( Read the previous episodes of Journey to Centauri.) |
Journey to Centauri : Episode 31 part 2 "What was that sound?" asked Morgan. "What sound?" asked Miriam. "There are a thousand sounds...the screaming of the ship, the warning klaxons..." "The voice of a thousand valkyries," murmured Pravin, nervous and subdued. "No. I hear it...a pulse tone," said Zakharov, his eyes darting around the command center. "Modulated, increasing in volume and frequency..." "From here. Here," said a crewman, Ensign Mirza, putting his hand on the door to the small meeting room off of the command center. "Is something wrong here? My God," said Pravin. The pulses had grown to a pounding, wave upon crashing wave of sound, shaking the assembled crew. Pravin clenched his teeth to stop them from cracking together. The ensign, agitated, shouted something and pressed the "Hatch open" stud. Miriam had stepped back from the door, and Lal stood nearby. The sounds abruptly fell off, replaced by a high-pitched wine. Into that silence Morgan spoke. "I would not open that door," he said. Miriam looked at him, then threw herself backwards as the hatch door opened. An explosion rocked the command center. Fragments of metal table and plastic chairs blew outwards, funneled through the hatchway and filling the command center in a cloud of violent force, engulfing the ensign. Miriam fell, one side beaded with blood, and Lal turned to shield his face. "Sabotage!" shouted Miriam. Lal hurried to the ensign, who was now a collage of half pale brown flesh, half stringy tissue. Indian... The image of Pria leapt into his mind unbidden. "What was that?" asked Miriam. "Sonic hammer," said Zakharov. "Small but deadly. There shouldn't even be any on board." "Did we screen the Emissary?" Asked Miriam. "Or was it..." she turned to Morgan. "Don't be foolish," said Morgan. "But look here! Dr. Yang, where are you off to so quickly?" Miriam and Pravin both looked around. Yang stood at the door to the hatch, watching them calmly. "This command center is severely damaged, and we are close to Planet. I am off to my landing pod, as we all voted." "That resolution was not approved..." said Lal., but weakly. "Look around," said Yang. "We are not ready for Utopia." And with that the exit hatch closed. Zakharov spoke. "He is right. Many of the systems here are damaged. Let us get to our landing pods. I can trigger the escape sequence from there. This command center was never meant to take us all the way to Planet." "How can we trust you?" Miriam shot after him, as Zakharov headed for the exit hatch. Lal lifted his hand. "He's right. The landing sequence is automated. This command center was not meant to bring us all the way to Planetfall. The ship must divide." Miriam stared at him, then looked down. "This man is dead," she said, and closed his eyes. Her fingers came back touched with blood. Lal shook his head and rose. "I'm off to Bay Five," he said. "Aren't Santiago's people there?" asked Miriam. "I will bring a bargaining chip." He headed for the exit hatch. "Are you coming?" She looked up at him. He looked tired, worn by the weight of the failing Charter. "Yes, I suppose. There is no other place." "Head to a safe Bay. I am going." He turned for the exit hatch, and she followed. Behind them, panels sparked and flared, and emergency fire control systems switched on, blanketing the command center in a soft white-gray powder like snow. |
