by JN Chaney
She nodded.
After a brief silence, Freddie cleared his throat. “What are we going to do now, Captain? Do you have a plan?”
“I’m not taking you back to the church,” I said, frankly. “But I won’t leave you stranded, either.”
Abigail lifted her eyes to look at me. “What do you mean?”
“You owe me a shitload of money, lady. All of you do. I expect you to find a way to pay, and quickly.”
Hitchens, who had said very little until now, raised his finger. “I might have some extra credits.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“The church recently sent me a nice sum for my research expenses. A grant of sorts.”
“How much?” I asked.
“Ten thousand, I believe,” he said, tapping his chin. “Would that be enough?”
“Not even close, but it’s a start,” I said. “Anyone else?”
“I don’t have any money, but I’m sure we can figure it out,” said Fred.
“Good, because until we do, we’re all in a world of shit. Maybe you didn’t see the guy in charge of that small fleet, but his name is Fratley, and he’s ruthless. He’ll torture and kill you all if he finds out you’re on this boat.”
“Let’s avoid that outcome if we can,” said Freddie.
“There might be a better way,” mused Hitchens. “Tell me, Captain, do you know any traders who deal in relics or antiques?”
“I might know a guy,” I said, immediately picturing Ollie, back on Taurus.
“If so, the solution might be right in front of us.”
“How?” asked Fred.
“Do you recall the Cartographer on Epsilon?”
“How could I forget?” I asked. “Getting attacked by a bunch of wild animals is always memorable.”
“Nevertheless, there are several points of interest there, aside from the ruins we visited. Octavia and I, along with other researchers at the church, have spent the last several years excavating that planet. We’ve uncovered several artifacts that we believe would net a small fortune.”
“And where are these relics?” I asked.
“In a small facility not far from Arcadia. I can give you the exact coordinates if you’d like.”
“This isn’t the kind of thing where one person thinks something is valuable, but then it turns out to be a bunch of junk…is it?”
Hitchens waved his arms back and forth. “No, no, I assure you, these relics are quite valuable, Captain.”
I considered the proposal. If he was right, it could mean getting Fratley off my back for good. If these relics turned out to be worthless, I might not have enough time to do another job. I’d be royally fucked.
“Okay,” I finally said. “To hell with it. I didn’t become a Renegade because it was easy. Let’s see what you can do, Professor.”
“I’m not a professor,” corrected Hitchens.
“Whatever,” I said. “Siggy, you listening?”
“As always,” said Sigmond.
“Prime the engines. We’ve got a junkyard to loot.” I let out my hand to Hitchens. “Now, let’s hear those coordinates. There ain’t much time to lose.”
* * *
I thought about putting in a long-range request to speak with Ollie back on Taurus, but decided against it. The last thing I needed was someone catching the signal and listening in. They said the gal-net was secure, but I’d heard stories. There was talk that the Union had trackers in place to pick up on key words, and I couldn’t risk getting found out before I delivered the goods. I’d have to take a chance on Ollie’s ability to sell whatever I brought him. If the goods were decent, we wouldn’t have a problem, but I’d have to wait to find out.
The facility Hitchens told me about was on a large asteroid in a system called DX192-9444-0. It was the kind of place you’d never visit, because there was almost nothing there. There was a single planet, sure, but it was a gas giant with nothing but liquid hydrogen oceans on its surface. Hardly the kind of place you’d take a date.
According to the gal-net, it was theorized that there used to be another planet here, closer to the star, but it eventually exploded into an asteroid belt. Most believed it was due to a rogue comet hitting the planet, but I got the impression none of them knew for sure.
Whatever the case, hardly a soul ever came this way. The belt had been mined and subsequently abandoned, just like so many other systems whose resources had been bled dry, and now it was ours.
“Our destination is one of the larger asteroids,” said Sigmond as we entered the belt.
“Bring us in,” I ordered.
“Shall I ready the shuttle for you, sir?”
“Sure, and while you’re at it, tell Abigail and Freddie to meet me in the bay.”
“As you wish,” said the AI.
I exited the cockpit and found Lex running around the outer ring of the lounge. She seemed to be playing and mumbling to herself, the way a kid does when they’re in a world of their own. “Hey, Mr. Hughes, excuse me.”
I stepped aside, letting her pass. “Careful,” I told her. “If you trip and fall, I’m not cleaning you up.”
“Sorry,” she said.
“What’s that in your hand?” I asked.
She showed me a small toy, some kind of tiny ship. “Abby gave it to me at the church. His name is Jerry.”
“Jerry? What kind of name is that for a ship?”
“I dunno. That’s just his name,” she said, like she had nothing to do with it.
“Oh, well, why aren’t you with someone? Did the nun get sick of you?”
She shook her head. “Abby’s talking to the doctor. It was boring, so I left.”
“Smart girl,” I said. “All right, go on and play or whatever you were doing.”
She smiled, then turned and resumed her nonsense.
Leaving the lounge, I quickly walked to the bay, where I found Freddie and Abigail waiting for me. To my surprise, Hitchens was also there. “I only need two of you. The doctor can wait in the lounge or his room.”
“You’ll need me to help locate the correct items,” said Hitchens. “None of you know anything about my work.”
“He has a point,” said Abigail.
“That might be true, but you have to stay here.”
“What for?” he asked.
“Because you don’t have your own spacesuit, and you’re too fat for mine,” I said, rather bluntly.
Freddie’s jaw dropped.
“Oh,” muttered Hitchens. “I see. Well, that makes sense, I suppose.”
“You can guide us from here. There’s a camera on each of the suits that links directly to the ship’s systems. Sigmond will set you up on the lounge’s viewer.”
“That’s correct,” said Sigmond, his voice booming from the overhead speaker.
“Ah, well, that makes things easier,” said Hitchens, resting his hand on his side.
“As for you two, I hope you can handle a spacewalk. Suits are in that locker over there.” I pointed behind them. “Gear up and let’s get to it.”
“W-Wait,” said Fred. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
I paused. “Huh?”
“I’ve never gone on a real microgravity walk before.”
“You what?” I asked.
“There’s never been a reason for me to do something like that.”
Even Abigail was surprised. “Didn’t you take the training course? It’s required on most Union worlds before you’re allowed to fly.”
“I’m from Shadderack. Our training program isn’t what you’d call pristine.”
“Shadderack?” asked Hitchens.
“It’s a lesser known colony world. We don’t utilize a lot of space travel, so most never have a reason to leave the planet. I only did because my education required—”
“Get to the point, Freddie,” I said.
“Sorry. We mostly submerge ourselves in water for an hour, walk around, and that’s it. The instructor signs off and we mov
e on. The Union doesn’t seem to mind it, since hardly anyone from Shadderack ever leaves the planet, let alone the solar system.”
I went to the locker and pulled out a helmet. “Well, today you get some hands-on experience.” I pushed the helmet into his arms. “It’ll be a great learning exercise.”
Fred looked down at the reflecting visor, spotting himself. “Oh, boy.”
Abigail grabbed one of the suits from the locker and handed it to me. “Let’s get this over with.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said, grinning at the nun. “I like where your head’s at.”
Thirteen
I stood on an asteroid, watching as my two companions departed the small shuttle.
Freddie nearly fell out of the vehicle, having had little experience with spacewalks before today. Still, he seemed to grasp the concept pretty quickly, once his feet were planted on the rock.
Abigail flicked on her suit’s light, brightening the asteroid’s surface.
I touched the side of the shuttle, detaching a flat piece of metal. It unfolded itself into a large, hovering cart with an extendable handle. This would make carrying the load back significantly easier once we located it.
Nearby, I spotted several discarded pieces of drilling machinery, most of which were likely inoperable. The gal-net had mentioned a mining operation taking place here some twenty years ago, making most of this equipment useless and archaic.
“Hitchens, you hearing me?” I asked, speaking through the com in my suit. “Give me a sign you’re there.”
“Is this thing on, Sigmond? Can he hear me?” asked the doctor.
“I can hear you,” I acknowledged.
“I don’t think he can hear me,” said the archaeologist.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Siggy, you got me?”
“Yes, sir,” said the AI.
“Tell Hitchens to shut up and tell us where to go.”
“Oh, it’s working now. Captain, this is Doctor Thadius Hitchens. Do you read me?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent!” he exclaimed, cheerily. “Now, if you’re all ready to go, I’m happy to lead you.”
“Just get on with it,” I said.
“You’ll want to move through the area ahead of you. Do you see that rock over there? The one resembling a large eye? A short walk after that, you’ll find the mine entrance. That’s your destination.”
“That’s it?” I asked, surprised at how simple the directions were.
“Not quite. Once you’re inside, the tunnel segments into several more. You’ll want to follow my explicit directions if you are to reach the storage room.”
“Did you two hear that?” I asked my companions.
“Loud and clear,” said Abigail.
We both looked at Freddie, who seemed to be preoccupied with a green rock. “Fred?” I asked.
He looked up from the stone. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just—”
“Were you even listening?” asked Abigail.
He got an embarrassed look on his face. “I’m so sorry.”
“Just come on,” I said, pushing the cart forward. “We’ve got work to do.”
We passed by the stone Hitchens had mentioned, which I decided looked less like an eye and more like a testicle, although I kept the observation to myself.
A minute later, I spotted the mine in question. A feeble little cave that you’d only see if you were standing directly in front of it. The only signs of activity were the scattered drilling equipment, attached to the ground by hard wires, abandoned near the entrance.
“Okay, Doc, lead the way,” I said over the com as we entered the cave. Before me was a long passage with several branching paths. It was too dark to see without turning on my helmet’s light, which I decided to crank to the highest possible setting. The cave had no flat walls or floors. Instead, all sides were equally ridged.
“You’ll need to disable your suit’s gravity function,” suggested Hitchens. “You can’t walk this on foot.”
“If I die in here, Hitchens, I’m coming for you,” I warned, disabling the artificial gravity option. I lifted slightly off the ground, keeping my hand on the cart, which had its own mini-thrusters to allow for better control.
Abigail and Freddie did the same, each placing an arm on the cart’s railing.
“Where to, Hitchens?” I finally asked.
“You’ll want to take the first left, then right, then head straight…then pass two…no, three passages, and take the next left. Finally—”
“How about you tell us as we go,” I suggested.
“Ah, yes. Sorry,” he said. “Please, take the first left.”
The three of us went forward, entering the cave and slowly making our way into the darkness. At the first break in the tunnel, I turned the cart into the second hall. We pressed on, with Hitchens guiding us through the labyrinth of corridors. I wasn’t sure how the miners ever managed to get anything done in such an awful workspace. Unlike a moon or a planet, there was no north or south here, no true sense of direction. There was only forward and back, surrounded by the same stone on all sides. I an insect, burying my way deep into the ground.
After several minutes, at the end of the final tunnel, we found an opening that lead into a sort of cavern. There were no doors to protect it, no barricades of any kind. As we drew closer, I could see there was nothing significant inside. I wondered if we’d taken a wrong turn somewhere.
But before I could say anything, Hitchens chimed in on the com, a satisfied tone in his voice. “Ah, now we’re at it!”
“At what?” asked Freddie. “There’s nothing here.”
“Hardly so. This is but the foyer. There should be a panel on the far wall. Do you see it?”
Sure enough, there was a control panel hidden in the corner of the cave. It was difficult to see at first, being the same gray color as the rest of the wall. Freddie floated over to it and popped the cover open, revealing a number pad. “Got it,” he said.
“Excellent,” said Hitchens. “Next, you’ll want to punch in the following: 6-6-4-2-9.”
“You get that, Fred?” I asked.
“Not a problem,” said the young priest.
He pressed the numbers, a hard click following each one, and then…
Nothing.
We stood there in silence, waiting for something to happen.
“Are you certain you did it correctly?” asked Abigail.
“6-6-4-2-9,” said Freddie, repeating the code exactly as he’d heard it.
“Give it a moment,” said Hitchens.
A second later, the nearby ground began to shake, and a wall cracked open, sliding up into the ceiling. “Here we go,” said Fred.
“Aha!” exclaimed Hitchens. “Pardon the security measures. The wiring isn’t exactly what you might call exemplary, but it is effective.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said, floating through the opening. “Let’s get what we came for and head out.”
The hidden area looked to hold a catalog of artifacts similar in design to what I saw on Epsilon. I had no idea if any of them were still operational, but it didn’t matter. I was sure some rich asshole somewhere in the galaxy would pay their weight in credits to get their hands on this garbage.
Hell, if Ollie could sell ornaments he built out of old wiring he found in a dumpster, why not this?
As I entered into the final room, I felt a sudden weight on my body, and dropped to the ground, catching myself.
“Oh, goodness!” exclaimed Hitchens. “I should have mentioned, we installed artificial gravity in this section of the mine. Please be careful.”
“Next time, how about you give us a warning first?” I asked, standing back up.
“My apologies,” said Hitchens.
Crates and plastic-sealed machines filled the cave, delicately placed in perfect order. Fred accidentally bumped his foot into one as he entered, knocking it to the ground. I heard something shatter inside.
Abigail and I both l
ooked at him, and I shook my head. “Really, Freddie?”
“I’m so sorry!” he said, trying to salvage the broken whatever-it-was.
“Will you be able to get the rest without breaking them?” asked Abigail. “Do you need to wait outside?”
“No, I promise I’ll be more careful, Sister.”
I chuckled. “You’re getting lectured.”
The nun turned and glared at me.
“Don’t try that shit on me,” I told her, shutting her down before she could start. “I’ll leave your ass stranded.”
“A word of warning, Captain,” said Hitchens. “You’ll want to be especially careful with the cargo marked with a yellow indicator. Those are particularly fragile, and therefore more valuable.”
I saw Freddie checking the box he’d broken. He frowned at the yellow marker.
I shook my head again. “Poor, poor Freddie.”
We loaded what we could on the cart and began our way back toward the entrance. The path out was a little easier, although I don’t know what we would have done without Hitchens guiding us. Considering how much cargo we still had to retrieve from that cave, we were looking at several more trips, but I was certain we’d be done before the day was through.
Thankfully, loading the crates into the back of the shuttle was significantly easier than it was in the cave. I lifted a box with one hand, which had previously required both Freddie and I to move.
We filled the shuttle in no time, then returned to the mine. It was easy-going for a while. It even began to feel routine. Walk through the mine, load the cart, walk back to the shuttle, load it up. Repeat.
It wasn’t until the fourth trip, later in the day, that everything went to total and complete shit.
* * *
“Sir,” began Sigmond as we loaded another cart full of equipment. “I’m detecting something.”
I stopped what I was doing. “What is it, Siggy?”
“A slip tunnel has appeared in this system. I believe another ship has entered the area.”
“Another ship? Can you see who it is?”
“I’m afraid not. Shall I raise the cloak?”
“Do it,” I ordered. “We’re on our way back. Expect the shuttle in a few.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Abigail.
“Sounds like we’ve got company. Come on, we’ve gotta go.”