Meltdown Ophilion - Book One

24_ZL-31

They ran smooth and steady for four hours. Everything seemed better above the atmosphere, as if their difficulties and dilemmas had somehow stayed on the surface planet. Clean, clear - the vacuum of Space. Deadly, barren - a refuge, a way of escape.

A warning light began blinking on the control panel. "We've got something," Celli said.

Menaro felt his heart sink.

"What is it?" Orion asked.

"Not sure yet. Two ships pursuing... it could be a coincidence." None of them believed that. "Can't get a lock on their signal... definitely not the same Qonaar ships from before... could be science vessels."

"Better science than Qonaar," Menaro muttered.

They waited ten minutes, watching the screen.

"They're closing at four thousand seven hundred CTs." Celli punched a few more buttons. "It's Qonaar." She confirmed.

"Fires of Nelvah." Menaro cursed quietly. "Alright, we've got to keep ahead of them. They might think were hex-pirates, which is probably best."

"We can still outrun them," Orion said.

"Not if they make an ambush, they know which way we're headed; they could call in more ships if they think it's important enough."

They kept their speed and heading for another hour, the Qonaar pursuing at a distance of five thousand CTs, till a warning appeared on the screen. "We've got something up ahead." Celli said. Menaro waited for her full report before responding. "I don't know who it is yet, but it looks like they're waiting for us."

"How about the others?"

"They're still behind us – keeping their distance."

"Smells like an ambush to me," Orion said seriously.

They turned to Menaro.

"I suppose I don't need to ask if you can lose them in the belt," He said warily.

"If we're going in we'll need Fel on weapons," Orion said.

Menaro shook his head again. This just keeps getting better. "I suppose you're part of the mrith team," He addressed Fel, who nodded his response.

Menaro directed him to the turret on the left side of the command deck. Fel lost no time in familiarizing himself with the controls. "I don't need to warn you that under no circumstances are you to fire on the Qonaar. If we're cornered, we surrender. We'll be outnumbered, and if we fire first, they won't hesitate to take us out."

Fel nodded. "Understood."

"It's Qonaar," came Celli's voice.

"How far are we from ZL-31?" Menaro asked.

"Almost there."

"Then lose'm," Menaro heard himself say, and instantly regretted it.

Jenna felt her heart drop to her toes. At this point she wished she had never heard about this mission. The phenomena they had witnessed up to this point seemed irrelevant. She tightened her grip on her seat handles, hoping she would live to return to her home in the wastelands.

"First two ships closing," Celli reported. "New course..." Her calculations took all of five seconds. "Here it is... 66-N-5 to N-8... That'll lead us to our side of ZL-31. You're free till we hit the belt, so this is our chance to gain distance."

Orion nodded, pulled out of their orbital course and headed away from Ophilion, toward the belt.

Fel began setting the parameters of the weapons, reviewing the inventory. He prepared four torpedoes for launch then swiveled right and left to get a feel for the big gun.