The First Officer by Duncan M Hamilton

Author:Duncan M Hamilton [Hamilton, Duncan M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798363227011
Google: -4SGzwEACAAJ
Amazon: B0BMSV6WY8
Publisher: Independently published
Published: 2022-11-23T06:00:00+00:00

Samson was watching his sailors fill in the last of the graves when Chief Petty Officer Holmes’s voice came through his helmet speakers. She’d led the medics out with the Marines to investigate the compass headings, and his datapad indicated they’d reached their destination.

‘Sir, we’ve found some survivors. Six in total.’

Samson allowed himself a smile. They still hadn’t accounted for everyone, but all things considered, every life saved was a victory, despite the great losses.

‘What kind of condition are they in?’ Samson said.

‘Well, they made it here,’ Holmes said, ‘but there are a couple of them who I don’t think will make it back. There’s something else. They’re saying there are aliens on the planet.’

‘Still on the planet?’ Samson said, his heart leaping into his throat.

‘Yes, sir. The woman says they saw an alien ship to the south only this morning.’

‘What kind of ship?’

There was a pause, during which Samson assumed Holmes was asking the question.

‘She says it looked like an atmospheric vehicle. Not large. Similar to the ones that arrived at the crash site to inspect the ship.’

‘Understood,’ Samson said. ‘That raises more questions than we have time to ask right now. Hold on.’ Samson switched the channel on his radio. ‘Petty Officer Takeda, are you all done here?’

‘Yes, sir. We’re not getting any more data out of the ship, and we’ve finished burying the dead.’

‘Good. Load up the pinnace,’ Samson said. ‘We’re going to pick up the other party with the survivors and get the hell out of here.’

‘Aye, sir.’

It was going to be a tight squeeze getting everyone into the pinnace, but there was always a way, and Samson had no intention of leaving anyone behind, nor of making a second trip. The ship could certainly handle the extra weight, even if it meant some of the Marines suffered the indignity of having someone sit on their lap for the trip back to the Spatha.

‘We’re on our way to you,’ Samson said to Petty Officer Holmes. ‘Have everyone ready for evac when we get there.’

‘Aye, sir,’ Holmes said. ‘We’ll be ready.’

Samson looked around. While his people were preparing to load onto the pinnace, there wasn’t the sense of urgency that Samson now felt. He kept his eyes peeled, scanning the air above the horizon for any sign of hostile craft.

‘Samson to Spatha,’ he said, and waited for a response from the captain, but none came. He always got a sinking feeling in his gut when there was a delay like this. In his experience, it was never a good sign.

‘Everybody keep moving,’ Samson said. ‘I want to be out of here in two minutes.’ He switched the channel on his radio again. ‘Samson to Spatha.’

Still nothing. There were plenty of possible reasons—but considering that he’d just been informed there were aliens in the locale, hostile activity was the one that fit the bill for him.

Samson was last onto the pinnace. As soon as he shut the hatch behind him, he instructed the cox’n to locate Petty Officer Holmes’s transponder signal and get them there was fast as possible.

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