by D. M. Pruden
“So far, nobody has complained.”
“Well, let me be the first to—”
A loud clang from the other side of the airlock door informs me our guests have arrived. My throat is parched. I say, “Once that opens, we’ll be exposed to the gas too.”
“If we don’t, we will face bullets, exploding mines, and other forms of nastiness. Tell me you have some ideas, Mel.”
“All right, don’t pressure me.” I squeeze my eyes shut and try to think of something—anything that might coerce the pirates to even crack open their helmet visors.
The pumps stop, and seconds later somebody hammers at the inner airlock hatch. Chambers looks through the small window in the door and reaches for the intercom switch.
“Hi fellas, welcome aboard. We...uh, we have a medical situation on the ship, and our doc has to make sure you won’t be adversely affected by it. I’m gonna let her talk to you now.”
He moves away and gestures for me to take his place.
I hold out my hands, helpless, and whisper, “What the fuck do you want me to tell them?”
He mouths the reply, “Tell them something or we’re dead.”
I glare at him for a moment before I compose myself and approach the window.
There are three men in mismatched EVA suits on the other side, each brandishing a different kind of gun. One of them has a small package in his hand that I can only assume is a bomb. The one closest to the door has jacked a wire from the control pad on the wall into the side of his helmet.
I smile weakly and start to speak before I realize the speaker isn’t turned on. After activating it, I set my shoulders and try again.
“Gentlemen, I’m Melanie Destin, the ship’s doctor. We have had an outbreak of...poly-triptumonic fever. It’s quite contagious. I need to determine if you are inoculated.”
I hold up a random instrument plucked from my bag for them to see. “I can quickly tell by examining your eyes. If you could please open your visors and step up to the door—”
“Quit stalling, bitch, and let us in, or we’ll blow this door.”
I frown and in my authoritative doctor voice say, “Do you understand how serious this infection is? Victims lose their eyesight, hearing, and...their sexual virility—for life.” I let my words sink in before I continue. “A quick check will tell me if you are in danger of contracting it.”
I am not confident they will buy my bullshit. As the seconds tick by with their leader staring indecisively at me, my heart pounds furiously. I hope Chambers has a plan B. Out of the corner of my eye I see him reach toward the control panel, presumably ready to decompress the airlock and blow them into space.
Finally, the pirate addresses his comrades and orders them to do as I ask.
With each one, I go through the brief charade of pretending to examine their eyes. When completed, the leader returns and says. “Well?”
“None of you are at risk. Give us a moment to let you in.”
I move out of sight and dig the masks out of the bag, tossing one to Chambers.
“How long until they’re affected?” he asks before putting his on.
“I have no idea,” I say before donning mine. Pleased to have turned the tables on him for once, I say, “It should hit them in less than a minute. Just take your time to open the hatch.”
He activates the door. A loud hiss erupts from the hydraulics. I force myself not to hyperventilate as the large hatchway opens. When nobody emerges, both of us peek around the corner to find the three pirates passed out on the floor.
Chambers lets out a whoop and scoops me up into a bear hug. “You did it, Doc!”
“We got lucky. If they were thinking, they would have realized keeping their helmets sealed would protect them from anything.”
“Well, I’m thankful they aren’t too bright.”
“Now what do we do?” I ask.
The answer comes in the form of hollow boom echoing from somewhere on the ship.
“Uh-oh,” he says. “It sounds like they found another way in.”
Chapter 8
“C’mon, let’s go,” says Chambers, grabbing my wrist.
I jerk my arm away and say, “Where?”
“We’ve got to get to the cargo bay before they do.”
“Why do you need me to go with you? I would rather find a place to hide.”
“Where would that be?”
“Well, I...” I press my lips together as I consider my options. “Fine, I’ll go with you, but why there?”
“Everything hinges upon that fucking crate Singh brought aboard. If I learn what’s inside it, I might be able to find us a stronger bargaining position. Are you coming?”
Shaking my head, amazed by how I let Chambers talk me into such things, I follow him.
As we approach the closed hatch, he grabs me by the shoulder and pushes me behind a bulkhead. He silences my protest with a finger to his lips. Swallowing my comment, I listen with him for any sound that might indicate the pirates are near.
After a few seconds, he risks an exploratory peek around the corner.
“I think we beat them here,” he whispers.
He points at my mag boots and then deactivates his own. Floating, he pushes himself off the bulkhead and drifts toward the cargo hold door in silence. Once there, he reactivates his boots and carefully unlatches the large door.
He waves for me to follow.
I was apprehensive when the gravity plating was first shut off, but the magnetic boots at least give me a sense of up and down. I have only experienced free floating in zero-G twice in my life, both times in an EVA suit, and each time I threw up inside my helmet.
Muttering curses under my breath, I turn off the magnets. My stomach gives a heave-ho as I drift off the deck. I flail about uselessly, trying to regain some control over my body. Grabbing for the wall, I steady myself and look toward Chambers, who waves at me to hurry.
I take a moment to gather whatever courage I have, then I push off. My arms flap and my legs pedal as I drift across the corridor. Seconds later, I bang into a bulkhead two metres away from the open door. My face warming, I pull myself hand over hand along until I reach a smirking Chambers.
“That was entertaining,” he whispers.
“Shut the fuck up.” I reactivate my gravity boots.
He ushers me inside and locks the door behind us.
“Is there any other way in?” I ask.
“A couple; we need to be quick.”
“What is your plan?”
“We’re going to move Singh’s crate into the loading airlock and jettison it.”
“How does that solve the problem of pirates wanting to kill us?”
“While they are distracted chasing down their prize, we can make our getaway.”
“Through the minefield?”
“Yeah, unless you are aware of another route.”
“But how are we...?”
“Trust me, Mel. Have I given you cause to doubt me?”
I glare at him.
“Okay, don’t answer that question right now. Give me a chance—”
I hold up a hand. “Shh! I thought I heard something.”
We both remain motionless, straining to hear any sound that might indicate we are not alone.
I am about to say something when his eyes widen.
He grabs my sleeve and shouts, “Get down!”
He pushes me toward the deck as somebody opens fire on us.
Chapter 9
We crouch in tense silence, listening to the sounds of our attackers as they methodically advance toward our position from opposite sides of the cargo bay.
My attention is drawn to something behind Chambers.
“Can you reach that red case?”
He turns to the suitcase-sized object leaning against the storage rack.
With great caution, he reaches toward it, and I half anticipate his hand will be torn off by another spray of gunfire. When his fingers go unnoticed, he grabs the case
and pushes it between us. I pry open the latch and open it.
Chambers seems confused by what it contains. “A medical defibrillator?”
“Well, you didn’t bring a gun, did you?”
“You need to be up close and personal to make use of that thing.”
“Me? I don’t think so.” I hand him the paddles and the charge pack.
He frowns. “Fine, but you’re the bait, Doctor.”
Suddenly my brilliant plan doesn’t seem so clever.
Slipping around me to the storage racks, he squeezes into a shallow depression between them.
A footfall sounds metres away, out of sight.
“What should I do?” I can barely control my shaking.
“Distract him.”
Desperately, I search about for something—anything that will protect me. Finding nothing, I remove my jacket and pull my shirt over my head. While reaching behind me to undo my bra, I catch sight of Chambers watching. Scowling, I toss the garment aside and turn to expose my naked breasts to my approaching assassin.
A heavy-set, balding man with tattoos running up his neck comes into view. He levels his weapon at me. Astonishment crosses his face for the brief seconds before Chambers emerges from the shadows and presses both paddles to the man’s torso. Our would-be killer’s eyes roll to the back of his skull and his body convulses before he goes limp.
Chambers grabs the gun and retreats to the storage racks, listening for the second gunman. Almost predictably, his eyes dart to my now covered breasts. He smiles and shrugs.
A click of a boot on the floor rivets my attention. He motions for me to move to another stack of containers. I gather up my clothing and dash for cover as the approaching footfalls draw closer.
Squatting on my haunches, I make myself as small as possible. Suddenly, the reality of my situation asserts itself. My shaking arms hug my knees, and the swish of my pulse in my ears becomes deafening.
A burst of gunfire explodes, then silence falls over the cargo bay. Cowering, I listen for any indication Chambers is still alive.
“Mel, you can come out now.”
Standing on rubbery legs, I hastily pull my shirt back over my head. For some stupid reason, I think it important to straighten out my dishevelled hair.
Chambers’ head pokes around the corner. “Are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah.” My hand self-consciously drops to my side. “Are you?”
“I got him before he saw me.”
“You killed him?”
“That can happen when you shoot somebody.”
My stomach does a sudden flip, and I fight to keep from vomiting.
I point to the unconscious man. “What about this one?”
“He might still be alive. If he is, maybe we can learn some answers.”
I frown. “There is another way to find out what’s going on—something we should’ve done days ago.” I storm past him and stand before the coffin-shaped container that has caused us so much grief. “Open it.”
Chambers nods obediently and advances to the crate to enter his universal pass code. He lifts the lid and we both stare, gobsmacked.
“Holy shit,” I finally manage. “This explains everything.”
Chapter 10
Chambers cocks his head to one side as he considers the array of tightly packed canisters. I smack his fingers as he reaches for one.
“You could contaminate the entire ship.”
He rubs his hand. “So, what is this stuff?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, then how the hell do you know what will happen if I touch it?”
I point to the biohazard emblem engraved into the top of each cylinder. “That, for starters, and the fact that this container is temperature-controlled. Even if you didn’t contaminate everything by handling one, you still would have frozen your hand.”
He shrugs. “I knew what I was doing.”
I frown as I consider the contents of the crate. “Why the fuck would they want this?”
“They deal in arms,” he says.
“You think this stuff might be a bioweapon of some kind?”
“The idea that Singh and the Jovian Collective traffic in weapons of mass destruction doesn’t really surprise me. Those guys would lease out their grandmother’s grave if it meant a profit. The pirates are another story, though. They used to be only interested in things they can fence, but I haven’t had much contact with them for years. Things have gotten little tougher for them lately, so maybe...”
“I thought you said the authorities left them alone.”
“Oh, the planetary governments do, but the corporations—the ones who are robbed—are becoming more aggressive in how they defend their convoys. Maybe things are too dangerous, and they are changing their business model.”
“What are we going to do?”
“Do? I’m dumping this shit and getting the hell out of here.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I beg your pardon?” He regards me like I spoke a strange language.
“We can’t dump this stuff out here and leave it floating in space. Somebody might still find it, and then who knows what would happen?”
“Well, I’m not keeping it on my ship.”
I glance back at the pirate’s body. “No, I don’t suppose that is a good idea, either.”
“I figure we’ve got half an hour before Roberts becomes concerned that he hasn’t heard from his boarding parties—”
I hold a finger up to silence him. “Do you hear that?”
After a moment listening for the source, he searches the corpse. He finds the comm receiver that has dislodged from the dead man’s ear and pops it into his own.
After a few seconds, he removes the device. “Make that twenty minutes; they’re sending over another three teams.”
“What the fuck are we going to do?”
Chambers closes the crate and latches the lid. He releases the restraints that hold it in place and pulls it out of the storage rack to float in front of him. He looks back at me. “Don’t just stand there. Go to the bridge and tell Cervantes and Schmaltz that it’s showtime.”
With that, he pushes the cargo toward the aft loading dock.
“What the hell does that mean?” I call to his back.
“Just hurry and tell them. You’ll find out soon enough.”
With that, he disappears around a stack of crates and the sound of his clanking boots fades.
I keep one eye on the dead pirate as I pass him, irrationally fearing he might reach out and grab me.
Rounding the corner, I almost jump out of my skin at the sight of the first man that Chambers shocked with the defibrillator. Like his companion, his feet are fixed to the deck while the rest of him floats limply. I check for a pulse, and finding him alive, I realize I can’t leave him.
Two minutes later, I’ve moved him to the airlock and put him inside with the other unconscious pirates. I seal the door and peek in the window to assure myself they are okay.
Proud of saving lives, I hurry to deliver Chambers’ message.
Upon being informed that it is ‘showtime,’ Cervantes and Schmaltzy dash to the door, almost running into the captain.
“What the hell are you two still doing here?”
“We were just told that it’s time,” says Schmaltz.
Chambers looks at me. “I meant for you to tell them right away.”
“I know that, but I didn’t want to leave any loose ends.” I inform him what I did with the other pirate.
He grumbles under his breath and squeezes by me to take his seat at the helm with Mikey. Speaking over his shoulder, he says, “Buckle yourself in, Doctor. We’re going to be pulling some G’s.”
After a few moments of silence, his back straightens, and he turns back to me. “You stuffed that guy in the airlock?”
“Yes, I told you that...”
He ignores me as he grabs the mic and puts a receiver bud in his ear.
“Schmaltz, are
you and the lads suited up?... Great! Listen, the doctor just reminded me that we have two ships attached to our hull. Maybe we can do something with them... Yeah, that is exactly what I was thinking. Set things up and then haul your asses back here. We don’t have much time.”
“Would you mind filling me in on what the fuck is going on?”
“I thought it might be obvious. We’re going to make a run through the minefield.”
Chapter 11
Chambers fills me in on the plan with snippets of information as he rushes about the bridge, flipping switches and checking systems.
“You’re going to pilot us through a minefield using what for a shield?”
“Originally I planned to use the hull plating we caught those mines with. Schmaltz fixed jets to them, and we were going to send them out ahead of us, but now things are even better.”
“Because we have the ships the pirates boarded us with?”
“Exactly! The location of every mine should be stored on their navigation computers. They might even have the codes to deactivate them.”
“Does this sort of thing happen to you often?”
“Hell no, we’ve been through more challenging situations than this.”
“You’re joking, right?” I shake my head. “You’re certifiable. I should’ve checked your references before I signed on.”
Schmaltz enters and sits at his station. “What’s going on?”
“I was just telling the doctor that we’ve been through tougher scrapes than this.”
The engineer appears confused. “Uhh, I don’t think so.”
Cervantes joins us. “What’s up?”
“The cap’n thinks we’ve had worse situations before.”
“No, definitely not,” says the navigator.
“Well, I have.” Chambers frowns at them. “Is everything set? Hey, where’s Singh?”
“He went to his quarters,” says Mikey.
“Just as well, he was beginning to annoy me. Schmaltz, is the telemetry link working?”
“Both ships are under my control. Unfortunately, I am locked out of their nav computers.”
Chambers inspects the readouts on his panel. “All right, kids. We’re as ready as we ever will be. Let’s get dressed and do this.”
