Hunted (Space Rogue Book 2)

by Jay Toney

  Both Tanya and Natasha arrived on the bridge, wearing disposable coveralls. "I'm sorry about not changing on the way, but Natty told me we were wanted on the bridge and it was, um, urgent."

  "What was our scheduled departure time?"

  "09:00 hours. I'm sorry we're late, but we had a little trouble getting back, and things didn't exactly go according to plan."

  "Plan? What plan? Who's plan? Maybe the two of you should start there with your explanation."

  "It wasn't exactly a plan. It just sort of happened."

  "What sort of happened?"

  "We were on a, um, special..."

  "Covert operation," Natasha finished.

  "Not anything like the last one, I hope. It cost us 5000 credits to convince the freighter captain not to prosecute you and have Natty disassembled and sold for scrap."

  "He got what he deserved. We caught him cheating at cards. It was supposed to be a friendly game."

  "And you and Natty weren't cheating?"

  "We weren't the ones who got caught."

  "He did catch the two of you. He was able to identify the two of you from his freighter's security recordings."

  "It was only a harmless prank, and he deserved it."

  "He and most of his crew were blue after showering. The dye you used to contaminate their water tanks was permanent. It took nearly a month for it to wear off.

  What did the two of you do this time that went wrong?"

  "It didn't exactly go wrong, just not according to plan. After the riot, Natty and I went down to the planet to get something special for Beverly. The way the three of you stank gave us the idea."

  "What did you get and how much trouble am I going to be in?"

  "Nothing special and nothing illegal; we just collected a few hundred snails. There are a lot of them around the spaceport if you know where to look. Anyhow, Natty and I filled two cargo containers with them. Everything was going according to plan until customs wanted to see what we were loading onto the shuttle. Natty and I warned him not to open the containers. We had to use special care filling them, but the customs inspector insisted. We had never seen anybody vomit as much as he did after opening the containers. We had to stun him for his own good. It would be best if we avoid going dirtside for a while, so he has time to forget us.

  We didn't get a lifetime ban from the Lucy like you, Amber, and Jewel did."

  "And, we didn't get caught trying to steal the credits the ladies earned," Natasha interrupted.

  "We still needed to board the Lucy in disguise so that we wouldn't be recognized. The two of us borrowed a couple of ship jumpsuits from the Orion's crew, docked on the yellow ring. That was our greatest delay. The people wearing the jumpsuits didn't want to let us borrow them. It had something to do with ship's honor, pride, and other such nonsense. Besides, they didn't have anything else to wear. We wanted to be fair, so we didn't use any weapons during the fight. I'm sure they will be okay. They were making groaning noises when we left them.

  It took longer than I thought it would to sneak into the Lucy's cargo hold.

  Did you know she has a contract to deliver cargo in the Auelra system? Her cargo holds are full. It was a good thing too. It made it easier to hide the snails after taking them out of the containers. It will take them a while to find them all.

  It was even harder sneaking back off the Lucy. The snails were covered with slime after being bounced around in the cargo containers. We couldn't avoid getting it all over our hands and the coveralls we were wearing. I hope the crewmen from the Orion don't want their coveralls back. They smell terrible. We had to dispose of them, but if they do want them back, we will gladly buy them new ones."

  "What type of snails did you let loose aboard the Lucy?"

  "The locals call them thistlepops."

  Amber couldn't hold it back any longer. She laughed so hard she fell out of her seat. Jewel couldn't control her laughter either.

  Doc hired Tanya three years ago as a favor for me. I wanted her as part of our crew not only because of her good looks; she was also fun to hang around with. She did things like this frequently.

  I wish I had been with them during their latest caper. Beverly was going to be pissed when she finds out that her freighter has an infestation problem. There was no way she could blame the infestation on Amber, Jewel, and me. She would try though.

  As hilarious as Tanya's and Natty's antics often were, especially this one, I still had to come up with an appropriate punishment for them. I couldn't afford to show favoritism to certain members of my crew, but with Tanya it was hard. We were close friends. Tanya and Natasha did something I wasn't able to do, but I would have loved to have been a participant with them. It was too early to tell if they got away with it. If I punished them now, no demands could legally be made to have them punished again for the same offense.

  "Tanya, Natty, as much as I don't want to, I have to punish you for showing up late, delaying our departure, and the reasons behind it. Other captains would have abandoned the two of you, leaving you on the space station to fend for yourselves."

  "I understand," Tanya said.

  "Me too," Natty said.

  "Both of you will finish this shift, and stand a second watch."

  "That's it?"

  "Yes, it meets all of the minimum requirements. If I ever remember to log it your service records, they will show that you received punishment for this incident, but don't count on it, unless I have to do it to cover your asses. I hate paperwork."

  "Can we change first? These coveralls are chafing me; they're making my boobs hurt. They are already sensitive enough."

  "Mine too," Natty echoed.

  "No, that's part of your punishment. You can't change your clothes, but if you were to remove them after we leave, I wouldn't know about it."

  "People will laugh if they see us in the nude."

  "Not if you remember to close the blast doors first. Let me know if you need us. We will be entering hyperspace in about seven hours. I'm sure you and Natty can handle that."

  ****

  "Captain to the bridge!" Tanya announced over the ships comm system.

  "What is it?" I answered the page. I was with two of the people I cared the most about and didn't want to get out of bed. It was early, and neither one of us were asleep yet.

  "You know, if Jewel keeps spending the night with us, she might as well move in," I teased Amber.

  "Don't tempt her; she might. She used to sleep over with me a lot when we were growing up. Her mother didn't care about her, and her father abandoned her when she was still a baby. I was the only one who cared about her. She and I are best friends, and she is like another sister to me."

  "The problem is, I need some alone time with you. Not much, just a few minutes each day," I stroked Amber's hair.

  "We get that in the shower. You better check on Tanya and Natty. The sooner you see them and find out what is wrong, the sooner you can get back in bed with us. Jewel and I will be waiting for you."

  I got out of bed, dressed, and hurried to the bridge. The Persephone didn't feel right. It felt out of balance. The inertia dampers canceled out the g-forces the ship encountered or created during acceleration and deceleration. That wasn't the problem. It was like the ship's equilibrium was off. Every ship had a unique harmonic frequency. It was like a heartbeat pulsing through the starship. Most people ignored it. The best engineers relied on it, more so than the diagnostic computers, to tell if something was wrong with the ship. The Persephone was practically a new ship, but I was still sensitive to its pulse. I could feel it through the deck plates and the walls.

  Th
e blast door was closed, sealing off the bridge when I arrived. I entered my command override code, and the door opened. Warning sirens and flashing lights greeted me. I rushed into the bridge, ignoring Natasha's and Tanya's nude bodies. Instead of our forward view, the main viewscreen was showing the diagnostic results from Natasha's and Tanya's queries. One of our engines failed. Natasha immediately shut down all of the sublight engines to prevent damage. The Persephone was coasting in deep space.

  "What happened?"

  "Fuel system failure. Jane and Randolph are already working on it."

  "How bad is the damage?"

  "The primary fuel pump, flow regulator, and injectors all failed for the number three engine. We don't have any spares on board."

  "Can they be repaired?"

  "Jane won't know until she takes them apart."

  We could restart the other two engines after they cooled. Getting back to San Paulos for repairs wouldn't be a problem, except for Jewel, Amber, and me. The people thought we were criminals. We were, but not for the crimes the holovid show, Busted portrayed us as committing. Before the episodes of Busted, with us as its stars, we were heroes. Now we were not to be trusted. The show's followers hated us and showed their hatred by pelting us with garbage. I had confidence in Jane's and Randolph's ability to fix the ship. Even if they couldn't, we were not going to turn back.

  We could continue to Nueva Zelanda without repairing the ship, but there were no repair facilities there. If we encountered forces from the Crimson Tide or the Alliance, we would be at a disadvantage. There were also bounty hunters searching for me. There was a price on my head for crimes against the Alliance. I was also wanted for crimes against the Alliance.

  I left, leaving Tanya and Natty to finish their shift on the bridge. It would be late tomorrow or the next day before Jane could determine whether or not she could repair the engine.

  Amber and Jewel were still awake watching the holovid when I got back.

  "What was the emergency?" Amber asked.

  "We had an engine failure?"

  "Can it be fixed?"

  "I hope so; Jane won't be able to tell for a day or two."

  "I have some good news!" Jewel replayed tonight's episode of busted. Before its main show started there was a special announcement:

  "After a lifetime of crime, a local girl, Jewel Stonewall, enlisted in the Space Marines as an officer. She intends to turn her life around and repay our citizens by serving in the military. A hologram of Jewel appeared, wearing a white dress uniform. She was wearing the rank of ensign; she wasn't a lieutenant."

  "Isn't that great? I'm a Marine now."

  "You do realize this is a holovid show, and it isn't real?"

  "If it isn't real, why did the people throw garbage at us?"

  "Nathaniel, be nice," Amber said.

  "I will. I just can't believe how many people believe this crap."

  Repairs didn't take as long as expected. Jane and Randolph were able to manufacture the replacement parts they needed to repair the fuel pump. The flow regulator and the injectors were clogged with debris from the pump and only needed cleaning. We were able to restart the engines and enter hyperspace with only a two-day delay.

  ****

  We exited hyperspace in the in the Nueva Zelanda star system, and set course to the third planet, Thanatos. It grew larger on our viewscreen as we approached it. The planet's topography became more detailed showing that the planet ahead of us was primarily a desert world. Barren rock and sand covered most of the planet, with agricultural bands near the polar regions.

  According to our record, small colonies were settled in the green belt. They were supported by small farms, while larger plantations grew potatoes, onions, carrots, and corn entirely for export.

  Several mines dotted the surface of the planet, in either the rocky terrain or near extinct volcanoes. The miners tunneled below the surface in search of precious gems and metals. There were no small mining outfits or individual prospectors. The areas in which they mined were home to most of the planet's indigenous creatures. The most common life form was a large arachnid, similar in appearance to a scorpion but much bigger, the size of a cat or small dog.

  The Scorpions were extremely venomous. If stung, their sting was often fatal. That was not the primary concern. They hunted in packs. The lone scorpion or small groups of scorpions were often the scouts of a more substantial hunting party. They were also diggers, able to tunnel through dirt or rock.

  The mining operations were surrounded by steel walls, to protect the miners in the compounds. Security forces continually patrolled the perimeter, from catwalks erected near the top of the walls, using flame throwers to keep the scorpions away.

  "Captain, I hear something on my comm thing," Tanya whispered something into Jewel's ear. "Tanya says to call it a comm console or panel."

  "What is it?"

  "It's a strange noise, kind of like a whisper. I can hear it, but I can't quite make it out."

  "Put it on screen. I'd like to see and hear the comm signal."

  "Its only audio," Jewel amplified the signal so all of us could hear it.

  "Captain, the signal sounds like it might be bleed off from an intercommunication source," Natasha suggested. "It seems to be coming from the smaller moon, but our records show that there are no outposts or mining operations on either of the planet's two moons. I suppose it could be a reflection from another source."

  "Keep monitoring the signal and advise me of any changes.

  Natty, bring us in closer to the moons. Let's see if we can identify the source."

  The smaller moon was in orbit closer to the planet than its companion. Natasha altered our course to bring us closer to the smallest moon. The view on our viewscreen swung away from the planet and centered on the moon. Shadow hid most of the moon's surface. Only a small crescent was visible. Tanya helped Jewel change the settings for our visual sensors to show an infrared image. The screen changed from full color to green scale monochrome.

  "Captain, the signal is not a reflection, it is coming from the moon," Tanya reported. "I think Natty is right about it being leakage from a communications network."

  "Natasha, enter orbit when we arrive.

  Amber, use our active sensors to scan the moon. Let's see what we can find."

  "Yes. Captain."

  We entered orbit, 60 kilometers above the moon's surface. Amber ran her scans with the wide variety of sensors available with our short-range sensor suite, including optical, infrared, thermal, x-ray and other sensors used for detecting energy.

  "Captain, the comm signal stopped," Jewel reported. "Did I say that right?" Tanya shook her head. It was going to take a lot more effort to train Jewel. She was a slow learner, but when she did learn, she never forgot. Tanya liked Jewel, she was a lot of fun to be around, and Amber was a lot happier with her friend aboard the Persephone. It gave her someone to share her most profound thoughts with, the ones she couldn't share with Nathaniel. Tanya had Natasha for that. There were things that a woman could only share with another female. Men just weren't capable of understanding how women thought. They didn't have the right biology.

  Whoever was on the moon couldn't stay hidden from Amber. Her brother taught her how to use the sensors commonly installed on starships. She was an expert in their use.

  It took a few orbits, and comparisons of the data Amber collected, but she was able to find the outpost after locating its elevator, hidden on the floor of a crater. The lift's platform was large enough for a freighter or scoutship to land on it. The central facility was underground, hidden from view. Only small portions of the base protruded above the moon's surface. They were ca
mouflaged to look like large rocks and other surface features. The exterior lights were turned off, helping to keep its location hidden.

  "Natasha, assume geostationary orbit above the base.

  Amber monitor energy levels. Let me know if the base is powering weapons or shields.

  Jewel, open a communications channel with the base."

  "They are not answering, but according to this thingamajigger they are listening." For at least the tenth time today, Tanya explained, "Its called a comm panel!"

  "That's what I said"

  "You called it a thingamajigger. I haven't the slightest idea what one of those are."

  Natasha tried helping, "According to my language database a thingamajigger can refer..."

  "Not now Natty, I already have a headache."

  "This is Captain Roberts, of the Persephone. You are ordered to surrender at once!"

  "That grauping son of a sneazle is dead."

  "I have very few memories of my mother. She was killed by an Alliance soldier when I was very young. What I do remember about her was that she was very kind and loving. The next time you insult my memory of her will be your last.

  Natty, arm our missiles."

  "Wait, we will surrender on two conditions."

  "They are?"

  "That we will not be executed or sold into slavery."

  "I'm sending down a Marauder. Make sure my men our greeting is a friendly one."

  The outpost's exterior lights came on, and the hanger doors opened. An elevator began to rise, with a freighter waiting on its landing pad. There was ample room on the platform for a shuttle or Marauder to land alongside the cargo ship.

  "Doc put together an assault team and take one of our Marauders to the base. Loot anything of value and load it on the freighter. We will take the freighter with us. Tie one of our beacons into the base's transponder Then lock the base down."