by John Walker
“Yes, sir.” Deva still sounded disappointed but she returned to her duties. Kale understood her passion. He was curious as well but considering what they were up to and against, it seemed crazy to take risks. Especially when they were about to conduct one of the more difficult and complicated field repairs a starship could indulge.
I’d still like to know how the crystal broke. Kale had seen them fracture before during combat but the ship didn’t take any fire on their way out. The drive wouldn’t have worked otherwise. Still, they’d lost a lot of time and anything could’ve happened. They were all unconscious during their re-entry so no one knew just how rough it might’ve been.
Kale checked the computer logs but power was on minimum with pretty much all systems down. Their fate directly after the jump remained a mystery. He grunted, annoyed by the unknown all around them. Part of him wanted to have Deva start investigating the effects of the waste they dropped to escape, to see if their strange time loss might be repeatable.
Something told him it wouldn’t be, that they were simply unlucky in that moment. Too many variables went on at the same time. Their velocity, the way the waste ignited, their proximity to a specific planet and all the debris floating about may well have created the perfect environment for their unplanned disappearance.
One thing helped. The enemy certainly couldn’t have tracked them. And if they did, they never would’ve found them. A small favor but one that saved their lives. Kale considered his computer for a long moment, wondering if anyone had been through the system looking for them. Would the enemy have stopped at this strange world?
“Deva, have you been able to scan the surface for any crashed ships?” Kale asked. “Any tech that shouldn’t be there?”
“The metal in the rocks and soil makes it a little hard to distinguish that,” Deva replied, “but I’ll check.”
The thought might’ve been a long shot but nothing would’ve surprised him at that point.
A communication came through from the medical bay, a text message warning him he needed to take a rest period. Ah, they must’ve caught up if they can start worrying about that now. He was exhausted and agreed with them but there were several things that needed to happen before he could turn over temporary command.
He reached out to Meira. “How’re you doing on preparations for the crystal swap?”
“We’ve got the new one prepped and we’ve nearly finished the risk analysis. I’ll be filing my report in an hour but I have to be honest, I’d rather not do this before my people can get some downtime. Believe me, we want everyone alert and hardy for this procedure. Any mistakes can strand us here for a very long time.”
“Understood.” Kale rubbed his eyes. “Okay, finish the analysis and pack it in for a shift. When you’re all back, fed and rested, revisit what you did and see if you missed anything. We’ll reconvene mid fourth shift.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.”
The line closed and he turned to Athan. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m fine, sir. A little tired but nothing I can’t live with.”
“I’m going to turn over temporary command to you while I take a rest period. Let’s not make any rash decisions while I’m gone. Business as usual. Wake me for any emergencies but otherwise, we remain close but not too close to the planet. Deva, finish up what you’re doing and head to your quarters as well. We’ll take turns until everyone’s refreshed.”
Kale stood and felt his back complain. He hadn’t been up long but waking from the strange event left him feeling as if he’d been through hard labor or a severe illness. He waited until he boarded the elevator before he stretched and rested against the wall.
The thought of sleep overwhelmed all his worries and he felt thankful for the fact. If his mind didn’t let him turn off for a while, he’d be in for a long set of shifts. Considering what he’d been through, he’d likely call one of the doctors for a sedative. Much as he didn’t want to drug himself, being exhausted wouldn’t be much better.
***
Trellan En’Dal found himself in a difficult position. This wasn’t unusual for him considering recent events but frustration gnawed at him regardless. After escaping the doomed Orion’s Light vessel, he found himself on one of the novalat moon colonies carrying stolen plans for a new weapon. Something the authorities would do anything to get back.
Considering all he’d been through to make contact with the terrorist group, he could not be caught. Even landing proved to be a difficulty, avoiding scanner contact and evading notice by the military presence. Fortunately, the conclusion to a civil war kept them all busy so he managed to land his escape pod on the outskirts of an inhabited territory.
Though the moon orbited one of the larger planets, it was big enough to have its own breathable atmosphere. Trellan disembarked and made his way into town, keeping a low profile as he sought a way to escape the place. He needed a ship, or at least passage out of the system and he had nothing to trade.
All his personal items had been lost on the ship that exploded, including his weapons. Now, in a gray jump suit with a wrist computer and stolen property, he had to pull off the impossible. Leave the moon without attracting enough attention to get him chased or caught. Then, he’d be back to the next impossible mission: making a second contact with Orion’s Light.
I must not like anything to be easy on a spiritual level. There’s no other explanation for my luck.
Arriving at the space port was easy. He traveled along with every other person on their way to work. However, once he arrived, he observed how tight security had become. They may not have been watching the skies carefully but on the ground, their people were watch dogs. Every civilian had to provide identification and a biometric scan.
Two things Trellan lacked.
How am I going to get any of that in short order? I can’t even steal a ship without getting through the first layer of security. Even if I do get in, there’s bound to be additional check points. How do I keep things subtle while still getting in there?
A niggling thought tickled the back of his mind. He could always call out who he was and gain their cooperation. If they found out he worked for alliance intelligence, they’d be obliged to give him what he needed and get him on his way. But he couldn’t risk it. They had no idea how deep the Orion’s Light talons dug and if some informant put word out about him, the entire op, not to mention his life, would be in jeopardy.
No, I have to approach this problem like a criminal and run with it until I have no other options.
Trellan looked himself over and wondered what he must look like. The jump suit gave him a mechanic vibe but he didn’t have any tools to pull off the look convincingly. If he wanted to mug someone for their cash or goods, he’d have to do it with his bare hands, which meant beating someone. A civilian didn’t deserve that which left the guards.
They don’t deserve it either. Taking them out might not be hard but even if I do, what sort of trouble will the poor bastard be in? I already screwed up some of their boys back on the planet. How many more do I have to sacrifice for this assignment?
The answer came to him quickly. More. He didn’t like it, but the truth was if he wanted to leave, he’d have to turn to some level of violence, even if it involved hurting an innocent. Orion’s Light represented a threat to the entire galaxy. Knocking someone out would pale in comparison to what inaction might accomplish.
Okay, so who? And where? I don’t know this place so dumping an unconscious body won’t be easy. Maybe a distraction’s a better way to go but the louder I get, the more people I’ll put in harm’s way.
Trellan sat in a public area and forced himself to look casual. Resting felt good. He hadn’t been able to take any real downtime for several shifts. Even with the stress of what he had on him, he was able to let his muscles loosen up and take a deep breath while evaluating his situation.
The most important thing to remember was they were not actively looking for him. This meant any police or soldiers shouldn’
t pay him any mind. The foot traffic of every day civilians was dense enough to let him blend in. No one could remember every face and all the cameras were closer to the port entrance.
A legal route off the planet is not an option. Escaping with his stolen plans would be impossible if he tried to go through security the proper way. They’d search him, both electronically and physically. Even if they didn’t know what they had by sight, their scanners would show what he had.
Local ports had a habit of checking for stolen data since so many people tried to smuggle it around. Trellan didn’t have time to work with a computer to obfuscate it so he was stuck with a live drive that would immediately tell any computer operator that he was carrying stolen goods. He was back to the illegal route.
Not only did he need to get past security, but he required a ship that was jump capable. If he fled the moon in anything else, they’d catch him in no time. If he got through and launched without clearance, he’d need to plot a course and be away in less than twenty minutes. Anything longer and he’d be facing their military.
Distracted or not, they’d definitely make time to catch a pirate making off with something so expensive. And it would be compounded if they suspected he carried those plans.
After an hour, he left the area for fear of being suspicious for loitering. His stomach growled and he desperately wanted a little sleep. Unfortunately, neither requirement would be easy to fulfill considering his situation. He found himself wandering down a side street near a couple of restaurants when he saw a security officer stumble out of a bar.
That might just work…at least to get me inside.
The man leaned against a wall, struggling to maintain his footing. Trellan moved closer and looked around, noting they weren’t quite alone but the population was a lot thinner in that part of town. Apparently, whatever shift was happening there didn’t afford a lot of patrons for the shops.
A security guy might have an easier time slipping in. Providing they don’t all know each other but I’m going to take a chance here. There are enough people roaming around for there to be far too many authority figures to keep track of. Sorry, guy. I have to get out of here.
Trellan stepped closer to the man and gently took him by the arm. The security guard looked at him with a startled expression but didn’t try to pull away. “I didn’t do nothin’ in there,” he slurred. “What…what do you want?”
“Come with me, sir.” Trellan urged him toward the alley. “We need to talk.”
“What for? I already said I didn’t do anything. Leave me alone. I just need to get back to the barracks.”
“In a minute.” Trellan used more force and the man stumbled after him. They paced half way down the alley to the darkest part. The guard constantly muttered the whole way, mostly gibberish. If he was nervous, he did a fantastic job of hiding it but the booze must’ve fortified him. When they reached a dumpster, they stopped.
“Oh boy…you’re not going to hit me, are you?”
Trellan frowned. “Afraid so. You’ll be fine in a couple hours, buddy.” He drew back and clocked the man square in the jaw, the force of the blow knocking the inebriated man out immediately. As he began to collapse, Trellan caught him and propped him up against the trash and stripped him of his uniform.
The whole process took several minutes and every second made Trellan more and more nervous. He knew that anyone who happened to glimpse down on them would see what was going on and the whole plan would be ruined. There were few places to go beyond the settled part of the moon and without knowledge of the area, he’d get lost fast.
Why do these guys have so many buttons on their shirts? Seriously, this fashion is ridiculous!
Trellan tore off his own jump suit and forced himself to calm down, pulling on the garments slowly. He didn’t want to rip anything or the whole exercise would be wasted. The man’s boots were too small but the rest fit reasonably well. He hoisted the naked guard and deposited him in the dumpster, strapped on the guy’s firearm and steadied himself for the dangerous part of his plan.
Security guards themselves may have been searched as well when they entered the facility but he hadn’t noticed any during his hour long observation. Chances were good they had a side door, one he might slip through and into the port proper. Whatever came after would be a mystery he’d have to address on the fly.
The planning phase ended, especially since it was only a matter of time before the man he assaulted woke up and raised an alarm.
Trellan rushed back to the courtyard and slowed down as he came in contact with other people. Blending in, he walked confidently beside them and noticed he was given a wide berth. Luckily, the uniforms didn’t have any name tags on them but they were pretty obvious in their light gray with black piping. The firearm also contributed to the overall look.
Unfortunately, Trellan hadn’t shaved in days but at least his beard was filled in enough to look intentional. Three days earlier he wouldn’t have been able to pull off his disguise in the slightest. Approaching the stairs, he cast his gaze around for a sign indicating which direction he was expected to take as staff.
Panic gripped his heart as he drew closer until he caught the thing he was looking for. Security on duty were directed to go around to the left. A security card would be required but it didn’t look like anyone got searched. All the better. He drew out the man’s ID and swiped it, causing the door to buzz before it swung open. He paced through as if he belonged and continued down a hallway.
No one was around but he figured a camera picked up his entrance. They might be running facial recognition so once again, he felt the crunch of time. The schedule gripping his chest made him nervous but he forced himself to remain calm, taking regular breaths and walking without urgency.
A guard started approaching from in front of him and Trellan wondered if he might need to defend himself. The guy nodded to him as they passed one another, barely taking heed. As he reached the second door leading into the port, he didn’t hesitate, opening up and stepping inside.
People milled about, carrying out business as usual. Trellan watched for a brief moment, trying to decide how best to get himself onboard a ship and out of there. He needed a computer, one that he could access for several moments without interruption. They’d have a manifest of all visitors and whether or not they were interstellar crafts.
A nearby public terminal looked like it would do the trick with only a little coaxing. Trellan approached casually and tapped the screen, bringing up a couple of options. One was for visitors and another offered access for security or maintenance personnel. He tapped security and was forced to swipe his card.
A screen appeared, letting him know it was accessing the required information. he glanced around, noting that no one seemed to be paying attention to him. The terminal beeped once, indicating it had information ready for him. Menu items offered security footage as well as lists for visitors and currently docked ships.
He tapped the silhouette of space vessels and held his breath, suddenly aware that there may not be any interstellar visitors. Luckily, there was and it didn’t look like it would be too difficult to pilot alone. It was at docking bay sixteen, not too far from his current location but due to leave in two hours.
The owners might be there. The thought of robbing some people of their property, especially something so big as a ship, made his stomach knot. He had to get it done but they’d be stranded, inconvenienced at best with a worst case scenario involving bankruptcy. He might be able to get the government to help them out after he left.
He’d have the ability to send messages again and catch up with Siva. Maybe they’d have another plan to deal with Orion’s Light and he’d be able to go home. Trellan wouldn’t let that hope blossom but it sat in the back of his mind, taunting him with the possibility. Stranger things had happened.
Someone behind him cleared their throat and he looked to see a well dressed businessman tapping his foot. “You going to be on there all day?”
“About time.” The man muttered, going about his business.
Trellan moved toward the hallway leading to the docking bay, arriving at the door when he heard someone shout. He ignored it, not even bothering to look but he did pick up the pace just a little, allowing urgency to compel him. Another cry, this time more insistent, made him glance. Someone was waving in his direction.
What do they want? Trellan waved back and they nodded, gesturing for him to come back. He ignored the command and opened the door, stepping through and closing it behind him. Engaging the locking mechanism, he noted the cameras in his peripheral vision. Time to really move, I guess.
Trellan picked up the pace, jogging down the hall while reading signs. Various doors led off to different bays and he had to go nearly to the end to reach sixteen. He was half way there when the door he came in through opened up and several people came spilling in. He shifted to a sprint.
“You there!” Someone shouted. “Stop! What’re you doing?”
How’d they figure it out? Trellan’s mind spun up, trying to think of what might’ve given him away. Had the guard woken up? Did their facial recognition kick in? Did he step out of place? It didn’t ultimately matter. He’d been caught. Getting out of there might be a miracle, one he knew he had to create himself.
The map he pulled up indicated he was getting closer to the ship. Tech crews should’ve been done prepping it for launch. They were just waiting for their window to depart and the crew, however many of them there might be, would either be on board or nearby. That meant he’d have to come on pretty strong.
Trellan burst through a door into the open air, the ship sitting less than a hundred yards away with the sky above them. I’m really damn close! People looked startled as he came in and he decided to play up his costume for all it was worth. “I’m with station security. We’ve got a fugitive on the run. You see anyone come in here recently?”
