Grady didn’t hesitate. “Mal, battle stations.” He glanced toward Zoe. “Weapons status?”
“All systems primed,” she said, her tone terse. “But we’re too far away to engage.”
Grady toyed with the idea of initiating an emergency jump to FTL to close the distance, but then dismissed it. Even if the fusion drive wasn’t unstable, such a short jump was challenging to execute, even for an AI, and fraught with risks. If Adventurer dropped out too near the freighter, the two hulls might fuse, each suffering an immediate and catastrophic loss of integrity. The air on both craft would rapidly bleed into the void, asphyxiating all aboard. Or, if the jump disgorged Adventurer right in the path of the newcomer, they could find themselves under attack and suffer a significant drain on their shields before they had a chance to fire a shot.
“Don’t wait for the order,” he said. “Open fire as soon as we’re within range. Even if we’re unlikely to score a hit at this distance, it’ll draw their attention away from the minimally armed freighter.”
“Affirmative,” Zoe replied, her fingers poised above her controls, her countenance a mask of concentration and anticipation now that combat was about to be joined.
“Mal, re-route emergency power to the sublights,” Grady said, not taking his eyes off the sensor holo. “Pour it on. We’ve got to reduce that gap.”
“Done,” said the AI. “The intruder is almost within reach of our weapons.”
“And the freighter?”
“Its shields appear to be weakening. It is attempting to maneuver, but with little success. The assailant’s transponder is dark, suggesting it is a pirate. Configuration matches that of a modified Trajan fighter.”
“Favored by pirates in our dimension, and in this one too, it seems,” Zoe remarked.
Grady nodded and toggled the external comm. “To the unknown vessel engaged in hostilities. This is the Interstellar Coalition gunship Adventurer. You are ordered to break off your attack immediately or we will fire on you.” The only response was a howl of static. As he watched, the tactical holo populated with stats on the enemy craft’s capabilities. “Your vessel is outgunned,” he commed. “Withdraw now or be destroyed.”
He felt the deck vibrate as Zoe activated the forward laser cannon, lurid bolts of energy searing through vacuum. A deeper thrum signaled the ion cannon adding its deadly contribution to the barrage.
“The freighter’s shields are down,” Mal announced. “They are taking damage.”
Zoe cursed as her fingers flew across her holo. “That’s it. Say goodbye, asshole.”
Jaw clenched, Grady gazed at the sensor display as the pirate fighter executed a tight turn, peeling away from the freighter. The pilot’s sense of self-preservation must have won out over greed as they realized the charging gunship meant business.
It was too late. A plasma torpedo lanced from the pods in Adventurer’s belly, closed the distance with a spurt of high acceleration, and detonated against the fighter’s already weakened shields. A second torpedo followed close behind. The one-two punch overwhelmed the small craft’s defenses, and it erupted in a fiery bloom of debris, the explosion soon quenched in the airless void.
Zoe thrust her fist into the air. “Hah, that’ll teach you to mess with us, moron.”
“Captain,” Mal said, relief evident in his voice. “Incoming message from the Bright Moon. They are requesting our urgent assistance.”
Adventurer hove to about thirty thousand meters from the drifting freighter, whose running lights were no longer showing. “Captain Grady here. Go ahead.”
“Thank you for the timely intervention, Captain,” a woman’s voice said over the comm, sounding calm and professional, but with a hint of strain in her accented tones. “This is Captain Johansen. We have casualties in need of medical care. Propulsion is offline, and we suffered damage to several compartments during the attack, including our reactor room. The attacker was attempting to disable our engines and prevent us from escaping.”
“Understood. We will render all the aid we can,” Grady said. He took in the data populating along the edge of the sensor holo. “I can see no evidence of a rupture or floating debris. It appears your hull remains intact.”
“It wouldn’t have been for much longer,” came Johansen’s reply, “if you hadn’t arrived when you did and taken decisive action. She’s an old girl but a tough one,” a note of pride entered the freighter captain’s voice, “and the thick plating absorbed the incoming energy. My crew and I are eternally grateful for your help, Captain. Please convey my thanks to your people.”
“I’ll do that. Meanwhile, do I have your permission to come alongside and dock with your airlock?”
“Permission granted. Is there a medic onboard your ship?”
“We can go one better than that,” Grady said, activating Adventurer’s maneuvering thrusters as he brought her close to the stricken vessel. “We carry a full doctor and a well-equipped medbay. Prepare to receive—”
“Captain,” Mal cut in. “My apologies for interrupting, but I am detecting increased levels of ionizing radiation from within the freighter, consistent with a reactor breach.”
The external comm was still open and Johansen said, “That is correct. The breach was minimal, did not spread throughout the ship, and has now been contained. Thankfully, the bridge and forward sections were not affected, since the reactor room is on the lowest level at the stern and protected by reinforced, rad-rated bulkheads. Our scrubbers are working to clear the atmosphere aboard.” Her professional composure cracked a little as she went on. “But some of my crew suffered radiation burns when the reactor room was hit and in working to contain the breach. Their injuries are beyond what my medic can treat with the facilities we have aboard.”
“We’re docking now, Captain,” Grady said. “As a precaution, our boarding party will wear protective suits hardened against radiation exposure. We’ll see you in person soon. Adventurer out.”
“Mal, I’m engaging autopilot. Keep us in synchronous alignment with the freighter. But monitor the ambient radiation level and disengage if it looks like the leak will penetrate our hull’s rad shielding. I don’t want anyone exposed to a potentially lethal dose.”
He swiveled his seat to face Zoe. “We’ve only got two rad-resistant biohazard suits on board. I’m going along with doc. Notify Tara and have her take the con. Brief her on what’s happened.” He was halfway to his feet when a voice from the doorway stopped him in his tracks. “No need. I’ll go, not you.”
He turned to see Tara rubbing sleep from her eyes as she leaned against the jamb. “You took the lead the last time we sent a boarding party to investigate a spacecraft adrift. Now it’s my turn.”
“And mine,” said a quiet, cultured voice from behind her. Hawthorne eased past Tara and stepped into the cockpit, gripping a bulky case with a prominent red cross displayed across the top. “However, I would prefer it if we were not cast into another reality upon setting foot on that ship.”
Grady dropped back into the pilot’s seat and chuckled. “Little chance of that, Doc. I was going to ask you to go, anyway. From what the freighter’s captain told us, there are several crew members requiring your tender ministrations.” He noticed Tara’s upturned chin and expression of firm resolve and sighed. “Fair enough, Sis, you’ve got the assignment. Just be careful, right?”
Tara cracked a mischievous grin. “You know me, Bro. Careful is branded on the inside of my helmet.”
“Sure it is. Just don’t take any unnecessary chances. Either of you. Hopefully, the rad leak is contained as we’ve been told. But watch your levels and be prepared to fall back to Adventurer if you have to.”
“I…we…will,” Tara said, running a hand through her mussed hair. “Besides, we’ll have the sergeant along to keep an eye on us. His combat armor has built-in protection against extreme radiation.”
“Excellent idea. I’d forgotten about his armor,” Grady said. “Gizmo stays, though.”
“Yep. Don’t have time to make a suit to fit him, anyway.” Tara’s grin faded as her gaze flitted to the pitted gray hull of the distressed freighter visible on the main viewscreen. “We’d better get going.”
With a resounding click, Hawthorne opened the hardshell container he carried and stuck his hand inside. “Not until I have administered an anti-radiation shot to everyone aboard ship.” Brandishing a silvery applicator, he advanced on Grady, who clucked his tongue. “Is that absolutely necessary, Doc?”
“Yes, Captain, it is. Even with the anti-radiation shielding built into our hull, there is a heightened risk of excessive exposure for all on Adventurer, especially if our airlocks remain connected for an extended time.”
