Author Topic: The Yunan Encounter (8)  (Read 3163 times)

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Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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The Yunan Encounter (8)
« on: July 08, 2007, 05:45:01 AM »
8th November 2153
Commander Guo Wu Zhu, master of the Manchurian survey ship Houjian II, was gently drifting off to sleep on his quiet bridge while his crew monitored the enormous super-jovian around which they orbited. Larger than Jupiter and four times as massive, Yunan-B VI was one of the largest planets ever encountered by the Empire. However, it was little more than a sideshow compared to the system?s true prize. Two ideal habitable planets! Until now, the forty systems of the Manchurian Arm included precisely one habitable world - New Beijing. Three months previously, a Manchurian gravitational survey ship had found the Yunan system, comprising a planetless A4-IV sub giant primary orbited at twelve billion kilometers by a yellow G8-V companion star with seven planets and over a hundred moons. Under strict orders to report any habitable planets, the survey ship had raced back to New Beijing with the news. Houjian II and her two sister ships, under the overall command of Senior Captain Long Bao Dong, had been immediately dispatched to Yunan to carry out a geological survey. On arrival, Senior Captain Long ordered the three ships to split up and survey the three gas giants that lay between the entry jump point and the habitable worlds of the inner system. As gas giants are not exactly the most exciting planets to survey, Commander Guo was happy to let his first officer oversee the task while he dreamed of the wondrous ancient ruins they would find on the habitable worlds. His daydreams were rudely shattered by the automated proximity alarm built into the sensor station.

The sensor officer jumped up from his relaxed slouch and queried his instruments. ?Unknown contact, closing fast at 800,000 kilometers, bearing 200.?
?800,000 kilometers??? gasped Guo, ?Helmsman get us out of here, max speed. Comm officer, inform Senior Captain Long?
?Course, Sir?
?Away from whatever that is until we have more information?
?Contact still closing. Speed 4900 km/s, range 750,000 km. Size estimated at 5000 tons. Shield strength 20?
Commander Guo was well aware his ship?s top speed was only 4000 km/s and there was no way he could outrun the contact
?Any other information you can determine. Could this be another Commonwealth ship spying on the Empire??
?Possibly, sir, although no Commonwealth or United States warship of that size is capable of that speed, as far as we know.?
?Comm Officer. Hail the intruder in Mandarin and English?
?No reply, Sir. Wait, correction. I am getting a signal but it is on an unusual wavelength and appears to be complete gibberish. Could they be non-human, sir??
?Lets restrict ourselves to what we know Zhang and not worry about speculation.? Guo?s own mind was spectulating madly but he knew he had to keep his crew focused.
?Senior Captain Long is hailing, sir?
?Put him through to my station?
?Another Commonwealth spy, Guo?? Senior Captain Long was solidly behind the militaristic faction of the Empire?s leaders that wanted to launch a war of conquest against the other Earth powers, sooner rather than later. That faction was currently in the minority but another incident with the Commonwealth might give them the political backing to launch their long-planned campaign. Guo?s own family was on Earth and he was with the majority that wanted to avoid a war, at least until Earth was no longer vital to the Empire and his own family was out of harm?s way.
?I don?t believe so, sir. The ship closing on us has shields up and is moving too fast for an Earth vessel. They have also responded to our hails with a completely unknown language. I know it seems unlikely but we have to consider this could be an alien ship. We know through the ruins we have discovered in Xuzhou and Souchay that other sentient life-forms have lived in this part of the galaxy. There is no reason to doubt that we will meet living alien civilizations out here.?
?It is far more likely a Commonwealth attempt at deception than an alien ship. We will not be fooled by a new, faster design and some imaginary language. They have obviously found these habitable worlds and want them for themselves. The gravitational survey ship Jiangwei has recently entered Yunan so I have ordered her to return to New Beijing immediately and warn of this new Commonwealth intrusion.?
?Would it be more prudent to gather more information before dispatching the Jiangwei, sir? She is twelve billion kilometers away and in no immediate danger.?
?Do not question my orders, Guo. The Jiangwei?s sister ships will be here in a few days and can report any further information. Jiangwei has already transited into Konghou?
?650,000 kilometers, sir?, reported Guo?s sensor officer, ?and still closing fast.?
Long was still onscreen and looking slightly irritated by the interruption. ?Try to communicate if you can Guo but do not give away the position of our other ships and do not head directly for the jump point. You understand??
?I understand, sir. Can I assume your own ship and Houjian III will be trying to withdraw before you are spotted??
?Do not take that tone with me, Commander. My duty is to safeguard all ships of the Empire that have not yet been compromised.? Before Guo could respond, Long terminated the connection.

The Manchurian survey ship ran at its best speed through a cluster of moons while the unknown contact pursued it remorselessly. More alien transmissions were received but Houjian IIs officers could make no sense of them at all. Ten minutes after the initital detection, the contact closed to 165,000 kilometers and opened fire with four 15cm lasers. Only one hit Houjian II and the shot was weak enough to be deflected by the ship?s armour but the message was clear in any language. Halt or be destroyed. Reluctantly, Commander Guo requested permission from Senior Captain Long to surrender.
?Surrender? You coward, Guo. Manchurian ships do not surrender!?
?Sir, we cannot fight and we cannot run. We can only surrender or die?
?Alien firing again?, reported the sensor officer, ?One hit, no damage?
?Then you must die.? Said Long coldly. ?The sacrifice of you and your crew will be remembered.?

Commander Guo stared at the suddenly blank screen in amazement as another hit rocked his ship.
?Full stop!? he ordered the helsman.
?Sir??
?You heard me. I will not sacrifice this crew for nothing, regardless of Long?s fanaticism. Full stop, then everyone destroy the computers and all sensitive equipment.?
The survey ship glided to a halt as another alien volley scored its armour.
?Senior Captain Long is hailing us?
?Ignore him. Try hailing the alien again?
Now that Houjian II had ended her flight, the alien ship closed in rapidly and at 35,000 kilometers fired another volley.
?Incoming fire?
Commander Guo?s world went spinning sideways as his restraints snapped and he was flung out of his chair and across the bridge. The forward bridge bulkhead erupted in flame, consuming the helmsman and navigator in a ball of fire and sending a wave of intense heat washed across the surviving officers, inflicting severe burns. Coughing from the smoke, the sensor officer crawled to the damage control station.
?We?ve lost two engines and the jump drive, sir, and I think she is closing in for the kill?
Despair crashed down on Commander Guo as his ship burned around him. His last thought was that Long would report that he died as a traitor, then the alien fired again and the flames turned to darkness.

Over a billion kilometers from the wreckage of the Houjian II, the other two Manchurian ships continued on course for the jump point at maximum speed and 500 million kilometers apart. Seven hours passed before Houjian III detected a ship closing from astern. At 5000 tons and a speed of 4900 km/s, the new contact appeared identical to the ship that destroyed Houjian II but plainly could not be the same vessel because of the great distances involved. Within thirty minutes, she was overrun and smashed into wreckage, leaving Senior Captain Long Bao Dong?s ship, Houjian, as the sole survivor of the small squadron. Any thoughts of escape were dashed when a third alien ship moved within sensor range. Long?s fanaticism crumbled in the face of certain death and he attempted to surrender his ship in the same manner as Guo. Unfortunately for his crew, the attempt was no more successful than his subordinate?s. In the Konghou system, Jiangwei headed for home with the dead Captain?s report of a new Commonwealth incursion.

Steve
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Steve Walmsley »