Heart of the Colossus: A Steampunk Space Opera Adventure (A Holly Drake Job Book 3)

by Nicole Grotepas

  During the rest of the journey to the base, Holly sat beside Trip, whose constant attention wasn’t necessary in terms of flying the ship. In moments like that where the ship’s AI did most of the work, the Centau snoozed with her head leaned back against the headrest of her seat.

  Holly nudged Trip awake when the base began to materialize out of the massive surface and colors of Ixion. Up close the planet was a behemoth that could make even the most narcissistic person doubt their importance in the universe.

  “You might want to be awake for this part, Trip,” Holly said.

  “Thanks,” Trip said, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

  “I’m going to run and make sure all the different parties know what their roll is when we get to the base.” Holly unstrapped and motioned for Odeon to go with her.

  As they got closer, the cloud of ships constantly leaving and arriving became clearer. “You going to come?” She asked her friend.

  He unclipped his harness and followed her to the hatch and then through the corridors to the mess area, keeping his humming low and audible for her. In her own quarters, Holly grabbed the extra headsets to give to the teachers.

  They went to Elan’s area first. He was in the teacher’s quarters meditating. Val laid on her bunk reading on her v-screen. Estie wasn’t around. “Where’s Estie?” Holly asked.

  “She’s in the mess area.”

  “I didn’t see her there.”

  “There’s a secluded little table that she likes. So she doesn’t have to talk to the other passengers.”

  “Ah, it’s been that bad for her?”

  “She might have made some friends. I don’t know? She hasn’t come back though.” Val stood up because sitting on the edge of the bed didn’t work with the bunk arrangements. She noticed that Odeon was humming and raised an eyebrow at him.

  “So this is Odeon Starlight. He hums to calm me,” Holly felt her cheeks heating up as Elan and Val watched her. She cleared her throat. “I have an aversion to inter-moon flight. I have panic attacks. Odeon helps. Or drinking. But I can’t drink when I’m about do something important like this mission is.”

  Val nodded. “Ah ha. So, is it like that on the base? Does he have to hum to you there?”

  “Thankfully, no. I’ve been to this base. We did a rescue a few weeks ago. But could only take one. We’re taking them all this time.”

  “Who has them, Holly?” Elan asked, his gaze flicking between her and Odeon.

  “Have you heard of the Shadow Coalition?”

  Val nodded, Elan’s expression was blank.

  “You have, Val?” That was unexpected. “Odeon, will you hand them their ear-pieces, please?” She handed off the box to him that contained the gear.

  Val looked uncomfortable. “I might have known someone who joined them.”

  Holly saw the pained look in her eyes and simply nodded to spare her old colleague. “Odeon will give you both communicators with earpieces. That way we’re all connected. You won’t miss anything. You can mute the mic on your communicator if you don’t want what you’re saying to be heard by the entire team.”

  Odeon lay his Ousaba staff on an empty bunk and took the box from Holly, continuing to hum a simple melody. He handed one of the ear-pieces to Elan and tapped his ear where unit went. Then he gave him the comm controller and flipped it on. Odeon did the same thing for Valentine.

  “So, look, the Shadow Coalition have been using child labor to harvest the hydrantium from Ixion’s surface. It lowers their cost and then they can undercut the Centau Syndicate on price. Basically the children don’t have to do much. The mining pods do most of the work, but the kids are really good at picking up on the controls that they do have to use. It’s like a game for them. The Centau don’t really seem to care about the kids, because though humans have told them that maturity comes later for humans, the Centau use their own people at very young ages for Centau to fly ships.

  “So, the children have been taken from their families. We’re taking them back. This part could be dangerous. Are you still in?”

  Val nodded eagerly.

  “Of course,” Elan said. “We owe it to the children.”

  “Good. OK. So when we get into the launch bay, you guys will stay aboard as my crew and I head in. We’ll scout the area and head up to the floor that the Coalition is based on. When either myself, Odeon, or Charly give you the go ahead, you guys leave the ship and head in. Darius will be in contact with you through your headset and he’ll guide you the base to where the children are. We’ll be communicating with Darius as well, so his updates will be in real time.

  “Once you have the children—there will be a lot of them—you’ll have to take them back through the base to the location within the exterior launch bay. There are sealed entrances to board the tankers, you’ll have to use one of them to board. There will be a distraction occurring as you lead the children onto the tanker. Ignore it. Get them aboard the tanker. This is the one thing we came for. The other stuff doesn’t matter.”

  “How will we know which tanker to board?” Elan asked.

  “Darius will tell you. In a worst case scenario—like say our communications goes out—go to where the distraction is. You’ll figure it out from there.”

  “My earpiece is on,” Elan said. “I can hear your crew conversing.” He blinked and looked around.

  Val put hers on and flipped it on. “Oh wow, yeah. I can hear them too! This is so high tech. I can’t believe it.”

  “Let me know if you guys have any questions. We’re going to go find Estie.” Holly and Odeon found her in the mess area, sitting in a secluded spot like Val had indicated, talking animatedly with one of the crew members from Iain’s group.

  Holly pulled Estie aside and hooked her up with an ear-piece.

  “Holly Drake?” Trip said over the comms. “To the bridge please. We’re beginning the landing sequence.”

  “Right Estie, I have to run. Get to your bunk area and have Elan and Val update you.”

  Holly and Odeon left the mess area and went to the bridge, where Trip was working with the ship’s AI to navigate into the landing bay for small ships.

  Holly’s heart thudded with the sounds of the ship. It was about to begin.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  BEFORE they left the ship, Petra gave Odeon a small bomb. She told him where to place it, demonstrated how it worked, and filled him in on when to detonate it. Holly eyed the bomb in her Druiviin friend’s hand and felt a stab of concern—could it go off accidentally? The thought of Odeon being hurt made her feel physically ill for him. She voiced the concern to Petra, who gave Holly a bored look.

  “Well, yeah, it could. That’s why the work is so exciting. But that won’t happen, because I’m really good at what I do. It has two fail-safes. Odeon has to make sure he activates the switch on the bomb and then trigger it using the detonator, which he’ll have with him. He won’t accidentally do that because he’s smart.”

  “Petra is right, Holly. I am smart.” He grinned at Holly.

  Shiro stood beside them, watching the demonstration as well, since he would be accompanying Petra through the base to the area where the tankers were. Getting Iain and his crew aboard would be the easier part. Petra’s explosion would be the distraction that let them smuggle a massive number of children on board without being stopped. At least, that was the hope.

  “I could have made one of those myself, Petra. Is that what you call a bomb?” Shiro teased.

  Petra turned her bored gaze on Shiro. “I call this a way to not blast a hole in a base full of volatile gases. Which is what you’d do because you have nil experience in explosives, Oahu.”

  “Let’s go. We need to finish this. The longer we’re here, the more nervous I get.” Holly had retrieved the Equalizer from the bunk. She carried a pack on her back that had other items she might need. “Roll call. Teams check in,” she said, touching her ear.

  Iain answered first. “In position.” He’d already taken his crew
onto the base. They were stationed at a cafe where they could blend in with the other base regulars, waiting for word to get to the tanker.

  “On ship,” Trip answered.

  “Bird’s Nest, checking in.” Darius was monitoring everything from the Surge Club.

  “Teachers ready, on Olavia Apollo, waiting for further instruction,” Elan said. Holly heard Val in the background giggling.

  “Ready,” Shiro said, making eye contact with Holly. He grinned at her and touched her arm softly.

  “And us?” Holly asked, looking at Odeon and Charly.

  “Let’s do this, Holly Drake,” Odeon agreed.

  “Charly?” Holly asked.

  “I’m ready, sister.”

  Holly started down the gangplank. The teams followed her and Shiro took that moment to catch up with her.

  “Ms. Drake,” he said, dropping back into his formal address. “Watch yourself. I won’t be there to have your back, which bothers me.”

  “Oh don’t worry, Shiro, I’ve got my girl’s back.” Charly overheard what he’d said and took the opportunity to tease him.

  She smiled at him. Her stomach fluttered in either nervousness or over the way he touched her arm to get her attention. She strode out onto the steel floor of the hangar. “Thanks. Odeon and Charly will have it. This is going to be dangerous, I can feel it. We’re rescuing kids, but the Shadow Coalition doesn’t care who they hurt.”

  His grin faltered. “Point taken. I’ve been thinking, as well, that I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Voss. She may still be here.”

  Holly turned her mic back on. “See you at the end,” Holly said, leading Charly and Odeon away. She glanced back and saw Shiro and Petra walking toward the area that led to the tanker ship hangar. Ixion speed, she thought, wishing for the safety of her crew.

  Soon Holly, Odeon, and Charly were making their way through the bazaar-like madness of the main level of the base. There were tents and shops built into the corridor that curved around station. There were sounds of sizzling food, hawkers, and the raucous sound of hundreds of conversations. The three of them were familiar with the way to the elevator that would take them up to the Shadow Coalition level, and soon they were riding it up. Charly said something sarcastic and Odeon and Holly both laughed self-consciously, aware of the tension in between them.

  “There’s a back way.” Darius said suddenly over the comms. Holly flinched, startled.

  “Back way for what?”

  “To get the children down to the tanker.” He answered.

  “Perfect. Keep this line private, Darius. When it’s time for you to guide the teachers, I want you to run two lines—keep us separate from them. I don’t want anyone else hearing what’s happening with the three of us. You’ll need to give them the information we feed you, edited, of course.”

  “Can do, Drake.”

  “That back way will come in handy. The three of us will keep the SC busy on this end. Guide the teachers in to snag the children.”

  “Got it.”

  It was really just a review, and Darius knew it. She was sure he could hear the tension in her voice.

  When they reached the SC floor, the 17th, Odeon left his staff with Holly and Charly and snuck away through the corridors and into one of the inner warehouse area. Meanwhile, Charly and Holly hid in an alcove behind a stack of metal cubes. Odeon would plant the bomb in an unpopulated area, then join them and detonate it from the safety of their alcove. They would then be able to sneak into the bunker area and carry out the rescue operation while the Shadow Coalition worried about what was happening with the explosion.

  Holly and Charly waited, breathing quietly, listening to the chatter over the comms between Darius and Odeon. Soon Holly heard a sound nearby and held her breath, worried it was someone finding them. It was. Odeon’s pale violet face appeared around the cubes. She sighed in relief.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Go for it.”

  He flipped the switch that Petra had given to him.

  The station rumbled slightly. People rushed by outside the alcove. Voices were raised in alarm. The three of them waited for the immediate vicinity to clear and then they snuck out and headed the way to the bunker area that held the children. They’d been there before, when they’d rescued Charm. They reached the door on the outer edge of the corridor that had previously led to sleeping quarters. Odeon used his lock picking skills to break them in. Beyond the door was another corridor that led them past several bunk-blocks. The first two belonged to the SC members. The last ones held the children.

  Charly kept a running dialogue with Darius, letting him know what was going on as they worked their way through the corridor. Iain and Trip had assured Holly that the SC would have grounded the children pilots already in preparation for the coming break. They opened the first door that should have children, which was where Jasper had been. The memory of his face was incised into Holly’s memory.

  Inside the lights were on. A giant v-screen on the far end of the wall played a video of a Druiviin singing calm. Odeon gasped when he saw it. The children lay on their bunk beds staring into space. When the door opened, a few children rose when they saw Holly and her crew. The three of them were unexpected. Holly’s eyes went to Jasper. He saw her and waved. She went to him, her heart pounding.

  “I said I’d come back for you, and I did. Now, there’s no time. Can you round up all your friends, and get them to follow me? Can you do that?”

  He nodded and leapt from his bed.

  “Darius,” Holly said, touching her ear. “Change of plans. Something weird is going on. This has been too easy. So, rather than send Elan through the way we just came, have them meet us at this back way you discovered. I’m gathering the kids. Tell me how to get to the back way so I can lead the kids. We’ll hand them off to Elan and the teachers there.”

  “They’ve been drugging the children with Yasoan song.” Odeon was horrified.

  “At least it’s not an injection,” Charly observed.

  “Go get the others,” Holly told them. “We’re taking them to meet the teachers. Back way.”

  “Yeah, we heard, Holly,” Charly said. There was stress in Charly’s voice. It wasn’t for Holly, it was for the situation, which had them all nervous.

  “Then move,” Holly said. “This has been too easy. It’s got to be a trap. But I’m not leaving the kids behind, even if it is.”

  Jasper had done as she’d told him and now Holly had a room full of children staring at her, their expressions still appearing to be slightly drugged.

  “I need you all to be very quiet. And to follow me. You’re going home.” They began to cheer and Holly put her finger to her lips to tell them to quiet down. They softened their cheers to a hush.

  Holly led them out of the room into the narrow corridor. Odeon and Charly were in the process of getting the rooms of other children lined up and following them.

  “The back way—head away from the main corridor, where you entered,” Darius said.

  Holly directed the children to wait for her as she moved into the front of the mass of bodies. She exchanged words with Odeon who had now unlocked all the doors. Jasper and two other children were recruited to deliver the messages to the kids—be quiet, follow the humans and Yasoan, we’re going home.

  Darius directed her further down the corridor until it intersected with a hallway running perpendicular to it. “Go left, Holly. Now, you’ll head about thirty feet that way until you come to a stairway. Take that down. It’s fifteen flights down to the main floor. But that’s the best way to move that many kids.”

  “Have Elan meet me on the tenth floor,” Holly said. “The teachers can take an elevator up. He’ll take the lead, and I’ll bring up the rear. Estie and Val should be positioned in the middle of the kids. Have we got a count on how many there are? Charly? Odeon?”

  “No idea. Does it matter?” Charly asked. Typical, Holly thought.

  “There were one hundred kids per b
unker hall. I counted twelve halls,” Odeon said.

  “Twelve hundred children,” Darius said.

  “Then we’ll want the teachers to be accountable for four hundred kids each. Let them know, Darius, please.”

  “On it, Drake.”

  She kept leading the kids down. Each floor had a massive number painted into the wall. She expected an ambush at any minute and kept part of her attention on her gun, snug against her back, and the rest of it ahead, scanning the area for someone waiting for them.

  “I can see Elan,” she said. “You guys have the rear?”

  “Yes, I’m here, Holly,” Odeon said. “Charly is positioned midway.”

  Elan waited for her on the tenth level, as well as Val and Estie. Holly asked if they knew what to do. Darius had explained it. Elan exchanged a serious look with Holly. “Keep them safe,” she said to him.

  “I will.”

  He turned and continued down the stairs.

  “Darius,” Holly said. “You got the team carrying out the rest?”

  “Got it, Drake. Iain is waiting near the tanker. Shiro and Petra have planted the secondary device. I’m waiting for all the children to be ready in the wings. When they were, Petra will activate it. The children will run for the ship, then.

  “Perfect.” She tried to feel hopeful, but there was a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was going so well. Too well. When would that change?

  TWENTY-NINE

  THE last of the children passed her by and then Odeon was beside her. Estie took her position at the rear of the group, hurrying down the flights of stairs with them. As they went, Holly felt the worry in the pit of her stomach grow.

  “Odeon. None of the teachers have weapons. How did that happen? I doubt Elan would have taken a weapon anyway. You and Charly, please go with them. Odeon, get to the front with Elan. Charly, get to the middle. I’ll stay here at the rear and keep Estie covered.”