by Smith, T. L.
Her discomfort didn’t go unnoticed. “Dr. Maldonado isn’t confident they are who they say. Would you like to explain, Doctor?”
He said it with a sharpness she hadn’t heard before. She avoided looking at him. “Well, as you probably all know by now, I don’t like people, in general.” She didn’t try to hold in her contempt. “Some even less.”
“We’ve all picked up on that, Doctor. We’re talking about Snead.”
She saw his crew tensing. “Yes, Capt. Snead. I replayed the communication and besides being creepy looking, he twitched every time we mentioned the Alliance.”
“He did?” Breeze looked to the holo-image of Snead. “I get creepy, but I didn’t see twitching. Can we replay the conversation?”
With a sigh Jayda ran the recording forward, past the introductions, stopping at the point where Breeze explained the situation, bringing the focus in closer on the man’s face. Hearing it would take another week for the Alliance tow, she saw it again, as well as a shift of his eyes. “Right there.”
Breeze shook her head. “Don’t see it.”
Jayda replayed it, but everyone gave her a look of doubt. “Really, you don’t see it?” She quick scanned Snead’s reactions, their stares growing more incredulous. “You saw it now, didn’t you?”
“I did.” Dolan had her replay it, leaning forward to point at the man’s left cheek. “You either have to be trained in behaviors, or a really good poker player to catch a person’s tell.” He got a few head shakes. “A tell is a habit someone has when they’re hiding something, like not being able to look you in the eye. Snead grinds his teeth, causing the tendons to bulge, right… and the eye…” He pointed to the lower lid as the inner edge quivered.
Having someone jabbing at the reflexes made everyone see them, finally.
Dolan sat back as they watched the rest of the hologram play out again. “How’d you catch it?”
Jayda kept her eyes on the hologram. “I learned to count playing poker.”
“Remind me not to play with you.”
Jayda cast her eyes towards Breeze. “Don’t see that ever being a problem.”
Dolan cut off the hologram and stood up. “We have crews working with the bots to make the ship look more distressed than she is. Doesn’t have to be perfect, just convincing. Dr. Taylor had our damaged medical tubes brought aboard and a tech is wiring them to simulate full functionality.” He looked to one of the men. “Adams, I want security in them. We’re going to transfer them over as soon as they dock. That way we got boots on their ship.”
“Yes, sir.” Adams tapped up his comp-pad. “Most the people in the med lab are recovered enough to defend themselves.”
“Arm them. Matter of fact, I want all our walking wounded in a bed or on a cot. Arm everyone, including Dr. Maldonado.”
Dolan spun his head to look at his officers and Jayda. “We got about fifteen hours if they were telling the truth. I want some drills squeezed in, even if we have to do them in shifts. Dr. M in the fray too, so she gets to know who’s who and doesn’t shoot at one of us accidently.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, sir. We just have to program her into our weapons system and teach her how they work.”
“I know how to use a weapon.” Talking like she was helpless brought the snippiness out even more. “It’s something else you don’t want to challenge me at.” Dolan’s lip started to curl. “I know how to bypass the ‘friendly-fire’ program too.”
“You’re still doing the drills.”
He shifted topics before she could respond, making sure Jayda knew the plans as thoroughly as his officers.
From a threat aspect, his plan made sense. At the end of the meeting she went with the security officer to Dolan’s ship to get cleared on weapons.
He scanned her, uploading her ID chip into their weapons. If the aim was off and a crewman was in the way, the laser wouldn’t fire. The same was true if the weapon was turned against them by the enemy, but it wasn’t fool-proof against friendly-fire. It meant she couldn’t accidently shoot Dolan.
She proved to the security officer she still rated as an Expert Marksman with the pistol. Jayda didn’t boast about her father starting her on hand weapons as soon as her fingers were long enough to grasp the hilt and reach the trigger.
On Dolan’s demand, she was given two of the small palm pistols. Being the station resident, no one would immediately suspect her of being armed, so it would provide an element of surprise, if needed.
Within two hours she was engaged in the first war game, being chased down by assigned terrorists. It had been a long time since she played this game and with her limitations, she didn’t last long. By the end of the day it was clear she was a dangerous liability, if this turned into a life-and-death situation.
Locked in her room, she sucked in Senaprox, doubled over on the edge of her bed. She heard the computer announce Dolan, but she didn’t answer. On the second request she refused his entrance. The door opened anyway. “Get out!”
“I need to check on you.” He came into her room, kneeling in front of her.
Jayda flinched when his hand settled on her shoulder. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been taking care of myself for eight years.”
“Maybe, but no one’s been out to get you before.” His hand pressed harder, trying to pry her up from the knot she was curled into. “Sit up.”
“Back off!” Jayda pulled away from him, rolling into the back of her bunk. “Go harass Taylor, or Verna, or one of the other women. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to entertain you.”
“What the hell has crawled under your skin today?”
“What do you care?” Laying in the back of the bunk among her cushions felt a bit better, but she didn’t. “Why are you sniffing after me?”
“Beats me!” Dolan snapped, then sighed. “I care what happens to you. As tough as you want everyone to think you are, today proves you aren’t. Accept that and cooperate.”
“I am cooperating. I’m just not going to let you manipulate me anymore.”
“You think I’m manipulating you? For what?” She didn’t answer, and not looking at him, didn’t see him grab at the pillow she huddled into, jerking it from beneath her. She gasped at the shock to already bruised muscles and ignited nerves. Grasping her ribs. “How am I manipulating you?”
“Last night! This morning!” She gasped out an answer. “Don’t pretend you care. When this is over and you move on, I’ll just be…” She rubbed her face, too exhausted to fight. “Please, let me rest.”
Dolan gave her back the pillow and stood up. “I’ll back off, but when this is over, one way or another, we’re going to sit down and talk about it. Even if I have to lock you in a room to do it.”
She didn’t answer, hugging the pillow against her chest as he left. Maybe these people were the real thing and they’d take the crew off her hands. Then she could get back to her own life.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The sounding of an alarm tore Jayda from her dreams.
“Ship entering perimeter. Ship entering perimeter.” The computer repeated itself a couple more times.
“Yeah, I got it! Cancel alert.” She dressed quickly in her environmental suit, the hidden reinforcements in the legs giving her extra support in this gravity. “Alert Dolan.”
“Capt. Dolan has been informed. Please report to the galley.”
“Tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She double-checked the charge on her suit. Though good for months at a time, she wasn’t taking any chances on being left incapacitated at the worst possible moment. She tucked the laser pistols into her pockets.
When she reached the galley, Dolan stood at the table with his officers. “Get the weapons crew into position and the ship repositioned. They’ll be in scan distance in about a half hour and I want that ship looking totally abandoned.”
“The weapons team is suited up and in the airlock. Doc is dressing the security guys in the med lab.”
“The ship l
ooks bad, as intended…” The engineer, Lewis, from their training nodded to Jayda. “The waste containers worked perfect.”
Dolan looked over his shoulder and shifted aside to make room for her. “Yes, makes us look weaker than we are.”
Lewis jerked his chin at Jayda. “How we explain the low-g?”
Breeze looked at Jayda too, but shook her head. “Better for the patients, since we can’t put them in stasis. If they were told Dr. Maldonado had anything wrong with her, this will confuse them.” She swung back to Lewis. “Did we get those two pods working?”
“Auxiliary battery power. Taylor was able to pull up medical drill data and put it into a continuous feed for the displays. Both will have masks on so it looks like severe upper body burns.”
“Good!” Dolan stood upright, shutting down the hologram. “Get everyone into position. Lewis, go to the main core. Protect it at all costs. That’s our secondary command post, in case things go wrong.”
Everyone but Breeze and Dolan left the galley. Unlike the day before, the woman separated herself, going to a portal and opening her comm-link to supervise the operation. Jayda backed away from Dolan. “Isn’t there anything you need to be doing too?”
Dolan frowned, looking about the room. “Not that I can think of.” He patted down the pocket of the civilian utility uniform he had on. “Got everything.”
“You’re leaving this all up to Capt. Breeze?”
He scrunched his eyebrows together. “She’s got her crew in order.”
His attitude confused to her. “It’s your ship and crew!”
“No, it’s not… oh, I see.” Breeze looked over her shoulder and Dolan nodded, dropping his voice. “The Dolan 4 is her vessel. The Dolan 4…” He repeated the ship’s name, raising an eyebrow at Jayda. “Geez, for such a smart chick, you’re being particularly dense. “I’m one of the Dolans. I was only aboard to familiarize myself with the business.”
“What?” Jayda took another step backwards. “You’re not a real captain? I thought… the way you acted… all military. I thought you were in charge… well, I guess you are.”
“Oh, yeah, just recently retired. Trying to figure out where I want to be.” Now Dolan smiled as she figured it out. “Just switching uniforms.” He moved to where Jayda had cornered herself against the galley counter. “For right now, drop the Dolan. They don’t need to know my real name.”
“Then how do I explain who you are?”
“Easy enough.” He pulled up his comm, turning his arm to show her. “Dolan isn’t the real family name. It was also too long and hard to pronounce.”
She looked at the ID displayed on his comm. “Nick Rygiel.”
“Nikolai Xavier Rygiel Dolukhanov, the third. If you want to be exact.”
“Okay, I can see why you shortened it.” She slipped along the counter, to the coffee dispenser. At least someone had loaded it. She pulled herself a cup. “So I call you Rygiel?”
“How about Nick?” He followed her down the counter, leaning close even though she avoided looking at him. “So, Nick Rygiel’s cover is a corporate tech sent here to evaluate the station for a new retrofit.” He nudged a little closer. “For their info, I’ve been here a while, a month, which is why we know each other so well. I’m corporate. I won’t need transport out of here.”
“But if they’re legit, Nick, what then?” She clutched the coffee cup to her chest, trying not to lean into his shoulder where he stood against her. “If they’re real…”
“Someone has to stay with the ship.” He let his fingers stroke her other shoulder. “And you can’t stay out here alone, defenseless.”
“I don’t need protection. If attacked, I get into the lab and lock myself down.” Jayda twisted out from under his hand. “The core is built to withstand the full destruction of the station and has supplies to last three months, more than enough time for the Alliance and our corporate security to respond to automated distress signals.”
“Really?” Dolan was giving her the one raised eyebrow. “You don’t trust this group. Suddenly you’re going to trust the next ship that comes along?”
“I’d trust a big-ass Interstellar Alliance ship, which is what I’d get if my disaster beacons were activated, over the standard distress signal from this accident.”
“Well!” Dolan squinted down at Jayda. “We’ll continue this discussion after we find out if these guys are legit.” He turned to where Breeze quietly monitored preparations. “You and Dr. Maldonado will have to greet the incoming ship. I’ll monitor from here for any subterfuge. What’s our status?”
Breeze dropped her hand from her ear, but Jayda could see the slight tip of her head where she continued to listen. “We’re rotating the ship on the arm. Weapons will have the GR ship covered, but on standby so not detectable. We have crew in a neighboring cabin as walking wounded. Two officers are ready for the tubes and the remaining patients armed.” She gave a slight nod of her head. “Engineer and two remaining crewmen suited up and on their way over to our ship. Lewis has secondary command post ready to be activated.”
“Then we’re ready to roll?”
“No!” Jayda inserted herself into the briefing. “If it’s just the…” She counted out who was left aboard in the ruse. “…five of us, the others can’t be talking to you.” She tipped her head at Breeze. “You have your own tells, Capt. Breeze, like the unconscious head tip to listen to reports. If I can see them, so will others.”
“You’re right!” Breeze nodded. “I’ll pay attention to my gestures.”
“No, the good doctor is right.” Dolan grit his teeth. “Most tells are unconscious reflexes. It takes practice to lie effectively.” He headed for Jayda’s work chair. “All communications need to be through me, so there’ll only be one voice in your ear. Once we determine their intentions, we can open the line.”
“Agreed.” Breeze approached Jayda. “With all the station’s monitoring systems active, Nick can track our every move…” She gestured to where Dolan was making himself comfortable, activating screens. “…while pretending to monitor our ship.”
Seeing anyone in her chair grated on Jayda’s nerves. Seeing Dolan…Nick… making himself so at home only rankled her more, but this was the plan. If all went well it wouldn’t last long. “Okay, let’s go make a visual check on the med lab. That’ll be ground-zero.”
“Let’s hope not.” Breeze waited for Jayda to take the lead, then fell in beside her, leaving Nick to the galley.
They didn’t speak to each other and Jayda didn’t push it. Once in the med bay Jayda saw Taylor applying a mask to one man’s face. Adams sat in his stasis tube, a mask on his face and bandages covering his chest. That was all that would be visible through the observation plate of the tube.
All the patients had been rearranged, the most injured at the back of the lab. The ones nearest the door were minor burns or respiratory. They could get up and fight. Taylor dressed their wounds to make them look worse than they were.
It all looked realistic, except for the two officers faking it. Jayda threw up her hands. “This is all wrong.”
“What’s the problem?” Taylor came over to the bed Jayda stood next to. Her hands went to the bandage over the man’s leg.
“No, the dressing is fine.” Jayda looked at the man’s face, leaning close. “Have you ever been seriously hurt?”
The man shrugged. “Broke my arm on a training exercise.”
“Yeah, well show me how that felt, before someone fixed you up.”
The man put on a grimace, holding it for her.
“Pfft, that’s the best you can do?”
Taking it as a challenge, he tried harder, the grimace turning into a snarl.
“See, that looks fake because he’s faking it.” Jayda took Taylor’s arm and pulled her to another man who really did have burns. “Tell me what you see.”
Taylor stared at the man, Breeze taking the other side of the bed. “Yeah, we didn’t think about that.”
�
��About what?” Breeze looked closer.
“Real pain.” Taylor jerked her head to the first man. “It’s not in his eyes. We’re trained to look because some people try to downplay it, but the eyes never lie.” She looked back at the walking wounded. “We don’t have time to change the plan.”
“Maybe not.” Jayda went to the med cabinets and looked through two before she found what she wanted. Returning to the man faking his pain she pulled part of his leg bandage loose. Before he could ask what she was doing, she squirted gel onto his leg and slapped the bandage back into place.
It took about ten seconds before he started squirming around. “What the hell is that?” He reached for the bandage on his leg.
Taylor slapped his hands, then took the tube and grinned. “Don’t worry, it’s basically harmless.”
“Tell that to my leg, it’s burning like hell.”
“Well, then you got an idea what the others are feeling.” Jayda smirked.
Taylor shook her head at his complaining. “It’s undiluted Methyl Salicylate, same stuff you use for sore muscles. Most you’ll get is a rash.” She turned to the other officer. “Your turn. Got to look like you’re suffering.”
He sneered, but stripped the bandage off his shoulder. “Get it over with.”
Jayda watched Taylor work her way through the others needing a boost in their discomfort. Breeze scowled. “You don’t think this is a bit too much, the squirming is a bit obvious.”
Taylor pocketed the tube. “It’ll taper off by the time the GR ship gets here.”
“Okay, long as they’re able to do what they have to.” Breeze bowed her head to Jayda. “Shall we proceed?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jayda followed the captain to the docking bay, checking on the position of the Dolan 4. It hung secured from the robotic arm. Smaller bots scurried over her hull, disappearing to the other side. Jayda had the computer run a scan for life forms. Static filled the screen, overload from venting fuel cells.
“Looks good to me. There was enough leakage to dissuade anyone from taking a closer look.” Jayda switched off the screen. “What’s their ETA?”
