Yorktown: Katana Krieger #1 by Bill Robinson Read Free Book Online

largest planetary body, an earth sized rock in too wild an orbit to be habitable above ground. McAdams has us behind the planet's orbital path and above the major plane of the system.

"Twenty seconds, jump fields up." Garcia is monitoring, the whole thing programmed into the computer, and the backup computer, and the backup backup computer, and two more, one to each drive, plus a spare. The jump field blocks all electromagnetic radiation, in or out, it makes us blind, but can also shield a ship from laser attack under the right conditions.

It goes black on all the camera screens, really a good sign. Light might mean death.

"Ten seconds.... Five.... Jump....."

It's absolutely nothing to jump. No dizzy falling through rainbows of color, no being turned inside out, just one place one second, and another before the clock ticks again.

"Jump complete."

The fields drop automatically, and everybody gets to work. I break the quiet.

"Engineering. Status?"

"Everything's still nominal, Skipper, she worked perfectly." An even happier Lt. Powell.

"Thank your crew for me. Nice job lieutenant."

I survey my board, there are four green lights from the corvettes.

"Mr. Jordan, disengage collars on Richard and Congress ."

"Collars retracting." I wait a few seconds, then I ask, even though I can see it happening on the cameras and we feel the bumps as the departing ships confirm one of Newton's laws.

"Mr. Marcos?"

"Both ships report free, establishing planned formation."

"RISTA?"

"No energy sources within range. All passive sensors report negative. Possible radio transmission on distress beacon frequency bearing 024 mark 155 relative. On your screen, Skipper."

There's a three dimensional representation on my monitor, Yorktown and our two little buddies in the center, the planet nearby (Gamma Omicron 2) and other large objects on a grid, with a purple arrow from us to the radio source, if it was a radio source.

"That's from the inner planet." I state the obvious, she takes it as a question.

"Affirmative, sir, Gamma Omicron 1, our second most probable crash site, first most likely if the cause is accidental."

"Copy. Recommendations?"

"Skipper, I'd stay with the original plan until we have more data."

"Agreed."

I tap my left middle finger on the button in front of it. Nothing to do for the last 24 hours, I reprogrammed it to initiate a radio call between Yorktown and the four boats with us.

"Krieger to task force, initiate search as planned. Data link on the hour."

Richard and Congress confirm. I don't communicate with the still attached two boats who aren't going anywhere just yet. In fact, now that we've jumped, their crews are joining us on board.

"Mr. Garcia, lets roll."

"Aye, sir."

The acceleration alarm sounds again. Congress and Richard are ahead of us, moving away at multiple gees, the first toward the two outer planets, the second toward the asteroid belt. We're going to loop around the nearby planet, gather data, and use the travel time to the inner planet to analyze it.

"Three gravities in 30 seconds." We tighten up the few straps we loosened. The countdown continues, we're much more relaxed this time. Mistake.

Main engine thrust pushes us back into our couches, but sideways as well, the ship twisting away from its planned course, thruster activity off the charts, red lights flashing across all my screens.

"Engine four inoperative." Jordan's voice.

"Mr. Garcia, engines to standby."

"Engines to standby, aye."

"Stabilize the ship. Report when ready. Engineering, status?"

"Sorry Skipper, we're looking into it. Still go on three engines, no more than two gees please unless necessary."

I look over the nav display on my screen. Garcia has stabilized us, and the damage to our course doesn't look too bad.

"Mr. Garcia?"

"Ship stable on all axes. We have a new course at two gees plotted and available, sir."

I check the nav display and look at the proposed course. It will get us where we need to be, with a 50%