by TR Cameron
The other man nodded an affirmative and turned into the hotel. After several minutes, he said, “Dude’s walking in the direction of a large conference room on the first level, and a lot of the people here seem like they’re headed there too. A lot of people who look like pirates.”
Cia suggested, “Could be a clan meeting. If so, they’d want neutral ground, which could explain why they didn’t choose a ship. Maybe doing it there guarantees them some level of privacy. You never know, if they bribed the station to keep them out of the systems, they could easily have paid off the hotel to kill some cameras.”
Jax asked, “Any obvious spot where I can get close?”
Marshall replied, “Can’t be sure. But there are a lot of doors down that hall. I’m heading out now.”
Jax avoided eye contact as they passed one another in the hotel doorway. He strode forward down the only corridor leading from the lobby, keeping his head up and trying to look like he belonged. The room Marshall had referred to was immediately obvious. Groups of pirates stood outside it in clusters, talking among themselves and shooting suspicious glances at anyone who wasn’t part of their little bunch.
He muttered apologies as he threaded through the groups and spared the conference room a glance in passing before turning his face away. It held a large conference table surrounded by chairs, each of them filled. Standing behind each seat was a group of individuals who looked younger or less authoritative than those in front of them, and he concluded it was probably a meeting of ship captains with crew members in support. Which might mean that some other people who would recognize me are here.
The next door down was unlocked, and he pulled it open and ducked inside. Chairs were stacked along one side of the walk-in closet, and a tall set of shelves holding banquet equipment covered the other with everything from cups to plates to massive coffee urns. He flipped the switch on the handle to lock the door, then sat on the floor with his back against the meeting room’s wall. He activated the audio receiver and heard voices, but a wavering interference rendered them unintelligible. Athena, what’s going on?
“They have a scrambler or white noise device in there to mess with transmissions. Standby.” After several seconds, she instructed, “Adjust the setting to three-nine-seven mark four.” He complied, and the feed cleaned up immediately.
What did you do?
“I’m using your comm to transmit an inverted version of their scrambler signal. At this frequency, the two combine and cancel one another out.”
Jax routed the ungarbled audio feed into his comm so the rest of the team could listen in. The sound of pounding came from the room beyond, and the pirate they’d planted the bug on spoke. “All right, people. I come before you with a proposition. We’ve all been brought together for a reason, and we’ve given our word that we’ll participate in the upcoming attack. What the fools who recruited us have forgotten is that we’re pirates.”
Laughter rang out, accompanied by cheering and hooting loud enough to be heard through the wall. When it died down, the man continued, “I’m not saying that those of you who wish to continue shouldn’t do so. As always, we in Clan Shimsa can choose our path as long as the money continues to flow. But in this case, I suggest we decide to act together because by doing so we can reap a reward far greater than what we’ve been promised.”
Another voice, older-sounding and hoarse, interjected, “Rachi, get on with it, will you? We’ve got drinking to do.” More laughter came across the audio feed.
The pirate leader chuckled. “Certainly. Here’s my idea. When we gather at the rally point before the attack to take on supplies, we turn this thing on its head.” The side conversations that had been a dull rumble under his voice fell away. “If our intelligence is correct, a large number of undermanned ships will be there with us. So here’s what we’ll do. Before the go signal comes, we send out boarding teams, breach those ships, and take them for ourselves. Then we get the hell out of there before they know what’s going on.”
A voice filled with doubt and a touch of condescension asked, “Won’t that get us blacklisted?”
The pirate leader laughed. “Like we would care about such a thing. If I never work for a government again, it’s of no matter to me. I can’t see them increasing their efforts to interfere with us. They have too many things to attend to, and that doesn’t look to change. Especially after the fallout from what they’ve got planned.”
Cia whispered, “What do you think he means about undercrewed ships?”
Jax shook his head. “No idea, but I don’t like the sound of it.” In the past, he’d encountered vessels with skeleton crews that were used as battering rams primed to explode when they made contact. It was costly but effective.
The pirate captain asked, “So, what do you say?” The discussion lasted for about ten minutes as they debated the pros and cons before silence fell again. He requested formally, “Captains, please register your responses.”
One after another, different voices spoke the word “Aye.” None of them argued against the proposal. When the vote was complete, the leader said, “Excellent. I’m sorry to say that the drinking will have to be put on hold, Escante, because we need to get ourselves into position ahead of the rest to stake out the best locations near the most compelling targets.”
Jax bolted to his feet and left the storeroom to ensure he was past the conference room before any pirates exited it. He muttered, low and urgent, “I thought we would have more time. Athena, is there any way we can bug their ship so we know where it’s going?”
Over the comm, the AI responded, “No. We don’t have any such technology available.”
Jax cursed inwardly. “What about following them?”
Trianna replied, “We could get out ahead of them if everyone hoofed it back to the ship. But if they jump, we won’t have any idea where they go.”
Jax shook his head. “Then there’s only one option. I have to take him down before he can get to his ship, and we need to sneak him onto the Cleaver. Then we can interrogate him on the way to wherever they’re supposed to go.”
There were gasps of surprise, and Marshall stated, “I’ll come and assist.”
Jax, who had found a place to stand where he could watch anyone coming out of the hotel without being noticed, shook his head slightly. “Negative. I have something else for you to do.” Rachi emerged with the blonde woman and a burly man who’d been at the table with him in the bar. All three had batons strapped to their belts in addition to the pistols they carried. Dammit, I should’ve brought a weapon.
Athena reminded him, “You have two, attached to your shoulders.”
True enough. Okay, I want you to figure out where my best opportunity to get them is, based on where we’re going. He dipped into his pocket and pulled out his display glasses, no longer concerned that they would give him away since secrecy was likely about to be a thing of the past, anyway. “The rest of you get back to the ship, except for Verrand and Marshall. You two find something to move him in once I’ve got him, a rolling crate, a barrel, a bloody coffin, I don’t care. Anything we can use to get him to the ship alive will work.”
Affirmatives sounded, and he followed his target. No opportunity to act presented itself before they entered the long hallway that led to the ships, and Jax cursed under his breath. The crowd thinned out the further they traveled, diminishing his ability to follow without being seen. Athena said, “You only have about thirty seconds before we’ll be visible to the ship.”
He tensed himself to rush forward, but as he was about to take the first step, a trio of humans rounded the corner and called out to his target. Jax knelt to fasten the straps on his boot and surreptitiously watched as they joined the party. Dammit, there’s no way I can do it now. I can’t believe we’ve come this far only to lose them. He ordered, “Verrand, Marshall, get to the Cleaver. You all do your best to stay close to the ship without spooking it on the trip out.”
Cia’s voice came over the comm,
with her copilot negotiating departure details with the station barely audible in the background. “Jax. Tell me you’re not about to do something stupid.”
“Me? Never.” He shuffled ahead to the edge of the tube that led to the pirate ship and peered around the corner. They had mounted the cargo ramp, and the area beyond it was filled with crates from floor to ceiling aside from a narrow lane heading forward. His eyes widened at the sight of boxes marked with the UCCA logo. “Holy hell. These bastards are part of the same group we saw on the other station, Cia. They have Alliance material on board that looks exactly like the other stuff.”
He had intended to get a last look and run for the Occam’s Cleaver on the off chance he might make it before they obeyed his instructions to depart. That was no longer an option. Too much was coming together, and they couldn’t risk allowing the knowledge the crew of that ship held to escape them. The captain slapped the button to close the cargo door on the pirate’s vessel and walked away, and his people followed. The ramp started to rise.
Athena, give me all the jolt I can handle. He dashed forward in a low run to avoid anyone on board seeing the motion. Energy surged through him and gave him an extra boost of speed. When he was close enough, he leapt at the closing ramp, caught the edge with his fingertips, and used the strength in his enhanced arms to launch himself up and over. He fell down the far side of it and slammed hard onto the deck in the small area between the rear door and the stacked crates. No sooner was the ramp secure than a shudder ran through the vessel as it detached from the station.
Jax breathed, “Stay close, people. Signing off for a while.” He deactivated his comm lest the outgoing signal be detected and wiggled around until he was in a halfway comfortable position. Athena, I know I got us into this, but we’ll need to work together to find a way to get us out of it.
She laughed. “Big surprise. That’s always the way it works with you, Jax.”
Chapter Seventeen
Jax remained quietly in place in his little nook at the back of the cargo bay for a full fifteen minutes. He scrunched into as small a shape as possible and made sure to cover his skin so if a camera were present in the area, it would see an amorphous lump rather than a body. Athena, anything?
“No. I can’t detect the ship’s network. If I had to guess, they have the wireless functions turned off. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Jax nodded. I have. Our ships have done it before when going into particularly hot combat situations. If you know that everyone’s wired in, you can eliminate the possibility of anyone hacking in by wireless. They probably had it off as extra security at the station and will turn it back on once they’re in jump. I don’t think we can afford to wait, though.
“I have no reason to argue with your assessment.”
Then I guess it’s time to look around. He moved slowly and carefully as he climbed into a crouch and crept forward to the aisle that ran back through the cargo containers toward the main part of the ship. The only sounds that reached his ears were the familiar creaks and thrums of a vessel under power, which was reassuring. The craft had gravity, but it would still make sense for most of the crew to be strapped in at their stations or in their quarters in case of sudden maneuvering, especially if they didn’t trust the other ships in the system. No honor among pirates, right? This bunch definitely lives by that mantra. He moved slowly and silently up the aisle and discovered a closed bulkhead door on the far side. The configuration was different from the Grace, where the cargo area opened directly onto the living areas. I take it this ship is bigger than ours?
“About fifteen percent larger, yes.”
Where would I be most likely to find a place to jack in? He said a small word of thanks in his mind to Kimmel for insisting they all continue to carry the adapters.
“We can probably assume there will be some in operational areas. The fact that they’re currently operating without wireless would suggest system connection points all over the ship.”
Like on the oldest military vessels. You’d wear your headset and plug it in wherever you happen to be working. Makes sense. He put his ear to the door and listened but heard nothing beyond it. Here goes. Like many vacuum-rated doors, this one had physical handles instead of an electronic mechanism that might fail catastrophically if the system went out. He moved the levers as quietly as possible and winced at the slight screech that each gave. Maintenance procedures could be better.
“You’re one to talk. When was the last time you did anything to help freshen up the Grace?”
Shut it. The door opened outward, and he pushed it far enough to look into the area beyond. When he didn’t see any immediate threat, he opened it the rest of the way and discovered paths leading to the right, left, and forward, presumably down the ship’s centerline. Probably makes more sense to go to a side, don’t you think?
“Less chance of running into someone moving from one part of the ship to another, I agree.”
He closed the door carefully behind him and rotated the latches back into place, then headed to the left. The corridor ended at a bulkhead with a door to the right. This one wasn’t vacuum-rated, and he paused before activating the sensor to listen again. Hearing nothing, he readied himself for what might lie beyond it and passed his hand over the illuminated panel. The door slid aside and revealed a small storage area filled with straps, bolts, and heavy tools secured to the walls. Better, a workbench ran along the side that faced the center of the ship, and above it, a port to connect to the network. Yes. He turned to lock the door, but right before he hit the switch, he thought better of it. Athena, how likely is it that a locked door will show up on a sensor board somewhere?
“It’s guaranteed. The question is whether the crew will be monitoring the board or whether there’s a notification system set up to alert them. I wouldn’t risk it.”
Agreed. He withdrew the adapter from his pocket and slotted it into the wall, then returned to stand next to the door, ready to deal with anyone who might come through. His display glasses showed lines of code swirling as Athena navigated her way into the system. Several moments later, a schematic of the ship appeared. “I’m in.”
What level of access?
“I have outer layer permissions, which means I can read almost anything unless it’s on a specifically secured server, but I have limited ability to take action. I’m worming my way into those privileges, but it will take some time.”
Understood. Can you show me the external view?
A window opened in his visual field to show a sensor representation of the area around them. Several ships were in motion to the jump point, and the Occam’s Cleaver had indeed gotten out ahead of the pirate ship. She was moving slowly enough that the pirate ship would likely catch up to them before the jump. That’s a bold play if they have any suspicions at all.
Athena agreed. “Certainly, but it’s logical to assume the pirates would look for pursuers behind, rather than in front. Logical, but still a dangerous choice.”
Jax reviewed the schematic, which had small labels indicating the purpose of each room on the map. He took special note of the armory and several supply areas that might contain EVA gear should he need it. He wasn’t about to try the arsenal until Athena gained full access to the ship systems. If the crew was watching any compartment on board, that would be the one. Can you get into the navigation system to see where we’re heading?
“Negative. All bridge systems require a markedly higher level of permission. I have to move slowly on them so they don’t notice my intrusion.”
I understand. Different question. Let’s say we’re on this thing through jump. How can we be sure that the Grace can follow us?
She was silent for a time. “I’ve reviewed the ship’s systems and find nothing we can use to accomplish that goal. However, we do have one unique resource in place. The nanoparticles.”
Jax frowned. If she expected him to perform the mental leap to understand her intention, her expectations were too high. Mor
e likely she’s trying to make me feel stupid, he thought, careful not to let that one reach the level of consciousness that Athena shared. How does that help us?
“If we trigger a ping from the nanoparticles at different intervals, the other members of the team would be able to detect the signal if they were looking for it. We could theoretically bracket the normal ping so we’re sure that they are.”
He thought about it. It made sense: it was unlikely to be detected as long as they didn’t overuse it, and the others would indeed be on the lookout for it. Okay, that sounds like a good idea. Now the problem is making sure the others know we have a plan, so they don’t try anything crazy at the jump point to rescue us.
Amusement entered the AI’s tone. “You really think they like you enough to rescue you? They’re probably throwing a party right now.”
Hush. Can you access the comm system, or the external lights, or something that would allow us to get a message to them?
“I could, but again, we have no guarantee it would remain hidden. If the pirates have security subroutines running, it’s entirely possible they would be on the lookout for such things. As an arguably suspicious bunch, you would think that pirate captains would be more likely to keep an eye on their crew than a normal ship would.”
Yes, very true. Okay, let’s do one ping followed by two pings a minute later. Hopefully, the system will alert them to the first one, and they’ll be watching for the second. Sure, there will be a delay while it bounces around the networks, but it shouldn’t take that long. Do you see any flaws?
“In you? Too many to list. In that plan, only a few, but I agree it’s our best shot. The only question I would ask is whether you believe they are truly likely to act before the ship jumps, since we could do the same thing once we arrive at our destination.”
I think they will. For all they know, they’re about to lose sight of me entirely. While I’m not all that important in the grand scheme of things, you definitely are. I wouldn’t put it past Maarsen to have said a quiet word to one or more of them about making sure you don’t fall into anyone else’s hands, regardless of what it might cost me.