On The Island, a team of exosuited pirates were diligently working, scraping the glued and jammed remains of Pat487 from between the pusher and the track. Inside the honeycomb, more, including the remaining industrial robots, were working at breakneck speed to repair the drones and especially the damage on The Innocent. It almost looked routine. Battle repairs were part of the dirty business of being space assholes.
Inside the auditorium, the rest of the now less than merry crew floated in forced zero G, attempting to organize themselves around the seating. Jada, Pablo and Schafer didn’t bother with the private box. They hovered front and center. Dima held onto the lectern while Shu floated comfortably off his shoulder. The wannabe king was speaking into the microphone so that his words were broadcast to those hard at labor as well. “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I expected more from my new partners.”
Pablo eye’d daggers at Jada while responding, “The new robot personnel didn’t exactly work out as hoped.”
Jada threw in, “But the loyal ones, they’s bein' hard workin' outside.” Then pointing at Candy and Silvio who floated at the side of the stage, “Or helpin' you, Dima.”
Dima nodded acknowledgment, “They indeed saved me from harm.” He glanced at Shu, “Along with my trusty servant.” He spoke to the audience listening outside, “And I am sorry that several of you may be listening from the infirmary.” He cleared his throat. “In any event, the sentient robots are not the issue; as I stated earlier, they are the lynchpin for our success. That some have either escaped or been neutralized leaves us with the loyal ones we will need in order to facilitate my plan. That said, expeditiousness calls for sorting out security excuses when things become less urgent.”
Pablo felt burning anger rise up to his face. He couldn’t wait to stick it to this uptight prick.
Dima continued, “Prior to the interruption, I was speaking of a captured AI weapon. We isolated that weapon and subsequently extracted the nano virus it contained. No easy task I might add. We didn’t dare such an operation on Soul. Rather, we used an abandoned research vessel orbiting Enceladus. We now have a weapon that will cause the occupants of Bez Hanson’s fortress to choose…a different path—” He pointed at Link, who floated in the far back. “—While the loyal safely walk in and claim your reward.”
As Dima droned on, laying out his plan to infiltrate Bez’s fortress, Jada thought about T892’s betrayal. Ain’t they nobody that ain’t corrupt? Capable of only seeing her side of the story, she could not have been at fault. It was a notion that her mind wouldn’t even entertain.
Shaffer held his hand to his ear, then called out, “Hold on to something everybody. The pusher’s clear. She’s spinning up.”
Slowly but surely, the gravity returned to the base and everyone dropped into their seats, Dima and Shu to standing positions on stage.
GET OFFA MY MOON
HOURS LATER, JADA and Pablo stepped onto the mezzanine of The Island’s flight control center and observed the big display showing various angles of the space station’s honeycomb. Repairs were being completed on The Innocent; the ship’s damaged skin was being worked on by a drone that was 3D printing new skin directly onto the cut away portions of the damaged skin. Repairs were also under way on two landing docks and another drone. Men in jet-actuated exosuits zoomed about.
Hap sat in front of the flight control console physically adjusting the controls. He spoke into a headset to no one in particular. “We remain hidden from Kiviuq via Ijiraq. Initiating our altered angle, which places us past the Ijiraq in two hours. I show us hugging that moon for forty-two minutes until we can realign ourselves between it and Kiviuq.”
Jada said, “Hap, why yo ass be so keen on flyin' us with yo fingers?”
Hap glanced over his shoulder, surprised by the visitors. He smiled at the pirate king and queen and said solicitously. “I like the Island. She takes good care of us, but I’m old-fashioned and like flying us old school when it matters.”
Pablo chuckled, “I don’t trust her either.” He looked up at nothing in particular. “And I know you’re listening, you old hag. Good thing you’re just a dumb AI.” He nodded at the display and the robots flying outside, then said to Jada, “If you’d let me, I’d wipe those sentient things right now.”
Jada said, “Them be the ones took great personal risk and saved my ass. We ain’t wiping nobody. Besides, at least one them is gots to do the infiltration.”
Pablo shrugged. “Just a statement for the record.” He called out to the room, “Island, who’s on Ijiraq?”
The station responded, “As is customary, I only have access to the Hanson City public profile, which was last updated to my records sixteen-Earth-months ago, therefore placing the desired information outside the recommended expiration allowance. Nevertheless, the record states that the moon has a single occupant, Winter Glass and Optics. Proprietor, Siegfried Winter. It is an as yet-to-be completed manufacturing plant for high quality optics and glass, such as space grade mirrors, fiber op—“
“Stop,” said Pablo. “Enough. Show me what we can see of it.”
The big display shifted to a view of Ijiraq. There was a clear rotation. A lighted surface area was rotating into sight.
Pablo said, “That as close as you can get?”
The computer voice said, “The current image is at maximum magnification.”
Pablo said to Jada. “Looks like there’s something going on. At least a few ships.”
Hap said, “The flight profile’s got us skimming it nice’n close, so we can scope it for the future.”
Dima entered with Silvio and Candy on each arm. Schafer and Shu followed a few steps behind. Dima looked at the big display and said, “Ah, I assume we are successfully using Ijiraq as a visual and radio shield to hide us from Kiviuq?”
“That would be correct,” said Pablo. “I thought you were returning to your ship, sir. We are within visual range of that moon. Even though your ships are trailing us, your wish to not be seen with us is likely to be blown if you wait much longer.”
Dima said, “I’ve only just been informed that it's safe for my shuttle to take off.”
Jada said, “Yo and our pleasure-givin’ friends be gettin’ along.”
Dima offered a slight nod. “About that. I’ve been speaking with these two, and as much as I find my dear assistant, Shu, to be indispensable, I have found that Candy and Silvio are able to administer an equally helpful level of stress reduction.” He smiled at the two robots. “We’ve come to enjoy each other’s company, haven’t we?”
“We have. Yes, sir,” said the two robots.
Dima continued. “As I understand it, there is no binding contract, per se. They are free to go where they wish?”
Pablo said, “Save your words, my friend. Take them. Please. Two more potential rebels I don’t need to worry about.”
The robot’s faces mildly lit up with hope.
Jada said, “Now holds on. We be payin' good money to get they asses out here. And the crew… well the crew be pretty happy they’s here.”
Dima said, “I will happily reimburse you double your expenses.”
Pablo said, “Sold.”
Jada snorted frustration. The robot's faces remained relatively impassive, but they sent private messages back and forth that added up to: Saved!
Dima said, “Done. Now, I have interviewed the remaining commercial models. The one named Link has an excellent recall of being on Hanson’s private moon. He will be the one to be inserted.”
Pablo said, “You trust these bots way more than I do, but yeah. OK. That’s your plan. We’ll get the bot there.”
Dima nodded. “Once I am aboard my command vessel, a containment device will launch from my ship that carries the nano-virus. It will travel at high speed and park itself well before your arrival at Kiviuq. It has a beacon that will send a narrow beam encrypted location announcement every ten-seconds so that you and the android Link will be able to retrieve it.”
&nb
sp; Pablo held up his hand. “I still don’t like having that shit anywhere near my island.”
Dima said, “Be assured, it’s well contained, and furthermore, only activated in the presence of human life. Link will retrieve the device in vacuum, no problem.”
Pablo said, “And you’re certain the bots can go in after and collect the goods? That nano shit ain’t messing with them?”
Dima involuntarily glanced at Shu, then uncharacteristically put a hand on Pablo’s shoulder. “They’re already converts, my friend. How is it going to mess with them as you say?”
On Ijiraq, Caleb, Jennifer and Spruck, stood with Jook, Lee and Winter in the operations room and stared at the display that showed them the approaching pirate lair.
Spruck said, “That damn crab thing must have sent out our last location.”
Jennifer said, “I doubt it. It’s just bad luck. They’ve got their mission to stick to.”
Jook put up a display of the local moons and their orbits, which showed Ijiraq and Kiviuq mostly lined up. “My guess, they’re using us to mask their approach.”
The Island was too far away to make out a lot of details. Caleb said, “Wait. If we can see them, then they can see The Bel—“
Spruck ran out the door saying, “I got it,” before Caleb could finish his sentence.
Jook said, “It would be better, dude, if he didn’t use the cloak. They’ve likely already taken inventory of what we got landed. Disappearing ship is likely to be noticed.”
Jennifer said, “Oh sugar. You know he’s doing just that.”
Caleb ran out the door after Spruck. Natalie stepped out of a bathroom drying her hands. “What? What I miss?”
Deeper in the station, Spruck charged through a hallway, bounced off a few former colleagues who called after him about getting drinks later—maybe some of that famous saki you haul!—and kept running until he got to The Belle’s docking connector. He charged into the ship and dove into the cockpit, turning on the cloak. Breathing hard, he wiped his forehead and gave himself a pat on the back.
Caleb tripped and fell into the ship with Jook and Jennifer stumbling in right after him. Caleb yelled, “You didn’t cloak it, right?”
Spruck proudly said, “Sure I did. The scratches and the patch on the bottom won’t be gone, but they can’t see that.”
“Turn it off!” yelled Jennifer.
“What? Why?”
“Turn it the fuck off!” yelled Jook.
“OK. Sheesh!” Spruck turned it off. “But why?”
On the mezzanine level of The Island’s flight control room, Schafer was looking at the display. He said, “Anybody else see that?”
“What?” asked Pablo.
“A second ago there were four ships on that moon, now I see five. I know it.”
Hap called up to them, “Definitely counted five when they first came into view. Scopes don’t show any launched. Island, have any ships launched from Ijiraq?”
The space station responded, “During the period which we have been observing it, there is no sign of any spacecraft having departed from nor landed on Ijiraq.
Schafer said, “No. I mean I saw one appear just now. There were four, now five.”
Hap said, “Island, roll back the view of Ijiraq one minute and play.”
They all watched one dot of a ship disappear, then a few moments later reappear.
Jada said, “Hah! Got’em!”
Pablo said, “I want that toy.”
Turning for the door, Jada called to Hap, “Innocent be fixed enough. Get Chico and the bot named Link onboard and my other new bots too. We be doin' two birds.” To Pablo she said, “Yo gonna see these new bots in action.”
“You get the magic ship back and we’ll throw a parade for them.”
Inside The Princess Belle, Caleb was saying, “Spruck, buddy, if we can see them they can see us.”
Spruck said, “No shit, man. It’s why I…oh, you’re thinking they already counted how many ships are here.”
Jennifer looked at the surrounding walls. “Let’s hope they didn’t see her pop in and out.”
Caleb said, “Even if they did, do they really want to tangle with us? The mission they’re on? Like you said, they need to stay focused.”
Jook said, “Dude, you’re trippin'. If they’re on the mission you say they are, if I were them, this ship would be my biggest priority for pulling it off. Either way, when they get close enough, they’re going to be able to recognize this thing. No offense, and I love you guys. Mean it. Really. But you need to get offa my moon.”
Jennifer held Caleb’s arm. “He’s right. We need to go anyway. We have to warn Bez. You know we do.”
Caleb kissed the back of her hand. “No point in everybody getting killed. I should do it. Bez likes me. I saved his city.”
Jennifer intentionally coughed into her hand. “Again, for the record, Bert saved his city. You get credit for the assist.”
Spruck put a hand on the flight console. “Now hold on. You’ve never flown my baby solo, Caleb.”
Jennifer said, “Doesn’t matter.” She grabbed Caleb by the face. “There’s no way in heck I’m letting you go out there alone.”
Lee’s voice came in on Jook’s earpiece. “Babe, a big ship just popped out of that big asteroid and it just lit up like an Earth launch, mach ten already and counting. Current rate, if they hit mach twenty-five, they’re here in less than twenty.”
Jook said to Spruck, “Uh, how long to get you off the ground?”
Spruck said, “We dumped the fuel to be safe when we took out that device. We haven’t refueled, so…”
Jook barked, “How long, man! They’re on their way—twenty-minutes.”
“Twenty-minutes!” Spruck yelped. “It’ll take longer than that to fuel up.”
“It doesn’t need to be fueled up, dude.” Jook pointed out the windshield. “Just enough to do what you gotta do to get to Kiviuq over there—and again, no offense, offa my moon.”
Spruck clapped his hands together. “OK, let’s do it.”
Jook pulled his two disruptors from his holsters. “Here. Can’t go in all unarmed and shit.”
Caleb took them, saying, “Gee. Thanks.”
In The Innocent’s command center, Jada stood over Chico and massaged the man’s shoulders with nervous energy. The display in front of them showed Ijiraq both with and without magnification. They were rapidly bearing down on it.
Chico shrugged his shoulders in irritation. “I can’t concentrate.”
Jada lifted her hands and flexed her fingers, “Cheeks, you catch them sons-a-bitches and I’ma give you plenty to concentrate on.”
Behind her stood, Killer, Carlos and Klaus. The robots seemed bored on the outside, staring ahead without expression, but internally they were having a private conversation.
Killer said of his boss, My estimate is fifty-Earth-years.
Klaus said, Her style of speech is of one born in the first half of the twenty-first century. My estimate is seventy-two.
Carlos shook his head slightly. Seventy-two is too old for her reflexes. Even with every human enhancement short of muscle replacement and nano-nerve therapy, her movement is younger than that. I estimate that she is in her late fifties.
Jada noticed Carlos’s head shake out of the corner of her eye. “Yo gots somethin' to add, eunuch?”
Carlos smiled. “I do not, Captain.” To his friends, he said, On the other hand, Killer, you may be correct. Her perception and reaction time indicate a younger brain.
“Then why yo shakin' yo lunky-ass-head fo?”
Carlos said, “Forgive me, mistress. I was marveling at the speed with which we have departed and the resulting distance closed to our target.”
Jada patted the flight chair next to her. “Heh Heh, that be my baby. No better raider in the system. Ain’t that right, Cheeks?”
Chico smiled and touched his flight console with genuine affection.
At the same time that the robotic fueling
arm decoupled from The Princess Belle, Lee was taking off in his own hotrod of a ship. Caleb watched the launch, then turned around and looked back from the co-pilot seat at his companions. The whole gang was together. Saanvi, Jennifer and Natalie were strapped in, Hee Sook was docked. He’d come to love this band of friends. If they were going to get blown to atoms, better their atoms all mixed together. Still, it’d be nice not to get blown to atoms at all. He scowled and said, “Sure wish we had Diamond.”
The friends nodded and shrugged. What was there to say? In Jennifer’s mind this was as it should be, just The Belle. Against such a formidable foe, Caleb’s unmarked cop ship would have been doomed. They’d already learned that.
Spruck, with his helmet on, said, “Cloak’s ready, harpoon’s retracted, engines warmed up. Hold on to your guts, everybody.” He mentally told his ship to launch, and she did just that. A quick blast from the belly thrusters, and away she went. The blast cleared the dust off the landing platform that had been blown there by Lee’s launch.
Jook had wanted a seat next to his partner, but Lee had convinced him that in the event that all hell broke loose, his skills were better served on the rock. Winter seconded that opinion. He felt relief that Caleb and his friends were gone. He waved a sarcastic bye bye out the window that showed The Belle lifting off. “Unt please don’t come back.”
Inside his own ship, Lee had placed himself between Ijiraq and the approaching pirates, the better to defend his home in the event that the huge ship had larger designs than just capturing a disappearing spaceship. He’d watched in mild amazement as The Princess Belle had blurred and nearly disappeared as it’s cloaking device came on to mimic the ground beneath. Then the landing pad was awash with blowing dust. The ship lifted up and was no more, off his scopes, out of sight. The only tip off was a bending of the stars as he searched the general direction that the ship had gone. No wonder those things were outlawed.
From her seat on The Innocent, Jada let out a long series of curses. They were within three minutes of being close enough to launch a new tracker-killer with its crab-like legs. Instead, a stream of vulgarities poured from her mouth, causing even Chico’s ears to turn red. She took a breath and said to the robots, “OK, dickless-wonders, you is supposed be capable of the best visual tracking of any bot. We knows they’s ship bends light. Finds the bending light.”
Pirates of Saturn (The Saturn Series Book 2) Page 27
