“He’s been here before,” Sly said. “He saved Vice President Haley here, remember? You’re such a bonehead.”
“Can that chatter,” Master Sergeant Gellar growled from the front of the line.
Alex was glad he hadn’t replied. The last thing he wanted was for Gellar to make an example of him in front of the other squads.
“Better sleep with one eye open, Sly,” Oggy hissed between clenched teeth.
“Ignore him,” Alex whispered.
They turned a corner and went down a long docking arm. At the end was an airlock guarded by two operators in Patrol battle suits. Master Sergeant Gellar scanned her ID, then took the squad inside. Alex wondered where Chief Landry was, but he knew better than to ask.
The inside of the ship was different than any spacecraft Alex had been on before. In some ways it reminded him of his home on NP8261. The deck was made of dull metal grates, the walls and ceilings were made of glow panels, and the corridor they were in was narrow and only a little taller than Alex. There were pipes in the corners where the walls met the ceiling, and as they progressed down the hallway, they passed dark metal doors with numbers painted on them in glowing white.
Eventually they came to a room with a large “E” printed on the door. It slid open when Master Sergeant Gellar flashed her ID at the control panel. She led the group inside.
“This is our berth,” Master Sergeant Gellar said. “Bunks are already assigned. No fighting, no trading. Store your compression fatigues and toiletries in the locker at the foot of your bunk. The rest of your gear will be stowed in a locked compartment. Let’s settle in. Company meeting in ten minutes.”
Alex joined the others looking for their bunks. The berth was a long, narrow room with bathroom facilities at the far end. On the starboard side of the room were four rows of recessed bunks stacked three high. They were small compartments built into the wall with lockers in between. On the port side of the room were two private berths. In between, there were three tables, each with four chairs. Everything was bolted to the floor. The berth was spartan but clean. Ash, Newt, and Sly were all in row, but Alex couldn’t find a bunk assigned to him.
He turned and found Master Sergeant Gellar coming out of one of the private rooms on the port side of their berth.
“I can’t find my bunk, Master Sergeant,” Alex said quietly.
“Guess you’ll have to go back down and wait for another assignment, Ace,” Oggy said with a cackle of laughter from Nuk and Tig.
Gellar didn’t smile, nor did she frown. She just pointed toward the other private room. Alex glanced over and saw his name on the plate next to the door.
“It locks,” Gellar said. “I’d use that, if I were you.”
“Holy crap, Ace,” Ash said, slapping him on the back. “You totally scored.”
“It pays to be Alpha team leader,” Sly said, looking over his shoulder at Oggy. “I guess you get to stay, after all.”
Alex, followed closely by his three fellow Titan operators, stepped into the private room. It was small, but there was a standard bunk, a full-sized locker, a display screen, and a small desk with a chair on either side.
“Dang, man, you are so lucky,” Newt said.
“This is awesome,” Ash added.
Alex set his rucksack on the bed, then turned to the others.
“Let’s get our stuff stowed,” he said. “Master Sergeant Gellar wants us ready in a few minutes.”
“Give us a second to ponder the greatness,” Newt said.
“You know we’re going to be in here all the time,” Ash said. “This is de facto Titans’ room.”
“I’m fine with that,” Alex said. “I’d trade with any one of you if I could.”
“You should have seen the look on Oggy’s face,” Sly said. “Man, was he pissed when he saw that you got your own room.”
“It’s not going to make our lives any easier,” Alex said. “You all know at some point he’s going to take his frustration out on us.”
“I’m not afraid of him,” Ash said. Alex didn’t think Ashton was afraid of anything. “He comes at me, I’ll cave his face in.”
“No, we can’t do that,” Alex said. “We’re a team, remember? Echo company works together. We can’t be fighting.”
“Then he needs to learn to keep his trap shut,” Ash replied.
“Let’s watch out for them,” Alex said. “And in the meantime, make yourself at home.”
Chapter 5
“Until further notice, there are only four areas of the ship you are allowed to be in,” Master Sergeant Gellar announced.
Echo Company, including Alex, was lined up in front of the recessed bunks in their quarters. Each member stood at attention as they listened to the briefing from Gellar.
“Those areas are the chow hall, the recreation room, the simulator bay, and here in this berth,” Gellar continued. “The hall outside leads to all four spaces. Do not go beyond the chow hall. Do not go to any other levels on the ship. Do not go into another squad’s berth. Am I making myself absolutely clear?”
“Yes, Master Sergeant,” the squad said in unison.
“Outstanding. We still have a lot of work to do, people. Don’t mistake this deployment as an endorsement of your abilities. I’ve seen monkeys operate battle suits better than most of you. Tomorrow, we will begin a very tightly regimented schedule of training. Check your Flex PIL’s for specifics. And remember, you are on a spaceship. If you start to feel like the walls are closing in, you come straight to me. There’s no fresh air, and artificial gravity is low. Proper exercise and nutrition are essential for optimal health. There is the possibility of combat in the near future, people. Do you hear what I’m saying? Not field exercises, not simulations—actual combat that can and often does end in death for those who are not prepared—so get your minds right. This is not a vacation, and it’s certainly not a pleasure cruise. We will be working hard. You have one hour before chow, and after that I suggest you get some rack time. Tomorrow will be a rude awakening for many of you. Echo Company, dismissed!”
Alex and the rest of the squad relaxed. He had already stowed his belongings and set the lock on the door to his little room. He and his Titan team set out to find the simulator bay. When they stepped out of their berth, the hallway was already buzzing with talk and laughter.
“Man, it feels like we’re back in school,” Newt said.
“Can you believe we’re stuck down here?” Ash said. “Are we not good enough to have access to the entire ship?”
“I don’t think we’re going to have time to explore the ship,” Alex said as they stepped into the first room they came to. It was long and narrow. There were MBS-specific simulators under large signs. Alex guessed there were over a hundred in the long room.
“Dang,” Sly said. “That’s one big game room.”
“We won’t have to take turns,” Ash said.
They moved across the hallway to the recreation room. It was much larger than any of the other spaces. One end was filled with tables and chairs. Several wall panels had video capabilities. There were already people sitting around talking or watching videos with blocky headphones covering their ears. The sitting area had a low ceiling like the rest of the spaces on the ship, but beyond it was an exercise space with bright therapy lights. There were several grappling mats and an open space for exercise. Alex saw medicine balls and yoga mats arranged neatly against the far wall. Beyond the exercise space was a circuit-training area with machines that could work the entire body. Above the exercise areas, the ceiling was much higher. Alex guessed it was three or four levels, at least. The area wasn’t just spacious—it was another part of the recreation room.
“Oh man, I gotta try that,” Ash said.
Above the exercise area was a zero-gravity bubble. Alex had seen them on holo-films, but never in real life. There were already several people floating and spinning in midair. Alex thought he could see launch areas on the other levels.
“How do we
get up there?” Sly asked.
“Stairs,” Newt pointed out.
Across the sitting area, a narrow set of stairs led up to the space above.
“There must be a launch area up there,” Ash said.
The group hurried across the sitting area and bounded up the stairs, single-file. Above the lounge was in fact a space for launching out into the zero-gravity bubble. Rules were posted on a wall, and small cubbies could be used for storing personal possessions. Alex saw that Personal Information Links were not allowed in the bubble.
“Why do you think that is?” Newt asked.
“So you won’t collide with something or someone while you’re looking at your PIL,” Sly said.
“Or so you don’t crack it if you crash,” Ash said.
“No hard jewelry or unattached possessions,” Alex read.
“No food or drinks, either,” Sly pointed out. “That could get messy.”
“I have to try it,” Ash said as she pulled her PIL from her pocket.
“We’re supposed to go to the chow hall,” Alex reminded them.
“Just a few minutes,” Ash said. “I promise.”
“Can’t hurt,” Sly said, putting his own PIL into the cubby with Ashton’s.
“Come on, Ace,” Newt added. “It looks like fun.”
“Fine,” Alex said.
The truth was, he wanted to try the zero-gravity bubble as much as the others. He wanted to feel like he was flying again. More than anything, Alex longed for the sense of freedom he had discovered in the Fast-Attack Titan battle suit.
He stowed his Flex PIL with the others, and they stood at the edge of the launch platform.
“What do we do?” Newt asked.
“Jump, I suppose,” Sly said.
“On three,” Ash said. “One, two, three!”
They all jumped together. Alex felt the lack of gravity instantly. His mind expected his body to fall and crash onto the mats below. Fear was like a bad taste in his mouth, but he ignored it. As soon as his body passed the edge of the platform, the pull of gravity had disappeared. He kept going up and up.
“This is crazy!” Ash declared.
She reached out and grabbed Alex’s arm. At first he thought she was scared, which was surprising. Ash was somewhat of a daredevil; she loved anything fast, especially flying in the Titan battle suits. But she hadn’t grabbed his arm in fear—instead, she grabbed him in order to quickly push herself off and send herself flipping through the air in a new direction.
The push also sent Alex on a new course. His legs were rising up until he was horizontal, staring down at the grappling mats below. His legs continued rising up until his head was pointing down toward the ground, but it didn’t feel any different. His world appeared to have flipped, almost as if the ship were spinning around him.
Unlike Ash, he enjoyed going slowly. His muscles relaxed, and he could feel the tension of the day melting away. There was so much freedom in the bubble that part of him never wanted to leave. He thought that living in zero-gravity, despite the well-documented health risks, had its advantages.
The others bounced off the walls and flew like comic book superheroes while Alex drifted slowly. Eventually they all returned to the launch deck. When Alex broke free from the bubble, he dropped to the deck as if his body weight was too much to bear.
“Oh, that sucks,” Ash said.
“I wasn’t this heavy before,” Newt grumbled.
“Even breathing is hard,” Sly said.
“It’s all in your head,” Alex said as he stood up, but it seemed like more than just a mental illusion. His legs trembled, and the ship’s gravity felt oppressive.
“Too much of a good thing, maybe,” Ash said as they stumbled over to the cubby and retrieved their PILs.
“I’m starving,” Sly said. “What do you think the chow is like on this ship?”
“Let’s find out,” Alex said.
He cast one last look back over his shoulder. His body felt stiff, clumsy, and much too heavy in regular gravity. The people in the bubble all looked happy, graceful, and serene. He knew one thing for sure: he would be back to the bubble as often as possible.
Chapter 6
The door opened, and Loman Haley turned from where he stood looking out the massive window of his office. Zan Fordham was a manager in the RDT division. Security had its share of climbers, although most were in the admin track. Haley had seen Zan Fordham’s performance reports. He was the type of person who fudged the numbers when it came to what his people actually produced. None of his colleagues liked him, but he had some connections in the company and on the board of directors. None were as influential as Lynn Faulk, who had obviously been grooming him to be her lackey and Loman’s replacement.
“Mr. Haley, it’s a pleasure to finely meet you, sir,” Fordham said.
Zan was overweight but fastidious about his appearance, and single. No surprise there, Loman thought. His designer clothes didn’t hide his self-indulgent nature and overbearing personality. The pompous manager was looking around as if he were taking stock of Loman’s office and deciding what to change once he took over.
“Mr. Fordham, welcome to Arcadia,” Loman said.
The prospect of being kind to Zan, whom Loman saw as an interloper, was not pleasant, but he understood what was at stake. He was about to embark upon a battle of wits and wills for his job, but there was more hanging in the balance than Loman’s livelihood. If it were just about money, he would have left Ahzco long ago. Loman had more than enough stashed away in his credit accounts and stock options. His real concern was for the employees who counted on the CDF to keep them safe. If Ahzco went out of business because other corporations stole their proprietary assets, hundreds of thousands of people would lose their jobs and be left destitute. Ahzco had assumed responsibility for the employees on the worlds it held as private property, and Loman couldn’t let them down. If someone was waiting in the wings to take over, someone truly capable and with integrity, Loman wouldn’t stand in their way—but that person had yet to appear, so he had no choice but to stand his ground.
“It’s a pleasure to be here,” Zan said.
“I trust the company has set you up in acceptable quarters until you can find a place of your own?”
“Oh, yes. I’m in a suite at the Excelsior. It’s quite nice.”
Of course it was. At over a thousand credits a day, it should be. Loman was not opposed to people reaping the rewards for their hard work and ingenuity, but he was sure that Zan’s only accomplishment was knowing the right people.
“All right then, I’ve had my computer compiling the records for our division,” Loman said. “I know a man of your stature will want to get up to speed right away.”
“Of course, of course,” Fordham said.
“It’s all proprietary, so it can’t leave the offices,” Loman continued. “I’ve had Raz prepare you a space. It isn’t much, but it’s private. Remember, no one can see the files.”
“I do understand confidentiality, sir,” Zan said, with more than a little condescension in his voice. “I worked in research and development, after all.”
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” Loman said. “You were a manager, I believe. Well, don’t let me keep you. There’s a lot of information to familiarize yourself with. Once you’ve gone over it all, we can begin discussions on what your role will be.”
“I was under the impression that we would be dividing your current duties,” Zan said. “Co-managing the security division.”
Loman walked toward Zan, his temper roiling just below the surface. He wanted to have the greedy overseer thrown from the building, perhaps from the top floor, but instead he smiled and extended a hand. Zan took it in a limp, clammy grip.
“I’m a big believer in people, Zan,” Loman said. “You don’t mind if I use your first name, do you? We all have talents, and we’re most fulfilled when we get to use our talents to make the company a better place to work.”
“And impr
ove the bottom line,” Zan Fordham said with a chuckle.
“Of course, that too,” Loman said. “Security is all about people. It’s our job to make sure that every employee working for Ahzco is safe. It’s a job I take very seriously.”
Loman turned Zan toward the office door.
“I wouldn’t entrust the safety of our people to just anyone. So while you have the chairwoman’s confidence, you’ll need to prove yourself to me before you’re anything more than a drain on my time and resources. Go over the files. Impress me with your work ethic. Show me you have the integrity and drive to be an advocate for the employees of this company, and I’ll give you all the responsibilities you want.”
Loman gave the newcomer a little push toward the door. Zan stumbled toward it, and the door opened. Raz was looming just beyond, a hulking reminder of Loman’s authority. Zan looked up at the big man, then turned back. His skin seemed pale, and it appeared that sweat had sprung out on the chubby man’s upper lip.
“Ms. Faulk won’t like this,” he said.
“She doesn’t have to,” Loman said. “Raz, show him to his office.”
Raz nodded, and the office door closed. Loman felt his entire body sag under the weight of his own responsibility. Was he stiff-arming Zan because of his passion for keeping the employees of Ahzco safe? Or was he really just protecting his own ego? It was becoming harder and harder to say for certain. The pain from the wound in his side was a constant irritation. He had pain meds that would make him blissfully unaware of the pain, but it also created a mental fog, and he couldn’t afford to get caught off guard. There was blood in the water, and the predators were circling. Zan Fordham seemed like a dunce, but the last thing Loman could afford to do was underestimate the man. His stunt with the division files would only keep him busy for a few days. After that, he would have to be dealt with in a more decisive manner. That didn’t give Loman a lot of time, and he was certain that Lynn Faulk had her own plans to send him packing. It was stressful, and Loman felt it through his entire body. His shoulders felt tight, his neck stiff, his back ached, his chest was tight, and his legs felt heavy—but he couldn’t fail. He needed to find a way to keep Chairwoman Faulk’s restructuring plan from giving her complete control of the company.
Carthage Prime Page 3