
Subj : New Beginnings(19)
To   : All
From : Skyhawk #1
Date : Tue Jul 11 1995 03:47:13 PST

                             New Beginnings(19)
                           By Daniel C. Harrison(Skyhawk)

     Candar stepped off the ladder and let go, feeling her way over to the left
side of the corridor. Her hands found the cold metal wall and slowly, she began
to move along it. She could hear the sound of the engines pounding and,
following that sound would lead her to the engine room. She stopped as she
suddenly heard footsteps coming toward her. She stared in the direction of them
and looked up. "Who is it?"
     "Jerry." he said. Jerry moved closer to her. "I'd like to talk to you
about the state of this ship. It's a flying wreck, the crew is understaffed and
for the most part inexperienced. We don't have much of a chance of reaching
anywhere at the moment. I'll be blunt, Candar. I can handle things. We need a
Captain who can lead us. You need help. I want you to report to the infirmary
now and confine yourself there. I've already spoken to Grayson. He's beginning
the operation on Kevin. He'll do you shortly after. He thinks he can return
your sight to you."
     "I don't need to see to command, I told you and everyone else here that!"
Candar moved closer. "Now, you listen to me! Get your butt back down into the
engine room. I need you there, not trying to do my job. I'm alright and I'll
get help soon enough." She started to push past him.
     Jerry grabbed her arm and spun her roughly into his arms. She could feel
the warmth of his breath as he drew her close."Candar, I love you. I always
have, you know that. But, I can't let you continue in this condition! Your
hurting yourself and us! I'm asking yo nicely to report to the infirmary or
I'll relieve you of command and carry you there."
     Candar cocked her head a moment, listening. "The engines have changed
pitch. There's been a change in the power allocation."
     "Quit trying to change the subject!" he said hotly.He hugged her closer.
"I care about you, damn it! Can't you see that? You need help!" He pulled away
slightly then, their lips met in a passionate kiss. Suddenly, Jerry jerked away
and listened.."You're right. The pitch has changed. What the hell?" He turned
and ran down the corridor.
     "Jerry, wait.." She felt for the wall and moved faster trying to keep up
with him. Swearing, she tripped and fell over something. Some object, felt like
a cylinder. Getting up, she moved on. The engine pitch had changed again. It
made no sense. It sounded like a build up toward hyperspace. But, the ship
couldn't take it, not with systems reduced and no guidance system to direct it.
She reached a doorway and felt for the panel. It was the engine room. Candar
opened it, her fear growing, "Jerry, what's the problem.
     She listened. The pitch was growing but, there was no answer."Jerry? Where
are you?" Cautiously, she moved forward. "What the hell is going on down here?
Jerry, answer me!" She took a step then suddenly gasped as, something hit her
forcing her down. Someone grabbed her roughly by the collar and slammed her
hard into the wall, making her cry out. Viciously, she felt him grab her
breasts, squeezing them, "Kick me will you, little bitch?" It was Sam Boil, she
could tell from his voice. "Jerry can't help you now. And, this ship aint going
to no new world. We're turning back for earth!"
     She tried to pull away, "You idiot! We can't go back! The ship wont take
the pounding. Our only hope is to make it to Mirinda III. It's what we.."
     He slammed her hard. "I aint listen to you, bitch! We're going back and I
don't need your help. You can make me happy though anyway." He laughed and, she
felt him pulling at her jumpsuit, trying to strip her.
     Candar went limp and, Boil swore pulling her up. As he did, she jerked
upward slamming her head into his face. As he let go, she pushed him hard and
kicked in the direction she had sent him, feeling her foot connect with his
solar plexus. She spun around hard in a roundhouse kick and felt the crack of
his jaw as she sent him spinning onto the floor. Following the sound of his
cries, she continued the attack, kicking and pounding until he was whimpering
like a beaten dog. She felt downward for his hair and pulled him upward by it.
"I don't need to see to kick your ass!" She spat at him. "You forgot I'm a
black belt in Kung Fu. Your ass is mine!" She kicked him hard knocking him into
unconsciousness. The noise from the engines was defeaning. "Jerry!" she shouted
desperately hoping he would answer,"Jerry, where are you?" Spinning arond in an
attack posture, she listened. Where were the other two men? And where the hell
was Jerry? The engines were getting full power. But..other systems would have
to of been shut down for that. Her fear suddenly rose. Turning, she ran and
hit the wall feeling for the intercom. Finding it, she turned the knob nearly
breaking it off. "Henry! Henry, reallocate power now! Someone's switched
everything over to full! Henry, the colonists! They have no life support!"
     Her only answer was silence. My god. She screamed, her voice filled with
fear. "Henry, damn you, answer me!" She listened again, praying this was all a
nightmare and she would wake up.
     A voice laughed over the intercom. "Hey pretty babe, Henry can't help you
now. Were taking over this ship and, in a little bit, she's going into
hyperspace. Were going home!"
     Candar took a step back staring into her darkness. "No. You can't do that!
You'll kill us all, there's no guidance system! The ship will be torn to bits!"
     "I don't believe that for a second." The voice was Victor's. "I've flown
small shuttles and, they have safety measures. I'm sure this wreck does too.
We'll make it back, and you can't stop us!"
     "Victor, listen to me.." She stopped as she realized he had cut the link.
The colonists! Without life support over four hundred cryo chambers would
suffocate them! God, this was unthinkable. She only had minutes before the
engines cut over to hyperdrive. And if they did, no one would live through it!


Subj : New Beginnings(19)
To   : All
From : Skyhawk #1
Date : Sat Jul 15 1995 18:05:00 PST

                             New Beginnings(19)
                           By Daniel C. Harrison(Skyhawk)
     
     Candar jumped startled as a hand grabbed her shoulder. Reacting
instinctively, she grabbed it and pulled hard, bending over in the process. The
person flew over her shoulder and slammed into the floor. She prepared to
follow up when, with a wondrous relief she hard Jerry. "Damn, that hurt! Twice
I've been clubbed. We don't have time for this bullshit. Help me up."
     "Oh god, Jerry, I'm sorry." She extended her hand and pulled him to his
feet, "Are you alright?
     "Better than those colonists are going to be. Grab my arm and lets go.
There's an emergency shut off for the engines. It'll be a sudden power down so,
it may damage them. Can't be helped though. And we have to move." He pulled her
along as, the two began running to the rear of the engine room. The engines
were at a shrieking wail now as, the badly imbalanced energy continued to
expand. Jerry swore. "They've put us in a full power build up. The idiots!" She
heard him moving. "Where's that damn switch?" Together they moved frantically.
Candar kicked herself again for her blindness. What good was she now? Still,
they had to try. He jerked her bacward. "That's it!" He let go and, she heard
him running. Reaching the switch, he pulled the lever. "Warning! a computer
voice said. "High charge shut down of all engines may cause internal damage. Do
you wish to reconsider?"
     "Hell no!" Jerry slammed the final switch forward and, the engines shriek
suddenly began reducing. There was a loud series bangs as they reduced power.
Jerry came running back. "Lets get out of here." Grabbing her, he began running
again. Candar was breathing hard now, her gasps becoming more labored.
Dizziness seemed to overcome her as, she fell into a dreamlike state. Running
running, and more running. They were moving through a timeless event of
continual escape. She felt almost in slow motion as, the engines made a loud
bang and a low rumble filled the ship. "Power feedback!" Jerry shouted. "Hit
the deck!" He pulled her down next to him as, the door to the engine room shut
and, the ship suddenly lurched in unison to an explosion. "Damn." Jerry
groaned.     
     Candar looked up. "I'm glad your okay. Did that bang mean what I think it
did?"
     "Too much power fed back..we might as well be flying a brick now. Our
engines are gone."
     Candar hung her head. "We're dead aren't we? There's no way out of this.
Those four hundred colonists are gone and, with no engines we wont last either.
It's over."
     Jerry hugged her. "Your no quitter and you wont quit now. We'll make it to
Mirinda III, I promise. We still have back-up power and Kevin isn't dead. We
can use his knowledge to help. Now, on your feet. We have to regain our ship
from these pirates."
     Candar gritted her teeth. "Your right. They have nowhere to go. We don't
know if they're armed so, we'll have to use the weapons stowed in the
lifeboat." 
     "Good idea. Lets move, if we can retake the ship and get back-up power
going, we can restore primary to the cryo units. Your neighbors will never know
what happened and they'll be fine. Those assholes are gonna pay for this
Candar, I promise you."
     They made their way to the lifepod. It was a small ship capable of
emergency support should an explosion destroy the Outlander. Inside, they found
emergency supplies, including two standard issue, laser rifles. Jerry checked
the batteries on both. "Looks good. You'll have to follow my lead and just fire
blind with a sweeping pattern. I'll stay behind you so I don't get hit and fire
over you. Let's head for the bridge."
     "Okay." She reached out and took the weapon. Not since the Delazar
nightmare had she been forced to use one. She had prayed it would never come
again. Now, in a reality so terrifying it was here. She felt the rifle's
familair weight. Her ears heightened by the loss of her sight, she listened for
any strange sounds as they proceeded. Moving stealthily through the corridors,
se could hear Jerry's heavy breathing. He was scared. Or nervous. Well, hell,
so was she! But, they had to prevail. If they didn't all would be lost. Jerry
stopped suddenly. She listened and heard voices above her. It was Victor and
Henry! Henry was still alive! Jerry moved down to whisper in her ear. "Were at
the ladder. This is gonna be tough. Since you can't see, I'll go first. I'll
jump through the hatch and surprise them. You come up and if I shout, center on
Victor's voice. Then let loose with all you've got."
     "I might hit Henry! Or you!" Candar felt her fear returning. Just like
Delazar! This was too terrifying. It was there she had watched people she had
worked with and loved die. It was there she had killed others. "I'm ready." she
finally answered.
     "Good luck, honey." He kissed her long and softly then, pulling away he
moved upward. Alone in her darkness, she clutched the rifle tighter and brushed
her blonde hair from her face. The angry voices above were getting louder.
Victor and Lonnie were threatening Henry. She listened harder. Jerry was
turning the hatch lock. This was it! She pulled herself up the ladder slowly.
Then, Jerry moved! There was a shout and, laser shots were sounding everywhere!
Candar leaped through the hatch executing a  barrel roll. She could hear Victor
cursing and Henry crying out ion pain. Concentrating, she let loose firing
volley after volley, the explosions of equipment sounding as her random shots
ripped through the bridge. Jerry was cursing to her left and, she realized it
was a hand to hand struggle between him and Lonnie. There was no sound of
Victor. She listened intently as the sounds turned ugly. There was a crack of
bone and a sudden cry and, a body hit the floor. For a moment, there was dead
silence. "Jerry?" she whispered.
     "I..I'm okay." His labored breathing indicated he was not. She turned
oward Henry. "Henry, are you here?"
     "He's out." Jerry answered, "But alive. You killed Victor, sprayed his
guts all over the bridge. Be thankful your blind."
     Her energy drained Candar fell to the floor, exhausted. Jerry moved 
and she heard him at the console. "Back-up systems are gone. You hit the
secondary power unit switch. We'll need a new one." His tone was one of 
defeat. "The colonists have two hours before they face possible brain damage
or death. We have to choose...give them that power. Or save it for us..."

     
