Victor stormed from the room into an antechamber and Ayan followed close behind. She was hurrying so she wouldn’t crack a great big smile in front of Tyra, and she wasn’t sure she got through the door in time.
CHAPTER 12
Birds
The jungle ruled the terrain in the unexplored jungle beyond the charted perimeter. The sounds of birds and calls from other animals filled the air around Alice. There was no doubt; she was in the midst of wilderness unlike anything she’d ever seen. Birds with green, blue, and white feathers watched her from large branches as she passed only metres below. They were predator birds, with great talons and cool, assessing gazes.
The last time she saw so many birds in one place, she had woken early on New Year’s Day. She strolled along the beach, avoiding people who were still asleep on the sand and saying hello to early risers like herself. Her walk came to an end when she ran into Minh-Chu, in front of the tent he shared with Ashley. He served Alice some of the blueberry-mint tea concoction he was drinking and commented on the birds lazily gliding overhead, saying, “Now those are pilots.”
He’d never seen live birds before. It was Alice’s third time. She and Minh didn’t talk much, but marvelled at the grace of the feathered flyers overhead as they rode the air currents and pinwheeled around until Ashley woke up some time later.
Alice knew she should be getting close to the escaped androids; it was time to bring her thoughts back to the present. She pressed onward across the massive lower branches, the higher pitched chirps from smaller birds growing louder.
Her tactical scanner was trying to piece something together, a ruined structure that the trees had broken through. She stopped a moment and let the system finish shaping the map ahead. There were still intact towers reaching up into the trees; some were hollow while others had levels and rooms that looked like habitation areas. They were all attached to one main hub, a large dome made of older transparent metal.
It took her several minutes of looking to match what was in the scan results with something she could see. The structure was overgrown inside and out, popping transparent steel panels loose and twisting the structure in the grasp of vines and branches. “How did the androids get in through this mess?” she asked herself.
The tactical scanner couldn’t find clear tracks – the jungle had already grown over any sign of their passage close to the main dome. There were enough places for her to squeeze into the structure, but with the tangle of vegetation inside the large building, she wanted to pick the best entry point. She mentally ordered the tactical scanner to do a broader search for androids. Within seconds, it highlighted a turret above her. “More climbing, fun, fun, fun.”
“You don’t want to go in there,” Lewis’ voice told her over her communicator.
“You mean I don’t want to go in there alone?” Alice asked as she prepared a grappling line on her right wrist. The thin, strong tether line was made for use as a safety device on space walks, but the rangers found it did just as well for terrestrial adventures.
“I can’t see inside that structure, but there are transmissions I can’t decrypt weakly emanating from within,” Lewis replied. “You should leave it alone.”
Alice stopped everything she was doing and stared at the dark opening many metres above her. Normally, Lewis would suggest she wait for backup, but he’d never before suggested she stop altogether. “What do you think I’ll find in there, Lewis?”
“I can’t tell for certain.”
“Guess,” Alice replied. The channel between her and Lewis was still open, but he wasn’t replying. “Is all this because of something you did?” Again, her question was answered with silence.
“I’m ordering you to reply immediately,” Alice said.
“You are no longer my legal owner,” Lewis said.
“All right, I’ll invite Ayan to our little chat. Maybe I should have done that right at the beginning.”
“The Ando models downloaded the antivirus I designed and they’ve been distressed ever since. One of them is broadcasting a weak signal, I can’t decrypt his message.”
“Is this the Holocaust Virus all over again? Is there anything in the antivirus that could make things worse?” Alice asked.
“Not for humans,” Lewis replied.
“But there’s a chance any bot that downloads your miracle cure can just go nuts and run for the jungle?”
“I was certain that the antivirus would remain in reserve, unable to overwrite directives and morality code when it existed in a computer’s programming, but something in the Ando models…”
“Has proven you wrong? What? What did your software screw up with those androids? I’m going into this situation regardless of what you tell me. If you care about what happens to me, you’ll tell me more so I have a better chance in there.”
“I can’t scan them from my location. If I were within a kilometre, it wouldn’t be an issue, but I suspect the Ando models chose this location because of the structure and remote area.”
“It’s difficult to scan in this whole area,” Alice agreed. “So they’re probably hiding something. Can you at least give me a hint? Just give me your best guess at what they’re hiding.”
“I don’t have enough information for that, I’m sorry. I’ve told you everything I know,” Lewis said. “The androids seem content to remain inside this structure, much further in the jungle than any picker would go, and one of them seems to be calling other Ando models. I suggest you leave it alone and report that the Holocaust Virus has activated a defect in the Andos.”
“I’m going in. If there’s anything else you’re holding back, this is your last chance to share,” Alice said. She fired her line and it struck solid metal beneath the entrance above. A flock of black and green birds took wing, fleeing the opening.
“I have more questions than answers, Alice. There is something sinister in the signal – I am sure of that, at least. If I weren’t docked in Haven Shore, expected to remain moored here until later, I would be there.”
“And you’d slag this spot from high above, to hide whatever’s happened here, I’m sure,” Alice said.
“You know me too well,” Lewis replied. “I won’t be able to communicate clearly with you once you enter. If you insist on going in, I suggest you at least call for backup. Perhaps you should contact Doctor Carl Anderson, he would understand this.”
“And I won’t?” Alice asked as she tested her ascension line. “I’ll just check it out and if I get in over my head, I’ll consider getting other people involved.” She activated the winch and was drawn up rapidly.
CHAPTER 13
An Unexpected Match
Singe and her two wingmen came around the last boom arm separating them from the escort shuttles and let out a barrage of missiles and smaller explosive projectiles. “Wait for those escort shuttles to return fire. We’re still not in a good position to break cover,” Minh-Chu told Tempest, who held her position behind cover nearby. He still had a hard time ignoring the red blip on his display that designated the position of the man Jacob Valent just jettisoned from his ship in a flimsy survival bag.
Searing beams surged out from the uglies at Singe and her wingmen. The power readings Minh-Chu saw were a little lower than before, though not by much, but it was enough for him to tenuously grasp at hope. “Now! Tear ‘em up!” Minh-Chu said as he led the way, breaking cover and locking on to the nearest shuttle. He sent three electromagnetic pulse missiles towards the enemy ship and rolled, opening up with all four of his auto-cannons. Thousands of small hull-piercing projectiles streaked towards the shuttle in quick, sure bursts. He pulled his master trigger by reflex. The Uriel Fighter was actually automatically tracking his mental cues for weapon triggering through its brain scanning technology. Every single shot impacted on or pierced the shuttle’s shields.
The nearest shuttle’s beam weapons shut down and its energy shielding intensified as its partner’s weaponry fired with renewed fury, surging beams of in
tense light, plasma, and cutting particles at several of Minh-Chu’s allies. He took fire from three beams at once, all dead on the nose of his fighter. Minh-Chu stopped firing as he rotated his ship, spreading the damage across all his shield generators. The fore quadrant of his shield system reported that the half-second blast it sustained cost him sixty percent of his shield energy and almost overloaded the forward system. The other quadrants hadn’t suffered as much damage. “All fighters, finish off Shuttle A,” he said, designating the shuttle that was trying to move towards the Torano, which had moved so far off that it was impossible to see with the naked eye. Even if both the escort shuttles were destroyed during this fight, they’d served their purpose: Samurai Squadron was so distracted that they couldn’t do anything to stop the Torano’s departure without exposing themselves to too much damage. Capturing the Torano was something the Warlord would have to do on its own.
All six fighters concentrated fire on the nearest ugly shuttle from all directions as they engaged in the unfettered acrobatics of evading fire from the shuttles’ secondary weapons and the other escort ship. The target shuttle’s energy shields failed, and after a few seconds, its hull was blasted open in several places, venting atmosphere.
The other escort shuttle, designated Shuttle B on Minh-Chu’s tactical readout, used the exploding shuttle as a distraction, firing afterburners of some kind, accelerating after the Torano. “On him!” Minh-Chu said. “Watch for fire from our main objective, we weren’t able to get information on any extra weaponry that hauler has.”
“Aye,” Singe reported in. “Judging from the surprise we’ve had from those shuttles, the Torano must be well armed.”
Minh-Chu rotated his thruster pods and turned his throttle up to full. The rest of Samurai Squadron was with him, except for Dent who waited on the safe side of the station for the action to end.
The local navnet plotted a course for them through a holding pattern at the outer perimeter of the station, where hundreds of ships orbited in an orderly line. Jacob, Frost, and Stephanie had all told him to expect complete apathy from these outer stations most of the time. It wasn’t in their best financial interests to get involved with firefights that didn’t do much damage to their facilities, and they often picked the side of the ships that did less harm. In this case, the Torano’s group had already damaged the station, so Minh-Chu and his fellow pilots were getting navigation assistance from the station. If they were fighting near Freeground, their security forces would be on them in seconds, and within minutes they’d be hauled out of their ships and arrested.
“This is Torano Command,” Minh-Chu heard on the emergency band. “Calling all ships sympathetic to Regent Galactic and the Order of Eden! We are being pursued by Jacob Valent, a pirate wanted by the Galactic Courts. Any assistance will be rewarded handsomely.”
“This is Jacob Valent,” he replied on the same channel, without a breath’s pause between the enemy captain and his own address. “I’m operating under British Alliance authority, and will capture or destroy any vessel that interferes with my lawful pursuit.”
“Watch for any ship breaking into our area,” Minh-Chu said. They had crossed into clearer space, well away from the station and closer to the outer trash belt. Once the Torano cleared that, they may be able to attempt faster-than-light travel, and the whole fight would end or change, depending on how dedicated Jake was.
The ugly escort shuttle broke cover as it sped towards the Torano, and Minh-Chu switched to electromagnetic pulse ammunition and opened fire on it with his guns, raking its shields. The remaining five fighters in his wing followed suit, and the shuttle’s shields were down by half within seconds. It didn’t fire back; it was most likely using all its available power to shore up its shielding, hoping to break away with the Torano and escape.
Minh-Chu could see flashes of light up ahead, where the firefight between the Warlord and the Torano raged on. His scanners told him that the Warlord’s prey had dropped its sixteen hundred metre long cargo train. Minh-Chu decided to take a chance and activated one of two accumulator missiles. “All fighters, clear to one thousand kilometres,” he ordered. “You have five seconds.”
“Aye, getting to safe range,” Singe replied. Minh-Chu’s comrades decelerated to let the shuttle get ahead, and by the time his attack counter counted down from five to one, everyone was at a safe range. He fired several rapid release dumbfire missiles, projectile rockets with conventional explosives that were the length of his hand. The shuttle fired countermeasures in a wave of small fragments that set most of them off, and as soon as Minh-Chu manoeuvred around the particles left from the exploded missiles and chaff, he fired another round of twenty. The shuttle didn’t release countermeasures; they were either out or reloading. “Custom ugly shuttle three-oh-five, please shut down your engines and surrender. This will be your only warning,” Minh-Chu said, having second thoughts about launching a weapon that was beyond anything his other fighters had. The power reading on his accumulator missile was increasing exponentially, and it wouldn’t be long before he would have no choice but to launch it.
At a glance, Minh-Chu could see several ships breaking away from the outer perimeter orbit of the station towards them. The Torano’s captain had drawn some attention with his appeal.
A beam weapon lashed out at Minh-Chu’s fighter, trying to carve a line across his cockpit with heat, light, and energized particles. His shields absorbed the hit, but were down to twenty-one percent from a full charge. Minh-Chu hit the trigger and released a missile that crossed the distance between him and the shuttle in less than three seconds. The resulting explosion registered as a hazard-level-event on their navigation and tactical screens, a reading that was made to warn even the sternest of ships away from something that could damage anything.
“Okay, so that works, holy crap…” Joyboy said in wonder.
By the time he finished talking, the light shields on Minh-Chu’s suit and cockpit turned themselves back down, and what was left of the shuttle came into view. The engine compartment shielding was a blasted mess, wide open in many places where the heat of the explosion burned metal away. The rest of the ship was twisted and broken. The radiation levels were surprisingly low, but there was nothing but scrap left. “Singe, lead a defence on the cargo train. If anyone comes near it, turn them away.”
“Aye,” Singe replied. “But I think your demonstration was enough to frighten most people off, Ronin. The ships that were breaking orbit are heading back.”
Minh-Chu confirmed what she was saying with a glance. “Good. Joyboy, you’re with me. We’re going to see if the Warlord needs our help.”
“I’m getting nothing but squigglies and squeaks from their area – looks like the Torano is jamming sensors,” Joyboy said as he fired his thrusters to keep up with Minh-Chu. “Why would they do that if they’re in trouble?”
“They wouldn’t,” Minh-Chu said. “They would do that if they’re using weaponry they don’t want anyone to know they have. That may be why this mission has been full of surprises. This captain is good at keeping his tricks a secret. Stay alert, our scanning range is getting shorter as we get closer to the jammers.”
“Aye,” Joyboy replied.
A wall of flak appeared on sensors too close for them to evade or counter, and Minh-Chu’s shields took the damage. He set them to recharge at the fastest available pace, tasking the miniature fusion reactors to their limit. He activated his last accumulator missile, starting its charge cycle, and ordered his fighter’s power systems to sap the energy it was generating. His shields would be recharged in less than three seconds, but if he was hit too hard in the wrong place before he could deactivate the accumulator missile, he’d go off like a bomb.
“Okay, there’s something serious going on over here,” Joyboy said.
Minh-Chu caught sight of a flash in the distance and zoomed in. The lower-aft side of the Warlord had just taken damage from an explosion so hot that its plating still glowed white. That entire sec
tion of its launchers would be out of commission, reducing its firepower.
“All right, lock on to the Torano as best as you can,” Minh-Chu said. “And fire everything in bursts. Strafe so we have a chance at giving them the impression that the whole wing is here.”
“You got it, Ronin,” Joyboy replied.
As Minh-Chu and Joyboy started their run, they watched the Warlord fighting to turn towards the Torano in an attempt to line up their main rail cannons at the front of the ship, but the Torano’s pilot was too good to let it happen. The so-called hauler thrust out of the way, so she remained in the Warlord’s side firing arc, where three gunnery turrets continued to hammer at the Torano. From what Minh-Chu could see, the Torano’s shields were depleted, her emitters were damaged, and the hull was beginning to take direct hits.
Minh-Chu deactivated the accumulator missile charging in his missile rack as his shields recharged to ninety-seven percent and breathed a sigh of relief when the antimatter reaction stopped and the power levels stabilized. His fighter would continue to feed off the power in the death-dealing missile’s capacitors until there was nothing left.
Minh-Chu could see the Warlord’s shields were depleted on the port side. Beam weapons fired at the vulnerable sections of the Warlord’s hull in bursts, trying to weaken and superheat sections of the ship until its integrity failed. The strain on the ergranian metal was intense, and the normally resilient material was stressed past its limit in more than one spot. Some of the metal had been rendered inert, its regenerative qualities beyond recovery. The beam weapons were sawing into the ship at those points whenever they could get a clean shot at them.
“Missiles, Ronin,” Joyboy said. “We’ve got to hit the Torano’s main thrusters from the other side with missiles.”
“Absolutely,” Minh-Chu said. “They’re not falling for our distraction.”
Randolph Lalonde - Spinward Fringe Broadcast 08 - Renegades Page 10