The Cagliostro Chronicles II: Conflagration Read Free

main viewer as well as the smaller personal viewers across the command deck. “Enter there, clear any trees in the center with the solar cannons,” Mark ordered.
    “What about indigenous life?” Ariel asked.
    “I’m not picking up anything close by, Boss,” Red replied. “It looks like there may be some bird or serpent-like creatures out there at the edge of the valley, but they’re already scurrying away from us.”
    “Good ,” Mark commented, “Take those trees down ASAP.”
    Eddie nodded and fired the forward cannons in one blast, instantly clearing a space almost eight hundred feet wide beneath the immensely tall canopy of trees. “That should work, boss. There’re still enough of these trees bent and overhanging the forest floor from above to keep us hidden, even though I turned a lot of ‘em to kindling.”
    “Good job, Eddie.” Mark acknowledged. Then he turned toward his pilot and said, “Take us in, Dan,”
    The big man nodded, and hovered the ship into place beneath the lush growth that surrounded them. The ship settled down with a gentle thud.
    “We have a lot of burning foliage out there, Mark ,” Red proclaimed.
    Mark nodded “Release the flame retardant foam, ten thousand gallons should do it.”
    “Ten thousand gallons it is, Sir,” Red replied.
    “I want life scans done immediately. No one leaves the ship until I’m certain it’s safe. We may be here a while. I don’t want any surprises .” Mark turned to Dan. Let’s get to work.”
    The two men left the command deck together.

     

Chapter 2
     
     
    Dan and Mark along with a crew of ten men labored nonstop to repair the damage done to the ship in the extended battle they had just come through. Internal systems were being repaired and rerouted by the hard working.
    Mark, Dan and their repair crew were huddled together in one of the magno -disc conduits working within the tight confines. After many moments of silence Dan turned to Mark, and wiped sweat from his brow before speaking, “Hey Boss, I know we gotta get off this mud ball, but uh, we should take a break sooner than later ya know? We been at this fer what, fifteen hours now?”
    Mark looked at his holographic chrono ; a holographic watch of sorts that popped up on his blue and silver tech suit’s sleeve and sighed, nodding in agreement. “You’re right, Danny. We both need a break. In fact the rest of this crew does too.” Mark looked at the rest of the people working with him and Dan, and then continued, “I’m sorry, all of you. I had no idea that much time had passed. But I want this magno-disc repair to continue. Get a second crew on, this Danny, and then go get some shut eye. You are right though; we have been at this far too long. Have the second crew logged in for an eight hour shift. After that we’ll replace them again, that is if the repairs aren’t completed at that point.”
    “What about you Mark?”
    “I’m going to do the same. Between our narrow escape and our wonderful landing here, well, we’re lucky we made it this far.”
    “Worst part of all of this is we ain’t that far from home, at least not in hyper-warp terms ,” Dan commented.
    “I know. We’re what? A day at most?”
    “Yeah. About that, Boss. Without hyper-warp we might as well be forty years away.”
    “I know , Danny, I know. We took some bad damage here. How are the repairs on deck nine going?”
    “It was deck ten, not nine, an’ they’re finally nearin’ the halfway point. But the crew’s gonna have to go outside to finish them up.”
    “Deck ten, that’s right .” Mark shook his head in consternation.
    “Hey you okay , Boss?” Dan asked quietly so as to not alert those nearby.
    “Yes , Danny, I’m okay. Just getting bleary eyed from all of this.” He waved his hand about him at the damaged engine components. “What about replacement parts? How’s the fabrication lab doing?”
    “I’ll call ‘em , Boss. In fact I’ll stop in on deck six before I get