Lost Era 05_ Deny thy Father - Jeff Mariotte [145]
“You’re relieved, Mr. Chamish.” Kyle could hear the fury in Pressman’s voice as he did so.
“Sir, I’ll do it,” another voice broke in. “If I can.”
Kyle thought the voice sounded familiar. It was not a voice he’d heard often, certainly not recently. It was deeper, more mature than he remembered it. But the sound of it, the valor he heard in those few words, filled him with immense pride.
Will felt every eye on the bridge burning into him. Captain Pressman regarded him levelly, as if trying to fit a new perception around the old ones he had already established.
“You can’t, Ensign,” Pressman said. “It would have to be the third-in-command of the ship.”
“Well, it’s got to be soon, sir. We’re already within range.”
Before Will finished his sentence, the officer to his immediate left said, “This is Lieutenant Commander Shinnareth Bestor.” The operations officer’s voice was flat, betraying no emotion at all. “Initiate auto-destruct sequence.”
“Verbal confirmation requested,” the computer replied. “Captain Pressman?”
“Confirmed,” Pressman stated.
“Lieutenant Commander Bestor?”
“Confirmed,” the operations officer said.
“What is the desired interval until destruction, Captain Pressman?”
Pressman glanced at Will, who checked his instruments quickly and then held up three fingers. “Three minutes,” the captain said.
“Auto-destruct sequence initiated,” the computer intoned. “Destruction in two minutes, fifty-eight seconds.”
Will wiped at his forehead. His heart pounded in his chest and the rush of blood in his ears almost drowned out the other noises on the bridge. Everything except the computer’s soulless voice, counting down the last few seconds until the ship blew itself up. The force of the explosion, he remembered from the Academy, would be roughly the equivalent of a thousand photon torpedoes.
At least it’ll be quick, he thought. Probably fairly painless. Probably even a relief after sitting around waiting for it for three minutes.
“What’s going on up there?” someone asked plaintively.
“You can hear as well as the rest of us,” Bonner responded. “They’re waiting.”
Kyle knew it wasn’t that simple. The delay inherent even in subspace radio meant that the Pegasus might already be destroyed. He wondered what they’d hear on this end-static? An electronic hum? Or would they first, momentarily, hear the thunder as the explosions ripped through his son’s vessel?
“The Ven are getting awfully close,” Admiral Paris observed. “They’re right there-definitely within firing range.”
One more thing to worry about, Kyle thought. He had hoped the Pegasus situation would be resolved before the Ven showed up and further complicated matters. Maybe if that first officer hadn’t chickened out…
“Destruction in forty-five seconds,” he heard. He swallowed hard. This was getting too close.
“They’ve cut the tractor,” Bestor said excitedly.
“Will, engines on full,” Pressman ordered. “Take us out, now.”
“Yes, sir!” Will shot back, already implementing the command.
“Destruction in fifteen seconds,” the computer announced.
“Computer, this is Captain Erik Pressman. Abort auto-destruct sequence.” He swiveled about in his chair. “Commander?”
“Computer, this is Lieutenant Commander Shinnareth Bestor. Abort auto-destruct sequence.” Will noted that the operations officer sounded relieved. He was feeling a little better about things himself, but he knew they weren’t out of the woods yet.
“Sir, they’re firing on us!” Bethany Rungius said.
“All power to shields,” Pressman replied. “Don’t worry about returning fire.”
“Shields are up, sir.”
The first volley from the Omistolian ship hit them astern. The bridge rocked, lights flickered, but the shields held.
“They didn’t want us to blow up right next to them,” Captain Pressman noted. “But they have no problem letting us get a little farther away and then blowing us up themselves.”
Will concentrated on putting distance between themselves and the Omistolian ship. He knew their greatest danger had been with the Omistolians themselves-if they had not been scanning the Pegasus