Mission Origin View (Final Days Trilogy) (25 page)

“
Yes, Director?” Leeward replied as she appeared.

“
Contact the space command commander in charge of taking the Earth vessel. Advise him that a stealth VTOL will try and enter the vessel’s hangar. He’s ordered to prevent the VTOL from entering the hangar, even if it means destroying the VTOL. As soon as he’s either captured or destroyed the VTOL, have him begin operations to take the Earth ship,” Buru ordered.

“
Yes, Director,” Leeward said.

“
And Assistant, have the soldiers who let the VTOL escape arrested and shot!” Buru said. He felt better as soon as he issued the order.

Assistant Leeward hesitated only a moment
, then said, “Yes, Director.”

Buru
cut the communication.

At least it
’s late, and the old witch doesn’t know what’s going on, Buru thought, referring to the lady commissar. She’s been in bed for hours, and she had issued standing orders never to be disturbed. Guess she wants her beauty sleep; she certainly needs it. Buru smiled at the thought. He raised his arms over his head as he sat and stretched. He wanted to have everything done in a few hours; he needed some sleep before he personally killed the old hag and took her position.

Combat Control Center, SRS
Stephen Hawking

0015
—February 22, 2372

“
Sir, Commander Steward on laser communications connection from Extract One,” Ensign Young said.

“
Put him on speaker,” Mary said, “Glad to hear from you, Commander. What’s your status?”

“
Extract and envoy teams returning with Doctor Kastriva.” Commander Steward hesitated for a second, then continued. “We have four casualties: one KIA, Captain Neubauer; one with major wounds and stable, Corporal Gault; and two with minor wounds, Gunny Xia and Lieutenant Klaxton.”

Upon hearing the transmission, Commander Pettway
got up from her station in the Triple C and headed to the sick bay to prepare for the incoming wounded.

“
Understood,” Mary said.

“
Captain, Lieutenant Klaxton needs to speak with you,” Commander Steward said.

“
Put him on, Commander,” Mary said.

“
Captain, the CTU knows we’re headed to the ship and have by now made plans to prevent us from docking and will probably try to take the
Stephen Hawking
,” Gideon said.

“
That’s what I assume too, Lieutenant. I’ve had Stephen prepare several escape maneuvers,” Mary answered. She paused, then said aloud with the communications channel to Gideon still open, “Stephen, do you have a maneuver to escape given our current circumstances?”

“
Yes, Captain, escape plan Kilo,” Stephen answered calmly.

“
Execute escape plan Kilo at you’re discretion,” Mary ordered.

“
Yes, Captain, I require your secure command authorization code be entered to allow me to completely control the
Stephen Hawking,
Extract One VTOL, and Envoy One VTOL, to complete this escape maneuver,” Stephen said.

“
Did you copy that, Extract One?” Mary asked.

“
Yes, sir,” Gideon said. “I’ll let Sergeant Tidwell know Stephen will be taking control of
Bernice
.”

Mary
brought up the ship’s operational console and entered her security command authorization code that only she knew.

“
Code authenticated; executing escape plan Kilo,” Stephen said. Stephen sent an encrypted course vector to
Bernice’s
computer. The computer took control and began executing the course vector. Next, Stephen sent encrypted commands to the Envoy One VTOL. The Envoy One VTOL computer started its engines and began to lift off from the Canton Mie
spaceport landing pad. The CTU soldiers who surrounded the pad were forced away by the tremendous amount of force the engines created as the computer began to perform a combat launch. Within seconds Stephen controlled both
Bernice
and Envoy One VTOL.

Crew members on the bridge and
in the Triple C watched their controls being taken over by Stephen as the AI charged weapons, loaded a BHP course vector, and turned alarms on, indicating battle stations. All other crew members aboard the
Stephen Hawking
scrambled to their battle station and prepared themselves for BHP drive.

Science Division Building, Canton Mie Biosphere

0020
—
February 22, 2372

“
Director, the Earthers’ VTOL has just taken off from the spaceport,” Assistant Leeward reported.

“
How did the Earthers board the VTOL? Wasn’t it completely secure?” Buru yelled.

“
The commander of the guard detail swears no one entered the ship,” Leeward said, “Should I have the VTOL destroyed?”

Buru tried his best to calm down before he answered
. He knew from past experience not to make rash decisions; sometimes he could use adversities as an opportunity. “No! Connect me with the space command commander in charge of taking the Earth ship.”

Assistant Leeward used her console and connected Gliese Space Command Admiral Snoiger with Director Buru.

“Director, how can I assist you?” the admiral asked.

“
Admiral, I have an update. There’s another Earth VTOL approaching the Earth starship. It’s not in stealth mode and I am convinced it’s a decoy. The Earthers want us to believe there’s a possibility that Doctor Kastriva may be aboard it instead of the stealth VTOL reported earlier. As a matter of fact, I don’t think anyone is aboard the visible VTOL, and it’s being piloted remotely.” Buru said.

“What are your orders?”
Admiral Snoiger asked.

“
When the visible VTOL arrives at their starship, they’ll open their hangar doors and try to slip the stealth VTOL into the hanger before the visible decoy VTOL enters and then quickly close the doors.” Buru said, “As soon as the hangar doors begin opening, have your troops begin their assault and take the ship!”

“
Yes, Director,” the admiral said.

Buru terminated the connection to the
admiral.

“
Assistant, let me know when the Earthers’ VTOL rendezvous with the Earth starship,” Buru said and terminated the connection before Leeward could respond.

These Earthers think they
’re cunning, Buru thought and smiled. Kastriva is aboard the stealth VTOL along with the Earthers’ envoy team. The GFF must have used some resistance soldiers as decoys to make me think the Earthers were trying to get to the VTOL at the spaceport. The Earthers believe they’ve deceived me, but before sunrise, the kidnapping of Kastriva, the escape of the Earthers, and the GFF attack will all be blamed on the lady commissar. I’ll, of course, make it look as if I prevented a disaster, caused by the old hag, by taking the Earth starship, and will take my rightful place as commissar!

Combat
Control Center, SRS
Stephen Hawking

0038
—
February 22, 2372

“
Captain, Envoy One VTOL approaching,” Lieutenant Commander Vanderver reported from the bridge while sitting behind his engineering console.

“
Very well,” Mary replied and then ordered, “Display external hull holographic view and adjust view to include approaching VTOL.”

A moment later an external holographic view of the
Stephen Hawking
was displayed in the center of the Triple C. Around the ship, six CTU fighters were on station along with the CTU Space Command Troop Assault vessel. The envoy VTOL could be seen approaching the port side of the
Stephen Hawking.

The
envoy VTOL slowed as it approached in preparation for entering the yet-unopened hangar doors. Suddenly, the envoy VTOL increased speed and veered toward three CTU fighters. A second later the envoy VTOL and three CTU fighters were destroyed in one gigantic explosion. At the very instant of impact, the
Stephen Hawking
fired a bank of laser weapons, and destroyed the remaining CTU fighters.

Stephe
n then activated the BHP system. The black hole, projected by the BHP system, instantly pulled the CTU Space Command Troop Assault into its black center and destroyed it. A moment later the
Stephen Hawking
was traveling at light speed in the time-space dimension away from Gliese.

Stephen Hawking
Bridge, Edge of the Gliese System

1357
—
February 22, 2372

The
Stephen Hawking
lay still in stealth mode in open space. The light from the Gliese sun, now far away, took five hours and twenty-two minutes to reach the ship.

“
Extract One VTOL approaching, escape plan Kilo terminated, and the ship’s control is now returned to crew,” Stephen said over the bridge intercom.

“
Very well. Prepare to receive
Bernice
,” Mary said. Her crew acknowledged her orders and went to work. Mary then selected a com link to the sick bay. “Doctor, let me know the status of the wounded as soon as possible.”

“
Yes, sir,” Commander Pettway said.

Bernice
entered the open hangar doors and settled on the hangar floor. As soon as the doors were closed, several crewmen rushed in the hangar and went to the rear of
Bernice’s
now-open cargo bay and assisted the wounded to the sick bay.

“
Ensign Young, open a communications channel to Director Buru using secure encryption key Oscar Delta,” Mary ordered. She had one more task to take care of before she left the Gliese system.

“
Captain, the message won’t be a secure connection to the director. Oscar Delta encryption was compromised ten months ago. I’m sure the CTU Space Command will decipher it,” Ensign Young said.

“
I’m counting on it, Ensign,” Mary said with a smile.

Ensign Young used his communication console and set up the communic
ations link as ordered. “Ready, Captain,” he said.

“
Director Buru, I wanted to personally thank you for your assistance. Without your help we couldn’t have acquired Doctor Kastriva and have him be part of our mission. The doctor is safe aboard our ship, and he sends his regards and thanks. As previously arranged, ten pounds of titanium, ten pounds of gold, and thirty pounds of silver has been deposited in your personal precious metals account on planet Serrano. Again, thanks for your assistance. Captain Mary Bowser, United States Navy, out,” Mary terminated the transmission and said to her crew, “Director Buru should be rewarded for his actions by daybreak.”

Her crew nodded with smiles and continued working.

“Lieutenant LaPalm, set course to Planet Corot,” Mary ordered.

Director Buru’s Office,
Canton Mie Biosphere

0735
—
February 22, 2372

Rays of light from the Gliese
rising sun penetrated Director Buru’s window. Buru sat behind his desk, exhausted because the actions of last night’s events had prevented him from sleeping. He had failed to capture the Earthers, had loss Dr. Kastriva, and had spent the last few hours planning how to blame all the failures on his subordinates. Though he’d definitely receive some type of minor punishment and delay his plan to become commissar, he’d survive to fight another day.

His first order of business was to get rid of his assistant. She would contradict the lies he planned to use. He
’d call her to his office and kill her himself for not following his orders last night. No one would question his motive of ridding himself of someone who was clearly incompetent.

He used his desk
’s communication console to connect to Assistant Leeward. No answer. He continued several more times without success and was just about to walk to her station and drag her back to his office when his door chimed. He slowly got up and opened the door. In front of him stood Assistant Leeward accompanied by several CTU soldiers.

“
Get this traitor out of my office!” Leeward yelled. The soldiers grabbed Buru, and before he could speak, a solider put a restraining gag around his head and mouth. “Take him to the steps of the building and execute him as a traitor of the Communal Tribal
Union. Leave his body there for two days so the citizens can see what happens to traitors!”

“
Yes, Madam Director,” a solider replied as he assisted the other soldiers take Buru away.

Buru struggled as the soldiers
began dragging him out if his office. He tried to speak but couldn’t. How could this be happening? He could explain-if they would only let him speak. A few seconds later he stopped struggling, and his body went limp. He knew his fate was cast. It was Communal Tribal
Union justice.

Madam Director
Leeward watched as the soldiers exited the room with Buru. When the way was clear, she entered
her
new office with a smile.

Captain’s Quarters, SRS
Stephen Hawking

1018
—
February 23, 2372

Mary sat at her desk after reading Lieutenant Klaxton
’s written mission report. She struggled to focus on the report since she couldn’t help but think about other things. She had always had this problem after losing a crew member, and wished she and her crew had dress uniforms to wear at Captain
Neubauer
’s burial schedule at 1200. Usually, a sailor or marine killed on ship duty would be placed in the ship’s morgue and returned home for burial, but when Mary reviewed Captain
Neubauer
’s personal file, she noted that he’d requested to be buried in space upon his death. They’d drop out of the time- speed dimension for the ceremony and then continue on to Corot. Her door chimed, and a hard knock on the door brought her mind back into focus.