"Okay, they're all aboard", Kyra said, a minute later. "Crammed in, and no one is secure, but they're here."
"Get us out of here, Angie", I said.
"Aye", Angie said.
"Incoming missiles", Kyra said. "I count three, four... make it six of them."
"Retracting space bridge", Angie said.
"Can't you just cut it loose?" I asked.
"Negative", she said. "It just has to be free of the station, though."
"Five seconds", Kyra said. "I'm getting nuclear signatures on two of them."
"Shit", Eng said. I looked over at Beaulieu. His eyes were closed; I guessed he was praying. I wasn't about to turn down any help we could get.
"Blowing docking clamps", Angie said. "Transit in three, two, one... engaged."
Then darkness came.
"We made it", Kyra said, a moment later.
"On target, too", Eng said.
"Where are we?" Beaulieu asked.
"Sol system", I said. "Where we came from. Not all that far from Earth, but if you want specifics, you'll have to ask our hosts, when we get where we're going."
"Where are you sticking our, um… guests?", Eng asked.
"Cargo bay four", Kyra said. "It's not luxury accommodations, but it will do until we reach the base."
"We're being hailed", Angie said. "Admiral MacPherson."
"Onscreen", I said.
"Well?" he asked, without preamble. "How'd it go?"
"There were a few tense moments", I said. "But, we made it, obviously. FYI, I don't think their shipyard is there anymore."
"Did you get the data you went there for?"
"We did", I said.
"Outstanding", he said, smiling. "Good work, Doon. It might not be a bad idea to send us a copy of that data, ASAP. Just as a precaution."
"We'll be there in about an hour", I said. "We should be fine, until then."
"Famous last words", Eng said. I looked over at him, and he shrugged.
"Alright, fine", I said. I took the data chips from the duffel, and began cycling them through the access port on my console. As I did so, Angie would read and copy the chip. "You should have the data in a few minutes."
"Thanks", Mac said. "I'd hate for all that work to end up for naught. You be careful out there. As soon as you're closer, I'll have escorts standing by to provide you with some cover."
"Which we hopefully won't need", I said. "See you in a bit. Revenge out."
"Did that strike you as a bit... weird?" Eng asked.
"That's my grandfather for you", Kyra said.
"I understand his thinking", I said. "No one wants the worst to happen, but if you're prudent, you at least prepare for it."
"Can those other ships track us to here?" Kyra asked, looking over at Beaulieu.
"Not by using anything we've built", he said. “I know they use SpeedLink to track their ships, but I imagine you know that, and have fixed it.”
"Yeah, we figured that out, early on. So, we should be okay", I said. "They can't tell where we went."
"Just because they don't know where we went, doesn't mean they might not have an idea of where we might be", Kyra said.
"Incoming Speedlink hail", Angie said.
"Speedlink?" I asked. "Who?"
"Whom", Eng said. I shot him a look.
"One of the newsnets", Angie said.
"They have our Speedlink code?" Eng asked.
"Apparently, yes", I said. "I have an idea as to where they got it, too. Onscreen."
A familiar dark face appeared. She seemed to be in a good mood, which figured, as she was in the process of scooping every other newsnet in the galaxy.
"Umara", I said. "Nice to see you again. Should I ask where you got our Speedlink code from?"
"Captain Doon", she said, smiling. "Thanks for joining us again on Intergalactic News Network, live and galaxy-wide. We understand you've been busy today. What can you tell our audience about your raid on this so-called United Planets/Dark Energy Corporation stronghold?"
"I'd hardly call it a stronghold", I said. Mac would call it a stronghold, if only because it sounded more dramatic. "In reality, it was just a shipyard, and a research facility. It's where all these new UPDF ships are being built."
"What was the purpose of this raid?" she asked, giving the camera her best serious-but-pouty-and-alluring look.
"Our goal was to obtain whatever data we could on the new star drives, as well as other new DEC technology", I said. "I'm happy to report that we did get the data, and we will share it with everyone, soon."
"What do you mean, when you say everyone?" she asked.
"Just that", I said. "Everyone, everywhere. If someone wants to see it, they should be able to."
"Where is this shipyard?"
"Alpha Centauri", I said, not sure how to tell her that it probably wasn't there, anymore. "Second planet out, which is one of the gas giants; Ariane, I think. Anyway, there's only one moon, and the shipyard was orbiting that."
"Was there any loss of life as a result of your raid?" she asked.
"Some", I said. "We tried to avoid the use of force, but they refused to communicate with us. They lost a few of their people, and several of ours were injured."
"Captain", Angie said. "Urgent matter."
"How urgent?" I asked.
"I just disconnected the INN link", she said. "That nuke we had wired to detonate? It just became active."
"As in armed?" I asked.
"As in armed and counting down", she said. "It started at ten minutes."
"Who the fuck activated it?" I asked, as I rose from my seat, and headed for the lift. I looked around to find that Kyra had joined me.
"No one locally", Angie said. "No one has been near the landing bay, since Cozi installed those data cables. It looks as though they were activated via commlink, as they were originally designed to do."
We entered the lift, and began the ride down.
"Have Cozi meet us in the landing bay", I said. "Why didn't you disable the commlink trigger?"
"Cozi is on his way", she said. "As for the trigger, the commlink receiver is hardwired into the bomb. Neither Cozi nor I could figure out a way to remove it."
"So, you're telling me that someone on board sent the signal to arm and detonate that nuke", I said.
"No, that's not what I'm saying", she said, as we exited the lift. "Any radio signal would work, and that could have been sent from anywhere nearby. We aren't out in deep space, Doon. The signal could have easily come from Earth, or Luna. Or even Mars, allowing for a few minutes lag, as it covered the distance."
"That’s just fucking wonderful", I said. Both Cisco and Cozi emerged from the core. Cisco looked at us, confused. "You're not gonna believe this."
"I heard", Cozi said. "I brought Cisco, just in case."
"In case of what?" Cisco asked.
"In case you can disarm a bomb", I said.
"What bomb?" he asked.
"The nuke we rigged for the shipyard just armed, and is counting down", I said.
"I hate to be the bearer of more bad news", Cisco said, "But the last time I took an EOD course was years ago, and that was mostly for mines, rockets, and such. Not nukes."
"Well, that's more training than the rest of us have on the subject", Kyra said.
We walked around the Avalon, to where the weapon had been secured against the outer bulkhead of the landing bay. It was in a small plasteel cargo box, about a meter on each side. It was hard to visualize something so small and innocuous being so deadly.
We stood looking down at the bomb. Cozi had removed the lid, when he'd cabled it to the data port in the bulkhead.
"Anyone think they can disable this thing?" I asked.
"I'd rather not fuck with it", Cisco said.
"I might be able to do it", Cozi said, "If I had an hour or two. That's assuming it isn’t booby-trapped with anti-tamper circuits, too."
"Angie?" I asked.
"It’s not responding to furthe
r commands via the commlink, or the data cable", she said. "Seven minutes, ten seconds."
"Why don't we just throw it out of the airlock?" Cisco asked.
"It’s a box, not a rocket", Cozi said. "Anything you throw out of the airlock is going to hang around outside the airlock. It’s moving at the same speed we are."
"Okay, how about we blow it out of the airlock, then transit out of here?" Kyra asked. "We can be millions of miles away, in an instant."
"What if it transits with us?" Cozi asked. "The field does extend beyond the hull of the ship, you know."
"And we left the only guy who knows, up on the Bridge", I said. "Angie, get me Beaulieu."
"Aye", she said. "Patched."
"Jean-Michel", I said.
"Boo", he said.
"Do what?" I asked.
"Call me Boo", he said.
"Whatever... Boo", I said. "If we shove this nuke out of an airlock, and transit out, will it transit with us?"
"Six minutes", Angie said.
"Well", he said, "That depends. The size of the transit envelope is directly relative to our proximity to any gravitational fields, as well as any substantive mass. On top of that…”
"Short answer, Boo", I said, interrupting him.
"I don't know", he said.
"Thanks", I said. "Doon out."
"Does that thing work?" Cisco asked, looking over at the Avalon.
"We haven't finished working on it, yet", Cozi said.
"That isn't what he asked", I said. "Will it go?"
"Five minutes", Angie said.
"I think so", Cozi said. "More or less."
"Let's load this thing aboard the shuttle", I said. "Quickly."
We manhandled the bomb into the main cabin of the Avalon, and I went into the cockpit. Half of the electronics hadn't been installed yet. I touched the main piloting screen, and it lit up.
"Three minutes", Kyra said, from behind me.
"Get everyone out of the bay", I said, as I poked at the screen, trying to program he autopilot system. "You too."
The software crashed, and I had to begin again. I cleared the screen, and tried a different routine. It finally accepted my commands, but I had no idea if it would actually do anything. I glanced over my shoulder; I was alone in the shuttle.
I set the engines to fire, after a twenty second delay. That would give me maybe ten seconds to get out of the shuttle and landing bay before the big doors opened. I touched execute on the screen, then turned and ran out of the Avalon.
I dove out of the hatch, landed on my feet, and ran for the door across the bay, a red warning strobe flashing, the claxon frantically wailing, soon drowned out by the shuttle engines, as they whined to life.
Kyra was holding the airlock door open for me. I dove the last ten feet, and as I sailed into the lock, Kyra slapped the big red button by the door, and it slammed shut behind me. I floated and bobbed for a moment, until I got my sticky shoes onto the deck.
"I had to set it to back out, using the attitude jets", I said, as I realized I was shaking. I endeavored to stop. "Once out, it'll turn around and fire the main engines."
"Will it work?" She asked, shouting over the scream of the jets on the other side of the hatch.
"We'll know it about two minutes", I said. We cycled through the airlock, then took the lift up to the Science Module, which was the closest place with a vidscreen.
"If it doesn't", I said, "It's been nice knowing you." I stuck out my hand.
"You're such a fucking goofball", she said, smiling. She took my hand, and pulling me to her, kissed me hard on the lips.
We separated, as the lift door slid open.
"Been nice knowing you too", she said, looking over her shoulder as she walked out of the lift. I attempted to catch my breath, and followed. At least I wasn't shaking anymore.
We entered the Science Module, to find Cozi and Cisco already there, watching the Avalon on one of the screens. The little ship seemed to turn in slow motion, then finally, the drives flared, and the Avalon sped away from us.
"One minute", Angie said.
"Should we transit?" Cozi asked.
"We should be fine", I said. "Angie, can you put the Avalon to our aft, please? Put our drive shields between us and it."
"Aye", she said. "Stand by for attitude jets."
"Stand by for more than that", Cisco said.
"Warn everyone to brace for the blast", I said. If the Avalon didn't get far enough away, we'd be in for a rough ride; it was not a small nuke. Alarms sounded throughout the ship, as Angie warned everyone to brace themselves.
"Grab seats", I said to the others, and for once, everyone complied, without the usual arguments or discussion. Being one seat short, I grabbed the edge of a console, and hung on.
"Ten seconds", Angie said, as we all waited nervously.
The blast shook us as though a large hand had slapped the Revenge from behind, shoving us forward. I was thrown to the deck, where, if I had been smart, I'd have already been.
"Damage report", I said, sitting up.
"Minimal", Angie said. "I ported all of our cams and sensors just before the blast. The Avalon made it nearly thirty kilometers before detonation. It was completely destroyed, of course."
"No kidding", Kyra said. "How much radiation did we take?"
"Only sixty rads", Angie said. "The aft pulse drive shielding took most of it; over six hundred rads."
"Damn", Cisco said. "I'd just as soon skip that."
"Me too", Cozi said. "Well, what now?"
"I think we need to have a heart-to-heart chat with the Admiral", I said, as I looked over at Kyra. She was thinking the same thing I was. "Aside from us, Mac is the only one who had the arming codes for those nukes."
"They might have been hacked", Kyra said, but I could see in her face that she didn't believe the words, even as she said them.
"I don't get it", Cozi said. "Why would our ally, and Kyra's grandfather, for Christsakes, try to blow us up?"
"Because the Admiral set Captain Doon up as this almost mythical leader of the revolution", Cisco said, watching me. "I was there, I heard him admit it, himself."
"And we all know what's better than a heroic leader", I said.
"A dead hero", Cisco said.
"There's a different name for those", Cozi said.
Cisco looked at him, confused. It was Kyra who answered.
"A martyr."
Chapter 45
“I say we trust no one”, Cozi said.
I looked across the ready-room to where he sat. He shrugged, then continued.
“I don’t have anything against Mac personally“, he said, glancing over at Kyra, “but I still don’t trust him.”
“That’s a nice sentiment, Coze”, I said, “But it isn’t very practical. Given our present situation, we have to trust someone, even if it’s just those of us in this room.”
“If you’re asking me to vouch for Mac”, Kyra said, “forget it. That’s not going to happen.”
“He still maintains that he was not responsible for activating the weapon”, Vassily said.
“And you believe that?” Cozi asked.
“I wouldn’t go that far”, Vassily said, smiling. “He’s awfully hard to read.”
“I find it hard to believe he’d have blown us up”, Lola said. “Not as long as Kyra is aboard, anyway.”
“Well, someone hacked the arming codes, which shouldn’t have been possible, then tried to blow us up”, Eng said. “And they very nearly succeeded.”
I privately suspected that Mac would have no problem killing all of us, including Kyra, if he thought it was necessary to do so. I kept the thought to myself. Lola caught my eye from her seat next to Cozi. I gave her a nod, prompting her to speak.
“So, no one trusts Mac, and we all think he’s an asshole”, she said. “Would someone please explain to me why we’re still here, and even worse, thinking about doing something else with the man?”
“Because it’s
the only way I see for us to get out of this shit we’ve gotten ourselves into”, I said. “At least, aside from us landing at a UPDF base and turning ourselves in.”
“This shit, as you call it, is a war”, Kyra said. “I will fight and win, or even die trying, but I will not surrender, not ever.”
“Well, there you have it”, I said. “We’ve all looked at Mac’s plan, and it’s obvious that he can’t execute it without us. So, unless anyone has a better idea…”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend”, Donovan said, breaking his silence. “Old saying.”
“That’s from The Art of War “, I said, looking over at Kyra, and winking. “By Sun Tzu.”
“Sounds like he had to deal with Mac, too”, Cozi said, eliciting a few smiles from around the table.
“Whatever happened to that new lander he promised us?” Lola asked.
“It should be here tomorrow”, Eng said.
“Perhaps I’m just paranoid”, Vassily said, “But I believe I’d check it stem to stern for bombs.”
Most everyone smiled at that, except Cozi, who seemed to be taking the attempted nuking personally. I couldn’t say I blamed him.
"So", I said, "We're going to have to pay attention; watch what everyone else is up to, and cover our asses. We work his plan, but we'll have our own backups, which I don't think Mac needs to know anything about. We have our own friends and resources, and we're going to use them."
"This probably goes without saying", Kyra said, "But I imagine there's plenty Mac isn't telling us."
"There will be plenty we're not telling him", I said. "That means not a word, not even a hint, to anyone outside this room."
"Well, it's a plan", Eng said. "Such as it is."
"I need to know if every one of you is okay with this", I said. I looked around the table. If I didn't get an assent from each of them, I knew there'd be no small amount of bitching later. "Kyra?"
"The Revenge is my ship", she said. "Good or bad, this is my home. The time to bail was long ago, at least for me."
This wasn't the answer I expected, or even hoped for, but I would take it. I nodded to her, then looked to Eng.
"You know me", he said, shrugging. "What Kyra said." I hoped he meant that as an affirmative.
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