Deep Space Read online

  Deep Space

  R.E.M

  This novel is a work of fiction from the mind of author R.E.M. Characters, names, places, and happenings within this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  DEEP SPACE

  Copyright © 2018 by R.E.M

  All rights reserved.

  Table of contents

  Current 3rd squadron members

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  More from R.E.M

  Current 3rd squadron members

  Josh: The MC & rookie hotshot.

  Ace: 3rd squadron leader.

  Hoss: Big jock. Looks up to Ace.

  Nate: Do-gooder. Strong pilot.

  Reena: Cool vet. Nate’s girlfriend.

  Kyle: 15-years-old & phenomenal pilot.

  Smokey: Old vet. Missing in action.

  Maya: Josh’s good friend from flight training.

  Chapter 1

  Josh flew toward the remainder of 3rd squadron strikers.

  “I’m so proud of you, Josh. Shawn and Stewart would’ve been proud of you too,” Maya transmitted.

  “A rookie taking down a marked-wing shadow fighter is something else,” transmitted Hoss.

  “I could’ve taken him down too,” said Kyle.

  “Fall in, route formation,” barked Ace. “We need to trail the remaining shadow fighters until they’re out of Creston space.”

  “Aye,” said Nate.

  The pilots flew their void strikers into position and followed Ace’s lead. They shadowed the six enemy craft back to the Void Zone. Once the Mercen fighters had crossed into neutral space, Ace transmitted, “We’ve been ordered back to the M.N. Rampage.”

  “Why aren’t we being sent to help out with the battle at the southern Void?” asked Reena.

  “We’re still needed to make sure the mothership’s safe,” Nate transmitted.

  “That’s right,” said Ace.

  “What about Smokey?” Josh asked. “He might be alive after crashing on Jaken moon.”

  “Rolly’s ordering a transport team to recover him. We can’t afford to have any attack craft doing a search and rescue,” Ace responded.

  “I hope he’s all right,” said Hoss.

  Me too, thought Josh.

  When their team of seven arrived on the M.N. Rampage, Rolly was waiting for them on the north flight deck. The deck was made almost entirely of black metals, long, wide, and had a hexagon-shaped opening. Numerous wall monitors relaying information were posted throughout the hangar, which was dim in some place, dark in others. The walls and flooring always reminded Josh of the designs on a motherboard.

  The pilots stopped upon making it to within a few feet of the officer.

  “Ace, with me. Everyone else to the standby room,” said Rolly.

  Josh walked with the others to the glass quarter at the front of the flight deck, while Ace stayed behind to debrief with Rolly. He glanced at the war monitor and saw Creston casualties had reached twelve, but the battle in the south was still raging.

  “It’s so crazy that Henry and Lauler are gone,” said Hoss.

  “Just like that,” Nate added. “They’ve been on this ship for so long, longer than any of us.”

  Josh glanced at the smug looks on Maya and Reena’s faces and thought, Shit is real out here. Alive today, dead tomorrow. Funny how I never thought about this stuff in flight school. Back then it was only the bad guys who got blown up.

  “Thank goodness you killed that marked-wing, Josh. He was responsible for every 3rd squadron fighter downed since we’ve been out here in deep space,” said Maya.

  “There’s always another striped fighter; you kill one, it won’t be long until another appears,” said Nate.

  Hoss nodded.

  “I’m going to take out the next one,” said Kyle.

  Reena smiled.

  Josh wanted to, but didn’t.

  After a few minutes, Officer Rolly and Ace entered the room.

  Rolly met the squadron’s eyes. “I’m sorry about Lauler and Henry. They were good men. You all did a hell of a job out there, but there’s more to be done. Keep readied.” He walked over, sat down at the computer, and stared into the screen.

  Within the hour, an alert popped up on the war monitor indicating that Mercen forces had withdrawn from Creston territory on the southern side of the Void Zone.

  Josh pumped his fist along with cheers from a few of his crewmates.

  “Hey, Rolly, how many 2nd squadron casualties?” asked Hoss.

  Officer Rolly sat his coffee mug on the desk and said, “Three confirmed 2nd squadron fatalities. I don’t have any names.”

  “Wonder if the Mercens got Dazzler,” said Reena.

  “Not a chance,” Kyle replied. “He probably dusted more shadow fighters than any striker fighting over there.”

  I’ve got to see this Dazzler in action. You’d think they’d have a huge picture of him on a wall somewhere the way everyone talks about him. I’d love to ask how Ace or Kyle have fared against him, but now’s not the time, thought Josh.

  “Maybe this means we’ll get to go back to the unit now,” said Maya.

  Josh saw Ace shake his head before hearing Rolly say: “Don’t count on it. Standard protocol is at least two hours on code red, followed by a downgrade at some point to high alert. Half of you will almost certainly be sent out on patrol.” He waited a moment while the squadron pondered his words. “Food will be brought down if any of you get hungry.”

  This is going to be a long day, thought Josh. He could tell from Maya’s slanted lips she was probably thinking the same. He then felt Hoss’s hand shoving a magazine up against his chest. “Here you go,” the big man said.

  Josh glanced down at the copy of ‘Space Vacations’ and then up at Hoss. “Thanks.”

  A couple of hours went by. Josh had closed his eyes and rested his head back against his seat—when a siren went off. Red lights flashed throughout the north flight deck. The pilots sprung up in their seats and turned toward the war monitor. The words “CODE RED” flashed on the screen in crimson.

  “What now?” Ace said.

  “If they come at us from the north with twelve again it’s going to be a nightmare to defend against,” said Nate.

  Josh felt queasiness in his stomach at thought of having to engage Mercen craft with such a number disadvantage. He wasn’t worried so much about himself, but for Maya and some of the others.

  “We’ve got two shadow fighters that’ve just crossed into Creston space from the northern Void,” barked Rolly. “Josh and Nate will intercept—Kyle and Ace will be patrolling the Rampage. Get out there!”

  Josh scrambled to his feet along with Nate, Ace, and Kyle, and rushed for the exit. When nearing the door, he heard Officer Rolly say, “All but Maya and Reena’s shields have been restored. Intel spotted a third blip for not more than a split second. They think it was a glitch, but are cautioning us to be wary.”

  “Yes, sir,” the exiting pilots responded.

  Josh reached his striker and slid a hand up its blue-steel-colored exterior to climb inside the single pilot cockpit. He set his multi-thrusters ablaze and blasted off from the flight deck.

  Nate pulled up on Josh’s side and took a slight lead. “Here we go again.”

  “Yep. Let’s roast these turkeys,” Josh replied.

  “You boys be careful,” Ace transmitted. “Two shadow fighters buzzing into Creston territory seems fishy to me.”

  “Copy that,” said Nate.

  He’s right, thought Josh, looking int
o his rearview and seeing Ace and Kyle veer off in another direction. Wonder what the hell these Mercens are up to. This would explain why Rolly sent Ace and Kyle out.

  Josh kept a keen watch for the enemy craft.

  It had been a few minutes when Nate transmitted, “I think we should fly southeast a bit. We can’t afford to miss them.”

  “Roger,” Josh responded.

  They streaked for miles.

  “There they are, northeast, about eighty klicks, coming out from behind that moon” said Josh.

  “Why on Creston are they circling Jaken?” Nate replied.

  “They’re coming at us now,” Josh transmitted.

  “At least they’re two and not three.”

  “Aye.”

  “We have to take ’em.”

  You mean we’re not going to idle out and pray they don’t blow us up? thought Josh. “How we doing this?”

  “We start firing as soon as they’re in range and try to one-and-done them. If they split, we split. If not, let’s crisscross and shake ’em up.”

  “Gotcha.”

  They kept racing ahead, watching keenly for the shadow fighters to make it to within striking distance. The dark craft zipped through space, slipping in and out of visibility.

  “Get ready,” said Nate.

  “They’re not going to split,” Josh transmitted.

  “Fire!”

  Josh squeezed his trigger in sync with Nate. Both had to twirl their strikers to avoid Mercen blasts. Their lasers flared past the counter-maneuvering shadow fighters that veered away, then swung back around.

  “Cross!” barked Nate.

  Josh and Nate soared into curls and cut across each other’s path before spiraling off in different directions.

  The shadow fighters split instantly, one chasing after Nate and the other tangling with Josh.

  I eat marked-wings for breakfast—your superiors. You don’t want none of this, son, thought Josh. He jerked his stick and tore into a double loop.

  The shadow fighter made a similar sortie, but from a different angle.

  Thoot! Thoot! Lasers flashed out from both ships, but neither pilot could connect.

  “This snake thinks he’s tough,” Josh uttered. He swerved right while glancing over at Nate tangoing with the second bogey. “How you doing over there, Nate?”

  “Just dandy,” Nate replied, though his voice sounded as if he was wrestling for air. “This Mercen’s a pro, not falling for anything.”

  “Not much easier over here,” Josh transmitted, thrusting his stick left and rolling away from flashing beams. A beeping went off on his dashboard. That sucker launched missiles at me. He’s messing with me, has to be messing with me.

  Josh punched a button and deployed his mini missiles to intercept the incoming projectiles. The explosion served as an opportunity for him to shoot up into a twisting arc before screwing his striker into a hooking slant.

  I have to, thought Josh, smirking cockily, then pressing a button on his controller and launching two missiles. Both were destroyed by the enemy’s anti-missile defenses, but as soon as they were, Josh launched another round. He chuckled at seeing those get blown up too, and then fired two more.

  “Josh, what the hell are you doing over there?” Nate transmitted.

  “Trying to secure a psychological advantage.”

  “Jesus Christ. I should’ve told Reena I loved her before we left; we’re not making it back.”

  Josh smiled bright. “Don’t you worry, Nate. If you get into any trouble, I’ll be over there faster than Kyle would for anyone else.”

  “Not funny.”

  Josh swept toward the first shadow fighter from a side angle and fired a shot. The Mercen pilot tried cutting away at the last second, but was struck along the lower body of his ship. There was a small burst of flames prior to the enemy craft spiraling uncontrollably in an opposite direction.

  There’s your one-and-done, thought Josh, not even bothering to finish the fighter off after seeing it out of commission and surely doomed.

  “Uuugh!” Nate transmitted.

  Josh could hear the rattling of Nate’s cockpit. “Nate, you okay?”

  “Shield’s down.”

  “I’m headed your way!”

  “No, stay back.”

  “Huh?”

  “This one’s mine,” Nate responded.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “I’m sure.”

  Whatever happened to “no screwing around when lives are at stake”? thought Josh. He got his answer when Nate transmitted: “This is personal.”

  Josh saw lasers stream past Nate’s striker while also hearing them over the channel. He watched his pressured crewmate swerve from side to side to avoid getting target-locked. I should just dust that snake. This is too risky… but I can’t. I have to respect Nate’s wishes.

  Josh idled out a ways from the fighting and switched on a blinking yellow light, which signaled neutrality. “Come on, Nate, come on,” he chanted, watching the craft swirl into chaotic circling.

  Nate fired a shot that missed. The shadow fighter did the same. Nate then dove and spun into another sharp curve before swerving off in a different direction. The shadow fighter was riding his tail, but it didn’t take long for them to wind up in another wild knot.

  Damn, they’re pretty evenly matched, thought Josh. Please win. Reena will be devastated if he doesn’t, not to mention how terrible I would feel. He kept watching as the dark craft slipped in and out of his visibility. Then, all of a sudden, Nate jammed his way to the shadow fighter’s rear. Both shot out from their coil. Lasers flared from Nate’s striker and broke the enemy fighter’s shield as it tried making an elusive cut. Nate stayed right on it through another tight swerve and fired a whisking blast that exploded the shadow fighter.

  “Yes! Heck yes!” Josh transmitted. “That a boy, Nate!”

  “I got so mad… I can’t believe I just did that. Think maybe you’re rubbing off on me.” Nate paused a sec. “Let’s not tell anyone about this, Josh.”

  “Huff. Don’t think that’s going to be possible. You’re practically a war hero now, at least in my eyes.”

  “Eh, remember it as an example of what not to do.”

  Josh flew to Nate’s wing. “What now? We heading home?”

  “Radioing headquarters…”

  Josh saw a glimmer of light reflect off something out the corner of his eye. He then saw what was sure to be a shadow fighter racing out from Jaken’s atmosphere in conjunction with a beeping of his radar. “Shadow fighter, two o’ clock,” Josh transmitted. “The bastard came from Jaken moon—where Smokey crashed.”

  “So there actually was a third fighter, masked by their formation. After it!”

  Josh punched his throttle and bolted off with Nate in pursuit.

  “Shit. You think the Mercens went there to finish him off?” transmitted Nate.

  “Doubt it. Makes more sense to capture him if they’re going to risk crossing into Creston territory.”

  “You’re right, unless they’ve an entirely different reason for entering Jaken—maybe some hidden resource or object they’ve always wanted to acquire.”

  “Don’t see what it could be since Mercens never frequent Creston space—minus the occasional border crossings, which I hear rarely last more than seconds.”

  “True. Damnit. That means we can’t blow it up. Smokey might be onboard.”

  “I haven’t known Smokey nearly as long as you, but I’m pretty sure he’d rather us explode the ship than allow those reptilians to do whatever it is they do to their prisoners. Plus, it all still doesn’t make sense. Mercens saw Smokey’s striker going down, but how would they know for certain he crashed on Jaken? And even more so, why on Creston would they think he’d survive such a plunge?”

  “A gamble; it’s probably all just a gamble. Maybe even a punishment/suicide mission for their failure to take out the M.N. Rampage.”

  “The shadow fighter’s at max thrus
t. There’s no way we’re catching that ship before it reaches the Void Zone.”

  “I’m still not sure shooting it down is what we want to do anyways. We’ll pull off once it crosses out of Creston space. I’m notifying Officer Rolly.”

  They chased the shadow fighter to the border and then looped back. “We’re going to be out here for a while,” Nate transmitted. “Rolly wants us to patrol the Creston side of the Void line. We’re looking at about four hours till our relief is sent. Hoss will be joining us shortly.”

  “All right. None of those lizards are getting past me.”

  Hours passed before Josh, Nate and Hoss were replaced with Maya, Reena, and two strikers from the 2nd squadron. When Josh and co. arrived back at the unit, Ace and Kyle were sitting in front of the monitor in the lounge.

  “Heard you boys dusted those shadow fighters,” said Ace.

  “Yeah, but one got away,” Josh replied.

  Nate nodded and said, “There was a third, flew out from Jaken. We’re wondering if they were going after Smokey.”

  Ace’s eyes widened a bit.

  “Has there been any news on Smokey?” asked Nate.

  “Nothing,” Ace replied.

  “There was an announcement not long ago that the F.M. Comet and P.T. Stargazer have arrived to the southern Void,” said Kyle.

  “That’s right. They’ll be taking over patrols for the rest of the day, and into the night,” said Ace. “Pilots are already being recruited from Creston and should be arriving on the Rampage within the next few days to replace those who were killed.”

  “Damn, that’s fast,” said Josh.

  Nate nodded. “They don’t mess around with Void Zone recruitment, and I think you can see why.”

  “Yep.”

  “We got the best of this battle, but I wonder what will happen next. Will the Mercens strike again in larger numbers? Or Clint, what will he do?” said Ace.

  That’s a good question, thought Josh. If Commander Clint goes blow for blow how he did with the transport incident, what the hell would he end up doing?

  The front door opened and Officer Rolly walked in. “I was in the vicinity and wanted to inform you all that Smokey’s still missing. Rescuers located his wreckage, estimating about a twenty percent chance of survival. But his body’s missing from the site. We don’t know if this is the result of one of the many odd creatures on that planet, or Smokey himself left the scene. There’s even the small chance the shadow fighter Josh and Nate saw flying out from Jaken could’ve taken him. A veteran like Smokey would know standard protocol is to remain within a half-mile radius of the crash, so rescue teams can perform an extraction. The first crew is leaving the moon right now, but a second team is en route to resume the search. The process is going slower than expected because of the many dangerous creatures on that planet. I’ll let you guys know if I hear anything else.”