Icarus (Interstellar Cargo Book 1)

by Matt Verish

  Rig shrugged.

  Emmerich sighed. She stared long and hard at Cole. “What the hell is your brother hoping to accomplish?”

  Cole sat forward and assumed the controls. “I don’t know, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to add another catastrophe to my criminal resume.”

  The ship shuddered, the thrusters coming to life.

  “Um...Cain? What’re you doing?” Cole asked as they began distancing themselves from the smasher. “You forgot to take our cargo back with us.”

  CAIN said.

  “What? Where?” The AI switched the camera view on the screen to display a solitary figure drifting aimlessly through open space. She looked like little more than a meteoroid to him, and it was apparent she had no idea how to control the jetpack on her space suit. He knew from his own basic emergency training just how difficult it was to fly in a straight line, let alone make for a fixed. She could quickly burn out her fuel supply, float off into nothingness, or even crash and tear open her suit. They would have to pluck her out of mid-flight before any of those outcomes came to a head.

  “Get us close, Cain,” Cole ordered. “I’m going out on the tether.”

  “That’s more like it, Nugget!” Rig said.

  “Yeah, who’s the pussy now?” Cole asked as he stood. “You’re with me, Rig. Emmerich!” He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “You’re in charge of the bridge until I get back with the Doc.”

  Emmerich seemed surprised by his order. “As if Dartmouth’s creation will ever listen to me.”

  “Cain!” Cole shouted as he and Rig headed for the lift. “Chrysanthemum’s in charge until I get back. She’s my friend, and I trust her.”

  Cole grinned at Emmerich gave her a thumbs up, and winked just as the lift door closed.

  ~

  Quit panicking!

  Lin was sucking up the limited supply of oxygen at an alarming rate, and she had lost control of the jetpack...if she had ever had control of it to begin with. The view of the world outside her visor spun at a sickening speed, and it only seemed to be going faster. There was probably a simple solution, but fear had a way of making one stupid. She had to take control of her situation if she was to be reunited with the others. She closed her eyes and took a costly deep breath.

  I did not come this far and give up everything only to suffocate in a stolen space suit.

  Reopening her eyes, Lin did a quick summation of her rotation and activated the opposite thruster in hopes of counteracting the spinning. She slowed a little, though her true motion was more gyroscopic than circular. A few quick, calculated bursts helped to rectify the issue. Her world no longer spun, but a new problem had arisen, and it was approaching fast.

  CAIN said through text inside her Ocunet lenses.

  Cole? Lin thought, momentarily forgetting that she was on a collision course with the satellite dish. A quick burst positioned her to face away from the dish, and she could see the approach of the ICV-71. The ship’s underside was exposed, the payload bay door slowly opening. They were coming to save her, but seeing the dish in her peripheral vision was more than enough motivation to act before collision. All she had to do was make it inside the bay.

  Taking what limited experience she had gained in correcting her uncontrollable spin, Lin gripped the jetpack controls. Another collision warning from CAIN flashed in her vision and broke her calm. As a result, she fired her thrusters too strongly. The good news: she was headed straight for her intended target. The bad news: she had a new collision concern.

  Panic seized her once more as she rocketed toward the bay opening. Her breathing came in short, desperate gasps, and her oxygen level meter flashed red. CAIN’s warning scrolled by in bold caps, warning her of her high speed approach. The words registered, though her hands resisted her plea to react accordingly.

  And then Cole was there. At least she assumed the person floating in the bulky hard-shell space suit was him. He was slowly working his way out of the bay toward her, but he was ill-prepared for her hurtling velocity. In a last ditch effort to intercept her before impact, he thrusted to race over in time and cut her off.

  He missed.

  Lin could only watch in horror at his helpless expression and outstretched arms as she sped by. She collided head-first into something solid, and her world went black.

  ~

  “Close the bay door, Cain!”

  Cole had watched Lin’s helmet collide with the steel platform. There were spider web cracks in the glass, and her body had gone limp. Her vicious impact caused her to ricochet back in the direction from which she had come. If he did not secure her before she drifted back out into space, she was as good as dead.

  Looking down at the bay door, it was obvious CAIN would be unable to close it in time to stop her from slipping away. He was already attempting a second retrieval, though he feared grabbing her outside of the ship and the door severing the tether. He had to chance it. He flew in front of Lin and allowed her to slam directly into him. He had not anticipated the force of the impact, and without her assistance, her unconscious body slipped through his bulky fingers.

  Collecting his wits, Cole saw Lin’s tumbling body had passed the ship’s threshold and was close to being lost forever. At the same moment he accelerated toward her, the entire ship followed his lead. He had never considered that CAIN could assist in so delicate an operation. The ship swallowed her whole and even tilted enough so she couldn’t pass through the diminishing opening.

  Thanks, Cain, Cole thought, though he knew Lin was not out of danger yet. This time he aimed for her leg on his approach and grabbed her foot. Collecting some of his slack tether, he pulled her close and looped it around her torso a couple of times before igniting the reverse thrusters. He took his first breath in what seemed like minutes when they slowed to a stop.

  “Musgrave,” Emmerich yelled into Cole’s earpiece.

  “A little busy right now,” he said, frustrated at her timing. “You’re in charge until I get back, remember?”

  “Get your ass back up here,” she said, a tremor in her voice. “We’ve got big trouble.”

  Cole gave the signal for Rig to reel them back to safety. “More trouble than a dying engineer?”

  There was an unsettling pause. “Terracom is here.”

  23

  DOGFIGHT

  Terracom was technically affiliated with the Business division of AMBER, though their starfleet rivaled that of Military. They paraded throughout the stars as mankind’s last hope for survival, but everyone knew they were nothing more than an empire seeking to conquer all. It was also a poorly kept secret that Terracom acted with little or no recourse. Terraforming ventures awarded them with seemingly infinite unicred. So it was no surprise to Cole when he witnessed the full-scale battlecruiser bearing down on their position. He could certainly blame Rig’s eyes, but the mechanic had been forced to join their impossible mission.

  Thanks, bro.

  There would be no time to curse their situation or assess Lin’s health. It was with some irony that Rig was tending to the one person in the infirmary who could clear up his bad case of ocular shackles. It was up to Cole, CAIN, and Emmerich to face Goliath with their trusty sling.

  “Have they hailed us yet?” Cole asked, breathless. He jumped into his chair, awaiting a response. There were no fighters pouring out from the ship. Yet.

  “Nothing,” Emmerich said. She had yet to even look at Cole since he had come back to the bridge.

  CAIN said.

  “Get us out of here!” Cole shouted, knowing exactly what was about to happen. “They’re not he
re for Rig; they’re here to burn us to a cinder! Put the dish between us and them. They might have all the firepower, but we at least have speed and maneuverability on our side.”

  The ICV-71’s engines exploded to life and made for the opposite side of the satellite station.

  “Should’ve taken out that Terraport...” Emmerich mumbled, still staring at the viewport screen.

  “Woulda, coulda, shoulda,” Cole countered. “I’m more interested in buying us some time so we can jump to somewhere else.”

  “And what?” Emmerich demanded, finally facing him. “So they can follow us there as well?” She shook her head vehemently. “Jettison that filthy criminal in sick bay, and maybe we’ll stand a chance.”

  Hard to dispute her logic, Cole thought. Regardless, he was not about to torpedo a living soul into space for the chance to secure an escape. Not after what Rig had already done for the group since escaping the debt colony.

  “No, he stays. We’ll just have to hope Doc is alright and makes another eye potion for him.”

 

  “Even with the dish so close to us?” Cole asked. “Shit! We must’ve really pissed these guys off. Hurry up, Cain.”

  The ship made a sharp turn close to the edge of the giant satellite dish. So close, in fact, Cole thought their wing would surely clip the station. Amazingly, they did clear the obstacle, though the universe spun on screen as they fell into a barrel roll just as several lasers flashed by. An instant later, they had the protection of the dish, short-lived though it would be.

  “Wow!” Cole shouted, gripping the arms of his chair. “That was way too close. They’re starting out with the small guns, so that means they’re executing some form of precaution in front of UniSys. I’m sure Terracom will get a firm reprimand after we’re toast.”

 

  “Woo, awesome!” Cole said. He clapped loudly, startling Emmerich. “I was really hoping it wouldn’t be this easy to escape.”

  CAIN explained.

  “Even with our stealth and cloaking?”

  “Rig!” Emmerich shouted. “They have a firm lock on us because of him.”

  “Oh, yeah...” Cole brought his hand to his stubbly jaw line in thought as the ICV-71 hovered motionless behind the dish. “Cain. Can you set a course somewhere behind that cruiser?”

 

  “No time for logic. We can only hope those fighters will back off if we engage that dreadnought.”

  Emmerich looked like she was about to scream bloody murder. Cole shrugged apologetically. “What choice do we have? We’re dead either way. We might as well add one more page to our shining legacy before we get burned to a crisp.”

  For the first time since coming to blows with the former inspector, they finally saw eye to eye on something. Emmerich offered a nearly imperceptible nod.

  Cole took a calming breath and faced the console. “Plot the course, Cain. Don’t matter where. I’ll do the rest.”

  CAIN said.

  “I know. Just—”

 

  “What?” both Cole and Emmerich shouted.

 

  Cole was delirious with understanding. “Because UniSys still doesn’t know we’re here!” He pounded the butt of his fist into the console. “They’re responding to the hail of laser blasts and approaching fighters. Yes!”

  “Move, Musgrave!” Emmerich ordered. “This is no time to pat yourself on the back. It won’t be long before Terracom and UniSys come to a realization over this dispute. We need to be gone before then.”

  “Always business with you,” Cole said, laughing. He grabbed the controls. “Let’s make a break for it!”

  As he spoke, the ensuing battle crested all around the satellite dish in a blaze of rockets, laser blasts, and ship debris. Terracom’s infamous Kobold-2s and the equally deadly UniSys Ion Rifters were engaged in a fast dogfight. There would be no single direction they could travel to evade their pursuers. Even if UniSys was to halt the affront, Terracom would simply unleash the remainder of its fighter fleet to see the crew of the ICV-71 decimated. Attack first, explain later. Regardless of the outcome, the fault would never be with Terracom.

  Path of least resistance, Cole thought. “We need an escort.”

  “Excuse me?” Emmerich asked. “How do you propose we do that?”

  “Watch and learn.” Cole shared his most mischievous grin. “Cain. Send a distress call to the UniSys mainframe and request protection for our safe passage.” He held up a hand to silence Emmerich. “Do your best to mimic this ship’s hull to that of an official AMBER motorcade vessel. Make sure they understand we are prominent figures being illegally tracked by Terracom. Override any questioning authority if you must.”

 

  Emmerich watched Cole sit back, and she frowned. “Care to take a nap while we wait to die?”

  Cole smiled. “No sense in drawing any unnecessary attention to ourselves. We are important dignitaries, after all. Besides, they’re too busy beating each other’s brains in to—”

  A new squadron of Kobold-2 fighters streaked past to join the Terracom cause. They ignored the confrontation with UniSys and headed straight for the ICV-71. Cole was already guiding the ship toward the nearest cluster of UniSys fighters when the multiple targets warning sounded. He left behind two magnetic depth charges in his wake. He detonated them shortly out of range of impact. The three Kobolds closest to them took the unexpected blast, and they went dark and powerless. The remaining fighters broke off before they met a similar end.

  The detonation drew the attention of nearby Rifters, who gladly intercepted the pursuing Kobolds. Cole held his breath as the UniSys ships zipped by without incident. He had no time to acknowledge his fluttering heart, for his opening presented itself. Escort or not, he drove the ship to its limit in direction of open space.

  “Cain, I suggest you adjust whatever coordinates you’re plotting, because...oh, shit!”

  As if anticipating their course of action, the Terracom dreadnought stormed into their path as they were leaving the confines of the satellite station. So close was the battlecruiser, that it blotted out the majority of stars. Cole jerked the yoke hard to avoid a collision, though his maneuver led them directly into a mass of Kobold-2s pouring from the side of the gargantuan ship. Several of the fighters took evasive action to avoid the ICV-71, though a couple collided with each other instead. Cole bore down on the brief explosion, taking the chance their own ship would survive scattering debris. The risk paid off as chunks and bits of twisted metal deflected harmlessly off the smooth, streamlined hull.

  CAIN announced as Cole traversed along the anterior of the dreadnought to avoid any cannons.

  “Son of a bitch!” Cole shouted. “Talk about some seriously unwanted déjà vu. I hope those escorts know what they’re getting themselves into.”

  The ICV-71 dove, spun, rose, rolled, and raced along all sides of the dreadnought, to no avail. The Kobolds continued to gain ground. The space dance managed to keep the fighter’s weapons at bay, though Cole knew his luck was on the verge of running out. And it was at the point of imminent destruction that the majority of their tails were suddenly vaporized. The force of the unknown explosion nearly pushed them directly into the belly of the dreadnought.

  “That came from the satellite station,” Emmerich said, stunned.

  CAIN said.

  “Um, apology accepted?” Cole muttered,
still shaken by the close call. Ally against ally, he thought. He could almost smell the match of war being struck.

  The few remaining Kobolds kept a respectful distance after the attack, though they continued their pursuit. They were met with a barrage of auto cannon fire from behind, and they scattered, one disintegrating from too much damage.

  CAIN announced.

  Cole could have sworn he detected pride in the AI’s words. “Right on time,” he said with a sizable helping of sarcasm. He could see two Rifters quickly approaching to sidle up with them. He immediately led the trio away from the dreadnought, steering clear of the main engines thrust. His tiny window of escape had finally presented itself, though he knew Terracom would mount a fierce retaliation. With any luck, the ICV-71 would already be wherever it was going.

  CAIN said, opening a small window on the viewport screen. A pilot appeared with a UniSys patch on his shoulder.

  “Our deepest apologies for arriving so late,” the young man said. “Is President Jensen safe?”

  Cole covered his guffaw by faking a cough and placing his hand over his mouth. Emmerich’s grin forced him to “cough” a bit longer. Way to be subtle, Cain. “Madam President is safe. We thank you for your timely assistance.”

  “Had we known you were being pursued by those Terracom bastards, we would’ve come sooner.”

  “We were hoping to slip by unnoticed,” Cole said, more interested in the new squadron of Kobold-2s gathering behind them. There was no sign of a Rifter backup. It was time for him to test just how loyal UniSys was to an AMBER president.

  “Pilot,” Cole began in his most authoritative voice. “Our mission is of great import, and President Jensen must make the jump if the entire System is to evade the coming war.”

  “War?” The pilot spoke the words as though they were foreign.

  “Yes. War.” He flinched when Emmerich reached across and punched him in his tricep. Hope he didn’t see that. “Make sure those fighters never reach us.”