by John Walker
But first, he needed some water. Actual starvation or dehydration wouldn’t kick in for a while but the first thing he learned in basic training with the military involved setting up a supply chain for any prolonged operations. He’d set up a fortified base in a shut down security check point deep inside Subsection Six, far away from anywhere people ever went.
Maintenance tunnels nearby allowed him access to the entire station at the expense of convenience. Anywhere he wanted to go involved climbing ladders which made getting to the highest levels impractical. He couldn’t storm the bridge from down there, not without some kind of power assisted armor.
I wish I had some of that from the army still.
The promenade was only four floors up, nothing to joke about but close enough to be practical. He checked his weapon and ventured out. Access tunnels were behind sealed doors with manual releases. Everything down there was practical and didn’t always run on power. The idea was that if something happened to the reactor, crews could still operate and repair the place.
It worked to Ander’s advantage but one thing he remembered was the doors could be incredibly loud. Trying to be quiet meant exerting more energy to absorb the noise. He grabbed the massive metal ring and began to turn, tensing up just as much as might be necessary to break the seal.
When he felt it give, he stopped then pressed again until the door came open. He peeked into the dark and his heart fell for a moment. Then he realized it would work to his advantage. No one would casually see him if they looked in but then again, he’d have to scale the ladder in the dark.
I guess there are worse things.
Ander grabbed the rungs and began to ascend, counting each step he took before reaching the landing. He anticipated no more than ten to fifteen rungs. When he got to thirty-five, he began to get nervous. At fifty, he finally reached the first landing and he flopped onto it, breathing heavily.
It wasn’t that he was out of shape but the anxiety of climbing in the dark combined with more exertion than he anticipated worked at his nerves. His arms felt heavy despite the fact that he’d made many harder climbs in his day. The worst part was he had to do it three more times to get to his destination.
Ander allowed himself nearly twenty minutes of rest before he started climbing again. This time, he was ready for the workout but by the end, he was still winded and his body trembled. Lying on his back, he stretched his arms over his head and brought his knees to his chest, trying to loosen up the muscles.
Knots formed in his biceps but he worked them out over time until he felt mostly prepared to head out into the promenade for his much needed supplies.
Ander’s heart fell again. I have to climb back down that thing.
Providing he survived.
Ander twisted the dial on the door, repeating his performance from down below. As the seal broke, he carefully turned it to avoid any loud noises. When it opened, he drew his weapon and peeked out. No one was around and he found himself in the loading area for the cafe where he got his drink before the attack.
Pacing out, he strained to hear, listening for any activity out in the promenade. Footsteps made him freeze and a couple voices chatting nearby.
“You done?” The first guy sounded like he shouted a lot, his throat hoarse and gravely. “I got my section cleared out.”
“Yeah, I’m done.” The other man was higher pitched, almost like one imagined a rodent. “They didn’t give me any guff. Just went along quietly. I think they had to use the can.”
“Damn station bound losers,” Gravely said. He made a spitting noise. “Hate these cowards. It would be nice to have a real fight on our hands, you know? Someone who actually resisted. This just feels too easy. Like we’re doing something legal.”
“I’d rather not be shot at,” Rodent replied. “Easy jobs just mean we get a quicker payout. And there’s nothing wrong with that, you know?”
“I guess. Still. Killing someone would be nice.” Gravely paused. “This place has juice…it says real fruit.”
“No way…” Rodent gasped. “You’re right! Oh, I’m getting some of that.”
Damn it! Ander clenched his fist. He needed access to the diner and if these two goons were sitting around enjoying smoothies, he’d be stuck. The longer he stood around out there, the greater his chance of being caught. The only other place to get his supplies sat on the far end of the promenade, a small outlet for groceries.
It’s this place or none…How do I get them out of there?
“Hey, who the hell are you?” The man’s voice made Ander freeze and his blood pumped hot through his system. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a confused looking man wearing a tattered tee shirt and cargo pants tucked into scuffed boots. His weapon remained slung over his shoulder as he admired Ander. “You can’t possibly be station security…”
“I am.” Ander pointed his gun at the guy. “Keep quiet or I’ll shoot.”
“You…wait a minute, you really are with security! How? We rounded you lot up!”
“Not all of us I guess.” Ander gestured to the wall. “Put your hands on that. Now!”
The bewildered pirate placed his hands on the wall, shaking his head. “This is amazing…I thought we’d cleared this place.”
Ander checked him over and relieved the man of his rifle. Slinging it on his shoulder, he found the man’s identification. Harvin Lank. The name meant nothing to Ander but he thrust it in his pocket.
“I don’t know what you plan to do, copper but um…we hold the whole station. What do you think arresting me is going to do anyway?”
“Shut up!” Ander shoved him into the wall. “Keep your voice down!”
“Why?” Harvin glanced over his shoulder. “Are you worried about the others just around the corner? I know they’re out there. I was coming to meet them.”
“Last warning. Next time, I’ll just fire.”
“And give away your position? I doubt it.”
“It won’t matter to you, will it?”
“Help!” Harvin shouted.
Ander’s shoulders slumped. Bastard! He slammed the butt of his pistol against Harvin’s neck hard enough to make him crumple to the floor, unconscious. Ander looked around frantically, unsure what to do. If he simply left, his potential prisoner would give him away. The rest of the pirates would start looking for him.
On the alternative, killing these men would likely give him away too unless they simply…disappeared. A desperate idea struck him, one he didn’t feel proud of but it would certainly work. It involved killing, something he hadn’t done since the war but in this case, his survival and many people on the station depended on him maintaining his freedom.
Ander pressed his back against the wall and aimed his weapon toward where he heard the pirates. Their footsteps indicated he had moments before they’d be on him. Their shadows loomed against the wall. Gravely spoke up, “Harvin, is that you? What the hell are you doing back there? The bathroom’s open, man.”
Ander’s hand trembled for just a moment before he mastered himself, falling into his soldier ways again. He tilted his head down, aiming down the sites. One of the two pirates appeared down the hall and Ander hesitated, waiting for the other to join him. The second the other target appeared, he pulled the trigger.
The gun bucked in his hand, firing a concentrated blast. Station weapons fired pulse blasts incapable of penetrating the outer walls but more than sufficient to kill when set to high power. Ander left his set to max. When the blast struck its target, the man screamed in pain and flopped on the ground, his ribs liquified.
The other, it turned out to be Rodent, looked down in shock and went to raise his weapon. Ander fired again just as the barrel of Rodent’s rifle passed his knees. The attack smacked into the pirate’s shoulder, tossing him to the ground. Before he could sit up, Ander fired twice more, hitting him in the legs and stomach.
He advanced to check them, ensuring they were truly dead. Strong hands gripped him from behind, yanking him t
o the ground. Harvin pounded his face with two solid blows but Ander blocked the third. They struggled for a moment, trying to gain an advantage when Ander brought his knee up, colliding with Harvin’s side.
The pirate grunted, flopping away from him. Ander spun, aiming his weapon but it got kicked out of his hand. They rose to their feet, squaring off for a brawl. Ander knew he didn’t have time for a drawn out battle. He threw himself at his opponent, slamming his fist into Harvin’s stomach and face.
Harvin quickly realized he was overmatched but even desperation didn’t help him. He got a lucky blow to Ander’s side but when they grappled, the fight went to Ander. He pulled the pirate to the ground and got a good hold around his neck, squeezing with all his might. Harvin struggled, kicking his legs but a loud pop made him stop.
Panting, Ander didn’t let him go for several moments, not until he believed the man to be truly dead. He shoved the body away and looked around frantically, struggling to remember his plan. Bringing up the layout on his tablet, he found the nearest airlock. Not quite two hundred yards away.
The bodies proved to be more difficult to drag than he thought and by the time he got them all there, Ander felt like he’d been exposed for far too long. He worked the controls to jettison the bodies all while inserting an error in the log stating the seal malfunctioned. This would lead people to believe the three men checked out a disturbance and were sucked into space.
It would buy Ander time to get back to his little cubby base with the supplies he needed.
The sound of air sucking through the door made him shiver, especially as he considered what exactly was happening to the bodies as they entered the vacuum of space. Such a tactic went against his conscience, why he left the military in the first place but such things couldn’t matter just then. Survival and everyone on board took precedence over his peace of mind.
Three down, he thought, while gathering up food and water. Fates know how many to go. I need a tally…that’ll be my next project. Get the cameras online and count them. I hope help gets here soon. I can only keep this up for so long.
Chapter 4
Rathe cursed under his breath as he watched the long range scanner. “Thantis,” he called, “I’m picking up something big. Confirm?”
Thantis sighed and turned away from what he was doing. He remained silent for a moment before clearing his throat. “Yeah, I see it…but that’s not an Alliance ship.”
“Who the hell…” Rathe squinted at the screen. A moment of recognition hit him and his eyes went wide. “My God…that’s the Behemoth.”
“The what?” Thantis asked.
“The Behemoth. Earth ship. They built it in response to the attack a few years back. It’s the most advanced vessel ever to be built by humans.”
“So what?” Thantis shrugged. “Use the battleship to take it out.”
Rathe glared at him. “Are you an idiot? That ship isn’t some push over merchant we can muscle out of the system. That’s a real warship captained by a man who knows war. If we attack them, they very well might put us down. Even if we win, it’ll be a long shot. I mean, I’m good at tactics but those are trained professionals.”
“So what do you suggest?” Thantis sneered. “Do you want to surrender?”
Rathe refrained from hitting the man but he really wanted to. He’d begun to seriously dislike the computer expert. Considering their situation, Thantis seemed entirely too cavalier. Hostages didn’t guarantee an outcome. In fact, they usually just complicated things. Now, they might well be the bargaining chips that would save their lives.
“I’m going to talk to them,” Rathe said. “And buy us some time to get everything loaded up for departure. You make sure that happens. I’m relying on you.”
Thantis smiled and the expression made Rathe uncomfortable. “I’ll have to head down to the reactor level. The computers have a direct access connection to what we need. It’ll be faster.”
“Great, fine. Go.” Rathe waved his hand. “Do you need an escort?”
“I’ve got it.” Thantis picked up a gun and limped toward the door. “I’ll let you know when we’re ready to fill the cargo containers.”
“Just don’t wait too long.” Rathe turned to the controls, waiting for the hail from the Behemoth. He knew it would come soon and he had to be ready. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he took heart in the fact that they wouldn’t start firing on the station. His crew might not be willing to call their bluff.
Hell, I’m not sure I’d be willing myself…Keep cool. This is going to work out.
***
“Jump successful, Captain,” Redding announced. “We have arrived…less than ten-thousand kilometers away from our mark.”
“Outstanding work, Mister Collins,” Gray said, making Timothy grin.
Olly cleared his throat, “I’ve got the Alliance ship on scans. She’s got defensive shields up hot but her weapons are on standby. They don’t seem to be reacting to us.”
“Yet,” Adam muttered. “Raise shields and go weapons hot, just in case.”
Gray turned to Ensign Agatha White, the communications officer. “Agatha, get them on hail. Let’s see if they want to have a talk.”
“Aye, sir.” Agatha paused a moment. “They’re responding…they want to talk.”
Gray nodded. “Put them on speaker.” She nodded at him and he spoke into his microphone. “This is Captain Atwell of the USS Behemoth. We are here to negotiate the release of your hostages and to relieve you of Alliance property. Please reply.”
“Can’t do that, Captain Atwell.” The male voice piping through the speakers carried a gruff tone to it. “We’re not done with our task.”
“If you’re here just to steal Ulem, then I’ve got bad news for you,” Gray said. “No one’s going to buy it from you. We’ll put out messages to every space port in friendly range. It’ll be a waste of your time.”
“We sell to anyone, Captain,” the pirate said. “Even your enemies. Money’s money to us.”
Gray frowned. “Really. So you’re not just a criminal but a traitor to your species as well. How long do you think that’s going to work out for you?”
“It’s worked pretty well so far. Look, we won’t hurt the hostages if you just stay put. Once we’re done loading up our vessels, you can do what you want. Have it back. I don’t care but before you get it, we’re going to leave here rich. Do you understand?”
“Perfectly.” Gray muted the line. “Are the marines ready to depart?”
Adam nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Olly, jam their scanners,” Gray said. “Make it look like something natural.”
“I might be able to use the satellites to mess up their electronics.” Olly hummed. “They’re set up to amplify communications around the system, to allow the control center to talk to the deepest mining shaft on the planet. That means their transmitters are impressive but delicate. It wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility for them to malfunction and trash their scans.”
“Won’t that mess up ours too?” Adam asked.
“No, sir. I’ll compensate accordingly. Give me a moment.”
“The moment he brings their scanners down, get those marines out there. I want the shuttle ready to board the station right away.” Gray made the microphone live again. “So you’re just here for the Ulem, huh? No ransom for the people you’ve taken?”
“Ransom’s too messy,” the pirate said. “No one’s got time to mess with that kind of thing. You never get what you ask for anyway.”
“Fair enough. What about that Alliance battleship? You can’t honestly think I’m going to let you keep it.”
“So what’re you going to do? Blow it up?”
“If it means keeping it out of your hands,” Gray replied, “then yes. Why should I let you roam around space terrorizing people? Sure, we need it for the war effort but we can’t have a band of blood thirsty raiders chipping away at our backsides either.”
“I should be insulted.”
“If you’d like to be,” Gray said. “But regardless of your feelings, we’re going to work something out. A lot of you do not have to die today. It’s really up to you.”
“Let me think about it. Your offer, while incredibly generous…and by that I mean not at all, just doesn’t seem like it’ll set with my crew. However, we’ve got some time to kill so I’ll get back to you soon.”
“Don’t make it long,” Gray warned. “We’re not entirely patient.”
“Neither are we, believe me.”
The line went dead and Gray stood up. “Clea, get to work on what we can do with that ship. Olly, how’s that jam coming?”
“Almost done, sir.” Olly scowled. “I essentially have to put the satellites on a timer and bust them after a period of time. If they just suddenly break, it’ll be obvious we did it. However, I am making it clear that our entry into the system had to be the cause. The jump wake could easily be blamed.”
“I don’t think we’re taking that ship whole,” Adam said. “We might want to engage.”
“Not yet,” Gray said. “There may be Alliance crew onboard. I want to at least try to liberate it before we blow it out of the sky. Besides, as the pirate said, we’ve got some time. Let’s explore some options. I’m sure we can make something happen.”
***
Rathe leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath. Earth military would be a lot more aggressive than the Alliance ever managed. When they felt like attacking, they’d come in hard and leave no survivors. If anyone surrendered, they’d spend the rest of their lives in prison. Anyone on his crew who knew that would fight to the death.
“Captain?” Jordan’s voice crackled over the speakers. “You might want to come down here to the promenade. I…found something.”
“Bad?” Rathe asked.
“Bad enough. Better hurry.”