He fumbled with the glasses, pulling them off his face. They nearly slipped out of his grasp, and he heard Treena caution him from the earpiece. “Don’t drop them!”
He remembered it all: finding Treena with the glasses from Reeve, and bringing her to see the ship. They’d talked for hours about everything possible, and he’d fallen asleep.
“Were you sleeping too?” he asked her.
“No. Not really.”
“So what, you were just staring at the blank viewer?” he asked.
“Pretty much.”
“How long was I out?” he asked.
“It’s been a while. I think we’re almost at the Belt.” Treena would have been guessing; then Tarlen realized she was plugged into the network at some level.
“How much can you see?” he asked her.
“What do you mean?” It was still strange only hearing her through his ear, but it almost felt like she was right there with him.
“I know you’re connected to Constantine. Can you see the radar?” he asked.
“No. Nothing like that. That’s not how it operates, unfortunately.”
“I’d better leave now,” Tarlen said.
The ship was on reserve power, and the lights were dim as he walked from the cockpit to the rear of the vessel. The ramp was lifted, sealing him inside. He pressed the release, and nothing happened. “That’s strange. It didn’t work,” he said out loud.
“Hmmmm, let me have a look,” Treena told him, and he stood frozen, staring at the control pad so she could assess it. “Try again.”
He did, the pad flashing red.
“Okay, try to key in this code.” She said a long number sequence, which he copied and punched in. Red again.
“What was that?” he asked her.
“A backup code programmed into the Concord ships like this,” Treena said. “Basel didn’t strike me as a law-abiding citizen.”
Tarlen searched near the door, trying to find another way of escape.
“I suspect he changed it, and reprogrammed it so only he could use the ramp.” Treena’s voice sounded more distant. “We’re going to see if we can find an escape route. Here’s what I’m going to need you to do.”
Tarlen accepted the commands, hoping she could pull through. He glanced at the spot on the metal grate floor where they’d found Basel’s corpse, and Tarlen could feel the cargo hold growing smaller with each passing breath.
Thirteen
“Captain, welcome to the Tingor Belt,” Junior Officer Zare said as they pulled out of hyperlight. Using the reverse thrusters, they slowed to a halt, overlooking the massive field beyond. They were two thousand kilometers away, the asteroids forming a line that angled away from Constantine. It was an impressive sight.
“Oquid, Nomin, what do you make of this?” Tom asked the two Vralon. They’d donned matching red uniforms, their tails twitching in unison as they stared at the ominous asteroid field.
“This is the Tingor Belt, all right. Beyond it is Cersine Nine, a deserted world. It’s thought that life once thrived there, but the atmosphere is lethal poison, thick with toxins,” Nomin said, her face impassive.
“Where was the Vralon camp set up?” Tom asked.
Oquid walked over to the edge of the room where Brax was posted, and the chief of security nodded, pressing the information to the main viewer. A 3D image appeared on screen, and one particularly large asteroid glowed yellow.
“This is where the camps were set up. This region has the highest yield of Nek in the Belt, according to our surveys, and that’s why we stayed closest to these ten rocks.” Oquid ran a hand over the console, and each of the ten became highlighted. “We never expected to be attacked out here.”
“Who did you tell about the Nek?” Tom asked, recalling they hadn’t heard this part of the story yet.
“No one,” Nomin said quickly.
“Somebody had loose lips; otherwise, they’d be alive and mining, instead of…” Tom didn’t finish the statement.
“We didn’t tell a soul. We were keeping records of all communication with the mining operation,” Nomin pleaded.
Tom doubted it was that simple. “Didn’t you explain that they went dark three weeks before your single ship returned? Someone could have sold you out to the Assembly.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible.” Oquid’s tail waved behind him. “We aren’t to be bought. The Vralon are an honorable race, Captain Baldwin.”
Tom didn’t want to argue with the man, but he believed there was at least one Vralon working on the mining operation who would have sought the opportunity to profit from the exchange. All it took was one worker to grow disgruntled, to feel undervalued, and it was over.
“Sir, no sign of anyone. We’re picking up a weak reading from inside the Belt, perhaps one of the mining vessels on life support,” Ven said.
“Can we get a visual?” Tom walked closer to the viewer. He glanced at the empty seat beside his and wished Treena was by his side. She was a good balance to him, and he could use her tactical expertise.
Constantine appeared at the rear of the bridge, standing quietly. “Is there something you want to add, Constantine?” Tom asked the AI.
“I’d suggest being patient, sir. Perhaps sending the probes first,” the AI said.
Ven spoke up instantly. “Already done, sir. It appears as though the asteroid field is blocking the signal return. We’re going to need to investigate first.”
“I doubt there’s anything there that Constantine can’t deal with,” Zare said, peering at Tom over Ven’s shoulder.
“Be that as it may, I’d prefer to err on the side of caution.” Tom turned to face his lieutenant commander. “Brax, you and Ven go in Cleo and see what we’re dealing with. Scout the mining camp if possible, and keep us updated.”
Brax stood promptly, already moving for the doorway to the expedition ship above the bridge. Ven left his seat, and the bridge doors opened, two crew members coming to replace the ones leaving. Tom watched this all with the proud eye of a captain. Things were finally coming together for his crew. They were working collectively, and the bumps and hiccups any new ship experienced were starting to be a thing of the past.
“I’d like to go with them, Captain.” Oquid stalked over, stopping in front of Tom. “We’ve been familiarized with the camps. We have the blueprints. I can assist your crew.”
Tom peered at Brax, who was standing at the elevator doors as they opened. His chief of security gave him a sharp nod. “Very well. You’d better bring your…”
“I have my armored suit, Captain.” Oquid waved to Nomin, who raced off the bridge, only to return a moment later, dragging a chest.
“I see you had this all planned out,” Tom told him. He was wondering if he had any reason not to trust the Vralon, and so far, hadn’t seen one. “Ven?” he asked the Ugna, and the man seemed to understand what he was seeking.
“He means well, sir,” Ven said, and Tom clapped the Vralon leader on the back.
“Then you’re cleared to join,” Tom said.
“Were you implying I might not be acting with the best intentions, Captain?” Oquid asked.
“You can never be too careful. Be safe out there, and stay vigilant.” Tom directed this at Brax, and the big Tekol stepped onto the elevator, followed by Ven, then Oquid, carrying his armored suit behind him. The doors closed, and all Tom could do now was wait.
____________
Ven was glad to let Brax handle Cleo’s pilot controls. He was relaxed, well-rested during the trip to the Belt, and he’d taken another hit of En’or only hours ago. Ven Ittix was feeling good. He probed the emotions of the armored Vralon on the bench behind them, and found his fears were natural. Ven sensed no ill will toward Constantine or them personally, and thought the leader only wanted to uncover what had transpired with his people.
Ven probed Brax Daak and found a much different result. Brax was worried about so many things, though Ven wasn’t able to determine exactly what. Only the high
est level of Ugna were able to ascertain such deep details. Perhaps Elder Fayle would have been able to read Brax’s mind to an extent, but Ven didn’t have that level of skill.
Ven wore a full armored suit. He’d practiced with them in the Academy, but had rarely donned them since. He felt too heavy, too bulky to fit inside the seat, even though it easily accommodated him. Brax was even bigger, not as tall but wider than Ven, and their elbows bumped a few times as the Tekol chief of security lifted Cleo away from the top of Constantine.
Brax muttered something under his breath, and Ven leaned in. “Are you speaking to me?”
“No. Nothing like that.” Brax stared forward, and Ven saw beads of perspiration on the man’s forehead beneath his helmet.
“Do you have an issue with your temperature control? Would you like me to have a look at it?” Ven asked.
“What? No,” Brax said. “It’s…I don’t like space.”
His truthful emotion raged from him, emanating in waves. Ven flinched at the reaction. “What do you mean, you don’t like space?”
“Space. It’s terrifying. We’re literally in a tiny vessel with nothing but a foot of metal between us and certain death. It’s probably the craziest thing anyone can do with their lives,” Brax said quietly, glancing over his shoulder at the Vralon man behind them. Oquid showed no sign he was listening.
“I don’t find it as strange as you might think, Brax Daak.”
“Ven, you don’t always have to call me by my full name. Or by my full title of ‘Chief of Security.’ You can sometimes just call me Brax,” he said.
“I can do that, Lieutenant Command… Brax,” Ven said. He was surprised at the connection he already felt with these people, his crewmates. It was an unexpected result of being part of Constantine, but one he was beginning to appreciate. Ugna didn’t open up with one another, but already, people like Brax were revealing long-hidden secrets to him, and he didn’t feel like he’d earned that trust yet.
The Ugna often considered that as a weakness, but being among the various races for this short time, Ven didn’t think it was. Perhaps it was even a strength that someone as strong as Brax could be vulnerable in front of another person. Ven would contemplate this and meditate on it at a later time.
For now, he had a job to do. Ven activated the probes they’d sent out and found their results as they were closer to the front line of the Belt. Here, the rock chunks weren’t as significant, but they were closer together. The readouts came slowly, and he tried to read the results. “It appears as though there are possibly two vessels deep in the Belt. One with life support function only, and the other seems dead.”
“Probably two of the mining ships,” Oquid said.
“Likely. We’re close to the main mining camp, only a few minutes away. I’ll head that way first, and then we can check on the transports,” Brax advised them.
Cleo moved quickly through the field, not nearing the hunks of rock at any point. For someone afraid of space, Brax Daak sure knew how to handle himself behind a pilot’s seat. Sensors shot out readings as they passed each piece of floating asteroid, each section being scanned and imaged into their computer system for further analysis.
“Hold on to your hats,” Brax said as he swooped around some errant debris, a few rocks clinking against their ship’s hull. Once they passed the largest wall that began the Belt, the planetoids grew more distant from one another, and Ven immediately saw their destination in the viewer.
It looked as massive as the moons of Leria, and Ven felt a wash of homesickness. He’d been gone for a few years, but returning to his old village had reminded him of a life he’d never return to.
“Circle around and head…” Oquid gave Brax directions, and Ven ignored the commentary as he kept a wary eye out for anything suspicious. The two vessels near them were still too far for a visual on with the number of asteroids blocking their way.
“I hate belts like this,” Brax said.
“Why is that?” Ven asked.
“Anything can go wrong in them. There are far too many places for pirates to hide, and the metal in the rocks always messes with our communicators and radars, without fail. You’d think someone would have found a way around it by now, but every one of these belts is made from different compositions. Reeve said it’ll take some serious effort to accomplish,” Brax informed them.
Ven was proficient in the subject but nodded along as if hearing it for the first time. They neared the major planetoid in the system and descended toward it.
“What’s the gravity here?” Brax asked Oquid.
“It’s at one point five meters per second squared. Enough to land, and the workers wear weighted boots,” the Vralon replied.
Cleo continued to head toward the brown and gray surface. Thick red veins cut into the exterior, making lightning bolts along the ground.
“Is that the Nek?” Ven asked.
“That’s it. The brighter the red, the purer the Nek,” Oquid answered.
“Looks pretty quiet,” Brax said as they moved over the camp.
Ven surveyed the area, seeing at least five outbuildings. Multiple rovers and digging tools were placed along the outskirts of camp, and two landers sat on the surface. No people moved around the region; it appeared like it could have been deserted for years.
“By the Vastness, I’d hoped our intel was wrong. That my people would still be here,” Oquid said softly.
“It doesn’t seem that way, but we won’t know until we sweep the camp,” Brax told him.
Cleo landed at the far edge of the evacuated mine, and Brax powered it down, standing in a hurry. Ven remembered that Constantine was waiting for news, so he sent a message, finding it didn’t appear to arrive through the Belt. “Message failed,” he told Brax.
The chief of security waved him off. “Then let’s get this over with and return with some intel.”
Ven waited for Oquid to step into the rear of the ship, and he double-checked his suit had the green light on its heads-up display. The HUD had a list of vitals on the bottom right and a series of other details on the left, including outside air temperature, barometric pressure, and countless other details Ven didn’t need to be bothered with at the moment.
He pressed the airlock field generator, sealing in the rest of the ship, and Brax tapped the ramp open. It landed on the surface of the asteroid with a slight puff of dust.
Brax went first, and Ven let Oquid go ahead of him, opting to cover them should the need arise. Ven held his PL-30, and the Vralon and Brax were armed with the much larger XRC-14. As soon as he settled to the ground, Ven felt an ease with the lack of gravity. Each step was light, as if he was floating through water. The heavy boots helped, and he was quickly acclimating to making short steps, copying the movements from the more experienced lieutenant commander. The Vralon were miners, often seeking out distant belts to find new metals. It was how their entire planet survived: in trade with other Concord members. Oquid moved along the surface more fluidly than either of the Constantine officers and took the lead as they entered the camp.
Ven glanced up, seeing nothing but the stars, some blocked by nearby hunks of misshapen rocks. He tilted his head to the surface, noting the various mining tools strewn about. There seemed to be no Vralon in the area. He didn’t see any blood or bodies along the way. Perhaps they’d left camp before being attacked.
Two giant drills sat above the brightest red vein of Nek in the area, and Oquid headed in that direction, bounding quickly. Brax and Ven struggled to keep up and arrived as the Vralon was crouched, touching the Nek. “The Nek is still here. Whoever did this had another motive, it appears.”
“Why wouldn’t they have taken this?” Brax asked. “Maybe there was enough on the mining vessels for them to steal?”
“I very much doubt that,” Oquid said. “If they understood the value, they would have stayed and taken all they could. A square inch of this could feed a family for their entire lives.”
Ven’s gaze drift
ed along the long stretch of Nek, and he decided this would be enough to feed Nolix for a few years. “Then there was another intention.”
He saw something from the corner of his eye, and he swung around, aiming his gun toward the closest building to them. Brax must have noticed it too, because he was already moving, XRC-14 bobbing in his grip.
Ven and Oquid hopped after him.
____________
Reeve had followed the anomaly around the ship countless times. It seemed there was a pattern, and she was determined to figure it out. It was as if someone was working hard to cover their tracks. “Now you’re sounding like Brax. This is a software glitch, nothing more,” she whispered to herself.
But maybe it wasn’t an error. “Harry, what do you make of this?” She shot the results over to his console across the room.
He didn’t speak for a minute, but she heard the sharp intake of his breath. “By the goodness of the Vastness, this can’t be.”
“What do you see?” Reeve hopped from her chair, racing across the boiler room. She leaned over Harry, trying to spot what had him all worked up.
“This isn’t random, Reeve. This is… brilliant,” he said.
She watched as he used the software to break apart the abnormality's pulses. “They’re starting from the bridge.”
Harry glanced over at her, his brow furrowed. “That’s right. Someone on the bridge is doing this.”
But who? “We have no idea what they’re doing, though, do we?” she asked, more for herself than Harry.
He answered anyway. “It doesn’t appear that way, but I have a suspicion. See this…?” He pointed at the screen, to a string of binary digits.
“Sure. That’s the communication system, always scanning for incoming messages,” she said.
“There have been at least five outgoing messages sent from there,” Harry said.
“Outgoing? That’s a completely separate system.” Reeve started using his keyboard, and Harry moved out of the way, giving up his seat. She checked the outgoing string and found nothing out of the ordinary over the last few days. Then she returned to the anomaly and easily identified the five variances. She dug further, uncovering more messages, each sent during the first trip from Kevis VII to Greblok, then toward the wormhole.
Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series Page 47