Adventures of the USS Tigershark, 20

Chapter 20: Fighting All

The Dragon stood in his cargo bay and his eyes glowed as his pirates dumped loads of Iridium and other highly valuable goods only to return to get more. He cursed himself for not remembering the right planet. He was so sure he had been here before and now he could not remember any details. He was so certain the suit told him these coordinates. Of course, he had not kept any files on the coordinates but his suit knew where it was and now it was silent and did not respond to anything. All there was were ghosts. Taking over his men and defying all shields and weapon fire went right through them but then the green things left and attacked the Silver Streak.

He had not wasted this opportunity and left in a hurry leaving several men behind.

This armada of primitives loaded with treasures was a sheer stroke of luck. Enough to fill the holds of all ships and return very wealthy.

Then the alarms went off and he hurried to the I.S.T. waiting for the next car. Cursing the slowness of the system and yelled. “Computronic get me the Bridge!”

He stomped into the I.S.T. car and dialed for the Bridge. Zwenacdri, the Kermac and his second in Command responded to his inquiry about the alarms.

“There is a Union ship, Dragon.”

He made on his bridge and felt weak and sick for a moment as he plunged in his seat.

“What are you talking about? There are no Union ships out here.”

But then he saw the ship on his main screen had centered on.

He had spent many years in the Union Navy. He had seen or knew about every Union Ship class, what he saw on his screen somehow looked Union but like nothing, he had ever seen before.

No ISAH pods, the shape was all wrong and not Uni standard. But the extended Exo load Cannon on top of the hull he recognized instantly. The ship was almost black not Union white or gray, but it had the name USS Tigershark written along its sides, and the Union flag painted on the sides. That strange ship also was surrounded by a barely visible purplish cocoon, TransDim shields.

The Togar scanner operator gnarled in his guttural cat voice. “This ship replaced the Silver Streak. One moment the Silver Streak was there, and the next moment this thing. It has an official Union transponder signature and is under full TransDim Shields.”

Again he felt dizzy and his throat felt dry and thick. As he looked down, he noticed his hands had the same brown spots he had seen on the aliens from the primitive ships. He needed to think about that later.

“Where did the Silver Streak go?”

“I can’t find her within scanner range.”

The Kermac looking over his console. “They just hailed us all and demanded immediate surrender. No word from the others yet.”

Swybar was confused but he was a Union officer once. “Call the Jammer, the Hontu and the Bloody Mary. If we combine our fire and concentrate it, we might crack those shields. That ship is no Match for the four of us.”

The Togar said. “They wait on your signal. I have relayed target coordinates so we hit the same spot.” “Give that Union scum hell, Fire!”

Shaka immediately took action and went into evasive maneuvers. All four Pirate ships fired at the same time. Especially the Jammer and the Dragon peppered us with several Faster than Light High Energy beams.

Har-Hi said. “That response was somewhat expected. Primary shields at 90%, secondary shields not affected. No Damage no Casualties.”

“Mao target all enemy ships drives and take them out, then pull their teeth.”

The Translocator rotary guns spat small Anti matter loads at the point of explosion. The destructive explosive force was instantly transferred past shields and armor directly into the Engine rooms of three ships. The shields flickered and went out on the Hontu and a gaping hole in her aft section was the result of several anti matter explosions micro seconds before.

The Bloody Mary lost her gun turrets and was rocked by a secondary explosion as the enegies of her drive pods turned them into clouds of twisted metal.

The Jammer didn’t fare much better as the propulsion enticers were instantly transformed into glowing twisted metal.

The most damage was done to the Red Dragon. As her shields prevented Translocator locks inside, Mao had fired all of our 12 Quark-Gluon Plasma casters. The QGPs The quark–gluon plasma or quark soup was a phase of quantum chromodynamics which existed at extremely high temperature and density.

The ability to carry force and reach temperatures of 5.5 trillion degrees Celcius was realized as a weapon potential back in 4500 and was steadily developed by Terran engineers into a unique Terran weapon. No matter, not even Neutronium was able to withstand these kinds of temperatures, delivered with a hefty kinetic impact.

The shields of the Dragon collapsed and the QGp pulses perforated the experimental ship’s hull.

Her secondary hull was ripped to shreds and opened to the vacuum of space.

“Elfi hail them all.”

She nodded giving me a thumbs up gesture and I said.”I am Captain Olafson of the United Stars Starship Tigershark. You are all identified and known pirates. Standing warrants permit immediate destruction. You have five seconds to completely surrender. No additional calls will be made.”

I had Elfi cut the transmission.

Har-Hi interrupted. “Captain there is a fleet of twenty unknown alien space ships approaching fast. Tech level seven, at least.”

Still, in Tactical View I saw them too. “Twenty ships in shape very similar to the primitive rocket ships. Long cylindrical, with cone shaped bows, but with smaller Drive Pods, powerful looking shields and studded with weapon towers. Each about 800 meters long.

“Elfi hail them and start first contact procedures.”

“I am on it, Captain. They established similar procedures and it won’t take long.”

After about five minutes Shea nodded. “Communications possible now.”

I waited for Elfi’s signal indicating open comm channels.

“This is the United Stars Ship Tigershark. I am Captain Olafson and we are engaged in bringing Pirate criminals to justice.”

An ape like being appeared, it looked brutish, covered with brown fur, pronounced eye brows and a very ape like maw exposing sharp incisors. He wore a brown leather like uniform with copper colored metal shoulder pads.

“I am ‘The A’ of this Strike force. You will address me as ‘A the Mighty’and lower your gaze. You are in our space, this is the Dominion of the Furze. Do not aide or contact the outcasts in any way. Those pirates you are hunting already made contact and are doomed. Have you made any attempts to contact the Cursed?”

“If you mean the fleet of cone shaped ships, no. Should you mean the criminal element, they are doomed, perhaps curse we are done talking to them.”

“Then you may live. Now leave this space as it is now ours. The Cursed Outcasts cannot be allowed to reach any other civilization. They carry a disease that caused wars and mayhem.”

“How far does your sphere of influence reach?”

“As far as we want it. And where ever I am.”

“We might be able to assist and see if there is a way we can help.”

“If you remain you will be destroyed. No help no contact.”

Mao said with a sigh.”Can you believe it, there is yet another fleet of ships approaching. Also with activated weapons and shields, at least TL 7.”

The other ships dropping out of Quasi in an arrow head attack formation, were elegant almost birdlike and white.

There were thirty six of them and all of the same size, about 800 meters each as well.

They interrupted the conversation by hailing us all. The being appearing on our viewers was beautiful and had the grace and characteristics of a Terran swan. It was white, thin and was covered in long feathers. The only item of clothing or equipment was a wide golden sash across his body.

“We are the Down, stand down brutish Furze. Your own kind seeks help and we will not deny it. Mercy and compassion must be rendered. You know well, we will not hesitate to defend those who are helpless.”

Mao said. “Both sides energizing weapons.”´

The ape like beings responded. “We will not fight over this scum, you may have them. But be assured all contact to the Down ends today and we will shoot at any Down ship we see in our sphere of influence.” With this, the twenty ships of the Furze reversed course and left. The Dawn now addressed us. “We heard your exchange with the Furze. We will not allow you to commence violence and disperse your law. Those who you call pirates might just have been misguided by the Furze to attack these poor sick outcasts.

We will invite you all to a nearby planet of ours. You avoided destruction by offering help to the afflicted, that shows you understand the concept of mercy. Now you must proof it to us.”

“Let me get this straight, you Down want us to help these sick ones?”

“No we require and if neccessary force you to help. You offered it first. By our holy laws, you are now required to do so and we will only interfere if you do not, if you flee or if you fail to help.”

“You are forcing us to help?”

“Indeed. I see our communication works well.”

I cut them off. “Tactical analysis?”

Mao responded. “We can destroy seventy percent of their force but sustain battle damage from the remaining 30 percent before we can destroy the rest. And that is only an estimate since we do not know all their weapon capability. If we add Suits shields and cloaking ability to the equation we will be able to emerge victoriously and escape at any time.”

“I don’t want to start a shooting war and open fire first. We openly identified ourselves as Union and chances are they are known by the Golden of this region. This is the first contact and who knows if they have allies or a bigger fleet. They can reach Union space just as we can reach theirs.”

Fivcheer, sitting at a multi task console in the Command and Control part of the bridge, raised his hand and said. “Their understanding and definition of morals and ethics are complicated and appear to be the base of their entire culture and religious believes.”

Elfi said.”The Red Dragon is hailing the Down.”

“Put it on.”

“Mighty Down I am Red Dragon and it is true we are pirates and we have attacked the afflicted Furze but we are infected ourselves and show the same symptoms of the disease. We too need your help.”

“And whoever asks for help due to pain, suffering or disease shall receive it. You must also follow us.”

“We can not, the evil and brutal Union captain from his dictatortial regime disabled and damaged our ships.”

This surprised me and Fivecheer confirmed it. “It is quite true. Whatever inflicts the Outcasts has now spread on all four pirate ships.”

Many more Down ships appeared dropping out of Quasi and begun towing the slow rocket shaped ships and the damaged pirate ships.

A cordon of twelve ships escorded us to a GIII type star and a system with eight planets.

The sizeable fleet went straight for the second planet, apparently a Garden world.

They made us land.

The Planet turned out to be uninhabited. The valley we touched down had tundra like character, framed in the distance by gray, mist shrouded mountains. The vegetation appeared to be grass or lichen like, smooth humps of rock broke the pale green surface here and there.

The rocket shaped space ships of the inflicted Furze were set down in a neat circle all around us. The damaged pirate ships in a little distance with six Down ships settling nearby.

I addressed my crew via Shipwide.

“Just so you know, while I don’t like to be bullied, we are now Union on the outside as well.

I went along to show good will and as long as they don’t shoot we don’t. This is a first contact situation with a new species, it is the declared core value and purpose of our society and fleet to render help when it is needed and make efforts to establish peaceful relations.”

Har-Hi actually sat in his chair for a change said.”I don’t think you find a soul aboard questioning your command decissions. We played pirates but we never ceased to be Union citizens.”

I gave him a smile and said. “We still need to return to Peppermint after that to check on the Seenian depot, that is supposed to be there before we can go home.”

Mao said. “No one really wants to go home. Sure some R&R on a friendly port be nice but the crew morale could not be better.”

“That is good to hear. Now I think it is high time we contact the sick, see what the trouble is and maybe find a solution.”

As we established standard electromagnetic radio wave contact with the other sips, Elfi worked with something she called a UHF Video signal, whatever that was and managed to get a grainy two dimensional image on the main screen.

I almost jumped out of my seat. There on the screen was something like a rotting corpse staring at us. It clearly showed kinship to the Ape like furze but half of his face was swollen the other eaten to the bone, partially covered with blood and puss soaked bandages.

While he spoke his breath rattled labored and only one eye was halfway open, the other was milky white. The being had oozing ulcers all over his partially exposed body and I wondered what kept it alive.

“We are at the end, travelers” He coughed in a sickening wet manner.”The Disease came with visitors, asking for our help and we invited and welcomed them, believing we can protect ourselves and help.

Now we are sick, doomed outcasts and die in exile. Our last hope was to reach the Down for help. Strangers, we want your help, but be warned nothing we tried could isolate or prevent us from being infected.”

He had another coughing spell, a weak wet cough.

He was to weak to wipe his mouth. “We know it; they do not, but our brothers at home domed and so are you. You might already be too close.”

I responded. “We still try to help. Try to stay alive for a little longer.”

To Mao I said. “We are under full shields right?” “Full shields and not the crappy kind but our real ones.”

“I guess someone has to go over there and check the situation and do some close up scans before we allow anyone to come back in.”

Cateria said. “My latest team member, Starman Dusty volunteered to go over there. It is confident nothing organic could possibly harm him.

We are no longer disguised, he can take a med bot along.”

“Dusty is pursuing a med career?”

“Yes and between Jolaj and it I never had anyone more eager to learn and study. Dusty doesn’t sleep and is quite intelligent. Not a second goes by it is not working, learning and studying.”

“What do you know we got a fluffy snowball and now a walking sand pile for nurses.” I grinned at the mental picture of these two in med dresses.

Aloud I said. “I tend to agree, I doubt stellar dust coulds get a cold or suffer fever. So if you think it is up for it, let us send Dusty.”

Only a little later we saw Dusty appear on the screen as it emerged from under the Tigershark and walked accompanied by a Med Bot towards the closest alien ship. It was wearing a modified Quasimodo not that it needed ir for protection, It was white and had the logo of the Medical service on it. The Medic version was unarmed but had a large variety of analytical sensors, medical tools and first aid options available.

We heard him say. “This is a small step for a human but a giant leap for a Dust cloud. I am boldly going where no Dust cloud has gone before.”

I raised my eyebrows.”What is it talking about?”

Cateria’s eyes fixed on her readouts. “I told you Dusty likes to read and it watches Historical Virtus all the time.”

Narth said. “The first statement was a reference to a Terran human historical event. It altered the quote of the first Terran human who ever stepped foot on another world. The second reference is to a vintage, pre astro...”

Cateria interrupted. “Sorry Narth but I think it is at the airlock now. Can you magnify?”

“Yes and so can you, your console is connected to his helmet sensors.”

“Of course I am just a bit nervous, It should be fine but it is still Dusty’s first mission.”

Narth voice in my mind. “Teachers pride. She likes Dusty very much.”

We heard Dusty over the speakers. “Greetings, I am Dusty, medical specialist of the USS Tigershark. I represent the United Stars of the Galaxy and we come in peace. Please be not alarmed about my appearance, It is only a tool platform.”

I was quite impressed and Cateria smiled proudly. “It has come a long way from being a lonely energy and dust cloud in deep space.

Dusty is also very caring, medicine and helping others gives him great pleasure.”

We saw Dusty greet the gruesome looking crew of the alien ship. Most were lying in cods, some appeared to be dead already. I saw a big white maggot crawl from the body of an afflicted and out of sight just before Dusty’s helmet light reached the spot. Dusty spoke gentle and warm to the aliens. Administered first aid, disperesed auto docs, scanned and took samples.

Then he called. “Doctor Cateria, it is most certainly a very infectious disease but I cannot determine the cause of it. It seems to be a combination of bacteria, poisons, and Viruses in some sort of symbiosis. Except I do not know where the poison would come from. Until we are able to determine how the disease spreads I recommend Quarantine Procedure Alpha.”

She nodded. “I must agree.”

She turned to me. “Captain, preliminary data indicates a very unusual and never before encountered disease. A strange affliction that apparently combines bacterial, viral organisms and some unknown toxic agent.

Dusty cannot return to the ship until we know with certainty we can decontaminate against it. I also would like to request a LEGO III Nanite factory to built an external isolation ward on the planet surface. The Tigershark is way too small to tread the crews of all those ships.”

“Granted. Cirruit have your robots take a Lego III outside. And give the doctor the Control unit.” Shea got up and so did Narth.

I nodded.”Go assist Cateria.” Then I leaned back dialed up the magnification and watched the Robots built a field hospital.

Elfi said. “Captain the Down are hailing.”

“Put them on then.”

On the screen appeared one of the White Birds, this one had brown spots all over his skin, much of the white feathers gone and he said.”Olafson of the Union. It seems you are very experienced in such cases. It turned out we are not. We are affected by the disease as well and still unable to determine the cause. What are your recommendations?”

“Issue a strict quarantine. No ship that has landed may leave this planet under any circumstance until the cause and a countermeasure has been determined. If you love your own culture you must prevent an uncontrolled spreading even if you must shoot your own kind.”

“How can we ignore a plea for help?”

“You are helping by isolating this planet. You are helping all those not yet sick.”

“I will do as you say.”

I cut him off and said. “It seems the Down were infected somehow, did anyone see them leave their ships?”

It turned out no one paid particular attention to that, not even SHIP could say for certain.”

“What about us? Is there anything in terms of virus or bacteria that could enter somehow?”

Shea shook her head.”Not even a single atom, captain. We are under the most sophisticated shields the Union has.”

SHIP responded on her own as usual.”Naturally, I am not a very good doctor but I have all the theoretical knowledge and if I analyze the speed athe disease spreads I have grave concerns. The crew of the Bloody Mary, for example, was not in actual contact with the aliens and yet the Crew shows the same symptoms. The Down were affected all the way to the bridge crew and never went near the sick. According to Fivecheer, they haven’t even opened their hatches. It seems the disease spreads by other means than virus or bacteria.”

“Does Shea know that?”

“Yes, she is in the bio labs pouring over Dusty’s tele data.”

Nothing seemed to happen, so I had a quiet meal.

The next morning as I came on the bridge. I saw the Robots outside adding a much bigger building to the first one in place. A second LEGO was out there and produced Work robots.

“Status?”

Krabbel who had the Conn. said. “We have now over 4500 patients to deal with. The crews of the original rocket ships, the crews of the Down ships and the Crews of the Pirate ships. Every crew member with medical knowledge volunteered and is helping. Har-Hi authorized the additional resources. They are all in Space suits with TransDim shields.”

“Get me Cateria then.”

She appeared looked busy but smiled. “We have not yet localized the actual reason for the disease but we are getting the symptoms under control. The new Med Nanites Circuit and I have been developing are gods send repairing damage on a cellular level.”

“Keep me posted. Olafson out!”

“Krabbel, it looks like they get it handled. It is Thursday and the pool is cold. I am going for a swim.”

“Aye Captain.”

The Ship was officially still under General Quarters and all recreation facilities where closed and our pool covered with a steel shutter, but there were some privileges when you are the Captain.

“SHIP, uncover the pool please and lower the water temperature to 4 degrees.”

“Gladly, Captain.”

Moments later I let myself sink to the bottom of the pool and took deep draws of fresh cold water. All this talk about disease and oozing wounds made me realize why I had this urge to swim and dive in crystal clear cold water.

As always the cold water relaxed me and I felt content with the universe and simply let myself go. I realized I had dozed off as I went back up.

“SHIP, what time is it?”

There was no response.

“SHIP!”

Nothing, no response at all.

Then a voice came over the speakers, It was Shea.

“Captain we have taken over the Tigershark.

SHIP is in a deep maintenance cycle and can’t hear you.

I know you and thus all resistance is futile. We are in full control over all your friend’s bodies and minds. We know what they know.”

She actually had an evil laugh and she added.”Your Friend Narth is unconscious and tied to the TransDim Chandelier diverter and it takes but a command of mine and he is spread all over Quasi space. Having taking over the mind of such a brilliant being is really helpful.”

Ghost. Was my first thought.

We had overlooked some or they never went to Uber space as we thought, the door slid open and TheOther stomped in, wounded! He held a smoking TKU and said.

“Captain the entire crew changed! I barely escaped Hans. Circuit is down. I think he is gone.”

He held suit in his left upper fist. “Take it, Captain. They tricked Tyron into deactivating itself but maybe you get it going.” Suit did not move or react in any way. I put it on anyway which was surprisingly easy.

“The ghosts, Orthbeer. The Antoo they did that?”

“No Captain, Orthbeer is one of the few unaffected. This is caused by inch long worms attaching themselves to everyone they can. I am glad, but I wonder why you are unaffected.”

I took one of TheOther’s TKU’S and said.

“I don’t know. Heck, I don’t know anything, but we need to reactivate SHIP first.”

I stepped out the door and the warm air hit me like a blast. “Why is it so hot?”

“The Worm things had environmental raise the temperature.”

A white maggot like underarm sized worm, glistening moist suddenly appeared out of mid air trying to attach to me but TheOther batted it with a back hand against the wall were it burst into oozing slime and guts.

I was still confused, and I needed more informatio to assess the situation when I heard a new voice over intership. A voice I instantly recorginzed. The voice of the Red Dragon.

“I know you are still in here somewhere. I know who you are, you are the one that got me hanged. Olafson faggot!”

He laughed. “I don’t know how you got to be captain of such a fine ship, but it is mine now! You see the Knnnk and I came to an agreement. I will fly your magnificent ship to Arsenal II and the Knnnk will take over the depot there. All we need is your brain and your code key.

So be a good pervert and surrender.”

“It’s the cold. I said to TheOther. I was spared because I was in a cold environment”

A brutish figure stepped into the Corridor, it was Hans, holding his huge TKU.

He was covered all over with brown spots. “Captain don’t make me hurt you! You know you have no chance against me.”

“The Y’All jumped in front of me. Go get to safety Captain.”

Hans fired and the shot burned through the Y’All and the terrifying alien that had become such a good friend fell like a cut tree!”

“Hans fight it! I cannot surrender, not for you not for Narth.” He fired but missed, showing me he was fighting it. Hans would have never missed.”

He screamed. “Run Captain run, I can’t fight it.”

I did run and hammered my fist on an emergency release, activating a security door. Giving me a few moments I hoped.

I fired at another whitish worm that popped out of thin air and killed it and at least ten more, as I made my way towards the next I.S.T. I needed to get to the computronic core.”

Mao staggered towards me, covered in brown spots armed with a boarding sword and a TKU. He aimed his weapon with a tortured face, yelling. The pain, they make us...”

I could not hesitate, not for Mao nor for anyone. I begged Thor for strength and Mao for forgiveness and fired.

I aimed into the ceiling and showered my friend with a cascade of sparks, drops ofmolten metal and duraplast.

He fell yelping in pain and I was crying while I kept running, not stopping to see what effect the firery shower had on him. The TKU was too powerful, had no non lethal settings, a direct blast would have surley killed him.

The pool was on the rear of the main deck. The dojo and the exercise rooms were close.

Our dojo held a collection of antique weapons.

Just as I opened the door and rushed in a whispering sound made me duck in the very last moment, it was Har-Hi who almost beheaded me!

He was not alone, there was Kai-Do as well.

My Dai friend said with a laboring voice.”I am using all my will power, to fight the influence, Erica. I can’t hold him or it of much longer...” He attacked me and screamed.”Die!”

Chapter 21 »