by Paul Rix
Delta's voice again interrupted his thoughts. "You realize I have two of your friends with me. The captain and her engineer. I will kill them now if you don't agree to my reasonable request."
"According to you, they're going to die, anyway."
"My original solution would have been swift and painless for everyone concerned. Would you rather hear them die slowly and in agony instead?"
"I wouldn't do that, Delta. I'll make absolutely sure you and your squad pay the price for any harm done to the crew."
Silence again. Delta was unlikely to have ever experienced defiance from anyone around her and was probably in the unusual position of seeking advice from her officers.
It gave Garrett precious few seconds to evaluate his situation. He knew the control room wasn't large. Along with Maxwell and Takahashi, there was limited room for heavily armed troops in there. It was safe to assume Delta had brought only a small team with her on her mission. After all, she had not expected any opposition. One soldier had taken the Trasks to Delta's docked ship, and Garrett had already eliminated three others. It was therefore unlikely she had more than four soldiers with her in the control room. Still not great odds, especially with highly trained soldiers who were younger and fitter than him and had better equipment.
Delta's voice rang out again. "I can make you extremely wealthy, Mr. Garrett. You could retire tomorrow. Any planet you choose. Surely you'd like to settle down after a long career."
"You don't know me very well. If I was interested in being rich, I wouldn't have chosen a career in the Marines or as a bounty hunter. There are some people you simply cannot buy."
Garrett turned at a sound from behind him. A repetitive hammering was enough to tell him someone was trying to get to him through the airlock. Delta must have somehow been able to communicate with her ship. He now realized too late that her conversation was merely a stalling tactic. Cursing once more, he knew it was time for a change of tactic.
Delta must have heard the sound too. "We have you trapped. Make this easy on yourself."
"Let me take the women and I will give you what you want."
"You know I cannot allow you to do that. They're evidence of the existence of this ship."
"So are the Trasks."
"I can control their exposure. Who's to say what you will allow Captain Maxwell to say or do out in the Stellar Cluster?"
"Who would believe them? You could easily deny any claims they make. If you destroy Britannic, then there would be no way they could support their stories. Just let them live. They deserve it for getting this far."
"You don't care for the rest of the crew."
"Yes, of course. But I cannot save all of them."
"I accept your offer. This could be the smartest decision you've ever made, Mr. Garrett."
Garrett sounded defeated as he replied, "You've given me little choice."
"Of course, I will want the SDMs you've taken from me."
"No, Garrett. Don't let her destroy Britannic. She's tell—" Captain Maxwell's shout was cut short by a loud slap.
The warning was too late. Garrett heard an order from behind. "Drop your weapon."
Without waiting to be asked a second time, he held his arms out to the side. Within seconds, he felt two pairs of hands grab him roughly, pushing him face first against the nearest wall. The steel wall was cold to the touch, but Garrett didn't notice as the soldiers ruthlessly checked him for weapons.
Chapter 38
The soldiers roughly forced Garrett into the control room, narrowly avoiding his head hitting the solid metal hatch. Delta's soldiers had been very thorough in their search, even finding the three small throwing knives hidden in the forearm of his artificial arm. Stripped down to his pants, it felt unnatural to be so defenseless.
Delta was waiting for him, briefly admiring his physique and battle scars. However, she had more important matters on her mind. "You've caused me far too many problems, Mr. Garrett. I have to admit, I seriously underestimated what a single Marine was capable of. What I cannot understand is why you would risk your life by defying me."
Purposefully, Garrett ignored her, instead looking across to the corner where Captain Maxwell and Takahashi were being guarded. "Are you okay?" he asked while making a mental note of everyone else in the control room. Delta D’Angelo, her commander, and two other soldiers. Plus one soldier remaining outside the hatch, keeping guard. Fewer than he’d dared hope.
"We were fine until they captured you," Maxwell replied with a touch of irony.
"Enough of the niceties," Delta snapped impatiently. "I've no time for joyful reunions. Tell me where my SDMs are."
Garrett raised his head to look directly at Delta, confidently holding her gaze. "That will not happen. You'll kill me as soon as I give you the information."
Delta floated closer so that she was mere centimeters from his face. "Absolutely. It will give me enormous pleasure to rid myself of you for all the aggravation you've put me through, you annoying little man."
He smiled but said nothing, infuriating her further.
"Your Grace, we found no SDMs on him or anywhere in the vicinity," said the soldier who had apprehended him.
"He must have left them in the reactor room." Delta pointed to the guard nearest the hatch. "You, go find them and finish the job that I sent Pascale to do."
As the soldier saluted and left, the commander patted a mobile storage device attached to the main console. "File transfer is now complete, Your Grace. We have all data collected since Britannic left Earth."
"Excellent work, Stone. Now we can think about leaving this wretched ship."
"Do you want me to dispose of these three?"
Garrett continued to stare at Delta with an assured smile. "I wouldn't do that if you want to recover all of your SDMs."
"You've told me you won't assist me. What is the point of keeping any of you alive any longer?"
As if to answer her question, a thunderous boom echoed along the corridor, causing the equipment to shudder and everyone's ears to pop.
Delta's eyes raged. "What the hell was that?"
"That sounds like a proximity grenade to me," Garrett replied. "I may have forgotten to mention I planted several of them. That's four of your soldiers by my reckoning."
"Jacobs was one of my finest!" Commander Stone almost caught Garrett unawares, flying toward him. Garrett saw the attack just in time to relax his body and cushion the impact. The pair of them slammed into a rack of equipment with the commander's arms wrapped around his torso. Garrett struck down hard onto Stone's back with his elbow and was about to strike again when a stinging blow from a rifle butt caught him across the mouth.
Garrett's vision blurred for several seconds as he fought to remain conscious. Shaking his head to recover, he angrily scowled at the soldier who had struck him, before doubling up in agony as Stone kicked him hard in the stomach.
"You really are tedious," Delta said.
"I wanted a fair fight," Garrett replied, wiping blood from his lips. Two of his front teeth felt loose but, other than a swollen lip, he thought he'd be okay. Looking around him, he added, "I think we're about there now."
"Commander Stone, take the sniveling girl with you to the reactor room. Keep her ahead of you." She looked daringly at Garrett. "Are there more surprises you'd like to share, or are you happy for your friend to act as a human shield?"
This was exactly the seed of doubt Garrett had wanted to plant. He'd had no time to set more booby traps, but Delta wasn't to know that. It wouldn't take long for her to see through his charade, but each additional second was an opportunity to improve his chances.
"Take her," he shrugged. "We're all as good as dead."
Takahashi let out a fearful sob as they forcibly dragged her from the corner. Maxwell stepped in the way to prevent her being taken but the muscular arms of the soldier easily pushed her to one side.
"Take me," Maxwell said. "There's no need to put Sakura through this. She's suffered enou
gh."
"Maybe you're right," said Delta. "The captain of the ship should be the one to face any dangers. It's very courageous of you when you know how reckless Garrett is with human lives." She looked at him for any flicker of emotion. "It seems he doesn't rate your life highly either. Are you sure he's on your side?"
"I believe he's doing what he thinks is for the best. If I have to die so that he saves the colonists, then so be it. My husband and children are dead after leading fulfilling lives. I hope my death will mean as much."
"Noble words," Delta scoffed. "Your trust in Mr. Garrett is misplaced. Your death will count for nothing. The traps he has set will only delay the inevitable for your precious colonists."
"Oz, please tell me I'm not sacrificing my life for nothing," Maxwell pleaded. "I have to know."
Dammit, Garrett thought. He hadn't planned to be put on the spot by the captain. "There are no guarantees, Lacey. But you shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself for that. Perhaps we have come as far as we can."
Delta's face brightened. "Does that mean you'll give me your assistance?"
"Yes, I will," said Garrett. "There are two more proximity charges. I'll deactivate them."
"Just like that?"
"No, let Maxwell and Takahashi return to their people in the chamber. If they're going to die, at least let them be with their own group. Do it and I'll cooperate." Garrett did his best to look defeated, which wasn't too difficult with a split lip. "What harm can they do?"
Delta looked at the two women and then at Stone. The commander seemed uncertain, but she knew she was running out of soldiers, and out of time. "Alright, but no more tricks, Garrett. Otherwise, I'll kill them before they reach their friends."
Garrett nodded slowly. "Agreed."
As Captain Maxwell passed Garrett, she unexpectedly gave him a hug, whispering. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"Trust me, this is the best solution for everyone. Tell Thompson I hope he received my message." He gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze and nodded for her to leave.
Maxwell frowned, confused by his cryptic response. When it was clear he would not elaborate further, she turned to help Takahashi, who flinched as the guard urged her to move.
Chapter 39
"No more games, Garrett," Delta said, collecting the storage device and placing it under her arm. "Stone, you and Finn take him and make sure you retrieve the SDMs. Kill him if he tries anything or refuses to assist. Meet me back on Scorpion." With that, she departed with her prize.
"Will you make this difficult for us?" Stone sneered as he moved in close enough to throw another punch into Garrett's sternum. "I despise old soldiers who don't know when to quit."
"I'm not keen on officers who blindly follow orders, but we all have our crosses to bear." Garrett noticed the other soldier was staying out of reach with his weapon covering Garrett's every move. Both he and the commander knew exactly what they were doing.
As they pushed Garrett into the core, he discreetly turned his head to see Maxwell and Takahashi were already several hundred meters along the corridor. He thought he saw a brief movement further ahead, though he couldn't be sure. He didn't want to draw attention to where he was looking.
As slowly as possible, he eased himself toward the reactor room. He was acutely aware of how close behind Stone and his deputy were as they urged him forward. Perhaps their haste to complete the task would lead to a mistake he could exploit. He had at least been able to split Delta's forces further. If he could overpower these two, then the odds suddenly switched in his favor. But, semi-naked and unarmed, that was still going to be a tall order.
"Aren't you the least bit interested in the contents of this ship, commander? It's a time capsule with perfectly preserved relics from our past."
Stone grunted. "I will not debate the president's orders with you, old man. I'm sure she has perfectly good reasons."
"And if not?"
"You were a gunnery sergeant. A good one, so I read. You know the chain of command. You follow orders without considering if they're right or not. Don't tell me you've never questioned orders but followed them because that's what someone trained you to do."
"Yes, I have followed orders I knew were wrong," Garrett admitted. "And they often ended up getting my soldiers killed. Generals or presidents aren't infallible and make mistakes."
"Maybe so. But you will not convince me to break my oath to the president. To be honest, I'm not that big a fan of history, so I have no issue at all with what we're doing.."
"You've carried out the president's dirty work before?"
The commander's silence was all the answer Garrett needed.
The hatch to the reactor room was fast approaching with the remains of the unfortunate Jacobs floating near the opposite wall. As he drew closer, Garrett could see he must have been directly in front of the grenade when it exploded. Something had completely ripped his face off and his intestines were dangling through a large hole in the front of the man's armor. Portions of skin and bone drifted away from the corpse, completing the macabre image.
"Good God, Garret. You made a real mess of Jacobs. He was a superb soldier and was with me for ten years."
"It looks as if his luck ran out."
"As has yours. Now open the hatch." Stone and his deputy stopped four meters away as Garrett keyed in the code for the hatch.
The hatch slid open, and all too late, Stone realized he'd made a terrible mistake as Garrett quickly floated in and closed the hatch behind him.
This was the opportunity Garrett had waited for. He needed just a few seconds head start to find the blaster from the first soldier he'd killed. If he had a weapon, he had a chance. The corpse was where he'd left it, wedged between two crates. A handgun was attached to its waistband. Garrett was disappointed to discover it was only a projectile weapon. Far less effective than the high-powered photonic weapons carried by his opponents.
It would have to do.
The SDM was still hidden behind the corpse, and Garrett saved time by keeping it hidden among the crates. He saw the hatch opening and knew he needed to find a position he could defend.
As a distraction, Garrett launched the corpse toward the hatch. His action had the desired effect with the corpse immediately wrapped in photon energy blasts from Stone and his comrade. Above the hum of the reactor, Garrett heard Stone cry out in rage at the realization he had been shooting at one of his own soldiers.
Garrett knew the danger now was that Stone could accidentally disrupt the magnetic containment field. A sustained blast from the photonic rifle could be enough to cause a failure. Even a thirty-millisecond failure of the field would send molten plasma cascading around the room. He hoped Stone had a sound understanding of what could occur, although evidence that the commander had any intelligence was far from conclusive.
"You're only delaying the inevitable, Garrett." There was no denying the anger in Stone's voice.
"Are you prepared to kill us all? Including your boss?" Garrett was standing behind the reactor, staring through the containment field. Despite the bright blue lightning arcs of electrical energy pulsating within, he could discern the shapes of the two men stalking him in the control room.
He saw Stone talk briefly to his deputy, who quickly disappeared from sight. Probably in search of the elusive SDMs.
What Garrett didn't expect was for Stone to use his own projectile weapon to fire two shots at the side wall. The bullets ricocheted off the thick steel with a thunderous crack and passed close by Garrett's head. Reflexively, he ducked down and prepared to return fire. But the shots were a decoy, distracting Garrett long enough for Stone's partner to charge from the opposite side of the room and, flying through the air, he caught Garrett by surprise.
Garrett was in the wrong position to defend himself. His weapon was pointed away from his attacker who had his pistol pointing directly toward him. The best Garrett could manage was to put his arm up, but he knew it was a futile gesture. He felt the projectile
crash through his arm and into his side, just below the rib cage. The impact forced him into the rear wall, which his head hit hard enough to send the room black. His last thought was that he had failed.
Chapter 40
Captain Maxwell stopped the cart as she spotted Major Thompson leading a large band of guards along the central core. She and Takahashi had traveled only halfway to chamber five.
"Am I glad to see you," she called out softly when they were close enough.
Thompson stopped next to her and held up a hand to signal to his guards. Those at the front pressed onto the walls of the core with their hands to reduce their momentum, but those following behind bumped into them. The sound of armored soldiers gently bouncing off each other reverberated along the corridor.
Maxwell, fearing that the noise had revealed their presence, looked over her shoulder. Half expecting to see blaster fire raining down on them, she was relieved to see that none of Delta's soldiers had remained outside the control room.
"What's the situation?" asked Thompson as he scowled at his troops.
Maxwell briefly explained what she'd seen and heard, while O'Brien forced his way through the throng of guards to check on Takahashi. She spotted him and smiled.
"I don't know what Garrett has planned. But he said he had sent you a message. Do you know what that means?"
Maxwell stared in astonishment as Thompson held up a plasma rifle. "I think he means this," he said. "It arrived along with two dead soldiers. We have their blasters as well. I assumed they were gifts from Garrett."
"That's four of the soldiers he's killed. I'm glad he's on our side."