The Rush's Edge

by Ginger Smith

  “Could someone hack into it?” Vivi asked.

  “Hacking into it from the feeds would most likely be impossible.”

  Vivi paced back and forth for a few moments, until Hal stood up and stopped her by grabbing her hand. “Veevs.”

  She looked up at him.

  “Veevs. Do me a favor.”

  “Of course,” she said, trying to pull herself together.

  “Go to the bridge and keep an eye on the security feed. I’ll feel better with someone watching it along with Eira.”

  Vivi raised a questioning eyebrow, and Hal gave a small nod of acknowledgement. “OK, Hal.” With a final glance at Max, she exited.

  After she’d gone, Hal shifted his unblinking gaze to Max.

  “I understand why she’s pissed at me,” Max murmured.

  “Caught that, did you?”

  Max said nothing.

  Alone with the scientist, Hal took on a friendly tone that he didn’t feel. “Hey, Maxey. Let’s just say you’re done talking about this right now. Until we get back to Al-Kimia, you’ve told her all you know. Because if you keep upsetting her, I’m gonna lock you in a crate in the cargo bay. Understand?”

  Max nodded. “I’m sorry. I… I just want you to know that I will do everything I can to help. I brought all my files, notes and everything on that terminalpad. All of it.”

  “That’s good. Maybe I won’t have to space you before we get back to Al-Kimia. So… Don’t go anywhere, Max.” Hal clapped him on the arm and felt the scientist start. That was fine. Scared and in line was exactly where Hal needed him to be.

  Hal found Vivi on the bridge, focused on the terminalpad in front of her. She was chewing her thumbnail as she looked at the display. “Veevs?” he said, placing a hand in the middle of her back.

  She turned. “Yeah?”

  “You good?”

  She nodded. “What about you?”

  “The waiting’s getting to me, I think. The longer we go without any action, the harder it’s… It’s gonna get harder.”

  “I have some amp,” Vivi said tentatively. “Beryl gave it to me in case…”

  “Later. I’ll let you know,” he said, and she nodded. “I’m gonna get us out of this, Veevs.”

  “I believe you,” she replied.

  It was after lunch when Eira spoke over the bridge’s comms. “Hal, we may have a problem,” she said. “There are multiple ACAS soldiers entering the spaceport.” On the bridge display they saw a squad of twenty well-armed troopers. Eira followed them on the feed through the spaceport to security.

  “I think it might be the time to get the hells out of here. Vivi, see if you can get that mag lock off the ship.” Hal watched her begin to work on it by tapping her node and interfacing with the computer, then his attention shifted back to Eira’s feed. “Can you tell what’s going on in security?” Hal asked, immediately tense.

  “Security feeds are being scanned all over the station,” Eira said. “They’re looking for something.”

  Vivi growled in frustration and disengaged her node. “Hal, it can’t be hacked remotely. I’ll have to go out there.”

  “Ok, Veevs. Time for the amp.” She nodded and took off at a run. He turned back to the researcher. “They must have figured out you split, Max.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah,” Hal said grimly. “Don’t feel bad. I half expected this all day. Lane, Orin – get the blasrifles.”

  “What can I do?” Max said.

  Hal shook his head. “Not much. Nothing matters if we can’t get that mag lock off the ship. You don’t happen to know anything about those?” he asked, not really expecting an answer. He didn’t want Vivi out there, but he supposed he’d have to let her give it a try. If it didn’t work, they would probably have to blow it, which could cause damage to the ship, but it would be worth the risk. After all, if it didn’t come off, they wouldn’t be going anywhere.

  “Actually in university, I worked as a tecker in a spaceport,” Max offered. “If I can get to the box, I think I can unlock it.”

  Hal grinned. “Max, you might have just paid for your trip.”

  Vivi met them in the cargo bay. Hal had been showing Max how to use a blaspistol. When he was done, he turned to see her standing behind him.

  “Want me to…” she asked, holding a medjet.

  He covered her hand with his own. “No, I got it.” He took the injector from her, snapped off the top and pressed it to his bicep. When the drug hit his system, it was the rush times ten.

  “OK?” Vivi asked as his blackening eyes focused on her.

  “Yeah. Get them.” He gestured to Lane and Orin. Vivi handed out the amp and they dosed up as well.

  Once regrouped, Hal rested a hand on each of Vivi’s shoulders. “Here’s the plan. I need you on the bridge. Get us ready to fly. Lock the doors behind you on the way up and don’t open them until I tell you. I don’t want anyone to get past the cargo bay. Max here will get us free from the mag lock, and we’ll keep the soldiers engaged so he can get that done. When you get the signal from me, take off.”

  “Make sure everyone’s back. I’m not leaving anyone behind,” she told him.

  With a hand on the back of her neck, he pulled her in and kissed her. “Don’t worry, Veevs. I’m bringing everyone home. Go on.”

  When she left and sealed the cargo bay door, he and Orin dragged some of the cargo containers full of medical supplies into different positions to give them cover.

  “Hal? I need tools,” Max said, glancing around. “It’s likely to be pretty low-tech, but I’ll still need to get in there before I can do any reprogramming.”

  “Try that chest over there,” Hal gestured. “Eira? How’s it looking out there?”

  “As yet, there is no one converging on our position, but they seem to have a definite destination in mind. Dr Parsen’s image has been sent out to all security comms but they appear unaware that he is on board.”

  “Your ship’s pretty intuitive…” Lane said, an eyebrow raised.

  “Think so?” Hal asked, trying to keep a straight face. Eira would be their ace in the hole. The battle was close, and he was ready. This is what I do. This is what we were made for, he thought, glancing at Lane and Orin. They were just as anxious for the coming combat as he was.

  “OK?” Lane and Orin nodded, blasrifles at the ready. Max returned with a screwdriver and some wire cutters.

  “Let’s go,” Hal said, hitting the release for the cargo ramp.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  Orin and Lane took up positions behind the cargo containers next to the ramp, as Hal and Max moved to the mag lock beside the Loshad. The device itself provided some cover. It comprised a giant silver box and connectors that generated the magnetic field that locked down the ship. Max began working immediately to remove the access panel while Hal watched the entrance to their bay.

  He’d just removed it when the first blue plasma bolt burned into the wall over the magnetic lock. Hal ducked, yanking Max down with him. When the blasts slowed, Hal braced his rifle on the box and began to shoot. “You need to get this done fast,” Hal called.

  The air erupted with shots around them, both blasrifles and projectile weapons. Orin and Lane took some of the heat, keeping the troops from advancing on them.

  Max laid his blaspistol beside him, then used the tools to remove the cover to the mag lock and began to type commands into the computer interface.

  ENTER PASSWORD OVERRIDE:

  The cursor blinked at him on the tiny screen, as if it was counting out the remaining seconds of his life. He stared at the blinking line, paralyzed, until Hal bumped his shoulder.

  “You with me, Max?” Hal asked.

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “Good. Do what you gotta do.”

  Max tried several passwords that were used to lock down ships that hadn’t paid their dock fees. They were typical on every station, so he thought he might be able to guess it, but none of them were working. “Dumb fucking idea…�
� he swore. In frustration, he tugged out the screwdriver and began to take the panel apart. “I’m gonna have to disconnect the power source,” he said.

  “Can I just blow it?” Hal asked, looking at the power conduits leading across the floor into the wall.

  “It could trigger a failsafe!” Max yelled, panicking.

  “Come on, Max! How long?” Hal asked over his shoulder while he continued firing.

  “Two, maybe three minutes,” Max called.

  “Lane – buy us two minutes,” he called on his comm. Hal’s gaze caught a particularly brave nat, making his way around the far edge of the entrance. It was obvious he was either going to try and come around the ship to ambush them from behind, or he was planning to flank the ramp. Either way, he wasn’t going to make it. Using his heightened senses, Hal made the shot, nailing the ACAS nat right in the forehead. The unfortunate soldier’s brains splattered wetly on the wall as he fell to the ground.

  “Lay down your weapons!” came the call during a lull in the fighting.

  “Fuck off!” Lane yelled back, punctuating her curses with a barrage of blasts.

  “Eira. We need to be ready to leave immediately after they get the lock off.” Vivi ran to the navigation console and had it compute a course.

  “Yes, Vivi. There are more soldiers coming our way.”

  She keyed her comm. “Hal, they’re sending reinforcements. Whatever you’re doing, hurry it up.” Vivi didn’t know if her heart would ever quit pounding. “Hope you made some adjustments so we can outrun some of those ACAS ships, Eira. They’re gonna be on us as soon as we lift off.”

  “The changes I’ve made will please you.”

  “Have I told you how much I love you?” Vivi said.

  “No, Vivi, but I, too, am becoming fond of you.”

  “Shit. Is it the blue one or the green one? I can’t remember,” Max said.

  Hal glanced over briefly, before returning his black eyes to the doorway. He’d been focusing on the right-hand side, where they had been trying to set up a tri-barrel laser, but he’d taken them out, then blown the weapon to bits.

  “What happens if you’re wrong?” Hal asked.

  “It could send out a pulse that would disable the ship’s engine.”

  “It’s time to make a decision, right or wrong. If they bring another heavy gun in here, or something else, we’re done.” He was surprised they’d not had a grenade thrown at them yet. But this was Chamn-Alpha, he reasoned. Not exactly a hotbed of rebellion.

  Max still seemed to be wavering, trying to decide between two different wires, Hal realized as he glanced down, then back up at the doorway. There wasn’t time for this. “Max… ” he warned.

  “OK, the green!”

  He cut the green wire, but nothing happened.

  “Damn,” Max cursed.

  Then there was an electronic beep and all the lights on the panel went out. “We’re good! It’ll release in thirty seconds!” Max said. Hal caught Max’s movement out of the corner of his eye as the scientist lifted his weapon. “HAL!” he yelled, taking aim.

  Hal turned just as Max hit the advancing soldier’s center body mass with a blaster bolt. The soldier fired several rounds at the same time, slamming Max back against the mag lock.

  “Shit!” Hal slid across to the scientist and peeked over at the oncoming soldiers and fired. The closest approaching them fell, then three more behind him. Hal fumbled for his comm.

  “I’m coming for the ramp. Max is injured, and I need cover fire,” Hal said over their network.

  “Got you, brother!” Lane said, her voice tight with the rush.

  Hal slung his rifle over his shoulder and then pulled Max to his feet. The scientist let out a groan as Hal slung his arm around him, half carrying him. Max would make it. He had to. “Stay with me, Max,” Hal said. “We’re gettin’ out of here.”

  Lane moved to the edge of the cargo bay, and along with Orin they laid down heavy cover fire. As soon as Hal’s feet hit the ramp, it began to rise. When he was fully inside, he slipped to his knees and gently placed Max down on the metal floor of the cargo bay.

  “Go, Veevs. Get us out of here,” he called on his comm, as he assessed Max’s damage. “Lane, medkit. Now.”

  Lane grabbed the one on the wall in the cargo bay as Hal gently turned Max on his side and examined the wound. There were no charred edges to signify a blaster bolt, so they must have been using projectiles. There was no exit wound either, but his chest oozed deep red blood.

  “S- Stop,” Max whispered, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain. “It hurts…”

  Years on battlefields told Hal that Max was not doing well. His breathing was shallow, and his lips were turning blue. He turned Max back over so he could begin to apply pressure with the coagulant pad Lane gave him. Max groaned at the pain.

  He took a few rasping breaths. “I’m… so… sorry about… everything.” Blood bubbled up from his damaged lung, and his respiration had a wet sound. Hal clenched his jaw.

  “It’s OK. Don’t try to talk,” Hal groped in the medkit for the painkiller. He pressed it to Max’s neck and heard the medjet hiss. Max seemed to relax as the medicine flowed through him.

  Orin and Lane knelt down too as Orin took over holding pressure against Max’s wound. The whine of the engines sounded as the ship lifted off.

  Vivi came across the comms. “I’m gonna need some help up here!”

  “Go,” Lane said to Hal. She held Max steady as she dosed him with coagulant. “We’ll take him to the medbay.”

  As Lane and Orin coordinated how they were going to move Max to the medbay, Max spoke to Hal, “G- Go on and s- save ev- everyone,” he sputtered. “It’s what you…w- were ma- made t- to do.”

  Hal took Max’s bloody hand and squeezed. Then he turned and left.

  Vivi and Eira had the Loshad’s main drive powered up as the mag lock’s hold on the ship suddenly ceased and the vessel surged upward.

  As Hal made his way to the bridge, he could hear small arm rounds pinging off the hull as the Loshad clawed its way into the airspace above the spaceport. There were tearing sounds as the various cables connecting the ship to the ground equipment ripped loose.

  Hal smiled wryly at the thought of the Loshad’s appearance to people on the ground staring up at the trailing, streaming cables and electrical lines. Orders were undoubtedly being barked over the space center’s comms to ACAS vessels in orbit. Shit was about to get very real very quickly.

  Vivi spoke from the captain’s chair as Hal entered the bridge. “We got everyone?” she asked.

  “Yeah. We did.” Hal said tightly. She gasped to see his hands and shirt were covered in blood, but he shook his head. “Not mine. What’s our status?”

  “We’re entering the stratosphere at full escape velocity.”

  Eira chimed in. “I am reading several ACAS vessels in a holding pattern above the planet. The two closest have been ordered to cut off our escape and are powering their engines.”

  Hal slid into the gunner’s chair. He was glad he had attached the g-pod with the laser cannon before they left. It looked like it was going to get a workout.

  The two ships on an intercept vector were listed in the data log as the Javelin, an escort, and the Bountiful, a command cruiser.

  “Shit!” Hal said. The escort was a problem, but the command cruiser was a major problem.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” Vivi said softly, also noticing the size difference between the Loshad and the looming ACAS ships.

  “The cruiser’s arming its laser battery and the escort’s closing,” Hal replied, wondering why the heavy hitter wouldn’t come for an easy prize. “Veevs, Eira – you two fly and I’ll see if I can keep them off our back.” Hal flipped switches on the weapons station and started the heads-up display.

  The escort craft closed the distance rapidly. It was obvious that its captain was angling for a quick kill. Eira’s maneuvers kept the Loshad from taking hits, but the escort was
fast. Too fast. The cruiser continued to hang back, simply observing the fray.

  Vivi glanced at the sensor panel as Eira continued her evasive attack. Hal was firing to try to disrupt the onrushing escort vessel. He landed a few hits, but they were minor, and the escort kept coming.

  “Hal, I think the cruiser’s slow. It’s not moving at maximum speed,” Vivi said, studying the display and recalling the tactics he’d taught her while they were playing squads. “It should be angling to cut off our retreat, but it’s not doing anything. I think we may have a window to squeeze through.”

  “I concur, Hal,” Eira said.

  “It’s a tight window, though,” Vivi continued, “and going that way will put us in range of the command cruiser until the drive kicks in.”

  “Eira, can you make the window?” Hal kept firing.

  “Yes, Hal.”

  “Do it. I am going to count on a little help from the ACAS. Let’s hope they stay true to form.” Hal could tell that the escort was eager to make a kill by its aggressive maneuvers. He could just imagine what the captain of the command cruiser was thinking as they headed toward it at full thrust. It was a crazy plan, but if he could get the escort closing in on them to make a mistake, they might make it out of this after all. The cruiser grew in size on their display as they closed the distance. Eira was taking evasive maneuvers as Hal continued to fire.

  “Eira, give me an engine boost on my command – like you did against the Phobos.”

  “Yes, Hal. I calculate a forty percent increase will catapult us past the cruiser.”

  “Good. For now, keep closing on the cruiser and hope they keep doing nothing.”

  Just as Hal finished his sentence, the Javelin’s captain got tired of toying with his prey and did exactly as Hal had hoped; he launched the escort’s most deadly weapon, a Mark-6 anti-ship missile. The escort was too close to the command cruiser, however. With the Loshad closing distance on the cruiser it quickly became an additional target for the missile. Hal knew this would force the command cruiser’s captain to fire his lasers to destroy the missile instead of targeting the Loshad.