrar War Book 2) Page 15

  "That's the problem with the device," a scrawny man said as he made his way through the pack of massive aliens. "While it is capable of generating and storing massive amounts of power, it isn't capable of releasing the excess energy on its own."

  "So you use these people as guinea pigs?" Wellard said, growing irate.

  "Indeed. This vessel was not designed to contain such amounts of raw radiation, or even detect it. By placing the device here in this room and surrounding it with live bodies, we can tell just how high the radiation levels are getting at a glance. Though typically we keep an eye on it from the bridge."

  "Let me guess, the devices on their necks?" he said, pointing to the box on a prisoner.

  "Detects minute changes in their physiology and monitors their vitals. It is normal to register a signal from the back of the room though in cases of extreme buildup the front can be affected too. Seeing the devices all going off isn't odd normally, only when they go off in the opposite order. That's how we knew where you were."

  "Then why…"

  The scrawny man raised his hand, silencing the captain. "Enough questions. For now, my friends would like to return you to where you belong. That is until we need a replacement in one of the chairs."

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Lebrea Sector

  Bridge, NECS Endeavor

  "Ensign Price, evasive maneuvers." Bremerton gripped the arms of his chair as the repeated blasts from the three scavengers tore into the Endeavor. The hits felt close, a deck or two at most. While he doubted their ability to penetrate the bridge, he knew with enough time even the weakest weapon systems could.

  "Aye. Turning the ship to expose our sides."

  "Good call, Ensign. Wilson, order weapons crews to open fire on the lead scavenger. I want every weapon we still have in service pounding that ship."

  "Ordering weapons crews now, sir."

  Looking across the bridge, he noticed the smattering of pilots still spread across the room. Many were watching the action play out on the main viewscreen while trying to stay upright from the constant vibrations. Eventually, his gaze came across Bobcat, the lead pilot.

  "I don't suppose you have any pilots still down in the fighter bay, do you?"

  She shook her head. "Sorry captain. The flight deck is a mess as well. We brought every available pilot up here to help take control of the ship."

  "Understandable," he said as another blast buffeted the ship, sending most of the standing pilots tumbling to the ground. "As much as I appreciate the help, I believe your pilots are best utilized out there." He pointed up at the viewscreen.

  "My pilots, sir?"

  "I know we haven't formalized anything, and when we do it might change, but for now I want you to act as the ship's CAG. You are the ship's most decorated pilot and deserve the role before anyone else." Shit, she was the most highly decorated pilot before Thompson had died. Valarie, while more than competent, only got the position because Bobcat had turned it down.

  No, because Bradley refused. If she was going to be CAG, he would have to remember to call her by her name and not the callsign everyone knew her by.

  "Normally I'd disagree, but this isn't the time." She motioned for her pilots, who were getting back to their feet. "Haul your ass back down to the flight deck and get back in your birds pronto. If any of you stops off for a bathroom break, I'll have your ass."

  A few of the pilots, even the new ones, laughed at the words making Bremerton wonder if he'd missed the joke. But to her credit, the pilots broke off and went back down the hall. Before she could leave, he signaled for Tegan to stop.

  "I know you'll eventually want to get back to the flight deck CIC, but for now I want you to stay up here. You can use Lieutenant Wilson's console to direct your pilots from up here."

  "Yes, sir," she said, head bowed. "Thank you, sir."

  "Don't thank me yet. We still have to get out of this alive." The bridge crew laughed as she made her way to her new station, giving questioning looks to the crew along the way. I suppose we all have different ways of relieving stress. It was a reminder that she had a lot to learn about the rest of the crew and the way they functioned. He swore the moment this chaos was out of the way he would schedule time just to do that.

  "Sir, the lead scavenger is taking significant damage, but the second is about to move in its way. Should we adjust our heading to compensate?" Wilson asked as he sent his data streams to the captain's terminal.

  "Negative, Lieutenant. If the second scavenger wants to play, let them play."

  "Understood, switching target to the second ship now."

  "Bobcat." Bremerton stopped, then cleared his throat. "I mean Lieutenant Bradley, order your pilots to focus on the damaged scavenger. Direct all available weaponry into the holes we punched into the ship."

  "Directing pilots now. They should be on the ship in two minutes," she said, tapping data into the console. "And Bobcat is fine. No sense in breaking the habit."

  Bremerton smiled. The pilot was something of an old spitfire, but good at her job. He knew her kind made the best leaders. Quick to decide, but slow to change their mind. He knew it would be a challenge to get her to accept taking a spot in command, but he also knew she was the best person for the job. She'd seen more than enough pilots die for her decisions in the sky that it made her value life.

  The few CAGs he heard about growing up treated their pilots no differently than their birds. Something that needed to be replaced after each encounter. Not human bodies with friends and family. Objects. Frankly, the thought of them made him sick.

  Onscreen an explosion erupted behind the new lead scavenger. Bremerton checked his screen and confirmed the pilots had finished the job and were now moving in position to do the same to the second. Under the combined onslaught of the fighters and the Endeavor, the second scavenger didn't stand a chance. It exploded in a massive fireball that damaged the front half of the third as it was moving into shield it.

  "Target all weapons on the damaged part of the scavenger. Bobcat, there's no sense in risking any more of your pilots, bring them home."

  "Step ahead of you sir," Tegan replied.

  Good. Teaching a new CAG to anticipate your decisions was something that usually came with time. She was going to be good. He just had to make her believe it.

  Already wounded and alone, the third scavenger wasn't a match for the Endeavor. Bremerton knew it was just a matter of seconds before the ship exploded and he could get on with the race to save the captain.

  "Sir, the scavenger changed course. Its current trajectory puts it along the starboard side."

  "What are the chances our weapons finish the job before they reach us?" It was a gamble, but if they could take out the approaching ship before it could make contact, all they would have to deal with was the expanding debris field as they flew through it.

  "Slight, sir. I wouldn't recommend taking that chance."

  "Of course," he said. "Price, turn the ship hard port. Let's make sure those bastards hit air."

  "Turning hard port."

  Alarms sounded as the ship closed in. Bremerton watched as the view of the ship shifted, moving away from the approaching scavenger. Tapping a button on his console, he changed to a view from one of the rear cameras. He almost wished he hadn't. The scavenger had adjusted its heading, expecting the commander's move. The upside was that it put the front of the scavenger in the direct line of fire of all the chasing weapons, but at the risk of the primary thrusters.

  "Hit that ship with everything we have. We need to bring it down now!"

  "Trying sir, but they seem to be shielding the front of the ship. I don't know…"

  Bremerton shielded his eyes as the viewscreen turned bright white as the scavenger exploded in a massive fireball close to the camera. The blast rocked the ship hard, throwing him out of his seat.

  "Status," he demanded.

  "The scavenger is gone, but..."

  "Spit it out."

  "Sir, we've los
t our thrusters."

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Lebrea Sector

  Bridge, NECS Endeavor

  "Are you sure you attach that over here?" Richards asked, holding the tangle of wires Vaughn handed him. He looked at the blue and purple wires in wonder. While he had a basic understanding of wiring and electronics, he'd never imagined he'd learn more. Even with Vaughn's extensive diagrams, he was lost.

  "Yes," Vaughn growled. "And solder it this time. As hot as this shit runs it will burn through any tape."

  Richards grabbed the soldering gun, threw on his light dampening goggles and got to work. Soldering the wires was normally a simple task, but the anomaly was anything but normal. In fact, he wondered quietly if a welder was more appropriate for the job. He finished in just under five minutes, much to the dismay of his commander.

  "I think I got it," Richards said as he stepped away from the device.

  Vaughn walked over and inspected his work before nodding. "Looks good." He pressed a button on his shirt, opening the comm. "Vaughn to Commander Bremerton."

  "This is Bremerton. What's the word on the device?"

  "We have this thing rigged up about as best we can. All that's left to do is attach it to the ship again."

  "You sure it's safe? We're already a sitting duck out here without our thrusters. We can't afford to let that scavenger get too much of a lead."

  "It should be," he replied. "I can't promise we won't lose power temporarily, but any power surge shouldn't last."

  "Fine, attach the damn thing and let's see what it can do. Call me if you run into any problems. Bremerton, out."

  Vaughn stood up and backed into the doorway. "You heard the man, plug it back in."

  Richards sighed. Of course, Vaughn was going to make him do the dangerous job. Still, he supposed it was for the best. This was his project after all. If it worked, or if it didn't, it was all going to fall on him.

  Richards grabbed the new plug from the device and brought it over to the makeshift outlet Vaughn installed into the wall. The plug was supposed to make things much safer, but he wasn't sure by how much. In the few seconds the device was attached the last time, it drew in massive amounts of power. Enough to melt the tape and even some of the rubber surrounding the splice. If this time was anything similar, the new rubber plug didn't stand a chance.

  He waited until the rest of the staff was out of the room. Once it was clear, he connected the two ends together, plunging the room into darkness for the second time. The power outage lasted a minute before the ship's systems cycled the safeguards and put things back online.

  When the lights returned to the room, Richards was amazed to see that not only was he still alive, but the new rubber plug was also in one piece. In the middle of the floor the anomaly hummed as power cycled through the device, filling its small canisters with power.

  "Well, you did it, Richards. Never thought I'd see the day." Vaughn reentered the room and patted Richards on the shoulder. He grabbed his electrical scanner and scanned the device. "Wow, this baby drinks up some juice."

  "How much we talking about?" Richards said, leaning in to read the screen.

  "Let's just say it's a good thing our thrusters are down. Otherwise, we'd be trying to find another place to route power from. As it stands, I need to go through this thing and see if there is any way I can reduce the strain on the ship."

  Richards nodded then took a few steps back. While this was his project, he was more than willing to let Vaughn take over on that part of the show. The last thing he wanted, or needed, was to get electrocuted now.

  Not only that, now that the device had a stable source of power he needed to find a way to get it to work. Scanning the anomaly, he thought he found his solution.

  In the far corner of the anomaly, tucked back against the sidewall, he noticed what looked to be a small electrical panel. Leaning in, he took out his screwdriver and opened it. Inside he found a small terminal screen surrounded by wires.

  "Think I found the controls," Richards said, leaning in to get a better look.

  "Don't touch anything until you are positive about what it does. Can't afford any mishaps now."

  "Agreed." The problem was he needed to touch the damned thing to figure it out. Then, he saw the solution.

  Noticing the small electronic port, he pulled out his datapad and plugged it into the machine. Within seconds his screen was flooded with information. He couldn't understand the language. But still, it was something to work with. It was only a matter of time until he had it figured out.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Lebrea Sector

  Bridge, NECS Endeavor

  After the battle, Tegan logged out of Wilson's console and strode across the bridge. Now that the immediate threat was over, she had something she needed to do. She was at the door when Commander Bremerton got her attention.

  "Problem Lieutenant?"

  "No, sir. I thought it would be a good idea to question the rest of the marines. Try to figure out how deep this mess really is."

  He held her gaze for a moment before giving her a curt nod. "Considering our present circumstances, I'm inclined to agree. All I ask is that you're ready to head back up here at a moment's notice if we find ourselves in another encounter."

  "Of course," she replied. She started to turn and walk away when she felt Bremerton's hand on her shoulder.

  "There is one more thing. I would like to be with you when you question them."

  "Wouldn't it be better if you stayed on the bridge? With the thruster problems and all."

  "Possibly. But no matter how much I'd like to be right now, I'm not an engineer. No amount of wishing will ever change that fact. Not only that, even if I was, there is nothing I can do to fix them from up here. So, all things considered, I have a little downtime myself."

  It was her turn to give her a reluctant nod which she did after a minute.

  "Wilson, you have the bridge. If Vaughn pulls a miracle on either the thrusters or the anomaly, please let me know."

  "Sir." Wilson nodded.

  The pair walked through the narrow halls, dodging the occasional damage control team worker as they did. While most of the upper decks were spared of the worst damage, there was evidence of secondary explosions all throughout the ship. The poor girl was beaten up on the inside and out and desperately needed repairs, but there wasn't time.

  Two armed pilots greeted them at the door to the brig, both equipped with blaster rifles typically reserved for the marines. Seeing Tegan and Bremerton getting close, the pair stepped away from the doors, clearing a path.

  "Did you round up the rest of the marines and bring them here as well?" she asked before stepping inside.

  Bremerton gave her a questioning glare. "You had them round up all of the marines?"

  "I figured it was a good idea until we knew how deep the corruption had spread."

  Bremerton sighed. "Considering our present circumstances I won't chastise your breach of decorum, but next time I'd like to be informed if you are even thinking about taking such drastic measures. Taking people's liberties is something that shouldn't be done lightly."

  "I understand, sir. I just thought…"

  "What you thought was unimportant. What you did may have been the right play. Just give me an option to speak on the matter next time. That's all."

  Tegan stood there, mouth agape for a long moment before nodding one last time. "From what I could tell, the problem stemmed from one of our new recruits, Cadet Marco Capelli."

  "Shit, Capelli only came on at New Earth Station. If the enemy has infiltrated the academy that deeply, we are in for one hell of a fight."

  "And the corporations. I used to work for his father. At the least, it forces us to second guess the loyalty of every single person on every ship. It forces us to fight an internal battle on top of the current war."

  "If that is true we'll have to interview every last person on the ship."

  "In the fleet."

  Br
emerton snorted. "Yes, in the fleet. We have to know who is on our side before the conflicts get much bigger."

  Bremerton pushed past the two marines and entered the brig. The full brig. He never thought he'd see the day when every single cell was occupied, most with three or for marines each staring at him angrily. He couldn't blame them. It was on his command that they were in their predicament. He'd be mad too.

  "I understand you are all upset with your current situation. Some of you deserve to be there," he said, glaring at the marines who were injured from the previous conflict. "Some of you don't. The problem is we have no clue what side any of you is on. Considering many of our remaining marines thought it prudent to storm the bridge, we had to take this precaution."

  Tegan glared at him skeptically as if questioning why he was taking the blame for their imprisonment. He wasn't taking the blame as much as making himself the focus of their anger. This way their ability to retaliate was limited. Whereas they would have an easier time harassing Bobcat on the flight deck, they'd have to breach multiple security checkpoints to get to him.

  "This is bullshit, sir, and you know it. Most of us had nothing to do with any of this. You can't imprison us for crimes we didn't commit."

  "Which is why I didn't hesitate to come down here after the battle. I don't want the innocent to be locked in here a moment longer than is necessary. As long as everyone cooperates this should be over shortly."

  "Should I have a few of my pilots secure the interrogation room?"

  "Probably not a bad idea," he said, leaning into her ear. "But they are to bring no weapons into the room. I don't want them to feel threatened into giving us the easy answer."

  "I'm not sure that's a good idea, sir. What if one of them attacks us during the questioning?"