“You are right again,” said Harry, his temper fraying. “I think this place must have been abandoned by its rightful owners, and these scum are using it because it is vacant.”
The sound of footsteps approaching made them pause. Harry signalled. “Quickly, take a place at the door. I will lie on the floor.”
Ferghal shuffled to a position beside the door as Harry lay down and ordered the network to douse the lights. A moment later the door slid back and a man looked in. Seeing Harry apparently unconscious on the floor, he stepped further into the room and scanned his eyes around, his weapon held loosely in his hand.
Ferghal swung a pipe and made a solid connection as Harry ordered the AI to shut the door. The man grunted and folded, his weapon falling into Harry’s lap as he collapsed. Realising that a second man was trying to operate the door, Harry commanded the network to lock it and refuse any command to open it. He activated the lights, and Ferghal gave their victim a coup de grace, knocking him senseless.
Wriggling free, Harry said, “Let’s see if he has a key to these shackles.” Picking up the fallen weapon, he studied it. “I’m not sure that we could safely attempt our release with this, but if all else fails….”
“Do not even think it,” growled Ferghal. “He has no key on him, but I did find this.” He produced a small device. “Now this is more like it — a laser saw. At least this can cut the links that restrict our legs, but I want rid of the cuffs as well, and for that we need the key.”
Activating the device as he spoke, he cut through the links joining Harry’s wrists and ankles then waited while Harry did the same for him. The second man had by now ceased to hammer on the door and call his companion.
Nodding toward the door, Ferghal said, “We will have to move quickly, else he will return soon with more of their kind.”
“We have a pistol now,” said Harry. “There is another room beside this. Perhaps if we can gain access to that we may buy a little time.”
“Then let us move,” Ferghal growled. He commanded the AI to open the door and darted into the short passage with Harry hard upon his heels.
A man appeared at the top of the stairs and shouted, “Hey! They’re loose.” He fired a bolt, and the pair threw themselves aside. Harry snapped off a shot, and the man ducked behind the corner of the wall.
From somewhere else a voice shouted, “Use the stunner, you fool. We want them alive! Johnstone won’t pay for dead meat, and if he doesn’t get here soon, they will be our only negotiating chip.”
Ferghal crouched in a doorway and ordered the network to open the door. He slipped inside and Harry followed.
“Now what?” growled Ferghal. “We’re trapped. Unless….” He eyed several long cases. “Now, this is more like it, if those hold what I think they do.”
Harry had a thought. “I will alter the AI so that it makes things difficult for them. If I can make it so they must peer into darkness to see us, it will give us an advantage.”
“What about us?” snapped Ferghal, attacking one of the cases. “Of what help is it if we cannot see our own way?”
“It may be we can make it difficult for them. I will explore what I can do with this network console.” Harry studied the environmental controls and quickly deduced what to do. He sent the temperature plummeting to freezing on the upper floors. Then he operated the doors to every room, opening and closing them randomly and overriding the occupants’ attempts to adjust anything or stop them.
Behind him Ferghal searched among a collection of heavy cases, breaking them open and tearing out the contents with frequent grunts of annoyance or hopeful interest. Hearing someone on the steps, Harry leaped into the corridor and snapped a shot upward. The plasma sizzled as it screamed along a wall and a man stumbled then fell headlong down the stairs to crash into Harry, knocking him sprawling.
The man recovered first and managed to get to his knees, raising the very thing Harry dreaded — a stun pistol. In desperation Harry lashed out with his feet and made a solid connection with the man’s body, throwing him back along the short corridor and sending the stunner sailing into the room from which Ferghal now emerged, a heavy weapon in his hands.
Another man appeared at the top of the stairs and raised another of the stun weapons. Ferghal fired the weapon he held. His aim wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t have to be; the man died instantly, and Harry snatched the second stunner as he retrieved the fallen pistol projector and raced up the stairs after Ferghal. Finding themselves in quite a large space, they charged across it to a position from which they could command the doors that gave access to it.
A door opened and a man peered round it carefully. The blast from Ferghal’s weapon took out the wall adjoining the door, and the man missed death by the merest fraction, saved only by his reflexes. “You can’t get away!” he shouted. “Give yourselves up. Our people are on their way.”
“We’ll see about that,” shouted Ferghal. “For now it’s just the three of us here. Who has the key to these cuffs? I want it now!”
Harry spotted a movement out of the corner of his eye and ducked. Raising the weapon in his right hand, he snapped off a shot. His target froze then slumped to the floor. Harry looked at the weapon, amazed at what it could do. To Ferghal he shouted, “That will hold him! You said there were five, and we have two below, a third dead, this fourth I have disabled, and that leaves just our friend in there.”
He accessed the network. All the remaining doors in the building snapped shut and sealed.
“I have sealed all the remaining doors, Ferghal,” he called across the room, “and if you’re suddenly feeling very cold, it’s because I’ve lowered the temperature as well.” Ferghal stepped closer to assess the situation as Harry explained further. “There are more here, but they cannot leave the rooms they occupy and must freeze – as we will if we do not get out soon! But we have another problem. Once we are free of this place, we must find transport or be recaptured. I have sent a signal to our people, but I could not tell them our location. I hope they can trace the signal.”
“Well,” said Ferghal, “I know where one man is who can tell me. Give me cover and I will persuade him.” He fired another blast through the damaged door of the room sheltering the man who had urged their surrender, and then he darted across the intervening space and flattened himself against the wall next to the door. “You in there!” he called. “Come out with your hands up and empty, or I’ll come in and burn you out.”
“Okay, okay,” the man called from within. “I’m coming out. Don’t shoot.” He emerged, his hands raised and empty, and Harry stepped forward to disarm him. Using a short section of rope he’d found in one of the open storeroom boxes, he tied the man’s hands behind him.
“Search his pockets,” said Ferghal. “One of these bastards has the key, and I want free of these damned cuffs.”
Someone began hammering on the door at the end of the short corridor followed by the sound of a small explosion and angry voices. Hope flickered in the man’s eyes then dimmed when he saw Ferghal’s expression harden.
“I have the key,” he gasped. “It’s in my weapons pouch.” He indicated the belt Harry had removed from him. Harry found the key. Seconds later they were free of the handcuffs.
Harry checked the network to determine who was attempting to break through the outer door.
“Damn, Ferghal we are undone, I’m thinking — it seems to be more of their sort, no doubt come to fetch us away.”
“Let them come.” Ferghal hefted the weapon he was holding. “I have a fancy to see what this beastie does to a group in a doorway!”
“Wait,” Harry said. “We can’t take on everyone we meet. Let us first try reason.” He activated the external communicator. “I am Midshipman Heron, and I am now in control of this dome. Identify yourselves immediately.”
There was a solid round of swearing from the group outside, and Harry watched through the AI. Then a small rather swarthy man stepp
ed forward. “Open the door, kid. I’m Bert Lowe, leader of the Commonwealth Resistance, and you are surrounded. You can come out quietly or we’ll blast our way in and take you out the hard way. Johnstone will pay handsomely for you if you come quietly, and the Consortium will pay if you get killed. Either way we win. Your call!”
“Not exactly,” replied Harry. “I have contacted the garrison, and they are on their way,” he bluffed. “Your people are secured here, and we have their arms. You are eight men. We will certainly take at least four of you with us. Which four is up to you.”
There was a hasty conference outside, which Harry listened to. The leader said, “You’re bluffing. There are five of my people inside there, you can’t hold them and take us on.”
Harry was about to respond when there was a heavy explosion and shouts from the men outside.
“Damn, it’s the bloody Marines!” the leader shouted, and weapons fire commenced.
Harry opened his mouth to speak then collapsed, caught by a stun beam blasted by the fifth member of the gang, the man they’d left unconscious in the storeroom. Ferghal looked on in horror, a bellow of rage breaking from him when he saw the man and the weapon swinging toward him. When he fired the plasma rifle from the hip, the first bolt burned away the man’s arm, and the second killed him.
Ferghal dropped to his knees and cradled Harry. “Harry, I am sorry — don’t die on me now. Harry, speak to me!”
The firing outside died down, but Ferghal was too distraught to notice until the outer door blew in and several armoured troopers stormed inside. Major Brydges took in the scene at a glance. “Medic,” he called. “See to the Mid.”
Gently easing the distraught Ferghal aside, the medic knelt next to Harry. Quickly checking the paralysed young man for a wound, he looked up and said to the Major, “No damage, sir. He’s been hit by a stunner. I’ll have him up in a sec.” He applied a small device to Harry’s neck. “A shot of neurostim will bring him round.”
Ferghal breathed a sigh of relief as Harry’s eyes flickered open and he smiled weakly.
“Major, sorry to have been a nuisance, sir.” He caught sight of Ferghal. “You were right, my friend. I was careless.”
“Just take it easy, sir,” the medic interjected. “I’ve given you a dose of neurostim, which will reverse the effects of the stunner, but you’ll feel unsteady for a bit.”
Relieved that Harry was recovering, Ferghal gave the Major a full account of everything that had happened. He watched as the medic helped his friend out to the transport. He felt guilty over his bad temper earlier. Harry was the brother he had always looked up to, the one person he trusted in this strange world of 2206, and it had hit him hard to see his friend fall, apparently lifeless, to the floor.
“MIDSHIPMAN HERON! OFF CAP.” HARRY REMOVED HIS CAP and stood rigid at attention in front of the Captain’s desk. To his left, Lieutenant Commander Dalziel saluted.
“Midshipman Heron, sir.”
Commander Sönderburg, standing to the Captain’s right, studied Harry. “Midshipman Heron, you were aware there was a bounty on your capture?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You had instructions not to leave the hotel without an escort?”
“We were told it was advisable to have an escort outside the main domes, ma’am.”
“Midshipman Heron is correct, sir.” Lieutenant Commander Dalziel interjected. “The order states that he must be escorted outside the settlement limits. They were not outside those limits, sir.”
The Executive Commander checked her record. “Accepted, sir. However, given that they were specifically warned, and knowing there were people in that vicinity hostile to their presence, Mr Heron showed an unfortunate lack of judgment.”
Captain Rafferty kept his silence while he watched Harry, his expression closed. “I agree, a distinct lack of judgment, Mr Heron. It has cost the Fleet, the Marine contingent and your colleagues a lot of effort to recover you and Mr O’Connor. Were it not for the fact it uncovered a nasty little nest of Consortium operatives, and brought the Advocate Captain’s team some useful information and some new informants, I would consider a court martial.” He watched Harry’s face pale. “However, I have decided to issue a reprimand on this occasion. You placed yourself and Mr O’Connor in danger by not considering the threat you were aware of, and that placed some hundred Marines in danger of enemy action while recovering you. Do not let it happen again.”
“Midshipman Heron. On cap. About turn. Dismissed.”
The three officers watched the door close behind Harry.
The Captain smiled. “I have no doubt that lesson has been learned. I’ll leave him to you, Pilot. I’m sure a little extra duty won’t hurt. Anything else, Phil?”
IN THE OUTER REACHES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, A STRANGE triangular ship shimmered into view. It lingered long enough to register on the frigates’ collective scanners, but not long enough to be scanned. On Leander, a brief spike registered in the signal carrier, but no message was received.
In his cabin Harry awoke suddenly from a deep sleep. The sensation that someone or something had been trying to enter his mind kept him awake for a while. It left him with a lingering memory of a strange and very alien landscape.
What manner of dream was this?
He asked the ship to let him hear some soothing music in an effort to put it from his mind.
When he awoke in the morning, he felt more alive and refreshed than he had in a long time. As he lay quietly pondering this, he realised that surviving yet another attempt on his life had set him free of the fear he had wrestled with for so long, the fear of being captured again and put through the abuse in the laboratory. All of that was a thing of the past now. He had a new confidence that bordered on recklessness, and his sense of self and honour had been fully restored.
When Harry shared these things with Ferghal, his friend reminded him that their abduction had been a result of Harry’s insistence on visiting their former enemy. It seemed Ferghal was having a hard time letting this go.
“An enemy remains an enemy,” he said firmly as they argued over this for the umpteenth time. “Hurker is but a pawn in his wife’s hand. Surely you must admit that.”
“I do not deny it,” argued Harry. “But that is not a reason to make no effort to make our peace with them.” He smiled at his friend. “And we made that effort, and their response gave us an adventure, did it not?”
“Adventure?” snorted Ferghal, exasperated. “So it’s adventure you’re wanting? Well, as to that adventure, Master Heron, here’s what I think on it – pure folly!”
“It can never be folly to attempt rapprochement,” declared Harry firmly. “And was it not yourself that was boasting of your destroying half the dome with the biggest projector you could carry?”
Ferghal laughed. “Aye, that was a bit of fun, but you’ll not admit the error, I can see that, nor yet concede how close we ran to losing all. Yet,” he held up his hand to silence his friend. “I’ll confess it seems to have given you release — and yes, I did enjoy the havoc I wrought.” He studied Harry for a quiet moment. “Damn me, Harry, you’ll be the death of us both, but you’ve stood by me through every scrape, and I’ll not abandon you while I’ve breath either, but do not expect it of me to hold my tongue if I think you wrong in future, for I won’t.”
Harry hesitated, his face serious, then he smiled. “When did you ever hold your tongue if you considered me in the wrong? No, my dearest friend, never do that, and I will not abandon you for as long as I have breath either. I am sorry that my good intentions led us into danger, but I did and still do believe that it was right for us to try it.”
Their conversation shifted to the shared feeling that they were constantly being watched, and for Harry, this was particularly strong whenever he had time to retreat to the observatory dome and sit contemplating the vastness of the universe. The image of the strange landscape remained strong in his mind and came to him u
nbidden whenever he was alone. How he missed being able to share his experiences with his father.
Chapter 27 – Convoy to Seraphis
“Aurora to escort. Take stations for transit.”
“Acknowledged,” said Captain Rafferty. “Pilot, bring us into position, please.”
“Manoeuvring, sir.” Feeding the coordinates to the helm and propulsion controllers, Lieutenant Commander Dalziel brought the Leander into her assigned position. On the displays, the cruiser Aurora and her consorts changed position to take the lead and to flank the convoy, while Leander and her sisters formed the close escort.
Watching, Harry was struck once again at the apparent ease with which the convoy formed and held station — so vastly at odds with the wooden sailing ships and convoys he’d seen from the Spartan.
“Link helms.”
“Helm linked.”
“Transit in four, three, two, one — transit.”
The singularity formed by the massive gate projectors flashed into existence. The transit drives on all the ships lit up, and then the displays blanked as the ship passed from normal space into transit and hyperspace.
“Next stop, Seraphis — Consortium pirates notwithstanding,” remarked Bob Dalziel. Seconds later, the displays revealed the ships against the swirling grey backdrop of hyperspace. “Mr Heron, you have the plot.”
“Control, Scan. Unidentified contacts detected at extreme range, sir.”
“Bearing?”
“Starboard bearing zero eight five degrees horizontal, positive angle zero six zero degrees closing, sir.”
“Can you identify ship types?”
“Negative, sir. We have them only on passive scan. They are using a screen against visual.”
“Damn. Can you get an indication of size from their emissions? How about numbers?”
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