Atk. Butterfly - Rust Bucket

Our Mark IV quads were scoring hits on the two alien ships but they weren’t firing. I could only hope that they didn’t have an improvement in weapons as well. Just before our Mark III guns began hitting from within their range, the alien ships finally returned fire and we could feel vibrations of extreme range fire. They did have better weapons, better than the Mark III’s, but not better than the Mark IV’s. That was enough to make them better than seventy percent of the entire naval force. Combined with their greater speed, it was no wonder why our forces were having a difficult time. Considering how long the fighting had been going on, I was astonished that any of our forces were still active in space.

Then one of the two alien ships absorbed enough hits to stop firing and maneuvering. One down, I thought. Then we could use our wing man tactic to its best advantage. At the same time, I could pick up messages from the remaining enemy ship saying something about the ‘Rust Bucket’, but I could only guess that he was saying we destroyed his buddy. Too bad, I thought further, that we don’t know enough of your language to say the same when you’re gone. The pilots were now in charge as they handled the two ships as if they were fighter planes from a long ago war. We had to adapt a lot of the maneuvers and tactics of that war into practical application for space. We didn’t have the same limitations as an aircraft had. Some of their tactics wouldn’t work for us and others that wouldn’t work for them did for us.

Then there was a shout of “we got him!” and I rechecked the sensor scope. The second enemy ship was no longer maneuvering or firing at us. Then the pilots resumed our direct course for Beulah. While there was a lull in the action for us, I let my thoughts wander to Annie, William, and Angelica. I could only hope that she picked them up and made for the cavern immediately. Inside there, I knew they would be safe. Certainly, her father didn’t have time then to check on her. Doubtless, he had his hands full with everything that was happening.

Then I remembered that we hadn’t been giving the score. “Communications, give the score. Maybe we can shake up the enemy when he realizes that we’re back in the game. Tell them about the scout, too. Identify us as the Rust Bucket.”

“Yes sir! With pleasure!”

Then we were sending out a message to be heard by all and maybe stiffen the resistance our Navy was putting up and worry the Ape-oids some. After all, we had just defeated two of their new ships. Just after we finished broadcasting, the communications net came alive with all sorts of units talking at once. Alien ships that were observing communications discipline were suddenly talking. I could imagine what they were saying or asking of their leaders. Of the messages we could make out from our Navy ships, we could tell that it was encouraging them as there were shouts, it seemed, over the radio of “give ’em hell, Rust Bucket!” and “all right, Rust Bucket!” Some were even trying to confuse the enemy by identifying themselves as rust buckets. It might have been just enough to stave off the enemy for a moment and get a few quick kills, but it wasn’t going to be enough until they had more ships, even if it was only the two of us. We continued to move toward the battle at full speed.

Then it seemed like we were suddenly in the midst of battle. Our gunners opened up at extreme range while the squadrons of enemy ships were now visible to our eyes and not just our sensors. I felt useless again as the pilots and gunners did their jobs, the pilots maneuvering by twisting and turning, adjusting speeds and jinking to avoid being hit while the gunners fired continuously at whatever enemy ship was in range of their guns. It seemed like we were in the middle of a dozen or more enemy ships with barely a Navy ship near to us. The communications officer was having a fit trying to keep score of what we were doing to damage the enemy. At least she had something to do. All I could do was sit and watch while hoping the Rust Bucket held together long enough to get us out of that as well as winning the battle.

With so many ships firing at us, it was impossible for us to avoid being hit. Numerous small vibrations touched on the hull. It reached the point where I quit trying to keep track of how many times we had been hit. The large vibrations were the ones that worried me. Even though our bulkheads were sealed, a hit in the right place could disable us to where the enemy could close in at will and chew us up.

Then the Theodore and Edmund were with us in the thick of battle. We were our own small squadron as we combined our forces and fought together like we never fought before. They were enough to finally frighten the enemy. Seeing four Rust Buckets together must have been too much. I almost didn’t notice at first that the enemy was retreating until the home office sent a message ordering us not to follow and to allow the enemy to break off the engagement. At that point, I realized that the office was right. We probably had enough battle damage to keep us in port for the next two days. I ordered the Pennyweight squadron to return to port.

We landed at our port and I got out with my First Officer to view the damage from the outside. I was amazed that we had held together in space, let alone for the landing. A few more hits and we would have been dead. I was glad that our maintenance personnel took great pride in their work and repairs. Anything less than what they always did wouldn’t have stood up to the punishment we put the ships through in the battle that just ended. I was about to start having maintenance work done when the office called me to report in. I left my ship reluctantly in the hands of my First Officer and reported into the office.

Penny and Jim were both waiting for me. She said, “Come in, Dave.”

As I did, Jim shut the door. I took the seat that Penny motioned me to and lit up a cigarette.

She continued, “I’m glad you all made it back. Well, you were right in your prediction of them attacking soon. We’ll try to have the ships ready before morning. Jim is going to take over the Thurman then…”

I felt a lump come to my throat for a moment as I heard myself being relieved of my command. I didn’t think I did anything wrong. Had I? My mind reeled almost as much as when I heard the word “dismissed” a long time ago. Suddenly, my world had disappeared.

“…you’ll be a passenger along with the crew members you choose to take with you,” she finished saying.

There was something strange going on. Why would I be choosing crew members to take with me? Where was I going?

“…forty of them. Once you get there, you’ll activate the Rust Bucket and your orders will be unsealed.”

She was holding out an envelope to me. I accepted it with shaky hands. Something was going on, but I still wasn’t sure what I was hearing. “You mean I’m being relieved from command?” I asked.

I think that Penny realized then that she had phrased it badly and I hadn’t been able to follow her properly. She must have seen how hurt I looked and she stopped for a moment. Then she rephrased what she was saying and repeated herself, “You’re being transferred to command of a new ship, the Rust Bucket. You’re not being relieved of command, Dave. You’re the best captain I’ve got and I’m giving you the best ship I’ve got. That envelope in your hands contains your orders once you take over your new ship. I’m sorry you’ll be a little short-handed in manning it, but you can only take two officers and forty crew members with you.”

I was doing my best to put my emotions under control again as I wondered how I could be short-handed with a crew larger than the Thurman normally carried. What kind of ship was this new rust bucket or was that its name? “Yes ma’am. I think I understand. I’m being transferred to a new ship. I’m to take two officers and forty crew members of my choice.”