He twisted and pointed his stunner.
Asger gripped it and turned it away before he could fire. “Easy, killer.”
“Sorry.” Casmir jerked the weapon down. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to be sorry. You need to yell when you’re in trouble. That’s the way you signal to your friends that you could use some assistance.”
“I thought you might be busy.”
“Not for long. Not with these people.”
The platform had fallen silent, the attackers all unconscious. Casmir was thankful that was all that they were, that Asger hadn’t used deadly force on any of them. Not that he’d expected a knight to be unchivalrous in battle, but these people clearly hated the Kingdom, and Asger was a symbol of all that the Kingdom was. It would have been easy for him to lash out against hatred directed at him.
Asger hauled Casmir to his feet and leaned him against the side of the car, keeping a hand on his shoulder to help him stay upright. Casmir couldn’t feel his toes, and his legs only halfway supported him. Thankfully, Asger didn’t tease him about the rookie move. It took Casmir a long minute to pound feeling back into his thighs. Asger waited, constantly scanning their surroundings for more threats.
“I feel like the bully here,” Casmir admitted, though as soon as the words came out, he thought they sounded silly. Maybe like he was on the bullying side. If ever there was an ineffective bully—he pounded on his numb thighs again—it was he.
“I know,” Asger said, apparently understanding perfectly.
“Are we sure we want to help this president take control?”
Asger smiled sadly. “I have my orders.”
“Is that enough to make it all right? I don’t mean to condemn you—I’m just as Kingdom as you are, but…” Casmir licked his lips, not sure what he wanted to say. “This feels wrong.”
“I think if we can bring stability back to the station, we’ll be doing the right thing. It’s the lack of either system being fully in control right now that’s allowing this. Anarchy.” Asger pointed at Casmir’s legs. “Can you walk?”
Casmir shook them out and stepped away from the side of the car. “I think so.”
Tork was already waiting on the platform. As Casmir exited on still-shaky legs, he questioned whether Asger was right, but he didn’t want to argue with his friend.
They’d reached the stop where the government buildings were located. If the president wasn’t in his office there—Casmir doubted he would be—maybe they would at least find a clue to lead them to him.
They passed more bodies, two men in civil security uniforms, and Asger checked them for signs of life before shaking his head and moving on. They turned a corner and walked toward wide steps of a large government building, the corridor ceiling disappearing and a gray-blue sky opening up, some technology creating the illusion that they were on a real planet with a real atmosphere.
A few mutters came from side buildings, and up ahead, a woman with a torn dress ran away from them. Casmir only glimpsed her bruised face for a second before she disappeared, but she looked like she’d been running away from a lot of people over many days.
One of the almost ubiquitous Aegis security robots lay tipped on its side.
“Tork,” Casmir said, trotting over to it. “Let’s tip this guy up.”
Asger sighed. “Casmir, there’s not time to fix things.”
“Just this one thing. I’m realizing that I could do more with the robots. I powered them down so they wouldn’t fight us, but they exist to protect people, presumably. Maybe I can program them to do that again.”
“There’s not time.”
“I’ll do it while we’re walking.” Casmir helped Tork lift the security robot—mostly, he pointed at the robot while leaving the far stronger android to handle the lifting—then hurried to catch up with Asger.
“I thought you were worried that someone would realize you were on the network and had disabled the shuttle-bay robots if you did too much tinkering.”
“I was, and it’s a valid concern, but maybe I can install some new defenses and keep other people from getting on the network to make changes, at least until we get everything straightened out.”
“I think there may be a law about taking over an entire station’s network.” Asger climbed the wide stairs to the building.
“There probably is, but laws don’t seem in much danger of being enforced right now.”
Casmir concentrated on his new project, letting Asger pick the route through the building. It was empty, some of the lower-level offices looted, though a security door barred entrance to the second level. Casmir hoped they would find undisturbed offices with more clues in them up there.
Before he could volunteer to try to mechanically get past the locking mechanism, Asger used his armor-enhanced strength to rip the door open.
A woman’s alarmed curse came from somewhere up ahead. Asger jogged in that direction while Casmir followed more slowly, peering into open doors to either side of the wide carpeted hallway. Couches and plush chairs dotted seating areas. On the back wall of one large office, he spotted a great seal featuring a two-dimensional rendering of the station overlaid with justice scales. A bookcase had been pulled away from the wall, revealing a hidden doorway leading into a dark corridor.
“Asger,” Casmir called. “This looks promising.”
Asger returned, marching a short, sturdy woman with a pointed jaw and short gray and black hair in front of him. She carried several folders and a couple of books that Asger hadn’t taken from her. His grip on her arm was light but firm, and her jaw was clenched.
“I think this may be the woman we talked to on the comm,” Asger said. “I thought I recognized her voice when she cursed, but she doesn’t want to speak with me now.”
At first, the woman glowered at Casmir, but then a startled expression crossed her face. Almost like recognition.
She wouldn’t be familiar with Rache, surely, not the way Princess Oku had been. Had this woman looked up Casmir after Asger had introduced him on the shuttle? Casmir had publications in scholarly journals in other systems, so there ought to be records of him around.
He bowed as the woman stopped in front of him. “Professor Casmir Dabrowski, ma’am.” He didn’t think the woman on the comm had ever identified herself. “When I asked for asylum, I didn’t realize your people were just as in need of protection as we are.”
She snorted. “And you didn’t mention you had a knight for a bodyguard. I am disinclined to believe your request was authentic.”
“Does that mean you won’t take me to see your president?”
“President Chronis can stuff his head up his own ass, if he’s still alive.”
“That sounds uncomfortable. Will you tell me your name, ma’am?”
She hesitated, squinting at him. Casmir tried to look friendly and harmless.
“Linh Nguyen, Secretary of Education on Tiamat Station.”
“Oh, you’re a teacher.” He grinned. “My father is a professor of mathematics, and I teach—or was teaching robotics before all of this started. I run the lab at Zamek University.”
“On Odin in the Kingdom,” she said coolly.
“Yes, I gather you were one of President Bakas’s supporters rather than one of President Chronis’s.”
“You gather correctly. The cabinet has been split this past couple of years, trying to figure out how to deal with increasing threats from pirate and mercenary activity in the system, but only Chronis had any interest in appealing to the Kingdom for protection—why, I don’t know, since you people don’t have a presence in any of the other systems anymore—and he’s been acting alone behind a lot of people’s backs. Nobody wants you here.” She glared over her shoulder at Asger—well, Asger’s chest, since he was a lot taller than she. “Go back to your ship and tell your military to leave this station and this system. You’re not welcome.”
“I’m afraid they wouldn’t listen to us,” Casmir said. “Certa
inly not to me. I’m a civilian advisor. That’s all. What did you teach when you taught? I assume your government duties preclude you working with students now.”
She squinted at him again, oozing suspicion.
“Uhm, anyway,” Casmir said, “I think your president asked for the Kingdom ships to come. I’m not sure on the details, but Asger and I would love to help you solve your problem in such a way that the marines don’t need to come stomping over here and make a mess.”
Casmir wondered how much time they had before that became a reality. Was Ishii waiting to hear from President Chronis before sending his troops over?
“What are you talking about?” Nguyen asked.
“Asger and I—and my friend, Tork, here—” Casmir reached over and patted the silent android, “—went against Captain Ishii’s wishes to come visit, in part to locate a friend, and also because we, being less surly and militant than those Fleet fellows, would prefer a non-violent solution to your problem.”
“It’s too late for non-violence. And don’t tell me your armored knight is a pacifist.”
“No, but he’s a goodhearted man who doesn’t want to see innocent people mowed down by large-scale military maneuvers. Or for people to be pressured into making decisions out of desperation. Speaking of that, is there a place where we can go to make an announcement to the entire station? I’ve been working on something to help provide protection.” He tapped his temple.
Nguyen was scrutinizing him like he was a puzzling specimen in a science experiment. Or maybe a recalcitrant toddler in need of a spanking.
“Is there a comm station that way, perhaps?” Casmir pointed toward the open bookcase.
Nguyen flinched and looked away. Maybe she’d been the one to leave it open when she came to search for those books and folders.
Casmir headed for the secret entrance, and Nguyen sighed and muttered something in a language he didn’t recognize.
Asger kept his grip on her, waving for her to follow Casmir. He would have preferred not to take anyone prisoner or hostage, as she would no doubt see it, but she was an ideal person to have run into—someone from the president’s cabinet. He just had to figure out how to woo her with his charms and win her to his side.
No lights came on as they passed into the corridor, and Casmir ordered on the night-vision program in his contacts. They traveled far enough through the long passage that he assumed they’d left the building and gone under a few others. Their route sloped downward and then back upward before ending at a metal door full of rivets. Two blue indicators blinked on the side, though Casmir didn’t see a spot for a fingerprint or retina scan.
Asger pushed Nguyen up to it, perhaps hoping it would identify her and open for them. She lifted her chin defiantly and smirked when nothing happened.
“I’ll see if I can force it.” Asger started to hand Nguyen off to Casmir but must have decided Tork would be better at keeping someone from escaping.
Casmir didn’t disagree. He stepped back as Asger attempted to force open the door, and he continued to work on his refinements to his robot plan.
The door looked like it should swing away from them, so Asger pushed against it, first with his hands and then with a shoulder.
“I think this may be thick enough and strong enough to even keep out people in combat armor,” he admitted after several tries.
“That’s correct,” Nguyen said.
“How did you get through it?” Asger asked.
“Someone on the other side controls access.” Nguyen glanced up to a tiny lens on the wall. A camera.
“And they’re not opening it since we’re with you?”
“Correct.”
“Either that or they took a bathroom break.” Casmir paused his work with the robots to see if he could find a map for this part of the station and maybe a code for the door. He was already in the highest-level secured network, so if the door was connected to it, he ought to be able to open it.
“Would an ally of Secretary Nguyen who is watching this not open the door out of concern for her welfare?” Tork asked.
Unease flashed across Nguyen’s face before she masked the expression.
“If you’re suggesting we threaten her to get her buddies to open the door,” Casmir said, “that’s not how noble knights and roboticists operate.”
“Right,” Asger said. “How do we operate?”
“Like this.” Casmir had found the door on the network. He stepped forward, raised his arms, and said, “Open, Sesame!”
The door swung open with impressive dramatic flair—and revealed two armored men with rifles. Casmir sprang to the side as Asger charged past, pushing him to the floor.
Casmir spotted Nguyen and Tork still standing and barked, “Get her down,” afraid she would be caught if the men fired at Asger.
And they did. Several energy bolts ricocheted off his armor and into the walls before he smashed into them, throwing elbows and punches, then grabbing their helmets and smashing them together.
But they were also in armor and could withstand the brutal tactics. He was too close for them to use their weapons, but they threw kicks and punches of their own.
Asger drew his pertundo. Casmir, having seen the charged, bladed weapon cut into armor like an axe cleaving through the thinnest of aluminum, yelled, “No killing, Asger. Tork, go help him, please!”
Tork released Nguyen and charged past to join Asger.
Only when Nguyen jumped up and sprinted down the corridor back the way they had come did Casmir realize his mistake. For a second, he was tempted to run after her. The secretary of education would be a valuable person to work with, to win over if he could, but what were the odds that he could do that if he was holding her captive? She would resent them and work against them. Maybe he could prove from afar that he wanted to help.
A crack sounded, followed by the buzz of a stunner.
Casmir pushed himself into a crouch and turned in time to see Asger shoot the second defender. The first man hung limply from Tork’s grip, already knocked out. Asger had used his pertundo to cleave open the men’s armor, but it didn’t look like he had used deadly blows. He’d managed to peel back the protection enough that a stun nimbus would catch his opponents and knock them out.
“Nguyen got away,” Casmir admitted when Asger looked back. “Maybe we’ll see her again later.”
“Yes, escaped prisoners often come back to check on their captors.”
Casmir waved for him to lead the way down the corridor. If there were people hiding at the other end, they’d likely been warned that intruders were on the way.
Asger removed the unconscious men’s weapons and took off at a jog with Tork running at his side. Casmir followed at a slower pace, finishing up his work on the robots.
They didn’t have far to go. They came to a cluster of metal doors that weren’t as sturdy as the one they’d passed through. They were locked, but Asger used his shoulder to force two open, revealing windowless bunkers with crates of food, tanks of water, and racks of beds. The third one was a control station. It was empty, but cups and food waste sat on the consoles, suggesting recent occupation.
There were numerous tall cabinets large enough to hide people, as well as doors that likely led to offices, so maybe those occupants lurked nearby. A huge display like that on the bridge of the Osprey caught Casmir’s attention, and thoughts of ferreting out scared people disappeared from his mind. He and Asger were looking at two of the Kingdom warships and… four more warships. They were painted the same shade of green, and they were definitely not from the Kingdom.
“Uhm, what are those?” Casmir asked.
“A problem,” Asger said grimly.
“Because they want to dock and visit the shops, but the station isn’t open for business?”
“Because they’re pirates. The Rogue Asteroids, unless I miss my guess.”
“Any chance they’re just here to visit the brothels?”
“I doubt it.” Asger pointed at
a control panel under the huge display. “If it helps, there’s a comm system there. You can say what you wanted to say to the station. Though it had better be orders to man the defenses, because the scanner display over there shows two more pirate warships on the other side of the station.”
“Is it concerning that they outnumber the Kingdom warships?”
“Yes.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
20
As soon as they walked into the Four Nebulae Laboratory and Clinic Center, a black building full of gleaming blue-tinted windows overlooking a park across the street, Kim knew something had happened. Something more than the looting and wanton destruction in the other areas they had passed through. The air in the lobby had an acrid burned-chemicals smell, and she put her helmet on, in case it was toxic. The helmet display registered poor air quality but no hint of the nitrous oxide gas that Chi had described.
“Wait here.” Rache held up a hand and trotted around the lobby, peering into all the open doorways, his rifle at the ready.
Kim, deciding on a loose definition of the word wait, headed for a directory.
“If memory serves,” Yas said, walking at her side, “your corporation’s labs are on the third floor. There’s a toxicology lab on the second floor that I was occasionally invited to in an advisory capacity, and I remember running into Scholar Chi a few times in the lift.”
Yas pointed at a short lift hallway behind a tall reception desk, the only piece of furniture remaining in the lobby, likely because it was bolted to the floor.
“I’m more inclined to use the stairs.” Kim nodded toward steps at the end of a corridor full of vision and dental clinics.
“Understandable.”
She headed that way with Zee trailing comfortingly behind. She wasn’t sure when she’d started to find Zee’s presence comforting, but he was like a reliable guard dog.
Footsteps sounded as Rache caught up. “This is very mobile waiting you’re engaged in.”
Yas was the one who got the hard look—Kim assumed it was hard under the mask—probably because he was in Rache’s chain of command. Kim refused to be chained to him in any way.
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