by Tony Healey
He knew Punk would've been the one who dealt out the grenade – the Alpor took any opportunity he could to blow things up.
Will smiled as he turned the corner, knowing he'd see that everything was under control. The hybrid would be detained. His teammates in control.
Red light filled his vision and he dove to the side, crashing against a bulkhead with his arm over his eyes. His head felt like it had been drilled, yet he wasn't knocked unconscious.
A paralyzing charge.
He moved forward, pleased to feel his legs working beneath him. He peered about, through bleary vision, walked around the corner to find Punk and Barbie lying on the floor next to the bound hybrid. But directly in front of him, an armoured mercenary shone a containment shroud over the inert form of Captain Shaw. The glowing blue net held Shaw up off the deck, where he floated, completely incapacitated.
"Hey!" Will yelled, trying to aim his weapon.
The mercenary turned. The armour covered his head and face, too. On his chest he had a claw holding a sun painted on in crude red strokes. Before Will could fire off a shot, the mercenary had flung a small sharp object at him from his wrist. It stuck in the side of Will's neck. He pulled it free, looked at it.
A dart.
Oh no . . .
His eyes rolled into the back of his head and tumbled to the deck. Will blinked, realised he couldn't move his arms or legs. He looked up at the ceiling and the mercenary came to stand over him.
"Be still, kid." He chuckled, shaking his head, then walked off, the floating form of Shaw trailing behind.
By the time station security had arrived, Shaw and his kidnapper were gone.
* * *
The Spectre undocked from the station. Will checked the cell that held the hybrid and, confident the brute was secure, headed for the bridge. The body of the other hybrid had been moved to the cold storage unit of the ship and frozen for transport. He'd ordered that XB136 be held until further notice, sealed from the rest of the station by security.
"Kay, Punk, Barbs," Will said, walking onto the bridge, where he'd told them to wait for him. "We need to get Shaw back."
"Amen to that," Barbie said. "What's the plan?"
"I've got one, but before anything else, we'll need some help. What I have in mind will solve two problems," Ardai told them.
"How so?" Punk asked.
Kalar sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Will sat in the captain's chair. "Listen. This is what we're going to do."
9.
The Intrepid coasted at maximum thrust, no longer hurtling along at Jump speed. That close to the Chimera Cluster, it was not a good idea to race into it at Jump.
Dana looked up. "Incoming transmission."
"From whom?"
"Unknown. The registry doesn't correlate to anything in our records and yet they're contacting us directly."
Chang cocked an eyebrow. "Put them on."
"Intrepid, this is Will Ardai of the starship Spectre. To whom am I speaking?"
"Mister Ardai, this is Captain Lisa Chang."
"Greetings Captain. Did you receive my message?"
"I did. Received and understood. Where are you?"
"Off your port bow."
She looked to Banks. He shook his head. "Nothing there." Puzzlement dawned on his face as he watched his scanner. The Spectre seemed to materialise in front of his eyes. He looked up at Chang, dumbfounded.
"Do I have permission to dock, Captain? I'm afraid given the sensitive nature of what I have to say, I must talk with you in person."
"I thought as much. Please dock alongside. I'll meet you there."
"Thank you."
The line went dead. Chang got up, stood behind Ensign Gordon at the helm. "Once they've docked, come to a stop. Hold our position until my business is resolved."
"Understood Captain."
"Chief, you have the bridge. Banks, come with me. You'll want to hear this."
* * *
Ardai stepped out of the decontamination jets and shook her hand.
"Pleasure to finally meet you," he said.
"This is my second in command, Kyle Banks."
The two men shook.
Chang indicated a meeting room connected to docking control. She let them go in ahead of her, then ensured the room door was sealed shut. There was a small table in there, some chairs, a computer terminal.
"Back at the station, a man came to me with a message," Chang explained to Banks, to bring him up to speed. "It was from Mr. Ardai here."
"Just Will is fine."
"Okay. From Will. He wanted to find Jessica and knew I'd have an idea where she was. He said he'd be in touch when he could."
"And here I am," Ardai said.
"No offense, but how do you know you can trust him?" Banks asked. "I mean, he could be from Internal Intelligence."
"I am, technically. Sort of off the books," Ardai said. "Anyway, you can trust me. Me and Jessica go way back."
"I actually remember her mentioning you once," Chang said.
He looked surprised. "Really? What did she say?"
"Positive things."
"I take it you were more than friends," Banks said.
Ardai shrugged. "You know, ships that pass in the night and all that . . ."
"So, moving on," Chang said. "What can we do for you?"
"Knowing her, she wouldn't have disappeared without telling someone where she could be found," Ardai said, sitting on the edge of the table with his arms crossed. "Given the fact you've recently been promoted, and hand-picked your own command crew, I'm guessing you dobbed her in."
"Under her orders," Chang said defensively. "She told me to do it, I hated the idea, but I've never once said no to her."
"I never thought otherwise. But still, she knew you'd end up having your own command following that, so she must have wanted you on the inside, ready to help her. And all that means she trusted you, implicitly."
"I think that's a fair assumption."
"Good. Then you know why I've come to you. What clue did she leave?"
Banks looked to her, visibly unsure whether Chang should tell him.
Chang sighed. "Head for Zac'u IX. You'll find a facility there. Ask for a Doctor Caise. Apparently, she left some message there."
"I know you're trusting me," Ardai said. "Both of you. You have my word, I am on your side. I have Jessica's best interests at heart. I will find her, and I will help her clear her name."
"There's a lot at stake," Banks said.
Ardai stood. "I know. I'm with you, all the way. When I've made contact with her, I will contact you directly."
Chang watched him head for the door. "Good luck."
"Thanks. And to you both."
Banks waited until the door had closed behind him. "Are we right to trust him? He could still be working for Kerrick . . ."
"I don't know," Chang said. "I guess we'll find out."
* * *
"With the boss gone, you're in charge," Barbie said. "And I don't want to question you, but you're sure this is the way to go about it?"
Will nodded. "I'm sure. We find Jessica. Get her help in getting him back. Then we bring an end to this. Whatever this is."
"Course plotted," Kalar said. "All you have to do is give the word."
First they would have to head through the Kaseem Ring. In Will's mind it was a barrier to cross, a threshold that, once crossed, there would be no coming back from.
"Commander?" Barbie urged him.
Punk stood with his paws on his hips. "We're with you, mate."
Will smiled. "Do it, Kay."
* * *
Chief Kolvin looked up from behind the terminal. He'd managed to escape the bridge for the time being. His argument had been sound, of course.
"Due to the fact that we're headed into the Chimera Cluster, I think I'd be most useful in the actual engineering room. You know, rather than liaising from here," he'd said.
Captain Chang had agreed
with him, sending him promptly on his way. When he got there, he found plenty to keep himself occupied.
"Chip!" he barked.
The droid turned to look at him. "Yes, Chief?"
"How long did you say this terminal has been out of service?"
"Four hours, twelve minutes, eighteen sec–."
"All you had to do was reconnect the power feed," Chief Kolvin told him, shaking his head. "None of you brain-waves could figure that one out, huh?"
"I do apologise," Chip said. "We have been preoccupied with monitoring the intermix chambers and Jump Drive coolant feeds. In future I will be more attentive."
"Alright, no need to keep saying you're sorry," the Chief said, getting up and pushing the terminal back into position. "I should commend you for prioritizing, I guess."
The droid's head cocked to one side. "I'm afraid I am not sensitive to flattery, Chief. However, thank you in any case."
"I don't know, I really don't know . . ."
* * *
It felt strange not to be in the pilot's chair, manning the helm. Kyle Banks sat in the captain's chair, wondering how things had wound up the way they had. It seemed that as a family they had been through so much – and now that family was all but separated.
This is my family now. He had to keep reminding himself of that fact. It will come in time, with serving together as a unit.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder at the way in which fortune dealt one a good hand every now and then. Of course, it had come at great expense. But Kyle Banks had faith that everything would resolve itself in the end. Things would change along the way – they'd changed already – but in the end good always conquers evil. There was no doubting that Kerrick and whomever he answered to were evil.
The Vice-President, he reminded himself. He was the one who denounced her as a criminal.
"Approaching the Cluster," Ensign Gordon reported.
"Slow to recommended speed. Follow the procedure for breaching the Cluster," he said. After Captain Driscoll's exploits in the volatile region of space that now lay before them, there was no need to employ guesswork. In the years since the Manhattan had chased the Draxx through the Cluster, the Union had made several attempts at unlocking all of its secrets, to varying degrees of success.
"Aye sir," the Ensign said.
"Prepare for communication cut-off," he told Dana at the comm. station.
The Intrepid breached the outer edge of the purple-peach nebula and Dana pulled her earpiece free. "That's it. Static."
He almost smiled. They were headed into the unknown, into untold danger for sure and yet . . . wasn't there something inherently nostalgic about heading into uncharted waters with nothing but your wits, a sturdy ship, and the company of your shipmates? All they needed was a star to steer by and a strong wind at their backs. What they had instead was one of the newest starships in the fleet with a beating heart of pure energy.
The Intrepid was a star unto herself.
* * *
Dr. Gentry steadied himself against the bulkhead as the ship trembled upon breaching the Cluster.
"Ooh, dear," he muttered, moving hastily toward his quarters.
In days of old, it would have been expected for everyone to attend to their posts and duties while they were inside the Cluster. But things were different now – it was understood that the crew would operate more effectively when they'd had the appropriate rest. The Chimera Cluster wasn't going anywhere. It'd be there when they all woke following their downtime.
The door opened and he locked it behind him. He disliked it when the ship became unstable, reminded him that he resided within an object that was capable of travelling millions of miles per second, prone to occasional turbulence from conditions in space, just as any plane would have bounced along on air pockets centuries before on Earth.
Dr. Gentry flopped onto his bed, still fully dressed, face down on the sheets. He felt exhausted – taking on the role of science officer had seemed so appealing at first, and yet it had so many down sides. So much different from working with a research team. The only real reason Gentry took the position was to remain in the loop, make sure he was at hand when Jessica needed him.
He closed his eyes, his breathing slowed. His thoughts turned to the cylindrical body they had termed the Enigma, before learning it's real name, the Amarax.
He liked Enigma better. Gentry found his mind wandering to it now and then, usually in situations like that, when he was getting ready to sleep. He'd lie looking at the ceiling, trying to shake it all off, but it was no good.
The sheer size of it. The scope. The purpose behind its construction.
It vexed him. It boggled his mind.
He wanted to know more.
* * *
Ira Vassili did what he could to promote the healthy lifestyles of his patients, of the crew he was tasked with providing medical expertise and advice. He considered himself a disciplined man, a strict man who could get through anything.
And yet still, he couldn't say fare-thee-well to his one true vice.
He smoked the cigarette, blowing the fumes straight into the waste disposal chute located inside the medical bay. It was a filthy habit, and they weren't easy to get. In fact, cigarettes were outlawed in most sectors where Union law held relevance. But there are always those who could get you what you needed.
Ira paid above the nose for his smokes, but it was worth it. There wasn't a bad day that couldn't be fixed by a cigarette.
"Doctor?" a voice called up the hall. It was one the service entrances, and he'd chosen it because no one would be there. Ira quickly stubbed his cigarette out on the wall and flicked it into the chute.
"Yes?"
"You're needed in the medical bay. Travel sickness."
The Russian rolled his eyes. All those years training under Dr. Clayton and here he was, sneaking a cheeky smoke when nobody was looking, getting called back because some unseasoned member of the crew couldn't stomach the ship moving a bit.
"On my way," he called back. He listened to their footsteps receding back the way they'd come, reached into his pocket for the cigarettes and lit another one.
"In a minute," he mumbled.
* * *
Her quarters were dark and quiet. Lisa Chang cleared her throat and addressed the screen at her personal terminal. "Initiate outbound. Station six. Olivia Rayne."
"Please provide Terran Colonist Identification Number," replied a female voice.
"Her TCIN is OR145DJK."
"One moment." The words ATTEMPTING OUTBOUND CONNECTION scrolled in a band across the screen. "Captain Lisa Chang, please be aware that due to the nature of your assignment, this communication will be monitored by Fleet Intelligence. Be mindful of sensitive information. Please confirm."
She leaned her head back, sighed, then faced the screen. Even here, in her personal quarters, she could not escape the trappings of command. It was something to get used to, she supposed. "Understood."
After a moment of blank screen, Olivia’s face appeared. "Lisa!"
"Hey."
"Where are you?"
"I can't say. You know. How're you feeling?"
Olivia pulled a face. "Lonely. Like you knew I would be. You?"
"I've not had time to stop yet, which is good. I'm sure it'll set in, though, when I do."
"Yeah."
"Listen, I wanted to talk to you now. We're about to go dark for a while. I don't know when I'll be able to contact you."
"Oh."
"Just part of the mission. You know how it is. Nothing to worry about. I didn't want to continue without getting a chance to talk to you," Chang said. "To tell you how much I love you, how much I miss you right now."
Olivia moved close to the screen. "Lisa, I love you so much. I am so proud of you, what you're doing. Know that I'll be waiting. I'll be thinking of you."
Chang watched her girlfriend reach out and place her palm against the screen. She did the same. It gave the illusion that across the gulf of spa
ce, they were separated by a sheet of glass, their hands almost touching. Chang tried not to think about the expanse of stars in between.
"Love you. Bye," Chang said.
"Goodbye," Olivia said and closed the channel.
Chang wiped an errant tear from the corner of her eye and shut the terminal down. Her quarters were just as dark and empty as they had been beforehand. She walked to the comm. panel on the wall and called through to the bridge.
"Bridge, this is the Captain. Continue with the mission. Take us into the Chimera Cluster."
"Yes Ma'am," Banks said and closed the channel.
Chang looked around. Her thoughts turned to Jessica King.
"So . . ." she whispered. "This is what it feels like."
10.
The sonic boom could only be caused by one of two things.
Jessica stepped outside, shielded her eyes from the persistent haze in the sky and looked up. Sure enough, there they were. Fanning out, the shock waves from something entering the atmosphere at speed caused the wispy cloud layers to part and in the midst of them an object headed for their location.
So it's not caused by a meteor then.
A few seconds more and she saw that it was a ship. Chief Gunn appeared next to her, looking up just as she was.
"Have we been found?" Gunn asked.
Jessica watched the vessel. It got closer. She recognised the configuration.
"Yes," she said, smiling. The Chief looked at her. "Yes we have."
Intrepid
1.
Jessica King woke with the sun in her eyes.
She turned over, her back to the window, and draped an arm across Will's chest. He stirred in that way she'd almost forgotten from back when they were dating – like a grizzly bear waking from months of hibernation. They had only slept in the same bed for a few hours, and yet it seemed as though he had always been right there next to her.
"Morning, sleepy head."
"God, is it morning already? I only just shut my eyes," he groaned. "You wouldn't believe how tired I am . . ."
She stifled a laugh. "Uh, I think I would, boy-o. Remember, I didn't get all that much sleep either."