Fringe Runner (Fringe Series Book 1)

by Rachel Aukes

  Sixx laughed. “Sounds like one hell of a ménage à trois,” he said before letting out a sigh. “Though, I can honestly say I never thought I’d get a chance to pull a heist on Myr.”

  Reyne smiled. “Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?”

  “Hell, yeah,” Sixx replied. “But, I’d rather skip the part about how we somehow make it onto Alluvia without dying.”

  “That’s where Boden comes into play.” Reyne watched the mechanic’s head jerk at the mention of his name. “He’s an Alluvian resident and has full rights to land at any time. That’s the lowest risk part of the plan.”

  “Was an Alluvian,” Boden corrected. “We’re all dead, at least on legal records. My access rights would’ve been cancelled by now.”

  Reyne shook his head and eyed Boden. “Sorry, pal. You’d been let go from my crew and so you weren’t on our last scalar run. That means you weren’t on board when the Gryphon landed at Ice Port. Demes has already entered your credentials on Spate for the past month. It appears you’ve been staying at a brothel in Devil Town on a sweet soy binge. You’ve run out of money and have already filed for a new visa for landing rights to return home.”

  The mechanic glowered.

  “We had to make it believable in case someone digs into your records,” Reyne added before turning back to his crew. “So, Boden will have us land at First City, where Heid has promised to hook us up with a reporter friend of hers who will broadcast the story. We’ll also bring our little hacker buddy Demes along in case the reporter falls through. Demes will plug into the hard line to the news channel’s systems and broadcast the truth across the city and out to the fringe. Alluvia will finally step forward and go head-to-head with Myr, hopefully preventing Myr’s hostile takeover or worse, a Collective war.”

  Doc shook her head. “This will never work out. It’s impossible.”

  “Well, aren’t you a bunch of pessimists?” Reyne asked drily. “Listen, I never said it would be easy, but if we succeed, we can save millions of lives. Make no mistake, this is the Uprising.” No one spoke. “Come on, don’t you want to be heroes?”

  “No,” Sixx replied quickly.

  “Even if it means every woman in the Collective will want to sleep with you?”

  “They already do,” Sixx replied.

  “Not every woman,” Throttle added before turning to Reyne. “You know that where you go, I go. I’m in.”

  “I don’t want to be a hero, but I do want to be rich,” Sixx said. “Hell, I was in as soon as you mentioned that I’d get to steal from the Myrads.”

  Boden thumped his fist against the table. “I don’t like working with the CUF, but if we succeed, Alluvia will stand up to Myr. That will mean trouble for all citizens, hopefully even bloodshed. They’ve enslaved colonists for far too long, and they deserve some payback. I’m in.”

  Doc stared. “This is lunacy.”

  Reyne eyed her. “Things could get rough out there. We could use a medic who won’t crack under pressure.”

  She stood. “It’s a suicide run. We’ll all die. I won’t be party to that.” Doc looked around the table. “You’re all crazy. I will not watch you kill yourselves.” She stormed out of the room.

  Reyne glanced at Throttle, Sixx, and Boden. “Thanks,” he said before standing and following Doc to her quarters.

  She’d locked her door, but one of the perks of being captain was having an override code. He punched in several numbers, the door opened, and he stepped inside.

  She spun around. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were full of fury. “You’re an idiot, Aramis.”

  Taken aback, he held up his hands. “Whoa, there. I get that you’re scared. Hell, I am, too, but I’m not doing this out of stupidity. I’m doing this because there are no other options. If we don’t stop Myr, the other fringe stations will fall. If we thought things were bad when Alluvia and Myr were keeping each other in check, imagine how bad it will be if Myr gains control. We’re second-class folks today, and if Myr wins, we’ll all become slaves. Far worse than the tenured like Boden’s family was back on Alluvia.”

  Her face tightened. “You’re going to get yourself killed. I gave everything to save your life once, and now you’re throwing it away.”

  Reyne frowned, confused. “You’ve saved my life plenty of times, and I’m thankful. But my life isn’t worth living if I tuck tail and live it out as a coward.”

  A tear ran down her cheek. “You’re always running toward trouble.”

  “I only run toward it if it’s the right thing to do. I can’t change who I am.”

  She wiped her cheek. “No, you can’t.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and implored softly. “So, will you run with me?”

  She sobbed, “Of course,” then shooed him away. “Now, go. Leave me alone.”

  Reyne reluctantly left her quarters, though he felt like he should go back and wipe her tears away and hold her until she quit crying.

  He discovered things were no better back in the commons. There, he found Throttle crying. Sixx had an arm wrapped around her, and Boden stared blankly at the wall screen.

  “What’s wrong?” Reyne asked.

  Sixx gave Reyne a long look before turning back to the screen. “Restart Somerville update.”

  In an unexpected turn of events, an Alluvian citizen has been killed during the Ice Port bombing, meant to eliminate the bioterrorists of the Smithton and Sol Base attacks. Kason Somerville, of the highly respected Somerville and Marion lineage, was found dead by rescue teams at Ice Port. He had holdings on all six worlds, and was believed to be on a routine visit when the attack happened. Corps General Michel Ausyar has offered his sincerest apologies to Somerville’s family and has vowed to do everything in his power to protect citizen lives as they continue investigations into the bioterrorist faction, led by Vym Patel, that has now taken both Myrad and Alluvian lives. This is Lina Tao reporting for DZ-Five, your Collective news source.

  “No.” Reyne helplessly watched a video of a smiling Kason displayed on the screen. “Damn it. Why didn’t he stay on Alluvia?”

  “It doesn’t make any sense,” Boden said. “Why’d he return to Ice Port so soon after United Day? He always stays home for at least two weeks. Even at full jump speed, it doesn’t add up.”

  “Maybe he got stuck at Ice Port for business and never made it home?” Throttle offered before wiping her eyes on her shirt.

  Boden shook his head. “I saw him off. I would’ve heard from him if something happened.”

  “I’d bet every credit I own that the CUF bastards killed him because of that package,” Sixx said. “Everything hit the shitter as soon as we grabbed that damn box.”

  “He was a citizen.” Throttle sniffled. “They would never kill a citizen.”

  “He’s also one of us,” Reyne said, and a cold rock settled into his gut as Sixx’s words rang of truth.

  Boden pounded the table as he shoved to his feet. “I’ve seen them do it before. The bastards do what they want and kill anyone who gets in their way.”

  Reyne watched the mechanic, fists clenched, stomp from the room. He worried that Boden losing his best friend would send the Alluvian on another sweet soy binge. When he turned back, he noticed Sixx and Throttle were watching him.

  “They’ll kill us, too, if we get in their way,” Sixx said.

  Reyne took a deep breath before speaking. “Maybe they’ll kill us. Maybe not. But I’m damn sure not going to let them get their way without an Uprising.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Liberty Run

  Heid

  Heid had plenty of time to think on her trip back to the Arcadia. The Ocelot was an old hauler, made for transport and not for speed. By the time she reached her warship, she was antsy for action.

  She docked to find Laciam waiting for her outside the decon room.

  She gave him a wry grin. “Laciam. I’m half-surprised you didn’t try to take over the Arcadia while I was away.”

  “
I should have. When Sebin said you left the ship with orders to cut all engines while you took a joyride in some fringe junker, I knew you had crossed the line.”

  Heid’s brow rose. “It’s not your place to understand my decisions, just as it’s not your place to question my orders. Plus, the Arcadia isn’t yours yet. Until we reach the fleet, you will address me as Commandant or Sir. Do I make myself understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Refuel and restock the Ocelot and escort her crew back to their ship. They’re free to go.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  As he strode away, she heard him mutter, “Alluvian bitch. You just wait.”

  She tapped a simple command on her comm—Liberty 0747—and sent it to select crewmembers serving on the Arcadia.

  As a commandant, Heid had the authority to select her own crewmembers, and she’d spent all her years aboard the Arcadia placing Alluvians loyal to her throughout the ship. By now, they comprised nearly two-thirds of her crew, with the remaining positions were filled by Myrads, conscripted fringe, and Alluvians of whose loyalty she was unsure.

  She had thirty minutes, which she used to make rounds through the hallways, making sure to be seen by her crew. Sebin met her outside the bridge.

  She glanced down at her comm to see the time. One minute to go.

  He nodded, and she gave a simple nod in return. Words weren’t necessary, as this exercise had been planned long ago. Adrenaline rushed through her as she stepped onto the bridge.

  Laciam glanced up but didn’t acknowledge her.

  “Nolin,” Heid called out to her navigator. “Set a course for Terra.”

  Laciam jumped to his feet. “You can’t do that!”

  “Watch your tone, First Officer,” she warned.

  He glared. “This madness has gone too far. You’ve spaced out. I’m declaring you unfit for duty. Something I should’ve done as soon as the corps general’s orders came in. Guards, arrest the commandant.”

  Heid made eye contact with the two guards stationed on the bridge. They moved to Laciam and grabbed him instead.

  She faced Laciam. “Guards, escort the first officer to the brig.”

  “What?” he cried out, his blue face darkening a hue. “You can’t arrest me. This is my ship!”

  “If he gives you trouble, kill him,” she added, hoping he’d do exactly that, which would leave one fewer loose end for her to clean up.

  Unfortunately, he stood still as her dromadiers disarmed the officer and led him away.

  Laciam called out as the guards shoved him off the bridge, “You’ll be shot for this, Heid!”

  When the door closed, she turned to the five remaining crewmembers on the bridge. Four were loyal, one—a fringe tech assistant—was an unknown. Rather than speaking to her directly, she broadcast to the entire ship. “Crew of the Arcadia. We have journeyed across the Collective together, and I ask you now to take another journey with me. The CUF has been usurped by a man who dreams of an empire. The CUF no longer serves the best interests of the Collective, and the entire Collective—not just Alluvia and Myr—need our help.

  “The blight was the first slash at disharmony, though our leaders failed us all long before the tragic loss of Sol Base. Then came Ice Port, an innocent victim purely to be used as a scapegoat for Myr’s imperialism. In truth, the terrorists are much closer to the heart of the Collective than the colony farthest in the fringe.” She paused. “The blight and the discord and violence that have followed come from Corps General Ausyar, who has militarized Myr’s government. He envisions a Myr Collective, just as the CUF is now under his control.”

  She scanned the faces on the bridge before continuing. “I refuse to let the Collective fall. As of now, I relinquish my CUF rank as commandant. I am taking the Arcadia as the flagship for the future. I will lead the Collective into a battle—not as a commandant or as a citizen—but as a captain in a Collective made of equals. If you choose to follow me, you will be marked down as mutineers, but history will mark you down as heroes. I will not—I cannot—command you to follow me on this new journey. If you follow me, I promise you danger and risk, but I also promise you that you will be saving lives across the six Collective worlds by choosing to fight for the Collective rather than for Ausyar’s empire.

  “I give you the choice. Anyone who does not wish to remain on the Arcadia to fight for the new Collective must let Sebin Reinhardt know within the next hour. Those not joining the cause for the Collective will be confined to quarters for the protection of the crew, and in two days, we will drop them off at Rebus Station on Terra where they can be picked up by a CUF patrol. Effective immediately, all communications leaving this ship will be blocked. Your one hour begins now. Choose wisely.”

  Heid lowered her head and focused on breathing in and out.

  “Sir?”

  She looked up to find the conscript standing before her. “Yes, Sylvian?”

  “Did you mean it?” she asked. “That you plan to fight for the fringe?”

  Heid nodded. “I fight for the idea of an equal Collective, and it’s the fringe that most needs our help right now.”

  The young woman stood taller. “I’m from Sol Base. I lost everyone I know to the blight. You can count on me, sir.”

  Heid smiled, finding validation for her plans in the young woman’s words. “Thank you, Sylvian.” She paused. “Oh, and you do not need to address me with any formal title. As of now, I have no association with the Collective Unified Forces.”

  “You’re still our captain regardless of the insignia you wear,” Sebin said with pride in his voice.

  “Aye, Captain,” said Nolin the navigator, followed by assent from the remaining bridge crew.

  “Thank you.” She clapped her hands together. “Put us into stealth mode, and let’s get to work decoupling the Arcadia’s systems from fleet control. We now fly under our own flag.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Hypoxic Hijackings

  Throttle glared at Reyne, her arms crossed. “Like hell you’re leaving me behind.”

  Reyne set down his beer. “I need someone to stay with the Gryphon. We need Boden for landing on Alluvia, and Doc in case someone gets hurt, and Sixx—”

  “Because he can walk,” she interrupted.

  “No,” Reyne said calmly. “I was going to say because he was a professional thief, and we’re breaking into someone’s house.”

  Critch butted in. “Listen, Throttle. The truth hurts, but we’ll be on the planet surface and without a ship. What is a cripple going to do in a place where there are no cripples? Everyone will be looking at you, and we’ll be forced to scrub the mission.”

  She’d slowly rolled over to where Critch sat as he was speaking. When he finished, she punched him. “You’re a bastard.”

  “He is a bastard,” Reyne said but noticed that the pirate didn’t raise a hand to strike her back. “But, he’s right in that this is a mission that will be taking place on the ground. If it was taking place in the air, you’d be the first on my team.”

  Critch rubbed his cheek. “Nice right hook.” He finished off his beer, kicked off from his chair, grabbed her hand, and slapped a key onto her palm. “I bet Reyne doesn’t pay worth a shit, so stay in my guest quarters. Any food and necessities can go onto my account. No one will mess with you at Nova Colony. Have fun, but don’t get carried away.”

  “This is bullshit,” she muttered, staring at the key. She glared at Critch. “And you’re still a bastard.”

  “I know.”

  Reyne forced a smile and squeezed her shoulder. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way. I know it’s not fair, but we’ll be back before you know it.” He paused. “You watch yourself around here.”

  She glanced up. Where Reyne expected to see tears, he saw anger instead. “You’re lucky I don’t punch you, too.”

  “And I’d deserve it.”

  She lifted her chin. “I don’t like it, but I get why you’re leaving me behind. You can’t alwa
ys treat me like a little girl.”

  He swallowed. “I know.” He kissed her forehead, turned in a rush, and walked out of the Uneven Bar before he said something stupid, like make a promise he couldn’t keep.

  He fastened his helmet and stepped into the airlock that separated the docks from Nova Colony. Critch joined him, and they stood in silence as the chamber depressurized. As soon as the door opened, Reyne grabbed a zip line and flew down to the docks. He refused to look at the Gryphon and headed straight to the Honorless. He didn’t slow his momentum until he reached its port door, not stopping until he hit the inner door. Critch followed and shut the door behind them. Pressurization took no more than a couple seconds, and Reyne tugged off his helmet and stepped inside. He started down the hallway to meet his crew.

  Critch kept pace alongside Reyne. “I know why you’re leaving her behind.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “You’re leaving her behind because you don’t think you’re coming back, and you want her to live. For what it’s worth, I would’ve done the same thing. She’s young. She deserves to have a few more years.” They walked in silence for a while. “If you don’t make it, I’ll fix her legs.”

  Reyne stopped. “Why?”

  The pirate shrugged. “She’s an innocent.” He kept walking. “Plus, she’d make a solid addition to one of my crews.”

  “Like hell,” Reyne said and caught up. “Besides, what makes you think you’ll get out of this alive?”

  Critch grunted. “I’m too pretty to die.”

  “Too ornery is more like it,” Reyne muttered and entered the commons. The room was large and comfortable and had luxuries that put the Gryphon’s central meeting room to shame. The rest of the team was already waiting for them—Sixx, Doc, and Boden from Reyne’s crew and three from Critch’s crew, while the remainder of the Honorless’ crew was busy preparing for launch. Reyne recognized the trio. Demes, of course. Chutt, the craggy pirate whom Doc had slept with. Birk, one of the quieter—and better behaved—men on Critch’s crew.