In Case Of Emergency Break Fourth Wall (The Messenger Archive Book 3)

by DC Bastien

  [Sianor: This isn't real.]

  [Ashroe: It is.]

  [Sianor: No!]

  [Ashroe: I should bloody hope it is.]

  [Sianor: NO!]

  [Ashroe: Good 'no', or bad 'no'?]

  [Sianor: AMAZING NO.]

  [Ashroe: Yeah. They contracted me for five books.]

  [Sianor: Five?]

  [Ashroe: Novelising the pilot and the start of the series, then writing four more of my own devising. Standalone stories set within canon.]

  [Sianor: How in the hell did you manage to – I mean – you're going to write for the SHOW?]

  [Ashroe: Not the show. I won't have any influence over what is shown on TV. But the stories I write will be considered canon within the universe, yes.]

  [Sianor: You're writing CANON and you only tell me now?]

  [Ashroe: I was finalising the details til about a week before I flew out. And then I wanted to see your reaction to me staying. See if... see if you wanted me to.]

  [Sianor: Of course I do! Wait, what do you mean?]

  [Ashroe: I can write anywhere with power. And preferably coffee and a stable wifi for distractions. But I can do it anywhere. So. I. Uhm. I'm moving out here.]

  [Sianor: WHEN?]

  [Ashroe: Kind of now. I've got a place nearish you to rent for a few months while I find my feet. It's why I've been so busy recently. Been working out the logistics of relocating.]

  [Sianor: !!!!]

  [Ashroe: I thought if I lived nearby, we could date a bit more... you know. Conventionally? But also if we liked, we could step it up a bit once we know we can stand one another in person. I have some pretty annoying habits, I know.]

  [Sianor: Oh. My. God.]

  [Sianor: Wait, that's why your sister was mad at you?]

  [Ashroe: Yeah.]

  [Sianor: What about your pets?]

  [Ashroe: Mum took them in. That's... gonna be the hardest loss. I mean, other than crumpets and my family.]

  [Sianor: I think – I –]

  [Ashroe: Shit, are you crying?]

  [Sianor: Yes.]

  ***

  Chapter Thirty-Three – Mission: Resolution

  "Gamma Team just called in that it's clear, it's not Ithon," Saidhe announced.

  "I thought we were all going in on my mark?" Kip grumbled.

  "The ship they approached was warming up engines, they had to get the request over before they set out and pursuit was obvious."

  "How certain are they it wasn't a front?"

  "Very."

  "Alright. Keep tabs on the ship in case. And hail Kre. I want her group ready on my mark in: three; two; one..."

  The waiting was the hardest part. The waiting for an answer, then not even knowing if the answer would be the one he wanted. Nothing. Nothing.

  "Kre said her contact point refused the request and also the system is going into countermeasures. The Roq technicians are trying to assess the level of cryptography to see if it's consistent with Baudeline's sophisti— and we just got word our attempts have also failed."

  Kip was sure he had picked the right one. Sure. It was in his bones, in his blood. He'd found him. He knew it, staring at the remote station. Out in the black, so the Ardeshir cloak was at maximum, swallowing Mes deep in her belly. They couldn't get closer without risking detection and if it wasn't Baudeline in there, he was certain it would be one of his fronts.

  "Tell me what Kre knows," Kip said, hand reaching for his sidearm automatically.

  "It looks... the scans seem to reveal some... weapons or scientific research base? It looks covert. I'm guessing it's... would he hold him there?"

  "Put Ithon on a ship filled with guns? That would be asking for death. Still, it explains the tastes behind whoever was on there."

  "What do we do?" Saidhe asked. "We need to make a decision."

  "Get the Judge to flash his credentials at them. Say we're looking for a wanted Ur fugitive, nothing more. See if they'll co-operate even begrudgingly."

  "Are you sure, Captain?"

  "This is... yes. Well done for asking about the wall, Sparkle, but I'm sure. Get Peters to broadcast there, and prepare us to go in."

  "Aye-aye, Cap'n."

  He could barely breathe for the next ten minutes. Barely think. The air seemed light and empty, and his head swam with furious nausea. Eventually, Saidhe turned.

  "They're provisionally agreeing, in principle," she said. "They don't want to open up everything as they say there's no evidence of a crime being committed, but they'll help with enquiries."

  "Get Kre onboard as a deputised agent of the Ur. Just to see if they will let her on. Make sure it's not delaying tactics, and then prepare the boarding party here. I'm pretty damn sure it's about to get ugly for us."

  ***

  [Ashroe: Hello action my old friend/]

  [Ashroe: I've come to sideline you again.]

  [Sianor: You get to sit most of it out!]

  [Ashroe: Maybe. If you're happy to, anyway.]

  [Sianor: For you, anything.]

  ***

  Kip had the breather in his mouth, the flip-switch mag boots on his feet, the goggles on his eyes and the heavy duty assault rifle in his hands. The gear was a mixture of his own, plus whatever the Sianar could spare him that would fit. He didn't exactly blend in with his tall, furry colleagues.

  This was certainly it. They were going to take that bastard down. Take him so far down he'd never recover. No one – no one – stole his boyfriend. No one.

  ***

  "Ithon," Pax's voice came out, low and insistent. "Ithon, please wake up."

  Avery rolled over, groggily. He couldn't have been asleep for long because he normally woke up fine. And Pax never had to wake him because his internal clock was pretty well set.

  "What?"

  "Please get up and dressed."

  "W-why?"

  Silence. Whirring, whirring silence. He ground his hands into his eyes until he saw geometric patterns dancing slowly through the blood-black in his skull.

  "I believe I am – I am under attack. I wish you to hide."

  "Who is attacking us?" He was fully awake now, stood up and eyes wide open. Attack could either be a rival, or it could be a saviour. He knew which he'd prefer.

  "Unclear. But if you take refuge in the bathtub, it is statistically the safest place to be. You will be partially shielded and able to reason with or barter with the attackers if necessary."

  "Baud tell you to protect his investment?" he sneered, grabbing a jacket and shoving his feet into shoes.

  "No."

  Natural programming, then. AIs had the very basics of preventing harm and promoting health wired right into them.

  "I'm not staying in the tub. You gotta let me out."

  "I cannot."

  "Even if it risks my life? Damnit, Pax, I am not hiding in a tub. And I sure as hell am not dying in one. I need to be mobile, and I need to be armed."

  "I am not permitted to—"

  "Open the goddamn door!"

  She did, but before he could thank her, he saw Baudeline on the other side.

  "You're coming with me."

  ***

  Saidhe was back on the ship, keeping an eye on things. As best she could, anyway. Mes was trying to brute force her way into the local system and Kip was armed to the teeth.

  "Good luck," came a whispered voice in his ear.

  "Thanks, Sai," he whispered back.

  The Ardeshir were ruthlessly effective. They'd brought their two ships in close, one of them impacting around the static station's propulsion area. Like a crab or some other sea-creature the ship's strong piston-arms had punctured the hull and core power lines. Seeping sealant had stopped the ship venting air, but if the prongs withdrew then the prey ship would be crippled utterly.

  The second ship – the one Kip had been in the belly of – forcibly docked and blasted electromagnetic pulses and dull, thudding soundwaves designed to disrupt nervous systems. The Sianar and the Captain all wore protect
ive gear as they entered after that wave, pushing into the ship as they shot and stunned any resistance.

  He damn well hoped this was a legitimate raid. If it wasn't then there would be a hell of a cover-up after. Maybe false piracy? Yeah, they could swing that.

  "Cap'n."

  "Mhm?"

  "Kre has returned to her ship, convinced Ithon isn't there."

  "Awesome."

  "And Mes has managed to contact the AI of this installation. She says there's a message for you."

  "Greetings, Captain Vadim. I am Pax. Judge DiGattio would like to know under whose authority do you illegally board his craft?"

  "Pax, you son of a—he's wanted by the Ur!"

  "You are no longer an Ur official. This boarding is very illegal and will render any and all evidence found here inadmissible. It will also throw very poor light on your false case against him, painting you as the dangerous fanatic with a grudge against him. Judge DiGattio would—"

  "Put him through to me, would you?"

  "I cannot—"

  "Put him through."

  A pause, but Kip was still ploughing through room after room, letting the Ardeshir do most of the hard work as he looked for his boyfriend. He wasn't going to let him delay them with talking.

  "Captain."

  "Hey, asshole. How about you give me my boyfriend back?"

  "The one you wanted to have arrested just to get to me?"

  "That was his idea, but yeah. That boyfriend. He's an ass, but he's my ass."

  "We could come to an arrangement."

  Yeah. So. He'd called that one well in advance. Not sure he would agree to it yet (but maybe, if there was no alternative. If it was a gun to Ithon's head, and that or nothing...) he decided to play along as they stalled for time. He waved his unit towards the small craft area, where any escape shuttles would be hiding.

  "I'm listening."

  "Kip, don't—"

  Ithon was cut off before he'd finished, which meant he was a) here after all and b) alive and conscious. Or c) it was a recording or a mockery of his voice. He preferred a) and b).

  "If you harm him..."

  "If you let me go, I'll have no cause to," Baudeline said. "You need to stand down the forces in my way, and let my ship leave."

  "And how do I get Ithon off here safely?"

  "You don't. I take him with me as collateral. So you don't blow my pod to smithereens when I take off."

  "Yeah, and how is that any further forward for me? You'll still have Ithon. And I want him back." And you in custody, in chains, rotting in a cell for life, he added mentally.

  "I will release him when I get to my destination."

  "And I trust you... why?"

  "Because my sights are trained on the back of your head right now and I haven't pulled my trigger."

  Vadim turned. Slowly. Oh so slowly. A red dot danced over his chest, then back up probably onto his skull. The Ardeshir around him growled in disapproval, and he wondered how the asshole had got the drop on them? Couldn't they smell him? He squinted, then realised it was a sniper-scope. And it was... well. It was coming from way, way aways. No way would a Human make that shot without AI assistance. Even if you bypassed the Ur regulations on modified sight systems, there wasn't a rifle capable of that kind of shot. Not one that went through several layers of glass like this one seemed to. It had to counter-act all the refraction. The shot itself would need such precise recalibration to deal with all the materials it passed through that it would only work if...

  "Mes?"

  "Your ship will not help you, Captain. Stand down, or I will shoot you."

  "Mes, honey, if you were ever going to save the day, now... now would be a good time?"

  "I regularly save the day, Captain," Mes insisted.

  The red line through the air vanished, and everything went to hell in a handbasket.

  ***

  Ithon didn't know what happened, just that gravity and light and air all decided to come and go in waves. Waves, different directions, different intensities... and on the back of all of that, his elbow went decidedly smack into Baudeline's nose. There was a horrific sound of cartilage cracking, a warm, wet gush of blood and then they were wrestling for the rifle.

  Mes had likely hacked Pax, judging from the utterly confusing incoherence. They banged from wall to wall as they fought, knees and teeth and nothing was sacred. Something bony and hard went between his thighs and he had to scream not to just let go of the rifle, but his whole damn life and freedom depended on it, so no way was that going to dissuade him.

  There was gunfire and screaming and he thought there was some fur in his mouth so he spat that out and maybe he should stop fighting the Sianar trying to prise him off. He couldn't hear anything through the anger in his blood, but he did let go and went limp, allowing the Sianar to manhandle him away.

  Gravity was sort of settled in one direction, now, and when the arms around his chest let go, he staggered into a braced stance. Ardeshir? Had to be Ardeshir. But where was...

  "Ith?"

  "Kip?"

  He felt himself pulled into a hug of buckles and straps and clumsy hands, the adrenaline slowly fading. It was real. It was real. Kip had come for him, and the hair under his hands was his lover's. The lips whispering against his ear, the warm body pressed against his chest. He'd never felt more relieved to see him – or anyone – ever. Never wanted to need rescuing, but if it was Kip to do it, he could accept that.

  "I missed you," he whispered into his Captain's ear.

  "I missed you too, you idiot. Don't run out on me again, okay? I love you too much for that."

  Ithon felt his throat tighten. "I love you, too. I—"

  Gravity took one last lurch (Pax clearly trying her damndest to fight off the intruding AI) sending everything through ninety-degrees. There was a sudden yelp of pain, and Ithon watched in horror as Baudeline made a grab for one of the Ardeshir's guns.

  "Kip!"

  Both men drew on one another at the same time, and when the single gunshot rang out, Ithon couldn't even breathe.

  But then there was a soft murmur by his ear. "It's okay. Gunner. I got you. It's okay. It's alright. Come on. I'm taking you home. Come on."

  He nodded, dumbly. It was over. He was safe.

  ***

  (Two months later)

  "That's it. That's the last of my testimony. I am now officially... not a person of interest in this case anymore," Ithon said.

  Kip watched him, calmly. "It feel good?"

  "Yes and no. Yes, I'm done with it. It's finished, that chapter of my life is closed. No... I wish I'd never opened that book."

  "Well, you closed it. That's the important thing. He's dead, now, and his empire of evil is slowly being pulled to pieces so no one takes over the helm," Peters said. "It will take some time, but with the Bankers' information, we'll get there."

  "So... what now?" Ithon asked. "You gonna drop me off on Lineon, or...?"

  Vadim snorted, then tilted his head to Kre.

  "I have a job offer for you," she said. "One you seemed to have taken without pay some years ago, and thus which deserves financial recognition."

  "Oh? Babysitting Kip?"

  "Being my bodyguard."

  "Kre... you need as many bodygu—" Ithon caught the glare from his lover and snapped his jaw shut. "I would love to protect your furry, overtall ass."

  "Thank you," Kre smiled. "And I will not object if you occasionally assist the Captain and the Judge with their... legal work."

  Which Ithon knew meant private detecting on Kip's part to help the Judge out. It would satisfy his innate need for law and order, without needing to break back into the ranks of the Ur.

  "It all sounds lovely," he said, with a low bow. "I'd be more than honoured, in that case. I'll even listen to your sermons."

  "Only if you want to."

  "You have a lovely speaking voice, Kre. And if I'm protecting you, I'm protecting you. Just because Baudeline is gone, it doesn't mean th
ere'll be no attempts on your life."

  Much to his surprise, Biann suddenly launched herself at one side, then a moment later Saidhe did, too. He hugged the two sisters, beaming from ear to ear. "Hey, my boyfriend might get jealous."

  "Nah, he knows Hleen share," Saidhe couldn't help but tease.

  "Watch it, Sparkle," Vadim growled.

  "What about you, Loap? You not coming over to join the cuddle pile?" Ithon asked.

  "I'd rather not. But I will cook your meal of choice, as it's your first official day as part of the crew."