by Sarah Noffke
Lewis combed his hand over his chin. “We’ll also need to think on how the crew’s bodies can be restored, once we locate their consciousnesses.”
“There has to be a way,” Hatch reasoned. “If there isn’t, I’ll make one. What I do know is whoever is behind this wants the crew’s minds intact.”
“I’m guessing that interrogating the monster about the who and why is not a good idea,” Lewis said.
“I believe, son, that you’re already aware of how brittle our hold is on the monster,” Hatch said.
“Yes, it does seem like its strength is increasing,” Lewis said, pointing to the ground, in the direction of where the monster was located.
“Which means I must continue to monitor the monster, and keep it subdued without completely taking it out,” Hatch stated.
Bailey gave Lewis a determined expression. “Which means, we need to track down leads to determine who sent this monster and where they are storing the crew.”
CHAPTER SIX
Bridge, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System
The bridge was cast in an eerie blue glow.
“Ricky Bobby, lights please,” Lewis asked, squinting in the dark. He had inherited his nanocytes, which meant he was about as normal as they came in the Federation, and therefore without significantly enhanced eyesight.
The overhead lights flickered on and then grew in intensity. “To conserve energy, eighty percent is the maximum,” Ricky Bobby stated overhead.
“That’s fine,” Lewis stated, striding over to the main area and being careful where he stepped as he took in the crime scene.
The entire ship was actually the crime scene, but it almost didn’t matter since there weren’t any traces left behind. This case is going to present some new challenges. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
He stooped down at the sight of a spot of blood next to the strategy table. The large table where the commander and the captain strategized was dark at the moment, but Lewis could picture it glowing brightly with scenes of battle. It helped to picture how the ship looked before the upload, to gain an understanding of the importance of this crew and, subsequently, who would want them gone.
Lewis removed a forensic vial from his jacket pocket. “Who cut themselves?”
“I don’t know; I must have been offline when that happened. I can have the blood tested and match it with the correct crew member,” Ricky Bobby offered.
Lewis nodded. It made sense that the ship’s AI had been taken offline at the time of the incident; that way there would be no witnesses. It also appeared that the AIs were immune to whatever this monster could do. It probably had to do with a qualification in the monster’s physiological scans.
“So, you exchanged the shitty clothes for something clean, I see,” Bailey said, strolling onto the bridge, her eyes low as she studied the area. She too had changed out of her uniform and now wore a solid black suit.
Lewis stood and nodded. “Yes, although using the showers are going to take some getting used to.”
“Yeah, I miss soap and water, but sonic vibrations are supposed to be more efficient,” Bailey told him.
“Well, it beats the pail of water I usually wash up with before supper,” Lewis said, striding around the strategy console.
“Did you say ‘supper’?” Bailey asked, suppressing a laugh.
Lewis’s eyes cut to the side with a slight grin. “I believe I did. Pretend you didn’t hear that; farm life has encroached on my vernacular.”
Bailey sat at a comm station and began pulling up files, drifting her finger across the screen as she swiped through different boxes. “And why do you, a trained and apparently credible detective, work on a farm?”
Lewis scratched his head, tucking his chin. He feigned a look of nervousness. Appeared to hesitate. Let out a breath. “Alright, I’ll tell you. I was actually on a case. Top secret. There was this prized pig named Wilbur, and he was mercilessly slaughtered. My best lead was on a villain prowling around the farm named Charlotte.” Lewis shrugged his shoulders. “But now I’m here, so I may never crack that case.”
Bailey, looking unimpressed, blew out a breath that tossed her hair off her forehead. “That’s fine. You don’t have to tell me the truth, but maybe you’ll indulge me with why you’re wearing that jacket.”
Lewis peered down at the dark tweed coat he’d pulled on over his sweater. “The short answer is that I’m cold.”
“And the long answer?” Bailey asked while swiping through several different files, her eyes intently focused on the screen.
“It’s what my uncle loaned me while I wait for my boots and jeans to be cleaned,” he answered.
The truth was that Jack had loaned it to him, but it was because he knew that when Lewis worked cases, he often wore a long coat. This one wasn’t exactly like his favorite jacket—that one had died in the fire, along with a lot of his old life.
Bailey didn’t appear to have heard him. She leaned forward, her brow scrunching as she peered at the image on the screen. “I found the ship schedule for the last twenty-four hours. Jack and Liesel did return this morning from Noircun, a planet way on the fringe.”
“A little vacation,” Lewis said, strolling around the bridge, running his finger along the workstations.
“How do you know that?” Bailey asked, then she shook her head. “Actually, how did you know that they’d been off the ship together in the first place?”
“There was a suitcase in Jack’s office. It had his initials on the front, but there was grease on the side of it: a trademark of the chief engineer,” Lewis explained.
“You’re making a lot of assumptions there,” Bailey said.
“So what does the itinerary there say?” Lewis challenged.
Bailey pursed her lips. “It was a leisure trip. They returned upon receiving word of the incident from Ricky Bobby.”
Lewis nodded. “Noircun is a common destination for ‘getaways’.”
“It will be of interest to you that Phoenix Tech, a mining corporation, was docking with this ship at the time of the upload,” Ricky Bobby interjected. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment to inform you of this.”
Bailey’s head flipped up as she looked at Lewis with alarm. “What happened to the crew on that ship?”
“From everything I can gather, the same thing that happened here. I have shut down the area where they’re docked, but no one has been available to investigate the ship,” Ricky Bobby answered.
Lewis lifted an eyebrow, a sudden rush of adrenaline pulsing through his body. It was that old feeling, the one that had hooked him originally. It scared him now, that he could still be affected by the pull of mystery. “Should we go check on it?”
Bailey nodded. “Yes, but first, we need more information.” She pinched the screen and tossed it up, making the image materialize between her and Lewis. “This was the correspondence between Ghost Squadron and Phoenix Tech.”
A series of lines, along with a 3D diagram of the mining colony, rotated in front of them.
“The meeting was to discuss a treaty between the two parties to protect a mining facility that had been undergoing an attack for some time,” Ricky Bobby stated. “The corporation reached out to Commander Fregin recently, stating that they were under constant threat and needed help.”
“And before this there had been no communication between Phoenix Tech and Ghost Squadron?” Lewis asked, studying the image.
“No, but many organizations similar to Phoenix Tech reach out to Ghost Squadron,” Ricky Bobby explained. “We have quite the reputation for protecting those on the fringe.”
“Which means that the timing of the assault could be coincidence,” Bailey stated, pushing up from the workstation.
Lewis shook his head. “Coincidences are rare, and the timing of MonstreTech is a little too uncanny.”
Bailey pulled her gun from her holster, tilting her head to the side. “Then I say we need to be prepared when we board this rogue vessel.”
/> Lewis waved her forward. “After you.”
The connector to the Phoenix Tech ship was cloaked in black. A loud thump rocked the floor under their feet, and Bailey halted, checking the area. The ship was docked on the level right above where the monster was trapped.
It was too close for comfort.
“Hopefully Hatch still has a strong hold on that thing,” Bailey stated, sliding her back up against the wall that was adjacent to the door to the ship.
Lewis set his hand on the wall and closed his eyes for a moment. “I think his hold depends on whether the monster is hibernating or not.”
Bailey blinked back at him, a question on her face.
“The monster, I suspect, goes through different rest states.” He indicated to the wall where his hand was resting and she copied the action. Multiple sporadic vibrations that rocked straight into her bones pulsed through the wall.
“That’s how the monster feels when it's awake,” Lewis explained. “But earlier, it was causing consistent vibrations, almost like the beating of a pulse.”
“Or snores,” Bailey suggested.
Lewis nodded.
“Your observations are correct,” Ricky Bobby stated overhead. His voice was low in the darkened corridor, like he was trying not to wake the beast. “We’ve recorded different resting and active states from the monster. We think the variation is due to alternating attempts to combat the virus, and to continue uploading the consciousnesses of the crew.”
“Can you get into the area with the monster?” Bailey asked.
“I can and have,” Ricky Bobby stated, his tone haunted.
“What does it look like?” Lewis inquired.
“It’s dark,” the AI answered. “I can give you a better description later, but for now I’d advise that you check the docked ship. You’re only one level above the monster.”
Lewis pulled his hand away and nodded. “And it’s growing more restless.”
“It can no doubt sense your presence, your physical composition,” Ricky Bobby pointed out.
“I don’t want to be uploaded to some virtual prison,” Lewis stated.
Bailey agreed with a nod. “Ricky Bobby, can you override the system controls for the Phoenix Tech ship and open the doors?”
The rush of air from a hydraulic door echoed in front of them as the entrance slid back.
“I think that was a ‘yes’,” Lewis said.
Bailey slid around the corner, her gun and lit flashlight leading the way. The stern of the shuttle was cluttered with crates that blocked the path. She kneeled down to push one out of the way, but paused when she caught sight of a sudden movement in the main ship area.
She pointed her gun, narrowing her eyes. “Who is that? Announce yourself,” she ordered.
Two glowing lights flashed in the darkened area. “I’m Mariah Riley with Phoenix Tech.”
Bailey shot Lewis a confused look. A human survived the upload? How is that possible?
He shook his head in answer, lowering his eyes to study the crates.
“Mariah, are you all right?” Bailey asked.
“I’m afraid I’m not,” Mariah stated, her voice mechanical.
Bailey started to push the large crate out of the way, throwing her shoulder into the task, but Lewis reached for her, making her pause. He had a skeptically cautious look on his face.
“She’s hurt,” she argued.
“But she shouldn’t be here. Why wasn’t she uploaded?” he asked in a whisper.
“I don’t know, but if we stay here, we’re not going to find out,” Bailey countered, holding up her gun. “Stay behind me. I’ll protect you and your coat.”
He laughed humorlessly. “Thanks.”
With one more shove, the crate moved out of the way, clearing the path to the rest of the ship.
Smaller crates—most of them broken, some open wide, their contents strewn on the ground—littered the area in front of them.
A figure stepped out of the cockpit, its movements stiff. Two glowing blue lights stared back at them.
Bailey realized why Mariah had escaped the upload. She was a robot.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Phoenix Tech Shuttle, Docked at Ricky Bobby, Tangki System
The robot was of high quality, made of titanium and steel with a sleek design. She resembled a human in shape and features, but pen lights radiated from between the fine metal workings of her body.
“We’re with Ghost Squadron,” Bailey said, lowering her weapon but keeping it at the ready.
A robot of this caliber could take all her rounds and have her and Lewis broken into pieces in one minute flat. Usually these robots are reserved for combat; if Phoenix Tech has access to robots like this, why do they need Ghost Squadron to defend them?
“Who else was on this ship with you?” Lewis asked, his eyes scanning over the broken crates.
“I was the only one on board,” Mariah stated, something scanning behind her blue, glowing eyes.
“Wait, Ghost Squadron had a meeting with a robot from Phoenix Tech?” Bailey asked Lewis.
He shook his head but didn’t answer. Instead, he trudged back through the crates, his voice growing muffled. “Ricky Bobby, can you confirm the attendants for the meeting?”
Bailey returned her attention to the robot. “What was on your agenda for your meeting with Ghost Squadron?”
A strange recoiling sound resonated inside the robot. She jerked her head up, as if surprised. “Agenda?”
“Yes, what were you supposed to discuss when you boarded Ricky Bobby?” Bailey asked.
The robot shook her head. “I was not permitted to board Ghost Squadron’s ship.”
Bailey narrowed her eyes at the robot. Something is majorly wrong. She leaned backward. “What does that mean?”
“My orders were to stay on the ship at all times,” Mariah answered.
“Who did your orders come from? Phoenix Tech?” Bailey asked.
Mariah shook her head. “I’m not permitted to say.”
“If you weren’t supposed to leave the ship, then what was your purpose in meeting with Ghost Squadron?” Bailey asked, trying to also make out Lewis’s muffled voice on the ship, talking to Ricky Bobby. She edged back a few inches.
“I was simply supposed to meet Ghost Squadron at these coordinates,” Mariah said, making a strange zipping sound.
“But why?” Bailey brought her gun back up, aiming it at the robot, although she knew it would be a shitty defense if the machine launched itself at her.
“I’m not permitted to say,” Mariah said stubbornly.
“What do you know about the…storm the ship encountered?” Bailey asked, pausing on the word.
“I’m not permitted to say,” Mariah repeated.
Bailey ground her teeth together. “Then what are you permitted to say?”
“Bailey!” Lewis yelled, his voice frantic. “Bailey!”
“It was nice meeting you, Ghost Squadron,” Mariah said, her voice pausing on each word. “Goodbye.”
Bailey backed up quickly, nearly tripping over the crates behind her. The robot’s eyes brightened and then shifted to red. There was a series of clicks, but Bailey didn’t stay to see what they meant. She spun around, leaping over the crates.
Lewis met her at the back of the ship, his eyes frantic. He grabbed her arm, pulling her with him, but she broke away at once.
“Come on. We need to get as far from this ship as possible!” she yelled.
He didn’t seem to need the encouragement, every one of his movements was rushed.
When they’d hurdled onto the other side of the connector, Bailey yelled, “Disconnect that shuttle! Disconnect, Ricky Bobby.”
“Disconnecting Phoenix Tech ship now,” Ricky Bobby confirmed overhead.
Bailey didn’t stop, pounding up the stairs to the next level, Lewis on her heels. A moment later, an explosion rocked them to the ground. Bailey caught herself with her hands, the cold metal biting into her palms. The explosion
from the shuttle rocked the ship again, throwing her into the wall. She reached out and clenched onto a railing, securing her balance as the aftershocks vibrated under her feet. The lights in the corridor dimmed until she could only make out the whites of Lewis’s eyes in front of her, as he also held onto the railing.
“Restoring lights to maximum of fifty percent. Reserves have been hit,” Ricky Bobby reported.
Bailey dropped her chin and let out a hot breath before bringing her head up. “So… turns out that the Phoenix Tech ship was rigged to explode.”
Lewis nodded, also gasping for breath. He pushed his back against the wall and slid down. “Thing is, that wasn’t a Phoenix Tech ship.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jack Renfro’s Office, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System
Jack pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned back in his chair. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I saw ‘Starboards Corp’ on the side of one of the crates, so I had Ricky Bobby hack into the shuttle’s network,” Lewis explained, his long coat whipping out behind him slightly as he paced back and forth.
“And, Ricky Bobby, you’re certain that it was a Starboards Corporation ship?” Jack asked.
“When the ship was approaching to dock, it had the tags to resemble that of Phoenix Tech,” Ricky Bobby began. “But when I dove into the network, I found that there was nothing to connect it to Phoenix Tech.”
Jack pulled his hand away from his head. “Why didn’t we see this coming?”
“I don’t understand,” Bailey said. “Why would a Starboards Corp ship impersonate Phoenix Tech?”
Jack cleared his throat. “Because Phoenix Tech is a small mining company with interests in resources for small colonies.”
“And Starboards Corp is the big bad wolf,” Lewis guessed.
“So you’ve read this chapter, I see,” Jack said, tapping his fingers nervously on the desk.
“What’s the significance of Starboards Corp?” Bailey asked.
“Ghost Squadron recently found a lead tied to the corporation,” Jack explained. “We weren’t after them for any other reason than they had dealings with a man by the name of Solomon Vance. His company acquires assets like Starboards, then uses them up and tosses them to the side. Ghost Squadron was trying to track him down.”
