Boneshaker

by Joshua Dalzelle

  "Captain I was under the impression that—"

  "I never agreed to hand them over to you," Edgars said, turning on Hollick. "Keep it up and you might not be leaving here yourself." Hollick shut his mouth, but his eyes blazed with anger.

  It was barely thirty seconds later when there were some sharp clangs from the rear ramp, and then it slowly dropped to the deck. When the tac team rushed aboard, they found five people crouched down with their hands on their heads. Three people stayed to secure them while the others continued on into the ship. A few minutes later, the five occupants were led out and brought over to Edgars.

  "The ship is clear, Captain," the sergeant leading the detail said. "Bio-scanners confirm these were the only people aboard the ship, along with the body of one of their own. None of them were armed."

  "You're sure the other is really dead?" Edgars asked.

  "He's dead, Captain," the young Marine lieutenant said. "He was tortured to death and hacked up by the piece of shit standing next to you." Edgars looked at his own sergeant, who just nodded grimly.

  "I thank you for making the smart decision and coming out without a fight, Lieutenant…" he prompted.

  "Brown, sir."

  "Brown. Losing a man in action is a terrible thing. You just made sure you didn't needlessly lose more. I will keep my word, and your people will be released back to Earth, but I need one more token of goodwill from you, and I need it quickly. The data core?"

  "It's secured under a deck plate in my quarters, sir," Brown said.

  "And how do I know there's not a bomb under there instead?"

  "Have your Marines take me with them when they check. If I rigged up a bomb, it will take me out, as well." Edgars looked at him for a moment before nodding to his sergeant.

  "Go get it."

  It was only a few moments later when the sergeant jogged back up and handed the core to Edgars.

  "It was right where he said it was, sir. No funny stuff, either."

  "Take this to Lieutenant Commander Peterson in Flight Ops," Edgars said, handing the core to a junior officer behind him. "Tell him it needs to be flown out to a corvette-class ship flying near the Eshquarian formation called the Devil's Fortune. It's the only corvette in the fleet, so he can't miss it. I need this done ASAP before we redeploy."

  "Aye-aye, sir!"

  "So, why did you just hand over the core without any bargaining, Lieutenant?" Edgars asked.

  "The data core wasn't my mission, Captain," Brown said. "I don't even know what's on it. If you've given your word as an officer that my men will be released, then I see no need to bother with pointless bargaining. Even if I had played games, your people would have eventually found it."

  "An admirably pragmatic assessment of your situation, Lieutenant," Edgars said. "We'll talk more later, but right now, we're just a bit pressed for time. I would say my brig doesn't offer much in the way of comfort, but I think it'll probably be an improvement over your ship. I didn't realize Scout Fleet's budget had taken such a hit lately."

  "Do more with less, sir…that's our motto."

  "Make our guests comfortable, Sergeant."

  "Aye, sir."

  19

  "So now, we're captives aboard a rogue ship, flying with a rebel fleet the ConFed wants wiped out," MG said, staring at the ceiling. "Great plan, LT."

  "What do you think took out our main power?" Murph asked, ignoring MG.

  "Sully?" Jacob asked.

  "It's possible there was someone sitting back in our sensor blind spot," the pilot said. He was lying on his back on one of the racks, staring at the ceiling. They'd been tossed into one large holding cell as opposed to being separated, so Jacob assumed they were being monitored by the Talon's crew, hoping to catch some intel about what the Fleet had planned for them.

  "Possible but unlikely," Jacob said. "Our subluminal engines were at zero output, so the washout would have been negligible."

  "Yep," Sully agreed. "Which means your good buddy, Hollick, planted a device on the ship that our security sweeps missed. Since the main reactor shut itself down in emergency mode, I'm guessing he put charges on the main bus lines."

  "That would explain why 784 missed it, too," Murph said. "We were focusing on devices powerful enough to take out the ship, not just disable it."

  "We were in a rush," Jacob said. "Nobody's fault there. Did anybody notice there didn't seem to be a lot of people aboard?"

  "Maybe they cleared the corridors while we were being moved," Mettler said.

  "I don't think so," Jacob argued. "There's a certain feel to a fully crewed ship that this one doesn't have."

  "Maybe they—" The hatch to the outer security station clanging open interrupted the conversation and two Marines walked in.

  "Lieutenant Brown…the captain would like to see you."

  "I'm at the captain's disposal," Jacob said, walking up and turning around so he could place his arms behind him through the slot. It only took the Marine a second to put the restraints on him. They were the plastic kind Jacob knew for a fact he could overcome should he need to. It still tore up his wrists, but he was just strong enough to snap the loops that held the cuffs together if he twisted hard enough.

  The Marines unlocked the cell, one waving Jacob through while the other watched the rest of his team. They were polite and not overly aggressive, not even bothering to place their hands on their sidearms while performing the task.

  "We appreciate the cooperation, gentlemen," one of them said. "Sit tight, and you'll be heading home in no time."

  Jacob walked in between his two escorts in silence, looking around the ship as he went. They didn't bother with any of the clichés like telling him to keep his head straight or to hurry up. After two lift rides and some more walking, he was deposited in front of the captain's office, searched again, and then gently guided through the door. Inside, Captain Edgars sat at his desk. He only glanced up before waving Jacob into one of the chairs and motioned for the Marines to remove his restraints before dismissing them.

  "I can handle him from here. Just wait outside the door."

  "Yes, sir."

  So, Lieutenant Brown…is your crew comfortable?" Edgars asked once they were alone.

  "Quite, sir. You were right about the brig being more comfortable than the ship we were on," Jacob said.

  "I find it interesting you're choosing to still honor customs and courtesies, all things considered." Edgars steepled his fingers under his chin and leaned back in the chair. Jacob knew he could get across the desk, even in the restraints, and kill the man before the Marines could get back through the hatch. It wouldn't gain him anything, but it was an interesting thought exercise.

  "I see no point in being adversarial, Captain," he said. "My team was sent to locate your ship, nothing more. To my knowledge, you haven't been formally charged with a crime, much less prosecuted and stripped of rank."

  "And you know that if you antagonize me, your odds of getting your men home safely go down," Edgars said. "You're clever. But then again, all Scout Fleet officers are."

  "I don't suppose you'd care to tell me how my ship was disabled, would you, sir?"

  "You can thank Elton Hollick for that. He rigged your ship with a couple different little toys he guaranteed were undetectable. When you arrived in this area, he was able to disable your main and emergency power systems. Drink?"

  "No, thank you," Jacob said. "I have to ask, sir…are you working with Hollick in an official capacity?"

  "Am I part of Margaret Jansen's little club to overthrow Earth?" Edgars snorted as he filled two glasses anyway and set one in front of Jacob. "This is from a test batch a captain in our fleet is making on a planet called S'Tora, although I think this was actually made on Earth."

  "A captain in this fleet is making Earth whiskey on another planet?" Jacob asked, smelling the drink and taking a small sip.

  "Enterprising man, apparently," Edgars said. "He's brought some whiskey making experts from Earth to set up his own dis
tilling operation on an alien planet out near the Delphine Expanse. My point to this story is that there's no way for One World to reach its goals. Humanity has already moved beyond all that and is colonizing the quadrant."

  "A tyrant in charge of Earth is still something to be concerned about, sir."

  "But she can't win, Lieutenant. She doesn't have the resources."

  "Can I surmise Hollick flew out here, approached you with the knowledge that we were coming and that we had the core?" Jacob asked.

  "That's pretty much how it went, yes."

  "And how did he know where to find you, sir?"

  "I assume he found out when he tortured your teammate," Edgars said. "Is there a point to this?"

  "Sir, we didn't know where you were. Hollick had the location the whole time and tried to barter with an agent from ConFed Intelligence," Jacob said. The pieces all started to fall into place in his head. "He promised the agent the location of your fleet if he got us and the data core. After that, he would kill us and deliver the core to you."

  "That's not much of a plan. What would be the point in killing a Scout Fleet team and needlessly pissing off Earth?"

  "It's personal," Jacob said. "I'm the reason he has that clunky prosthetic. When he approached you, did he want to trade you something? Something you knew or have in exchange for that data core?" Edgars put his drink down, now looking concerned.

  "What he asked me for wasn't something I would ever give him…not even if it meant my own death," the captain said, suddenly deadly serious. "Not that it would matter. The thing he wants doesn't stay in one place very long, and it's not really a thing that's able to be stolen."

  "Cryptic," Jacob said. "I'll just assume it's far above my paygrade."

  "Safe assumption, Lieutenant," Edgars said. "I was involved in the design of the Victory-class ships so I had access to some…specialized…engineering resources on Earth. Hollick is asking for that in return for the core."

  "So, you never intended to honor the agreement?" Jacob asked.

  "I don't honor agreements with traitors," Edgars said. "And before you point out the obvious hypocrisy of the statement, my involvement in this rebellion is not treason. My crew and I are upholding our oaths to defend Earth. We are not in this for personal gain, money, or power. We fully intend to die in this fight, but it's the right thing to do."

  "What's on that data core, sir?"

  "It's something that will turn the tide. The ConFed has let us be for now because it knows it can crush us at will. They need to pursue those backing us with resources and logistics first, and then their mighty fleet will swoop in and wipe us all out." Edgars took a long pull on his drink. "But they have some critical vulnerabilities that, if hit first, could weaken them beyond their ability to recover."

  "Why not take that to the NIS or the Navy, sir? Let them make a case to Earth that it's in our best interest to—"

  "To what? Earth will never agree to any sort of preemptive strike because the politicians are too scared of offending Seeladas Dalton. The Cridal Cooperative is collapsing in on itself, and Earth is still hiding behind them, thinking they can protect them when the truth is, the Cooperative can't even protect itself." Edgars composed himself, and then stood up.

  "Perhaps Earth does need to stay out of this, though. Once the ConFed falls, there are some beta wolves who will try to vie for supremacy. Our little three-world empire would be hard pressed to take them on."

  "Why tell me all this, sir?"

  "I'm hoping that when I send you back to Terranovus, you'll be able to explain to your superiors why I'm doing this," Edgars said. "Perhaps they'll even simply write the Talon off as lost and let me do my job." The captain pressed a button on his desk, and the two Marines walked back in, signaling an end to the conversation.

  "One last thing, Captain," Jacob said as he stood. "You need to ask yourself how Hollick had the location of your ship. I think you know the obvious answer to that. They're everywhere, sir…and they're not as harmless as you think."

  "Have a good evening, Lieutenant," Edgars said, his voice flat.

  Jacob was in a bit of a mental fog as he walked back to the holding cell with his Marine escort. Edgars wasn't what he had expected. He'd almost assumed he'd be facing some sort of deranged zealot, laughing maniacally while he put everyone in danger because he was some sort of combat junkie.

  But Edgars wasn't any of that. He was a measured, thoughtful, focused commander who still had enough compassion to make sure his team was well taken care of. Although he seemed aware of the One World threat, he seemed to be heavily downplaying it. It was almost certain the faction had at least one mole aboard the Talon that fed intel back to Jansen, but if they always had the location, why go through all the needless ruse with the data core?

  "The chow cart will be down in a couple hours to take care of you guys," the Marine NCO said as he closed the cell door and motioned for Jacob's hands so he could take off the restraints.

  "Steak and lobster tonight?" MG asked.

  "You know it," the guard laughed. "I'll be sure to send the chef down to ask how you like it cooked and if you'd like a nice red wine to go with it."

  "You know what, you're a solid guy for a fleet puke," MG said.

  While Jacob Brown was escorted back to one of the Talon's detention areas, Captain Edgars sat in his office, the constant stress headache he carried beginning to move to the forefront again.

  "Fuck!" he hissed, knocking his empty glass off the desk with a savage swipe. The heavy cut crystal hit the bulkhead and landed on the carpet of his office without even chipping.

  How could he have been so stupid as to miss the obvious?

  Looking at it in hindsight, there was no way that Hollick could have gotten the location from Brown's crew. If the Scout Fleet team had the location in the first place, they'd have never gone to Colton Hub, they'd have just come straight there. The only way Hollick would have had that information was because Edgars had a damn One World sympathizer somewhere on his crew. He was already reduced to a less-than-optimum crew compliment thanks to a third of his people opting to transfer off and head back home rather than stay with the rebellion. As such, many were performing multiple functions with a lot of overlap, so trying to track down who had been leaking the intel to Jansen's band of idiots and sociopaths would be damn near impossible. For all he knew, there were multiple traitors aboard.

  "Have Hollick brought up from his cell," he said into the intercom, not bothering to listen for a reply. He picked his glass up and set it where the steward would find it before pulling a sidearm from a wall safe and sitting back at his desk. Hollick was a highly trained, dangerous operative who knew most of their security protocols. For this conversation, there wouldn't be any bespoke whiskey or friendly banter. He'd have two Marines standing behind the bastard at all times.

  "The…guest…you requested, Captain."

  "Bring him in," Edgars said. "You two come in, as well."

  "Captain Edgars." Hollick walked in wearing a wide smile. "You wished to see me."

  "Just some things to clear up before I release you," Edgars said.

  "With your end of the bargain upheld, I hope," Hollick said. Edgars just stared at him for a long moment.

  "What you and Jansen want…it doesn't exist," he finally said. "You think the Ark is simply a device that was given to us that we talk to, but that original computer is long gone. The Ark isn't something that can be controlled or manipulated or stolen. It's intelligent, has a will of its own, and it has a mandate. It knows about your little losers club, and it sees you as an enemy of humanity as a whole."

  "Then you will help us talk to it," Hollick said. "Assuming I even believe this story, of course."

  "Are you daft, boy? The Ark won't likely speak to me once it finds out I stole a Naval vessel and linked up with this rogue fleet. Even if it would, it's not like we can just fly to Earth and waltz up to it."

  "You're lying!" Hollick said, his nostrils flaring. "I know you wer
e given a specialized AI interface with advanced engineering knowledge…knowledge about weapons and starship drives that can bridge space instantaneously. We want that device!"

  "I just told you…it's gone," Edgars said slowly. "The original interface was built into a run-of-the-mill laptop. One of the first projects the Ark Team did was build a suitable system for it to live on, and once it transferred over, it grew and evolved. It's no longer a thing that can be possessed."

  "I got you the data core you wanted. You owe me!" The Marines were now edging in closer as Hollick's slick, in-control façade slipped.

  "Look…I really don't give a shit about you and Jansen's effort to take over Earth," Edgars said. "If our rebellion fails, the ConFed will roll over them in short order, anyway, but not before they flatten your Ull allies and all your secret bases. I agreed to tell you where the Ark was, but all I can tell you is where it was the last time I saw it, which was nearly ten years ago."

  "Where was it?" Hollick said, now seeming back in control of himself.

  "At the Groom Lake Starport," Edgars said. "The original Ark was studied at the old test base facility, which is now a museum and tourist attraction. You can book a tour there from Las Vegas."

  "You think you're clever, do you?" Hollick said quietly. "It was foolish to play games with us, Captain."

  "I'm doing what I have to do, just like you people think you are," Edgars said.

  "When will I be released?"

  "We're in the middle of a series of slip-space flights to elude any possible trackers. You'll be given your clearance to leave soon. Until then, you'll remain in your cell."

  "Of course." Hollick rose slowly, keeping his hands where the Marines could see them. "I'm sure you'll be as glad to be rid of me as I will be to leave. Warships are not my favorite place to be."

  "Good evening, Mr. Hollick." Edgars nodded to his Marines to escort him out. Once they were gone, he punched the intercom button to call the bridge.