by Chris Fox
"They're going for the station's power core," Kathryn called.
Nolan nodded, let out a burst of suppressive fire. The remaining Marine ducked back into the airlock, presumably to give his companions time to reach the reactor.
"If we don't stop them, none of what we do here matters," Nolan called back. "Do you know of another way we can reach the reactor?"
"The Coronas stations are small," Kathryn yelled. "The only way down there is the way they went."
"All right, into the hole then," Nolan yelled back. He burst from cover, firing another three-round burst at the airlock. The Marine inside returned fire, and Nolan was forced to dive back behind the stairs.
Kathryn used the opportunity, sprinting down the stairs and diving into the hole the two enemy Marines had disappeared into. Nolan waited three agonizing seconds, then Kathryn popped out of the hole and fired into the airlock.
Nolan leapt down the stairs, his attention all on the little stairs she was perched on. They disappeared down into darkness. He skidded across the deck, tumbling down the stairs into a heap at the bottom.
Chapter 18- On Your Feet
"Get back on your feet, kid," Annie drawled from the shadows near him. Nolan rose into a crouch, picking up his assault rifle and scanning the darkness. There was no sign of the two Marines they were pursuing. The corridor ended at an intersection.
"Is there any way to get to the reactor ahead of those two?" Nolan asked.
"That what they're after?" Annie said, a little surprise in her voice. "Won't they die, too?"
"Death doesn't matter. The mission does," Nolan said. His father had been a Marine. He knew how determined they were. "We need to stop them. How can we do that?"
Kathryn's rifle fired above them, the muzzle flashes briefly illuminating the darkness. "Nolan, do you have a plan that gets me out of this stairwell?"
"Annie?" Nolan asked. "Give me something."
"We can trail after them. They need to stop at three different doors to get to the reactor. Opening the last one will take time. They might even have to cut through it. If we can come up on 'em while they're doing that, might be we can gun them down," Annie said. Smoke still curled from her shotgun, catching the light as it drifted toward the ceiling.
"Kathryn, let's move," Nolan called up the stairs. Then he advanced up the corridor. "Annie, circle around me and take point. You've done that before, right?"
"Son, I was infantry," Annie said, giving him the kind of stare his mother used to when he'd said something particularly idiotic.
Annie plunged into the darkness like a ghost, making no noise as she advanced up the corridor. Nolan followed after, relying on the little bit of illumination drifting down the hallway rather than lighting his flashlight.
He could hear Kathryn pounding down the stairs behind him. She slowed when she neared, then turned around and started inching backwards up the hall. "As soon as he figures out we're down here, that Marine is going to come after us. I'll keep him off."
Chapter 19- Final Confrontation
Nolan pounded down the metal deck, struggling to keep up with Annie as she leapt over a crate. Then she abruptly slowed, and raised a fist. Nolan skidded to a halt, using the crate as cover. There was more light here, coming from the room ahead. Nolan could here a repeating thrum, thrum, thrum. Definitely the core.
Annie caught his gaze, beckoning him forward. Nolan moved slowly, careful not to make any noise. He stopped next to Annie, sinking slowly into a crouch. Inside the room, two Marines stood before a door. Both had acetylene torches out, slicing through the dense steel more rapidly than Nolan would have expected. Each worked on his own half-circle, and the torches were about to meet at the bottom.
Nolan raised the butt of his rifle to his shoulder, nodding to Annie. She did the same with her shotgun. Then they both fired. Nolan caught a large black Marine in the back, the rounds pinging off like they'd hit armor. The man was knocked into the door, dropping his torch.
The Marine that Annie had targeted took the slug to the back of the neck. He collapsed wordlessly to the deck. Annie was already pivoting to aim at Nolan's target, and he reminded himself that he should be doing the same.
Nolan took aim, but his target rolled behind a pile of crates. A second later, he bounded over the top of them like a gazelle, sprinting across the deck toward Nolan. Nolan took aim, letting off another three-round burst. The big black man ducked low, dodging Nolan's shots. Annie's shotgun roared, but the man was blindingly fast.
He took Nolan in the chest with a kick that launched Nolan into the wall. Nolan's head rang, and he fell to the deck. It was all he could do to keep hold of his gun. Then the man was on Annie. He grabbed her by the neck, hoisting her effortlessly into the air. Annie ripped a combat knife from her boot, slamming it into the hand holding her. The tip snapped and the blade skittered off, drawing a line of sparks along the Marine's metal arm.
"He's enhanced," Nolan roared. He brought his weapon up, then took aim at the man's knee. Nolan squeezed the trigger, and the rifle kicked back into his shoulder, three times. The smell of hot gunpowder washed over him.
His aim was good. All three rounds hit the back of the right knee, which wasn't a cyber replacement. It all but exploded, dropped the suddenly one-legged man to the deck. Annie tumbled down next to him, raising both hands to her neck as she gasped for air.
The Marine rolled onto his one good leg, using it to launch himself into the air. Nolan was dimly aware of blood leaking from the man's stump as he came down on top of Nolan. Nolan was knocked to the deck, the heavier man on top of him. Something slammed into his jaw, and his head rebounded off the deck. Black spots danced across his vision.
Nolan jerked right as a pair of cyber spurs snapped out of the Marine's metallic wrist. The Marine rammed the blades down at Nolan's face, slamming them into the deck where he'd just been. Nolan thrashed, trying to free his rifle, which was trapped under the Marine's good knee. The Marine rammed the blades down again, and this time Nolan screamed as the blades punctured his shoulder, pinning him to the deck.
He fought past the pain, knowing that he was dead if he didn't. The Marine's weight had shifted when he attacked, so Nolan bucked his legs up. The Marine tilted forward, and Nolan's rifle came free. Nolan whipped it up, planting the barrel against the Marine's jaw.
"You're going to want to pull those spurs out of my shoulder," he growled through gritted teeth. His opponent looked like he might try something, but Annie's shotgun cocked behind him.
"Boy's right. We've got you dead to rights. Get off him, and crawl your crippled ass a pace or two back. Slow, like," Annie said. She took a step back as the big mercenary levered his weight off Nolan.
"I'm not terribly mobile with one leg," the man said, dragging himself back from Nolan. He rested against the far wall. The blades disappeared into his wrist again with a single flick. "Just kill me. Please."
"I'd love to," Nolan said, feeling his jaw with his free hand. "But we need answers. Assuming you don't bleed out, you're the one who's going to give them to us. You have a name?"
Footsteps came pounding up the deck, and Nolan pivoted, raising his rifle. Kathryn trotted into the light, slowing as she reached them. "I got the last one. I think we're clear."
"Annie?" a voice crackled over Annie's comm. It was the boy Nolan had seen earlier. Tim, he thought the boy's name was.
"I told you to stay in your quarters, boy," Annie growled into the device.
"Their ship is leaving," the boy said. "I thought you'd want to know."
"Shit," Annie said, she leaned gingerly against the wall. "Gather up the others, and tell Bock to get any wounded down to the med center. If he gives you any grief about scrip, you tell him he'll have to deal with me, and he won't much like it."
"You asked what my name was," the man against the far wall said. His teeth were gritted, his fists clenched. He looked like he was battling an immense amount of pain. "It's Edison."
Chapter 20- Celebration
"Y'all done a good thing, here," Annie said, offering Nolan her hand. He took it, and wasn't surprised by how firm her grip was.
"Thank you for your help. We'd be dead right now without you," Nolan said, pumping her hand once before releasing it. He smiled at Annie, clapping her on the back. "We need to get the prisoner back to OFI. Will you be okay if we leave?"
"I'll keep Bock in line, no fear of that. We'll be all right. You do what you have to do," Annie said. She rested the barrel of her shotgun on her shoulder, pulling up her scarf to cover the bruise on her throat. "You ever decide to take up mining, you come on back."
"Maybe I'll do that," Nolan said, giving a quick wave as he headed into the airlock. He waited for it to close behind him, then tapped the red button on the Sparhawk's outer hull. The airlock activated, and the door slid up.
Nolan ducked into the Sparhawk, smiling in spite of himself. True, Edison hadn't given up anything beyond his name yet. But he would, back at headquarters. OFI was very, very good at prying secrets from people who didn't want to part with them.
"Nolan?" Kathryn called from the cockpit.
"We're clear for take off," he called back, moving into the mess. Edison sat at the far corner, his now-bandaged stump resting on the bench next to him. Nolan sat across from him, making sure he had the big man's attention before speaking. "You feel like talking?"
"Do you have any idea what it's like not to feel pain?" Edison said. He looked down at his stump. "I didn't feel the bullets. I didn't feel my leg being cut in half. I can't feel it now."
"I'm sorry," Nolan said, and meant it. He didn't like having to maim another solider, no matter the reason. "What can you tell us about this Doctor Reid? That is who you work for right?"
"The only pain I feel," Edison said, as if Nolan hadn't spoken. "is the chip. He presses a button, and I flop about like a fish. It lasts forever, and you aren't ever the same after it finally goes away."
"Doctor Reid presses the button?" Nolan asked.
The big man looked up. His dark skin was spattered with blood, but his eyes were calm. "Yeah, that's right. Doctor Reid. He turned my men into monsters."
"Why? Why were you taking people?" Nolan asked.
"We were putting them into tanks. I don't know why," Edison said. He shook his head sadly. "I know it was wrong, but it was the chip. He tortured us for weeks, and...I just couldn't do it anymore. I stopped fighting."
Nolan glanced up as Kathryn ducked into the mess. She sat down next to him.
"So Doctor Reid put them into tanks?" Nolan asked.
"Yeah," Edison said. He refused to meet Nolan's gaze. "We dropped the tanks off at different places, usually another vessel. Once or twice abandoned stations. I don't know who picked them up, or what they were doing."
"Who did Reid work for?" Nolan asked, straightening.
"I don't know, but he worked very closely with Admiral Chu," Edison said, looking up. His cheeks were covered with tears. "Chu knew about everything. He gave us to that monster."
Chapter 21- Hung out to Dry
Nolan was still smiling from his lunch with Kathryn when he reached the admiral's office. It had been a harrowing few days, and they'd earned a little R&R. He'd asked her to spend it together, and she'd agreed. Now he just needed to find a quiet luxury suite.
The door slid open before Nolan could knock, so he entered. He straightened his posture, marching with pride toward the admiral's desk. Nolan faltered a bit when he saw the look on the admiral's face. That scowl dropped the temperature in the room by at least ten degrees.
The doors hissed shut behind Nolan with immense finality.
"Sit down, Commander Nolan," the admiral said. He reached into his drawer, withdrawing a cigar. He made a great production of snipping, then lighting it. He didn't speak again until after he'd taken several experimental puffs. "What made you think it was okay to go to Coronas 6 on your own? You defied protocol, broke at least a half dozen laws, and did several million credits worth of damage to Coronas property."
"Sir, I don't think--"
"That's right," Mendez thundered, surging to his feet. He pounded the desk, spittle flying as he roared. "You don't think. Not unless I tell you to. You gather data, and you bring it back to me. Or at least, that's what you used to do."
"Sir?" Nolan asked, blinking. He struggled to get his brain around what was happening. "We saved those people, sir. We brought back a prisoner who can corroborate everything. We can nail Admiral Chu. Sir."
The rage seemed to leave Mendez. He studied Nolan coldly again, then his eyes narrowed.
"I can salvage your career, but only just," Mendez said. He sat again, taking another puff. Then he shook his head sadly. "I'm going to put it out that you behaved inappropriately with Kathryn. I've already spoken to her, and she's agreed to testify to that fact, if necessary. The alternative is both of you being court-martialed."
Nolan balled his fists and clenched his jaw shut around the words that fought to get out. Then he forced a deep breath before speaking. "You're hanging me out to dry?"
"Would you prefer the alternative?" Mendez said, tapping ash from the cigar. "If I bring you up on insubordination charges you'll be stripped of rank, dishonorably discharged, and possibly imprisoned. You'll take Kathryn down in the process. Would you prefer that route?"
Nolan very nearly said yes. It might end his career, but at least he'd end it with the truth. "Sir, if you put out rumors about Kathryn and I, there's no way my command crew will respect me enough to do my job."
"That's an excellent point," Mendez said, pointing his cigar at Nolan. "That's why I'm relieving you of command, and reassigning you to the 14th."
"The 14th," Nolan said, struck by how bitter the words tasted. The 14th was the home of every malcontent, criminal, and animal the rest of the fleet didn't want. Going to the 14th was exile. There was no coming back from that.
"You'll be made XO of a ship. Not a capital ship, but a frigate or maybe even a destroyer," Mendez offered, his tone suggesting that Nolan should be overjoyed at the news.
"Wherever you see fit, sir," Nolan said. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood at attention.
"This isn't the end, son," Mendez said.
"Sir, may I ask you a question off the record?" Nolan said. He needed to understand why. He'd done everything the admiral asked. What had changed so dramatically? Why had the admiral done it? Why turn on Nolan, when they were on the cusp of catching Chu?
"No, you may not. Dismissed," Mendez said. He turned back to his terminal, and Nolan strode slowly from the office. His career had just joined all the corpses littering the hallway, and he didn't even know why.
Chapter 22- Problem Solved
Mendez waited several seconds after Nolan had departed his office before activating the terminal. He flipped a switch on the tiny black box affixed to the side. The scrambler applied an extra level of encryption. One could never be too careful, especially now that Mendez understood the scope of what they were trying to achieve.
The Quantum Network logo flashed across his screen, then faded to show a warehouse-sized lab. Large rows of tanks filled the background behind Doctor Reid, hundreds upon hundreds of them. Almost all were occupied.
"Ahh, Mendez," Reid said, giving a sickly smile. His eyes were feverish. "Have you dealt with our little problem?"
"It's been dealt with," Mendez said. He took another puff, enjoying the savory flavor. Tobacco had tasted even better since his joining. "Nolan will no longer be a problem. I've discredited him, and exiled him to the 14th."
"You let him live?" Reid roared, his face twisted with rage.
The sudden mood change surprised Mendez. Perhaps Reid's joining had been imperfect.
"Of course I did," Mendez replied. He set down his cigar, leaning toward the screen. "Leave military matters to me, Reid."
Reid closed his eyes, visibly struggling to calm himself. When he opened his eyes, he'd at least partially succeeded. "Yes, yes, of course. Milit
ary matters are yours. Why are you letting him live?"
"Because if I kill or discharge him, it will raise uncomfortable questions," Mendez replied, partially mollified by Reid's change in demeanor. "We have a foothold in the Admiralty, but the situation is delicate. Kelley still wields a lot of power. If we arouse his suspicions, it could lead to discovery. The masters wouldn't be pleased about that."
"No, no, they wouldn't," Reid said, shoulders slumping. "I suppose you did the right thing. What about Delta?"
"Delta works for me now, Reid," Mendez said, something hot flaring in his vision. The way Reid had broken Edison horrified Mendez, even after the joining.
"And what am I supposed to do?" Reid said, petulantly.
"I'm having a new vessel prepared, one that will allow you to capture far more subjects," Mendez said. He picked up his cigar again, enjoying the pungent curl of smoke wafting from the end. "Go to the Ghantan system. I'll have the coordinates sent to you."