Free Bird Rising

by Ian J. Malone

  Taylor waited anxiously to see if their new friend’s desire for survival outweighed his sense of duty.

  “Credentials confirmed,” the comm voice said. “You may proceed to Bay Two at your leisure.”

  “Acknowledged. Santuva out.” Coco disconnected the channel and sat back.

  “See?” Stan grinned. “That weren’t so hard, now was it?”

  The stargate loomed larger in the viewport as Coco eased the shuttle toward it. From there, he locked in his approach vector to the admin station, where a circular entry point irised open.

  Taylor had never seen a docking bay at a stargate before. The ones he’d encountered had all utilized docking collars. The shuttle continued onward through the hatch, then set down on a platform, where a set of mooring clamps locked it in place.

  “We are down,” the Zuul said.

  “Coco, my boy,” Stan said, patting the alien’s shoulder, “it’s been a real pleasure workin’ with you today.”

  The Zuul’s eyes narrowed, then widened with revelation as a surge of electricity bolted him upright.

  “How long do you expect he’ll stay out?” Taylor asked.

  Stan put away his stun device and studied the unconscious alien. “I’m told Hemming builds these things to put a grown man down for upwards of four hours. But a Zuul?” He shrugged. “Who knows?”

  “Let’s not take any chances,” Taylor said. “Gag him, bind him, and stuff him into a head somewhere until we get back. We’ll wake him then for the return trip.”

  “You got it.” Stan unhooked Coco’s belts then grabbed the alien’s shoulders and floated him out of sight.

  Lisa was waiting in the cargo hold when Taylor returned. “So, what’s next?”

  “For you, there is no next,” Taylor said. “You’re stayin’ here.”

  Lisa opened her mouth to protest, but clearly thought better of it.

  “Smart girl.” Smitty floated in to join them.

  “Whatever.” Lisa smirked. “You guys be careful out there.”

  “Yeah, you, too,” Taylor said. “Now get and find some place hidden to hole up. There’s gonna be a crew in here shortly to unload these supplies, and the last thing we need is for them to find a Human stowaway, waitin’ with the merchandise.”

  Lisa gave the group a good luck wave then coasted out of sight as Valawn and Retay entered on foot in their mag boots.

  “I just got our confirmation from Natona,” Valawn said. “She stands ready to receive us.”

  “Okay then. Let’s get to it.” Taylor slid off his Rukori tunic, figuring disguises were useless at that point, and he was just about to lay it aside when Valawn stopped him.

  “You might not want to do that just yet,” the RFC leader said.

  Taylor wrinkled his nose as the RFC leader reached into his tunic and fished out another vial of green goop.

  “Wonderful,” Jack muttered.

  Taylor snatched the ampoule from the alien’s grasp then floated back to his bin and climbed in, while the others did the same.

  “Good?” Valawn asked.

  Taylor adjusted his oxygen mask and flashed a thumbs-up.

  “Now we find out how good this contact of theirs really is,” Smitty said via pinlink when all had gone dark.

  “Hard to argue with the RFC’s results so far,” Taylor answered. “Besides, it ain’t like we had a plethora of options here.”

  The Aussie commander grumbled something else but didn’t push it.

  “Docking bay pressurization is confirmed,” Valawn said. “As before, I’ll leave the comm line open for you to listen in.”

  “Understood,” Taylor said.

  “Preparing to move out.”

  Taylor listened from inside his bin as a collection of gear sounds preceded the clearance chirp of the entrance indicator. Next came the ka-chunk of the hatch opening, followed by a series of motorized whines as the boarding ramp lowered onto a metal surface outside.

  “Manifest, please,” a female said.

  Taylor replayed the voice in his mind. Definitely not Zuul. A muddle of grunts in the backdrop told a different story. At least two.

  “What is your primary cargo?” one Zuul asked.

  Valawn listed a string of items.

  “Excuse me, madam?” Retay cut in. “You should know that we experienced some seal issues with Bins One through Five before leaving the surface.”

  “The dako meat?” The female’s voice ticked upward with concern. “Were you able to salvage the load?”

  “Thankfully, yes,” Retay said. “I would, however, recommend that we get these bins into proper storage as soon as possible. That way if we encounter more issues, we can keep the meat cooled under optimal conditions.”

  The female cleared her throat. “Very good, then. Everything else seems to be in order. My crew will be along shortly to inventory the remainder of the shipment. In the meantime, I’d suggest we move Bins One through Five to Holding Zone Two ourselves. It’s on this level and possesses a cooling unit.”

  “As you wish,” Valawn said. “Could I bother your two watchers to help us shift these onto cargo sleds?”

  Only two Zuul. Taylor would take those odds.

  The aliens muttered in protest but clanked across the decking in their mag boots just the same.

  “Crack ‘em, y’all.” Taylor emptied his vial then waited as Zuul claws clasped his container. A spaz of furious sneezes followed.

  “This bin seal is failing,” the Zuul snapped.

  “Quickly then,” the female said. “We must hurry, lest we all pay when the Krulig lose their delicacy.”

  The scratches outside Taylor’s bin continued at a rushed pace as, together, the Zuul and Rukori extracted each bin from the shuttle’s hold and placed them onto cargo sleds for transport. It took some effort, but eventually the job was done, and the world outside of Taylor’s hiding place began moving again. In the minutes that followed, he did his best to track their caravan’s movements, however, the station’s null gravity made that tough to do. By the time Taylor felt like he was getting a feel for things, the caravan arrived at their designated holding zone.

  “Retay, as before,” Valawn said. “If you’d attend to Bins Three and Four, I’ll tend to One and Two.”

  “Yes, sir,” Retay said.

  “In three,” Valawn said. “Two…”

  Wait, where are the—

  A rush of dim light swept into the bin as Taylor pushed out, gun in hand. Nothing happened.

  What? Taylor scanned the room, finding only an empty storage space along with Valawn, Retay, and a Rukori female he didn’t recognize. Short and frail, the girl was the picture of petite with rags for clothes and matted white hair that hung in rings down her face. She was the antithesis of a threat, Taylor thought. It was then he spotted the two flaccid Zuul, bobbing in their boots behind her, each one sporting a visible gash to its throat amid growing globs of crimson. Damn, Lady.

  “Natona.” Valawn trudged to the girl’s side.

  “You cannot stay here.” Natona cleaned her blade on the hide of one of her victims then sheathed it in her tunic. “The others from my crew will be here shortly with your shipment. Some are Krulig sympathizers. You must go, now.”

  “What about you?” Jack climbed out. “Where are your—” He paused upon seeing the Zuul. “Oh. Well, all right then.”

  “There’s an old quarantine space three levels down,” Natona said. “It hasn’t been used in years. You’ll be safe there.”

  “Three levels are a long way to move in the open,” Smitty said. “I presume you have an alternate route?”

  “I do,” Natona said. “The space is accessible by way of an old maintenance shaft which lets out into this room.” She motioned to a nearby panel. “It’s why I ordered the dako meat, so I could justify bringing you here.”

  “Nice,” Taylor said. “Let’s gear up.”

  Now free to cast off their disguise, the group did so without preamble, then floated over
to Bin Five to begin unloading their supplies. Once they’d all been fitted with the proper weapons and body armor, they attached their mag boots to the decking and prepared to move out.

  “The control room is just above our current location,” Natona said. “Unlike here, it is not beside a shaft access, meaning you’ll have ground to cover once you’re out in the open. I’ve prepared a map to show the way.” She produced a slip of paper from her tunic and handed it over. “I’ve also provided the access code to get through the entrance.”

  “How’d you come by that?” Smitty asked.

  The Rukori pursed her lips. “It’s a long story.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” Taylor tucked the map into his pocket. “For everything.”

  Natona nodded.

  “Take this.” Valawn slipped a comm device into the girl’s palm. “I’ll contact you when we’re close to making egress. When that happens, I want you to come with us.”

  “Valawn, please,” Natona said. “There are others here who are loyal to the cause. I can’t just—”

  Valawn cut her off with a look. “The Zuul may be fools, but the Krulig are not. They’ll discover it was you who helped us, and they’ll kill you for it. I want you off this station, Natona. Please.”

  The girl considered, golden eyes downcast. “Very well.”

  “Thank you.” Valawn squeezed her hand, then released it to rejoin the others. “Now go.”

  Smitty was waiting at the shaft access when Valawn trudged over. “Looks like I owe you an apology. I guess we can trust your contact after all.”

  “I’d certainly hope so.” Valawn grinned. “I’d have been sorely disappointed with my sister had she proven otherwise.”

  I’ll be damned. Taylor matched the Rukori’s smile with one of his own then keyed his comm while the others filed into the shaft. “Corn Husker, this is Tomahawk. You got a copy?”

  It took about twenty seconds for a reply to come.

  “Corn Husker here,” Billy said. “We read you five by five.”

  “What’s your status?” Taylor asked.

  Another twenty seconds passed.

  “Patched and ready. The party invitation was sent on schedule, and our guest is outbound to collect. All we need now is the official word to kickstart the festivities.”

  Taylor’s pulse quickened. “Consider the word given, Husker. Party on.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter 16: Into the Fire

  The next two hours drew out like molasses on a frozen mountain morning in Taylor’s mind. He hated waiting. The only times he was okay with this much inaction was during deer season, when he’d sit for hours in a tree stand waiting for an eight-pointer to stroll past.

  Let’s go, already! Unable to take it any longer, Taylor rose from his seat and began pacing the team’s hiding place.

  “Hey.” Smitty pulled him aside. “I know you’re anxious, but you’ve got to stop waiting for things to break loose. They’ll happen when they happen. Until then, slow it down, take a breath, and clear your head so you’re ready when they do.”

  Taylor dropped his gaze. “You know, for a second there, you kinda sounded like Billy.”

  “What can I say, mate?” Smitty shrugged. “I learned at the feet of the master.”

  The XO’s name flashed in Taylor’s field of vision. “Speak of the devil.” He keyed the comm. “What’s up, Husker?”

  The transmission lag was only ten seconds this time because of the decreased distance between sender and receiver.

  “We’ve got a problem,” Billy said.

  “What kind or problem?” Taylor asked.

  Valawn walked over, having apparently heard the commotion. “What’s happening?”

  The XO’s voice was back in Taylor’s head before the latter could answer.

  “We cleared orbit as planned, but we’ve been intercepted by another ship.”

  “You mean the frigate?” Taylor furrowed his eyebrows. “I thought we sent that on a wild goose chase after the bandilaro.”

  Tick, tick, tick.

  “We did,” Billy said. “This is a different ship, make unknown. It must’ve launched from the surface shortly after we did because it’s been lock/step with us since we reached the asteroid belt. Frank’s managed to put some distance on it, but not before that thing could tag our aft armor near the torch.”

  “Damage?” Taylor asked.

  “Reactor One is offline,” Billy said. “At present, we’re trying to fire up Reactor Three to compensate, but the circuitry connecting them got fried in the firefight. Engineering is working on a bypass as we speak.”

  “What are the odds they’ll have that up by the time you transition?”

  Tick, tick, tick.

  “Fifty-fifty. Until then, Reactor Two’s a solo act.”

  Taylor felt his stomach clench. The Osyrys could manage well enough in normal space on one reactor. In hyperspace, though, she’d need the lion’s share of a full unit just to power her generator. That left very little energy for the ship’s other key systems, like life support.

  Time to work your magic, Keeto. Taylor rubbed his temples. “What do you need from us?”

  “Stick to the plan,” Billy said off the lag. “Get to that control room and have that gate open so we can transition straight through when we arrive. I don’t wanna give this, whatever it is, another crack at us if I can avoid it.”

  “Ayew,” Taylor said. “I’ll check in when it’s done. Tomahawk out.”

  Smitty waited while her CO disconnected the channel. “Everything all right?”

  “Not exactly.” Taylor recounted the conversation. “We need to take that control room, now.”

  The ascent back up the maintenance shaft took an extra flight than before, though the trek was easy due to the station’s lack of gravity. Once the group had coasted up to the desired level, they found their footing near the access hatch then reengaged their mag boots to move out.

  “Rukori personnel are not permitted past this point,” Valawn said in a low voice. “It’s restricted to Zuul and Krulig only, and the former aren’t allowed inside the control room. We should expect resistance from this point forward.”

  “Okay, farts,” Smitty murmured. “You’re up.”

  Jack smirked and took the point, while Stan faced the hatch and toggled the visor settings on his helmet.

  “Thermal shows three Zuul headed this way,” the latter said. “Stand by.”

  “The Krulig in charge will be wearing a blue sash on his uniform,” Valawn said. “It might be prudent to keep him alive until our objective here has been accomplished.”

  “Agreed,” Taylor said.

  “All right, we’re clear,” Stan said, after a few moments.

  “Retay, you’re on lasso duty,” Taylor said. “Let’s go.”

  The team filed through the opening with Jack out front, then fell at once into a diamond formation with Taylor at center-group, motioning directions. From there, they moved with all the swiftness they could muster in mag boots, each person working with head up, rifle raised, and finger at the trigger guard should the need to pull arise.

  It did, quickly.

  Pop, pop.

  A single Zuul blew backward upon rounding a corner.

  Pop, pop. Pop, pop, pop.

  Two more followed.

  “Go, go, go!” Taylor signaled.

  The group advanced another forty yards, picking off aggressors as they went, and leaving the bodies to Retay for fastening onto tow lines. Eventually, the team halted at the final turn to the target.

  “Looks like four Zuul guardin’ the entrance,” Jack whispered via throat mic. “That’s two left and two right.”

  “How about inside?” Taylor asked.

  Stan adjusted his visor view. “I’ve got nada on thermals.”

  “Krulig are cold-blooded,” Valawn said. “Their bodies do not emit heat signatures.”

  Taylor swore under his breath. Looks like we’re doin’ this blind. “Jack an
d Stan, you’re on the Zuul out front to set up our run. Once we’re in, Smitty and me will sweep left while Valawn and Retay sweep right. Y’all clear on your jobs?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Good,” Taylor said. “Call the play, fellas.”

  The two sergeants gave each other a three count, then slid past the corner.

  Pop, pop. Pop, pop. Pop, pop, pop, pop.

  A beat passed before Jack’s voice came back on comms. “Clear.”

  Two Zuul were listing in their boots by the door when Taylor approached the entrance. The others tumbled weightless down the corridor amid swirling globs of red.

  “You set?” Stan asked. Meanwhile, Jack fetched their victims.

  “Yeah.” Taylor clutched his rifle. “Do it.”

  The Mississippi sergeant entered their stolen code into the access panel. A second later, the indicator light flashed green and the door swooshed open.

  “Intruders!” a Krulig shouted.

  Pop, pop. Smitty answered with dual trigger taps.

  Pop, pop, pop. Taylor followed.

  The entire scene devolved into chaos as the others glided in, shots bristling the air as, one by one, the officers fell prey to the Eagles’ assault. From an execution standpoint, the op was almost flawless. By the time the firing ceased, four of the five Krulig floated motionless through the chamber as laser-charred heaps of flesh. The fifth, wearing a blue sash, was held frozen at gunpoint, thanks to Smitty’s 14.

  “Don’t even think about it,” the Aussie warned.

  “Clear,” Stan called.

  “Clear,” Jack echoed, a trail of dead Zuul flowing behind him on lines. Once all were inside, the old men secured the entrance with a mag lock then stepped back to survey their surroundings.

  “Everybody good?” Taylor asked.

  “Ayew,” the others agreed.

  “Valawn.” Taylor turned to the FRC leader. “What’s our status?”

  Valawn trudged to the nearest console, which was backed by a large, oval viewport, and checked the display. “All systems remain in the green. We have access.”

  Nice. Taylor keyed his comm. “Husker, this is Tomahawk. We’re—”

  “Gun!” Jack shouted.

  A blast of light turned Krulig leader’s head into a stump. It fell away, fingers tickling the butt of Retay’s sidearm, and offered no further resistance.