dead void at the centre of a black hole. The ship would be crushed like a tin can.
“Again, a matter of minutes. We arrived at such a velocity; the singularity is only accelerating that. We won’t have long,” Rayne said, seeming to calm down now that the inevitable implications of their current situation were making themselves clear.
“Thank you Ensign. And for the record? I am sorry I made the decision to Jump. We all make mistakes. But I was trying to keep us alive. Given the choice of killing the whole crew or putting a gun to my own head, it would be the latter any day,” she said, then looked from one to the other. “I would give my life over and over again to save you all.”
“We know sir,” Chang said, her eyes wet with tears.
“Thank you Lieutenant. Now, is there any way -“
She was cut off by the sound of the proximity alert. Chang spun in her chair, quickly checked her display.
“Enemy vessel directly behind us,” she said. “It’s the Draxx.”
11.
“What?” Prince Sepix snapped.
The helmsman studied his readouts then stared in disbelief at the forward viewscreen.
“As I said my Lord, we are caught in the pull of a black hole,” he said.
Sepix scowled. “Unacceptable! Reverse engines!”
The Inflictor screamed from the forces at work, one pulling it forward the other pulling it back as the mighty engines produced as much thrust as the engineering crew could draw from them.
“No use! Port engines going into overload!” the helmsman reported.
Sepix growled in frustration. “Shut it down you fool!”
The helmsman’s claws clattered against the metal of the helm as he scrambled to reduce the engines to nominal thrust.
Sepix glared at the forward screen, at the Defiant . His whole body shook with rage. “Lock on weapons and fire at that ship! I’ll be damned if I’ll follow a pink skin down to hell!”
* * *
“They’re locking weapons,” Chang reported.
“Transfer all power to the hull plating. Concentrate it to the rear, where we’re exposed,” King ordered. “All hands brace for impact.”
They waited for what seemed an age. King shot Chang a look. “I thought you said they were locking weapons?” she asked.
Chang looked baffled. “They were . I don’t understand it …”
Ensign Boi spoke up. King knew he was a highly educated science officer in his own right, as well as being a fine communications specialist. He’d gone from Cadet to Ensign in no time at all. “If I may, Captain, they might not be able to fire. The intense gravity from the black hole could be affecting their weapons. If it’s having an effect on ours then it will be doing the same to theirs,” he said.
“Commander, test our weapons systems. Try to fire,” King said.
Greene tried the different systems. Nothing worked. “He’s right. Dead as a door-post.”
King grinned. “Well that gives me something to smile about. They’re stuck in this mess with us, and there’s literally nothing they can do. It’s going to upset his lordship no end to think he can’t even shoot us out of the way.”
A few of them laughed, more from nerves than amusement.
“Well spotted Ensign,” King said to Boi. “Please open a line to the Inflictor .”
Boi nodded and within seconds the swirling chaos of the Koenig-Prime singularity was replaced by the fierce face of Prince Sepix.
“Hello again,” King said. “It’s been a little while.”
“Luckily for you, Captain, we are unable to blast you to smithereens or we would not be having this conversation,” Sepix said.
“How sad,” King said. “Well, have a good trip won’t you? I believe we’re going the same direction?”
Sepix turned to one of his bridge crew, swiped a hand across his throat. The communications cut dead.
King laughed. She couldn’t help it. The others joined her. It was hilarious, in it’s own way.
However, one look at the black hole before them sobered any laughter. The bridge fell eerily silent
“Again, a matter of minutes. We arrived at such a velocity; the singularity is only accelerating that. We won’t have long,” Rayne said, seeming to calm down now that the inevitable implications of their current situation were making themselves clear.
“Thank you Ensign. And for the record? I am sorry I made the decision to Jump. We all make mistakes. But I was trying to keep us alive. Given the choice of killing the whole crew or putting a gun to my own head, it would be the latter any day,” she said, then looked from one to the other. “I would give my life over and over again to save you all.”
“We know sir,” Chang said, her eyes wet with tears.
“Thank you Lieutenant. Now, is there any way -“
She was cut off by the sound of the proximity alert. Chang spun in her chair, quickly checked her display.
“Enemy vessel directly behind us,” she said. “It’s the Draxx.”
11.
“What?” Prince Sepix snapped.
The helmsman studied his readouts then stared in disbelief at the forward viewscreen.
“As I said my Lord, we are caught in the pull of a black hole,” he said.
Sepix scowled. “Unacceptable! Reverse engines!”
The Inflictor screamed from the forces at work, one pulling it forward the other pulling it back as the mighty engines produced as much thrust as the engineering crew could draw from them.
“No use! Port engines going into overload!” the helmsman reported.
Sepix growled in frustration. “Shut it down you fool!”
The helmsman’s claws clattered against the metal of the helm as he scrambled to reduce the engines to nominal thrust.
Sepix glared at the forward screen, at the Defiant . His whole body shook with rage. “Lock on weapons and fire at that ship! I’ll be damned if I’ll follow a pink skin down to hell!”
* * *
“They’re locking weapons,” Chang reported.
“Transfer all power to the hull plating. Concentrate it to the rear, where we’re exposed,” King ordered. “All hands brace for impact.”
They waited for what seemed an age. King shot Chang a look. “I thought you said they were locking weapons?” she asked.
Chang looked baffled. “They were . I don’t understand it …”
Ensign Boi spoke up. King knew he was a highly educated science officer in his own right, as well as being a fine communications specialist. He’d gone from Cadet to Ensign in no time at all. “If I may, Captain, they might not be able to fire. The intense gravity from the black hole could be affecting their weapons. If it’s having an effect on ours then it will be doing the same to theirs,” he said.
“Commander, test our weapons systems. Try to fire,” King said.
Greene tried the different systems. Nothing worked. “He’s right. Dead as a door-post.”
King grinned. “Well that gives me something to smile about. They’re stuck in this mess with us, and there’s literally nothing they can do. It’s going to upset his lordship no end to think he can’t even shoot us out of the way.”
A few of them laughed, more from nerves than amusement.
“Well spotted Ensign,” King said to Boi. “Please open a line to the Inflictor .”
Boi nodded and within seconds the swirling chaos of the Koenig-Prime singularity was replaced by the fierce face of Prince Sepix.
“Hello again,” King said. “It’s been a little while.”
“Luckily for you, Captain, we are unable to blast you to smithereens or we would not be having this conversation,” Sepix said.
“How sad,” King said. “Well, have a good trip won’t you? I believe we’re going the same direction?”
Sepix turned to one of his bridge crew, swiped a hand across his throat. The communications cut dead.
King laughed. She couldn’t help it. The others joined her. It was hilarious, in it’s own way.
However, one look at the black hole before them sobered any laughter. The bridge fell eerily silent
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