Read Carinae Sector: 01 - Traders' Scourge - Part 1 - Alien Flight for Free Online Page B

hover train carriage as soon as the Zronte had walked down the ramp of the transport. She knew what was to happen and she was appalled by the hopeless plight of the captives. She did take the final words of Malang’troh as a small consolation for the safety of her fledglings. The Quixxe female had occupied the carriage alone with her fledglings. She then noted that her oldest daughters sadly studying the media screen and now spoke to them softly.
    ‘Remember your father as always with us, he did what he had to do for us all to survive. He will always love you.’
    Apinal sat back to grieve for her mate and remember him fondly, as the hover train continued the long journey to her sister’s place.
     
                                                                ***
     
    March, 2045 AD
     
    On the bridge of HMAS Perth, Lieutenant Commander Steve Greene reviewed the briefing notes at the conclusion of the quick briefing he had conducted from 8am. The frigate was sailing with other naval ships back down from Indonesia to the Fleet West naval base for resupply. Steve had been transferred to HMAS Perth several months previously as executive officer. He was now acting captain of HMAS Perth after the previous day’s events.
    At 10am the previous day, Steve had transferred a gravely ill Commander Brooks via a carrier based helicopter to the more comprehensive medical facilities aboard HMAS Australia. The larger aircraft carrier and flagship of the Western Fleet would be the best place for the commander to receive treatment. He now spoke to the navigation officer after looking up from his briefing notes.
    ‘Lieutenant, I want an update of our arrival as we have to leave again by ourselves with another medical team. As you are acting XO you will also have to check with Fleet West on the arrival of the Adelaide’s helicopter after we crane our own ashore.’
    The lieutenant looked up from the chart plotter and gave a considered reply.
    ‘Sir, the arrival at Stirling base will be in four hours at 1300. The medical team will be here tomorrow morning, but the Adelaide’s chopper will be delayed a day.’
    Steve thought about the information for before he quietly spoke again.
    ‘Well we will remain locked up with no leave unfortunately, as we are short crewed. Now I want the dockyard looking at one of our turbines as I am concerned about it. I also want our dead chopper off the ship as soon as possible.’
    The lieutenant quietly acknowledged his orders and moved off to radio a service request ashore for the turbine inspection, as Steve now read through other information he had to hand. The only good news was that the death toll from the worst pandemic in human history was falling as the epidemic burnt itself out world-wide. This welcome news was an important piece of information, given the effects of the incredible death toll. Steve knew that several news organizations world wide had ceased to exist, and obtaining valid sources of information on the state of the world’s affairs would be a problem for many years. He regarded the good news with real relief and reviewed what he had witnessed in the last five years. The Australian air force and navy had continued to supply emergency medical teams and food supplies into major Asian cities that they could reach safely.
    A very serious point of contention remained in the navy and air force about the sinking of dozens of infectious refugee vessels that had attempted to enter Australian waters. The desperate need to protect the Australian public had been in total conflict with the training of the Australian forces to adhere to the basic human rights of refugees. Several Australian naval officers had registered formal objections, and a few had resigned their commissions rather than sink unarmed vessels loaded with sick and dying refugees. Over many months scores of refugee vessels were sunk as the epidemic took hold.  The Indonesian