Read Online M'tak Ka'fek (The T'aafhal Inheritance) by Doug Hoffman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Doug Hoffman
Tags: scienc fiction
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asked.
“I don't know Fredericks. When we breached the structure their deck gravity must have failed,” GySgt Washington replied. “If I had to guess I'd say they slept in the pits. Maybe they were filled with liquid or something.”
“So you're saying that all these rooms are crew quarters? So where did they all disappear to?”
“You got a point,” the Gunny admitted. “We've killed a bunch, and there are a few dead ones in the rooms that must have bought it when the structure depressurized, but not nearly enough to account for all this bunk space.”
Eventually, the Marines found themselves alone on the ship's bridge among the floating corpses of its crew. One of the technical specialists immediately began getting detailed scans of the equipment. “Looks like all this stuff is still intact, Lieutenant,” the tech reported.
“Great, once we secure the rest of the ship some of the science types can go over it to their hearts' content,” Dirk replied, then half to himself, “why do I have an uneasy feeling about this?”
“It was too easy,” said Washington.
“How so, Gunny?”
“This is one big ass ship, Sir. And Fredericks noticed something on the way in here—there's a boatload of what look like sleeping quarters along the passageways we entered through.”
“And?”
“One of the rooms looked like the inhabitants were all caught napping when we blew the atmo. There must have been a dozen aliens drifting around inside.”
“You're saying that if each of those rooms held a dozen hostiles we have encountered far too few aliens?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Shit! BP-1, BP-2, we may have a problem here.”
“Go, BP-2.”
“We've found a lot of what looks like crew quarters up here and nowhere near enough aliens to fill 'em. It is possible that there are a large number of hostiles somewhere between your position and ours.”
“Roger, BP-2. You have an estimated count?”
“At least company strength, possibly more.”
“Wait one...”
BP-1, Aft Section
“Sergeant Aurora! Take your squad and clear the enclosed structures forward of your position. BP-2 says that there may be a pile of aliens hiding in the tangle.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
Jennifer turned to the Marines who were manhandling the antimatter eggs out of the fuel bunker. They were working their way through the maze of girders toward the shuttle that was still wedged in the hole it made breaching the alien ship's hull. “Sgt Tuttle, take your fireteam and support first squad. Come on, people. We need to get these antimatter eggs on the shuttle and the shuttle off the ship. ”
“We got three stowed on the shuttle, two more working through the jungle gym and nine still in the storage space. A couple of them don't seem heavy enough so they probably aren't full,” the Tech Sergeant reported.
“Fine, keep the light ones 'till last. But get the full ones loaded ASAP.”
“Yes, Ma'am.”
Alien Crew, Amidships Headed Aft
The Captain watched as the Engineer attached the improvised triggering mechanism to the type three antimatter container they had extracted from the twisted remains of laser battery number seven. A simple timer and some circuitry to override the container's built in safety mechanisms.
“It is ready, Captain,” the Engineer announced, displaying his handiwork. “Depressing this switch will start a 150 second countdown.”
“Why 150 seconds?” the Captain asked.
“It is a standard timer,” the Engineer replied, contracting and releasing his carapace segments, the equivalent of a shrug. “It was the only thing I could find capable of providing the signals necessary to override the container's fail-safes.”
“Very well. Let us rejoin the rest of the crew. I want to move as close to the fuel storage bay as possible, to ensure the detonation of the main cache.”
Exiting the ruined laser battery, the Captain and Engineer joined a crowd of waiting crewmembers. Before the Captain could speak,
“I don't know Fredericks. When we breached the structure their deck gravity must have failed,” GySgt Washington replied. “If I had to guess I'd say they slept in the pits. Maybe they were filled with liquid or something.”
“So you're saying that all these rooms are crew quarters? So where did they all disappear to?”
“You got a point,” the Gunny admitted. “We've killed a bunch, and there are a few dead ones in the rooms that must have bought it when the structure depressurized, but not nearly enough to account for all this bunk space.”
Eventually, the Marines found themselves alone on the ship's bridge among the floating corpses of its crew. One of the technical specialists immediately began getting detailed scans of the equipment. “Looks like all this stuff is still intact, Lieutenant,” the tech reported.
“Great, once we secure the rest of the ship some of the science types can go over it to their hearts' content,” Dirk replied, then half to himself, “why do I have an uneasy feeling about this?”
“It was too easy,” said Washington.
“How so, Gunny?”
“This is one big ass ship, Sir. And Fredericks noticed something on the way in here—there's a boatload of what look like sleeping quarters along the passageways we entered through.”
“And?”
“One of the rooms looked like the inhabitants were all caught napping when we blew the atmo. There must have been a dozen aliens drifting around inside.”
“You're saying that if each of those rooms held a dozen hostiles we have encountered far too few aliens?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Shit! BP-1, BP-2, we may have a problem here.”
“Go, BP-2.”
“We've found a lot of what looks like crew quarters up here and nowhere near enough aliens to fill 'em. It is possible that there are a large number of hostiles somewhere between your position and ours.”
“Roger, BP-2. You have an estimated count?”
“At least company strength, possibly more.”
“Wait one...”
BP-1, Aft Section
“Sergeant Aurora! Take your squad and clear the enclosed structures forward of your position. BP-2 says that there may be a pile of aliens hiding in the tangle.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
Jennifer turned to the Marines who were manhandling the antimatter eggs out of the fuel bunker. They were working their way through the maze of girders toward the shuttle that was still wedged in the hole it made breaching the alien ship's hull. “Sgt Tuttle, take your fireteam and support first squad. Come on, people. We need to get these antimatter eggs on the shuttle and the shuttle off the ship. ”
“We got three stowed on the shuttle, two more working through the jungle gym and nine still in the storage space. A couple of them don't seem heavy enough so they probably aren't full,” the Tech Sergeant reported.
“Fine, keep the light ones 'till last. But get the full ones loaded ASAP.”
“Yes, Ma'am.”
Alien Crew, Amidships Headed Aft
The Captain watched as the Engineer attached the improvised triggering mechanism to the type three antimatter container they had extracted from the twisted remains of laser battery number seven. A simple timer and some circuitry to override the container's built in safety mechanisms.
“It is ready, Captain,” the Engineer announced, displaying his handiwork. “Depressing this switch will start a 150 second countdown.”
“Why 150 seconds?” the Captain asked.
“It is a standard timer,” the Engineer replied, contracting and releasing his carapace segments, the equivalent of a shrug. “It was the only thing I could find capable of providing the signals necessary to override the container's fail-safes.”
“Very well. Let us rejoin the rest of the crew. I want to move as close to the fuel storage bay as possible, to ensure the detonation of the main cache.”
Exiting the ruined laser battery, the Captain and Engineer joined a crowd of waiting crewmembers. Before the Captain could speak,
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