Reclaim: Books 1-3

by J. A. Scorch

  Shaking her lowered head, Garcia almost showed some hint of sorrow for Porter's request. She stared into his eyes for a moment before speaking. "I come to you now, Porter, desperate and willing to believe anything is possible when it comes to the Zeal. The fact is, this strange object has been placed inside an interface our scientists found on the captured Cyclone. The two items match up perfectly."

  "So what? I don't understand what that has to do with anything."

  "Let me explain," she said. "We've had this thing in our possession for a few days now and have run every kind of test we could think of, but nothing came of it. That was until Teve showed up."

  Porter struggled to focus as a headache began to throb in his head. "You're not going to perform some weird experiments on him. I won't let you."

  "We don't need to. The device has already started showing us something we could have never have seen in a million years. Whatever is happening when your brother, and only your brother, interacts with this thing, it is causing a flow of data to stream into our systems."

  "Data?"

  "Yes. It's hard to believe, and I never thought I'd utter these words, but we are receiving data from what could only be the approaching Zeal fleet. With the brief interaction Teve had, the device lit up this receiver like a star."

  Porter waved his hands at Garcia. "This is nuts. What are you saying exactly?"

  Garcia leaned in toward him with a lowered voice. "Quite frankly, Porter, we may have found a back door into the Zeal network."

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Teve knew he was dreaming. At least he had to be. Mish was standing over him, gently rubbing his forehead with her soft hands. How she kept them so warm and inviting throughout the war was a mystery he'd never solve.

  Without thought or reason, Teve propped himself up and kissed her lips. He had no idea if she was real or not, nor did he care. If he could have one last moment with her, dream or reality, he would take it.

  "Where am I? This can't be real," he said with a faint smile.

  She didn't answer and continued to stare at him from above. A bright light flooded the world behind. She was dressed in white in an outfit he would never find her wearing no matter what: a white silk dress that flowed down the curves of her body. She smiled intensely at him from overhead as if she were floating. He couldn't detect any of the Zeal tech stabbing through her skin, ruining her perfect tone.

  "You're home," she said. Her voice sounded distant and layered.

  He wanted to deny her claim and get up and dive back into the real world, but something held him down. An invisible force kept Teve in the light away from the darkness of the environment outside.

  He closed his eyes as Mish ran her hand down his chest and kissed him. When he opened his lids ever so gently, the blade-covered face of X stared back at him with a wild grin.

  Teve shot up from the cold floor of the brig and searched around the small cell for X and Mish. Instead of finding impossible things, he found Bradley sitting opposite him with half a smile on his face.

  "Welcome back."

  With a groan, Teve rubbed his eyes with both hands. "Hello." He felt the heavy clamps Garcia's men had placed on his wrists.

  "Hopefully we can get those off you soon. Nice to see you're awake, by the way. Do you know where you went?"

  Teve's eyes danced around for a moment. "Nowhere special."

  "I doubt that. I saw you pass out when you came into contact with that thing Garcia has in her possession."

  Teve shook his head. He didn't want to think about why a small device would render him unconscious in a matter of seconds. "What was that thing, anyway?"

  "Don't have a name for it yet, but according to Garcia, it might be a tool that helps us turn this fight around." Bradley went on to explain the commodore's findings and her theory behind the possible access to the Zeal network via the device and the nanites.

  "Are you telling me that I can provide a connection to an alien network that currently exists on a fleet some insanely huge distance away?"

  "Sounds stupid when you put it like that, but Garcia received data the second you came close to the device. For anyone else infected with nanites, there is no connection."

  Not knowing how to respond to his brother's words, Teve rubbed his temple for a few seconds to allow himself to think. "What kind of data are they receiving?"

  "The kind most sensitive to the Zeal. Garcia believes we a receiving a direct stream from the approaching fleet, but only when you are interacting with that device."

  Teve shook his head. "Even if that were the case, I can't sustain contact with the object. One exposed look knocked me out and ... " He trailed off, not wanting to divulge his dark visions to Bradley.

  "I did say that to the commodore, but it didn't seem to slow down her ambitions." Bradley leaned closer to Teve and whispered. "I'd like to think I know Garcia pretty well, but she has surprised me on many occasions."

  "How?"

  Bradley dropped his head and muttered something to himself before he continued. "She's always willing to do what it takes to win. Whether it's the war on the Zeal or her career, I've seen Garcia take the low road more times than I'd care to admit. Whatever she's got planned for us, it might not be in our best interest."

  "But it will be in the best interest of the fleet, according to her," Teve added.

  Bradley nodded with a soft brow. "No matter what, we need to stick together. Coming here was a mistake I didn't see until now."

  "No, this is my fault," Teve said. "I knocked out the crew chief. They should let you go."

  A chuckle broke from Bradley's lips. "They won't be letting either one of us go until they get what they want out of that device. I just hope Garcia works it out without hurting you and before the big fight. I don't fancy dying sitting on my ass in the brig."

  "Me either," Teve said as he stood and gripped the bars tight. He felt like he could rip the steel poles apart in one go, but he knew the nanites weren't that strong. Plus, his restraints would make the task twice as hard.

  An hour went by before Garcia returned with several armed guards.

  "What's all this?" Bradley asked.

  Garcia ignored the question and kept her focus on Teve. "Hello, Sergeant. Care to join me?"

  "Depends on what I'm joining you for."

  Garcia let the slightest smile curl on the corner of her mouth. "Let's just call it a friendly chat."

  Before Teve could think of a way to refuse, the door slid open after a buzz had indicated the electronic lock had been disengaged.

  "Where are you taking him?" Bradley demanded.

  "None of your concern, Porter," Garcia said.

  "Bullshit. It's entirely my concern. What are you doing to him? We have rights, you know."

  The commodore stormed two steps toward Porter with her mouth wide open. "No one has rights when the survival of our very species is at stake, Captain. Now sit down and let us take your brother."

  Bradley held the bars firm where he stood. "No. Not unless I go with him."

  Garcia nodded to one of her goons. A second later, a baton came out and smacked Bradley's knuckles across the bar. He yelled out in pain and released his grip in an instant. The guard then brought his rifle up and aimed it at his face.

  "You wouldn't dare," Bradley said.

  With clenched teeth, Garcia moved closer to the bars. "Don't tempt me, Captain." She held her stare as Teve was taken into custody by three guards. He didn't resist, not wanting to see his brother shot dead in front of him. Garcia could have her pound of flesh if she left Bradley alone. The second they hurt him, Teve would start the killing.

  "Let's go. Leave the captain here for now."

  As Teve was escorted away from the cell, he glanced over his shoulder and spoke. "I'll be okay, Bradley. We're just going to have a chat. Sit tight. I'll be back before you know it."

  Once the group had cleared the brig and its adjoining room, Teve stared directly at Garcia. "So, where are you really tak
ing me?"

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Porter paced the tiny space of the cell on an endless loop as he tried to estimate how long Teve had been gone in his head. With no clocks around, he had to rely on his steps as a unit of measurement that sounded right in his head. It didn't take long for his mind to wander, forcing him to lose count.

  "Damn," he muttered to himself. He'd been in the brig before. More specifically, the long-term area that housed its occupants with a bed and toilet over the short-stay cell he was in now. Despite having to spend stretches of twelve hours alone in a sealed room with nothing to do but stave off insanity, these last few moments felt far worse. Knowing that Teve was somewhere on the ship possibly in great deals of pain only made time slow down further. He could picture Garcia doing whatever it took to utilize Teve and the connection he had with the device. He only wished he could have offered himself instead, but the tool only worked with Teve.

  More time had passed by before Porter heard the door at the far end open with a hiss. He pressed his head into the bars to determine who it was, but he couldn't spot anyone until they came right up to his cell. When the lone person stepped into view, he couldn't believe who was standing there before him. "Nicole?"

  "Porter? Why the hell are you in there? I heard a rumor that you'd been thrown into the brig, but I had to see it for myself to believe it."

  A smile filled his face. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you. Can you let me out?"

  Nicole's brow furrowed. "Let you out? Why are you in here to begin with?"

  "It's a long story. You'll just have to trust me. I swear to you that—"

  She didn't wait for an explanation as she swiped her credentials over the lock using her tablet. Her high clearance afforded to her by Garcia allowed Nicole access to most systems on board the Andromeda.

  Porter pulled the bars across and left the small space. He wrapped his arms around Nicole. "Thank you," he said close to her ear.

  "Don't mention it," she replied. "Now, about that explanation."

  "There's not much time to explain, but we have to find Teve."

  Nicole's face twisted up as she backed a few steps away. "Your brother? Is he on board? I thought it was just you coming along?"

  Porter pulled her by the arm. "I'll fill you in on the way. Can you get a fix on Garcia's location? We need to find her before it's too late."

  "Okay," she said. "Let me wipe the log on the door lock first." Nicole entered a few commands into her tablet. "Done. Now I should be able to find where she is pretty quickly. The real challenge is making sure she doesn't know I'm trying to find her." Nicole began punching in one command after the other. She tapped furiously away until her finger hovered over a single button. She glanced up at him.

  "Before I press this button and reveal her location, you have to tell me what's going on."

  "Fine," Porter said. He went on to explain the situation as best he could without sounding crazy. "So we have to find where they are keeping Teve. I have no idea how long he's been out there. I just hope she hasn't killed him."

  "This all sounds a bit insane, but Garcia wouldn't murder someone. No way."

  "I wouldn't put it past her," Porter said.

  Nicole shook her head. "You don't know her like I do. She's not the crazy bitch everyone makes her out to be."

  "Maybe not, but wars tend to make nut jobs out of us all. She has a chance to grab intel on the enemy that could win the big fight. I doubt she'll show an ounce of restraint."

  Nicole's finger still hovered over the button. She had a choice to make, and Porter wasn't quite certain which option she would choose.

  After what felt like a lifetime, she tapped the tablet and turned it over to show him Garcia's location.

  "Thank you," he said. "I owe you one."

  "More like you owe me a million favors. If you're wrong about this, I'm completely screwed. They'll put both of us up against a bulkhead and shoot."

  Porter found himself nodding in agreement. "So where do we find her?"

  "According to the coordinates on my map, she's down in the control room attached to the core."

  "Really? That's not what I had in mind. Could be good, though. We can sneak in through one of the service tunnels."

  "Sneak in? You are definitely going to get me killed," she said.

  "No, not a chance. The second you're in danger, I want you to run away. There's no point dragging you into this."

  "Hey," she said grabbing his chin. "I'll be the judge of that."

  Porter smiled as he resisted pulling Nicole into the cell for some alone time. "Thank you," he said, moving forward.

  "Again, don't mention it. Now let's move our asses down to the core and find Teve." She headed off away from Porter. He jogged to catch up and followed her lead. She would need to navigate them through the service tunnels once they reached one. Her tablet would have all the required information and access codes for the task.

  Once they entered a service tunnel, the pair slid inside and worked their way through toward the core. The shafts were designed to act as shortcuts for the various techs to access critical sections of the ship no matter what. When the self-sealing hatch opened above the core's control room, Porter did a quick sweep to work out if anyone was there that knew his face. The typically busy area was devoid of personnel. Garcia had cleared out any witnesses to what she planned on doing.

  The pair slid down a ladder and stayed quiet as they crept toward the distant sound of chatter in the next section of the room. A dividing wall full of equipment Porter had no clue about allowed them to move in as close as possible to Garcia and her goons. Teve was sitting in a seat that had been placed in the middle of some electrical gear. Nicole and Porter stared at the sight before them.

  Teve's arms and legs were strapped to the thick chair with the same cuffs he had on earlier. Attached to his temples were a bunch of wires. They ran to a nearby, portable machine Garcia sat by. After a few moments, Teve began to convulse as Garcia opened the container that held the alien device and slowly inched it toward him.

  "Asshole," Porter muttered as he went to attack the commodore. A hand reached out and stopped him.

  "Not yet," Nicole said. "Don't go in all pissed off and ready to fight. They'll shoot us both down if we do."

  Porter couldn't take his eyes off Teve's seizing body as he did what he could to contain his rage. "What are we doing, then?"

  Nicole grabbed Porter's attention by moving in front of his face. He figured she was trying to block his view of Teve's torture. "We need to take out those three guards first."

  "How the hell are we going to do that?"

  Nicole shifted her focus to the closest guard. He was a good distance back from the rest of them, possibly avoiding Teve's attack range. Without warning, Nicole inched forward and approached the guard who had his back to them. Garcia and the other two were too busy focusing on Teve to notice. Nicole reached the man and wrapped her arms around his throat from behind and placed her palm over his mouth. Within a few seconds, she had the exposed guard on the ground unconscious. She dragged him back the way she came and hid him behind some equipment.

  "This is why I love you," Porter said with a grin. Nicole smiled back with pride and grabbed the downed guard's gear.

  "Let's deal with the other two." She held up a stun gun and handed it to Porter. "You go left; I'll go right. We hit them at the same time."

  Porter gave her a nod before they moved out. He had a stun gun, while she planned on knocking the next guy out with the butt of the rifle she claimed. They both jostled into position and were ready to strike. Nicole gave him the signal by counting to three and hitting the guard over the head with a thud. As his body hit the ground, Porter fired the stun gun into an exposed part of the soldier's body so the prongs could penetrate his skin and allow the weapon to send a fistful volts into his system.

  Garcia spun around to the downed guards as Nicole raised the rifle up and leveled it at her superior officer.

/>   "Don't move, ma'am," she said.

  "Cannon? What the hell are you doing?" Porter stepped in and revealed himself from the shadows. Garcia worked out why her guards had all fallen at once the second she saw his face.

  "I could ask you the same question," Nicole said.

  "You don't understand."

  "I don't understand? This all looks pretty damn weird, if you ask me."

  Teve interrupted the conversation by yelling out in pain as Garcia accidentally moved forward a little. "Shit," the commodore said. "Look what you made me do."

  "Don't pretend you care," Porter said. "We can all tell what you are doing to him." He kept his distance from the device. He could feel its power despite not having as many nanites as Teve.

  A smile formed on Garcia's lips. "Oh, Porter, I thought you knew me better than this. I'm not harming your brother."

  "Bullshit. You're in an isolated part of the ship for whatever this madness is. Release Teve now before I put you in his place."

  Almost ten seconds passed by before the commodore responded. "Fine. Have it your way." She held her stare as she snapped the lid shut on the container. The instant the alien device was sealed away, Teve's eyes popped open. After a few seconds of rapid blinking, he swiveled his head around to Porter.

  "You're okay, now, Teve," Porter said as he stepped toward him. "It's over. She can't hurt you anymore." He placed a hand on his shoulder and reached down to grab his restraints.

  "No, you don't understand. She wasn't hurting me; we found a way to reduce the pain and allow the data stream to come through."

  "But, she has you tied down to a chair."

  Teve shook his lowered head. "I need the restraints so I can focus."

  Porter closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. When he opened them back up, he felt like an idiot. "I'm sorry. We found you like this and—"

  "Thought the worst," Garcia said, finishing his sentence.

  Turning to face her, Porter figured he would be in an even deeper world of problems, so he didn't hold back on the next lot of words out of his mouth.