by Jake Bible
"Tell me what I think happened did not happen," Bhangul said.
"Zuus is gone," Reck said.
"Gone?" Bhangul asked.
"Reports are coming in that the entire planet was vaporized," Hessa said. "It is all over the GF wire. They are saying it was a Skrang attack."
"Just the GF wire?" Roak asked.
"Yes. It has not reached civilian news holos yet," Hessa replied.
"It wasn't the Skrang," Roak said. "There is no way the GF could know so fast unless they were involved."
"You cannot be accusing the GF of destroying Zuus," Poq said. "That is unthinkable."
"Not the GF," Roak said. "The part of the GF controlled by Father. Everything is moving faster and faster."
"Speaking of GF," Reck said and pointed out the view shield. "DTZ has arrived."
"Full shields and weapons ready," Roak ordered.
"Already done," Hessa said.
"I am highly confused by this behavior," Poq said. "I thought this Drop Team was an ally?"
"Not after an entire planet is destroyed," Roak said. "Right now, the only allies we have are on this bridge."
"Eh hem," Hessa said.
"On this ship," Roak amended.
"Thank you," Hessa said. "Also, Lieutenant Bish Falk is hailing us."
"Put her through," Roak said.
"Roak," a voice called over the comm. "No visual?"
"It's for our security, Lieutenant," Roak said.
"Call me Motherboard," Motherboard said. "May I ask a question, Roak?"
"Go for it."
"Why are your shields at full and all weapons targeting my ship and team?" Motherboard asked.
"Check your GF reports," Roak said.
"We have and we know about Zuus," Motherboard said. "Tragic. And suspect."
"Glad you think so," Roak said.
"Are you? Because the suspect part is you just left that planet and now it doesn't exist anymore," Motherboard said. "Interesting coincidence."
"You have it all wrong, Motherboard," Roak said. "We had nothing to do with Zuus' destruction."
"Except those planet killers were probably intended for you," Motherboard said. "You are lucky to have escaped."
"I'm hard to kill," Roak said. "And those planet killers were intended to do exactly what they did."
"Which is?"
"Get rid of one of my sanctuaries," Roak said.
"I wouldn't call my business a sanctuary, Roak," Bhangul said. "We're not that close."
"Can't call it anything anymore," Reck said.
"Again, Roak, why are your shields at full and your weapons targeting my ship?" Motherboard asked.
"Because there are only two entities in this galaxy that have access to planet killers like that," Roak said.
"Yes, the Skrang being one of those entities," Motherboard said. "They'll pay for destroying Zuus. That still doesn't… Huh…"
"Pieces clicking into place?" Roak asked. "I know you aren't stupid enough to buy the GF propaganda."
"Propaganda that was released too quickly for the GF not to have known that Zuus was going to be destroyed," Motherboard said.
"They knew because they did it," Roak said.
"Terpigshit," Motherboard said.
"I don't mean the entire GF. Just the ones that Father has compromised."
There was brief silence then, "And the GF is in damage control mode. That makes more sense than the Skrang breaching GF territory and destroying Zuus over you. It is still your fault no matter how you look at it."
"Oh, I've looked at it," Roak said.
"So where does this leave us?" Motherboard asked. "We're only here on orders, Roak, so you'll have to figure out a way for us to trust each other."
"Androids," Roak said.
"What was that?"
"Androids. You have one and I have one. We let them meet and work it out. If they say we can trust each other then I'm good with that."
"Let me talk this over with my team," Motherboard said before the comm went silent.
"You think you and their android can work this out?" Roak asked Poq.
"That would have been a question best asked before you told Lieutenant Falk that we could," Poq replied.
Roak waited.
"Yes. We can interface and know whether we can be trusted to work together," Poq said.
"Good to hear," Roak said. He kicked his boots up onto the pilot console, folded his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes.
"You think you have time to nap?" Reck asked.
Roak shrugged.
22.
Holo images of DTZ filled a section of the Borgon's cargo hold. The images stood around a holo table that was projected over an actual table that Roak and Poq stood next to. All eyes, holo or real, were on the table and the schematics for Outpost Hell.
"Intel is extremely sketchy," Master Sergeant Hole, DTZ's android, said as she pointed to the schematics. "What we do know is from old GF logs and from a brief interrogation with one of the Fleet Marines that went criminal."
"Any signs of life?" Roak asked.
"None," Hole replied. "I assume you initiated your own scans of the planet?"
"We did," Roak said.
"Did you discover any signs of life?" Hole asked.
"None."
"Isn't there supposed to be a bunch of AIs in flesh suits down there?" Sergeant Zelaron "Mug" Guspo asked. An Urvein the size of a small speeder, Mug's holo was massive. "How can there be flesh suits but no signs of flesh suits?"
"Stop saying flesh suits," Sergeant Woo "Wanders" Calli-Fa said. The Gwreq's holo was almost as big as Mug's. "Gives me the creeps."
"Does it matter?" Sergeant Ja'le'fa "Geist" Tog'ma asked. "We're going down there to retrieve an old tech and kill anyone in our way, right? Pretty straightforward."
"You're the Tcherian I met before," Roak stated.
"That'd be me," Geist said.
"Yeah, it matters," Roak said. "Because no signs of flesh suits can mean a couple of things. Either the AIs bailed on this outpost or they're all dead. Including Pol Hammon. I need a living Pol Hammon."
"He may not have transitioned into a flesh body yet," Hessa suggested.
"Any synthetics down there?" Roak asked.
"No," Hessa replied.
"No," Hole agreed.
"Great," Roak said. "So we're going in blind."
"You want to proceed?" Motherboard asked. "We just confirmed that your target is not down there."
"No, we confirmed that we can't tell if my target is down there," Roak said. "At this point in the game I don't trust any scan readings."
"My ship's tech is in perfect working order, Roak," Motherboard said. "The scans are correct. I cannot speak for your ship."
"This ship works better than the GF stock you're flying," Reck said.
"We need eyes on the situation," Roak said. "Only way to know for sure."
"I am not comfortable risking my team's lives just so you can confirm what the scans are telling us," Motherboard said.
"If the scans are right then there's no risk," Roak responded. "If the scans are being manipulated by tech down on the planet then there's no more risk than before. It's still a job that needs to be done."
"A mission," Motherboard stated. "This is official."
"What?" Roak exclaimed. "What do you mean this is official?"
"Did you expect General Gerber to keep this off the books?" Motherboard asked then laughed. "You are a rogue bounty hunter that we should be locking up at the least and executing at the most. If Gerber kept this off the books and it goes wrong then his career is over. Everything he's worked for in the FIS is over."
"Shit," Roak said.
"The corrupted know," Hessa said.
"The corrupted know," Roak said. "We need to move now."
"DTZ is ready," Motherboard said. "But I'm still not convinced this is the right call."
Klaxons blared.
"Incoming GF corvettes!" Hessa shouted. "Weapons hot
and shields at full! They'll be in firing range within seconds!"
"Does that convince you?" Roak asked.
"Those are colleagues of-"
Motherboard's response was cut off as plasma blasts impacted with both Borgons.
"Hole! Comm them and tell them to stop firing on us!" Motherboard ordered.
"They are not responding to my hails!" Hole shouted.
"Shit! The bounty hunter was right!" Geist yelled.
"We need to go now!" Roak roared. "Motherboard!"
Motherboard glanced at her team then nodded.
"I'll remain up here and keep our ship from being destroyed," Motherboard said.
"Reck will do the same for our ship," Roak said.
"Which you need to let me do right now!" Reck yelled over the comm. "Get your asses off the ship!"
"Ready?" Roak asked Poq.
"Of course," Poq responded. He lifted a pack and affixed it to his back. He then grabbed a Tonal Eight shock rifle. "Let us depart."
Roak lifted the helmet to his heavy armor from the floor and put it on. He synched it with the Tonal Five sniper rifle he was bringing with him.
"Let's go," Roak said. "Hessa, send us-"
The ship blinked away.
"-down now," Roak finished as he and Poq stood in a scorched and burnt out corridor.
Geist, Wanders, Hole, and Mug, as well as a Cervile, stood at the ready a meter away.
"Sergeant Nox 'Cookie' Schturm," the Cervile said to Roak and Poq. "Good of you to join us."
"Cookie?" Roak asked.
"You got a problem with it?" Cookie snapped.
"A little soft of a handle considering you're a Cervile asshole," Roak said.
"I know who you are, Roak," Cookie said. "I'm Queen Tala Berene's second cousin. I was at your wedding."
"We had a wedding?" Roak asked. "That time is all a blur to me."
"My sympathy for your people," Poq said.
"Yeah, thanks," Cookie replied. "The android has more empathy than you, Roak."
"Let's not play whose emotional capacity is bigger, kitty cat," Roak said. "We have a job to do."
"Mission," Hole stated.
"You can call it an Eight Million Gods damn housedress for all I care," Roak said. "Which way do we go?"
Hole cocked her head and was about to speak, but Poq shook his head.
"Do not bother finding meaning in what he says," Poq said. "It will drive you mad."
"Well, we don't need more crazy AIs," Wanders said. "There're supposed to be plenty already here."
"We go this way," Hole said. "Eyes open. We cannot trust our scanners."
"Eyes open!" DTZ replied as one.
"Seriously?" Roak mumbled. "This should be fun…"
"Geist, you're on point," Hole ordered. "Standard form, everyone. Poq, if you will take our six and keep your senses wide. Constant scans for motion and threats."
"Yes, sir," Poq said.
"I'm not an officer," Hole snapped. "I work for a living. And you do not work for me. Hole is fine."
"Yes, Hole," Poq said.
Roak filed into the middle of the pack and the expanded team moved quickly down the scorched corridor until it reached the first bulkhead. The controls were fried, but there was a ten centimeter gap between the bulkhead doors.
"I've got it," Mug said and slid her huge paws into the gap.
The strain on her muscles was evident by the way her shoulders and back quivered with the exertion, but after a couple of seconds the bulkhead doors began to slide apart. Once there was enough room, Mug stopped, stepped back, and took several deep breaths while she shook out her arms.
"Gonna be a tight squeeze for you," Geist said as he stepped past Mug.
Hole followed then Wanders and Roak. Mug straightened up and fell in line with Cookie then Poq right behind.
They made it three more corridors, all burnt and scorched, before they found their first corpse.
"Humanoid," Hole stated. "Organic, not synthetic."
"Can you tell the species?" Geist asked, his eyes staring at the turn at the end of the corridor.
"Unknown," Hole said.
"It is not a species on record," Poq added.
"It's one of the AI's flesh suits," Hole said. "Keep moving."
"Take a sample," Roak called over his shoulder as the team moved on.
"Are you speaking to me?" Cookie asked.
"He is speaking to me," Poq said. The android crouched and removed a couple of samples of burnt flesh from the corpse. He tucked the samples into a pouch on his belt.
"What do you need samples for?" Cookie asked.
"I have a hunch," Roak said.
"We've got movement," Geist called as he approached the turn at the end of the corridor. "Small. Moving quickly."
Geist took two steps back. The whole team, including Roak and Poq, took aim.
A maintenance bot came scurrying around the turn, its small metal body covered in skin and offal. The bot skidded to a stop and was about to retreat. Roak didn't let it.
"What the fo?" Geist yelled as Roak blasted the bot to pieces. "Heads up when you fire!"
"Fo?" Roak asked as he approached the remains of the bot. "What in all the Hells is fo?"
"GF protocol word," Hole said. "It is a euphemism for fuck. Active duty DT members are required to uphold a standard of decorum. We use the word fo."
"That's messed up," Roak said and knelt next to the bot. "But not as messed up as this little thing. Check it out."
The team, except for Poq and Geist who both stood guard, moved in close to Roak and the bot.
"It's a murder bot," Roak said. He picked up a nasty looking drill bit-like tool. "Father programmed it to take out the AIs."
"Why?" Hole asked. "What did your Father want with this place? I thought you were here for Pol Hammon."
"I am," Roak said. "But Pol isn't here."
"How can you know?" Wanders asked. "We've searched four corridors of the facility. He could be hiding here anywhere."
"Roak!" Reck called over the comm. "How's it going down there?"
"I don't think Pol is here," Roak said.
"Do you know where he went?" Reck asked.
"Not a clue," Roak said. "But we'll find out. We're heading to the main control room. Once we download the data from there then we can get out of here."
"Can you do that in like five minutes?" Reck asked.
"Is it bad up there?" Roak asked.
"Can you two shut up!" Hessa yelled.
"It ain't fucking good," Reck said. "We have four GF corvettes already and a carrier just entered the system. Between the two Borgons, we're holding them off, but that won't last much longer. Once they scramble fighters then we'll need to transport to a different system. Five minutes."
"Understood," Roak said and looked at DTZ. "Alright, so it's gotten worse up there."
"Motherboard has alerted us to the new threats," Hole said.
"Good for her," Roak said. "We have five minutes to retrieve whatever we can from the control room. Poq? Care to use that speed of yours?"
"I will accompany him," Hole said.
"Whatever flies your ship," Roak said. "Poq?"
"What, may I ask, am I looking for?" Poq asked.
"Everything," Roak said. "Just grab everything."
"I will do my best," Poq said. He was gone in a blur with Hole right behind him.
"Let's keep looking around," Roak said.
"You are not in charge, Roak," Mug said.
"So, you want to stand in this corridor while we wait?" Roak asked.
Mug growled then shook her head.
"Fine. We look around," she said.
"Good idea," Roak said and took point.
He led them through another corridor then another until they came to a set of doors with a significant amount of blood pooling underneath them.
"You want to go in there, don't you?" Geist asked.
"No," Roak said and blasted the door controls. "Mug?"
"Seriously?" Mug growled again.
Unfortunately, her reach wasn't enough to keep her from having to step into the pool of blood in order to pry the doors open. She cursed and swore the entire time until she had the doors wide. Her cursing stopped in her throat at the sight within the room.
"That's a lot of blood," Wanders said. "That's more blood than can fit in those bodies."
"And there are a lot of bodies," Geist said.
The room was about the size of the mess on Roak's Borgon. And inside were corpses stacked from floor to ceiling, lining the walls from end to end. The smell was horrendous.
"They've been dead at least a couple of weeks," Cookie said, his nose in the air. "If this were a different planet then they'd be burst open, but the dryness of this planet has kept them slightly better preserved."
"Slightly better," Mug said, a huge paw to her nose. "How can you keep sniffing that?"
"Death doesn't bother me," Cookie said.
"Whatever, tough guy," Geist said and turned to Roak. "You see what you need to see?"
"Who stacked them?" Roak asked.
"What?" Geist replied.
"Oh man," Wanders said. "That's an Eight Million Gods damn good question."
"We should torch the room," Mug said. "Wipe this nightmare away."
The Urvein pulled an incendiary grenade from her belt, but Roak put a hand on her arm before she could activate and throw it.
"Hang onto that," Roak said. "We may need it."
"Why?" Mug asked.
"Poq?" Roak called, ignoring Mug's question. "How is it going?"
"We are downloading the files now," Poq replied. "We will be ready within the minute."
"Reck? Hessa?" Roak called.
"Busy!" Hessa shouted.
"What?" Reck replied.
"Get your ass down to the moltrans room and lock onto us," Roak said. "You may have to search a little for Poq."
"You're ready to come up?" Reck asked. "Good because we need- MOTHERFUCKER!"
The comm went dead.
"Reck? Reck!" Roak shouted. "Comm's out. Can you reach Motherboard?"
"Yes," Cookie said. "She's reporting your Borgon is taking the most fire. They're targeting our ship too, but not as hard as they are with yours."
"That tells me that Father is definitely behind the ships being here," Roak said. "Poq?"
"En route to you," Poq said.
"We may need to catch a ride," Roak said to DTZ.