Read Online Excelsior by Jasper T. Scott - Free Book Online
Authors: Jasper T. Scott
Tags: Science-Fiction, Military, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Genetic engineering, Teen & Young Adult, Hard Science Fiction, Exploration, Space Exploration, Space Fleet, Colonization
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many?”
“Over 1,000.”
“ETA?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Gunnery, how many can we shoot down before they reach us? Best case scenario, please.”
“Best case… we’ll have fifteen seconds to intercept after they reach our ELR. We might do it, but when their laser-armed fragments start targeting our guns, interception rates are going to drop fast.”
“In other words we’re fucked.”
A few heads turned at the expletive, but no one was going to cite code-of-conduct regulations to him at a time like this. Alexander thought about his dead-dropped ordnance with a pang of regret. If he still had those missiles he could have fired them to intercept the enemy’s ordnance and evened the odds.
“Captain! We have a transmission incoming from Orbital One!”
“Full screen. I’ll watch—everyone else, keep eyes on your stations!”
A chorus of aye-ayes echoed from the crew, and then Admiral Flores’ face appeared on the MHD. She looked haggard. Her face was drawn, and her eyes were wide and staring. Officers were yelling at each other in the background behind her.
“Captain de Leon,” the admiral said. “I hope I’ve reached you in time.”
Alexander frowned. With the distance between them being what it was, there was no sense in him replying. The transmission had to have been sent over five minutes ago.
“The Confederates have launched a sneak attack in orbit,” Flores went on.
Suddenly the lights went out on the admiral’s end of the transmission. Holo displays running on battery backups glowed bright blue behind her. Golden sparks flew, and then the lights were back, but much dimmer than before. One of the bulkheads belched a gout of flame, and Admiral Flores yelled for someone to put it out.
She turned back to face the camera. “They tricked us, Captain. This was never about a wormhole. It was about drawing our forces away from Earth so they could launch an attack on our space elevator. Orbital One has been cut free of Earth with enemy ordnance in hot pursuit. It’s only a matter of time before the nukes start flying back on Earth, and that means our green planet is headed for a nuclear winter. Now reaching Wonderland is more important than ever. Operation Alice is a go, Captain. Your job is to assess the planet for habitability. We’ll come get you as planned if we still can, and if we can’t then—”
A sudden roar interrupted her, followed by a dazzling flare of light. Flores turned toward it just before the brightness consumed both her and her transmission.
It took a moment for reality to sink in. Orbital One was gone.
“Davorian! What’s our ETA to the wormhole under maximum thrust? Can we make it before those missiles hit?”
“No, sir.”
“Can we get back to Lewis Station?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do it. Comms, get me Admiral Gaulle!”
The Admiral’s face appeared on-screen a moment later. He was strapped into an acceleration couch aboard a cramped-looking lifeboat with row upon row of crew strapped in behind him. His teeth were gritted and his lips were peeled back in a g-force-induced grimace.
“What can I… do for you… Captain?” Gaulle said between gasps for air.
“Do you have remote access to the station’s defenses?”
“We do.”
“Did you see Admiral Flores’ last transmission?”
“Yes…”
“We need your help if we’re going to make it to Wonderland, Admiral. Can you prioritize interception of the missiles tracking us?”
“Send me the… targets, and I’ll see… what I can do.”
Alexander nodded. “Thank you.” A thought occurred to him then. “Do you have any missiles of your own on the station?”
“Why?”
Alexander blinked. Admiral Gaulle couldn’t be that stupid. “You can use them to intercept!”
Gaulle shook his head. “Fired them all days ago. Earth-bound.”
Alexander’s jaw
“Over 1,000.”
“ETA?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Gunnery, how many can we shoot down before they reach us? Best case scenario, please.”
“Best case… we’ll have fifteen seconds to intercept after they reach our ELR. We might do it, but when their laser-armed fragments start targeting our guns, interception rates are going to drop fast.”
“In other words we’re fucked.”
A few heads turned at the expletive, but no one was going to cite code-of-conduct regulations to him at a time like this. Alexander thought about his dead-dropped ordnance with a pang of regret. If he still had those missiles he could have fired them to intercept the enemy’s ordnance and evened the odds.
“Captain! We have a transmission incoming from Orbital One!”
“Full screen. I’ll watch—everyone else, keep eyes on your stations!”
A chorus of aye-ayes echoed from the crew, and then Admiral Flores’ face appeared on the MHD. She looked haggard. Her face was drawn, and her eyes were wide and staring. Officers were yelling at each other in the background behind her.
“Captain de Leon,” the admiral said. “I hope I’ve reached you in time.”
Alexander frowned. With the distance between them being what it was, there was no sense in him replying. The transmission had to have been sent over five minutes ago.
“The Confederates have launched a sneak attack in orbit,” Flores went on.
Suddenly the lights went out on the admiral’s end of the transmission. Holo displays running on battery backups glowed bright blue behind her. Golden sparks flew, and then the lights were back, but much dimmer than before. One of the bulkheads belched a gout of flame, and Admiral Flores yelled for someone to put it out.
She turned back to face the camera. “They tricked us, Captain. This was never about a wormhole. It was about drawing our forces away from Earth so they could launch an attack on our space elevator. Orbital One has been cut free of Earth with enemy ordnance in hot pursuit. It’s only a matter of time before the nukes start flying back on Earth, and that means our green planet is headed for a nuclear winter. Now reaching Wonderland is more important than ever. Operation Alice is a go, Captain. Your job is to assess the planet for habitability. We’ll come get you as planned if we still can, and if we can’t then—”
A sudden roar interrupted her, followed by a dazzling flare of light. Flores turned toward it just before the brightness consumed both her and her transmission.
It took a moment for reality to sink in. Orbital One was gone.
“Davorian! What’s our ETA to the wormhole under maximum thrust? Can we make it before those missiles hit?”
“No, sir.”
“Can we get back to Lewis Station?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do it. Comms, get me Admiral Gaulle!”
The Admiral’s face appeared on-screen a moment later. He was strapped into an acceleration couch aboard a cramped-looking lifeboat with row upon row of crew strapped in behind him. His teeth were gritted and his lips were peeled back in a g-force-induced grimace.
“What can I… do for you… Captain?” Gaulle said between gasps for air.
“Do you have remote access to the station’s defenses?”
“We do.”
“Did you see Admiral Flores’ last transmission?”
“Yes…”
“We need your help if we’re going to make it to Wonderland, Admiral. Can you prioritize interception of the missiles tracking us?”
“Send me the… targets, and I’ll see… what I can do.”
Alexander nodded. “Thank you.” A thought occurred to him then. “Do you have any missiles of your own on the station?”
“Why?”
Alexander blinked. Admiral Gaulle couldn’t be that stupid. “You can use them to intercept!”
Gaulle shook his head. “Fired them all days ago. Earth-bound.”
Alexander’s jaw
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