by G J Ogden
“Lucas!”
Sterling snapped his neck towards the sound of the cry and saw Banks, clinging to the edge, a look of terror gripping her face. An Obsidian Soldier was clasped around her ankle, dangling precariously beneath the ramp that was now three-quarters shut. Tossing his pistol, Sterling scrambled over to his first officer and grabbed her body armor with his bionic hand.
“I can’t shake the damned thing off me!” Banks yelled.
Sterling cursed and looked behind. In less than twenty seconds the ramp would close, crushing Sterling and Banks in the process.
“We have to bring it on-board and deal with it then,” Sterling called back, making his decision. “Now climb!”
Sterling employed the power of his new bionic limb to help haul Banks over the lip of the ramp. His first officer’s own incredible strength did the rest and the two officers made it inside moments before the ramp sealed shut with a weighty thump. With nothing left to hold onto, Sterling slid down the sharp slope on the inside of the ramp and hit the deck hard. Two solid thumps followed soon after, the first from Banks and the second from the Obsidian Soldier that had been clinging to her ankle. The machine immediately sprang into action, clamping its hand around Banks’ throat. His first officer fought back, but the fall had knocked the wind from her and she was unable to resist the robot’s mechanical strength. Sterling clambered toward Banks, but the fall had badly winded him too. He managed to get his bionic hand around the machine’s leg, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t pull the Obsidian Soldier clear.
“Lucas!” Banks croaked as the machine intensified its choke hold. “Help!”
Sterling clawed himself closer to the soldier, using the machine’s own frame for leverage, but still he couldn’t prize it clear.
“Mercedes!” Sterling called out. Panic was starting to overwhelm him. “No!”
Two sharp blasts fizzed through the air and slammed into the Obsidian Soldier’s cranial section. Moments later, Lieutenant Shade dropped to her knees beside Banks and wrestled the robot’s fingers away from her throat. Banks coughed violently as she shoved the broken machine away from her. There was enough power in the act to let Sterling know that there was life in his first officer yet. Overwhelmed with relief, Sterling flopped onto his back and simply lay there, staring up at the ceiling of the cargo hold. Banks rolled onto the deck and lay at his side, their heads touching.
“Thanks, Lieutenant,” said Banks, her voice still raspy and hoarse.
Sterling couldn’t see Shade from his position on his back, but he could sense that she was there.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Shade replied, suddenly stepping into view. A ceiling light behind her cast her features into shadow, making the weapons officer look like some sort of dark and malevolent spirit. “The machines are already on the hull,” Shade continued, the tone of her voice matching her ominous appearance. “And they’re cutting through.”
Chapter 26
Skeletons in the closet
Sterling reloaded his pistol and swept the barrel around the interior of the cargo bay. Scraping and banging noises were resonating through the deck and walls and Sterling could already hear the fizz of plasma cutting beams slicing into the hull.
“Where are they cutting through?” Sterling glanced down at his computer to see a mass of contacts surrounding the ship. “It would take them an hour to breach the hull with pistols, and my guess is they won’t want to wait that long.”
“Other than the cargo ramp, the quickest route inside is to cut through the escape pod hatches on deck four,” Shade replied. She then reloaded the high-power plasma rifle, removed the scope and switched the mode to semi-automatic. “There aren’t enough of us to cover both locations, so I’d suggest we make our stand on the bridge, sir. There are only two ways in or out and we can cover them both.”
“Agreed, but we’ll need to swing by the armory first and pick up something with a bit more short-range punch,” Sterling replied, looking at the pistol in his hand. It had served him well in the past, but this time he would need considerably more firepower.
“What about Lieutenant Razor and the other survivor?” asked Lieutenant Shade.
Sterling turned to the barely-conscious bodies of his two remaining engineers and cursed under his breath. Neither was capable of getting to the bridge unaided, and there wasn’t the manpower or time to stretcher them to deck one. Glancing around the bridge, Sterling’s eyes fell onto one of the secure storage lockers built into the wall.
“We’ll have to seal them up in the hold and come back for them later.” He rushed to the nearest locker, opened it with his command codes, then ran back to Lieutenant Razor and began to drag her to the locker, while Shade hauled the other unconscious engineer to the same location.
“What if the Obsidian Soldiers detect them?” Shade asked, covering Sterling while he worked to stuff the officers inside the locker.
“We’ll have to take that chance,” said Sterling, rolling the tall frame of Lieutenant Razor into the space. “I doubt they’ll consider hunting for any other survivors until they’ve dealt with us.”
Sterling then realized that Banks wasn’t with them. He looked around the cargo hold and spotted the ship’s first officer kneeling beside Commander Graves.
“He’s hurt badly,” she called over, while injecting the ship’s medical officer with a concoction of drugs from an emergency medical kit. “I’ll need to carry him.”
“No need, Commander,” Graves said, gingerly climbing to his feet. “I will be able to make it under my own steam.” The medical officer then stumbled and dropped to one knee, placing a hand on the deck for support, as he wobbled unsteadily. “Though perhaps with a little help.” Graves added.
“I’ll help Commander Graves while you load yourself up with as many weapons as you can carry,” Sterling said, as Banks hauled the medical officer back to his feet. “I’m counting on the fact that you can carry a lot.”
“I’m on it,” said Banks, moving out ahead of Shade, who was studying her computer.
“Hull breach detected, Captain,” the weapons officer said, calmly. “We have intruders on deck four.”
“Then let’s move,” said Sterling, slinging Graves’ arm over his shoulder and following in the direction of Commander Banks. “Head to section six then take the elevator up from there. You and Banks detour to the armory, while I’ll take Graves directly to the bridge.”
Shade responded with a crisp, “Aye, sir,” then helped to lug the injured Commander Graves out of the cargo hold.
Banks had already ascended in the elevator by the time Sterling reached it. Shade ran ahead and was holding the door open when her computer chimed another alert.
“Multiple hull breaches detected,” Shade said, as Sterling hit the buttons for decks three and one. “I’d estimate that twenty or more Obsidian Soldiers are already inside.”
Sterling nodded, then tapped his neural interface and reached out to Banks. “They’re coming, Mercedes,” he said, feeling the link form in his mind. “Expect company in no more than a couple of minutes.”
“Understood,” Banks replied. Her mind was busy and Sterling could practically feel her heart thumping harder in her chest as she worked to collect as many weapons as possible. “Shade will join you and I’ll see you on the bridge.”
Sterling closed the link and the door of the elevator opened on deck three. Shade moved out, sweeping her weapon along the corridor outside before the door closed and the elevator began ascending again.
“Thank you for the opportunity to serve as a member of your crew, Captain Sterling,” said Graves. Sterling frowned across at his medical officer. The man was talking as if he was on his death bed. “It is more than I expected and far more than I deserve.”
“You’re not dead yet, Commander,” Sterling replied. “Besides, we’ll have wounded after this fight is over, so you can’t die on me until I say so.”
“Far be it from me to disobey an order, sir, bu
t I’m afraid I cannot comply,” Graves replied, solemnly. “I am dying and nothing can stop that now.”
The elevator door opened and Sterling moved outside, still hauling Graves by his side. Then the glint of metal caught his eye and his gut tightened. Dropping Graves, Sterling ducked and rolled through into the corridor. The Obsidian Soldier’s clenched fist swung over Sterling’s head as he did so and hammered into the wall, knocking a dent into the metal two inches deep. Sterling cursed and scrambled away from the machine, struggling to reach his pistol. The Obsidian Soldier then turned its cranial section to the injured officer on the deck. It raised its foot and stomped it down on Graves’ chest. Sterling heard the crack of bone as it did so, but the medical officer was unable to cry out due to the pressure on his lungs.
Finally clasping his hand around his pistol, Sterling aimed and fired three blasts in quick succession, hitting the machine in the chest and head. It crumpled to the deck, destroyed. Sterling jumped up as the sound of more metal feet thudding into the deck filtered along the corridor. Hurrying to his medical officer’s side, he knelt down and peeled his officer off the deck. Graves was still alive, but Sterling could hear that his breath was shallow and raspy. Blood was tricking from his mouth.
“It is okay, Captain, you can leave me here,” Graves said, as Sterling hooked his hands underneath the man’s arms and began dragging him to the bridge. “Occupying your time helping me puts you at greater risk.”
Another Obsidian Soldier burst through the door to the exit stairwell at the far end of the corridor, close to the briefing room. Its optical scanners quickly locked onto Sterling and the machine began stomping its way toward him. Sterling stopped and fired, hitting the machine in the chest and burning a hole through its armor. The robot wavered momentarily, but continued on. Sterling squeezed the trigger again, but the weapon jammed. Cursing, he tossed the pistol and rose to his full height, raising his guard and leading with his bionic hand. The machine did not hesitate and swung at Sterling first, but he ducked and the metal fist thudded into the wall. Jabbing the Obsidian Soldier in the chest with his bionic hand bought Sterling an extra couple of seconds, but the machine’s next attack was more precise. Thrusting its hand toward Sterling’s chest it gripped his body armor and thudded him against the wall. Sterling cried out in pain, but the soldier was unrelenting. It swung Sterling to the other wall, hammering his back into the metal and knocking the breath from his lungs. Sterling saw the smoldering hole in the Obsidian Soldier’s chest and thrust his bionic hand into the opening. Sparks erupted from the cavity and Sterling felt the machine’s grip loosen. Digging deeper, he closed his fingers around the mass of wires and circuits inside the Obsidian Soldier and yanked them out of the robot’s cavity. The machine spasmed and collapsed to the deck, as if Sterling had just ripped its heart from its chest.
“Impressive, Captain,” said Graves, as Sterling rushed back to his side. “I am pleased that my replacement hand functions so admirably. I regret that I will not be able to complete it with synthetic flesh and skin.”
“Quit the negative talk, Commander,” Sterling hit back, hooking his hands under Graves’ arms again and dragging him onto the bridge. “The only person on this ship who decides who lives and dies is me, and you don’t have permission, is that clear?”
“Perfectly clear, Captain,” Graves replied.
Sterling propped his medical officer up against one of the auxiliary consoles to the left of the port egress before turning back to the corridor outside. The thump of metallic feet was again growing louder. Tapping his neural interface, Sterling opened a link to Banks while unlocking an emergency weapons closet.
“Report, Commander, what’s your status?” Sterling said, while pulling out a plasma pistol and slapping in a power cell.
“We’re enroute, but this place is already teeming with the metal bastards,” Banks replied. Her emotions were running high, but Sterling could only detect aggression and determination, not fear.
“Be advised that a small number of Obsidian Soldiers has already reached deck one,” Sterling continued, covering the corridor outside. Another robot stomped into view and this time Sterling only needed one shot, coring a hole dead center in the Obsidian Soldier’s head.
“We’ve met a few enroute,” Banks replied. “ETA, one minute. Can you hold the fort till then?”
“Do I have a choice, Commander?” Sterling replied, blasting another machine as it tried to clamber over the wreckage of its fallen comrades.
“No sir,” replied Banks.
“Then I’ll hold them off,” Sterling answered. “Just get here as fast as you can.”
The link went dead and Sterling used the lull in fighting to grab a second pistol from the locker and load it. He then activated one of the auxiliary consoles at the rear of the bridge that Lieutenant Razor normally used and tried to activate the Invictus’ computer.
“Computer, now would be a great time to come back online,” Sterling said, while trying to access a core diagnostic.
“Primary AI offline,” replied a monotone voice that sounded like the shipboard computers from before Sterling was even born. “Life support functions only are available. Would you like to see more?”
“No, damn it!” Sterling hit back. “When will the main AI be back online?”
“I do not have that information,” the voice replied.
“Can you estimate when?” Sterling asked, growing more frustrated by the second.
“Negative,” the computer replied. “Will there be anything more?”
“No,” he growled back at the console while still keeping an eye on the corridor outside.
“Glad I could be of assistance,” the voice replied.
Sterling cursed and practically punched the control to shut down the console. He never thought there would come a time when he missed the Invictus’ unique AI, but he now felt the absence of his quirky computer all too keenly.
“Captain!”
The shout from Graves alerted Sterling to more Obsidian Soldiers entering the corridor outside. Sterling turned and fired on instinct, blasting the knee joint of one machine and sending it down. Then a return blast hammered into his body armor and sent him reeling backward onto the bridge. He tripped and fell, landing heavily. By the time he’d regained his senses, the Obsidian Soldier was through the door and advancing on him fast. Sterling raised his pistol and fired, but he was still dazed and the shot was wayward. Then another blast rang out and the machine was hit in the back. The robot turned and Sterling saw Commander Graves propped up against the door, pistol in hand. His medical officer fired again, but this time the blast flew wide and thudded into the deactivated viewscreen.
The Obsidian Soldier advanced on the medical officer, reaching Commander Graves before Sterling could fire again. A swift thrust of the machine’s right hand punctured the medical officer’s body armor and Sterling saw blood spurt out from the wound, like a leaky hosepipe. Pushing himself up, Sterling charged at the machine and blasted it in the rear of its cranial section. The robot fell, revealing a second machine in the corridor behind it. Sterling fired again and again, putting the Obsidian Soldier down. He waited, heart thumping in his chest, but no more renegade robots appeared.
“Take it easy, Commander,” said Sterling, kneeling down beside his medical officer and assessing his new injuries. Graves’ talk of dying had been premature earlier, but Sterling had seen enough wounds to realize there was no longer anything he could do to save the man’s life.
“Admiral Griffin never told you how I came to be on board the Invictus, did she?” Graves said, smiling up at Sterling. Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth, making him look like a vampire that had just feasted on a host.
“There was limited information in your file, though if I’m honest, I’ve always been suspicious of you, Commander,” Sterling replied. Dying or not, he wasn’t about to lie to the man. “Griffin does like to keep her cards close to her chest, though, so I always suspected there was so
mething more.”
“You were right to be suspicious, Captain,” Graves replied, as more blood leaked from his mouth. “I am not quite what I seem, or even what the file made me out to be.”
“Is this a death-bed confession, Commander?” Sterling said, only half-joking.
Graves tried to laugh, but all that came out was a weak, bloody gargle. “I suppose you could call it that, yes,” the medical officer replied.
Sterling gripped his pistol and kept it aimed along the corridor, but still the coast was clear. He hoped this situation would persist long enough to hear Graves reveal his secrets.
“My history is a little more colored than the file suggested,” Graves went on. “As you are well aware, I have certain urges, and a particular interest in death.” Sterling raised an eyebrow and glanced down at his chief medical officer, but Graves was peering off into the distance, as if watching a sunset. “For many years I indulged this interest while practicing medicine in my various posts. Then I was discovered and charged.”
“Charged with what?” Sterling said. He could now make out Commander Banks and Lieutenant Shade struggling to lug enough weapons to equip an army into the hall outside the briefing room.
“Murder, of course, Captain,” Graves replied, with a rising intonation. Evidently, the officer was surprised that Sterling needed to ask.
“And just how many times did you ‘indulge’ this particular interest of yours?” Sterling asked. He realized he should have run out to help Banks and Shade, but he needed to hear what his medical officer had to say.
“I was charged with seventeen counts of first-degree murder,” Graves replied. “The total number, however, was…” Graves then paused and flicked his eyes up to Sterling. “Considerably more.”
“This is all fascinating, Commander, but why are you telling me now?” Sterling asked. He could again hear and feel the thud of metal feet approaching.
