by Dana Kelly
Torsha saluted casually. “All right, Captain. After you.”
“Please don’t get formal with me,” said Eridani. “You’re the only normal part of my life I have left.”
“You are dressed like a captain for once,” said Torsha. “It only seemed right.”
They journeyed up to the command deck. “Fortune favors us, Captain,” said Lanchelle. “We exited on the right side of Ruslheimur’s orbit. We could reach the planet in time for evening chow!” She turned to face Eridani and quietly whistled. “Nice duds, Captain! Did Falcon command send those over?”
Eridani smiled slightly. “They’re available for the asking. How soon will we be within scanning range?”
“About six hours,” said Lanchelle.
“Noted.” Eridani walked to her captain’s chair and sat. “Ops, status report, please.”
◆◆◆
“There’s been a spike in airborne toxins since the last time Planetary Index stopped by,” said Grostonk. “I’d strongly advise using a vac suit. The repair crew always keeps a few on hand.”
Eridani leaned over him, resting her weight on the back of his chair. “Is that halothane vapor?”
“Yup,” said Grostonk. “Hence the vac suit, unless you’ve been struggling with insomnia.”
“I’ve got my own suit, thank you.” She stood up and glanced toward communications. “Brady, please alert our mercenaries that it’s time to head down. Instruct them to meet me in the launch bay and inform them that ground-level atmosphere is laced with halothane.”
“Aye, Captain,” said Brady.
“Myeong, are you ready?”
“Aye-aye, Captain,” said Gretchen, and she stepped away from the helm. A junior pilot hurried to take her station, as Eridani and Gretchen exited the bridge. The doors closed, and the lift descended.
“I can tell it’s not legit Falcon, but I like the uniform,” said Gretchen. “Custom design?”
Eridani laughed and nodded. “Good eye! Yes, it is.”
“I’m not really one to wear them, but I might like to hang one in my closet as a memento.”
“I’ll let the quartermaster know,” said Eridani. “Why don’t you go on ahead. I need to stop by the mech hangar for a moment.”
“If that’s the suit you were talking about, you should know those things aren’t sealed,” said Gretchen. “They’re only good inside the ship.”
“I’m aware,” said Eridani.
“Okay,” said Gretchen. “Meet you at the Starwind, Captain!”
Gretchen disembarked at the main deck, and Eridani stepped off three levels down. She entered a large, industrial hangar where she found several mech-suits leaning against the far bulkheads, secured within their bays. Scattered crewmates chatted with one another, dressed in orange jumpsuits and hardhats. If they noticed Eridani at all, they gave no sign of it.
Good, thought Eridani, and she kept to the shadows as she made her way to an old parts cage. Moments later, a pair of crewmen stepped into view, and one of them lightly rattled the door. “Hey,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
Eridani whirled around. Suddenly, the crewman grew slightly taller, and his features changed into Eleski’s human face. Katsinki revealed himself immediately after. “Not funny,” grumbled Eridani. “Were you seen?”
“We were not,” said Eleski.
“Well done,” said Eridani, and she slowly opened the parts cage door. It creaked and whined along the way, but none of the mech crews paid her any heed. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside and stood before a rack of power cells. “How many do you need?”
“While one is more than sufficient for our projected power needs, I have found it is always wise to bring another as backup,” said Katsinki.
Eridani gripped a power cell with both hands and grunted as she rolled it slightly forward. “It’s too heavy,” she said, and she jerked her hands away as the device rocked back into place. “I can’t move it.”
“I will collect it directly,” said Katsinki.
“No!” said Eridani. “The cage is rigged with a biometric alarm.”
“I will help you,” said Eleski, and she studied one of the forepersons. A moment later, she replicated his features exactly, and a soft, rosy glow washed up and down her body. Dressed now in an orange jumpsuit and hardhat, she stepped inside. “We will lift it together.”
With great effort, Eridani and Eleski walked the power cell out onto the hangar deck. As they prepared to set it down, the device slipped from Eridani’s grip, and it crashed down. The noise drew the attention of the very foreperson Eleski had duplicated, and he led his team toward the cage.
Eleski promptly took the form of a cylindrical crate. Katsinki shapeshifted around the power cell, adding it to his mass as he turned into Grostonk. Eridani faced the approaching team and waved politely.
“Oh, hey Grostonk. Didn’t see you come in.” The foreperson scooped up some cleanser and rubbed it over his hands for a moment before wiping them off with a shop towel. “Don’t think we’ve formally met, Captain Webb.” They shook hands and exchanged introductions.
“A pleasure to meet you,” said Eridani.
“So, what brings you all the way down here to the heart of the Seabees?”
“Grostonk thought it might be good for me to see the loaders in action,” said Eridani.
The foreperson nodded. “Sure, sure.” He noticed the cylindrical crate Eleski had become. “Well, that storage tube doesn’t belong here.” He placed his fingers to his mouth and whistled shrilly. “Fire up Old One-Eye, gentlemen! Let’s show Captain Webb what we can do!”
“Oh no, that’s not necessary,” said Eridani.
“Nonsense,” said the foreperson. “It’s no trouble at all!”
“In that case, can you walk me through the power-on cycle?” asked Eridani, and she pointed at one of the mechs. “I’m more of a hands-on learner.”
He grinned. “Heck yeah! Right this way.”
“Oh, I’m needed on the command deck,” said Katsinki, still wearing his disguise. “Sorry to cut this short.”
“Grostonk, I’ll see you there,” said Eridani, and she followed the foreperson to Old One-Eye.
As Katsinki walked past Eleski, she turned into a shadowy version of her human guise, and they slipped out of the hangar together. Eleski placed her hand on Katsinki’s forearm. Where should we meet her?
We will wait for her here in this storage room, said Katsinki. She will have to pass by on the way to the launch bay. He used his gene key to open a heavy steel door and left it ajar as they quietly entered the storage compartment.
A short time later, Eridani walked past them, and she yelped as Katsinki pulled her inside. She spun around, ready to fend off her attackers, and she sighed. “Come on, warn me next time!”
“Our apologies,” said Katsinki. “We had to make do. Are you ready?”
“Is there enough room in here?” asked Eridani.
“There is just enough room,” said Katsinki.
Eridani took a deep breath and nodded. “All right, I’m ready.”
Eleski embraced Eridani from behind. Slowly, she changed form as she completely engulfed Eridani. Technological components solidified on the surface, forming a fully articulated suit of armor. She painted herself white, with red, gold, and navy-blue accents.
Katsinki placed his hands on Eleski’s shoulders. Closing his eyes, he seated himself upon her back in the form of a rocket pack nestled between a set of folded, forward swept wings. He engaged the power cell, and a flood of energy surged through him and Eleski. Eridani, we are ready, he said.
You need only to move as you normally would, and we will take care of the rest, said Eleski.
“Sounds easy enough,” said Eridani. She stepped forward and paused at the door. Smiling to herself, she pulled it open and walked into the passageway beyond. Eleski generated a viewscreen overlay, providing tactical outlines and information for everything visible.
Together, t
hey traversed the length of Imperium’s keel deck and entered the launch bay through a door near the lift. Gretchen whistled, impressed. “Damn, Captain! Nice rig!”
Eridani popped open her hawklike faceplate. “Thank you. Truly, I appreciate everything you’ve done up to this point. We could never have gotten this far without you.”
“It’s my pleasure, Captain.”
Eridani nodded. “See you for exfil.” She boarded the Starwind, closed her faceplate, and walked past Roscoe’s Reavers to sit down near the cockpit.
“I hope you know how to fly that thing,” said Roscoe.
“It’s move by wire,” said Eridani, hear voice broadcast from a set of speakers. “I’ll be fine.”
Hydraulic arms hissed, and alarms blared as the cargo ramp sealed shut.
◆◆◆
Wind roared around them as Roscoe, TJ, and Ramsey plummeted from the Starwind. A ruined, crescent-shaped campus awaited them far below. Roscoe and TJ grinned as they rocketed toward the planet’s surface. Ramsey wore an armored rebreather that cupped the back of his head.
Eridani tumbled wildly. She breathed raggedly, nearly hyperventilating. Directional thrusters glowed from within her armor’s shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle joints.
We will keep you safe, said Eleski. Remember, I am your body, and Katsinki is your propulsion. Move, like you did before. We will receive your neural impulses and translate them into the appropriate locomotion.
“I’m going to die,” breathed Eridani. She closed her eyes tight.
Grostonk picked up the comm. “You’d better not!”
You will not perish, said Katsinki. However, if you do not open your eyes and start moving, it is possible we will damage your body when moving it for you. This is not what we wish.
Eridani screamed, and she curled into a ball as she fell.
“Captain, what’s wrong?” asked Grostonk. “Captain!”
You can do this, said Eleski.
I can’t do this, thought Eridani.
Trust the movements of your body, said Katsinki.
All right, thought Eridani. Here goes nothing! She opened her eyes and extended her legs, willing them to jump. The rockets fired, and the wings sprang from her back. She swooped up, catching a glimpse of the shuttle as it raced for the horizon. It worked! Oh my god, we’re flying!
Indeed, we are, said Eleski. A feeling of warmth and pride flowed from her.
“Grostonk, I’m okay,” said Eridani. “Everything’s okay!”
He exhaled audibly and sat back in his chair. “Good. I really need to—wait, they can’t hear me, can they? Roscoe and his guys, I mean.”
“No way,” said Eridani. “It’s just you, me, and the denshi-tengus on this channel.”
“Good. Great,” said Grostonk. “Because now I need to hit the head. Can’t imagine why. I’ll be right back.”
“Talk to you soon,” said Eridani, and she beamed. She rolled and dove, coming alongside Roscoe’s Reavers just as they pulled their cords. They guided their parachutes to land beyond the edge of the ruined campus, where they promptly took cover under a rusted slab.
Rocketing skyward for a moment more, Eridani cut her engines and fell backward, arms outstretched. Gaining speed, her wings snapped back to their recesses as she twisted like a corkscrew, catching flight again close to the surface, where she drifted down upon the cushion of her directional thrusters. Her wings folded up again as she touched down near the mercenary trio.
“That’s a really nice rig,” said Ramsey. “Where’d you get it?”
“Some friends made it for me,” said Eridani.
“Don’t suppose you got a business card,” said Roscoe. “I know a lot of people that’d pay good money for high-end custom mech suits.”
Still breathless and grinning, Eridani stood arms akimbo. “It was kind of a one-off, but I’ll ask if they’d be interested in picking up some more business.”
“Yeah, sure you will,” said TJ, and he kicked away a stray bone.
“Enough talk boys,” said Roscoe. “It’s time to move.” Keeping low, he regarded Eridani as he crept along a valley of broken machinery. “Appreciate you keeping their attention while we winged down, but you gave away our position.” He and TJ cleared their throats, expectorating wads of black sludge. “It would’ve been better if you landed further off and used stealth to close the distance.”
“Whose attention are we talking about?” asked Eridani.
TJ’s pupils dilated behind ephemeral grids that flashed upon his lenses. “Schurke’s sentries. They’re scattered across the campus rooftops.”
“I didn’t see anyone,” said Eridani.
Roscoe winked. “Wouldn’t be very good at their jobs if you did.” Suddenly apprehensive, he nudged a nearby pile of clothing with his boot. A fresh body tumbled out. “This man’s been shot. I think we stumbled into their killing field.”
Ramsey dropped prone.
TJ swiftly scanned their surroundings. “Hidden bunkers,” he said. Quickly, precisely, he indicated three locations. “I’m activating coordinated photonic polymers.” He blinked twice and vanished completely from sight.
“This is what I was talking about, when I said you gave away our—!” Thrown back violently, Roscoe struck a wall of junk. Gunfire cracked in the distance. Gritting his teeth, Roscoe stood upright and plucked a badly deformed bullet from his cheekbone. Blood trickled from the injury, and titanium claws extended from his gloves. “Keep moving,” he growled, and he bolted across the rusted field, moving faster than Eridani could follow.
We are being targeted, said Eleski. You must run!
Got it, thought Eridani, and she bolted along the makeshift path. Pockets of debris exploded from both sides of the ravine as gunfire echoed across the landscape.
Flames engulfed one of the hidden bunkers. Brief cries of surprise and anguish erupted from another. Silence lingered for only a moment before machinegun and pistol fire filled the air from the third bunker. One by one, the firearms fell quiet.
Winded, Eridani pressed her back against a junkyard wall. Moving around is exhausting, she thought. What am I doing wrong?
You are moving your limbs, causing them to strain against me, said Eleski. Allow yourself to relax completely. Allow me to serve as your musculoskeletal apparatus.
Eridani nodded. I’ll try.
To her right, Ramsey assembled his rifle and bipod. He took position further up the ravine and fired several shots. A moment later, Roscoe returned in a blur of motion.
“How do you move like that?” asked Eridani. “I didn’t see anything in your profile that accounts for it.”
“What you spent on that starship, I spent on neuroware and other upgrades,” said Roscoe. “And I ain’t about to tip my hand by listing everything they put in me.”
TJ rippled into visibility, standing beside his uncle.
“All immediate threats have been eliminated,” said Ramsey, and he rejoined the others. “The eastern entrance should be clear for about a minute.”
“Keep ‘em pinned,” said Roscoe. “TJ, support your cousin. Use your stealth suit to keep ‘em guessing. The captain and I will wait for you inside.” He looked at Eridani. “You’re fast enough. You can keep up.” He dashed away, moving at superhuman speeds.
Eridani activated her rockets and followed. Racing along the valley, she dove under rusted arches, dodging rent I-beams and tangles of sheered steel. She reached the eastern edge of the crescent, swiftly decelerated, and slipped inside the complex.
Her heart pounded in her ears. Roscoe gestured for her to be silent, and they huddled in the shadows of broken concrete and twisted rebar as a squad of soldiers hurried past. He nodded, and they cautiously approached a collapsed balcony. Ramsey joined them, and TJ appeared soon after.
“Where are we going?” asked Roscoe.
“Grostonk, are you back?” asked Eridani. “Grostonk, come in, over.”
“Yeah, I’m back,” said Grostonk, and he pulled up a digita
l blueprint of the complex. He guided them to a set of badly damaged stairs, down to the lowest level. In pitch darkness, Eleski altered Eridani’s helmet display, and everything took on shades of green as her shoulder jets softly glowed. Carefully, they picked their way along the hall to a server room door. “According to the blueprints, it’s right in front of you,” said Grostonk.
Eridani pushed and pulled, but it didn’t budge. “Nothing,” she said. “It feels like it’s part of the wall.”
Ramsey sighed and tapped the right-side jamb. “It’s here.” A secret door slid aside, revealing a spacious lift.
“How did you know that?” asked Eridani.
“Lucky guess,” said Ramsey.
Roscoe glanced between Eridani and the elevator car. “Don’t think you’re going to fit dressed like that.” He tapped the side of his head. “Since atmospheric readings show toxins are within acceptable levels down here, you could probably ditch the suit for now. Grab it on the way out.” Leaning to one side, he expectorated another wad of black sludge.
His volumetric estimations are incorrect, said Katsinki. There is enough room in the elevator car to accommodate all three of us as we are currently configured, as well as Roscoe and his nephews.
The discharge he generates is a waste byproduct of his tracheal filtration system, said Eleski. Since he is still producing the discharge, I question the threshold he observes as ‘acceptable levels.’
Eridani looked at Roscoe. “I’d hate for scavengers to find it. Besides, I’m pretty sure we can all squeeze in there.” She ducked slightly and crossed into the car. Taking up one of the corners, she gestured to the space that remained. “See?”
“Right,” said Roscoe. “I stand corrected.” He led his nephews inside.
They descended several floors and exited to a darkened passage. Following it to an unmarked door, Roscoe forced it open. Inside, they discovered dozens of empty server racks and scattered shells of gutted computers. Cords dangled from hundreds of wall ports. Propped upright, warning placards covered a large, oddly shaped case.