Brian Lane - Mind Games with a Serial Killer

As the Solar System fell further behind the Triska, the four great engines shut off. The computers would keep the Real Time clocks accurate so the engines would refire at occasional intervals to maintain the coast that was set up with the lift-off thrust. In twelve years the ship would be just outside of the Rigel System and the computers would awaken the crew. A couple days later and the Triska would be planetside on Panora. And five hundred new residents would see their new home as the four ships unloaded their contents.

“Hit the stabilizers,” she yelled, “or well never make it past that asteroid!” Kandyce was busy at her console, hitting one contact point after another, activating one directional thruster then another, trying to stop the Triska from her end-over-end tumble, “Four planets with one damned asteroid on an elliptical orbit and we have to start tumbling right into its path, Balth! What about those stabilizers?!”

“For crying out loud Kandyce, one’s gone down and the other two are overheating trying to compensate!” Balth Mystral was worried, very worried. He’d never been in this kind of situation before. He had entered Spacetech Services when he was 18, and now, at 32 years old, he’d become one of the top techs to leave planetside anywhere in the known systemic arm.

Ross Kalm just sat in his pilot’s chair, taking everything in. The readouts flashing in front of him told him everything he needed to know. Every couple of seconds he’d glance at the viewscreen to see the sun of the system they were entering pass within range of the forward scanners, “Simmer down Kandy, it’s not all that bad. Our tumble is slowing some,” Nobody called her ‘Kandy’! Aside from Ross, that is. What started out as a practical joke between them had turned into a term of endearment. And nobody else was invited into it. “Balth, take the stabilizers off line, Kandy, run the thrusters as I call them out, ending each one as I call the next… .” He then began calling out numbers and Kandyce responded. Slowly the great ship began to steady itself and the sun in front of them gradually centered itself on the scanners. The screen automatically brought the focus into sharp clarity, “Kandy, hit the even thrusters for six seconds, then replace them with nine and ten for fifteen seconds,” Kandyce immediately followed his directions, while at the same time watching her scanners which showed the star system ahead of them and the asteroid. “Alright Kandy, now add the forward thrusters to the engines.”

“Ross, it’s going to be close. Are you sure…?” Abruptly she stopped speaking when she noticed something on her readouts. “Ross! This isn’t Rigel! And I don’t know any of these star systems I’m reading. We are not where we’re supposed to be!”

“Let’s not worry about that right now, Kandy. Just keep those thrusters firing.” Ross had an uncanny ability to calm people down whenever panic seemed to threaten. He had that effect on people, whether they knew him or not, just by his voice and presence. It was no small wonder why he had been chosen for this voyage over hundreds of other pilots.

‘This Voyage’ had begun twelve real-time years ago and they were supposed to come out of their somnambulance pods when the ship entered the space near the Rigel System of planets. At that time, they were to make final checks in preparation to landing at Panora Base. Their passengers were 120 medical, agricultural and technical staff with baggage. The rest of the cargo included personal pets, food from Earth, medical supplies, building materials and general living supplies for a new colony. All were destined for the nearby city of Rigellia, a short two kilometers from Panora Base.

There were a total of four ships on this voyage, each spaced two days apart. The Triska had left Sol Base-Saturnia third in line. Three years after launch, the Triska passed through the tail of a black comet. The tail was composed of chunks from the comet, ranging in size from large to microscopic, any of which could do damage to sensitive instruments. One large rock took a chunk of the ship’s tail off while another smashed its way into one of the main rockets, fouling another on the way, leaving the ship with only two functioning rockets. At the same time, much of the rear sensor array was removed. The comet and the rocks were enough to pull the Triska off its course and into a tumble. Nine years later, when the computers awoke the crew, the ship had long since left the known sphere of space. The other three ships had arrived safely at Rigel, only then becoming aware of the loss. In the collision, the Triska’s telemetry antennae had also been smashed out of existence, so not even the receiving stations along the normal shipping routes knew the location of the Triska and her complement.

All three crew members in the control cabin had their eyes glued to their viewscreens and readouts. As the asteroid came closer, Ross checked another readout at his console, typed at his keyboard, and then turned quickly around. “Balth, check our main rockets. Have they fired?”

Balth’s eyebrows raised in astonishment as he checked. “The board says that they are all firing. But the whole rear scanner array is off-line.”

Kandyce quickly checked her panel, also. “I don’t know, Ross. My readouts say ‘Firing’. But the entire scanner array back there is blank.” She didn’t have to be told what to do next. No one had to tell her. Quickly she began to hit contact points across her panel and then hit them again in the reverse order. Suddenly, there was a faint roar coming from the direction of the engines and a distant shudder vibrated through the ship. A great smile painted itself across Kandyce’s face as she turned back to Ross. “Does that help any, Captain?”

Ross glanced from the screens to readouts and back to the screens again. “Okay everyone, don’t trust the readouts at face value. Recheck everything. Those rockets were definitely what we needed. Look at your screens.” The asteroid began slipping back from the ship. Then it was noticed that the sun began to slip lower on the viewscreen. “Kandy, two-four-six, now and stay with it!” Kandyce followed suit and the sun stopped drifting off the screen as the three thrusters readjusted the ship. The sun of the system in front of them began to find the center of the screen as Ross spoke again… “All right Kandy, cut out four, keep two and six firing. Let’s see if that holds us steady.”

As Kandyce complied she double-checked, making sure that the directional thrusters were continuing to fire. Satisfied that all was well with them, she glanced at the ship scanners. The same screen was repeated at each station in the control cabin. It showed a central blip and the surrounding area within ten kilometers in a 360° readout. The problem was with the view of the rear of the ship. An area representing 45° was totally black. That meant that four or five of the sensors around the rear end of the ship were out. So were the two cameras that would have allowed them to look at the rockets and rear thruster array. She was also aware that along with the sensors and the cameras, the telemetry instruments and communication antennae would be out. So they would be unable to broadcast their position or receive any information from home. At least, until they could exact some sort of repairs.

Ross was speaking again. “Balth, check the telescopes. Make sure they’re still in working order, then get Phall and Doc up here. I’ll be in my cabin. Kandy, notify me immediately if there’s any change at all.” He then rose out of his chair, rechecking his instruments while he did so. He placed his hand on Kandyce’s shoulder as they passed each other, she heading for his vacated chair. He disappeared behind the door to his cabin as Balth entered the corridor to the interior of the ship.