| Powder Monkey July 2010 |
Short Story 6
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| CSS VIPER Patrol Log #128 27 July 2286 On the Edge of the Abyss Spuid by Roger Campbell |
“Captain to the bridge.”
“Kaths, what’s up?” Back in his cabin the Captain turned off his monitor. He
was ready for a break. As he waited for the Tomcat’s reply Roman filled his
coffee cup.
“Sir, need you on the bridge when you have a moment.”
“Well, what’s up?” With his cabin on the other side of the bulkhead
between it and the bridge it never took the skipper long to get on station.
“Look at that thing.” Kaths pointed to the image on the Long Range Visual
monitor. “Doc and I aren’t sure what it is.”
“Hummmm, interesting. . . . Lt. Rivari, Skipper. Come to the bridge.”
Twenty seconds later the Comms officer stood beside his captain.
“Take a look at that. Something in the back of my mind says I’ve seen it
before. Is it from Earth’s past?”
“Yes sir. Looks like a spost version of a squid. An ancient sea creature
that used ink to cloud the water around it for defense and its tentacles to trap its
prey. They could get quite large.”
“Could it be a problem for us?”
“Sir, you better hope it ain’t cause it on an interception course.” Boats
reported as he computed the interception point. “CBDR for 10,000k.”
“Back to my question.” The Captain returned his attention to Rivari.
“Sir, that’s one of those spost things. It could always be a problem
especially as big as it is. Looks like it’s the same size as Viper.”
“Point well made. Helm new course, 000mark270. Give it Time Drive for
one minute than resume normal cruising speed.”
“Aye sir.”
A minute later.
“Sir, that thing’s closing.” Boats reported.
“What? I didn’t think any of the spost critters could do Time speed. Kaths,
you’re relieved. Bring the weapons on line. Helm, Time Drive for ten
minutes.”
“Sir, what if we can’t out run it?” Kaths asked as he sat down at the
Weapons’ control panel.
“Then that’s where you come in.”
“What? That’s a spost critter. We ain’t figured out a way yet to hurt any of
them. If it can be done.”
“Get with Doc and see what ya’ll can come up with. Now I remember
where I’ve read about one of them. It was in a book called 20,000 Leagues.
That squid gave that captain a hard time. This thing ain’t giving me one.”
“Skipper, Doc.”
“Go ahead.”
“Sir, got an idea if you have to engage that spuid. Point the Viper at it. I
can emit an electrical pulse through the Comms disk. While I don’t know if it’ll kill
the creature, ought to at least give it a headache.”
Roman looked at his arrays, the spuid’s signals were getting closer, to
close. “Wait for my command than try it. Tomcat, what? No objections.”
“Sir, I don’t think the lasers will hurt that thing and I ain’t even going to
waste my time shooting the 75 at it.”
Two minutes later.
“Doc, Skipper. The spuid’s as close as I want it. Go head and zap it.”
“Doc, Tomcat. Hold your fire. Looks like the Sposts are talking to the
Captain.”
Why are you about to try to harm the spuid?
It’s about to attack Viper.
No it is not. You are over reacting. You still have much to learn. Just
because something is dangerous in one world does not mean a similar looking
creature is dangerous in another world.
Okay, I’ll buy that. But then why is it coming at us?
Spuids are playful creatures. It probably sees you as a playmate.
A playmate? How bad are its eyes?
Very bad. It can only see that you are a similar size moving about on
your own power.
If it closed, would it be a danger to Viper?
Yes. That is why we have contacted you. Do not fire at it. You will only
enrage it. We have told it to leave you alone. It is moving away as we speak.
Thank “you.” Roman shook his limbs. “Damn it, they cut me off again.”
He checked his arrays. “Good, the critter’s moving away. Pekin, put us back up
at the edge of the abyss. Kaths, power down and take the deck. Time to
resume our patrol and reading boring Intell reports.”
“Learn anything new boss?” Boats asked as he determined the course and
speed to accomplish the skipper’s order.
“Yes. To avoid spost creatures as soon as we see them.”
“Kaths, what’s up?” Back in his cabin the Captain turned off his monitor. He
was ready for a break. As he waited for the Tomcat’s reply Roman filled his
coffee cup.
“Sir, need you on the bridge when you have a moment.”
“Well, what’s up?” With his cabin on the other side of the bulkhead
between it and the bridge it never took the skipper long to get on station.
“Look at that thing.” Kaths pointed to the image on the Long Range Visual
monitor. “Doc and I aren’t sure what it is.”
“Hummmm, interesting. . . . Lt. Rivari, Skipper. Come to the bridge.”
Twenty seconds later the Comms officer stood beside his captain.
“Take a look at that. Something in the back of my mind says I’ve seen it
before. Is it from Earth’s past?”
“Yes sir. Looks like a spost version of a squid. An ancient sea creature
that used ink to cloud the water around it for defense and its tentacles to trap its
prey. They could get quite large.”
“Could it be a problem for us?”
“Sir, you better hope it ain’t cause it on an interception course.” Boats
reported as he computed the interception point. “CBDR for 10,000k.”
“Back to my question.” The Captain returned his attention to Rivari.
“Sir, that’s one of those spost things. It could always be a problem
especially as big as it is. Looks like it’s the same size as Viper.”
“Point well made. Helm new course, 000mark270. Give it Time Drive for
one minute than resume normal cruising speed.”
“Aye sir.”
A minute later.
“Sir, that thing’s closing.” Boats reported.
“What? I didn’t think any of the spost critters could do Time speed. Kaths,
you’re relieved. Bring the weapons on line. Helm, Time Drive for ten
minutes.”
“Sir, what if we can’t out run it?” Kaths asked as he sat down at the
Weapons’ control panel.
“Then that’s where you come in.”
“What? That’s a spost critter. We ain’t figured out a way yet to hurt any of
them. If it can be done.”
“Get with Doc and see what ya’ll can come up with. Now I remember
where I’ve read about one of them. It was in a book called 20,000 Leagues.
That squid gave that captain a hard time. This thing ain’t giving me one.”
“Skipper, Doc.”
“Go ahead.”
“Sir, got an idea if you have to engage that spuid. Point the Viper at it. I
can emit an electrical pulse through the Comms disk. While I don’t know if it’ll kill
the creature, ought to at least give it a headache.”
Roman looked at his arrays, the spuid’s signals were getting closer, to
close. “Wait for my command than try it. Tomcat, what? No objections.”
“Sir, I don’t think the lasers will hurt that thing and I ain’t even going to
waste my time shooting the 75 at it.”
Two minutes later.
“Doc, Skipper. The spuid’s as close as I want it. Go head and zap it.”
“Doc, Tomcat. Hold your fire. Looks like the Sposts are talking to the
Captain.”
Why are you about to try to harm the spuid?
It’s about to attack Viper.
No it is not. You are over reacting. You still have much to learn. Just
because something is dangerous in one world does not mean a similar looking
creature is dangerous in another world.
Okay, I’ll buy that. But then why is it coming at us?
Spuids are playful creatures. It probably sees you as a playmate.
A playmate? How bad are its eyes?
Very bad. It can only see that you are a similar size moving about on
your own power.
If it closed, would it be a danger to Viper?
Yes. That is why we have contacted you. Do not fire at it. You will only
enrage it. We have told it to leave you alone. It is moving away as we speak.
Thank “you.” Roman shook his limbs. “Damn it, they cut me off again.”
He checked his arrays. “Good, the critter’s moving away. Pekin, put us back up
at the edge of the abyss. Kaths, power down and take the deck. Time to
resume our patrol and reading boring Intell reports.”
“Learn anything new boss?” Boats asked as he determined the course and
speed to accomplish the skipper’s order.
“Yes. To avoid spost creatures as soon as we see them.”