by G. P. Hudson
He watched the woman carefully, looking for any sign that the device had found his implants. Something as minor as a raised eyebrow would seal her fate.
She remained stoic. Hard. After waving the device in front of Danny, she moved to Gerry and did the same. Danny fixed his eyes on Simon, who seemed to register Danny’s intent. Good. The criminal would not risk telling Zeta if he knew the outcome.
The woman scanned the rest of the men without incident and returned to the officer. “All clear,” she said.
The officer nodded, and the woman returned to her place with the other clones. “I apologize for delaying your ship. We will leave now, and you can continue on your way.”
I don’t understand. Why didn’t the scanner detect our implants? Danny said over the neural link.
Maybe it’s broken, Gerry said.
No, that’s not like Zeta.
Maybe Simon did something. He did do some work on our implants.
You’re right. Simon must’ve known about the scanners.
He probably invented them.
“You realize you’ve cost us money, don’t you?” said Simon, regaining some of his attitude now that he thought he was safe “We will miss our deadlines now.”
The officer studied Simon with barely hidden disdain. “As I have already said, Zeta Corp apologizes for any trouble we have caused.”
“Not good enough,” said Simon.
Danny cringed.
“What is it that you want?” the officer said.
“My employer will demand to be compensated. What shall I tell him?”
For a moment, Danny thought the officer would lose his temper, but the man seemed to regain his composure. “Tell your employer to invoice Zeta Corp, and he will be fairly compensated. Is there anything else?”
“No, that’s all.”
“Very well. Safe travels.”
The Zeta team marched away. Their shuttle separated from the freighter and headed back toward the battleship.
“What the hell was that all about,” Danny demanded.
“I couldn’t just let that entitled prick leave like that. I had to put him in his place a little.”
“Pull a stunt like that again, and I’ll put you in your place. Permanently. Understand?”
Simon gulped. “Yeah, I understand.”
Chapter 11
“Do you remember your names?” said Simon.
“I’m Hasad,” Gerry said.
“And I’m Rollan,” Danny said.
“Perfect. And what job are you returning from?”
“We just delivered a shipment to the Tran system,” Gerry said.
“What type of shipment?”
“Women,” Danny said with disgust. “To be sold as sex slaves.”
“Good, just hide your feelings when you say it. You’re supposed to be a human trafficker. Remember?”
“What happened to the women?” Danny said.
“They were set free. Mr. Leventis doesn’t lower himself to that level. There’s plenty of money to be made without getting involved in that shit.”
Danny nodded, hoping Simon was telling the truth.
“The ship Hasad and Rollan were using is waiting in the freighter’s hangar bay. You’ll have to fly it to the station.”
“Where will you be?” Danny said.
“We’ll be waiting in the Avar system, delivering some cargo. When you finish the job, you can find us there. All the details you’ll need to know are on this data chip.”
Simon handed Danny a small case the size of his fingernail. Danny flipped it open and found a tiny chip inside.
“I suggest you memorize the information on that chip during your trip to Aurora station,” Simon added.
“How do we know the information is accurate?” Gerry said.
“Oh, it’s accurate. Believe me. Mr. Leventis likes to take his time with this sort of thing.”
“When do we disembark?” Danny said.
“Right now. We’re as close as we want to get to the Volsung jump gate. Once you leave, we’re going to change course and head for the Avar system. So, if there isn’t anything else….”
“No, I think we’re ready to go,” Danny said.
“Yeah, let’s get this over with,” Gerry said.
“Great,” Simon said with a smile. “Follow me to the hangar bay and your ship.”
When they stepped onto the hangar bay, the size of the ship surprised Danny. It wasn’t as big as a warship, or a commercial cargo vessel, and it looked sleek enough. Yet, the dimensions didn’t seem right. “I was expecting something smaller.”
“Why?” said Simon.
“There were only two guys.”
“You forgot about the cargo. There were a lot of women on board.”
“Right.”
“There’s something else,” Simon added. “The ship has weapons.”
“Really? It looks like a civilian ship.”
“It is. It’s been retrofitted to include a couple of plasma cannons.”
Danny inspected the ship. “I don’t see them.”
“That’s the best part. The cannons are concealed, and virtually undetectable.”
“I’m sure a good scanner can find them.”
“Nope. They’ve got some shielding in place that hides them. They’re only detectable if they’re deployed, and by then it’s likely too late.”
“Interesting.”
“Yeah, it’s a real smuggler’s ship. It has all sorts of hidden compartments. Its cargo holds have also been modified to hide the human shipment.”
“These guys were a regular couple of scumbags,” said Gerry. “Makes my skin crawl that I have to look like one of them.”
“Look at the bright side,” said Simon. “When you take out their boss, you’ll put a real big dent in the human trafficking business.”
“Yeah, but for how long? There are plenty of scumbags in the galaxy willing to step into Erkaban’s shoes.”
“Not if Mr. Leventis takes over. He’ll put an end to the entire racket.”
“We’ll see.”
The two clones boarded the smugglers’ ship and headed for the cockpit. Once there, Danny touched the instrument panel and used the implant in his finger to connect to the ship’s main computer. He established a connection without difficulty and gained access to every aspect of the spaceship.
Taking control, he willed the ship’s engines to come online and maneuvered the ship along the hanger bay with his mind. Coming into position, he fired its powerful thrusters, and flew out of the freighter’s hangar bay, into the fiery chaos of metaspace.
Clear of the freighter, Danny activated the main engines, and the glistening spacecraft sped away. Even as Gerry relaxed in the co-pilot’s chair, Danny was aware of her interest. Through the neural link, Gerry saw everything Danny did, and experienced his control of the ship’s systems as if she controlled them herself.
They both felt the ship struggle with the metaspace turbulence. They both watched the computer perform myriad calculations to adapt. They both stretched out with their minds, taking advantage of the ship’s sensors, to explore the surrounding turmoil.
Danny also explored the ship’s interior. He utilized its cameras and poured over its schematics. He found the hidden areas where the smugglers hid their human cargo. He imagined their victims’ suffering and wished he could fill that same hold with the smugglers instead.
He checked out the ship’s weapons, activating them with a thought, then concealing them with another. The spacecraft was an extension of his mind. Another limb, submitting to his commands.
“Try not to think about their victims,” said Gerry. “Otherwise it will cloud your judgment when we reach the station.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
“I know what you’re thinking.”
“Of course, you do. Our brain implants are connected.”
“You want to free our brothers and sisters at Zeta. But now you are wondering if you should stop t
here.”
“I have entertained that thought.”
“It’s a big galaxy, little brother. We can’t save everyone.”
“I know, but we can try.”
Gerry reached over and playfully punched Danny in the shoulder. “Always the idealist. Good thing I’m around to keep you from getting yourself killed.”
Danny produced the tiny data chip Simon gave him and inserted it into a slot on the instrument panel. “Might as well do our homework.”
The computer opened the data chip and fed the two clones all the information stored there. Danny and Gerry absorbed the knowledge and made it their own. Their disguises were now complete. All that remained was to finish the job and retrieve Isaac.
Chapter 12
The smugglers’ ship crossed through the jump gate into the Volsung system without incident. As a member of the Frontier Alliance, Volsung lived under constant threat of attack from the Empire.
Like the other frontier systems, the Volsung system enjoyed a certain amount of safety, due to its distance from Earth and the Empire’s core worlds. In its current weakened state, the Empire didn’t have the resources to rein in the frontier systems and focused on the core worlds instead.
Nonetheless, living under the threat of invasion forced the Volsung to remain on a war footing. That meant a permanent military presence near the jump gate and throughout the system.
“Activate your holo-disguise,” Danny said. “That destroyer is hailing us.”
Gerry activated her device, and the striking female soldier transformed herself into a fat, bearded criminal. “Done.”
Danny activated his own device, still unnerved by his friend’s sudden transformation. He gave himself a once-over to ensure the disguise still worked, and then accepted the hail.
A Volsung soldier appeared on the viewscreen and scrutinized the disguised clones. “What is the nature of your visit to the Volsung system?”
“We are going to the Aurora station,” Danny replied.
“Are you Volsung citizens?”
“We are.”
The man looked down at another screen. “I see your ship has a valid Volsung registration. Do you have anything to declare?”
“We have nothing but empty cargo holds.”
“Stand by for secondary scan.”
They waited quietly while the military performed its scans. Danny wondered if they wouldn’t have to undergo secondary inspection. Corruption was rampant in the frontier systems, and such a tactic was often used to extort money from helpless travelers.
“Safe travels,” the Volsung soldier said.
“Thank you,” Danny replied, and terminated the connection.
“It seems that Erbakan pays the right people off,” Gerry said.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t expect a couple of shady characters like us to get by without being pulled aside for secondary.”
“I hate this disguise,” Gerry said and deactivated the device, instantly transforming herself back into the tall, fit, female Danny had always known.
Danny deactivated his device, preferring to conserve its energy stores until needed. He then ordered the ship to accelerate, hoping to shave some time off their trip.
“There it is,” Danny said, reorienting the viewscreen to zoom in on Aurora station.
“Good,” said Gerry. “You would think that smugglers would have comfortable seats. They must spend days aboard this vessel. I don’t understand how they tolerate it.”
“I think freedom is making you soft, sister,” Danny said jokingly.
“Really?” Gerry said sternly. “Do you want to put that theory to the test?”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?”
“Acting like you’re mad.”
“What makes you think I’m not?”
“You’re soft, remember?”
Gerry leaned in and hit Danny in the bicep with an extraordinarily hard right cross.
“Ow! Take it easy.”
“What’s the matter, little brother? Getting soft?”
“You’re going to pay for that.”
“Am I?”
“Yeah. Next time we spar.”
“No time like the present.”
“What? We can’t spar here.”
“Not here, stupid. We can use one of those cargo holds. There’s plenty of room.”
“Yeah but it’s not setup for sparring. There are no mats.”
Gerry rolled her eyes. “Mats? You really have gotten soft.”
“We’ll spar on the return trip, okay?”
“Sure. You’re scared. I understand.”
“Scared? Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
“We’ve sparred hundreds of times. Why would I be scared?”
“I don’t know, little brother. I guess you’ve gotten soft.”
“I know what you’re doing, sister, and it’s not going to work. We have a job to do. The last thing we need is to go in all banged up.”
“Uh huh. Whatever you say.”
“Let’s just focus on the mission.”
“I’d say the same thing if I was scared.”
Danny shook his head, deciding to change the subject. “Have you ever done any work for the Volsung?”
“A little. You?”
“No. Never been in this system before.”
“You’re not missing anything. All these Frontier Alliance systems are a mess.”
“True. I wonder why the hell they declared independence in the first place. It hasn’t done them any good.”
“What’s there to wonder about? They thought the Empire was corrupt, and they were right. What they didn’t understand was that they were trading one corrupt leadership for another. The elite of this and the other frontier systems convinced the populations to rebel because it was in their interest to do so. This way, they could keep the wealth for themselves, rather than share it with the Empire. Nothing changed for the population. In some cases, things have gotten worse.”
“You don’t think they’ll fix their problems?”
“I think it will take a long time before that happens. Right now, they’re fighting against a common foe, the Empire, so they’re united. But what happens when the Empire is no longer a threat?”
“They’ll turn on each other,” Danny said, nodding in agreement.
“That’s right. All these systems have been busy building up their militaries to defend against the Empire. When that threat is gone, they’ll need to do something with all those warships.”
“They might choose to stay friends.”
Gerry laughed. “Come on, little brother. You know better than that. They will all want to be in charge, and they will start looking at each other with suspicion. They will worry about any system getting too strong, or about a group of systems allying against them.”
“A perfect recipe for war.”
“That’s right, little brother. The Empire has always been a stabilizing force. Even now, as it weakens, it gives the other systems an enemy to unite against. If the Empire falls, it will destabilize the entire galaxy.”
“A dream come true for Masterson and Zeta Corp,” Danny said.
“Yes, there will be no shortage of customers in that scenario.”
“And no shortage of clones sent to the slaughter.”
“Aren’t you going to free them all?” Gerry said sarcastically.
“As many as I can, sister.”
The smugglers’ ship steadily advanced on the station without incident. Recognizing its trajectory, the station made contact to ascertain the ship’s intentions. When they were close enough, the station took over the ship’s navigation to steer it safely to its assigned space dock.
The action surprised Danny. He had been advised of the takeover but hadn’t anticipated the experience. Still connected to the ship’s computer systems, he felt the station take control of the vessel, like a giant hand picking up a toy. But he had expected that part.
W
hat surprised him was the feeling that he could push his mind along the length of the great digital arm and access the station’s main network. Even more surprising was the compelling impulse to do just that.
Gerry felt Danny’s urge and spoke out. “Don’t do it, little brother. If they notice-”
“I don’t think they will. I remember everything that Isaac had done. I’m sure I can get inside their systems without being caught.”
“Listen to me. It’s not worth it. Not yet, anyway. Let’s get on the station and figure things out first.”
“I don’t think that’s the way to go. I have a bridge right now. I might not have the same opportunity later.”
“Stop what you’re doing right now. You’ll get us caught.”
“Too late. I’m in.”
Chapter 13
“Are you crazy? You’re going to sabotage the mission,” said Gerry.
“It’s okay,” said Danny. “I haven’t triggered any alarms.” Even as Gerry chastised him, Danny felt her interest grow as she watched his progress.
So far, he had restricted himself to the navigational systems and merely acted as an observer. He remained cautious, still unsure of his abilities. He had learned a great deal from watching Isaac hack into several computer systems, but he lacked Isaac’s considerable expertise and aptitude.
“You’re right, you’re not Isaac,” said Gerry, noticing Danny’s apprehension. “So, don’t do anything stupid.”
“I won’t. I’m just having a look around.”
Their ship made it to the space dock and established a secure seal with the station. Danny powered down the engines but maintained his connection.
“Can you function like that?” Gerry said. “Don’t you find the connections distracting?”
“No, I’m good. I’ve been practicing.”
“Okay. Let’s put our faces on and get out there.” Gerry activated the holo-disguise and turned himself into the fat human trafficker, Hasad.
Danny did the same, becoming the lanky, disheveled trafficker known as Rollan.
The two clones made their way to the hatch and exited onto Aurora station. Outside, several men in civilian clothes stood waiting. Danny recognized one of them from the data chip. Gary Strauss. Erbakan’s head of security.
