Kyle, part 3

"Hello people. Everyone sit down, and we'll be taking off in a minute." The cheerfulness of DeAlteriis filled the small launch, as the rest of the team came shuffling in.

Each was wearing a different colored pressure suit. Not much bulkier than the shipboard skin suits that were so popular, these had built in environment and pressure regulators to preserve the wearer in a vacuum environment. The helmets were large clear models, with a rebreather apparatus at the lower rear. Other than size, the only difference was color.

Danny was much bigger, taller by almost half a meter, and bulkier than the rest. His helmet was noticeably larger too. But he and Johansen wore identical power packs on their belts, and carried laser carbines that were attached to the power packs with thin metal-sheathed cables.

The rest were not carrying any gear with them, except AJ Culp - she had a small cloth toolkit, strapped to the outside of one of her thighs. It had a number of items inside it that might come in handy, including a small mini-torch and a portable computer. And everything in between.

"Good. As soon as everyone belts in, we'll be taking off. It'll be about 90 minutes out to the object, so feel free to remove your helmets. There are a couple of cold ones in the cooler up here, if anyone's thirsty."

*****

'I'm glad we're finally here,' Heeswyck was thinking to himself, 'If that Aslan started humming that damn dirge again, I was going to puncture his larynx.'

"Okay everyone. Strap back in. You've been good passengers so far, and I don't want any complaints now. We're coming up within a couple kilometers of the object. It seems to be about 100 meters long, and half as wide and high. There aren't any signals originating from it, but I would think that it's metallic, and probably fabricated, rather than something natural. We'll get some external lights on it in a couple of minutes."

The hissing of the launch's maneuver nozzles could be heard over the slight hum of the interior instruments. The air system and gravity were shut off, and sight preservation lighting came on.

"Alright. There it is. You can unbelt now, but be careful."

"Well," Johansen was the first one to drift to the front of the launch were DeAlteriis was still fiddling with the position of the craft. "You were right - man made."

"Watch it." Danny came drifting up beside him, and almost shoved Johansen up against the front view panel. "Not everything built is man built."

"You know you guys left your empty drink containers back here." Heeswyck was cleaning up after the two excited armsmen. Past him, Culp and Sekula bobbled up to the front of the launch, to see what they could over the shoulders of the two military men.

"Well. Looks like you guys should have some fun with this. I don't know if it's a small vehicle, or part of a prefabricated shelter. Could be either." DeAlteriis was finally satisfied with the position of the launch, and he let go of the controls, and leant over onto one side of the acceleration couch. He just gazed out of the view panel at it.

What they saw was a large metallic construct. It had no windows or anything of that sort. There was a large feature on it, probably a hatch, 2 meters tall, and 3 wide. A small access panel was on the outside surface, near it.

The structure was, in shape, a big box. It was, as guessed, about 100 meters long, and maybe half that wide and half as high. The only assumption about height vs. width was that the "bottom" was slightly bigger than the "top". It naturally looked like the larger side should be on the bottom - but there were no other indications that this was true.

"It looks like you get the dubious pleasure of going over to see what's in side. I'll wait here in the launch, just in case. Just as long as the commo gear is running on the launch, we are all in contact with each other and also with the Rani itself. Johansen, as a former Mar--wait a second! That's strange."

There was a rainbow speckle of gas particles starting to seep out of the object, around the edge of the hatch. Almost as if it were leaking gas.

"Would you look at that? The sensor says it's a breathable oxygen nitrogen mix, with some traces of water pressure. Yes - look here at our view panel. It's starting to cling to the outside of our ship. Ladies and gentlemen, whatever it is over there is coming to life, and it's over pressuring itself with a breathable atmosphere."

The chipperness of the pilot did nothing to break the crackling, electric tension in the air. There was an audible gasping in of breath when lights came to life all over the surface of the object.

"Syareahtaorl."

"Yeah. What Danny said." Johansen double checked the seal on his helmet, and then double checked the coupling of his laser carbine to the back pack.

"Wait a second, team members." DeAlteriis unbuckled from his couch, and floated back to the small cargo locker at the back of the passenger compartment. "I have something here for you. It's left over from my days as a pilot in the Imperial Star Marines. Don't ask how I got it, but it is a fully functioning TAU."

He pulled, from the closet, a large zippered gear bag, that looked old and worn. From inside he withdrew a cylinder that had a number of sensors on the outside surface. Entering a security code, he turned the device on, and it began righting itself and maneuvering around the inside of the compartment.

The camouflaged unit flitted around, and appeared to examine the inhabitants of the launch, most of whom were still quite interested in the object, or vehicle, or whatever it was outside.

"GOOD MORNING MAGGOTS. I SEE THAT WE ARE ALL ALERT AND PLEASANT AS EVER. I WILL BE YOUR TACTICAL ADVISEMENT UNIT. YOU WILL NOT ADDRESS ME AS SIR, AS I WORK FOR A LIVING." The thin metallic voice filled the launch, and was present in everyone's helmet communicator channel. The unit began scanning the ID patches that were on everyone's pressure suits.

"I SEE THAT," clack, clack, "CORPORAL JOHANSEN IS THE RANKING IMPERIAL STAR MARINE PRESENT. YOU WILL ADDRESS HIM AS SIR AS HE IS THE ACTING OFFICER. EVERY IMPERIAL STAR MARINE IS ONE DAY AFFORDED THE PRIVILIGE OF COMMAND OVER TROOPS IN BATTLE AND TODAY IS CORPORAL JOHANSEN'S. FOR YOU CIVILLIAN MAGGOTS, THE PROPER PROTOCOL IS TO SALUTE THE RANKING IMPERIAL STAR MARINE IN YOUR PRESENCE. THAT IS DONE BY RAISING YOUR PINK PUDGY EFFEMINATE HAND UP TO YOUR EYEBROW AND"

Click. Johansen had hit the power down button sharply.

"Thanks, DeAlteriis, but I don't think we'll need a TAU on this mission. I appreciate the offer, though."

"Sure, no problem. I'll just put him back in his bag, and we'll hold on to him until later. He plays a great game of chess."

Culp floated over to the hatch on the launch, and began cycling its switch. She turned to Johansen as she passed him, and said "Thanks, Lunk. That thing was already giving me a headache."

"My name is Sven."

"Right. Lunk." She smiled, and the hatch opened. Even though the cabin of the launch had been de-pressurized, as soon as the hatch was opened, there was a speckling of water molecules everywhere, especially on the helmets. That object over there was really putting out a lot of moisture and air.

"Okay," Heeswyck floated out first, "Here we go."

*****

"Captain, I just overheard your conversation with DeAlteriis. If that thing is really producing an atmosphere -- I mean, with a working rebreather system and life support and everything, then maybe our fuel problems are solved. Turnitsa's been working on something that might help us out." Mitchell was intently speaking into the wall com unit, while pecking away on a portable computer with her stylus.

"Something that will help with fuel, eh? Well, we don't know what the hell is inside that thing, or what it really is. Culp is getting the team in past the hatchway now, and I'll ask them to keep an eye out for whatever is pumping the air. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Hollingsworth out."

'Shit', the engineer said to herself. 'It would take a hell of a lot of air, or whatever else that thing is creating, but it might work.'

"Turnitsa--hey, you hacker. Get the hell down to the drive deck, I have an idea. And bring your files on the Zimmerman work with you."

*****

"See, easy as pie." The hatch unsealed and started retracting, as Culp withdrew the connecting cables from her portable computer away from the access panel outside the alien object.

As she packed the computer back into her Velcro attached toolkit, she let herself drift away from the hatch. She was attached to the lifeline that had been rigged between their launch and the outside wall of the object, and she let herself float freely, trusting in the safety line.

"Very good. I don't know how you do it, but now it's our turn. Danny, come up here and keep an eye on things while I go in."

"Right behind you. Suit lights on."

The other side of the hatch was some sort of airlock, and there was room enough for all five of them. The two armsmen entered first, followed by Sekula, and Heeswyck, and finally Culp. She had them all detach their lifelines, as she closed the outer hatch.

The airlock was 'smart', and as soon as the outer hatch was closed, it began to pressurize.

"You can open that thing up again, can't you?" Heeswyck's voice was steady, and the question was largely rhetorical.

"Sure can, with just a wave of my magic wand." Culp showed them the small electronic transmitter that she had downloaded the hatch's security frequencies into.

"Good, because this is starting to feel really disturbing. I mean, who built this place? What is it? Is it a ship? And what is it doing out here alone? Very interesting." Heeswyck was tracing a series of symbols and lines around on the wall. Several were in different colors and thicknesses, and seemed to be some sort of instructions, leading from the outer airlock hatch, to the inner one.

After a few minutes. A small indicator over the inner hatchway lit up and the doorway was opened.

"Better let us go first. Danny, I've got you covered."

"Right." The big Aslan suddenly crouched down, and peered around the corners, while the rest of them pressed towards the back of the airlock. They saw the flicker of ceiling light panels turning on in the spaces beyond the airlock.

"It's a corridor that extends in both directions, and a couple of doorways. Let’s go take a look. Johansen, you take the lead on the left, and I'll follow up."

Crisply, they moved out and began their search of the hallways and doorways. Culp and Sekula looked at each other and smiled - it was great to watch the large armsmen in action. Heeswyck hung back, and began, meticulously, to describe all they saw to DeAlteriis, and those aboard the Rani who were listening.

*****

"Alright, team. Six hours have passed, and to keep well within our safety margins, I need you to start coming back to the launch in the next couple of minutes."

"Fine. Keep the home fires burning. I think we are almost done here. Culp has managed to finish her connection to what seems to be a computer memory pool; I think she has captured at least an electronic image of what they have in there. Danny and Johansen have searched most of the rooms, and found them largely empty, except for that central circular room. Heeswyck, on the other hand, has found a locker full of what look like foil packs of supplies. We haven't opened any of them up yet."

"Great work Sekula." It was Hollingsworth. "You have all done an outstanding job. But there is one thing in particular that I need to know. Mitchell is working on an idea to refuel using supplies from that, er, ship. See if you can find out where the life support ducts are coming from."

"Sir, we haven't seen any life-support ducts at all." Culp began answering. "Almost everything in this place is smooth, as far as the walls are concerned. There is fresh air being pumped through here, but we don't know where it's coming from or anything. There is a small atmospheric sniffer in my toolkit, but it is only a sample taker, and doesn't really do its own analysis. I'll figure out what's in this air when we get back to the Rani."

"Great. Keep an eye open for those ducts, though, okay? Heeswyck, bring back a couple of those foil packs, and we'll have someone open them up under a safety hood."

"Right, sir. Hey, what's this?" Heeswyck paused. "Another doorway. This one leads back out of that, er, galley area. I'm going to check it out."

"Heeswyck, I'd feel better if you waited for-"

"It'll be fine, sir." Click. The sound of the cycling hatchway could be heard over his com.

"Where does this go? Holy shit! Damn." There was the sound of several thuds, and grunts. Then a crashing sound.

"Johansen! Danny! I want you to get over there quick. Heeswyck, answer them!"

"I'm fine sir." But he didn't sound fine - sounded like he was catching his breath.

"Damn. You did that?" It was Johansen.

"Claws of a hundred suns! I didn't know you had it in you. Herrowwl..."

"What the hell is it?"

"Dunno. It was standing in the middle of this room back here, and it suddenly came to life and moved to attack me. I think those are stunners or something at the end of its arms."

"Well, whatever it was, it's down for the count, now. Good job!" Johansen was obviously pleased.

"DeAlteriis. You'll start getting a feed on broad channels 13 and 14, pipe them to the Rani."

"Right, AJ thanks. Hey, video!" DeAlteriis was pleased at being able to see what was going on. He always hated being left behind in the launch. It was the same as it had been when he was in the Corps. Always a flight officer, never a soldier.

The two small hover cameras that Culp had activated began to buzz around the room that Heeswyck had just entered. It was a dark room, but the suit lights of Danny and Johansen were illuminating it slightly. The room was lined with some large white ovoid chambers, maybe three meters tall. On the floor was a -- a what? A robot? Probably. It had a metallic body and variegated arms. Its main sensor suite was on a distinct unit, which was formerly attached to the main body by a thin cylinder. Now that sensor suite lay on the floor, and some sort of appliance from the galley was thrust through the chest of the unit. Heeswyck had taken it out single handedly. All were impressed.

"Okay, everyone. I don't want anybody touching those big chambers. Sekula, you and Culp start working towards the exit. Heeswyck, good work, but now you need to get out. Danny, you and Johansen-"

All of a sudden, lights in the room came on. The hover cameras caught what the two armsmen saw.

"Sir - there are things of some sort in those chambers. And they are moving." Channel 13 was showing a dark shadowy object, almost the full three meters tall, moving inside one of the chambers.

"Turrakaworall eorfas." The Aslan crouched, and aimed at the chamber with his laser carbine, just in case.

"Okay, move out, slowly. Heeswyck you first - good. Now, Johansen-"

"It's moving! It's opening!" The chamber was indeed opening. A low white cloud of steam, or smoke, came out, and then there was an audible shrieking, as a large leathery creature, looking like an organic version of the robot, came flailing out and running towards Danny.

There were two quick thrums of the laser carbine discharging, and two beams of iridescent red light, and the creature dropped, but its momentum carried it forward. It crashed into Johansen, and he went sprawling under its immense weight.

They heard him grunt as he hit the wall, then breath heavily as he caught his breath.

"Danny, quickly check me for suit breaches. I think--wait a second! Hey." They all heard a slight hissing coming over his com. "I think I found the Captain's life support ducts. This white panel on the wall seems to be blowing air all over my helmet. It's blown off all the water vapor that's collected there. Yes, this is it--these strange solid state panels near the floor are somehow emitting fresh air."

"Alright, that's great, but right now--everyone, out of there. Pronto."

There was another stir within one of the chambers, and they didn't have to be told twice.

The hover cams homed in on Danny's com as they left the room, and they all worked their way, quickly, down the corridor past all the empty rooms they had seen, and out to the airlock.

part 4