The Ascension Myth Box Set

by Ell Leigh Clark

  It was a strange feeling. Although the set up was different, the scene of fuel and oil and warp tech made him feel strangely at home.

  He wandered through the doors and onto the yellow walkway. There wasn’t a soul in sight. He followed the walkway, keeping his eyes peeled, and double-checking the make and model of the vessel he was looking for.

  About 200 yards around he spotted a tool kit slung over the railings on the right. He walked passed, picking it up and slinging it over his shoulder as if he’d been the one to leave it there while he took a bathroom break.

  He kept walking, his eyes flicking from one ship to another.

  “You’re nearby, just another 500 yards now,” Oz told him.

  Brock slowed his pace and started to wander off into the array of vessels, cargo movers, and antigrav forklifts.

  He spotted the ship he was after, and checked the number on the side. “Bingo,” he whispered, still keeping his awareness on high alert in case anyone else was about.

  He marched over to it and activated the holo panel, punching in the access codes. The door opened on the tailgate only. He looked around and saw that was the only entrance on these models. He hurried around to the rear and stomped up the ramp.

  Once on board he checked around, and then made for the cockpit. The inside of the ship was warm, as if it had been sitting here accumulating heat from the rest of the ship, and not radiating it out again. There was a smell of hot plastic and a scent of people, as if it hadn’t long been used.

  He sat down in the pilot’s chair and started going through his best-guess checklist he could think of for this kind of machine.

  “Oz. Anything I should be aware of on this model?” he asked quietly as he worked.

  “Hang on,” Oz said. “Okay, check your holo.”

  Brock glanced down at his holo to find the check lists for going into space on this ship. He opened the holo, pulling it out and laying the screen over his left leg as he ran down the list.

  Within minutes he was ready.

  “Okay Pieter, Oz. I’m flight ready. Where are the peeps. Wanna let Jack know?”

  Pieter’s voice responded. “Yeah. We’ve got a situation. Just hold on. We’ll update you shortly.”

  The audio clicked off.

  Brock sat in the cockpit and powered down the electrics so as not to draw attention. He sat there in the half-light with nothing to do but wait for further instruction.

  Aboard the Flutningsaðili, Floor 22

  Joel slipped through the dock door that Oz had just unlocked for him.

  “Okay, now where?” he asked, looking up and down the corridor as a few dim lights came on.

  Oz came over his audio implant. “It looks like this is all warehousing on this floor, with very few personnel. I suspect you could pretend that you belong here and if the folks aren’t obviously carrying weapons, you’ll probably be okay.

  Joel straightened up and holstered his gun, looking up and down the corridor again.

  “Go right,” Oz instructed. “I’ll get you down to Molly’s floor so that when they dock you can come around the back of any resistance that seems to be accumulating.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Joel responded, striding off down the first corridor, taking on the air of an employee of the freight company rather than a trained mission operative with a purpose.

  “Also — for the record, it looks like Max Pike isn’t planning to play ball,” Oz informed him. “We’ve just had news from Jack that he’s confessed as much, having caught her trying to free the others. She’s there under armed guard, on the fourth floor, and he’s making his way down to meet the Empress already.”

  “Okay, roger that. I’ll cover Molly, then we’ll head up to four to scoop up the others.”

  Aboard the Flutningsaðili, Floor 25, Dock 26

  Molly felt the bullet approaching.

  She could see it rippling through the air, and found herself fascinated by the pressure wave it seemed to make as it traveled on through the space between them.

  She knew it was on a collision course for her chest. Just above her heart.

  She knew she needed to move.

  But somehow it just felt like there was no urgency. Her mind screamed at her, yet her body felt a complete peace.

  And then something shifted.

  Effortlessly she felt herself sidestepping out of the way. The instant she was clear, the speed of things returned to normal.

  She turned and watched the bullet disappear into the force field of the Empress behind her.

  The sense of peace remained though, clinging around her body like a swarm of magnetic butterflies, attracted to her skin.

  Then she turned and looked at Pike. His face had turned from a look of aggression to one of shock as he himself hit the deck.

  Molly tracked back in her mind what had just happened and she saw a shot hit him, from the direction of his left. She turned her head to see Crash coming out from behind the Empress.

  “You okay?” he called over.

  Molly nodded, suddenly aware of Paige screaming and crying. It sounded like her shriek kept catching in her voice, making it even more terrifying for her.

  Molly ignored it for the moment, turning back to Crash. “Is he stunned? Or dead?” she asked quietly.

  Crash looked down at the weapon in his hand to check the setting. “Stunned,” he said, wandering over to where the ladies were still standing. “Settings were still on stun from the last mission,” he shrugged.

  Molly smiled.

  Paige’s tears had started to flow as her extreme terror had turned into relived sobs.

  “Take her back onto the ship,” Molly instructed quietly. “I’m going to find the others.”

  Crash put an arm around his tearful teammate and led her back the way he had come.

  Oz, which way?

  Straight out of here and turn right. Joel is two floors above you, heading for the elevator. Good job too, you have around half a dozen armed personnel coming from either direction.

  What’s the best way to deal?

  Molly continued jogging down the corridor.

  I’m opening a door. Slip in there. The ones from straight ahead are going to reach you first. Take those out. Then the ones from the other side. I’ll bring Joel up behind you.

  Okay.

  That door. The one you just ran past.

  Molly stopped and turned back, slipping into the door Oz had just unlocked for her.

  Sure enough, not a few seconds later a parade of Estarian security personnel rounded the corner.

  She began firing, just as if it were a training exercise. Again, amazed at how calm and collected she had become. And how easy it was to pick them off before they even fired a round. The feeling she used to have when her arms and legs would feel like lead when she was nervous pre-mission was a long distant memory.

  Like a dream that was drifting away.

  All that existed now was the confidence and presence that she felt, and the targets that gently appeared ready to be taken out.

  She reloaded, concentrated on her breathing, and stayed in whatever zone she had slipped into since the bullet incident.

  She turned, almost feeling the next wave of tangos coming around the next corner. They were further away. She tried to estimate the distance, but her brain couldn’t kick in. She tried to remember the range on these Federation issue hand guns.

  Again. Blank.

  She took another breath and looked at her target, the oncoming security guards, with their rifles and black suits, ready for battle.

  And then a sense in her body just told her that they were now in range. She raised her gun arm, keeping her body side on to minimize their target area of her, and fired.

  The first round hit the first tango square between the eyes. Then the next. Then the next and the next, and the next. There was a pause as two more made their way over the bodies piling up, firing an array of shots
in her direction, all of which felt like rain that would never hit her.

  The remaining two came into range and she tapped the one behind, and then the one in front.

  They both went down, almost as if they had just tripped.

  She paused, sensing another body coming around the far corner. She raised her arm up to fire, but hesitated.

  Something told her not to shoot.

  A second later Joel rounded the corner. She dropped her arm and flicked on the safety.

  Joel looked at the bodies in front of him, and stepped over them, making his way down the corridor, weapon in hand but aimed at the floor. “Guess you didn’t need me after all,” he said in a whisper. Then he looked on up the corridor and saw the other pile of bodies. He looked back at Molly. “You did all this?”

  Molly nodded, half aware that she probably looked a little spacey.

  Joel whistled through his teeth. “Remind me not to ever piss you off,” he muttered.

  Molly holstered her gun. “We need to get moving. Oz says the others are on the move. We need to find them before the other fuckwits get a bead on where they are.”

  Joel nodded, allowing Molly to lead the way.

  Okay Oz, where now? Elevator?

  Yes. Head for the fourth floor. They’re just about to leave the restricted access area. Pieter is guiding them in. We’ll stall them at the elevators so you can bring them down together.

  Joel and Molly jogged the length of the final corridor to the elevator and waited for Oz to bring it down.

  “You stay here and guard our exit,” she told him. “No point in putting us all in the same spot.”

  Joel nodded, noticing her sudden increase in tactical awareness. “Good call. Be careful,” he told her as she stepped through the opening doors.

  “I will,” she answered, still a little glazed in the eyes. Joel watched her as long as he could, the elevator doors closing and separating them once again.

  Aboard the Flutningsaðili, Floor 4

  The elevator doors opened on level four and Molly looked out into the stark white corridor. She could hear footsteps not far away.

  They’re coming down the next corridor. They’ll be here any second.

  Molly stepped out between the doors holding them open. A moment later the crowd of her people came around the corner. “This way,” she told them urgently, beckoning with her hand for them to hurry.

  Sean led the way. “Come on folks. Quickly,” he commanded.

  The group piled into the small metal box. Molly wondered for a moment if they had overloaded it, but after a second of anxiety the doors closed and they headed down.

  “Good to see you,” Molly smiled across at Maya and Sean. She glanced over at Jack. “Thanks for looking after them,” she winked.

  Jack smiled, and glanced sideways at Sean’s reaction.

  Brahms and Lana watched the interaction. “Who are you people?” Brahms asked in fascination and exasperation.

  Molly grinned at him, and gave a little bow. “We’re your friendly neighborhood rescuers. We’ll explain more later. For now, let’s get you out of here, eh?”

  Lana nodded. “Thank you. That sounds... amazing!” Her face had relaxed, and though she was gray from the fatigue and conditions, she had already started to brighten with the hope of it all being nearly over.

  Molly smiled at her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. “We’ll be out of here very soon,” she promised.

  The lift arrived at floor twenty-five and Molly pushed her way to the front ahead of the doors opening.

  Aboard the Flutningsaðili, Floor 1

  “Okay Brock. You’re up,” Pieter’s voice came over his ear piece suddenly.

  Brock suddenly sat up straighter in the little vessel he’d commandeered. “What’s happening?”

  Pieter was all business now, urgency in his tone. “You have one rescuee coming your way. A young girl. Her name is Anne. She was being held captive with the scientists. We don’t know the full story yet but Sean was able to get her into the ventilation system and send her your way.”

  Brock hesitated. “What about the others?” he asked.

  “Molly and Joel are going to get them. There was an intervention with some... errr... shooting,” Pieter explained.

  Brock was on his feet and moving. “Is everyone okay?” he asked quietly.

  Pieter’s voice relaxed a little. “Yeah. They’re all fine. Just not out of the woods yet. I’d say hop out and see if you can meet Anne by the elevators. And then get her and you out of there pronto. Can you manage that?”

  Brock checked outside of the vessel as he made his way down the ramp. “Yes. On it,” he confirmed.

  “Great,” Pieter said. “Hail us when you’re ready to leave and Oz will give you access.”

  “Okay, thanks,” he said just as the line went dead.

  Find Anne, he thought to himself, and then get them both off this ship. I can do that.

  He felt perfectly confident, until he stepped out into the open of the hangar deck again.

  He scurried out to the outer perimeter as quickly as he could without running. At least that was sheltered from view from the observation mezzanine he reasoned, as he broke into a jog.

  He approached the double doors to the elevator area and then slowed to a walk again. He peered out of the door, hoping he wouldn’t have to wait too long. Just then the doors started to open. He stayed behind the doors out of sight, just in case it wasn’t Anne.

  It was a good job he did. A second later two engineers stepped out of the elevator and headed his way.

  SHIIIIIIIIT!

  He realized quickly he couldn’t ask Oz for help, because they would hear him. He turned and headed back onto the hangar deck, looking around for somewhere to hide.

  There were a couple of forklifts about twenty yards away. He hotfooted it over and hid behind them. Just as he disappeared the double doors opened and the two stepped in, talking.

  “Yeah, but if they would just listen, I think we could turn up the efficiency,” the first Estarian engineer prattled.

  The second Estarian held up his hand. “Nah... seriously, you don’t want to be doing that. Get too good at all this and half of us will be outta a job. You don’t wanna go there.”

  There was a pause as they walked off in the direction of the ship Brock had hacked. “Yeah, suppose you’re right,” the first guy admitted. “But you know what would be neat …”

  The voices faded, and Brock peaked out from behind the fork lift. Satisfied that they were out of earshot, he crept back to the doors and then out in the elevator area.

  Still no sign of any girl, he thought to himself.

  He tapped into his holo.

  ANY NEWS ON ANNE?

  SEND.

  The audio clicked in his ear. Pieter’s voice came on. “Not yet. She hasn’t used Sean’s access card yet, so we have no idea where she is. Just hang in there. If we have to leave without her I’ll give you a heads up and then you can make your way out. You have a few minutes. The others are just making their way down to the Empress on floor twenty-five.”

  “Okay,” Brock muttered, wanting to pace, but knowing it would take him off guard if anyone were to appear. Heck, if someone were to come through those elevator doors he’d be done for.

  He waited.

  He listened as the elevators creaked and cranked, transporting people between other floors.

  Chapter 18

  Aboard the Flutningsaðili, Floor 25, Dock 26

  “Oh my ancestors!” Jayne exclaimed, seeing Max strewn out on the deck. She ran forward to help him, oblivious to the ship docked in the bay.

  “What happened?” she asked, wishing she had her scanner on her. She nearly always carried it, except she’d left it in the med bay earlier. She wanted to kick herself. What kind of ship’s doctor was she, anyway? she chided herself.

  Max tried to lift his head, but winced in pain. “Stun g
un,” he told her. “Those spies we had on board — they’re making a run for it.” His eyes fell on the ship. “Their friends have shown up too.”

  Jayne looked at the unfamiliar ship. “We need to get you out of here,” she decided.

  Max struggled, trying to get up, but did not have enough strength. “They need stopping,” he insisted. “Get security down here!” he ordered.

  She shook her head, her expression firm as she continued tending to him as if he were a child having a tantrum. “You’ve been lucky so far, but there’s nothing to say they won’t take you out once they have what they want. They’ll be coming back through here any minute, I’ll bet.”

  She glanced over towards the shadows and a storage area with some crates and debris that had been left strewn about. “Help me get you over there,” she said signaling with her eyes.

  She managed to slip her arms under his shoulders and chest and drag him into the shadows, out of harm’s way.

  * * *

  Crash was on board the docked Empress, watching the screen.

  Paige, still emotional, came into the cockpit to see what was happening. She viewed the screen over Crash’s shoulder. “What’s she doing?” she asked, her sobs subsiding.

  Crash turned his head slightly to acknowledge her. “It’s okay, she’s unarmed. Just leave them be. Emma is keeping an eye on them.”

  He smiled, a rare expression on his face. “They so much as look in our direction wrong and she’s got authorization to take them out.”

  Paige put her hand on his shoulder, tense now that there was another prospect of carnage, but distracted from how she had been feeling.

  Aboard the Flutningsaðili, Floor 25

  The elevator doors opened on the twenty-fifth floor to a corridor that was empty, apart from Joel.

  Molly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him.

  “We’re all clear,” he informed her. “Crash says someone has shown up to help Pike, but Emma has a lock on them. If they move, she can blow them away. We’re good to go.”

  Molly stepped out and instructed the group to move ahead. Joel led them down the corridor — a chaotic mess of footsteps, some confident and urgent, some hesitant and bewildered.