Death Haunts the Stars Page 12

  When told the captain was approaching, Deckard came around from the far side of the unit, pulled a rag from a pocket, and began wiping grease and grime from his hands. "Welcome to Engineering, Skipper! Sorry if my hands are a little dirty, ARP Three started acting up so the team decided we need to break it down and do an internal inspection."

  "Come on, Pat; I'm not afraid of a little grease...or dirt," Captain Rivers replied shaking hands with his engineer. "How's it looking in there?"

  Deckard shrugged, "So far, so good. Nothing out of the ordinary...yet. Of course, we we've just got the maintenance covers off and are just getting into the primary..."

  A muffled explosion interrupted Deckard! A large access panel from ARP Three was suddenly flying across the room. It struck the opposite and clattered to the floor, narrowly missing several engineering personnel. Thick, green smoke billowed out from within the atmosphere regeneration plant. Two engineers staggered away from the unit and collapsed to the deck. Deckard sprang forward to a nearby control board. "Isolating ARP Three ventilation ducts!" he shouted. "Conroy, Lester, Hastings, get your respirators on and get Costanzo and Sorkin out of here...ASAP!"

  Alarms began to ring and emergency lights flashed. Speakers in various parts of the compartment began to repeat, "Toxic chemical leak! Toxic chemical leak!"

  Rivers pulled Bradley back towards the hatch and activated his comm unit. "Bridge, we have heavy, toxic smoke coming from ARP Three in Main Engineering. We have two personnel down. Dispatch med team to the Engineering Deck's main entrance. We're beginning evacuation and isolation of the compartment."

  Mac Bradley had his comm unit out and was in touch with his Security Duty Officer. "Send personnel to Decks 3 and 4 above Main Engineering and 8 and 9 below to check for extension of a chemical leak and for possible injured personnel. Everyone to work in teams of two and wear respirators at all times!"

  With their personnel alerted, Rivers and Bradley began to assist the Engineering personnel with moving their fallen co-workers to safety. Deckard was the last to leave Main Engineering, making it out of the hatch just seconds before it closed. He raced across the corridor to a secondary engineering compartment to reach another console and access the Engineering computer system. He accessed the atmospheric scanners in the isolated compartment then vented the compartment's atmosphere to space.

  "Running a chemical analysis on the smoke, Captain!" Deckard told Rivers who had stepped over to stand near the chief engineer. "Atmosphere vented and the vapor is no longer coming from the ARP unit! I think we have it isolated, sir!"

  Rivers nodded then strode back out to the corridor to talk with the med techs working on crewmembers Costanzo and Sorkin. The senior med tech looked up at the captain as he approached. She shook her head slowly at his unspoken question. The other med tech pulled two sterile sheets from a jump bag and began to cover the two dead crewmembers.

  "Skipper!" Commander Mac Bradley yelled as he ran up to the captain. "My folks found vapor extension into Compartment 4548 with two dead and Compartments 8549 and 8450 with one dead..."

  Captain Rivers groaned, "Damn! We didn't isolate the ventilation system fast enough..." More alarms began to sound in the corridor outside Main Engineering.

  Captain Rivers! Commander Bradley! The neuroelectronic version of Commander Meaghan O'Reilly's voice was being broadcast over the Command Implant network. This is O'Reilly! I'm on the bridge. We have reports of similar incidents happening on Decks 3, 7, 10, and 13. We've received reports of casualties on each of those decks! Security, Medical, and Emergency Engineering teams are being deployed!

  Copy that, XO! Rivers responded. Take the ship to 'red alert'! Order all personnel to don emergency pressure suits or to report to the nearest lifeboat. Lockout the lifeboat launch sequences for now. Move, move, move!!! Bradley had already stepped over to a nearby locker labeled Emergency Equipment and pulled out several EPS units. He handed one to Rivers and one to each of the two med techs then began to don the one he still held.

  The emergency klaxons sounded again and Commander O'Reilly's voice came through the speakers, "Red Alert! Red Alert! All personnel need to don emergency pressure suits or make their way to the escape pods NOW! Repeat: Red Alert! Red Alert! All personnel need to don emergency pressure suits or make their way to the escape pods NOW!" The warning klaxons and emergency orders continued to repeat as personnel throughout the ship jumped into action.

  Emergency pressure suits were lightweight protective gear, designed to provide minimal life support for a limited time during a contamination or depressurization event. While one size truly did not fit all, each suit could be adjusted sufficiently to provide the wearer with some level of movement and comfort during an emergency.

  Rivers and Bradley finished donning their suits, pulled the flexible, clear plastic helmets over their heads, and sealed the helmets to the suits, activating their air supplies. They tugged on straps located on the arms, legs, and torsos of their suits to adjust them as best as they could. Bradley then checked on the med techs to see if they were in their EPS.

  Rivers walked back into Main Engineering to find Commander Pat Deckard in his own Emergency Pressure Suit-Engineering. The EPS-E was of hardier construction and designed to allow Engineering personnel to function in vacuum or areas of contamination. These suits were specialized for each person and were pre-positioned in the individual's duty section.

  "What's the word, Pat?" Rivers asked his chief engineer.

  "We've got Main Engineering under control. I've got personnel en route to the contaminated decks. I've also got teams deploying bots into the air system for a complete inspection," Deckard reported verbally. Deckard sent the same report out neuroelectronically over the command implant network to all command personnel.

  Rivers triggered the CIN override and broadcast his thoughts. All command personnel. Check your duty sections. Make sure ship's personnel are in appropriate EPS. Then have then check their sectors of the ship. Deploy all emergency teams. Report findings to the Damage Control Center. DCC summarize and update this network. I'm on my way to the bridge.

  Rivers heard O'Reilly's electronic voice sound in his mind, Captain, we'll need to pass you through several airlocks along the way. Turn on your comm unit tracker and we'll be able to follow your movement. That way we can cycle you through the locks faster!

  The Conestoga had several bulkheads located strategically along its length. These bulkheads served to divide the ship into sections that could be isolated in times of crisis. Airlocks were installed in the bulkheads on each deck to allow personnel to move from one isolated section to another without releasing or contaminating the atmosphere in either section.

  Roger that, Rivers broadcast. He looked at Deckard, "Pat, you got things here?"

  Deckard gave him a thumbs-up without looking away from his display. Rivers then stepped over to Commander Mac Bradley.

  "Mac...do what you can down here. We'll get more help on the way!" Rivers clapped him on the shoulder with one hand, turned, and jogged back out into the corridor.

  He turned left and raced to the nearest personnel hatch. The light above it turned from red to green as he approached and the air lock hatch on his side swung open. Rivers leaped into the lock, pulling the hatch shut behind him. Once that hatch sealed, the air cycled in the air lock, then the other hatch opened allowing Rivers to pass into the next compartment. He stepped through the open hatch and started to close it only to have the hatch pull away from him on command from the bridge.

  As Rivers ran toward the airlock on the far side of the compartment, someone pulled up in a personnel transport. "Hop aboard, Captain!" the suited crewmember said. Rivers jumped into the transport and the driver drove them across the large bay in record time.

  When they reached the next air lock, Rivers jumped from the transport and waved his thanks to the driver. The lock's hatch opened as he approached and Rivers repeated what he'd done previously. With the bridge crew operating the air locks remotely a
nd deck crew helping with personnel transports, Rivers made it to the bridge elevator in near record time.

  When Rivers stepped from the elevator, Jon Bynes called out, "Captain on the bridge!" Rivers stepped over to the command console to stand next to Commander O'Reilly. Nodding to his XO, Rivers said, "I have the conn, Commander!"

  O'Reilly quickly responded, "You have the conn, sir!" She launched into a detailed report of the ship's condition, damage control operations, and the status of casualties. "Thank you, Commander!" Rivers said when O'Reilly finished her report.

  Rivers signal the comm officer, "Put me on ship wide, please! All personnel, this is Captain Rivers. We are at Red Alert because of chemical leaks within the air ventilation systems in Engineering and on Decks 3, 7, 10, and 13. We ask you all to remain calm and to remain in your emergency pressure suits or escape pods until we broadcast that it is safe to exit them. We have personnel investigating each affected area and mitigating the hazards. Again, please remain calm as we investigate and mitigate the situation. Rivers out!"

  O'Reilly called Rivers' attention to another set of updates on her tablet. Deckard's engineers had found three devices in ventilation ducts on Decks 3, 7, and 13. Each device consisted of a timer/release mechanism and a small pressure tank. The devices were on their way to Main Engineering for examination. Casualties were light across the ship; four dead and eleven injured. Engineering, Cargo, and Medical personnel were checking on all crew and passengers to ensure their EPS and escape pod consumables (air and water, primarily) were sufficient for the duration.

  Suddenly a rattling sound could be heard coming from a ventilation duct in the bridge's ceiling. Several personnel drew their stunners and aimed them towards the source of the sound. The cover to the ductwork swung open and the "head" of an Engineering inspection robot looked down at the bridge crew. Pat Deckard's voice came from a speaker on the small bot, "Relax, people. It's just one of my bots! The duct work on Deck 1 is clean. I've got bots inspecting ventilation ducts throughout the ship." A small arm extended from the right side of the bot and tossed the captain a salute before the robot moved back into the ductwork and closed the cover.

  Rivers returned to reviewing the reports from emergency operations being conducted throughout the Conestoga. "Leave it to Pat Deckard to make a robot act cheeky!" he chuckled to the others.

  Chapter 10

  Ship's Log

  Terran Colonial Vessel Conestoga

  Earthdate: November 26, 2219

  Captain James B. Rivers, Commanding

  Day: 65

  Needless to say, our Thanksgiving Day celebration didn't happen!

  It's taken us over 20 hours to locate all of the hidden poison gas devices and secure them. We've had to do some drastic air regeneration to clear the ship's atmosphere of the toxic gas. Two devices went off on opposite sides of the Flight Deck where crews were working on some of our fighter spacecraft. While all of the crewmembers on that deck were in their pressure suits, an attempt was made to vent the atmosphere from the compartment. The sudden depressurization caused some loose objects to flash across the compartment and collide with some sensitive equipment, three of our fighters, and...a number of our crew.

  All told, we lost twenty three personnel; five of them on the Flight Deck. Most of those who died were colonists on their way to a new life on Camadin. Their inexperience with donning their emergency pressure suits made them vulnerable targets for our saboteurs. And I'm more convinced than ever that we have more than one saboteur aboard.

  For now, I've ordered everyone to remain at their duty station or in their quarters and to minimize time spent in public spaces. We're still over a month from Camadin and our attackers will no doubt escalate their attacks upon us. Unless we can stop them before they do!

  Captain Rivers stretched his arms to remove the kinks in his muscles. Reaching forward, he picked up his coffee cup from his desk. Looking into it, he realized that he'd drained the cup earlier while wading through yet another report. Damned paperwork! he thought. I was better off as an ensign! Well, maybe a lieutenant.

  Rivers rose from his desk chair and carried his coffee cup to the sideboard. Ah, bless their little hearts! Rivers thought. Ainsley's personnel have been doing a great job of keeping the ready room stocked with 'emergency' rations. Moments later, the smell of fresh coffee filled the room and Rivers had found a small box of cookies to go with the potent brew he was making.

  "Ah ha! My favorite cookies, too!" Rivers said to no one but himself as he opened the box and the wrapped package within. With coffee and snacks in hand, he returned to his desk and set them down. Before taking his seat, he did some more stretching exercises to limber up and get his blood flowing. Too much stress in the last 24 hours, he thought. I need to get through these reports, have a good meal with my wife, get some exercise, and then some sleep. With that he sat down, nibbled on a cookie, and took a slurp of hot coffee. Only then did he pick up his tablet and open another report.

  Upon completing the report, Rivers contacted Commanders O'Reilly, Bradley, and Deckard to ask them to join him for lunch in the Captain's Mess. Then he contacted his wife, Charlotte, to let her know that lunch would include a business meeting and that she could beg off if she wished.

  "You can't get rid of me that easily, James!" Dr. Charlotte Rivers answered. "Besides, I've got some info to report to you as well. It may as well be over lunch."

  "Okay, Honey, lunch it is then!" said Rivers before he signed off. He paused for a moment then contacted LTCDR Truscott to let her know how many would be joining him for lunch. Rivers suggested a smorgasbord and Truscott assured him everything would be ready when he and his guests arrived. With that taken care of, Rivers sighed heavily then turned his attention to the next report in his tablet's queue.

  About 15 minutes before lunchtime, Captain Rivers stood up, did a few stretching exercises, then left his ready room for the Captain's Mess. Walking along at a brisk pace got him there just ahead of Charlotte; who was quickly followed by Bradley, O'Reilly, and finally Deckard. Truscott's crew had prepared a wonderful spread of meats, cheeses, breads, vegetables, fruit, and beverages. Two stewards stood by near the hatch to the galley, ready to get anything that might be needed or wanted.

  "Welcome, everyone!" Rivers said, trying to sound more cheerful than he actually felt. "Please, fix yourselves what you'd like to eat, grab a drink, and take a seat!" With that, he joined Charlotte in line. He built himself a Dagwood sandwich, the size of which brought a rather stern look from his wife/doctor. With a smile and a shrug of his shoulders, Rivers set his plate down at the head of the table and pulled Charlotte's chair out for her. Soon everyone was seated and ready to eat. They paused to allow those who wished to bless their meal the opportunity to do so. Rivers was privately pleased to see that the majority of his team did so.

  The food and company were excellent and everyone was soon enjoying the luncheon. As much as he hated to do so, Rivers turned the conversation during the meal slowly to matters of ship's business.

  "Pat, how are you coming with the examination of the devices?" Rivers asked his chief engineer.

  "Skipper, we had Mac's personnel go over the devices with scanners looking for fingerprints and DNA evidence. I'll let him report on that. The devices themselves are pretty simplistic, really. A tank of toxic gas under pressure, each tank was equipped with a timer and servo motor attached to the valve. The timers were set to go off randomly over the course of an hour or so, perhaps to build panic within the ship as they went off," Deckard reported. "It was just sheer luck that we found some devices before they released their contents, sir! We're examining the casings and the tanks carefully to see if we can find any identifying markings as to their origins." Deckard fell silent and shrugged, indicating that he'd finished his report.

  Rivers shifted his gaze to his security chief and asked simply, "Mac?"

  Rivers had timed his query perfectly as Bradley was about to take a large bite out of his own Dagwood sandwi
ch. Bradley growled quietly, set his sandwich on his plated, then replied, "Well, sir, we're still running the scans through the computer but thus far we've come up blank...nothing. It's quite possible our saboteurs wore latex or cloth gloves while building and handling the devices. Or, they may have wiped them down a piece at a time during assembly. It's how the devices made their way into the ventilation system that has us checking video records and access logs. Again, we've nothing as yet, sir!"

  Rivers felt the same frustration Deckard and Bradley had expressed with their voices. "Well, keep at it. Something is bound to come along. So, Doctor Charlotte Rivers, what news do you have for us?"

  Dr. Charlotte Rivers' face saddened. "Captain, I regret to inform you that we just lost two more personnel, one colonist and one crewmember. My medical team did everything we could to save them but the damage to their respiratory systems was just too great. The rest of the injured are responding well to treatment."

  The room grew quiet as everyone thought again about how close a call the poison gas attack had been. While the vast majority of personnel aboard the Conestoga were able to don their EPS or reach an escape pod, a few had not been so fortunate.

  "Meaghan, how is the review of the personnel records coming along?" Rivers asked his executive officer.

  "Captain, we've gone through them once with our highly calibrated human eyeballs and now we're running them through the program Commander Bradley and Doctor Schmidt devised," O'Reilly answered. "We've added in the recent attack and left ourselves a means to add to the program further data as we go along in the hopes that it'll cross correlate to one or more suspects. Commander Bradley and I will notify you as soon as we know anything."

  Charlotte Rivers leaned forward, looked at Commander O'Reilly, and asked, "Meaghan, isn't part of the problem that our computer library, as impressive as it is, doesn't contain everything we would have access to one way or another back on Earth?"