Beyond Mars Crimson Fleet (30 page)

Earth crews frantically
raced to override the locked computers and restore manual control,
but it were too late. The missiles sought out and exploded among
the massive formation. Targeted Earth ships were ripped apart or
were pushed into other ships. Debris ricocheted off of or pierced
hulls, as terror immediately set in among the crews. But this was
only the beginning of the attack. The Martians quickly followed
with a laser fire barrage. Panic in the Earth fleet
grew.

* * * * *

“
I don’t get it?” Randall was
befuddled. “Why aren’t they shooting back?”

For a moment, Wakinyan considered his friend’s
comment. He too did not understand the lack of response from the
Earth vessels.

“I don’t know, but it’s too easy. Anyway, we came
here to complete a mission,” Wakinyan knew better than to tempt
fate. “Signal all ships to immediately break off.”

Upon his order, the Martian ships ceased firing and
suddenly swerved into another direction. They sped quickly out of
range of any enemy weapons, and made a course straight for the
colonist fleet.

The
communication’s crewman then turned to his ranking officer.
“Hailing frequencies to the
Ariana
are open, Sir.”

Richard
nodded an acknowledgement. “Right Guard to Covered Wagon. Right
Guard to Covered Wagon. Do you copy, over?” he called to the
Ariana
.

“We copy, Right Guard!” Tara’s voice joyfully
replied. “Thank God you’re here! We have several ships that are
damaged and can’t make the jump into hyperspace.”

“How many?” Richard questioned.

“Two,” she informed.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take them in tow,” he
reassured.

“Wakinyan, there’s something else. The aliens—they
protected us! There’s only one ship left now!” Tara was concerned
for the welfare of her unknown guardians.

“We’ll do what we can, Captain. Prepare to get the
hell out of here! Wakinyan, out.”

Randall just stood and folded his arms. “So, what
are we going to do?”

“Signal Denko. Have him take four destroyers with
him and tow those crippled ships to Valamars, and that includes the
alien vessel,” Richard was precise.

However, Randall felt a little uneasy about his
friend’s decision. “The Indra aren’t exactly the most friendliest
race in the galaxy. I think your taking a big risk.”

Wakinyan, however, thought differently. “I don’t
think so. They could have left out people to die, but they didn’t.
For that, we owe them. Who ever they are—what ever they are, we owe
them.”

With a smile, Randall conceded. “So what’s the
plan?”

Wakinyan’s face then changed to stone. “Tell the
other two destroyers to sound their collision alarms and be ready
to follow us into the Earth formation at battle speed. Have them
arm every space mine they’ve got, fused for proximity detonation,
and be ready to deploy them at two-second intervals. We’ll do the
same. But above all, tell them not to fire on any Earth shuttles
approaching us.”

“Why not?” James asked.

“Because we’re picking up a bunch of Earth deserters
who have information about traitors within our own fleet. That came
directly from Paladin, himself,” Richard was blunt.

Randall arms dropped his to his sides as though
pulled down by heavy weights. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”

Wakinyan just lightly shook his head. “I wish I was.
Monitor for the call sign ‘Real Soldiers to New Friends’ on all
frequencies. That will be our queue to come in and pick them up.
And have Major Franks suit-up and cover both of our shuttle bays
just in case this is some sort of trick.”

Randall just rolled his eyes upwards. “Mother of
Mercy, what a day!” he exclaimed as he walked off.

Within a minute, the Martian ships split themselves
into two groups and veered away from each other.

* * * * *

Aboard
the
Quinton
,
Trager’s plan fully revealed itself. Many of the engineering
personnel assembled their hidden electron ion pistols and began
killing every cyborg in sight. The group then fought their way to
the shuttle bay, lead by Abner Strephon. It was there that the
group of defectors met up with their wounded leader, Commander
Trager.

“You ready?” Trager asked while watching the
corridor behind them.

For a moment, Abner said nothing as his fingers
typed in data continuously on a portable keyboard console. “I’m
ready, but it takes a little time to override all the security
controls and codes.”

The command officer nervously held his weapon at the
ready. “Just do it!” he directed as his hands began to sweat.

Meanwhile on the bridge, Selena was gradually
recovering from the shock caused by the system overloading when the
huma-droids were destroyed. She stood slowly up and removed the
burnt tiara crown from her head that was still smoldering. The area
where her white pasty skin met the tiara was also burned, but tiny
portions were gone and showed that a carbon plate had replaced her
skull. Captain Renee, another cyborg officer, spied her standing
and swiftly rushed to her side.

“Admiral, I thought you were dead!”

“If my circuits hadn’t
absorbed the shock—I would have been!” Selena realized, as her hand
grasped a console for support as she slowly recovered.

“What happened?” Selena asked.

Renee sneered. “It was Trager!” he confirmed. “He
shot up the huma-droids and then escaped, jamming the hatchway
controls!”

“WHAT!” Darius became livid.

“He’s also not alone in this!” Renee went on. “The
engineers blew the main power converters at the same time! It had
to be planned, because it was coordinated with the Martian
attack!”

She then returned a sneer. “Where’s Trager now?” she
demanded to know.

Renee pouted hesitantly. “We don’t know. Systems are
coming up slowly. In the meantime, our ships are beginning to
return manual control. Because they were locked into the grid when
it went down, they became defenseless against the Martians. Some of
our ships were destroyed, others badly damaged!”

Darius’ mind cleared and remembered the Martians’
impending attack. “The Martians! Where are they now?”

“They’ve broken off and split into two groups. One
group has taken the alien ship in tow and is now escorting the
colonists. The other is circling, acting as a rear guard.”

Selena thought for a moment. “No, no they’re not!
They’re waiting! They’re waiting for Trager!” she excitedly
announced in sudden enlightenment. “Trager is heading for the
shuttle bay! Activate the battle androids, and have them kill
everyone of those traitors!” Selena ordered.

Renee simply nodded and dashed off.

* * * * *

Abner smiled broadly as the lamp above the shuttle
bay changed from red to green. An instant later the hatchway began
to open, and the group of deserters readied themselves with weapons
at hand.

After the doors parted, the engineers cautiously
entered and peered about. The bay, however, was empty with
exception of numerous drone fighters and shuttles that occupied the
chamber. They then quickly sealed the hatchway behind them and
destroyed its controls as well.

Trager ran to one of the
saucer shaped shuttles, one that was close to the bay doors leading
out into space. He then boarded the craft. Sitting in the pilot’s
seat, he powered up the engines and hastily began a flight
check.

Abner and his engineers,
however, went to their work. He divided his group into teams, and
each headed to a different set of control panels, which spotted the
bay’s walls. They began pulling the panels apart to over-ride
several different systems to open the bay doors for their escape,
and time was critical.

As each member worked feverishly, tension mounted
while uneasiness filled the air. Most of the teams were almost
through with their allotted tasks when a faint vibration was felt
in the deck along with muffled thumping that seemed to be in-step.
Every engineer turned to listen as both the sound and vibration
grew louder.

As the noise and vibration merged and became
deafening, Abner’s face suddenly contorted with alarm. “EVERYBODY
TAKE COVER!” he yelled drawing his ion pistol.

A pounding began on the hatch with what
seemed like heavy metal fists hurling sledgehammer-like blows.
Adrenaline and sweat was running high as the humans took cover and
readied their weapons. The huge hatch then began to dent, as the
blows became more furious and harder. Finally, the door buckled and
broke as it could withstand no more, falling to the floor in a loud
reverberating crash. The engineers were aghast at what they saw.
For standing in the hatchway were eight-foot tall machines that
bore a striking resemblance to multi-legged crabs baring laser
turrets, claws, and a host of other deadly weapons. The huge metal
crustaceans were programmed for one thing—to kill.

“OPEN FIRE!” screamed Abner in a vain attempt to
destroy the machines.

Electron bolts strafed the huge metal androids as
they started to advance. The energy, however, merely scattered in
sparkles on their armor plates. The machines continued their steady
march forward in thumping lock-steps with one giant spiked leg
piercing and crushing a man under it who was just too close. The
crunching of his bones was easily heard as well as his screams. He
quickly died of shock and internal injuries. The machines, however,
knew no pity. They only paused for a moment to discharge a lethal
barrage against their helpless prey from shotgun like weapons.

Those engineers targeted by slug projectiles, had
their blood and organs sprayed across the room. Others, however,
were not so lucky. A pressurized fuel canister accidentally
ruptured from a ricocheting slug, its contents showering over
several men and androids alike. The machines, however, were
impervious to the fire that was started by a random plasma bullet;
the humans were not. The men died agonizing deaths as fire and the
sickly-sweet scent of burning flesh swept through the bay. The
blood curdling screams of the human torches that emanated, however,
were merciful ended as the impassioned machines cut them down while
the last surviving humans ran for their lives.

“GET EVERYBODY INSIDE, NOW!” Trager yelled to Abner
from the shuttle’s boarding hatch over the sounds of the one-sided
struggle.

Abner then turned and bellowed, “GET IN! EVERYBODY,
GET IN!”

Hurriedly, the surviving engineers ran to the
shuttle and enter. Abner was the last one aboard, and quickly
sealed the hatch closed.

“GO! GO! GO!” the man yelled to Trager, who was
manning the shuttle’s controls.

Trager immediately brought the main drive to life
and lifted the craft several feet over the deck, retracting its
landing gear. The experienced pilot then quickly rotated the
vehicle 360 degrees. As he did, he held down the craft’s plasma
cannons’ fire button. The shuttle’s pulse weapons belched a stream
of huge bright tracers, which cut a circular path of destruction in
the bay. They created numerous explosions, which rocked the bay
while demolishing a few of the battle androids, other shuttles, and
several drone fighters.

As the vehicle swung
totally around, it then threw itself at the outer bay doors. This
time Trager let lose two defensive missiles at the obstacle. In an
erupting blast, the doors parted in an enormous breach. The hole
began to suck objects out through it as the chamber depressurized.
Tools, androids, spacecraft; all were pulled into the void of space
with the escaping shuttle.

“REAL SOLDIERS TO NEW
FRIENDS! REAL SOLDIERS TO NEW FRIENDS! WE’RE OUT! WE’RE OUT!”
clamored Trager over the craft’s transmitter that was detected by
Martian receivers.

It was then that the three
circling Martian warships turned and charged bravely into the
massive Earth fleet.

* * * * *

“WEAPONS, FIRE!” ordered
Wakinyan at the top of his lungs.

The lasers of the three
Martian ships instantly cut the ether of space and struck their
foes. Earth ships on the edge of the formation, finally freed from
their locked computers, broke formation and were swift to react to
the attack. They began flying wildly about while returning fire.
Their maneuvering, however, became even more frenzied as acquiring
Martian ship-killing missiles suddenly appeared on their scanners
heading directly towards them. Discharged from the marauding
Martian destroyers, they rapidly closed in. The projectiles formed
an explosive wedge that was concentrated as a battering ram. And
the tactic did just that. Three of the missiles slammed into a
cruiser while another two holed a destroyer. After the missiles’
spontaneous detonation, both Earth ships went out of control and
died in blazing collisions with several other Earth ships as
intended. The Martian destroyers then entered the gap that was
created by the dissolving Earth formation along with their
undeniable promise of mayhem.

“WAKINYAN TO ATTACK FORCE,
DEPLOY MINES!”

Each of the Martian ships then began
spitting out mines in timed intervals. The mines were quick to lock
on and skewed a few Earth ships. However, their mere presence
caused others to immediately swerve off course. Collision alarms
wailed throughout the Earth fleet, as ships barely dodged, skidded,
or crashed into other vessels. Wreckage was everywhere as the
Martians left a mire of exploding mines, and total havoc and
confusion behind them.