Dark World: Echo's Way, #2

DARK WORLD

An ECHO'S WAY Adventure

MIKE WALLER

Rampart Publishing

Contents

The ‘ECHO’S WAY’ Adventures

1.Chapter One

2.Chapter Two

3.Chapter Three

4.Chapter Four

5.Chapter Five

6.Chapter Six

7.Chapter Seven

8.Chapter Eight

9.Chapter Nine

10.Chapter Ten

11.Chapter Eleven

12.Chapter Twelve

13.Chapter Thirteen

14.Chapter Fourteen

15.Chapter Fifteen

16.Author’s Note

17.Excerpt - ENEMY ALLY

18.About The Author

19.Also By MIKE WALLER

20.Copyright

The ‘ECHO’S WAY’ Adventures

The Echo’s Way stories relate the adventures of Echo Bourke, a remarkable young woman who finds herself embroiled against her will in the harsh reality of a war between the Federation of Humanity and a powerful alien neighbour, the Tolleani.

Each Book is a separate adventure, rather than part of a continuing, single story. There are no ’to be continued’s and no cliff-hanger endings. Each book can be read as a stand-alone story in the life of our heroine.

Dark World is the second adventure in Echo Bourke’s journey, and tells of how she survives a pirate attack when on her way to join the military academy, then helps the locals on a lost planet rise up against the pirate family who have oppressed them.

This book utilizes US English spelling.

Chapter One

Ben let his mind wander as images of Echo drifted through his consciousness. A vague smile flickered across his lips as he pictured her angelic face. Why she stayed with him was beyond comprehension, but she did, and Ben counted his blessings.

He remembered how she ran her fingers across the ever-present stubble on his chin and along the line of strange characters tattooed down his right flank. He knew those characters fascinated her, but in all the time he had known her their meaning had remained a secret. She believed they held a great secret, perhaps a love or tragedy from a past time, and he did not want to disillusion her with the knowledge they were meaningless.

He remembered also the place where they first laid eyes on each other. Corros! The prospector’s cabin, that’s where. High in the forested mountains of Echo’s home world, the old cabin was warm and welcoming. We destroyed that place. The forest, the mine, the town … gone … forever!

An urgent, buzzing sounded at the edge of his consciousness. The alarm wormed its way into his brain, the irritation growing louder and more persistent with each passing second. Eyes half open, he continued to stare up at the dull, grey ceiling in the master’s cabin of his new ship.

After escaping from the now Tolleani controlled planet, he and Echo were at first never apart. With his resumption of duty and reassignment it was over a month since they had last been together.

Their escape had been a year ago. Prior to that Echo spent four years alone, the sole survivor of an invasion that killed every other colonist in the planet’s three mining settlements.

Sent to investigate the chance of re-taking the colony, Ben’s spacecraft crash-landed when attacked by an unknown prototype weapon at an alien research base occupying one of the mine sites. Not long after capture he escaped from the Tolleani, and stumbled upon Echo’s refuge in the forested canyons of the surrounding mountains. Only with her help did he survive. Twice, she saved his life.

Now they were together. The knowledge that she would wait for him until this mission ended did little to ease the pain of separation by light years of space.

Irritated by the interruption, he dragged himself to the edge of the bunk, yawned, and scratched at the stubble on his chin. A slap on the intercom screen stopped the annoying buzz.

″Yes, Jerry?"

″Sorry to disturb you, Cap, a voice replied. A distress call just came in on the common band. Thought you ought to know."

Ben pushed up from the berth and tumbled into the opposite bulkhead. The mission was several weeks old now, but after months either in hibernation or planet-bound, returning to the routine of life in a zero-gravity tin-can required a certain re-adjustment. Every lapse of attention resulted in a new bruise.

Jerry Bayer, the first officer, was the only other person on the control deck. With a quick nod of acknowledgement Ben turned to the command console.

Status?

″The gateway to the Arpeche System’s ahead, Captain. We’re twenty hours from the jump point, and the ship sending the signal is sitting in front of the gate."

Ben floated into the captain’s chair and studied the screens. Hmm … fine. Keep monitoring it, and keep your wits about you. We’ve had a few unexplained disappearances in this sector recently, so keep your eyes open.

This ship was his first command, granted soon after promotion to captain. Most of the credit belonged to Echo; without her, he would have died long ago, somewhere in the wasteland now covering the site of her childhood home.

Six months after their return to Cymbel 3 he received his bars and orders—with the war in full swing and humanity losing, the commission was inevitable—and with them came the command of a brand new destroyer.

Even now, a modified version of the Tollean device used to bring his last vessel down was being installed on Fleet’s front line ships. No reports were in yet on the weapon’s effectiveness. With the first fitted little more than a month ago, that did not surprise Ben: word was slow to travel in space. This destroyer carried one of the units, still untested in action.

Give it time, he thought. The research Echo and I stole will bring an end to this war … or at least a compromise.

Jerry interrupted his thoughts. Captain, the signal isn’t from a Fleet vessel, but it’s certainly a distress call. Someone’s in trouble.

″What do we know?"

″There’s a Terran vessel, a ′CS34′ class, sitting in front of the gateway. Human, not Tollean. The request is on the general band, but no security codes."

″Civilian? Okay, send an acknowledgement. Get me a visual as soon as you can."

The image on the monitor was a short-haul freighter, old and worn but with no visible damage. It drifted at the middle of a region of empty space otherwise referred to as a gateway, containing the entrance to the Arpeche 497 wormhole. On the side of the hull, faded and flaked paint spelled out the number ′10739’.

″The computer has no record of that registration, Captain, Jerry said. Must be from an unaligned planet." Dozens of worlds throughout the occupied galaxy had either left the Federation of Humanity or never joined. Many of them had fallen to the Tolleani, unnoticed beneath the radar.

Ben donned his headset. Freighter 10739, this is Terran fleet destroyer G4973, Ben Teague commanding. Please advise your situation.

Several minutes later a soft, feminine voice responded. Captain Teague, Julia Ellis here. You cannot imagine how happy I am you’re here. Thank you for responding.

″My pleasure, Captain Ellis. Again, what is your status?"

″My engines are down. An explosion in the engineering module occurred as we exited the gate from Arpeche. The damage is repairable, but my engineer is injured. I would appreciate the help of yours and medical attention for mine."

Ben acknowledged without a moment’s hesitation. Not responding to a distress call in space was contrary to regulation and had severe consequences. My engineering officer will cross with our paramedic as soon as we rendezvous.

″Would linking our ships be possible? Ellis asked. My casualty is in a critical condition and we have no facilities. His leg is broken, so we can’t get him into a suit. I have a transfer pod, but I need your inter-lock tube to bring him across to you."

″Sorry, no. You’re not broadcasting an approved security code. Fleet regulations do not permit a link with any vessel unless it identifies itself in the correct manner."

″My apologies, Captain. This ship is an unaligned freelance surveyor and not part of the Federation. We’ve not been home for three months and don’t have your codes, so we can’t verify ourselves. Perhaps your people can check us over and then you might agree to a connection?"

For a moment Ben pondered the situation. To give help in a medical emergency was obligatory under Fleet regulations, but he would not put his command at risk. I’ll let you know when we come alongside. Stand by.

Hours later, the old freighter drifted beside them in space, less than a hull’s length separating the two ships.

″Looks harmless enough, Jerry said. Doesn’t appear to be any visible damage. I have six heat signatures inside, one prone."

″Send Raj and Miko across and we’ll wait for their report."

Thirty minutes later the voice of Ben’s medical officer Miko came over the speaker. Captain, everything appears in order here. The patient’s femur is broken; he has serious blood loss and is unconscious. We need to set up the tunnel to bring him over so I can stabilize him and repair the leg. This ship has no facilities.

Ben noticed more than usual stress in Miko’s voice. "You are aware Fleet regulations do not allow me to approve a direct connection until I am satisfied there is no threat?" he said.

″Yes sir. The regulations also require we help wherever possible when lives are at risk. This man will die unless he gets attention." Miko’s voice was forced, and showed obvious concern.

″Can you do it there?"

″No. I can fix the fracture, but he needs transfusions. I need my medical bay. Benjamin, please. Regulation 973 requires I help this man."

Once again Ben could hear the tension in her voice. Have you checked the ship?

″Yes, everything is ten-ten. Raj is heading back to the engine module now. Benjamin, it’s just what you would expect of a surveyor."

Ben looked across to his second in command. Miko’s upset about something, wouldn’t you say?

″Distraught, I guess. Doesn’t surprise me. The worst she gets on this boat is vitamin deficiency and headaches; now she has a potential critical. She called you Benjamin."

″She’s never addressed me by my name before, much less ‘Benjamin’—always Captain. And ten-ten? Have you ever heard of regulation 973?"

Jerry shook his head. Can’t find it on the computer. She’s definitely trying to tell us something.

A direct connection with an unknown ship was contrary to orders and an enormous risk, and Miko’s words indicated there was a problem she could not talk about. If anything happened, the result would be loss of command for Ben. There was, according to his medical officer, a life in danger, and other regulations dictated that help must be provided. The vessel was Terran—that at least, was clear. Ben considered the options. Dammed if I do…

″Alright, he said, we’ll set up now, Miko. The risk, he decided, was unavoidable. Captain Ellis will cross with you, plus the patient and Raj. Nobody else. As soon as you’re aboard I’ll meet with her. You will all remain in the bay and I’ll come to you."

″Yes, Sir."

Ben switched to the internal intercom. Bayliss, you and Mahib get down to the airlock. Set up the link tunnel as quickly as possible, carry your side arms and be wary. The visitors are not permitted to leave the bay under any circumstances. You will keep them under guard until I get there.

Flicking the intercom off, he turned to Jerry. We need to get our people out of there. I have serious concerns about this.

Something troubled him about the whole situation. The prospector showed no obvious sign of external damage but Ellis had explained there was an isolated explosion inside the engine room. The scanners confirmed the engines were cold.

Uncomfortable with the docking tube, he was even more so with leaving a civilian spacecraft helpless and an unconscious, injured man without hope. Miko’s speech also concerned him; clearly she had attempted to tell him something under duress.

She’s never addressed me by my name before.

″On their way now, Jerry said. Four persons crossing: Miko with the patient in a capsule, Raj assisting, and Captain Ellis."

Ben watched on the intercom as the arrivals approached the airlock and moved into the bay. He rose and glided back towards his cabin, thinking it a coincidence the disabled ship should malfunction right on the entrance to the wormhole, the one place in the vastness of space with a guarantee of early rescue. Again, Ellis had an explanation, that they had just exited the gateway.

He retrieved his side arm; armed, and with armed crew in the docking bay, he was at least prepared if anything went wrong. Returning to the bridge, he was about to head back to the bay when the hatch to the control deck burst open.

A middle-aged male wearing Raj’s pressure suit floated through, a laser pistol in his hand. Behind him a woman, also armed and threatening, and wearing Miko’s pressure suit pulled herself through the opening.

The man holding the gun was tall and rangy with blonde, thinning hair and a stubbled chin. Green eyes glittered in the cockpit lights as he glanced around, an almost euphoric look on his face. Focusing his attention on Ben, he licked his lips as if savoring a tasty dish or a fine wine. Please stay in your seat, Captain. he said, And keep your hands away from the console.

″Who in the Hells are you? Where is my crew?"

″Your engineer and paramedic are safe on board my ship. My worthy associates are attending to your men in the bay. Oh, and your vessel is now my property."

The woman, most likely the same who identified herself as Captain Ellis, smiled as her companion spoke. The man peered around the cabin again, a broad Cheshire-cat grin spread across his face.