The Dead Fleet (Juggernaut #3)

Two

The three little ships slowed as they approached the edge of the ragged fleet.

'Okay, here we go,' said Malachi. 'Fly careful and slow in there. We don't know how stable these ships are. I know the battle was a long time ago but there could still be reactor leaks, or damaged munitions.'

'I thought you said the pirates took everything,' said Ellie.

'They might not be dumb enough to steal something that could explode at any time.'

'Ah. Okay,' said Ellie.

Tila said nothing, but stared at the fleet before her, daring it to hide its secrets from her.

Somewhere in there is the truth about my parents, she thought, and I've come too far to leave here without it.

'Malachi,' said Ellie, 'I don't think my scanner's working properly. It keeps futzing on the fleet."

'Mine too. Tila?'

'What?'

'How's yours?'

'Which one's the scanner?'

'The big one in the middle, with the sphere and dots and lines.'

'I don't know. It's kinda fuzzy. What's it supposed to look like?'

'Like a sphere with dots and lines.'

'Mine is working again,' said Ellie. 'Wait, no it's not. Yes it is! Oh, no it's futzing again.'

'Is it the fleet or our ships?' said Tila.

'The fleet I hope. There's still a lot of radiation in there, I guess it's affecting the sensors,' said Malachi.

'Will we be okay?' said Ellie.

'Probably. But these ships are prototypes, remember. Maybe they're not hardened against radiation and interference yet. okay, new plan. Don't count on your scanners for anything more than very short range. Visual checks only. It looks like these ships are designed for speed, not navigating old battlefields,' said Malachi.

'So we are going to use them in there where we can't go fast?' said Ellie.

'Yep.'

'Why are none of our plans ever simple, Mal?'

'I wish I knew, Ellie. I wish I knew. Shall we dance?'

'Yeah, but slowly.'

Ellie accelerated and entered, Malachi followed, to hundred meters behind, and then he too disappeared from sight as he crossed the threshold into the graveyard maze.

Tila entered last. Something huge, twisted and unrecognisable slowly rotated between them, temporarily shielding them from view. Tila waited for it to pass, until it once again revealing a path through the debris big enough for her ship. She gingerly pushed forward on the throttle and entered the fleet.