Second Earth by Stephen A. Fender

Author:Stephen A. Fender [Fender, Stephen A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781494232481
Goodreads: 18931484
Publisher: Createspace
Published: 2013-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Krif moved quickly toward the flight control officer’s station and the young woman standing there. With lightning-fast reflexes, Commander Hayes was inputting a request into her terminal, already attempting to pull up the information on the stricken Sector Command destroyer Agincourt and her fighter escorts.

“Commander,” the captain asked frantically. “Can you confirm those life sign readings?”

“Trying, sir. The readings are changing rapidly.” A bead of sweat formed on her brow as she pushed back some hair that had been sticking to her scalp. “I’m not receiving any communications for the Agincourt, Captain. All power on the destroyer appears to be down. It’s the same with our recon fighters as well as Lieutenant Mitchell’s ELINT.”

Krif spun to face the two men seated at the sensor stations: the young but adept Sergeant Lance Fredericks, and the lone survivor of the doomed cruiser Icarus, Lieutenant Vincent Garcia. “I want an explanation as to what just happened, and you two are the only ones who can give it to me. What kind of weapon was that? Some sort of EMP?”

Garcia was the first to speak. “Unlikely, sir,” he said with a shake of his head. “At least, not like one I’ve ever seen. Even an electromagnetic pulse should leave some of the Agincourt’s normally offline systems intact. As soon as main power was cut off, the backup systems would have instantly initiated. I’m detecting no power of any kind from the destroyer.”

Krif nodded in comprehension. “Just like what happened on the Icarus.”

Garcia sighed heavily, the memories of those final moments after the power had gone out on his ship flashing through his mind. He thought of the last few gasps of air the crew would have struggled to take before the life support equipment failed completely and the entirety of them suffocated and froze to death in zero gravity. It must have been an agonizing, hideous way to die. During his recent two-week stay in the brig, Garcia had begun to wonder why he had been spared when so many other—better, he reflected—officers and personnel had perished.

Caitlin Hayes, sensing the captain was pondering his next move, moved the few paces from her station to Krif’s side. She lowered her voice to a whisper, hoping not to arouse suspicion from the rest of the crewmen in CIC. “Sir, we don’t have any kind of defense against weaponry like that. Perhaps we should consider—”

Krif held up a hand to stay her next words. His tone was calm, but resolute. “No, Commander Hayes. Not just yet. I want to learn as much about this intruder as we can. What we do here now could be of vital importance to the Unified government. There’s no telling if we’ll ever get another chance like this, and I’m not about to give up this opportunity.”

“But sir?” she pleaded quietly. “If this single ship is responsible for wiping out the Valley Forge and her escorts, we’re not going to stand much of a chance. Perhaps discretion is the better part of valor here.

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