Eric Olafson, Midshipman 37

Part 37: ERIC

I broke formation and gunned the accelerator to max, arming all weapon systems. Wolfcraft fighters had a deadly array of weapons: two Translocator Gatling cannons, eight faster than light Forced Energy cannons (FTL-FE’s) and 4 Loki torpedoes and a forward mounted heavy caliber plasma accelerator.

In the corner of my eye a red signal and flashing data announced the quasi space signature of another Nul-Nul carrier dropping into Planck- Space coming in from the Z plane. I couldn’t allow it to launch its fighters.” Viking here, I got another carrier on my board I am going for it.”

“Alright. Try it, more fighters would be very bad news for us but be careful.” Wildcat replied.

I programmed a micro jump, the Computronic refused to execute so close to a star. I had to manually over write the lock out.

My Wolfcraft came dangerously close to the local star, 800,000 clicks closer than I wanted to be and my fighters engines screamed to get out of the gravitational pull, my shields where bombarded with heat and radiation as I passed through a protuberance of superheated stellar plasma, the system warned.” Shields at forty percent.”

Instead of fighting the stars gravitational force I changed course slightly and used it to accelerate me even more and I became so fast approaching the second carrier that its target systems recognized me too late. It had just dropped into real space was opening its launch bay. I was glad the Nul did not use Revolving starters. The carrier had to drop shields to launch its fighters and I released all four Loki torpedoes right at the open launch doors and pulled my fighter away.

Again my engines pushed past red line and the inertia damper alert beeped in a frantic rhythm some of the gees came through and pressed me deep into the seat and for a second I saw a narrow tunnel before my eyes and tasted blood. The Auto doc of my suit reacted and injected Stimuli- and pain drugs. The Carrier exploded behind me but two of its fighters escaped the anti-matter explosions that obliterated their mother ship and were hot on my tail. My shields still recovering and could not handle a direct hit.

One of them did manage to pepper my aft shields almost collapsing it. The main weapon system I had was my Translocator Gatling guns. While neither the Nul-Nul nor any other known species had a direct defense against the Translocator weapon system, the Nul were able to distort the sensor locks of my target acquiring system. While this was not very problematic with large targets, Nul Fighters where nimble and fast enough to make the targeting process required more difficult.

I had missed twice already; my shields would not be able to deflect more than one or two shots before I had to shut them down to reset. Resetting shields took only 5 seconds, but five seconds in a fight fought at these speeds was a life time.

I reversed thrust and decelerated so fast that my suit auto doc warned of organ damage. I didn’t feel any pain because of the drugs the Auto Doc pumped in me. This time they couldn’t evade or jam targeting enough and screamed past me directly into my main fire cone, and I squeezed the trigger of the PAC destroying one completely. The second Nul Fighter had moved already outside the range of the plasma accelerator, but a short burst of five TL loads, one detonating right inside the cockpit took it out of the equation

The threat board showed there were no bandits in my immediate vicinity and I had time to check the squadron status. There were 18 Wolfcrafts left. One showed as complete loss and one was severely damaged. One of the freighters was also damaged and it’s aft burning with the greenish glow of atomic fire consuming higher alloys.

Of the 100 original Nul fighters I still counted 50.

The fight was intense. Translocator bombs exploding like mini stars and the faint bluish shimmer of Nul Grav bomb funnels flickering everywhere.

Damage control of my fighter showed that my shields where still recovering and just barely above 40%, my left engine showed stress damage and my repair nanites where busy weaving structural bonds to fix that.

I was almost 12 seconds away from the main fight, so I shut down my shields to reset them, but could not fly very fast for 5 seconds because of the micro matter damage that would occur moving at high speeds without any shield protection. So I was able to take my time and aim the Translocators carefully for long-range sniper shots and destroying six Nul fighters. Three Nul fighters abandoned their attack run on the other freighter and turned to take care of me. I managed to damage one more with a full barrage of all FTL’s and it exploded moments later. My shields literally came on in the last micro second as two long range shots came close to my starboard side.

Taking evasive maneuvers and now with full shields I could accelerate and maneuver at the peak of the fighter’s abilities. I just lined one up and fired, when my starboard engine went way past red line and the Computronic shut it down before it could explode. Despite the Nanite efforts a containment coil had come loose, without containment the antimatter produced from the molecular gas I carried as fuel would make contact with matter of the drive and the resulting explosion would completely destroy the fighter and me.

The safety system shut it down automatically just before that could have happened and ejected the faulty containment coil along with the AM into space, where it exploded only a few meters of my side. Luckily there were no shockwave effects in space and the explosion did no damage.

A Wolfcraft was designed with two engines for exactly that reason instead of having one bigger engine, and I could operate with one engine just fine, however my speed and maneuverability was cut in half.

I targeted one of other fighters who saw their chance to finish me of and instead of relying on precision of automated targeting I aimed semi-manually with the Battle-sights of my suit and fired in cycle mode. Since the other fighter was approaching me dead on, this was possible; no human being could react fast enough to hit anything moving at these speeds except when it came straight at you. The Gatlings released 200 bombs per second and depleted my ammo reserves to almost nothing but the barrage had the effect I hoped for. I expected most bombs to miss the target but one made it and detonated right in the engine module engulfing the Nul fighter in a blinding globe of pure energy.

The doomed fighter had fired just before I destroyed it and its shot hammered into my shields pulling them down to 32 percent. The bluish glow of the dissipating Gravo bomb played over my entire ship.

“Complete System failure warning, structural damage to base frame and armor, estimated Nanite repair time one hour.”

The readout showed that I sustained damage despite the shields and that I could not go superluminal. Weapons where still fully operational, but the damage readout showed my other engine also having micro fractures in the containment module. I had to shut it down, so the Nanites could wave material over the fractures or I would lose it.

I was now as helpless as a Fangsnapper frozen halfway in a snow drift, the maneuver thrusters where no help in evading enemy fire.

The possibility that I had to eject was very real and the thought alone was more frightening to me than the possibility to die in an anti-matter explosion.

A Nul fighter made its attack run, there was nothing that could save me. Then there was pain as if a sharp object was trying to push into my mind. The Pain intensified so sudden and so intense, I screamed at first and my sight failed. Suddenly and for a brief moment I thought I saw Narth, his true angelic face not the hooded shrouded figure and the pain ebbed off. I clearly heard him say: “You are Narth. Push.”

Then it was gone. I felt numb almost paralyzed; barley heard the Auto Doc’s diagnosis.

From beyond that numb feeling that surrounded me like a padding of invisible foam I hear a voice and it became clearer.” ... king come in. Wildcat for Viking.”

I coughed blood and said.” Viking here.”

“God heavens, he is alive. My sensors showed no life signs for almost a minute.”

“I am sorry Sir. My systems are pretty messed up. I get you a status right away.”

The thread board was clear and I saw a wonderful sight on my scanners, the Devastator was there.

“Pirate to Viking. You had me worried, very worried.”

“Stay of the channel for a moment, Pirate.” Wildcat barked over Har-Hi’s voice.

“Viking, my system master control shows you are inoperable. The Devi is launching Buffalos as we speak, hang in there. Your Auto doc transmits data I don’t like very much.”

“I am fine, Sir. I am just a bid tired.”

“Stay with me Olafson, you have a massive shock. Your Auto-Doc is damaged and only partially functioning. It can’t put you into Cryo from here. Just stay with me. Do not fall asleep”

I saw the Buffalo approaching and its claws taking hold of my ship.

I tried to sound offended. “Sir.I won’t fall asleep on duty.”

“That is the spirit, son.”

“The Buffalo is here now, Sir.”

After the Buffalo had towed me back and I was save on the landing deck. I pushed the system shut down and lowered the seat.

I got up, tried to walk over to the others but my legs did not carry my weight, Met Bots and two Med techs rushed towards me and that’s when I passed out.

Part 38 »