Evolution: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Ghost Squadron Book 3)

by Sarah Noffke

  Eddie’s hand flattened.

  “Ha! Paper beats rock!” Eddie beamed. “I get to drive a submarine.” He shot his fist in the air to celebrate his success.

  Julianna shook her head, looking dejected. “Fine. You get to go, but you’d better not get yourself into any trouble.”

  “Come on, have a little faith, would you? When did I ever do that?” asked Eddie. He strode over to the submarine and peered into the bubble.

  “Like I said, I didn’t have a chance to put cloaking technology into this ship,” said Hatch. “Just getting it ready took a while. However, I did have it painted blue, which should help a little, and of course there’s special plating to avoid radar detection,” said Hatch.

  “It’s great, Doc. Is it easy to drive?” asked Eddie.

  “I think you’ll manage. Also, I loaded an interface into it so Pip can speak with you.” He puffed his cheeks. “You’ll have Julie on the comm. I would say there’s no way you could screw it up, but you’ll probably wreck the submarine, if I know you.”

  “I like it when you say nice things to me, Hatch,” grinned Eddie. “I’ll do my best to bring it back in one piece.” He ran his hand over the sleek body of the sub.

  “Originally, when I was assigned this task,” began Hatch, “I wanted to create something like the Stingrays the Trid have been using. However, creating duel engines for both space and underwater travel was difficult at the time, so I created this as a half-measure with plans to develop it further.”

  “I’m shocked. That’s a first for you, isn’t it?” asked Eddie.

  Hatch pretended he hadn’t heard him and turned to Julianna. “It would be most helpful if your space chimp could find plans for the Stingrays while he’s searching the base. It would take me a few months to create one myself, so that would save me a great deal of time. There’s only one of me.”

  Julianna nodded. “We’ll see what we can do, Hatch. If Pip is close enough while interfaced in the submarine, maybe he can pull that information from the network.”

  “I had a similar idea,” said Hatch. “I’m not sure about the security of the Trid network for Pistris Station. You’ll want to speak with Chester about that, I’d imagine.”

  “Already done,” said Julianna. “He’s working on finding back doors so once we’re in we can get you full access.”

  “Then it looks like you have everything you need to succeed.” Hatch looked at Eddie. “Just make sure you bring me those plans.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Omega-line Q-Ship, Planet Kai, Tangki System

  It was strange for Eddie not to be sitting beside Julianna in the Q-Ship. Marilla had taken his seat, since he’d have to rely on her to navigate him around Pistris Station. Rex had been more than helpful in providing a layout for the facility. However, there were many parts of the building that were unique to the Trid staff, so having Marilla on the comm would help if Eddie encountered something Rex had forgotten to mention.

  “We’re nearing the drop,” said Julianna. “Get into place, Blackbeard.” She was flying the Q-Ship over the shimmering blue waters of Kai, which was mostly covered by seas. The base was sealed off, though, due to the requirements of the facility. Water made certain tasks more difficult, particularly with weapons research and ship construction.

  Eddie slid into the submarine, pulling the hatch closed as he dropped in. He buckled it shut and a green light came on to show that it was sealed properly.

  “Blackbeard, can you hear me?” asked Julianna over the comm.

  “Copy, Strong Arm. I’m in position,” he said. “This sub is cozy, about like the backseat of a Volkswagen.”

  “A quick comparison shows that the backseat of a Volkswagen has a few dozen more centimeters of leg room,” stated Pip.

  “I could use the extra space,” admitted Eddie, adjusting his body.

  “You want to change places with me?” said Julianna.

  “Nice try, Strong Arm, but I don’t think so,” said Eddie, grinning. He got to drive a submarine into an alien facility. It felt like his birthday, without the cake and shot of Nipponese ouzo, which was a 200-proof spirit. He also wouldn’t have a hangover tomorrow, so it actually wouldn’t be like his birthday at all.

  Too bad about that.

  “I’ll release you now,” said Julianna. “We’re just off the surface. You’ll be dropped on my count.”

  “I’m ready,” stated Eddie, grabbing the submarine’s controls. It was very similar to flying a ship, for which he was glad. If he wrecked the submarine he’d never hear the end of it from Hatch.

  “Disembarking in five, four, three, two…and one,” said Julianna.

  The submarine tilted to the side and slid down, gaining momentum until it splashed into the blue waters of Kai. Eddie turned on the engines, submerging the submarine before he could be seen. Because the Q-Ship was cloaked, there was no way anyone would see it. They’d also picked an off-hour when the base and the water space above it were mostly empty, according to Rex. It was also mid-afternoon, which Rex had said was when most Trid took their second sleep.

  Eddie flew the ship through the water, following the coordinates on his sensors. The facility wasn’t far—only a few more minutes before he was close enough.

  Less than a minute later the peak of the structure came into view. He could barely see it since the water was so thick and dark, and the base of the facility faded into the depths of the sea like nothing he’d ever seen before.

  From what he could see this place was covered in some kind of reflective material, like that on the dome that covered the submarine. As the vessel sank lower, Eddie noticed that it was massive, probably as large as the ArchAngel.

  Eddie located the tunnel for the second dry dock, which was a black opening in the side of the base. He propelled the submarine through it, hoping he didn’t come across any other vehicles. Rex had said that the second dock was the least used, especially at this hour.

  Eddie had no cloak, so if he was spotted it would mean a fight. Not much of a problem for him, but the easier this went off, the better.

  After a moment, the light overhead indicated that he was in the base.

  “What’s your status, Blackbeard?” asked Julianna over the comm.

  “I’m about to surface in Dry Dock Two,” stated Eddie. The submarine rose, and to his relief the dock was deserted. There were a few submarines tied up along the dock, which relieved him since his submarine wouldn’t stand out next to theirs. So far Rex’s information had all been reliable.

  Eddie turned off the engine and unlocked the hatch. “I’m about to enter the facility.” He pulled the access badge that had been made by Chester from his pocket.

  Julianna let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, but stay on the comm. Pip is already hooking into the network and trying to download files. There are a few more firewalls than we anticipated.”

  Eddie pulled out his gun before shoving the hatch open and climbing onto the dock. He headed to the exit and swung around the corner, and to his relief the long corridor, which featured stainless steel walls and blue-tiled floors, was empty. A blast of cold air made his teeth chatter—it was freezing on the other side of the door.

  Soundlessly he made his way down the hallway, conscious that he would be trapped should anyone discover him here. He’d have preferred to have the personal cloaking technology on him, but Hatch had said he was running low on the crystals needed to power it. Too bad, thought Eddie. Shit could’ve saved me some time.

  According to Rex the main lab was on the bottom level, which meant Eddie needed to take the stairs. He eyed the placard next to the first door he came to. The words were written in Trid, which was comprised of symbols Eddie didn’t recognize. “Damn,” he whispered, tapping his comm. “Marilla, what does the upside-down ‘U’ with a line through it mean?”

  “Did you find something?” her voice chimed in. “That’s storage, I believe.”

  “Right, okay,” he said, walking steadily past it. “What
about two ‘Hs’ on top of each other?”

  “Bathroom,” answered Marilla.

  “Okay,” he said, passing several doors and then taking a left. There was a single opening at the end of the short hallway. “Three ‘Ls’ in a diagonal?” he asked.

  “Stairwell,” said Marilla.

  Eddie blew out a breath and pushed through the door. The stairwell was quiet and the air stagnant.

  Pip’s voice came over the comm. “I can’t access the main network, which is where we suspect the information on the Brotherhood is being kept. Looks like you’ll need to manually grant me access to the local network.”

  Eddie took the stairs two at a time. “Give me a minute.”

  “Beginning countdown,” said Pip.

  Eddie chuckled softly. “I didn’t mean it literally.”

  The stairs ended abruptly at a single door. Bottom level.

  “I’m here,” said Eddie, trying to keep his breathing quiet.

  “Perfect,” said Pip. I have already scrambled the surveillance cameras.” He paused. “And now I have access to the feed. You have three guards on that floor, patrolling.”

  “Sounds like I get to be the puppet on your strings, Pippy” said Eddie. “Tell me when to go. I’m ready.”

  “That’s what I’m here for,” said Pip. “The main server room is in the middle of that floor. All you have to do is run straight past a hallway on your left and then take the next door.”

  “Easy-peasy,” said Eddie. He grabbed the door handle, but paused before opening it.

  “On my signal, Blackbeard, begin sprinting at a moderate pace,” said Pip. “Quietly enough to avoid detection, but faster than a jog. You’ll have roughly ten seconds to make it to the door. Remember, that the area is locked, so have your access key ready.”

  Eddie turned the card around in his fingers. “Copy that.”

  A long moment of silence passed, during which Eddie thought his breath sounded too loud in the stairwell. Above him, a door opened and slammed shut. His best guess was three floors up, maybe four. “I’ve got company,” he whispered.

  “There’s a guard in the main hallway right now,” said Pip. “Please hold.”

  The thud of footsteps descending the stairs echoed downward. Eddie gripped his gun in one hand and stared up at the crack between the floors. He could make out a dark figure approaching, now two flights up. He pressed his lips together, keeping his breath steady.

  “All clear. Go for it, Blackbeard,” said Pip.

  Eddie wheeled around and pulled the door back, then ran across the tile floor. In his peripheral vision he saw the back of a Trid guard, but Eddie quickly disappeared into another hall. He came to a halt in front of the server room door and waved the card across the reader, but a red light blinked back at him. Damn it, he thought, whipping his head toward the stairwell. Again he waved the card over the reader, with the same result.

  “Two guards approaching from each side. They are about to flank you,” said Pip.

  He ran the key card again and it beeped too loudly—and then the green light flashed, a welcome sight to his eyes. Eddie yanked the door open and threw himself into the room as beads of sweat poured down his face.

  “That was a close one,” said Pip.

  “You’re telling me,” whispered Eddie.

  The main server room was dark and even colder than the rest of the frigid facility. Long rows of servers ran the length of the room, evenly dispersed. The only illumination was a line of blue lights above the servers.

  “You’re looking for a server marked with a backward ‘K’ next to a regular K,” said Marilla, her voice surprising him. He’d almost forgotten she was there.

  “Uhhh…any idea where to start?” asked Eddie, exchanging the access badge for a thumb-sized flashlight.

  “Chester says that he suspects the Trid would put the one we want in the center of the room toward the back, but that’s only a guess,” said Marilla. “He admits he doesn’t know.”

  “Got it. I’ll start on this goose hunt,” said Eddie as he strode down the center row, running his flashlight over the labels at the tops of the servers.

  “I’m sorry to inform you,” interjected Pip, “they’ve caught on to the scramble I placed on the surveillance. I believe they’ll fully recover it soon.”

  “Which means I need to hurry my ass up. I get it.” Spinning back and forth, Eddie checked the servers on either side of him as he progressed.

  “More bad news,” said Julianna.

  “Do tell,” said Eddie dryly.

  “They found the submarine and are investigating it. Apparently it doesn’t have Trid tags on it,” said Julianna.

  “Fuck, I’ll get caught because I didn’t register with the Trid government,” said Eddie. “Bureaucracy would be the end of me. I should have fucking known.”

  “Right now they’re just investigating it, but it might raise security alarms if we don’t hurry. You’ll have to get out of there another way,” said Julianna.

  “First I have to do what I came here to do.” Eddie stopped in front of a server marked with the symbols Marilla had described. He pulled a drive from the pocket of his jacket and plugged it into the server. “Found the spot, and I’m using the manual override stick. Let’s hope it works.”

  “Finally,” breathed Julianna, relief in her voice.

  The blue light on the server blinked several times as the drive initiated its override and Eddie tapped his foot, impatience almost overwhelming him.

  “I’m in,” Pip informed them. “I suggest escaping now.”

  “How exactly do you suggest I do that?” asked Eddie.

  “Well, they are towing the unidentified submarine out of the base,” said Julianna.

  “They seem to fear it could have explosives on it,” said Pip.

  “That’s a problem. How the fuck am I going to get out of here?” asked Eddie.

  “I might have an idea,” said Julianna, a cunning hint in her tone. “On my command, go back the way you came. Take the stairs up one floor, then use your access key to go straight through that door. That floor is empty.”

  Eddie grinned a bit. “You’re being purposely mysterious.”

  “I might be. I’ve got a surprise for you,” said Julianna, a smile in her voice.

  Eddie paused at the door, waiting for Pip’s signal.

  “You ready?” said the AI. “You’re only going to have a small window to make it through the hallway. Surveillance will come back on in thirty seconds.”

  “So no pressure, right?” asked Eddie.

  “You love it and you know it,” said Julianna.

  “Okay, get ready to run,” informed Pip. “Three, two…” There was a pause. “One. Go now.”

  Eddie whipped open the door and sprinted through the hall toward the stairwell. He was only a few meters away when Pip’s voice burst into his ear. “Trid are descending the stairs, so turn and go the opposite direction. There’s another stairwell on other side of hallway.”

  When Eddie skidded to a halt and twisted around his feet nearly slipped out from underneath him, but after recovering his balance he pushed harder. He realized he was going to run out of time to make it out of the hallway unspotted.

  “Security camera feed reinstated in five, four, three, two, one,” informed Pip.

  Eddie didn’t dare respond, opting to continue running, his feet pushing hard off the floor. He passed the hallway on the left and kept going, and spied a Trid guard down the hall, this time facing him.

  “Hey, you! S-stop right there!” yelled the Trid.

  Red lights flashed overhead and a siren blared.

  “I’ve been spotted,” said Eddie, yanking the door open.

  “You think?” asked Julianna.

  A cacophony of thundering footsteps echoed down the stairwell. The guards had been released to search for him, but thankfully most were on other decks. Eddie sprinted up the stairs, pulling the access badge from his pocket. He had it ready when he arri
ved.

  The door he’d just come through opened, and he heard the stomping of bustling feet.

  “Intruder! Stop!” yelled a Trid guard.

  Eddie ran the access key over the badge reader, but it blinked red.

  “They’ve locked down their security,” informed Pip. “Looks like the access key won’t work.”

  Eddie yanked his eyes up at the thundering of racing soldiers above him and edged over to the crack where he could see the stairs below. “I’m kind of a sitting duck here.”

  “One moment,” said Pip. “Attempting lock override.”

  “Hurry!” ordered Eddie. He held up his pistol and aimed it downward, waiting for the guard to hit the landing to the next set of stairs. As soon as he did Eddie fired two shots, one of them knocking the guard to the floor.

  Above him, the guards halted. Shots were fired toward Eddie through the opening.

  He sank back flush to the wall. Below him the door to the first floor had opened again, and this time pounding footsteps followed. He couldn’t get off a shot at the approaching guards like before, not without being spotted from above.

  He raised his weapon, aiming it at the ascending stairs.

  And the access scanner suddenly beeped behind him. “Override successful,” said Pip.

  “It’s about time!” he barked, quickly pulling open the door.

  When he entered, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. It was the Trid’s landing bay. Dozens of Stingrays sat in rows high above the water on multiple platforms, ready to be stolen.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Landing Bay, Pistris Base, Planet Kai, Tangki System

  “Hot damn!” snapped Eddie, looking around the bay full of Stingrays.

  “Surprise!” said Julianna over the comm.

  “Badass!” he exclaimed, running over to the first of the many ships and climbing onto it. The door he’d just arrived through jerked as the guards tried to enter, and overhead the strobing red lights continued to swirl.

  “They can’t get through yet, but soon they’ll have it open,” said Pip, seemingly reading Eddie’s mind.