The Aurora (Aurora Saga, Book 1) (36 page)

The two-hour journey to Satirel seemed like an eternity to James. He sat staring at the monitor, thinking over everything that may have happened. He suddenly focused again as the
Aurora
decelerated. He impatiently viewed the scanners.

‘I’m picking up plasma bursts and—’

James stopped.

A large area of space, close to Satirel, appeared to be moving in the distance.

‘There’s debris everywhere,’ Kalrea said.

The
Aurora
approached Satirel. James could see the sparkling remains from many ships stretching out into the void. The light from a nearby star reflected off the pieces of material drifting and spinning slowly. Large rivers of cyan coloured plasma from the tumbling remains of event horizon drives and reactors meandered through the wreckage.

James heard loud bangs on the hull, caused by bits of wreckage deflecting off the
Aurora
. After travelling about three kilometres through the debris he saw a large section of a ship slowly rotating.

‘It’s a Treitan ship,’ Kalrea said. ‘I’m picking up fluctuating power. No life signs.’

‘What happened?’ James asked.

There was no reply from Kalrea.

‘Kalrea, I said what happened?’ he repeated.

‘The rest of the fleet is here,’ Kalrea sounded sad.

‘What? Every ship? They can’t all have been destroyed. You must be wrong!’ James said, in disbelief, but in his heart, he knew Kalrea couldn’t be wrong.

The
Aurora
turned slowly and moved closer to the Treitan wreckage.

‘I’m reading a Gulp transmitter in the debris,’ Kalrea said. ‘Downloading.’

‘This cannot be happening!’ James said. ‘Everyone’s dead! The Treitans must have known. That Dreh agent; they never found the Dreh agent.’

‘I’m afraid what you just said is correct. The rendezvous was relayed to the Treitan fleet from Brinoli. They didn’t stand a chance.’

James shut his eyes, leant forwards and rubbed his left hand along his forehead. There was a tear in his eye.

‘What are the chances there are any survivors?’

‘The Treitans are very thorough,’ Kalrea replied.

James sat motionless, his forehead resting on his left hand.

‘In a battle of this size there’s always a chance, though,’ Kalrea said, trying to comfort him. ‘I’ll scan the system for other fragments large enough to sustain life.’

Two minutes passed while the
Aurora
moved slowly through the wreckage.

‘James, I’ve got something,’ Kalrea said. ‘The scanners have located a large section of ship. Part of it’s still pressurised.’

James lifted his head and composed himself.

‘Show me?’

The monitor zoomed in through the wreckage. Out near the rim of the system the section of ship was tumbling.

James watched it for a minute. He felt the telementor.

Londuo
, he thought.

‘You know, James, that the Treitans would have found wreckage of that size,’ Kalrea said.

‘I want to have a look.’

The
Aurora
turned and slowly powered towards it.

‘It’s a section of the
Rellopila
: Engineering, reactor room, decks eight through to fifteen,’ Kalrea said.

‘Wasn’t the
Rellopila
missing after the attack on Dagnamk?’

‘Yes, it was.’

‘So what’s it doing here now?’

In the distance the wreckage of the
Rellopila
appeared. The large severed section was slowly tumbling end over end. The ends of torn cables sparked and a plume of plasma lit the trail of what was left of the ship. The starboard hull was intact; windows glinted in the light.

‘Well, Kalrea?’

‘It must have returned to Brinoli before the attack; if not it wouldn’t have known the rendezvous location. I can’t scan the interior. The leaking plasma is stronger than usual for a destroyer. It’s interfering with the scanners. I’m trying to re-calibrate sensitivity.’

The port side of the
Rellopila
tumbled into view. In the centre were three large plasma holes. A large area of the hull was charcoal black.

‘I still can’t scan it. The Treitan wouldn’t have been able to, either. Those holes you see are where the emergency life support systems would have been. They were made after the
Rellopila
was destroyed, to ensure no one could survive.’

‘Try sending a signal.’

‘AURORA
TO
RELLOPILA
, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE.’

There was no reply.

‘There may not be any air left,’ Kalrea said.

James felt the telementor once more.

‘Londuo’s onboard, Kalrea.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘I don’t know. I just have a feeling.’

‘James, I still believe she’s alive, but she was supposed to be stationed on the
Lonori
. Why would she be on the
Rellopila?
’

The
Aurora
moved slowly in the direction of the tumbling
Rellopila
. James concentrated on looking through the windows.

‘There,’ he said suddenly. ‘I thought I just saw someone.’

The wreckage tumbled over.

‘Next time the starboard side comes into view, I want you to keep the
Aurora
in line with the
Rellopila’s
rotation. I’m sure there was someone looking from one of the windows; towards the rear of the ship.’

The starboard side of the
Rellopila
came into view once more. James quickly glanced at each of the windows.

‘I could have sworn I saw a figure.’

‘It was probably a reflection; smoke or fallen cables.’

‘I’m sorry, Kalrea,’ James said, resting his back on the seat. ‘I really wanted Londuo to be there. I have to find her.’

‘I understand.’

‘Take us out of here.’

‘James, I don’t believe this! Londuo’s bracelet has just been activated. It’s coming from the
Rellopila
.’

‘She is onboard!’

‘I don’t like this,’ Kalrea sounded concerned.

‘Look, there’s a clamping station. Can we dock with it, Kalrea?’

‘There’s no power to engage the clamps. I would have to hold the ship against the
Rellopila
.’ Kalrea said.

‘I’m going—’

Kalrea interrupted.

‘It’s too dangerous! The telementor does not have the capability to deal with the level of interference being created by the plasma. Once you are in the
Rellopila
, you’ll be out of contact. I’ll be unable to protect you!’

‘But the bracelet has been activated?’

‘James, it’s not possible for the bracelet to be able to send a signal with all that interference, and it’s too much of a coincidence that it has been activated right now!’

‘But she may have only just found a way.’

‘It has all the signs of being a trap, James.’

‘You’re probably right, Kalrea, but I have to go. If there’s a chance that Londuo is alive.’

‘Can’t you see they want you out of contact from me, so I can’t protect you?’

‘Kalrea, I have to try, even if that’s true. I must know what happened to her. I can look after myself. You were concerned about me on Brinoli, whilst you were shielded in the hangar. I was all right, wasn’t I?’

‘But this is different.’

‘Is it?’

‘James, this is a lot different and don’t pretend it’s not! Your life is in danger. I cannot allow that.’

‘Kalrea, you can’t stop me!’

‘There’s a signal coming in from the
Rellopila
,’ Kalrea said.

A crackling voice of a man came over the address system.

‘I can’t make him out. Can you try to clean that up, Kalrea?’

The voice cleared enough to understand, but the plasma was interfering with the communication system.

‘
Rellopila
to
Aurora
. Can… you hear me? Please… acknowledge.
Rellopila—
’

‘Receiving,’ James felt excited.

His adrenalin was flowing.

‘James… Is that you, James?’ the voice suddenly came through more clearly. ‘It’s me. Antaio.’

‘Antaio, thank Atui someone’s alive.’

James, what’s Antaio doing on the Rellopila; he was on Brinoli,
Kalrea said in James’ head, so Antaio could not hear her.

‘Antaio, what happened? How did you end up on the
Rellopila?
’

‘When the
Lonori
was destroyed we were ordered to the
Rellopila.
’

He paused.

‘Sorry, the air’s getting a bit thin.’

He paused, again.

‘We were repairing the fighters when we were hit badly. James, the air’s almost gone. I have ten wounded over here.’

James, he’s lying,
Kalrea said.
I can sense it in his voice. He’s in security, why would he be repairing fighters?

James knew there was something not right with Antaio, but his only concern was for Londuo.

‘Is Londuo all right?’ he asked Antaio.

‘Yes, but she’s hurt—’

James interrupted.

‘We’re going to dock with you. We’ll pressurise the hull.’

James, this is a trap. I don’t trust him,
Kalrea said.
I cannot allow you to go!

Start the docking procedure, Kalrea,
James thought sternly.

‘Antaio, can you get to the clamping station?’

‘There’s only emergency lighting in this area. We can’t find a way through… I’ve tried… Too many blast doors have been closed. We’re near the engineering section on level twenty-six. I’ll try to—’

The transmission stopped abruptly.

James looked at the
Rellopila
before moving to the pojin lift. The door remained closed.

‘Kalrea!’

‘James, your life is in great danger; I cannot protect you while you’re on the
Rellopila!
’

‘Kalrea, don’t you see? Everyone’s gone; they’re all dead! My life means nothing without Londuo! You know how I feel about her. For that reason I’m asking you to let me go. Please!’

Kalrea did not reply.

James continued but was starting to get agitated.

‘I know you have to protect me, Kalrea, but I would rather die than stay here and do nothing. You leave me no choice. You told me you had to obey me, so I order you to open these doors, Kalrea!’

‘If you go, James, we do this my way!’ Kalrea said.

‘Take what precautions you need, Kalrea. Now open this bloody door!’

The lift door opened.

James walked into the lift.

‘Before you go you’ll need a komputronic release key to open the blast doors, but you’ll also need to check the other side of the door. Open a compartment that’s not sealed from space and you’ll save no one!’

James shook his head before walking back onto the bridge.

‘Do we have such a key?’ James asked, realising he needed to calm down.

‘I’m reconfiguring one of the micnorit nuronic drones. It will have the specific job of checking and opening the doors for you. You will be unable to give it instructions. I also want you to take some protection,’ Kalrea said.

A small panel opened in the wall of the bridge. James walked over and took out two small hand laser pistols. One was inserted into a small leather-like holder.

‘Strap the one in the holder to your leg, just above your ankle,’ Kalrea said. ‘They all have built-in lights.’

James strapped the holder to his leg. He then aimed the other pistol at the far wall.

‘Use it like a torch. It will lock onto a target automatically. I’ve also attached another pistol on the back of the drone. You’ll need to ascend two levels from the clamping station. None of the pojin lifts onboard the
Rellopila
will be working,’ Kalrea explained.

James felt a jolt, indicating that the
Aurora
was now in contact with the
Rellopila
.

‘Have you had any success in being able to scan the interior of the
Rellopila
?’ James asked.

‘No.’ Kalrea said. ‘If I boost my signal, I believe I’ll be able to talk to you, but you won’t be able to reply.’

James entered the pojin lift.

‘James, please be careful; trust no one!’