The Adventures of Connor Jakes: Masks (The War for Terra Book 1)

by James Prosser

“I saw the power core dip a little while ago,” Mendel replied. “I’ll bet Tuxor took care of them. He likes the little … uh … whatever they are.”

  “Alright then, boys,” Jakes said, standing again and walking towards the bridge doors. “Get out your gear and tell the frog to meet us at the port airlock with the twins. Bonnie, pull us alongside.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Bonnie said, sliding the steering controls around the panel. “Do you want me to suit up too?”

  “Not this time,” Jakes said, pausing at the door. “I need you ready to get us the hell out of here if I run into any old friends. Mendel, bring one of the big guns and plenty of ammo.”

  “Now you’re talking, Captain,” Mendel said, rising and stepping towards the door.

  “Just the guns, Eli,” Jakes said. “I don’t wanna survive that station just to have you blow us all to high hell.”

  “Aww, jeez, boss,” Mendel replied, slumping over as he left the bridge. “You take all the fun out of things.”

  3

  “Humans are survivors. We fight like hell for every inch we can get and then punch whatever we find there. Of course, most of the time something is there to punch back.”

  Ronald Chang

  Memoirs

  Jakes felt the satisfying click of the energizer slide into the breach of his pistol. The hybrid weapon was slightly larger than a standard chemical propellant gun, but fired small plasma pellets instead of bullets. They had less stopping power than a bullet, but tended to burn a target from the inside-out on their way through. He latched the safety and slid the gun into the worn indigo leather holster he wore low on his right hip.

  Pulling four more energizer clips from the small storage locker, Jakes slid the canisters into the wide pockets of his utility vest. He pushed the doors closed as Parker and Mendel came ambling down the corridor. Parker had a similar pistol on both hips and a mass of wires erupting from the front pocket of his trousers. Jakes assumed the man had secreted several explosive devices on his person despite his order not to. Mendel, on the other hand, was carrying a squarish rifle with a barrel magazine of fragmentary shells. The gun had been painted white and held an additional magazine in its boxy handle. Not quite a meter long, the rifle always looked to Jakes as though Mendel was trying to scare targets before he shot them.

  Melaina’s voice rang out along the hallway outside the airlock. “Connor! Wait up.”

  “Uh oh,” Parker said with a grin. “You didn’t kiss the missus goodbye, did ya?”

  “Shut the hell up, Parker,” Jakes said, skewering the little man with a hard stare. Get the airlock ready. I’ll meet up with you guys in a sec.”

  The two men turned away with a snicker. Jakes stepped away from the storage locker and into the hall. Melaina was straightening her own utility vest. She was wearing a thick blouse and long slacks, all in a deep royal blue. Jakes could see the pistol on her hip, strapped to a belt holding multiple shells for the gun. Jakes put his hands on her shoulders to stop her.

  “Connor, I need to pick up some extra bullets,” Melaina said, opening the vest to show the empty pockets. “I’m going to watch your back.”

  “Darlin’,” Jakes replied in his softest voice. “I appreciate what you’re sayin’, but me and the boys are gonna handle this one ourselves.”

  “No way, Connor,” Melaina said, indignation on her olive skinned face. “I don’t trust those boys. You need somebody to keep an eye on them.”

  “Now, precious…” Jakes began.

  “Don’t you precious me, Connor,” Melaina said, raising her voice. “You told me about this place from last time. If it’s as dangerous as you said, you need all the hands you can get.”

  “I know I do, Melaina,” Jakes said, raising his hands to try to calm her. “That’s why I’m takin’ Tuxor and the twins.”

  “The twins?” Melaina said, pressing her anger towards him again and making Jakes step back. “The twins are useless to you if things get bad. You’ll be leaving them somewhere in a bucket if one of those things attack.”

  “Uh, boss,” Mendel said, stepping back towards the arguing couple. “What things is she talking about?”

  “Shut up, Eli,” Jakes shouted over his shoulder. “Look, Melaina, we’re just goin’ in there and checkin’ things out. If anything goes wrong, we’ll be outta there in a flash.”

  “Like hell you will,” Melaina said, pressing a polished finger into Jakes’ chest. “You’ll start firing that pop gun of yours and not stop until you blow out a bulkhead. If you don’t do it, one of those other idiots will.”

  “Hey!” Parker said, stepping beside his partner.

  “Shut up, Parker,” Melaina said. “I’m coming with you and that’s final.”

  “Melaina, I’m the captain of this ship and I need you to listen to me now.” Jakes’ voice had taken on a new tone, one she had never heard before. He sounded commanding in a way that was formal and unequivocal. “I need you to stay on the Liberty to mind the engines. If something does go wrong, I need to be able to get us the hell out of here right away. I can’t do that if I’m carrying you or you’re carrying me. Is that understood?”

  The three people stared at Jakes. For the duration of his speech he had looked different, had held himself not as the casual privateer, but as someone much more experienced and rigid. Melaina appeared ready to protest again, but stopped, not ready to fight this man standing before her. After a moment, Jakes relaxed again and the familiar grin broke his face into the smirking captain again.

  “Excuse me.” The deep baritone sound of the Karisien, Tuxor, interrupted the confrontation before Jakes could say anything further. “Am I late?”

  Before turning to see the alien, Jakes glanced at Melaina. He could see the disappointment on her face as she turned away from him. It had been an issue between them to let her come along on raids and other missions. He had made promises and broken them many times, and it hurt each time. As a man, Connor promised himself to let her come along on the next mission.

  “You’re fine, Tux,” Jakes replied, reinforcing the grin he had lost for a moment. “We all just got here ourselves, and Bonnie ain’t signaled the dock yet.”

  Jakes looked up at the two-meter alien with confidence. Tuxor’s skin was glistening in the light of the corridor. In his lower two arms he held a pair of canisters containing amber liquid. In his upper right arm, he held a long tube with a handle. It was the closest thing to a weapon Jakes could get him to carry. His wide, lipless mouth seemed to be grinning from his greenish blue face, indicating he knew what he had interrupted.

  “Good. I would hate to have missed the fun,” Tuxor replied, setting the canisters down. “Your last mission to this station ended too abruptly for me. I dislike loose ends.”

  “Yeah,” Jakes said, looking back to Melaina. “Me too. In any case, that pop-gun of yours may not be enough this time. Let Eli get you something bigger.”

  “I got just the thing!” Mendel replied, excitedly looking to the big alien. “It’s new. I took it off one of those trader folk from Alessis 3. I am dying to know what it does.”

  “No, my friend Eli,” Tuxor said, raising his upper arms to placate the human. “My … uh … ‘pop … gun’ will do. I dislike the noises Mr. Mendel’s toys make.”

  “If ya don’t like noises, Tux, you might wanna sit this one out,” Jakes said, stepping closer to the amphibian. “The last time I was here the noise was a bit much. There’s somethin’ over there that likes to scream at ya.”

  “I will adjust,” Tuxor said placidly. “The twins are fed and rested, but eager to try something new. What do you have for them?”

  Jakes watched for a moment as the big man placed his left fist against his head. He made gulping motions for a few moments before switching hands with the weapon and holding his right hand against his head. More gulping motions followed until the amphibian stopped, regained the tube with his right hand, and looked back at Jakes. The pirate had seen this behavior before when the am
phibian needed to close off the tympanic membranes on his head. It rendered him nearly deaf, but able to withstand tremendous pressure and sound. Jakes would have to shout to be heard by the alien, but the advantage was worth it.

  “Should be simple,” Jakes said with a loud shout. “Just an open door on a ship just like ours. Shouldn’t take ‘em more than a minute, then you can get back to the pool if you want.”

  Tuxor blinked his huge black eyes for a moment, clearly trying to decipher what he had barely heard. He finally nodded and knelt down to the canisters, holding his lower hands over the sides. A low rumble started almost immediately, just barely in the range where Jakes and the crew could feel it more than hear it. The amber liquid rippled in response. The sound lasted a full minute before Tuxor stood, breaking off the noise suddenly.

  “They understand, but would have liked something more interesting,” Tuxor said, slightly too loud. “I will take them to where you need them, but they are asking to come along. I would like to go further with you as well.”

  “Sounds like a plan, big guy,” Jakes replied, turning back to Melaina. “See, no problems.”

  “I’ll be in engineering,” Melaina said in a clipped tone. Parker and Mendel chuckled as she pushed past them. Jakes watched her leave with his customary grin covering his distress. There was a slight vibration in the deck, and then a jerk towards the airlock.

  “Docking complete. I’ve got their computer online and the pressurization cycle has begun. Get ready, guys.” Bonnie’s voice had the calm sound of an experienced pilot in control of her ship. “Still nothing from the station, so you’ll probably have to access the system manually.”

  “I got the twins here,” Jakes said, after tapping the comm panel by the airlock door. “We’re ready. Are you reading atmo over there?”

  “Life support seems operational at a minimum level. It might be a bit stale though,” Bonnie said.

  “I bet it still smells better than Parker,” Jakes said, looking back at the two men behind him. “Good news, boys. No suits!”

  A halfhearted cheer went up from the two men as they picked up equipment and guns. Tuxor picked up the canisters in his lower arms and held them at the ready. A red light began to flash above the airlock door as the atmosphere was cycled into the chamber. Jakes checked his gun again, ensuring the strap holding it into the holster was free. A moment later, the light changed to green and the door chimed. Jakes pressed his palm to the panel and the airlock door hissed open.

  Parker pushed past first, hands twitching inside fingerless gloves. Mendel followed, holding his gun high and looking at the outer hull of the other ship. Jakes stepped into the airlock, followed by Tuxor, who needed to duck to fit into the small tube connecting the two ships. Tuxor pressed the pad behind him and the door slid shut, sealing off the noise of the ship and revealing silence in the airlock.

  “Ya’ll boys wanna get outta my way so I can open the door?” Jakes said, pressing forward against the other two men.

  Jakes pulled a small box from the utility vest and placed it against the hull of the ship. He pressed a button and waited. It seemed to take a long time before the box let out a shriek and a small panel opened. He pressed his palm against the panel and waited. After a dozen heartbeats, Jakes withdrew his hand. He tried pressing several darkened buttons on the panel to no avail. He finally stepped aside and motioned for Tuxor. The big alien brought the canisters to the door and set them down. He pulled the lids from the tubes and stepped back. Twin tendrils of liquid rose from the amber, spiraling around each other and upwards. The tendrils formed a perfect amber helix as it grew closer to the panel. In a flash, the helix shot upwards, leaving the canisters behind and landing with a thick splash on the panel.

  Jakes watched as the liquid seemed to merge with the panel. It seeped past the buttons and into the delicate circuitry beyond. The lights flashed on and began to coalesce into a message on the panel’s tiny screen.

  “The intelligence is quiet,” the message read. “We will talk. We will convince it to talk.”

  “That’s my boys,” Jakes said to the panel. “Now don’t stop to make too many friends in there. We got work to do.”

  “Comprehended.” The message on the screen blinked out as the lights on the panel blinked faster.

  There was a long moment of waiting as Jakes watched the panel. He could smell the faint algae smell of Tuxor standing nearby. Parker and Mendel stood quietly behind. The lights flashed again and Jakes heard a deep metallic sound. The airlock hull door opened with a puff of humid, stale air.

  “Thanks, boys,” Jakes said, seeing the amber liquid beginning to leak from the panel again.

  The double helix reformed as the twin streams of amber liquid shot back towards their canisters. Tuxor reached down and held the twin tubes up as the last of the liquid separated and flowed back to their carriers. The amphibian placed the lids back on the tubes and stood, stepping aside to let Mendel into the dark corridor beyond. Parker followed closely behind his partner, drawing one of the pistols and turning on a shoulder-mounted light. Jakes followed, giving Tuxor a nod as the big alien held up the twins.

  The corridor was nearly identical to the one they had left on Sweet Liberty. The carpet was thick and glowed red under Parker’s shoulder light. The walls were painted a deep gold color, and a filigree of silver ran like a spider’s web across the length of it. Mendel whistled in wonder at the expense of the decorations. Jakes pulled his own light from the utility vest and shone it along the wall.

  “Alright, we all know the layout,” Jakes said, switching to his captain voice. “Parker, Eli, we need to get to the other side of this ship and try to get the airlock open from here. Tuxor, take the twins to the bridge and see if they can talk to the ship’s computer. Get some lights on or something. Keep your eyes open for whoever owns this boat. Let’s go.”

  The team nodded and gathered themselves. Tuxor strode off towards the bridge stairwell while Jakes and his team went in the opposite direction. The layout was familiar, with major bulkheads in the same locations as on Sweet Liberty. The ship had been decorated in the finest materials, however, and Jakes was feeling nervous the further into the ship they travelled.

  “Let’s cut through the mess hall,” Jakes ordered. “If this tub is like ours, the galley will have a back door takin’ us right through the middle of the ship.”

  “Can we check to see if they got any food?” Parker said, checking around a corner and signaling the all clear. “I ain’t had rich people food in a while.”

  “You’re just looking for indigo burgers aren’t you?” Eli replied. “Tired of Melaina’s cooking?”

  “Both of you, shut up,” Jakes said, hissing at the two through closed teeth. “Parker, if you find it and it ain’t movin’, eat it. Otherwise, keep quiet.”

  The three men moved on through the ship, checking each corner and finding nothing. When they reached the entrance to the dining hall, Mendel took point and entered the room. Jakes followed quickly, scanning the area with his light as Parker covered the entrance behind them. It looked as if the room only had one table with a sumptuous booth encircling it. Jakes approached the table carefully, noticing the lack of utensils or plates of any kind.

  A shot rang out as the lights blazed into activity. Jakes swung around, falling to one knee and raising his pistol in the direction of the shot. Mendel let out a roar as he brought his rifle to bear. Jakes could hear the whine of the energizer warm-up cycle. It took him a moment to release his finger from the trigger as he saw Parker raise his arms high.

  “You lame-brained son of a bitch!” Eli yelled. “I could’ve shot you just then.”

  “Sorry!” Parker said sheepishly, holding his arms high as Jakes kept his weapon trained on him. “The lights startled me is all.”

  “I should shoot you anyway,” Jakes said. “At least you weren’t carryin’ those explosive shells this time.”

  “Yeah,” the little man replied, dropping his hands and picking up
his dropped pistol. “Good thing I forgot to switch ammo.”

  “Captain Jakes?”

  The voice of Tuxor came over the speakers mounted in the ceiling. Jakes found a small comm panel and pressed the switch.

  “Tuxor?” Jakes asked. “Glad to see you made it to the bridge. Can you reach the station’s computers?”

  “Negative, Captain,” Tuxor replied. “The twins are working on it, but the system appears to be locked out.”

  “Tell’em to keep tryin’,” Jakes ordered. “We’re goin’ ahead to the airlock.”

  “Understood, sir.”

  “Let’s get outta here,” Jakes said. “Somethin’ about this place is wrong. It’s too … clean.”

  Parker and Mendel looked around at the large dining hall. Jakes was right. The hall was immaculate. For a ship that had been abandoned, the mess hall should have shown signs of some habitation, but there was not even a crumb on the table. In comparison, Sweet Liberty’s galley was usually a pile of unwashed dishes and half-eaten food. It was eerie to see a similar room so clean.

  The three men entered the equally clean kitchen area, carefully scanning in all directions with guns raised. Jakes stepped past Mendel and went to the back wall of the smaller room. A panel set into a freezer responded to his touch and a hidden doorway opened. Designed so the kitchen staff could exit without disturbing the diners, the doorway opened to a hallway lined with crew quarters. Jakes and the other two moved quickly down a corridor and to the opposing airlock in the light.

  “Somethin’ doesn’t add up here, boys,” Jakes said when they arrived at the door. “This place is locked up tight and neat as a pin. If someone was left behind to hold down the fort, where are they?”

  “Maybe the whole crew went over to the station,” Parker replied, examining the airlock door. “This thing is unlocked on this side, Captain.”

  “Unlocked?” Jakes said, stepping closer to the door. “Tuxor must have gotten the doors workin’. Check the seals on the station-side.”

  Parker placed his palm on the panel and waited. Lights clicked on and the airlock door hissed open. It was a hard dock to the station so there was no tube connecting the ship to the station. With no tube, the seals were more secure and reliable. Parker examined the interior door lock carefully. He ran fingers over the panel, looking for traps or anything that might blow the seal while they were in it.