by Luke Norris
Terrom was in a maniacal frenzy, and he was waving at the sky again. What was he doing? Oliver couldn’t see anything. Damn, maybe Oliver’s methods had sent the man around the bend. Had he gone too far when questioning Terrom? Or had the foreign environment and cabin fever driven him nuts?
Terrom finally noticed Oliver as he reached the four remaining guards. “Stand down men,” Oliver ordered. He drew himself up to his full height at that moment and strode with a purposeful gait.
The guards were terrified and confused and were keeping their distance. They were treating the second-stager like a cornered spinetail; like the one Oliver encountered when they’d been coming down from the crash-landed craft in the jungle.
The guards were relieved to have Oliver take command of this situation. Terrom, on the other hand, did a double take upon seeing Oliver stride into the confrontation without check. He paled even more as the blood drained from his face. He moaned in anticipation and went to his knees in contrition.
Thank god. Oliver had counted on him being so traumatized by their last meeting that he wouldn’t fight. The bluff had worked.
“What did you do, Terrom?” Oliver demanded “How did you escape. If I find that you have killed any of my men…”
Terrom spat at Oliver’s feet. He had an unhinged look.
Oliver pushed him onto his back with his foot, he couldn’t reveal the extent of his injuries. Terrom suddenly laughed, and his demeanor became relaxed. “It doesn’t matter anymore driver,” he was grinning maniacally, and looking at the sky behind Oliver’s head.
He kept his foot on the laughing second-stager’s chest and glanced into the sky where Terrom was looking. There, two meters above his head was a tiny orb, no bigger than Oliver’s palm. A drone. Oliver’s heart sank. He shook his head, to clear his sight and confirm it wasn’t a terrible vision. Yes, a small drone of some kind, there could be no doubt.
As he watched, it zipped slightly higher and changed the viewing angle. It had hit the jackpot. The drone had not only found their kidnapped crew member, but also the perpetrator in one foul swoop, one cruel twist of fate. It was the merciless game, Oliver was trying to keep one step ahead of the claws of fate, that seemed intent on destroying him and everything he knew. The universe had finally caught him.
He knew, that right now as he stood over the prostrate second-stager, there were eyes watching him. A whole second-stage crew, somewhere, watching his every move through the eyes of the drone. They would be on their way to carry out a terrible retribution. What they were capable of on any other day, when not on a revenge mission, was enough to make a harden soldier’s blood run cold. Oliver had provoked them. Pulled their attention away from their daily depravity, all eyes were on him in this very moment.
Oliver removed his foot from Terrom. The man didn’t try and escape, he simply writhed on the ground laughing, as if he was in on some fantastic joke with the remote second-stage crew watching them. Laughing, high and maniacal. The sound of apathy and detachment from the imminent devastation. It was the same attitude as Yarn.
Oliver stepped behind Terrom, and pulled him into a sitting position. Terrom simply complied, letting Oliver physically coerce him.
“You’re done, driver,” Terrom said speaking Terrasian. “There is still a chance for you if you deliver me unharmed. They have seen your face now and will be coming for me. But I can vouch for you that you looked after me…”
Continuous lies. Like Yarn and Riff, manipulating everyone and everything for their personal gain. Careful not to reveal to Terrom that his left hand was injured, he took Terrom in an expert sleeper hold and faced the drone, staring intensely as he squeezed. Terrom’s face flushed scarlet, and the tiny blood vessels in his eyes hemorrhaged as the second-stager slowly lost consciousness.
Surprisingly, Terrom didn’t even show any resistance and was resigned to Oliver’s control. Oliver was careful not to injure him, it was more of a show for the other second-stagers watching him through the drone’s eyes. He wanted them to feel vulnerable, assailable, that they could bleed and were not impervious. The drone hovered closer and stopped level with Oliver’s face for some seconds like a curious person studying Oliver’s expression, trying to know his mind. It then shot into the sky and disappeared out of sight almost instantly.
“Men!” Oliver called to the guards. “Take this man back to the room and ensure he’s secured.” Terrom’s head listed forward, hanging loosely as the guards took the unconscious man from him. “And where is Galif? It was his job to ensure this didn’t happen…”
“This man killed Galif during his escape.” The guard replied, surprised Oliver didn’t know. “They had been arguing for days. Galif opened the door to go in and shut him up, and the prisoner bested him. It was fast, as sure as the mountain’s shadow, I’ve never seen anything like it…” he cleared his throat and looked at Oliver, “except for you, sir.”
I told that man, Oliver thought angrily, helplessly, I told him for his own safety. But how were these men to know the acute danger they were in? He was angry at himself for not taking enough precautions, and at his men for not heeding his instruction. It was misdirected resentment, and he knew it. But he directed his anger at things he had some control over and could influence or persuade. The enemy was invulnerable, directing it at them was as effective as mining the black mountains with a spoon.
“Secure this man,” Oliver repeated, “then have all the guards gather on the tarmac in front of hangar one. Be as quick as possible!”
Oliver ambled back toward the residence. The interaction had taxed his body, but more so placed a massive burden on his mind. They’d been found. How long would it be before second-stagers descended upon them? An hour? Minutes? Days? Not long. He had to clear these people out. The engineers, their families. God! He’d put them all in danger by bringing Terrom here.
“Shael!” Oliver called to her inside the house. “They’ve found us! There was a drone, and it saw Terrom. It saw me.”
She was running across the lawns, swift and determined, fierce yellow eyes that would make a charging spinetail falter, black hair trailing behind. She pulled up short. “A drone?” she studied his face concerned. “I’ll get the families together.” She ran toward the residence area.
“Hangar one,” Oliver called after her. It was the assembly point they’d decided upon should this happen. He sat down on the grass to catch his breath. It was time to get everybody away from here. He would address the families and have them evacuate.
30
UP IN SMOKE
Bringing a driver onto the ship’s bridge! She ought to have Seth ejected into space right now. Li forced herself not to react like all the others on the bridge as Seth entered shadowed by a driver. She couldn’t let her fury show. He was trying to exert his control of the room and was blatantly challenging her leadership by pulling such a stunt. She purposely didn’t turn and give him the attention he craved.
Most of the crew members on the bridge were soft men and women of lavish extravagance. Cut from a different cloth to Li and the others that went planetside. They probably couldn’t even boost if they tried. Seeing a driver in the flesh, at this deadly proximity, made them squirm.
It will probably do them some good, Li thought turning purposefully slowly to face him. Blazing hydrons! That is one bloodcurdling looking driver. No wonder everyone here is so unnerved. Is that… yes, Arif. Blazing hydrons, Seth really did a number on him.
Li kept her expression stony. Don’t give the Seth the acknowledgment he seeks, she told herself. This just reaffirmed her decision to get rid of him. The man’s days were numbered. Hell, he probably knew it, hence his guard dog following him all over the ship.
Li struggled with his account of events with Medom, she had perished with twenty drivers, yet Seth returned without a scratch. She knew there was hostility and professional rivalry between the two. If it wasn’t by Seth’s design explicitly, he was certainly complicit in not aiding her when he could hav
e. The thought was chilling.
Seth approached, watching her with those cold intelligent eyes. He’s probably decoding my very thoughts right now with that emotionless brain of his.
“This one should not be underestimated,” Seth said, pointing to the holographic projection of the mysterious man.
The driver, Arif, stopped beside Seth and watched Li. Those small sunken eyes were dispassionate, almost serene looking, like a jungle cat licking its paws after butchering its quarry. Blazing hydrons! She started boosting slightly, just in case.
“Do we know who he is?” Li asked. They both watched the playback of Terrom falling unconscious. The mystery man’s penetrating gaze transcended the physical space and time and burned into Li. What he did to Terrom was a direct challenge, she felt he was calling her out. It was as if the man’s hatred was meant just for her. But who was he? Such strange behavior for another crew.
“He’s a driver,” Seth replied quietly watching the man. His eyes shone like a proud father, as he studied the projection. The mystery man’s challenge only served to titillate Seth’s intrigue.
“What do you mean a driver?” Li demanded watching Seth’s skeletal features disturbed. Saliva appeared in the corners of his small tight mouth as he watched the man lustily. “You mean there is another crew using their drivers to kill second stagers and kidnap Terrom?” she continued. “To what end? Why would they do that?”
“I don’t believe he is acting on orders,” Seth said, looking affectionately into the eyes of the projected man. “I think he’s autonomous. An amazing specimen. I need to understand how he’s managed to act in this way as a driver. I want to pick his brains.”
Yeah, probably literally, Li thought looking at the steel plates on Arifs skull. But a driver acting of his own volition? That was a terrifying thought.
“Is that even possible?” she probed. “Are you saying Arif there could get up and decide to stage a complex revolt on his own?”
“Not possible with my drivers,” Seth said dismissively, “and certainly not with Arif here. But…” Seth replayed the scene. “This man is a driver.”
“How do you know?” Li asked. “Are you completely ruling out that he’s a second-stager?” Shouldn’t she be able to easily distinguish a second-stager herself? Is that why the question disturbed her? If she couldn't tell the difference, what were the implications of that?
“I can’t tell you how I know,” Seth admitted. “I just do.”
Triton take her if she didn’t believe him! That seemed to raise more questions though. What happened to the rest of this man’s crew, and the other drivers for that matter? Li had already lost a crew member to this man, not to mention a platoon of drivers. Whatever he was she would not be taking any more risks.
Seth’s knuckles were white, as he watched the projection intensely. He didn’t notice as strange grunting noises escaped his throat. “We have to take capture this driver. I need him,” small sweat beads appeared on his bony white temples. “I have to have him!”
She’d fight a protector before she tried to capture that man. Seth’s fetishes could be damned, there was no way she was taking more chances. Li didn’t need to know who this man was. It was a damn mystery and could stay that way as far as she was concerned because this man was fast turning a smooth and profitable planet-run into a costly venture. The temptation was just to leave the planet and cut the losses. But if he’s from another crew… no, I will deal with it, she resolved. My way!
“I want eyes back on that compound,” Li said. “Have the drones watch movements. I want to know how many of these drivers we are dealing with.” She paused weighing her next words. “Mobilize a full assault, Seth!”
“It’s one driver,” Seth scowled. “That is a complete overreaction. Chances of losing the specimen are too high…”
“I don’t want him captured,” Li snapped. “He’s not a specimen. He’s a threat to this planet-run and my crew. He took out a full platoon. No risks.”
Did Seth’s driver just take one step closer when she raised her voice? She started boosting a little deeper as a precaution. What was Seth playing at here? He wouldn’t dare a mutiny, the crew barely tolerated him. Arif stood beside Seth, watching her with those impassive eyes. Seth effectively controlled all the drivers on board—the sole gatekeeper for a large part of their military capability.
Seth smiled as if hearing her thoughts. “He was able to wipe out the platoon because of Medom’s complete incompetence,” Seth replied.
His voice was cold, but she heard the agitation. Perhaps he had not intended that the water treatment plant mission to go down the way it did.
“She piled them all into the craft like fish in a barrel,” Seth said. “She was the author of her own end and all those perfectly good drivers. It’s overkill to mobilize everyone, simply not needed!”
Was he really going to challenge her on this? A sudden lull in the room’s decibel level, the absence of the usual murmur, made Li acutely aware that her conversation with Seth was the focal point. The bridge personnel and officers pretended to be occupied, but the stillness in the control room told her every ear was tuned-in to this unseen powerplay. Silence ensued.
She knew he had already pulled this stunt in other parts of the ship. Should she have had the computer activate a ward drone for protection? No. A ward drone flying around the control room could potentially go very wrong, the ships sensitive instruments would be at risk. But these were the kind of thoughts Seth had pushed her to.
Seth’s driver tilted his head as if waiting for her response. She boosted deeper again. Now sounds were distorted. This contest of wills couldn’t go on. Would he really invoke his driver if she did something? Seth was now watching her with intrigue. Damn him, he’s testing me. She had to risk it.
Li’s hand shot out to Seth’s lanky neck and took hold under his angular jaw. She saw his driver move with uncanny speed, in defense of its master. The driver wasn’t boosting-that was impossible-but those archaic looking bionic arms gifted him movement beyond the natural human condition. Li had anticipated this and placed Seth between her and the driver.
Seth laughed, a strangled sound with Li’s hand pressing against his trachea. He held up his hand indicating Arif to stop. The driver obeyed just as his steel hands closed over Li’s wrist.
Li pushed her face close to Seth’s, she could smell the chemicals on his skin. “Mobilize them all!” She repeated through clenched teeth, forcing herself not to look at the driver’s bionic fingers that could crush her own wrist if commanded.
Seth nodded, “I’ll have the bots do it.”
Li released him. She was sweating. Seth simply nodded to his driver, who let go and then followed the chuckling man out of the control room. He had gone too far! But Protectors take Seth if she didn’t need him though. He had cleverly carved out his niche, and she had let him become irreplaceable. A damn nuisance is what he was. He’d have to wait, she had to focus on the task at hand now. If this rogue driver on Arakan was acting on commands from another crew, there would be hell to pay.
“Alright, you all heard what’s happening,” she called the bluff of the bridge personnel who were pretending to look busy. “It will be a localized deployment only, but full force.”
“Rea!” Li addressed the systems technician. “Have you picked up any hints of another crew?”
“Still just one behind the nearest moon,” the small man replied. “It’s the only gravitational anomaly. It is consistent with something the size of an old juggernaut. However, none of the hallmarks of an active ship have been detected. Could just be a natural satellite. If there are other crews, then they are further out in the system.”
“Well, this driver came from somewhere,” Li insisted. “They must have damn good cloaking.” That made her uncomfortable. If a protector showed up, and they were the only obvious early-trader in the system, then it would make them the primary target, and escape would be very difficult indeed. It was always more desirable
to have many early-traders in the system to reduce the chances that you were the one they pursued. It created a scatter effect, a U.W.F. ship would arrive in their midst, and E.T.s would break away from the system in different directions. It was an unspoken rule or simple logic of survival. If you happened to be the unlucky crew to have the U.W.F patrolor on your tail, then you’d better hope for some divine intervention. Chances of shaking a protector that had you in its sights were about as high as escaping Triton’s dark center in a landing craft.
But it was wasted energy to be pondering this. They were so far out on the spiral rim, there was no reason for a protector to be out here. These were basically uncharted systems on the Terrasian map. The protectors were already spread thin. New planetary systems were joining the empire constantly, and the bigger Terras became, the further out the empire’s perimeter stretched, the more risk-free early-trading operations became.
She’d heard that the protectors often operated solo these days. Word on the trading posts was, some crews had managed to kill one on a recent planet run. They’d paid dearly for the privilege, losing at least an entire crew in the battle. But they had done it.
But this far out, they were safe! There would be no patrollers coming out here. There was just no reason. Li could perish the thought. Blazing hydrons Li didn’t even know exactly where here was. It was just this driver character who was an anomaly, and anomalies made Li nervous. The quicker she handled this, the better.
Li would go herself, she had to! There would be no Sharian robes, or frivolous first-stage fashion this time. “Display planetside combat suits!” she commanded the ship’s computer.
“Yes, Captain Li.” A miniature three-dimensional projection of a green armored suit rotated slowly in front of her. “What trade-offs would you like to make on suit attributes?” the computer asked.
Li swiped the suit left to see the next option. What endowments did she want? The thought of Seth’s driver flashed in her mind—those cold bionic fingers closing on her wrist, with machine endowed Strength.
