The Corrupted Star

by Martin HC

  “You threatened to hurt her and her friends, then to shave her hair off, what's wrong with you man,” the fleet admiral threw out in astonishment. “To shave her hair off,” she repeated once more while shaking her head, as if to sink in the stupidity of threatening a woman's hair.

  “Indeed,” the colonel confirmed. “Then there's the man who wouldn't talk, the mute as you so aptly put it, I think it was about three minutes into the interview where the fleet admiral confirmed my own suspicion.”

  “Your suspicion Colonel?”

  “Yes, leaving aside the incident with your own weapon, did you ever stop for one second to think that he was in actual fact, a mute? That the man didn't talk because he couldn't. The woman even went as far as to admit it during her own interview, before you drove her to almost killing you that is.”

  He clearly hadn't, the blank expression on his face told everyone as much and Brice simply moved on.

  “Finally, the engineer, amazing isn't it, that the only one of the three that wouldn't stop talking was him, and yet you closed the interview early.”

  “He wasn't making sense, there was nothing to be gained from listening to him.”

  Brice sighed, looking ahead he began to run through and summarise what the engineer had said.

  “He said he was working on the star drive, so we know there was a problem. Next he heard a boom, everything shook and that their core breached, suggesting weapons fire or an accident. Waking in a room with strangers and with no hair can only be a result of a medical procedure following a core breached with him so close to it. I'll be very interested to know how they kept him alive, and finally everything is new, 'even the damned lights are brand new' was what he said.”

  “He could just be crazy.”

  “The man's a ship bound nuclear engineer, would they allow him that title if they considered him in any way shape or form, crazy? Irrational perhaps, but certainly not crazy,” Brice answered, not looking at Tinnin following his remark. “No, it appears they got themselves into trouble in deep space, a problem with the drive, our fugitives came to their aid and there was an accident of some kind which caused the core to breach.”

  “Who knows with this fringe territory trash, why else would they exist out here,” Tinnin said.

  “And there we have it, once again, the very reason you lost your weapon to a handcuffed man, never listened to the engineer, and nearly got yourself killed. Not to mention why we almost lost an entire cruiser to a digital attack.”

  “I don't understand your point.”

  “You assume because they exist out here in this lawless space that they are fools, less than you or inferior, but they don't just exist in this place Mr Tinnin, they survive, because they are exactly the opposite and have been repeatedly underestimated.”

  Brice took a few seconds, allowing them all to mull over his words before turning his attention to the Saracen's captain.

  “The Saracen is in a terrible state as I understand it, how is your ship's condition, Captain?”

  “It's not good Colonel, most systems are still in a critical state and there are rolling power blackouts throughout her structure, fortunately the attack stopped spreading right before it hit our master power control, our techs are purging out the systems, but we'll be combat ineffective for at least another three days.”

  “I believe you were warned of the potential for an advanced technological attack, by a junior tech specialist on the Ophelia?”

  “Yes sir, the very tech specialist who's fast thinking saved the Saracen.”

  “Why did you ignore the warning?”

  “I questioned the ranking specialist on the scene and my concerns were put to rest, she lied about the details on a couple of issues that would most likely have put a stop to the operation, or at the least I would have removed the ECM suite from the ship's main network before continuing, ultimately though, the fault lies with myself.”

  Y'Riell took note of the captain's direct answers and acceptance of responsibility, she knew where the fault lay here and there was no attempt to defend her position. A formal hearing would still have to be carried out, but there would be no need to remove her from command. She couldn't see any hope for Tinnin though, the man was stubborn for all the wrong reasons.

  Brice also decided to leave it at that, unlike with Tinnin he thought it best not to dissect the captain's failings as she'd seemingly done that herself, at least learning from this.

  “Moving on, how would you like to approach Captain Osthorpe's interview Mr Brice.”

  “Have him moved to a shared cell with his crew, allow them to eat and drink, I will then attend the cell in person and question him, face to face.”

  “With the others there, unrestrained, is that safe?”

  “Absolutely not, but I don't think they're the type to kill a man of reason, who is showing them at the least some respect.”

  An Appeal to Decency

  “Captain Damon Osthorpe, I'm Colonel Brice, you've been on a few wanted lists for a while now. Unlicensed shipping, smuggling, other minor odds and sods but never espionage, you're moving up in life.”

  “Look, I don't even know why you've taken us, we know nothing of spying.”

  “Who is this man and woman? You've been seen associating with them and we would like to speak to them.”

  “We don't know who they are, we had a problem with our drive, they showed up and helped us out, outside of that, there's nothing else to tell.”

  “They helped you out, you mean with the antimatter core, a piece of heavily regulated Mergence technology? Or the shiny new internal structure to your ship? Or perhaps with the Ferren like armour designed to deflect energy weapons?”

  “Well all three actually, the armour was a surprise though even to us, he didn't tell me about that.”

  “How they rebuilt or modified a ship in deep space, while keeping everyone alive during a core breach and at the same time installing a new antimatter core, I can't figure out, I was hoping you could help fill the blanks.”

  “We have no idea how they actually did it, we were all unconscious.”

  “Where did they go?”

  “I don't know.”

  “OK, I'm going to level with you. As for the previous threats and interviews, you can consider this an apology for them, your hair is very much safe my dear,” he said to Jill. She didn't answer, but her glare did. “And as for the rest of you, no harm will come to you.”

  “This man we believe, broke into and hacked one of our data server sites, he sports a level of stealth technology we can't keep up with and we find you here with him, boasting an antimatter power core. On top of all this, we also find a Ferren hunter fleet, who is responsible for the deaths of many thousands of our people today. This Ferren encounter has been reported back to our high leadership, who have already branded it an act of war.”

  He paused, allowing the seriousness of a looming war to sink in.

  “Do not take my words lightly when I tell you that we stand upon the precipice of conflict, pushed likely passed the point of no return. We don't know how these individuals are tied into things, but you should know, it's looking like you're quite possibly involved somehow too.”

  Now that Damon was given perspective on the situation, he looked a little overwhelmed, the man in front of him was tying him to the same people that may somehow be involved in starting a war.

  “If we're going to level, then maybe we can be a little more... forthcoming,” Damon told the colonel. “We don't know who they are, really, and they did honestly help us out in deep space after our star drive ran into issues.”

  “They're not what you think, they're not bad people,” Jill spoke out. Damon turned, surprised by her sudden interjection. “That fleet wasn't Ferren either, they told us, they've been getting hunted by two groups of people for a while, the ones you just fought and a second, actual, Ferren hunter fleet.”

  “So who did we just fight?”

  “We don't know, but it wa
sn't Ferren, not according to them.”

  “Jill stop talking, we know nothing about who they really are.”

  “No Damon, you met them, spoke to them, you know what they did for us and the type of person Haydn is, Tira too, alright she's a little... funny, but think about it, it makes sense that they're telling the truth,” she moved towards Brice, her movements a little too sudden, evidenced by the already on edge guards snapping up their rifles.

  Brice on the other hand didn't move at first, Jill stopped moving but kept her eyes on him, so he motioned to the guards to lower their weapons and stepped towards the attractive black haired killer, who was displaying some very human emotions right now.

  “So their names are Haydn and Tira, you said it makes sense they're not Ferren, why?”

  “Look at your own fight with them, if that was a real hunter fleet, I mean a real Ferren hunter fleet, they would have been hitting you with much better weapons, and at least half of your fleet would have been decimated. They would not have run like that either, they consider strikes on any civilian structure as cowardly and honour-less, a Ferren fleet commander, hunter fleet or not, would never have fired on that station.”

  “I'm inclined to agree, but why are they after this pair, Haydn and Tira.”

  “The same reason you are,” Damon answered. “Technology.”

  “And what can you tell me of their technology?”

  “Only about our meeting and what they've done for us.”

  “I'm listening, Captain.”

  Damon told him about the accident, how they kept them alive, how they tore down and rebuilt the ship after the core breached, and about the antimatter drive being built on scene inside the Ophelia. He finished by detailing the meeting on the station and what they took, he told him almost everything, only leaving out the unnecessary details, like the comms device and Serena's true intelligence.

  “You told me they took a Darkspace weapon to their ship, are they truly intending on going there?”

  “I believe so, yes.”

  “Please, you have to let us talk to them, we promise no harm but they can't be allowed to go there, or roam free with a weapon which could potentially change the balance of power in this galaxy.”

  “You mean a weapon which will give you unrivalled power in this galaxy,” Jill spoke out sarcastically.

  “Yes, I do, but consider the alternatives, Ferrens, cartels, pirates.”

  “They won't give it to you though and I don't think you'll be capable of taking it from them.”

  “Maybe, we won't know what we're up against until we talk to them, we need to know their intentions at the least are not hostile.”

  Damon weighed everything he'd heard, the biggest concern so far was the oncoming conflict which they suspiciously seemed as being a part of. Cooperation at this stage was his only option, it had always been his only option after getting captured. They might not harm anyone as Brice promised, but they could hold them, indefinitely.

  “We have a transmitter which they will answer, we can call them, maybe they will agree to talk, I really don't know, if they do we'll arrange a meeting,” he told Brice. “It is conditional though.”

  “Normally people so deep in it like you are right now wouldn't be given the luxury of conditions on a deal, but we are fair and I will listen.”

  “First, we are all aloud to return to our ship, we will travel with you and you have my word we will not attempt to run. Second, after the meeting is concluded you have to let us leave, with the Ophelia.”

  “Very well, if what you're saying has been the truth, then we will have no further need to keep you here, but I have conditions of my own. An eight man security detail will be placed on the Ophelia until all parties arrive at the meet point, at which point they will be extracted, and finally before we let you leave, you must allow us to dismantle and remove your antimatter core. The technology is not something we allow you to keep, we will of course fit a new nuclear plasma reactor.”

  “He has my vote,” Arlan told the group.

  “I have a question,” Jill said. “Will we have to see that rodenty looking man again?”

  “The interrogator, no, I promise you'll never see him again.”

  “Aww, I wanted to cut his ears off.”

  His surprise wasn't with the answer, it was more with the way she shoved her hands into her pockets, and sulkily kicked the floor with her boot. She reminded him of an adolescent and could see real disappointment in her eyes, but only amusement in the mute's as he grunted a laugh.

  A Meeting Arranged

  “Hello Damon, it's nice to see you again so soon.”

  “Hi Tiralyn... are you the real Tiralyn, or the other one?”

  “I'm Tiralyn.”

  “Yes, but which one?”

  “There are an unknown number of Tiralyn's in this galaxy, I'm the Tiralyn that is me, which one were you looking for?”

  “Never mind, I got what I needed.”

  “Fantastic, if I can be of any further help then please call any time, goodbye.”

  The line cut leaving Damon looking at a blank display, Brice stood to the side of him looking confused by the laughably short conversation.

  “Was that a joke?”

  “No, no sadly it wasn't.”

  “That was Tira?”

  “That was Tiralyn.”

  “So who is Tira then?”

  “Same person, I'll call her back.”

  “What's wrong with her?”

  “I don't really know, I'm not actually sure if she's a defective android, or just unbalanced.”

  “You failed to mention this, what is it with crazy and the fringes.”

  Damon sat on a very small seat and pressed a small single button that sat in front of the display as Brice muttered his last remark with disbelief.

  The extra door in the command corridor of the Ophelia contained as Haydn had said, a communications console, it sat alone in a tiny cubicle and had one single button placed in front of the display, the idea being that it only needed one given its purpose.

  “Haydn.”

  “Whaaaaat?”

  “Damon would like to speak with you.”

  “What, now? Really? How long have I been asleep?”

  “Six hours, seventeen minutes.”

  “This can't be happening.”

  “He would like to speak with you, there was another man too, but he stood in the corridor, outside of the camera's view the entire time.”

  “Was it someone we know?”

  “We've never met him, so no.”

  “Right, tell him to wait five, I need to get dressed.”

  “Five what?”

  “Five minutes Tiralyn, minutes.”

  “OK.”

  “Wait...”

  “Yes.”

  “Was Jill there?”

  “No, shall I still tell him to wait five?”

  “Yes.”

  The wait was possibly the most awkward of Damon's life, Brice had come into the tiny room now and there was just the one chair, which Damon sat on, so he was forced to squeeze himself in beside Damon to see Tiralyn after she asked him a question out of shot, the room as he put it was, 'absurdly small'.

  “It's been longer than five minutes.”

  “I'm sure he's coming.”

  “I don't think I remember the last time I was ever placed on hold.”

  Damon didn't answer, instead he just shrugged his shoulders as both men looked back to the black display, it was at this same time it burst to life again while Haydn's voice came shouting through, both men jumped.

  “Hey Damon, yeah that worked Tiralyn, I see him now.”

  “Haydn, did I wake you?” Damon asked him after regaining his composure.

  “Yes, I was grabbing some sleep after last night, I needed it.”

  “How fortunate for you, well while you've been sleeping Haydn, me and the crew were captured by a Mergence fleet, they've been interrogating us and asking questions about you.�
�

  “How did they get you? Is that who is beside you?”

  “My name is Colonel Brice, I represent Mergence fleet intelligence.”

  “Your first name is Colonel?”

  “Yes, and we picked them up after detecting your antimatter drive, we want to talk to you about that too.”