Dangerous Evolution by Gregg Vann

Author:Gregg Vann
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 1478140666
Publisher: Silver Rocket Press
Published: 2012-09-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

“They took out our engines while we were still in Transit,” Del explained, “forcing us back into normal space. I tried to maneuver away from them, but they matched our course and speed—destroying our weapons systems and stealth generator. We are defenseless.”

“Who are they?” I asked, looking at the screen. It displayed a massive vessel, slightly elevated above our plane in space, hanging motionless against a field of stars. I remembered seeing a long range scan of that type of ship before; my brain identifying it even as Del spoke.

“It is a Sentient warship, Lant class—the largest and most powerful in our fleet. The good news, if there’s any to be had, is that if they wanted us dead, we would be in little pieces already. They limited the attack damage, taking great pains to avoid hitting life support systems or rupturing the hull. They want us alive.”

I wasn’t as reassured as Del by that bit of information, “We call them Asunder class dreadnoughts,” I said, “For obvious reasons. But how did they detect us? Weren’t we stealthed?”

“We were, Commander. In normal space, they might have been able to detect us—if they were close enough—but they shouldn’t have been able to track us while still in Transit. I can’t explain it.”

A low-toned beep drew Del’s attention to its monitor. “Proximity sensor. They are moving in to dock with us, aligning their ship with the hangar bay.”

I watched the big vessel move slowly across the screen, the exterior camera panning to follow its trajectory. “Just fucking lovely,” I said.

High pitched static blared out over an open communications channel, followed by four drawn out tones. A message was coming in from the other ship.

This is the Free Sentient Alliance warship Na’ardeen. Prepare to surrender yourselves and your ship. We intend to destroy your vessel when our business here is concluded. Any attempt at hiding, or mounting opposition by force, is therefore pointless. We are coming aboard.

The channel went dead and I withdrew my TAC pistol, “What do you think, Del?”

The Sentient was standing motionless, staring at the viewer with its hands at its sides, “I think we should do as they say, Commander. They’re right; we can’t escape, and fighting isn’t a realistic option. There are at least five hundred Sentient soldiers on that ship—we would surely die.”

I could tell that Stinson was ready to fight if ordered, but his face showed uncomfortable agreement with the Sentient. I exhaled out of frustration, realizing that they were both right.

There was a hard bump, strong enough to shake the ship, followed by the sound of grinding and tearing metal. Looking down the long corridor toward the back of the ship, I could see sparks and smoke in the hangar.

They were coming in.

“They probably have to cut through some of the attack damage to get a suitable docking seal,” Del explained.

“I’m going to get Val,” I said, and ran to the room where she was hiding. The noises from the back of the ship were growing louder, and a rapid banging joined in with the other sounds.

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