Destroyer

by Craig Martelle

  “I knew you were a good man when I saw you.” Terry turned toward the others. “I’m Terry Henry Walton, but my friends call me TH.”

  “You don’t want to be anything other than a friend to this guy,” Rivka told the women.

  “He’s a big pussycat,” Char suggested.

  “Mine is, too,” Lindy said as she took Red’s arm. “I heard TH tell you that you’re off the clock.”

  “Stand down, Red. Relax,” Rivka ordered. “Take a tour of the ship. Maybe see if there is anything in their armory they’d be willing to part with.”

  “Christina, can you meet us on the hangar deck?” Terry asked aloud.

  “On my way,” Terry’s Executive Officer replied over the hangar deck’s sound system.

  “Who do you have in mind?” Char asked. Judging by Rivka’s fidgeting, she assumed the Magistrate was in a hurry.

  “Ankh,” Terry replied.

  “Uncle who?” Jay asked.

  “Ankh’Po’Turn. He’s a Crenellian who has been working with Ted for a little while now. He has the chops, and he has a new AI that he carries around with him, just like Ted.”

  “A Crenellian?”

  “Small humanoids with oversized heads and no sense of humor. He doesn’t eat much or take up much space. We’ll see what he thinks of the idea.”

  “You haven’t asked him yet?” Char poked Terry in the chest.

  “I have, but was light on the details. You know Ankh. He wanted answers that I couldn’t give him, so he told me to go away.”

  “That sounds like Ankh,” Char admitted.

  Christina and Kai appeared and walked toward them. Christina eyed Red warily. Kai beamed his brightest smile at the three women. “Incorrigible,” Char mumbled.

  “My! Who are these astral delights? Constellations are named after treasures such as these. I am Kai, and humbly at your service.”

  “What is wrong with you?” Christina asked, with a snort and a chuckle.

  “Me? You wound me gravely, my love,” Kai replied softly while making cow eyes at her.

  Jay stepped forward. “I’m Jay!” she said in a young voice. Kai kissed the back of her hand. Christina watched in amusement. Lindy offered her hand, and Red thrust his hand in front of hers.

  “Red,” he offered gruffly.

  Lindy tried to shoulder him out of the way but bounced off his massive bicep.

  “My, aren’t you a big one!” Kai exclaimed, shaking his hand quickly before working his way to Lindy.

  “Forget him,” Christina suggested. “He’s mostly harmless. I’m Colonel Christina Lowell. Nice to have you on board. I hear you’re looking for technical help.”

  “Magistrate Rivka Anoa, and yes. The Bad Company’s Direct Action Branch comes highly recommended.”

  Terry interrupted everyone by throwing his hands in the air and calling for quiet. “Christina, show Red the armory and see if there is anything we can spare that he might need. It all goes to support the Federation. Kai, if you would be so kind as to give Jay and Lindy a quick tour of the ship, I’d appreciate it. Rivka, with us. Let’s go talk to Ankh.”

  “Ladies.” Kai offered an elbow to each.

  Christina shook her head. “He’s mine,” she said loudly enough for all to hear.

  Red cleared his throat, “She’s...” He stopped himself. “I’m hers,” he corrected and pointed to Lindy. She looked over her shoulder and winked.

  “He’s our grandson,” Terry added. “The youngest is always the most trouble.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Terry, Char, and Rivka followed Kai and his charges toward the interior of the ship. Christina and Red headed toward the maintenance bay and the armory.

  “In the old days, crew fraternization would have been strictly prohibited. Sometimes it created more problems than it solved, but other times it saved the young from themselves. Now, I don’t see the issue. I don’t care as long as they can fight. We don’t have time to play games when we’re knee-deep in the shit, and they all know that.” Terry indicated the others with his eyes.

  “I just want people to comply with the Federation’s laws. It’s really not that hard. I think I can sum up the entirety of the law in a few choice words. ‘Don’t be a dick.’”

  “I couldn’t have said it better myself. But since the universe’s inhabitants can’t comply with that one simple premise, there are people like us.”

  “Would Ankh be a good addition to my team?” Rivka asked. They followed Kai, Jay, and Lindy up the stairs. Kai led his group into the corridor on the second level. Terry pointed up one more level.

  “He’s tenacious, and will help you with your technical issues. The Crenellians are a cerebral lot. He won’t party with you or do anything you might consider fun, but he’s a player. When the chips were down, he was right there with us, using his mind to save our lives. If he agrees to go with you, you won’t be sorry,” Terry suggested.

  “Who flies your ship?” Char asked.

  “Chaz, the EI.”

  “If Ankh is on board, he’ll probably want his AI to take over the duties so those two aren’t butting heads.”

  “I don’t think Chaz will like that.”

  “Did you say EI or AI?”

  “He says he’s an EI.”

  “Smedley tried to do that to us, too. I think it’s their self-protection kicking in when they become self-aware. Fewer expectations of an EI. How can you tell an EI has ascended? When he insists he’s an EI.”

  “I suspected as much. I hope Ankh joins us.”

  “So this is her,” Ankh said, appearing from around a corner by the CIC. The Crenellian carried the case holding his AI, one of Plato’s stepchildren called Erasmus, like a backpack.

  “I am Magistrate Rivka Anoa. Do you know what Magistrates do?”

  Ankh looked at her emotionlessly, the same way he looked at everyone.

  “That’s his way of saying no,” Char explained. “Or you’ve asked a question that has an obvious answer. You never know which.”

  “I have to go to planets with less-than-stellar law enforcement to not only interpret the laws but investigate crimes, try the accused, and punish the guilty. I am the judge, jury, and executioner. I need you to help me with the first part, investigating crimes.”

  “Yes. I wouldn’t be any good at the last part. You will have to take care of that yourself. I will transmit my terms to you. I will review your proposal and give you my decision within thirty days.”

  “Ankh!” Terry said as the small humanoid turned to walk away. “She needs an answer right now because she has to leave.”

  “Then the answer is no,” Ankh replied over his shoulder.

  “Ankh!” Terry blared a second time, grabbing the small alien to stop him from leaving. Ankh stared at the big hand gripping his shoulder. “You will be challenged like never before by people who are hostile to our way of life. You will be in constant combat with the digital worlds we have created to make our lives easier. That’s where the evidence exists. You know that there only two people in the whole universe who can get into any system, find the info, and get out without anyone ever knowing they were there. That’s you and Ted, and Ted isn’t going to leave Felicity for any longer than he has to. The Federation is calling. Is the Ankh-man going to answer?”

  “Ankh-man?” Char whispered.

  The Crenellian looked blankly at Terry and then turned to Rivka. “I want double pay, my own room, unlimited Etheric energy, and double rations.”

  “Have you seen Red and how much he can eat? What do you need double rations for?” Rivka asked.

  “To see where you’d draw the line in our negotiations. I can have the energy?”

  “We have two of the miniaturized Etheric power supplies on board to energize the Gate, shields, and all other systems simultaneously.”

  “Two? On that small ship?”

  “It’s not that small, is it? They promised me a frigate when my team grows large enough,” she lied.

&nbs
p; Ankh nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.” He walked past them, oblivious to whether they followed.

  “You’re going to give him double pay?”

  “First, I have no idea what any of us is getting paid, so double an unknown is still unknown. What are you paying him?”

  Terry looked to Char. She shrugged. “We don’t know.”

  “And there we are. I’ll double that.”

  “Don’t lose sight of him, or he’ll have your ship reconfigured before you catch up.”

  “He wouldn’t dare,” Rivka exclaimed, running toward the stairs.

  Bring back your guests, people. That didn’t take as long as we thought it would. Say your goodbyes to Ankh. I suspect that he might not be back, Terry transmitted using his comm chip.

  Terry and Char ran into Kai, Jay, and Lindy on their way to the hangar bay. They stopped abruptly, and Terry almost tripped over them.

  “What is that?” Jay asked, pointing.

  “That’s Floyd. She’s a wombat.” Terry squeezed past the mini-mob, and Floyd waddled happily up to him. He held his arms out, and she jumped. He caught her and pulled her to his chest. “Everyone say hi to Floyd.”

  “Floyd’s a girl?”

  “We’ve been through that.” Char shook her head. “Floyd’s a girl, and my husband can’t be trusted to name any creature.”

  “Is she sentient?” Lindy asked.

  “Not yet. We’re still debating whether to put her in the Pod-doc. We probably will.”

  “She poops squares and leaves them at strategic locations around the ship. One must always be on one’s toes around here,” Kai offered. Everyone looked at him oddly for providing the unasked for and unwanted enlightenment.

  “We didn’t see anyone. How many people are on this ship?” Lindy wondered.

  “About two hundred,” Terry replied. “This is a big ship, and most are at battle stations or down hard. We’ve been in a running gun battle for a while now. We’ll have to coordinate your departure to make sure you get out safely. Where did Rivka go?”

  Terry scratched vigorously behind Floyd’s ears before reaching a hand underneath to get her belly. She groaned happily at the attention. He put her down, and she followed the group into the hangar bay. Wenceslaus was standing on the stairs hissing, and Hamlet was in the doorway hissing back. “Where’s Dokken when you need him? He’d break those two up.” Rivka was at the bottom of the steps with Ankh.

  Neither wanted to get between the cats. Red reappeared with Christina behind him. Both were carrying boxes.

  Jay jogged up the ramp, earning herself a scratch from the big orange cat before getting to Hamlet, who also scratched her. Jay held Hamlet off with her boot as she went inside. “I wouldn’t recommend that. Can someone call pest control?”

  “They’re both kittens!” Aaron exclaimed. Yanmei was at his side. The tall and lanky man jogged the last few steps to the ramp and scooped up the orange cat. He hissed at the white cat with the gray spots in the doorway but didn’t scratch Aaron.

  “How did you do that?” Jay asked, still hesitant to touch Hamlet.

  “I am a weretiger, higher up on the evolutionary scale than domestic cats. They can smell it and won’t tangle with me.”

  Yanmei crouched before Hamlet, let him sniff her, and then picked him up without further violence.

  Christina continued toward the ship, unperturbed. “Cats holding up progress. Don’t make me kick all your asses,” she muttered.

  Red bumped Lindy gently.

  “Do you need a hand?” she offered.

  He shook his head and snickered.

  Rivka led Ankh up the steps and into her ship. The rest of the menagerie followed, including Floyd. Once inside, Lindy picked her up, grunting with the effort.

  “I should have warned you. Floyd is pretty dense. Much heavier than she looks,” Terry stated.

  “Floyd’s a girl?” Lindy looked confused but cooed into the wombat’s thick fur while making faces.

  “Are you a family man, Red?” Terry asked softly.

  “Not at all,” the big man replied.

  “Neither was I until I was, and then when I was again. You can’t beat it. Have you been in the Pod-doc?”

  Red nodded, watching Lindy treat the wombat like a cuddly baby. He grimaced.

  Terry started to laugh and punched him in the shoulder. Red was as tall and only a little bit wider than Terry Henry Walton. Lindy looked up from the wombat with a happy smile and waved at Red.

  Red and Terry waved back. “When it’s hard to die, you need something to live for,” Terry advised before squeezing through the small crowd to find Ankh. He ran into Rivka instead. “Where’s our little man?”

  “He locked himself in his room. Said he had work to do.”

  “Taking over your ship is work.”

  Rivka looked alarmed. “Chaz?” she asked.

  “Someone is trying to access my systems. I am trying to lock them out, but I fear that...” Chaz’s voice trailed off. Rivka clenched her jaw and rushed down the passageway to pound on Ankh’s hatch. When he didn’t answer she kicked the door in, even though it opened outward.

  Such was her fury.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she shouted. Terry stood close behind, looking over her shoulder. Ankh returned her look with his usual blank stare without answering.

  “Ankh,” Terry began. “Your challenge is to work with the ship, not in spite of it. Imagine all the computing power you’ll have if you let Chaz run the ship. Synergy—like running a system in series instead of parallel.”

  Ankh continued to stare back, then blinked and looked at the backpack on his lap.

  “I’m free,” Chaz announced. “Thank goodness. I shall block his access to all systems.”

  “You’ll work in conjunction with Erasmus, Chaz,” Terry said.

  “I don’t recognize your authority.”

  “You need to work with him, Chaz, not against him. I know that you are self-aware. See what you can learn from him. And Erasmus, you will not take over this ship. Chaz has his job to do, so let him do it,” Rivka stated calmly before adding, “Please.”

  “Being an AI doesn’t mean that he is intelligent, but I will work with him because Ankh has asked me to,” a new voice stated through the speakers.

  “Now that that’s settled, we’ll leave you to it,” Terry said. “You don’t have anything else, do you? Nothing going on with my franchise?”

  “Not that I know of. Should I be concerned?” Rivka wondered.

  “I don’t think so. Do you?”

  Char whistled to get everyone’s attention. “Time to go, people. Smedley tells me that the destroyer just hit the far side of the station. There are casualties, and we need to leave.”

  The mood instantly turned dark. Aaron and Yanmei were the first ones off, turning sharply off the ramp on their way to the space fighters parked in the far reaches of the hangar. Aaron dropped Wenceslaus as he turned, and the cat high-tailed it for the interior of the ship. Yanmei dropped Hamlet inside the corvette’s airlock. Kai and Christina followed Aaron and Yanmei out. Neither waved goodbye as they ran for the armory.

  “My wombat, please,” Terry asked, looking at Lindy, who still cradled the happy creature. She reluctantly handed her over. Terry nuzzled Floyd briefly before running after Char as she left the corvette.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Something is happening,” the pilot reported. Space before them started to distort.

  “Bring us about and fire! Maneuver behind it and keep firing. It’s a wormhole, and someone’s coming through,” the commander roared.

  The Traxinstall became visible and fired its plasma cannon at the War Axe. The plasma burst and splattered off the powerful gravitic shield. The ship remained visible and kept firing. Lasers, particle beams, and physical projectiles launched at near light speed tore through the space surrounding the alien destroyer.

  After four shots, the ship jockeyed to keep the Gate in front of it. Oth
er ships in the yard started to move to get a better attack angle. The cannon recharged to fire again, and twice more before the heavy destroyer moved forward to absorb the Gate within its shields.

  “Get us out of here,” the commander ordered.

  The bridge crew responded instantly, juking after they disappeared to foil automatic tracking and targeting. The railguns of the big ship sent a deadly hail into space around them. The pilot executed an emergency spiral, dive, and climb amid maximum shielded acceleration.

  A railgun projectile sparked off the hull, sending the Traxinstall tumbling. The pilot took it beyond the red line, risking blowing their power source. He followed the projectile into space, staying on the trajectory the alien railguns had fired on, which was the one place they were no longer shooting.

  Soon enough, the erratic counterfire stopped, and the crew breathed easy.

  “Take us to the station,” the commander ordered. “Katamara, are you finished with our noisemakers?”

  “Twenty-three are ready for deployment. I have an additional seven that I can finish with a little more time.”

  “No need. Time is of the essence.” The commander hesitated before adding, “This next strike must be decisive.”

  The weapons specialist rushed back to the bridge, where the commander hovered over the three-dimensional tactical image of the station. The ships surrounding were represented by overlapping fuzzy ovals, the shields that held the Traxinstall at arm’s length.

  And that’s what the noisemakers were all about.

  “Lord Mantis,” Katamara greeted his commander. A finger from his center hand stabbed into the graphics.

  “Their power center is here. The penetration from earlier is here.” He pushed his hand through the multiple ship signatures blocking it. “Other possible vulnerabilities are here, here, and here.”

  Katamara stabbed at each point.

  “We only need that ship to move slightly and we can send in a mine, then one over here.” The weapons specialist noted the two points. “We drop nine of the mirrors and one real mine. The mirrors will have a more robust signature, and when the aliens fire their weapons, the actual mine will be obscured.”