From: Richard D. Sanford Jr. (maigret@ix.netcom.com) Subject: The Cruise of the _Lydia_, Part IV Newsgroups: alt.barney.dinosaur.die.die.die, alt.tv.barney, alt.tv.the-jihad Date: 1997/11/24 The Cruise of the _Lydia_, Part IV ********************************************************************** It's strange, but when you can't hear crashes because the ship is depressurized, you can still feel them through the seat of your pants. At any rate, Captain Sanford had actually been counting the number of times that the spongies guns had actually connected with the _Ly- dia_'s shields. While it was lousy gunnery, considering the amount of firepower ripping through space around the ship, it was enough to make them retreat...again. "Almost out of range, sir...another three seconds." "Quartermaster, helmsman, pursuit hyper-transition on my mark," Captain Sanford called out. "Aye aye, sir. Escape course plotted and laid in." The quarter- master rechecked his board, while the helmsman pulled back the cover on the button that would cut all thrust. Captain Sanford looked again at the tactical display, waited two- and-a-half more seconds, then, "Helmsman, Quartermaster, Jump!" The Quartermaster called out, "Five seconds...four...three... two..." The Helmsman hit the button. The engines powered down. "one..." The quartermaster's finger stabbed down on the hyperdrive activator. "Jump!" In the forward viewscreen, the familiar sight of stars turning into starlines announced that they were away. Captain Sanford didn't see the view. He was too busy checking to make sure his neck was in one piece. The moment the starlines started forming, the whole ship jolted and shook as if a gigantic dog had grabbed it. When he was sure his spine was still straight, Captain Sanford growled out, "QuarterMASTER!!!" His voice was shaking with barely controlled rage. The Quartermaster cowered, "Sir, I...I only-" "You only what? Killed the entire crew?!" He leaped out of his chair and shoved his faceplate into the pale petty officer's. "You of all people on this ship, should know that we have to be at zero thrust when we jump! Do you know what would have happened if you'd been one second faster with that Hopalong Cassidy trigger finger of yours?! We'd have been at 5 g's when the artgrav units kicked out, and the whole crew would have been slammed against the aft bulkhead!! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US ALL??!!" There was dead silence for three seconds. "Number one, I want to see QM2 Raymond, the Navigator, the Operations Officer, you, the Mas- ter at arms, and the Legal Officer in my cabin in four hours, and I want appropriate charges ready! Secure from Battle Stations." As the Captain stormed off the Bridge to his cabin. The Naviga- tor, trying to stand up for his man called out, "Sir, Raymond's a QM1." "Nothing is forever, Lieutenant," was the last word. *** Two hours later, Captain Sanford was sitting at his desk, not reading the status reports on his screen. Face it, Rick, you shouldn't have blown up at the QM1 like that, he thought. Yeah, he screwed up, and yeah, he could've killed us, but that still doesn't excuse your screaming at him in public like that, and looking at it calmly, he really doesn't deserve anything more than a dressing down; you just threatened to take his third stripe. Captain Sanford closed down his terminal and streched. Stress of the last two months, that's what it is. I guess I'll have to shout at him for about ten minutes then dismiss the charge. I hate Captain's Mast. On a whim, he called his journal up on the screen and read back to the point where they had left the system where the "Great One" had been bred. *** The _Lydia_ hadn't had enough fuel for a prolonged chase, which is what LT Forbes's prediction of the Hellwyrm's possible destinations had said it would be, so they stayed long enough to smear the breeding settlement from orbit and drop off their prisoner before scoopdiving the nearby gas giant for hydrogen. They had chosen the settlement at which to leave the sponge by the simple method of asking it where it *didn't* want to go. Since it pointed out one village as being, <> Captain Sanford had figured that that was the best place for the sponge to desponge. After that, it had simply been a question of making hyperspace jumps to the systems along the path the escape ship had gone. The real time waster was that only the first two candidate systems were on the _Lydia_'s star charts. After that, they were in unknown terri- tory. Each new system had to be quickly surveyed and new star charts made from telescopic observations. It took about two weeks per sys- tem. Still it paid off at the third unknown system...rather spectacu- larly so. When they came out of hyperspace, the passive sensors went crazy with nearby drive emissions. Captain Sanford toyed briefly with staying and fighting it out, but the sponges had about twenty ships. They put up a spirited battle, then retreated about an AU away to stalk. That had gone on for another two weeks. Four times the _Lydia_ had jumped almost into the middle of the Hellwyrm's fleet and tried to take out the flagship, only to be driven back by the simple fact that this sponge-fleet knew how to fire its weapons in the same direction. "Comparison of this fleet with previous sponge fleets we've faced shows an almost unbelieveable improvement in ship-to-ship coordina- tion," LT Forbes had said. "In previous battles the Jihad ususally won because the sponges didn't know how to work together. Each ship knew enough to shoot at Jihaddi ships, but coordinating their fire- power required more independent thinking than sponges were capable of. "These guys are all actually firing at the same target. Given what happened back at the breeding center, it's obvious that, in bat- tle at least, the "Great One" is taking over the minds of the ships' crews and directing them to fire at one target. Individually, their gunnery still sucks, but together they are now capable of making good use of superior odds." "LT, do you have any idea how many more ships It-of-the-one-tooth plans to get?" The LT shrugged. "Sir, since we don't know how many systems he plans to visit, I can't say. However, since he seems to pick up only one or two ships per jump, I can give you some projections." He cal- led up a graph on the briefing room screen. There were a few long, low whistles. "Thank you, Mr. Forbes," Captain Sanford grated. "I think it's become very obvious that we have to take out that flagship and the 'Great One'. Gentlemen, does anyone here have the slightest idea how we're going to do that?" There was dead silence. Captain Sanford let the silence hang for a full minute before dis- missing the briefing. *** "...and furthermore, if you EVER even *seem* to screw up a trans- ition like that again, I'll personally throw you out the airlock!! Do you understand me?!!!" QM1 Raymond gulped and nodded. "Dismis- sed!" Petty Officer Raymond almost broke the land speed record run- ning out of the Captain's Cabin. After about three seconds, the Captain glared at the people still standing around and said, "Well? I don't recall asking you to tea." Most of them got the hint and left. Only Lt. Cmdr Holden stayed. "Permission to speak freely, sir?" Captain Sanford took a deep breath and nodded. "Sir, this isn't like you." Captain Sanford sighed, "I know, Number One. Maybe it's just stress." "Are you sure, sir?" Captain Sanford took a full minute before replying, "No, that's not all." Another pause, "I should have told you to go after the es- cape ship while you had the chance." Mr. Holden didn't know what to make of this. Fortunately, the in- tercom spared him from having to reply. "Captain, please contact the main sensor room." He thumbed the intercom, "Sensor Room, Captain." "Sir, this is LT Forbes. The sponge fleet all jumped about 15 minutes ago." "I presume that you have a course projection for me." Captain Sanford could hear the hesitation in LT Forbes's voice. Not a good sign in the normally confident officer. "Yes, sir. Sir, I think you should see this right now. Is your terminal ready?" Captain Sanford punched his keyboard a bit and said, "It is now." A sketchy starchart came up. It was a full ten seconds before anyone spoke. "Damn!" the Captain swore. Then he punched another intercom key. "Officer of the Deck! Prepare to jump right now! Get your course and destination from LT Forbes in main sensor. Top speed." He punched another button, "Chief Engineer! Captain, we need maximum speed. Override the safety interlocks." He jumped out of his chair and ran for the door with Mr. Holden right behind, leaving the starchart still glowing on his terminal, with one phrase still highlighted in red. "Probable Destination: Earth." *** "General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands man your Battle Stations!" The General Alarm sounded once again, sending the crew of the _Lydia_ into a mad scramble. In his cabin, Captain Sanford quickly put on his pressure suit and battle armor and went over again in his head the events of the last three months. Well, Rick, this is it. You made a mistake three months ago and here is where it counts. He strode onto the bridge and strapped into his chair. Plugging into the intercom he heard, "Engineering reports all crew in pressure suits and at battle stations." Lt. Commander Holden turned to Captain Sanford, Saluted and said, "All crewmembers at Battle Stations and in pressure suits, sir." "Evacuate the ship, Number One." Vaccum pumps squealed throughout the ship as they sucked all the air out of the hull. Soon the ship was in vaccum. "Two minutes to breakout, sir." QM1 Raymond reported. The familiar starlines in the forward screen were rushing with particular speed. For the past two weeks they had been pushing the _Lydia_ fast- er than her designers ever expected. There was an uncomfortable silence on the bridge. Everyone knew just what they were facing and what it could mean for the Jihad, for the whole universe, if this latest of the Hellwyrm's servants could succeed where so many others had failed. "Ten seconds to breakout...nine...eight...seven..." Captain San- ford gripped his chairrests to calm his racing heart. A small smile came to his face. The old familiar rush of battle was lifting the despair from his heart. "...three...two...one...Breakout!" In the forward screen, the starlines raced backwards and turned into stars again. "Sensors, report." LT Forbes looked at his technicians' screens and did a double take. "Sir! there's a battle going on right now!" "Tactical! On screen!" The screen showed two groups of ships lined up in two planes. "LT Forbes, can you identify any of them?" "Yes, sir! I can see the _HOOD_! The Legion Flagship took on a glowing halo in the center of the Legion battle plane. "Commander IronMan must be complaining about his paint job." The whole bridge crew chuckled at the quip. The Captain was himself again. Then Captain Sanford leaned forward. "LT, that one ship about 10,000 km behind the enemy plane, is that what I think it is?" LT Forbes checked his readouts, "Yes, sir, it's the 'Great One's flagship." "And he's left his back open for once." Captain Sanford got out of his chair and went to the Quartermaster's station. Putting his hand on QM1 Raymond's shoulder he said, "QM1, I want a short hyper- space jump to put us 500 km right behind that ship, and I want it ten minutes ago." "Aye aye, sir!" The QM1 set to work. The Captain thumbed the intercom, "All hands, this is the Captain. The enemy is engaged with the Legion Fleet, but he's left his back open. We're going to go in and blast him quick, then get out, but this is going to be tricky. Everyone stay on your toes." "Hyperspace Jump plotted and laid in, Captain." "Everybody...here goes nothing. QM1 on my mark, five...four... three...two...one...Jump!" The brief burst of weightlessness and starlines marked the hyper- space transition. QM1 Raymond called out, "28 seconds, sir" "LT Forbes, the enemy flagship will be directly in front of us, but you need to lock on as soon as we breakout." "Aye aye, sir!" "Weapons, commence firing, everything you have as soon as you have a lock-on." "Aye aye, sir!" The chronometer ticked on. Fifteen seconds...QM1 Raymond started his count, "Ten seconds...nine...eight...seven...six...five..." Capt- ain Sanford leaned forward. The whole bridge crew was glued to their panels. "four...three...two...one...breakout!" Another brief burst of weightlessness and the enemy flagship was right in the center of their screen" "Locked-on!" "Commence firing!" The _Lydia_'s twelve plasma cannons roared out their streams of superheated death. Her six torpedo tubes spat their angry bees which raced for the enemy ship. All twelve cannons found their marks, and large puffs of gas started showing from the enemy flagship. "Captain! he must have double-fronted his shields! Sensors show the enemy has no rear shields!" "Keep pounding! Weapons! I see three torpedo launches from the enemy! Take them out!" The _Lydia_'s ten laser turrets made short work of the puny counterattack just as the _Lydia_'s own torpedoes found their mark, "Captain, I read no power at all from that ship! It's dead!" There was an exultant cheer throughout the bridge, quickly cut short by Captain Sanford's, "Save that! Here come the escorts! Helm- sman! get us out of here! Max Speed!" The _Lydia_ spun about and fairly exploded away, just as the five spongie ships started firing. The hull shuddered and the shield gen- erators screamed. Captain Sanford thumbed an intercom, "Chief Engin- eer! divert power from everything but sensors, shields, and engines! 60% engines, 40% shields." "Aye aye, sir, but with this kind of firepower, we're gonna have leaks!" "Just keep those engines running long enough to get us out of here, Chief! QM1! have you got an escape course?" "All ready, sir!" "Captain! the HOOD and six other ships have broke from the Legion planes and are coming straight for us!" Captain Sanford grinned, "Good old Ozzy, he won't let us down." The ship shuddered violently as small shield leaks left parts of the hull vaporized. Suddenly the whole ship lurched to one side and almost wnet into a spin. "Captain!" the Chief Engineer screamed, "We just lost number two engine." Captain Sanford went cold. There was no way they could outrun their pursuers now and only one way to survive. "Chief! cut thrust! All power, and I mean *all* power to the shields! We sit tight. The cavalry is on its way." The next few minutes were nightmarish. The shields kept collap- sing and healing as large sections of the hull boiled away. Then, QM1 Raymond's panel exploded! Hurling him right across Captain Sanford's lap! Captain Sanford gave thanks for the vaccum that wasn't transmitt- ing his screams and jammed his hand over the stump of the QM1's right arm to try and stop the crimson flow. A weapons tech brought over a pressure bandage, and together they stopped the bleeding. Then Capt- ain Sanford noticed something: the ship was quiet. "Chief, how are the shields?" "Sir, whatever was firing at us seems to have stopped. Shields are reading minimal power drain." "Chief, drop the shields and prepare for visitors." "Sir, I don't..." "Chief, if they're friends, we need their help. If they're foes, we're in no shape to resist anyhow." There was silence on the other end. Captain Sanford turned back to getting QM1 Raymond to sick bay, then started taking damage reports from the ship. He was just hearing about how long it would take to get the hull airtight, when a Marine came up to him and pointed out two men on the bridge. Captain Sanford looked them over, snapped to attention, saluted, "LDS _Lydia_ reporting back, Commander IronMan." ********************************************************************** "That was quite a story, Captain," said Sub-Commander Shardik. Commander IronMan nodded in agreement and added, "You do seem to have a way of ending up in the thick of things." "Thank you, sirs," Captain Sanford sighed, "but it wouldn't have been necessary if I'd given the order to go after the escaping ship instead of having the _Lydia_ stay back for fire support." "Don't beat yourself up for that Captain," Shardik snapped. "You had about one-tenth of a second to make that decision, and given what you knew at the time, it was the right one." "I agree," said IronMan, "and I think that it's time to put one of Most Holy's recommendations to good use. Captain Sanford, 'ten-shun!" Captain Sanford got up from his chair and came around to the front of the desk warily. Commander IronMan walked up to him, said, "I don't think you'll need these, anymore," and removed the Captain's in- signia from Sanford's shirt. Sanford looked a bit green so IronMan said, "Don't look like it's the end of the world. It's just that Brigadier General Most Holy wanted you to have these," he pulled a small box out of his pocket, "when the time was ripe. They used to be his, and I can't think of a better time to give them to you." He opened the box, revealing two shiny pieces of metal and pinned them on. Rick Sanford was speechless, so once again, it fell to Shardik to break the silence. "Congratulations, *Colonel* Rick Sanford." The End ********************************************************************** Folks, the promotion's real. General Most Holy gave it to me a few weeks ago, but it seemed like such a great way to end this story that I couldn't help holding off until now. Hope you enjoyed "The Cruise of the _Lydia_" -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Colonel Rick Sanford, Legion of Doom, Despongification Division "Hit hard. Hit fast. Hit often." Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz ----------------------------------------------------------------------