The War: Day 2

Aurora paced the length of the deserted conference room in agitation. A little over 24 hours into the war agains tthe Demon Clan Pirates, and already, Limbo Galaxy was in shambles. Hawk Haven gone, the Penal Planet in chaos, Automata under the control of enemy or enemies unknown, and their own forces burrowed into a secret facility deep in a mountain range. And Steven's enigmatic message, telling her not to worry, had only had the opposite effect. She'd had to fast-talk Earth Command into holding off on chasing him down as a deserter. Explaining that she had complete faith in his plan, without revealing that she had no idea at all what he was up to had been beyond difficult. But his excellent record, coupled with her continued presence and powers of persuasion had won out in the end, and the Earth Fleet continued to fight back the invaders, confining them, for the moment, to the Outer Planets.

The interrogation of the captured general was proceeding painfully slowly, translated questions and answers travelling between the galaxies with all possible speed. But meaningful information was slow in coming.

The door slid open, and Aurora stopped short behind her chair at the head of the table. It wouldn't do to let anyone know how nervous she really was.

Phen-Toh, the former Lieutenant Governor, now Acting Governor, entered. "We have a new problem, Commander."

Aurora bit the inside of her lip. New problems were the last thing she needed. "What's happening now?"

"Ships are falling idle all over the Galaxy. Seymour the Space Hack managed to make an emergency landing in the City's Space Port, and we brought his ship down here. The engines are crammed full of some kind of spore. He said the galaxy's crammed with them. Frankly, he was lucky to make it back in one piece."

"What does this mean for out fleet?" Aurora asked.

"What ships are on the ground now are stuck here. THose orbiting the planet are going to drift until they can get the engines cleaned out. But even when they do, they won't be able to move without risking the engines being clogged again," Phen-Toh said.

"Someone's trying to pin us down without hurting us," Aurors reasoned. "They want something we have, and when they're ready, they're going to come get it, and we'll be helpless."

"Not necessarily," Phen-toh said. "I went over some of Governor Xander's files overnight. He and Comander Stargazer were planning for something like this. They were responsible for the creation of this base, and I think there's more, too."

"What do you mean?"

"There are files, notes, details about secret weapons, another location, somewhere in the Zher'Shev Mountains. If you and Commander Quicksilver have time, I think it's worth taking a look."

Aurora considered for a moment. Certainly, they weren't getting anywhere at the moment. They would be taking a flying leap, going out to look for a phantom base half-way around the planet that was only rumored to exist. But it might be their only chance. "Let's go."

"Commander! Commander Buchanan, wait!"

Aurora backed down the ramp of the skimmer to see a roly-poly individual trotting toward her, a green... bird, she supposed, flapping along behind him.

"Commander, wait a minute, you know what I mean?"

She let the others enter, waiting at the foot of the ramp. "Can I help you?" she asked as he trotted up.

He scrabbled at his neck, dragging a chain over his head. "I had to give you this." He handed her the chain, a white plastic card swinging on it. One side was completely blank, the other marked only with a magnetic strip.

"What it is?" she asked, looking at it curiously.

"Commander Stargazer gave it to me before he... before. He said when things got bad, I had to give that to whoever came to deal with it. You're gonna need it."

She slipped the chain over her head. "Thanks. You're the cabbie, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. 'Here or there, Seymour's got the fare that's fair.' Except not right now, 'cause of the spores."

She smiled faintly. "This may help a lot, Seymour. Thanks." She climbed up the ramp, and the ship closed up and rose slightly, cruising out of the hangar.

Halfway around the planet, the Zher'Shev Range rose majestically into the clouds. The easily topped 30,000 feet and were powdered in thick white snow.

The ship cruised over the range, skirting the highest peaks, buffeted by the harsh winds. Dropping into a depression between two summits, the radio picked up a signal, and the homed in on it, landing in a tiny valley.

They exited the ship, bundled in cold-weather gear, tracking the signal with hand-held radios. The signal led them further into the mountains, and they found themselves in front of a huge metal door, sealed shut, the only sign of activity a flashing light on a small magnetic reader.

With a look at the others, Aurora, slipped the chain from around her neck and slid the magnetic strip through the reader. The flashing red light turned yellow, and a palm-shaped interface slid from the door. Aurora placed her hand on it, and a light passed under it. There was a pop, and she snatched her hand away. "Damn thing poked me," she murmured.

"DNA confirmed. Please enter now." The doors creaked open, reavealing a huge opening behind then. A figure stumped into the light.

"Wondered what's been keepin' ya. Well, come on in. We don't have all day.

TBC...

Limbo Galaxy > Interactive Fan Fics > The War: Day 2
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