The Cagliostro Chronicles (10 page)

Mark Johnson sat in the commissary of the Cagliostr
o. There was no one else in the room with him. He was drinking bourbon straight up, in an almost pitch black room staring at a view screen that showed empty space. Normally it piped in an image of the ship at hyper-warp. Now everything was still and unmoving on the view screen. Nothing moved. Not anything in the view screen, not even the Cagliostro itself.

The lights suddenly went to full brightness in the room. Annoyed he covered his eyes. “Shut those damned lights off,
and then leave. I told you all I wanted to be left alone.”

“No.
I don’t care what you told us. We’re almost a million light years from home, and our Captain and boss is nowhere to be seen. He’s in here hiding and sulking.”

Mark turned towards the sound of the voice behind him
, anger oozing from his pores. “Dammit Ariel! I caused the death of forty people because I had to be out here playing Captain Kirk or Flash Gordon or whoever. It’s my fault they’re all dead. They were not soldiers. They were all civilians, just a bunch of regular guys.”

“And every one of them knew what they were getting into. You gave everyone on the ship a chance to get
off before we left Earth. Those that were afraid did. The rest took their chances and were brave souls who wanted an adventure. Now, like I told you before, there are over sixty people being held somewhere. We are their only chance of survival. So get it together, mister.” She smacked him on the back of the head as she finished. He turned towards her angrily, and then shook his head.

“I’m not abandoning them
, Ari; I’ve been sitting here trying to work out a defense to that energy draining ray they used on us. I’ve been going over that data for two days while we did repairs on the ship. Even the General is getting his hands dirty helping out Dan. I haven’t given up, not at all. But we have to defeat that power draining device they have, whatever it is before we go after them.”

“Well how long are you going to wait? My God those people have been in some
enemy’s hands, and we don’t even know who they are. We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

He stood
up and stared at Ariel, “What would you like us to do? Just go in guns blazing, hoping we take them out before they destroy us? That’s not going to work.”

“W
hat do you think will?” She asked, looking straight into his eyes, her expression neutral.

“
Here’s what happens when that energy siphon, which is what I’m calling it by the way, hits us. It establishes a connection through that energy beam through the ship’s hull and drains our energy stores. I believe it acts like a sort of heat sink, just siphoning, in this case, our energy level away.”

“So what happens to that energy? Is it just shunted off into space? Or are they storing it somewhere and re-powering their weapons with it?” Ask
ed Dan Sledge as he walked in the sliding doors of the commissary and sat down with Mark and Ariel.

“You tell me Danny. What do you think? My best guess is they are storing it and re-using it against us.”

“I did see a power fluctuation when I was scanning them as they attacked us with it the first time.”

“Yes, but it just punched through our shields like they weren’t there. So how do we shield ourselves from that?”
Ariel asked.

“How about we don’t?” Mark replied, smiling suddenly.

“What do you mean, boss?” Dan reacted, while Ariel looked on with a confused look on her face.

“What if we could generate enough energy to keep us protected from their draining effects by overloading their system?”

“What?” Dan asked.

“Think Danny, You’re a trained engineer and brilliant at what you do. Now
, when they depowered the Cag they used three, maybe four ships with that siphon ray being broadcast from each of them. If we come upon them we have to be able to withstand that. One ship, maybe two, I’m not that concerned with. I think we can destroy them if we have to. We have the firepower. But it’s the energy siphon that’s going to be our weakness against these guys.”

“So what are you thinkin’? Don’t leave me in suspense.”

“I’m thinking we take a page from their book and use it against them.”

“What? You want to siphon their power? With only a handful of us I don’t think we could come up with the tech fast enough to do that. We’d need a full crew in the machine shop and science labs.”

“No Danny,” Mark began smiling, “that’s not what I meant. They used more than one ship against us, we’ll do the same to them, but they won’t know it.”

“Huh? How? We don’t have any invisibility device onboard, unless you’re not tellin’ me everything.”

“Nope, not what I meant. Now listen closely, this is what we’re going to do.”

The Cagliostro hurtled through space, on the trail of their enigmatic foes. All six people aboard the ship were now on the command deck, including General Abruzzi.

“All systems are restored and operating at one hundred percent efficiency, Mark.”

“All right Dan, thank you. Good job, by the way.”

Sledge laughed from behind his console and display, “What’re you thankin’ me for? You did half the work.”

“And I couldn’t have gotten it done without you Dan, so once again, thank you.” Mark answered stoically before turning toward Red, “How are we doing Red? Is the trail still there?”

“Yes the ion component
of their engines energy signature is easily readable, Mark. It’s glowin’ like a beacon to the sensors.”

“How long till we intercept them?”

“Hard to tell Mark, we can’t see that far ahead with the sensors, but I’m trying to recalibrate them for that energy signature and not much else.”

“Do what you can Red. If you need help
, let me know I designed the damned things, I know how to mess with them better than anyone.

“I’ll help ya out Red. I know those systems, an’ I am the ships engineer.” Dan offered.

Ariel looked at Mark cautiously then turned back to the main viewer, stoically.

“Dan, our speed?”

“One hundred percent of hyper-warp capability Mark. We can’t get an iota more speed out of her.”

“Dan, how are the engines holding up?
I mean at this velocity?”

“So far no problems, boss, but that doesn’t mean they can do this indefinitely.”

“They don’t have to. All they have to do is maintain this speed until we overtake our enemies.”

Ariel swiveled her chair around and faced Mark,
“How do you know they can’t get away from us? These beings have been flying through space, deep space for who knows how long? I’d guess thousands of years. What makes you think we can catch them? And once we do, then what? They defeated this ship once already, what makes you think they can’t do it again?”

“Because Ariel, Mark began, uncharacteristically grimly, “I wasn’t in command.”

The hours drained by interminably as the command crew sat restlessly, watching the main viewer.

“Eddie, we need coffee up here. Do me a favor and get us each a cup from the commissary. You’ll have to make a fresh pot.”

“No problem, chief.” Eddie replied with a lopsided grin. “Just don’t forget me if you find somethin’; that needs to be shot.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Eddie. When we find those ships, and our people, you’re the only person I want behind the trigger of the Cagliostro’s guns.”

Eddie nodded and smiled, “Okay Mark I got it. Be right back.”

“Hey Mark, can I talk to you a minute?” Danny stood up.

“Uh, who’s flying the ship?” Red asked.

“Auto pilot, following the trail. It’s all fine.” Dan replied as he walked towards the maglovator. “C’mon boss, I need a word
.”

Mark rose from his seat, “Ari keep an eye on things?”

“There are six people on the ship and everyone except Eddie is right here,” she replied.

“All right
,” he agreed with annoyance, “just make sure we’re flying straight and you don’t hear anything over your comm console.”

Mark joined Dan as the doors shut behind them.

“What?” Mark asked, annoyed, and showing it.

Dan halted the maglovator before it went anywhere.

“We need to talk.”

“We’re doing that now. What is it?”

“You’re pushing, badly, man. You have to stop. It doesn’t even sound like you talking up there.” Dan jerked his thumb towards the command deck.

“It’s me, you know that.”

“Obviously Mark, but you sure ain’t actin’ like yourself. What’s goin’ on here?”

“You know what’s going on. We’ve had this conversation before.”

“I thought you went all through that with Ari? C’mon man, you have to be yourself.”

Mark turned
and looked Dan directly in the eyes, “I am myself, more than ever, trust me buddy, and I know what I’m doing.”

“I do trust you, definitely. I just wanna make sure you
’re straight in the head with this. It’s us against maybe an army.”

“Dan, I know what I’m doing. Believe me.”

“See? This is what I’m worried about. You’re not even really listenin’ to me. You’re ‘yessin’ me an’ ignorin’ me at the same time. What is wrong with you?” Dan asked wide eyed.

“Listen to me
Danny; I was taking this whole thing too lightly. I got so caught up in the adventure, the thrill of going where no one had gone before. It was amazing stuff. Who wouldn’t be? But for once the General was right about something, hell,” He cocked his head sideways and smirked, “I’m sure he’s been right about a lot of things in his military career, otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten where he is now. The man is a professional soldier, and that’s what I was missing when we took off, the right attitude. The business-like attitude to do what had to be done, no matter what it takes.”

“What are you talking about
, man? You took out one of those star ships that attacked us.”

“No Danny, you’re wrong. I didn’t take it out, I damaged it. If I had been a soldier, a man like Abruzzi is, I’d have destroyed that ship and sent a message.”

“Mark you can’t think like that man.”

“No Danny, I have to think like that, exactly like that. We were attacked and they would have killed us all, and we know that for a fact now, because of the message they sent and left just for me. Message received. Clearly.
If I had thought like that forty people, whose names I know personally would still be alive. Hell, Danny, there’s another sixty out there who may be dead already too. This stopped being a game and just became deadly serious. In fact it always was, and it’s my fault for not treating it that way to begin with.” He exhaled and started the maglovator returning to the command deck, then turned back toward Dan, “I knew what we were getting into and I treated it like a video game instead of what it was. I have to not only avenge the people who were killed because of my own foolishness, I have to save the ones who may still be alive, and heaven help those monsters who have them, because if they are hurt, these aliens are truly going to find out what this ship can do.”

The maglovator doors open
ed and the two men walked back to their stations, Dan eyed Mark silently.

Ariel looked
first to Mark, then to Dan, yet said nothing. Sitting in a chair at the back of the deck, General Abruzzi creased his brow as he folded his arms across his barrel chest and exhaled thoughtfully.

Suddenly an alert siren blared
to life, then quieted to a less jarring volume within five seconds. “We’ve got contact, Mark.” Red advised. “One ship, currently one hundred million miles ahead of us and losing ground quickly.”

“Slow down to match speed to
theirs. I want to be on the outskirts of our sensor range.”

“Roger, Mark.” Dan confirmed.

“Eddie prepare all weapons. When we do intercept them I want it to be done quickly. Also we’re going to have to be ready to go on there and get our people back from them.”

“What if they already dropped our people off somewhere?”

“Then Red, we’ll find out where they are before we destroy that ship.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Red agreed.

“How do you want to do this?” Eddie asked.

“Very simply Eddie, hard and fast. Keep all solar cannons at full power and fire tight beams. I want to punch holes in their shields and then their hull.”

The General smiled silently, in his seat behind Mark.

“Red, can you pick up any of the uniform tags?”

“No, nothing yet, we are pretty far off though.”

“What’s this ‘tag’, Johnson?”
the general asked.

“The uniforms we all wear have various properties built into them. They can protect against small arms fire as well as energy resistance to anything short of a heavy energy rifle. They also have a locator transponder built into them, as well as a communicator in the sleeve.”

“So these tags as you called them are broadcasting a signal all the time?”

“No
general, it’s a passive system, meaning we have to scan for them. If you don’t know what to scan for, you’ll never find it.”

“Ingenious, but it must be limited to the range of your ships sensors then?”

“Yes, but these sensors are the best built on Earth.”

The General smiled, “And since you said that son, I believe it, knowing the magic you can engineer.”

“Thanks General, I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Mark smiled without looking behind him where the General was sitting.

“
Well don’t get used to it. I wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation,” the General replied with a smirk.

“You two lovebirds can stop your mutual admiration society,” Red broke in, “that ship
’s starting to slow down.”

“Danny,
Eddie, are we ready for action?”

“Yeah, chief, we are. As ready as we’re ever gonna be I think.”

“Do they know we’re here Red?”

“I don’t think so, Mark. It’s not what they slowed down for.”

“What’d they slow down for then?”

“That.” Answered Red as he brought up an image on
his display, an image of a sprawling space station, a great wheel spinning slowly, majestically in space.

“Wow.” Dan exclaimed, “Tha
t’s some piece o’ Engineerin’.

“Yes
, it is, Danny. Okay we have to stop that ship from docking with it.”

“I think we should get out of here
,” Red announced.

“Why?”

“I’m counting thirty eight ships exactly the same as the one we’re following that are docked there.”

“That ain’t good
,” Eddie replied.

“Dammit!” Mark punched the arm of his chair angrily,
“I’m not leaving our crew in these creature’s hands.”

A
riel turned towards Mark and began to speak, her voice loud, “We may not have a choice. There are thirty eight ships there. How can we even hope to take them all on?”

“I want that one. That ship.”

“We don’t even know if that’s the one that took our people.” She countered.

“It is, logically it has to be. It waited around the
longest. The Cag’s engines may have been powerless, but the sensor system still retained the barest amount of energy in its own emergency back-up battery pack. We all know three ships left from the video replays, and one remained. That one.” He stood up and pointed from his chair at the view screen, “If they don’t have our people anymore, they know where they are.”

“Mark,” Red began,
“we’ve been following this ship for days now. But we’ve always been at least a day behind them. They could have dropped our people off anywhere along the way before we caught them.”

As if in reply to Red’
s comment, a small alert began to blink and buzz on his own virtual display.

“Ummm
, okay, scratch I said that. That’s the ‘Tags’ being read by our sensors. That ship was shielded but that space station not so much. Sixty tags just appeared.” He turned back to face Mark, “You were right boss, they’re all here.”

“Not for long.”

“Johnson,” The General began, “You can’t really be thinking of taking that thing on can you?”

“
I thought you of all people would be behind me here, General.”

“I don’t believe in fighting losing wars, son. There’s no way you can win here and save your people.”

“I disagree with you, General. I’m just working out the kinks of all this right now.” Mark sat back and rubbed his chin pensively.

‘
I hate when you look like that,’
Ariel commented telepathically.

‘Why is that?’
Mark replied.

‘
Because it usually means trouble that leaves me questioning why I started dating you.’

He look
ed at her and grinned boyishly
, ‘Probably more for my looks then my brains.’

‘
Actually it was probably more for your money.’
she smiled gently back at him.

“Well? Are you
two going to stop the mental love making so we can get back to what’s at hand?” Eddie cut in.

“Already back on it, Eddie. Just crunching the numbers
, and seeing where things are going to land.”

Mark lean
ed forward in his chair then, “Red, where are our crew, can you pinpoint them?”

The
view screen changed to a grid type pattern before their eyes, blotting out the view of space and the station. Then it zoomed in and overlaid a schematic type diagram of the station itself. “This appears to be a subsection of the station that I have to assume is a jail. There are what I would call cells here, and in six of those cells are our people.”