The Shadow of the Moon-Lydia's Tale

Chapter Eleven

Missions between planets were normally spent in Merck machines. These allowed travellers to be induced into a dis-associative state and enter the dream world induced by the Merck translator. Long periods- up to years could be spent in this suspended state saving on oxygen, sustenance and the quarrels that normal erupted between passengers from seemingly petty differences in such confined spaces. Merck devices were fitted to almost every type of star ship except the short distance jump ships that plied their trade between local planetary systems. 

On their trip to Ax, Lydia and the team had been prepped on Earth and so were already in their Merck state when they left the atmosphere -missing out on their very first view of their home planet from space. They had been re-awoken when the cargo ship had landed on Ax and so had missed out on a similar view of the Axion system. 

The view from the cockpit of Faulke's splinter ship made up for it all. Lydia was able to see the planet, the moon and the distant star that served as Ax's sun. The silent rhythmic flashing of Faulke's ships beacon lights made the whole scene feel slightly surreal to her. The rays from pale sun having travelled millions of miles, hit the mercurial moon and seemingly gaining energy the reflected light turned into an outlandish light that pulsed and vibrated off its surface. She watched entranced as down below on Ax bands of warm colours ran like ripples across the planet's surface, the mountains and plains lit up in soft hues of purple, pink and violets. The most beautiful display of colour she'd ever seen. 

'The Revenge.' She jumped as her speaker burbled into life. Faulke's voice.  

Earth's fleet was strung out in a long line above them. It was Lydia's first sight ever of a battle fleet, she'd seen halo's of them on Earth but nothing could have prepared her for the scale of the ships themselves. The Revenge was so huge could had eaten a thousand of the cargo ships they'd hitched a ride on to get to Ax. It seemed to her an impossibility to construct vessels of this scale, so incomprehensibly vast were their proportions.  

A myriad of smaller ships moved between the goliathan cruisers, some hauling immense pieces of metal, others landing on their hulls, spilling out hundreds of space suited workers laden with equipment. They approached The Revenge head on, its giant bridge loomed up high above them. At its base, machines, tall as giants strode across the surface pulling up chunks of metal, and kneeling at the edge of a long gaping tear in the decks throwing out the bright flashes of welding equipment as they repaired the twisted surface. 

'Exo's,' Faulke remarked dryly, turning slightly in his seat, 'up to ten operators each inside. They make light work of this it's just we can only use them effectively out here, they're too big to operate in confined spaces.' 

She nodded to show she'd understood.  

As they approached the giants shark mouth at the front of The Revenge, Faulke joined the line of ships streaming into the Cruiser and gently rotated the ship through 180 degrees on its axis to line up with the roof of the bay.  

Inside the cavernous docking area many of the service ships landed on the long decks and arranged themselves neatly in long rows. Faulke pulled up and headed for the honeycomb of cells in the ceiling high above them. As they approached Lydia could see some contained ships, others lay shielded behind shutters.

Faulke guided their ship carefully into one of the hexagonal cells and cut the engines. A shield quickly slid to behind them and a blast of gasses filled the chamber.  

'You can take you breathing gear off now. Let's go.' 

Faulke stood impatiently by a doorway while they struggled across the platform with their gear. Once inside the eli he punched a few buttons and they sped off into the body of the Revenge.