said.
“Report! Are you ready and able to fly?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Can you get us out of here?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And I’m out of here,” Coalfire said turning on his heels.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
Coalfire paused only long enough to peer back over his
shoulder. “I’ll be in touch.” With that he disappeared into the hallway.
Stan lunged for the door to look, but Coalfire had vanished.
The hallway was too long for a man, any man, to have moved so quickly.
“Fine! DarkStar , fire up the drive and head for the
surface.”
“Yes, Captain.” With no dispute, the ship responded in
obedience. Stan was master. Through his feet, he felt the floor faintly thrum
as the ship’s Slip-band drive came to life.
Lilia roused and, with a moan, sat up on the edge of the
bed. He could see she felt the soreness as well, but, thankfully, she had
remained unconscious through the worst of the procedure. She stretched and
groaned again.
“You okay?” he said.
She looked at him as if his question was glaringly stupid.
“I need to get to the bridge. In moments, my Lieutenants
will fire on this ship. Time is critical.”
“Sure.” Lilia shook her head, puzzled. “And I know where ,
or even what the bridge is . . . how?”
Stan’s lips curled into a smile. “I’ll help you sort out the hows and whys later. Right now I need to leave you alone. You
okay?”
“I’m right with you.”
“Bridge.” Stan commanded.
Instantly, a green, luminous band lit across the smooth walls;
a trail to guide them directly to the bridge. A mix of understanding and seeing
something completely new clashed in Stan’s mind as genetic memory sought to
override his experiences. “Hmm, would you look at that?”
Following it, he soon stepped onto the bridge. Grateful that
the distance wasn’t great, he hobbled stiffly toward the pilot’s seat like an
old man who had misplaced his walker.
“So,” kidded Lilia, “how’s this for moving quickly?” As she
had said, she was right behind him.
Not knowing she had followed, Stan turned with a start, but
a stab in his ribs nailed him hard. He could feel the ship rise slowly as he
sat down at the pilot’s console. Lilia took the co-pilot’s seat next to him.
The ship rose to the cavern ceiling and stopped suddenly with a thud. The
abrupt jerk sent pain shooting through both of them.
“ DarkStar , we’re in enough pain as it is,” Stan said.
“Please bring inertia suppressor on line.”
“Aye, sir.”
Thunderous scraping echoed through the bridge as the ice
resisted the ship’s efforts. Following orders, DarkStar stubbornly
pressed upward and broke through the thick frozen barrier. Once free, the ship
began to move more quickly through the softer snow.
Lilia rubbed a temple, scowling at the painful noise filling
the bridge. “Buffer that racket, will you, DarkStar ?” At once, the
intense sound vanished.
She tabbed the console to bring shields to full. “Give us
tactical, DarkStar .”
Just as a 3-D hologram appeared before them revealing the
ice planet, Stan shot an annoyed glance her way. “What do you think you’re
doing?”
“My job.” She tabbed her console. The picture zoomed in, and
they could now make out the planet’s surface.
“That isn’t Chagwa,” Stan said, mystified. Then the surface
features of the planet abruptly changed to that of Chagwa. The five Darts that patrolled the planet’s surface appeared from nowhere. The hologram
magnified again, and through the transparent view of Chagwa, they could see their
ship deep beneath the snow. Then out of the white Troy and Jesse’s Darts
appeared, heading skyward in pursuit. Stan swore they weren’t there a moment
before.
Lilia keyed in another command, strengthening the rear
shields.
“Await my commands,” Stan ordered. “I’ll let you know what
to do and when.”
Lilia leaned back and glowered. “Excuse me? Who put you in
charge?”
Stan fought to clear his mind, and could see
“Report! Are you ready and able to fly?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Can you get us out of here?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And I’m out of here,” Coalfire said turning on his heels.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
Coalfire paused only long enough to peer back over his
shoulder. “I’ll be in touch.” With that he disappeared into the hallway.
Stan lunged for the door to look, but Coalfire had vanished.
The hallway was too long for a man, any man, to have moved so quickly.
“Fine! DarkStar , fire up the drive and head for the
surface.”
“Yes, Captain.” With no dispute, the ship responded in
obedience. Stan was master. Through his feet, he felt the floor faintly thrum
as the ship’s Slip-band drive came to life.
Lilia roused and, with a moan, sat up on the edge of the
bed. He could see she felt the soreness as well, but, thankfully, she had
remained unconscious through the worst of the procedure. She stretched and
groaned again.
“You okay?” he said.
She looked at him as if his question was glaringly stupid.
“I need to get to the bridge. In moments, my Lieutenants
will fire on this ship. Time is critical.”
“Sure.” Lilia shook her head, puzzled. “And I know where ,
or even what the bridge is . . . how?”
Stan’s lips curled into a smile. “I’ll help you sort out the hows and whys later. Right now I need to leave you alone. You
okay?”
“I’m right with you.”
“Bridge.” Stan commanded.
Instantly, a green, luminous band lit across the smooth walls;
a trail to guide them directly to the bridge. A mix of understanding and seeing
something completely new clashed in Stan’s mind as genetic memory sought to
override his experiences. “Hmm, would you look at that?”
Following it, he soon stepped onto the bridge. Grateful that
the distance wasn’t great, he hobbled stiffly toward the pilot’s seat like an
old man who had misplaced his walker.
“So,” kidded Lilia, “how’s this for moving quickly?” As she
had said, she was right behind him.
Not knowing she had followed, Stan turned with a start, but
a stab in his ribs nailed him hard. He could feel the ship rise slowly as he
sat down at the pilot’s console. Lilia took the co-pilot’s seat next to him.
The ship rose to the cavern ceiling and stopped suddenly with a thud. The
abrupt jerk sent pain shooting through both of them.
“ DarkStar , we’re in enough pain as it is,” Stan said.
“Please bring inertia suppressor on line.”
“Aye, sir.”
Thunderous scraping echoed through the bridge as the ice
resisted the ship’s efforts. Following orders, DarkStar stubbornly
pressed upward and broke through the thick frozen barrier. Once free, the ship
began to move more quickly through the softer snow.
Lilia rubbed a temple, scowling at the painful noise filling
the bridge. “Buffer that racket, will you, DarkStar ?” At once, the
intense sound vanished.
She tabbed the console to bring shields to full. “Give us
tactical, DarkStar .”
Just as a 3-D hologram appeared before them revealing the
ice planet, Stan shot an annoyed glance her way. “What do you think you’re
doing?”
“My job.” She tabbed her console. The picture zoomed in, and
they could now make out the planet’s surface.
“That isn’t Chagwa,” Stan said, mystified. Then the surface
features of the planet abruptly changed to that of Chagwa. The five Darts that patrolled the planet’s surface appeared from nowhere. The hologram
magnified again, and through the transparent view of Chagwa, they could see their
ship deep beneath the snow. Then out of the white Troy and Jesse’s Darts
appeared, heading skyward in pursuit. Stan swore they weren’t there a moment
before.
Lilia keyed in another command, strengthening the rear
shields.
“Await my commands,” Stan ordered. “I’ll let you know what
to do and when.”
Lilia leaned back and glowered. “Excuse me? Who put you in
charge?”
Stan fought to clear his mind, and could see
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