by Sarah Noffke
“Need to proceed with extinguishing sequence now that you’re returning,” said ArchAngel.
“Which will what? Cover me in steam?” asked Julianna.
“Exactly. I wanted to wait until you found the dog or otherwise you would have been blinded by the smoke,” said ArchAngel. “And also, I tried to avoid extinguishing, thinking we could close off the damaged areas.”
“But it spread too quickly,” said Julianna.
“Extinguishing mode commencing,” said ArchAngel and overhead the sprinkler system fired on, raining fire suppression agents down on the flame, making steam spout up. Julianna’s eyes watered more than ever, but she was grateful she couldn’t feel the stinging.
She jumped over a smoking floor. Wires had fallen out of the ceiling and were sparking. Julianna sped up, seeing a figure in the distance. His arms were waving over him, but it was hard to make out his face, due to the steam which was cloaking everything.
There was a line of fire which was putting up a fight to the sprinklers. Julianna’s boot nearly slipped out from under her when she sprinted forward and leapt over the fire. It grazed her legs and feet, but she made it over the flame, still clutching Harley.
Now she could see Eddie on the other side of the hatch entrance. He’d dutifully stayed back, but his face expressed his frustration about being detained. Julianna looked over her shoulder just as an explosion rocked the ship, launching her forward. She nearly tripped over her feet, but caught herself before falling on Harley. He flew out of her arms and landed on his feet. Then he ran on ahead of her, clearing the hatch and then bounding on in the direction of safety.
Julianna jumped over the partition for the door and kept running until she wasn’t being sprinkled with water overhead. She turned when she heard the hatch door shut and lock.
“Section B has been closed off and is being decontaminated,” stated ArchAngel.
Julianna yanked the remnants of her shirt off her face and wiped the sweat and chemicals from her forehead. She looked up to find Eddie staring at her with an expression she’d never seen before. He was angry, his eyes pinched and mouth in a flat line.
“What were you thinking?” he asked, letting out a giant exhale.
Julianna instantly felt cold. Pip must have reactivated her pain receptors. She shivered from the water. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she suddenly remembered she was shirtless. She stared down a bit awkwardly and then shook it off, standing tall and proud.
“I only did exactly what you would have done in my situation,” said Julianna.
Eddie’s jaw worked back and forth like he was measuring his resolve. Then he softened. Smiled. Relaxed. “Yeah, I guess you did.”
“You’re just mad that I beat you to the rescue,” said Julianna.
Eddie’s smile dropped as he looked down the long corridor in the direction where Harley had run. “I’m just glad you’re alright and that I was right.”
“Right? Right about what?” asked Julianna.
“I knew you had a soft spot for Harley.”
“I guess I do like the scraggly dog, against my better instincts,” admitted Julianna.
“Good thing, too, because I consider myself to be a mutt of sorts,” said Eddie. He strode forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, leading her off.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
QBS ArchAngel, Tangki System
Eddie watched as the general’s eyes scanned back and forth over the report. Finally, after a long stretch of silence, punctuated only by Jack nervously tapping his pencil on the desk, the general lowered the tablet.
His eyes first rested on Julianna, who was quietly pacing back and forth. One might think after inhaling smoke and braving fire that she’d want to rest. That person would be wrong. Julianna Fregin wasn’t the “resting” type. Maybe when she died, but Eddie was hopeful that wouldn’t be for many centuries, if ever. Her current stunt proved that she had as many lives as a cat.
“Well?” asked Jack, his eyes expectant.
“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” asked Lance. He had just returned from another of his classified missions.
“I always elect for the good news first,” said Jack, tapping the pencil as he pulled a yellow pad of paper to him.
Lance let out a long exhale. “ArchAngel only took minimal damage. The section that was hit can be repaired fairly quickly. The Intelligence Center will have to relocate to the bridge.”
“That’s mostly good news,” said Eddie. “But Chester is going to be grumpy about it.”
Lance consented with a nod. “Speaking of Chester, that whiz kid was able to get a whole hell of a lot of information when he hacked into Felix’s accounts.”
“That’s good news, since we nearly got blown up doing it,” said Eddie. He looked affectionately at Julianna. “Can you believe we snuck onto Felix’s ship right under his nose? That guy has to be pissed.”
“He’s livid, based on what he tried to do to ArchAngel,” said Jack.
“I fear that whatever Felix is planning, he’s going to speed up the timeline now,” said Lance.
“What is he planning?” asked Julianna, steering the conversation on course, as she was prone to doing.
“That,” began Lance, “we don’t know. However, Chester found information about a scientist by the name of Elemius Riley. He was contracted recently to create a drug for Felix.”
“Elemius Riley,” said Jack, combing his fingers over his chin. “The name rings a faint bell.”
“It should,” answered Lance. “He was a chief scientist involved in a few nanocyte projects.”
“That’s worrisome,” said Julianna, alarm in her voice.
“Does Felix know that we have this information?” asked Eddie. “Could he be going after Elemius to get to him before we do?”
Lance nodded, seeming to agree with this concern. “That was my question as well. Chester, that brilliant badass, apparently uploaded a nasty virus that covered his tracks when he was accessing Unsurpassed’s database.”
“Still, I don’t think we should hesitate to track down this guy,” urged Jack.
“Is that all the information that we have?” asked Julianna.
“Yes,” answered Lance. “We know where Elemius can be found, but don’t know what he created or how it could be used.”
“So looks like we need to pay this guy a visit,” said Eddie.
“That’s exactly what I want you two to do,” said Lance, leaning forward, placing both hands on the surface of the desk. “However, I want you to be careful. This individual has an impressive knowledge of nanocyte technology and he’s been working for Felix. There’s no telling what he’s capable of or how well he’s protected. I have to admit, I was more comfortable about the idea of you infiltrating Unsurpassed than going after an evil scientist who can do who-the-fuck-knows-what.”
“Thanks for the concern, General,” said Eddie. “We’ll get what you need and then we can hopefully be one step ahead of Felix for once.”
“Was that the bad news?” asked Jack. “About Elemius?”
“It’s probably going to turn into a shit ton of bad news,” said Lance and then motioned to Julianna and Eddie. “We’ll find out more once they interrogate the scientist. However, no that’s not actually the bad news.”
Lance cleared his throat and looked at Julianna, a guilty expression on his face made the fine lines more pronounced. Then he swiveled his gaze to Eddie. “I handed this ship over to you both, but unfortunately, I’m going to need to take it back fairly soon.”
“You’re taking back ArchAngel?” asked Julianna. “What are we going to use?”
The look of guilt deepened. “That, I don’t know yet. I’m on the hunt for something that will work. What Ghost Squadron does is important and I want you all to have the right ship, that’s why I gave you ArchAngel in the first place. But I didn’t foresee needing it back this soon.”
“Whatever ship we get, can it have a bowling alley in
it?” asked Eddie.
“I’ll see what I can do,” said Lance, rising to a standing position. “For now, your concern is going after Elemius. He’s the next puzzle piece in this fucked up Felix mess.”
“We won’t let you down,” said Julianna, straightening as she looked at the general.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Alpha-line Q-Ship, Planet Ronin, Behemoth System
“Do you really think this is all necessary?” asked Eddie, pulling at the helmet fastened under his chin.
“You heard the general,” said Julianna, smoothing down her armor. She had to admit that the helmet wasn’t exactly comfortable and made neck movement a bit cumbersome. However, she’d learned long ago not to question Lance’s instincts. If he was worried about this Elemius character then it was for good reason.
“Okay, Pip is going to keep an eye on the ship, right?” asked Eddie.
“Eye on the ship,” laughed Pip. “Yeah, you two toddle off and I’ll house sit.”
Julianna made to roll her eyes but smiled still. “It’s cloaked anyway, and on the outskirts like this it should be fine.” Doctor Elemius Riley lived in an old mansion on the fringe of a sprawling metropolis. Julianna was half grateful that they didn’t have to venture into the city, but didn’t like the idea of tiptoeing onto this guy’s property. Something reeked of a trap, but she wasn’t sure why.
“Knock-knock,” said Eddie, readying himself in front of the hatch door.
Pip laughed again. “Who’s there?”
“Ready,” answered Eddie.
“Ready who?” asked Pip.
“Ready Eddie. Open up ole buddy, ole pal. We’re ready to kick ass,” said Eddie.
“Uhhhh…” said Julianna.
“I mean, question a civilian,” corrected Eddie. “No ass kicking unless necessary.”
“According to his file he sounds unassuming and scrawny,” stated Pip.
“You’re scrawny,” retorted Julianna.
“I like to think that I’ve got wide shoulders, a barrel chest, muscular legs and a dimple on my left cheek,” said Pip.
“Oh, you do, do you?” asked Julianna, amused.
“And I’ve got a larger than life personality,” said Pip.
“And a giant head,” added Julianna.
“And I’m modest too,” said Pip as he opened the hatch. Beyond the ship were broken streets littered with trash and other debris. Most of the houses that lined the road were dilapidated, but at one time they had been large estates in pristine condition. Elemius’s house was at the end of the road and the largest on the block.
Eddie and Julianna climbed from the Q-Ship, trying to be as inconspicuous as one could disembarking from a cloaked vehicle. Ronin was a strange planet, full of all sorts, about like their favorite Londil, Hatch. For that reason, they didn’t look too out of place with their armor. Still the least amount of suspicion they stirred, the better.
Julianna was on high alert as they strode down the road. The yards were empty, and by the looks of it, so were most of the houses. The nearby metropolis was crammed with people and aliens of all sorts. That’s where most had moved since Federation law had created jobs in the city.
They paced down the road, Eddie focused on one side of the street and Julianna on the other. It was strange to her to picture living in a house like this, one with windows and a roof and an outside yard. She’d adjusted to ship life so long ago that it was the norm. For most, not seeing sunlight or having open spaces with dirt was strange. For Julianna the opposite was true.
She stopped when they were outside of Elemius’s wrought iron gate. It was unlocked, but that felt like a trap. Eddie reached out to unlatch it and Julianna found herself pushing him to the side.
“Hey,” he complained, being bumped out of the way.
Julianna dismissed him with a wave and paused, her hand hovering over the handle for the gate. Finally she clamped down on the gate. Nothing happened. She was so sure that it was a trap.
I’m being paranoid, she thought as she pushed down, opening the gate lined with iron vines and leaves.
You’re being protective, said Pip in her head.
Shush it. No one asked for your input.
Were you afraid the gate was going to electrocute the captain?
Why would I care if Teach got a little jolt of electricity? It wouldn’t kill him.
True, but when we don’t want someone to experience pain, however small, that’s when we know we care about them and their general wellbeing.
Then what does it mean if I want to make you hurt?
I think it means we have an opportunity for self-love.
We? What, do you have a mouse in your pocket?
Pocket. Good one. I like the ideas of pockets. Maybe a fanny pack.
We’re not having this conversation.
Indeed we are. Self-love is something that affects all relationships. You see, we can’t love another until we love ourselves. When we have a good relationship with ourselves then we are ideally in a position to—
Shut. The. Fuck. Up.
Oh, said Pip, his voice tensing. Such hostility.
Julianna shook her head, crossing the long path between the gate and the house.
A tiny bell clinked overhead. Julianna knew better than to look up. Instead she shot off the path, scanning her surroundings. The yard was mostly brown, but still overgrown. Smoke sprang up from the ground, quickly cloaking their feet and legs.
“Hold your breath,” said Julianna, covering her mouth.
It appears to just be steam, said Pip
Julianna relaxed, but didn’t lower her hand.
Eddie’s expression was almost unreadable since he was nearly covered in the steam. He waved his hand in front of his face, trying to wave away the mist.
“What the fuck?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” said Julianna, scanning the yard and house and daring to look up. That’s when she saw it. Directed at Eddie from nearby trees and light poles were six laser beams. He still stood on the path, although she couldn’t really see where his feet were.
“Don’t move, Teach,” said Julianna, turning around, trying to figure out what weapon could be behind the lasers.
“What do you mean?” asked Eddie, looking down at his body. “The lasers are moving.”
Julianna stole a glance at Eddie. He was right. The beams strobed over his legs, arms and torso, rotating like they were trying to find the right place on him to fire.
His head and heart were covered with the helmet and armor. He was probably fine, but still something about this made her nervous.
“Just don’t move,” said Julianna.
“Actually, you should back up and leave,” said an unknown voice. Julianna tore her gaze in the direction of the porch, where the voice had come from. The porch and front section of the yard were covered in steam but she could make out a slender figure by the step. He wore a cold stare and held a gun of sorts. Something was off about the weapon, making it appear more like a tranquilizer gun.
“Are you Dr. Elemius Riley?” asked Eddie, holding his hands up in the air in surrender.
“I think you know I am, which is why you’re about to die a slow death,” said the man. He wore a crocheted sweater that made him appear older than he was with his brown hair and small eyes.
The lasers had stopped moving and were centered on different parts of Eddie. Three were on his arms and the rest on his legs. “Uhhh…why the shots to the extremities?”
“Well, before you’re shot in the arms and legs, I’m going to give you a shot of this,” said Elemius, indicating the weapon in his hand. “That is, if you don’t back up and leave. You do have a choice.”
“We came for information,” said Julianna, looking around.
The residence is empty aside from Elemius, said Pip.
That’s a relief.
Not really. He has enough ammunition on the property to fight a small war.
Why, I wonder?
If yo
u can get a bit closer to the house then I may be able to access his computer network.
I’m kind of hanging out here trying to keep Teach from getting shot.
Why do you care if he gets shot? He’ll recover, right?
Shut it, Pip.
Elemius didn’t at all look steady as he held the weapon, his eyes bouncing between Julianna and Eddie. “I’m not at liberty to give information.”
Eddie shook his head. “Look, you can shoot me in the arm if you have to, but we’re not really here for trouble.”
“You’re saying that because you’re enhanced and don’t worry about recovering from a bullet wound,” said Elemius.
“Right,” chuckled Eddie. “And our armor will lessen the blow.”
Elemius waved the weapon up and down. “And what I have here will make the blow exponentially worse. It will make it so that you don’t recover quickly.”
Oh fuck!
Get in there now, Julianna. I don’t have a good feeling about this.
Julianna reached for her gun. She had it up and cocked before Elemius even registered the movement. She fired her pistol, her aim perfect. The bullet struck right above the weapon in Elemius’s hand, making him drop it. Julianna sprinted over, kicking the weapon away as she simultaneously grabbed both of his lanky arms and tied them behind his back.
He bucked backwards, trying to knock his head into her face. However, he was fairly easy to control due to his lack of muscles.
“Let me...let me…let me go,” yelled Elemius.
Julianna clamped his arms tightly together, nearly laughing at the miniscule effort the skinny scientist was exerting. Eddie joined her a moment later, zip tying his wrists together. When she was sure that Eddie had him, she stepped back, inspecting the weapon she’d kicked and landed at the bottom of the stair.
“What are you playing at, fool?” asked Eddie, pushing Elemius up against the side of the house so that his face was smashed against the brown siding.
“I’m not allowed to talk to you,” he tried to say, his speech obscured by the wall.
