Billy Ch 04 The Aspers Incident

This is the next instalment in the adventures of Space Engineer Jonathan Selby and his android Billy. This an original work and completely fictitious and a product of my imagination. All similarities to past, current or future persons are pure accidental. This story is protected by all International copyright laws without prejudice.

..................................................................................................................................................................

Earth Council Spaceship ECS Novus Prime -- Battlecruiser extraordinaire. A monstrosity of angles, antennae and entrance ports, of all different varieties, scattered all over. Nobody said battlecruisers must look beautiful, and I don't care anyway because as long as I can dock and undock my engines I am fine. They are my babies, my worries, the bane of my existence and the ultimate thrill for me. Them and my Admiralty issued "wife" Billy, the first hybrid android, and our new engine crew Quinn, the second hybrid android. But now my first full command is to be in charge of not only the ship, but also the exploration fleet we are the leading ship of, at least until the admiral or executive officer (or XO) are back on their feet. So I am running at top speed to the bridge from the engine room to see what the hell is going on. I just hope and pray I don't make the situation worse.

When I arrive at the bridge I slow down and settle my breathing. If your commanding officer looks calm it assists in keeping everyone else calm. And since I don't know the status of things, I slow down, take a deep breath but before I can enter the bridge Quinn passes me and enter before me. How she got dressed in a marine uniform (with engineering tabs) I have no idea, and her normally expressive face is emotionless. Raising an eyebrow at her she says in a deadpan voice: "Orders from Ensign Selby. I am your bodyguard. I am part soldier android too." I accept this as probably part of the assessment that needs to be done on her, Quinn being a new type of android, and walk onto the bridge. The Officer of the Deck, Lieutenant Commander Watkins, obviously very relieved to see me calls out quickly: "Attention on Deck!" and I give the automatic response of "At ease." I walk over to him where he is monitoring the different work stations, and throw a quick glance over the bridge myself. I am very pleased to see Command Master Chief Paco Quedida is at the helm, and I am certain in the back of my mind that his considerable skillset has somehow saved our asses again.

"Brief me quickly Mister Watkins, what is going on? Why am I on the bridge and not in the engine room?" I ask the OOD softly. He gestures at me with his head and we walk to the back of the bridge to where the Captain's Chair is.

"The Admiral and the Executive Officer were in the day cabin when we were hit without warning with a force beam from the vicinity of the moon of that planet off the front bow, our shields barely kept it out. A missile of some sort followed it and as Weapons and Shields immediately went to full shields after the beam the missile exploded away from us although it did shake us up. Our warning scanners picked up nothing hostile until the beam hit us out of nowhere. The only damage we sustained was two different gas lines that broke in the day cabin and the gas overwhelmed the Admiral and the XO. The admiral barely got to raise the alarm, get the gas-lines closed and the cabin sealed before she lost consciousness. Life support systems cleared the cabin quickly but by that time they were both unconscious on the floor. They are in Sickbay now sir. You are the next senior officer. You're in charge sir."

This all came out in a rush from Watkins and his nerves shine through. I smile at him, more to reassure him than anything else, and say softly.

"I am in charge, at least until either the Admiral or the XO are declared fit for duty. Let's do it right then. Relax Mister Watkins, you did well."

I walk to the front and say out loud to the bridge as dictated my protocol: "Captain Selby taking charge!" The OOD answers me: "Captain Selby in charge! Aye aye sir!"

I don't understand for a few moments where all my knowledge comes from, I have never done this nor have I ever been in charge of a ship as the engine room is my domain, until I remember my crash course as well as the subliminal learning I have done while at the Hub.

"First order of business, Paco, are we moving?"

Paco answers me in his gravelly voice: "No Axlex, we are at all engines full stop."

"Where is the rest of the fleet?"

Watkins is quick with an answer. "They are gather in our lee in battle formation Captain, the provision ships safely in the middle."

I nod and suck at my teeth. The next moment Quinn's hand comes over my shoulder and hand me a piece of minty candy to suck on. I just nod my thanks before continuing.

"Do we know who took that pot-shot at us? Any communication?"

Watkins is quick again, more settled now that there is someone senior in command.

"There is a ship with an Asperian configuration in the lee of the moon the first shots came from sir. Scans revealed no bases or any ordnance on the moon itself. No communication has been received so far."

I turn to the communication working station and see a youngish looking ensign there I do not recognise.

"Ensign, did you scan on all frequencies or only established channels?"

The answer I get is delivered nervously and is about what I expected.

"Established channels only Captain."

"What is your name Ensign?"

"Melody Stanger sir!"

"Mmm... well Ensign Stanger, scan also in the lower frequency ranges. The Asperian's technology is not quite on par with us, so they should be in those ranges if it is the Asperians."

The Ensign loses color in her face, knowing that she missed a trick, and turns to her equipment board to start the scan.

I move to the Captain's chair, not confident enough yet to sit in it.

"Officer of the Deck, carry on." Is my command and I scarcely hear the "Aye aye Sir!"

I place an earpiece in my ear and open a private line.

"Sickbay, Captain."

After a few seconds a harried voice answers me.

"Sickbay aye!"

"This is Captain Selby speaking, status update on the Admiral and XO please."

"Doctor Flugtag. XO is stable, breathed out most of gas already. Admiral is touch and go. Her body doesn't expel the heavy gas, suction can't help."

Being an engineer and used to heavy gases, also first aid during problems, something jumps into my brain.

"Heavy Gas?" I query. "Have you placed her on her side with her hips and feet higher than her head? Mouth downward? The gas should expel itself. Old engineer's trick."

His answer was short and to the point. "Thanks, Sickbay out."

And that was that as they say. Poor bastard sounded harried, but then which doctors in a situation like this won't be. And it didn't sound like he has lots of experience with gas incidents, so he must be a newbie.

While we wait for the frequency scan to give me more insight in what the situation is, Lieutenant Commander Watkins ambles over to me with a quizzical question on his face.

"Pardon me Captain, Chief Quedida called you Axlex. Are you a Cerebus Prime Axlex sir?"

It took my brain a few seconds to catch up, but then I remember!

"You are aware of the Isandlwana incident?" At his nod I continue. "After that Chief Quedida did mention something about his father or grandfather giving me and Ensign Billy honorary citizenship status or something. I did not catch everything, I get embarrassed when it comes to praise."

Watkins' eyebrows raised high.

"Captain, he called you Axlex. That means you are at the level of a Lord. You are now nobility sir. And Ensign Shelby will be an Axlon. The same level, just the feminine form. Wow sir, that is a big honor. But you deserve it after what you have done for the Isandlwana sir."

I shrug my shoulders, more embarrassed at the almost hero worship than anything else.

"Well, it is what it is. But it doesn't help us out of our current situation does it? Anything on the frequency scanning?"

The gentle but firm reminder to get back on mission stiffened Watkins' spine, and from the corner of my eye I see a moment of chagrin cross his face. He is saved by Ensign Stanger as she exclaims.

"Captain! I am picking up a signal at a very low frequency! The system says it is Asperian sir!"

"Well done Miss Stanger. Put it on the overhead after running it through the translator please."

"Aye aye sir!" she answers back. And the next moment a tinny voice come in through the overhead.

Unknown fleet this is Uberoyter KLioptc of the Royal Aspers Navy. You are in breach over our territory. Prepare to be boarded and captured or you will be fired upon!

I smile at his audacity as I hear the breaths being drawn in on the bridge.

"Miss Stanger," I say "transmit the following please on the same fequency."

I take deep breath before I continue and the words flows by themselves.

"This is Earth Council Spaceship Novus Prime, the flagship of Exploratory Fleet Omega 1. We are not in your territory. We are in transit between Gates on an exploration expedition that does not violate your territory. We are passing by in peace but will retaliate when fired upon. That is all Miss Stanger, continue scanning, I am expecting them to communicate with their higher command, probably a burst transmission. They believe that we cannot pick that up."

I know that we will have to wait for a reply and turn to the appropriate bridge operator.

"Continuous scanning on the moon and our front. Instruction to the fleet to concentrate with their scans to the side and behind the fleet. Anything that pops up we need to know about. Also keep an eye on their ship and possible fighter or shuttle size vehicles. We do not want a photon torpedo up the chute. They say it is bad for your health."

My bad joke still got a few chuckles, deflating the tension on the bridge a little. My knees are starting to feel a little wobbly and I turn to Watkins.

"Carry on Mister Watkins, I am going to inspect the day cabin quickly. OOD has the con!"

"OOD has the con aye!" He replies and turns to scan the bridge quickly.

When I turn away to go into the day cabin, which is just off the bridge, I sense Quinn behind me still fulfilling her bodyguard role. I enter the day cabin and as I have been here before reporting to Admiral La Fleur, I am aware of its layout. There is a feint lingering in the air of the smell of what could be freon gas, and some lines sealed off with a hard cover foam. I sit down in one of the ready-chairs and throw my head back, closing my eyes. I hear the door slide closed, probably Quinn. The next moment a cold sweat bursts out on my brow, I am completely out of my depths and have no idea what I am doing. I have been in engine rooms my whole career for fuck sakes! Now suddenly everybody's eyes are anxiously on me to lead them in basically a combat situation that I feeling totally unequipped to deal with! I am a fucking engineer! My only saving grace at this time is probably all the knowledge that I have absorbed during the subliminal learning period while at the hub. It still doesn't fill me with confidence and I am shit scared I am going to get people killed, and myself in the process. The next moment my fatigues are being opened at the crotch and a hand reaches in, freeing my cock. As my eyes fly open Quinn's hot voracious mouth slide down my cock and deep-throat me in one movement. There is no finesse in her technique as she simultaneously suck on me as if I am a pacifier while at the same time bobbing her head up and down. It is extremely effective as within seconds I feel the familiar tightening of my balls and before I can warn her cum is spurting into her mouth.

"Billy said you are going to need it. And you did, you are way too stressed. They can't see it but I can. Relax Boss, you got this."

That Billy! Her responses are becoming more and more like a human wife daily.

I was still pondering Billy and her wife-like reactions when Lieutenant Commander Watkins pops his head into the day cabin, his face very excited.

"Captain Selby! Sir! There was a burst transmission from the Asperian ship, but not in the direction of their home planet but in the direction of a planet a ways closer. They then received a burst transmission back. They are currently hailing us sir. What do we do?"

I put on my game face and get up.

"Let Comms acknowledge the transmission and translate. Let's see what they are up to."

All the while approaching the hatch of the day cabin, and Watkins disappears as quickly as he arrived. By the time I get to the bridge everybody is looking at me sort-of sideways, waiting to see what I am going to do, and the expectation weighs heavily on me. I acknowledge the "Captain on the bridge!", smile my very false reassuring smile and address Ensign Stanger.

"Comms, playback on the Aspers message please."

Looking a little frazzled but still in control, Stanger activates the appropriate control and the next moment the same tinny voice sounds from the overhead again.

Unknown fleet this is Uberoyter KLioptc of the Royal Aspers Navy aboard AN PLuGFeck. You are flying false colors, Earth Council do not send out fleets. You are in breach over our territory which has expanded. Prepare to be boarded and captured or you will be fired upon! This is your last warning.

My voice sound artificially calm in my ears when I speak again, but the way the faces on the bridge lose their biggest tension reassures me somewhat that I might be on the right direction.

"Weapons and Shields, full shield to the front, activate missile countermeasures, fire up laser cannons. Identify the type of ship we are facing. Comms, send the following message: This is Earth Council Spaceship Novus Prime, the flagship of Exploratory Fleet Omega 1. We are in transit between Gates on an exploration expedition that does not violate your territory as defined per Interstellar Agreement 52/2101. We are passing by. This is a final warning, we are on a peaceful mission but will retaliate if fired upon. We propose that you return to your sentinel position inside your legal territory and we will continue with our journey. When you have done that place the whole fleet on Red status 4, fire only when fired upon. Inform the provision ships to stay in our lee should hostilities commence. Have all other ships on standby for manoeuvres."

The seconds tick over very slowly to see what the Asperians' response are going to be, and the atmosphere is Tense. The voice of Chief Hellmann of Weapons break through my reverie.

"Gotcha! The ship is moving Captain, it is an Asperian Dreadnought. A yard of shielding and armour, tough cookie to crack Captain even though they are only armed with photon torpedoes and laser cannons, no other weapons."

Then where did the force beam come from? A thought occurs to me and I turn to Weapons and Shields again.

"Weapons, micro-scan the moon for energy sources! That force beam did not come from that dreadnought. It could be in a shanger and dug in deeply. Our shields will protect us against the dreadnought, but I want that force beam out of commission if it starts to prepare to fire at us. Laser cannons A14 and F7, stand by for a snapshot if we get a sudden energy surge on the moon's surface. All other laser cannons at my command. OOD, confirm all ship in the fleet are at battle stations."

Something out of my engineering background pops into my mind. I quickly type something on my tablet and walk over to Comms. Luckily Navigation was at an adjacent work station and I quickly explain to them what I had in mind. The feral expressions on their faces shows me I might have a hit on hand and I then walk over to Weapons and Shields. Chief Hellman looks at me expectantly as I stand next to him.

"Chief," I start, "should that dreadnought fire at us I want you to do the following. A little ways down the front of the dreadnought below the bridge there is triangular probe. I want you to illuminate it so that all laser cannons can focus there." I explain to him quickly my arrangements and the battle light in his eyes give me even more hope. "At my mark I want three pulses from all the laser cannons focused on that point exactly 0.23 seconds apart. Let the missile countermeasures handle anything else."

The next moment the rating working with Hellman, Able Seaman Origano, says urgently: "Energy spike on the moon Captain! Ten degrees off starboard, 17 degrees of the Z axis Sir!"

It seems like they want to catch us in a crossfire, the power beam from one side and the dreadnought from another.

"Counter measures Mr Hellman, then a snapshot on the location of that power beam should the fire. The moment the dreadnought fires at us we will retaliate as discussed."

I return to the Captain's Chair and suppress the shakes in my hands, outwardly appearing calm (hopefully). And the moment hell starts. The monitors tell me a power beam counter measures bot has been deployed follow almost instantaneously with alarms going off. The dreadnought has fired a spread of ten photon torpedoes at us! Cheeky bastards! It sounds like someone else's voice when I say calmly: "Comms signal to the fleet: execute Freon formation now."

In the background I perceive our missile counter measures adequately dealing with the incoming photon torpedoes. In the time it take the fleets other attack ships to form a hexagon around us, the heavy cruisers at 12, 4 and 8 'o'clock, the dreadnought had enough time to send another spread of photon torpedoes our way. And our countermeasures work almost as well again, one slipping through but exploding on our shield. In my peripheral vision I perceive an explosion on the moon, concurrent with power beam power source exploding.

"Captain, fleet reports all in formation and target illumination successful! You are on open channel!" comes the excited words of Ensign Stanger. For a single moment that feels like an eternity I hesitate, and the stranger's voice comes from my mouth again: "On my mark. Fire!" The next heartbeat takes a thousand years, and the blinding flash that replace the image of the dreadnought does not even make me flinch. I feel like an automaton as I issue further orders.

"All vessel to perform full scan for any additional threats. All vessels to do damage report assessment. Comms, send an urgent message on the low beam to the Hub and inform them of the engagement. Full report to follow. OOD, when the threat board is clear and a damage reports have been received, stand down from battle stations and go to general quarters. Navigation, assess the delay in our journey to the Gate and give me a heading, departure time and speed to put us back on track. OOD, I will be in the day cabin, you have the con."

"OOD has the con, aye sir."

As I turn away on shaky legs to enter the day cabin the voice of Paco sounds softly: "There goes a warrior."

As I enter the day cabin I barely reach the couch before my legs give in and I all but fall onto the couch, throwing my head back and closing my eyes. A few moments later the shakes start, and my body goes alternatively hot and cold. I did not know that Billy can get to the bridge so fast from the engine room but the next moment she is hugging me, her feel and presence familiar and soothing. My body shivers with post-combat adrenaline come down and her crooning in my ears is a balm to my soul. When the shivers are down to only a few small shivers minutes apart I look up into Billy's face, seeing a small smile that almost look proud. Her soft words reach my ear and it causes a warmth to flow through me.

"You did good Boss."

I recover my gruff exterior and growl at her.