War in the Fringe - Chris J Pike
Page 77
Hovering over the table before them was a map of the station, noting ideal choke points and defensive positions. Cassandra had also provided details on locals who might consider aiding in the defense, as well as details on the police strength and their arms caches.
“ETA on their arrival?” he asked without directing the question to anyone in particular.
“Then we’d best get ready. Mary, dispatch the squads to the primary locations. Send out an alert on Chimin-1’s general network informing everyone that a hostile attack is imminent and instructing them to return to their quarters.”
“This isn’t a military installation, Jack.” Commander Mary leant heavily on the edge of his desk. “They’ll be scared.”
“Scared is better than dead. How much time left on the clock?”
“I can issue the call,” Cassandra offered from where she stood at the back of the office. “Everyone is used to getting messages from me. Most of them will listen.”
“Good idea,” Quaker said as he stood, steeling himself for what was to come. “Let’s go meet our friends from the ass end of space and get Lana into position. She’d better be able to pull this off.”
“For all our sakes,” Captain Lanora said.
Quaker nodded. He didn’t like the idea of sending General Samuel’s daughter into harm’s way, but both Lew Ranstock and Winter had faith in her—hopefully that was enough. It was a shit hand they’d been dealt, but it was being forced by Orion.
“You really think this is going to work?” Mary asked, as they followed him out of the office.
Quaker clicked his tongue. “It had better, because we’re shit out of cards.”
* * * * *
Lana was dressed in a miner’s coveralls, a gray Chimin jacket, and a simple hat, as she searched the hospital’s lab for signs of the dead virus.
“Anything?” Winter asked.
Lana shook her head. “Is it possible she actually destroyed it?”
“Doubtful. It’s Grace’s ace in the hole.”
“Maybe…she had it on her?” Lana asked.
“Shit, that makes sense.” Winter thought about it as he ran his tongue over his teeth. “The SSF has her under guard, nothing we can do about it. You know, I hate siding with the SSF over this.”
“I know you do, but we have to do what’s right for Chimin. Grace will understand one day.”
“And Cassandra? Guess I’m going soft, if people’s opinions are starting to matter.”
Lana squeezed his arm and their eyes met. She gave him a half smile. “We both have jobs to do. You ready for this?”
“More than. I’ve got your back. Remember when you see Dolph not to freeze.”
“I won’t,” she said.
A Silstrand medic walked into the room and handed Lana two hyposprays. “Special nano cocktail. The Orion general will spikes a fever and gets the shakes. You won’t have long before his AI realizes it’s not the virus, so you’ll need to work fast.”
Lana nodded and closed her fist around the vials. “And the other one?”
The medic shrugged. “Saline. Two hypo shots will help you sell it.”
“Got it. Thanks.” She slipped them in her pocket.
Lana held her breath without realizing it, and Winter put his hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be good. Let’s move, Officer.”
“You didn’t call me ‘kid’.”
“Nah, you’re not one anymore. I can see that. You’ve grown, and you’re going to show those shit Orions…Oggies?...who’s boss. It sure as hell ain’t them.”
Lana’s heart swelled. She wished him luck and then they sprinted toward the docking bay.
* * * * *
Two heavily armored soldiers stepped off the assault shuttle ahead of General Levin, setting themselves on either side of the ramp as he strode down, a squad of soldiers on his heels. They wore lighter armor—better to search out hidey holes in—but were just as ready for trouble as the two heavies.
As he surveyed the docking bay, he was a little disappointed that the locals hadn’t made a show of force. However, except for his lone civilian escort, there was no one.
No surprises.
The people of Chimin had rolled over like dogs. By the time he was done, they’d be eating out of his hand.
Their escort stepped forward—a young, attractive blonde woman—and took off her cap. “Greetings from the people of Chimin-1. My name’s Lana. I’ll be showing you around the facility, if that’s all right with you.”
Levin paused.
“Of course. Thank you, Lana. We want what we paid for, and then we’ll be on our way.”
“Makes sense. You gotta do what you gotta do.”
Lana gestured toward the docking bay doors and started on her way. Two of his soldiers moving to flank her, while Levin followed close behind, with the rest of the squad trailing after.
“If you can tell me where we’re going, so we can make sure the area is secure,” the noncom on Lana’s left said in a tone that brooked no dissension.
“Sure,” she said easily.
They passed through the bay’s interior doors and through a long corridor that led to one of the installation’s lift shafts.
“We’re going to take this lift up to the thirty-fifth level, where the Hospital is located,” Lana explained.
Levin nodded. “Very good.”
Lana glanced at the two heavies and pushed the call button on the cargo lift. Once it arrived, she stepped inside, followed by the general and his escort. She crossed her wrists in front of her and stared up at the floor indicator as it counted up.
“And the governor?” Levin asked. “Where is she?”
“She’ll meet us in the hospital wing. She was an ER doctor before this.”
“Oh? I wasn’t aware of that.”
“Yup,” Lana said, as the lift doors opened and she stepped off the lift. Two of the soldiers managed to move ahead of her, sweeping the area. “She saw Chimin through the virus outbreak. Lost her eyes in the process.”
“Oh…I’m…” Levin felt, well, awkward. He hadn’t felt put out by a situation in a very long time. “The outbreak wasn’t something Orion wanted. If the Rhoadses’ agent had been allowed to leave…”
Lana smiled innocently at him. “No worries, we don’t blame you. We blame that Rhoads girl. She couldn’t leave well enough alone.”
Levin agreed vehemently. Kylie Rhoads was responsible for him ultimately losing the vast majority of his fleet at the hands of the Transcend. His escape had been a narrow thing, and if the virus wasn’t on Chimin, he didn’t want to think of what General Garza would do.
“And Silstrand? With their three cruisers out there, I’m surprised they don’t have a presence on Chimin itself.”
“They were told to stand down by the governor. We’ve managed our own business here for decades without military intervention. Silstrand thinks they can just show up and take control.”
Something about her answers made his blood run cold. They were so pat, she was so relaxed. Still, the woman was a miner, she was used to risking her life on a day to day basis. Maybe that’s all it was, but Levin had
to be sure.
They followed the curve of the corridor and came to the hospital’s main entrance. It dawned on the general that he hadn’t seen any so-called civilians during their journey, and the hospital appeared deserted. The bright lights and sign were on, but no one was home.
A moment later, the doors to the hospital opened to reveal the largest albino man General Levin had ever seen. The man took a step forward, and others appeared at his sides, men and women wearing the same dull garb as Lana—except these people were armed.
The albino hefted a massive rifle, the kind typically found in the grips of combat mechs, and Levin’s two heavies rushed forward to shield him, while the rest of his squad moved to defensive positions on either side of the corridor.
Lana screamed at the large man, “You were told to stand down! We’re not supposed to fight!”
The albino man raised his rifle. “Say hello to Dolph, you assholes.”
A second later, a defensive barrier fell from overhead, protecting the miners, and Lana screeched and covered her head as weapons fire erupted in the corridor.
Levin grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the edge of the corridor as his heavies stayed in front, shedding the enemy fire.
“We take cover until this is done,” the general said, trying to calm her down.
Lana nodded. “I know where.”
She clamped her hand on his, the woman’s grip surprisingly strong as she pulled him back down the corridor and ducked into a maintenance passage. A door on the left read ‘Supplies – 47A’ and she yanked it open.
“Enough!” Levin finally tore his hand away from hers. “My squad will take care of that white brute and his friends. We don’t need to hide in here.”
“We really do,” Lana said as she kicked him into the room.
He stumbled and nearly crashed into a shelf before righting himself. “My guards—”
“Aren’t able to move a muscle,” Lana interjected. “Well, I guess those two heavies can move their muscles, but their armor isn’t going anywhere.”
She stepped into the room, and the door shut behind her, followed by the unmistakable sound of a bolt sliding into place.
“What the hell are you doing?” Levin demanded.
The young woman bent over him and pierced his skin with a hypospray. Her face changed; no longer innocent, it was now a rictus of rage.
“You want the virus, asshole? Now you fucking have it.”
BACK DOWN
STELLAR DATE: 01.27.8948 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Storage Room, Chimin-1
REGION: Chimin Asteroid Group, Hanoi System, Silstrand Alliance
Levin lay on the deck, shuddering as the gravity of the situation became apparent. He could barely feel his limbs, and was unable to control them as his muscles clenched and relaxed. His forehead was covered with sweat, a fever coming on fast and strong.
“You’ll feel what they felt. You’re sick, your insides are being ripped apart and turning to goo. Your eyes will bleed, and you’ll be lucky that you won’t be able to see by the end. Or, if you manage to survive, you can be spared the sight of people recoiling in horror from you. You ready for all that?” Lana squatted in front of him.
That couldn’t be it. There had to be another way.
“But I have the vaccine. We solved how to counter it.” Lana opened her hand, revealing a hypospray. “I could end your suffering, if you give me what I want.”
“What do you want?”
If it wasn’t his imagination, Levin’s throat was beginning to constrict. He’d start choking on his spit soon enough. He tried to remain calm.
“We want to know how many ships you have and where they are stationed, for starters. Secondly, you’ll stand down, leave Chimin, and never set foot here again, if you want to live.”
“My people will never allow that.” Levin grunted as the pain in his arms grew more intense. It felt like he was on fire. “If you don’t stop this—”
“There is no stopping this until I hear what I want to know. How many ships are cloaked? What are their positions? Don’t make me ask again, or the cure comes off the table.”
Levin didn’t respond.
“You think I’m kidding?” Lana grabbed Levin by the collar and hoisted him up. “We’ll die before we allow this virus to get into your hands. You’ll use it against people all across the galaxy. Tell me what I want to know!”
She tossed him on the ground, hard enough that Levin was certain she was augmented in some way he hadn’t been able to detect. She was too strong. Too fast.
“What are you?” he whispered as she came at him again.
“The person who will kill you, or the person who will save you. How many ships do you have and what are their positions?” she demanded again.
The door rattled as someone tried to enter. “Lana! Is he dead? Are we done?”
“Soon enough!” she shouted in response. Then she turned her attention back to the man in front of her. “They want you dead. If they get that door open, they’ll kill you before the virus does. Where are the ships?”
There was another thud and Lana glanced back at the door. “Not yet! I’m still working on him!”
“Hurry up!” the man’s voice screamed back. “Kill him already, or I’ll come in there and finish him off.”
“Damn effing albino,” Lana whispered to Levin. “He’s never happy unless he’s pulling limbs off. Real good miner, though.”
The door continued to rattle, the sound setting Levin’s teeth on edge as his muscles continued to convulse. Morgan was saying something, but it didn’t make sense. It was obscured by the sound of the blood pounding in his ears.
“Look at that…door is starting to buckle.” Lana’s voice shook with a mixture of wonder and fear. “It won’t hold him much longer.”
There was a screech as the door bent inward, a pale hand sticking through, blue flames licking across the skin as the albino’s voice thundered. “I’m gonna cook him alive and feast on his flesh!”
The blue flames shot out into the closet, and Levin could smell his flesh beginning to burn.
“Three ships!” he screamed. “I can send their positions, but…the cure…I need the cure for that. I won’t send you anything—”
Lana bent over and injected him with another hypospray, causing the general to gasp with relief.
“Send their positions to me. Names and classes, too.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’ll never defeat Orion. You don’t have a prayer,” Levin gasped, as he stared at the bent door, wondering if the albino was still going to tear it down.
“Whatever.” Lana’s eyes narrowed as he passed the data over the Link. “At least I’m not so stupid that I think some haywire mednano and a cocktail of uppers and downers are a virus.”
She pulled the door open, and before Levin could feel the full weight of his choices, he was staring up at the albino, who was laughing as he shouldered his cannon.
* * * * *
“Nice work,” Winter said to Lana as they walked out of the detention wing, where Levin was now under triple guard.
As they stood waiting for the lift, he received an update with the locations of the other two Orion ships. Lana was efficient, there was no doubt about it.
Lana smirked and punched him on the shoulder. “All in a day’s work, scary albino.”
Winter chuckled and found himself near smiling. He needed to find a way to control himself. “Quaker’s troops helped a bit, too.”
A moment later, Marty spoke up.
If Bubbs is here…
Lana gave Winter a questioning look. “She a friend of yours?”
“Crewmember,” he corrected with haste.
The Barbaric Queen couldn’t cloak, and her arrival in some other ship didn’t make any sense to him, but he’d feel better having her on their side.
Winter saw a comm channel through the STC appear on his HUD, and he activated it.
Bubbs grunted.
Winter laughed, glad that it was definitely Bubbs.
He suddenly found himself second-guessing the whole Bubbs thing.