by Sarah Noffke
Each mission carried with it the opportunity for redemption.
Eddie didn’t really look like the general, even with the hair dye and uniform. But in the darkened intersection of corridors, he looked close enough, and that’s what counted. The other two guards, dressed similarly, didn’t look exactly like the general, either, but they were a damn close match. Hopefully they wouldn’t see any action from all of this. They were mostly extra precautions in case Felix became suspicious.
The general paused in the intersection, the flickering light making shadows on his serious face. He nodded once at Eddie and then pivoted and marched toward the “actual” safe room.
There were still so many unknown factors, and yet everything was going to plan. One of those unknowns was how Felix would attack. There were a multitude of possibilities and therefore difficult to account for them all. But one thing was certain. He’d be damned surprised when he realized he had the wrong man.
As the guards dressed as the general crossed paths, Eddie turned, taking the corridor where the real Lance should be headed.
Julianna split from the general, following behind Eddie. The corridor they entered was flickering with light as well, making it hard to see details. The supposed safe room was up ahead, which meant the attack had to come from one of the upcoming intersections. Although they were well guarded, there had to be something they were missing. An angle they hadn’t considered.
Angle, thought Julianna.
Angle, what do you think it means? Asked Pip.
Julianna jerked her head up, squinting to see better. There were vents that ran continuously along the corners of the corridor.
Pip, the vent system above us! How large is it? Could it have been breached?
It’s three by two feet and I’m scanning for intrusions now…
Hurry, Julianna urged, marching behind Eddie. At the next intersection, guards on either side saluted “the general.”
On your right. There’s an intruder in the ventilation system on the right.
“Be on guard!” yelled Julianna, alerting the soldiers. Shots behind them rang out, knocking the guards to the ground. An explosion in the neighboring corridor knocked out another of the guards. Julianna pushed Eddie forward as the darts kept raining down. Felix didn’t want to just shoot the general. He wanted to change him and then kill him. He wasn’t satisfied unless he made him suffer.
Darts hit the ground at Julianna’s feet. She wheeled around, shooting at the vents where the darts were originating. One flew and nicked her in the shoulder. It didn’t pierce the armor so she kicked backwards, urging Eddie down the corridor. The hatch door to the safe room was just ahead.
Another dart struck into the top of Julianna’s boot. She rapidly fired, finally breaking through the grating. Just one more shot and she’d have this bastard.
The next dart passed by Julianna’s arm that was holding her gun. She fired off another round and then there was a thud and creaking sound. Part of the ceiling collapsed and from the venting a body fell, hitting the ground in a crumpled mess. Julianna let out a sigh of relief, still on guard. Something had taken out the guards.
More gunfire rang out, exploding from either corridor. Julianna turned to Eddie just as Pip sounded in her head.
We have a problem!
What is it? The sniper with degen is dead.
It was too late. You were str—
Julianna frowned in confusion. The expression on Eddie’s face made her even more befuddled. His mouth was gaping open and his eyes staring at her gun.
Everything slowed down. Sounds were drawn out like they were being played at a reduced speed. Her vision was forced into slow motion. It then blurred. Her hearing deadened then everything was too faint. The noises she’d heard before were indistinct to her. All at once her body felt heavier, less agile, like she’d just run a marathon and her muscles were fatigued. She hadn’t known fatigue since…
Panic swept through her mind at once. She looked down at her gun, wondering what she’d see. Knowing it already.
Pip! Pip! Julianna screamed in her own head.
But he didn’t answer.
Julianna’s gun looked the same. She turned it over and then she saw it. The dart. It was stuck into the top of her hand at the bottom of her wrist. Without thinking she pulled the dart containing degen from her hand and let it fall, clattering to the floor.
Somewhere she was aware of a fight that was being fought.
Gun shots. Explosions. The general. It all flashed at the front of her mind and then quickly receded. After all these decades, Julianna…was normal. She was purely human. Completely vulnerable. She was going to die. A simple gunshot wound. A simple virus. A fall. Any of it could kill her. All at once she realized how much she’d taken for granted. She had been enhanced for so long that she had forgotten what it was like to be normal, to be average, to be a regular human.
Eyes wide, Julianna looked up at Eddie. His face communicated the same shock. They needed to get him to the safe room. They needed to lure Felix away from the general. They needed to—
Eddie darted forward and pulled at the side of Julianna’s vest. She couldn’t figure out what he was doing. Why was he yanking at her armor? Then he pulled the purple vial from her secure pocket, his hands steady but eyes buzzing.
“No!” Julianna said at once, realizing what he intended for her to do. “No, no, no,” she repeated.
“Yes,” Eddie insisted, thrusting the vial of liquid at her after removing the plug. “You have to. Otherwise—”
“That’s for the general,” argued Julianna.
Where was Pip? She felt so alone without him in her head. Of course with the degen virus she couldn’t interface with Pip. That was only a functionality made possible due to the nanocytes.
“You’ve been hit,” Eddie insisted. “You remember what Hatch said. The antidote has to be taken immediately.”
“But the general… If I take that then Lance has no option,” said Julianna.
Eddie looked up in the direction of the gun fire in the distance. It was a cacophony of indistinguishable noises to Julianna, without her enhanced hearing. “We’re going to defend the general so he won’t need it,” argued Eddie. “Someone is coming. Take it now.” Eddie pushed the vial into Julianna’s hands.
Of course, she had a choice, but it also felt as though she didn’t. If she took the antidote then she might be the reason General Reynolds didn’t recover if he was struck. But if he wasn’t struck and she didn’t take it then it would all be for nothing. The thought of never talking to Pip in her head made the rest of her lifetime, however much longer she lived, seem lonely and cold. How much she’d taken for granted.
Julianna gripped the vial and tossed it back in one movement. The sludge-like liquid was cold, although it had been in her pocket. It tasted disgusting, and coated her mouth at once. Then she remembered that it was comprised of the gross slime the vermis rex had spit at her. She coughed and nearly gagged on the chunky liquid. With great effort she swallowed, working it down her throat.
“All of it,” said Eddie.
Julianna tried to nod, but her legs gave out under her. Just as Hatch had said, she was quickly losing consciousness. Was that a sign that the antidote had worked and that she’d awaken to find herself back to normal? She desperately hoped so. Julianna gulped down the rest of the liquid, only slightly conscious of Eddie’s eyes, wide with alarm and nerves as he stared past her at the long corridor masked in smoke and filled with loud sounds.
She wanted to turn around and see what was approaching—or who—but her weight dragged her down as the antidote overtook her. She reached out to steady herself on Eddie’s shoulder, but missed. Julianna fell, to the ground but before she landed arms caught her. They wrapped around her back, then lifted her legs.
Her head cradled against Eddie’s chest. Her eyes fell shut, unable to stay open as he carried her away.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Upper Deck, Onyx Stati
on, Paladin System
There were more pirates than Fletcher had expected. How had these guys snuck onto Onyx station? This must have been Felix’s influence.
“We’re surrounded,” one of his soldiers called over the comm.
“Same here,” another exclaimed.
Retreating was always an option. Or he could call for backup from Federation security. However, taking care of this without involving the Federation directly was best. They needed to focus on the general. Fletcher’s team was supposed to handle the pirates.
Fletcher knew he needed to say something. It was his decision to make. But there was something he was missing. He blinked, looking out at the smoke-filled corridor streaked with gun fire and explosions.
Fletcher felt like he was fighting Mamaths again, who were nearly impossible to defeat. As soon as one of them fell, three more thundered out of the frozen forest.
An idea hit him so hard that he wanted to double over in giddy laughter. Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of it before?
“Pip, are you there?” Fletcher asked over the comm.
“Yes, Lieutenant,” said Pip, a hint of sadness in his voice.
Fletcher dismissed it. “Can you hook into the thermostat for this deck?”
“I’m already connected,” said Pip at once.
“Make it fucking cold,” ordered Fletcher.
“Copy that, Lieutenant,” said Pip.
Immediately a rush of frigid cold air flowed from the vents, spraying Fletcher in the face. “Bundle up, team. It’s about to get frosty.” Fletcher turned his attention to a group of Trids who had overpowered one of his team members. “I want you all to focus your efforts on the remaining Trids. The Kezzin aren’t going to be a problem for us anymore. They’ll be statues.”
A collective “Yes, sir” came over the comm. Fletcher had remembered how hot the planet Kezza had been, and also how stiffly Lars had moved when on Klamath. After deliberating on it he decided that the Kezzin couldn’t stand cold temperatures and that’s exactly how they were going to secure their footing in this battle. Around them, the Kezzin started to freeze up, their reflexes now too slow to counter the attacks of his team.
The soldiers swept the room, making quick work of the frigid Kezzin.
Fletcher moved in, slamming a knee into the closest Kezzin guard and sending him into the wall. The Kezzin fell to the floor, doubled over, shaking from the cold and writhing in pain.
In a matter of seconds, the team had disabled them, ready to focus their energy on the remaining Trid.
Several of the shark-like aliens swarmed the team. Fletcher was ready, swinging his rifle around and unloading three quick shots at two of the soldiers. The first fell, wounded in the abdomen, while the second continued to charge, ready with its weapon aimed.
The enemy fired, shooting at Fletcher, hitting him directly in the shoulder. The body armor absorbed the bulk of the blast, but he still felt the pain. It gave him pause, but not for long, and he quickly fired back, hitting the Trid in the knee.
The alien dropped to one knee but continued shooting, apparently determined to take Fletcher’s life at any cost.
Another shot struck Fletcher in the chest, and this time the pain was so strong it made him scream. He felt the pain in his torso like a throbbing heat wave, spreading through his limbs, and he fought it with everything he had. Fletcher lifted the rifle, his hands shaking as he aimed, and together the two enemies fired a final time.
As he fired something slammed into Fletcher’s side, knocking him against the wall and out of the enemy’s line of sight. It was Nona, just in the nick of time, having blocked the shot with her own arm. She lingered on him for a moment, wrapping her arms around the man. “W-What just happened?” muttered Fletcher, pulling back to see the woman’s face.
She looked down at him, a strained look on her face. “Sorry, sir,” said Nona. “I had to do something.”
There was blood coming from her shoulder. “Goddammit,” said Fletcher, leaning closer to check on Nona’s wound. “You’re hurt!”
“I-I’m fine,” she answered. “Just a scrape. It didn’t break the seal in the second layer.”
He nodded, slowly, then looked at the Trid that had attacked him. The alien was sitting motionless, still on its knees with its head leaned back. The bullet had penetrated its forehead, from what he could tell.
A clean kill, quick and easy.
Thank God, thought Fletcher, looking behind the woman who saved him. The rest of his team had already finished up the remaining enemy soldiers. They were all still alive, everyone in one piece.
He stood, reaching down to Nona. “Are you ready to keep going?” he asked.
She smiled, giving him a quick nod, then grasped his hand with hers. “To the job, sir.”
Alpha-line Q-Ship, Paladin System
Lars’ mind had drifted as he held his position, watching Unsurpassed at a safe distance. The Black Eagles around him, mesmerizing him with their steady hovering. That’s why he had to blink to clear his vision when a string of Sting Rays departed from Unsurpassed, heading in the direction of Onyx station.
“This is Carnivore,” Lars said over the comms. “We have enemy activity. Let’s show those giant fish that they need to back up.”
“Yes, Lieutenant,” said one of the other pilots.
“Lone Wolf and Escrema, I want you two to bait Unsurpassed,” ordered Lars. “Draw that baby away from their current location.”
They agreed wholeheartedly. Besides Lars, they were the only two pilots flying Q-Ships, which stood a chance of taunting the giant battleship. It was an ineffective assault attempt, but it was definitely going to work to distract Unsurpassed.
Lars, happy to finally have some action, activated the thrusters, speeding forward, ahead of the Black Eagles and cloaked. He sprayed a round of bullets at the first Sting Rays, which took them off guard. They were probably readying their attack for the line of Black Eagles in the distance, not realizing anyone was that close.
They reacted at once, launching their own attacks blindly in front of them.
“Whoa now ugly fish,” hollered Lars. “Shouldn’t you know what you’re firing at before blindly shooting?”
“Big heads and small brains,” sang Lone Wolf.
Lars spun the Q-Ship around, darting out of the line of fire of the Black Eagles behind him. Taking advantage of his cloak he fired at the under bellies of the Sting Rays, taking two of the closest ones out.
“Oh shit,” yelled Trapeze. “I’ve been hit.”
Lars’ eyes darted to his radar and spotted the Black Eagle slow, falling out of position. “Get out of here!”
“Copy that,” said the pilot breathlessly.
Having the element of surprise had been in their favor, Lars realized as they picked the Stingrays off one by one.
“Unsurpassed is launching missiles,” yelled Escrema, her tone urgent.
“Sounds like you’re doing your job and pissing them off,” said Lars, watching the missile on the radar. It swerved, heading in the direction of Escrema’s ship. The Q-Ship sped in the opposite direction, giving the weapon a chase to impress. Unexpectedly the missile changed direction, heading straight in the direction of the Black Eagles.
“Black Eagles!” yelled Lars. “Break formation. Missile headed your way.”
The attack on the Sting Rays halted as all of the Black Eagles darted in different directions, making the missile choose a new target. Lars sped the Q-Ship in the direction of the missile chasing after it. The Black Eagles weren’t in the clear yet, not at all.
“Two more missiles have been deployed,” yelled Lone Wolf.
“Damn it!” yelled Lars. “Get after those. And Black Eagles follow after the Stingrays. They are again headed for Onyx station.”
Lars tried to lock onto the missile, but each time he had it in his sights the fucker changed directions. It turned abruptly, doing a one-eighty and speeding at him.
“Way to make it easy on me,�
�� he said, firing at the missile…but the button stuck. It was fucking stuck. Lars tried again, but it still didn’t work. There was something wrong.
“Get out of there or blow it up, Carnivore,” yelled Lone Wolf.
“I’m trying, but there’s a malfunction with the ammunition,” said Lars. The warning sensor began blaring, alerting him he was about to be hit. He activated the thrusters, speeding away at once. It was too late though. The missile collided into the side of the Q-Ship, knocking Lars so hard he felt his teeth shaking in his mouth.
Upper Deck. Onyx Station, Paladin System
Fletcher slammed one of the larger Trids against the wall and pinned his weird-ass three-fingered hands behind his back.
“Hey, that hurts,” muttered the Trid, eating the wall as Fletcher had intended.
“Too fucking bad,” said Fletcher, nodding as Nona pushed a pirate past them. They were lined up down the corridor. It was one of the biggest busts that had happened under the Federation’s nose. With these assholes put away, there might be a bit more peace. Well, until more scum replaced them. It was always a repeating cycle.
Fletcher wasn’t cynical. He was realistic. There was a balance, and the only way it was achieved was if good had evil to go after.
He’d been all over the galaxy and had always found a villain to fight, even when he wasn’t looking for one.
His father had taught him everything he knew, and his words often chimed in his head—especially at a time like this, when victory had been achieved. “Son, the good people weren’t put here to keep evil in check. Evil was put here to remind us that there’s a reason we fight. It’s to protect what we should value most: Life. Life itself is the greatest treasure.”
Fletcher shoved the pirate hard into the wall before pulling him back and marching him into line with the others.
Alpha-line Q-Ship, Paladin System
“I’ve been hit,” yelled Lars. Warning lights flashed on his dashboard. The fact that he’d taken a serious hit on his armor wasn’t what was most alarming to him in that moment. It was the fact of what was on the radar.
