Salvage-5: The Next Mission (First Contact) Read online

  “Kid’s got a point, Tuck. They might just decide to keep her until the repairs are done.”

  “We don’t know...but at least we have their help in rebuilding the damaged ring.”

  “The captain did show his hand, didn’t he?” Samuels smiled.

  “I don’t get it?” Buster asked.

  “See, kid...that’s where experience comes in,” Tucker explained.

  “Huh huh...” Samuels smiled again, nodding.

  “He needs to get to the CSMO and gas up...that means he has less than two weeks of fuel,” Tucker continued.

  “The trip to Earth is about that now, maybe a little less, than two weeks.”

  “Thirteen days, sixteen hours...”

  Tucker cut off the kid, “That’s okay, Buster...I get it.”

  “Twelve minutes...”

  “You just had to tell me the rest...didn’t you.”

  “Yes...sorry Commander.”

  “That being said...he doesn’t even want to take the three day trip to 10 Hygiea. Sounds to me like he wouldn’t make it without the ring’s boost, so he may only have a couple of days.”

  “So we have an advantage, we can out run him...”

  “We can’t leave Cassie,” Sam interjected.

  “We’re not leaving Cassie behind.”

  “How you going to ensure you have her back, Tuck?” Samuels asked.

  “I don’t know...I haven’t figured that part out just yet.”

  “Swell...okay. Well, I guess this is the best time to tell you...”

  “Tell me what?”

  “I kind of damaged the MECHs bubble top.”

  “How damaged are we talking?”

  “Damaged enough to restrict vision...plus, if they see the MECH damage, they’ll ask how that happened.”

  “I don’t even want to know...”

  “Oh, you’ll know...You’ll know...I’ll be sure to tell you just how that got cracked.”

  “I can hardly wait.”

  “You take the MECH, I’ll suit up and push them out to you. You set them in position and we make our way settin’ them all out...shouldn’t take more an hour.”

  “Why don’t you climb in the thing and I pass them out the cargo bay to you?”

  “Oh no...I’ve done my time in that thing...I prefer to keep my feet planted right here on this deck. Double tethered.”

  “Alright, alright, alright...we’re just wasting time arguing about it,” Tucker relented. Then he flew up to the MECH housing and began buckling himself inside.

  Samuels followed to ensure the Colonel was secure, “So tell me, Tuck? Did you really party with him five years ago or was that you in typical Tucker Petersen BS mode?”

  “It was all BS, of course...I’ve never met the man.”

  “Tucker, you’re a cool one...you had me believing...”

  “Okay, I’ve got this already, Sarge...just get suited up...” looking over at the bewildered Buster and Sam, “Sam, take us out to the ring...Buster, keep working on your calculations...or just keep doing whatever it is you do...”

  “Yes, Sir!” Sam saluted. Then pushed off to the pilot house, followed by Buster.

  They closed and sealed the airlock, “Sam, depressurize cargo bay,” he said as the bubble lid sealed him from the elements.

  Samuels donned another suit and activated his helmet wireless, “Okay, I’m ready...let’s kick some ass over up in here!”

  “Hey!” Tucker protested, “That’s my line!”

  “Sorry, Commander,” Samuels answered though the wireless, “It’s a good one.”

  “Sam; we’re ready to deploy. Undock and get up in position for the first drop.”

  “Aye, Sir!”

  Sam cut the hard seal and fired thrusters away from the Russian ship, “Falcon, Salvage-5...we’re underway to deploy repair canisters.”

  “Salvage-5, Falcon, prozeed.”

  Sam flew the ship down and around to the back side of the jump ring. The sleek ship glistened from the spotlights the Falcon had trained on the jump ring, as Salvage-5 aligned in position.

  “Lower the cargo floor,” Tucker ordered. Then he activated the MECH bay to open and walked down the lowering ramp with the machines magnetic feet.

  “We’re in position for the first drop,” Sam reported.

  “Roger that,” Tucker answered, “I’m maneuvering into position...ready to receive...Samuels, release the first container and pass it down the ramp.”

  “I’ve got this, Commander...stand by...passing the first container down the ramp.”

  Tucker positioned the arms of the MECH wide to catch the container, “Setting auto-thrusters to station-keeping.” A human could not react fast enough to hold position when the mass and momentum of the repair containers hit the MECH. The computer could, because the MECH’s sensors told it the precise distance, velocity, vector, and mass of each container before the MECH caught it. Tucker’s MECH caught the first container and held it in position with the MECH, “Sam, move the ship to the next location and hold.”

  “Aye, Sir; moving to next position.”

  They continued over the next eighty minutes, placing each repair container in the position around the ring. All twenty four containers, twelve on each side, carried the necessary parts to repair the ring.

  Tucker parked his MECH and ordered Sam to close and pressurize the cargo bay, “Samuels, you good?”

  “I’m good, Commander. Tired, but real good.”

  The lid to the MECH opened, making Tucker’s ears pop with the unequal pressure. He stuck his pinky in his ear and wiggled it, and then shook his head.

  “You alright, Commander?” Samuels asked, stowing his suit.

  “Yeah...just great...remind me to wait until we’re all equalized next time?”

  “Oh, did I forget to mention that? Yeah, you might want to...”

  “Gee thanks, Sarge...appreciate the heads up and all.”

  “You’re welcome...anytime,” Samuels smiled.

  “Sam, take us to the Falcon.”

  “Aye, Sir! Falcon, Salvage-5, we’re heading in.”

  “Salvage-5, Falcon. Return to docking port and wait for inztructionz.”

  “So, Tucker...”

  “Yeah Sarge?”

  “When do you expect to detonate our little surprise package, since them having Cassie is making that plan at risk.”

  “Not to worry, Sarge. You’re little excursion won’t be for nothing...like I say, we have our own insurance.”

  “We can’t use that until Cassie is back.”

  “Well of course not...Geez, whattya take me for?”

  “Well...”

  “Never mind. Now...game face, remember?”

  “Docking in 3...2...1...hard seal. Attached and pressurizing. We’re docked, Sir. Now go get Cassie, okay?”

  “Yes, Sir, Captain...Come on Sarge, let’s get this airlock seal open.”

  Samuels turned the ring on the seal and opened the door, exposing the Falcon’s airlock, where Vladimir was waiting for them with his two armed guards.

  “Colonel, nice to zee you have returned.”

  “Where’s Cassie?”

  “You mean Major Phillips?”

  “That would be the crewman I’m asking about.”

  “Colonel, you may be able to pass off your callous attitude to your crew, but here, I am in control...I vill not tolerate dizrespect...I still do not believe ve have ever met. I vill find out...and if you are lying to me, I vill zee to it that you are punished.”

  “Captain Glazkov, where is my officer?”

  “She’s being detained for questioning down below.”

  “Questioning?”

  “Vell, sort of questioning...yes, I suppose you could say that.”

  “You had better not have hurt her...”

  “Or else? Vhat are you to do, eh, Colonel?”

  “Okay, fine...fine...so now when will she be returned?”

  “You vill now azzist with the assembly of the
parts to the jump ring. Ve shall finish in two days, not three.”

  “Two days is really pushin’ it...”

  “You have two MECH’s, do you not?”

  “Whattya mean?”

  “I noticed that you were using your MECH-2, you would have completed setting those containers in less time if you had utilized both MECH’s...Now I must ask myself, why not?”

  “The first MECH was destroyed on our first mission...”

  “Really? Vhy you not replace, vhen you vere on Earth?”

  “Low budget...you know...it’s here, but with damage...we still had to take it with us...load balance and mass measurement issues and all...”

  “Uh-huh, right...zo, iz it usable or scrap?

  “It’s usable, but it has limited visibility on the port side,” Samuels interjected with a nod.

  “I zee...Vell vell then...ve should have no trouble vith two day turnaround, no?”

  “Captain, you got to give us the three days. If we run into any issues, we’ll need time to facilitate adjustments.”

  “Then I suggest you get busy. I’ll give you two and a half days...and not a second longer.”

  “Can I talk to Cass, er, Major Phillips?”

  “Zure Commander. Right this vay...I vill even give you extra twenty minutes,” turning to one of his men, “Start clock...60 hours and 20 minutes,” Vladimir ordered with a smile.

  * * *

  Chapter 11

  Salvage-5-Docked w/the Falcon

  Location:

  Kuiper Belt - Asteroid 253 Mathilde

  Earth Date: 04/13/2065 10:45

  New Mission Objectives:

  ENLIST RUSSIANS TO ASSIST W/REPAIR

  FACILITATE REPAIR

  NEUTRALIZE RUSSIAN THREAT

  FIND CSMO & REFUEL

  Secondary Mission Objectives:

  DELIVER PARTS & SUPPLIES

  CORRECT ASTEROID 253 MATHILDE

  TEST JUMP-GATE

  Tucker joined Captain Glazkov to the airlock. He turned and he made eye contact with his Sergeant, “Samuels, I need you to begin coordinating the install of the replacement parts. I want to see the first section done in 1.42 hours from now.”

  “Aye, Sir!” Samuels saluted, and then began to close the airlock door to Salvage-5.

  “No, no...wait...we should keep these airlocks open between ships...Vladimir? Do you agree?”

  “It’s still, Captain Glazkov, and yes, I agree. Ve should leave door open.”

  “Ah, come on, Vlad...lighten up some...you’re all stiff and formal.”

  “That is way I like it to be. Zhere are no excuses for not following protocol.”

  The two made their way through the Russian frigate, down three levels and the most aft section before the main engine room.

  Vladimir pressed his access code on the panel and slid a door open, and then motioned with his arm.

  “Oh, you first, Captain...by all means...you go first.”

  “You do not trust me? I thought ve vent vay back?”

  “I trust no one...Protocol and such, sir.”

  Vladimir smiled slyly from the corner of his mouth, “A good protocol to keep, I shall admit...but if I vas going to lock you in zhis room, do you not think you vould already be inzide?”

  “Vlad, you do have a point.”

  “Captain Glaz...”

  “Yeah, yeah...Captain Glazkov, I got that,” Tucker floated from the corridor to the inside of the room where he saw Cassie cuffed and floating in the center of the room. “Oh, hey Major Phillips? How are the accommodations?”

  “Just fine!” she snapped, then she looked at her captor and extended her arms in Vladimir’s direction, “Do you mind?”

  “Of course, madam,” Vladimir nodded. He floated over and removed the restraints and then floated out into the corridor. He turned and pressed his command code to slide the door closed.

  “Hey, hey! You said...”

  “Relax, Colonel,” Vladimir said through the ships intercom, “I’ll vill come and get you vhen your 20 minutes are up...after all, I am a man of my vord.”

  Tucker floated in front of Cassie and placed his finger against her lips, “Right, well okay then...I’ll expect you to make good...we’ll need everyone engaged to get the ring fixed by the sixty hours!”

  “You only have seventeen left,” Vladimir answered, then they heard the intercom switch off.

  “Tucker? What are we going to do?”

  “Not to worry, I have a plan...”

  “That’s what worries me the most.”

  “What?”

  “That you actually have a plan.”

  “Oh, well...I was just tryin’ to make you feel better.”

  “Great...that does make me feel a whole lot better.”

  “What?”

  “That you actually don’t have a plan...”

  “Shhh, we’re wasting time.”

  “You’ll have to stay here while we repair the ring. He’s not going to let me get you back on board Salvage-5 until then.”

  “That’s your plan? Great!”

  “I just said I didn’t have a plan.”

  “Well, it sounds like a dumb one if it was...”

  “I’ll figure out a way...”

  “Tucker...you know as well as I, Captain Glazkov won’t return me until he’s refueled by the CSMO.”

  “I know that...but I’m not going to let that happen...remember our little insurance policy?”

  “You can’t set that off with me on board! You have no real idea what that detonation will do to this ship.”

  “I have a pretty good idea, yeah, I think the engines will blow up...yep, that’s what we planned alright.”

  “Tucker!”

  “I’ll get you out of here...somehow...if we can keep you from being shackled and maybe if you befriend Vlad a little...”

  “Tucker!! I will not do that!”

  “No, no, not that...make him feel comfortable...you know...so he won’t want to tie you down.”

  “Okay, then what?”

  “I’m opening a secure channel to Samuels right now.”

  “How and why?”

  “Samuels,” Tucker whispered into his wireless, “Do you copy?”

  “Yes, Sir...and I must say, that was pretty ingenious. Leaving the airlock open allows this secured channel to transmit.”

  “Good that you got my frequency hint.”

  “You’ve never given us a time limit that precise, Sir...really? 1.42 hours? Just be glad that Vladimir didn’t understand that code.”

  “Never mind that now...I need to find a way for Cassie to get off this ship, undetected.”

  “Why not have her just blend in with the other workers. Once the Falcon is positioned 300 meters from the station, they’ll just cross in suits to do the work.”

  “Yeah, that’s a brilliant idea, Samuels...but how do you expect she’ll do that?”

  “You asked for ideas, Tucker...I never said how that could be done.”

  “Doesn’t every suit have a transponder?” Cass asked.

  “Yes, they do...that’s used to find missing space walkers if they lose tether and are jets dry.”

  “Perfect!” Cass exclaimed.

  “What?”

  “Tucker, it’s simple. I’ll get Vlad to allow me to help with the construct. He can ensure my return with my transponder code...”

  “Only you’re going to hack this vessel’s computer and change the code of your suit.” Samuels added, via his wireless.

  “Hey, that was going to be my plan!”

  “Too bad, Tucker...maybe you’re losing your touch,” Cass smiled before planting her lips on his.

  Samuels interrupted their little reunion, “Excuse me, Sir! Do you mind?”

  “No, not at all...thanks for asking though,” he managed to reply through Cassie’s lips, as she pressed hers to his.

  “Come on, Colonel...there’s no time for this, we have a deadline to meet.”

  “Never mind,
now...there’s always enough time,” Tucker finished.

  Then Cassie pushed off from Tuck, “Now, I just have to convince Vlad to let me on the team...”

  “...and hack the computer...geez, do you think that’s even possible?”

  “I don’t know, Tucker, but I have to try.”

  “Commander,” Samuels noted, “You’ve only got a couple of minutes before he comes back for you. We better sign off.”

  “Right, I agree...See ya in a few.”

  “Right, I can hardly wait.”

  “Shhh, he’s coming,” Cassie exclaimed, turned Tucker toward her, and planted a huge kiss as the door opened.

  Vladimir floated at the entrance, “Sheesh...maybe I zhould have given you more time?” he chuckled.

  Cass and Tucker split apart and smiled at each other.

  “I can see that Major Phillips vas a vise choice for hostage.”

  “Don’t be silly, Vlad,” Cassie playfully smiled, “I wanted to kiss someone...you know, in case this was the last?”

  “Very funny, Major Phillips...I am not going to kill you...I’m going to ved you.”

  “Excuse me?” Tucker asked.

  “You vould make beautiful bride for Russian vedding...I think I vill keep you here.”

  “Now, you wait just a moment, there...”

  Cassie pushed Tucker away and returned a smile to Vlad, “I don’t know, Colonel...I think Vlad here would be a great choice for me...”

  “Colonel, I suggest you get back to your ship...you’re 20 minutes are up, and your zixty hours have begun,” he answered, gazing into Cassie’s eyes.

  Tucker shook his head, “I should have known...”

  “Known what, Colonel?”

  “That Major Phillips would fall for you over me.”

  “Well,” Cassie added, “He is the stronger side...”

  “Fine...fine...I see how this is going.”

  “I’m suiting up with Samuels...is the Falcon in position?”

  “Yes, Colonel. We are 300 meters and station-keeping off the mag-ring repair site.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you in a couple of days, Cass.”

  “Less than zixty hours, Colonel.”

  Tucker floated down the corridor of the Falcon and quickly found himself three levels up and at the causeway to Salvage-5.

  “Oh, good...there you are,” Samuels said, looking up from fastening his helmet collar, “I was gettin’ worried.”