Gall Force Fan Fiction ❯ Another Journey, Another Story ❯ Chapter 11

Gall Force: Another Journey, Another Story

Part Ten

Lieutenant Danielle kept her weapon at the ready, the black haired tactical officer carefully leading the way into the blasted entrance of the underground facility. Around them dust blew in the air, the atmosphere harsh on this dead world.

'More like it was murdered,' Lieutenant-Commander Karin thought to herself bleakly, 'by the Paranoid.' The black haired woman turned away from the wreckage to the small group following them in and yelled out, "Davies!"

"Yo!" Davies answered, the sandy haired woman moving up to her side.

"Crack open a scanner unit," Karin said crisply, "see if you can rig something up to spot any more booby traps up ahead."

"Five minutes," Davies answered simply.

Catty studied the wreckage, the purple haired girl looking down intently. She shifted some debris aside, picking at metal, crystal and plastic, then finally shook her head. "There was a computer access here," she said softly, "but it's wrecked now."

"We'll try to find you an intact one soon," Karin said dryly as they waited a few moments for Davies to finish her work.

Jame looked about nervously, her green hair falling into those wide eyes. She noticed Karin's gaze and looked up at the engineer curiously, "Ma'am?"

Karin felt herself blush slightly and look away. "Sorry," she said, "I was just wondering how you were doing."

"I'm fine," Jame smiled. She looked off into the distance, probably where the other group was trying to access the underground as she fretted, "I just hope Katrine will be all right."

Karin tried not to grit her teeth at the mention of the flighty redhead, but it was hard. "I'm sure she'll be fine," she sighed.

"I got it," Davies spoke up, sealing the scanner unit quickly while protecting it from any possible dust and debris.

"So what is it looking for?" Danielle asked curiously.

"Abnormal energy spikes," Davies calmly explained, "and the chemical signatures of most common Solenoid explosives."

"Should do," Karin agreed.

Danielle looked over at Karin to respectfully say to her superior, "As much as I'd like to see two groups going underground to explore, it might be safer to keep the other group up here on the surface in case of an emergency."

"Not a bad idea," Karin relayed the order to the other team, then looked around her own group. "Let's go in," she said.

Danielle took point once again, then quite surprisingly said, "Catty, you're with me."

"How can I help?" Catty asked as the purple officer moved up beside her.

The group moved out cautiously, Catty just a bit behind to keep Danielle's line of sight open for any possible threats. Just behind the pair Davies and Karin used their scanners to sweep the area then Jame took up the rear position.

"You did a good job spotting that first trap," Danielle said in reply to Catty's question, "I want sharp eyes like that up front."

"Luck," Catty said with a slight smile.

"Then I want that luck ready if we need it," Danielle shrugged.

The group moved down the slanting passage, the air swirling about as the gasses in the underground mixed with surface air. The roughness of the floor smoothed out as they moved, the occasional blinking indicator light eventually giving way to operating internal systems. Finally they reached a heavy hatch, one resembling the type mounted on the outside of a starship.

Davies moved up at Danielle's wave, running her scanner unit over the heavy door and the walls around it. "We'll need to pop the panels to be sure," she said, "but it looks clear."

"Jame, we'll assist," Karin said firmly. The two engineers and trainee quickly removed exterior panels around the hatchway, studying internal circuitry with a wary eye. Davies used her scanner again, then they gave the all clear.

Danielle tried the keypad. frowning slightly as she said, "Locked." She brought her sidearm around, readying to fire at the unit when a hand on her arm stopped her.

"Could I try first?" Catty quietly offered, bringing a person-comp out from a pouch on her protective uniform. Danielle waved her forward and Catty plugged in, typing away as she studied the small readout intently. Less than a minute later the keypad screen went green, the lock opening up with a soft click.

'I'm impressed,' Karin noted, 'but where did a communication's officer learn hacking like that? Obviously there's more to Catty than she seems.'

The heavy hatch opened, revealing a medium sized chamber with another hatch on the other end. Despite it's rough design Jame seemed to recognize it almost instantly, "An airlock?"

"Looks like it," Davies agreed.

"But why would they need...." Karin started to say before trailing off, the realization hitting her. "Could there have been survivors?" she murmured.

"Danielle to Lady Grace," the tactical officer stepped back a bit from the group, her expression nearly unreadable.

The Captain's voice was distorted, scratchy as it passed through layers of armor over the facility. "Status report?" Gail asked crisply.

"We've begun to explore the interior of the facility," Danielle said to her crisply, "and have found what appears to be an improvised airlock. This may or may not indicate possible survivors, ma'am. Should we continue on?"

"We need whatever supplies are down there," Gail's voice was calm, "and if there are survivors we're obligated to rescue them. Continue on, but cautiously, please. We have no idea how long they might have been sealed up down there."

"Understood," Danielle signed off.

"That was a little presumptuous of you, Lieutenant," Davies said with a frown, looking over to where Lieutenant-Commander Karin stood.

"No, it wasn't," Karin said, "this is a tactical situation, her specialty. Once the engineering work starts, I'll be in charge."

"Oh," Jame blushed, the young officer probably about to say something similar to Davies.

"Speaking of engineering," Danielle nodded to the next hatch, "could you check that out?"

"Got it," Karin grinned as she, Davies and Jame moved up to go over the inner hatch. It only took a few moments for them to come to some basic conclusions: this chamber they were in was an airlock, the other door would have to close before the inner could be opened, and it would scan them for Paranoid biosignatures before letting anyone in.

"Guess they figured the surface booby-trap might not be enough," Davies noted.

"Either way," Danielle answered, "it's good tactical thinking." She looked back at the group with a slight smile, "Anyone have any unusual biosignatures I need to know about?" Silence was the reply as she said, "Well, let's get to it."

Jame pulled the outer door shut, securing it with a soft thump even as Karin activated the inner one, triggering the sensor scan. A shimmering rose light washed over the five figures in the room, leaving a faint after-glow as it moved on. Finally it slid over Jame then shut off, leaving the room in semi-darkness. The inner door hissed even as air flooded the chamber, the sensors on their suits reading it as easily breathable.

The inner door cycled open revealing a figure standing there, the light coming from behind making her unrecognizable. She shifted slightly, her face becoming visible with rose hair falling down into her eyes as she studied them intently. Finally she said, "Even when the scans said you were Solonoid, I didn't quite believe it."

"Lieutenant-Commander Karin," as the ranking officer she introduced herself first, "of the Solonoid cruiser Lady Grace."

"Sorry," the pink haired woman flushed slightly, "Ensign Rakka of the planetary militia." She looked at them thoughtfully, "Are you here to rescue us?"

"You could say that," Danielle said. She smiled grimly, "Could you take us to whomever is in charge down here?"

"That would be the Lieutenant," Rakka waved them to follow her, "not many ofd us survived the planetary bombardment five years ago."

"Lieutenant Danielle, tactical," she introduced herself as she moved to stay at the woman's side, "how many of you survived down here? Have there been any Paranoid assaults since then?"

"There's only ten of us," Rakka said, "we were running drills in the emergency command center when the Paranoid fleet hit us." Her face went bleak, "We mobilized every defense satellite and ship available and didn't even slow them down."

"I'm sorry," Jame said softly.

"The Paranoid either didn't know about the command center or didn't care," Rakka said softly, "they left once they destroyed the surface."

To be continued....