Galactic Wars

by G. P. Hudson

  Strauss stepped in front of Danny and Gerry, a little too close for Danny’s liking. “Mr. Erbakan wants to see you two.”

  “Sure thing, Gary,” Gerry said.

  Strauss moved closer until he was nose to nose with Gerry. “Who the fuck told you you could call me Gary?”

  “Uh, nobody. I thought it was your name.”

  “If you want to keep eating with your own teeth, you’ll keep your fat mouth shut.”

  “Sure, whatever you say.”

  “Move! Mr. Erbakan is waiting.”

  Do you believe the balls on this guy? Gerry said to Danny over their neural link as they followed Strauss.

  I’m sure he’d change his tune if he knew who you really were, sister, Danny said.

  I may have to give him a glimpse of the real me before we leave this station. Especially now that he’s pissed me off.

  Don’t you often tell me that I can’t save everybody?

  Yeah, so?

  Well, you can’t kill everybody.

  I don’t want to kill everybody. Just these assholes.

  The network on this station is surprisingly insecure.

  What are you doing now? I thought you said you were going to stay put?

  I’m just looking around. But I didn’t expect the station’s network to be so open.

  It’s not that it’s open. You got in through the navigational systems. That must have tricked it into giving you elevated access.

  I think you’re right. It seems that I have very high privileges. The system architects likely never anticipated someone gaining access that way.

  Probably not. Just be careful not to trigger any alarms.

  Sister, I found Erbakan’s system.

  Really? Can you access it?

  No. It’s locked down. Should I try to break in?

  No. Just wait.

  Strauss led them to a waiting vehicle, and they all got in. The vehicle took off at what felt like suicidal speed down a large, well-lit tunnel. Within seconds, inertial dampeners kicked in negating the adverse effects of the high speed.

  During the ride, Strauss kept his eyes on them. Studying them. Did he notice something was wrong? Was there a flaw in their disguises? Their mannerisms? If so, Strauss wasn’t saying anything about it. Was he waiting until they were before Erbakan to voice his concerns?

  Danny watched their progress through his connection to the station’s systems. He had identified their car and accessed a map of the station’s transportation network so that he could monitor their progress.

  Several awkward minutes passed until they reached their destination. When the vehicle came to a stop, the group exited and proceeded on foot. Danny found their location on a station map and monitored their progress.

  Can you access the cameras? Gerry said, discretely glancing up at the ceiling.

  Danny swam through the network, searching for the security cameras. Upon finding them, he tested his access. The system didn’t challenge him, so he moved ahead. Upon locating the cameras in their section, he cycled through each one, doing reconnaissance on the corridors up ahead.

  He had already located Erbakan’s office on the map, and now noted the guards stationed just outside. He looked for cameras inside the office but found none.

  Gerry watched Danny’s progress, seeing everything Danny did. I guess we’re going in blind, she said over the neural link.

  There will likely be more guards inside, Danny said.

  Agreed. Waiting for a better opportunity might be wise. Too many things can go wrong with so many people. I’d prefer to get off the station in one piece.

  Me too. Although, I don’t know if we’ll get Erbakan alone.

  Probably not, but I want to do the job without drawing too much attention. With all these guards around, someone is bound to trigger an alarm.

  They arrived at Erbakan’s office, and Strauss turned to face them. “Give the guards your weapons.”

  Danny didn’t want to relinquish his weapons but figured it was the only way to get inside, so he handed over both his sidearms. Gerry grudgingly did the same.

  Strauss led them through the door, and the other henchmen followed. Four more guards waited inside.

  It’s feeling a little crowded in here, Gerry said over the neural link.

  Yes. Something is wrong.

  Behind an ornate desk sat Erbakan, and he did not look pleased. Hands pushed Danny and Gerry forward, to stand in front of Erbakan. Several henchmen flanked them, and the rest stalked their rear. Strauss stood beside Erbakan, watching Danny and Gerry with rapacious eyes.

  Erbakan balled his hands into fists and scowled. He seemed to be getting angrier by the second. “Where the fuck is my money?” he finally snapped.

  What’s he talking about? Danny said to Gerry.

  I don’t know. There wasn’t anything on the data chip.

  Erbakan pounded the desk with his fists. “Answer me!”

  “Uh, I’m not sure what you mean, Mr. Erbakan,” Danny said, trying to fish for more information.

  “Are you trying to be funny, Rollan?” Erbakan said, standing from his chair. “Do I need to cut your tongue out?”

  “No, sir. I’m not. You should have the money,” Danny bluffed, still unsure of what was happening.

  Erbakan walked around his desk to stand in front of Danny. “You’re right. I should have the money. But I don’t. No women. No money. Why is that?”

  He’s talking about the women Hasad and Rollan were smuggling, Gerry said. He never got paid.

  Shit, Danny said. We’re not going to talk our way out of this.

  No, we’re not, Gerry said. This changes everything.

  Danny felt Gerry’s silent decision before she took any action. It was all the prompting he needed.

  His hand thrust forward with terrible speed. Iron fingers clasped Erbakan’s windpipe and tore it out of the gangster’s throat. Simultaneously surging ahead he threw a kick, landing a heel squarely on Strauss’s solar plexus, hurtling the henchman into the far wall.

  With gurgling sounds still escaping Erbakan’s throat, Danny reached in and found the gangster’s sidearm tucked inside his waistband. Drawing the weapon, he pumped a couple of plasma bolts squarely into Strauss’s face.

  Holding Erbakan’s dying body up, Danny turned. A couple of the faster guards had managed to raise their weapons and fire. Erbakan’s body convulsed violently as the blasts struck him. Continuing to use the man as a shield, Danny managed to squeeze off a couple of rounds, burning a smoldering hole through a screaming guard’s eye socket.

  Beside him, Gerry became a killing machine. She lashed out at precisely the same time Danny struck Erbakan. In her case, she had gone straight for the nearest henchman’s weapon. Disarming the man, she fired sustained plasma bursts into his chest. Moving with demonic speed, she sidestepped the hapless attacks from the other guards.

  Her weapon fired incessantly, looking more like a blowtorch than a plasma weapon. It burned into faces, sliced open throats, and ripped open bellies until intestines spilled onto the floor.

  A flurry of plasma bolts now blazed out of Danny’s weapon, while Gerry joined in the fray. Working together, the two clones established a lethal crossfire. Any guard still alive was unceremoniously cut down, their bodies riddled with gruesome plasma burns. Within mere seconds, the firefight had ended. Erbakan’s office transformed into a room of horrors.

  With barely enough time to catch their breath, the door slid open. The two men standing guard outside rushed in with firearms raised. They both managed to discharge their weapons, but their targets were already moving.

  Sidestepping the attack, the two clones returned fire with deadly precision. Danny took out one with two plasma bolts to the head. Gerry killed the other with a single round to the temple.

  “We’ve got a problem,” said Danny, as the two remaining guards slumped to the floor. “An alarm’s been triggered. Station security is coming.”

  Chapter 14

  �
�Can you turn off the alarm?” Gerry said while retrieving her weapons from the dead guards.

  “Yes, but it won’t make a difference. Security must investigate. It is station protocol.”

  “Then we should get going.”

  “Right behind you, sister.”

  “How long do we have until they get here?”

  “A couple of minutes at the most. I’ve disabled the cameras along the corridor. That will allow us to get to the chute without drawing any attention.”

  “Lead the way, little brother.”

  The clones used their augmented speed to race to the waiting vehicle before the security detail arrived.

  “Where is it?” Gerry said as they reached the chute.

  “I don’t know,” Danny said. “This is where we got out. The car must have left.”

  “How much time do we have?”

  “None. Security is almost here. Run.”

  The clones rushed back the way they came and passed Erbakan’s office.

  “I’ve locked the doors to Erbakan’s office,” Danny said. “That should slow the security detail down a little. I’m also hacking into Erbakan’s system.”

  “Why?”

  “To see if there’s anything else I can use to slow them down.”

  “Just don’t get distracted. We have to get out of here. Are you sure all the cameras have been disabled?”

  “Yes. Nobody can track us. I’ve also erased all records of our arrival at his office.”

  “Good. Maybe we’ll get off this station in one piece after all.”

  Danny simultaneously watched the security team’s progress, hacked into Erbakan’s computer systems, and monitored the surveillance systems up ahead of them. “Stop running. There are people up ahead.”

  “Okay,” Gerry said. “Switch to neural link communication.”

  Agreed, Danny said through his implant. Erbakan’s system is proving to be quite robust. I’m borrowing some of your brain’s resources to help break in.

  Just don’t turn me into a vegetable, okay?

  You’ll never notice the difference.

  Danny accessed unused parts of Gerry’s brain and discreetly tapped some of the station’s computing resources to mount a massive attack against Erbakan’s system. He hammered the system with millions of combinations, looking for hidden vulnerabilities. Surprisingly, the system turned out to use military level defenses. But Danny persisted, knowing that with time he would find a way to get in. Time was in short supply, however.

  Any progress? Gerry said.

  No.

  Let it go. We have other things to worry about.

  Just a little more. I think I’m on to something.

  Danny pushed harder, exploring an exploit that seemed promising. He felt the system straining against his onslaught. It was as though it shrank away from him. Danny hit it with everything he had, and it buckled allowing him to enter.

  “I’m in!” Danny said out loud, drawing surprised glances from the many passers-by.

  Use the neural link, Gerry chastised.

  Sorry, Danny said while he devoured the information stored on the gangster’s systems. This is incredible. Erbakan controls a criminal empire.

  Controlled, Gerry corrected.

  Right. But still. No wonder Mr. Leventis wanted us to assassinate him. With Erbakan gone, Leventis stands to become considerably more powerful.

  That is none of our concern. We just want to get out of here, and free Isaac, remember?

  I do. Don’t worry sister. I… Shit. Do you see this?”

  Danny could tell that Gerry had not been watching his progress, choosing instead to remain focused on their environment. But now she did look, and Danny felt her growing concern. We can’t help them, little brother, she said finally.

  Why can’t we? We have space on the ship for them.

  We don’t even know if we’ll get ourselves off this station in one piece, how can we possibly take these women with us?

  How can we leave them here, sister? Look at them. They’ll all be sold into slavery. Can you honestly tell me you can walk away from this?

  Gerry shook her head. You’re right, I can’t. Where are they holding them?

  Danny smiled. Right this way.

  The two disguised clones walked to another chute, and Danny used his access to the station’s systems to have a car waiting for them this time. They climbed in, and the vehicle took off through the station’s web of transportation tunnels.

  Danny sent a message from Erbakan’s system authorizing the release of the prisoners. At the same time, he took note of the fact that the security team had managed to get inside the office and now knew about the bloodbath. Gerry saw it too. They also saw the station-wide alert that followed.

  They still don’t know it’s us, Danny said reassuringly.

  That doesn’t matter, Gerry said. We work for Erbakan. They’ll stop us before our ship leaves the system.

  Good point, but you forget my network access. I can cover our tracks. Make it look like we’re someone else. Or just make it so that our ship doesn’t trigger a response.

  They’ve got a record of our ship arriving, little brother. Don’t you think they can figure the rest out? We show up, and then there’s a massacre in Erbakan’s office. The first place they’re going to look is our ship.

  Not necessarily, sister. I’m altering the station’s records of our arrival. That should prevent any unwanted attention.

  The vehicle came to a stop, and they got out into a distinctly rougher looking part of the station. Everything seemed to be in disrepair here, and all around them were people living in makeshift shelters and tents.

  Where are we, little brother? Gerry said.

  They call this area ‘the bowels’, Danny said.

  So, these people are homeless?

  Yes. Many are refugees. Others are victims of circumstances, with nowhere else to go. There is a considerable criminal element down here too since station security doesn’t often patrol down here.

  Our disguises fit right in.

  Yes, I imagine they’re all quite afraid of us. Erbakan ruled like an absolute dictator down here.

  Humanity will never change, Gerry said with disgust.

  No argument here, Danny said.

  The two clones moved through the station’s crowded bowels at a brisk pace. The inhabitants gave them a wide berth, careful not to give the slightest provocation. Hasad and Rollan were undoubtedly well known in the bowels.

  When they arrived at their destination, an armed goon waited. This one was shorter but possessed disproportionately broad shoulders, and muscles that hid anything that remotely resembled a neck.

  “I wasn’t given much time to get the cargo ready,” the troll-like guard said.

  “Mr. Erbakan wanted to take advantage of a sudden opportunity,” Danny said.

  The troll nodded. “None of my business either way. You two will just have to clean them up. That’s all.”

  “We’ll manage,” Gerry said. “Can we speed this up? We’ve got a deadline.”

  “Yeah, sure. Don’t want to get the boss upset. Follow me.”

  The troll walked through a door, with Danny and Gerry following close behind. They entered what seemed to be a private storage area, no doubt belonging to Erbakan. Several minutes later they arrived at an oversized container. “Want to look over the cargo?” the troll said.

  “Yes,” Danny said, trying to contain his growing anger.

  The troll opened the container’s heavy doors, and they were greeted by several gasps and whimpers. Danny clenched his fists and swallowed hard. There must have been at least thirty women living in squalor inside the container. He resisted the urge to put a hand over his nose to block the unbearable stench wafting out. Apparently, the human traffickers didn’t consider sanitation a priority.

  He took a good look at the wretched women inside. They were all dirty and unkempt, with many showing bruises, and other signs of physical abuse. Worst of all
was their terror-stricken expressions, as though the opening door could only lead to more horrific consequences.

  Bastards, Gerry said through her implant.

  “I told you,” the troll said. “I haven’t had enough time to get the cargo ready for transport.”

  “Don’t worry,” Danny said. “We’ll take care of it. Let’s just hurry up and get them on board.”

  “No problem,” the troll said as he closed the door. “Mr. Erbakan sent us the port number. We’ll get them loaded right away.”

  After a brief discussion with the troll, Danny and Gerry left the storage area and headed for the ship.

  We’re really taking a significant risk here, Gerry said.

  I know, Danny said. But what else could we do?

  I don’t know, little brother. We can’t just leave those women. We must help them. But it’s risky. In some ways, life was less complicated when we were controlled by Zeta. I mean, they made us do horrible things, but we didn’t have any choice in the matter.

  Maybe we have to prove ourselves worthy of our freedom? Danny said.

  Are you joking? Gerry said.

  No. Why?

  Look around you. All these people are free, and they’re all corrupt.

  Just because they’re not worthy of their freedom, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be.

  All these new ideas you have are going to get you killed, little brother. You know that, don’t you?

  Shit!

  Oh, come on. I was just joking.

  No, it’s security. They’re waiting by the ship.

  Chapter 15

  The man’s naked body quivered, as it strained against the energy restraints. He had stopped kicking some time ago, the exertion tapping the last of his strength. His feet hung limply a foot above the floor, his chin rested against his chest.

  He had fought longer than she had expected and endured more than most, but none of it made any difference in the end. Her only question now was whether he was still conscious.

  Premier Margaret Reese, the leader of the Avar system, nodded to the burly soldier. The soldier’s hand swung with unusual speed, considering the man’s size, slapping the man across the cheek an ear. The man grunted, and his head twisted violently, as wild eyes darted back and forth until realization took hold.