Bosun Shred stepped in between the two groups and put his hands out to separate them. “All right, step back, we’ll solve this with words,” he said to his strikers. Shred exchanged glances with Reznik and the captain. Reznik nodded back, and the captain turned back to Robert.
“What a conundrum,” Lex said Robert. “Digg is correct. Your innocence is of no importance. And that is a sizable bounty.” He turned towards the strikers. “We are one crew. Everyone has a role to play. Any bounty collected will be split evenly per the Articles.”
The raiders cheered slapped each other on the back. The strikers grumbled, but were not willing to defy the captain.
Robert swallowed. He would not permit these pirates to see his fear, which was growing by the moment. He looked towards Boomer. He was not able to decipher her expression. Pity? Sadness? He wanted to say something to her, but again, words failed him. He directed his attention back to Lex.
“We can’t rightly turn him in ourselves,” offered striker Bob. “Otherwise, we’ll be collected too.”
“We can sell him to a bounty hunter at Free Port,” Hack replied. A wave of excitement rippled through the crowd. Everyone loved to spend R&R time on Free Port, especially when they had accounts full of coin.
Robert scanned the faces of the crowd. He had very few allies at this point. Drake and Billy were decidedly unhappy. Boomer’s face was a mask that revealed nothing. Nigel gave Robert a sympathetic shrug. Ruby seemed on the verge of tears.
The world closed in on Robert. He saw himself in the dungeon the below the Imperial Palace complex. He wondered if those terrible stories were true. No, I can’t let it end like this. I must fight this.
The rowdy crew of the Hell’s Bane were still babbling happily about spending their coin on wine, women, and song. Robert cleared his throat and prepared to speak.
“May I have your attention please,” Robert said, projecting his voice across the galley. Some of the crew turned to look at him. Others still plotted how to spend their money on R&R.
Robert spoke louder this time. “What if I could deliver much more money than my bounty?”
“Bollocks!” Grunt said. “Maybe you’re well off, but you ain’t got no two million coin.” The crowd murmured its agreement.
Ever the showman, Robert jumped up on a chair and raised his hands. His normal slacks, collared shirt and vest morphed into the blue uniform of an Imperial Customs officer. He now had the crowd’s attention.
“When you took my ship, you had to fight for it. You had to fire on the Pegasus’ engines to get her to stop. So, you weren’t able to take her as a prize. How much coin would you have made selling the ship intact or parting out her vital components?” Robert’s audience stared, listening to his words.
“What if you could have hailed her and demanded they stop for inspection in the name of the King? How much more could you have made with the entire ship, instead of just the fresh meat, alcohol, and a handful of equipment that you took?”
“What exactly are you proposing?” Reznik asked.
“I ask for an opportunity. When we meet the next ship, allow me to talk them into stopping and opening their doors for inspection. You should be able to take the ship and crew fully intact. When the strikers emerge from the airlock, they will meet a crew not expecting to be boarded by pirates. You’ll have the element of surprise.”
“One problem with that,” Digg said. “Your face might be recognized by some wellborn fop on the bridge of that ship.”
Robert smiled. His face started to change shape. His cheekbones rose and became more pronounced. His nose suddenly looked hawkish and angular. His hairline receded back slightly and gray hair sprouted at his temples.
Digg looked chagrined.
Deke frowned. “Do we look like an Imperial Customs frigate?” the surly foreman asked. He was clearly displeased with this turn of events.
Robert pondered thoughtfully on his question. “Sparky, this is a nano ship, is it not?”
Sparky regarded him, looking a bit confused. “Yes, but I can’t morph the ship into the shape of an Imperial frigate. They’re much bigger. I don’t have the nano reserves to go any bigger than fifteen percent of our current mass.”
Digg chuckled mirthlessly. “Nice try.”
“But,” Sparky continued, “if I can slice into their ship’s data core before we’re in visual range, and I can, I can make them see an Imperial Customs frigate.”
Digg glared at Sparky. The crew started discussing the possibilities amongst themselves.
“Would be nice to take cargo from a ship that’s not on fire for once,” Nigel offered.
“Imagine not having to spend twenty hours repairing the ship after an engagement,” the engineer Makoto said to the other engineer, Jax.
***
Lex’s face still showed nothing. He looked around at the command staff. He gestured with his chin to the far side of the bar. He and Reznik, Boomer, Sparky, and Shred left the crowd to have a conference.
Lex opened a comm channel to his other captains. Grizz, Frisbee, and Fitz joined them one by one on the channel. Lex brought them up to speed on the situation.
“It certainly is a tempting offer,” Captain Lex said. “However, I’m not sure his plan would work.”
The other captains nodded agreement. “It’s foolhardy,” Captain Grizz of the Inferno said. “Once we announce our presence we’ve lost the element of surprise.”
Captain Frisbee looked thoughtful. He was the oldest of the captains. He had been in space for nearly eighty years with the Imperial merchant fleet. “The element of surprise is not lost if he can convince the ship of his false credentials. But then, we go back to the fact that he might fail.”
Captain Fitz of the Carpathian had been quartermaster under Captain Grizz. He was the youngest of the captains and had something to prove. He shrugged. “I’m with you gentlemen.”
Bosun Shred guffawed at Fitz’s non-answer. “From my point of view, if we can rush in and take a crew unawares, that means less chance of taking a bullet through the brain. I say give him a chance.”
Boomer stood with her arms folded across her chest. She nodded at Shred. “I’m in agreement. What does it cost us to give him a chance?”
Captain Grizz bristled. “It costs us the tactical element of surprise.” He put up his hand to stop Frisbee’s protest before it started. “Yes, I understand what you said. I disagree.”
Reznik straightened to his full height and addressed Grizz. “An ancient Reznoonian military strategist once said: attack your enemies when they least expect it, appear where you are not expected, emerge to their surprise and victory will be yours. This strategy is sound.”
Grizz scoffed and crossed his arms, but said nothing else. He looked at Lex.
Lex weighed the argument in his head. “I think it’s worth it to offer him the chance. If he fails, we can still sell him to a bounty hunter. Though, a bounty hunter won’t give us two million coin. One and a half million would seem more likely, since he still has to carry him back to the Imperial constabulary.”
Reznik spoke up again. “I agree with Captain Lex, but according to the Articles, this isn’t our decision. We must put up for vote.”
“Very well. Thank you for your input, captains.” Lex said as he opened a holo-screen to send out a vote.
Lex opened a fleet wide comm channel. “This is Captain Lex. We have a decision to make. Mr. Ford has a bounty on his head of two million coin. We could turn him in to a bounty hunter with about a twenty-five percent loss. Or, Mr. Ford guarantees he can make our next prize stop, using his acting skills and his nano cloak to impersonate an Imperial customs agent. Myself and most of the command crew agree that if we afford him this opportunity, it will cost us nothing. If he fails he goes to a bounty hunter. We, your elected command crew believe he should be given the chance. But the decision is yours.”
A voting screen appeared in front of each of the crew. There were three buttons, Yea, Nay, and abstain.
Next to those buttons was a tally of the votes that updated in real time. “If you think we should give Mr. Ford a chance, select Yea, and if you think we should turn him over for the bounty, select Nay. Please begin.”
Robert toggled Yea. He watched the tally bar. The nays were gaining momentum. The strikers laughed and fell about. Drake and Billy made their selections. The nays kept climbing. Sixty-one percent. Robert sat down and took a deep breath, trying to reign in his growing fear.
Fifty-eight percent now. The total number of tallies were growing. One hundred and two total votes. Robert wondered how many pirates were in the fleet.
Sixty percent for Nay. More guffaws from the strikers. Robert watched the screen, willing that number lower. Drake gave him a concerned look, but Robert could only see the tally.
Billy stood up and opened a fleet-wide comm channel. “Come on now, give this man a chance! Imagine how much money we’ll have if he can pull it off. Just give him the chance.”
The yeas climbed. Chief engineer Sparky stood up. “I agree. Give him a chance. Like the captain said, if he fails, we can still turn him in.”
The tally shifted. Fifty-one percent for Nay. Robert’s eyes were still fixed on the screen. Hope began to swell in his chest. He pushed it down. The vote was not over yet.
The nays dropped to fifty-one percent. The yeas still climbed. A bead of sweat started to form on Robert’s forehead. How many bloody pirates are in this fleet?
The strikers eyed Robert with increasing dismay. Their lead was falling. Several growled out loud.
Billy whooped and slapped Sparky on the back. “That’s it! Fifty-one percent for yea,” he exclaimed.
Robert felt his heart pounding, pumping adrenaline through his veins. His hands shook violently. Will the strikers really care about the vote? They didn’t want anyone else to get a share, so why would they? Am I really safe for the time being?
Robert let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. Billy grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.
“That was bloody close,” Billy said, releasing his hand. Sparky walked over and offered his hand. Robert took it.
“Can you really hack into a ship make us look like an Imperial customs frigate?” Robert asked.
“Can you really impersonate an Imperial customs officer?” Sparky replied with a grin and a wink.
The Strikers that voted against Robert slunk off to the corner to drink. I fear that I’ve not heard the last of this from them. The strikers didn’t seem the sort to forgive and forget.
Robert turned to face Captain Lex. He still wore that stone mask. “Very well, Mr. Ford, you have won a reprieve for the moment. You understand what happens if you don’t deliver the goods?”
Robert nodded. “Yes, Captain. I know all too well.”
Captain Lex turned and scanned the crowd and found the face he was looking for. “Deke, come here please,” said the captain as he waved him over.
Deke hurried over with a mild stagger. It would appear his commiseration with the strikers was interrupted. Deke was the only raider that had voted against Robert.
“Mr. Ford will remain a part of the raiders until we meet our next prize,” Lex said.
“You’re the captain, Captain,” he said with a hint of a slur then turned and headed out of the galley.
Robert became aware that Boomer was looking at him from across the room. Her expression was hard to decipher. Relief? Curiosity? Or perhaps something else.
“I suggest you make use of your spare time preparing for this latest role,” Lex said. And for the first time the hint of a smile curled around his lip. He pivoted on the ball of his foot and strode out into the corridor.
Robert blew out a breath. The reality of his situation was beginning to hit home. Up until this point he was a prisoner forced to work. The work had merely been the drudgery of menial labor performed for the raiders, but it was forced nonetheless. If he did this he could no longer claim to be a slave, he would instead be an active participant in piracy. He felt like a drink. He looked around if John or Billy were still about.
Boomer sat at the bar with a drink in her hand. He hadn’t seen her drink very often. She was still looking in his direction. Robert smiled and was about to head in toward her, but Ruby had been waiting for her opportunity to pounce. She looked around surreptitiously then rushed over to him, throwing her arms around him.
Robert was taken aback. Without intending to his hands had gone right to her waist. He looked down into her sparkling green eyes and saw her hunger for him. Also hard to miss was the fact that her jumpsuit was half unzipped again. Her cleavage spilled out and Robert could not help but to give a long look.
“I voted for you, you know,” she gushed. She pressed harder against his chest. “I think this calls for a celebration. I have a bottle in my cabin that you just might fancy,” she said as she flipped back her dark red hair.
Robert stammered as he looked for the proper words. “I’m really very sorry, but I’m absolutely drained. More than anything, I need to rest,” he said as he gently pushed her back.
She pouted. Arching her back slightly, she slowly zipped up her coveralls. She turned just slightly, flashing him before fully pulling up her zipper. “Don’t you think I’m pretty, Mr. Ford?”
“You’re a very lovely girl, Ruby, but I really must get some rest,” Robert said, trying to sound fatherly. He added, “You know, our new pilot, Billy? I rather think he fancies you.”
She smiled and started scanning the crowd.
He looked up to the bar to see Boomer’s empty glass and a vacant barstool. He sighed as he walked past and out into the corridor. Dammit. So much for that.
CHAPTER 31
Robert grunted as he pushed back the heavy deck plate. An obnoxious smell slapped him in the face… again. He barely grimaced, he was growing used to the terrible odors. He hadn’t thrown up in months. The smells still grated on him, almost like they were taunting him. He pushed back the plate and inspected the compartment. Thankfully, there were no dead animals, just some blue mold and a puddle of that foul smelling slime. It was pooled up next to the wall.
He looked back to where he started. After months of work, all he had completed was about twenty percent of his task. He sighed, and took a quick inventory of his supplies. The compartments were getting deeper as he moved forward. He jumped in to the pit, it was up to his armpits now. He took another deep breath. I guess I had best crack on.
Robert’s bleak existence, his life of drudgery and toil, was bad enough, but now he had made a deal that would change everything. The deal would certainly save his own life. In turn, it would just as certainly deliver others into bondage. I’m stuck between the devil, and deep, dark space. Some people here will tell me I’m doing what I can to survive. But how can I reconcile that against the human cost?
He scraped the slime off the wall. The glob on the floor shimmered slightly from the small engine vibrations He grabbed the suction hose and plunged it into the glop. This thick slime resisted, obstinately sticking to the floor. He turned to the cylindrical unit, and turned the suction to max power. The slime quivered, then relented. Chunks started separating and shooting up the hose.
The unit started to vibrate and shake. Robert turned his attention to it, and realized his mistake too late. The top of the vacuum blew off and spewed a geyser of filth and muck several meters high. Robert braced himself for the inevitable. The fountain of slime came back down and drenched him and the entire area around him.
The hoots and guffaws of the raiders from across the bay struck him harder than being covered in filth. He growled and punched the metal wall. After calming himself for several breaths, he hefted the suction unit out of the pit, and climbed out after it. He lay there for a moment, summoning the will to move.
“Oy! You gotta empty that little bugger from time to time,” Deke yelled from across the bay.
Ruby grabbed a box of duro-cloth and headed towards Robert.
“Ruby, get your littl
e arse back over here,” Deke demanded.
She half turned and scowled at him, then kept walking. She dropped the box next to Robert. She gave him a sorrowful look. “I am so sorry, Robert.” She turned and walked back to the group.
He sat up and looked around. There was a big mess, and he had to clean it. I just can’t win. He grabbed the suction unit and carried it to a utility room to dump out what remained of its contents.
Several hours later, all traces of slime and muck were gone. The raiders had left an hour ago. Robert put away his the suction unit and supplies, then stumbled out of the cargo bay. Thirteen hours of dirty backbreaking work sapped his strength and put him in a mood as foul as the slime he cleaned all day.
He shambled into the galley. Normally, he would shower and change first, but he was beyond caring at this point. His hair was slick and greasy from his slime bath, and a week’s growth of facial hair was dirty and matted. He went straight to the bar and picked up half empty glass and drained it of its contents, then reaching behind the bar grabbed a bottle. Not even looking at the label he filled up his dirty glass and drained its contents very quickly.
Boomer approached Robert, concerned. Her look was a testament to how bad he must look. Robert still didn’t care.
“You look like you’ve had one hell of a day, Robert,” Boomer said, taking a seat next to him at the bar. Robert tossed back another full glass of liquor.
He glanced in her direction. His face was drawn, his eyes ringed with black circles. “I’ve lost my freedom, my pride, and slowly… my mind.”
Robert now drank straight from the bottle. “I’m in a no-win situation here,” he said, beginning to slur his words. “No matter the bloody outcome, I lose. Perhaps I deserve it.”
Boomer put her hand over Robert’s on the bottle, preventing him from taking another drink.
“Robert, if you can stop a ship without a firefight, lives will be saved.”
We Happy Few: The Leviathan Universe 2138 Page 16