Drawing Battle Lines

by Robert Culp

  “You just cut the chains and opened the TMOD, that’s what happened! Godsdamnit SarMajor, get out of the way!”

  I’m not worrying about call signs, “Boteloer, what is happening?”

  “Cap, he opened the TMOD, now he’s shielding her with his body. I got no shot!”

  “Captain, Commander Mac Fadden is calling.”

  “Weapons, maintain your posture. Communications, put her through.”

  “My sister has released the male. My name is Rebecca. For the moment, I will continue to speak through this person as Hannah has no way of speaking to you and you are the decision maker.”

  “I appreciate your logic and your candor. If you will release my friend, I will instruct her to give you a hand held unit so that we may continue to converse.”

  “Could the male give one to Hannah, please? She can speak to you while the female opens my container.”

  “Prophecy this is Avatar. I’m giving her my perCom.”

  “Can you hear me, Captain MacTaggert?” I hear a woman’s voice over the holoCom.

  “I can, I presume you are Hannah?”

  “Quite correct, as soon as your crew allows Rebecca’s TMOD unit to be opened she will release your companion.”

  “What assurance can you give me that you will not possess me or someone else at a future time? My mission is exploratory and scientific. We are seeking new cultures. My mission is peaceful, but I will not be held hostage.”

  “And we have no desire to hold you or anyone else hostage. What assurance would you accept? You don’t know me. We have no shared history. You have no reason to accept anything I say at other than face value. However, I do give you that very assurance. If you grant us passage, we will not interfere with the personnel of your vessel in any way, shape, or form.”

  “Release my people and I will help you if I can.”

  “She’s released me, Captain,” Celeste says through the holoCom.

  “You can help us, Captain.” Hannah is speaking again. “All we require is transport to your government after you return what you have stolen. You are quite capable of doing that now. I beg of you, do not make this unpleasant.”

  Note to self: People in TMOD on abandoned ships are typically loads of trouble and should be destroyed immediately in the most convenient manner.

  “I have already said I will help you. But I will not do so as a hostage. Make no mistake: this vessel is quite capable of destroying both of those vessels. I would regret doing so as I am responsible for crewmembers aboard them. But I will not move you a meter from here if I believe you to be a threat.”

  “Very well, if you will accept my word that we will not harm you or any member of your crew, I so give it.”

  On the one hand, I can welcome with essentially open arms two entities that if they choose to can probably seize this ship whenever they wish. And I’m sure that if I tell my crew to board their shuttles and leave the two on the SDBs, they will possess someone and keep that from happening. So I can allow them over, or destroy both ships and probably kill over a dozen of my crew. Every fiber of my being is opposed. In my brain, I know that the loss of twelve people—or this entire crew if need be—is preferred to the loss of the population of Atlas. But my heart isn’t hearing logic.

  “Very well, I accept your word. You will transport to this ship as our guests. But as unknowns you will go through standard decontamination and a thorough medical evaluation.”

  “That is prudent and reasonable, Captain.”

  “MacTaggert out.”

  “Medical, this is the Captain. You’ll be receiving two individuals. For the moment we’ll consider them refugees. I want them given a basic fitness check. I suspect they are exuding pheromones, so if they need to be kept in APE, document such. I also want to know if they are organics, cyborgs, androids, clones, or super intelligent primates of an unknown origin.”

  “We’ll handle it, Captain.”

  “Flight Ops, this is the bridge. Have you reason to believe the pilots that took those shuttles over can bring those SDBs back?”

  “Indeed,” says Shawna. “In fact, if they can’t, I am going to make their lives very unpleasant.”

  “Very well, thank you.

  “Rebecca, this is Captain MacTaggert.”

  “Yes, Captain?”

  “When our mission in this sector is complete, we will be going home. That shouldn’t take more than a few months. Are you from this planet or did you come from elsewhere?”

  “That is your decision, Captain. So be it.”

  “Cheshire, Avatar, this is Prophecy Actual. The pilots that flew your shuttles will pilot the SDBs into the hangar bays. You’re on your time, so do what you need to and RTB. When you get back everyone does a deliberate decon, escort our guests to Medical. In APE, just as a precaution.”

  “Wilco,” says Rikk.

  “Roger, ma’am,” says Celeste.

  While the excursion teams wrap up and begin to head back to the ship, I decide that our actual mission here is still worth pursuing. “Athena, are the probes finished?”

  “They are, Captain,” she answers. “They are on their way back and should return moments before the SDBs arrive.”

  “I presume they have been transmitting their observations?”

  “They have, ma’am. So far there’s been nothing of note that I haven’t already told you. No signs of human life, no recognizable structures. I don’t know where the survivors of the crews from these SDBs went, but I don’t believe it was this planet.”

  “And as the SDBs are not Transit capable, it’s reasonable that the ship that brought them took survivors.”

  “Or was taken as salvage itself?”

  “Also possible, it does beg the question why the SDBs were left.”

  “True,” Athena agrees. “I’m curious how those two, Rebecca and Hannah, came to be put into the TMOD units. I don’t believe they could be compelled to do so.”

  “So they must have volunteered to remain,” I look to Athena. “But to what end? And why the dead crewman in Engineering?”

  “Perhaps, they knew we were coming.”

  “Perhaps. On another note, when time and circumstances allow, I have a few simulations I’d like you to run.”

  “Of course Captain. Particulars?”

  “Can a person wearing the Marauder armor survive if their ship is destroyed by a meson blast?”

  “Interesting. Stand by.” Her eyes glaze over. On a human it would be called a ‘thousand-meter stare.’ “I calculate the possibility at approximately fifty percent.”

  “A coin flip?” she nods. “I just risked the future of the Ramaris sector on the flip of a coin. Gods, I need my head examined!”

  “Shall I contact medical…”

  “That was rhetorical.”

  “Captain, this is Dr. Brabdo, I have a report on our guests for you.”

  “I’m listening,” Athena walks over to my chair to listen.

  “Not androids, they are cybernetic organisms, synthetic and organic material all the way down to the cellular level. Their bones are fused with some form of duralloy-based material. I imagine them to be as strong or stronger than a DEBI class android and as we know they are very powerful psionics.”

  “So they are cyborgs,” Damn! “Pheromones?”

  “No more so than a typical human. As they were in TMOD capsules, I feel safe to assert that the affects they had on Chief Sergeant Okkam and Commander Mac Fadden were more psionic than chemical. I don’t see the need—or benefit—to keep them in APE.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate your efforts.”

  “That’s my job, ma’am.” Ordinarily I would have closed the channel by now. He picks up on my hesitation. “Is there anything else, Captain?”

  “Nothing I can put a finger on. Have you ever had the feeling there was another shoe just waiting to drop?”

  “Of course, sadly there are no tests to reveal where that shoe may be or who may be holding it.”

&n
bsp; “Oh, how well I know that, MacTaggert out.”

  Said shoe falls when Rikk and I are having dinner four days later. Stela approaches us in the chow hall, sits at our table and says, “Captain, I understand that you are on a mission. I must insist that you abort it and ferry Rebecca and Hannah to your seat of government.”

  Rikk starts to excuse himself but I stop him with a hand on his wrist. I take a sip of my tea to wash down the bit of red beans and rice I had just swallowed. “Stela, I have discussed this with them. As soon as my mission is complete, we will return to Atlas, my employers, and I will inform them of their request. That is the best that I can do at this time. Why did they drag you into this discussion?”

  And it’s true, but previously, Rebecca has always acknowledged that truth without argument. Today is different. “That is not acceptable. We must go there. Now. Time is of the essence.”

  “And why is that?” Oh dear gods, she’s under their control!

  “War is imminent. All ears must be told, all eyes shown. There is no more time for discussion. You will comply or be forced.”

  Rikk’s eyes are darting back and forth. He doesn’t know where to focus his attention. “War between whom, Rebecca?” I ask her. “You are implying to me that yours is a tyrannical government. Or you, personally, are unaccustomed to hearing, ‘No.’ But there is something that has been puzzling me. Perhaps you can shed some light on it? You and Hannah were the last occupants of two system defense boats. They are not Transit capable as is. But if this is as important as you are leading me to believe, why did you just go dormant in TMOD tubes? Why weren’t at least one of those boats broadcasting distress calls? Why were you orbiting a lifeless planet? Why didn’t you both get on one ship, cross load what fuel there is, point it at another planet and accelerate until it ran out of fuel? Instead, the two of you were in suspended freakin’ animation and—where is Hannah?” I turn to Rikk. “I want to know where Hannah is. RFN.” He leans into his perCom while I turn back to Stela/Rebecca. “If war is brewing now, then it was brewing then. I receive a periodic report from my higher headquarters via interstellar communication. I have no reason to believe that either of you have received anything extraordinary. So I don’t understand the sudden urgency. If your message is as important as you say, why weren’t you doing everything imaginable to get it out? Why has there been no big hurry until now? And in that vein, if you want to send a communiqué about a pending war, you are welcome to do so.”

  “The stolen apparatus,” How could she know about that? And why would she call it “stolen?” “You can use it to send us to this ‘Atlas?’”

  “The untested apparatus? No. The risk aside, the economic impact is too great for me to consider that. I’m asking you—pretty please, if that makes a difference—just be patient. I will get you to Atlas as soon as possible.”

  “So be it. You have chosen your fate.”

  She lunges at me. Rikk explodes out of his seat. I don’t mean to run, but I teleport to my stateroom. Bloody instincts! She may be under control but at the end of the day she’s still a little girl!

  I stab the holoCom button. “Red alert. Battle stations. Bridge, this is the Captain. The cyborgs, Rebecca and Hannah, are threats. They are to be destroyed.”

  “Cap’n this is Okkam. I don’t know where you are, but I’m certain Rebecca is looking for you. Hannah is probably headed for the bridge. Five’ll getcha ten they’re about to attempt to take over the ship.”

  “Okkam this is MacTaggert. Why do you think that?”

  “Because that’s where I would go if I were trying to take command of a starship. Where are you?”

  “Captain, this is Athena, I am receiving reports that one in five crewmembers are under some form of psionic suppression now. They are acting like zombies and the number is growing.”

  “Athena, acknowledged. Okkam, right now, I’m where you have seen most of me. But I’m headed to where I’m most comfortable.” I can only hope he understands that.

  “Roger that,” he says. “I’m getting into a Marauder suit. I’ll meet you there.”

  I can think of literally thousands of things that need doing. But my priorities are two text messages I send over encrypted perCom frequencies. To Athena I say, “It has been an honor and a privilege.” I start to scramble into an APE suit. Rikk said he’s getting into a marauder suit. I wish I had a wraith suit here. But wishing won’t change anything. But I know something that will. I close my eyes and touch the amulet. When I open my eyes, I’m in the armor locker. I get out of my coveralls and into a set of the stealth armor as fast as I can. I hope the protection the armor buys me is worth the time it cost.

  As I pull the helmet over my head I hear Rikk's voice on the ShipCom: “Attention all hands. WARBOTs have been deployed and are seeking targets Gamma Three and Gamma Four.” WARBOTs? I wish I'd thought about them. I guess that's why he's the Chief Sergeant and I'm the ship's captain. I presume Gamma Three and Four are the two androids. When I have time I'll have to find out who the other targets are.

  Rikk flits through my mind. Thinking of him I say, “I bet we’d have made some pretty babies.”

  I open the shipCom, the ship wide communication system. “Rebecca, this is Captain MacTaggert. You are correct: war is imminent. And it is apparent you are the aggressor. I will not escort you to my government as you have proven yourself to be the advance elements of an invasion. This is a battle line you will not cross easily. All hands, abandon ship. This is the Captain and I say again: Abandon ship.” I close the ship wide system and open another holoCom channel. “Central computer, Initiate auto-destruct sequence.”

  “Auto destruct sequence requires voice print. You are recognized as Sonia Elsbeth MacTaggert. Your authorization sequence, please?”

  “Authorization sequence is Bravo four Charlie zero.”

  “Authorization sequence Bravo four Charlie zero is correct. Confirmation code?”

  “Confirmation code Gamma Four Squared.”

  “Confirmation code is correct. The power plant will begin to overload in three minutes.”

  Celeste’s voice comes over the shipCom, “This is the Executive Officer Commander Celeste Mac Fadden. I am taking control of Prophecy. Captain MacTaggert appears to be suffering a mental breakdown and is not fit for command. She is relieved in accordance with Academy order 867 paragraphs 56 and 57. She is to be detained if possible, killed if necessary.” The bad guys always push it too far.

  I have a pair of text messages on my perCom. One is from Athena: I have subdued the helmsman and navigator. I have also rendered their duty stations non-operative. The ship is no longer in Transit. There are seven troopers and the Rebecca entity preparing to force their way onto the bridge. They are not in armor.

  The other is from Rikk. I’ll be in Engineering in two minutes.

  I reply to both. To Athena: I have activated the auto-destruct sequence. I don’t see another way out.

  “Captain MacTaggert,” Rebecca says over the shipCom. “Please surrender yourself. There is a way in which no one else must die, but this ship is going to Atlas. Now.”

  “Looks like we’re both in for a bad day,” I say aloud but not into the shipCom, “bitch.”

  Rikk thinks I’m going to Engineering. I hate lying to him, but I can’t risk one of those cyborgs high jacking his mind. Time is not on my side. I tap the amulet under my armor. And I pull the microfilament saber out of my cargo pocket. I’ve been to the uronium reaction chamber many times. I am intimately familiar with it. I close my eyes, concentrate and I materialize in the URC. I look around. I am quite alone, but I don’t expect to be so for very long. I activate the stealth field.

  I know that there is a very important conduit I can cut. Easily. The contamination will be immediate and irreversible. The cables and conduits I will destroy on the way to the one will add to the catastrophe. The area will become uninhabitable. By the time the power plant overloads, which will be accelerated by what I’m about to do here, the sh
ip will explode. Unfortunately, this sword is not meant for combat. It’s meant for ceremonial executions. But it’s all I have. I wish I had taken the time to grab a box of grenades before I left the weapons locker. But I didn’t, and I doubt I have the time to do anything about it now.

  I do not want to destroy the ship. I definitely do not want to kill everyone aboard. But I cannot allow those two cyborgs to reach Atlas. I thumb the release on the saber; the microfilament extends and locks into place. I raise the weapon taking careful aim at the conduit.

  The inner door into the chamber explodes inward, it misses me but not by much. Rebecca, the real Rebecca, steps into the chamber. “Stop. Seventy-five percent of your crew is under our control. The balance will be soon. This ship and its crew will be ours. They will take us to Atlas. Then they will be destroyed. Or released. It won’t matter by then.”

  “Think so?” I can feel a tear coursing down my cheek. I know what to do, but damn, it’s hard. “This ship, these people, they die at my command.” I raise the saber. “Not yours.” I swing at the conduit. I see cables sever before me. She aims a kick at my leg; I feel the need to move. And evade enough of her attack to keep my femur intact. I hope. Even through the armor—and the wraith is a lighter version of the marauder so it isn’t as much in the protection department—that hurt. I can see that the stealth field has failed. Now I wish I’d grabbed a marauder suit. I’m able to evade enough of her lunge to roll with it and land on my feet. I bring the saber around to the ready position. Rebecca is fast. She may be faster than Athena. I know the suit isn’t stealthy enough to fool her. Even if it were, the vapors swirling in the room silhouette me. I counter every move she makes with a slash of the saber. I’m able to land a few cuts, but nothing substantial, I need to incapacitate her but she’s too damned fast! If I survive this, fencing lessons may come in handy! And the longer we dance around, the longer people have to armor up and come to her aid. As much as I hate to say it, I’m on the losing side of the equation in this battle of attrition. She strikes again and thanks to my wool gathering I take a glancing blow to the knee. The other knee! I’d teleport behind her, but I have to concentrate too hard and she’d have an open shot, an open fatal shot. If only I could evade her. We lock eyes again. I do my best to summon all my Shra Kuhn training. I know that I have to relax in order for the Source to flow through me. But that’s hard to do while I’m fighting for my life. Time slows a bit for me, I see her knees flex just a bit. She’s going to spring towards me. As her knees start to straighten I jump to my left.