The Infinity Chronicles Volume 1

Act-4: Adventures on Center...

Act 4: "Adventures on Center.."Alex sat up on the bridge, looking out at the Deerstalker Nebula. They had made their first skip practically on autopilot. Now he waited for the nav-computer to finish chewing on the coordinates for Center. A few moments later, the console beeped at him, and he slapped the green stud that sent them careening into hyperspace. He moved down into the lounge and sat at the only table with a few drawers in it. Quickly, he made a list of the items he would have to buy when they reached Center. Drawing up the list took longer then he thought as the alarm sounded indicating that they were within 5 minutes of emergence. Folding up the piece of paper, he hoped he had covered everything and moved back to the bridge. Sliding the levers forward, the Commercant dropped out of hyperspace a mere 35 AU from Center's gas giant companion. It was the size of Jupiter, with a bluish white atmosphere. This really threw him for loops, since even military drives took almost 6 skips, with stops for star sightings and such, and the obligatory 36 to 48 hours, depending on reserve reactor power, for recharging the capacitors. He marveled at just how different Barnard's little freighter was compared to other ships of the same design. As he sat looking once more at the controls, he got a call over his ship's COM system from Center control."Center control to Barnard's Star, stand down and prepare for a customs inspection." Came a metallic voice over the ship's COM system."On whose authority?" Alex countered, knowing that Center was a navigation-free zone. Unless Center Security wanted you, no ships ever got searched, at least not by Center's forces."On the authority of Emperor Tiberius the First. Now stand down!" The voice commanded. Alex laughed, and did a quick scan of the area. According to his ship's rather highly advanced sensors, another system he thought belonged on either a 'Burkhalter' or the new 'Los Angeles' class of heavy battle cruisers, the only vessel close enough to do a customs inspection was a 'Dragoon', a light system defense gunship. It was equal in mass and displacement to his Commercant, but it had 5 times the firepower. He quickly ran the ship's silhouette through his hopped-up war book and in a flash, he had his answer."Antilles Black. I should have known." He said aloud, even though the COM line was dead. Settling into the helmsman's chair, he brought the main drives online. The deck plates under his feet vibrated and hummed as he quickly accelerated the unloaded Commercant toward the behemoth that was Center. Flipping several switches, he brought the tiny freighters shields online, shields more powerful then should be mounted on a mere Commercant. The 'Dragoon' matched his maneuver and made for an intercept. Antilles Black is a pirate in the Carcosa cartel. He often sold his services to the Empire for a letter of marque so he could raid shipping in and around Center. When things got too hot for him, he would skip away to a friendly Imperial port for resupply and R&R. When things at Center had died down, he would return and harass the illicit shipments coming and going to Center. Today however, proved to be a bad day for harassing merchant shipping, as he would soon find out...Alex maneuvered his ship like a starfighter, performing maneuvers for which the design engineers had never allocated for in the ship'soriginal spec sheets. Cygna appeared on the bridge behind him, gripping the back of his chair, as he sent the ship into a dizzyingbarrel roll with an inverted loop at the end."Yes kitten?" He said, not taking his eyes off of the controls or sensor readouts, as pulses of emerald green disruptor energy arced past the bridge view screen."Are we under attack Master?" She asked, keeping a firm grip on the back of his seat, as Alex flinched at a near miss. She didn't need to hear the answer as she saw the beams narrowly miss the ship.The 'Dragoon' was closing from his starboard aft quarter, at nearly 10%c. The distance between the two ships was down to 5 digit kilometers, as Cygna hopped into the navigator's chair, and began a pre-heat on their own disruptors. A holographic sphere, roughly a meter in diameter appeared in front of her station, showing the pursuing 'Dragoon'; it also did a brief tactical overlay of the star system, showing how far away they were from the protective umbrella of Center's main batteries. She noted that Alex had done well not to let the 'Dragoon' place itself in-between them and Center."You're a very good pilot Master. You would have made your father very proud." She said, as she smiled at him. He gave her a quick wink, and went back to dodging the disruptor beams as they carved space all around them."Bridge, crash restraints please!" Cygna barked, as a passive laser restraint system engaged, holding both her and Alex into their chairs. Alex seemed to breathe easier, now that he didn't have to concentrate on both flying and holding himself into the chair."Thanks kitten!" Alex said, as a blast of disruptor fire found it's mark, striking their shields just aft of thruster engineering, sending the small freighter skittering to port like a kicked ball."Aft shield at 65% and holding!" Cygna said, as she set her disruptors to full power when the lights went from red to green on her gunnery console."Do I have permission to fire Master?" She asked, very aware of the situation, but knowing that as a slave girl she was forbidden to take a free-man's life unless so ordered."Yes, Goddamn it, shoot them!" Alex barked, as he yanked back on the controls, and pulled the Commercant into another dizzying immellman-loop/barrel roll. Green streaks of disruptor energy tore through the space he would have been in had he kept to his normal jinking and weaving. Cygna struggled to get a bead on the 'Dragoon' and nearly had one until Alex made his maneuver. She quickly re-acquired the target, and squeezed the firing stud on her pistol grip.All 8 of the 'Barnard's Star's 144mm disruptor mounts spat emerald shafts of their own at the 'Dragoon. Their shields held however, deflecting most of the energy back into space."Their shields are too strong Master!" Cygna said, as Alex grimaced, fighting down the urge to vomit. The G's he was fighting he hadn't had to deal with since that incident not so long ago in his past. Another volley of weapons fire struck them dead aft, piercing their own shields, and striking a critical junction box for the main drives. Red lights came on, lighting the bridge and key corridors, as the main reactor scrammed, and left the ship on back-up batteries. The 'Barnard Star' stopped maneuvering, and slowly drifted toward Center at a blinding pace of 100 m/s."Fuck!" Alex screamed, as he flipped the switch on the passive restraint system, and leapt from the chair. Cygna dropped out of her chair and knelt next to it."I'm sorry Master." She said, her head lowered."Huh? Cygna, it isn't your fault. This isn't a warship. Not yet at least." He said, as he scratched her behind the ears. She responded by purring softly.The 'Dragoon' slowed and maneuvered to dock with their only airlock. The whole docking procedure took almost an hour, which gave Alex time to prepare. He had chosen to ignore the COM as it beeped at him with messages from the 'Dragoon'. He had no intention of getting into a battle of wits with the pirate. Karen stumbled onto the bridge after the ship had stopped its insane gyrations, and collapsed into the Captain's chair. She was bruised here and there, and she had a small cut under her left eye. Cygna tended to her with a med-kit she found under the pilot's chair."What's going on?" She asked wearily."We are about to be molested by a pirate." Alex said, as he checked the loads on his pistols."Master, there are other weapons down in the weapon's locker." Cygna said, as she gave Karen something for her pain. She drifted quickly into la-la land, as Cygna turned to him."Where's that?" Alex asked, glad that Barnard had seen fit to at least leave him something other then Cygna."Down with the vehicles.""In the vehicle bay? Ok, let's go. Karen, stay here, and keep the bridge lifts secured until I call you." Alex told her, as he turned and let Cygna lead him to the vehicle bay."Yeah, ok... Sure!" Karen slurred, as she sat there in the comfy chair, and nearly passed out from the morphine high.Alex and Cygna moved quickly down through the small ship finally ending up in the vehicle bay. Two sleek jet-black grav cars sat in the bay, each roughly the size of an old earth luxury sedan. They both resembled aerospace fighter planes, with small winglets fore and aft, and a small stabilizer tail. Alex noted them and filed it away as a 'something to do later' mental note. She pointed to a large steel cabinet, as he moved closer, examining it."Ahh, yes, an Alamo Arms model 15B. The military police use this model for securing weapons on board ship." He pointed out, as Cygna knelt next to the gun cabinet. Alex looked at her."Why do you kneel every time we go somewhere? Is that normal for slave girls on Marrok?""Yes Master." She replied, looking up at him. Her eyes were an even deeper blue then they had been earlier."Why do your eyes look so different? Do they change colors based on your mood?""They lighten or darken depending on my emotions, Master." She said, as she slowly rose, and hugged him. He returned her hug, and opened the gun locker. Inside, he realized that there was about to be one less pirate to plague Center."Holy Shit!" As his eyes fell onto the one rifle that warranted such a reaction. Nestled in the locker, next to a quartet of 10mm Pulse rifles and a brace of combat, autoloader shotguns, sat a Kurita Type 21-F. It's powercell indicator glowed a bright green as Alex lifted it from it's resting place."Did Barnard ever use this during pirate attacks?" He asked Cygna. She merely nodded."On one occasion, he did more damage to this ship then the pirates did. Use that weapon with great care Master. It is very powerful." Cygna said, as she slipped up to Alex, and kissed him tenderly. He returned her affections, and moved away, carrying the heavy fusion rifle over his shoulder as he made his way back to the bridge. Cygna followed him, staying 2 steps behind him, and to his right."I'll bet the tides of battle would change dramatically on Marrok if your warriors had a weapon like this, wouldn't it?" Alex asked with a smile. Cygna merely nodded, wide eyed."Computer!""Working!" Came a metallic reply from the onboard semi-aware mainframe."Time until the 'Dragoon' docks with us.""E.T.A. to final docking maneuvers is 35 minutes." The computer said. The lighting in the ship went from red to normal as the main reactor came back online, the automatic fail-safes having reached their elapsed time for a standard circuit break."The main reactor is online." The computer announced."Come on Cygna, I have a plan. I think it's time we tested your abilities at, what do you call it?""Psycho-travel Master?""Yes, Psycho-travel." He said with a smile, as they rode the lift to the bridge. Karen had apparently been too far under, since the lifts weren't even locked down. Upon reaching the bridge, he found Karen unconscious in the astrogator's chair. Slipping into the helmsman's chair, he called up schematics for the 'Dragoon' class. Within seconds, he had a holographic, three-dimensional, cutaway model of the 'Dragoon' floating a meter off of the floor. He quickly checked the sensor readings and made a quick calculation."Ok, they're going to dock with us using their forward transfer hatch, since using their normal airlock would put us too close to their bridge, which is here." He said, showing the bridge to Cygna on the model."What I want you to do is teleport me to this spot here, between the two bridge chairs as soon as they dock." He said, noting a sudden frown on her otherwise gorgeous features."What's wrong kitten?""Well, I can do what you ask Master, but in order for you to arrive safely, I need to 'see' where I'm sending you." She replied with a frown. Alex's eyes went wide suddenly, knowing what he had to do."No problem kitten, I'll just have to have a little talk with our pirate friend, before you send me." He said with a smile. "Will a live video feed be enough?""Oh yes Master! That will do just fine!" She said, suddenly realizing what it was that he was about to do. "Just be careful Master.""Always."As zero hour approached, Alex watched as the 'Dragoon' slid into position for the final docking approach. Flipping a switch on the ship's COM system, Alex caught the tail end of a transmission."...You copy? This is Center Security on a priority one encoded frequency. Barnard's Star, do you copy?" Came ringing over the ship's COM line, as Alex turned down the volume slightly. Flipping the transmit button, Alex spoke."This is Alex Carlson, Captain of the Barnard's Star, we read you Center. We are under attack from the pirate Antilles Black. Can you assist us?"There was a brief delay in the communication, and then Alex heard their reply."I wondered what it would take to get your attention, Captain." Came a different voice, a deeper, gruffer voice."So, I can assume this isn't Center Security then." Alex said, frowning. Cygna, who had looked hopeful, suddenly took on a more angered look then Alex had ever seen from her. He reached over and scratched her behind her ears. Her mood immediately lightened, and a soft purr emanated from her chest. She nuzzled his hand, as he gently scratched the side of her short muzzle."That would be a correct assumption, Captain. So, let's be brief, shall we. I want what's in your hold, in your bank account and on your lap. Suffice to say, if I don't get what I want, slaver, you won't be a Master much longer, if you get my meaning." Antilles Black said with a gruff laugh. Alex smiled, as he gently pushed Cygna out of the camera's arc, and switched to video feed. Antilles did the same, and Alex saw a rather large black man seated at the center chair on a 5-seat bridge. Only two of the other chairs were occupied, Alex noted."Yes, I get your meaning." Alex said with a smile. Cygna knelt beside him, keeping herself out of view of the camera, but looking at the screen. The ship shuttered as the two vessels locked together at their respective airlocks. Alex quickly slapped off the video transmit button, stood, and looked at Cygna. She stood, and looked at the bridge of the 'Dragoon'. She blinked once and Alex found himself standing with the Kurita over his shoulder, behind Antilles Black.