Chapter 3: Shades of Crimson(Continued)
Pounding.....pounding....pounding...
Pike opened his eyes, his vision spinning, he threw his hands against his face, the blurred images making him sick. Slowly, his senses focus, the pounding in his head becomes more understandable. Horrible taste in his mouth, he rips off his oxygen mask, and finds his mouth full of blood, his tongue on fire. He looks at his hands, covered in blood, he wipes his face to find his nose bleeding. The universe stops spinning, his ears focus.
"Commander Pike, do you read"
Dumbfounded and dizzy, he finally reaches the communication switch.
"Pike here."
Here hears a sigh of relief.
"We thought we lost you too"
His brain finally recognizes the voice as Heirden. He looks over diagnostics, hull integrity near critical, two engines out, starboard cannons out along with missile bays either jammed or heavily damaged. He looks out the back of his cockpit and curses. Apparently a friendly Hercules Two crashed into his ship during the extremely rough subspace trip, taking out a huge chunk of his starboard side while both craft's shields were un-operative. But, he counted himself lucky, he was alive, the other pilot was not so fortunate, the nose of the Herc Two crumpled into the cockpit with the remains of the pilot just a bloody mess against the cockpit glass.
"I'm fine Two, shutting down reactors and none essential systems, no oxygen leaks. Who else made it?" Pike put his hand to his head.
"I've got minimal damage, Four, Dallas McKinley, made it, his main comm system is down, but overall he says he's fine. Everyone else is gone."
Pike looks up as something huge glares into his cockpit. His mouth hangs open as he catches sight of the mighty gas giant Jupiter.
"We made it?"
"Yes, all my sensors match up with the SOL system. But, that is just half of it, look behind you."
Quickly Pike jerks his head over his shoulders only to find utter shock. A massive portal, a cross between the Knossos and the Aurora spinning two klicks away, but how? Why? Pike's mind whirled.
"Incoming Jump signature!" Heirden yelled.
Pike looked down as his sensor board lit up.
"Wait, craft signature confirmed."
Pike looked up as a Leviathan class cruiser tore out of subspace just over five clicks from his damaged fighter.
He reached for his comm switch.
"GTVA vessel this is Commander Pike of the GTD Vega, we are heavily damaged and need assist."
No answer. He tries again.
"GTVA vessel this is Commander Pike of the GTD Vega, we are heavily damaged, please assist."
"It's powering up weapons!" Heirden screamed.
"Wait, I'm getting something"
Pike hit a few switches.
"This is the GTC Ozark, if you are indeed who you say you are power down weapons and prepare to be taken into custody."
"What do we do? Can we trust them" Heirden almost whispers over the private channel as the Leviathan class cruiser turns and heads in their direction.
"We have no choice, two fighters and a un-movable piece of debris wouldn't stand long against that cruiser.
"What is that!!"
Pike's sensor board lights up. Energy readings far off the scale. He looks up at a massive subspace rip. His gut chills down below freezing.
Chapter 3 end.