AfterLife

by BL Craig

  An alert popped on his console. Technically the doors were open enough to let the Tilly slide by.

  “Take us in, Mr. Butcher,” said the Captain.

  William took a deep breath and inched the Tilly toward the station. The doors still had a little wider to open.

  “I’ve lost control. The doors are starting to close,” John said.

  William gave the sub-lights a quick punch. The Tilly leapt into the hold too fast for the small maneuvering thrusters to stop in time. In space, he would have flipped the ship end to end and used the main drives to decelerate but there was no room in the small hold. Desperate, William thrust the ship down to the station deck. Having never crashed a ship, intentionally or otherwise, he had expected a scraping sound. What he got was the sound of massive plates tearing and ripping. He was not sure if it was the Tilly or the Station but based on volume alone, he was going to guess both.

  * * *

  …

  * * *

  Jason had given the Tilly only a quick glance upon arriving in system before his attention was taken entirely by the battle. His focus shifted back the second they appeared in the battle space. Now, his display had alerted him that the survey vessel was attempting to enter a shuttle bay on Mirada station. “Mictecacihuatl, this is Morrigan actual. What are you doing?” He realized too late that they probably could not receive any message he sent.

  “Admiral, the Navy fleet is moving to engage enemy cruisers,” the tactical officer reported.

  “Order the fighters to finish clean up here. We don’t want any surprises at our back. We will move to support the fleet.”

  He kept his eyes on the display, “Elva, what the hell are you doing?” he muttered to himself.

  * * *

  …

  * * *

  The Tilly came to a shuddering halt, having ground several large freight containers into the deck, and sent a small shuttle careening across the bay to break on the far bulkhead. William looked over at Addy. The engineer’s face was fluctuating between horror at the damage to his ship and glee at the damage to the station.

  “Goddamn, Butcher, I thought the guys who flew my stunt course were nuts,” John chortled. “You cut the floor in half. I can see down three decks. You do know we have landing gear, right?”

  “Gawk later, move now, people!” shouted the Captain as she unbuckled her restraint harness. “Alex, you have the con. See that John gets inside safe.”

  William, Sarah, and Addy followed close behind the Captain, who was heading down to the hold in a full out sprint.

  “I’m driving,” the Captain shouted.

  “I’m the pilot,” William shouted back.

  “No, what you are is too slow,” Addy shot past all three, jumping over the stair rail to the first landing.

  “It’s not a joke,” William huffed trying to pour on more speed. “He really is crazy, isn’t he?”

  Sarah laughed like a madwoman at his left. They rocketed down the stairs in a scrum. It was miracle no one tripped or slipped in their sock feet.

  William saw Addy bolt into the EVA bay as he rounded the corner into the main hold. By the time the rest of them made it to Rover 2, he had the canopy up and was climbing into the driver’s seat. William heard the door to the hold slide shut behind him. The Captain did not bother to argue with Addy. She hopped in the front passenger seat.

  The rover was larger than a standard ground vehicle with big knobby tires and wheels on independent, robust suspension. The back half of the rover was a large open bed with plenty of tie down hooks and large toolbox snugged up against the cabin. The cabin itself seated four, two in front and two in back with storage behind the second row of seats. Instead of doors, the Rover had one large canopy that raised to expose the entire interior at once.

  “Looks like it’s the chump seats for us,” Sarah said, climbing into the back. William ran around the other side and joined her, pulling the canopy down with him. As soon as it clicked, Alex opened the EVA bay door and Addy gunned the rover into the shuttle bay. William pulled off his socks anticipating more running.

  William held the grab handle as the Rover skidded sideways on a tight turn and bounced off a towering container that was somehow still intact. The rover was made for rough environments, and Addy was mostly running over the debris from the crash. The contents of smashed containers were everywhere, and Addy seemed to think that going over was better than going around.

  “We’re going to have to get out of the Rover to get into the station,” William said loudly over the noise of crashing and flying debris.

  “In a vacuum?” shouted Sarah. “Are you mad? That’s suicidal!”

  He looked at her incredulously.

  “She’s right buddy, I was sure you were dead when she shot you out of the airlock,” John said over the com. “I was really torn. I wanted you go all popsicle, but I also wanted to escape.”

  “Not necessary,” said Addy. He rounded another obstacle sending William crashing into Sarah. As they cleared the last of the rubble Addy stopped the rover and aimed for what looked like an internal airlock “Right there,” he said and pointed acrost the remainder of the huge bay.

  “That door is closed, Addy!” exclaimed the Captain.

  “No worries, these internal doors aren’t rated for impact like the external ones. The rover is pretty tough.” With that reassurance, Addy stepped on the accelerator hard enough to spin out the tires for a second. As the wheels grabbed, the rover fishtailed briefly, straightened out, and accelerated, leaving behind a cloud of smoke.

  “Fuck, hold on,” yelled Sarah. The rover smashed into the door and, much to the passengers’ surprise, the door folded around the front of the rover and they broke through. William had a second to think that maybe he was getting too used to crashes when he realized Addy was speeding down a passageway, not slowing. The broken doors were still stuck on the front of the rover and they were almost blind, but Willian could see a little from the higher seat in the back. What he saw was not reassuring. In response to even more of the station being exposed to vacuum, another safety door was lowering.

  “We’re not going to make it” exclaimed William

  “Brakes! Brakes!” the Captain shouted, seeing a corner just ahead. In the end the officers were both correct. The safety door bisected the rover half a meter behind William and Sarah leaving the front half on two wheels to crash into the corner.

  William pushed up the canopy as soon as he was convinced they were still mobile dead. He was not going to stay in the vehicle with Addy one moment longer.

  “You are a crazy man,” he said staring at Addy.

  “When you do it, it’s ‘skill and training merging to form calculated risks made by professionals’ but when I do it it’s ‘crazy.’”

  “I have never said any such thing,” William blurted.

  “Gentlemen, again, it’s time to move,” interrupted the Captain

  William moved to the next inner door and smashed the button. Nothing happened, of course. The room wasn’t at full pressure yet.

  “Wait, if the inner doors aren’t as tough, how did that one cut the rover in half?” Sarah asked in a squeaky voice, looking shaken. Addy shrugged.

  “What’s the plan?” William said, his voice whispery in the thin atmosphere.

  “Mutiny,” said the Captain.

  “They can technically still hang people for that,” William said.

  “Not us,” she replied smiling. “We’re already dead.”

  The air pressure got high enough to allow for the override. William felt his hair rustle as the inner door opened and the Captain took off.

  * * *

  …

  * * *

  Administrator Perlin saw the Tilly cram into the shuttle bay on his display at the same time he felt it in his feet. “What on Earth are they doing? Get me the Admiral,” he said to his assistant.

  “The Navy comms officers are telling us to keep off the lines. They’re blocking our long-r
ange communications as well,” replied the assistant.

  Perlin got up from his desk. It was time to give the living a visit.

  * * *

  …

  * * *

  “There will be armed guards at the door of the communications hub,” William breathed out. He was not feeling particularly winded despite the sustained sprinting they were doing. The heavy breathing was a habit more than anything else. “What are we going to do? They’ll shoot us before we can get them with Addy’s stun pens.”

  “Stop thinking like the living, Butcher,” said the Captain. “The key isn’t how to over-power them. The key is not punching a hole through their chests or knocking their heads off.”

  Navy are trained for body shots, though William. As long as they don’t get us in the head, we can keep on going for some time. He knew from experience but still had a hard time reconciling his new status with that of the drones of Mirada.

  The Captain led them around another corner and hit a massive set of moving sidewalks and escalators. William realized they had passed into the living section of the station. They blew past groups of the living going about various tasks. Several were talking, looking worried. William caught snippets of conversation. “Was it the aliens?” “Were we attacked?” “Weapons malfunction?” Apparently, word of the Tilly’s landing had not reached the civilians yet.

  “Just a little farther,” said the Captain.

  They continued barreling down the hall. William had the little stun pen in his hand. Now that he was getting used to just what his body could do he pulled ahead. He was the youngest and had been in the best shape when he died. The corridor curved around gently and then he saw two figures stationed in front of the doors. They wore the arm bands of Navy military police. They had been warned either by someone in command or by the Tilly’s entrance. They already had their weapons out and were aiming at the oncoming reanimates.

  William pushed harder with his right foot zagging slightly to the left as the first shot rang out. He felt the bullet hit him in the shoulder as he barreled into guard full force. The blow knocked the wind out of his lungs but posed no immediate problem. He jammed the pen into the already stunned guard dropping him to the floor. Sarah executed a headlong leap, flying into the other guard.

  As William was picking himself up, the Captain and Addy pushed by, opening the door and entering the fleet headquarters. As she shot past, William realized absently that the Captain was still wearing her tight fuzzy alien pajama top. His focus readjusted to Sarah. Her smaller mass had evidently not winded the other guard as effectively as William had. She was struggling with him on the floor. She was stronger but in a bad position. William moved to help her and stopped when she full on bit the guard on the collar bone. He saw the red fluid bleeding through the guard’s uniform shirt. The man hollered and jerked. Sarah used the distraction to rear up and hit the guard with a thundering blow to the jaw. He went limp.

  William grabbed both guards’ guns and zip restraints, and jerked his head toward the door, indicating she should join the others while he restrained these. She got up smiling, a little blood smearing her mouth. Maybe I really am dead, he thought. This is weirder than any dream I’ve ever had. He did his best not to think about stories of flesh-eating undead as Sarah rushed into the door.

  * * *

  …

  * * *

  Administrator Perlin came around the corner to the Navy HQ and saw one of his reanimates attaching zip restraints to the hands of a couple of Navy guards. “Mr. Butcher, would you mind telling me exactly what is going on?”

  William started to speak and then shook his head, waving the administrator into the HQ.

  Inside Perlin saw several Navy personnel crumpled on the floor and a pair of them trying to restrain Captain Diaz who was shouting at the Admiral. William recognized the red-haired lieutenant commander in the pile of groaning officers.

  “You are committing a crime according to the code of uniform military justice. Those are civilian non-combatants.” Haruna and Clarke were prying the naval officers off the Captain as gently, but inexorably as their greater strength dictated.

  “There is no treaty with the Rannit,” spat back the Admiral.

  “It doesn’t matter,” William interrupted. “The rules of engagement apply to all non-combatants regardless of nation or status.” He remembered his academy training very well. Judging by the looks passing between some of the other Navy staff, so did they.

  “Captain, Admiral,” Perlin said moving forward. “Would someone care to enlighten me as to why the Mictecacihuatl is now lodged in one of the station shuttle bays, and her crew assaulting the Admiral’s staff?”

  “Administrator—” started Elva.

  “Get this mad slab out of my HQ, Perlin, before I have you all turned off.”

  Perlin turned his gaze directly on the Admiral, eyes narrowing. He turned back to Elva.

  “Captain Diaz, please explain,” he said.

  “The Rannit are attempting an evacuation. This is not an assault against us. They’re not trying to take the system. They just want their people back. The fighters were to keep our fleet engaged. The cruisers have all set themselves to a defensive screen while the transports are heading toward the surface. We tried to alert the Admiral—both Admirals—but she cut off our communications. The fleet is turning toward the cruisers and the transports. Now that Cerberus has taken out the fighters, the Rannit are not a threat. Attacking is a crime and will end any chance of peace.”

  “Is this correct, Admiral? Did you cut off communications to the Mictecacihuatl?” he asked, calmly all signs of the beleaguered bureaucrat in over his head gone.

  “The reanimate is spewing nonsense. I could not let these,” the Admiral waved at the crew of the Tilly, “slabs flood our communications channels and cause our people to hesitate. I have a war to win.”

  “Please open a channel to Admiral Bridger at Cerberus Fleet,” Perlin said, command in his tone.

  “No,” said the admiral, “this is my HQ. You do not give orders.”

  He quirked an eyebrow, “Perhaps, but this AfterLife property and equipment. You are here as a courtesy. Override protocol Perlin XJ4597Q. Hub comms VI, please put a channel through to Admiral Bridger on the Morrigan.” He paused, meeting the Admiral’s eyes his expression giving up nothing.

  * * *

  …

  Jason saw the message from Perlin. His ships were doing cleanup on the few remaining fighters while the Navy moved in on the line of Rannit cruisers. He was just about to order his fleet to reenforce the Navy’s when a call from Mirada Gateway Station popped up on his com.

  “This is Morrigan, actual,” Jason’s responded and waited a few seconds for the reply.

  “Admiral, Captain Diaz tells me she believes the Rannit attack is cover for an evacuation of their personnel on the surface. The fighters were to occupy the fleet while the cruisers screened the transports. What is your assessment of this assertion?”

  Jason looked over the battle map. He had been so focused on defending the naval vessels from the fighters he had not had a chance to look at the bigger picture. Of course, watching the Tilly bull its way into the station had also been distracting. Elva had been right to call out his lack of Flag Captain.

  After a moment to consider, Jason responded. “I agree with the Captain’s assessment. This looks like a rescue.”

  There was a pause for the few second delay.

  “What do you advise, Admiral?” Perlin asked.

  “Request that Admiral Shen withdraw to a defensive position and tell the colonists to get away from the detention areas. Let the Rannit have their people and let them leave.”

  A pause again.

  “And if, after they have their people, they decide to turn and fight?”

  “Then we’ll cut them apart,” Jason said.

  * * *

  …

  * * *

  “AfterLife does not command me, Perlin!” The growl in
the Admiral’s voice made William flinch involuntarily. “Get these corpses out of my HQ.”

  Perlin replied calmly “It is the estimation of my senior military advisors that the Rannit do not intend to retake the planet. They are moving to evacuate their people. I strongly recommend you take a defensive stance and wait. I am informing the colonists to clear the detention areas.”

  “You presume too much. We will defend our colonists! We have the Rannit right where we want them. I can finish this!”

  Elva ignored the Admiral, “We can secure the HQ,” she said to Perlin. “We’ll try not to damage any of them too badly.”

  “You dare.” The other woman hissed low. William had been looking around to see if any of the HQ staff had sidearms, but that did not seem to be the case.

  “Oh, I dare, Admiral,” the Captain said, turning back to her with steely eyes. “Just test me.”

  William saw four blips appear on the nearest console with a chart. He pulled the officer out of the chair and took the seat. “Captain, the Morrigan and the destroyers have jumped in between the Navy fleet and the Rannit screen and they are bows on with the Navy.”

  “Yes, Admiral,” Jason Bridger’s face filled the display, his grey eyes icy over his wild man beard. “We dare. We’re AfterLife. We don’t fear death.”

  In the moment of silence that followed William saw that all of the AfterLife ships had targeted the lead cruiser with rail guns.

  “This is a clear violation, Perlin. You cannot use your fleet against the lawful Earth Defenses Navy.”

  Administrator Perlin broke in with a sunny smile. “Admiral, you’ve been handed a golden opportunity. You can decide right here and now. Do you want to be the insightful commander who recognized this bold repatriation of Rannit citizens for what it is and wisely chose to forward the cause of diplomacy by allowing them to take their people peacefully?” The smile disappeared and a mask of iron fell over his face. “Or do you want to be the bloodthirsty war hawk who had to be put down?”