“And the hard vacuum?” Nick asked.
“It is hardware conversion,” the alien explained. “You must remove this patch here.”
The Proxy had long, delicate fingers and tapped on a patch near Nick’s left shoulder. He touched the place and could feel that it was just a fabric cover over a slight indentation beneath.
“Remove the patch and pull the red handle,” the alien continued. “Your helmet will show when the armor completes the seal for hard vacuum. You will notice that the armor hardens. You’ll still be able to move at the joints, but the armor will not be as flexible. Furthermore, you will have exactly one hour of oxygen stored in the armor’s various holding tanks. This same oxygen serves as propellant if you need to move in zero gravity, so be very careful. The amount of O2 will be displayed on your helmet’s HUD.”
“Roger that,” Nick said.
“I hope you don’t have to use it,” the Proxy said. “Activating the hard vacuum seal on your armor requires a complete system overhaul and reboot, which means once you begin you have only a short time to reach safety. You’ll have to remove your helmet to breathe after that, so use it only as a last resort.”
“No problem there,” Ty said.
They left the armor workshop feeling more confident than before. Nick didn’t know exactly what the tall aliens did, but he felt better going into a dangerous situation with the right armor.
“Looks the same to me,” Kal said as they hurried to the armory.
“It isn’t about the shape or color,” Ember said. “It has to be adjusted for the world we’re going to.”
“And for stopping bullets instead of dinosaur bites,” Jules added.
“You think the locals will be armed?” Ty asked.
“Odds are good,” Nick said. “They wouldn’t have taken hostages without weapons of some kind.”
“You know what that means,” Ember said. “We might have to kill some of them,”
No one replied. Instead they all thought about what Ember had said. Killing someone—not just an animal, which Nick thought was bad enough—but another person. Could he do it, he wondered? He wasn’t sure.
At the armory, Ty and Kal took charge.
“The Captain said we needed to go light. That means pistols,” Ty said to the grizzled sergeant in charge of the armory. He was missing one eye and had burn scars across his face and neck. When he walked it was with a pronounced limp.
“Give us short-range eliminators and laser guns,” Kal said.
“The high-energy focused light weapons won’t make any noise,” Ty said. “Good thinking.”
“We should take the stun guns too,” Jules said. “We might need to go non-lethal.”
The armory sergeant grunted as if what Jules suggested was ludicrous. Nick took three weapons. The SRE was light and well-balanced. The stun gun was bulkier and took a heavy power pack to operate. He put the short-range eliminator into a holster on his right thigh, and the stun gun snapped onto his armor at his left hip. They left the armory with two crates. One carried the hi-en laser guns, including the accessories to convert the pistol-sized weapon into a rifle and double its power. The other crate had power supplies and ammunition for their side arms.
“How much time do we have?” Ty asked.
“About ten minutes,” Nick said, looking at the data-link on his wrist.
“Just enough time for food,” the bigger boy exclaimed.
“I’m with him,” Kal said.
“Food sounds good,” Jules said.
“Five minutes, then we’re out,” Nick said.
They went to the mess hall and wasted no time. They inhaled sandwiches on thick bread with thinly sliced cured meats, cheese, shredded lettuce, and spicy brown mustard. They washed it down with protein drinks and left the mess hall with seconds to spare.
“I feel better,” Kal said. “I just need to sleep for about twenty hours or so.”
“A shower wouldn’t hurt,” Ember said. “I smell like a dirty river.”
“And mud, don’t forget the mud,” Jules said.
They arrived back at the briefing room just in time. Captain Dex’Orr was waiting just inside. As soon as he saw them he was on the move, walking and talking at the same time. Nick had to scramble to keep pace with the long-legged alien.
“It looks like you have everything in order,” Dex’Orr said.
“Our armor was adjusted for urban warfare,” Nick said. “We have light weapons, both lethal and non-lethal.”
“The diplomatic corps may appreciate your initiative, Private Nichols. From my point of view, anyone who threatens a Peregrinantes deserves to die.”
The captain led them to a docking arm, where a ship was waiting. The docking arm had a transparent arched ceiling, allowing them to look out at the space station and the ship they were approaching. It was much smaller than the large trading vessel the group had taken from the Sol system to the Foundry. Captain Dex’Orr led them on board.
“This is a diplomatic ship,” the alien explained. “I’ll be posing as an ambassador when we reach the Quazak system. They’re expecting someone to negotiate for the release of the hostages. They’ll be disappointed, and I fear you may be as well. There isn’t much room on these ships. You’ll have basic quarters, including a head. We’ll have a briefing room that will also serve as a ready room and armory.”
He took them down a narrow corridor that was well-decorated. Nick noticed slate tiles on the floor and fabric wall coverings that looked like a hotel rather than a space ship. Captain Dex’Orr stepped into a small room with a row of six padded seats and a holo-projector.
“Weapons go here,” the alien pointed.
They set the crates down and used magnet clamps to secure them against the bulkhead. They un-holstered their side arms and stun guns and stowed them inside the weapon crates. When Nick stood up, Captain Dex’Orr was busy tapping away at the data-link he wore on his forearm. Nick could see it was a more advanced model than the one that had been assigned to him.
“I’m syncing our hardware,” the alien said. “The voyage to the Quazak system will take just over eight hours. Your quarters are next door. Mission briefing is in seven hours.”
“We’ll be ready,” Nick said.
“Very good, you are dismissed,” the alien ordered.
Nick led the way out of the room. They found their quarters, which were small but nicely appointed. The room was big enough for them to move around, with a projection wall, a food dispenser, a table, and some comfortable-looking chairs. There were six bunks built into the walls that reminded Nick of his alcove in his parents’ apartment back on Earth. Connected to their quarters was a dual bathroom facility. They would have to take turns getting cleaned up.
Nick stripped off his armor and got busy cleaning the mud and debris from his BIO-suit while Kal took a shower on what had been labeled the “boy’s side” by Jules and Ember. Half an hour later they were all showered, their armor cleaned and ready, and the five members of Dragon Team Seven were tucked in their bunks, sound asleep.
Chapter 37
“This is the Quazak system,” Captain Dex’Orr explained seven hours later. A holograph of a small blue star and a handful of tiny planets hovered in the air in front of him. “The Quazak are bipeds, much like yourselves, but with features you would consider to be marine.”
An image of a creature replaced the planets in the hologram. The being had the body and legs of a man but the head of a lobster, complete with bulging eyes, long and short antennae, and horizontal mandibles. Nick felt a shiver as he looked at the hologram. It wore no clothes but was covered with a thick exoskeleton over its legs, body, and shoulders. The arms were long and thin, with pincers for hands.
“Crab-man,” Kal whispered.
“No, Lobster-boy,” Jules replied.
“Homo Crustacean,” Ty joked.
“We have traded with the Quazakians for centuries, but their society has become endangered as their system star declines,” Cap
tain Dex’Orr continued. “Like most races, they covet our interstellar technology and are threatening to murder the merchants being held hostage. Our job is to rescue them and destroy their Space Exchange. We do not trade with hostile races with nothing left to barter.”
Nick couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to humanity once the solar system’s resources had been used up. Of course, humans could still barter service in the PMC, but it was a scary thought to think of the Proxy suddenly abandoning the solar system.
“How are we going to do rescue the hostages?” Ember asked.
“Excellent question, Private Gracie,” Dex’Orr said. “I have completed the synchronization of our data-communicators. Your helmets will connect to the data-links you wear, allowing you to pick up the locators our merchants have on their persons at all times. Once we dock at the station, I will make a show of coming to negotiate and stall for as long as possible. Meanwhile, the five of you will egress through the maintenance hatch, make your way into the Space Exchange station, locate the hostages, and return them to the ship. Unless I am communicating directly with the Quazakians, I will be monitoring your progress and radio transmissions. Stay in contact, get the hostages out of harm’s way and onto our ship, and I will do the rest.”
“We’re bound to run into resistance,” Nick said. “How should we handle that?”
“As discretely as possible,” Captain Dex’Orr said. “What is it you humans say? Dead men tell no tales?”
“You want us to kill whoever gets in our way?” Ty asked.
“What I want is irrelevant. You’ll be on your own in the space station. I can give orders, but you are the only Space Marines in the system. There is no backup. No help is coming. In eight hours, whether you are safely back on board this ship or not, I will initiate the termination of life support systems on the Space Exchange.”
“So this is a life-or-death mission,” Jules said.
“If in saying so you are acknowledging that your lives are on the line just as much as the hostages, then you are correct,” Dex’Orr said. “The Peregrinantes merchants are your ticket back on board this ship. You will rescue them, or die trying.”
“No room for error,” Kal said.
“That’s one hell of a first mission,” Ty agreed.
“Show us the maintenance exit,” Nick said. “And do you have a layout of the Quazak Space Exchange?”
“Of course, Private,” Captain Dex’Orr said, sounding slightly irritated.
Nick thought the alien could get over being given an order by a lowly private. He wasn’t risking his life, and they were. Nick would do whatever it took to give his team the best chance of surviving the mission.
“One other question,” Ember said. “Is there any word on Gunny Sergeant Tveit’s condition?”
“I checked before leaving the Foundry,” Captain Dex’Orr said. “The sergeant is alive and will pull through. The medical personnel were exploring options for her wounded arm, but I don’t know what they are.”
“At least she’ll live,” Ember said.
“Yes. She was lucky to have you as her team,” Dex’Orr said.
“I have a question,” Kal said. “Why do you want us to do this? We didn’t finish our training. Surely there are more qualified people than us?”
“More qualified, yes,” Dex’Orr said. “But none who could reach this system in time. The Quazak have threatened to murder the hostages if we don’t give in to their demands. Time is of the essence. And, since your team finished the survival training on Delphi Green faster than any team in the history of deep recon training, I decided to entrust you with this mission. It will require improvisation, and from what I’ve seen and read in your files, that is what the five of you excel at.”
Nick felt pride swell in his chest but did his best to hide it. He knew they had done well on Delphi Green, despite Gunny Tveit’s injury. Still, finishing faster than any team ever was something special. He set the feeling aside, promising himself they could celebrate the accomplishment later. For now, they needed to focus on the mission at hand. Like Kal said, there was no margin for error.
They studied the diagrams. Nick wanted to make sure he understood the layout of the station. It was much like the Exchange near Earth. Half the station was dedicated to the Quazakians and the other half to the Proxy. Captain Dex’Orr showed occupied buildings in blue and abandoned buildings in red. Most of the Proxy side was abandoned.
“We’ve kept only a token presence on the station for the last few decades,” he explained. “When the locals took hostages, we evacuated. These buildings in blue were in use but are empty now.”
“No other Peregrinantes are on the station?” Nick asked.
“None. Just the hostages. I will meet with the Quazak representatives, but I will return to the ship to consider their offer.”
“How much time until we reach the station?” Ember said.
“Forty-seven minutes,” Dex’Orr said.
“We should get ready,” Kal said.
“Let’s gear up and get down to the maintenance bay,” Ty said. “You think they’ll have people there?”
“They shouldn’t,” Dex’Orr said. “We don’t allow the locals into the maintenance sections of our stations.”
“But there’s no one on the station to stop them,” Jules said.
“And they’re looking for technology,” Ember said. “It’s the first place I would go.”
Nick retrieved his weapons. The SRE fired soft rounds that would rip through flesh and bone, but the Quazakians had thick outer shells that might stop a bullet. Each magazine held forty rounds of the pistol ammo, and Nick loaded six spare clips onto the belt section of his armor. The stun guns had blocky power supplies that could fire dozens of shots at full power and hundreds at their lowest setting.
“Do we have any information on the Quazakians?” Nick asked.
“Such as?” Dex’Orr asked.
“Such as will our weapons even be effective against them?” Ty asked.
“How thick are their exoskeletal coverings?” Nick added.
“The shells are thick, but not impenetrable,” Captain Dex’Orr said confidently. “I will double-check the statistical data to ensure that the short-range eliminators will be effective against them.”
“Find out what energy level our stun guns should be set to, as well,” Kal said. “That will help if we have to fight.”
“Affirmative, Private Phillips,” Dex’Orr said, the note of irritation returning to his voice.
Nick loaded an extra battery pack for the stun gun but left plenty of space for the hi-en focused light weapon’s power supplies. He added the longer barrel, cooling shroud, extendable stock, and forward pistol grip.
“Everyone ready?” Nick asked.
“Locked and loaded,” Ty said.
“Good to go, team leader,” Jules said.
“This reminds me of playing laser tag back home,” Kal said.
“I remember you got tagged a lot,” Ember said with a smirk.
“That’s because I’m fearless,” Kal proclaimed.
“It’s easy to be fearless when nothing’s on the line,” Jules said.
“Yeah, let’s try not to get hit on this op,” Ty said. “I don’t want to carry your sorry butt back to the ship.”
“Okay, let’s get in position,” Nick said. “We’ll be waiting on your orders, Captain.”
“Very good, Dragon team. I’m with you all the way.”
Nick settled his helmet onto his head and felt it connect with his BIO-suit. The HUD came to life, and Nick toggled between his com-link’s command channel and the squad channel that only his friends could receive.
They left the ready room and went down the long hall to a maintenance corridor, then down a ladder to the lower levels of the ship. A strange hum was heard from the engine room, but their path led away from the secretive technology the Proxy hoarded and toward an exterior hatch. A tall alien waited for them beside the hatch. There wa
s a window, but it was covered with a metal shutter.
Nick toggled on the squad channel and made sure everyone knew how to speak only to each other. In the back of his mind Nick was sure the Proxy could still eavesdrop on his team if they wanted to, but it was better than nothing.
“Any idea what the atmo is like on station?” Kal asked.
“No clue,” Nick said. “But I doubt it’s breathable.”
“Does everyone feel okay about this mission?” Jules asked. “I mean, we might have to kill these people.”
“They aren’t innocent people,” Nick said.
“They aren’t even people,” Kal said. “They’re aliens.”
“But the point is, they’ve taken hostages,” Ember said. “That makes them terrorists, right?”
“She’s got it,” Ty said. “Don’t do the crime if you can’t face the time, yo.”
“You think they deserve to die?” Jules asked.
“They won’t die if they don’t try to stop us,” Kal argued. “And if they try to hurt any one of us, I won’t hesitate to put them down.”
“And don’t forget that Captain Dex’Orr said he plans to shut off life support on the station,” Ember said. “Anyone who tries to take control of the Space Exchange will probably die in the process.”
“All I’m saying is: what gives the Proxy the right to send soldiers against these creatures?” Jules said. “I’ll do my part, you know that. I’m not afraid of a fight. But it makes me wonder why we give the Proxy so much power.”
“They built our Exchange,” Nick said. “Odds are they built this one too, which means they own it or have a controlling interest in it, anyway.”
“I took a class that studied the Exchange back in our solar system,” Ty said. “They did more than build it; they controlled the power generators and positional stabilizing system. Most of that technology was beyond what we could build.”
“So if they shut off the life support, odds are the Quazakians won’t be able to restore it?” Jules asked.
“I doubt it,” Ty replied.
Dragon Team Seven Page 22
