by Luigi Robles
“Kya, why is the door ahead of us not open?” Pycca asked as soon as she saw the door and was unable to see another route.
“There are two council-loyal guards trying to open the door from the other side,” Kya said. “There is little information about them on file, therefore I cannot predict the outcome of the encounter. They are armed with stun batons.”
Pycca looked over to Benson.
“I’m with you, ma’am,” Benson said. “I have family back on Earth, and I’ve always hated the council.”
“I needed to hear that,” Pycca said. “Just follow my lead.”
Benson tilted his head down once in agreement.
“Kya, open the door,” Pycca said. “And get ready to open the next one as soon as we get near it.”
“Hey, it worked!” one of the officers behind the door said.
“You see, you dumbass, I told you it would work,” a different officer said.
“What the hell are you guys doing going this way?” Pycca said. “You are far from going the correct way.”
“Officer on deck,” one of the loyalist officers yelled.
Both of the officers stood up straighter and saluted.
“At ease,” Pycca said. “Correct your path right away; turn left into the corridor you just passed.”
“We are so sorry,” one of the loyalists said. “We were just following the map that was given to us by the council’s AI.”
“Are you questioning me, Officer…” Pycca said. She avoided reading their name tags so they wouldn’t do the same to her.
“No, ma’am. Officer Wolf Hansen,” Hansen said as he gestured to himself and his companion. “Second division, peacekeeping, lower decks.”
“Then get going; we don’t have time to waste,” Pycca said as she walked past them, with Benson following closely.
“Yes, ma’am, right away,” Hansen said as he and Wolf walked to the door Pycca pointed out.
As Pycca got near to the door that would allow her and Benson to exit, she could feel the peacekeeping officers staring at her back.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” It sounded like Hansen once again.
“You still want to continue wasting my time?” Pycca said as she turned 180 degrees to face them.
“I only know of one Lieutenant Evans, and she’s assigned to the bridge. We have specific orders to apprehend her if we see her, or anyone from the bridge for that matter,” Hansen said as he took a step towards Pycca. “Do you mind telling me what division you are in?”
Pycca turned to look at Benson and shouted, “Run.”
She and Benson swiftly broke into a run towards the nearest door. The loyalist officers were hot on their tail, yelling at the top of their lungs for them to stop, but it was too late; they were too far away.
“Kya, open the door and close it behind us,” Pycca said, just five steps away from the door.
The door opened without her and Benson having to stop, and as they passed, the door did as Pycca had asked and closed right behind them. Once the door closed, the yelling stopped. Pycca had never noticed just how well the ship was insulated until now. As hard as they were yelling, she thought that some of the noise would make it through the thick steel, but it didn’t. The next corridor was so quiet that she could hear Benson breathing.
“That was close,” Pycca said. “So, the council is now coming after us too?”
“It would seem so,” Benson said.
“So where to now?” Pycca asked.
“Make a right down the next corridor,” Kya said. “That will place you just two corridors and four doors away from the detention bay.”
“Let’s get going. We don’t have time to waste,” Pycca said as she broke into a sprint.
“Right,” Benson said, following.
After a solid eighteen minutes of sprinting down Sodenia’s long corridors, they finally reached the door that led into the lobby for the detention bay.
“This is one of the last doors, right?” Pycca asked, catching her breath. “So, let’s open it. We are ready. We’ve got to get Fain out of here before they get to him.”
Sodenia suddenly accelerated a lot harder than before, prompting Pycca and Benson to hold on to the nearest handrails.
“Something is really happening out there,” Pycca managed.
“Should I inform you?” Kya asked.
“No, there’s nothing we can do about it anyways. We have to concentrate on the task at hand,” Pycca said.
“Before I open the next door, I should inform you that there’s a group of eight officers armed with electric batons,” Kya said. “As I speak, they are trying to gain access to the detention bay.”
“Do you think the rank trick will work again?” Pycca asked.
“I don’t know. I am not sure that it worked the first time around,” Benson said. “But what else can we do?”
“This time, as soon as we step into the room, you yell ‘officer on deck,’” Pycca said. “Once there, I’ll think of something else to say.”
“Why don’t you think about it now,” Benson asked, “and not when there are eight loyalist officers looking at us, looking for us?”
“There’s no time for that; we have to get going before they get into the detention bay. It’s the only chance we’ve got.”
“Fine, but come up with something clever,” Benson said.
“Kya, open the door and leave it open,” Pycca said.
The door before Pycca and Benson opened without question, and as it did, it revealed the eight officers looking straight at them. Pycca stepped forward without hesitation, and Benson followed.
“Attention, officer on deck,” Benson bellowed as he passed the threshold.
The eight officers stopped staring at once, stood up straight, and saluted Pycca.
“At ease, gentlemen,” Pycca said as she took a step forward. “There has been a reassignment. You are to hand over the code to open the prison cell and leave immediately for the bridge; your assistance is needed more up there.”
“I know you,” one of the loyalists said.
“Benson,” Pycca said in a low voice that only Benson could hear. “Were you ever good at football?”
“Soccer or American?” Benson asked in a low voice.
“American…” Pycca said, keeping her voice down and not making any movements.
“Then yeah, I think I was pretty good,” Benson said.
“You are Lieutenant Pycca, aren’t you?” the loyalist said.
“Hey, what are you two talking about?” a different peacekeeper said. “You know we have orders to arrest anyone from the bridge. Glad you saved us from having to drag you all the way back here.”
“Good, you are going to need those skills now,” Pycca said to Benson. “I need you to get us through that door.”
“I’ll do my best,” Benson said.
“Kya, open the door,” Pycca said as she ran.
Benson quickly got in front of her and tackled three of the eight officers standing in their way. The three officers and Benson fell onto the detention bay floor.
“Close the door,” Pycca said when she saw they were clear.
The door closed before the other five officers could enter the room; they were too busy pulling out their batons instead of chasing after Pycca and Benson.
“Go get Captain Jegga out,” Benson yelled as he tried to keep the peacekeepers on the floor.
Pycca didn’t say anything in return; instead, she ran to the only lighted cell in the place. When she got there, Fain was sitting down on the bed, looking out into the corridor.
“Pycca?” Fain asked. “What are you doing here?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?” Pycca asked as she searched for a way to open the small analog module next to the glass barrier. She grabbed a small screwdriver from her pouch of tools. “I came to get you out of here.”
“So, the council finally lost it,” Fain asked.
“It’s worse than that,” Pycca said as sweat
began to build up on her forehead. “They want us to go back to Earth, despite being engaged with the enemy.”
“What the hell is wrong with them?” Fain asked.
“It gets better, but there’s no time to explain; I’m not alone,” Pycca said, focused on the task at hand.
Fain got up from the bed and pressed himself against the glass.
“Are those council officers?” Fain asked. “Hey, I know that one other guy wrestling with them. He is from the bridge!”
“Not helping…” Pycca said as she finally got the analog module open.
“Right,” Fain said as he took a few steps back, disappearing from Pycca’s view.
“Hey, wait!” Benson yelled. “You come back over here. I’m not done with you.”
Pycca concentrated on the module, studying the wiring. Within seconds, she saw the wire she needed to change. She stuck her fingers into the module, pulled two wires out and swapped them.
With the loyalist looming over her, the door opened, and Fain ran out. Without saying anything, he tackled the peacekeeper to the floor. The officer made several attempts to swing the electric baton, which was now sparking, but Fain looked like he was overpowering the man.
“You don’t have to do this,” Fain said as he struggled with the man. “You don’t have to listen to the council. I’m the captain of the ship.”
“The council is in charge,” the man managed.
“Get that stick,” Fain said as he kept the man down. “Be careful to only grab the handle.”
Easily enough, Pycca took the electric baton from the peacekeeper. She made sure that the settings were not set to maximum capacity, then turned to look at the man.
“Sorry,” Pycca said. “This might sting a little.” She touched the man with the electrified stick, but not before Fain let go. The man shook for a little while then passed out. “Wow, this thing packs a punch. Benson! We have to help.”
Pycca and Fain ran to aid Benson, who was still wrestling with the peacekeepers on the floor. The group of three managed to separate from the scrabble right before Pycca and Fain got there. Benson moved towards them. He was dripping with sweat and catching his breath. Now the odds were in Pycca’s favor.
“Things aren’t looking too good for you two,” Pycca noted. “It’s three against two; you’d be better off surrendering now.”
Just then, the door behind the two peacekeepers opened. Hydraulic pumps pushed against the heavy steel doors, opening them against their will. Officers from the lobby next door started to jump into the room as soon as the opening was big enough.
“What were you saying, Lieutenant?” one of the peacekeepers asked.
“Kya, close the door,” Pycca said calmly.
“I cannot close the door,” Kya said. “The hydraulics they are using are specially made to open Sodenia’s doors in case of malfunctions or emergency.”
Pycca looked again at the electric baton and moved the settings on it just a little bit higher.
“OK, let me ask you one last thing before we surrender,” Pycca said.
“So, you finally saw sense,” one of the loyalists said. “Things aren’t looking too good for you now, are they,” he mocked, trying to imitate Pycca’s voice.
“How good are you at catching things?” Pycca asked as she hurled the electrified baton at the group.
Some tried to knock the baton to the side, and Pycca thought that she saw at least two of them try to actually catch it. Within seconds, four of the five loyalists in the room were immobilized.
“Run,” Pycca yelled as she ran to the opposite side of the detention bay.
Fain and Benson followed, and so did the fifth officer, but he was far behind them, just what Pycca needed. It wasn’t long before they reached the other side of the detention bay.
“Kya, open the door,” Pycca said when they were just a few feet away from the door.
The door opened in an instant, allowing them in, and it closed right behind them, leaving the officer in the detention bay.
“Whoa, we made it,” Fain said, catching his breath but keeping his composure. “Is there any way we can get some real weapons? It looks like the officers were just armed with electric batons. You kept them from accessing the armory, right, Kya?”
“In a way, that is correct,” Kya said. “That was the plan; however, as all the doors are shut and their progress through the corridors is relatively slow, they have yet to reach the armory.”
“I’m guessing that’s where we should go next?” Pycca asked.
“It’s our best bet,” Fain said. “And by the way, thank you for getting me out of there.”
“Acting captain’s orders,” Pycca said, shrugging.
“Still, thank you,” Fain said, looking directly at Pycca with a slight smile. “I don’t think there’s anyone else that could have done that.”
“Don’t mention it,” Pycca said with the faintest hint of a smile on her face.
There was a reverberating thud across the ship. It sounded muffled many times over, but it was enough to remind Pycca that things were not over.
“It sounds like things are heating up out there,” Fain said.
“Would it be better to head back to the bridge?” Pycca asked.
“Not if the council has any kind of control over some of Sodenia’s officers,” Fain said. “We need the weapons from the armory to secure the bridge against the council.”
“Understood,” Pycca said. “Kya, what is our fastest route to the armory?”
“There is a way to get there using the pods as of this moment,” Kya said. “It will only take two minutes.”
Dammit, me and my stupid mouth. I am going to have to get inside those stupidly fast pods, Pycca thought as she cringed inside.
“Do it,” Fain said.
“I advise you to move onto the corridor platform for your safety,” Kya said.
They moved, and soon after, Pycca felt a whiff of fresh air as Kya opened the corridor that led to the armory and where the nearest pod was located. The pod appeared in front of them within seconds.
Pycca tried not to cringe as she got on board the pod, but she wasn’t sure if Fain or Benson noticed.
“Kya, go easy on the acceleration this time around,” Fain said.
Well, there goes that; he noticed, Pycca thought.
“Depending on the acceleration curve you choose,” Kya said, “that could make the commute take up to four minutes.”
“We can’t go wasting time just for that,” Pycca said. “Go ahead with normal acceleration, Kya.”
“Very well,” Kya said.
Pycca tried to ease up as much as possible and not hold on to the seat like she usually did.
“Yeah, I don’t like these things either,” Benson said. “I always think that it might derail or crash into a wall, since it’s always going so darn fast.”
Once they were seated, the pod accelerated at its usual rate, but Pycca found herself not holding on as hard as before, not stressing over the duration of the ride. The pod slowed down when they reached the armory. It was only Pycca’s second time there since she started working on board Sodenia.
There were three entrances to the armory, one on each wall; the pod had come in through the middle entrance. On the fourth wall, there was a large reinforced security door with a multitude of locks.
“Open the door, Kya,” Pycca said.
“There has been an occurrence,” Kya said. “While the enemy force’s small craft have been successfully destroyed, a ship managed to attach to Sodenia near the docks. I have been attempting to investigate further, but they are using high-power disruptors and jammers. However, the seismic activity seems to indicate that they are attempting to enter the ship.”
“We are being boarded?” Fain asked, sounding incredulous. “How big is their ship?”
“It’s relatively small; my visual estimates place it at one hundred and fifteen feet long, thirty-one feet wide, and sixteen feet tall,” Kya said.
“Kya, that’s even more reason why you should open the armory door now,” Pycca said with a raised voice.
The door opened, revealing an array of weapons from many eras. Some looked like they were from the past, some from the present, and others from the future.
“If we are getting boarded and they happen to be Acram, we need to get ready for it,” Fain said as he walked to the darker side of the armory. “When the Acram first came to Earth, none of the high-tech weapons worked on them. In the end, it was good old-fashioned lead that finished the job, a least on individual soldiers. I suggest we arm ourselves with the same.”
If it wasn’t for the clearly marked tags on the weapons, Pycca wouldn’t have a clue what she was picking up or what kind of ammunition it took. Every time they undocked a weapon, an elongated cabinet would open below it, filled with loaded clips and boxes of ammo.
Pycca and Fain settled for heavily modified assault rifles with combat knives, while Benson chose a machine gun and shotgun combo. Each of them carried the ammo for the weapons in backpacks.
“There has been a breach. Alien lifeforms are aboard the ship,” Kya said.
“Can you identify?” Pycca asked. “And how many are there?”
“Identification is impossible,” Kya said. “They are using a high-level disruptor; their exact count is unknown at this moment.”
“If they are in the dock, that puts the council between them and us,” Fain said. “You know that those corridors will be flooded with their officers. Calling for backup from the bridge is also a no-go. Calling for backup at all is a no-go, without knowing who is on our side or not. What a shit show the council has created.”
“So, what will we do?” Pycca asked.
“Is there any riot control stuff here?” Benson asked.
“That’s it,” Pycca said. “That way we can use the pods to get there.”
They each grabbed a riot control weapon before leaving the armory; the batons the peacekeepers carried had no chance.
“Kya, take us to our unwelcome guests,” Pycca said as they got back into the pod.
“There appears to be a lot of commotion near the council chambers due to the alien lifeforms,” Kya said.
“Then that’s where we are going,” Fain said.