Enigma: A Far From Home Novel (7 page)

* * *

“Firing braking thrusters,” Lieutenant Banks declared as he brought the
Defiant
to a full stop. Up ahead, the
Enigma
was a small, black oblong crossing the face of the moon around which it was in orbit. NA-45 was a dirty, brown colour, with notes of sulphur in its upper atmosphere.

“What can you tell me about the planetoid beyond?” King asked.

“High speed winds blasting the surface with silicate particles, acid rain, a thin nitrogen atmosphere,” Chang said. “Definitely not a holiday destination.”

“Nice,” King said. “And the
Enigma
itself?”

“Never seen anything like it,” Chang said. “Not in terms of a starship design, anyway. And certainly not anywhere near that size.”

“Prepare the probes,” Commander Greene told her.

“Aye.”

Jessica accessed her comm. controls. “Doctor Gentry to the bridge, please. Doctor Gentry to the bridge.”

Commander Chang looked up from her console. “Probe’s ready to launch.”

“Do it,” Commander Greene ordered.

“Yes Ma’am. Launching now,” Chang said. There was a soft whoosh from somewhere, and then the two probes appeared on the viewscreen, speeding away from the front end of the
Defiant
.

“Track them,” Jessica ordered.

“Aye,” Chang said.

“Holding at five million kilometres,” Banks announced as he shut off the braking thrusters.

“Excellent,” Jessica said. She looked across at Olivia Rayne. “Ensign, are you detecting any communications from that thing?”

Rayne shook her head. “No, Captain. Whatever it is, it’s totally silent on all spectrums and frequencies.”

“Thirty seconds until contact,” Chang said. She watched her readouts intently.

The probes’ paths appeared on the viewscreen as red lines, both converging at the same point. The
Enigma
 . . .

“Ten seconds.”

“Talk us through it,” Jessica said.

Chang licked her lips. “Probe One will cover every angle of the
Enigma
with cameras, holographic mapping sensors and will detect any traces of radiation. Probe Two is using everything in its arsenal to figure out what it’s made of, its velocity, mass. It will also fire its jets at the
Enigma
to test Doctor Gentry’s theory.”

“What theory’s that again?” Greene asked.

“That the device may be made up of anti-matter,” a voice said behind them. Dr. Gentry stepped onto the bridge. “And if it is, we would no longer exist if we were to dock with it.”

“I thought I remembered something about shooting garbage at it . . .” Greene mumbled.

“Welcome to the bridge, Doctor,” King said. “Take a seat. I thought you’d appreciate being up here.”

“Thank you, thank you, yes,” he said. He picked the nearest seat and plonked himself down on it. “It’s all
very
exciting!”

Commander Greene gave Jessica a look that said, “I can’t believe you’ve let him up here,” but she simply dismissed it.

“Probe Two firing jets now,” Chang said.

“Everyone close your eyes!” Dr. Gentry boomed. All bridge hands turned to watch him cower forward, hands over his eyes, expecting the end of the universe as they knew it.

Nothing happened.

“No reaction,” Chang said with what sounded like borderline laughter.

“Maintain your composure, Lieutenant. All heads forward! Everyone focus on the task at hand,” Jessica snapped.

Dr. Gentry looked up. “Oh, we weren’t obliterated . . .” he said in a tone that sounded almost disappointed.

“Probes holding position around the
Enigma
, Captain,” Commander Chang said.

“Good. Keep them in a fixed flight path. Why don’t you head on down to the briefing room with Doctor Gentry and collate the data from there? Commander Greene and myself will be along in a few minutes,” King said.

“Aye,” Chang said. Gentry got up and left with her.

Commander Greene walked over to the science and tactical station. He watched on the sensor readout as the
Enigma
started to drift out of direct line of sight.

“We’ll lose visual soon,” he said.

“Yes, and in a few hours we’ll get it back,” Jessica said. She got up and headed for the door. “That should give us enough time to decide our next move.”

20.

The lights dimmed in the briefing room and the holo-display came to life before them.

“Here is the visual telemetry from Probe One,” Chang said.

The display showed the approach to the
Enigma
. The sheer size of the thing was awe inspiring. It was truly massive, and as the probe swung about to do a full fly-by, it was clear that the
Enigma
was precision engineering at an epic scale.

“No blemishes. Nothing to break it up,” Commander Greene said.

“Sorry, Commander, but that is quite incorrect,” Dr. Gentry said. He pointed to the display, rewinding it and slowing the footage to show the side of the giant black cylinder. “Do you see them?”

Jessica leaned forward. “Those lines?”

“Yes. Splits in the hull. From what I saw, those lines cover the entire circumference of the cylinder,” Gentry said. “Perhaps the vessel was constructed in three parts. Or is intended to be separated into three when the need arises.”

“Hmm . . .” Jessica said, lost in her own thoughts.

“Moving on,” Chang said. She started the display again. The probe swung around the cylinder, then proceeded to map the surface. The video footage cut off, replaced by a perfectly accurate 3D model of the
Enigma
. “Aside from those lines, there are no markings on the sides of the ship. However, I have noted markings at each end.”

“Propulsion?” Greene asked.

Chang swung the model of the
Enigma
about, manipulating the projection with her hands. Then she zoomed in. One end of the cylinder expanded until it nearly consumed the entire room.

“These three holes would appear to be vents of some kind. I’d wager that they’re some form of propulsion, as the Commander just posited,” Commander Chang said.

“BUT!” Gentry almost yelled. It made them jump. He took over, zoomed out, then swung the model about to show the opposite end. “Here, at the front, I believe we have a docking port.”

Jessica’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”

“Yes, but it will require a great amount of skill to mate the
Defiant
to it,” Gentry said, almost chuckling at the innuendo. “The cylinder – excuse me, the
Enigma
 – shows a persistent rotation of one gee.”

He zoomed back in, now showing a single circular airlock.

“You know, I’ve seen a lot of weird ships,” King said. “But most have the basics. A means of propulsion, an airlock, a front and a back.”

“Well, we have an airlock. But how do we attach to it? Do we know the composition of the hull?” Greene asked.

Commander Chang consulted the data collected from Probe Two. “An unknown alloy. Slightly rough in texture. Little to no reflective properties. If this thing weren’t in front of a planet, it wouldn’t have been seen at all.”

“Yes, the rough texture no doubt caused by the constant bombardment of micro-meteors and debris,” Dr. Gentry offered.

“Thank you, Doctor,” King said. She turned to Commander Greene. “Have the Chief knock something up. Perhaps some kind of pressure seal.”

“What’re you thinking? The Walkway?” Greene asked.

Jessica nodded. “That way we can keep the
Defiant
a good distance away and remain connected. It’ll take some expert flying from Banks, though.”

The Walkway was an extendable docking collar intended specifically for situations such as that. The exploratory team would be able to travel from the
Defiant
to the
Enigma
, single file but in relative safety. Of course, something could go wrong and tear the Walkway, but that was a risk they had to take. And they’d all be suited up anyway.

“I think the kid’s got the goods,” Greene said with a grin.

“Well, I honestly don’t see any other way around it,” Jessica said. “The logistics of getting a shuttle on there, and ensuring it remains fixed… it’d just be a nightmare.”

“Due to the spin of the
Enigma
, anything positioned anywhere but the exact centre would begin to drift away, flung out into space by the
Enigma
‘s rotational energies,” Gentry explained. “I concur with your plan, Captain. It’s sound.”

Jessica almost sniggered, but she held it in. “I appreciate your confidence, Doctor,” she managed to say.

“Before we wrap this up,” Greene said. “Any anomalous readings coming off that thing we should know about? Radiation? Evidence of an energy shield?”

Chang shook her head. “Nothing. It’s simply a great black cylinder of metal in space. Holes at one end for propulsion, and a hole at the front for visitors.”

“And have you found records of anything similar in the Union’s dealings with alien races?” Greene asked.

“No. This is the first of its kind,” Chang said.

“Then the name is apt,” Jessica said as she stood. “And we’re truly heading into the unknown. Who can predict what we might find over there… ?”

PART II

The Unknown

21.

Lieutenant Kyle Banks eased the
Defiant
into an orbit alongside the
Enigma
, matching the other vessel’s pitch and velocity perfectly.

Captain King stood behind him, her hands pressed into the back of his chair.

“Good flying, Lieutenant,” she said. “Now ease us forward so we slowly overtake.”

He bit his bottom lip as he nudged the
Defiant
into a slightly faster orbital speed. It meant that the
Enigma
started to slide past to port as the
Defiant
sped past. When they’d crept ahead of the
Enigma
by several ship’s lengths, Banks swung the
Defiant
about to face the other ship, using its own inertia to maintain speed.

His hands keyed the helm controls with precision as he allowed the
Defiant
to drift to the right, directly in the path of the
Enigma
‘s massive, intimidating bulk.

“I’m putting our target area up on the viewscreen now,” Commander Chang said. A second later, an area highlighted in red appeared where the
Enigma
‘s airlock was. It showed distance, size of target area and other information Banks would find useful as he gently positioned the
Defiant
opposite the other ship.

“Now fixing our position,” Banks said. The bridge crew remained silent, and his voice almost echoed off the walls. “I’ll be using reverse engines to maintain present speed.”

Jessica King reflected on the crazy nature of orbital mechanics. While to them, they would barely seem to be moving at all, they were in fact travelling at great speed. And they would have a mysterious black behemoth chasing their tail the whole time. The slightest change in velocity…

“Done,” Banks said. He breathed a sigh of relief. “We’re locked on. Ready to deploy the Walkway on your command.”

She patted his shoulder. “Lieutenant, I want you here as much as possible. Train a crew member of your choosing to monitor the helm when you’re away. That thing could speed up, or move away, at a moment’s notice.”

“Aye, Captain,” Banks said. “Understood.”

Jessica did not add:
That’s probably more likely to happen once we’ve got past the airlock. It might not appreciate intruders
.

She kept this to herself for the moment. No doubt the others were thinking it anyway.

* * *

“So you’ve picked your teams then?” Commander Greene asked her as they grabbed a coffee in the mess hall.

Jessica scrolled down the list of names on her data tablet.

“Yes. As you know, I want you aboard the
Defiant
at all times.”

He nodded as if this were something he totally agreed with, and yet she noted a distinct despondent vibe from him.

“Del, I need someone on the ship I totally trust. Someone who knows what they’re doing,” she said. She looked about. The mess was only half full and they’d sat up one end of the room, away from everyone else. “Right now, that’s you. I wish I could have you exploring that thing with me.”

He smiled. “Listen, Jess, you don’t have to explain your decisions to me. I understand. And I totally agree. Doesn’t stop me feeling sour about it, though, does it? I’ll get over it.”

She nodded. “You’re hormonal, but you’re the right kind of hormonal.”

Greene sipped his coffee. “Right, so, who’s your picks?”

“Team One will consist of myself, Gary Belcher and Dana Oriz. Of course, I’ll be the leader for that particular team,” she said with a smirk.

“I thought you might feel like promoting poor Belcher . . .” Greene said.

“And rob the Chief of her right hand man? Never,” Jessica said with a chuckle. “I’m afraid Gary will be in that engineering room till he grows a snowy white beard.”

The Commander laughed behind his coffee cup to try and conceal it.

“Anyway, Team Two will have Lisa Chang as leader, accompanied by Peter Davies and Doctor Gentry, our latest addition to the funny farm,” King explained. “Technically, Davies is a doctor like Gentry and Oriz, but he’s been aboard a long time. Seen a few assignments off ship. His field’s flora and fauna, and I thought it might be a good idea to have someone like that on one of the teams.”

“Agreed,” Greene said.

“Olivia Rayne will head Team Three –”

“Huh!?” Greene said, his eyes widening in surprise. “
Little
Olivia? You serious?”

Jessica nodded. “Calm down. You know, sometimes you literally jump the gun.”

“Sorry.”

“You stopped me before I could say that Lieutenant Jackson will also be on the team. And Jackson’s a fine man, but he’s too hot-headed to lead a team. I think we need someone with a little more . . . poise. That’s why I chose Rayne.”