Dark-Enemy_kindle_1-8-20 by Farlow Michael J

Author:Farlow, Michael J.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wolf Press
Published: 2020-02-01T00:00:00+00:00

Harry sat silently in an observer’s seat on the bridge of the corvette Valley Forge. The ship had entered FTL several hours ago and was about to emerge at Point Foxtrot. As the navigation officer counted down to one, the traditional white light of a ship entering or exiting from FTL filled the view screens, and then there was only the blackness of space.

“Confirm arrival at Point Foxtrot, Captain,” the navigation officer called out.

“Very well,” Captain Muller replied as she turned to Harry. “We’re here, Harry, what next?”

“I wish a shuttle, Captain Muller.”

“A shuttle? What for?”

“Rather than risk the whole ship, Captain Muller, I will take a shuttle out myself and conduct the tests.”

“Wait a minute. Commander Childs said nothing about you operating alone out here. That’s why he insisted on sending one of our volunteer pilots through the learning chair you programmed. I’m certain he would object if he knew you would conduct the tests yourself. He’ll fry me if anything happens to you!”

“I doubt he would go to the extreme of cooking you over a fire, Captain Muller, but this is the best way, and he gave me the leadership of the mission, if you recall.”

Elsa burned a little at this comment. She was still not warm to accepting commands from a machine, even if it was Harry.

“Let me understand this. You plan to depart Valley Forge in a shuttle and, once a safe distance from the ship, use the medallion to transport to a pre-determined location not far away and then back again. Is that correct?”

“Yes, Captain Muller.”

“And if you fail, assuming you don’t kill yourself, how will we find you?”

“I have entered my planned coordinates in the ship’s computer for you to go to if necessary, Captain Muller. The shuttle locator beacon will be on. I have already boosted its signal strength to assist in locating the shuttle, if necessary. Besides, I have the local coordinates and can FTL back if necessary.”

“Uh-huh,” uttered a less-than-convinced captain, taking additional time to consider what was going to happen … here, as well as home, if this whole thing failed. “Very well, it’s your mission. There’s no doubt of that. The shuttle you picked is standing by in the flight bay. Good luck.”

Captain Muller watched Harry’s shuttle depart the ship and fly to the planned coordinates. As suggested by the captain, Harry called out a short count on the communications system.

“Shuttle ready, Captain Muller. Counting down for transport,” Harry called out.

As the sound of ‘three’ came across the radio, the shuttle disappeared. All on the bridge held their collective breaths waiting for Harry to re-appear. The shuttle should have been back instantaneously, but it wasn’t.

Elsa stood from her command chair and asked everyone. “What happened? Sensors, do you have the shuttle’s beacon?”

“No, Captain, and nothing on long-range sensors in the planned direction of the shuttle’s travel.”

“Then keep looking. All quadrants!”

“Yes, Captain.”

An hour passed, then two hours. Elsa was ready to start her search for the mission shuttle and its one of a kind AI commander.

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