by V Guy
“The removal request was a last-minute alteration.” The third man straightened, tinkered with the device’s controls, and watched as the three devices surrounded Serena. He winked and grinned. “Three-dimensional projection for best effect. Go ahead, Nils.”
Nils straightened with the activation of the devices and began speaking, deepening his tone to sound menacing. Midway through his delivery, his voice became tiny, and for a moment, his body was blurred, as if he were stretched. He then disappeared. The other two men paused in disbelief, looking at each other for confirmation.
Nelson sprang to his feet, backed away from Serena, and drew his weapon. “What the—” His body blurred aft and disappeared. The final man staggered in confusion then belatedly leveled his weapon at Serena. His frame shifted, and he was gone before the weapon could be discharged.
***
Malik’s law-enforcement conferences spanned numerous private locations around the spaceport. Thursday morning’s session was located at a secluded campsite along the banks of the Rachart river, where he and a capital investigator conversed softly across a weather-beaten picnic table. Malik paused mid explanation, turning and tilting his head.
“What is it?” asked the investigator.
Malik hesitated while he sent a message to the ship. His colors muted as he concentrated. “A friend has become ill.”
The other man immediately straightened. “Where?”
“Off planet.”
“We’re in the middle of nowhere and you ran to get here. What can you possibly do?”
“Get a ride,” said Malik. He paced impatiently around the nearby fire pit. “But I may lack the time.”
“Time for what?”
“To do something, Jonas. Inform your boss that I’ll be unavailable tomorrow. If you don’t wish to be a witness to what follows, I suggest you leave.”
Jonas glanced at his hoverbike parked at the edge of the clearing; he peered worriedly back. “Witness to what?”
Malik growled in frustration. “Never mind. They’re beyond your jurisdiction, and I’m out of time.” After another anxious look toward the sky, a crimson flush of angry color washed over him, followed by a steel-gray as he settled to the ground, closed his eyes, and concentrated. His body stilled.
His sense expanded outward, following the thin tendril of distress that was Serena Rose. Her passenger liner, Channel Surfer, was scheduled to drop soon, which meant the ship was far beyond his normal reach. His right foreclaw turned upward in an open grasp; within its bounds he produced a sphere of shielded space. Within that space, the marble-sized glow of a breach appeared. As he had done at Salient during module tests, Malik let his mind enter the substrate. Unlike Salient, he instead let his vision look back up. His sense provided the vector. His will pressed it forward.
Channel Surfer was precisely where it should be, on schedule and on course. Malik cautiously dipped his sensory perception into the breach to listen. His body chilled, his mind trembled, and his effort was a success; he had found Serena. Three other men were with her. He contacted her quarters then formed a mental image of the room through the shortcut of the breach, as he had done locally with the facility at Dakota. Investing more of himself into the effort, he reached toward one of the men standing over his owner, touched, patterned, and established the man’s substance, then pulled.
It was a deliberate reversal of what he did with Boris’s explosives and resembled his removal of the nanobot nodes. His grip strengthened, the transit accelerated, and half a second after contact, the man was standing before them. Malik mentally touched him to make him sleep.
His mind slid forth again to touch the second man, and he grunted with the effort to complete the transfer. The man stumbled, looked uncomprehendingly around, then fell unconscious. The final man followed the path of the earlier two. A shot rang from the man’s weapon, shattering the morning peace even as the shooter collapsed. Malik broke the connection to rest and gather himself. Scars colored his sides with black.
“What just happened?” asked the shocked investigator.
Malik scowled. “There’s bound to be others. Three is an atypical squad. These men likely entered the vessel after the passengers and crew.” After a moment to catch his breath, he closed his eyes and reopened the breach.
A few minutes later, two additional men appeared in quick succession to drop unconscious before them. Malik stood, stretched, and groaned. A thin sheen of frost melted from his body. “I think that’s all of them. A short-range shuttle was docked to the liner’s spine.”
Jonas was frozen, his mouth wide and his eyes saucers, and he pointed at the attackers in utter disbelief. “What just happened?”
“I brought Serena’s attackers here.” Malik divested the men of their weapons and gear.
“You said they were off planet.”
Malik made a snort. “They were.” After he separated the attackers from their belongings, he straightened.
“How’d you do that?” asked Jonas, breaking from his paralysis to observe closely. “That isn’t possible.”
“Then you’ve witnessed a miracle. It’s a secret, and your department can’t keep them.”
Jonas mulled the insult as he considered the men. “What now?”
“Do you have a skull interface?”
The man shook his head; Malik released a sigh of impatience. “Then we wait.”
The whine of repulser lifts and reactor thrusts directly preceded the sudden appearance from cloak and landing of the Rumbler ten minutes later. Evelyn sprang from the left passenger door to retrieve her pack from the storage compartment, while three well-armed commandos stepped free from the craft’s other exits.
Jonas backed away as he contemplated the new arrivals, his disbelief again checking his response.
“I need them evaluated for suicide devices or pills,” said Malik to his crew. “Did you bring the interface? There are a number of devices that need to be cracked and copied, five men that need to be identified, and gear that needs to be recovered.”
Evelyn hustled forward with the requested scanners. “The ship is being prepped for departure. Are there more?” She bent to tend to the first man.
Malik scanned the area. “No, but there’s something else. I can feel it.”
Borislav submitted the interface, Bomani moved immediately to the stacked devices, and Li took a cautionary look at Jonas. He elevated his rifle closer to the level.
“He’s the investigator,” said Malik, redirecting Li’s attention. “Sever fingers or extract chips as necessary but ensure they live. We need those devices unlocked and evaluated.”
“Why not bring her, too?”
“She’s out of peril, but I sense something bigger afoot…something beyond her.”
When Evelyn had finished checking and removing the offending articles from a man, Malik would awaken and interrogate him. The commandos advanced through the unconscious bodies, first restraining, then matching them to their devices to gain access. After Evelyn had finished her side of the task, she moved directly to establishing their identities.
Li extracted himself from the work and collected the captured weapons.
“You can’t take those,” said Jonas, regaining his voice. “There are laws about this.”
“We can’t leave them, either,” said Malik, his attention focused on interrogation. He withdrew from the connection and scowled. “We also can’t wait six weeks for Evaline Investigative to discover who owns them. Six sets of explosives have been installed aboard Channel Surfer.”
“Isn’t that a bit redundant?” asked Evelyn. She moved from her person to the last man. “How badly did they want her dead?”
“These may be two overlapping jobs. These men didn’t know.”
“How long do we have? Do you have locations? Can you just bring them here, like you did these guys?”
He shook his head. “By these men’s memories, they’re integrated into the ship and can’t be pulled. I do however, have l
ocations and a deadline. We have thirty-five minutes.”
“It’s set to happen at the drop,” said Bomani. He removed a device from his pack and synced it with a captured one. “It will look like an accident. You should pull Serena now. Why didn’t you retrieve her first?”
“I wasn’t certain it’d work.”
Jonas’s astonishment turned to dismay, and he grabbed his device. “Someone should be told.”
“Those charges were set for advance, remote activation,” said Malik, frowning as he moved to the next man. “Plus, passenger liners don’t typically keep bomb disposal experts on payroll. I have three.”
“But they aren’t up there.”
Malik scowled as he awakened his target and activated the applied interface. “One problem at a time, Jonas.”
The crew completed their tasks and were waiting when Malik’s mind withdrew from his final interrogation. His subject fell into unconsciousness.
“They’re under orders from a commander on the vessel Schlange, twenty minutes behind the liner,” he said. “These men are hired guns from Fifty-Second Security doing their jobs; they weren’t aware of the contractor. Also, being a licensed escort, Schlange is armed and lethal. If the explosives fail, those in charge may consider live fire an option.”
Evelyn’s countenance fell. “There’s no way we arrive in time to disarm them.”
Malik pondered the attackers, approached the closest man, then propped him on the picnic table. After a moment of thought, Malik closed his eyes, focused, and formed a shielded breach in his claws. The unconscious mercenary blurred toward the sky then disappeared.
“It worked,” said Evelyn, her eyes brightening.
Malik shook his head. “He was obliterated within the substrate—I failed to establish a destination anchor. It was unnecessary for their capture.”
The second experiment looked like the first, and Malik stepped back, frowning. “My transmission vector lost cohesion over the distance, most likely because of the sun and the planet’s gravity. He was atomized before arrival.”
A curse and growl of disgust followed the third experiment. “Velocity issues. The ship, planetary rotation, and the momentum through the breach all interfered. That guy was splattered throughout that small shuttle.”
Malik growled after the fourth try. “He arrived dead, but I believe I know why. It’s astonishing the jumpers do this as easily as they do.”
He was smiling after the final man’s transmission. “He’s alive. Well, he was when he arrived.” A freshly extracted, bloody, human heart rested in his claws; he tossed it toward the water. “Gentlemen? Ready to be heroes?”
Bomani straightened and nodded. He moved to the Rumbler’s storage compartment and removed a duffle. “I figured Serena would need an escort, and I’m willing to be the one.”
“She needs two,” said Borislav, chiming in. “He’ll occasionally need to sleep.” He brought his gear and placed it beside Bomani’s. “We should hurry. New identities are established, fresh histories are in place, and we’re ready to go.”
“You should be certain,” said Malik, frowning. “Sending people is much harder than bringing them.”
“Maybe,” said Bomani. “But we have lives to save.”
Malik transferred the information they would need to their devices and was more deliberate with his next efforts, working through fatigue to transfer their bags to a secure area to test the technique. He glanced at Bomani, who nodded, then stationed himself to make the transfer. Malik took time to prepare, but once he acted, only a blur passed before the man was on the liner. Borislav approached, smiled, gave Malik a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and stood aside. He was on Channel Surfer shortly thereafter.
Li advanced. “Send me. I won’t remain with Serena, but they’ll need my help. Bring me back when we’re done.”
Malik nodded then transitioned him. When the transfer to the other ship was confirmed, he opened his eyes. “Let’s get to Pathfinder. We must depart.”
“What? Wait,” said Jonas, hurrying forward. “What do I need to do? I can make some calls.”
Malik pondered the man, all he had seen, and the consequences that could follow. The investigator was a decent man, but that was insufficient for these days. “You forget.”
Jonas scowled. “Are you kidding? I can’t just forget this! Your hovercraft cloaks, you brought men from the system’s edge, you interrogated and killed them, there are bombs on the liner, there’s a mercenary vessel in—”
He crumpled to the ground. Malik placed an interface on the unconscious man’s head. “Forgetting is easy.”
41: Diffuse
Day 802: Pathfinder; Schlange; Channel Surfer
The Rumbler rose briskly, disappearing under cloak, and turned toward Porter Field, increasing in altitude to meet approaching Pathfinder. The craft entered, appearing in the newly brightened passage while Malik was inside the hatch, having hung on to the craft’s roof during the trip and leaped to the ship’s sensor pod.
Evelyn stepped from the Rumbler with a data pad, saw his determined expression, and made a half smile. “I’ll put this to bed.”
He shook his head. “Assemble three equipment packs, pronto. This can wait.” He moved immediately to the bridge. James, Violet, Jenna, and Nina were present.
Malik momentarily paused as he considered the arrangement. “Make a ten-second skate toward the Taipei channel as soon as we’re clear of atmosphere.”
“Is Serena okay?” asked James, directing Pathfinder skyward.
“For now. There are additional hurdles before us.”
James glanced around the bridge, hoping for more experienced help. “Where are the other guys?”
Malik made a humored snort. “They’re on Channel Surfer.”
James looked at him in confusion; he returned his attention to the console. “We’ll be clear in twenty seconds. Entering a course for in-system skate.”
“Copy that.” Malik’s attention was fully immersed in the navigational console.
“Clear,” said James after a period of silence. “Course plotted. Dropping now.” Ten seconds passed. “We’ve surfaced. Where to now?”
All attention was now on Malik. He straightened and reviewed the changes. “James, I have primary control. Please move to the sensors and evaluate a second destination.”
Jenna and Nina rose from the console to let James sit. “Your course is clear.”
Malik studied his settings a moment longer. “Dropping.”
The exterior fire was significantly atypically chaotic for a skate, and James looked at him in wonder. “What are we doing? This isn’t a course for the channel.”
“No. It’s a course for clear space. We’re skating deeper than usual, which means potential turbulence and violent exits. Nearby spacecraft could be disabled.”
James eyes widened when he saw their destination. “I suppose you’ll need another course cleared.”
“Absolutely. It should be at your console. Record accurate turbulence data from the next surfacing.”
The women moved to communications terminals to observe and softly chat, but there was otherwise a subdued atmosphere on the bridge. The ship was noticeably rocked when the ship surfaced at their first waypoint, the cloak momentarily powering down before reengaging. Malik entered a new course as James set his attention to mapping. A display appeared to show related ship’s systems.
“We were violently ejected,” said Malik, plotting a new course. “How’s it looking, James?”
“Generating a profile. Turbulence is slowly settling. On a side note, your course looks good.”
Evelyn breathlessly entered the bridge and dropped three packs to the floor. “They’re ready.”
She moved aside as Malik left his console and approached. “Excellent.” His focus narrowed, his upturned claw lit with a shield and a breach, and one pack blurred and disappeared. After a few moments of resetting himself, the process was repeated for the second pack. The third pack qui
ckly followed the second.
“Evelyn, get suited. James, I need a mark for departure.” He glanced at the display. “Pathfinder seems none the worse for wear.”
“Mark,” said James, making a curious glance at Evelyn before she stepped out.
“Dropping,” said Malik, his mind firmly set on the task. “I see your preliminary data. Evaluate another course.”
James sighed. “Back to the plane. We’ll be in the vicinity of numerous ships, and that last surfacing left us temporarily visible. Are we certain we should risk exposure?”
Malik paused in thought; he made a crooked smile. “A new destination has been delivered.”
“Roger that.”
The next surfacing was similarly bumpy. Malik again evaluated the potential effects on the equipment while James observed the new data.
“Significantly less turbulence,” said the man, noting their impact on the substrate. “I still wouldn’t recommend surfacing too close to anyone.”
Malik nodded. “Noted. There aren’t easy methods for reducing the effect, but the jostling we received doesn’t appear damaging.”
“What happened just a little bit ago?”
“A sudden discovery of mine. I’m still experimenting.”
“Is this another experiment?”
“This will soon become established procedure. How are we doing?”
James examined his readings. “We’ve got good turbulence mapping, and the passage is clear. Ready when you are.”
Malik set his attention on the console. “Dropping.”
Evelyn had spoken to the initiates of what they were doing, and three of the women entered to see for themselves. They watched as the ship reentered real space three minutes later. The turbulence was observably reduced, and the ship compensated before the cloak failed.
“They didn’t see us,” said James. “But they probably saw a recoiling breach eruption. The next course is short and clear. Should be uneventful.”
Malik altered the navigational settings. “This next drop will more resemble a slightly accelerated, standard skate of two minutes. Systems look good. I’m dropping.” He activated his comm. “We have a few more items to provide for the boys.”