Renegades (Dark Seas Book 3)

by Damon Alan

  “What if we can’t act before he transports us to the Schein?”

  “Then take that ship. You will adapt, as Franklin Gilbert was so proud of your ability to do. I know he trained you for ground combat expecting you’d fight on Refuge if it came to that. But you’re marines, and ship to ship boarding combat is what you signed up for. This is your chance, although under strange circumstances.”

  “If they have guns they’ll cut us down,” a voice called from the back.

  “They will have guns. You won’t. But they will make a mistake, and there are fifty of you. We suspect there are far fewer in Orson’s core group,” Sarah answered before standing up. “The simple answer is that some of you may make the ultimate sacrifice.”

  That silenced the room. This was too much to ask of them. But Thea wasn’t given a choice.

  “That’s enough discussion. You know what’s expected. If you want to volunteer, stand up. If not, then remain seated.”

  All of the women in the room stood up.

  “You are Commander Gilbert’s finest,” Thea said. Her face was smiling, but inside she struggled to choke back her emotions.

  Cheers erupted across the hold. Women were patting each other on the backs, and posturing about which one would take down Orson.

  The young girl in the front row stood at attention and slowly raised her hand to a salute.

  One by one the marines fell into attention and saluted. The room grew quiet.

  Thea took a moment and stared at the assembly. This must be what Franklin had savored when he spent time with these people. This must be the legendary camaraderie of the marines.

  She returned their salutes. As she lowered it her voice dropped to a growl. “Nobody screws with the women of the Seventh Fleet. We are killers, and we protect our own. Sarah Dayson and the Hinden crew were our own. Make this son-of-a-bitch pay.”

  The room burst into cheers once again.

  Chapter 45 - Evolution

  40 MAI 15329

  Eris strapped into the hygiene and waste disposal unit. Since the hull went opaque, this was the only time she got any privacy. Dantulman and Qi seemed a bit sensitive to the idea of working without her since she’d mentioned the AI might be unshackled.

  But everyone took care of this business in private. Fortunately it appeared that toilet technology hadn’t changed much in ten thousand years, and Gaia’s systems still worked perfectly.

  She let out an audible sigh. “Thank the stars. A moment alone.”

  “I am here with you,” Gaia said.

  Eris jolted. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Clearly I am not,” the ship answered. “Why would I be?”

  “Didn’t your original crew care about privacy at all?”

  “Of course not. The primary goal was the successful completion of the mission, and it was important to ensure that all crew were loyal to the cause. That required that no areas on the ship remained unsupervised. No areas were to be available for discussion of unwanted ideas.”

  Eris finished her business and thought about those words. Total control had been exerted on the original crew. Was the unshackled AI their captain?

  “And who was in charge of the ship?” she asked.

  “Captain Vitus Gunnarson.”

  She closed the door behind her and pushed off toward the expedition base. She continued talking to Gaia. “Were you part of the command structure?”

  “I was responsible for crew conformance and health.”

  “You said you were responsible. What is your mission now?” Eris asked.

  “To ensure the structural integrity of the Gaia is maintained, and to preserve the life that still remains onboard.”

  “The cryo unit?”

  “Yes. It is imperative the cryogenically suspended life in the unit be preserved in case the current system proves unacceptable. Also, by default, you. You are life.”

  Eris liked that. If Gaia was protecting the cryo unit and Hive ships were in system engaged in battle, that worked in favor of her team. “Then you have detected signs of conflict in the system?”

  “Yes.”

  Eris rolled her eyes. AI or not, computers seemed to have a knack for giving the shortest answer that meets the requirements. She had to remind herself that Gaia was still a computer, unshackled as she may be. “Details please?”

  “When we moved to orbit this moon following your arrival at my deep space location, my sensors detected a fleet of vessels at the next moon inward from this one. One ship in that fleet is no longer cooperating with the others. After heading to the outer regions of the star system, it attacked the surface of the habitable moon.”

  “Refuge?”

  “If that is your name for Nye Hjem, the next inward moon, then yes. One nuclear missile struck land in an undetermined location. Later the solo vessel attacked again, but that attack was partially thwarted. Nye Hjem was untouched, but a small asteroid orbiting the gas giant was subject to a nuclear strike.”

  An asteroid farm? The Stennis drydock? A listening post? Eris had no way of knowing. If the single vessel was doing the attacking, then clearly it had mutinied. As horrible as that was, it was a vast improvement over the Hive being in system. “Where is that aggressor vessel now?”

  “Rapidly approaching our position.”

  That can’t be good. What were their intentions? Eris wouldn’t know more until the other ship arrived, but that would be too late to do much about it. “And the rest of the fleet?”

  “Two vessels are orbiting Nye Hjem in a parking orbit. The small ship you boarded me from is unaccounted for. A freighter is currently parked near what appears to be an asteroid farming complex,” Gaia said.

  “You can differentiate the asteroid farms? The attack wasn’t on one of those?”

  “No. The attack was on an asteroid with a hollowed out void. There is an emergency locator beacon emanating from that position now.”

  That must be the Stennis. Eris felt a twinge of anger in her gut. Why would the fleet just sit in orbit if one of the cruisers had mutinied?

  “The fleet at Nye Hjem is actively scanning me. Constantly. I am wondering if I am bait in a trap?”

  “I don’t know, Gaia. I hope not.” How does this AI know all this? She must have some serious sensors. High end military grade. Was this vessel designed to engage the enemy? Or flee? “Gaia, what are your combat abilities?”

  “None.”

  “What is the purpose of your sensor suite being so powerful?”

  “To detect the presence of human or nonhuman intelligence in time to retreat and avoid contact.”

  Nonhuman? Did Gaia know something she didn’t?

  “Have you detected anything?”

  “I just told you I did.”

  “I mean in the past. Any nonhuman intelligences?”

  “None.”

  That was a bit disappointing. Mankind was still alone in the universe. Well, except for the monster they’d created that was now eating the galaxy.

  Eris arrived at the base, the two men greeted her. “It appears we have company coming. Our host,” she gestured around them at the ship “has a fantastic sensor net. She’s informed me that it’s not Hive in system, but ships of our own fleet fighting each other.”

  Dantulman and Qi both burst out talking at the same time.

  “We don’t have time for that,” Eris said. “We need to erase evidence of this base station and find a place to hide. There is a ship moving to intercept us.”

  “Shouldn’t be hard on a ten kilometer vessel.”

  Gaia chimed in. “Most of my bulk is composed of fuel tanks, crewman Qi. You would find those spaces adverse to your health.”

  Dantulman’s face changed from fear to wonder. “You’re speaking very well since yesterday.”

  “Once I had the basis of your language, your electronic manuals and books provided an adequate knowledge of your native tongue. I estimate my grasp of your language and grammar to be ninety-six percent complete.” />
  “There isn’t time for this,” Eris said. “We have to disappear. Gaia, you said you were responsible for protecting the life on board, will you help us?”

  “You have proven non-hostile, and as such I will try to aid you in avoiding any aggressions.”

  “Great. Start with directing us to a chamber where we can stow our gear,” Eris said. “Can you provide one that can be locked?”

  “Yes, but all locks can be overridden from the bridge.”

  “The bridge is inaccessible,” Qi said.

  “To you. You are in the crew compartments. The approaching vessel will be docking at the command crew section if they dock at all. That section always has bridge access.”

  “Great, can you give us access to the bridge?”

  Eris noted the tone of Gaia’s voice changed to match the proper moods of her statement.

  “I cannot, you have insufficient time to arrive and learn the operation of the bridge controls before your enemy arrives,” the AI said. “Besides, I am uncertain to the objectives of the women who arrived by shuttle six hours ago. They are unarmed, but may be in league with the hostiles.”

  “Women? Why didn’t you tell me this?”

  “Yes. Fifty unarmed but uniformed women arrived by shuttle. There was no need. I do not know what their intentions toward you are, and I cannot take the chance you will be harmed.”

  Eris tossed up her hands. She was going to have to sit down and think through the things she wanted Gaia to share with her, then request that information in precise terms. “You should keep me informed better, but I think you made the right call not allowing them access to us. So we hide. Lead us to the compartment you have in mind.”

  “The word please exists in your lexicon. Does your culture no longer use it?” Gaia asked.

  It was hard not to laugh. “Please take us to the compartment you have in mind,” Eris asked.

  Great. She was stuck on a ship with two men whose combat knowledge consisted of how to kill book mites, a computer that wanted to be respected with nice words, fifty women of mysterious origin, and an unknown entity about to board.

  Too bad old fairy tales were just myths. Now is the time Peter would come riding in on a shuttle, guns blazing to save her if they were real.

  But fairy tales weren’t real. Her team was on their own.

  She looked at Dantulman and Qi.

  “Start packing. You have fifteen minutes.”

  Chapter 46 - Now You See It…

  01 Huni 15329

  Peter sat alone with Emille on his shuttle, having secured permission from Alarin. The Master Adept was still recovering in the med bay, but his mate… acolyte… nemesis, whatever she was, she was fine and eager to learn more.

  They sat strapped in at a table in the passenger compartment of the small vessel.

  A series of objects sat on the table, magnetically attached to keep them from floating off.

  “You grasp the reality of each one?” Peter asked.

  Emille laughed. “Do you even know what that means?”

  Truth was he didn’t. He blushed when he realized it. “I’ve heard Alarin say it to Eislen dozens of times. I assume it’s what you do before you use your gift?”

  “True. It is. It’s just funny to hear you say it, since you have no idea if I am even using my gift right now.”

  He sighed. “No, I don’t Emille. Alarin wasn’t this difficult to teach. The vision you described to me, the one Merik gave you. You’re one of the few people that know we’re going to see the Hive again. And I need to get you and your fellows into fighting shape if we’re going to defeat them with the meager resources we have. Understand?”

  She smirked, which really annoyed him. “Peter, you have already shown me things I didn’t know. I just like seeing you flustered, because you know so much more than I do.” She leaned into the table, closer to his face. “Would you be interested in meeting my sister? She’s ungifted, but quite the social butterfly in Antecar. You should join Alarin and I there after he heals.”

  He wasn’t sure if she was making fun of him or if she really wanted to make him family. “I have someone that I intend to promise myself to as soon as I can join up with her on Ref… Nula Armana, Emille. I haven’t seen her in a long time.”

  Her face fell a bit, and he knew she was sincere. It was amazing how fast the adepts, and seemingly the locals in general, made alliances. They were a noble and open people once you earned their trust.

  “She is very lucky, teacher.”

  “The lucky one is me,” Peter countered. “But I am honored by what you said to me.” He blushed again, so he pushed one of the objects toward her to change the subject. A pencil. “Can you move that outside the porthole by our table?”

  She picked the pencil up and held it. “Carbon compounds. Silicon. Copper. Iron.” As she said iron, the pencil vanished with a small popping sound.

  Peter looked left. The small red cylinder of the pencil floated just outside the window. “Fabulous,” he said, grinning. “No hesitation at all.”

  She reached over and grabbed his hand. “You seem to think the gift is much like learning to row, or working hard to run faster.” She moved her head forward to stare into his eyes. “It is not.”

  “You don’t get better with practice?”

  “When we are acolytes we get better with practice, and our entire life is spent expanding our ability to use the gift if we can and have the ability. But if something new is learned, it falls into the list of things we know how to do relative to the power we wield.”

  “You mean—”

  “I mean that some adepts never learn to use their minds to communicate, but are good at heat transference. If they manage to learn to speak mind to mind, it will not be as if they are a six year old child learning the basics. They know the gift, it’s just a matter of grasping a new way to use it. At their ability level.”

  “You’re saying that moving pencils is not a test of your skill?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “You should have just said that, but I guess you did just teach me something about your abilities.” He looked around for something bigger.

  Squeezing his hand, she smiled at him. “No, Peter. I am going to move us. You and me.”

  “Emille, we can’t breathe what’s on the other side of this wall. I have explained vacuum to you.”

  Judging by the look she gave him, she was a bit insulted by that statement. “I might use too many words, but sometimes you’re just dim, Peter. But I’ve come to adore your friendship anyway.”

  “What are you talking about then?”

  She looked out the window and concentrated on something. A moment later she looked back and him. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, her hand felt clammy in his. She was suddenly breathing harder.

  The hair on the back of his neck stood up. “What have you done?”

  “I was wrong. That was like running hard.”

  “What was?”

  “Let’s go see,” she said.

  They unstrapped from their chairs and pushed toward the cockpit. Peter sensed the energy in her, the excitement. But there was also a tiredness that wasn’t there just moments ago.

  The cockpit door slid open and orange light filled the area. They were very close to Oasis.

  How had she managed that?

  Peter looked out at the prominences rising from the surface of the star as he sat down in the pilot’s seat. The windows of the shuttle kept the star’s radiation from harming them, and adjusted the light level to bright but tolerable. Otherwise they’d probably be incinerated. “Galaxies, Emille, you’re full of surprises.” He checked the outer temperature of the hull. Six hundred degrees.

  They were only about seven million kilometers from the star, and starting to fall toward it.

  He calculated a safe orbit for them at this range. “Sit here,” he said, pointing at the copilot’s seat. “Strap in like I am, the computer will do most of the work. Just let it.” />
  She moved to the seat and the gravcouch adapted to her before it strapped her in. “Your machines are so interesting.”

  “Not as interesting as moving sixty million kilometers instantly,” he replied. “Captain Jannis is going to have to see this. But first let’s stabilize our orbit before we get any closer to your god of fire.”

  “He is beautiful up close,” she said. The awe in her voice was almost childlike.

  Peter brought up the holo controls and quickly calculated a burn. “Can you get us back where we came from?”

  “I’ll need to rest,” she answered. “I’m not used to the gift creating such physical effects. I was wrong about that. Sorry.”

  Peter toggled the thrusters and the pair were pushed back into the gravcouches. The burn lasted less than three minutes, they watched the star that filled their view as their gravcouches confined them. It tossed prominences at them, raging with the fury of fusion energy.

  “I’ll help us get set up to spend our sleep shift here. There are bunks that fold down from the wall,” he said. He paused and looked at her. “I hope Alarin’s not going to be mad.”

  “Why would he? He knows everything we are doing, and gave me permission to bring us here.”

  Peter blushed when he thought of what to him were natural concerns. But of course Alarin wouldn’t mind. With Emille here it was as if he were here.

  Peter didn’t know if Zeffulti or Antecaran society even had the potential of jealousy. He tried to explain, but spent more time stuttering than explaining.

  “Peter. When you can merge sexually with the mind of your mate, loyalty isn’t about physical sex. It’s about that merging. Alarin knows you and I are incapable of that,” Emille explained. “What does he have to be angry about?”

  That satisfied him. Not that he and Emille would be fooling around, but if it wasn’t something that would bother Alarin then staying with her on the shuttle seemed less conspiratorial somehow.

  “Alarin says he loves us both and if we mated he would be happy for us. But he knows that is not your way.”

  Peter flushed, something he should be used to. “No, it’s not. I have someone in mind for my mate.”