Chapter 10
Lost In The Mist © 2015 Sinclair Diavante
Chapter 10.
Zero stared at his console in disbelief. "Casey, is that another ship following us?" It was giving off energy readings like a ship, and he didn't like the idea of anyone nipping at his heels.
"Hang on." Casey got up and walked to the sensor suite. "I think I see what you mean, it looks like something is in our warp window, that's creepy. Either one hell of a coincidence, or someone very advanced is following us."
Zero shook his muzzle. "I don't believe in coincidences. I've heard that they exist, but since I've never actually seen one... We're still cloaked, right?"
"Cloak is active and completely functional, sir. Let me triangulate where they're headed," he said, tapping a few buttons. "Same destination as Mist's ship, it looks like."
Most space folders couldn't fold all of the space between two points far apart. The process actually involved one small distance, with the exit point continuously adjusted to something further away.
Zero pondered. So it was headed to the same jump station. One of theirs, then. That makes it two versus one, odds he didn't like. "What kind of ship?"
Casey typed quickly. "Must be cruiser class, she's actually going to pass our trajectory in twelve seconds. Too far to get a visual, even at the apex. I'm reading a really strange warp field around her. Woah! Zero, we need to bail out of this window, like right now!" His console buzzed a warning.
"Why?" Zero barked. "Won't that destroy the folder?" He felt a peculiar shudder, a vibration the inertial compensators couldn't seem to cope with, and then he felt mild nausea rising in his gorge. "What the hell is happening?" His console beeped twice.
"Zero, report." Damn, Zeek had some interesting timing. He hadn't said anything about Mist having friends.
Casey growled, keying in a blur of sequences, adjusting the folder. "We're crossing warp fields, it's pulling at us! I've never seen anything like this, it's like it's... doing it on purpose!"
Zero blinked. Using a warp field as a weapon? Who would do that? "Get us out of here, eject the folder."
"Not yet!" More data entry. "If we fall out this close, the wake will tear us to pieces. It's bending space in a really dirty way."
"Guys." Ash's voice, from the console. "The folder's trying to tear itself from the ship, that's bad, right? Maybe quit what you're doing? You know, before we all die?"
Zeek walked onto the bridge and looked around, holding his stomach. "What the fuck?"
Zero held up a paw. "Not now! Trying to save our lives here." He shot a look at Casey. "Casey?"
Casey's eyes were shut; he was fully immersed in his wetware. He held up a finger, his eyes moving quickly below their lids. The ship's engines grew louder, pulsing in and out of phase, keeping pace with the growing sense of nausea. A sharp vibration rattled through her frame, shooting from one end of the bridge to the other. A loud BANG, then silence. Stars that had previously been long lines in all the windows were now stationary.
"Uhm. Problem... solved? Folder's gone, I've confirmed all bulkheads, a clean break, and they're sealed. We're dead in the water, though."
"Shit! Are you serious?" Zeek stared at Zero, showing his teeth. "How hard is it to follow ship? Huh? Now where they go after they get through jump station?" He reached forward and slammed a paw onto the nearest console. "Ash. Start breaking into jump station..." he looked closely at the readout. "X70-1. We're going to need to know where Mist's ship is going, when he passes through it. Hell, take it offline, if you can!" Zeek glared, Zero looked away in submission, folding his ears back.
"I'll see what I can do," Ash responded. "You know, Keems could do this in his sleep. I'm in it right now, but they've upped security, it's going to take me a while to get through their firewall."
Zero looked at Zeek, it was time to explain. "Another ship came up behind us. Practically ran us over with its warp field. I've never even heard of something so crazy or dangerous. We're lucky to be alive right now, and I'd be surprised to learn that whoever was on that ship is still alive, too."
Zeek shook his muzzle. "Unbelievable. I'll let you know as soon as I have more intel on where they are. Get this fucking ship fixed!" He stormed out, the door slid shut behind him.
Zero took a deep breath and exhaled. "Casey..."