Alpha Man Chapter7

[Ed Man]

The Get Away

Chapter 7

Sarah send the bat to the trading station in Home of Light. Ann get the boys to Home of Light trading station and ask Caption Mitchell to send some fighters to the gate for protection. We’ll be close behind.

“Sarah do we have spacesuits on this ship for the three of us?” Josh asked.

Sarah replied. “Yes in the duty locker.”

“Sarah get us to Home of Light while we but them on.” Josh ordered.

The Dolphin moved like a snail as it exited the station headed for the gate. The two fighters flying in a defense formation around the freighter. The Mercenaries flew a Mamba and a Prometheus and had just exited the station.

When Sarah sounded. “Pirate fighters leaving station and in pursuit.”

“Sarah display the contents of these ships on the main monitor.” Josh ordered.

Josh looked at the list a lot ship parts and weapons two repair robots and 3.5 million credits in gold tokens.

“There it is Sarah the gold. Sarah take control of the repair drones and get that pilot out off that crate and put the gold in and reseal it. So it won’t show up on their scanners. I see fighter drones are onboard one of the fighters’ launch then and coordinate their attack.”

Sarah stated. “Fighters breaking into two groups. Two heavy, two medium and three light fighters are on an intercept course to our position. Three heavies, two mediums and four light moving on the mercenaries.”

Sarah have you got the gold in the case? Josh asked.

Sarah replied. “The gold is in the case and sealed. The pilot is sedated and incoherent.”

Josh replied as he moved to the cargo hatch. “Have the repair drones to bring the pilot up here I’ll open the hatch and help him in here and get a spacesuit on him. Have the drones to secure the cargo hole and themselves and vent the air back into the tanks. If we get a hull breach in the hole I don’t want any thing blowing out.”

Josh was putting the suit on the pilot and strapping him down when Sarah stated. “Light fighters in range and firing. Engaging Pirate fighters.”

Josh ordered. “Destroy all pursuing fighters. Keep three fighter drones near the freighter for missile defense.”

Sarah made quick scrap out of the light fighters. But the others fighters were closing fast and were not splitting up.

Josh ordered. “Sarah get our fighters behind them and us missiles. They can’t ignore missile fire and will have to evade. And turn one of the heavy fighters too friendly after I offer credits to them. Give me a COM link to the attacking fighters.”
Josh hailed the Pirates. “Attacking fighters I will give 200,000 credits to the pilot who engages my attackers.”

Sarah turned one of the heavy fighters to a friendly as the missiles were fired at all but him. The Pirates fired on the other ship thanking he had switched sides for the credits. Sarah took advantage of their dilemma and destroyed one of the medium fighters. And seriously damaged the heavy fighter.
The Pirates were still fighting with each other as the freighter neared the gate. Sarah finished off the damaged heavy fighter and left the other two to fight each other. The fighters then regrouped with the freighter to leave the sector. Josh had been monitoring the Mercenaries; they were annihilating the Pirates one by one. These two worked together perfectly and had well turned the fight in their favor.
As the freighter entered sector Home of Light, Argon Security hailed.

“This is Caption Mitchell are you and your passengers alive and well? And are their any pursuers?”

Josh replied. “We have a Navy Pilot we found in the hole. He had been beaten and sedated and is in need of medical attention. Our pursuers had broken off. But the fighting was still rampant near the east gate.”

Mitchell asked. “There was a female rider that was taken captive in the Bat you just sent through. Do you know off her whereabouts or physical condition?”

Josh replied. “I’m afraid I do. I purchased her and the ship from the Dragon. She’s here a little shaken but fine.”

Mitchell responded. “That’s good to hear you have her. Make best speed to the Trading Station medical is waiting on the pilot. And I need to debrief the young woman and have her checked out.”

“Roger that.” Josh replied and turned and asked the Woman. “Please tell me a little about yourself and what you do for a living.”

The Woman answered. “You know who I am and I can’t reveal where or what I was doing!”

Josh stated. “I don’t know anything about you.”

“Then what were you doing there?” The Woman suspiciously asked.

Josh declared. “We went to rescue the boy! We rescued his Mother from a pirate ship earlier and she told us about her son and the monster that had him. The same monster was about to serve you up to the highest bidder.”

The Woman stated. “Thank you! You were so quick to come to my rescue I thought you came for me!”

Josh explained. “It gave me an opportunity to scan the controller he used on the boys’ collars so we could disarm it. Besides I couldn’t just setback and watch you get. You’re alive and that’s all that’s important.”

“My name is Sherry.” As she gave Josh a hug and a kiss on the cheek.”

This caught Josh off-guard as he replied with. “Thank you.” Knowing how juvenile his reply was Josh turned and sat down in the pilots’ seat. After a while he turned to see Sherry smiling back at him. Thanking to himself I should just keep quite before I say something awkward again.

Ann had reached the station and had returned the boy to his mother. As Ann made her way back to the landing bays checked in on the Split Boy to see what to become of him.

Ann asked the Social Service Officer in charge of the young Split. “What’s to become of the Boy?”

“He will be placed in an orphanage. He has no living family in our database. According to records his mother piloted a freighter and his father flew escort. They lived on the freighter and had no home base, but did freelancer work from sector to sector. The family and their ships were attacked and killed in the new Split sectors. The freight was hijacked and what was left of his parents’ bodies and the wreckage was cleared away. The boy was presumed dead because of the extent of damage. And the case was closed by the Split and rewards posted for the responsible Pirates. Your partner shot and killed one while rescuing the boys. Little D he called himself had a 40,000-credit bounty for his death from the Split. Just see Caption Mitchell to file a report with the Split for the reward.” The Officer explained.

“Let me talk to my partner before you send the boy away.” Ann stated.

Ann was an orphan and it wasn’t a pleasant life. And if she could spare this young Split the pain of being picked on by the older human children she would. The Split would grow up to a bigger physical type than the human ones. But he would be tormented till the day he could defend himself from the bullies.
The Split Government considered him a vagabond and would not take him.

Josh had docked the freighter as the medical took the Pilot and security escorted Sherry away. The sales rep walked up stating. “Welcome back Mr. Galen. Will you need our services on your new ships?”

“Yes repair the hull damage to the Fighters and max the speed and rudder on the Dolphin and Fighters I‘ll have the repair drones do the rest.” Josh answered.

The Rep replied. “Well get on it right away Mr. Galen. There has been a lockdown placed on the Bat no one is to touch it until its been cleared with security.”

“Sarah is the Lifter finished?” Josh asked.

“Yes Josh. And do you wish to deploy the repair drones off the Lifter to assist in the repairs to the other ships?” Sarah replied.

Josh stated. “Yes use the drones and anything we have in stock for the repairs. I want a defense turret on the rear center of the Dolphin like the Lifter has and a bigger power unit installed on the Dolphin. And start the construction of a jump drive and transporter on the Dolphin after the repairs has been made. I know you need parts from Argon Prime to finish so transfer our personal belongings onto the lifter and use the Zipper to pick them up. And purchase enough for two extra jump drives and transporters. Build the extra and place them in stock on the Lifter. And open a COM with Ann.”

Josh asked. “Ann can you please meet me on the Lifter?” “On my way replied Ann.”

Ann had a lot of questions to ask Josh. As she entered the docking bay looking at the ships thanking this all seems like a dream. To have acquired so much in less than a day. And the ship she wanted setting in dock. And not one credit spent. Risking her life for a stranger’s son. A lot had just happened she thought as she entered the Lifter.

“Josh what’s next I just want to make sure we’re on the same page. And tell how were you able to defeat a Split as big as a monster? Then shoot a man so fast that I didn’t even see you draw your pistol till he was dead.” Ann questioned.

Josh replied. “I was enhanced before I was born to be faster and stronger. My parents had been enhanced before their birth. So when I was conceived they took me too a whole new level of development trying to make the perfect man. I’m stronger, faster and will live a very long and healthy life. But it made me infertile. I’m a normal man according to the doctors and there shouldn’t be a problem. But I can’t produce children. That’s the price I’ll pay for being what I am.
And all I want is to get back on track too our goal and with our partnership. Please keep all the details about myself private. I was examined years ago when we came to these sectors to see if we were the same type of humans as Argons.”

Ann stated. “Hold on, you’re not from any of our sectors?”

Josh answered. “No we were from Alpha Prime. A race of genetically enhanced humans created by an Ancient she had also created a Reptilian race the Saraph. An Aquatic race the Hudor. And the Demos race a human hybrid made only to serve their Queen the Ancient. All of the races where I was from were human like. All had a head and two arms and two legs. Nothing exotic like the Boron or Paranid races.

We ended up here when entering a gate to visit a neighboring sector and were stranded in unknown space. With no way to get back home we searched till we found a gate that took us to the sector north of Priests Pity which then was Xenon space. As soon as we entered the Xenon flew to intercept us and opened fire we fled to the South Gate where ships were running in and were not like the ones shooting at us. As soon as we entered Priests Pity they were under attack a Xenon Carrier and Destroyer were about to destroy there trading station when they hailed us for help. My father opened fire on the destroyer and blew it up in a mater of minutes. Then turned for the carrier and did the same. The fighters were on us so my father told the Paranid fighters to pull back and go after the stray Xenon fighters. As we pulled to open space the Xenon fighters followed us out and were quickly destroyed.

The Paranid were very grateful and gave us safe passage through their sectors to Argon space. Where we were examined by the Argon Government and asked to help to exterminate the Xenon. At which my father was very unwilling to do. But he agreed to improve their technology by giving all the known races our main weapons to study and build from. After sending each race a basic ideal of how they worked. We discovered a Earthman had been stranded here also so the Argon used him to drive the Xenon out and were about to try to finish them off when they were contacted by The Old Ones and asked no to destroy the Xenon. So they stopped their assault and new sectors were opened. As a reward I assume for doing what the Old Ones asked.

We took a shield unit out and our two main weapons so they could be studied and reproduce. After this the other races demanded we move to a more impartial race. The Teladi had been selected to host our ship and family while our technology was studied. While traveling to Teladi space we were attacked in the same sector that we first arrived in. A TL was waiting for us when we entered the sector. Two of the specialists were taking readings on the power generator as we went through gate. When one or both damaged our main generator after we were about middle ways into the sector. The heavy fighters from the TL were firing on us as more poured out of the TL to help finish us off. As my Father placed me on the transporter pad the last thing he said to me was. I love you Son.

He had sent me to a fighter that was trailing behind watching our rear. The pilot turned the ship about and took me to Noah. As we were about to go through the gate I seen our ship go up in a big flash!
Destroying the TL and its fighters.”

Josh wiped the tears away from his eyes saying. “The transporter never had time to recharge My Parents died on that ship. Dad had sent orders to the pilot to take me to safety and then to Noah. The pilot and my Dad had become close friends and could be trusted. Everyone thought I had died with my parents and Noah wanted it to stay that way for my protection.”

Ann placed her hand on Josh’s shoulder with tears in her eyes and said. “Josh your secret is safe with me.”