Rightful Vengeance

There was virtual silence throughout the cavernous corridors of the great colony ship Gandhi.  As the Admiral's son, Jack Beech, aged four, had free roam of the ship, extending as far even as the bridge.  Although technically it was against Earthfleet regulations, Admiral Frank Beech had always been somewhat of a maverick.  Besides, the Admiral had reasoned, since the military had to baby-sit the colonists, why shouldn't they do the same for his son? 

On this day, Jack felt somehow drawn to the bridge, and his father.  Perhaps it was the eerie stillness.  The ship had been at yellow alert ever since they'd received the distress call, and so all they could do now was wait. 

It had been five minutes since he'd left the admiral's quarters, but Jack had finally found his way to the bridge alone.  For the first time ever, he'd not asked someone for directions, or even asked the computer for a map.  As he stepped through the doors, Jack expected his father would be proud of such an achievement. 

And yet, there it was again, that sense that something was amiss.  Admiral Beech's bridge was normally a light, cheerful room, full of people chatting with one another about shipboard gossip.  Today, though, even here there was silence.  And Jack's father was staring intently at the viewscreen, lost so deep in thought that he didn't even notice his son had arrived. 

As a small hand planted itself on the arm of his command chair, the admiral turned sharply to face Jack. 

"Hello Daddy," the child murmured, beginning to get the impression that he shouldn't be where he was. 

Admiral Beech stood up from his chair.  "Jack, I'm afraid I can't let you be here today," he said, looking down into his son's dark brown eyes.  Jack knew now, without any doubt, that something was very wrong.  The look in his father's eyes was unlike any he'd ever seen there before.  It was fear. 

The brief moment in which their eyes had met was ended as soon as it had started.  Jack took a step back.  "I'm sorry, daddy.  I'll go back to our quarters." 

"Yes, son, that's a good idea."  The admiral returned to his seat, and checked the small instrument panel built into the right hand arm.  Jack turned, and was about to walk off the bridge, when all hell suddenly broke loose around him. 

It started with the piercing wail of a red alert siren, loud enough to hurt Jack's unsuspecting ears.  Red lights flashed on all over the ship, and crewmen ran to battle stations.  On the bridge, Admiral Beech was back on his feet, barking orders at his crew, and listening to their concise status reports. 

Then, as was standard Earthfleet protocol, the bridge doors began to seal.  Jack didn't have time to get through them, and his father had warned him never to get his arm or leg caught in a closing door, so he stayed where he was, and looked out at the viewscreen. 

From it, he saw that they were back in normal space, but there were a lot of dots swirling around on it. 

The ship rocked underfoot, and Jack realised that the dots were other ships, and they were firing on the Gandhi.  Despite his young age, Jack knew what that meant, and the thought of their task group entering a real combat situation terrified him.  Unable to properly grasp what was happening, and in a state of shock, he cried out for his daddy. 

On realising that his son had not left the bridge, the Admiral turned and told a young ensign who was passing by to get Jack off the bridge.  At that point, time seemed to slow down for Jack.

At the helm station, only a few metres in front of his father, a large explosion blew out the instrument panels and sent the officer at that station flying backwards.  Other panels were beginning to explode all over the bridge, throwing the crew off their feet. 

"Admiral, hull integrity on all decks above seven is about to be compromised.  Recommend we abandon ship."

Miraculously, Jack's father had managed to keep his balance throughout the enemy bombardment.  "Acknowledged."  He reached to his comm unit.  "This is Admiral Beech.  All hands, abandon ship.  Repeat, abandon ship."  Those other bridge officers who still had functional comm units repeated the order.

His duty done, the Admiral ran over to his son, and picked him up with one arm.  He offered no explanation, but pushed the child into a small alcove at one side of the bridge.  The door slid shut once Jack was in. 

Confused, and now alone, Jack pressed his face up close to the window in the door.  Through it, he could see the bridge, and his father.  He cried out, but no one could here him. 

Seconds later, there was a loud clunk of machinery, and the bridge seemed to drift away.  Within a heartbeat, Jack could see open space, and the outside of the Gandhi.  But the huge vessel didn't look like the pictures his father had shown him any more.  Now, the once smooth, untouched hull was now crushed and beaten, dozens of holes scored in her by the enemy's weapons. 

Just moments after he'd been launched, Jack saw the Gandhi begin to fall apart, and then explode, sending masses of debris hurtling out around where she'd been. 

So, Jack thought, now I have no parents.  He thought this over for a while, as he watched the other ships in the group being systematically destroyed, and felt a new sensation steal over his consciousness before finally implanting itself.  The deep, overriding desire for vengeance. 

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