Date: 11 Apr 00 23:18:42
From: rimshot@planetaccess.com
Subject: Panther in the mist 5

Panther in the mist 5:

	In the weeks that followed the crew transfers, Zak found himself
under Baaca's wing, learning to perform the duties of an officer aboard the
Panther.  He spent hours on Deck One coordinating the command crew and
interacting with other ships.  It was fascinating and all encompassing,
swirling him away in a living fantasy.

	Tonight he had third watch on Deck One, which he had started
calling the Bridge because that's what all the movies and literature had
called it.  He had also thought of the command chair as the Conn., although
he kept that to himself.  He sat in the command chair now, going over
computer routing for the main engines, receiving and sending information to
Krill's crew at the rear of the ship.  The new Grav Drive engine had been
installed and tuned, and tomorrow they would test it at power.

	"Generating fields within tolerances."  Panther's rasping growl
echoed in Zak's head.  "No further sims needed."

	Zak rubbed his eyes and yawned.  "Kill the simulators.  Tell
engineering we're done."  Panther indicated the affirmative, and Zak stood
up to stretch.  The worst thing about third watch was staying awake.  He
stepped down from the raised platform and walked over to the engineering
workstation, satisfied with the indicators being in the green.

	"Engineering wants permission to power up the new engine, sir."
Tass, one of the new crewmembers asked, leaning back from the power
sub-systems board.  Zak nodded, and Tass touched several controls,
releasing the power lockouts.  "Engineering, it's all yours.  Your clear
for power up."

	"Sensor ghosts."  Panther purred, almost giving Zak the feeling
that he was licking his chops.  The main tactical screen lit up, showing
four dots moving on a course towards the fleet.  Panther and six other
ships had been moved to the outskirts of the Terran solar system,
maintaining patrol over the shipyards orbiting Earth and Mars.

	Zak's pulse increased.  "Positive ID?"  He asked Panther through
the link.  Information about the four ships began to appear under each
image.  "Oh, shit!"  Zak touched a control on the command console, causing
a klaxon to go off.  "Captain to Deck One, all hands battle stations!"  He
said into the comm system.

	The navigator turned towards him.  "Zak, they've changed course.
It's a jump."  He went back to his board and began to bring the weapons on
line.  "Panther confirms, they're on a Terran insertion course."

	"Watch for the time signatures and warm up the Bercolli drive."
Zak's hands flew over the console in front of him.  He heard Baaca enter
and waited for him to get to the platform before he stood up.  "I have four
confirmed signatures, Captain.  Two of them have quantum traces."

	"Intercept course laid in, Captain."  The navigator said.

	"Go, Storm."  Baaca glanced towards the door as Krill, Tony, and
two others came in and took their stations.  Zak listened intently to
Panther before reporting.  "Panther estimates a less than thirty percent
chance of stopping them.  He suggests we set up to chase."

	"Set it up as a second plan, Zak.  Storm, set up your attack run."
Baaca looked over the sensor readings and speed of the four ships.

	"Ready, sir."  Storm called back.

	"Kallistan reports the Star Shine is ready, Baaca."  Tony turned
from the communications station.  "They'll follow us in."

	The ship rocked gently under the first volley from the Jur-Kalchik
ships.  "Return fire."  Baaca called out.  Through the massive glass ports
surrounding Deck One, they watched as Panther fired, then the Star Shine.
The enemy ships were right on top of them, and Storm wheeled the Panther
into battle.

	The ship shook again, and one of the ships exploded, destroyed by
the Star Shine.  Panther took two direct hits, then scored on one of the
ships that registered a time trail.  It blossomed on one side, then
narrowly missed one of the terran ships as it spun out of control.

	"The other time ship is engaging its quantum drive!"  Tony shouted,
then routed the information to Baaca.

	"Panther is locked on.  Their gonna jump."  Baaca stood up and
moved to the navigator's station.  "Storm, get ready to follow them.  Tony,
tell Star Shine to get that last boat."

	"Got it."

	"Panther just picked up their time drive going active."  Zak
stepped up to the vacant command station and worked the controls.  "He says
the time slot is in the early nineteen hundreds.  He's narrowing the
focus."  The ship lurched under a hard impact, throwing Zak over the rail.
His wind knocked out, he grabbed the rail support and held on.

	"Tass, engage the B-Drive!"  Baaca shouted over the sound of
circuits exploding.  The air around them wavered, and the Jur-Kalchik ship
disappeared, then reappeared in low orbit around the earth.  "Match
orbits."  Baaca stood up and moved towards the doors, pulling Zak up as he
went.

	"Panther has the retriever corps moving into the flash chambers."
Zak said, holding his sore ribs as they walked into the lift.

	"When we hit the ground, I want you to stay with Tony.  I'm not
kidding, Zak.  You don't leave Tony's sight."  Baaca patted his shoulder.
"You need to learn this so I won't leave you on the ship, but I warn you, I
need you to stay detached.  We're not here to save the world, just certain
people.  Panther will tell you what you need to know."

	They walked into a large room and found fifteen troops waiting.  A
soldier handed them weapons as they entered.  Zak took his and felt nausea
wash over him.  Following Tony's lead, he clipped it to his belt.  The
first team stepped into the flash chamber and Baaca winked, then
disappeared.

	Tony stepped up onto the platform.  "Second team, let's go."  He
said quietly.  Zak stepped up next to him, surprised by the mantle of
authority that settled onto his lover's shoulders like it belonged there.
The remaining eight soldiers stepped up and Zak caught Tony's eye briefly.
Tony smiled just slightly, then nodded at the operator.

	They appeared in a barnyard shrouded in mist.  Tony waved the
troops in two directions, then lead Zak towards a barn.  It was quiet as
they walked, and Zak fought an involuntary shudder.  Panther spoke into his
head, and he told Tony that the enemy was south about 500 meters.
Occasionally, he caught a glimpse of their team making way through the
brush.

	Tony stopped near a tree and spoke into his comm.  Baaca had
sighted the Jur-Kalchik, and Tony was to bring up the rear.  They set off
again, correcting the paths of the troops towards Baaca.  Panther informed
them that three more teams were down.

	"It's to quiet."  Zak whispered, almost scaring him self.  "No bugs
or dogs.  That's not right."

	"They know things we don't."  Tony responded, then held a finger to
his lips.  Zak nodded.  They crossed a fence and a shallow creek, then made
their way through a plowed field.  Ahead there was a purple flash and a
muffled explosion.  Tony knelt down quickly pulling Zak down.  "Remember,
Zak, if it's purple, shoot it.  If it's not, DON'T!"  They drew their
weapons and moved forward in a low crouch.  Tony held up two fingers and
waved towards the right side of the field.  Part of the team hustled up and
took up defensive positions.

	Zak couldn't help but be impressed.  Tony was a natural at this,
and it was cool to watch.  He almost forgot why they were there.  Several
flashes of light went off, and they ran behind a tractor.  Purple bolts of
energy hit near them, causing dirt to erupt.  Zak jumped and fell against
the tractor.  Bile rose in his throat.  "Fuck me!  This is bullshit!"

	"Quiet!"  Tony hissed.  He looked under the belly of the tractor
and jerked back up.  The purple lasers came under the machine and blew
holes in the ground right in front of them.  Their comms went off and Zak
grabbed his.  Baaca's voice was calling them frantically.

	"Tony, get the fuck out of there!  We pushed them out of town right
at you!"

	"Get ready to run!"  Tony hissed, grabbing Zak's arm.  He signaled,
and the troops opened fire.  "Now!"  They pelted back through the furrowed
field, beam s narrowly missing them.  One of the soldiers waved to them
from a cement wall, then to a hit in the chest.  Zak slowed down, watching
the man fall, then nearly got yanked off his feet as they continued.

	They hooked around the corner of the barn and leaned heavily
against the wall.  Tony pulled out his comm and called Baaca.  There was no
response.  "Shit!"  He spat, trying again.  "Anyone see Baaca?"

	"Lead Three.  His team just ran the bastards into the woods.
Standby, Two."  A man's voice said.

	Tony looked at Zak, then around the corner of the barn.  "Stay
right here.  If you see anything, have Panther retrieve you.  I mean it,
Zak."  He spun around the corner and ran, taking part of the team with him.

	"You asshole, he said to standby!"  Zak shouted.  He nearly
followed, but was stopped by one of the soldiers.

	"You can't go, sir.  They'd love to get a hold of a Comp Tech."
The guy was only barely older than Zak, but was built like a rock.  He
sighed and pulled out his comm.

	"Panther Deck One."  He said, looking out around the barn.

	"Go, Zak."

	"Do you have any teams left to drop?"

	"Two.  Where do you want them?"

	"Right here, by the barn."  Zak clipped the little device back on
his belt and contacted Panther through the link.  "Panther, put half with
me and the other half inside the barn."  He detailed his plan to the
computer.

	"Affirm."  Panther whispered, filling Zak's head with desires of a
hunt.

	"What's going on, sir?"  The soldier asked, then disappeared in a
flash back to the ship.

	"I hate baby sitters, that's what going on."  The new team appeared
in front of him.  "Here's the deal, guys."  He crouched down and detailed
his plan, getting nods of approval.  "You three take the lead.  Team five,
left side.  I'm the quarterback."

	"The what?" One of the soldiers asked.

	"Just go get Tony, okay?"  Zak shook his head and waved them on
their way.  "Panther, locate Tony and Baaca, then feed me a map."  Panther
purred his compliance and Zak walked into the barn.  "You guys ever play
hide and go seek?"

	Tony rolled behind a tree and dropped the Jur, his weapon
disintegrating the walking pile of bacteria.  He glanced around, still
looking for Baaca.  Two soldiers popped up and signaled.  Tony crouched
down and made his way towards them.  The ground in front of him exploded,
throwing him off his feet.  He blinked hard, trying to clear his eyes.

	"Sir!"  One of the men dashed over.  "Are you all right?"  Tony
nodded, and the man helped him to his feet.  "Over here, Tony."  He led the
way towards a scorched circle on the ground.  Three soldiers were dead near
a tree, and there were over a dozen piles of purple goo.  Tony could see a
pair of black boots sticking out from behind a rock.  He swallowed hard as
his vision blurred.  Only two people had black boots, and Zak was back at
the barn.  Unable to stop himself, Tony threw up in the bushes.

	Zak's team in the barn looked through cracks in the boards and
knotholes, waiting for the trap to be sprung.  Zak stood up in the loft,
Panther's map in his mind.  He directed the other team through the comms
and waited.  At the edge of the clearing, the tree rustled, sending shivers
down his back.

	There they were.  The slimy violet things he remembered from the
day his family died.  His throat went dry.  Images of those things crashing
through the camp and the screams flooded his mind.  He shook his head and
squeezed his eyes shut.  Panther drifted into his head, purring, and Zak
looked up.  The Jur- Kalchik were headed towards them.

	Zak looked down at the team leader and held up one finger, then
two.  On the third finger, the team ran out of the barn and knelt down,
firing at almost point blank range into the enemy.  The other team broke
free of the trees and opened fire, pinning the bacteria creatures in a
massacre.

	The shooting stopped, and only humans stood on the field.  Zak
gasped, suddenly remembering to breathe, then laughed.  "You stupid sons of
bitches!"  He screamed at the sky.  "If that's your best, you're fucked!"
He jumped to the floor and wandered out, then froze to the sound of his men
cheering.  It took a second to realize that the noise was for him.  He was
clapped on the shoulder and shook several hands.

	"Looks like you had a good hunt."  Tony said, walking up from the
trees.  He looked like shit, Zak thought, and was limping.

	"I used a trick I learned on Wild Kingdom.  What the hell happened
to you?"  Zak looked Tony over more thoroughly.  "Boy, you're gonna do some
tank time for those burns.  Where's Baaca?"

	Tony didn't speak for a long moment, looking like he couldn't form
the words.  Zak felt sick, knowing what he was going to say.  "He's dead.
Tell Panther to bring us home."


	They entered Deck One together, and Zak ached in his heart for the
look on Tony's face.  Tony stepped up onto the command platform, the looked
at the chair, resting his hand on the back of it.  After a few seconds, he
sat down.  "Communications, hail the Shining Star please."

	"Yes, sir."

	The view screen on the workstation lit up with Captain Kallistan's
face.  "I just finished off the cruiser.  You boy's did good."  The man
said, sitting down and leaning back.  "Our scans show that we got them
all."  Kallistan's eyebrows bunched up with a look of concern.  "Where's
Baaca?"

	"They got him, sir.  I found his body intact."  Tony said thickly.

	"I see.  I'm very sorry to hear that, Tony.  He was very fond of
you."

	"Thank you, sir.  I was fond of him."

	"Your orders are clear, you know that don't you?"

	"Yes, sir."

	Kallistan stood up and touched a control.  "Computer, effective
immediately command of the Panther is transferred to Tony until further
notice.  Authorize Kallistan."  A light shown down, scanning the other man,
and several lights blinked on Tony's console.

	Zak stepped up and met Tony's eyes.  "Panther has the code.  You're
in command, Captain."

	"Bacca would be proud of you, Captain," Kallistan said, settling
into his command chair.  "Don't beat yourself up, Tony, I'll miss him too."
The viewer went out, and Zak caught himself holding his breath, unsure of
what to say or do.

	"Navigation, set a course for home.  Engineering, I need a repair
schedule as soon as you can."  Tony waited for a chorus of `yessirs', then
turned to Zak.  "I have a packet to go over from Bacca.  I'll be in my
quarters.  You have the watch."

	"Yes sir."  Zak answered quietly, tentatively raising his hand to
touch Tony, then letting it fall as he passed by.  He watched the new
captain walk through the doors, then slowly lowered himself into the
command chair, sighing audibly.

	"Return course is on your console, sir."  Storm said, glancing back
from his workstation.  Zak appreciated their concern, but really wasn't in
the mood for it.  He nodded, then keyed in the command sequence for
temporal travel.

	"When you're ready, Storm."  He said, then leaned back in the
chair.  The great ship leaned hard over, and Zak watched the stars move
past the windows.  They accelerated out of orbit and in a flash they were
home.


Comments and suggestions are always welcome, and I am still soliciting
drawings of Panther and the characters to go on my new web site when it's
done.  If you're good with a pen, or any other material, I'll be pleased to
post renditions from this story.  Thanks for the emails, keep them coming.

Rimshot@planetaccess.com