Beyond the Shroud of the Universe by Chris Kennedy

larger mass of silver, where the second bomb had gone off next to the transport machine, ate through the transporter in seconds, and continued to dissolve the walls and roof as they collapsed down into the silver puddle.
    Within a minute, all that was left of the massive building was a few metal plates that had fallen outside the thermite’s area of destruction.
    “There’s no ‘bang,’” Lieutenant Bradford said, “but it still took care of the facility pretty well.”
    “No shit,” Master Chief said. “I think it’s safe to say they won’t be using that building again.” He nodded with his head at the LCAC sitting in the compound’s courtyard. “Got another one of those things for that piece of shit?”
    “Here’s where we stand,” Night said. “I suspect Lieutenant Commander Hobbs was taken away on the silver ship, again. It doesn’t appear we are going to get him back today. I would say the transporter is pretty much wrecked, so we at least accomplished that. The other mission was to find the transport rods, which we haven’t done. As much as I would like to have them, I’ll be just as happy if they are destroyed, and we don’t have to fight whatever reinforcements I’m sure are on their way here. Master Chief, set one of the tridents to overload, and let’s get the hell out of this universe.”
    “Overload one of the tridents?” Lieutenant Bradford asked.
    “Yeah,” Master Chief replied. “They’ve each got a gram of antimatter inside, or they did when we started. One gram of antimatter contacting one gram of matter has the same explosive power as twice that of the nuke we dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. That bomb had the equivalent of about 20 kilotons of TNT; a trident will detonate with the equivalent of 42 kilotons. Even though we used a little in our attack, there’s still going to be way more than enough to wipe out this facility.”
    “What about the town nearby? Will that be affected?”
    Night turned to look at Lieutenant Bradford, and his gaze narrowed. “I can sum up my feelings for the town in one word.” He turned and began walking toward the shuttle. “ Let’s go, people! ” he commed. “ The shuttle leaves in one minute. Be on it or get left behind. ”
    Lieutenant Bradford ran up behind Night. “Wait, what was the word?” he asked.
    Night looked back over his shoulder. “Tashkent.”
     
     

Chapter Fifteen
     
     

Bridge, TSS Terra , Anti-Earth Orbit, Unknown Date
    “System entry into the anti-Earth system,” the ensign at the science station said. “Launching probes; looking for any Efreeti ships.”
    “Got one,” the defensive systems officer (DSO) called. “Just coming over the crest of the planet. It looks like a single ship, destroyer-sized.”
    “I’ve got him,” the offensive systems officer (OSO) replied.
    “Missiles free; kill the bastard,” Captain Griffin ordered.
    The OSO looked up from her station.
    “I know the Vella Gulf couldn’t hit the Efreet with its missiles,” Captain Griffin said, “but maybe we’ll get lucky.”
    “Anti-ship missiles launching,” the OSO said. “32 missiles launched; hang fire on tubes three and 18.”
    “Ma’am, the Efreeti ship is turning toward us,” the DSO advised. “It’s accelerating toward us to engage.”
    “Let him,” Captain Griffin said. “We’ve got him outgunned, unless he has a bunch of those torpedoes. The closer he gets, the better it is…for us.”
    “Ma’am, he doesn’t have any shields,” the OSO said. “Missile impact in three…two…one… holy shit! Ma’am, we got at least 30 hits on the destroyer, almost all of them on the forward half of the ship. Those missiles were meant for taking out battleships and dreadnoughts…there isn’t much left.”
     
     

Cargo Bay, Shuttle 02 , Anti-Earth Orbit, Unknown Date
    “Sir, I don’t get it,” Master Chief said. “This just doesn’t add up.”
    “What doesn’t add up?” Night asked.
    “All of this. On one hand, you