One Dark Future

by Michael Anderle

  “Why can’t we just jump again?” Erik asked. “Why bother with the thrusters?”

  Emma sighed. “There was some damage during the jump. It’s nothing serious, but it’ll take more than a day to repair. Attempting to jump right now would likely result in failure or death.”

  Jia’s expression darkened. “And that’s where the good news ends.”

  Erik’s brow lifted. “Potential death is the good news?”

  “They can fix it,” Jia explained. “But we’ve got both of the other likely ships on long-range sensors, and they will probably arrive at the comet in less than a day.”

  Cutter laughed. “Man, you guys let yourselves get depressed about every little thing.”

  “You’re right, Cutter.” Erik nodded at Emma. “You basically hit a bull’s eyes on your first real try.”

  Emma sniffed. “I suppose, but don’t get us killed during this mission. I intend to do better the next time.”

  “I always try not to get us killed,” Erik replied. “You guys got us here. Now I can show off my skills.”

  Jia turned around in her chair to face him. “There might not be a fight. They might give up when they see how well-armed we are.”

  “Here’s hoping.”

  They’d made history that day, and they’d soon make more.

  Erik stared at the small dot on the sensor display marking the mysterious comet that had earned the attention of three different ships, the highest levels of the conspiracy, and the UTC government. The last time the government had sent him off to deal with potential aliens, all his soldiers had died.

  This time, it would be different. There was nothing left to surprise him.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  A light knock awoke Erik. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

  He’d been resting in his cabin aboard the Argo. Jia was getting in flight time, and he didn’t feel like hitting the VR room. A well-rested warrior was one who possessed the stamina he needed to win a battle.

  It turned out working for Alina was ending up a lot like his military career. There was an abundance of hurrying up and waiting.

  “Who is it?” Erik called.

  “Osei.”

  Erik hopped out of his bunk with another yawn, then wandered to the door and pressed the access panel, wondering what the officer wanted to talk about. They had seemed like they were on the same page during their earlier conversation, but this wasn’t the time to make assumptions, not when things might get dangerous.

  Captain Osei stood in the passage, a neutral look on his face. “I figured you might want to talk to me without everyone else around, Blackwell.”

  “I don’t care either way.” Erik backed away from the door and gestured inside. “But if that makes you feel better, fine by me.”

  “You don’t care? I was thinking we could both be more honest this way.” Captain Osei entered, looking dubious. He closed the door. “I want everything clear. You get to be the shot-caller because those were the orders I received, and I didn’t want to run you down in front of the unit and damage your authority. That doesn’t change something important, and I’m going to make damned sure we both know what the other is thinking before I charge behind you into the bowels of who knows what is in that comet.”

  Erik nodded slowly, the connections in his mind creating a clearer picture. “I’m not here to get your men killed.” He let out a quiet, pained chuckle. “You’re still wondering about Molino. I thought it was a little too easy with you earlier.”

  Captain Osei shook his head. “I know the truth about Molino, the whole truth. While every man and woman volunteered for this mission, I’m the only one who was fully briefed on the background, including what happened on Molino. Not that it makes much difference.”

  Erik folded his arms, a defensive smile appearing. He doubted the captain had come to talk just to say he trusted Erik implicitly. “You don’t think it does? I led my soldiers into an ambush, and I was the only who walked out.”

  “You got screwed over either way,” Captain Osei replied. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a big conspiracy nobody ever heard of or terrorists. You got ambushed on that moon, and a lot of good soldiers died. If you’re asking if I blame you, no, I don’t. We’ve all had shit runs during missions. This isn’t about blame.”

  “What’s it about then?” Erik dropped his arms, trying to push the aggression out with it.

  “This is about making sure you didn’t die on Molino too.”

  Erik grunted. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “If I’ve seen it, I know you’ve seen it. Some men just give up when they lose those around them.” Captain Osei locked eyes with Erik, his stare defiant. “They figure since they’re already dead, it doesn’t matter what sort of chances they take. They’re just running down the clock before they join everybody else. It makes them fearless but also reckless, and the last thing I want to do is go on a mission with someone who doesn’t give two shits about whether he lives or dies.”

  “You think that’s what I’m doing?” Erik asked. “You think I died on Molino and am just throwing myself at trouble until some asshole gets lucky and finishes me off?”

  “I don’t know. You tell me, Blackwell.” Captain Osei gestured around the room. “I don’t know the fine details, but I know the broad strokes. You came back to Earth and joined the police force to start investigating the people you thought were responsible. You’ve done a lot of crazy crap since then, stuff most people don’t even realize, and the stuff people have heard of was enough to make you famous.”

  “That’s all true.” Erik shrugged. “But I’m still here. If I didn’t care about surviving, then how did I get involved in all this stuff and not die? I’d have to be the luckiest asshole in the entire UTC, and I think we know from Molino I’m not.”

  The corner of Captain Osei’s mouth curled into a mocking sneer. “You can be lucky and suicidal. Very lucky, or maybe it’s less that you’re suicidal and more that you don’t care what happens around you as long as you get what you want.”

  Erik clenched his hands into fists, his jaw tightening. If he didn’t need Osei’s help right away, he might have introduced the man’s face to his fist.

  “You’re pushing the line,” Erik growled.

  “I’m making sure you have a line, Blackwell,” Captain Osei snapped back. “And I don’t apologize for it.”

  “Jia’s been with me since I returned to Earth.” Erik took some deep breaths and worked to imagine how he might look from the other man’s perspective. “She’s helped me almost from the beginning. If I’m a reckless asshole who doesn’t care who he gets killed, how would she have survived? That goes beyond being possible from luck alone.”

  “I don’t know.” Captain Osei offered him a cold smile. “You could be the luckiest asshole in the galaxy. History remembers the guys who win all the time because they’re both lucky and good. Roll the dice enough times, and you can get a string of the same numbers.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” Erik snorted and reconsidered his decision not to break Osei’s nose.

  He wasn’t even sure why he was so angry. Others had suggested similar mindset problems, but he hadn’t been as angry with them.

  It took him a moment to locate the true source of his anger. He didn’t like that the man was suggesting Erik was willing to throw away Jia’s life.

  Erik had gone out of his way to push her away for her own safety, both before and after she knew the truth. He was willing to do a lot to get his revenge, but Jia wasn’t a tool of that revenge. She was the first thing that had convinced him there might be something to live for after his revenge.

  “Problem, Blackwell?” Captain Osei asked.

  Erik bared his teeth. “If I were a lucky bastard like you said, I would have never been on Molino. I would never have ended up ambushed, and I wouldn’t have spent the last few years of my life dedicated to hunting down bastards who have the resources to wipe out entire platoons of assault in
fantry on the other side of the UTC.” He squared up against Osei and glared at the man. “I need to know here and now if you can’t do this. I’m not going into combat with someone who is going to second-guess everything I do, and I’m not going into combat with anyone who thinks I don’t give a shit about the men and women around me.”

  Silence followed, neither man moving, their breathing shallow. The air was thick with tension.

  Captain Osei was the first to back away. “I wasn’t trying to wind you up, Blackwell. I just needed to make sure without anyone else around.”

  “Fine,” Erik ground out. “And now are you sure?”

  “Yes.” Captain Osei nodded. “I also get why you’ve got everyone from the ID to your hot partner there following you. It’s not just about being ex-military. You’re a natural leader.”

  “Okay.” Erik rolled his shoulders. “I’m glad we are on the same page for real now.”

  “There’s something I need to know.”

  “Now what?” Erik asked.

  “Our briefings suggested special-forces equivalents and full-conversion Tin Men were the most likely enemy forces we’d be facing,” Captain Osei explained. “But when I pressed, my superiors admitted there might be other enemies including mutants and yaoguai, but they didn’t go much farther. I need you to let me know what we’ll actually be facing out there. You’ve fought those bastards all over.”

  “I’ve seen a lot of things from the conspiracy,” Erik replied. He headed over to his bunk and sat on the edge before continuing. “But we could get lucky and get there first. Won’t have to deal with anyone that way.”

  “What’s our chance of that? I figured if I asked your pet AI, she’d tell me to screw off. The DD made it very clear she doesn’t care for the military.”

  Erik waited a couple seconds, wondering if Emma would interrupt. When she didn’t, he continued, “She’s not anti-military. She’s anti-military coming to take her away from her friends, but the answer to your other question is we’ve got pretty much a zero chance of getting there before the other ships.”

  Captain Osei grunted in frustration. “I was worried you were going to say that.”

  Erik offered a bitter chuckle. “They’d both have to slow way the hell down for that to happen. Based on what we’re picking up, they’re almost there, and will probably arrive a good half-day before us. I think it’s too much to ask that they suddenly break down after a year.”

  “Two ships full of monsters and cyborgs,” Captain Osei muttered. He narrowed his eyes. “Is this going to be a tough fight, or is there something worse than that out there?”

  Erik nodded, his face a grim mask. “The level of garbage the conspiracy is willing to do will turn your stomach. We’ve seen them use nanites to turn people into strong zombies.”

  Captain Osei grimaced. “Let me guess, that prison riot you were involved in?”

  “Yeah. A prison full of nano-zombies, and that’s not even the most twisted thing we’ve faced.”

  “Huh?” Captain Osei’s dark eyes widened in apprehension. “You’re telling me you’ve dealt with Special Forces-level operators, full conversion Tin Men who still had their minds, yaoguai and mutants and damned nano-zombies, and there’s something worse out there?”

  “On Venus, we fought a mutant who wasn’t totally human,” Erik replied.

  Captain Osei scoffed. “Isn’t that all mutants? What was so bad about one particular genetically-engineered freak?”

  “This guy was a lot worse.” Erik shook his head. “They’d spliced Leem DNA into the guy somehow, among other things. He didn’t move like a human or a Leem, and he was damned hard to kill.”

  “A half-alien?” Captain Osei’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “And I thought full-conversion cyborgs were insane.”

  “If you shoot something enough, it’ll die,” Erik replied confidently. “That’s what I’ve learned in dealing with all these freaks.”

  Captain Osei looked uncertain for the first time in the conversation. “They say it might be a Navigator ship.”

  “That they do.” Erik shrugged. “But right now, it’s just a comet that’s acting weird with two ships heading toward it. I’m not convinced it’s not some sort of conspiracy base, but who the hell knows? We’ll find out for sure when we get there.”

  “But it could be a Navigator ship.” The captain looked at Erik. “You ever worry that there will be some of them still there? They could have popped out of cryogenic suspension or something.” Captain Osei frowned. “It might be hard to beat a Navigator in a fight if they decide they don’t like us. They probably have tech and monsters that make the conspiracy look like nothing.”

  “If the Navigators were immortal badasses, they’d still be around and not dust. Besides, I’m overdue.”

  “Overdue?” Captain Osei’s brow rose in confusion. “For what?”

  Erik gave a firm nod. “I was supposed to be fighting aliens three years ago on Molino, not people.” He stood. “But I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about any aliens. I don’t know what that comet really is, but I have a hard time believing there are a bunch of Navigators waiting to ambush us, and I think we have enough guns on the Bifröst and the Argo to convince those conspiracy bastards they can’t win. There’s a good chance that we show up and fire a couple of torpedoes and missiles, and they’ll surrender rather than get blown into dust.”

  Captain Osei stared at Erik with a calculating expression. “You really think it’ll be that easy?”

  Erik smiled. “No, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hope.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Jia drummed her fingers on her leg, eagerly waiting for Erik and Captain Osei to come to a small briefing room aboard the Bifröst.

  This was their first time choosing to do something significant aboard the jumpship rather than the Argo. Other than a brief inspection of the spartan bridge of the jumpship, Erik and Jia had seen no reason to stay aboard the bigger ship, given that they could control everything from a more familiar setting, but they didn’t want everyone crammed into the modest cockpit of the Argo.

  Captain Osei’s squads remained on the jumpship. It’d be a tight fit if they were to stay on the smaller ship in their entirety, but Jia amused herself by trying to imagine carrying the current crew and the soldiers in the Rabbit.

  They’d gone from small transport to experimental jumpship so quickly she was still having trouble accepting it. The jump drive might need tuning, but it obviously worked. Their investigation could now spread throughout the entire UTC. There was nowhere the conspiracy could hide.

  She might be getting ahead of herself, but it was like they’d discussed—momentum. Sophia Vand, Emma’s stabilization, the jumpship; everything was falling into place.

  That didn’t mean challenges didn’t remain in front of them, not the least of which was the current mission, but winning against the otherwise powerful conspiracy didn’t seem like a distant possibility anymore.

  It felt like a probable outcome.

  Jia smiled as she sat at one end of the table, close to Cutter, Lanara, and Raphael. Captain Osei was already there. Emma was visually present, again electing for the uniform of an Army major. They were just waiting for Erik to arrive before beginning their meeting.

  Jia’s gaze darted between different data windows and sensor displays floating in front of her. They still had an ETA of a half-day, but the situation had changed. She wouldn’t call it luck yet, but it certainly worked to their advantage.

  The door slid open, and Erik hurried through and over to the table.

  “We couldn’t do this over the comm?” he asked, sounding annoying. “Running around this jumpship isn’t as convenient as the Argo.”

  “I thought it’d be best if we were all together,” Jia replied. She nodded at the captain. “And he thought it best if we discussed this all among us before he filtered what his troops needed to know.”

  Captain Osei offered a slight dip of his head. “I’m
not going to lie to them, but they don’t need to be bothered with every operational detail either. That’s why I’m in command.”

  “You know them best,” Erik replied.

  Cutter scratched his eyelid. “Can we get going on this?”

  Raphael tapped on a data window filled with numbers. He’d mentioned it had something to do with tuning the drive. Jia didn’t think he had much to add to operational planning, but he was critically important to the function of the jump drive, so she didn’t want to exclude him.

  Similarly, Lanara, who was scrolling through what appeared to be a visual list of parts, was there just in case they needed to ask a technical or equipment question. She hadn’t complained too much about being summoned to the meeting, but she had made it clear she wanted it over sooner than later.

  “I’ll get right to it,” Jia continued. “I wanted us all to be aware of the current situation.”

  She brought up a large holographic display that tracked the target object, along with the two suspected ships. A time-lapse sequence depicted them converging on the object.

  Erik shrugged. “We knew they were going to beat us there. ”

  “Yes, but the situation has become more complicated than them beating us there. We’ve made some assumptions about those ships that now appear unwarranted.”

  Several other data windows appeared with accelerated feeds. Jia let the information display without too much comment, including an intense increase in thermal spikes and large numbers of newer small contacts appearing and replacing one of the ship contacts.

  Erik laughed. “There we go.” He clapped. “Yeah. That works. It’s Mizuchi all over again. Now that I think of it, given what happened there, it makes perfect sense.”

  Captain Osei nodded sagely. Cutter looked bored. Lanara continued to ignore anything but her parts list, occasionally muttering something under her breath that sounded like a number.

  Raphael blinked and looked at everyone. “I don’t get it. What does all that mean?”

  Jia was surprised he’d been paying attention, but she pointed at a sensor display of a cloud of small contacts. “Basically, it appears that the ships arrived and had a battle, and one of them blew the other apart. That’s a lot of pieces floating through space.” She pointed to another dot heading toward the primary contact. “The surviving ship is still on a rendezvous with the target, which although it still looks like a comet at this point is now displaying spectrographic and thermal differences that are more proof it’s not. Our ship hypothesis now has concrete evidence other than minor course changes.”