Loman left the office and walked back toward the reception desk. Raz was waiting. He looked up as Loman came into view.
“Mr. Haley,” he said quietly with a slight bob of the head.
Loman stopped at the big man’s desk and leaned over.
“I’m heading to the Carthage system. Can you set that up?”
“Yes, sir. When would you like to leave?”
“As soon as possible,” Loman said. “And when you get a chance, let’s set up a full surveillance suite in Mr. Fordham’s office. Audio and visual.”
“Yes, sir,” Raz rumbled.
“You could monitor it from here, couldn’t you?”
“Absolutely,” Raz said. “When you’re gone, there’s nothing else to do but order lunch for Mr. Fordham. Anything in particular you’re looking for?”
“No, but I don’t want him giving orders. He’s got no concept for what we do here. And we might just get something on record that we can use if things continue to go south with the board of directors.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Raz said. “I’ll see to it personally.”
“Thank you, Raz. It’s good to have someone here I can trust.”
Loman went back to his office and ordered his AI computer to begin the promotional paperwork for Captain Chastain. After gathering his things, he headed out of the office. It felt good to be leaving Arcadia again. Perhaps having Zan around could be used to his advantage, after all. He preferred being out with his security division, not stuck in an office where he couldn’t even have a drink when he felt like it. He touched the interior coat pocket, making sure his lucky flask was still there. It was, and he realized he could accomplish two goals by going to the Carthage system: he could promote Captain Chastain and also check in on his new poster boy, Alex Evans.
Chapter 17
After cleaning up and putting on civilian clothes, the Titan team was met at their quarters by their guide. Alex felt a thrill when he saw her. Nyx was still in her fatigues, but unlike the compression wear his team wore, controllers had more casual garb; she was in a dark navy blue outfit with white stripes on her sleeves.
“Nyx,” Alex said when they opened the door and found her waiting outside their berth. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard you needed a tour guide,” she said with a smile.
“Guys, this is Nyx, my controller,” Alex said. “This is Ash, and Sly, and Newt.”
“It’s good to put faces to the names I hear on the com-link,” Nyx said.
“I thought controllers didn’t like knowing their operators outside of missions,” Ash said. “Mine hasn’t shown any interest.”
“Some don’t,” Nyx said. “They prefer some distance, just in case...you know.”
“In case we bite it,” Sly said. “Makes sense to me.”
Nyx started down the empty corridor, and Alex’s team followed. He had to hang back as the other three crowded close to Nyx.
“Can we see where you work?” Newt asked.
“Do you want to see that?” Nyx asked.
“Sure,” Newt said enthusiastically.
“Not all of us,” Ash said. “We only have a day. Let’s do something fun.”
“We could start with lunch,” Sly said. “I’m starving.”
Alex wanted Nyx all to himself, but he knew it wasn’t the right time. It was their first day of liberty on the carrier, and the first time they could see what all was on the big ship. Spending time alone with Nyx might have been his first choice, but he couldn’t abandon his friends. And he had no idea how Nyx felt about him. Perhaps being alone wasn’t something she would enjoy.
They made their way back to the lift and got inside. Alex stood next to Nyx. Never in his life had he felt such a strong desire to touch someone. It felt like she was part of his life and not just a voice in his head. He felt like she knew him, and he knew her—but he forced himself to hold back. The feelings weren’t real; they were like the illusion of the huge planet pulling him down. He didn’t really know Nyx more than anyone else in the elevator.
“So where are we going first?” Sly said.
“Eighth level is called the promenade,” Nyx said. “It’s the top of the ship. Lots of windows and observation areas.”
“We’ve been outside,” Ash said. “I doubt it beats that view.”
“True,” Nyx said. “But it’s a nice place. Much wider than most of the spaces on the ship. And there are a few small vendors there selling food and drinks.”
“Now we’re talking,” Sly said. “Not food dispensers, right? Real food?”
“Yeah, it’s real food,” Nyx said.
“How’s that possible?” Newt asked. “Isn’t this a war ship?”
“It’s a carrier, which the Ahzco corporation uses for a variety of purposes,” Nyx said. “And because the company has a lot of products, and some of those are food-related, they assign some of their employees to work the various ships in the CDF.”
“That makes sense,” Newt said.
“It makes me hungry,” Sly added. “How do we buy the food?”
“Your ID card,” Nyx said. “Our per diem is based on rank, but you earn a certain amount of credit for food and entertainment.”
“Captain Chastain said we could only get one drink,” Ash said.
“Yes, one alcoholic beverage is standard for most of us,” Nyx said. “Sergeants and master sergeants get two per day.”
“What about soda?” Sly asked.
“The only limit is your credit account,” Nyx said.
“And the fact that you’ll be sick when we hit the gym tomorrow if you don’t show some restraint,” Ash said.
The lift came to a stop, and the group stepped out onto a wide corridor. The ceiling was twice as high as the rest of the ship, and there were windows spaced at regular intervals. For an hour they strolled along, stopping at the various vendors for snacks and soda. They were like children at a carnival for the first time.
Alex’s favorite place was a large observation deck. He could see Carthage below the ship and several other system planets, as well as the star they revolved around. The view made him feel as if he wasn’t trapped on a spaceship, but rather in a brand-new solar system.
“Beautiful, in a way,” Nyx said, looking down at the shimmering surface of Carthage Prime.
“Stark,” Ash added.
“Cold,” Sly said, sipping on this fourth soft drink.
“I wonder what it’s like down there,” Alex said.
“I kind of hope we don’t find out,” Newt said. “Captain Chastain said we wouldn’t be sent unless there’s trouble.”
“None of us want that,” Ash said, “but I wouldn’t mind a little action.”
“Yeah, I’ve had enough simulations to last a lifetime,” Sly added.
“It’s a level-two planet,” Nyx said. “Breathable atmosphere, but dangerous environmental conditions.”
“Most of the planet is frozen,” Sly said. “Why would you want to freeze your bum off down there?”
“It just seems like a shame to simply look at it from a distance,” Alex said.
“Ignore him,” Ash said, giving Nyx a gentle nudge with her elbow. “He’s from a level-three world. He gets a little moon-eyed over planets a person can actually breathe on.”
They were all laughing, including Alex—who knew what Ash said was partially true—when the lights behind them began to flash. They all turned and saw yellow lights glowing on and off in the emergency alert nodes.
“Yellow alert!” boomed a loud voice over the ship’s speakers. “Yellow alert! All personnel return to your assigned areas. This is not a test. All personnel return to your assigned areas and stand by for instructions.”
“Yellow alert?” Newt asked as they hurried back across the promenade toward the lift that would take them back to their assigned area.
“There must be another ship in the system,” Nyx said.
“So much for our day off,” Ash said.
“You’re the one who wanted action,” Alex pointed out.
“Sorry about the tour,” Nyx said, as they stepped into the lift.
“Raincheck,” Alex said.
“Yeah, we’ll have to do this again,” Sly said. “I’m still hungry.”
“You’re always hungry,” Ash complained.
The elevator carried them down several floors. When the doors opened, Alex saw more people dressed like Nyx. He felt a twinge of disappointment at the thought of being separated from her again.
“This is my level,” Nyx said. “I’ll talk to you all again soon.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Newt said.
“Yeah, don’t be a stranger,” Ash added.
Nyx stepped off the lift and hurried away. Alex leaned against the wall as the doors closed, and the elevator continued downward.
“Well, she’s cute,” Ash said. “I mean, if you’re into that kind of thing.”
“I think my controller’s a dude,” Sly said.
“Why does that matter?” Newt asked.
“It doesn’t, I’m just saying,” Sly said. “I guess I’ll ask.”
“I think Alex is the only one who got a real person,” Ash said. “My controller is a robot with no emotions.”
“I met Nyx before we were partnered together,” Alex said.
“Really?” Sly asked. “Man, the odds of that happening are astronomical.”
“We were in the admin waiting room at the same time,” Alex said. “It probably wasn’t an accident.”
“Not a chance,” Ash said. “Someone’s setting you up for success, Ace. I guess we’re just lucky we’re along for the ride.”
Alex wasn’t sure if he detected a note of resentment in her voice, but as the doors opened, he felt like Ash was angry. And perhaps she was right—maybe he was getting special treatment, but he hadn’t gone looking for it.
“We should get out of these street clothes and back into fatigues,” Sly said.
“Lead the way,” Newt said.
Back in their quarters, which seemed odd with only a few people in the big room meant for an entire squad, they changed quickly. Ash, normally not modest, took her clothes into the bathroom. Alex was in his private room but left the door open as he changed. Sly stepped into the doorway as he pulled on his compression wear.
“What’s eating her?” Sly asked.
“Ash?” Alex said.
“Yeah. Is she mad about something?”
“I don’t know,” Alex said. “Maybe she thinks I’m getting special treatment.”
“Oh, and she’s not?” Sly pointed out. “Does she really think any of us would be here if not for you? It’s just the luck of the draw, man.”
“Maybe,” Alex said. “I’ve had a few breaks go my way, or I wouldn’t be here at all.”
“Exactly,” Sly said. “You didn’t ask for special treatment.”
“Do you think Nyx is a better controller than yours?”
Sly shrugged. “Who knows. I don’t have a problem with mine. He’s all business. I think if anything, he doesn’t like me.”
“You’re an acquired taste,” Alex teased.
“Not everyone can handle my greatness,” Sly said. “Maybe Ash just likes being the only girl in the group.”
“I kind of thought she didn’t want to be thought of as a girl,” Alex said. “I mean, I just think of her as part of the team.”
“Yeah, me too, but maybe that’s the problem. Maybe when we’re off duty, she wants to be more than just a teammate.”
“That’s crazy.”
“I’ve heard of crazier things.”
Alex was adjusting the tight-fitting compression shirt when his Flex PIL beeped. Sly’s beeped at the same time. He looked at the device, which instructed him to report to ready room 108. There was even a small diagram that showed the layout of their level of the ship. A blue dot showed his position, and a yellow line showed the directions they were to take.
Alex snapped the PIL onto his left forearm and walked out of his room. The rest of the team were waiting.
“Everyone got the message?” Alex asked.
“Ready room 108,” Newt said with a nod.
“All right, you two head out,” Alex said to Newt and Sly. “Ash and I will catch up in a sec.”
“Sure,” Sly said.
They left the room, and Ash looked at Alex. There was no doubt in his mind that she was upset, but he had no way of knowing why without asking. He suddenly felt self-conscious and thought about just hurrying out after his friends.
“What?” Ash demanded.
“Look, I can tell that you’re mad,” Alex said.
“Yeah, it’s pretty obvious,” she snapped.
“So...what’s the problem?”
“There’s no problem. Can’t I have feelings? Sometimes a person just gets upset. I don’t need to stand around and talk about it.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Oh, sure, if I’m upset it must have something to do with you, Ace. Maybe you shouldn’t believe every foolish thought that flitters through that little brain of yours.”
She stepped closer to him. With her short hair and athletic build, he’d never really thought of her as anything other than a teammate. Ash was fast, capable, and fearless. Alex was team leader, but Ash could have been, just as easily. Her only fault was that she took too many chances.
“I didn’t mean to make things worse,” Alex said. “I just thought that if you needed to talk—”
She burst out laughing. He felt his own anger starting to rise up.
“You thought I’d talk to you?”
The question cut like a knife.
“I’d be the ace on this team if not for someone helping you out at every turn,” Ash said. “Maybe Oggy was right about you.”
“Watch yourself,” Alex said angrily.
Ash held her hands up in a false surrender. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
She stormed out of their quarters, and Alex could do nothing but watch her go. He felt sick. Nothing was resolved, and they were both angry. It was not the way he wanted to feel going into a combat mission, but there was nothing left to do but follow her. He glanced at his PIL, got a sense for where he was headed, then hurried to catch up with the others.
Chapter 18
Ready room 108 was exactly what it sounded like: it was a room for operators that had everything they needed before a mission. Alex’s Titan team wasn’t the only group in the room. Romeo Company was there as well. Alex and Ash had jogged through the corridors and caught up to Sly and Newt. The four of them went into the ready room together.
“Chief Landry asked me to get the four of you settled,” Master Sergeant Brooks said.
“Yes, Master Sergeant,” the four Titan operators said.
Alex thought the ready room looked like a locker room for a sports team. There were lockers and padded benches on one end. A food and drink dispenser took up part of one wall, and three rows of rocking stadium seats faced a large display screen on the far end of the room.
“You four will take these lockers,” Master Sergeant Brooks said. “Just swipe your ID, and they’ll be assigned to you.”
Alex held his ID up to the reader. It beeped, scanned his face to confirm his identity, then popped open.
“If you get called into action, you can store your personal items there,” Brooks continued. “If something happens to you, it all gets bagged up and sent to your next of kin.”
“Now there’s a cheery thought,” Sly said.
“Yeah, that’s what we signed up for, right?” Brooks said. “You can’t have the action without some danger.”
Ash looked at Alex. He couldn’t tell what she thinking, and he was too afraid to ask. The last thing he wanted was to get into another argument with her in front of Master Sergeant Brooks and the entire Romeo Company. Fortunately, she didn’t say anything—she just looked away as if she were disappointed.
“
When there’s mission info, we’ll get it on the big display,” Brooks said, pointing to the rows of seats. “Otherwise, we just hang out here.”
“That food dispenser work?” Sly asked.
“You’re hungry already?” Newt said.
“Do you have to ask?” Sly replied.
Alex sat on the padded bench and leaned back against his locker. It had been a long day and showed no signs of getting any shorter. The days on a star ship were marked on the clock, but otherwise there were no differences between night and day. Master Sergeant Brooks sat beside him.
“You the kid that saved VP Haley?” Brooks asked.
“Yeah,” Alex said, watching as his three teammates got snacks from the food dispenser across the room.
“How’d that go down?” Brooks asked.
“I just happened to be there,” Alex said. “My CO and Colonel Bixby had the whole thing planned.”
“To kill the VP?”
“Yeah,” Alex said in a low voice. “Chief McKinna was harboring a grudge about something. I think the colonel was hoping for a promotion.”
“Damn, and they say being an operator’s dangerous,” Brooks said. “I’d rather face an enemy combatant than worry about some climber stabbing me in the back just to steal my job.”
“I agree,” Alex said.
“Still, taking out two guys by yourself is saying something,” Brooks said. “I heard some crazy story about a flask.”
Alex told him how the entire thing happened: the way McKinna reacted to Alex throwing the flask at him, how the shock blast ricocheted from the metal and incapacitated the chief, Alex’s use of the chair that broke Colonel Bixby’s arm, and how the traitor got a shot off that winged Loman Haley.
“It was all over in a matter of seconds,” Alex said.
“That’s the way most fights go,” Brooks said. “That’s why we train so much. In those few seconds when action really counts, you can’t stop and think about what to do. You have to just react.”
“Telling war stories again?” Ash said, slumping down beside Alex with a sandwich and a disposable cup of orange-flavored energy drink.
“Yeah, something like that,” Alex said, trying to sound casual.
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