Rebels

by Richard Alonzo

  Chapter 13 Reboot

  The deck groaned and vibrated as Jasper and Jackson squeezed through the narrow opening in the steel blast doors and reappeared on the bridge.

  Wilkes steadied himself against the console he’d been learning over. “Commander on the deck. “

  Ignoring him Jasper made his way casually to the black leather command chair on the central dais. As he settled into his seat a low rumble ran through the superstructure of the vessel. The sickly orange glow of the emergency lights flickered before plunging them into total darkness.

  “Status report.” he snapped as the main lights came back to life and energy pulsed through the cold steel hull once more.

  Wilkes characteristically held his fingers to his subdermal implant before responding small pulses of energy causing the filaments that ran under the skin around his face to glisten. “I don't believe it that runt, the one Alice blew half-way across the deck...”

  Alice shot an angry glance at him. “He was expendable, we needed to make it look realistic.”

  Jasper smiled and held up his hand to silence her before Wilkes continued. “...Raynes, he must be a savant of some sort. The Chiefs saying he went into a trance for a second or two down there and when he came back realigned the power grid, rebooted the engine control matrix and fired up all the reactors in less time than it should have taken the whole team to bring one back on line. ”

  “Give Raynes my congratulations, tell him effectively immediately, he's my new Chief Engineer. He's to report for duty on board his new assignment Fury with the rest the senior crew members. In the meantime tell him his next priority is to get the weapons, sensors and flight deck back on-line.”

  Drumming his fingerers gently on his armrest he smiled at Wilkes discomfort in him promoting the 'runt' to the senior crew. Still it was mild to the discomforted he detected when he focused his cybernetic eye downwards through the deck plating to the engine cores as his former chief grappled with a sudden and unexpected demotion.

  “Oh and I nearly forgot, tell him as a gesture of gratitude, I'm authorising a full facial reconstruction at my personal expense.”

  Wilkes nodded in acknowledgement and a few moments latter another look of bewilderment crossed his face. “The run... Raynes say thanks, but no thanks, sir, he prefers to keep the scars as his personal badge of loyalty to you.”

  Jasper smiled. “Well I guess loyalty has its own rewards, a lesson any crew would do well to learn.” adding quietly to himself. “Giving may liberate the giver, but it enslaves the receiver.”

  “I'm impressed.” Jackson who was standing just behind him spoke softly so no one else could hear. “You've mastered the wetware far quicker than I anticipated, it's good to see my gift to you being used so creatively.”

  “How’s Rayne’s doing with the weapons?” he asked Wilkes pretending he hadn’t heard Jackson.

  “He’s about to purge the virus from the orbital platforms, but it’ll mean disabling the safety protocols. He’s recommending we bring them back on-line one at time.”

  “Any pointed at us?”

  “Without sensors it’s impossible to tell.” said Alice.

  Jasper took a deep breath and his cybernetic eye clicked and whirred as he swept his vision around the planet checking the orientation of all forty-eight weapons platforms in the orbital defence grid. “It’s a risk I’m prepared to take, bring them all back on line now.”

  Wilkes nodded and relayed the order. There was a tense silence as the seconds ticked by. “Virus is confirmed purged from all orbital platforms, reinitialising planetary defence grid… … …. Now.”

  He scanned them again with his cybernetic eye watching with satisfaction as the navigation lights on the lifeless platforms began to flicker back on and the reactors that drove their deadly payloads ramped up their output to full capacity. He winced involuntarily as there was a low rumble and blinding flash quickly followed by another and another and on the far side of the planet a salvo of missiles ripped into the ocean.

  “We’ve lost platforms eight, fifteen, and thirty-two, nineteen has discharged it entire missile payload into the southern ocean. All others are reporting operational.” Wilkes confirmed.

  “And the sensors?”

  Wilkes shook his head. “We’ll have the main sensor array back on line shortly, but he’ll need to recalibrate the targeting systems, so you’ll have to target the weapons platforms manually for now.”

  ”What about the flight deck?”

  “With power back online we can open the hangar doors, but everything else is on manual until we purge the virus and reboot the control systems.” Alice cut in before Wilkes could respond.

  “Very well get me an assault team together, I’ll meet them in the hanger, and prep my shuttle for launch. I'm going planet side. Wilkes you have the bridge.”

  “Sir, permission to join you.” Alice requested. “You'll need a co-pilot if you’re flying on manual.”

  “Permission granted. Wilkes tell Raynes to get those targeting sensors operational and target any areas under rebel control as soon you’re able. Apart from New Hope.”

  “New Hope?” asked Wilkes.

  “Yes, we'll need a skilled propagandist on the Fury and I know exactly where to find one.”

  Alice handed him a data crystal. “I've taken the liberty of mapping a secure route to the flight deck a number of systems are still off-line or unstable.”

  Jasper nodded curtly and took the data crystal. “Jackson I suggest you get whatever or whoever you need off the planet and up here as soon as possible. I want everyone ready to roll as soon as the Fury drops out of hyperspace.”

  As Jasper and Alice strode off the bridge together the security detail breathed a secret sigh of relief that they didn't have to manually crank the heavy steel doors open for them.

  Twenty minutes later they were on the fight deck inspecting the assault team while the flight crew towed his shuttle into position. Jasper looked over them with a critical eye and concluded they were serviceable enough for what he had in mind.

  “I'm assuming you've checked your kit and weapons are virus free.” He looked them up and down as he pace backwards and forwards in front of them like a caged tiger. Inspecting them for signs of nervous, his cybernetic eye constantly clicking and whirring as it flitted irritably from one to another. “It's chaos down there and anyone who screws up gets left behind.”

  “Yes sir!” They chorused in unison.

  “Your mission is to safely extract Angelica our well known newscaster and propagandist.” he help up a picture of a young woman in the regulation royal blue two piece uniform of the propaganda corps with short cropped blond hair. He gestured to Alice. “Alice will assume command of you for this part of the mission, while I attended to some unfinished business planet-side, dismissed.”

  There was a frustrating wait while the deck crew finished dragging his shuttle into place. It was amazing how totally dependent they become on machines that did the hard work for them. He past the time by zooming in his eye on New Hope checking on the whereabouts of Angelica. She and her cameraman were hunkered down in an old building on the outskirts of the settlement, with a couple of civilians for company. Trying not to draw attention to themselves. A number of unchecked fires were burning in the devastated town centre that had borne the brunt of the bombardment. Bodies littered the streets, where it seemed people had taken full advantage of the virus cancelling out Malstrom's superior fire power, overwhelming them by sheer force of numbers. Small groups appeared to be conducting house to house searches looking for anyone who may have escaped the rout.

  Finally the flight deck was cleared and they took the controls. It was a long time since he's had the simple pleasure of sitting in the pilot’s seat. He relished every moment of it as they carefully manoeuvred themselves out of the hangar and accelerated towards the planet slicing through the atmosphere. They burst through the clouds and came in low over what was left of New Hope weaving between
the plumes of smoke that rose from the fires that raged beneath them. Sporadic small arms fire greeted their arrival bouncing harmlessly off the shields. Banking sharply round for a second pass he spotted what he was looking for, a small park in the outer suburbs a few hundred meters west of where he'd detected Angelica hiding. There was also a large mob moving towards her location from the east.

  He set the shuttle down in the Park and gave Alice the co-ordinates. “Get her back to the shuttle alive. Kill whoever gets in your way. We can use her skills on the Fury.”

  Alice confirmed the co-ordinates and ordered her assault team to move out. “What about you?”

  “Some unfinished business, we rondevu back here in 30 minutes.” Jasper said curtly as he headed off South-East. Alice watched him disappear out of the park and then turned to follow her team.

  A wide open avenue lay between them and their target, but the mob was closing fast and they didn't have time to skirt around it. So they threw caution to the winds and went directly down it. They were three-quarters of the way down the avenue when they found themselves enveloped in a cross fire of small arms.

  “Ambush.” screamed Alice diving for cover.

  “Man down!” yelled one of her team diving for cover beside her.

  “What the...” there was an explosion nearby as someone brought a heavier weapon to bear.

  “Jennings is dead, armour malfunction.” said another voice.

  “Check your armour when you’re told next time.” snapped Alice over the chatter and weapons fire.

  There was another blast from the heavy weapon as she peered round the edge of the abandon car she was hiding behind. She smiled and transmitted its location to the team before breaking cover to draw its fire. As she did so two of the squad rushed forward, while the rest laid down suppressing fire, and lobbed several grenades at the co-ordinates she had given. Their main weapon disabled their assailants, now heavily outgunned, simply melted away. Alice retrieved Jennings weapon to ensure it couldn’t be used against them as they sprinted towards the designated building. By the time they got there the mob was less than fifty meters away and she ordered them to lay down covering fire as she kicked the door in. Inside she found Angelica and her cameraman hiding in a back room with a woman and her young child. When she saw Alice the woman cowered further into the back of the room covering her child.

  Ignoring the woman she turned to Angelica. “Jasper sent me we’re her to extract you, he's got a new assignment for you.”

  She stood up and straightened her hair. “Thank god for that, this planets so primitive.” she said preening herself.

  “We need to go we don't have much time.” said Alice trying to impress a sense of urgency on her. Secretly wondering what Jasper saw in this woman and if she was a threat to her plans for advancement.

  “Fine honey but I need a weapon, is that gun unlocked?” she said pointing at Jennings rifle.

  Alice over-rode the bio-filter and handed it to her. "It is now."

  She fondled the gun inspecting it carefully before firing off three shots in quick succession. “No mercy or compassion for the weak, plus Larry always was such a pain in the arse.” she said pointing at the lifeless corpse of her cameraman. “Let’s go.”

  Alice saw then exactly what it was Jasper saw in this woman and the threat she posed to her.

  Outside the team were doing a good job of keeping the mob at bay, but it was growing rapidly. At any point they could reach a critical mass and overwhelm their superior fire power by sheer weight of numbers.

  “Fall back, double ranks, suppressing fire.”

  They acknowledge her orders and split into two fire team’s. One laying covering fire down for the other as they took it in turns to retreat. While Alice escorted her at a brisk jog towards the shuttle.

  Jasper meanwhile had headed off to the south-east edge of the settlement, taking pot-shots at anyone or anything that got too close. He kept scanning the ground, trying to locate Ford's subterranean hiding place, but some force similar to the ability Jackson had given him kept pushing him back. It was like a game of chess as they probed each other looking for a weakness to break the stalemate. He had however located several areas near the surface that Ford and the other rebels used as hideouts and caches and made a note to target these as soon as he returned to the station. Even if they didn't secure the ark from this miserable planet they could use the Fury to destroy it and deny anyone else access to it. Given all the tech Jackson had acquired how much they or Malstrom really needed it was debatable. Once they were in control of the Fury they could unleash a highly profitable reign of terror on an unsuspecting galaxy whether Malstrom survived or not. Jackson's only interest was in pursuing his research unfettered by petty concerns such as ethics. So long as he fed that desire, he would help him grow and develop his powers. It was an amoral, symbiotic, relationship that fed their deepest darkest desires for power over the rest of humanity. People such as Alice, Wilkes and others would follow him against Malstrom if necessary for the power, glory, and sheer infamy he could bring them. Others for the money they could extort, others still out of a sense of loyalty to their ship and crew. Those that wouldn't or couldn't be bought he could, with his new found abilities, manipulate to serve or simply eliminate them as his whim dictated.

  His reverie was rudely interrupted by someone sneaking up behind him with a pickaxe. At the last moment he spun round and shot them squarely between the eyes. It seemed someone had recognised him and a sizeable crowd with makeshift weapons was gathering. It was time to return to the ship. His cybernetic eye clicked and whirred as he focused his mind and reached out into theirs sowing confusion in random individuals. Turning several of the stronger, better armed, ones against the rest he made good his escape amidst the confusion. He was barely fifty meters from his shuttle when Alice called him over the comm and advised him of their hasty retreat at the heels of the mob.

  He was already in the cockpit as Alice and Angelica scampered up the ramp and into the cabin as what was left of the assault team battled to keep the angry mob at bay. As soon as Alice was in the co-pilots seat he raised the ramp and blasted off without once looking back.

  “No mercy or compassion for the weak, only the spoils of victory for the strong, as it was meant to be.” muttered Angelica to herself, she had already decided she was going to like this new assignment.