War in the Fringe - Chris J Pike

by M. D. Cooper

  She wondered if they’d alternate predictably, and set every forward-facing weapon on the Isolation to target one of the cruiser’s rear beams, which was positioned directly above the engines.

  “Going for the kill shot,” she muttered, her scowl darkening her features as she fired one of her beams, trying to elicit a response.

  Sure enough, the Orion cruiser fired again. As its shields opened pinholes for the outgoing shots, Bubbs’ targeting solution triggered every weapon that could hit the enemy, pouring all the energy through the shield opening and into that single point on the enemy’s ship.

  The targeted weapon glowed white-hot for a second, and then the rail slug hit it, blasting plasma into space as the round bored a hole into the enemy ship.

  A moment later, the Orion cruiser’s port-side engine failed, and the ship began to slew to the side. Then the other engine cut out, and it too broadcasted a surrender beacon.

  Bubbs couldn’t help but laugh as she hailed the enemy ship.

  “Suck it, Oggies. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.”

  A WELCOME RESPITE

  STELLAR DATE: 01.28.8948 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: It’s a Rock Pub, Chimin-1

  REGION: Chimin Asteroid Group, Hanoi System, Silstrand Alliance

  “Hot damn, if it ain’t Bubbs!” Winter broke from the group celebrating Chimin’s victory to greet Bubbs at the pub’s entrance. “Want a beer? Something to eat? You’re the hero of the hour!”

  He went to throw his arm around the woman’s shoulder, but Bubbs caught it in mid-air and glared at him. “I haven’t gotten to use my good arm in a long while. You promised me I’d get to use my good arm.”

  “Sorry…” Winter cleared his throat. “ ‘Promised’ is too strong a word, though, you know? I more suggested it might happen.”

  Bubbs’s voice gruffed. “Half-truths and lies. I miss my cat. He might lie, but at least he is bad at it.”

  “Yo, what you and your cat do in private is your business, you know what I mean?”

  Winter laughed and tried to pull his arm away, but Bubbs tightened her grip on him.

  “Can you,” Winter cleared his throat, “let me go? There’s a room full of people here, and I don’t want them to see me hurt you.”

  Bubbs laughed. “You could never hurt me.” She finally let his arm go, and Winter rubbed his wrist. “No one will. Ever again. I’m going to see about that beer.”

  She stormed off, and people cleared a path for her.

  Wise choice.

  Winter didn’t know what that was all about, but with Bubbs, it meant something. He wouldn’t ask her; she wasn’t the type to talk. He appreciated that.

  Sipping his beer, his eyes connected with Grace across the crowded room. She raised her eyebrows and her glass to him. Winter did the same. No harm, no foul. Everyone got out alive, which meant the day was a win.

  He’d take them where he could.

  Winter didn’t want to hash things out with Grace again, but he did go over to Lana when he saw her. She was talking to Lew and a few others, but her eyes kept shifting to him as he approached.

  When he was close enough, Lana stepped away from the group and slid her hands into her back pocket. “We did good here, didn’t we?”

  “We did. You especially. I ship out first thing tomorrow morning with Bubbs. If you’re ready, you’re welcome to come with us. Bubbs is unique, but I think you’ll like her.”

  “Sounds fun. You headed straight for Silstrand? I’m sure Captain Quaker will allow it, since the Tiberius is staying here to salvage the Orion ships. I’ll have to check in when I get there. Find the Polis Fury and Grayson.”

  Winter cringed. “Do you have to call it that?”

  Lana laughed. “That’s its name.”

  “Ugh, don’t remind me. Yeah, straight for Silstrand. Find the old crew. Bet they’d like to see you. See you’re OK.”

  “I’d like to see them, too.” She smiled.

  “Great, see you on the docks. Same one as always, and don’t be late.”

  “You haven’t told me a time yet, other than ‘first thing’.”

  “Oh,” Winter cringed. “Yeah, I’ll check in with Bubbs.”

  He excused himself and hightailed out of there. He’d run out of things to say to Lana that weren’t along the lines of ‘let me rip off your clothes’, and he was trying to turn over a new leaf…. Be a better man, and all that.

  He bumped into Bubbs, who was holding a platter of meats, cheeses, and olives.

  “I, uh, think that platter is supposed to be for everyone,” Winter said.

  Bubbs stared him down while she chewed. “Who’s the blonde barbie?”

  “Her name’s Lana and she’s coming with us, so be nice.”

  “I agreed to you. Not anyone else.”

  “Oh yeah, well, she used to be a member of our crew, when we were the Dauntless—back before we hijacked your ass. So like I said, be nice.”

  Bubbs continued to spear Winter with her emotionless gaze. “I’m imagining myself ripping your arms off while you’re talking. It’s very satisfying.”

  Winter’s eyes narrowed, and he wondered how serious she was.

  “What happened to Kylie and the others, anyway?” he asked. “Why are you all alone, flying that stealth ship?”

  “Its name is the Isolation,” Bubbs growled and handed him the platter. “And I’ve lost my appetite.”

  She stormed off, leaving Winter to wonder what he was missing.

  Probably everything, he thought.

  Cassandra walked by and did a double take. Wrinkling up her nose, she sighed and took the platter away from him.

  “Really, Winter? Really? This food is for the guests!”

  She headed back to the buffet table with it.

  “That wasn’t…. I didn’t….” He sighed.

  Nothing ever good came of running off his mouth, but he still hadn’t learned that lesson.

  * * * * *

  The next day, Winter strode across the dock toward the Isolation in much the same fashion he’d arrived on Chimin: carrying one duffle bag and a crapload of weapons.

  From the outside, she was sleek and sexy; within, she was even more so. The bridge was clean and decorated with wood and gleaming white surfaces that might have been some sort of marble. It was a level of class that Winter could get used to. On top of that, the seats auto-molded to his ass. They were some of the most comfortable he’d ever sat in.

  The crew space wasn’t large, as most of the ship’s volume was taken up by weapons, shields, and engines. But the few cabins were even nicer than the bridge, as though cost had never been a consideration. Though he loved the Barbaric Queen, this was a ship he could definitely get used to.

  Other than Bubbs finalizing their clearances to leave the station, neither Winter nor Lana spoke until they’d cleared the asteroids, and the stealth system had engaged.

  Once that act was complete, Winter breathed a sigh of relief as the near-continuous concern he’d felt the entire time he’d been on Chimin diminished.

  He found it hard to believe that for the past few months, everything he cared about had revolved around those few lonely rocks drifting through the black.

  From his left, where she occupied the command seat, Bubbs gave him an unreadable look before turning back to her display. She was giving off the vibe that she wasn’t open to a lot of questions—to any questions, for that matter—and somehow, even his sighs seemed to trigger her defense mechanisms.

  She was grumpy, snappy, and clearly unhappy. Winter would be happy to arrive at Silstrand in one piece—which would be the first time that had ever happened.

  It was almost too much to take in. The idea of seeing Kylie, Ricket, and Rogers again. Winter felt like he hadn’t been part of the crew in years. He didn’t realize how much he’d missed being a member of that team until they’d set off from Chimin.

  “Anybody for a game of cards?” he asked as he rose and stretched his arms overhead.
<
br />   Bubbs snorted, and Lana politely declined. “I’m going to go grab a beer if you want one,” she offered instead.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Are you old enough to drink?” Bubbs asked, but Lana didn’t respond as she stalked off the bridge.

  Winter reached out to Lana.

 

  There was a definite edge to Lana’s mental tone.

  “Look,” he said to Bubbs, “we have a few weeks together on this ship. Let’s try to play nice. Lana’s an officer in the SSF and a grown-ass woman. Show her some respect, all right? I won’t have you making snide remarks the entire time. Let’s all try to get along.”

  Bubbs stared down at the controls. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were soft on blondie.”

  “Yeah, well….” Winter glanced behind him, “I am, all right? But keep that to yourself.”

  Bubbs nodded, though she wouldn’t look up at him.

  He scowled. “What the hell happened on your last mission, anyway?”

  Finally, she turned her face toward him, and Winter almost wished she hadn’t.

  “Everything. None of it good.”

  Bubbs only managed the first word unaffected; she cried out the rest—honest to goodness crying—and Winter didn’t know what to do.

  Bubbs didn’t cry.

  But his sister had. She’d cried all the time when their mom was out with a John. She’d cried after the fire. And she’d cried when the news broke that they’d be separated forever.

  He had never seen Bubbs as a sister before, but Winter slid his arm around her shoulders anyway.

  “It’s OK, Bubbs. We’ve got you. You hear me?”

  Bubbs rested her head against his shoulder.

  It was the most awkward and uncomfortable thing he had done in a long time—and he’d done a lot of those, as governor—but he did it anyway.

  Anything for team Bubbs. Someone hurt her? Winter would make them pay.

  THE RUSE

  STELLAR DATE: 02.20.8948 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Tesseract-1 Galleria Spire, Silstrand City, Silstrand

  REGION: Silstrand System, Silstrand Alliance

  Kylie stepped through the revolving door, exiting the Tesseract-1 Galleria Spire with two blue and white striped bags in her hands. She paused, waiting for her shopping friend to catch up.

  The day’s haul was retail therapy at its best; it was just too bad she wouldn’t get to keep the merchandise.

  Ricket announced from her observation post.

  Kylie saw the cameras as they flew around a corner down the street, small hovering drones operated by the feed networks and private citizens looking to sell good vid to hungry eyeballs.

  Rogers said.

  Mr. Fizzle Pop replied.

  Stars.

  Kylie held back a groan, hoping the cat didn’t mess his part up. Once the furball had realized there was a mission, there was little that could be done to keep him away.

  Locking him in a shipping container certainly hadn’t worked.

  Marge reminded her.

  True as that was, Kylie didn’t believe that Mr. Fizzle Pop could be counted on. She didn’t want to be mean about it, but at the end of the day, he was a cat. Cats only cared about number one.

  She’d become even more uncertain after hearing about Grayson’s reaction upon meeting Mr Fizzle Pop. She felt a little bad—and still wasn’t sure whose side she was on.

  Light glinted off nearby towers as the sun began to set and the air cooled. By the time things got underway, it would be dark—which was perfect. So long as they all didn’t end up in jail…or get chewed out by an array of generals and admirals. Or both.

  Probably both.

  The door behind her opened, and Kylie quashed her feelings of anxiety as Commander Maureen exited the spire, toting her own set of bags.

  “Sorry about that, they had the best little perfume samples.”

  Maureen wore a yellow, flowing dress, but still walked like she was striding through the corridors of a warship. Still, Kylie appreciated having a partner, and the woman came highly recommended.

  “It’s OK. Want to walk a bit and grab a bite? I could use a burger.”

  “Oh,” Maureen’s eyebrows rose, “and a milkshake!”

  Kylie liked how the woman thought. Too bad they wouldn’t get there before the shooting started. She was rather hungry.

 

  Maureen replied.

  Kylie nearly groaned at hearing that.

 

  Kylie giggled across the Link.

 

  They turned and walked across the boulevard during a break in traffic and then took a pedestrian bridge over the canal, moving toward an area dotted with restaurants and smaller boutiques.

  “Oh, a rejuv center, I could use a new lift,” Maureen said. “I guess we will be in town a while longer….”

  Kylie’s interest piqued. “Has the Polis Fury received new orders already?”

  “Not yet. The colonel requested we stay for the duration of your brother’s trial. General Samuel will let us know when we need to know. You know life in the military.”

  She sure did, but Kylie breathed a sigh of relief anyway.

  “Ah ha! I thought you and Colonel Grayson might be an item, but now I know. You don’t want him to ship off, do you?”

  “Can you blame me?” Kylie asked with a look that she realized was probably too wistful.

  Maureen cracked a grin. “No, no I can’t. I’m glad he has someone like you in his life, what with the crap Fallon is trying to pull.”

  Kylie scowled. “Who’s Fallon?”

  “Oh,” Maureen’s face fell. “Well, she’s—”

  Marge said.

  Grayson replied over the comm, and if he had been listening in on their conversation, his voice gave no clue.

  Ricket said.

  Rogers added.

 

  Kylie almost rolled her eyes. She guessed her conversation with Maureen was on hold for a little while longer.

  She took the lead and opened the door to the burger restaurant, when Ricket appeared overhead on a hoverboard, her appearance altered to match her Virt-Go persona.

  “Duck!” Kylie screamed and shoved Maureen inside the restaurant, before ducking behind a street vendor’s cart as Ricket swooped in.

  Kylie drew a pulse pistol and fired a shot, but it went wide. However, it was enough for Ricket to miss her own shot as she dove out of the way. As they exchanged pulse blasts, several of the small cameras sweeping the area stopped, focusing on Kylie.

  Once the feed cams were watching, she made a break for it, making sure the cameras were still following her. She ran down a side street and skidded down the slope at the end, crashing into several people on the way down.

  “Someone’s trying to kill me!” she cried out. “Get off the street, out of the way!”

  Marge cautioned.

  Kylie ceased calling out as she ran down an alley, dodging a delivery vehicle that was pulling away from the rear of a textiles store, before turning behind a dumpster and nearly running headlong into Rogers.

  He held a wide-spread pulse rifle and tucked it ag
ainst his shoulder with a menacing look in his eyes—which didn’t look like his at all, thanks to some appearance altering prosthetics that gave him a more brutish look.

  She lifted her arms. “Don’t shoot! Please!” Glancing to her right, she saw several feed cams rise over the trash bin like so many floating eyeballs.

  For whatever reason, Rogers hadn’t shot yet, though there wasn’t time for sentimentality. The cops would already be on their way.

 

  Her pilot bit his bottom lip and fired.

  Kylie’s flow armor absorbed the shock, but the kinetic energy still bowled her over. Groaning, she placed a hand on her chest, moaning about a cracked rib.

  Rogers grabbed her and laid her across the back of the hoverbike that had also been behind the dumpster. He then slotted his pulse rifle into the bike’s frame and took off down a corridor that Grayson had ensured would remain free of police.

  The easy part was over.

  Escaping the city with the cops hunting everywhere for them; that was going to be the hard part.

  * * * * *

  Grayson stood near the back wall of the planetary incident CIC at Delphin Reach, keeping an eye on communications between the ground and air pursuit units as they attempted to force Rogers into a corner. Alice provided updates to the field, telling Rogers which way to go and how to avoid capture. While she was able to map out the best routes, Rogers’ human response time was making it difficult to stay ahead of the closing net.

  If only he were an L2, Grayson thought with a sigh, wondering if they should have had Ricket make the grab.

  He looked at the holodisplays that dominated the far wall, half showing feeds from the city and federal police that were moving to intercept, and half from the public feed cams that were chasing after the pair, headlines scrolling beneath the visuals.

  RHOADS’ SISTER SHOT AND KIDNAPPED

  RHOADS VENGEANCE

  IS THE TESSERACT-1 SPIRE STILL SAFE? VIDEO IN 5!

  GENOCIDE RUNS IN THE FAMILY, BUT SO DOES THE SHOPPING.