MWGA FURY-Class Attack Transport, WHIPLASH
The Warning Klaxton sounded on the Whiplash’s Control Deck and the Attack Transport’s AI quickly discerned the malfunction. “Warning! Particle Wave Transmission completed. Extraction from Receiver Pattern Buffer suspended.”
Captain Ul Listes shouted to the Transport AI, “Extraction suspended? WHIPLASH analyze probable causes! All departments report!” Operations Officer Rewar Talvi’s stomach lurched with concern at the announcement of being caught in a PWT Receiver’s Matter Buffer. If there was a problem detected with the Transport’s Warp Bubble’s integrity, the Receiver would put the transmitted matter stream into a continuous loop for the protection of those inside folded space and the System as well. Should the transmitted compressed space be released without an intact Bubble, all matter contained would expand instantly and near infinitely depending on the amount and mass of matter within.
A Transport the size of the WHIPLASH along with everyone and everything aboard would instantly expand from a micro energy stream to a size greater than three times larger than the space making up the local Oort Cloud! The resulting explosion would destroy the HESTIA SYSTEM and its star more than likely creating a Gamma Ray Burst ending with the collapse of the region into a new Black Hole!
Of course such a disaster would happen in instants in Real Space Time. Inside the damaged Bubble, the folded space would collapse and Bubble Time would expand infinitely. All aboard would be caught in the cataclysmic yet paradoxical destruction of the Transport as time decelerated forward indefinitely. But before that happened, there would be an unknown amount of time to be spent in Bubble Time while they were held in the Buffer. Talvi listened intently as the departments reported all systems one hundred percent. He then looked to the Captain as the AI reported its findings.
“Captain, I have confirmation on all systems functioning at optimal levels. Warp Bubble integrity is also optimal. There are no potential causes on this end for delaying extraction into Real Space.”
The Captain sat thoughtful assessing the situation. If need be, the Whiplash could maintain the Warp Bubble long as the Generators held which could last for centuries. If they had to, all aboard could be placed in stasis for the duration until rescued. Captain Listes did not like there being an unknown variable holding her Transport and the crew’s lives in the balance. It was impossible to communicate with the receiving station for while inside the Warp Bubble, the WHIPLASH was actually a ‘universe’ away.
Time was of the essence and despite her extensive training and experience the Captain had nothing. “Options?” It was then her guest the Corporate Operative who sounded off. “Captain, my team may be of assistance.” Captain Listes normally did her best to keep ‘Corporate Joyriders’ on a short restraining beam. But after dealing with the PROMETHEUS GROUP Team, if anyone aboard could figure out something it was them. “What do you need Operations Officer?
After what seemed an agonizing half-hour later, both Technicians Deo and Cais reported their findings to an anxious Captain Listes. Deo’s monopitch voice seemed the only sound heard by those present on the Control Deck. “Captain after interfacing with your Transport and its AI I can report with absolute certainty there are no internal or external anomalies keeping the WHIPLASH from entering real space. Therefore the only conclusion is we are being held in the pattern buffer by the HESTIA Outer Marker Receiving Station.”
Looking sterner than usual, Captain Listes dark brow accented by red-blonde eyebrows turned towards the Hermacis Technician who was in a techno-trance. The hardlight display suddenly created a semi-translucent reproduction of Cais at twenty percent normal size. “Captain Listes, with the aid of both the Whiplash’s AI and my fellow team member, I have detected an invasive matter disturbance. We are being scanned... most likely by the Receiving Station.” OO Talvi turned to the Captain and remarked, “No doubt we have been placed in a Hold.” Talvi didn’t think it possible, but the Captain frowned further.
“A Hold? Who in the bowels of the Core would hit us with a Hold while we’re in the damn Pattern Buffer within an intact Bubble?” Talvi didn’t know who requested a Hold on the WHIPLASH. He damn sure had a solid suspicion as to why. If they were being scanned, it was for the detection of exotic weaponry. Somebody must have gotten intel of his team coming aboard the Attack Transport and figured they may have a P.U.R.G.E. Initiator aboard.
The Operations Officer sincerely doubted anyone thought the Transport BOX was aboard the WHIPLASH and was looking for it. Something was going on in real space, but until they were out of the Buffer there wasn’t a damn thing any of them could do but wait. Talvi left the Captain’s question unanswered as he replied, “Captain, it is my estimation all we can do is stand ready for extraction back into real space. Depending on how long the scan takes in real space time, we may be here a while.”
Talvi was certain the scan would be unable to detect the team’s Transport BOX with its security measures. If they couldn’t tell what was in it at OASIS-10, then a simple Outer Marker Station had little chance. Talvi contacted his Team Second via Secure Link on his PHUD. The audio feed compiled from the auditory impulses in her brain gave Talvi Altea’s thoughts a voice. “Altea online Ops. What’s the glitch?”
The Operations Officer never ceased to be amazed at how his Manu Companion could always assess a situation with a single word. “The ‘glitch’ Altea is we have been compromised.”
“What makes you think that Ops?”
“We should have come out into real space by now, but we’re still in the Receiving Buffer. Oh and we’re being scanned.”
“Shit! You think someone on OASIS-10 snitched?”
“Doubtful. Someone may have gotten to anyone in the circuit before or after we left HQ.”
“Sounds like somebody issued a Hold on us. Do you think they know about our package?”
“Again, doubtful. The scanners on OASIS-10 couldn’t discern our weapons load so an Outer Marker Station won’t either.”
“No Talvi, I mean ‘the Package’.”
His Second’s suggestion suddenly struck a nerve. Talvi knew it was unlikely the scan would provide any proof of Exotic Weaponry aboard the WHIPLASH. It would take a Milky Way Galactic Authority grade Hold Authorization to perform an inspection upon a Military Transport. No, this was a delaying tactic. Things made considerable sense up until this point thought the Operations Officer. First the Transport BOX’s transfer to the WHIPLASH was delayed and it was sent forward on a much less secure Cargo Transport. Now though only a few hours behind the DROMEDARY, the Transport carrying his team was being delayed for an undetermined amount of time.
In the shadowy universe of intelligence and special operations work, OO Talvi knew there were no such things as ‘coincidences.’ Someone out there had an agenda and it could damn well be anyone within the MWGA, any of PROMETHEUS GROUP’s millions of competitors or someone in PG itself! “Altea, there’s no sure way to tell how long we’ll be delayed. Pass the word to the rest of the team. Soon as we get back into real space, we’re going in hot.”
© 2013 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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