by Jake Bible
“Hole? What the hell?” Motherboard shouted into the com as she and Cookie raced down the corridor.
“Shields are down, LT!” Hole yelled. “We didn’t take a hit hard enough for that to happen!”
“Override,” Cookie said as if he was pointing out a pretty wildflower on the meadow planet C. “The fighters have the codes. We’re foed.”
“Do what you can, Hole,” Motherboard said. “We’re almost to the bridge.”
Sixteen
“Where are we at, Wanders?” Hole asked.
“I took out one fighter, but the others have moved out of range,” Wanders said. “I can fire on them to keep them where they’re at, but at this distance I won’t hit fo at all. If they can pilot a hover tractor then they can evade our weapons.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” Geist asked. “Then that means we can evade their weapons too.”
“That’s exactly what that means,” Hole said as she stared out the view screen at the three Syndicate fighters directly within sight. “Which doesn’t make sense. Why bother bringing our shields down with a stolen code if they don’t plan on moving in for the kill?”
“My thoughts exactly,” Motherboard asked.
Hole stood up from the pilot’s chair and let Motherboard take the seat as Geist moved from the co-pilot’s seat so Hole could take his place.
“Cookie?” Hole asked.
“Sent him to the brig with Mug, making sure Sha Morgoal is secured,” Motherboard replied.
“Good idea,” Hole said.
“Shields are down, so what console do you want me at?” Geist asked Motherboard.
“Coms,” Motherboard said. “Get the colonel on the horn.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Wanders asked as he fired off the plasma cannons at the Syndicate fighters. The ships easily dodged the barrage then moved back into place. “We have no idea who is clean and who isn’t, LT.”
“Colonel Leguin is not dirty,” Motherboard said. “I will bet my life on it.”
“You’re betting our lives on it too, LT,” Geist said as he took a seat at the coms console and began dialing in codes to scramble their signal. He swiped at a bright blue holo until it turned red then he swiped it away and looked over at Motherboard. “You absolutely sure about this, LT?”
“I am,” Motherboard said.
“Okay then,” Geist said, took a deep breath then, “This is Drop Team Zero calling for direct com with Colonel Ory Leguin. Bypass code Alpha Niner Five Five Zed. I repeat, this is Drop Team Zero requesting direct com with Colonel Ory Leguin. Bypass code is Alpha Niner Five Five Zed.”
“We have a new player coming onto the board,” Wanders said.
“I see it,” Hole said from her position in the co-pilot’s chair. “Not another fighter. Looks like a Spoolaran freight cruiser.”
“Another Syndicate ship,” Motherboard said. “Coming to get our guests from us now that VilMon has failed.”
“Speaking of, those Fleet Marines are making a run for the wormhole portal,” Hole said. “They will have to engage the cruiser if they plan on getting out of this System.”
Motherboard began to shift the focus of the view screen, but stopped as soon as four torpedoes shot from the cruiser and flew directly at the fleeing Fleet ship.
“Hole? Do they have shields up or are they naked like us?” Motherboard asked.
“Shields are up, but that won’t matter,” Hole said, taking the helm and pushing their engines to full power. She swung the Eight-Three-Eight around and aimed them right for the closest gas planet.
“Hole?” Motherboard asked.
“Let her fly,” Wanders said. “Those are frisson needles, LT! If we’re caught in the blast then we’ll be ripped apart down to our molecular civvies!”
“The planet’s gravitational field puts out enough distortion to warp the blast radius and keep us from being frissoned,” Hole said.
“Yeah, we got it, just fly,” Wanders said. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “If anyone has any prayers they’d like to say, now is the time.”
“Stop being such a melodramatic wanker,” Geist said.
“I’ll stop as soon as I know all my cells are going to stay intact,” Wanders said.
The torpedoes collided with the fleeing Fleet ship and the view screen went a bright yellow as they detonated. Then the yellow flash disappeared, along with every single bit of evidence there had even been a Fleet ship.
“Strap in!” Hole called over the general com and her voice echoed from the bridge’s speakers. “Impact in three, two, one!”
The Eight-Three-Eight didn’t shake and shudder like it would with hits from a plasma cannon. Instead, it seemed to vibrate from its very core. Every surface on the bridge shimmered like it couldn’t quite stay in focus.
“Hole,” Motherboard whispered through gritted teeth.
“We’ll make it,” Hole said, all of her attention focused on the ship’s flight controls. “We’ll make it.”
The gas planet before them grew larger and larger in the view screen as Motherboard switched the view away from the space where the Fleet ship used to be. All eyes stared at the swirling mass of red and orange and beige as they tried to outrun the wave of energy coming at them.
“We aren’t going to make it,” Wanders said.
“We’ll make it,” Hole responded.
“Trust the computer brain, Wanders,” Geist said.
Wanders looked over at him and laughed. “Trust her brain? We have no shields, Geist. If that wave hits us even close to dead on then we’re dust.”
“Not even dust,” Motherboard said. “Less than dust.”
“We’ll make it!” Hole snapped. “So shut up and let me fly!”
Motherboard glanced at the android, but Hole’s face was a blank mask. No sign of strain, no sign of fear, no sign that the woman had her teammates’ lives literally in her hands. The only sign she was not just taking them on a sightseeing tour was how her hands constantly moved across the flight controls, making minute adjustments at a blindingly fast speed that was almost imperceptible.
“We’ll make it. We’ll make it,” Hole whispered over and over.
The vibrations racing through the Eight-Three-Eight began to increase. A high-pitched whine joined the vibrations and the sound overcame Hole’s whispered mantra. The gas planet before them grew as well and the view screen automatically dimmed as several bright explosions became visible within the planet’s atmosphere.
“Frisson is causing fusion,” Geist said.
“Shut up,” Hole replied.
“If the planet’s gravitational field doesn’t disrupt the frisson wave then it could mean a chain reaction that will tear that planet apart and us with it,” Geist said.
“I said to shut up!” Hole shouted.
“I’m just saying,” Geist muttered then shut up.
“Geist? Any response from Colonel Leguin?” Motherboard asked.
“You’re just trying to distract me from our imminent deaths,” Geist said.
“I’d like to be distracted,” Wanders said.
“Geist?” Motherboard asked.
“No, LT, not even a ping back that our signal made it to Fleet Headquarters,” Geist said. “I don’t think it even made it past the Syndicate ships.”
“Jammed,” Motherboard said. “Just like back at Sha Morgoal’s palace. I’m getting really sick of this crud.”
“Five seconds,” Hole announced.
“Until what?” Geist asked.
“That’s okay, we don’t need to know,” Wanders said. “Whatever is going to happen is going to happen.”
“Yes, it is,” Hole said. “In three seconds.”
The Eight-Three-Eight went completely still then shook so hard that Hole almost lost her grip on the flight controls. Almost. She pulled up hard and the view of the planet was instantly gone and replaced by the wide open space between them and the far-off wormhole portal.
There was n
o sign of any Syndicate ships. Not the fighters nor the cruiser. The empty space rippled, rippled, then smoothed as Hole leveled out the Eight-Three-Eight and sent them flying directly towards the wormhole portal.
“Are we good?” Geist asked.
“We aren’t dead,” Wanders said.
“We are good,” Hole said. She glanced over at Motherboard. “LT?”
“Yes,” Motherboard said and nodded. “Pursue. If we reach the portal soon enough then we can piggyback on their signal.”
“Exactly,” Hole said.
“Geist? Keep trying Colonel Leguin,” Motherboard ordered.
“I’d love to, LT, but coms are dead as a male gump in mating season,” Geist replied. “Either the antenna array is toast or the whole system was fried.”
“Understood,” Motherboard said. “Mug? How are you doing down there? Cookie? Do either of you copy?” She waited, but there was no response over the com. “Looks like it’s the whole system. Geist? Go check on Mug and our guests. Make sure the kid is okay. Double check Sha Morgoal didn’t use the chaos to try something.”
“Roger that, LT,” Geist said as he got up and headed for the bridge doors.
“Tell everyone to hold onto something as soon as you get there,” Hole said. “I’m not slowing down when we hit the wormhole portal. This is going to be a messy, bumpy trip.”
“Great,” Geist said. “Try not to rip us apart, will ya? We just survived one crisis, so how about we not just leap into another?”
“I’ll do my best, but no promises,” Hole said.
“Yeah, of course not,” Geist said and left.
“Residual signal is faint,” Motherboard said to Hole. “I’m punching in what I think their coordinates were, but we cannot be certain considering all the interference from the frisson wave.”
“Just get me a ballpark and I’ll handle the rest,” Hole said. “I’ve calculated sixteen billion possible scenarios we will face at the wormhole portal.”
The view screen erupted with white hot light and everyone, including Hole, winced and closed their eyes.
“What the fo?” Wanders shouted.
“Did you calculate that scenario?” Motherboard asked as the view screen cleared to show them the floating debris of what had previously been the wormhole portal.
“I did not,” Hole said as she brought the Eight-Three-Eight to an immediate stop. “That wasn’t even a digital blip in my processors.”
“I didn’t think so,” Motherboard said. “I’ll take the flight controls while you start working on the coms. We need to get in touch with Colonel Leguin ASAP, copy?”
“Copy,” Hole said, pulling her hands away from the controls. She stood up, but didn’t move. “We can’t stay here.”
“I know,” Motherboard said, her fingers tapping at the flight console. “I’m going to take us somewhere close by. It isn’t known to the Fleet or anyone that may be compromised. We can sit tight there and regroup until we get further orders from the colonel.”
“Are you sure?” Hole asked. “This System is compromised.”
“We aren’t staying in this System,” Motherboard replied. “There’s a back door.”
“Whoa, are you talking about an off-grid portal?” Wanders asked. “Are we that foed?”
“You been paying attention at all, Sergeant?” Motherboard asked.
“Yeah, I guess we are that foed,” Wanders said.
“Keep an eye on the scanners, Wanders, while Hole fixes the coms,” Motherboard ordered. “Just leave the flying to me.”
“Roger that, LT,” Wanders said.
Seventeen
Geist made his way to the brig as fast as possible, but he also took the time to study the condition of the ship, making sure the Eight-Three-Eight wasn’t damaged badly enough to give them a surprise of the purge them all out into space kind.
He ran his hands along the walls of each corridor as he hurried down level after level until he reached the secured double doors of the brig. His fingertips detected some stress and a few ripples in the metal here and there, but otherwise the Eight-Three-Eight appeared to be completely undamaged.
“What the fo,” he muttered to himself. “Why drop our shields if they aren’t going to blow us to dust?”
He tapped in a code on the console by the brig’s doors. There was a shrill bleep then a loud honk as the console flashed a warning message. Geist drew his pistol and took two steps back from the doors. He read the message and shook his head.
“Breach? What breach?” he asked aloud. “I’m looking at two sealed doors and there has been no hull breach warnings.” He sighed. “The breach is obviously in my head, though, since I’m talking to an empty corridor.”
He reached out and tapped at the console again, keying in the override code so the doors would open. No atmospheric warning messages popped up, but he took a deep breath anyway as the doors began to slide apart.
Geist moved in quickly, his pistol sweeping from side to side, his independent eyes watching for an ambush, their focuses taking in as much detail as possible. Geist was halfway inside the brig when he lowered his pistol and just stared.
“Not good,” he muttered as he surveyed the chaos his brain was trying desperately to make sense of.
The brig was a large, completely round room. No corners for anyone to hide in. Directly in the center should have been four cells made of a perfectly clear alloy that no known race could manipulate or break. The members of Zero always joked that prisoners kept in the cells were known as the chewy center.
But, being there were no cells, that also meant there were no chewy centers. Instead, it looked like something had scooped out most of the brig with a giant ice cream scoop. The metal floor, eight feet thick, had a round depression in it and exposed conduits sparked and crackled as Geist cautiously stepped forward.
“They’re gone,” Cookie grunted from across the round room. “Blinked right out along with most of everything else.”
Lights flickered and sparked along with the exposed conduits, but Geist didn’t notice as he rushed to his teammate’s side. He knelt down to check Cookie, but the Cervile waved him off.
“I’m fine, just banged up a bit,” Cookie said. “What the hell happened?”
“You took the question out of my mouth,” Geist said.
“With the ship,” Cookie said. “What happened to us? It felt like we we’re going to vibrate apart then the cells just began to shimmer and fade.” He snapped his furry fingers. “Poof. Gone.”
“Frisson needles,” Geist said. “That was the vibrations, but it doesn’t explain what happened here.”
“Moltrans,” Cookie said and shrugged.
“A molecular transport unit? Seriously?” Geist said. “You have got to be foing me.”
“Help me up,” Cookie said.
Geist helped Cookie to his feet and stayed close as the Cervile wobbled slightly then took a deep breath and steadied his stance.
“Okay, I’m good,” Cookie said and pointed at where the cells should have been. “Go take a look. Use those eyes of yours and tell me I’m wrong.”
“I don’t think you’re wrong,” Geist said. “My eyes can see the residue from the transmission. It’s just that using a moltrans on targets in a moving ship, while a frisson energy wave is headed at us, is about as dangerous as diving naked into a B’flo’do breeding nest.”
“Still, it happened,” Cookie said. “One second there, next second gone.”
“Mug?” Geist asked. Cookie nodded. “Eight Million Gods…”
“The kid, Sha Morgoal, and Mug,” Cookie said. “Mug was holding onto the kid and bracing herself inside one of the cells. I was about to join them since those cells are quite possibly the safest place to be on this ship, but I didn’t get there in time. Good thing, I guess.”
“Moltrans,” Geist said and shook his head. “Ballsy.”
“Yes,” Cookie said. He tapped his ear. “No coms?”
“Whole system is down,” Gei
st said. “Someone’s probably working on it now. My guess is Hole since she can interface directly and clear out the bugs and fix the connections a hell of a lot faster than any of us.”
“Then what?” Cookie asked. “We call for help? Get a couple of Marine platoons to back us up as we go hunt the Syndicate’s ships and find Mug?”
“Not quite,” Geist said. “Motherboard only wants us to speak to Colonel Leguin for the time being. She doesn’t trust anyone else.”
“I don’t blame her,” Cookie said. “But we don’t even know if we can trust the colonel, do we?”
“Motherboard thinks we can,” Geist said. “But that’s not really the problem.”
“It’s not? Great,” Cookie said. “What is?”
“Wormhole portal is gone,” Geist said. “The Syndicate must have had it rigged to blow as soon as they left. We caught a hint of possible coordinates, but nothing solid enough to give us an exact location.”
“Not too surprised there,” Cookie said. “So where are we headed? It’s going to take us a week at least to get out of this System. Then another two weeks before we get even close to another working portal. That’s a lot of time for Mug to end up as some Syndicate asshead’s trophy rug in front of their fireplace.”
“I don’t know where we’re headed,” Geist said. “I was sent down here before Motherboard made that call.”
“Then let’s get our butts back onto the bridge so we can find out,” Cookie said and waved his hands at the missing cells. “No reason to stick around here. Not like we have guard duty or anything.”
“LT is not going to be happy about this,” Geist said. “With spies and traitors in Fleet Intelligence, I think Sha Morgoal was our only bargaining chip.”
“That and having the kid meant that the Fleet had to think twice about blasting us out of space if they decide we aren’t trustworthy anymore,” Cookie said.
“Sheezus, do you think they’ll do that?” Geist asked. “Even if they think we’re the traitors, they’ll want to interrogate us. Debrief us at the very least.”
“Not if the ones that set this up get to us first,” Cookie said. “Then they’ll want us dead silent. Permanently.”