Mendel was excited about the firefight, but Jakes was unsteady about the plan. They were relying too heavily on Holcombe and his knowledge of how the corporation worked. With only the doctor and Tuxor to be their faces of slavers, Connor was worried they wouldn’t be able to get past the first checkpoint. Their ship would be met in orbit by Veles fighter escorts and taken to Eridu’s spaceport for invoice verification. The saucer would be detached and flown by corporate tender to the factory, where the crew area would be allowed to land.
Melaina’s voice crackled from the speaker by the airlock. “Ready the grapples.”
Bonnie began to operate the delicate controls of the grapple system. They needed to pull close enough to the freighter to launch the cable. Magnetic pods would attach themselves to the ship and pull Liberty close, tilting her on the side so the airlock would be facing downward. They would be making an entry through an atmospheric purge assembly located just behind the freighter’s bridge. The system would normally be kept closed during the flight and open only in a planetary atmosphere, when excess trace chemicals and carbon monoxide would be purged and cleaner air pulled in by the ship’s life support system. Attaching the ship through the system and pressurizing would not alert the crew until they were already past the purge doors.
There was a sharp snap as the grapples released. In the weightless environment of space, the pressurized system shot the pod straight down to the freighter hull. The magnetic pods struck their targets and held tight. Conner activated the winch and retracted the four cables. Sweet Liberty, still matching course and speed with the freighter below, was pulled slowly down to the ship. Jakes extended the docking ring to cover the purge port. It took a few seconds for the ship to make firm contact and seal against the port. Green lights flashed in the corridor as the team prepared to raid the ship.
Connor opened the airlock and stepped into the narrow tube. The purge port was an airtight system designed to seal against the vacuum pressure of space. Automatic sensors built into the port registered the presence of atmosphere and released the magnetic seal. The port was still locked from the inside, though, and Jakes needed special help with those. Although Parker had lobbied to be allowed to blow the hatch, Jakes needed to remind him the ship was still in deep space and would need to undock after taking control. Instead, he would require the twins and a hand-held scanner.
After they had discovered the abilities of the liquid creatures, Jakes had part of the ventilation system of the ship modified to be a transport tube. Twin lines of amber fluid snaked out from Sweet Liberty’s air vents. Jakes held up the scanner and a small piece of the creatures broke off and entered the device. The amber liquid seemed to become lighter as the broken off bits seeped into the scanner. Jakes had often wondered what happened when the creatures divided like this, and if it hurt. He sometimes wondered if the creatures felt pain at all.
The scanner lit up and a thin, reedy beeping filled the narrow airlock. Jakes held the scanner up to the door and tried to get a reading on the port frequency. The scanner began to pulse with green light. The pulses became quicker as the twins zeroed in on the right encryptions for the door. When the scanner let out a long beep, Jakes knew the port was unlocked. He held up the scanner and the pieces of the twins stretched out and joined their parent organism.
Connor placed a hand under the nearest edge of the purge port. He braced his foot against the airlock and pulled. Eli Mendel stepped into the airlock and braced himself opposite Jakes. Both men yanked at the metal doors until they cracked open. With a mighty pull, the port opened fully, revealing a dark, sooty tunnel beneath. Jakes felt his stomach heave as he looked into the maw. The freighter’s gravity would be positioned at a ninety-degree angle from where he stood. As he stuck his head past the airlock seal, he felt the pull yanking him sideways into the hole.
Signaling to Mendel, Jakes took a step back and leaped. There was a strange sensation as his forward motion became downward motion in mid leap. Jakes tried to twist around in the air as he fell, hoping to get his feet under him. The tunnel curved and he felt his back make contact with the metal surface. He slid another ten meters or so before slowing to a stop. Behind him, Mendel was making his leap and sliding down as well. Jakes stepped further down the tunnel, careful to hold himself doubled over in the tiny space. Mendel followed soon and finally Parker. After a few moments, Bonnie slid down the shaft and into the freighter. All four humans were filthy, covered in the accumulated soot of the purge vent.
There was a strange skittering sound from the tube as the doctor made his appearance. Rather than sliding, the creature was crawling along the metal sides, digging his claws into the vent sides and moving along as if gravity was just a suggestion. The doctor joined the humans and waited. Tuxor was next down the tube. The two-plus meter alien would have the most difficult part of the trip, carrying the canisters containing the twins. There was a thump as the big alien made contact with the wall. He slid down on his back, holding the canisters close to his chest. Reaching the bottom and stopping, the amphibian tried to stand in the cramped space.
Schematic drawings of the ship class called up from the main database of Sweet Liberty showed the vent system ending another twenty meters from their location into an air processing system. The system had an access door for servicing just before the intake fans. Jakes and the crew made their way down the tube to another sheer drop-off. The access door would be a short hop down but there was only a thin lip where they could stand to open it. Bonnie holstered her pistol and stepped over the hole. As deft as a gymnast, the pilot fell three meters and extended her legs, pressuring her knees into the tube and stopping the fall. She used her hands and pressed out, lowering herself slowly to the access door. She was able to extend her boots to the lip to stand at the door. One-handed, she reached for the inner pressure lock. Because the system vented to space, the system needed to be able to open from the inside in case a technician was locked in. Bonnie pressed a hand to the panel and heard a satisfying click as the door cycled and she heard the exhaust fans slow and stop.
Bonnie pulled her weapon again, pressing the door slowly open. She pushed off with her back and stepped into the corridor outside. There were sounds of people around a corner, but she was alone by the door. She reached back into the shaft and signaled to the others. Jakes exited first, followed by Parker. Both men were small enough that their movements were agile and silent. Tuxor lowered the canisters down to the door and Jakes took them, setting them gently on the floor. He opened the tops of the tubes and set them aside as the big amphibian struggled down the narrow shaft. The door was considerably too small for him, but he was able to compress his shoulders and squeeze through. The doctor followed, walking on the metal and out the door to stand sideways on the wall.
Eli Mendel was neither as big as Tuxor nor as agile as Jakes. He slid down the tube, scraping the sides with knees and elbows. Instead of hitting the thin lip of the doorway, he missed the opening and slid down to the exhaust fan, thumping the wall with every hit.
“I’m okay!” Mendel cried as he stood precariously on the fan blades.
“Shhhh!” Parker hissed back down the shaft at his partner, too late to avoid attracting attention.
Jakes heard the sound from the cross corridor of guards moving their way. The captain and his explosive expert pulled their pistols and found cover behind the door. Bonnie pressed herself to the far wall, using the natural cover of the tubular corridor brace. A long, bladed rifle came around the corner first, followed closely by a reptiloid guard. Two more of the creatures flanked the first as they ran into the corridor. The first to see them raised his weapon to fire, but Bonnie shot first.
The pilot’s weapon was nearly identical to Connors, and fired a small, tightly compacted plasma disc. The disc slammed into the guard’s leather armor, knocking the reptiloid off his feet and into his comrades. There was a flare of noise as the creature screeched in alarm. Once puncturing the armor, the disc began to burn the guard’s thick
skin, and quickly extended to engulf the creature in white-hot flame. The other two guards pressed their dead partner aside and fled back down the cross corridor before Jakes or Parker could fire a shot.
“Well, now we know,” Jakes said, stepping back into the corridor.
“Know what?” Bonnie replied, peering around the corner.
“The guards are cowards,” Jakes replied. “I’m betting they just went to get reinforcements.”
The three nodded and stepped back to the door to retrieve Mendel. The man had managed to lever his way back almost to the doorway when they reached in and hauled him out. The doctor skittered along the wall and hopped down to the smoldering body of the guard. His manipulator arms were scanning the body and taking small tissue samples.
“Gun no good,” Victor said. “Guards too stupid. Bad design. I try fix but no good. Too stupid.”
“Stupid or not, they’ll be back in a second with more guns,” Jakes said, wiping soot from his hands. “Signal Rene to lock it up and meet us down here. Tuxor, can you put the boys to work?”
“I think so, Captain,” the big alien replied. “I need to find an access port.”
There was another thump from the doorway and Rene Malik stepped out. He was coated in the same soot as the rest of them, but somehow seemed cleaner. Jakes realized his back was clean. Apparently, the man had not slid like the rest of them. He made a note to ask the man how he did that the next time.
Bonnie and Rene closed the access door. A quick tap on the controls and Jakes heard the rotors start up on the fan. By now, Sweet Liberty was detaching the airlock and preparing to move away to a safe distance. Jakes and the team would be on their own inside the big freighter if something went wrong.
“Captain!” Bonnie shouted, pointing down the hall.
Jakes heard the noise. The guards were returning with numbers. In space, the cargo hauler carried a crew complement of a little over two dozen. Connor assumed most of this ship’s crew were slave overseers who sat out the journey in the relative comfort of the forward crew section. Jakes waved a hand and the team spread out, drawing weapons. Connor took point by the corridor opening, while the doctor skittered up the wall and into a ceiling alcove.
The first guard came around the corner at a run, holding one of the long-bladed weapons before it. Connor swung his pistol under the blade and up, knocking the reptiloid off balance. He kicked out, aiming for the small, raised area just under the chest armor. The boot connected and the creature doubled over. It tried to raise the sword up again and swipe at its attacker, but Connor was already on him, swinging his knee up and into the creature’s chin. Connor felt teeth crack as the creature was carried up and back by the force of the impact.
A second guard swung its sword down, just beyond Jakes’ reach. As the blade descended, a fast-moving projectile slammed into the arm carrying it. The blade twisted and fell across Jakes’ gun hand. The weapon fell to the floor as Connor involuntarily opened his hand. Before he could retrieve the gun, however, the guard whose arm had been shot attacked, craning its neck forward and trying to bite Jakes’ wrist. Connor pulled his hand back, narrowly avoiding the bite. A second shot crashed into the side of the creature’s face, blasting away scales and teeth. The creature roared feebly before landing on its comrade. Jakes backpedaled away from the intersection as three more reptiloids careened around the corner.
Connor ducked down as Mendel opened up with a projectile rifle. The weapon whined as it threw dozens of bullets down the corridor each second. Connor was able to crawl back under the fire even as Parker unleashed his micro-explosive grenades. Small bursts of fire erupted around the corridor, pushing back the guards who had not rounded the corner. Parker paused to allow Jakes to stand and get out of the way. Mendel, however, kept up a solid rate of fire, holding the creatures back. Jakes slapped the big man on the shoulder, causing him to stop firing. The barrel of the weapon was glowing as it powered down, and Mendel had a smile of near ecstasy on his face.
“That’s enough for now. We want the ship intact,” Jakes said, motioning for the team to move forward. To Jakes’ surprise, Rene was the first around the corner. The guards had huddled down around each other in a defensive posture. Rene ran towards them, a look of manic determination across his face. He had shaved his beard but left a thin mustache and goatee. It reminded Jakes of a Guy Fawkes mask, especially as he threw himself towards the startled guards. Before the nearest one could raise its sword, the Moroccan had flipped over the creature and grabbed it by the shoulders. The momentum caused the reptiloid to fall backwards even as Rene landed in a crouch. The creature was pulled down and over, flipping backwards and against the next guard.
While Rene continued to pummel the guards nearest him, Jakes and Bonnie plunged into the tangle of reptiloid arms, legs and tails. Parker stayed back while Mendel bodily lifted the guards over his head and threw them against the walls. Connor had his hands full as his guard moved quickly, evading his attempts at landing a punch. When he did connect, it felt as if he had struck a brick. The guard snarled and tried to bite Connor as he threw another punch. A quick adjustment of his throw carried Jakes’ arm past the guard and around. A spinning elbow caught the creature across the forehead, knocking it back. As the guard fell, his tail lashed out and slapped Connor across the knees. He fell, cracking his kneecaps against the metal floor. He looked up just in time to see Rene kicking the creature away from him. The man looked crazed.
Bonnie was handling two guards capably. As they moved in simultaneously, the pilot dropped under their attack, brought her pistol up under one and fired. The top of the creature’s head seemed to melt as the disc erupted from its skill. The other was floored by an uppercut to its groin. A follow-up shot to the reptiloid’s head dropped him next to his still-burning colleague. The pilot regained her feet as Rene felled the final guard, stabbing the creature with one of the long-bladed weapons dropped earlier. Connor stood and joined the others.
“We need to get to the bridge before they find out they lost,” Jakes ordered the crew. “Somebody find my gun.”
Parker rushed forward and found Jakes’ weapon. He brought it to the man and handed it over. One of the creatures had melted on top of the device and Jakes noticed the damage immediately.
“Dammit,” Jakes said, tossing the gun away and grabbing one of the long-bladed weapons. “I never get to shoot anybody.”
The team moved down the corridor towards the bow of the ship. They had boarded only a few turns from the main control area of the freighter. The ship’s specifications had informed them the bridge crew was only four people, but Jakes assumed by now they had fortified the door with more. Connor was angry now at how the first contact had gone. He needed to end the mission quickly if they had any hope of success.
The door to the bridge was sealed. Jakes looked back down the corridor to see Tuxor jogging past the bodies. He gave Jakes the thumbs up and Connor turned back to the panel. He placed a palm against the plate and the panel began to glow with the faint green glow. The twins had already infiltrated the ship’s computer system and now opened the door for him. Three reptiloid guards were standing inside the door, rifles raised.
Connor ducked under the nearest rifle and brought the sword up, spearing the creature through the forearm and twisting. The guard let loose a volley of energy fire, narrowly missing the team behind Jakes. Connor stepped into the guard and pulled it close, yanking the sword out of its arm and thrusting it into the creature’s chest. As the guard growled its last, Jakes twisted the blade and pushed the guard against the next, kicking out at the other. He pulled the sword out again and spun, swiping the sword across the neck of the reptiloid, following through to sever the guard’s head from its shoulder. As the final guard tried to charge back, Connor thrust the sword up into its neck until the tip emerged from the skull. The creature actually blinked twice and tried to hiss at Jakes even as it died. Jakes pulled the sword from the creature and faced the four member bridge crew. He was covered
in soot and blood and carrying a sword. As he advanced to the center console, the red-skinned crewman Connor assumed was the captain stood.
“This ship belongs to me now,” Jakes said. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“This ship is property of Veles Corporation. You can’t just—”
The sword split the creature’s head neatly down the middle and the body fell away as Connor pulled it from the man.
“Anyone else want to argue with me?”
6
“Before the fall of the Confederacy, humans had become arrogant and willful. I can only hope we have learned our lesson.”
Alfredo Ortiz
My Heart, The Stars
“I’m coming with you, Connor.”
Jakes looked to Melaina with quiet exasperation. After securing the cargo vessel, Sweet Liberty had docked at the starboard airlock and Melaina had come aboard. The remaining pilots acceded to Connor’s demands without an additional fight. The team had cleared the ship of additional guards and blown the bodies into space. The next step of their plan required stealth and subterfuge more than firepower, and Connor was worried about their possibility of success.
“Darlin’, this ain’t open for negotiation…”
“I’m glad we agree,” Melaina responded, stepping past him and into their quarters. “I’ll get changed.”
Connor raised his hands and took a deep breath. He had changed his clothes and now sported a neatly-pressed suit and stylish torc at the neck. He had washed his long hair and tied it neatly behind his head. In every way, Connor Jakes now looked like a wealthy businessman. After shaving, he had looked at himself in the mirror … and recognized the man he had once been. It was startling how much the last six years had aged him. For the briefest of moments, he wondered if his family would recognize him now, but he pushed the thought back into the tiny corner of his mind where he had stored his family.
The Adventures of Connor Jakes: Masks (The War for Terra Book 1) Page 13
