by Cheri Lasota
Solomon held up a hand to Zander and pointed toward the Astro Lab.
“Okay, it’s done. Now let my son go.”
“All right, Marcks, we’re going to back away and head to the Astro Lab airlock. I suggest you sound the alarm, and then get to a compression suit. The hatches are locked down. Spacewalking is your only viable option. Good luck.”
“I’m going to have you floated for this.”
“You’ll have to get aboard the Challenge before you can even attempt it, Marcks.” Solomon grabbed Zander’s belt, and mouthed, “Hold on to me.” Then he switched his tether to retract mode and set the speed to high, which was fairly dangerous, considering he had Zander in tow. It jerked them aft toward the airlock hatch, and Zander held on tighter.
Solomon worried about Dextra and Barrow. By now, the Founders would likely have found them out. And Kasen and Vida—would they make it aboard with so little lead-time?
As he dragged them along toward the hatch, Solomon heard the ring of warnings resound in his HUD as the docking commander’s station-wide emergency alarm went off.
“Warning! Warning! All aboard the Nautilus-11 Space Station must board the SS Challenge immediately. The SS Challenge will launch in one hour. Secure the ship. Do not delay.”
Solomon shook his head in disbelief. It seemed his insane plan was going to work.
Solomon yanked Zander through the hatch and motioned him to strap into a grav seat along the wall. The boy glared at him but did as he was told. Solomon strapped into a seat along the opposite bulkhead, which seemed prudent.
Solomon punched the seldom-used inner grav switch. Under usual circumstances the technicians in the lab’s command compartment would handle that for the astronauts. In this case, Solomon glanced up through the fenestella leading into the suit up compartment, and saw a lot of angry faces peering in at him. He knew it was inevitable, but it still came as a shock regardless. He hadn’t thought past blackmailing Docking Commander Marcks, but he supposed it didn’t matter what happened to him now. He had done his level best to keep his Reachers safe, and he had to get used to the idea he’d likely be out of commission for quite some time if not forever after this.
While he and Zander waited for the gravitation and oxygen levels to stabilize, Solomon studied the people outside the window. It looked to be a mix of blue-uniformed Founders and Janus Security Corp guards in their signature bland grey uniforms as always.
He was curious to know if Edge and Justice were milling around out there, too, waiting to pounce. He supposed some of Challenge Command and Joint Board members might even still be on the Nautilus. He had done what he could for them, but a pang of worry hit his stomach. He wondered again if Vida and Kasen were spacewalking right now even as he sat here waiting.
A loud alarm resounded in his ears telling him it was safe to remove his helmet. Zander ripped his off and threw it to the ground while Solomon carefully removed his and set it on the chair next to him.
“What was that all about, man? What the hell did I ever do to you?”
“I’m sorry, Zander. This wasn’t about you. I don’t have time to explain what’s really going on. The main thing you need to worry about is your mother.”
“What? I saw her up at her command module on Nautilus. Is she not there now? What happened?”
“Long story short, the SS Challenge is going to take off in less than an hour. Nothing can stop it now. An emergency protocol has been initiated, and we are leaving. Your mother is still on Nautilus, but I told her to drop everything and get over here. So you need to focus on your mother, and nothing else.”
“Man, you better tell me what’s going on. I have to report this. You could’ve killed me.”
“It doesn’t matter now. Look through the window.”
Zander unbuckled himself from the seat, and stood to glance out the window at all the angry faces. “What are they all doing here?”
“They’re here for me.”
While they talked, Solomon moved toward the suit expander panel and hooked his suit in. He flipped the switch and waited for the expander to do its magic. Once the suit was loosened, he wriggled out of it and stretched. Even in these flexible suits, spacewalking was still exhausting.
Somebody finally figured out how to override his emergency code on the airlock hatch, and they all came crashing into the room. Solomon found himself with five Tasers aimed right at his chest.
“You’re under arrest Solomon Reach,” a tall but bulky Founder guard burst out. Solomon raised his hands in the air, indicating he would surrender.
“All right, all right, you got me, but you better make sure you’ve got all your crew accounted for because this ship is leaving with or without them in less than an hour.”
Three of them surged forward to surround Solomon, hands out with their Tasers at the ready. A fourth moved around Solomon to cuff him with a Lewie. He was not particularly gentle. Solomon grunted in pain, as the man nearly dislocated his shoulder.
Once they had him secured and two of the men stood on either side of him, the Founder security guard who looked to be in charge stepped forward.
“Did you force Docking Commander Marcks to put out the launch alarm and start the initiation sequence?”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Then again, maybe you’re in on the game.”
Several of the guards exchanged surprised and perplexed glances.
“In on what?”
“Don’t you think you’d best make sure all your crew are accounted for? That should be your first priority. The launch sequence is in emergency override mode, and it’s been locked down. Put your focus on your crew, and then I’ll tell you what you need to know.”
The man narrowed his heavy-lidded eyes at Solomon, studying his expression. Solomon kept his eyes on the man, willing him to believe his words. After all, it was the truth.
“Officer Bennett?”
The leader finally turned and whispered to one of the guards. The man nodded and headed out of the airlock. Bennett turned back to Solomon. “You’ll cooperate if I comply?”
“I will.”
“All right. Let’s get him out of here.” The guard turned to the boy. “Zander Marcks, I believe? Are you all right? We saw Reach cut your tether.”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Though I have no freaking idea what is going on here.”
“You will be informed later. In the meantime, you might get yourself checked out in the Med Bay to be on the safe side.”
The guards made way for Zander, who glared at Solomon as he moved past them and out of the airlock.
“Remember what I told you about your mother, Zander,” Solomon called out, but the kid had already disappeared into the crowd of guards out in the suit up compartment.
As they walked into the compartment outside lab command, Solomon heard a familiar voice ring out.
“Solomon! Are you all right? Is the boy safe?” It was Dextra. She sat in a chair surrounded by guards. Lance Barrow was nowhere to be found. They must have hauled him off to lockdown already.
Mads Graversen leaned over Dextra, both his hands braced on the chair’s arm rests on either side of her. Solomon nodded to her and flashed her a half-smile, hoping it would settle her a bit. Her expression was fearful, and he hated that Mads Graversen had her within his grasp.
“Where is that bastard?” Graversen immediately stood and glanced around.
“Ah.” Solomon watched Mads Graversen stride toward him, his fists clenched, his face already bruising from Solomon’s earlier punch to his jaw. “Glad to see you are in good health, Director Graversen.”
Mads didn’t say a word. He just reeled back and let loose a solid jab knocking Solomon sideways and had blood spurting from his mouth. He leaned heavily onto the guy next to him, waiting for the stars in his vision to clear.
“Fucking happy to see you too, Graversen,” he said, the blood in his mouth garbling his voice.
Mads gave him a smug smile. “I’m going to see to it personally that you take a nice long walk outside in the very near future, Reach.” As ever, Mads’s voice was as even as a lake of ice. “Right after you help me park this damned ship.”
“Too late. Nothing will stop the sequence now. Your plan has failed.” Solomon could hardly believe it himself. There was only one code that could stop the ship’s launch sequence, and he’d be damned if he was going to spill that to anyone.
Mads leaned back to take another swing, but the guards next to him grabbed a hold of his arms and pulled him back. With his face smarting and his mouth bleeding, Solomon failed to come up with a clever comeback, so he just spat on the pristine flooring—and Mads’s shoes for good measure.
Graversen stopped struggling, and Bennett nodded to his guards to release him. He meticulously straightened his jet-black uniform before turning to Bennett, his face now serene, his eyes showing no trace of his anger from a moment ago.
“Take Reach to Command Deck 19, Conference Compartment 1B, immediately.”
“You don’t want Reach in lockdown, Director Graversen?” Bennett asked.
“I want him where I can get to him.” A final glance at Mads made his fists twitch. Given the opportunity, that man would most certainly send him out into the void.
Bennett didn’t question Mads’s orders. “Yes, sir,” he said with a nod toward his security entourage, and began leading Solomon toward the Lab Sector’s main passageway.
Solomon glanced at Dextra, and then found he couldn’t keep his eyes from her. He was not entirely sure he would ever see her again. Memorizing her stained lips, her dark eyes, the endless curves of her small body before they led him out, he wanted only one thing: to take her straight to his quarters, peel that skin-tight uniform off her body, and make her scream in ecstasy. He didn’t stop to consider he had no idea how to make a woman scream like that, but that wasn’t the point.
Solomon hoped his gaze would be enough to tell her how he felt about her. She looked like she had tears in her eyes. Maybe she also realized this could be the end of the road for him. It was only a moment, and then one of the guards shoved Solomon out into the passageway.
Being paraded through the SS Challenge while everyone scurried around to prepare for the ship’s launch was not Solomon’s idea of a good time. Open stares greeted him at every juncture, but he was happy to see very few Reachers among the Founder crew. He hoped most were on the Watch Deck in relative safety. Then again, the hatches were on lockdown and the ship was taking off. It took him a moment to realize he really had saved his crew. There was no time now for Mads and his mad dogs in Challenge Command to replace the Reachers aboard the ship with the people they’d hidden in the space station’s Serica Sector.
Along the way, he freely offered Bennett an explanation of what had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. He didn’t pull any punches, and he didn’t worry about hiding details, though he tried his best to keep Dextra and the rest of his crew out of it. It would be obvious based on security footage Dextra had been with him the whole time, but he didn’t want to reveal the integral part she played in their successful mission. Best to make Challenge Command think he had kidnapped her against her will rather than implicate her. No sense in both of them going down for this.
He figured Alexandra Justice would attempt to keep her daughter out of trouble, but there was no telling what Commander Edge would do if he thought Dextra had useful information. He wondered where Edge and Justice were right now. Had they made it across to the ship? Were they still trying to find an available trafero to transport them across from the space station?
He rather hoped they wouldn’t make it in time but figured it was an unlikely scenario. Besides, they would have need of Edge’s skill set when they finally made it to the wormhole. They’d need his expertise to navigate the Sideris Gate and Cavum.
It certainly wasn’t Solomon’s realm of knowledge. Well, if he made it that far. They may shove him out the hatch for that long-threatened spacewalk. He wondered if it’s what he would do to Graversen and Edge if the roles were reversed. He honestly didn’t have an answer for that.
Bennett peppered Solomon with questions, and he answered as truthfully as he could.
The man narrowed his eyes again. “And you cut the boy’s tether—why?”
“Docking Commander Marcks was less than enthusiastic about assisting me in my endeavors today,” Solomon retorted dryly.
“Ah, I see. But to put that boy’s life in danger...”
“I had no intention of harming Zander. He’s a good kid. I wouldn’t have cut his tether if I had any other choice. But I was tasked with saving the lives of three thousand of my crew. One life for three thousand was a chance I was willing to take. What would you choose?”
The man laughed grimly. “I don’t know, man. I’m glad I didn’t have to make that choice.”
“Well, now you know what it’s like to be me. At least in the last twenty-four hours, anyway. Frankly, I could use a damned drink. A stiff one.”
“If you make it out of this alive, I’ll buy you one.”
Vida hurried into the largest suit up compartment located in the Challenge Docking Sector. Several other people scrambled around the compartment in various stages of suiting up. Only so many suits remained. At this point, it was a free-for-all, each hoping to make it to the ship as soon as possible.
She ran over to an empty suit hanging on the wall and yanked it down, checking it over quickly for any immediate problems. She cursed the fact that Solomon still had her UiComm, but the suit’s HUD would tell her the time and give her the ship’s departure status. Her fingers trembled annoyingly. The last thing she wanted was to see the SS Challenge slipping from its dock while she watched it zoom away forever. She knew as well as Solomon did that the lockdown could not be overridden. She’d woken in a cold sweat from nightmares of that very scenario.
Vida hooked the suit up to the expander panel and pushed the expander button. While she waited, she grabbed a helmet and thruster module. Knowing she wouldn’t be out there long, she left all the optional pack modules behind. She thought it best to go with the lightest module configuration possible.
“Vida!” she heard Kasen shout as he strode through the slider amid a crowd of panicked people.
A ball of anxiety leapt up her throat and threatened to strangle her.
“Kasen, what the hell are you doing here? You should be on the ship. You’re supposed to be on the Challenge.” She punched him in the arm while he leaned in to kiss her.
“So are you. Why are you still here?” He was still shouting.
“Never mind. Find a suit. We’ve got to get out of here now. How much time do we have left?”
He glanced at his UiComm HUD. “Twenty-five minutes.”
“That’s not enough time.”
She saw another suit already hooked up to an expander, so she slammed down the button and told him to find a helmet and thruster. He rushed over to the storage rack and hooked his O2 and thruster modules into the builder panel.
“My suit is prepped. I’m getting in,” she said, her tone gruff. “Dammit, Kasen. It was foolish of you to come here.”
“I can’t believe it’s taken you this long to get out. What the hell were you doing? I originally thought you boarded down at the lower hatch. But when no one could find you, I knew you had to be stuck over here.”
“I was blackmailing Commander Marcks. You know, doing my job?”
“I should have been the one to do that.”
“Let’s not argue. Put your suit on and get moving.”
They rushed through the prep and checks and hauled ass to the airlock, where several other people were preparing to open the hatch.
Kasen made eye contact with everyone in the airlock, which consisted of five men and three women. All were strapped down to their seats.
“Fuck the grav,” he said, daring anyone to disagree. Despite the looks of shock on a few of their f
aces, most nodded in agreement. “We don’t have time for it. Strap in and hold tight. Head straight for Shuttle Bay 2 on the port side. I have confirmed it’s still open.”
Using the Gravitational Flux Chamber to switch from artificial gravity to micro-gravity would have taken another ten minutes they didn’t have. With a final glare to make sure all of them were strapped down in their seats along the bulkheads, Kasen buckled himself in and hit the airlock’s release button. As the hatch slowly opened, Kasen tapped on the comm unit on the back of his helmet, indicating to Vida they needed to connect comms.
He used his fingers to display the number she needed to call.
“Checking comms, over,” Kasen said once they established a connection.
“Confirmed. Over.”
“All right, we’re going to use our thrusters and head over to Shuttle Bay 2.”
“Good. I’ll follow you, over,” she replied.
Once the hatch had fully opened, everyone floated out, scattering out into the inky black between the station and ship. Vida checked her helmet’s HUD. The ship-wide warning message flashed red in her vision, distracting her. She muted the alarm sound with a command.
The area between the docking module and the ship was a mass exodus of traferos and spacewalking astronauts heading to the Shuttle Sector. They’d have to watch for traffic. It would only take five minutes to thrust their way over to the correct bay for entry.
Kasen glanced back at Vida with a worried look in his eyes, which was not something she often saw.
“What is it?” she asked.
“My oxygen levels are low.”
“Didn’t you check the canister?”
“Uh, no. I was in a rush, remember?”
“How much do you have?”
“Not enough. Maybe it’s busted. Didn’t have time to do the proper checks.”
“Let’s move. No matter what happens. You keep your eyes on the goal. Get into the bay as soon as you can. Keep your breathing even and try not to talk.”
“Yes, I know the protocol.”
“Dammit, Kasen. Don’t give me any trouble. You need to stay alive so I can beat the shit out of you when we make it back to the ship. Solomon ordered you to stay at the hatch.”
