“That’s it!” Kennedyexclaimed. When everyone stared at him, Con explained,“They’re hiding.”
Upon hearing Con’soutburst, Decker’s face lit up. “Ohh, right.”
“Thank you, Kennedy, forthat brilliant bit of deduction,” Lindstrom said, “but the questionremains – what is it that they’re hiding?”
Decker explained,“Commander, the question isn’t what they’re hiding – but whatthey’re hiding from.”
“Exactly,” said Kennedy.“It’s a pretty safe bet that it’s one and the same as whateverbrought down that ship.”
“Meaning, we still have noidea what that is,” Commander Ramsey said.
Ricci leaned back in hischair, murmuring, “Son of a bitch,” while running his hands throughhis hair.
“As I said yesterday,” Constated, “the best way to find out, is to send a small, focusedTactical team down.”
Ricci tilted his head andglanced at his Tactical leads. “Yes – and no.” Kennedy and Deckershared puzzled looks before the captain went on to explain, “I’msending a team down – but not a small one.” He turned to his firstofficer. “Lindstrom, you’re going to lead the mission. I do want astrong Tactical contingent, but also bring along Scientific andEngineering representation – as well as Medical.” Ricci looked atDr. Clemente. “Would that be you, or—”
“I think it’s high time weallowed Doctor Uddin to accompany an away mission,” Lindstromsuggested.
Clemente agreed with thesuggestion to send Dr. Omar Uddin as the medical rep but Kennedysmiled to himself, noting the slight scowl Rita aimed at herboyfriend. It was well known that Lindstrom disliked situationswhere Clemente was even nominally under his command. Con didn’tunderstand the reluctance as he had no problem being in similarcircumstances regarding Aqila. But he silently acknowledged thatClemente and Lindstrom had been a couple for many years andtherefore must have accepted each other’s quirks.
After Ramsey hadvolunteered First Lieutenant Avery to represent Engineering,Lindstrom asked Aqila, “Who from Scientific, Lateef?”
“Lieutenant Brodie – andme, of course.” She smiled mischievously at Con. “Unless there areany objections?”
Assiduously ignoring thatsly gibe, Lindstrom then asked Kennedy for his Tacticalrecommendations. Con decided he, Decker, Kapoor, and Quan would godown to the moon’s surface. That would leave Second LieutenantEvelyn Bayer, with Werther to support her, in charge of Tacticalon Lovelace.
“That sounds like acapable team, Commander,” Ricci said. “Make it happen.” He smiledat his first officer. “I know I don’t have to advise caution on amission with you in command, but I will offer a general injunctionto the entire team – stay safe. That’s an order.”
Kennedy joined the chorusof assent but wondered if that last decree was particularlyintended for him, Decker – or both.
Chapter 4
Are TheyNot Monsters
“They that have voice of lions and act of hares,are they not monsters?” Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida
This time Decker pilotedthe L3 shuttle through an alien atmosphere without issue. Headingfor the general area where the wrecked ship was located, she askedLindstrom, “How close to the other ship do you want me to land,Commander?”
“Oh, give ussome breathing room. Saythirty-meters or so.”
“Yes, sir.” She checkedthe sensor read-outs. “The terrain there looks—” Deck stoppedshort, receiving an indication that a ship approaching. “Uh-oh.There’s something headed our way.”
“A ship?” Kennedyasked.
“Yeah, looks like a smallship with one life-sign…no, make that three small ships.” Naiche took asecond to absorb the additional information streaming in from thesensors. “Weird energy signatures. Or lack of energy signatures.”She enhanced the view screen. “Should be in visual range soon.”After a second spent observing the approaching phenomena, sheexclaimed, “Holy shit! Are those…birds?”
“They can’t be birds,”Lindstrom said. “They’ve got to be at least—”
“Sixty-meters long, about1,000-kilos,” Decker narrated from the data output. Everyone aboardwas silent with awe – staring at the white creatures flying towardsthem on wings as wide as the shuttle.
“They look sort oflike Quetzalcoatlus,” Aqila said. “Only larger. And scale-plated.”
“And what exactly isthat?” Lindstrom demanded.
“A prehistoric creature ofEarth.”
“I don’t know what theyare – and I don’t plan to find out,” Deck announced. She steeredinto the upper atmosphere, intending to evade their notice and thencircle back towards their designated landing spot. Checking to seeif she was clear, Deck got some bad news. “They’re following us.And they’re incredibly fast.”
Con was studying thesensor screen. “How is something that big, that fast?”
“I don’t know – but I’vebeen up against worse.” Decker swiftly employed basic evasivemaneuvers from her war pilot days. However, the three creaturesproved impossible to completely elude and remained in closepursuit.
Kennedy was asking, “Didyou try a reverse-half—” when the shuttle was roughly jolted,rammed on either side by the creatures. “I just figured out whatthat city is hiding from!”
“Ya’ think?” Deckerlaughed. Her humor quickly faded at all three creatures startedtaking turns buffeting the shuttle and one came close to biting offthe Nav-sat mount. “Son of a bitch! Everybody, strap in,” sheordered. “This is about to get…interesting.”
“What’re you gonna do?”Con asked.
While gunning the shuttleinto a tight loop, she answered, “They want a fight? Well, I’mgonna give them one.”
“I haven’t yet authorizedyou to kill these animals, Lieutenant,” Lindstrom retorted. “Theymight simply be confused, rather than attacking with maliciousintent.”
Though the formidablecreatures continued to rock and pummel the shuttle, Naiche gasped,“Understood, sir,” while fighting to maintain control of thevessel. One of the animals could be seen heading straight for them.Decker executed a flank-flip to avoid a collision but could notevade the stream of liquid it spewed at them. Shortly afterwards,she received a warning from the control panel.
“Shit!” Kennedy yelled,reading the data output. “Whatever that was – it’s eating into thehull.”
“A vanadinlum hull?”Brodie yelped. “Yikes.”
“You now have mypermission to rid us of these beasts, Decker,” Lindstrom said.“Shoot to kill.”
“Aye, sir.” Her firstvolley narrowly missed the lead animal. That shot seemed to enragethem and their attack escalated into a blistering frenzy. Theonslaught came close to overwhelming the shuttle, but her years asa combat pilot served her well and Decker evaded them and theircorrosive saliva, while maintaining a scorching return assault.Several shots landed but appeared to have only minor effect. “Thatscale-plating can at
