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Authors: Toby Frost
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failure. For that I apologise.
‘Captain Smith, no doubt you have wondered as to the purpose of your flying to New Fran to collect a seemingly unimportant dissident, to rescue her from the possibility of that colony being annexed by the Ghast Empire. You are presumably on the way to deliver Miss Mitchell to the city of Midlight, on Kane’s World. It is vital that you continue with this mission. You are to proceed with all possible speed to your destination and to stop for no reason whatsoever. It is absolutely imperative that she reaches the destination intact and unharmed. The only higher priority is that you prevent her from falling into the hands of the Ghasts or their allies.
‘You employer, Mr Khan of Valdane Shipping, has long had links with the Deepspace Operations Group of Great Britain and its Colonies. He gave you this task because your ship was unimportant, less likely to be noticed than a larger, military vessel. He arranged for us to follow you and protect you – which, if you are hearing this, we have been unable to do.
‘Mr Khan believed that you would be less likely to reveal yourself or make any errors if you did not know you were being shadowed. It was a mission where ignorance was vital, a mission for which you were the ideal choice. Now, however, you are no longer safe. You are exposed, and it is you and you alone on whom the safety of your ship relies…’
‘We’re stuffed,’ Carveth said.
‘… I can only wish you good luck. May your ship prove up to the task ahead.’
‘Yep, we’re stuffed all right,’ Carveth said.
‘… I am merely hoping that your crew can deal with this responsibility and see you through with honour and success.’
‘So am I,’ said Smith.
‘Good luck, Mr Smith. And remember, on no account must Miss Mitchell be passed to the enemy. In the event, you know what you must do. Goodbye, and carry on.’
The message ended. The four of them were quiet, as if they had been listening to a funeral address. Smith broke the silence. ‘Get us out of here, Carveth. Top speed.’
The John Pym raced through the dark of space, away from the murder-scene. Smith sat grimly in the captain’s chair, his eyes fixed on the instruments. Carveth said nothing as she worked the controls. Rhianna had gone back to the lounge, presumably to pray to whatever it was she worshipped. Suruk was peering into the hamster cage.
‘There is one good thing,’ Suruk said.
‘What’s that?’ Carveth said, not looking round.
‘At least we may have a proper fight before we get home.’
‘You know,’ she replied, ‘you may find this surprising, but I really would prefer not to have to bother.’
‘Quiet,’ said Smith. ‘How far have we gone?’
‘From the Tenacious ? About six thousand miles.’
‘Good. Keep going. If we stay on this course and at this speed, we should be fine.’
Something exploded behind them. The whole ship lurched forward and Smith was thrown back in his seat, knocking the air from his lungs. In the living room, Rhianna shrieked. Warning lights broke out across the console. A siren howled in the corridor.
‘Something’s wrong!’ Smith yelled.
‘Really?’ Carveth shouted back. Teeth gritted, she was wrestling the control stick as if fighting a cobra. ‘Do you think so?’
‘Dammit, we’re hit! What’s the damage?’ cried the captain.
‘Serious hull weakening on the port! Engine’s shutting down to prevent overheating. We’re down to forty percent efficiency.’
‘Hell! Can’t you override it?’
‘Not unless you want to be in two galaxies at once. Much more and it explodes.’
‘Dammit to hell!’ Smith pinched his brow. Feet pattered on the floor behind him, and he heard Rhianna say, ‘I fell off my chair. Is something wrong?’
‘Just a bit,’ Carveth called back. Panting, she released the stick. The ship stayed level. ‘Torpedo up the poo-chute.’
‘Oh Gaia! Is it – like what happened to the other ship?’
‘Looks that
‘Captain Smith, no doubt you have wondered as to the purpose of your flying to New Fran to collect a seemingly unimportant dissident, to rescue her from the possibility of that colony being annexed by the Ghast Empire. You are presumably on the way to deliver Miss Mitchell to the city of Midlight, on Kane’s World. It is vital that you continue with this mission. You are to proceed with all possible speed to your destination and to stop for no reason whatsoever. It is absolutely imperative that she reaches the destination intact and unharmed. The only higher priority is that you prevent her from falling into the hands of the Ghasts or their allies.
‘You employer, Mr Khan of Valdane Shipping, has long had links with the Deepspace Operations Group of Great Britain and its Colonies. He gave you this task because your ship was unimportant, less likely to be noticed than a larger, military vessel. He arranged for us to follow you and protect you – which, if you are hearing this, we have been unable to do.
‘Mr Khan believed that you would be less likely to reveal yourself or make any errors if you did not know you were being shadowed. It was a mission where ignorance was vital, a mission for which you were the ideal choice. Now, however, you are no longer safe. You are exposed, and it is you and you alone on whom the safety of your ship relies…’
‘We’re stuffed,’ Carveth said.
‘… I can only wish you good luck. May your ship prove up to the task ahead.’
‘Yep, we’re stuffed all right,’ Carveth said.
‘… I am merely hoping that your crew can deal with this responsibility and see you through with honour and success.’
‘So am I,’ said Smith.
‘Good luck, Mr Smith. And remember, on no account must Miss Mitchell be passed to the enemy. In the event, you know what you must do. Goodbye, and carry on.’
The message ended. The four of them were quiet, as if they had been listening to a funeral address. Smith broke the silence. ‘Get us out of here, Carveth. Top speed.’
The John Pym raced through the dark of space, away from the murder-scene. Smith sat grimly in the captain’s chair, his eyes fixed on the instruments. Carveth said nothing as she worked the controls. Rhianna had gone back to the lounge, presumably to pray to whatever it was she worshipped. Suruk was peering into the hamster cage.
‘There is one good thing,’ Suruk said.
‘What’s that?’ Carveth said, not looking round.
‘At least we may have a proper fight before we get home.’
‘You know,’ she replied, ‘you may find this surprising, but I really would prefer not to have to bother.’
‘Quiet,’ said Smith. ‘How far have we gone?’
‘From the Tenacious ? About six thousand miles.’
‘Good. Keep going. If we stay on this course and at this speed, we should be fine.’
Something exploded behind them. The whole ship lurched forward and Smith was thrown back in his seat, knocking the air from his lungs. In the living room, Rhianna shrieked. Warning lights broke out across the console. A siren howled in the corridor.
‘Something’s wrong!’ Smith yelled.
‘Really?’ Carveth shouted back. Teeth gritted, she was wrestling the control stick as if fighting a cobra. ‘Do you think so?’
‘Dammit, we’re hit! What’s the damage?’ cried the captain.
‘Serious hull weakening on the port! Engine’s shutting down to prevent overheating. We’re down to forty percent efficiency.’
‘Hell! Can’t you override it?’
‘Not unless you want to be in two galaxies at once. Much more and it explodes.’
‘Dammit to hell!’ Smith pinched his brow. Feet pattered on the floor behind him, and he heard Rhianna say, ‘I fell off my chair. Is something wrong?’
‘Just a bit,’ Carveth called back. Panting, she released the stick. The ship stayed level. ‘Torpedo up the poo-chute.’
‘Oh Gaia! Is it – like what happened to the other ship?’
‘Looks that
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