First Frontier by David A. McIntee

Author:David A. McIntee [McIntee, David A.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426204213
Publisher: London Bridge
Published: 1994-10-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Finney sat back once Stoker had left. Had that captain really cut him off with a ‘Later?’ He certainly had. Kreer and Stoker had irritated Finney a few times, but this virtual attempt to command their superior officer was too much. Perhaps they had something to hide, he thought, about the disc and the missile failure.

Not stopping to think about it in case he talked himself out of it, Finney impulsively stood up. They might use his reluctance to fly against him, but he had nothing against driving a jeep. Hurrying to the motor pool, which had a clear view of the flat country all around, Finney requisitioned a jeep and followed Stoker’s vehicle out of the base.

Stoker only went a short distance before stopping in a desert hollow to the side of the road south of Cloudcroft. Not wishing to be seen, Finney pulled off the road and got out of the jeep. Creeping forward to observe from behind a rock, he watched as Stoker tapped the side of his neck and mouthed some words that Finney couldn’t quite make out.

His meaning became quite clear, however, when a large silver disc wavered into view a few yards overhead and began settling down into the dusty hollow. The ship landed and a hatch irised open, from which several blond men emerged to join Stoker in some sort of conference.

His natural desire to protect his command had fired Finney’s curiosity. Making sure that the blond men were all busy, the officer crept quietly up the ramp to the hatch opening.

Inside, the furnishings were much the same as those in the crashed disc which had been flown out of Holloman the previous night. There was, however, one important difference apart from the more normal size of the seats. The onyx panels here glowed with traceries of light, while the central crystalline column pulsed with an electric blue heartbeat.

Behind him, boots crashed on metal, forcing him to duck into the nearest partitioned alcove. Regretting his curiosity, he found himself in a small cupboard space filled with nozzle-topped cylinders which he suspected to be fire extinguishers of some kind. Through the gap between the door and the wall, he saw the blond men spread out through the ship as silently as cats, moving with impassive precision to each station. A nervous sweat began to ooze from Finney’s pores as he realized that he might be about to fly for the first time in nearly seven years – and quite possibly on the longest journey any man had ever made. He concentrated on trying to keep his heart beating on a regular basis, instead of rattling away at triple speed.

Although all the newcomers were inside, another set of purposeful footfalls drew Finney’s attention to the gap. His eyes widened as Stoker strode smoothly over to the central column and sat on a slightly raised seat.

The AFOSI officer looked towards someone at a panel opposite, and gestured sharply with a faint upwards motion. ‘Hiroch ta desh wey,’ he rapped out clearly.

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