Time Bandits (Part 2)

An explosion rocked the ship, nearly throwing Jel out of the pilot's chair. At first he thought a laser blast had finally punched through the shields and impacted the hull, but then he noticed the frigates on the radar falling quickly behind.

Good, he thought, the time warp was successful. He spun the ship around and brought it to a stop, facing the three frigates. The sight that greeted him would have been very strange if he hadn't seen it before. Everything seemed to be frozen. The ships all had their thrusters burning brightly behind them, but they weren't moving, at least, as far as a human eye could tell. No less than a dozen bright spears of light were pointed at a single location, the exact spot Jel's craft had been a few moments ago. If he had watched closely, he might have seen the beams slowly inching forward, but he didn't waste time watching the familiar scene. Instead, he tried to raise Tisha on the intercom.

“Tish, are you there? Tish, you okay?” No answer. “Come on Tisha, answer me! Tish!” Fear shot through him. What if she was caught in that explosion? What if– He jumped out of his seat and dashed through the ship's corridors. He was almost to the hold where she had been working when he saw her stumbling toward him. She looked dazed, and there was blood on her forehead and in her hair. He ran to her and helped her stay on her feet.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I'm fine, I'm fine. Let me go, I can stand on my own.” He let her go, but concern etched his face.

“What happened back here?”

“I'm not sure exactly,” she replied, her brows scrunching in thought. “I had left the hold and sealed it shut, like you told me to, when an explosion knocked me off my feet. I guess that's how I got this,” she said, tenderly touching her forehead. “The next thing I remember is hearing you calling my name. I tried to answer, but it seems the blast knocked out the nearby comm controls.”

“Well, at least you're not hurt more. And I hope the Siphon is okay.” A look of terror leapt into Tisha's eyes. She ran back to the hold the Siphon was in and pounded on the door controls when they didn't respond. Jel ran up to her and grabbed her arm before she hurt herself. “Tish! Stop! The controls are broken. I'm going to get a crowbar, I'll be right back.” She whirled and ran down the hall to the nearby supply room. Jel decided it was better if he just stayed put. She came back shortly with a crowbar. She managed to get it wedged into the edge of the door, and with Jel's help, got the door opened enough to slide inside. The sight of the blackened wreckage of the Siphon brought her to her knees in tears.

“It's gone! Dad... Dad, I'm sorry... I tried to keep it safe... I failed you...” Jel stood outside and watched for a few moments. He thought about trying to comfort her, but he knew she wouldn't want that. It was hardest to just leave her, but he knew that was the best thing he could do for her. So he went back to the cockpit, punched in their destination, and initiated the phase jump. Everything outside wavered and vanished. Nothing but blackness could be seen outside. Only by looking at the readings on the computer screen could he tell that they were flying at enormous speed through phase space. With nothing else to do until they arrived at their destination, he put his feet up on the console and tried to relax, which was impossible with worries about Tisha flying through his mind.

God, he prayed, You know what she's going through a lot more than I do. Comfort her with Your love. And thanks for keeping us safe. Many times it was hard to see God at work in the universe, but Jel never stopped believing in Him. He was out there somewhere, even if He seemed far away.

To Be Continued...