We Happy Few: The Leviathan Universe 2138 Read online

  Billy watched the large military base that was strategically placed nearby. A dozen warships bristled from the circular docking ring at any given time, though more than twice that number of capital ships could be accommodated. And just for good measure, a full division of Imperial Marines was garrisoned there. He breathed out, glad to have finished his mandatory term in the Imperial Fleet.

  The Pegasus queued up behind thirteen ships waiting to transit the jump gate. The large area in the middle of the ring warped the stars behind it. Blue plasma swirled, and a bright light flashed. The HMS Victory slid through the space where nothing had been before.

  Jump gate technology was over seventy years old and generally considered safe and reliable. Accidents were rare. Billy thought about the last reported transit anomaly twenty-four years ago. The HMS Hereford tried to jump to the outer ring, skipping three jump gates between them. They’ve never been seen or heard from since. And since then, no one tried to skip over jump gates. If it takes three jumps to get to where you’re going, then so be it.

  The first ship in the outbound queue slid forward as the large Imperial warship cleared the space, then it disappeared with a flash.

  “Approximate time to jump, Mr. O’Brien?” Captain Fenwick asked.

  “About fifteen minutes, sir,” the pilot responded.

  First Officer Billy McAndrews summoned his courage and addressed his captain. “Captain, may I speak to you in private? I only need a few minutes of your time.”

  Fenwick gestured towards the door to his office at the back of the bridge. “Certainly, Mr. McAndrews,” he said.

  The door hissed shut behind them. The captain took a seat behind his desk and motioned for Billy to sit in the chair opposite. “What’s on your mind?”

  Billy took a breath. “Sir, I wanted to ask about the status of my promotion.”

  Fenwick sucked air through his teeth. “I’m afraid I was unable to recommend you for the position. To be perfectly honest, I believe you lack the experience,” he said, matter-of-factly.

  Billy’s temper started to rise, he tamped it back down. “I don’t understand. I’ve been the acting first officer for over two years. And I’ve flown with you for nearly five.” Billy let the statement hang in the air. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed.

  “I understand your frustration…” the captain began.

  Billy cut him off. “No sir, I don’t think you do. I’m already doing the job, I’ve been doing the job at the chief pilot rate. Why won’t you let me get paid for it?” Billy tried to keep the anger out of his voice.

  Fenwick’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Mr. McAndrews,” he said slowly.” Do not interrupt me whilst I speak. As I began to say, I understand your frustration. I captained a ship at the rank of commander for six years before I was promoted, and pinned on my bars.”

  “But, sir…” Billy started. Fenwick put a finger up to silence him, and his stern gaze silently commanded.

  “You must understand, the Brighton Star Line is running on very tight margins. There’s not a lot of room in the budget right now. Tell me, when was the last time we shipped out with all the cabins full?”

  Billy fought to maintain his composure. He wanted to stand up and scream in his captain’s face. He maintained control, though it was very difficult. He thought about what the captain said. It was true. The Pegasus hadn’t run at hundred percent capacity in several years. And right now they were less than half full.

  Billy nodded slowly. “Yes Captain, I understand that. However, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m performing a duty I’m not being paid for,” he managed to say calmly.

  The captain scowled. “Young man, you should be grateful you have a job… Perhaps you’d like to muster back into the Imperial fleet?”

  Billy’s rage grew. A fire that started in his core was now spreading as he fought to extinguish it.

  The captain’s comm chirped. He answered it with the wave of his hand.

  “Sorry to disturb you, captain, but we’re next in the queue. ETA two minutes.” Pete reported.

  “Very good, Mr. O’Brien. We’ll be out shortly,” the captain said, swiping the comm off. “We’re done here, Mr. McAndrews. Please report back your station.”

  Billy stood up from his seat. He dared not to speak. He spun on his heel and stepped out the door. A few moments later the captain followed, taking his seat in the command chair.

  Billy returned to his station. He tried calming himself, but the anger continued to simmer deep inside. Chief engineer Colin Burton shot a questioning glance in his direction. His fingers moved quickly as he typed. A text screen popped up in front of Billy. What’s wrong? You look fit to pop.

  Billy smoothly swiped the text message out of the air. He half turned towards Colin and almost imperceptibly shook his head. Collin shrugged and turned back to his engineering holo-screens.

  It was the Pegasus’ turn to jump. Their first jump point was the Castor system, twenty light-years away. The travel time through the jump gate was instantaneous. Other than a bright flash of light, it was otherwise imperceptible to humans... Usually.

  Billy tried to calm himself by thinking about something else. Castor was controlled by Grand Duke Henry Bonaventure, a man powerful enough to have his own military force. And that force was highly trained and well outfitted. His private fleet had over twenty capital ships. It is said that if Lord Bonaventure goes to war, he wins a war. His Household Guard was entirely made up of tier one operators from the most elite units in the Empire. His knights were always favored in the tournaments. Billy wondered if the Grand Duke’s fleet was looking for officers. He shook his head and pushed the thought away.

  Billy looked at his screens. “Prepare to hand off navigational control to the tower,” he said to his pilot. Pete nodded his affirmative.

  Traffic in that area was a nightmare, very congested, very slow going. Four separate traffic control AI’s worked together to guide ships around, and rarely crashed them into each other.

  Billy checked his screens, noting that all systems reported ready for jump initiation. He always felt slightly skittish just before jump. He knew there was no logic in his fear, but it still always nagged at him.

  The ship in front of the Pegasus disappeared in a blue swirl. Blue-and-white circular eddies rippled and faded. Once the center turned black again, it would be ready to take the next ship. Billy screen indicated the traffic AI in the Pegasus towards the huge ring. He swallowed and tried to relax. A brief flash, then the star field in front of them shifted radically. Billy let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, his tension quickly melted off.

  The Castor jump gate was one of the busiest in Imperial space. Billy saw the gigantic shipyard and military base that loomed high over the gate. He looked over to one of the largest commerce and entertainment stations outside of the Capella system.

  The Pegasus emerged from the gate and was guided to a docking birth. She would take on additional ship’s stores and reactor mass. They left Capella Major with only the essentials since the cost of the jump gate transit was calculated by mass. The Pegasus was released by the traffic AI. Billy looked down at the pilot station, Pete deftly maneuvered the hulking ship smoothly into her assigned berth. Snakelike umbilicals slithered towards the ship and connected to power ports, delivering the vital reactor mass she would need for their six week journey to the next jump gate.

  Captain Fenwick stood in front of the bridge. The bulkhead holo-screens revealed the bustling spaceport ahead. Hundreds of small ships and drones zoomed about on their business. Billy sat at his station quietly fuming. Look at all those ships. I wonder if any of them are in need of a first officer? And willing to pay for him. Again, he pushed the thought away.

  Billy continued monitoring his screens. His anger began to drain away, replaced by a dull hopelessness. He was aware his captain was looking in his direction. He absentmindedly tapped a few controls. He wasn’t actually doing anything, except looking busy.

 
; Chief engineer Colin Burton and his assistant François Renault hit commands on their holo-screens. “Captain, drive mass is topped off,” Colin reported.

  “Very well, Mr. Burton.” Fenwick turned to his first officer. “Mr. McAndrews, please pay the dockmaster.”

  “Aye Captain,” Billy said as he input the commands that paid the dockmaster from the ship’s account. Too bad I can’t transfer some funds to my account.

  “The dockmaster is paid and our security escorts report they are ready to proceed, Captain.” Billy reported.

  Fenwick still stood in front of the forward bulkhead gazing out with his hands folded neatly behind his back, as was his habit.

  Fenwick turned to the pilot. “Mr. O’Brien, detach umbilicals, and clear the berth.”

  Pete O’Brien acknowledged the command. He delicately manipulated his flight controls, and they slid out of the berth and queued up in the outgoing traffic. Pete had commented on many occasions on how nimble the Pegasus was for a large luxury liner.

  Fenwick smiled. He was clearly pleased with that graceful exit. He was a man of few complements, so he held his praise.

  CHAPTER 8

  Weeks passed, but finally the Pegasus and her escorts approached the halfway point to the next jump gate. Most other traffic in the space lane had peeled off to other destinations, leaving the Pegasus and her escorts alone in space. Captain Fenwick stood on the bridge near the large rectangular portal. He looked uneasy. The crew knew well their captain’s dislike for this region of space. An enormous asteroid field made of ferrous rock and various other metals lay off his port bow. A purple nebula streaked with red swirls lay off his starboard bow. Fenwick clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels.

  “I don’t like it Mr. McAndrews, I don’t like it one bit,” the captain spat out. First Officer William McAndrews rolled his eyes at the back of his CO’s head. He’d heard this many times, and he heard it every damn time they traversed this section of space.

  The nebula was very dense, made up of over two dozen different gases. Active sensors could barely penetrate a few kilometers. The asteroid field likewise could not be scanned effectively due to the high composition of metal. A ship inside the field would have to have active sensors pinging away in order to be detected.

  “Yes, Captain, perfect ambush point,” he said absentmindedly while he scanned his holo- screen for any sensor anomalies. If the captain stayed true to form, he’d be ordering a sensor sweep in short order.

  “Mr. McAndrews, please get a sweep going,” Captain Fenwick said.

  His first officer grit his teeth, trying to maintain his composure. “Sensor sweep is already underway, captain,” he managed to say without a hint of annoyance in his voice. Every damn time. Does he think I don’t remember the dozen trips we’ve made through here?

  The captain nodded without turning around.

  Chief Engineer Colin Burton glanced over at McAndrews with a smirk on his face. He typed a text message out.

  Easy, Billy. Easy, popped up on a screen in front of him. His eyes narrowed. He turned to look at the back off Colin’s head. Billy’s fingers moved almost imperceptibly as he replied, The Old Man is about to get on my very last nerve. He should’ve stayed in the damn Imperial fleet. I’m no fresh conscript. I can bloody well do my job!

  The back of Colin’s head shuddered ever so slightly as he tried to keep his laughter contained. Heat crept up Billy’s collar. What’s so damned funny?

  The pilot, Pete O’Brien let a guffaw slip out and neatly turned it into a cough.

  This is a party line then? Did you also CC the captain? McAndrews typed out as the red from his neck climbed up to his cheeks.

  C’mon, Billy. Why does it get at you so much? Pete typed. Take it for what it’s worth. He’s a pedantic old man with seventy years in the fleet. Had we stayed that long, we’d be the same.

  Be careful, mon ami, you’re going to stroke out, François added

  Billy let out a loud exhale. The captain spun on his heel, his attention narrowing on his first officer. “Have you something to report, Mr. McAndrews?” the captain snapped.

  The blood that had been working its way up his neck now drained and Billy stammered, “No, sir. My apologies, captain.” The captain squinted, his brow furrowed slightly, and he turned back towards space.

  The two Paladin security ships shot out in front of the Pegasus. They also recognized a prime ambush point. The sleek, gunmetal gray ships spread out to the port and starboard sides. Their active scanners pinged away.

  You know, Billy, I think the captain is right to be nervous here. Pete typed.

  I’m not saying he’s wrong. But he says the exact same thing every time we transit here, it’s like he’s reading a damn script, or like he’s stuck on rails, Billy replied.

  A holo-screen popped up. Commander Ellis of Paladin Security Ship Six appeared. “We have multiple contacts. Bearing 265 and 55 degrees.”

  The captain spun around to face the image of the commander. “Are they hostile?” the captain said a little too quickly.

  “Unknown at this time. Attempting contact,” The commander stated calmly. “It looks like we have two… correction, three ships. No identification being transmitted. No passive trans-beacons to scan. Looks like bandits, sir.”

  Billy’s heart started to pound in his chest. Every legitimate spacer feared pirates, if they said they didn’t, they were either crazy or liars. Billy took a few deep breaths. Remember your training, remember your training. Billy glanced over to Colin. He could see the engineer’s hands were shaking as he was trying to bring the reactors to hundred percent power. The only one on the bridge that didn’t seem concerned was Pete O’Brien. Billy envied the man’s level of control.

  Billy let out a long slow breath, actively trying to slow his heart rate. He clenched his fists and flexed his fingers trying to work out his nervous energy.

  Paladin Five veered sharply upward, while Paladin Six dove down and hugged the edge of the nebula. Both ships launched autonomous sensor buoys. They were small and powerful, and were easy to detect because of the active ping, but their small size was difficult to shoot down.

  The bridge suddenly felt hot and stuffy. Billy took a quick look at the environmental controls. It was still set at nineteen Celsius, the way the captain liked it. Still, Billy wiped the bead of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

  Captain Fenwick looked annoyed by the commander’s demeanor. The way he described the threat, he could’ve been reading off the temperatures from the fusion reactor. “Launch sensor and defense drones,” he commanded. “Mr. McAndrews, alert security to quietly take up positions at the main lock.”

  Quietly? Like the passengers won’t notice the battle outside. “Aye, Captain,” he responded and relayed the message to security. Billy managed to keep his fear out of his voice.

  “Captain, we’re bringing the reactors up to full power… Emergency power on standby,” the chief engineer reported, sounding a little unsteady.

  The captain looked towards his chief engineer, scrutinizing him. “Very good, Mr. Burton. Mr. O’Brien, what can you tell me about our guests?”

  Guests? Billy fumed. His fingers were a blur. His arms and hands made fast and precise movements.

  “Sir, I confirm three ships moving to intercept. ETA to estimated weapons range is four and a half minutes,” Pete reported. “Two sensor drones destroyed, getting last telemetry. One medium cargo freighter, heavily armed. A military grade assault frigate, it matches nothing in our database. It’s not Imperial or Alliance,” he continued. “One bulk class freighter, lightly armed. It’s hanging back.” Pete sounded like they were in the middle of a scheduled drill. Billy continued to marvel at his friend’s grit.

  Billy’s mind raced. It was a common tactic for pirates to use bulk freighters. After the gunships pounded their prey into submission they would unload everything not bolted down, and many items that were, into the large cargo holds. If they could capture their
target ship, so much the better, but they were always prepared to strip the ship and flee.

  “Do we have any visual yet?” the captain asked.

  “I’m trying, sir. I think the ships are black, very difficult for visual tracking to pick up.” Pete said.

  “Send visuals to my screen when received, Mr. O’Brien. And launch the distress beacon.”

  Billy had to admit, the Old Man looked and sounded calm and collected. He hoped he also looked calm. Perhaps I’ve been a bit hard on him.

  Sensor data started pouring in, even with the sensor buoys dropping off the screen one by one. Dozens of them still remained, sending detailed information about their adversaries.

  “The medium cargo freighter is sniping our sensor buoys. Someone on that ship is one helluva shot,” Billy reported.

  The captain gave him a sour glance. “Please keep the commentary to yourself, Mr. McAndrews. Report only the facts.”

  “Yes sir.” Billy said, chagrined as heat crept up his neck again. I guess it’s better to be pissed off than scared shitless. He continued pulling in telemetry and sensor data. He was glad for the busywork. It kept him from imagining the horrible possibilities of being boarded by pirates.

  “That assault frigate. It’s firing on Paladin Five. Plasma weapons and rail guns. Her shields are weakening,” Billy reported.

  Commander Ellis once again appeared in the center of the bridge. “Captain Fenwick, we have launched all drones and are preparing to engage. We are overmatched, sir. That assault frigate is tearing us up. We’ll hold them back to the last man,” he stated. “I would advise that you get your ship into that nebula as fast as you can.” His hologram flickered as his ship was rocked by explosive impacts.