Persephone Station

by Stina Leicht

  Interesting. I could take advantage of that. She hesitated.

  You are not authorized to access this mech, M. Liu. What are you doing?

  It was Shrike.

  24

  TIME: 05:00

  DAY: SUNDAY

  OGENTH

  “Please come out, Jackson,” Kirby said in a calm tone. “The ship isn’t going anywhere. No one will approve liftoff. And even if they did, Captain de la Reza tells me that the ship’s code is now in lockout mode. We could let you sit there for hours, if you wish, but Serrao-Orlov are on their way, and we need that ship.”

  “Lower your loading ramp, Kurosawa,” Angel said. She’d attempted her private ship com channel, but it wasn’t working. Her Combat Assistant was useless. Jackson was in the cockpit, but that was all the information she could get. Massive rock walls tended to interfere with equipment signals unless you had boosters or a dropship connection.

  “I cannot comply,” Kurosawa said over the loudspeakers. “The integrity of my security system has been violated. This is why I relied upon Ogenth’s security systems to do it.” The ship sounded apologetic.

  “None of this is your fault, Kurosawa,” Angel said.

  Lou asked, “He reprogrammed your systems?”

  “Attempted to,” Kurosawa said. “He didn’t get far. Just far enough.”

  “Let me at that son of a bitch,” Lou said. “I’ll reprogram his fucking skull. I’ll—”

  Angel grabbed Lou’s shoulder before she could run at the ship. “Hold on. Let Kirby do her thing.”

  Kirby shifted toward Kurosawa’s nose. “What do you want, Jackson?”

  “I want out of Ogenth,” Jackson said. Kurosawa’s speaker system gave his panicked voice a thin, nasal quality. “Vissia Corsini can’t be reasoned with. She’ll incinerate everyone. Just like Welan Bloom Hill.”

  “Why didn’t he go with those you sent ahead?” Angel asked.

  “We needed him,” Kirby said. “And he said he was fine. I don’t understand what happened.”

  I do, Angel thought. Reality set in.

  “Jackson, you would abandon us?” Kirby asked. “We need you.”

  “Staying is stupid,” Jackson said. “It’s suicide. Ask your Captain de la Reza.”

  “We have a chance,” Kirby said, “because Captain de la Reza and her crew are here.”

  “That’s a lie,” Jackson said.

  “They must have their ship,” Kirby said. “Without it, there is no chance for any of us. You would kill everyone in Ogenth? Your own family? Would you see little Becca killed?”

  “I told you to bring my family here,” Jackson said. “We will leave together. I’ll take anyone else who wants to go. But I’m not staying here. I don’t want to die.”

  “This is a hopeless gesture. You can’t get anyone onboard without opening the ship’s loading ramp,” Kirby said. “I understand your fear—”

  “Do you?” Jackson asked.

  “I was there when Vissia destroyed Welan Bloom Hill,” Kirby said. “I lost family, too. You know this.”

  Jackson didn’t say anything.

  “Please,” Kirby said. “If you want to leave, you will be permitted to do so. You can walk to Ileòke. But you cannot have this ship. It is needed to protect Ogenth.”

  Jackson said, “My ship is in Ileòke. You took it.”

  “You offered it,” Kirby said. “And I’d venture to say that it wasn’t your ship to begin with. It belongs to Ogenth. You know this.”

  “I’m trapped,” Jackson said. He let out a derisive snort. “We’re all going to die.”

  “I meant what I said. You are free to walk away,” Kirby said. “Take as many supplies as will support you in the wild. As much as you need. You can lead a group to Ileòke. There are bound to be others who feel as you do. It would be best to send you all together. Just come out.”

  Another alarm went off.

  “A ship approaches.” It was Ogenth’s security system.

  Kirby looked at the ceiling. “Do you know which ship?”

  “Not yet. They’re running silent, and their security barriers are up,” the AGI said. “But it should arrive in fifteen minutes.”

  “If that’s Shrike, we’ve run out of time,” Angel said.

  Kirby said, “I’m doing what I can given we aren’t face-to-face. I can’t use all my skills. I can’t even negotiate with him in our own language.”

  Angel turned to Lou. “Is there another way to get in?”

  “That depends on how far he’s gotten into Kurosawa’s systems,” Lou said. She whispered, “There’s the emergency access panel.”

  “You’ve got ten minutes to pop that ramp open,” Angel said. “Do whatever you have to. Just… try not to make too much of a mess.”

  Lou nodded once. She whirled and dashed to a rack of tools. Kirby continued to reason with Jackson. After a few moments’ search, Lou seemed to find what she’d been looking for. She lifted up a heavy wrench and enthusiastically mouthed the word yes.

  Angel motioned to her. Get a move on.

  Sprinting across the room once again, Lou stopped under and to the left of the ramp’s hinge. She tugged at a small access panel. An approximately thirty-centimeter-by-thirty-centimeter door swung open. She tapped at a series of buttons. Then she blew air out of her cheeks, stooped, and picked up the long wrench. Using the tool, she began turning some sort of bolt with both hands and all her strength. Kirby motioned to Beak to take over.

  “The ship is now ten minutes away,” Ogenth’s security system said.

  “You have to bring my family,” Jackson shouted. “Now!”

  “Not helping,” Enid muttered.

  “Thank you for the report,” Kirby said to the AGI. “However, you’re upsetting Jackson. Please stop until further notice.”

  A crack began to appear in Kurosawa’s tail as the loading ramp slowly opened. Beak seemed to be making faster progress, but it was clear this was going to take longer than the time they had remaining. All of the heaviest weapons were still in the ship’s hold.

  “Enid,” Angel said. “Get every gun we stowed in our rooms. Sukyi, go with her. We’re going for plan C.” She returned her attention to the ship and Beak’s efforts.

  Kirby said, “This isn’t going to work in time, is it?”

  “Keep trying,” Angel whispered. “Keep him focused on you while Lou and Beak break in.”

  “I’ll send for his daughter. Maybe she can talk some sense into him,” Kirby said. She paused. “What happens when you get inside?”

  “We shoot him if he doesn’t relinquish the ship,” Angel said.

  “You can’t do that!”

  Angel shook her head. “Look, I don’t want to do it. Firing a stunner in there will make even more of a mess than Jackson has already made. You got a better idea?”

  Kirby said, “We’ll send Paulie in.” She spoke in Paulie’s ear for a few seconds.

  Paulie nodded and vanished. With Paulie on her way, Kirby continued to reason with Jackson.

  Angel considered the situation. Somehow, they’d have to stop the incoming ship without Kurosawa and without the ground-to-ship missiles stored in the cargo compartment. The enemy ship would land. It wasn’t like they could stop it. She, Enid, and Sukyi would have to meet them outside. It all depended upon where they landed. And there was no way to know beforehand.

  Jackson’s daughter arrived and began pleading with her father. Paulie joined Lou and Beak under the ship. Paulie had some sort of dart gun with her.

  Angel went to Lou. “We’ve run out of time. Think you can get inside now?”

  Lou stared up at the narrow opening. “I could. But I wouldn’t want to be half through when Jackson snaps to what we’re doing.”

  Beak stopped cranking the ramp open and wiped her face with the back of one pale arm.

  “Then be quiet about it,” Angel said.

  Enid returned with the weapons.

  “Lou, take whatever you think you’ll need,�
�� Angel said.

  Lou chose a small pistol and tucked it into a pocket.

  Kirby rushed over. “Please. Don’t kill him. We need him. Let Paulie go in first. She can render him unconscious.”

  “What if he shoots her?” Angel asked.

  Kirby blinked. “With what? He doesn’t have a gun.”

  “Are you kidding? He has all our guns,” Enid said. “Except these.”

  “He won’t use them,” Kirby said. “Jackson is an Emissary.”

  “He’s frightened,” Angel said. “Frightened people do unpredictable things. Lou goes with Paulie.”

  “But—”

  Angel put up a hand before Kirby could finish. “Only as backup.”

  At last, Angel watched first Paulie and then Lou squeeze through the narrow opening.

  “Be careful,” Angel said.

  “I will,” Lou muttered as Beak boosted her up to the ramp.

  Angel said, “Let Paulie do what she can, but if Jackson—”

  “I know,” Lou whispered. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

  Angel stepped away from the ship. Holding her breath, she listened for any indication of progress. Her frustration grew with each second. She checked the time. The ship would be landing at any moment.

  “Come on, Lou,” she whispered.

  All of a sudden a muffled thump sounded within the ship. The conversation between Jackson and his daughter ended abruptly.

  “Paulie?” Kirby asked. “Can you hear me? Paulie? What happened?”

  Paulie’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “I got him. He’s out.”

  “Thank goodness,” Kirby said.

  “Captain, I’ve got some good news and some bad news,” Lou said.

  “Go on,” Angel said.

  The ramp lowered all the way. Kirby and several others entered the ship.

  “He’s made a mess up here,” Lou said. “It’s nothing I can’t repair, though.”

  “How long?” Angel groaned.

  “Three hours,” Lou said.

  “Damn it,” Angel said.

  “Maybe two?” Lou asked.

  “I’ve Jess Hadley of Hadley’s Hope on the com,” Ogenth’s security system said. “She is requesting immediate bay access. And she wishes to speak to you.”

  “What are you waiting for?” Kirby said. “Put her on! Open the bay doors!”

  “Kirby? Kirby, are you there?” Jess asked.

  “Yes, my love. I’m here,” Kirby said. “What is it?”

  “Shrike is right behind me,” Jess said. “I hope you’re ready for them.”

  “How long until they’re here?” Kirby asked.

  “A couple hours, I think,” Jess said. “I tried to hurry, but Hope wasn’t designed for racing. Rosie was supposed to meet me before I left. They didn’t show. Something’s wrong.”

  “We’ll find out what happened,” Kirby said. “Just focus on getting in here, already.”

  “All right,” Jess said. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Kirby said.

  25

  TIME: 07:30

  DAY: SUNDAY

  OGENTH

  It was one thing to know she and her crew were outnumbered. It was quite another to watch footage of Serrao-Orlov forces disembarking. Even the dropship seemed twice the size of Kurosawa. Angel had experienced these sorts of odds before, of course. And some with her background would claim to be unaffected. However, she’d seen what happened to people who shut down like that. They snapped when bottled-up emotions reached critical mass. They made careless decisions with other people’s lives.

  At least we’re prepared, she thought. As well as we can be.

  Part of that groundwork had been the drones. Paulie, as it had turned out, was not only an excellent engineer, but also a skilled drone pilot. She wasn’t the only one. The Emissaries might not have been willing to fight, but they were more than willing to serve in other ways.

  Angel tried not to worry about why the enemy hadn’t sent their own drones to reconnoiter before landing. Or after.

  “Everyone in place?”

  “Yes, captain,” Enid said. Her steady confidence was reassuring.

  Lou said, “Kurosawa’s engines are hot.”

  Paulie said, “Cameras are active and in position.”

  “This is going to be the most fun I’ve had in years,” Sukyi said.

  “Me, too,” Lou said.

  “I wasn’t remotely serious,” Sukyi said. “This is the worst bet I’ve ever made. And I’ve made quite a few bad bets. What is wrong with you?”

  Enid said, “Lou is an adrenaline junkie. Didn’t you notice?”

  “Cut the chatter,” Angel said. The smallest of smiles curled one corner of her mouth. “We can discuss Lou’s unsavory life choices after we’ve survived our own.” She wasn’t immune to nervous energy any more than the rest of her crew.

  She continued. “I’ll wait until they reach the first barricade. When I’m finished there, I’ll fall back,” Angel said. “Then you’re up, Enid.”

  Enid grunted in what Angel assumed was an affirmative.

  “Once you’ve set off your charge or trap, don’t hang around to watch,” Angel said. “That’s what Paulie’s drones are for.”

  Angel wasn’t repeating herself for the sake of her crew. They’d memorized their parts in the plan. She did so for Paulie, Beak, and the rest. None of them had seen a fight before, and repetition helped when it came to stressful situations. At least, it does if you’re human. It occurred to her that she knew nothing about Emissary psychology.

  The crisp mountain air was sharp with freshly cut pine. An hour or so before dawn, the forest had been dusted with a light layer of snow. Angel was glad. If it’d done so before they’d finished their work, covering their tracks would’ve been difficult.

  She lay on her stomach on a flat projection of rock near a cliffside. She had two well-hidden lines of retreat. She and Beak had seen to that. The rock face where Angel waited wasn’t a natural formation but neither was the clearing below. Days before, it’d been a thick patch of forest. Now, newly-cut tree stumps dotted the ground—difficult terrain for mechs and light infantry.

  Her mouth was dry. She tasted tin when she swallowed. Her palms were slick with sweat. Fear was a perfectly sensible reaction to facing down twenty-five well-trained mercenaries with a sniper rifle and a pile of lumber.

  The trap was primitive—one of the oldest, least creative configurations known—a pile of stacked logs poised to roll downhill. Luckily, no one was judging on originality, only effectiveness.

  Some old tricks are so old they’re new again.

  I hope.

  Her breathing was regular even though her heart was thudding in her ears. She willed her hand steady. It hadn’t failed her before, but there was always a first time. She wasn’t a sniper. That was Enid.

  Angel rested the barrel of her rifle on a lip of rock for extra support. Below, all was silent. Even the wildlife seemed to know something bad was about to happen.

  She wiped a palm against her coveralls and felt the hardness of body armor underneath the fabric. The waiting is the worst.

  Signaling to Kurosawa via her internal ship connection, she asked for an update on the enemy’s progress.

  Kurosawa sent a digital representation of the battlefield. It became a transparent overlay on Angel’s vision.

  The enemy was getting close.

  She raised her pulse rifle and sighted the scope on the wooden wedge keeping the pile of logs and rocks in place. Her eyesight began to go in and out of focus with the rapid thud of her heart. A fly buzzed her face. She waved it away left-handed. She smelled the coffee she’d had for breakfast on her own breath. Her belly, thighs, and elbows were almost painfully cold due to the frigid stone beneath her.

  Get ready, she told herself. It’s time.

  Swallowing again, she gradually moved her finger to the trigger. The moment she sensed motion amongst the trees at the bottom of the p
ath, she would take in a deep breath and hold it.

  A distant crashing thud was the first sign of Serrao-Orlov’s troops. They weren’t bothering to be quiet. The smashing of underbrush was followed by a series of rhythmic thumps in the slow cadence of a heavy mobile artillery unit.

  The mechs are here.

  Her first sight of the enemy was of a twelve-foot-tall, neckless, oversized human-shaped mech. Its pilot had used its nanocoating—normally employed to replicate appropriate camouflage for any terrain—to paint the mech matte black. A white skull and crossbones was displayed across the chest, and a red bandana had been sketched on the helmet.

  The first mech was joined by a second, less decorative one.

  The log fall had to be in play before they had time to react. Turning her attention back to her target, she squeezed the trigger.

  Nothing happened.

  For a moment, she wondered if she’d missed. Then came a shift in weight and the sound of bark scraping against bark. Something snapped. Another pop. A crack. Then three. A stone rolled off the pile. She counted silently to herself. One. Two. Three—

  The whole mass began to shift. Snow jostled off the logs and peppered the ground.

  It’s happening too slow.

  Only it wasn’t. The adrenaline dumping into her system was affecting her sense of time. Her CA finally took charge of the chemicals in her bloodstream. Her heart rate slowed. The clearing snapped into sharp focus. She took a slow breath and felt calm. Confident. Clearheaded.

  A third mech appeared. This one displayed a desert camouflage pattern unsuitable for snow or forest terrain. The vibration from the thud, thud, thud of the mechs’ steps could be felt in her body where she lay among the rocks.

  Four. Five—

  The logs began bearing down on the intruders in earnest. One of the bigger stones tumbled from the top of the pile and careened down into the clearing on its own.

  Skull and Crossbones didn’t react fast enough. Three massive logs slammed into them all at once. They attempted to save themselves with a few staggering steps, but an unexpected stump put them off balance. The mech was knocked off its feet. Once downed, they became lost in an avalanche of falling logs.

  The second mech managed to avoid the first series of tumbling obstacles. Their movements reminded Angel of a dancer. She hadn’t seen such grace in a mech before.