“Do you think I don’t know my job, Commander?” Agent Visser sat back in her chair.
Jack paced. Visser needed to take this seriously. “Agent Visser,” he began calmly, “Finch is dangerous. I am sure he has been corrupted by the Chitins. I think he could even be one of them.”
“How could that be possible, Commander? Finch has been with the fleet Marines since before the first Chitin encounter.”
Jack knew that Finch must be a Chitin. He had died on that moon. How else could he be back here unless it was some Chitin technology at work?
“I don’t know how, Agent Visser, but I know he is. And now I suspect that guard you had posted with him is acting for them too.”
Visser smiled at Jack as if he was delusional. She leaned forward and tapped the control panel on the front of her desk. She accessed the surveillance feed from the brig. Finch was sitting on his bunk. He sat upright on the middle of the bed. His feet together, his hands on his knees. He was looking directly at the surveillance node. The effect was startling for Jack, almost as if Finch was looking him in the eye. A wry smile played on the corners of Finch’s thin mouth.
Visser swiped her hand across the image and looked around for the guard. The brig was empty. Visser moved the image to show the clear door to the brig. No one was there either.
“I’m telling you,” Jack said, stepping forward and putting his hands on Visser’s desk. “Finch is dangerous.”
“Where is he?” Visser asked the surveillance feed. The image of the guard appeared. He was walking along a corridor. Jack recognized it immediately.
“Where is that?” Visser asked.
Jack was already heading to the door. “He’s heading to the armory. I’ll stop him. You alert the captain,” Jack said as he ran out of the door.
The corridors were crowded with Marines, some in utility dress assisting maintenance with the barricade construction, while others were in meat suits with full battle gear.
Without his own meat suit, Jack couldn’t tell who was behind the helmets. He recognized the emblems of the codes for the three companies, then he saw a squad leader badge for his own company, Cobra. It was Joe Navidi of 1st squad.
“Joe,” Jack said as he stepped up. “I need you and two of your Marines. Follow me.”
Navidi’s voice came through the voice speaker on the side of the helmet. “Yes, Commander,” he said simply. Jack ran on and heard Navidi call two Marines to follow.
Jack came to the junction in the corridor that opened onto the short corridor to the armory. Jack dashed across the opening and took cover on one side, then glanced cautiously down the corridor. Jack could hear the weapons lockers being bashed, as if someone was attempting to break into them. Then the crash came that told Jack the lockers had been broken open.
Navidi knelt next to Jack, his pulse rifle pointing down the corridor. One Marine stood on the other side, rifle aimed down the corridor at the entrance to the weapons store. The third Marine stood out from the wall and gave himself an angle to fire down the corridor.
Jack attracted the attention of the Marine on the opposite side. “Your sidearm,” Jack said, holding out his hand.
The Marine unclipped his pulse pistol from his hip and handed it to him. Jack checked the weapon quickly. It was loaded, powered with a pulse round in the chamber.
Jack called down the corridor. “Who’s in there?”
The Marine guard stepped out of the armory into the corridor. A pulse rifle in each hand, both braced against his hips. He opened fire.
The Marine further back with the angle along the corridor took a round in the right shoulder. He fell back. His squad-mate pointed his rifle around the corner and blind-fired. It was a short burst and then the pulse rifle he held took a pulse round to the muzzle that sent the weapon flying out of the Marine’s grip.
“Go,” Jack shouted at the Marine with the smashed pulse rifle muzzle. The Marine reached down and grabbed his fallen squad-mate and his fallen pulse rifle. The pair retreated along the corridor.
Navidi glanced around the corner as pulse rounds fizzed past and slammed into the back wall.
“He’s not wearing a meat suit, Commander,” Navidi said. “He’s in his utility gear. It’ll only take one good shot.”
The fire stopped. Navidi glanced around the corner again. “He’s not there,” he reported.
“There’s no other way out, is there, Joe?” Jack asked.
“He’s trapped, sir,” Navidi said and took another look.
The shot came instantly and slammed Navidi’s head backward. He fell to the floor. Jack heard his groans. The meat suit helmet had done its job and protected Navidi from the pulse round, so he was only stunned by the blow, not killed.
Jack heard the footsteps coming, almost drowned out by the sustained pulse rifle fire and the noise from the rounds slamming into the composite bulkhead.
Jack inched away from the corner, back along the corridor he was in. He lay on the floor on his front and aimed the pulse pistol at the height of the rogue guard’s chest. Jack would only need one shot.
The guard stepped around the corner and turned his rifles on the two retreating Marines. Jack took the shot. The round slammed into the guard’s back, just between the shoulders. The guard dropped a rifle and turned, slowly. Jack fired another round, slamming into the guard’s side, just under the armpit. Slowly the guard turned and was riddled with a rapid fire from the two retreating Marines and their well-aimed pulse rifles.
Jack saw the expression on the guard’s face just before he fell. He was grinning through his blood-covered teeth. Then he fell forward, landing on top of Navidi and hitting him hard.
“Send for a medidrone.” Jack checked Navidi’s vital signs on his suit’s data readout. Unconscious. Then Jack checked the guard. Dead, thick blood spreading across the smooth composite deck plates.
Jack marched into the command deck.
“Report, Commander,” Visser ordered. Pretorius watched Jack closely.
“The Marine guard broke into the armory. He fired on me and my detail. We fought to contain him. I shot him twice with a pulse pistol before he fell to rifle fire.”
Pretorius nodded solemnly. “Good work, Jack.”
Jack looked at Visser. “Who’s with Finch now?”
Visser looked at Jack with a cold, hard stare, but Jack could see the doubts creeping in to her mind. “He’s alone. The brig is sealed from here on the command deck. No one is allowed to enter until we can get Finch to a secure facility.”
“We need to terminate him, now,” Jack said. He noticed Pretorius look at Visser, curious what her decision would be.
“If you are right, Commander, and Finch is being controlled by the Chitins, then I think we should give ourselves the opportunity to study him, it, them.”
Pretorius looked at Jack.
“He’s dangerous,” Jack said. “He’s a liability. We are on a stealth mission. He could jeopardize everything we are trying to do here.”
Pretorius looked at Visser.
“In this matter, I have total authority. Finch will be kept in isolation. Captain, can you ensure no one goes near Finch?”
“I can,” Pretorius said, “but I’m inclined to agree with Mister Forge. He’s a liability to the mission and the ship.”
“Noted,” Visser said, then left the command deck.
Commander Chou activated a stack of files on the holostage for the captain’s attention. He opened them for Pretorius to sign one by one.
“Better get some rest, Jack,” Pretorius said. “The next target will be in range at the end of third watch.”
“Yes, sir,” Jack said and stepped away. He hesitated. “Captain, you have ultimate authority on your ship, don’t you, sir?”
“Yes, I do. I have to do what I think is in the best interests of my ship, but we are also at war, so I can’t always keep my people safe, can I?” Pretorius moved the files back to his second-in-command. “You must also understand that not all batt
les are military ones. Some are political, and they can be much more deadly. If you keep going the way you are with your rapid rise through the ranks, you will have to learn that one day, Mister Forge. Also, if you are going to pick a fight with Fleet Intelligence…” Pretorius walked over to his chair. “Don’t try and take cover behind me.”
Felling like he’d just received the politest reprimand, Jack looked up to the captain to apologize.
The captain gave him a slight smile. “Good work, Jack. Glad to have you on board.”
Jack left the command deck and headed to his quarters in the officers’ section. His bunk was as bare as anything the Marines had available. Jack had a little more space and a small writing table for his reports. One thing he didn’t have was companions, friends. His days in 6th squad had been plagued by smelly, noisy Marines, but he’d always had company. Now that he was leader of a company, he was more alone than he’d ever been.
15
Jack marched onto the Marine deck. His squad leaders were assembled and ready for him. They stood casually chatting. As soon as Jack entered, Torent called the group to attention.
“Commander on deck.”
“As you were, gentlemen,” Jack said and came over to stand easy in front of his squad leaders. “How are your people holding up?” Jack asked and then listened as they reported their concerns for their squads. Inadequate rest time was the major concern, closely followed by nervousness at the preparations to repel a Chitin boarding party.
Jack knew that the squad leaders were doing their job in listening to the concerns of their squads. They might not be able to do anything about it, but they could pass the information on to their company commander. Jack had the feeling the men in his company were being well looked after by their squad leaders.
“I’ll see what I can do about more downtime, but we need to get these barricades ready. If the Chits do board the Scorpio,” Jack said in a calming tone, “we will be ready. Make sure you get your squads into the VR suite, too. Run some infiltration scenarios and get them ready to repel any incursion by Chitin soldiers.”
The groups talked easily but respectfully in front of their company commander. At times, Jack felt like he was just another squad leader with his peers, but every time one of them called him ‘sir,’ he remembered his position and his responsibility to the men under his command. All he could do for them now was order them to train. Soon, Jack knew, he would be ordering them to fight, and when the fleet Marines fought the Chitins, death was never far away.
Torent raised his hand for one last word as the meeting came to a close. “We’ve got a boxing match set up,” he said. “A soldier’s squabble between a replacement in first squad and one of my boys in sixth. We thought we’d get it settled now before it festers, sir. You’d be welcome to come along.”
“I’ve probably got work to catch up on,” Jack said. “But Joe took a knock on the melon not long ago, so don’t let him anywhere near the ring.”
The squad leaders laughed and slapped Joe Navidi on the back.
“He can’t fight anyway, sir,” Laidlaw said.
Jack looked Navidi in the eye and asked quietly, “You okay now?”
Navidi nodded and smiled. “Doc said I just lost a few brain cells, sir. Nothing important.”
“That’s right,” Laidlaw said. “He can’t remember his name anymore, but he still knows which end of a pulse rifle to point at the bad guys.”
Sitting at his desk, Jack put the final thoughts on his report of the killing of the Marine guard. The shooting was going to be considered by the fleet authorities when they got back to home space and uploaded their logs to the command and control center on Eros.
Jack didn’t know what Visser was putting in her report, not that it mattered because Jack would never be allowed to see it. Jack was pretty sure the captain’s report would not condemn him. He had been acting in the best interests of the ship. Who knows how many of the Scorpio’s crew would have been killed if the Marines hadn’t been suited up for action?
Jack filed the report and pushed his chair away from the small composite desktop. He flicked off the light and staggered over to his bunk.
The padding was cold and hard. His cover was barely adequate. Back in the squad barracks, Jack had at least been kept warm by the body heat of his squad-mates, all crammed into the small bunk stacks. At the time, it had seemed like torture, but now it seemed preferable.
The only consolation of having his own quarters, even though it was cramped and cold and lonely, was that he could at last have his old family watch on display. The small watch in its black composite case that Reyes had made for it was stuck to the wall above Jack’s desk. It was a small fragment of home that made Jack’s quarters feel a little more comfortable.
He wasn’t tired, though, despite the busy, long days he’d been through. The boxing match was probably in full swing with a series of friendly sparring undercards. Jack didn’t think he could take all the noise, but he was missing company. He rolled out of bed and headed for the officers’ lounge.
The lights in the officers’ lounge were low. A small group of command officers sat together in one corner, VR headsets on. Commander Chou sat reading under a corner lamp. Agent Visser was at the drinks cabinet. She poured and drank, then poured again. Jack hesitated.
“Drink one with me, Jack,” she said without turning around. She poured two drinks and held one out toward him.
Jack took the clear composite tumbler of the strong amber spirit. Visser drank hers in one go and poured another.
“Drink,” she said. “To the fleet.” She drank again.
Jack took a sniff and then a sip. Visser turned on him with a cruel look in her eye. She was swaying slightly.
“Don’t ever doubt my commitment to the fleet, Jack. I care about winning. I don’t care about you, or this ship.” She waved her hand about. “This is nothing. I need to win for our species. Not the captain or his crew, or the Marines, or you.” She jabbed Jack in the shoulder. Then she came close. “I know you did something. I know you know something. If we survive this, I’ll make sure I get you.”
Jack stood, stunned.
Visser poured another drink.
“Agent Visser,” the captain’s voice boomed. He stood in the doorway to the officers’ lounge, a stack of files under his arm. “You are tired. Perhaps you should retire for the evening.”
Visser downed one more and then walked off, bumping deliberately into Jack.
“Yes, Captain,” she said in a calm, clear voice as she walked out of the lounge.
Jack looked over to the captain, but he had already turned to leave. Jack looked over at Commander Chou, who was looking at Jack over the top of his book. Chou licked a finger and turned the page, then looked down to read.
Jack swirled the drink. What could Visser know? There was nothing to know. Except Jack knew that if the truth about what happened to Finch ever came out, he and Reyes would be dead for sure.
Jack downed the drink and put the tumbler down on the cabinet.
As he walked out of the lounge, he considered the possibility that he should have gone to the boxing match. It might have been more peaceful that his encounter with Visser.
16
Osho brought the orders from Pretorius. The second Chitin surveillance facility was coming into range. Jack sent Osho to muster the team. He checked the time on his old watch stuck to the wall of his small room. The hands on the clock showed the time, but Jack was completely adjusted to ship’s time. With no day or night, the watch system was the only relevant timeframe. It was coming up to second watch. By the end of third watch, a demolition device would be planted aboard the Chitin facility and Jack and his team would be back aboard the Scorpio. At least Jack hoped so.
The team was standing on the Marine deck, fully kitted out in their meat suits and armed with pulse pistols. Jack walked in fully suited up from his pre-operation briefing with the captain and Commander Griff. It was not all good news.
&n
bsp; Having instructed his team to stand easy, Jack began his briefing. “The good news is that the facility looks to be exactly the same configuration as the first. We do not expect to encounter resistance.”
“And the bad news, sir?” Torent asked, his hand raised.
“Results from the laboratory are that we won’t be able to fire our weapons while on board. The fluid environment is highly volatile and would combust the moment the first round is fired. Also, the passive scans from the last facility and this one show that the whole facility will fail if one round were to strike the outer hull.”
Jenks raised his hand and asked permission to speak. Jack nodded.
“We’ll be alright in our meat suits, sir. Why does it matter if the thing breaks up around us?”
Jack could see that the others understood the reason why not. Torent was itching to tell Jenks exactly why not. Jack offered Torent the opportunity to explain.
“Because we want to take down the entire network. The charges we are planting will initiate a feedback pulse that will destroy the entire network.”
Jack nodded. At least some of his team were reviewing the mission briefings.
“What if we do encounter any Chits on board?” Torent asked.
“The pistol-mounted electron blades will work on the facility. That will be our primary weapon.”
Traversing empty space to the Chitin facility was as spectacular the second time as it had been the first. Hanging in the black of space was peaceful and daunting. Jack kept himself focused. He sent Torent on point and brought up the rear himself, carrying the bag containing the demolition device. As the Chitin facility came ever closer, Jack sent his team directly to the top end of the cylinder-like structure and the entrance they expected to find there.
Reyes opened the top panel and revealed the entrance cavity. Jack sent Jenks and Torent in first and then went in with Reyes. He gave the hand signals for Osho to hold on the outside.
The fluid flooded the cavity and soon Jack was floating down the central vertical tunnel. He headed down to the central junction.
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