“I hope the mercs don’t take any pot shots at the Faith,” said Ari.
“There’s a bounty on the ship, too, remember?” replied Aldebaran. “They’ll have to board the station...”
Aldebaran cut himself off and stopped walking. The orb was no longer following them. He raised his arm and beckoned to it. It did not move.
“We don’t have time for this, Seth,” he said.
“I got it,” said Harrish, reaching for the orb.
Ari lunged for Harrish. “Wait, don’t touch it!”
“Huh?”
Ari removed her jacket and threw it over the orb. She grabbed the sleeves and tugged. The orb moved along with her.
“Seth might have tried to enter your mind,” she said.
“Oh... weird. That would be something, eh sir? Seth inside my mind instead of yours?”
Aldebaran said nothing, but turned and headed for the lab.
“How much time before the mercs manage to dock?” asked Wargin.
“It won’t be long,” said Harrish.
The group reached the door to the lab. Aldebaran paused for a moment, then entered a series of numbers on the keypad. The door opened. Aldebaran took a deep breath and entered. The lab was dark. Harrish turned on his flashlight and looked for the light controls.
“I don’t need the lights,” said Aldebaran. “I know this place perfectly.”
“Yeah, but we do,” said Harrish, finding the switch he wanted and throwing it.
The lab was an oval room, about thirty meters from one end to the other. There were two computer banks on each of the near walls, and various other pieces of equipment. In the center of the room were five chairs. Long cylindrical devices were attached to the back of each chair, and ended in a boom that attached to a convex dish pointed toward the seat. At one end of the room was a three foot tall pedestal. Aldebaran seemed transfixed by the scene.
“Cap?” said Harrish.
“Put the orb over that pedestal,” he said, pointing. “I have to get one of these stations on line.”
Ari did what Aldebaran asked as he began working with the closest computer. It sprang to life as soon as he turned it on. He typed away at the console for a few moments. The boom above one of the chairs jerked and began to hum.
“Excellent,” he said. “Ari, stay here with me. The rest of you go back out and set up defensive positions. I’m not sure how long this will take.”
__________
“Wow, that didn’t take long,” said Ray.
From the control room of the Raven, the humans, Fernwyn, and Nathalier watched as one of the Black Crest ships exploded into a brief but brilliant fireball.
“Docking procedure complete,” said Nathalier. “Pressurization confirmed.”
“Party time,” said John. “Dana, last chance to get in on it.”
Dana remained silent. John led the others to the airlock door. Richter and Ray charged their weapons and Christie drew her borrowed revolver. John nodded and drew his Beretta. Fernwyn returned the nod and undid the safety snap on her holster.
“John,” said Ray.
“Yeah?”
“If it comes down to it, and it’s between you and Ari... are you going to be able to drop the hammer?”
John adopted an expression of grim determination. “Just watch me.”
Richter hit the button for the outer door, and freezing cold air blew inside. A long, empty hallway greeted the team, with stark blue fluorescent lighting casting an unwelcome glow upon the visitors. The corridor was vaguely hexagon in shape, with smooth and unimaginative architecture. Signs in Umberian displayed unknown information.
“Christie!” said Dana. “Be careful!”
“See you on the flip side, Dana,” Christie said, smiling.
Richter motioned ahead, and the team moved smoothly into the hallway. Nathalier waved goodbye and closed the Raven’s door. The station’s outer door soon followed suit, and with a dull thud the team was on their own. John and Ray took a knee on either side of the hallway while Fernwyn headed for the nearest computer access console. Richter edged up next to her and watched her work.
“The pirates hacked into the system a little while ago,” she said after a minute. “They reactivated the main power systems and restored life support to as many areas as possible. At least I think so. My Umberian is a little rusty.”
“The Faith?” asked Richter.
“I got her. She’s docked on level ten, section three. They’re recharging her engines via the station reactors... Uh oh.”
“Uh oh what?” said John.
“Looks like we got some bad intel, folks. We’ve docked on the wrong section. The military labs are on the next one over. Right now we’re on level one, section two. We need to get to level four, five, or six to access one of the cross pylons. Then we can cross over to section three.”
“Can you find out which lab they’re using?”
“No. We may have to find it the old fashioned way. Of course, running into some pirates would be a good indicator.”
“Okay, let’s get going.”
The team moved down the hallway to the door at the end.
“It’s damn cold in here,” said Ray.
“This place was powered down for ten years,” said Fernwyn. “It will take a while to warm up.”
Richter reached for the door control, but stopped when Fernwyn’s communicator beeped.
“Hey, Rylie,” said Nathalier’s voice.
“Are you on you way out?”
“As fast as possible. The pirate ship is still fighting it out with the mercs. But you should know that two of the merc ships have docked on your section.”
“Where?”
“On the opposite side, it looks like the top level. I also saw the Faith. It’s on the next section over, top level.”
“Thanks, Nathalier.”
“Good luck, Rylie.”
Fernwyn terminated the signal. “We’re going to have company, folks.”
“Damn it,” said John. “We have to make it to the ship as fast as possible. If we get into it with the mercs before that we’re going to run out of frigging ammo.”
“There should be an elevator right around the corner from this door. Let’s get to level four and use the cross pylon from there.”
“Ready?” asked Richter.
John nodded. Richter pressed the control button, and the door slid open. John and Richter moved quickly ahead, peeling off in opposite directions. Ray and Christie were fast on their heels, moving forward a few meters and taking cover as soon as they found it. Fernwyn was last out, and joined John.
The first level of section two was completely open from one end to the other. The concourse was also open all the way up to the tenth level, with skylights as a ceiling. On the first level were at least two dozen single-seat fighter ships, some draped with plastic. Ray and Christie were crouched by one of them.
“Umberian Mark Tens,” whispered Fernwyn.
“Look,” breathed Richter, pointing upward.
High above, on level ten, flashlights could be seen. Richter pressed his index finger to his lips and motioned toward the nearest elevator. Carefully, the team approached it. Fernwyn hit the control button, and nothing happened. Richter leaned in close to her ear.
“Where’s the next one?”
“Down on the other end.”
Richter motioned for the others to stick to the wall, and they moved forward. When they arrived at the lift, a quick glance at the control panel revealed that it was already in use.
“They’re headed for level six,” whispered Fernwyn.
“Are they going to the cross pylons?” asked John.
“Probably. We can either wait until they’re done with this lift or we can try the aft one, which is over there.”
“Let’s use the aft one,” whispered Richter. “If they’re using the port pylon on level six, we’ll use the starboard one on level four.”
John nodded, and he and Richter bega
n to move. Christie took her place in line and leaned up against the wall, waiting for Ray to move. Her elbow hit the elevator panel and it beeped.
“Oops,” she said.
“Shit!” breathed Ray.
“Cover!” growled Richter.
The group peeled off the wall and moved toward the center of the level by a few meters, taking up hiding positions among the fighter craft. John and Richter aimed their weapons at the door to the lift as the numbers on the panel counted down. The door opened with a grinding noise, and two Rakhar slowly stepped out. They swept the area with their flashlights. John and Richter ducked back as the light passed over them.
“A malfunction?” one of the Rakhar whispered.
“I doubt it,” replied the other.
The second merc pulled a small device from a shoulder bag and aimed it at the stand of stored ships. It began beeping immediately, and the Rakhar jumped back into the lift.
“Contact, level one, port lift!”
“This is the Black Crest guild on an authorized corral!” the other Rakhar shouted. “Surrender peacefully and you won’t be harmed!”
Richter fired two shots from his rifle, and both mercs cried out in pain. The shots echoed throughout the section. The mercs returned a furious but random slew of energy pistol fire, the brilliant blue bolts streaking wildly across the level. The lift doors drew to a close.
“Damn it!” said John.
“Aft lift, move!” said Richter.
The team began moving through the ships. Above, shouts could be heard. Several flashlights were aimed down from the top level. Richter motioned for the group to move underneath the overhanging level. They arrived at the aft lift. Ray stole a glance upward as John hit the button for the elevator.
Three mercs plummeted down from above. An instant before they reached the floor, a shock wave of distortions emanated from their boots, arresting their momentum and placing them softly on the deck. They took cover behind the ships while the team gaped in surprise. The lift began descending slowly from level nine. The mercs began firing at them, and they took cover themselves. Ray fired his shotgun three times without any obvious effect.
“Contact left!” shouted Christie.
Two more Rakhar appeared from across the level. John and Christie fired at them, driving them back. Energy shots split the air and crashed into the far wall. Richter kept his attention toward the middle of the level. One of the mercs ducked out for a shot, and he tagged him in the head.
“Scherer, trade places with me,” Richter said.
John did so. Richter took a knee beside Christie and scanned the level. The mercs leaned out and several shots were traded between them.
“Take cover, Tolliver, you’re too far away.”
Christie nodded and joined Ray, who was topping off his shotgun. The elevator beeped and the doors opened, revealing two mercs. Ray fired once from the hip, then brought the weapon to his shoulder and fired two more times. The mercs inside fell immediately.
“Go!” yelled John.
Ray and Christie darted inside the lift, with Fernwyn covering their movement. She tapped John on the shoulder, and he spun around into the crowded chamber. Fernwyn fired her pistol down the concourse. The shots made an odd flanging sound.
“Move it, Richter!” she cried.
Richter fired a few more times and sprinted for the lift. Once he was inside, Fernwyn hit the key for the fourth level. The doors closed.
“One of these guys is still alive,” said Christie.
Richter drew his knife and took a knee. Christie turned away as he ceased the merc’s suffering.
“When we dismount the elevator,” he began, flicking the blood from his blade, “there should be a solid railing right in front of us. We need to peel out and get under cover as quickly as possible. They’ll have enfilade on us as soon as these doors open. Ray, you and I will go first. The rest of you stay around the corners until we can provide cover.”
Ray nodded and prepared himself. The lift drew to a stop and the doors opened. Ray and Richter burst out onto level four and ducked behind the railing, which was ten meters ahead. Christie and Fernwyn peeked out. Richter nodded at Ray and the two men glanced over the railing. From level six, at the other end of the concourse, shots began to fly in. The women ducked back inside the elevator car as a few energy bursts collided with the rear wall. John realized one of the shots had missed his head by two inches.
“I got this!” said Richter to Ray. “They’re out of range for everyone but me!”
With this message, Richter took aim and began firing his rifle. Ray sprinted across the floor and took cover behind some vending machines, which were placed against the railing. Fernwyn fired a couple of rounds and ran for it next. The others waited as more shots came in. Richter resumed firing and Christie sprinted out.
“Wait for it, Scherer!” shouted Richter, reloading. “Okay, on my signal we go together!”
John nodded as Richter flipped his selector switch to full-auto. He took careful aim despite some incoming fire, and rattled off nine rounds.
“GO!”
John tore out of the lift and Richter was right next to him. They joined the others behind the vending machines as some sort of rocket-propelled grenade slammed into the elevator car and obliterated it.
“The entrance to the starboard cross pylon is fifty meters ahead,” said Ray.
“There’s no cover out there,” said Fernwyn.
Richter glanced around the corner, confirming this for himself. “I’ve got one more smoke grenade,” he said, producing such a thing.
“Pop it!”
Pulling the pin, Richter wound up and chucked the grenade as hard as he could. It landed a few feet shy of the entrance and began belching gray smoke.
“They’re flanking to our left,” said John, watching as the incoming fire shifted. “Damn it, I’d give my left nut for my Garand right now!”
“Run for it,” said Richter. “Five meter dispersal! Go!”
Richter fired on semi-auto as Fernwyn ran toward the smoke cloud. Ray went next, then Christie. John fired his pistol once to the left, hitting a merc on level six at some one hundred yards. He grinned at his luck and sprinted after Christie. Richter was fast on his heels.
The group emerged from the smoke on the cross pylon. It was two hundred meters long and was open to the ceiling two decks above. Benches, fake plants, and advertisements flanked the walls, and a couple of long-since abandoned food vendor kiosks dotted the center. There was no access to the corridor from level five, but a wide catwalk crossed overhead from level six. Richter made a head count and motioned for the team to continue. John noticed that his pistol was empty and changed the magazine.
Shots began raining down upon them from the catwalk.
“Reverse banana peel!” cried Richter.
Fernwyn looked at him in confusion, but Ray, who was at the front of the line, stopped. He turned around and took a knee, firing at the catwalk from the side of the pylon. When everyone had passed him, he took off again at the rear. By then, Christie had stopped to fire. Fernwyn realized the pattern and took her turn when it came, and in such a manner the team moved down the pylon. They arrived at the next section of the station, and moved onto the temporary safety of the level. Everyone but Fernwyn reloaded their weapons. Richter slung his empty rifle over his shoulder and head, and drew his pistol.
“We want the port lift,” said Fernwyn, pointing.
John looked over the railing. There were many single-seat fighter craft on the first level below. He managed to spot a Kau’Rii crouched by one of them. John recognized it as the one who he’d seen standing beside Aldebaran back on Delta.
“The pirates are on level one,” he said.
“We’ll get after them next,” said Richter. “Head for the elevator!”
The team ran for the port lift and arrived unmolested. Fernwyn jammed on the call button as the others took up defensive positions. Christie, Ray, and John struggled to catch
their breath. The elevator arrived, and when Richter and Fernwyn pointed their weapons inside they surprised the hell out of a Rakhar that was standing there. They both noticed simultaneously that he was not dressed as a merc, and held their fire.
“Freeze!” shouted Fernwyn.
The Rakhar could see that resistance was deadly, so he dropped his sidearm. The others piled into the lift and the doors closed. The button for level ten had already been pushed.
“Are you one of Aldebaran’s lot?” asked Richter.
“What do you think?” the Rakhar replied.
“Where is he?”
“Back down there.”
“Is our ship intact?” asked John.
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“What’s your name?” asked Fernwyn.
“Wargin.”
“Well, listen fast, Wargin. I propose a temporary alliance. We are vastly outnumbered by the Black Crest and we’re all about to get fragged. So we either use you as a big furry shield or you can help us get our ship back.”
“You can’t trust this guy,” said Ray, astonished.
“I know pirates,” replied Fernwyn. “Loyalty only goes as far as one’s own life.”
Wargin shrugged. “What do you want me to do?”
“You got people on the ship?”
“Yeah.”
“Call them and tell them not to engage us. Then you can guard the entrance to the airlock while we secure the ship.”
“How do I know you won’t take off and leave us for the mercs?”
“We’re not leaving without Seth,” said John.
Wargin looked John in the eye. He nodded and pulled out his communicator.
“Rasi, this is Wargin. I’m inbound with some new friends. Be so kind as to refrain from blasting us when we appear.”
“You’re no fun,” Rasi responded.
Fernwyn handed Wargin his weapon. “Richter, Ray, keep an eye on him. If he so much as thinks about pointing this at one of us, you know what to do.”
Ray pushed the Rakhar to the front of the car with the muzzle of his shotgun.
The Tarantula Nebula Page 27