Dreadnaught

“We can hear you, Lieutenant,” Desjani said sharply. “All units in Task Force Lima, recover returning shuttles nearest to you without regard for home base.” She shrugged. “That should save a few minutes on the recovery,” she said to Geary.

He nodded absently, most of his attention shifting rapidly from the main body of the fleet to the progress of the Marines to the shuttles to the alien warships and back again and again. “We have roughly an hour before those warships get here.”

“Past final barrier,” Carabali reported. “Entering large open area, multiple structures arrayed along sides of the asteroid. It’s a town, all right. Humans sighted. Some are running toward our people, and some are running away.”

“First shuttle docking, dropping off passengers.”

“Initial estimates of human prisoners exceeds one hundred.”

“Power inside asteroid has failed. Cause unknown. Deploying portable lighting.”

“Enigma warships are fifty minutes from intercept.”

“Light cruiser Kusari reports estimated time to recovery of Marine scout is one hour, forty minutes.”

“Liberated prisoners being assembled, report that many of their number are hiding and barricading themselves inside their dwellings.”

Geary resisted the urge to slap his forehead in exasperation. The reaction by these isolated, imprisoned people was understandable even if stupid. “Permission granted to break down barricades, doors, walls, or any other private structure as necessary to recover humans without delay.”

Carabali seemed more annoyed than angry. “Request permission to use incapacitating agents if necessary to disable resisting humans.”

“Granted. We’re running out of time fast, General.”

“Admiral,” Captain Smythe said, “my engineers report that scans reveal the alien equipment on the asteroid is riddled with explosive devices. Trying to pull out any of it might well trigger self-destruct mechanisms unless we take the time to deactivate all possible means of activation.”

“How much time?” Geary demanded.

Smythe paused for only a moment. “At least an hour.”

“We don’t have an hour. Have your engineers do the best scans they can of the inside and outside of that equipment, then get them back on the shuttles. They’ve got twenty minutes.”

“First shuttle lifting from asteroid with thirty prisoners aboard,” Castries called.

“They must be packing them in tight,” Desjani muttered.

“Admiral!” It was the chief medical officer. “I’ve been evaluating what we can tell about the prisoners. They need to be medically isolated immediately and held there until they’re scanned for any biological or artificial threat.”

“Notify the ship’s doctors on each battle cruiser,” Geary snapped. “Have them inform their captains and ensure that’s done.”

“Twenty-five minutes until enigma warships achieve intercept of asteroid.”

“Sir, one of the alien warships has peeled off and seems to aiming for the Marine scout awaiting recovery.”

He would have to leave that to the light cruisers and destroyers. They didn’t need to be told that they needed to get that Marine before the alien warship did.

“Ration bar?” Desjani asked.

“No, thanks. Not hungry.”

“We’ve got half the shuttles recovered,” she added. “The other half are waiting on the let’s-hide-from-our-rescuers idiots that the Marines are prying out of their holes.”

“Twenty minutes to alien intercept.”

“Admiral, we’ve got equipment starting to blow inside that asteroid,” Carabali reported. “Cause unknown. Maybe dead-man circuits that activate after a certain period out of communication.”

“How long until you have the last humans out of there?” Geary shot back.

“Unknown. Still searching, Admiral.”

“You’ve got fifteen minutes, General.”

“Yes, sir.”

Desjani was sending orders. “Captain Duellos, your shuttle docks are full. Accelerate your battle cruisers toward the enemy and engage to buy us time and even the odds.”

“On our way,” Duellos responded. On the display, Inspire, Formidable , Brilliant, and Implacable began moving away from the asteroid, angling toward the alien warships.

“Good call,” Geary said. “There’s no sense in those battle cruisers waiting here if they can’t take on any more shuttles. I should have thought of that.”

“You’re busy,” Desjani said, “and you gave me the responsibility for this part. But I would appreciate it if you would goose the Marines, so we can get the rest of those shuttles aboard before the aliens get here.”

“Pulling out,” Carabali reported. “We can’t be certain we got everyone, but the asteroid is coming apart inside, and the interior is depressurizing, so anyone we don’t have is going to be dead before we could find them. There must be dead-man circuits everywhere.”

“Understood,” Geary said. “Get your people out of there. How many prisoners have we recovered?”

“Three hundred thirty-three.”

“What?”