Argonauts 1: Bug Hunt

by Isaac Hooke

  Rade gave him a sly look.

  “The third terrestrial planet in the system is also habitable,” Lui continued. “With a surface population reported at ten million. That’s where most of the remaining warships in the system are. Those ships are the closest to us, and will be the first to react if we do anything... untoward here.”

  Rade nodded. “Fret, given the distances involved, how long before we can expect a dispatch from that third planet?”

  “It will take three hours for light—and communications—to reach the third planet,” Fret said. “A dispatch of warships could come any time after that.”

  “And once they’ve left, Lui?” Rade said. “How long do we have until intercept? Assuming we’re already proceeding at top speed toward the station.”

  Lui paused. Then: “Assuming they send their fastest ships, they’ll arrive two days after we reach Chungshan station.”

  Rade nodded. “Good. Very good. Tahoe, what do you think? When we reach Chungshan will any of the orbital defense platforms or station defenses prevent us from docking?”

  “As for the platforms, all we have to do is issue a surrender before we enter orbit,” Tahoe said. “They’ll tell us to halt and await boarding.”

  “All right, let’s say we find a way around that, and continue toward the station with the intention to dock,” Rade said.

  Tahoe pondered for a moment. “Well, the station won’t open fire, not when it’s obvious we intend to dock. They won’t risk debris from our ship tearing into the hull. Instead, any security robots aboard will attempt to arrest us after we debark.”

  “That’s my thinking as well,” Rade said. He glanced at Manic. “Back to the situation at hand: if we fired all of our Vipers at the same time, could we take out the laser turrets and missile launchers of both customs ships?”

  “No,” Manic replied. “They have two banks of ten turrets on both sides of their hulls, and another five on the nose sections.”

  “What if we unleashed missiles at the same time?” Rade said. “At this range, they wouldn’t be able to counter in time.”

  “That would work,” Manic said. “If we fired both missiles and lasers, in theory we’d be able to disable all of their weapon mounts.”

  “That would be illegal,” Zahir said.

  Interfering AIs.

  Rade tapped in TJ, who was in engineering. “TJ, you gave me complete override control for the AI, right?”

  “That’s right,” TJ returned.

  “Zahir,” Rade said. “I’m going to fire our Vipers and Hellfires at those ships. And you’re not going to stop me, do you understand? Override code Rade Galaal, tango beta five niner.”

  “Override... granted,” Zahir replied.

  Rade smiled. “That’s a good AI,” he said sweetly. “Manic, target the laser turrets and missile launchers on both ships. Prepare to fire on my command. Harlequin, get ready to punch the engines.”

  “Yes boss,” Harlequin said.

  Rade considered for a moment how loyal Harlequin was versus the ship’s AI. Rade had never had to issue any override controls against Harlequin... the Artificial had always obeyed him, no matter how questionable his orders may have been in terms of legality or rules of engagement. Like a true MOTH.

  He’s really a rare find. One of our brothers.

  “Weapons targeted,” Manic said.

  “Fire,” Rade said.

  “Direct hits on all laser turrets and missiles launchers,” Lui said. “We’ve disabled the weapons of both ships.”

  “Punch the engines!” Rade said.

  Harlequin accelerated.

  Not unexpectedly, the two corvettes didn’t pursue—they didn’t want to risk more fire, not when they were essentially defenseless.

  “I’m detecting communications beams from both ships,” Fret said. “Directed toward the third planet of the system.”

  Rade nodded. He would have liked to disable the comm nodes aboard those ships, but it was tricky, considering the whole hull was basically used as an antenna. Plus light from the skirmish would reach the bases anyway, and the AIs would readily interpret what had happened and inform the commanders.

  “Continue on course to Chungshan station,” Rade said.

  At the three hour mark, Lui reported: “The Argonaut just docked with Chungshan.”

  “Keep an eye on that station,” Rade said. “And let me know if anything departs: a surface shuttle, another starship. A lifepod.”

  “Will do,” Lui replied. “I’m also detecting four SK warships leaving the orbit of the third terrestrial planet in the system. Destroyer class. They’re on an intercept course with us.”

  “Is their arrival time still two days after we reach the station?” Rade asked.

  “It is,” Lui said. “Give or take a few hours.”

  Rade tapped in Ms. Bounty. “You promised to use your extensive resources and contacts to get them to stand down?”

  “I’ve started the process,” Ms. Bounty said. “They’ve already agreed that as a passenger, I’m not liable for your behavior. However, at the moment, you and your crew will still be arrested when the destroyers arrive.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” Rade muttered.

  “As I said earlier, capturing Zoltan will ensure I am successful in clearing the rest of you,” Ms. Bounty said.

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I’m not the only one who wants him,” Ms. Bounty said. “Let’s just say, the Sino-Korean government has a vested interest in his capture. Even if they don’t know it yet.”

  twenty-six

  Zoltan had set up shop in the third level bioengineering lab, adjacent to one of the hydroponic bays. He was surrounded by centrifuges, microscopes, and RNA printers; shelves lined the bulkheads, filled with vials containing the genetic code of countless plants.

  Shortly after docking, he had unleashed the creations waiting in the Argonaut’s cargo bay aboard the scientific research station. While Chungshan’s security robots were distracted, he proceeded to neutralize all crew members of said station, injecting them with his favorite sedative. When he had returned to the lower levels, he discovered that the robots had killed most of his former creations. In a fit of rage, he shot down the surviving robots. That was unfortunate. He should have reprogrammed them.

  Afterward he returned to the bioengineering lab and began work on tweaking the formula of the contagion. While the station’s facilities were more appropriate to the genetic manipulation of crops, they served readily enough for his own purposes. Maybe he might even find some useful piece of genetic code in one of the plant vials. He had carried aboard his own samples, of course: he needed to make some final tweaks to his formula. He would test it on the station crew members, and fine-tune the genome until he had what he needed.

  When it was perfected, he would use the station itself as the deployment weapon. He had already set the necessary charges. The Argonaut wouldn’t have been massive enough. But half of the research station? When it hit the moon below, the collision would impart more than sufficient kinetic energy to disperse the contagion. Zoltan had estimated the probability of total biological contamination at higher than ninety-nine percent.

  Fifteen percent of the human population would transmogrify into Great Formers, while the rest would simply die. The three hundred thousand Formers would feed upon the lingering imprints in the supra-dimension created by the deceased inhabitants, and transform the crust as per his design. The planet would serve as a beacon to all of his kind in the region, and they would flock to the system. The new era would begin.

  Unfortunately, he only had four days until his ancient enemy arrived. And that enemy had attracted the attention of the human authorities as well, it seemed. That was unfortunate.

  Four days.

  Zoltan would finish in time.

  He swore he would.

  And if not, well, he would simply have to beat a hasty retreat and try again another day.

  He glanced at the
woman named Shaw, bound and gagged on the deck nearby. He had interrogated her earlier, regarding those who were helping his enemy. She told him a man named Rade Galaal was their leader, and she promised him that Rade would stop at nothing to set her free and punish Zoltan for what he had done to her.

  Zoltan couldn’t help but smirk at that. He had considered experimenting upon her, as he planned to do with the others, but decided against it in the end. She would prove quite useful to him when the time came.

  If anyone could stop this Rade Galaal dead in his tracks, it was her.

  twenty-seven

  Two days had passed since entering the system. Rade had continued his relentless training, spending his downtime in his office staring at the tactical display, alternating his gaze between the Argonaut and the four destroyers racing to intercept the Tiger, as he was doing now.

  The Argonaut had remained docked with Chungshan for the past two days. Lui had detected no signs of any other vessels leaving the station. He promised the Tiger’s sensors could discern something as small as the release of a lifepod. Rade wasn’t entirely convinced, but he hoped Lui was right. He didn’t want to have to sift through the population of an entire terraformed moon to find her.

  Once he rescued Shaw, he intended to abandon the Argonaut and hide out on the moon’s surface, at least until Ms. Bounty could clear them of charges. The trick would be evading arrest once they landed.

  Chungshan station had instructed them to proceed to the moon for arrest. Rade had responded, telling them that was precisely what he planned, so please tell the orbital defense platforms not to fire. He also asked if they could relay to him the status of the passengers aboard the Argonaut. The station hadn’t responded.

  “Fret, have you heard anything back from the station yet?” Rade asked after returning to the bridge. “It’s been over, what, a day and a half since you sent our response?”

  The comm man shook his head. “I just get the same automated reply. ‘All hands are currently occupied. But your message is important to us and we will get back to you as soon as we are able.’ Every time.”

  Rade glanced at Tahoe. “What do you think?”

  “It’s possible Zoltan has taken control of the station,” Tahoe said. “With all the battleships out on training exercises, he would face little chance of repercussions. Especially if he’s able to convince the local authorities on the planet below that all is well. There’s only a crew of fifteen aboard, after all. And some security robots.”

  “Why bother taking over the station?” Rade said. “He could have transferred to a shuttle and departed to the surface. Then we would have lost him entirely.”

  “The question might better be posed to Ms. Bounty,” Tahoe said.

  Rade tapped her in, and shared the hologram with the bridge crew. “You’re aware that we’ve lost contact with the station?”

  “I guessed as much,” she said.

  “What is Zoltan planning?” Rade asked.

  “I’m not entirely sure,” Ms. Bounty said. “But I have a suspicion he intends to deploy a bioweapon to Guangdong IV. If he is successful, the entire population of two million inhabitants will be lost.”

  “All the more reason for us to succeed in this mission,” Rade said. Though in truth, he found himself caring more for Shaw than the two million inhabitants. And that made him wonder, if it came down to a choice between two million lives, and Shaw, what would he pick?

  “I just detected a shuttle launch from one of the nearby orbital defense platforms,” Lui said. “It’s headed toward the station.”

  “Probably coming to investigate why the station is answering all hails with automated replies,” Fret commented.

  “Ask the platforms what the latest news is on the station,” Rade told the comm man.

  A few hours later Fret told Rade: “Apparently everything is fine on the station. As for the shuttle, it contains our arresting party.”

  That made some sense, given that the Tiger wouldn’t be able to dock with any of the defense platforms, but it could dock with the station. The shuttle from the platform could have also boarded the Tiger directly, but apparently the SKs didn’t want to risk that.

  Two days later Rade was on the bridge as the Tiger approached the station.

  “The orbital defense platforms have locked on,” Lui said.

  “Issue our surrender,” Rade said. “Tell them we will proceed to Chungshan station for arrest.”

  “The platforms are still aimed at us,” Lui said.

  Rade held his breath. Several moments passed.

  “They’re not firing,” Lui finally said.

  “I just received a reply from the official in charge of one of the defense platforms,” Fret said. “They say we can dock with the station. But we are not to board. We are to remain inside the Tiger until further notice.”

  “I’m guessing they haven’t heard back from the boarding party they sent out two days ago,” Tahoe said.

  “Probably not,” Rade agreed.

  The Tiger approached the research facility. It looked like a massive white wheel with a long cylindrical axle extending out from either side. At either end of the axle, several lines threaded back to the main disc in a conical pattern. Several times larger than the Tiger, the station spanned three kilometers in area.

  According to his Implant, the facility had several hydroponic and farming bays aboard for the purposes of researching food development. Specifically, by genetically engineering crops, growing them, and breeding them to gain the desirable traits.

  The large station had no actual hangar bays. Instead, around the central hub several smaller spindles protruded—entry tubes. The Argonaut was attached to one of those tubes via the magnetic mounting brackets surrounding its external airlock. The shuttle from the defense platform was attached to another entry tube.

  “Fret, request permission to dock,” Rade said.

  “Done,” Fret replied a moment later. “Unsurprisingly, I get the same automated response.”

  “All right, Harlequin, prepare to dock,” Rade said. “Fret, inform the nearby orbital platforms that the station isn’t answering us.”

  “The platforms tell us they lost contact with their team a few hours ago,” Fret replied. “We’re to remain aboard the Tiger after we dock, and wait until they can dispatch another team to investigate. Meanwhile, if the arresting party comes knocking at our door, we’re to let them in.”

  Bender laughed. “And they probably think we’re actually going to obey those instructions, right?”

  Rade glanced at Harlequin: “Dock us as close to the Argonaut as possible.”

  “Because of the Tiger’s size and shape, I’ll have to mount her two entrances away,” Harlequin said.

  “That’s fine,” Rade said.

  Harlequin had the Tiger’s AI assume control when the corvette was only a few meters away. Rade switched to the perspective of the external camera in that section and watched as the Tiger lined up its own external airlock with the tube. He heard the moaning of distant bulkheads as the magnetic clamps latched on.

  “We’re docked,” Harlequin said.

  “Fret, are you able to reach Shaw?” Rade asked.

  “No,” Fret said. “Though we’re well within range. Her Implant must be offline. And I’m not receiving comm pings from any other passengers, including the Centurions we left aboard.”

  “Could it be some sort of interference from the station?” Rade asked. “Blocking materials employed in the hull?”

  “No,” Fret said. “From what I can tell, the station is actually designed to optimize external communications. If Implants and aReals were active aboard it, the crew would be showing up on our overhead maps.”

  “And yet they’re not,” Manic said.

  “No.”

  With his Implant, Rade tried to reach Bax, but the Argonaut’s AI didn’t answer his link request.

  Rade tapped in TJ. “Are you able to access the Argonaut’s AI?”

 
; “No,” TJ said. “I’m locked out. We’ll have to get to engineering and reboot it, then reset the passcode.”

  “What about the station’s AI?” Rade asked.

  “Same thing,” TJ replied.

  “All right everyone,” Rade said over the main circuit. “We’ve docked. Proceed to the staging area and suit up.”

  “What do you think we’ll find in there?” Tahoe asked as they proceeded to cargo bay three, which was adjacent to the particular airlock exit.

  “I don’t know,” Rade said. “I truly don’t.” He paused. “But I know Shaw is alive.”

  “How?” Tahoe said.

  “I just do.”

  In the cargo bay, the party members began donning the specialized jumpsuits they’d stored there. Rade had the robots and Artificials wear their jumpsuits as well. He didn’t want to risk contamination. The robot with Ms. Bounty employed a repurposed SK jumpsuit taken from the Tiger’s inventory.

  When that was done, the group proceeded to the armory closet. Beside the rifles the Argonauts and Ms. Bounty’s mercs had carried aboard with them, there were a few SK weapons inside, all laser variants. No one bothered to take them, sticking with their old rifles. To their harnesses they attached the remaining grenades salvaged from the Hoplites, and supplemented them with fresh SK grenades from the armory.

  “You really think we’ll be able to use these in there?” Fret asked, indicating the grenades.

  “Their hull contains several layers of external armor,” Lui said. “Random detonations should be fine. Now if we line the bulkheads with a couple of bricks...” He indicated the explosive charges in the armory. “Then that’s a different story.”

  “Probably a good idea to bring some along,” Rade said, scooping up a couple of bricks for himself.

  “Ah, I remember the old days, when you were just a caterpillar new to our team,” Manic said, taking four bricks. “A little afraid of charges like these. How far you’ve come, boss. How far we’ve all come.”

  Rade nodded absently. He couldn’t reminisce, not then, not when Shaw was a prisoner somewhere aboard that station.