by Reiter
“And when we have no other choice, that’ll be fine,” Jocasta said as she took her cane off her hip. “But I can’t put you back together. Now stand down and alert the rest of the ship.” Amos huffed once in frustration before running for the door. As they closed behind his departure, Gazhaad opened his eyes and looked at Jocasta. “Any chance I can say the words ice cream and get you to calm down?”
“Release me and my sister,” Gazhaad said as he stood up. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Why do I get the feeling it’s more than NBA’s contingency coming after you?” Jocasta said softly.
“Release me!” Gazhaad demanded.
“Oh kid, we so have to get you into charm school! Computer, power down the door to cell number one.”
“Power down?” Pulri questioned as Gazhaad walked out of his cell. The boy looked at Jocasta, somewhat confused himself as to her reasons. He turned to look at Pulri and then at the unconscious Tusyll.
“Release my sister,” he commanded.
“Come make me, you little shit!” Jocasta said, leaning on her cane. “You need a lesson in manners and lucky for you, I’m in a schoolmarm kind of mood.”
“You are relying on your combative capability, but you do not know the measure of mine,” Gazhaad said as his eyes started to glow with a soft yellow light. “You can only contend with an attack you can see coming, Captain.” Gazhaad lunged forward, moving fast enough to where the image of his body began to blur. He was a stride from a very still Jocasta when a faint blue light flashed in the room and sent the boy back into his cell where he slammed into the rear wall.
Jocasta smirked as she stood straight up. “I would estimate that we could effectively conclude your hypothesis as being shortsighted, if not wholly naïve, indicative of your relative level of experience in and out of the arena of combat.” She winced and her face twisted as if she had tasted something rotten. “Ugh! I don’t know how he does it. I’d kill myself if I had to talk like that all time.
“Lesson Number One: I will answer to Captain, Captain Starblazer, ma’am, sir, sex goddess, and you beautiful blue-eyed devil. These statements with the understood ‘you’ have got to go or I’ll break your jaw in so many ways that the name Mushmouth will be a kindness!”
“While I have never encountered one who can manipulate gravity in the fashion that you do, I am ready to correct my previous oversight,” Gazhaad said as he got up and started to walk slowly toward Jocasta. She deactivated the gravity pulse in her cane and smiled, shaking her head.
“Two years old and already a typical man,” she commented. “Which means you won’t start thinking right until I clip that other head.” Jocasta waved the clone to approach and set herself for a fight. “Come and get Lesson Number Two!”
“You should not have deactivated the gravity device,” Gazhaad thought as he lunged forward again. He reached forward with both hands; the woman’s neck was his target.
Her right hand came out of nowhere and swept across his extended arms. His hands grasped only air as he flew over her shoulder. The head of the cane was lifted up into the sternum as he passed, and his body tumbled into the wall behind her.
“Elder’s light!” Pulri gasped, seeing how fast the woman could move. He quickly counted himself among the fortunate to still be breathing.
Jocasta stumbled as she completed a spin faster than she thought she could move. She breathed out through her mouth as she watched the boy slowly get up from the floor.
“They say a good teacher learns from their students,” Jocasta whispered as she set herself to move again. “Kid, you are teaching me a few things about myself.”
“Good, because you have much to learn!” Gazhaad said as he pushed off from the wall. Jocasta stepped forward, her straight right hand punch canceled out Gazhaad’s speed and momentum. His unconscious body fell to the floor.
“Do tell,” she spat before lifting her cane and swinging it down on his jaw. She could see Pulri out of the corner of her eye. He jumped as the head of the cane made contact. “Let’s see you mouth off now!” Touching the head of the cane to the boy’s back, Jocasta gave a flick and his body was thrown back into the empty cell. “Computer, lock down cell number one, please,” she commanded. The energy wall was quickly erected as Jocasta looked down at the floor and composed herself. “And dispatch a drone to take Tusyll to my Ready Room. We could stand a second stab at some girl talk.
“Fast little bastard,” she said softly.
“Apparently not fast enough,” Pulri remarked. “You are–”
“About out of patience,” Jocasta snapped. Pulri Andrus quickly lifted his hands in surrender.
“Captain, if there is anything else to know about these two, please know that I am as much in the dark as you. You have my word on that account.” Jocasta chuckled in response and Pulri frowned. “Manners. It seems to be a lesson that needs to be learned by many.”
“You know what the wonderful thing about me being on my ship is?” Jocasta asked, taking hold of the chair she had brought out for herself. “If I say so, there’s no such thing as a double-standard! You read me, old man?”
“I read you, Captain.”
“Warning,” the computer advised. “Contact. Three spacecraft on an intercept course. Range: one thousand kilometers!”
“Who’s on my helm?” Jocasta inquired as she walked out of the Brig.
“That would be me, Captain,” a shaky voice replied. “Nielsen Feldspar.”
“Feldspar, already I can tell you have the wrong temperament for the moment,” Jocasta weighed. “Take a moment and a breath, young man; remember that we have a stealth field around the ship.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Feldspar whispered, sounding somewhat more relaxed.
“Steady as she goes then, son,” Jocasta said calmly as she opened another channel. “Brain Trust, somebody talk to me!”
“We were getting three separate beacon signals up until a few seconds ago,” Deolun reported. “I was able to scramble all three, but I think those three ships were still able to get a fix on our speed and direction.”
“Roger that,” Jocasta replied. “Good work, Deolun. Helm, increase speed and stealth-field integrity. Let’s get through the rendezvous point before those three ships. And can anyone tell me why they were able to get so close before we saw them?”
“Scans indicate large bursts of MannA, Captain,” Kryltane reported. “The particular signatures are not in our database, but the readings of the pulses are indicative of a teleportation spell.”
“Old spells, new casters,” Jocasta reflected. “Got it. Nightingale, get Synh and Thom in full armour and the three of you need to take a trip to the Brig. Put a whammy on the kid in cell number one. Apparently he needs to be conscious for those trackers of his to work. I want him doped so heavy you can get high just standing next to him!” Amos LeRoy quickly acknowledged the command he had received as the drives powered up and the Xara-Mansura accelerated to the desired velocity.
** b *** t *** o *** r **
“Whoa!” Llaz called out as he stepped away from the pole. “Where do you think you are going?” Agatha screamed in frustration as she collapsed against the side of the corridor. Marlene patted her shoulder, trying to console her frustrated friend as she looked back at the Cutter of the crew. “Not while you’re signed up for a work detail,” Llaz argued. He put his fists on his hips as Agatha collapsed to the ground, moaning.
“So close,” she wailed. “We were so close!”
“Easy, Murder,” Marlene soothed before looking back to Llaz. “We were about to take a look in the auxiliary hangar. We’ve either been working or working out since Z left, and we haven’t had a chance to–”
“You two have a work detail waiting on you,” Llaz said, completely uninterested in Marlene’s explanation. “And those of us who did not have a freaking thing made for them could give a damn about what you think you might have waiting in that hangar.”
“Uh, we just got of
f a work detail,” Agatha advised.
“I know. And I just put you on another one. Maybe you’d like another three instead,” Llaz said as he looked at his comp-pad. “I hear Roc can stand all the help he can get.”
“No, we’re good,” Marlene quickly replied. “We’re just fine, Llaz. Just fine.”
“Glad to hear it,” Llaz said as he pointed over his shoulder. “Simulator Room is waiting for you. Full diagnostics and a sweet shine, if you don’t mind.”
“Aye-aye,” Marlene said as she got Agatha up on her feet. They walked to the lift and Agatha mock-cried into Marlene’s shoulder.
“No soul,” Agatha whispered. “He has no soul!”
“Sweets, that’s not even the beginning of his problems!” Marlene remarked. “Another damn detail! Gods, what are they trying to do, work us to death?!”
“Maybe they want us to be as soulless as them,” Agatha said, stepping out of the lift and into the corridor.
“You might have something there,” Marlene said as she looked up to see three more of the crew walking toward them. “Oh man, did he get you guys too?” she asked.
“If, by ‘he’, you mean the indivisible Llaz, then yes, he got us too,” Bruveia hissed. “Just about to settle into some quality time with my man and he comes over the intercom. Fuckin’ simulator stalls?!”
“Funny how you don’t want to complain about them when you’re learning stuff you couldn’t learn anywhere else,” Deolun added.
“D, I swear, if you say another word, it won’t matter whose relation you are, I’m going to plant your ass!”
“Easy, love,” Hennix said, walking behind Bruveia and taking a massaging hold of her shoulders as he piloted her down the corridor. “He’s got a point.”
“Not arguing that,” Bruveia quickly countered. “But why stop there, when he can have the rest of my arm up his ass too?!”
“Didn’t know that royalty had to do work details,” Bruveia snapped at Pristacia who was approaching with Silnee from the opposite direction.
“Right, just like you didn’t know that reflective surfaces can’t lie,” Pristacia replied. “The horror you see is real, Bru, get used to it.” Bruveia tried to pull away from Hennix, but he had already set his grip and would not let go.
“You’re a lucky one, Princess,” Bruveia hissed.
“That much is obvious,” Pristacia returned. “If I had that face looking back at me, I’d kill myself! You’re a good man, Hennix.” Marlene stepped in between the women before Bruveia could wrench herself free of Hennix’s grip.
“We’re all on the same side, people,” she said, putting her hands out to keep the women separated. “Let’s try to remember that. If we’re mad at anyone, it’s Llaz for putting us on yet another work detail.”
“Let’s just get this over with,” Silnee sighed before walking into the room. Marlene looked at Pristacia, making a silent inquiry.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Pristacia said softly. “It’s like she’s refusing to come up out of her funk.”
“I take it her and Cutter were really close,” Bruveia whispered.
“Really close,” Pristacia stated. “Like long lost sisters.”
“Been there,” Bruveia stated and Hennix’s hands made a quick return to her shoulders. “The kind of thing you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.”
“I hear you,” Pristacia said before grazing her shoulder into Bruveia. “I wash, you dry?”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
The doors to the Simulator Room opened and the seven walked in to find each of the units sparkling as if they had just been installed. From the looks of things, they questioned whether they would be able to find dirt on themselves.
“What the hell gives?” Agatha asked as an image of Llaz formed in front of them. It was just over a meter tall and about half a meter above the floor.
“Work detail, all present and accounted for,” the image reported. “Welcome to Project Pinion, and despite what measures were used to get you all here together, you only have one purpose here. You see, aboard the Xara-Mansura, Z has a methodology. He doesn’t strictly enforce it, which is why you don’t know anything about it, but I discovered it when I investigated why the First Mate had assigned me my weapons rig.
“It is just as the Captain said, we’ve all got unopened files on the system. Six of you here have more than most, and the reason why you have that surplus is because you have not yet opened the files regarding the vehicles that Z has made for you. This work detail will remain in your rotation until I see some steady progress in all categories.
“Princess, you probably want to know why you’re here,” Llaz stated.
“The man’s a mind-reader,” Pristacia said softly.
“You are going to be Mission Control,” Llaz explained. “You will be monitoring their progress and developing their missions. Go ahead and make your way to master console and get acquainted with your post as the pilots, gunners, and engineer get to their simulator pods. Happy flying, people. Make us proud!”
Most of the people on the main floor smiled as they ran to a simulator. Silnee walked and Pristacia jogged up the stairs to the control room. She shook her head as she took to the chair behind the massive control board. Virtual goggles formed in front of her eyes as she sat down.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she could hear Llaz’s voice in her ear.
“Do you?” she thought. “If nothing else, you have to admit the boy is definitely putting in the work! You couldn’t pay me to step into Annsura’s wake. But cool-ass Llaz is so far making it look simple.”
“You’re thinking, ‘what the hell am I doing here’?”
“Bull’s-eye!” she thought as a virtual hangar was initiated.
“Simply put, you’re being trained by Z on how to read people. I want to see if we can stretch that beyond social situations. You need to press them, Princess. Find out what makes them tick and what they’re afraid of. Better for them to encounter that here than when lives are on the line.”
“Gods, it’s sounding and feeling like maybe JoJo picked the wrong person to be her first Cutter,” Pristacia considered. “But if I’m going to do this, I need to at least get everyone back to zero. Silnee’s sub-par right now. She isn’t even excited about her new ship! I think I might have an approach though.
“All right everyone,” Pristacia said, opening a channel to the active pods. “Take a few moments to look over your ride. Hennix, make sure you rein in Deolun, but only when he gets out of hand.”
“Way ahead of you, Control,” Hennix replied. “But it sounds like we’ve got the right eyes on us for this sort of thing. A fellow pilot would only add to the chaos.”
“I’ll be sure to forward your perspective to Llaz,” Pristacia replied. “The next time you all hear my voice you should be in your vehicles and ready to launch. I figure we’ll launch all three at once and just do some general flying around for our first time out. Look forward to things getting hairier as we all progress.”
“Oh, sweet mother, bring it!” Agatha cried out.
“In time, Murder,” Pristacia replied. “In time. Okay people, let’s get to your ships!
“Can I bend your ear for a moment?” Pristacia’s voice called out to Silnee. “We’re on an exclusive channel right now.”
“Let’s put a pin in it for now, Princess?” Silnee sighed as she entered the pod. She donned the facemask and air was pumped through as her body was suspended in the fluid. A veteran of the experience, Silnee prepared herself while reaching to her brace-com to speak to everyone in the simulation. “Close your eyes for a four count!” At two, there was a flash of light and Silnee opened her eyes to find herself standing in the hangar with the others of Project Pinion. “Good-ness!” she whispered, looking at the vehicles that had been placed in the chamber. Everyone recognized Daedalus, but that did not diminish the effect of looking upon the construct. Even standing still he was something to see and Deolun ran his hand alon
g the side as he walked by on his way to what had to be his group’s ship.
“Welcome my friends,” Z’s voice greeted them as they approached. “Please note that the names you find are merely suggestions, and I more than welcome your input. After all, these are yours to fly, not mine.
“Trident,” Bruveia said softly as she walked up to the gleaming white spacecraft. “I can see where he got the name, but this paintjob’s–”
“It’s not paint!” Deolun declared as he looked hard at the hull. He touched his brace-com and his goggles formed over his eyes. “It’s a type of prismatic crystalline surface.”
“Easy words, D!” Bruveia barked.
“Well, I’m not sure yet. It could be a natural shielding against light-based… laser bolts!”
“What else could it be?”
“From what I’ve read in Z’s notes, probably a new type of stealth skin.”
“Shit! He’s got out names marked in the cockpit!” Bruveia advised. “Looks like he’s got you back in the pilot seat, D. But that doesn’t look like any piloting console I’ve ever seen.
“Babe, he’s got you on weapons,” she continued.
“Way to go, Z!” Hennix said, pumping his fist. “What about you?”
“I have no freakin’ idea,” she replied, lowering herself into the chair. “But I sure as hell hope this thing comes with a manual!”
“The C I 1,” Marlene read as she walked up to the black spacecraft. It was a large, heavily armed and armoured fighter of a style neither woman had ever seen before. Agatha waved her hand over the label and the words Cruel Intentions filled in to take up the rest of the placard.
“The man is a scary poet,” Agatha said as she walked under the fighter. “Looks kinda heavy though.”
“If the size of the engine means anything, I think we’ll be just fine,” Marlene assured. She jumped when a door lowered from the belly of the craft. When Agatha turned to look at it, the door quickly closed. Marlene quickly stepped forward and waved off her friend. “This apparently is not meant for you, Murder,” she said with an evil smile. “Kindly move along, riff-raff.”