The Battle For Cyclops: A Xander Cain Novel

by P W Hillard

  ***

  The station awoke from its slumber, power flowing from the Sunchaser into its reactors. The energy allowed them to spark to life, the neutrite within providing vast power in moments. It flowed through the conduits of the station like blood pumping through veins and arteries.

  Along its half-built hull, round turrets swivelled, their glass lenses staring at the jump ship. It had fired its engines, slowly starting to move forward. It wouldn’t be enough, the power flowing to its engines insufficient to escape what was coming next. Thrusters flared across its surface as it tried to twist and turn, a desperate attempt at evasion.

  Within the station, a hand eagerly pressed a button. The command flowed through computer networks to the turrets, the waiting weapons eagerly locking onto the fleeing jump ship. They drew hungrily from the newly started reactors, drinking deep of the destructive power. In unison, they fired, beams of chaotic energy lancing out through space. Raw power focused into deadly rays.

  All along the jump ship, the weapons hit home. Each laser was an impressive weapon, the station designed to engage a warship if needed. Metal melted under the fury, the weapons pressing deep into the structure of the jump ship, cutting through decks as they continued their path. An explosion rocked its side, a silent ball of fire quickly vanishing into the void. Another followed, the engines spluttering out moments later.

  The jump ship returned fire, a token effort to protest its demise. The shot struck the station, slowly melting through the hull and destroying a section of outer deck, but it didn’t matter, the laser quickly failing as it was robbed of power.

  The destruction of a starship was rarely the dramatic explosion that webcasts depicted. In truth, a starship was a fragile thing, a collection of staggeringly complex systems easily broken once the outer armour was breached. Without power, the jump ship was doomed. It had sealed its fate when it tried to escape, its forward momentum carrying it towards Cyclops below. With no way of slowing itself the ship would crash into the atmosphere, burning up as it fell to the surface.

  The lasers changed their targets, an expert hand guiding them. The jump ship began to break apart, the struts connecting the spinning rigs severed, the already weakened sections of hull cut clean through. It was being dissected, broken into smaller parts to lessen the impact on the planet below.

  The barrage finally stopped, the capital ship grade lasers reaching the limits of their tolerance. It was enough, the station getting vengeance against those who had attacked it once before.

  Job advert posted to Hades's web prior to Black Rose invasion.

  Looking to shake things up? Need excitement in your life? Are you a qualified electrician with an orbital operations certificate? Then In-Orbit Construction needs you.

  We’re looking to recruit electricians to work on a series of brand new stations commissioned by the Mercenaries’ Guild. The ideal applicants will be able to work alone, or in a team, and able to meet strict deadlines in a timely manner. In-Orbit Construction is willing to hire new graduates, provided they have at least five years of experience. Candidates should be able to provide six references or failing that be willing to complete an examination and training course at their own cost.

  Pay is 20,000 credits per year, OTE, with opportunity for progression. The minimum contracted period is five years. Applications can be sent through the hyperlink below.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Xander stared at the wiring, his eyes following the twisting cables as they snaked from one side of the open panel to the next. He had no idea what he was looking at. The inside of a mech he could work with, he had spent decades of his life learning the ins and outs of them. An electronic lock was beyond Xander through sheer unfamiliarity.

  “Ok,” Matthias said. “Sever the green wire.”

  Xander did as the AI instructed, reaching into the panel and cutting the wire with his combat knife. Whilst he knew nothing about locks, Xander knew that green meant earth. He was suddenly worried about what Matthias had planned.

  “Next, cut the red, then blue. In that order.”

  Xander grumbled under his breath. He realised where this was going. He would have shouted at Matthias if he were alone. Instead, he stayed quiet, not wanting to give Atticus the impression he was mad. Xander did realise that if anyone was going to understand having something thrust into your head without you asking, it was likely his companion. He barely trusted Atticus with the weapon Xander had given him. Terrible secrets could wait.

  “Ok, now place the exposed blue wire against the red.”

  Gripping the wires in his fingers, Xander pressed them together, turning his head away from the sparks he knew could shoot out. The AI had been sure it could open the doors, though in truth all it had done was cause a short. Regardless of its methods, it worked, the door unlocking with a loud clank.

  The door creaked open as Xander pulled on its handle. Huddled faces stared up at him, cowering before the shadow in the doorway. They looked cold, shivering as they clung to each other for warmth. The four people before him were all that was left of the crew Xander had been sent to save. The other cells had been empty, a quick peek through the windows enough to reveal their contents. It had taken Xander the best part of twenty minutes to sort through them all.

  “Hey, hey it’s ok. The guild sent me to get you. You’re getting out of here.”

  The eyes of the former prisoners moved from Xander to Atticus, scowls creeping across their faces.

  “You're with them,” one of the captives said. “You're trying to torment us now? Was turning us into those things, not enough?”

  “No, I’m ok. I’m not one of them. Xander saved me before they could…change me,” Atticus said. “Come on, you know me, you’ve seen me patrolling the station. Hell, you might have even come to one of my poker games in the mess at some point. Do the changed remember these things? Do they talk about them like I do?”

  The four prisoners murmured amongst themselves for a moment. One of them spoke up, a different prisoner than before. “We’ve been here so long. We’re sorry, it’s…been hard. There were so many of us at first. Then they took us away, one by one. Sometimes those they had taken would return but…different. Their heads full of those things, their skin deathly white. They wouldn’t remember us. It was like something had hallowed them out and poured in some robot into the shell.”

  “Well, you’re safe from that now.” Xander offered his hand to the nearest prisoner. “Can you stand?”

  “We can walk,” the first prisoner said. “We’re cold and hungry, but none of us are injured.” The other prisoners nodded in agreement. “You have a way out of here?”

  “Hopefully. Depends on if my friends have done their jobs properly.” Xander’s comments just drew worried looks. “Sorry, bad time to joke. The other mercs in my company were holding the line last I heard, and if I’m right probably got tired of waiting and started working on taking the base.”

  “He knows what he’s doing,” Atticus added.

  Xander put his fingers to the side of his helmet, activating its radio. “Meg, can you read me?”

  “Barely, the signal is shit. Where are you?”

  “I’ve found the remnants of the crew, along with a whole bunch of weird shit I’ll explain later. How are things your end?”

  “This warehouse is secure. Well, secure-ish. No one has tried to kill me for a while. Your suit looks fine, I've been keeping an eye on it,” Meg said. “Have you heard from the others?”

  “Y'all could just ask.” Another voice crept into the radio line, the words distorted by the concrete and ice. It was barely audible. “We're fine up here,” Candice said. “Had a little trouble with a real fancy mechsuit, but we dealt with it. Launch bay and mech hanger are secure.”

  “What are you even doing on the ground?” Xander said. He craned his head to one side as if that would somehow make the signal clearer.

  “Looking ravishing as always. Besides the two kids needed to find a new w
ay in. I’m told you trashed the main entrance.”

  “Not by choice. Ok, we’re coming to you, stay put for now.”

  “Ain't got much choice, either way, sugar. The Summer Breeze took a knock getting in. Nothing major but I need to lock it down before she can take off again. We should be good to go in an hour or two.”

  Xander nodded an instinctive response despite knowing Candice couldn't see him. “Rodger that. Meg, we'll meet you as soon as possible, hang tight.”

  “Not going anywhere,” Meg said. “Nice to have a bit of a break, really.”

  ***

  The brothers guarding the rocket looked at each other, unsure how to interpret the orders of the overseer sitting within. They had ordered the emergency rocket to launch, but that would mean consigning any overseers remaining within the base to capture, or worse. The commands wired into the brains of the Black Rose soldiers had two primary directives held higher above all others. Follow the orders of the overseers without question and ensure the survival of the overseers at all costs. Currently, these two instructions were fighting for dominance within their minds.

  “I said launch the rocket!” The overseer had the helmet of their space suit open, the straps of the chair locked into place. “Did you not hear me?”

  “But overseer, the others within the base…” The soldier's voice faltered, the words battling against his programming to break free.

  “The others within this base would be here by now if they survived. This facility has fallen. It’s foolish to think otherwise.

  “We can’t know that for sure,” said the second soldier.

  “Follow my orders as you’re built to do!” The overseer’s face turned a bright shade of red as he screamed at the soldiers. “Stupid things,” he muttered, catching his breath. “No better than automatons.”

  The presence of the raging overseer tipped over the battle going on in their minds. One of the brothers stepped forward, closing the door on the rocket. It sealed automatically, entombing the overseer inside. They stepped away from the doorway, walking the short walkway to the stairs that ran around the outside of the cylindrical chamber.

  At the top of the staircase was the launch control room, a chamber of heat resistant glass designed to take the massive power of the rocket. The entire system was a last resort, intended to only be used in the exact scenario the Black Rose forces found themselves in. They didn't have long to launch, the jump ship would be arriving any moment, and without access to the rest of the base had no idea if it would be able to stand against the enemy vessel. In truth, it was a lost cause, the shattered fragments of jump ship having already begun their long fall to the planet below.

  The room itself was sparse, featuring only the control panel for the rocket ahead. There was no seating and only a single strip halogen bulb to provide light. The men closed the door behind them as they entered, a heavy metal thing that creaked as it closed. A hiss escaped from it as it sealed the room against the searing exhaust about to fill the launch bay.

  Lights flickered across the console, the panel springing to life as the Black Rose soldiers activated it. The system was automated, the complex launch mathematics beyond the knowledge implanted in their minds. Graphs trailed across a small screen as the computer adjusted a thousand different parameters.

  “Are we ready or what?” said the overseer, the radio within the rocket connecting to the control room automatically. “Get a move on!”

  “Working on it, overseer.” The lights on the console began to ripple as they changed from red to green. “Launch is being calculated now.”

  The room shuddered as the great doors at the top of the launch shaft began to open, shards of ice cascading into the room. Some bounced off the side of the rocket, whilst overs struck the glass of the control chamber, cracking it. Warning icons dancing across the screen advising to abort the launch. The Black Rose soldiers paid them no heed, the overseers orders overriding any common sense.

  The rock began to rumble as the launch sequence began, incredible pressure building up inside. It exploded out with deadly force, the rocket shrieking upwards into the sky. The superheated exhaust washed over the launch chamber, touching every surface with searing gas and flame. The window to the control chamber shattered, its strength robbed by the ice. The soldiers inside were shredded by the wall of fragments, their pain mercifully ended a moment later as they were incinerated instantly.

  ***

  The bridge of the Sunchaser began to blare with an alarm, warnings flashing across a dozen different consoles

  “Sir, something is coming up from the surface. It seems to be…a rocket?”

  Sergei wasn’t sure what he should do yet. Mikal and his team hadn’t come back from the station, taking the time to break up the destroyed enemy jump ship. This seemed important, a major decision falling into his lap.

  “Is it a missile?” he said. It seemed the most obvious question.

  “No sir. It's too big and too slow for a surface to space missile. My guess would be that it's an emergency orbiter. They get used when dropships are out of the question. One way ticket into space in a pinch.” The crewman nearest Sergei had turned around in his chair, his boots clomping as the magnets stuck. “Projected trajectory puts it in a high orbit around cyclops.”

  “Looking to meet up with their jump ship I would imagine.” Sergei didn’t know if he sounded like he knew what he was doing. It might have been stating the obvious, but at least it looked like he knew something.

  “Do you want me to plot a firing solution, sir?” said the crew woman working the weapons controls. “The laser is ready to fire.”

  Sergei put his hands together, leaning forward in an attempt to look like he was thinking. In reality, he didn't see much other option. He considered what Mikal would do. The former pirate never seemed to do what was expected of him, going out of his way to act against the grain. It had been thinking like that which had made the station plan possible. A thought began to dawn on Sergei.

  “Can we match its projected orbit?” he asked. Orbital mechanics was well beyond him. Adding financial figures, he could do, but physics was never his strong suit.

  “Yes, sir. But it’s not necessary, I can hit it from here.”

  “No, I mean I want us to match its orbit so we can bring it onboard. If someone is desperate enough to take the emergency rocket up here, that probably means they don’t want to be captured right? As with the jump ship out of commission, looks like we’re they’re only chance.”

  “Ah, yeah. We can do that,” the crew woman said. She nodded to her colleague at the helm, who began to input commands.”

  “Good. I think the guild might be quite pleased to have someone they can parade around. Might even pay us enough we can give out a bonus,” Sergei said, a cascade of cheers echoing around the bridge.

  Chapter Thirty

  The Sunchaser began its delicate dance, engine pulses and thruster bursts adjusting its position in orbit. Within the ship, complex mathematics bounced across screens, the figures checked and rechecked by those on board. A single number out of place was the biggest killer in space. Physics took no prisoners. Projected orbits spun on the main viewscreen as the Sunchaser moved through space.

  What Sergei had asked for sounded like a simple thing, but nothing was easy when it came to operating in the cold uncaring vacuum of space. The Sunchaser needed to line up its open hangar bay with the tip of the rocket, the rest of the craft discarded as it rose through the atmosphere. It was still travelling at incredible speed and the Sunchaser needed to cancel it out through its own acceleration.

  The crew of the Sunchaser might have been a motley crew of former pirates, but they had decades of experience between them. Scooping up the tip of a rocket wasn't something most crews would risk but snatching things from space was a pirate's job. With masterful grace the Sunchaser moved into the path of the emergency rocket, twisting about so that the bay doors faced the Black Rose craft.

  With a gentle
flash of thrusters, the Sunchaser slowed itself, just slightly. The two spaceships drifted gently together like star-crossed lovers, the rockets pods vanishing within the bigger ship. A second burst of thrusters brought the two into the same orbit, the remnants of the rocket stationary relative to the Sunchaser.

  The hangar bay was filled with crew, their spacesuits on, their weapons drawn. They had every advantage, anyone within the rocket's pod would need to exit through its single small door. As the bay doors shut, the crew edged closer, the footsteps silent at first but growing louder as the bay filled with air. The pod was unmoving, its door still sealed. Magnetic clamps were wheeled into place, their chains attached to the side of the small craft as they sealed to the floor. Still nothing.

  The pod sat there, locked in place, unmoving, until Sergei arrived. He knew that it was possibly dangerous, a firefight waiting to break out, but he was the captain. At least until they picked Mikal up from the station. Sergei felt like he needed to be here, leading by example as Mikal had. The crew had nodded at him as he had approached the bay, appreciative of the gesture. One of them had passed Sergei a weapon, and he had taken it. He was glad he was wearing a spacesuit, his shaking from nerves might have sullied the point of him being there.

  “What should we do, sir?”

  It took Sergei a moment to realise the crewman was asking the question to him. “Can we open it?”

  “Yes, sir. This is the pod from an emergency rocket. It's designed to be opened from the outside. There's always a chance the passengers could be incapacitated.”

  “Right, well, if they aren't going to come out, we should go in,” Sergei said. He knew that potentially he was ordering the men under his command into danger. It didn't feel right, but he realised it would always be a risk. Every decision he made as part of the Paladins, even financial ones, could have dire ramifications. That was something Sergei would need to learn to live with. “Open it up.”