It didn’t budge.
Joan pulled again, this time harder, grunting.
“Joan?” Trian asked with concern.
“I’m okay, I…” she let her weight pull her backwards. The console snapped off, sending her stumbling backward.
She regained her balance, letting the console face clank on the floor. Dozens of wires protruded from the walls in a jumble of colors. High security, just like she had thought. This must be the type of room that the Trade Federation would host ambassadors or high level corporate executives on long journeys. It had been a long while since she’d seen anything of this complexity. Joan bit her lip. “Huh.”
“You’re making too much noise,” Yui said from down the hall.
“What’s the matter?” Trian asked.
“It’s more complicated than I’m used to seeing, don’t worry,” Joan said. She tried not to worry herself. “G.O.D., do you have any data that could assist me on this lock?”
“Analyzing,” G.O.D. said.
Joan seemed to remember that the green wire provided the power mechanism, and the red could short the system. Then it would require them pushing the door open, which could prove difficult depending on if it were rated for decompression, which it looked like it was. If only she could figure out how to push the door open.
“Unfortunately, the door security specs are not located aboard this vessel’s network,” G.O.D. said.
“Didn’t think so. It was worth a shot,” Joan said, staring at the wires.
She had to try something. What was the worst that could happen?
If the green were power, then she didn’t want to touch it to red to short the system. She needed a different wire. But which one? There were more than a dozen, but Joan chose a yellow one, not for any reason other than it was the brightest. She yanked on both of them, exposing their ends and then touched them together.
The wires sparked, singeing Joan’s fingers. Joan fell backward onto her rear. Her fingers stung, causing Joan to bite hard into her bottom lip. It took a moment before she noticed the result of her experiment.
The doors to the cell hung open. A woman, who appeared to be in her late fifties, moved toward the doorway. She had a square chin with a slightly gaunt face that looked as if she hadn’t had much sleep or many rations over the last cycle. Her eyes were dark, hardened by command. “I take it you’re not with the Trade Federation,” she said, a quick glance between the three present, though more focused on Trian, as if making a determination he was in charge.
“No, not at all,” Trian said, stepping forward. He offered his hand. “Trian Mubari, political operative for the Council of Ministers. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. I’ve been studying your work for months.”
Commodore Zhang took Trian’s hand and nodded. “Thank you. I can’t say I’ve studied much at all over the last… how long has it been? They keep my cells the same light whether day or night. I lost track over my sleep cycles since they’ve been interrupted so often.”
“You were captured almost two months ago,” Yui said.
Joan pushed herself up to her feet, the pain still stinging in her fingers. She tried not to focus on it.
“It seemed longer,” Commodore Zhang said with thoughtful frown.
“Being imprisoned always does,” Joan said. She recalled her own time in a cell. Back then, she had thought it would never end.
Commodore Zhang stared at her for a moment. “We’ll have to talk about our shared experiences later. For now, we should get moving. I felt the transition into faster than light. I presume we’re on a ship, but I know little else. Could you update me on the situation?”
“Of course,” Trian said, clearing the way for Commodore Zhang to move ahead of him. “We should find another crew quarters as a base of operations while we come up with a plan for escaping this vessel. Joan, could you open another crew quarters the same way you did this one?”
Joan didn’t look forward to getting shocked again, but now that she knew the wires would work, she could position herself better for her own safety. She gave a nod of assent. A little pain didn’t matter in the scheme of things. If they didn’t come up with an idea to stop this ship and find a way off of it, they wouldn’t be around much longer to feel any pain whatsoever.
Chapter 33
Catching Up
T.F.S. Shareholder—Mars Orbit
Local Date February 14th, 2464
Dario exited the front of the transport, along with a crowd of packed in underlevelers. The amount shoved into the small space was unlike anything Dario had ever seen, far worse than the Central Office’s skylift. Security guards with guns ushered everyone along, forcing the crowd and Dario to flow into what appeared to be a large open area—and even more people stuffed inside. Dario stopped. Several of the underlevelers brushed past him. He held his ground, trying to get the security guard’s attention.
“Keep moving forward,” the guard said.
“I need to talk to someone,” Dario said.
The guard ignored him.
Dario pressed back toward him, bumping shoulders with a person going the opposite direction.
That evoked the guard pointing his plasma rifle at Dario, jabbing the barrel into his rib. “I said, keep moving forward,” the guard reiterated, annoyance in his voice.
Dario tried his best not to react to the metal hitting his ribs. A sharp pain filled his chest. It would leave a bruise later. “I’m not one of the underlevelers. I’m here from corporate quality control. I have an ident to prove it,” Dario said.
“I don’t really have time to check that, and if you’re truly from corporate, then I’d eat this plasma rifle. Get going,” the guard said.
“You have to listen to me!” Dario said, frustration dripping in his words. He tried his hardest to keep his cool.
The guard responded by pushing him onward with his gun.
Dario stumbled into another person, who shoved right back. That caused Dario to fall toward the guard. He had little time to regain his footing, narrowly able to duck when the guard swung the rifle like a bat toward Dario’s head. “Are you crazy? Listen to me!”
From further into the big open room, shots fired. The crowd stirred and rumbled.
The security guard lost interest in Dario at that point, rushing past him, and inadvertently shoving Dario into the wall of the hallway. Dario looked after the guard but he couldn’t catch up with all these people in the way. The underlevelers moved about in a haphazard fashion, wary to enter the room where there was plasma fire. The transport hatch sealed behind them when the last of them was out, leaving everyone trapped.
Including Dario.
What could he do? Security wouldn’t listen to him, especially since they had their own problems to deal with. His side ached. Dario cradled it as he considered what to do.
One of the underlevelers, an older man, tapped him on the shoulder. “Son, I’m sorry about the way you were treated. It was a good try though. Corporate!” The old man laughed. “I wish I’d thought of that. You’re welcome to stick with me and mine. We got a good group, gonna figure out what’s going on and make sure the rations flow our way.”
Dario faked a smile. Did he want to cast his lots with some of the underlevelers? As time went by, being seen with a group of the others, it would be less likely that he’d be believed about his corporate upbringing, even though it was true.
“C’mon,” the old man said, beckoning Dario forward.
“I’m sorry,” Dario said. “I’m supposed to meet up with someone.” He glanced off toward the large room. The crowd of underlevelers looked as if they were about to boil over into a panic, and rightfully so. To be uprooted, not knowing why you were here or where you were going, it must be awful.
With a quick nod toward the old man, Dario moved onward, sticking to one wall that ran along the side of the room. He scanned the large compartment for security guards who looked like they’d at least listen. Too many guards were up to their necks in
angry underlevelers. They had as little escape as the underlevelers had from themselves.
Dario approached another series of guards, finding the closest of them engaged with a shouting man. Dario circled around the angry underleveler, trying to get in the field of vision of the next guard, who kept looking away, not inviting conversation. The third guard he tried couldn’t avoid him.
“You looking to cause trouble?” this guard asked.
“No, no trouble,” Dario said. Couldn’t hurt to try the truth once more. “I’m from corporate quality control. This time, he proactively held up his wrist for the guard to scan his ident.
“I could tell you weren’t one of them by the way you look. Ain’t none of them got oculars like you have. Expensive bodymods like that. Hell, I wish I could afford one.” The guard shook his head. “What’re you doing here, anyway?” He waved off Dario’s upheld wrist.
“It’s a long story, but I’m trying to catch up with some people. Was hoping security could assist me,” Dario said.
The guard held up his own hand, then cupped it over his ear, listening to something. “Lieutenant? Yes I hear you. Sorry, it’s loud in here, lotta background noise.”
Dario watched, taking the hint to not speak during the guard’s call.
“Someone’s tampered with the access for the prisoner’s quarters?” The guard’s face went pale. “Yes, I’ll get a team together stat.”
From the reports Dario had read, only one prisoner existed outside the scope of the underlevelers’ exodus. Joan had to be the one tampering with the security system. No one else would have the wherewithal to make an attempt like that, not in this crowd. His stomach sank with that thought, both for the plight of the underlevelers and for worry of Joan’s safety. He had to get to her before security did.
“I need to get going. I’ve got a little crisis. Let’s meet up here in say, two hours?” The guard asked. “I can bring the Lieutenant and introduce you, see if we might be able to help.”
Dario shook his head. “How about I come with you?”
“That’d be dangerous, and I’d get into some trouble for bringin’ non-authorized personnel along,” the guard said.
“I’m authorized. Higher rank than anyone here, probably,” Dario said.
The guard looked off toward a group of other security personnel making their way toward him. He frowned. “Okay, but stay out of the way. Let us do the shooting.” He said. He waved to the group headed his way. “Chen, Risia, O’Reilly, with me. Lieutenant Skyward wants us to look into a security breach.”
“Oh yeah?” a shorter woman responded. Her riot gear fit awkwardly given her small frame. “What’s up, Engels? The prisoner escape?”
“Sounds more like someone breaking in. We have authority to shoot on sight,” Engels said.
Dario tried to keep a stoic face. Shoot on sight? He had to stop them somehow. At least for now he was coming along for the ride, but that wouldn’t protect Joan if it came to a confrontation. “Stunners only though,” Dario added.
The small woman narrowed her eyes at Dario. “Who’s this idiot?”
“Not an idiot, Chen,” Engels said. “Corporate big wig. Probably wants to interrogate the prisoners himself.”
“That’s right.” Dario lied as best he could, glancing between the four security personnel who had assembled during the conversation
One shrugged, and no one protested. “Sounds good by me,” Chen said. “Let’s head out.”
The security team moved to a door, unlocking it through the terminal. Chen turned to ensure none of the underlevelers followed while the others passed through. Dario stayed close behind Engels, since he had been amicable toward him so far, and because he had been the only one Dario had conversed with for any substantive amount of time. The hall stretched a long way, empty, by contrast to the large, open room packed with underlevelers.
They moved into a brisk jog. Dario kept up easily, looping around what must have been the main room they had left behind. When the security team finally slowed, Dario saw rows of different doors. “This is a detention block?” he asked.
“Crew quarters,” Engels said. He looked ahead. “Hallway seems clear for now.” With that, he drew his weapon. “Should be coming up on the prisoner’s location soon. I expect that the perpetrators took off, but be careful just in case of an ambush.” His voice spoke with the air of experience.
Dario nodded and stayed out of the way as he’d been asked to do. Chen gave him a stern eye from the side.
The team pushed forward toward a door that had its terminal ripped off the wall, the main panel lying on the ground. Several dozen wires stuck out from the wall. The door was closed.
Engels inspected the wires and shook his head. “We’re gonna need an engineer to get this back together,” he said.
“And you’d be crazy if you thought we were allocated any for this mission,” Chen said.
“I might be able to help?” Dario said from behind them.
The security guards stepped aside for Dario, who moved forward toward the removed terminal. A couple of wires had been pulled, but he couldn’t tell where they had originally attached. He flicked his eyes upward to connect with the Megahauler’s nets in his oculars. The ship’s systems granted immediate access. No security protocols blocked his entry.
He scanned for terminal information, first attempting to automatically override the doors. Nothing happened. “Power’s been shot,” Dario said. “From what I’m reading, looks like the green wire might be able to restore the system.”
Engels stepped forward, crouching then taking the wires into his hand. He touched the end of the wire to a receptor, and it sparked. The terminal blinked online as soon as he did. “Huh, you know your stuff, corporate,” he said.
The door access appeared in Dario’s field of vision. He flicked his eyes for the open command, and the door opened ahead of him.
The other security guards rushed forward, plasma pistols pointed forward. They covered the exit of the room, holding still for a long moment while Engels had his arm raised. He lowered it eventually. “It’s clear. Just like we thought.”
Chen stepped forward behind him to peek into the room. “They fled.” She turned toward the rest of the team, gesturing. “Split into two groups, head down the hallways. Check every room. If there’s any trouble with the access systems, contact us immediately. Our security breachers have to be holed up around here. Nowhere else to go.”
The other guards nodded. Then two of them took off down the hallway.
Dario stayed with Chen and Engels as they took a different direction. These two appeared to be very competent, and Dario had a gut feeling that they would be the ones to find Joan and her friends, if Joan wasn’t able to avoid detection.
They made quick time down various hallways, opening door after door, finding nothing after dozens of attempts. Dario lost track of exactly how many rooms they’d scanned.
“This is pointless. Don’t we have a way to do a bioscan?” Chen asked.
“If we had access to the ship’s systems,” Engels said.
“I’ve been able to access the door controls before. I could try,” Dario suggested.
Chen shook her head. “This is different. A bioscan is tied into bridge functions, and we were informed that all bridge functions have been set to an automatic program. No one aboard has access.”
“Is it being controlled remotely?” Dario asked. “That’s frightening. What if we need to adjust course? Or if there’s an emergency?”
Chen shrugged. “Hell if I know.”
Dario tried to access the ship’s bioscan functions, despite Chen’s warnings. He scanned through several subroutines, finding roadblocks in each of them. He frowned. “You’re right. Nothing.”
Chen moved ahead of him to another door. “Told you not to waste your time.”
Engels shook his head. “We are all wastin’ time, but there’s no better way. We have to start thinkin’ like someone breaking into this ship.”<
br />
“Who in their right mind would break onto the Shareholder? I only took the job because corporate promised full pensions for my family for life from hazard pay,” Chen said.
“Me too,” Engels said, grimacing.
Dario said nothing to the motivations of being aboard this Megahauler. At least the security personnel who volunteered knew this was a suicide mission. Not everyone was duped into this trip. Only the underlevelers. Whole families of unsuspecting people with no way out.
The three of them proceeded to the next room in a hallway that looked very much the same to Dario as the last several they’d visited. Through his oculars’ net connection, he opened the door again, and again the room appeared empty.
“This is pointless,” Engels said, shoulders slumping.
“Agreed,” Chen said.
Engels held his hand up to his ear. “Lieutenant? Yeah, I’m here. Level 7, Subsection G. Where are you?”
Chen looked to Engels then to Dario and back again.
“Uh huh. You found them? They’re in custody?” Engel’s eyes lit up with excitement. “That’s great news, sir.” The guard scanned Dario. His elation turned into a frown. “Is that right, sir?”
“What’s the matter?” Dario asked. Had Joan been shot? Was she killed? He couldn’t help but find an image in his mind of Joan sprawled across the cold hallway floor, singed by the shots of several plasma pistols.
Engels didn’t answer him, glancing down the hallway instead. His lips twisted, tensing his face. “Yes sir, I understand.”
Dario took a couple of steps back, the uneasiness surrounding the guard making him nervous. Joan! His heart sank. “What happened?”
“Sounds like we’ve captured our stowaways,” Chen said.
“Yes, the other team found them. They’ve been stunned and subdued,” Engel said. He motioned to Chen to head down the hallway, and then turned his plasma pistol toward Dario. “I’ve also been told by Lieutenant Skyward that there are new orders. Your company authority has been revoked on CFO Kostas Anazao’s orders. You’re to be considered a hostile. You’ll be joining your friends, Mr. Anazao. At least until you’re retrieved. The ship is being programmed to make a special stop for you and a shuttle sent to retrieve you to Mars.”
Star Realms: Rescue Run Page 26