by JN Chaney
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, fanning my hand at Hitchens. “He’s fine. Now, Athena, you think you can help us out with Alphonse?”
“Your proposal is possible, although dangerous and highly unethical,” she said. “I must admit I have reservations.”
“That’s an average day for us,” I said, unwrapping a piece of hard candy—strawberry flavored—and stuffed the treat in my mouth.
Hitchens twisted his lips. “Would it be possible to use those tractor beams to pull the object out from within the compound?”
Athena frowned. “The tractor beam cannot reach the surface of a planet from space. It would have to be much closer. Besides, we currently lack the necessary power needed. I also fear doing so would deplete what little energy reserves we have upon our arrival.”
“That’s a shame,” he said.
“Indeed, it is,” said Athena.
“Guess that just leaves one option,” I said, thumbing the side of the desk. “Which means the next problem is getting around their security. Most of us are on the Union’s watch list. We’ll have to find a way to mask our identities.”
“How do we do that?” asked Hitchens.
I shook my head. “Beats me.” For once, I was out of solutions.
“You can use the personal shields,” said Athena.
The suggestion took me by surprise. “The shields?”
“I can modify them to alter your appearance, although you’ll have to be careful not to let anyone touch you,” said the Cognitive.
“You can do that?” asked Abby.
The artificial woman smiled. “I will need some time to make the necessary modifications, but I believe I can accommodate your request.”
“This is crazy,” muttered Freddie. “We’re talking about sending the two of you down there alone with a Constable, disguised with ancient technology, all so you can steal an artifact from what must be one of the most heavily guarded vaults in Union space.”
“Your point?” I asked.
He blinked at me, then shook his head. “Oh, nevermind.”
I gave a slight shrug. “It’ll be fine, Fred.”
“Because that makes it better,” he said.
“How can we be certain that Alphonse is telling the truth?” asked Abigail. “What if we get down there and it turns out he can’t even get through the front door?”
“We’ll handle it,” I said, more than confident in my ability to get the fuck out of a bad situation. “If worse comes to worst, we’ll blow up the whole goddamn building.”
“It’s always explosions with you,” she said.
“You’re the one who used my quad cannon to drop a crater in the middle of Spiketown,” I countered. “Or did you forget about that?”
She gave me a wry smile.
Bolin, who had been quiet until now, leaned on the table with his elbow. “What can the rest of us do?”
“Stay on Titan and protect what matters,” I said. “If we fail, then you go with the second option. Run and hide.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment as my words lingered in the air. “You can’t do this alone,” said Freddie. “I’m coming with you.”
I shook my head. “Don’t be ridiculous. We can’t risk too many people on this job. We’re already pushing it with the two of us.”
“You don’t think I can be of use?” he asked.
“No, I just think you need more training before you’re ready for this shit.” I looked at Abigail. “You agree?”
She glanced at Freddie, then nodded. “It needs to be a small team. The fewer, the better.”
“Jace is right,” muttered Octavia. “We have to trust these two to get the job done. They always do.”
Abigail raised her head at Athena. “Can we take another look in that armory of yours?”
“By all means,” said the Cognitive. “I’ll be happy to assist you.”
* * *
I lingered behind, after the meeting, when I noticed Freddie meandering in the corner. He seemed to be lost in thought, staring blankly at the floor.
I already knew the reason. He wanted to help, the same way he always did. He’d made improvements since I’d first met him, even getting his first kill, but it wasn’t enough to warrant this kind of mission. He still had a long way to go.
“Fred?” I said, tapping his arm.
“Huh?” He said, blinking. “Oh, sorry, Captain.”
“What’s the problem?” I asked.
“I’m just thinking,” he said.
“About?”
He hesitated to answer. “Nothing important. I still need to talk to Athena about a request I had.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, remembering what he’d said when I ran into him on the bridge. “Didn’t you take care of it yet?”
Athena appeared beside me. “You needed to speak with me, Frederick?”
Freddie jumped, taken by surprise. “Ah!”
I chuckled. “Well, go on and ask her. She’s eager to find out.”
“I, uh,” he began. “I was hoping you’d have something to help me improve my skillset, Athena. A training program, if possible.”
“What sort of skillset?” asked the Cognitive.
“I think Freddie wants you to help him learn how to kill people,” I said, plainly.
Freddie’s eyes widened. “Captain! I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Sure, you did,” I said. “Don’t try to walk around it. Say what you mean, kid. It’ll save you more time than you realize.”
“I believe I understand,” said Athena. “Frederick, can you please join me in Section 018 of Deck 04?”
He nodded, quickly. “I’ll be right there!”
She vanished. “Very well,” said her disembodied voice. “I shall see you soon.”
“Wonder what she’s going to teach you,” I said, scratching my ear.
“Me too,” said Freddie. He started to leave. “I’ll let you know how it goes!”
“Sure thing,” I said, watching him take off down the hall. “Just don’t do anything stupid.”
Five
Abigail and I met in the armory, hoping to be fully prepared for the mission ahead. I was already planning on picking up some shields, but I still hadn’t had time to browse the entire inventory yet. I needed to prepare for the possibility of us ending up in a firefight, should the plan go belly-up.
Hell, who was I kidding? We were heading straight into one of the most heavily guarded facilities in Union space. A simple firefight was the least of my worries.
“Okay, Abby,” I said to her as we walked in-between two rows of lockers. “What are we looking for?”
“Guns,” she said. “What else?”
“I don’t know what other answer I expected,” I admitted. “Athena! You there?”
The Cognitive appeared a few meters in front of us. “Welcome. I have a few items set aside for your consideration, if you’ll follow me.”
She turned and started walking to the far wall in the back of the room. We followed, passing by dozens of sealed lockers. I wondered what was in each of these and why we were passing them by.
I decided to wait and see what she had for us, before I bothered with questions.
Athena brought Abby and me to a large table, with several items placed neatly across the surface. I recognized a few instantly, including the shield modules we’d trained with earlier today. No sign of the electric staffs, though. “Each of these items has been specially chosen to aid you in your mission,” said the Cognitive. “There are better weapons, but due to your limited biology, you will be unable to wield them.”
“Limited biology?” I asked.
“She means we don’t have Lex’s markings,” said Athena.
Right, of course, I thought. Since I’d arrived on Titan, I noticed I could only interact with certain devices, including locked doors and passages. Athena had to let me in, and sometimes it was a problem. The bridge, for example, couldn’t be accessed without Athena’s permission, a
lthough Lex had no problem getting inside on her own. The same was true of the Armory as well as the upper decks. “What are we working with?” I asked.
“Lighter small arms,” informed Athena. “Here we have the AD-619 as well as the SS-223. Both are capable of single and burst firing. The bullets are refined carbon fiber ammunitions, strong enough to pierce most industrial metals, while also resisting most scans and inspection devices, although I am basing that assumption on your ship’s database.”
“So, you’re not sure,” I said.
“The material used to create all of this equipment requires advanced detection abilities, which I do not believe the Union possesses. However, given the blackout of information surrounding your target facility, I cannot be certain,” explained Athena.
“If things go bad, we’ll just kill everybody,” said Abigail.
“That’s the spirit,” I said, taking the pistol. I turned it over in my hand, feeling the weight. It was exceptionally well-balanced, better than my standard pistol, and the grip was smooth and comfortable, like it had been custom made for my hand. “Not bad,” I said.
“Next, you’ll recognize your shields. They are fully charged and can withstand multiple direct hits. I suggest using caution, nonetheless, as they will degrade with enough use. Additionally, you’ll find they’ve been modified with alternate identities to assist you in the mission.”
Abigail picked up the shield and placed it on her shoulder. It glowed briefly with a soft green, then disappeared, blending in with her skin. I was about to ask when it was supposed to start working when Abigail’s face suddenly changed. Her eyes grew slightly thinner, changing from green to brown, her hair turned black, and her skin color was a few shades darker.
I blinked, surprised by how drastic the change had been.
“What is it?” she asked, noticing my expression.
My mouth dropped when I heard her voice. It sounded different, raspier. “Holy shit,” I finally said.
“What?” she asked again, looking at Athena. “Is it broken?”
Athena snapped her fingers and the wall behind her changed, showing Abigail’s new body. “Your new design, Ms. Pryar.”
Abigail gawked at her new appearance, then glanced at her arms, twisting them to get a better look at her body. She bent her ass, trying to see her hips and legs. “Not bad,” she said.
I grabbed the other shield and snapped it to my shoulder. “Let’s see what I’m working with,” I said.
I saw a brief flicker of blue in my eyes, but nothing seemed to happen. “Did it work?” I asked, looking at my hands. They looked pretty similar to my old set.
Abigail covered her mouth, giggling.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“You look…different,” she said, after a second.
“Athena, let me see,” I said.
Athena flicked her fingers again and the screen changed, showing a tall man with white hair and bags under his eyes. No, they were wrinkles. He was old. Too old, goddammit.
Abigail laughed. “You’re a grandfather!”
“Athena!” I barked. “What’s the deal?”
“Your disguise,” the Cognitive explained.
“I look like I’m about to keel over,” I said.
“Considering that you are attempting to hide your identity, is this not the best solution?” asked Athena. “You look nothing like your normal self.”
“She’s right,” said Abigail. “Good work, Athena.”
“Thank you, Ms. Pryar,” said the Cognitive, smiling. “I am glad you approve.”
“Enemies, all around me,” I said, shaking my head. I felt around my arm, locating the device and turning it off. The display behind Athena switched off right when I pressed the button, reverting the wall back to the way it looked before. “What’s next on the list?” I scanned the table and noticed a small rectangular box. “Looks like a present.”
Athena took the lid off the small case and set it a few centimeters from the box. Inside, I spotted a small stick about thirty centimeters in length. She picked it up and carefully handed it to Abigail.
The former nun took it, curiously, but I could tell she had no idea what it was or what to do with it.
“Please, touch the white notch on the bottom,” said Athena.
Abigail turned the stick in her hand and found the spot, then touched her index finger to it.
A sudden shock sparked on the opposite end, startling her. “Whoa!” she exclaimed.
“Hey, easy,” I said, taking a step back.
“Yes, please use caution,” agreed Athena. “This is a miniaturized version of the staff you requested this morning. I chose this because it can be more easily concealed.” She reached over to Abigail, wrapping her fingers around the electric half of the object. The sparks went straight through her hand. “Also, if you’ll just twist here…”
She turned the stick and released it, letting the other half extend outward, until it was full length.
Abigail was so surprised, she nearly dropped it.
At this size, it resembled a baton, roughly one meter in length. Still smaller than the staff from this morning, but maybe even more useful, considering we’d be in a building, maneuvering through tighter spaces.
“I would advise you to extend the device before activating the electric current,” said the Cognitive.
“I see,” muttered Abigail. She raised the baton, examining the light on the other end, then brought the weapon down against the floor, letting out a sharp boom. It echoed through the open Armory, taking us both by surprised. Abigail grinned. “Interesting.”
“I’m glad you approve,” said Athena. “Captain, shall I retrieve another for you?”
I glanced at the stick, then shook my head. “I’ll take a pistol over whatever that is any day of the week.”
“Your loss,” said Abigail.
“Once we have Titan at full capacity, I assure you our armaments will be greatly improved,” said Athena. “That is only one of many reasons we must retrieve the tritium core.”
“I think we can handle it,” said Abigail, turning off the electric charge and compressing the stick to its normal size. “Don’t you agree, Jace?”
“You’re asking me if I think we can pull of a heist?” I asked, giving her a sly grin. “Don’t worry, ladies. I was born with a lockpick in my hand. That core is as good as ours.”
* * *
I took an elevator to get back to the deck where my ship was waiting. As soon as the doors opened, I heard someone laughing from down the hall.
It was Lex, chasing Bolin’s daughter, Camilla. “Can’t catch me!” shouted the older girl. She laughed as Lex trailed behind her.
Lex giggled as the two came towards me, almost plowing straight into my hip, when I managed to step aside. “Whoa there!” I said.
Lex stopped, huffing and puffing, out of breath. “Sorry, Mr. Hughes!”
“You kids having fun out here?” I asked.
“We’re exploring,” said Lex.
I looked at Camilla. “That right?”
The older girl nodded. “Lex can get us into all the rooms, so we decided to see what else we could find.”
“That’s fine, but make sure you don’t leave this deck,” I said. “We still haven’t explored the upper floors or anything. I can’t have either of you accidentally wandering into an airlock.”
They both looked at each other. “An airlock?!” said Camilla, suddenly terrified.
“Yep, you better be careful. There’s places around here that are sealed for a reason.”
Lex gulped. “Really?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry, kid. Just stick to this deck and be careful. Camilla will look after you,” I said, looking at the other girl. “Right?”
Camilla ran up and took Lex’s hand. “Right. I won’t let anything happen to you, Lex. I promise.”
Lex smiled.
I watched the two of them run back into the hall and take the next turn, heading towar
d the cafeteria. Crisis averted, I thought. The last thing anyone needed was for those two to get themselves lost, not that I expected that to happen with Athena around.
But still, I’d only been here for three days. It was hardly enough time to explore every nook and cranny.
For all I knew, Lex’s tattoos might lead her to a bomb with enough firepower to wipe out a small planet. Who knew what sort of crazy shit this moon had hiding on it?
Regardless, I had my work cut out for me tomorrow. If I expected to be at my peak, I’d need a few drinks and a hard sleep.
Time to get to it.
Six
Someday you’re gonna learn, Jacey…what it means to be a man, I heard a voice say. Someday, you’re gonna know…what it feels like to be me…
My eyes snapped open, and it took me a moment to realize where I was, here in my bed. I wiped my arm against my forehead and cheek, trying to clear the sweat off. “Fuck,” I muttered, licking my chapped lips and swallowing.
I sat up, foggy-headed, feeling like I was hung over. I glanced at the table and saw a half-empty bottle of whiskey.
Guess that explains it, I thought.
“Good morning, sir,” said Sigmond. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“What’s the status of Titan right now?” I asked.
“Athena has informed me that we are nearly at our destination,” explained the A.I. “We should arrive in under two hours.”
I contemplated going back to sleep to try and get rid of this hangover, but decided against it. Instead, I went for my cabinet and grabbed one of my remaining pills. Polynex, used for headaches and dehydration. I took it with two glasses of water.
The meds took effect when I was halfway through my shower. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest.
By the time I was dressed, I felt completely reenergized.
“Siggy, tell Octavia to meet me at Alphonse’s cell.”
“Understood, sir,” said Sigmond.
I grabbed a protein bar from the cabinet and scarfed it down in record time, following it up with a swig from my water jug. That would tide me over for a while. My time as a Renegade had taught me never to eat too much before or after a job. Your nerves can’t handle it, and the last thing you want when you’re deep in the shit is to lose your lunch.