The silver fleet the com.., p.37
The Silver Fleet: The Complete Series, page 37
CHAPTER EIGHT
“What’s wrong?”
Faulkner was waiting for Silva at the bottom of the staircase having taken the elevator himself.
Silva’s hair was still wet from the shower and she was struggling to carry her luggage. Another member of the diplomatic team stepped forward to take them from her.
“Haven’t you heard?” she said, stepping in close to Faulkner. “There’s been some sort of explosion in the city.”
“That would explain why everyone’s been racing around. You think this might delay our departure?”
Silva stepped out into the hallway. Directly opposite was the main entrance, guarded by two ceremonial guards. Beyond that was a large, open courtyard.
“No cars yet, then. That’s not good.”
“I’ve got a feeling you’re not telling me everything,” Faulkner said.
Silva scanned the hallway and lowered her voice. “They’re not saying much but it seems that a bomb went off in the port authority area. The governor’s nowhere to be found and when I contacted her office they weren’t saying anything. According to the media, the explosion’s been linked to protests about the rising price of flight tickets.”
“But all the flights have been grounded.”
“Doesn’t stop people from selling tickets. The cruise companies are no doubt hoping to pressurise Ardent into changing her mind. If she lets the ships go she risks looking weak but if she doesn’t then it’s only a matter of time before people take matters into their own hands.”
“We have to support her on this,” Faulkner said. “We can’t risk those ships being traced back to Lincoln Station. From there it would be a small step for the aliens to discover the location of Earth Prime. I had hoped to see the governor before we left but that’s looking less and less likely.”
“Sir, you have to speak to her. You have to get her to commit to further negotiations. We can’t risk losing Blackthorn to the Imperials.”
He had to admit that she did have a point but it was hard to focus on that when he was so concerned with the operational safety of his own ship. As the commanding officer of the Mantis his first priority should be to oversee the installation of those new engines but with the twenty-four-hour extension he’d agreed fast running out, there wasn’t time to waste.
He went over and stood in the doorway. There was no sign of any transports.
He turned back to Silva, “How serious do you think these explosions might be? Are we looking at a crisis point here?”
One of the other members of their party stepped forward with his tablet. A slim man with wavy blonde hair.
Second Lieutenant Zimmer. Normally, part of the Threat Team.
“I’ve just managed to down-load this from the Mantis. She’s been monitoring Blackthorn’s newsfeeds. According to this, the target looks to be a long-haul flight broker, purportedly selling tickets for 30,000 marks – roughly the equivalent of a whole year’s salary.”
“Does it say anything about possible fatalities?” Silva asked.
“According to reports from various hospitals we’re looking at about forty people dead, though they expect that figure to rise.”
Silva folded her arms. “Well, I guess that puts paid to our plans.”
“What’s that?” came a voice. “Don’t give up on us just yet.”
They all turned to see Parnashikan descending the staircase. He crossed the hall to shake Faulkner by the hand before acknowledging Silva and the others.
“I take it that you’ve heard about what’s happened?”
“The explosions, yes,” Faulkner said.
Parnashikan winced at the word ‘explosions.’
“Terrible thing. We believe it’s the work of extremists. Don’t worry, we’ll get them. Our security forces are well equipped to deal with incidents like this.”
Faulkner and Silva looked at one another but said nothing.
Parnashikan continued, “So, I’m here to tell you that the governor won’t be able to make it. Sorry about that but, you know how these things are.”
Silva scowled but Faulkner ignored her. “No, we understand, the governor’s busy. Do you get a lot of attacks like these?”
“No, no. This is the first we’ve had for a while. Terrible business.”
Parnashikan gestured for them to proceed out into the courtyard. As they did so, a stiff, hot breeze washed through the doorway. Faulkner looked out just as a shadow passed over them. He indicated for everyone to stay where they were until the flier had managed to land, the downdraft blasting bits of detritus through the air.
Parnashikan waited until the sound of the flier’s engines had begun to fade before continuing. “The governor arranged this specially. The roads will be gridlocked after what’s just happened, so please accept her apologies – she’d have been here if it had been at all possible.”
They had to wait while the flier’s rear ramp descended then Parnashikan patted Faulkner on the back as if they were old friends. This being a civilian aircraft, it was a steward who greeted them as they entered, stowing what little luggage they had before allotting each of them a seat. Everyone that was, apart from Faulkner who he indicated should move to the front with him. Only there was nowhere to sit. The seats were covered with what looked like medical supplies.
Faulkner motioned to the steward, who gestured for him to try the cockpit. Faulkner did as he was asked, assuming this was some privilege of rank. But he wasn’t prepared for what waiting for him on the other side.
“Good morning, captain,” Governor Ardent said. “So nice to see you again.”
She was sitting in the pilot’s seat looking very relaxed. She indicated for him to sit alongside her.
Faulkner didn’t know how to react so he just attended to the business of strapping himself in. He watched as Ardent went through her pre-flight checks. When she was happy, she activated the thrusters bringing the flier’s tail up before beginning their ascent out of the courtyard.
“We were told you had business elsewhere,” he said.
“The bomb? Yes, it’s a very fluid situation. Lot of people injured. I’m on my way between hospitals at present. Everyone is having to get involved.”
“I didn’t know you could fly one of these things.”
“Used to fly these things all the time when I first started out,” she said. “You can’t run a transport business without getting your hands dirty every once in a while.”
They were flying low over a broad avenue with rows of trees on either side. Below them, crowds had formed, massing like birds. One group had separated away from the others and was moving purposefully towards an intersection up ahead. Faulkner thought that they might be intending to set up a demonstration there but his stomach knotted as he realised that they were actually pursuing someone. The man was running for his life, sprinting between the cars in an attempt to lose himself amidst the traffic but, even as he was doing so, Faulkner could see the lead figures in the crowd gesturing to others to cut off the man’s escape. In his eagerness to get away, the man pushed his luck just a little too far. He was clipped by one of the vehicles and pitched forward into the road. Before he had time to regain his feet, the others were upon him.
Faulkner twisted in his seat in an effort to see what had become of him but had to give up when they passed over the intersection. None of the flier’s cameras were angled in that direction so he could only guess at the possible outcome.
“Looks pretty rough down there,” he said.
Ardent nodded while keeping her eyes fixed directly ahead. “And it’s going to get rougher before long. Things have been building up over the last few days but this morning’s events have taken things in a much more sinister direction. Which is the real reason why I’m here. I could do with some impartial advice right about now.”
He figured she was talking about Raj Parnashikan and the other members of the City Guard. They would no doubt be getting together right about now to discuss the situation.
“It’s a tough one. Everyone’s looking for a way out - especially if they’ve got kids.”
“It’s unlikely that many children are going to see the inside of those cruisers, though. The prices they’re currently asking are extortionate. If you’ve got a regular family you’re never going to be able to afford them.”
“And no doubt, that’s where a lot of this resentment is coming from,” over to his far right, Faulkner could see smoke rising up from a storage facility. “What’s happening with the captains of those transports? I guess they’re even harder to control.”
“You mean: are they considering making a dash for it. Hoping they’ll be able slip away unnoticed?”
“They must be thinking it. As far as they’re concerned, you’re holding them against their will. They’ve got a job to do and you’re stopping them from doing it.”
Ardent couldn’t help smiling. “That’s pretty much the exact same speech I’ve been listening to for the past two days.”
“Has anyone tried anything so far? Tried to test your security, I mean?”
“There have been plenty of attempts. So much so that we’ve had to have all ships’ personnel removed from their vessels. Sometimes at gunpoint”
“I bet that went down well.”
“I’d rather that than risk them making a run for it forcing us to shoot them down.”
“And would you? If you had to?”
Ardent graced him with a look. “Well it’s not as though we haven’t got the defensive capability. I imagine that we could take down all but the biggest ships.”
“Does that include the Mantis?” he asked coyly.
“If I were going to blow the Mantis out of the sky I wouldn’t have wasted two new engines on her, now would I. Have you any idea how much those things cost?”
“You’ve been extremely generous, governor.”
“That may be true but it doesn’t help with my current situation. Parnashikan is bringing in a motion before the senate to allow all the ships to leave. He says that we’re restricting their trading rights.”
“Even if you were to let those ships leave it still wouldn’t solve your problem. How many transports have you got anyway? I saw four cruisers when I flew in yesterday. With a capacity for, say 5,000, that’s still only twenty thousand people. Probably another five thousand spread across the smaller carriers. That’s twenty-five in all. How many people have you got on Blackthorn at any one time?”
Ardent was nodding, she could see where he was going with this. “Officially, 600,000 but it’s nearer 700,000 now.”
“You let those twenty-five thousand go and the rest are going to revolt. And that’s not an opinion, that’s a cold hard fact.”
“But at least those others will be safe.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Those cruise liners aren’t renowned for their speed. If the Da’al catch them we’ll be lucky if they just use them for target practice.”
Ardent gave him a disbelieving look. “And if we’re unlucky?”
“They’ll shadow the liners all the way back to Lincoln or, worse still, Earth Prime. It’ll make what happened here look like a minor disagreement.”
“So now I’m responsible for everyone in the whole galaxy,” Ardent fought to control her growing frustration. “That’s just not fair.”
“I’m not sure that the people of Earth would agree.”
He let that hang in the air. He doubted that there were many politicians who had been faced with such a monumental decision. He didn’t envy Ardent her position but he had to make her aware of the severity of the situation.
“We don’t even know if the Da’al are going to put in an appearance. They’re probably heading back to their home planet as we speak.”
Faulkner gave her a sympathetic look. “I hope you’re right, governor. But if you’re wrong, you’re going to have to start making some tough decisions.”
Ardent struck the dashboard with the heel of her hand.
“Alright! You’ve made your point. What should we be doing?”
Ahead of them the entrance to the main docking facility had been completely cordoned off with traffic backed up for miles. Nothing was moving.
“Firstly you have to control the situation on the ground. I’d suggest a curfew. That’ll help with some of your more obvious problems. Then you need a total ban on any more people coming up from the planet. Better still, use that elevator of yours to start sending people back down. That thing could be a real game changer – particularly for families. Trust me, they’re going to be a lot safer down there than they are up here.”
Faulkner could see from Ardent’s reaction that she was struggling to take all this in, not that he could blame her: when Blackthorn had been built the idea of a full-scale evacuation would have seemed absurd.
He decided to go easy on her. “What’s your head of station security like?”
“Charles Rainier? He’s competent enough but his background is in P.R. and Marketing - he’s not equipped for something like this. None of us are.”
“I understand,” Faulkner said. “Which means he’s going to need some help.”
Ardent had to stamp her authority on the situation before it got completely out of hand.
He said, “What if I were to send my commander down to help out? Man named Alex Webster. He could act in an advisory role. Of course it would help if he brought a few Marines with him. Sort of help things out. What do you think?”
He needed someone on the ground to keep him informed about what was going on. The Marines could look after themselves.
All the while Ardent had been listening to this, her complexion had gradually been losing its colour.
“I’m open to the idea of some kind of military advisor but I’ll have to draw the line at boots on the ground, Marines or otherwise.”
Faulkner had been expecting that. “Governor, I’m sure that your security forces are very competent but there’s no substitute for experienced personnel in a situation like this. Their presence here can only help.”
But Ardent wasn’t listening. “I’m sorry, that’s very generous of you, but no. I’d be in danger of losing what little authority I still have: the first hint of trouble and I have to call in the Marines. That’s one of the reasons most people came out here in the first place: to get out from under the USDC’s control. I’m sorry, captain, but I’ll have to say no.”
Faulkner kept his hands rested on his knees, trying not to react. What would be the point of sending Webster down here without any support? He’d have his hands tied enough as it was. He couldn’t understand why Ardent was being so unreasonable.
“I don’t see a way around this,” he said.
But his words were drowned out as the alarms in the cockpit suddenly came to life.
Faulkner’s first response was to tighten his restraints as Ardent went through her systems checks displaying an admirable calm.
His first assumption was that it was some kind of engine failure but he had to quickly reassess that when Ardent began employing her defensive measures.
It seemed that they were being targeted, either by another aircraft or from the ground.
His suspicions were confirmed when Ardent wrenched her controls to the right, banking the flier hard to starboard.
Faulkner’s restraints cut into his chest but before he could catch his breath they were suddenly banking again, only this time to port.
“Do you know what it is yet?” he asked.
“I’m not sure but I’m guessing it’s some kind of ground-to-air missile.”
Ardent brought them around towards a group of trees before pulling back sharply on the controls, the trees passing beneath them breathtakingly close.
Faulkner’s stomach lurched and he had to swallow down something unpleasant.
For a second, the alarms cut out completely and he was aware that they were skimming over the ground in complete silence. A major intersection lay just ahead. At another time of the day it might have been possible to land there – the street was certainly wide enough to accommodate them - but today the street was clogged with traffic and as the flier shot over the cars it was possible to pick out the faces of individual drivers.
A huge explosion ripped through the rear of the flier, pitching them forward. Ardent struggled with the controls, desperately trying to keep the nose up but events were conspiring against her. The smell of burning motor fuel flooded the cabin as a piece of flaming fuselage broke off and fell towards the ground.
This is going to be bad.
Ardent fought to regain control but there was no disguising the fact that the controls just weren’t responding. Faulkner watched as a small cluster of rust-coloured buildings whisked past beneath them and he remembered thinking that he was slightly disappointed that this was how he was going to die: not out in space as the commander of a starship but as a passenger in a flier, strapped in his seat waiting for the impact.
They passed over a backlot filled with rows of shiny vehicles and then rows of trees which seemed to go one forever.
There was a grim realisation as the first branches whipped across the canopy that this was it: they were about to crash. And then all logical thought was lost as they were suddenly assaulted from all sides.
When the inevitable impact came, it was severe enough to slam Faulkner back into his seat hard enough that he lost consciousness for a few seconds.
When he came round, he found himself still sitting upright. Sections of the flier were scattered all over the grass but he was relieved to see that the vehicle’s basic framework was still in one piece. Ardent’s whole seat had become cocooned in a bubble of safety foam, a luxury which had been denied to him and no doubt the others back in the main cabin. The good news though was that she had survived.
A quick check confirmed that all his limbs were accounted for but that didn’t tell him what state they were in. He knew that he should be attempting to get clear of the fuselage –there was a good chance of a secondary explosion – but he found that he couldn’t bring himself even to unbuckle his harness. He felt completely drained, unable to move a muscle. Whatever was going to happen was just going to have to happen without him.
