EPISODE 52

Marines First

Lieutenant Tregaski turned out to be a man of many talents. To her surprise, Tregaski boarded the launch first and disappeared into the pilot's compartment up front.

York was assigned a place with Captain Hull, Benbow, and Captain Pedrattus in a small compartment immediately above the forward armament wells. It held several small ports which, at the moment, looked out into the interior of the starboard bay in which the launch was nestled.

Lieutenant Wexby, a big man with the massively ridged facial bones and cupped earlobes of an inhabitant of the Sartan worlds, sat aft in the rear compartment with the crewmen and the Marine platoon. Hull shut the door to block off the rear compartment and spoke into a seat mike. “You're clear to launch, Lieutenant.”

“Aye aye, Captain.” The lieutenant's muffled voice came through a speaker embedded in the forward bulkhead. A muted roaring filled the compartment and was soon followed by a slight lurching sensation. Miraculously, it seemed, she saw the destroyer through the side port, floating like a sleek steel killer whale in the depths of space. With the pale yellow light of Gelhart glinting on its snoutlike bridge, Draco presented a formidable appearance. Then, as it disappeared from view, an even bigger, more deadly metal beast came within sight. Rigel.

Hull glanced at Pedrattus and back at York. “It's time to speak bluntly. The Shiva compartment on Rigel lies forward, immediately under the navigation bridge, and is accessible only from the bridge. I don't want any unnecessary eyes in that part of the ship. Captain, it will be your primary responsibility to ensure no one from this ship, or any of the survivors, passes lock A Six Zero Two.”

The Marine nodded. “I'll position two of my men there as soon as we enter. The other five will search the ship.

“Doc may have to get at some of the dead beyond that point,” he pointed out. “If there are any.”

Hull grimaced at the thought. “It's possible. We'll deal with that situation if it arises.”

“You and I, Captain, will have to see the compartment to ensure the device wasn't jettisoned with the launches.”

“I suppose,” Hull answered. He flicked a button on the seat mike. “Wexby?”

“Captain!” The lieutenant's voice came through like a bullhorn.

“The boarding party will aft of lock A Six Zero Two,” he instructed. “The marines will secure it. Under no circumstances will anyone, including any survivors, be permitted past that point.”

“Aye aye, sir,” the lieutenant repeated.

Hull closed the switch and leaned back, his eyes on York's face. “What shall we do with the survivors, get them back to Draco right away and give us a chance to look around unimpeded?”

“That's reasonable,” she agreed. “I can't imagine they will attempt resistance at this point, not with the Marines.”

“I've arranged for a temporary medical quarantine. That's standard procedure and it won't make them suspicious so long as the examinations begin promptly and it doesn't last more than two or three hours.”

“Since they'll see the doctor with us, I'm sure that's a reasonable assumption.”

Tregaski's voice broke from the speaker. “Thirty decasecs to docking. Rigel's AI has accepted our transponder and will open its primary bay to us.”

“Still no human contact?”

“No, Captain.”

Hull nodded and pressed a different button on his comm. “Draco, this is Hull. We dock in thirty, repeat, three zero decaseconds. Activate the laser sight for number two nuclear turret, as ordered.”

“Turret two standing by,” a muted voice answered immediately. “Sighted and locked.”

Hull glanced toward York as he continued. “Should the boarding party come under attack, you are ordered to destroy any vehicle attempting to exit Rigel, including this launch, without regard for friend or foe, until you hear from me again. Acknowledge.”

“Acknowledged, Captain.”

“Carry on, Carmichael.” Hull flicked off the switch without removing his eyes from York's face. His eyes were hard and speculative.

“A wise precaution,” York commented. She turned to look portside at the rapidly approaching cruiser and hoped none of the survivors proved to be temperamental.

“Stand by for retro,” Tregaski cautioned. York braced herself. As the exhaust was rechanneled through forward-pointing tubes, she felt the force gradually build up, a steady push that caused her to lean toward the bulkhead separating her from the pilot's compartment.

“She's opened her bay. Stand by for docking.”

York stared through the port. After a few moments, the blackness of space gave way to a mass of grey metal interspersed with bright blue lights. Obviously the cruiser had been slumbering, she wasn't entirely dead. Shortly afterward she felt the launch come to a rest on the metal flooring of the bay as the engines momentarily roared before falling silent. It was a smooth landing; Tregaski was clearly a skilled pilot.

“We're in, Captain,” the lieutenant informed them unnecessarily.

“Bravo zulu, Lieutenant,” Hull praised him. He turned to York and Pedrattus, who had already slammed his helmet down and was rising from his seat. “Miss York, in the circumstances, I hope you won't object to our custom of 'Marines First'.”

She smiled and pulled her own helmet down. “Not in the slightest, Captain.”