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

  “Oh, that? That was just a plan to...”

  “To what, Colonel?

  “...get her on the team so she could make her escape...”

  “Ve ztill have to have our little... talk.”

  “We can...once Cassie is safely recovered.”

  “Colonel...I did not know.”

  “No! No...absolutely not what I was thinking,” turning to Buster, “Why do they always think this of me, geez!”

  “Well, Commander...”

  “...never mind, it won’t help.”

  “Colonel? Grant my azylum...”

  “Sam! Break our link to the Falcon...inform Captain Glazkov that we are separating...get them ready for our first test.”

  “Aye, Sir! With pleasure...so sick of sittin’ around...finally, I can do something!” Sam muttered as she made her way back up to the pilot house.

  “Colonel...”

  “Yes...yes...Does he know you came over here?”

  “Not yet...but then again, he never noticed me after Major Phillips.”

  “I see...Sam,” Tucker ordered through his wireless, “Get me Captain Glazkov...after you separate...thanks.”

  “Sure thing, Commander.”

  Sam buckled her harness and flipped the power switches to the main engines, “Ion turbine and thrusters online...avionics green...” then she depressed her transmit button, “Falcon, Salvage-5...hard seal broke, commencing separation sequence...stand by...”

  Sam pushed the thruster control slightly, firing the rear thrusters against the Falcon. The Salvage-5 smoothly separated, drifting several meters away from them. Sam changed course and parked the ship just off the outside of the massive ring structure.

  “Falcon, Salvage-5...request Falcon actual.”

  A few moments passed before the wireless returned the call, “Thiz iz Falcon actual...Captain Glazkov.”

  “Captain, I’m transferring you to Colonel Petersen...stand by...Commander? Go ahead.”

  “Captain Glazkov...”

  “Colonel Peterzen...good vork on reztoring the jump ring...”

  “Thank you Captain, it’s not the prettiest looking thing without the shielding, but it’s functional. Captain, I have something I need to speak with you about.”

  “Yez? Vhat iz it?”

  “It’s about Lieutenant Yakovna...”

  “Yez? Yez? Vhat about my Lieutenant?”

  “She has formally requested asylum aboard my ship.”

  The wireless returned silence for what seemed an eternity, when in reality was merely a few seconds, “Zhe can ztay on your zhip...I have Cazzie, er, Major Phillipz. Zhe haz joined my team.”

  Slavena held her finger up to his lips, motioning to Tucker, “I see...well, that’s really a shame...Captain...I feel for ya.”

  “Vhat are you talking about?”

  “Well, let’s just say, she was extra baggage,” he said, nearly snickering into his wireless.

  “Vell, I might zay the zame thing, but I vill not.”

  “Very good of you...We’re about to commence the first power test...are all your men back?”

  “Da, all tranzponderz have returned, including Major Phillipz.”

  “Very good, Captain...I think that’s an agreeable trade, don’t you?”

  “Yez, good...power tezt and then zet up for 10 Hygiea, ve vill go first...then you follow.”

  “Right...right, now then Captain...Begin your run and we’ll have the power test completed in a couple more minutes...Salvage-5 out.”

  “You laid that on a little thick, don’t you think?” Sam snorted.

  “Why Sam...I didn’t think you noticed.”

  “You are bad, Colonel,” she smiled.

  “Buster, fire up the ring...Samuels...do you read me?”

  “Loud and clear...and so can Major Phillips...she’s not real happy right now...just sayin’.”

  “What?”

  “Give me that headset!” Tucker could hear through the wireless. Then a bunch of static as she held it up to her ear, “Whattya mean, extra baggage?!”

  “Oh, hey Cassie...how ya doing?”

  “Don’t hey Cassie me! And what about the crack about you getting the better end of the deal? Are you kidding me?!”

  “Cassie...it was all part of the act...and I might ask you how were Vladimir’s lips, anyway? I don’t see much in the way of lips on that man...”

  “Very funny, Colonel...”

  “Well, I’m just glad you got off that ship.”

  “We shall see how glad you are in a little while, won’t we?”

  “Umm, yeah,” looking over at Slavena, “Can’t wait...”

  “Commencing main power test,” Buster interrupted.

  “Go Buster,” Tucker ordered.

  “Main power online...magnetic relays online...”

  “So, Tucker...” Samuels asked, grabbing his headset back from Cass.

  “Sergeant?”

  “Yeah, let me remind you how this station feels when it’s running...”

  “Kind of feels weird?”

  “Yeah...we both feel the hair on our arms standing on end...it’s seems to be flowing all over our bodies...doesn’t hurt, but just feels strange...”

  “Okay then...hang on kids...Buster, begin first power sequence.”

  “All set, Commander...proceeding to second stage... ... ...now stage three... ... ...final stage firing... ... ...all systems online...now!”

  “Samuels? What’s the station output?”

  “We are stable at quarter power...the magnetic field is forming within the ring...all systems are green.

  “Bring the station to fifty percent.”

  “Aye, Sir...increasing power to fifty percent,” Buster acknowledged.

  “Samuels?”

  “Yes, Sir?”

  “How’s the station holding up? Any fluctuations of any kind?”

  “We can feel the vibrations on the walls, and it’s getting a little loud...need to go helmets on for this...stand by.”

  A few moments later, Samuels replied in a normal tone, “Sorry about that, Commander...it was a little on the loud side. We’re good now...ready to proceed to one hundred percent.”

  “Okay...Buster...if you will, please?”

  “Right, Commander...going to full power now! Geez, this is fun!”

  “Just keep it together, Buster...it’s just a mag-ring...”

  “Just a mag-ring? Wow, if you really...”

  “No, not going to start that again...please...don’t remind me about those effects.”

  “I’m keeping track, I’ll let you know if you get close to the 200.”

  “Gawd...I hope we won’t have that many missions...I don’t think I can take much more of this.”

  “What was that, Commander?”

  “Nothing, Buster...report?”

  “Oh, right...yeah! We have achieved one hundred percent.”

  “Samuels? Report?”

  “We’re good, Commander. The whole station is humming right along.”

  “Buster, please initiate the jump ring run up cycle, focus exit course for 10 Hygiea and aligned to the Falcon’s approach course...calculate, well, calculate the field strength to get them to the asteroid in two hours...that’ll give us a little time.”

  “I got it, Commander...course is already set, aligning the jump ring now.”

  “Sam, alert the Falcon to begin their run...we are green and go on the board.”

  “Aye, Sir!” Sam replied, and then turned the ship to watch from a distance, “Falcon, Salvage-5...begin your run...the board is green. Repeat, the board is green.”

  “Salvage-5, Falcon, we are firing main engines. ETA to ring: 10 minutes.”

  Sam finished aligning the ship to watch as the Falcon made their approach, the space behind the Falcon blazed with a bright glow as all their engines came online to full power.

  “Jump-ring is fully initialized, course set...confirmed...you are green to go,” Buster reported.

 
; The Falcon blazed toward the initialized jump-ring, then as it came closer to the ring opening, the ship appeared to elongate and then snapped through the jump-ring, disappearing from all scanners in the blink of an eye.

  “Well now...that should take care of our little problem with the Russians,” Tucker said, wiping his hand together.

  “Powering down the jump-ring...I just captured the Falcon’s trajectory. They are on course and will arrive at 10 Hygiea in two hours, twenty minutes and thirty-seven seconds.”

  “Thirty-seven?”

  “Na, I was just kiddin’ about the seconds,” Buster smiled.

  “See, Commander? He’s been taking lessons,” Sam winked.

  “Okay...let’s go make our pick up at the station...we have to right this asteroid before we go off looking for the CSMO.”

  “You do realize that you most likely stranded the Falcon at 10 Hygiea, right?” Buster asked.

  “Yes, well...we can send a report to Earth base now, can’t we...they can send a transport ship to rescue them...Sam, prepare a report of what’s been happening out here and get it sent off ASAP.”

  “Yes, Sir. Soon as we dock with the station for our pickup.”

  “Vhat do you mean, zend zupport zhip?” Slavena asked, “You are not going to help them with ZSMO?”

  “Um, no...that wasn’t in the plan.”

  “You tricked me! You...you...son of vodnieshka!”

  “Wow...I thought this might be cause for some ill feelings...but I didn’t know it would be this much...”

  “He vas expecting your help with ZSMO!”

  “Well...being the resourceful man he seems to be, I’m sure he’ll make do or find a way...”

  “It vas never your plan to follow them, vas it?”

  “No, not really...”

  “How do you expect to fuel up before our return to Earth?”

  “I never said that the CSMO was going to 10 Hygiea.”

  “You zent my Vlad out there with little rezourcez.”

  “Yeah, kind of...”

  “You ztranded my Vlad!”

  “Like I said, he’s a resourceful man...he’ll be fine,” turning to Sam, “he’ll be fine.”

  “Umm, Commander?” Buster said, trying for several minutes now to get Tucker’s attention.

  “Yes, Buster? What is it my boy?”

  “Well, sir...”

  “Come out with it, man...what is it?”

  “We don’t have enough explosives to right the asteroid’s orbit.”

  “Huh? What happened to all your fancy computations you were making on our way out here...I thought we had this covered?”

  “We did...but you used some of them on the Falcon...and well, that kind of shorted our needed supply.”

  “Explozivez! On the Falcon?! Vhat are you talking about?” Slavena exclaimed.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that?” Tucker asked Buster, not allowing Slavena to interrupt. “And relax, Lieutenant, it won’t go off unless we pull the trigger...and we have to be, well, in range...and it would seem, they’re not in range any longer.”

  “Sorry, Commander, but you never asked...I thought I could make up the difference, but there just isn’t any good way to do that.”

  “Well, what isn’t a good way, then?”

  “I don’t think you really wanna know...”

  * * *

  Chapter 13

  Salvage-5

  Location:

  Kuiper Belt - Asteroid 253 Mathilde

  Earth Date: 04/16/2065 00:00

  Mission Objectives:

  CORRECT ASTEROID 253 MATHILDE

  FIND CSMO & REFUEL

  Completed Objectives:

  ENLIST RUSSIANS TO ASSIST W/REPAIR

  FACILITATE REPAIR

  NEUTRALIZE RUSSIAN THREAT

  DELIVER PARTS & SUPPLIES

  TEST JUMP-GATE

  “In 3...2...1...skids down...jump ring hard seal established,” Sam reported, before powering down the ship’s engines, evidenced by the low whining sound of the turbines slowing.

  “Excellent, Captain...now let’s get our crew together and talk about this Asteroid.”

  Tucker unbuckled and floated to the lower cargo bay port seal and methodically turned the wheel, then lifted the hatch with a tug.

  A very irritated Major Phillips floated out of the jump ring airlock and into the Salvag-5 cargo bay, shortly followed by Sergeant Samuels, who then turned and closed the hatches.

  “Nice to see you guys are alright...” Tucker said, attempting to break the ice.

  Cassie shot him an icy glance and then returned to stowing her suit and helmet.

  “What? What did I do?”

  “Really, Tucker? You have to ask? And what’s she doing here!?”

  “Oh, her? Yeah, funny story...I’ll have ta tell it to ya sometime.”

  “Now’s good,” she said, looking over her brow for a moment, then returned again to stowing her gear.

  “Wow!”

  “Wow, what, Colonel?” Cassie reluctantly asked, with a roll of her eyes.

  “Just wow...tough room.”

  “Vhat?” Slavena asked with puzzle.

  “Well then, don’t make cracks about me being extra baggage...or that you got the better deal...I didn’t understand that one until now.”

  “Now wait a minute, Major...Slavena here has requested asylum...”

  “I can see why...but you didn’t have to agree, did you?”

  “Vell, thank you Major Phillipz,” Slavena sneered.

  “Nothing personal,” Cassie quickly shot back.

  Slavena tried to continue, “I came here to...”

  “...Oh, I know what you came here to do,” Tucker interrupted.

  “Oh?” Slavena and Cassie replied in unison.

  “Vhat do you think I came here for, Tuck, er, Colonel? Pleaze...tell uz...tell uz all.”

  “Yes, Colonel,” Cassie said with hands on her hips, “Do tell...”

  “Well...she...um...oh never mind...I’m gonna lose this one anyway,” Tucker relented.

  “You thought I came to be vith you?”

  “Well, it did cross my mind...I mean that kiss was sending me confusing signals...”

  “Kiss?!” Cass shouted toward Slavena, “You kissed Tucker?!”

  “She did...yes...yes indeed...” Tucker said somberly.

  “You zaid you were not vith her anymore,” Slavena protested.

  “No...you offered to kiss me to make it even...no, wait...that didn’t sound right either.”

  “No, Tucker...it sure didn’t...what did she mean by make things even? Huh? You kissed her first, didn’t you...that’s it...I knew it!”

  “No! Wait! She came on to me!”

  “I did not!”

  “Did so too...you said make it even after you told me Cassie kissed Vlad!”

  “Vell, zhe did kizz my Vlad...”

  “I...I...” Cass stammered.

  “You kissed Vlad and now you’re blaming me for Slavena kissing me to make it even? I pushed her away...Buster...Sam...you gotta back me on this one here.”

  “Sorry Commander,” Sam snickered, “I was in the pilot house, didn’t see a thing.”

  “Buster...”

  “Oh, right commander, I know you called me down here, but I saw you two getting all smoochy smoochy, and such...so I was going to leave you two alone...if you know what I mean,” Buster winked.

  “So what did I ask of you when you started to leave?”

  “Oh yeah...he asked for a SITREP on asteroid 253 Mathilde.”

  “That’s right...and why do you suppose I did that,” Tucker asked, turning to Cassie, “if I wanted to be alone with Slavena?”

  Slavena began to weep softly, “I can take no more rejection...firzt Vlad...now you...”

  “I’m not rejecting you...”

  “You’re not?” Cassie yelled.

  “See...I knew this was going to happen...Slavena, I...”

  Slavena’s weeping turned int
o full bore sobbing, and then Cassie lashed out flailing her arms and grabbing Slavena by the hair. Slavena screamed and clawed at Cassie, trying to grab her hair.

  “Hey! Hey! Hey now! Ow! Hey!” Tucker said, trying to separate the two in the weightless environment.

  Then they stopped the attack on each other and turned their frustration toward Tucker.

  Buster flew to Tucker’s aid and took one of Slavena’s fists to his eye, causing his glasses to fly into weightlessness, “Ow! Hey you all need to stop it!”

  “Buster’s right!” Tucker yelled. He grabbed the glasses, and nonchalantly handed them back to Buster, “We have bigger problems right now!” he said, continuing to thwart their onslaught.

  Cassie stubbornly stopped her assault and then Slavena quit as well.

  “I hate to say it,” Cassie admitted, “But the kid’s right...”

  “Vhat iz wrong vith azteroid?” Slavena asked.

  “That’s one of our main missions...correct the 253 Mathilde’s orbit,” Tucker answered.

  “It was the UTS Liberator. The transport ship crashed into the mag-ring, thus causing us to have to come out here and repair the thing,” Cassie added.

  “The Liberator lost control and crashed on the surface of the asteroid, causing its orbit to shift.”

  “...And that time is running on,” Buster warned, looking at his chronometer. “190 hours until its gravitational pull of the asteroid will start pulling at the station.”

  “That’s why we all need to keep a calm head...now; Buster here said that we no longer have the amount of explosives onboard to change the orbit.”

  “Let me guess,” Cass said, “your missing amount was used on the hull of Falcon?

  “Yes...”

  “Colonel...pleaze tell vhy and how you did thiz?” Slavena asked, her temper flaring once more.

  “I’ll tell you,” Samuels nodded, “He had me take one of our MECH’s over and plant ‘em on one of your ship’s engines.”

  “I do not believe thiz! You vere going to deztroy zhip?”

  “Just enough to disable the engines so we could get away.”

  “Ohh, thiz vas big miztake...”

  “So tell me,” Tucker asked, turning to Slavena, “How much fuel did the Falcon have left?”

  “I zhould not tell...”

  “You asked for asylum, you need to cooperate.”

  “Or elze?”

  “See that, not so pretty, jump ring we’re currently docked with?”