John switched on the intercom. “Engineering, are we right to switch on?”
“Sir, Gillespie and Wright aren’tback yet,” Kowalski called over John’s communicator.
“Where are they?” he demanded.
“I don’t know,” Kowalskigrowled. The echo of his voice indicated he was in a small area. “They wentto pick up a few things.”
John didn’t want to have to lookfor Gillespie. If he wasn’t back when the ship was due out, it usually meanthe was in trouble. “Giacomo, stall until I get back.”
“Yes, sir,” Giacomo answered.
John headed off the bridge andGiacomo looked up at the main screen. “We’ve got a small delay,” he apologised.
John had no idea where to look. As he stormed down the corridor, he felt a sense of urgency. Gillespie’smethods were not always legal. More than once, he had found the man in a jailcell.
He headed to the transporterroom, knowing a lock on Gillespie’s communicator would give his whereabouts. As he neared the room, he had to slow, making way for a procession of crewmencarrying boxes and crates. The larger crates took four men to carry. Johnnoted that Wright was with them as he pressed up against a wall to allow thempast. Above it all, he could hear Gillespie’s voice.
He crept to the doorway whereGillespie was supervising his “supplies”.
“Engineering… Medical…” Gillespie compared every item to his list, instructing where it needed to go. “Weapons…”
Gillespie flinched as Casecrunched a box into a wall.
“Careful with that! There’sexplosive caps in it.”
“Sorry,” Case apologised,adjusting his grip on the box and squeezing his way down the corridor.
Gillespie caught John in hisperipherals. “Oh, hi, Commander. Sorry we’re a bit late.”
His light mood did nothing todispel John’s temper. “Where have you been?”
“Shopping. I had a few things topick up. Careful with that,” he instructed as a long cylindrical objectcovered in a tarp was wheeled out the door.
“Don’t tell me that’s a torpedo!”
“Just a little one.” Gillespieheld up one hand, showing John a small gap between his thumb and forefinger,indicating a small object.
“You stole a torpedo!” AllJohn’s instincts were right. Gillespie should have been in jail.
“I didn’t steal it,” Gillespiedefended himself. “I just… borrowed it.”
“And when did you intend givingit back?” John’s temper flared and he held up his hands in defeat. “No, don’ttell me. I don’t want to know anything about it. Just… get organised and… We’ve got clearance to leave and flight control wants us out.”
Moving faster than the crewmen,he picked his way past them. He heard Gillespie call after him.
“Tell McReidy I’ve got some ofthat shampoo she likes.”
He raised a hand inacknowledgement and continued on his way. It was almost a relief to get to thebridge. At least things were normal there.
John took the captain’s chair. “Flight control, we’re underway.”
“Flight control acknowledged.”
“Giacomo, take her out. Rememberwe’re on backup so she’ll probably be a bit sluggish.”
“Yes, sir.”
John switched the screen to thebay doors behind them. The airlock door opened.
The ship disengaged from the dockand rose slowly. She inched in reverse alongside Canberra, turning a smoothone eighty when she was clear and gliding into the airlock. The door closedbehind them, the outer doors opened and Bismarck slipped out of the bright bayinto the dark beyond.
“McReidy, Gillespie said to tellyou he picked up some stuff for you,” John mumbled half heartedly. In thequiet of the bridge, his words travelled clearly to her.
“Tell him thank you,” she smiled.
As they cleared the stationperimeter, Giacomo increased speed. The ship groaned loudly and respondedslowly. The lights flickered, but held.
“Engineering,” John called overthe intercom. “Have we got light speed?”
“I hope so,” Kowalski mumbled. “I mean, yes, sir, of course we have, sir. Give it a few moments for the powerto kick in… Are we right, Red?”
“Just about,” Red’s voice slowlyfiltered through. “Just as soon as I… there… that’s got it.”
“Any time you’re ready, sir,”Kowalski told John. “Before you do, you might want to engage dampers. Therecould be a lot of vibration.”
“Engage dampers,” John ordered. “Stand by for light speed.”
Giacomo made the necessaryadjustments. “Standing by.”
“Go for it.”
The ship groaned heavily androcked. The lights held. The dampers steadied her, the noise died down. Shewas soon travelling with normal regularity.
John knew his official orders would be locked into thecaptain’s personal computer in his office. There was no great hurry to readthem. They weren’t going anywhere in a hurry until the main engines were back online.
Back to top
Chapter six
Giacomo was in charge of thebridge when the alien ship came out of nowhere and fired at Bismarck. Gillespie detected it at security, but it fired before he could finishinforming the pilot. The ship swayed violently. Giacomo hit the red alertbutton. The siren blared, calling the crew to battle stations.
“Red alert. Shields up,” heordered.
“Direct hit on engineering. Shields are down to sixty five percent,” came the reply from McReidy at thehelm.
Giacomo froze for a second. Allhis well thought out strategies disappeared. McReidy anticipated his order andbegan employing manoeuvres as he spoke. The ship, shown clearly on the mainscreen in front of them, turned to face them and fire again.
“Engage basic manoeuvres. Lockall weapons onto target. Fire when ready,” his orders came. “Kowalski, I wantshields!”
Kowalski’s voice coughed throughthe intercom. “Shields won’t hold… They’re draining more power… than they’reholding.”
The two ships firedsimultaneously. A direct hit on the bridge penetrated the shields. Withreduced force, it struck helm control and navigation, which blew up inMcReidy’s face. The blast sent her backwards out of her seat, an arminstinctively raised to protect her face, and she hit the floor heavily. Smokepoured from the console. The screen went blank. Giacomo was now blind to whatwas happening. He was soaked in a cold sweat.
“Alien ship has moved location,”Gillespie informed him.
“Keep weapons locked and returnfire,” Giacomo ordered.
McReidy was back on her feet,rubbing a sore shoulder. She lunged at the now useless helm; the ship wasimmobile. The console had stopped smoking; the fumes still stung her throat,causing her face to screw up. Hartford lay motionless across the navigationconsole, his eyes closed. The ship shook violently, and everything went blackand silent.
“Congratulations, Giacomo,”John’s voice boomed through the darkness. “You just blew us all up!”
There was no immediate answer.
“Lights.”
The computer came back on; thebridge returned to normal, all systems
