Ghost of the Argus

by E. R. Torre

  “We’ll do our best,” Inquisitor Cer said.

  The Xendos passed the two layers of Locust Plague tentacles. They saw the enormous form of the Thanatos before them. A light as bright as a small star shone on its side.

  “He’s activated the Displacer,” Inquisitor Cer said.

  “Look,” B’taav said and pointed to a monitor. “Defensive drones!”

  “David, there are more drones heading toward you,” Inquisitor Cer said.

  “I see them,” Desjardins replied. “Hurry, Inquisitor.”

  The Xendos passed low orbit and drew closer and closer to the Locust Plague’s mother ship. The first time they passed it, the ship was lifeless. It had life now, but it was dwindling. Less than a fifth of it was lit up, and what lights were on were quickly dying. The still ship moved, if very slowly. As it did, a wave of fusion fire erupted from her and a series of Earth-shattering blasts slammed against the Thanatos’ starboard side. Mountains of debris were sent into space. The Thanatos answered in kind, its hellfire missiles lighting the top of the alien craft and ripping her upper decks. Smaller missiles and fusion blasts took on the waves of drones between the two ships.

  The Xendos rushed by the mother ship and found herself between the enormous crafts.

  Another wave of missiles and fusion blasts emerged from the rival vessels, lighting both ships up with even more explosions. The chaos was incredible.

  “Desjardins, we’re only seconds away from the Displacer,” B’taav said. “How do we get you out?”

  “Get me?” Desjardins replied. He smiled. “You don’t.”

  “There’s still time to save you!”

  Desjardins shook his head.

  “No there isn’t,” Desjardins said. The smile remained on his face. “I’ve lived two full lives, B’taav. One more than everyone else. Make yours count.”

  The Xendos flew over the Thanatos and was shielded from the barrage of Locust Plague fusion blasts. This side of the Thanatos was remarkably calm. It was as if it was part of a completely different vessel.

  Inquisitor Cer banked the Xendos so they could see the Thanatos’ upper deck. In moments they had a clear view of her tinsel glass roof. They stared in wonder at the beach encased within the Thanatos’ uppermost level. Even from this extreme distance they spotted a single dark form sitting before the crystal clear blue water.

  “Goodbye,” Desjardins said.

  The man on the beach waved.

  In another second he was gone. The Xendos was past the tinsel glass and nearing the rear of the ship. The small Displacer the Xendos had flown through to arrive in the Solar System was ready for them.

  “Oh no,” Inquisitor Cer said.

  Three defensive drones appeared at the Xendos’ side. They were moving quickly toward her.

  “We can’t deviate,” Inquisitor Cer said. “We don’t have the time!”

  B’taav reached for the ship’s defensive systems. He used the targeting system to zoom in on the drones. He instantly recognized one of them.

  “Cyclops.”

  The ancient drone was behind the other two. It tried to pass them, as if eager to be the first to attack.

  “The Xendos doesn’t have enough firepower to take them all down,” Inquisitor Cer said.

  B’taav hit the trigger.

  A beam of fusion energy flew from the Xendos’ single defensive cannon. It struck the lead drone, shattering it into pieces. Pieces of it rained against one of the two remaining ships, momentarily sending it away. Cyclops closed in.

  “They’re behind us,” B’taav said. “They’re coming around.”

  “We’ll make it,” Inquisitor Cer said.

  The tiny ship closed in on the Displacer but Cyclops and the remaining drone gained on her.

  “Faster,” B’taav muttered.

  “A lot faster,” Nox added. The second drone gained more speed. It was beside, then just in front of Cyclops.

  “Come on,” Becky Waters said.

  They were nearly there…

  …they were nearly there…

  Within the Thanatos, David Desjardins faced the beach and the placid water before him.

  He felt a distant rumble. The other half of the ship was taking enormous hits.

  At his side appeared Saint Vulcan’s hologram.

  “You’ve done well,” she said.

  “Could I see her one last time?”

  “Of course.”

  In the water appeared two forms.

  It was a young David Desjardins and his wife. They frolicked in that water, impossibly young and so painfully in love. They wore no clothing and passionately embraced. They kissed. They made love.

  He remembered that day. All those days.

  “Thank you,” Desjardins said.

  “Thank you, David Desjardins,” the Hologram replied. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.”

  The Hologram took a step back. Desjardin’s attention remained on the images. He reached out, his frail hand shaking.

  “Holly,” he said.

  So young and so beautiful. She reached out to him. She smiled and in that moment he was so very, very happy.

  Desjardin’s other hand felt along the side of his beach chair. He found the switch.

  He pressed it.

  And then a light millions of times brighter than the Solar System’s sun obliterated all that surrounded it.

  The Xendos hit the outer boundaries of the Displacer’s energy field and rocked as it entered the slipstream.

  A blinding light filled the energy arc.

  “The Thanatos,” Inquisitor Cer said.

  “Goodbye, David,” B’taav muttered.

  The Displacer’s aperture abruptly closed behind them, dissolved by the extreme energy from the Thanatos’ destruction. The Xendos thrashed to and fro, its hull heating to the point that alarms blared through the ship’s speakers. Inquisitor Cer fought the energy tides and checked for system failures.

  “We’ve got company,” Becky Waters said.

  Behind them were the two defensive drones. Cyclops was just behind her younger counterpart.

  “How did they get in?” Inquisitor Cer said.

  “Doesn’t matter,” B’taav replied. “They’re gaining.”

  “Can we take them out?” Nox asked.

  B’taav got to work on the fusion cannon controls. He clicked on a sensor and noted the rising radiation.

  “What’s wrong?” Nox asked. “Why aren’t you firing?”

  “The radiation in the slipstream messes with the targeting systems,” B’taav said. “As long as it’s there, those systems are compromised.”

  “At what point does the radiation drop?” Nox said.

  “Toward the end of the journey,” B’taav said. “That’s how we know we’re about to arrive at our destination.”

  “We can’t fire without the targeting systems?” Becky Waters asked.

  “We can,” B’taav said. “Hitting something, on the other hand…”

  B’taav motioned to Nox while continuing to work the cannon’s controls.

  “Help me,” he said and pointed to the yoke before him.

  Nox grabbed the device. On the monitor over it was displayed a view of the incoming drones. At the center of the monitor were crosshairs.

  “You want me to line up the crosshairs?”

  “Yes,” B’taav said.

  “Just like a vid game.”

  Nox aimed until she had the drone closest to them in the crosshairs. But its image fluttered and at times it was nothing more than a ghostly apparition.

  “Am I lined up?”

  “Only one way to find out,” B’taav said.

  The Independent hit a button and a fusion beam roared from the Xendos’ cannon. It dispersed wildly, its energy diffused by the strange physics found in the slipstream. Parts of her beam held together long enough. They hit the nearest drone’s side, splintering it into pieces. Just as the fusion blast was fired a strong energy feedback sent spa
rks through the fusion cannon controls. The fusion cannon monitor went dark.

  “Give me the rear camera!” B’taav said.

  Inquisitor Cer pressed a button and another monitor lit up. It displayed the ship’s rear view. The two drones were on it. The one closest to them shattered. Most of its pieces fell to the side, leaving the slipstream corridor and vanishing forever. A large chunk blew off and moved directly toward Cyclops.

  “Come on!” B’taav said.

  The chunk fell faster and faster toward the ancient drone.

  “Come on!”

  The chunk slammed into Cyclops, causing it to deviate. The drone was hurt. Badly. Sparks and smoke emerged from her. She fell away, farther and farther. She was almost gone…

  And then she managed to correct her course. Despite her injuries, she sped up. She was once again behind the Xendos.

  “Damn!” B’taav said.

  “She’s no longer trying to ram us,” Inquisitor Cer said.

  “She’s hurt,” B’taav said. “Hurt enough to want to wait us out.”

  “Wait us out?” Becky Waters repeated. “What for?”

  “For you to get to the end of the line,” Nox said. Though the Mechanic spoke, it wasn’t her voice.

  “Spradlin?” Becky said.

  “The drone knows your fusion cannons are fried. She’s following you to the Displacer’s end. In regular space, she will attack without fear of getting lost in the slipstream and there won’t be a damn thing you can do to defend yourselves. When you’re gone, she’ll move on. She’ll find shelter and replicate, maybe create an army of Cyclops drones and—”

  Nox’s body shook. She doubled over.

  “Fuck!” she yelled.

  Becky held her. Nox nodded.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  “How much longer before we leave the slipstream?” Becky Waters asked.

  “I don’t know,” Inquisitor Cer replied. “It took us nearly six minutes to go from the Empire to your Solar System. I don’t know where we’re being sent, but the trip back might take just as long.”

  “We can’t let that drone reach Empire space,” Becky Waters said.

  “How do we stop her?”

  Becky Waters examined the radiation display. It had reached a maximum level and was no longer climbing.

  “By doing something crazy,” Becky Waters said.

  “You have a plan?” Nox asked.

  “Yeah,” Becky replied. “You strong enough to join me?”

  “Of course,” Nox said. “How crazy is this plan?”

  “Plenty.”

  Nox smiled.

  “Count me in.”

  Inquisitor Cer spun in her chair.

  “What are you—?”

  She didn’t finish her question. By then, Becky Waters and Nox were gone.

  They ran out of the cockpit, down the corridor, and down the stairs until they were before the door to the decompression chamber. Becky Waters opened the faded green duffle bag she left there and pulled out a large black blade.

  “What are we doing?” Nox asked.

  Becky Waters grabbed a space suit from the charging rack and handed it to Nox.

  “Get dressed,” she said. “Quickly.”

  Becky grabbed another suit for herself. They dressed and entered the decompression chamber.

  “You can’t go outside,” Inquisitor Cer said over the suits’ communication systems. “You saw the radiation readings!”

  “Are they dropping?”

  Inquisitor Cer was silent for a second. Then:

  “Yeah,” she said. “Slowly. Check the readings on the monitor to your right.”

  They did.

  “By the time we’re ready to step out, those levels will be much lower,” Becky Waters said.

  “You’ll still be poisoned,” Inquisitor Cer said.

  “This body is barely human,” Becky Waters said. “It’s also fought off radioactivity for over five thousand years. It can take a couple more minutes.”

  “What about you, Nox?”

  Nox smiled.

  “I’m Blue Brigade. It’s been said nothing stops us.”

  64

  Warning lights came on and they heard Inquisitor Cer’s voice over their communication system.

  “Radioactive readings at half,” she said. “We’re maybe two minutes from exiting the slipstream.”

  Becky Waters and Nox checked the reinforced metallic rope tied to their suits and took a step closer to the decompression chamber’s outer door. In Becky Waters’ right hand was the black blade.

  The outer door opened, revealing a cascade of bizarre violet lights.

  Becky Waters whispered something, then, along with Nox, stepped out of the ship.

  In the cockpit, Inquisitor Cer and B’taav were captivated by what they saw.

  A monitor displayed Becky Waters and Nox exiting the decompression chamber. Their magnetized boots stuck to the ship’s ladder. Some seventy feet away from them was the ancient defensive drone.

  Becky Waters clicked the communicator.

  “How do I maneuver?” she asked.

  “The directional guides are in your belt.”

  Becky Waters’ free hand reached for them.

  “Up, down, left, and right,” Becky Waters said. “Couldn’t be simpler.”

  Nox shook her head.

  “You weren’t kidding when you said this plan was crazy.”

  In the silence of the slipstream, Becky Waters heard her breathing. Behind her was Nox, holding on to the rope. Cyclops remained in position, its single outer light glowing a bloody red.

  Nox patted Becky Water’s helmet.

  “Come back,” she said.

  “I will,” Becky Water replied. “As long as you don’t let go.”

  She took another step and was gone.

  Becky Waters’ body floated out, farther and farther, her tether to the Xendos held by Nox. She closed in on Cyclops and adjusted her movements to bring her directly to it.

  Inch by inch Becky Waters lined herself up. As she did, the radiation gauge continued dropping.

  “How much longer before we’re out?” Becky Waters asked.

  “Seconds,” Inquisitor Cer replied.

  She was right in front of the drone yet still a good ten feet away.

  “I need more slack,” Becky Waters said.

  “That’s all I’ve got,” Nox replied.

  Cyclops was so close. Close enough for Becky Waters to see its weathered surface. Her single red light flickered, an angry eye staring at its victim, waiting so very patiently to attack.

  “I can’t reach her,” Becky said.

  She shook her head and clenched her teeth. There was only one thing left to do.

  “Cut the rope.”

  Nox didn’t immediately answer.

  “You heard me, cut the rope.”

  “The hell I will.”

  “Radiation is near normal,” Inquisitor Cer said. “We’ve got maybe twenty seconds!”

  “Do it. Now! ”

  “I can’t let you go,” Nox said. “I won’t—”

  “If you don’t, billions may die. We certainly will!”

  “Fifteen.”

  “Please…”

  The tether gave.

  Becky Waters fell.

  For a moment Becky Waters felt the quiet horror of being completely on her own.

  She forced it out as she closed in on the drone.

  Becky Waters released the controls of her suit and pulled at the black blade. She took aim at Cyclops.

  Despite it all, she smiled. If her last action saved humanity, then her life was easily worth the sacri—

  Cyclops’ red light sparkled. The drone abruptly shifted its position, taking Becky by surprise.

  She grabbed at the directional controls of her suit, but by then Cyclops was past her. It sped up.

  “No!” Becky Waters yelled.

  She was all alone and floating into the void. She spun around helplessly,
her mind seized by the terror of failure.

  And then, abruptly, her line was taunt.

  Nox held the line with one hand while grasping Cyclops’ nose with the other. She pulled at it, bringing Becky Waters back.

  Inside the Xendos, B’taav and Inquisitor Cer watched in silent dread as Nox pulled Becky Waters towards her. Cyclops realized the danger it was in. Solid metal converted into liquid, bubbling up and enveloping Nox’s arm. The liquid nano-probes moved toward her helmet.

  “Hurry,” Inquisitor Cer muttered.

  Radioactivity readings were almost normal. The slipstream corridor dulled. In the distance they saw darkness and small lights.

  Stars.

  Becky was at Nox’s side. Cyclops moved from side to side, trying desperately to throw the stowaways off.

  “Do it!” Nox yelled.

  “We’ll be fried,” Becky said.

  “Do it!”

  With a violent thrust, Becky slashed forward with the black blade and penetrated the drone’s body. In that second, Nox released her grip on Cyclops while simultaneously applying her suit’s thrusters. As she flew away, she grabbed Becky Waters and held her tight.

  Thick electric arcs enveloped Cyclops. Her metallic skin darkened and the liquid that made up much of her surface bubbled before growing still.

  Nox and Becky Waters tumbled away, their view of the drone coming and going with each revolution.

  Cyclops’ straight arrow movement stalled. The electric arcs grew and grew, flashing wildly, before abruptly stopping. By then, her body was black.

  The slipstream was gone. With a start, Nox and Becky Waters realized they were floating in outer space.

  The dead drone’s charred body lay before them. It left ashen pieces in its wake.

  “You two still alive back there?” a voice came over their comm. It was Inquisitor Cer.

  “Yeah,” Nox replied.

  In the distance was the Xendos. For the very first time they had a clear, close up view of the ship.

  “That’s the most beautiful starship I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Becky said. “Not that I’ve seen all that many.”