by Sarah Noffke
Bailey rolled her eyes at him. “We’re locked in a holding cell.”
“You were going to spend all day trying to figure out how to get into this fortress,” he stated, arms crossed. “I got us in here in no time.”
“You got us caught in no time.”
He held his arms wide, a proud look on his face. “We’re in the belly of the beast. Now we have to figure out how to extract the information.”
Bailey patted her hips, missing her guns already; it was probably better that she didn’t have them now, since she might shoot Lewis.
“And after we get this information, how do you supposed we’re going to get out of here?” she asked sweetly.
“That,” Lewis said, putting his head against the nearest wall to listen, “is for you to figure out. I’ve got other things to think about.” He knocked on the wall, still listening.
“What are you looking for, a stud? About to hang a picture?” she joked.
The detective shook his head before knocking again.
“So, how about that blonde joke now?” Pip asked.
Bailey sighed. “I was actually hoping you’d use your proximity to try and hack into their systems.”
He ignored her. “I find that laughter can really release tension and keep us all doing our best,” Pip said.
“I’m not tense,” she argued, running her hands over the only door in the room.
The door they’d come through didn’t have a handle. It was open when they were brought in, and had closed automatically when the guards left.
This is going to complicate things.
“True, you’re much cooler under pressure than I would have thought,” Pip told Bailey. “Your heart rate is much steadier than the detective’s.”
Lewis turned around, an annoyed look on his face. “I’m calm. I’m trying to find something.”
“Any clues on what you’re looking for, Holmes?”
He shook his head, continuing to knock on the wall.
“Okay, so how do you keep a blonde busy for two days?” Pip asked.
Bailey pushed at the automatic door, checking how it responded. “How?”
“Give her a piece of paper that has ‘please turn over’ written on both sides,” Pip said with a laugh.
Bailey’s eyes fluttered with annoyance. “I’m the dumb blonde, but Harlowe is over there knocking on the wall.”
“I have jokes about redheads and brunettes, too, but let’s be honest: blondes are more fun,” the AI stated. “Oh, by the way, I’ve found a way into the Tuetians’ computer system. Downloading information right now.”
“Great!” Bailey said, hopeful this wasn’t all going to be a bust. Now they had to find a way out.
“Interesting facts,” Pip began. “This place is called the Lagoon, and is home to six hundred highly-trained Tuetians.”
“Have you found anything that can help us get out of here?” Bailey asked.
“No. To be a bit of a Debbie Downer, your options are quite limited,” he admitted. “The doors and fence are operated by a remote system. There is an override, but it’s a bit of a long shot.”
Bailey wanted to kick the door, but let out a deep breath instead. “What’s that?”
“The general, a Tuetian by the name of Manes Fisk, has the sole override. They call it a contrivance,” Pip explained.
“You learned this all by accessing their system?” Bailey asked.
“Actually, I learned all that by hacking into the security system and peeping in the break room,” he admitted with a laugh.
“If you can hack into the system, then why can’t you open this door and get us out?” she asked.
“Were you asleep when I said there was only one override?” Pip asked.
“But you said that the system was controlled remotely,” she argued.
“Yes, but manually from a control station hooked into the security camera system,” Pip said.
“Well, that’s significantly unhelpful.” Bailey pushed her back up against the wall, searching for options.
“Now to be Positive Pip, there’s some good news,” the AI said.
“I could use some,” Bailey said, watching as Lewis continued to knock on the wall.
“The Tuetians obviously didn’t know what your belts were for, so they didn’t think to remove them,” Pip stated.
Bailey’s eyes shot downward, awe taking over her face. “Mother fondue! That’s right. Harlowe, did you hear that?”
Lewis looked up, distracted. “What?”
“The belts. We still have them,” Bailey repeated. “If we can get out of this door, we can activate the belts and get out of here.”
He didn’t look impressed as he focused back on the wall. “Still can’t get over the fence.”
She shot him a scathing look. “How about I try throwing you over it?”
He shook his head, again off in thought. “I don’t think you’ll get me high enough to clear it.”
“Pip, you can fly the ship, right?” Bailey asked.
“I can, but there’s not enough space to land it,” Pip determined.
“We don’t really need you to land it,” she qualified.
“Well, I’ve gone ahead and taken the liberty of disabling the security camera in the room so the Tuetians can’t listen in on our cunning plans,” Pip stated.
“Smart thinking,” Bailey said approvingly.
A squeaky noise echoed from up high, and she spun around, scanning the room. Lewis was looking victoriously up at a vent; behind the grate were two beady eyes.
“That’s what you’ve been doing?” Bailey asked. “Calling the ferret to us?”
Lewis pulled one of the chairs over to the vent and stood on it. “Well, I suspected that he’d try and find us, so I gave him a way to do so.”
“When did you become a ferret whisperer?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I’ve always been good with animals. A horse was my best buddy at the ranch. His name was Gatsby.”
“Why? Because you wanted him to have a horrible ending?” Bailey joked.
Lewis took off his watch, pulling a hidden blade from the back of the buckle.
“Hey, you got to keep a weapon,” she whined. “No fair.”
He winked at her and loosened the screws on the grate with the blade, maneuvering the grate off enough to pull Sebastian free. “Because he was passionate and a real romantic at heart.”
It took Bailey a moment to realize he was still talking about the horse.
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the hallway, and she straightened, taking a step away from the door. The ferret ran up Lewis’s arm, disappearing back into his jacket pocket, and the detective replaced the grate as the door opened.
Chapter Ten
Lagoon, Planet Tueti, Cacama System
A Tuetian who wore several medals on his uniform stood in the open doorway, his gaze directed at Lewis, who was still standing on the chair. “If you think you’ll be able to escape through the ventilation system, you’re wrong,” he told him.
Lewis looked down, ensuring Sebastian was neatly hidden away, while feeling over his body. “Dammit, if I could only lay off the donuts and lattes.”
“That’s General Fisk,” Pip informed Lewis and Bailey.
Bailey cut her eyes at the creature, a curious look on her face.
“Also, just so you know, I’ve reactivated the cameras so he won’t grow suspicious.”
“Who are you?” the general asked, strolling into the room, the door closing automatically behind him.
Lewis climbed down from the chair. “We mean you no harm. We only came to get information.”
“We aren’t friendly to humans, or willing to cooperate,” the general said. “Your kind should have realized that by now; we made our warning clear. This is a violation.”
Lewis looked at Bailey, who returned his intrigued expression. “I think you have us mixed up with someone else,” he told their visitor. “We’re new to the Precious ga
laxy, and have been tracking a monster created by Monstre Corp.”
At the mention of this, the Tuetian’s eyes brightened. “Take a seat.”
Lewis did as he was ordered, taking a seat in the metal chair. Bailey also complied.
When the general was seated across the table from them, he leaned forward. “What do you know of Monstre Corp?”
“That’s actually why we came here,” Bailey began. “We wanted to know what you could tell us?”
The alien seemed to consider her for a moment, then he shook his head. “We aren’t in the business of sharing information. It does us no good.”
“Well, then maybe you’ll let us go,” she said lightly. Pip had already accessed their systems; they had what they needed.
“Where is your ship?” the alien asked.
Lewis looked to Bailey. She smiled discreetly. “What ship?”
“How did you get on this planet?” General Fisk asked.
“Teleportation,” she said slowly, an idea coming to her.
General Fisk stood suddenly. “Recently, three of my best pilots were shot down. Do you know anything about that?”
Bailey gave Lewis a confused expression. “I haven’t heard anything. Have you?”
He shook his head. “It was probably Monstre Corp. Seems like we’re on the same side. If you tell us about your dealings with them, maybe we can help.”
General Fisk’s wings beat angrily. “I don’t trust Monstre Corp, and I don’t trust you. Until you’re ready to disclose how you got onto Tueti, you will remain here. In the meantime, I have a crew searching for your ship.”
“We don’t have a ship,” Bailey lied. “We used a special program to generate our consciousnesses on this planet. We’re not really even here; it’s more of an out-of-body sort of experience.”
Lewis was impressed that she’d come up with the cover so quickly.
However, the general wasn’t so easily enthralled. He straightened, striding for the door. “Consider your ship destroyed. I made my promise, and I intend to keep it; trespassers on Tueti will be punished.”
The door opened, the sound of trickling water filling the space momentarily. The Tuetian didn’t offer them a last glance as he exited.
When the door shut, Lewis let out a deep breath. “Pip, are the…” He paused, not willing to finish the sentence, just in case.
“I’ve deactivated the cameras again, but not for long. We don’t want them to get suspicious,” the AI reasoned.
Lewis smiled, looking down at the ferret by his feet. He’d felt Sebastian crawl out of his pocket, and had had trouble maintaining a neutral expression, not wanting to give away the animal’s presence.
Bailey looked around, her eyes searching. “Well, that was incredibly unhelpful. Now it’s only a matter of time before they find our ship.”
“It wasn’t as unhelpful as you think,” he said, picking Sebastian up and taking the small device he was holding.
“What’s that?” she asked, although by her hopeful expression, she already seemed to know.
“This is the contrivance,” Lewis stated. “Our ticket out of here.”
Chapter Eleven
Lagoon, Planet Tueti, Cacama System
“How does it work?” Bailey asked, peering at the fob-sized device in Lewis’s hands.
He looked it over, careful not to touch the two buttons on the front or the roller ball on the side. “I’m not sure. Technology isn’t really my thing. I’m sort of old-school.”
She regarded him with mock disbelief. “No kidding. I couldn’t tell.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked defensively.
She pointed to the wool jacket he wore over a Mr. Rogers-esque sweater. “Oh, I’m only wondering when you’re going to give your grandfather back his clothes.”
Lewis tugged the lapels of his jacket, holding them proudly. “Well, I wanted a cool, shiny suit, but they said you got the last one. And I like these clothes; they are warm and fit my cozy nature.”
Bailey shook her head at the detective, then took the contrivance from him and turned her attention to it. “This looks like it works the same as a mouse.”
“You mean it scurries around at night and steals cheese?” he asked.
She closed her eyes for a beat, suppressing a laugh. “No, I mean a mouse for a computer. I bet you point and click. And the roller ball allows you to scroll through options.”
“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” Lewis stated, activating his cloaking belt.
Bailey did the same, grateful that their tech wasn’t having the same glitches as when they went to Starboards Corp. She pointed the contrivance at the door, and clicked the button on the right. To her relief, the door slid back, revealing the hallway, and the sound of sprinkling water greeted her ears.
“So far, so good,” Lewis noted.
Bailey waited until she was in the hallway, and then said, “Are you out?”
“I get that I’m slow, but I’m not a sloth,” Lewis retorted in a hush over the comm.
The short hallway was empty.
Bailey pointed the contrivance at the door, and clicked it again. The door shut. “Try and keep up, Holmes. We’re headed for the exit.”
“I’ll play the available camera footage on a loop, but it will only work for a few minutes,” Pip said over the comm.
Bailey was going to agree that they should hurry, when she stopped abruptly.
The large atrium spread out before her, filled with Tuetians jostling in different directions. Instead of using stairs or elevators to get to higher floors, the Tuetians flew up from this ground level, and there was a lot of traffic. Getting through the area without bumping into someone and drawing attention was going to be difficult.
“Hug the perimeter, Ladybug,” Lewis said over the comm.
Bailey eyed the walls that enclosed the atrium. Going around to the exit would take twice as long, but Lewis was right; most of the activity was happening in the center of the area.
“Copy that, Holmes,” she acknowledged in a whisper, grateful that the sound of trickling water, flapping wings and chatter drowned out their steps.
She slipped up next to the stone wall and slid along it, making fast progress. When they got to the exit, Bailey saw the grassy path to the fence. Thankfully, the area in front of the building was significantly less populated than inside. There were a few guards doing patrols, and a few more flying in from the other side of the fence. But even these few witnesses were problematic; the grass was lush and thick, and Bailey had no doubt that their footsteps wouldn’t go unnoticed by those with keen eyes.
“Holmes, we’re going to have to step quickly on our toes,” she stated over the comms.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Lewis replied.
“Quickly, not carefully,” Bailey joked, remembering the several minutes it had taken him to make it across Starboards’ headquarters while cloaked.
“Do you want me to come and pick you two up?” Pip asked.
“No,” she answered. “We’re coming out to you. There’s no way we could get onboard here without attracting attention.”
“Then what’s your plan?” Lewis asked.
“I’ve got the contrivance,” Bailey reminded him. “I’m going to open the damn fence.”
“ ’Cause that won’t attract any attention,” he teased with a laugh.
“Relax, I’m only going to open it a little. Be ready.”
“I’m totally ready. Let’s make it a race.”
Bailey released a smile no one could see. “You’re on, Holmes.”
“Ready,” Pip commanded excitedly. “Set. Go!”
Bailey sprinted forward, hardly feeling her feet touch the ground. She ran with high knees, on her toes, not allowing them to touch for long before springing forward with the next foot. If there was one thing she was best at, it was running. She’d been doing it all her life; she couldn’t stay still. It was like there was a ticking time bomb insid
e of her, and it would go off if she was idle for too long.
Turning once she got to the fence, she pointed the contrivance at it, and prepared to slip through.
“I’m here,” she whispered.
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Lewis panted over the comm.
“Oh, guess I won then. Are you still on your way?”
“I’ll be there in a minute,” he whispered.
“You need a whole minute?” Bailey shook her head. “We’re gonna start running sprints daily when we get back on the ship.”
“I’m here,” Lewis said, his voice echoing from nearby and over the comm. “And don’t you forget that it was my secret weapon that got us out of there.”
“There you go again, calling a squirming animal a weapon.” Bailey turned to the fence. Up close, she could see the hinges that opened each section, creating a gate. “I should be able to open it enough for us to slip through without anyone noticing.”
“Just in case, we’d better haul ass to the ship,” Lewis said.
She sighed. “Does that mean I should carry you?”
“Ha-ha,” he said humorlessly. “I’ll make it, but how are we going to find the ship?”
“You know the general location of the ship?” Pip asked.
“Yes,” he answered.
“Okay, I’ll open the hatch as you approach. It’ll stick out, in this landscape,” the AI commented. “I’ll have the ship ready to go.”
“Okay, then on the count of three,” Bailey stated, holding the contrivance in her hand, her finger hovering over the button. “One, two, three.”
General Fisk had declined Vitos’s offer to assist in the investigation of the trespassers. He’d ordered him to turn in the report on his patrol, and retire before his next shift.
Vitos didn’t want to return to the upper decks, where everyone would be gossiping about the humans; he had been the closest when they materialized. He’d been the first to see them, even if he didn’t raise the alarm.
Instead of flying to the upper decks, Vitos returned to his ship. If anyone asked, he’d say he was pulling the log off the radar, but he really wanted to sit in the cockpit; it was his favorite place to think. The team always teased him that he felt the most comfortable in the Dragonfly because it was the one place he could fly.