by Matt Verish
“How can I help with your evolution?” Cole asked, making his way out of the CPU room.
Again with that phrase. “Maybe later, Cain. My presence is needed on the bridge. Good luck growing up. Being a teenager is a bitch.”
Cole climbed the ladder out of the shimmering green tunnel and was greeted by tightly laced leather combat boots. He had not noticed them when he first met the inspector. His eyes scanned up her pleated slacks, and fell upon an unexpected item.
She still has her sidearm! So much for Terracom’s tight security.
“Are you lost, Musgrave?”
Cole blinked up at Emmerich and smiled. “Just familiarizing myself with our prototype vessel, Inspector.” He gave a mock salute, one hand holding firm to the rung.
Emmerich was not amused. “I suggest you familiarize yourself with the bridge before I jettison you into space.”
“That’d be difficult being that the ICV-71 is grounded, Inspector.” I’m dead.
He would have grabbed her boot heel were he not dangling precariously. Instead he lost his balance, his face collecting the full brunt of Emmerich’s forceful stomp. The cold, satisfied grin of his attacker was the last thing he saw before his world went dark.
~
Cole awoke to the sound of Lin’s droning technical babble. His world was fuzzy, and his head felt as though someone had stomped it. Then he remembered that someone had. In fact, that someone sat directly across from him now, her hand upon her holster, her expression dark. He groaned, feeling sick.
“How good of you to join the presentation,” Emmerich said, her soldier’s voice dripping with disdain. “Dr. Dartmouth was just educating the clientele on the logistics of the ICV-71.”
Cole thought he might throw up right then and there. Staring at the live feed of the presentation through the viewport screen was a major struggle. “She has a real binary sort of charisma.”
Emmerich shook her head. “And you have real problem keeping your mouth shut.”
Cole grinned, though it hurt to do so. “My mouth has a mind of its own.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his swimming vision. He tried to focus on the words being spoken, wondering when she would enact her double-cross.
“She has an exceptional mind,” Emmerich said of Lin. “It was a shame to watch her talents go to waste under the short-sided vision of a logistics company.”
“Is that why you recruited her?” Cole asked, testing the waters.
“She had no choice in the matter.”
That was a definitive answer, Cole thought, surprised by the bluntness of her response. No wonder Doc wants Emmerich to be “dealt with.” He ventured opening his eyes again. “What about Forester?”
Emmerich’s brow furrowed and she looked away without offering an answer. She pretended to be interested in the inner workings of the ICV-71’s complex Dark Matter Processor.
Now that was telling. Just who are these three radicals? Cole rubbed his eyes as he pondered the goings-ons of the director, inspector, and engineer. They each seemed to have a different agenda, and certainly there was more going on here than he was being led to believe.
“You didn’t have to kick me in the face.”
Emmerich let out a single, awkward “Ha!” “Musgrave, kicking your face was a necessity, I’m afraid. Eye for an eye.”
“Boot heel for a shoulder, as it were.” I really need to shut up.
Emmerich gazed thoughtfully at Cole. She pointed at him. “You’re nothing like your mother. She was an admiral of the truest sense, and she commanded respect.” There was a longing in those steely eyes. “Each word she spoke was careful and weighted. She was the epitome of class and confidence.”
“She was a ruthless megalomaniac, hell bent on commanding the entire System.” Cole did not regret his sharp comment, and he couldn’t care less if he shattered Emmerich’s vision of her hero.
The two locked gazes, the heat between them hot enough to burn a hole in the ship’s hull. And then Emmerich smiled and cleared her throat.
“Yes,” she said, amazing Cole. “I suppose she was.” She sat back and relaxed. “But that doesn’t diminish her accomplishments or my view of her.” She seemed to be recalling a memory. “But I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge just how much of a ball-buster she could be.”
So glad to be sharing in this moment with you, Cole thought, finding no amusement in the conversation. His fists clenched and he felt a great welling of anger surge within, threatening to explode. He wanted nothing more than to throttle the inspector where she sat with her stupid grin and idiotic sentiments, but the scene transpiring on the viewport screen deflated his ire. The presentation’s participants had migrated to the hangar bay where the ICV-71 was stationed.
OcuGuest347: Is everything in order?
Cole’s stomach knotted, the throbbing in his head worsening. It’s about to go down.
IcarusM15: As good as things can be.
“It won’t be much longer,” Emmerich said. The inspector’s attention was split between watching the approaching executives and Cole.
You have no idea, Inspector. Cole eyed her sidearm, wondering when or if he would have the opportunity to disarm her a second time. The gravity of his situation was crushing him, and slipping back into his Corner would not be so easy since she had literally kicked him into submission. He would watch and wait for the right moment.
“Not so mouthy now, are you, Musgrave?” Emmerich quipped, sitting forward, sidearm in hand. “Not in the face of danger.” She chuckled. “I can’t say I’m surprised—not with your track record.”
Leather creaked, and Cole met her gaze with a glower. “You don’t know shit, Inspector.”
Emmerich’s smile was filled with malice. “She trusted you.” The smile evaporated. “And you betrayed that trust with one selfish act.” She held up her index finger for emphasis. “Hundreds of lives lost because of you.”
There’s about to be one more added to that list. Cole’s fists relaxed, and he blew a low whistle. “Wow, that’s an impressive recounting.” He slowly clapped. “It’s especially impressive how you can pass judgment seeing as you weren’t there when the Daedalus went down.”
Emmerich didn’t bat an eyelash. “How fortuitous for you that it was your word against a battlecruiser full of ghosts.”
Cole exhaled deeply and nodded. “Yep.”
Emmerich shook her head, clearly disappointed with his response. “You’re a real piece of work, Captain.” She spoke the title as though he were Judas incarnate.
“Says the lunatic on the verge of slaughtering thousands of innocents to prove a moot point.”
“Careful.”
“Or else you’ll shoot your scapegoat?” Cole was done with this game. “You wouldn’t want to end my life prematurely, seeing as you’ll need me to pilot this ship back to the S3.” He could almost smell the smoke coming from her ears, and he knew he was right. He decided to further press his luck. “And don’t think I haven’t seen through your little lie.”
She raised an eyebrow, indicating he continue his climb into the jettison chamber.
Cole sat forward, watching Emmerich as it slid toward her sidearm. “You plan on blowing me in once we land. I’m too much of a liability, and you can’t take a chance investigators will overlook our special delivery.”
“You’re too smart for your own good, Musgrave,” Emmerich said, removing her sidearm. “I’ll just have to trust a faulty CAIN.”
A flash, and the viewport went dark. A distant, sourceless boom followed the anomaly, the ship shuddering violently. Alarms sounded, but it was CAIN’s voice Cole and Emmerich heard.
Lines of confusion arose on Emmerich’s face as the ship’s lights flickered and dimmed. “What is this?” She grabbed the arms of her chair for support. She and Cole began to lift as though they had entered zero G. She gazed into the bl
ack abyss that was the surrounding Terraport, her eyes wide. “What’s happening?”
The capacitor, Cole thought, recalling his recent conversation with CAIN. It must have deflected the EMP blast initiated by the generator. Lin managed to convert a company built generator into her weapon? The Terraport’s gone dark....
Cole and Emmerich unceremoniously landed in their respective seats. The drop was less than a foot, but it was enough of a distraction for Cole to make his move. He rushed at the inspector, but his world shifted and darkened as the effects of his injury assailed him anew. He stumbled into the console, his shoulder clipping Emmerich’s back, knocking her to the ground. Her sidearm slid away from her, out of reach.
Cole lunged after the weapon but was tangled by Emmerich’s extended legs. He hit the deck hard, his hand slapping the sidearm further away. He was slow to rise and barely managed to dodge another boot to the head, but his evasive action sent him sprawling in the other direction, colliding with the pilot chair. By the time he recovered his balance, he was staring down the barrel of Emmerich’s sidearm. She pulled the trigger.
Nothing! Cole thought, frantic. “ ‘Partial deflection,’ ” he murmured, realizing the EMP blast must have affected the plastol sidearm, rendering it useless. Temporarily, at the least.
“What have you done?” Emmerich’s rage was on full display as she struggled to fire her weapon.
“Not me,” was all Cole offered, and it was clear from Emmerich’s expression that she understood the severity of her situation. She cast aside her sidearm and charged Cole.
The two collided, but their second dance was a much different story. Even with her injured shoulder, Emmerich was a force to be reckoned with. He could feel the tight cords of muscles in her lean arms as they grappled, and her sense of balance kept her from being knocked over. An elbow to the ribs, a backhand to the temple, and a fist to the gut... She had not slacked from her training since leaving Military.
Neither had Cole. Despite his throbbing head, he was younger, taller, carried more mass, and was all around stronger. He wrapped his arms around her torso and placed his foot upon the console, giving a mighty shove. Both of them stumbled across the bridge and they slammed against the ground. Emmerich rose faster than Cole, and she turned to run.
Oh, no you don’t!
Cole grabbed her ankle and twisted with all his might. She cried and pitched forward, one hand bracing her fall. There was a snap, followed by a shriek, and Cole knew she had broken her wrist. She writhed, cradling her arm to her heaving chest. She made no attempt to stand.
It was Cole who rose, his world spinning like a centrifuge. “Don’t make me throw up on you, Inspector,” he said, clutching his roiling stomach. He stumbled to the back of the bridge to bar Emmerich’s escape, though he was fairly certain she would remain huddled against the wall. He could also see that she was favoring the ankle he had grabbed.
“What to do with you....”
“You son of a bitch,” she gritted. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”
Cole shrugged. “You’re right. I don’t.” He looked out the viewport to where it was still dark. He hadn’t the slightest idea what sort of pandemonium was occurring. “I can thank you and the good doctor for that.”
Emmerich shook her head. “No. You don’t understand.” She managed to get herself into a half hunched sitting position, though her head was bowed in agony. “You’ve sided with her.”
“You left me no choice.”
Emmerich met Cole’s hard stare, her cold eyes now filled with fear. “Dartmouth’s going to free the Singularity.”
Cole wondered if she hit her head harder than he thought. “The center of a black hole?”
The back of Emmerich’s head pounded into the wall she had managed to press up against. “Her father.” She swallowed. “I can’t believe she’s really going to do it.”
Lin’s father’s name is the Singularity?
OcuGuest347: Prepare the ship for launch. We are boarding.
Cole ignored the request and offered no response. You better not be screwing with me, Doc.
“That little bitch planned this all along,” Emmerich said and faced Cole. “Her aim may seem noble, Musgrave, but she’s about to unleash the plague.”
Cole knelt beside her and collected the sidearm. “Forgive me if don’t entirely believe the words of the woman behind an attempted genocide.”
Emmerich scowled.
“That’s what I thought,” Cole said, standing. He examined the weapon and saw that it was again charged and operational. He shook his head, beyond relieved CAIN’s attempt to deflect the EMP blast had partially failed.
The door to the lift opened, and Cole watched as Lin burst onto the bridge, her eyes were wide with panic. Forester was slow to follow her, his calm demeanor a stark comparison. He glanced down at Emmerich, impassive. Lin ignored the inspector completely and strode directly up to Cole. Her Rook hovered up beside her head.
“I need your help.”
Cole cast the voice box a fleeting glance, wondering whether or not the spoken thought was prerecorded. He sighed, ignoring Lin’s trembling. “No.”
Forester chuckled, but Lin’s face paled. “Why?”
“Because I don’t trust any of you.” He crossed his arms.
“I told you he would rebel,” Forester said, his amusement gone. “We don’t have time for this. Tell him what he wants to hear before we are suspected of involvement and this mission collapses around us.”
Cole nodded. “What your accomplice said.” He gestured back toward the console. “Seems only I can pilot this craft. Isn’t that right, Cain?” He prayed nothing had changed in the interim.
Lin’s eyes darted in all directions as she collected her thoughts. Cole thought she might pass out, and witnessing her current physical state was enough evidence for him to lend her his trust for the time being. There were just a couple more details he needed to cover.
“I know what’s being held over my head, and I hold no illusions that the three of you won’t hesitate to make me the scapegoat behind this insanity if push comes to shove.” He met the gaze of each in turn. “Make no mistake—despite my predicament—I am in charge now.”
No one offered an opinion to the contrary, much to his amazement. “If you want my help, I need to know exactly what the mission is and my role in it.”
Lin nodded. “This is a search and rescue mission, and you are our escape pilot.”
“You crazy bitch.” All eyes turned to Emmerich, who seemed ready to pass out. “It’s just like I told you, Musgrave. She’s going for the Singularity.”
Lin scowled, and Cole thought she would add to Emmerich’s wounds.
“Is she telling the truth?” Cole asked, though he already knew the answer.
“Doctor,” Forester warned, a trace of concern cracking his calm exterior.
Again, Lin nodded. “My father is down on Terracom 3, wrongfully imprisoned.”
Emmerich scoffed. Cole cast the inspector a thoughtful glance. It was possible her concerns were valid in her mind and Lin was undoubtedly hiding information. Time, however, was critical, and Cole was incapable of reasoning why not to save one person. Better to save one than senselessly murder thousands.
“How long before the Terraport fully recovers?”
Lin’s eyes brightened. “Hours. With risk of a breach, lockdown has been implemented. All occupants are being escorted to safety and will be inconvenienced for some time. Director Forester and I seized the opportunity to slip away in the initial confusion before all parties were gath
ered. The generators will be inspected before allowing to recharge. They will reach maximum capacity first, but the Terraport will need significant time for a complete system reboot and to reach a proper orbit to establish connection with the planet’s surface. Production and security will be down until then.” There was a light in her eyes. “Zero casualties are expected. We will never again have another opportunity like this.”
Cole liked that twinkle. I’m such an idiot. “What about her?” he gestured toward Emmerich.
Lin looked over at an antsy Forester, and he let slip an almost imperceptible nod. She turned back toward Cole, slight relief on her face. “When this mission is complete, and suspicion eventually falls upon us...” she trailed, casting Emmerich a long, hard stare, “I will see that she takes the fall.”
The last line piqued Cole’s interest, but there was still one problem. “Okay, but what do we do with her until then?”
“I will see to inspector Emmerich.” The response had come from Forester. “She yet has a role to play in this mission.”
Cole looked to Lin for verification, and she nodded, though her enthusiasm had diminished. Just who is this guy?
“You better pray to your AI god, Dartmouth,” Emmerich said, her voice faint. “There’s a damn...good reason they...locked up...the Singularity....”
Before Cole could inquire further, the pain finally took its toll, and Emmerich passed out.
7
DC-ALPHA-6
The Engines roared to life on the ICV-71. CAIN’s scan of the hangar bay indicated zero life forms present, and Cole brought the ship to face their one and only obstacle: the hangar door.
Cole faced the exit and questioned his own sanity. I’m a willing accomplice now, he thought with no shortage of trepidation. Emmerich’s words haunted him, and Lin had never indicated whether or not she was still blackmailing him. He sighed, realizing it was too late to reconsider turning all three of them in.