The Dres’kin had deliberately avoided targeting the manoeuvring thrusters during the engagement to hopefully ensure the Xhamin was able to maintain a stable orbit, although a few were still missing. The ship had been left with a slow roll once the firing and explosions had ceased. Whoever was in control of the vessel seemingly struggled for a while to address the rotation, finally winning the battle after a lengthy wrestle against the heavy ship’s inertia.
The Dres’kin was temporarily brought in to around a kilometre of the damaged ship, reducing the amount of time the marines would spend crossing open space.
Bache watched as the twelve armoured suits floated in two lines towards an undamaged airlock at the stern of the crippled vessel.
‘I want to know if that ship so much as blinks,’ said Yamaton, turning to glare at the array officer.
‘Yes, Captain,’ came the reply. ‘No major systems are detected operational at this time.’
‘Why can’t we see inside?’ Yamaton asked.
‘The hull is coated with something impervious to our scanning frequencies, Captain.’
The leading marine reached the airlock and everyone on the bridge watched as he pressed the purple emergency override button that Nexen had said would be there. It sunk into the hull and powered away upwards, leaving a lever inside the round opening. The marine’s body camera showed that his motorised hand was too big to fit in the hole, so what looked like a large pair of pliers swung around from a housing built into the suit’s wrist. He inserted this and turned the handle.
‘Airlock opening,’ said the marine’s electronic voice, echoing around the bridge.
‘You won’t get all of them in at once,’ said Nexen. ‘The airlocks are designed for about four humans and not twelve seven-foot-tall mechanical men.’
Yamaton nodded. ‘Two at a time, Sergeant,’ he said. ‘Be sparing with those heavy weapons in case the original crew are awake, and return to the airlock and report in every fifteen minutes.’
‘Roger that, sir.’
The camera feed showed two marines stooping to float through the door and clunking down onto the deck as the ship’s artificial gravity took hold. The outer door closed and their camera footage was lost.
Six times this was repeated until all twelve soldiers were inside. Then they waited and waited.
The fifteen minutes came and went. Still, they waited.
‘Something’s wrong,’ blurted Clammer, breaking the silence.
‘Those suits are impregnable,’ snapped Yamaton. ‘They must have met resistance and are a bit busy.’
‘They’re not impregnable to a high voltage shock,’ said Bache. ‘Burns out all the suit motors.’
‘And how would you know that?’ Yamaton asked.
‘Learnt it from Chief Engineer Whipper a couple of years ago,’ said Bache. ‘Worked a treat.’
The captain stared at Bache for a moment before turning away and shaking his head. ‘I’ve read your file, Loftt,’ he said. ‘So, I’m not even going to ask.’
Bache noticed a few of the bridge officers glancing at him with questioning expressions, except for recruit Zaphir Mye, who smiled and winked.
‘I know a way to get aboard undetected,’ said Nexen, as Bache gave Zaphir a smirk in return.
‘I’m not risking anyone else going into that bloody ship,’ said Yamaton, curtly. ‘I’m already worried about how I explain losing my whole contingent of twelve marines.’
The bridge went quiet again as that scenario sunk in. After another fifteen minutes dragged by, Yamaton turned back to Nexen and raised his eyebrows. ‘Well, let’s hear it then,’ he said, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms.
The commander stood and walked into the holomap. He pointed to the bow of the Xhamin and a small oval-shaped marking on the hull.
‘Captain’s emergency pod,’ he said. ‘Opens from inside and outside. It’s like a mini one-man airlock that is also a lifeboat if necessary.’
‘Won’t it be detected when it opens, or you be seen as you emerge inside?’ asked Yamaton.
‘It opens into the captain’s office at the side of the bridge and I disconnected the inner hatch detector switch so the crew didn’t know I was using it. I found it more comfortable than my cabin bunk and used to sleep in it occasionally.’
‘But someone could be in that office,’ said Yamaton.
‘If it is the androids that have commandeered the ship, then what would a robot need an office for?’ asked Bache.
‘My thoughts exactly,’ said Nexen. ‘I kept the door locked at all times and there’s nothing in there except a desk, a computer terminal and a few books. Nothing critical to the running of the vessel, so no person or thing would have any real reason to go in there.’
Yamaton grunted and turned back to the holomap. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the crippled ship. ‘You’d have to wear one of our suits,’ he said, without turning. ‘I’m amazed that relic you were wearing was even airtight.’
‘I volunteer to go with him,’ said Bache, sitting forward in his seat.
This time Yamaton turned to face them. ‘I kinda guessed you might, Loftt,’ he said, seemingly struggling not to smirk.
‘I volunteer too,’ said Clammer, grinning.
‘Thank you, Mr Feltaraine,’ said Yamaton. ‘But no—I think you did enough damage the last time you went for a stroll outside.’
The grin disappeared from Clammer’s face, replaced by a look of surprise. He slowly sat back, grumbling under his breath.
The captain turned and pointed at the navigator.
‘Recruit Mye, you’ve done the walker exams haven’t you?’ he asked.
‘Er, y-yes, sir,’ said Zaphir, the surprise evident by her slight stammer and wide-eyed expression.
‘Good, then you can aid Recruit Loftt in escorting the commander across and into his vessel.’
‘Yes, Captain,’ she replied, flicking her eyes across to Bache again and receiving a reassuring grin in return.
‘Absolutely no risks are to be taken—is that clear?’
‘Yes, sir,’ they both said in unison.
‘You do not enter the ship unless Commander Nexen has clearly signalled it’s safe to do so.’
‘Yes, sir,’ they stereo’d for a second time.
‘And that rule applies to you too, Commander,’ Yamaton growled, pointing at Nexen. ‘I don’t want you risking yourself or my walkers under any circumstances. If it’s not safe to enter your ship, you’re to return here and we’ll think of some other way. Clear?’
‘Crystal, Captain,’ said Nexen. ‘I do have one request though.’
Yamaton raised his eyebrows questioningly.
‘I would like to take my android along too,’ said Nexen, keeping eye contact with Yamaton.
‘Reason?’
‘He’s one hundred percent loyal and I can use him to link with the ship’s systems on the hand portal within my office.’
‘What if the system takes him over and he becomes a threat too?’
‘I’ll be ready to press the reset buttons,’ said Bache.
Both Yamaton and Nexen gave Bache a narrow stare.
‘How on Dasos do you know how to do that?’ the captain asked.
‘Something I learnt on the moonlet a few days ago,’ said Bache. ‘Just basic engineering really,’ he added, distinctly tongue in cheek.
Yamaton shook his head slowly. ‘You really are just like your father.’
‘You know my dad?’ exclaimed Bache. ‘I didn’t know that.’
‘Eureka,’ said Yamaton, sarcastically. ‘Finally, I’ve found something Mr Shiny Balls doesn’t know.’
Bache felt his face redden as a few sniggers echoed around the bridge.
‘Take your monster with you if you want,’ Yamaton said to Nexen. ‘I’d rather it was off my ship anyway. Never have trusted plastic people, as the present situation proves.’ He pointed at the door and sat back down on his raised chair. ‘Go and prepare, you three—and Mr Loftt, get the commander a proper suit, not that steam-powered bag of rags he turned up in.’