The Cagliostro Chronicles Read Online Free Page A

come for one of us let it be me. Not any of you.”
    “Very heroic Mister, but that’s a load and you know it.” Ariel barked angrily.
    Johnson sighed and grabbed her hand, “No Ari, it’s not. It’s the truth. I need all of you to be able to do your jobs and I need to know you can all get me out of whatever hell hole they take me to in case I do get captured.”
    “So what about these aliens? Do we know anything about them? How long have they been watching us?” Eddie queried, “I mean, up until now, all of Earth’s fleet has been stuck exploring around the solar system. Taking off for years at a time. Sure the ships have been getting faster every year, but they still take literally years to get somewhere. Your magno-disc technology is changing all that, and since this morning it’s no longer even a theory. It’s pure fact. Man has jumped to the head of the class.”
    “That’s exactly what we theorize they are frightened of, whoever the mysterious ‘ they’ are, that is. Now there’s suddenly competition, and it’s all coming from Earth.”
    “But that’s the part I don’t get,” Eddie interjects, “Competition for what?”
    “Eddie, it could be anything. Manufacturing ability, mining, science breakthroughs, though personally I can’t see them being behind us on that one. It could even be weapons design. Bottom line is we just do not know, but we are going to find out. ”
    ***
    Days passed quietly enough as the Cagliostro continued on through deep space. Its magno-disc engines purring lightly as the ship soared on at speeds that only days earlier were inconceivable to man.
    The command crew continued to train diligently every day for whatever might cross their paths. Still, there was an air of trepidation throughout everyone on board. Mark had held a conference with the entire crew that first evening telling them they were on a mission for the government, which was the truth anyway, and that they would be away from home for a few weeks. Subspace messages were sent to loved ones by the entire crew.
    Daily, crew members lined up by fore and aft view screens, watching the stars go by in that elongated hyper-light way they now realized stars actually did look like when you were partially phased between dimensions, as the Cagliostro’s magno-disc faster than light technology actually did. Not only was this an indescribable first time experience for everyone on board, it was an incredible visual one as well. Everything was running smoothly.
    Until the fourth day.
    Red looked up from his display and then back down at it, immediately punching it up on the main view screen. “You better look at this Mark.”
    Johnson leaned forward slightly in his chair on the ‘D’ shaped command deck “Looks like we have company. Better move us to yellow status.”
    Red nodded and immediately yellow lights spun at each corner of the command deck as well as throughout the ship and for ten seconds an alert tone pinged on every deck.
    Behind the Cagliostro three blips were seen gainin g on them through the faster than light conduit, or hyper-warp tunnel.
    “Dan, can we increase speed?”
    “Uh, yeah, Mark, we’re just under halfway to full speed, as you know anyway, but yes, we have a ways to go.”
    “Just checking , big guy. Bring her up two more notches and let’s see if they match.”
    Sledge complied as the ship eased forward faster, immediately leaving the three shapeless blips behind them completely.
    For a moment.
    But then…
    “They’re back, Boss.” Red informed them all.
    “Let’s try this again, Dan, two more notches up to hyper-warp eight . Sledge thumbed his controls and the ship imperceptibly leapt ahead again leaving its mysterious pursuers behind, yet once more.
    Minutes passed as silence coated the interior of the command deck heavily.
    Finally Mark broke the overwhelming pall, “Well?”
    “Nothing Boss. They disappeared.” Red replied.
    “To be honest , I’m kind of finding it hard to