Project Starfighter

by Stephen J Sweeney

  “Mal’s dead,” Kethlan said.

  Overlook shook his head. “That’s to be confirmed. For now, we have to assume he is still alive, in which case he remains as powerful as ever. From what I understand from the battle report, he smashed Tyler’s Wolf Pack apart and is claiming the Eyananth system for himself.”

  Kethlan frowned. That wasn’t exactly how he remembered the battle going. Before returning to the Alchemist’s Son and jumping out of the system, Kethlan was certain that he had seen the Immortal League and the Wolf Pack pretty much blow each another to pieces. He was very certain that he had also witnessed Mal’s fighter’s destruction, with no sign of a pilot ejecting. Overlook seemed to be holding back on something.

  “Mal’s influence is still growing,” Overlook continued. “And – and you’re to keep this strictly off the record, Commander – I do not believe that the CEO is taking the threat seriously enough. He could end up dooming us all. Not for the first time, I have considered issuing a vote of no confidence against Lance and his steering of our society.”

  Overlook sucked at his cigarette. It had gone out. He frowned at it, and then dropped what remained to the floor, crushing it under his foot. “I will return to Earth and report to the CEO. You are to go in search of Bainfield, immediately. I will speak with you later.”

  Overlook waited. Nothing happened. He looked around himself, at his hands and then at Kethlan. “Am I still here? Can you still see me?”

  “Yes, sir,” Kethlan said.

  Overlook stood silently for a time, then walked over and tapped the back of a chair with his fingers. It appeared solid to his touch. “Something has gone wrong again,” he said.

  Kethlan nodded. “Interference between the source and the destination.”

  Overlook gnashed his teeth. “I will get the eggheads to take a look when I get back. Might be a few hours.” He held out his hand, expecting something to appear in it. Nothing did. “Can’t even get a damn drink. Going to be a long few hours,” he glowered. He sat down in the chair and began working at the console there. “Get to work, Commander. I will wait here until the issue with my transfer is fixed. Go. Now. I will speak to you later.”

  Chapter 24

  Chris woke, finding that Athena had gone. Had she slipped out from between his arms, or had her avatar merely vanished? He couldn’t imagine her walking if she didn’t need to. In visiting him during the night, she had likely just materialised outside his door, rather than travelling all the way up from the hold where the Firefly was stored. She would have then faded out slowly as Chris slept, so that her sudden lack of physical presence wouldn’t cause him to jolt awake.

  He got up, washed, dressed, and made his way to the freighter’s small dining area, where the former crew would have eaten their meals. Phoebe was there already, looking extremely tired.

  “Morning,” he said to her.

  “Morning,” she said, smiling weakly.

  “How are you feeling? Athena said that you were at it until quite late.”

  “Exhausted this morning,” Phoebe agreed. “This is my third cup of coffee. I want to get straight back, though.”

  “Just don’t overdo it,” Chris said. “We don’t know if there are any side effects to putting up these barriers.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, that’s something I’m keeping a very close eye on.” Phoebe sniffed, running a finger under her nostrils, and looking at it. “I got a nosebleed last night, just before we stopped. The level of concentration needed is immense. But I think Athena might have been pushing me quite hard. She did say she might have gone a little too far. Did you sleep okay?”

  “I ... did,” Chris said. He wasn’t sure if that was just a question, or if Phoebe had guessed that Athena had visited him. Had Phoebe seen into Athena’s mind while the two of them had battled for control over the drone?

  “Where’s Sid” Chris asked, looking around for him.

  “I’m here,” Sid said, striding quickly into the dining area. He was clutching a computer tablet and looked a little frantic.

  “Did you have any luck finding out about the facility last night?” Chris asked.

  “No, no,” Sid said, “but that doesn’t matter.”

  Phoebe gave Chris a look that asked why rescuing Ursula was suddenly not so important. Chris was sure that Sid didn’t quite mean it that way.

  “Sid, what’s up?” Chris asked.

  Sid showed him the tablet. “I’ve detected a WEAPCO vessel not far from here. It’s suffering from a power failure and appears to be stranded. I was in the middle of organising some more upgrades to the Firefly and the Valkyrie when I spotted it.”

  “So ...?” Chris asked. He assumed that Sid was getting at something, other than it might be another ship that they could add to their small fleet.

  “What makes this one special is that it’s an Executive-class ship—” Sid started.

  “Which means that it’s probably transporting some VIPs,” Chris said, leaping to his feet, and leaving the dining room. “Maybe we could use them as a bargaining chip! How far to intercept?”

  “We can hop there in fifteen minutes,” Sid said.

  “Good. I’ll launch as soon as we’re there. Phoebe, I want you out there with me. I know you had a tough day yesterday, but this could be the very thing we’ve been looking for. We could find out everything we need to about where Ursula is, as well as all the other mysteries surrounding WEAPCO.”

  Phoebe nodded in agreement, set her coffee down, and hurried with Chris to the cargo hold. The pair suited up, and stepped up into their fighters.

  You seem stressed, Athena said to Chris, as he put on the Firefly’s helmet. Is this because of the transport you detected?

  “Yes,” Chris said, fingers racing over the console in front of him, checking all the systems’ conditions and preparing to take control. He didn’t pause to consider how Athena had guessed what the source of his urgency was. She had obviously pieced it together from all the information available to her. She did more or less control the Dodger, after all.

  “We need to get there before WEAPCO decide to send in a repair vessel, or move those people onto another ship,” Chris finished.

  Are you expecting a lot of opposition?

  “I don’t know. There are a few fighter units, but Phoebe will be able to take control of them. I will be there to take on anything that’s stronger. I’m also planning on blowing out the transport’s engines, so that it can’t get away.”

  He gripped the joystick hard, feeling his heart racing. This was exactly the opportunity they had been seeking! They had stumbled upon it by chance, and Chris was well aware that it could slide out of his grasp just as quickly. He would not waste it.

  The Dodger completed its intra-system hop a few minutes later, and Sid gave Chris and Phoebe clearance to launch. Chris hit the accelerator the moment the cargo hold doors were open.

  ~

  The transport wasn’t very big at all, only about four or five times the size of the Manx. It was more like a passenger aircraft in size. The arrival of the unidentified freighter and the two fighters racing towards them caused the transport’s fighter escort to turn to meet the potential threat immediately. Though Chris had never seen them before, the fighters were quite familiar-looking.

  Cyclones, Athena said, some of the most powerful starfighters in WEAPCO’s navy.

  “Is the Firefly based on them?” Chris asked. They appeared to have cockpits, allowing for human pilots. Neither the Talons or Mirages had room for seats.

  No, Athena said. They are based on the Firefly. They are technically a next generation Firefly; a step up.

  “So, they’re better than you?” Chris couldn’t help but grin as he asked the question.

  Yes and no, Athena answered. Yes, because they are more nimble, possess better armour and shields, and have more capable power systems, enabling them to handle more powerful weapons. No, because they are still AIs and are still susceptible to takeovers by humans. See?
>
  Chris shared Athena’s mild amusement as he saw the Cyclones begin to slow, before holding position. “That you, Phoebe?” he asked.

  “That’s me,” Phoebe said. “I’m going to put up the barriers, in case anyone tries to order them to self-destruct.”

  “I’m going to hit the transport’s engines,” Chris said. “Stop them from escaping.”

  “No need,” Phoebe said. “I’ve crippled every available system, except for life support.”

  Chris looked at the ship. It appeared as dead in the water as it had been when the Dodger had arrived, so he would have to take Phoebe’s word for it. He slowed the Firefly, sitting back in the seat. There was nothing for him to do. The job was done. He had built himself up for a fight, for a struggle that could well determine where they went from here. And yet all that had happened was that Phoebe had applied her gift to every machine in front of her, and they had become totally obedient.

  A little anti-climatic, wasn’t it? Athena commented.

  “Yeah, sorry about that, Chris,” Phoebe said.

  Chris chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. Good work, Phoebe. Let’s get back to the Dodger and find a way to get aboard.”

  “We can bring the Dodger forward to the transport and lock on it with docking clasps,” Sid communicated. “That will let us enter from the Dodger itself. We can also pass control of the transport over to the Dodger’s AI, rather than burden Phoebe or Athena with it.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Chris said.

  He and Phoebe returned to the Dodger, where they passed control of the Cyclones to Athena. Sid then joined Chris and Phoebe, and the three armed themselves in preparation to board the transport.

  “Ever fired a gun before?” Chris asked Phoebe.

  “No,” Phoebe said, looking over the pistol a little uncertainly. “Maybe I should take control of the drone and bring it with us?”

  “So long as your tug-of-war with Athena didn’t damage it too badly,” Chris said.

  “You ... you should still learn how to use a gun,” Sid said, coming over to Phoebe. “It’s quite simple at the end of the day, and ... er ... you might find yourself needing to do so in future.” He stood behind Phoebe, reaching around her and taking her hands. “Hold it up like this, arms straight.”

  “Okay,” Phoebe said, allowing him to continue with the demonstration without objection.

  “Now, can ... can you see the two small pins at the back? To aim, you need to line those up with the small pin at the front ...”

  Chris tried not to roll his eyes as Sid stumbled and stuttered his way through his instruction. It amused him how both Phoebe and Sid seemed willing, but also a little embarrassed. How could they both be so shy around one another? Was Ursula like this? he wondered. Or was she the polar opposite of her sister?

  After a time, Chris figured that the awkward flirting had gone on for long enough and ushered them through the freighter, along the short boarding tube connecting the executive transport, and to the airlock.

  “Computer,” Chris addressed the Dodger’s AI. “What can you tell us about the transport’s occupants?”

  “I am unable to detect any vital signs, or other activity aboard,” the Dodger’s AI responded.

  “Perhaps something’s blocking the scan,” Sid suggested. “It might be a defence mechanism built into the life support?”

  Chris nodded, considering the door and what lay beyond it. “I can’t say for certain what we’re going to find in there,” he told the other two, “but let’s just assume the worst. Could be a load of drones and bots, as well as people. If that’s the case, Phoebe you’re going to have to take control of them. Sid and I will go first, so you’re not directly in the line of fire. Just be quick, okay?” He took a moment to steel himself. “Right, ready?” he asked.

  “Ready,” Sid and Phoebe said.

  “Computer, override and open the airlock door.”

  The lights of the exterior door panel flashed for a moment, before one flipped from a pale orange to a hard green. The two others next to it followed in quick succession, and the door opened.

  ~

  Chris raised his gun the moment he stepped into the executive transport vessel, swinging it all around, hearing himself breathing hard. He had never done anything like this before in his life. The one and only time he had entered an unfamiliar place with guns involved had been when he had arrived at Sid’s flat. That felt like a lifetime ago, now.

  He braced himself for the robotic female voices of the drones, warning everyone of his intrusion onto the ship, and then their guns opening fire. No alarms or sounds of gunfire came. Even so, Chris and Sid stalked only a little further into the ship.

  “See anything?” Chris whispered, needing to repeat himself after the first words were lost to a croak in his throat.

  “Nothing,” Sid whispered back. “Can you ... er ... feel anything, Phoebe? If you know what I mean?”

  “Only the ship,” Phoebe whispered.

  Chris forced himself not to relax. He considered the scene before him. The interior of the transport was a little like a conference room. There were high, comfortable seats, a couple of low tables, and what appeared to be television screens or monitors. There may have been other things, but the light level was low, only the dim illumination present at floor level pushing back the total darkness.

  Chris beckoned the others forward, and they each inched a little further into the ship, keeping a close eye out for signs of movement. They crept along until they reached the rear of the transport, before doubling back, checking the front, and coming to the small cockpit area. Surely the ship’s occupants must have sealed themselves in there? There was nowhere else to go. The doors were unlocked, the three entered. There was no one inside.

  Now Chris relaxed. “What the hell?” he asked.

  “Maybe the computer was right?” Sid said. “Maybe it really is empty?”

  “Perhaps whoever was aboard has already gone?” Phoebe suggested.

  “But what about the Cyclone escorts?” Chris said. “This makes no sense.”

  Sid and Phoebe only shrugged, and Chris swore. What a waste of time. He had built himself up for nothing. Their one major chance. It was like opening a giant gift box, only to find it stuffed to bursting with packing peanuts, and a baked potato at the bottom of it. In fact, this was worse, as there wasn’t even a potato to be had. What an utter, utter waste of time. He felt like punching something.

  “Computer,” he said, knowing the Dodger’s systems would still be in control and could service him from here. “Bring all level one systems on-line; basically, anything that doesn’t count towards engines, shields, communications, or defensive or offensive measures. We’ll dig through this lot later,” he said to Sid. “Right now, I can’t be bothered.”

  Deflated, he started out of the cockpit area as the light level restored, freezing at the same instant that Phoebe gasped. Standing in the middle of the craft, appearing a little baffled, was a man dressed in a white suit. He started as he turned and saw the three emerging from the cockpit area, and began to back away.

  “Where the hell did he come from?” Sid asked.

  “Who cares?” Chris cried, breaking into a run. “Get him!” As he charged he saw that the man’s initial shock was already gone, and that he was now holding his ground. Most likely because he knew there was nowhere for him to go. Still, Chris intended to make sure. He dived as he drew close, intending to knock the man off his feet ...

  ... and missed.

  Chris grunted as he slammed heavily down onto the floor. He counted himself lucky that he hadn’t broken anything during the impact. He had instinctively braced himself with his hands, and could quite easily have fractured his wrists. It didn’t prevent him from cracking his forehead on the floor, however. Vision a little blurry, stars in his eyes, he nevertheless pulled himself up quickly, turning to look at the white-suited man. Chris stared. How had he missed? Surely he had not actually gone straight through the man
, had he?

  Sid approached next, walking, instead of running. He swished a hand through the air where the man was, watching as it passed straight through. He did it again another couple of times. “A hologram?” he asked.

  “No,” Phoebe breathed. “That’s an avatar; that’s his conscious representation.”

  “Yes, well done, Lexx,” the man said. “You’re clearly just as smart as your sister.”

  “Ursula? You know where my sister is? What have you done with her?” Phoebe cried.

  “She’s safe enough,” the man said, with a flippant dismissal. “For now, anyway.” He then folded his arms and turned to the man who had attempted to tackle him. “Let me guess – you’re Chris Bainfield.”

  “That’s right,” Chris growled. “And you are?”

  “Erik Overlook, Vice President of the Wade-Ellen Asset Protection Corporation, Number One of the Upper Circle, and second only to the CEO.”

  “Don’t try to impress me with your titles,” Chris spat. He couldn’t give a damn about any of this man’s supposedly grand status. “All we need from you right now is information.”

  Overlook smiled, clearly now a lot less daunted than he had been at first. “Information? You’ll be lucky.”

  “You’ll talk,” Chris said, glowering.

  “And how, exactly, do you expect to achieve that? You can’t even touch me.” Overlook ran his hands over his crease-free suit, and straightened his cuffs.

  True. It was just a projection. “Phoebe?” Chris asked.

  “No,” Phoebe said, shaking her head. “He’s not an AI, or even a machine.”

  Overlook smiled smugly. “An ‘A’ for effort, Mr Bainfield, but an ‘F’ for progress. Now, I suggest you surrender yourselves and give up this futile little crusade of yours before you end more lives unnecessarily. You must know that we will catch you, eventually. Don’t think that your psionic friend can bail you out of every little encounter. The longer you try to run, the more terrible the punishment will be.”