Ben felt a sense of affection for the big man. For years he had been alone, and then for a long time, Nance was the only person Ben felt he could trust. He didn’t think of himself as a good judge of character. In most cases he was reserved, perhaps even a little protective around people. But there was something about Magnus that made Ben feel at ease. And there was even a sense of kinship with the big stranger. Perhaps it was because Magnum had saved his life, or maybe it was something more, Ben didn’t know, but he felt relieved that the big man was staying.
When he left the cabin, Magnus was already making himself at home in the room. Out in the common area that overlooked the bridge on one side and the cargo hold on the other, Nance was waiting for him.
“You gave him a room?” she asked.
“I did more than that,” he said. “I asked him to stay.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I can’t say why for sure. I mean, he saved my life today.”
“What happened?”
“Scalpers at the Boneyard,” Ben said.
“What set them off?”
“Who knows. They tried to shake me down and Magnum came to my rescue. He took out for of them single-handedly. I mean, I helped but I don’t think I was much help.”
“Do you trust him?”
“I guess I do,” Ben said. “He doesn’t talk much.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Nance said.
“I figured you’d say that,” Ben teased. “What can I say? He made an impression on me.”
“Just because he kept you safe?”
“Well, there is that. He also showed me a gun he built. It was solid.”
“A gun?”
“Yeah, he’s a gunsmith. I think he planned to trade it for food.”
“Really?”
“Well, he didn’t say that, but he was clearly underfed. He ate a raw protein brick while was I was haggling with Augustus for the magnetic coupler.”
“So you got one?” Nance asked with just a hint of excitement in her voice.
“I did. I was headed down to try it out now.”
“I’ll run diagnostics as soon as you get it online,” Nance said. “And for what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing.”
“You do?” Ben asked.
“Yes. He seems like a good person.”
“You hardly know him. You didn’t even speak to each other.”
“I saw enough to make up my mind,” Nance said. “Most people are binary, good or bad. I’d say he’s good.”
“Well, it’s settled, then. I think he’ll stay. We’ll confirm it in the morning. Give me an hour and I should have the hydro-generator up and running.”
“I’ll be watching.”
Ben couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice. “We’re getting off this rock, Nance. I know it.”
“We’re almost ready.”
“And everything is coming together.”
“All we need is a pilot and some fuel.”
“We’ll get them,” Ben said. “I can feel it in my bones.”
Chapter 8
Nance returned to her computer station. It had become her home. Everything was just the way she wanted it. The old Kestrel class ship ran all systems on the old binary computer systems, which was much easier to manipulate and customize. If a person had time, they could do just about anything on a binary system with enough memory and power. Nance had three view screens built into the console where she sat, but she could control every video display on the bridge, even the big panel liquid crystal view screen that served as windows. She was careful of their power consumption, and she rarely branched out from her station on the bridge.
Ben had found her a decent chair with over a dozen adjustable settings. Her keyboard was split in two and mounted on the arms of her chair. She used a trackball mouse, which was built into the outside of the right armrest so that she could sit back and control her entire world. Everything was customized just for her, including the ship’s internal camera system. With the click of her mouse, she could bring up the various cameras around the ship. Most showed only black screens, since they didn’t use the ship’s lighting system to save on power. Still, she kept an eye on Ben as he made his way down to the engineering section.
She had spent many hours watching him work down on the lower level of the ship. He was like a child on a playground. If not for the need to get replacement parts, she knew he would never leave the ship. In her opinion, he was brave that way. She could never go out and risk her life to find things in the salvage yards or haggle with junk merchants. Growing up, just getting food had been difficult. Since finding Ben and the Echo, she had lacked for nothing, and Ben never asked her to do more than she was willing to do. He brought back food, clothing, clean water, and whatever spare parts she needed to rebuild the ship’s computer system. It had become her refuge, and she didn’t think she would survive long without it.
“It’s a perfect fit,” Ben said when he held the magnetic coupler in place on the hydro-generator. The security camera picked up his voice with ease and even though the speaker system was practically ancient on the old ship, she heard him clearly with almost no distortion.
The hydro-generator was still in pieces, which would make installing the new coupler a breeze. Putting the machine back together again would be more difficult, but Nance knew Ben would love every minute of it. They wouldn’t be able to test the device until they get Zexum gas to power the fusion reactor. Zexum was the perfect fuel for interstellar ships, since it burned hot and stable. Once ignited, it burned the opposite of fire, consuming carbon dioxide and emitting pure oxygen. That oxygen could be pumped through the ship’s heating system, giving them breathable air, or fed into the hydro-generator where it would be combined with hydrogen to make water. The fusion engine would power the ship and recharge the auxiliary batteries, and the thought of having full power on the Echo made Nance just a little giddy.
“It’s in,” Ben said triumphantly. “Oh man, I am so pumped to get this ship airborne.”
Nance watched him on the security feed as he pumped his hand in the air. She looked at another monitor that showed the ship’s systems. The fusion containment was green. Nance had run a computer simulation and Ben’s repairs had proven effective. Of course it was just a simulation. The computer detected no leak in the vacuum pressure of the chamber and no weaknesses in the triple-insulated walls. Ben had taken his time welding the chamber back together and it was good enough for the computer, but only an actual test of the reactor would show if it would hold together. For all they knew, once the chamber was pumped full of Zexum gas and a fusion reaction began, it might explode and kill them all.
The navigation system was online and needed to be updated, but they would have to be careful about that. New information was coming into the Royal Imperium Navigation Network all the time, but it was closely monitored. Once they logged into the network to update their system, they would be detected. The Imperium claimed to share the network freely, but everyone knew they monitored it closely. It wouldn’t take long before Fleet Security would come poking around once they began updating the Echo’s outdated navigation system. They would be much safer doing that from the air, or better still, orbit.
Life-support systems were functional, but offline. They weren’t needed as long as the ship was stuck on Torrent Four. Artificial gravity was also turned off. Using it in atmo was possible but a large power drain, and while they needed it to work, it wouldn’t be catastrophic if it didn’t. Like everything else, Nance had run multiple simulations and diagnostic checks on the artificial gravity system and it was green across the board. The ship’s engines were all in working order. Ben had checked and rechecked each of them. It was nothing short of a miracle to find a ship with its original engines intact. When the Echo had gone down, she took damage to the main drive and each of the hybrid engines on her wings, but Ben had been able to repair them using spare parts from the salvage yard.
That left the water plant, which was dow
n due to the lack of a working hydro-generator. Still, with only a little power, the ship’s water treatment system worked perfectly. Nance relished the ability to take a lukewarm bath twice a week. They still brought in potable water since they didn’t have the hydro-generator, but if it worked, the ship would be in excellent shape to set out on an interstellar voyage.
Nance was tired and ready for bed, but first she logged onto the planetary network and ran one last security check. Most of Torrent Four was a lawless junk sprawl, but news was still collected from the few remaining cities and everything was run through the planetary network, which had been rebuilt after the war. Nance had written an algorithm to check every news outlet for anything that might affect them. The system ran for ten minutes, then pinged to alert her that it was done. The Fleet presence in the Torrent system was unchanged, she saw, and Fleet Security was cracking down on kite racing in the canyons, but that didn’t bother Nance. For the moment they were safe enough, and she could sleep.
After shutting down her station, Nance went to her quarters. She had a personal computer station in her room that could operate outside of the ship’s systems. There was no real need for it, but being a computer geek was in her blood and she couldn’t stop herself from having multiple backups and emergency gear. Her bed was layered with blankets. Nance was extremely thin and struggled to stay warm, but the blankets were really about security. She felt safer under a load of heavy blankets.
Along one wall of her room was a series of lockers with emergency gear, from a hard-vacuum space suit to oxygen canisters and extra food rations. Ben knew she had them and didn’t seem to mind. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him. The truth was she trusted Ben Griminski more than anyone she had ever known, but she needed the emergency supplies just to feel safe. It was more about the way having them made her feel than what they could actually do for her if things went bad on the ship.
She pulled off her coat and the thick sweatshirt before crawling into bed. She slept in tights and a baggy undershirt that had once belonged to her grandfather. A picture of the old computer programmer had adhered to the bulkhead beside her bunk. She looked at his kind, old face before turning off her lantern. It helped her to think of him. Her father had died shortly after the war, killed in what the Imperium liked to call Rebel Roundup. There had been no charges filed, no chance to prove his innocence. Her father had been executed simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Nance knew it was a gift to have lost him at such a young age that she never knew him. Her mother had summarily turned Nance over to her father, then gone about being as active in the anti-Imperium movement as she could possibly be. Nance’s grandfather had said it was ironic that his daughter had become a terrorist because the Royal Imperium had killed her husband for being a terrorist when he was anything but. Nance had memories of her mother, but not many, and eventually she just stopped coming around. Nance always suspected that her grandfather knew more than he told her, but it really wasn’t surprising to have lost both parents. Fortunately, she had her grandfather, who loved her fiercely, taught her all about computers, and sacrificed everything for her until he died. That was the saddest chapter of Nance’s young life, but the grief had eventually transformed into memories of happiness. When she looked at his picture, it filled her with a sense of belonging, safety, and peace. She fell asleep quickly and rested well, knowing he was watching over her each night.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Ben came out of his quarters and found Nance at her computer station on the bridge. Magnum was there too, sitting quietly at the security officer’s station. Since Nance had integrated the ships computer systems, including the security cameras, the other stations around the bridge were practically untouched. Magnum had found the pump-action deck rifle that was pinned under the security officer’s console and was in the middle of breaking the weapon down.
“He knows his stuff,” Nance said as Ben approached.
“Did you tell him about the gun?”
“Nope. He got up about an hour ago and came on the bridge. I told him he could sit anywhere and he went straight to the security station.”
“How long did it take him to find the gun?”
“About five minutes,” Nance said.
“You worried?” Ben asked quietly.
“Not really,” Nance said. “He’s quiet, and I get a safe vibe from him.”
“Okay, well, I need to find us a pilot. It may take a few days.”
“Are you going to the canyons?”
“Yeah,” Ben said. “Is that a problem.”
“Might be,” Nance replied. “Fleet Security is cracking down according to news reports.”
“Well, I’m not going to be flying anything. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they won’t hassle me just for the fun of it.”
“Make sure Magnum keeps his pistol hidden.”
“Yeah, that’s good advice. Thanks,” Ben said as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Will you be okay here by yourself?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“No reason, but I didn’t want to assume. You can come with us if you want.”
“Thanks,” she said, suddenly nervous, “but I’ve got systems to debug still.”
“Well, there’s enough food and water. Don’t forget to eat.”
She nodded and went back to work. Her fingers flew over the old-fashioned mechanical keys with a satisfying rattle that he learned to appreciate. He knew that despite the years of hard work that he had put into rebuilding the ship, it would all be for naught without her work on the computer systems. Ben could use a computer, even rebuild them, but he didn’t know anything about programming.
“Magnum, can we talk for a minute?” Ben asked as he walked toward the big man. He tried to guess how old Magnum was. His face had a hard edge to it that could easily turn savage, Ben thought. It was the mark of a hard life, he supposed. But despite the big man’s deadly efficiency in a fight, it seemed there was no malice in him. In fact, Ben felt a kinship with the stranger.
Magnum set the deck gun on the flat, transparent top of the security station. The rifle was almost reassembled, and the ammunition—Ben had only been able to collect three rounds for the ancient gun—were set aside. He looked at Ben expectantly.
“I didn’t get a chance to ask you where you’ve been staying,” Ben said.
Magnum didn’t respond, and after a moment Ben realized the big man wasn’t going to. He hadn’t actually asked a question, so he tried again.
“What I mean to say is, do you have a home?”
Magnum shook his head.
“Any family?” Ben asked.
Again, the big man shook his head.
“I’m sorry,” Ben said. “My folks are gone. Just up and left when I was a teenager and never came back. Nance too. We don’t have anyone but each other. I was hoping maybe you might join us.”
Magnum nodded.
“Well, wait a second,” Ben said. “I have plans to get off this planet. The ship is ready, I just need a pilot and some Zexum. I don’t want to assume you want to take a risk like that.”
Magnum looked at him, and Ben could see that the big man was thinking. Then he nodded again.
“You’re in. Even if it means breaking some laws to do it?”
Magnum nodded.
“We’ll be an unregistered ship,” Ben said. “If we get caught by the Fleet, we could serve hard time.”
Magnum nodded.
“Okay then, welcome aboard. I’ve got to go to the canyons to find a pilot. Want to come along?”
Magnum stood up, nodding.
“Good, I’ll get some food and we’ll head out.”
Ben hurried upstairs. He felt a sense of pressure building up. He had gotten lucky to find everything he needed for the ship so far, and he feared that luck might run out. He wanted to get to the canyons and get back, but there was no quick way to get across the salvage fields. If they ran into trouble, it could take a week just t
o reach the canyon district, and then he still needed to convince a pilot to come all the way back to where the Echo was hidden. It was a tall order, and even after that they would need to get their hands on Zexum gas. It wouldn’t be easy, but nothing was. And if he managed it and got the ship off the ground, it might well be a miracle. Still, he had nothing else to strive for, and no desire to give up. Maybe he could live for a long time on the ship if he left it buried in the rubble, but deep in his heart he knew he had to get off Torrent Four. His destiny was in the stars and he couldn’t deny it.
After packing two emergency water filters and half a dozen protein bricks into a small bag, Ben returned to the bridge. Magnum was waiting by the stairs and Nance turned to wave goodbye. Ben saw that the reassembled and loaded deck rifle had been propped next to Nance at her computer station.
“Good luck,” she said.
“Stay safe,” he told her.
She patted the rifle and pointed at Magnum, who quickly looked away. Ben saw the big man’s cheeks flushed a little. He had obviously left the rifle with Nance as a gesture of kindness. She gave Ben a thumbs up before returning her attention to her computer screens.
“Let’s go,” Ben said.
Magnum took the bag of supplies and flipped it over his broad shoulder. The big man’s coat hung open for a moment and Ben saw the butt of an old-fashioned pistol. He knew that if they were going to be successful off-world, he would have to start carrying protection of his own. In the past, he had relied on his wits and knowledge of the salvage yard to avoid trouble. He was like a mouse in a hay barn with half a dozen escape routes at any given time. But he wouldn’t always be in the salvage yards. His run-in with the Scalpers at the Boneyard had proven that. It was the closest he’d come to getting hurt, or worse yet, enslaved than he’d come in a long, long time.
Once they were out of the ship, he looked over at his companion. Magnum hadn’t said a word, but he looked happy.
“Can I ask you a question?” Ben said.
Magnum nodded.
“How many guns do you have?”
Kestrel Class (Kestrel Class Saga Book 1) Page 4
