Carthage Prime

by Toby Neighbors

  “Oh, so good,” Sly said.

  “Our compliments to the chef,” Loman Haley said.

  “I don’t know if I can go back to regular food,” Sly said. “You’ve ruined me.”

  “There are many fine dinning establishments on Arcadia,” Loman said.

  “Don’t encourage him,” Ash said. “He’ll get so fat he won’t fit into a battle suit.”

  After dinner they all moved into the salon. The furniture was comfortable, but Alex wondered how many people had sat on it before him. Loman had a brandy, while Colonel Chastain sipped coffee. Alex was too full to eat or drink anything more. Sly promptly fell asleep.

  “Alex, would you mind to join me for a stroll around the upper deck?” Loman Haley asked.

  “Of course,” Alex replied.

  Nyx raised her eyebrows when he looked at her, but she didn’t speak up. He followed the Executive VP out of the salon and up to the observation deck. They were in the space tunnel and there was no light outside of the luxury yacht.

  “When we get to Arcadia, I need your support,” Loman said.

  “Me?” Alex asked.

  “Yes,” Loman said. “It’s no secret I have enemies. The chairwoman of the Ahzco Board is anxious to gain full control of the company. She’s elevated people with no real merit into positions of power. Their only qualification is total allegiance to her.”

  “That sounds bad,” Alex said, not sure what else he could say.

  “Yes, and while that’s my problem to deal with, if we can’t find out who is behind the attacks, she’ll have all the leverage she needs to push me out of the company.”

  “Is she behind them?” Alex asked.

  “No,” Loman said as he leaned against the rail. “I’ve had her checked out. She’s a powerful woman, but she hasn’t done anything that would adversely effect the company’s profits. Whoever is behind the attacks on the other hand, has no qualms about costing us billions.”

  “I’ll do what I can,” Alex said.

  “That’s all I’m asking for,” Loman replied. “Lead your team. Put on a smile, and give our people something else to focus on for a while. I’m going to put my new counterpart in charge of a small PR campaign. Your team will be at the center of that effort, and should keep Zan Fordham busy while we work to discover who is behind the attacks.”

  “I don’t understand,” Alex said. “A PR campaign? I thought you wanted me to help find who was behind the attacks?”

  “I do,” Loman said, before taking another sip of the brandy. “But there are a lot of plans in motion here. I need your team to smile and nod when the holo-cameras are pointed your way. I need you to go out on the town and enjoy yourselves so that our employees and stockholders will believe everything is as it should be. I need you to distract the man whose sole job is to make me look foolish. And yes, I need you to meet with the investigators. There may even be reason for you to do what no one else can do, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “And if someone finds out what I can do?”

  Loman’s face twitched and he frowned.

  “Should I be concerned?” Alex asked.

  “I won’t lie to you Alex. You’ve saved my life and I’ll do everything I can to protect you as long as I live, but if I lose my job there won’t be much I can do. And if the wrong people find out what you’re capable of... well... you won’t be safe. Neither will your team or your loved ones. You have a gift that in our day and age is incalculable...”

  Loman continued talking about Alex’s abilities but he stopped listening. They had just exited the space tunnel. Alex had no idea what system they were in, but he could see a star and several planets in the distance. But what had his full attention was the fact that the loudest hum on the ship had gone silent.

  “...hurt for you to have a contingency—“ Loman stopped talking when Alex raised his hand.

  “The engines just powered down,” Alex whispered.

  “You sure?” Loman asked.

  Alex nodded. He began syncing the ship’s master computer to his INC.

  “This could be bad. Let’s get back to the others,” Loman said.

  They hurried back down through the Rec Deck, and dinning room, to the main salon. Sly was slumped over, snoring softly. Nyx was talking quietly with Ash. Colonel Chastain and the other two Controllers were not in the room.

  “Where’s the others?” Loman asked.

  “In their cabins,” Nyx said.

  “Why? What’s wrong?” Ash asked.

  “Wake him up,” Loman said, pointing at Sly. He turned around and looked at Alex. “Well?”

  “They shut them down,” Alex said. “All systems are good. There’s no reason to stop.”

  “Stop?” Nyx asked in whisper. She had moved beside Alex and was facing VP Haley.

  “They’ve shut down the engines,” Loman answered Nyx’s question, before turning back to Alex. “Can you check the radar?”

  “There’s a ship moving this way,” Alex said. “It’s still a thousand kilometers out. It could be moving toward the space tunnel.”

  “Not likely,” Loman said. “We don’t even have weapons.”

  Ash and Sly joined them.

  “Weapons?” Ash asked.

  “Looks like there’s going to be an attack,” Alex said. “The crew have shut down the engines and there’s a ship coming this way. Mr. Haley, I can run this yacht. Just give me the word.”

  Loman was trying to decide what to do. The look on his face was one of bewilderment, fear, and just a little excitement.

  “Wait a second,” Nyx said. “Alex can only take control if the ship is functional. Once the crew realize what we can do, they might sabotage the ship.”

  “We have to get them all up here, and under our control,” Ash said. “Otherwise we’re vulnerable.”

  “Go get Colonel Chastain,” Loman said. “We have to do this quickly and quietly. Let’s find something we can use as weapons just in case they try to fight us.”

  At that moment the Chief Stewardess Glenda came into the salon. She gave the group a dazzling smile and offered to help them.

  “I did have a question, up on the observation deck,” Loman said.

  “Certainly? How can I help?” Glenda asked.

  “Could you show me how to use the spa controls,” he replied. Alex was impressed by the VP’s calm and inventiveness in the moment. “I’m ready to take a dip before I turn in for the night.”

  “Of course,” Glenda said. “I’d be glad to.”

  “Alex, can you bring up the layout of the yacht?” Nyx asked. “Maybe send it to our flex PILs?”

  “Yeah, I can do that,” he said. It was a relatively simple matter. His INC was in control of the ship’s computer system. He moved through the safety programs until he found the diagram and then sent it to his PIL. It only took a few seconds to send it on to Nyx, Sly, and Ash since they were already on his contacts list.

  “Man,” Sly said shaking his head. “I shouldn’t have drank all that wine.”

  Nyx stepped over to him and slapped him hard across the face. He stumbled back a few steps.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” Sly said.

  Nyx popped him again, then shook her hand.

  “Stop!” Sly cried out.

  “Pull it together,” Nyx said.

  “What’s happening?” Colonel Chastain said.

  It was a shock to see her out of uniform. She had on fuzzy pajama pants, and a baggy tee-shirt that hung down past her waist.

  “She hit me,” Sly declared. “Twice.”

  “You probably deserved it,” Ash said.

  “The ship’s engines are off,” Alex said. “And there’s a ship moving toward our position.”

  “Range?” Colonel Chastain demanded.

  “Eight hundred kilometers and closing,” Alex said.

  “Where’s the VP?”

  “He just took the Chief Stew up to the observation deck,” Nyx said.

  “That would be
the best place to move the crew,” Chastain said. “I’m assuming you’re synced with their systems?”

  Alex nodded, but somewhere on the ship someone was typing a message using the ship’s computer. He held up a hand as the words flashed slowing into his mind. Whoever was sending the message wasn’t accustomed to writing on the computer system.

  Standing by for docking. Passengers are unaware. Should be a simple matter to transfer the primary to your ship.

  “They’re coming for the VP,” Alex said. “The ship that’s approaching is planning to dock.”

  “We need to get the crew all together,” Nyx said. “Alex can fly us out of here, but only if they don’t sabotage the ship’s computer system.”

  “So we need to move them up here,” Chastain said.

  She walked across the room and hit a button on the wall. A moment later, the second stew appeared.

  “How can I help you?”

  “Sergeant West, escort her up to the observation deck,” Colonel Chastain said.

  The stewardess looked alarmed. “What?”

  “There’s a problem with the yacht,” Nyx said. “We need to move everyone up to the observation deck. As quickly as possible.”

  The stewardess nodded, and hurried up the stairs, not waiting for Nyx.

  “Evans, can you set off the fire alarm in this salon?” Chastain asked.

  “Yes,” Alex said.

  “Do it,” Chastain said. “That should get everyone moving. Corporal, you stay right by his side. If we lose him we lose control of this ship and we can’t afford to let that happen.”

  “Yes, Colonel,” Sly said.

  His face was red on both cheeks, but his eyes looked clearer. Alex backed against the wall, between a row of windows and the stairs leading up to the dinning room. Setting off the fire alarm was simple. Almost instantly a blaring electronic wail rang out.

  “Is it possible to have a hang over this soon?” Sly said, cringing at the sound.

  From the crew area below, the third stew, the bosun, and two deckhands appeared. They looked bewildered as they searched for the reason for the alarm to go off.

  “I’m not seeing anything, Captain,” the bosun said into a com-link.

  “Tell him there’s an electrical fire,” Colonel Chastain said, as she pulled a small blaster from the waistband of her pajamas.

  The bosun looked at her, his eyes flashing down onto the gun in her hand. It was clear he wasn’t happy. For a moment it seemed like he was weighing the possibility of challenging the Colonel, but then he nodded and tapped his com-link.

  “Looks like an electrical fire,” the bosun said. “We need all hands in the main salon.”

  “Take your people up to the observation deck and no one needs to get hurt,” Chastain said calmly, as Nyx returned.

  “Okay, just take it easy,” the bosun said.

  “Corporal Timmons,” the Colonel ordered. “Join VP Haley upstairs and help keep the crew on the observation deck.”

  Ash stepped forward as the third stew who followed the bosun and two deck hands up the stairs.

  “Yes, Colonel,” Ash said, hurrying after the crew. Her Controller followed along.

  “Sergeant West,” the Colonel continued giving orders. “Move to the other side of the hatch. Use that lamp as a weapon if you have to.”

  Nyx ripped the shade of a table lamp and lifted it up. Alex could see that it was heavy. Nyx held the lamp upside down, the thick base of which was like a club.

  They heard the rest of the crew before they saw them. Footsteps pounded on the stairs and heavy, wheezing breath belted out curses. The captain of the yacht charged into the room, past Colonel Chastain and Nyx. His eyes were wide and he was looking around for danger, only to realize too late that it was the passengers, not a fire, that were the real threat.

  “What the—“

  “Shut up!” Chastain said in a commanding voice.

  The Chef and Engineer were the final two crew members to come rushing into the salon. They both held fire extinguishers.

  “Drop those,” the Colonel ordered. “We’re all going up to the observation deck.”

  “What’s this all about?” asked the gruff Captain.

  “It’s about you stopping the ship,” Chastain replied.

  “We’re making repairs,” the Engineer pipped up.

  Chastain chuckled. “It’s good to know you’ve got your story straight,” she said. “You’ll be answering for your crimes here.”

  “The only crime I can see is a mutiny by the passengers,” the Captain replied. “You have the gun. Not us.”

  “Why don’t you tell me about the ship that’s approaching?” Chastain asked.

  “We’re near the space tunnel. It could be anyone.”

  “Good, then they won’t mind if we keep moving. Now get upstairs.”

  She waved toward the stairs with the blaster. The captain’s eyes narrowed, but he started for the stairs.

  Alex, through his link with the ship’s systems, knew that everything was online and ready to go. He brought the engines up and started the vessel moving. The navigation system showed exactly where they needed to go, and while the yacht seemed bulky and sluggish, flying it was not difficult.

  “You’re making a mistake,” the captain of the yacht said as he started up the stairs.

  “Only if you mean that we shouldn’t protect ourselves,” Chastain said. “We know you planned to turn over Vice President Haley to whoever is on that approaching ship.”

  Nxy took hold of Alex’s arm.

  “Can you walk and fly at the same time?” she whispered.

  “Sure,” Alex said.

  Dividing his attention wasn’t easy, but the yacht took no actual skill to fly. It was a fully automated vessel, the course was already set. Once Alex got the ship moving again, it took very little of his attention.

  They followed the Colonel up the stairs, with Sly and his Controller bringing up the rear. No one did anything foolish, and soon they were all on the observation deck. The crew were lined up on the U shaped modular sofa. Most looked frightened, and Alex guessed that they had no idea what was going on. The captain and the engineer on the other hand, were glancing out to starboard.

  “We’re all here,” Colonel Chastain said.

  Alex and Nyx sat on the edge of the spa. Lights inside made the water look green and inviting. He could feel the heat rising up his back.

  “How close is that other ship?” Haley asked.

  “Four hundred kilometers,” Alex said. “They’re sending messages.”

  “Don’t respond,” Chastain ordered.

  “Have they changed course?” Haley asked.

  “Yes,” Alex said. “They’re following.”

  “Can we outrun them?” Nyx asked.

  “We’ll be at optimal speed soon,” Alex said. “Unless they fire on us, we should be fine.”

  “Now that’s a cheery thought,” Sly said.

  “I wish I had my Titan,” Ash said.

  “They won’t fire,” Haley said. “It’s too dangerous. This type of ship wouldn’t survive, and we’re in a populated system. What’s our ETA on Arcadia?”

  “Sixteen hours,” Alex said.

  “Good, we have plenty of time to find out what they know,” Haley said. “Let’s start with the captain.