The Alpha Protocol: Alpha Protocol Book 1 by Duncan Hamilton (read more books .txt) 📕

on the safe side, they had rigged the Bounty to run on low power; she would be invisible to anything but the most focused of scans. There was a fine balance between racing to the colonists’ rescue and advertising to the alien aggressors that they were back for more of the same. He could only hope they would not be too late to help any survivors.

‘I want constant passive scanning once we’re in range of Dobson,’ Samson said, ‘but nothing that will give away our position.’

‘Aye,’ Harper replied.

He watched Harper as she worked at her station, oblivious to his gaze. She’d been a model officer since he had given her a second chance. The fact that so few sailors aboard the Peterson had come forward to assist in the rescue mission made Samson think more on the state of mind that had motivated Harper and the others to turn against him. It had been a terrifying, unprecedented situation, one in which their odds of dying had seemed far higher than of surviving. Despite all that had happened, they had volunteered to join the mission without hesitation.

He wondered if he would come to regret his decision to tell Captain Wright that the matter had been dealt with instead of declaring it a mutiny. Resentment still dwelled within him, and he knew he’d never be able to trust Harper again. What situation might make her question Samson’s orders again, and how would she respond?

He realised this was not the type of officer he wanted to work with, and in not calling out the mutiny for what it was, he might be handing that danger on to some other commanding officer. Still, he thought how he had so very nearly ended up being charged with mutiny himself, and how he had responded to getting a second chance. Did everyone not deserve the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and do better when tested once again? He wasn’t sure what the answer to that was, or whether it could be sensibly applied to all people. In any case, the reprimand for insubordination he had brought up in front of Wright would go on their permanent records, and at the first sign of further trouble Navy justice would go hard against them.

For now, however, he had greater problems to deal with.

With nearly a full complement on deck, the bridge felt positively crowded. Harper manned the sensor and comms stations, while Price occupied the weapons station. Two of the Peterson’s engineers were manning the engine room, leaving Vachon to preside over the engine and power management station. Rating Kushnir was entrusted with the general ship’s systems station, meaning that if someone farted and the air filtration didn’t clear it quickly enough, it was his fault. There were other tasks for him to keep an eye on, but on a small and crowded bridge Samson ranked that one as a high priority.

The cargo bay had been turned into a temporary medical bay, with emergency medical equipment and supplies taken from the depot. Considering the slapdash nature of his command up until this point, this mission was the first time he had felt like a proper ship’s master and commander, even though it was still only the little Bounty.

‘First passive scan indicates the alien’s exhaust signature in orbit,’ Harper said.

Samson’s heart sank. He’d hoped that they’d be gone by now, giving him free rein to pick up any survivors. He chewed his lip. If they were detected, he knew they would lose the race to the Nexus portal. On the other hand, thus far, the other ship had only shown an interest in vessels carrying the ancient alien artefacts. He couldn’t risk the Bounty’s personnel, but the thought of leaving Dobson without searching for survivors was shaming.

‘I’m going to put us into a non-synchronous orbit that’ll take us over Dobson Port,’ Samson said. ‘Harper, plot a position that will keep us on the far side of the planet to the alien vessel. Hopefully that and our minimal power signature will hide us. Mister Vachon, be ready to squeeze every last joule out of the power plant at a moment’s notice.’

‘Aye, sir.’

With the calculations made, Samson sat back and waited for the worst as they dropped into orbit around Dobson.

‘Orbit achieved,’ Harper said. ‘No sign of any reaction from the alien vessel. Their exhaust signature is stable.’

‘So far, so good,’ Samson said. ‘As soon as our orbit takes us over Dobson Port, we’ll drop down to the surface. Where’s the alien ship?’

‘They’re synchronous over the ruins.’

He wondered what they were up to. Would it be enough to keep them distracted? ‘Hopefully that’ll keep their attention away from us,’ Samson said. ‘Set us down on the outskirts of the village.’

Samson had not seen Dobson Port on their previous visit to the planet, and its appearance now gave him little idea of how it had looked when it was a budding Frontier colony. From the air, all that remained were a number of scorched blotches on the ground. These were impact craters from an orbital bombardment, as Price had spoken of when they had investigated the burned-out farmstead. The aliens had done a very thorough job of destroying the town. It didn’t look as though there was a single building left standing.

‘Can you pick up life signs with a passive scan?’

‘No,’ Harper said. ‘I’d have to send out an active pulse for that.’

‘How far will that go?’

‘Too far,’ Harper said.

‘Looks like we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way,’ Samson said.

He hit the intercom button. ‘Price, get your Marines ready and meet me at the airlock.’

‘Sir…’ Harper said.

‘I don’t want to hear it, Lieutenant. No one else is to leave the ship until I say so. I don’t want my crew scattered about the place if the aliens spot us. You have command until I get back. Let me know if there’s any hint of movement from the alien vessel. Once there is, you give us five minutes to