Formation

by Sarah Noffke

  “Don’t you ever just want to unwind? Watch a show, get into a fight? You know, cut loose?”

  “That’s not really my thing,” she said.

  “You should try it. It’s cathartic, especially with guys like that,” he emphasized, thumbing the Trid in the back of the bar. “Assholes that think they can throw their weight around, treat the rest of us like shit.”

  “I don’t need to lash out to feel better. I don’t fight because it feels good, I do it because it matters.”

  Eddie motioned for another round, but this time he asked for double shots. When the drinks arrived, both he and Julianna drank them down like they were actually thirsty.

  He burped, smacking his chest. “It sounds like you haven’t had any fun in a while.”

  “If you mean I haven’t kicked someone’s ass for no reason, then sure.”

  “All I’m saying is that sometimes you just need to let loose, you know? Give in to your instincts. Do something that—”

  “Hey,” interrupted the same Trid as before. “Do you two work for the Federation?”

  Eddie glanced at the alien. “Nope. Sorry.” He turned back to Julianna. “I’m just saying, you should lose the cold, rigid persona you’re putting on.”

  “I don’t need you to tell me what I need to do,” countered Julianna.

  The Trid stood beside Eddie. “I think you’re lying, human. Tell me the truth or I’ll—”

  “I don’t know, Jules. You’re not giving me any confidence,” said Eddie.

  “Fuck your confidence,” said Julianna. “And don’t call me ‘Jules’.”

  “Why not?” he asked. “ ’Jules’ is a pretty name.”

  “I don’t want a pretty name. I want my name,” she barked.

  The alien stepped closer and towered over them with his hammerhead eyes and reflective skin. He smelled like fish, gross and intolerable. “You people are pissing me off.”

  “You know what I think?” Eddie pressed his new partner. “I think you’re too scared to let it out. I think you’ve spent so much time building up this serious-badass thing that you just can’t show the real you. You’re afraid that if you do, it’ll make you look too human.”

  “Keep talking shit, and I’ll show you how human I can get,” she replied, anger burning in her eyes. She was going to explode at any moment. Eddie could see it.

  He leaned forward. “I don’t think you’ve got it in you.”

  The Trid smacked his chest. “I said, look at me, you piece of shit humans!”

  Julianna gritted her teeth and snarled. “Enough!” she yelled and, together with Eddie, turned and delivered a right hook directly into the Trid’s face. Both she and Eddie landed a blow at the same time, punching the alien in a single motion, and sending him directly to the floor. He fell onto the table behind him, suddenly unconscious.

  The two Trids in the back of the bar sprang to their feet.

  Eddie glanced at Julianna. “See? Didn’t that feel better?”

  “Shut up,” she answered, but there was no anger in her voice. She looked rather satisfied with herself. “Let’s take care of those two and get the hell out of here.”

  The two remaining Trids tossed a table out of their way and came at them. One of the aliens opened his massive jaw, trying to rip his teeth into Julianna, but she leapt into the air and, using one of the chairs as leverage, dug her foot into the Trid’s face, knocking him away.

  Eddie grabbed hold of the second one’s nose, keeping the creature back, and kicked it in the stomach, forcing it to regurgitate its recent drink. Alcohol and bile spilled onto the floor between them, and Eddie stepped back. “Ew, what the fuck?” he asked, disgusted. “Come on, man. That’s just nasty.”

  The Trid charged at him, but Eddie dodged, stepping aside like a bullfighter and letting the alien smash into the wall, denting it.

  A gunshot rang out from behind the bar. Everyone stopped fighting and looked at the little bartender holding his pistol into the air. “I’d appreciate it if you all could calm down now. Thank you.”

  The Trids raised their hands.

  “Sorry about that,” apologized Julianna.

  “We’ll pay the bill and tip you,” offered Eddie.

  The barkeep smiled, warmly. “Well, that would be mighty fine of you folks.”

  The Trids gathered their still-unconscious friend off the floor and carried him out of the bar while Julianna paid the barkeep with an Etheric Federation credit card.

  “We should come back here sometime,” Eddie suggested as the two of them left the bar.

  Julianna nodded. “I can get behind that.”

  “Ready for another bar? I think there’s one on Deck eight, too.”

  She smiled. “You read my mind.”

  General Lance Reynolds’ Office, Onyx Station, Paladin System.

  “Is that you, Nathan? Comms are fucked sideways for some reason,” the General growled, looking at the box on his desk.

  “How’s that? I adjusted the signal a bit,” said Nathan Lowell, the head of Etheric Federation Intelligence and the creator of the Bad Company—a military organization that some might call mercenaries, though they only took jobs that they could get behind…jobs that, after they were done, didn’t prevent them from looking at themselves in the mirror.

  “Sounds good. Now, care to tell me what sparked a call from the spymaster-in-chief?” Lance Reynolds laughed at his old friend.

  “That sounds so twentieth century, Lance. I wanted to bring you up to speed on what we’re doing in the Gamalux sector.”

  “Never heard of it,” the General admitted, stuffing the butt of his old stogie into his mouth and chewing on it. He considered activating the galactic map to find the location, but decided against it.

  “It’s so secret even I don’t know where it is,” Nathan replied in a hushed voice.

  General Reynolds looked at his computer as he ground his teeth against the cigar, enjoying the flavor of the tightly wrapped leaves. “You’re fucking with me.”

  “I am, but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t,” Nathan replied before turning serious. “We have some thirty teams deployed throughout the various systems, and very few of them know about any of the others. Most think they’re the only ones out there fighting the good fight for the Empress and the Federation.”

  “I know you want it that way. Plausible deniability and all that, but you want to keep Julianna in the dark? She already knows a little bit about some of the other teams. But Eddie? Kid doesn’t know shit yet, and you want to keep it that way?”

  “We don’t know what we’re going to come across out there. There could be telepaths, parasites, creatures that take over our souls. Ignorance will be the weapon we need that could save us all.”

  “Hard to argue with that. We’ve both seen some shit in our time way out here in the dark. I’ll follow your recommendation and keep them on a need-to-know basis—let them think they’re going at this alone. I guess they are, in a way, since all the other teams are so spread out.”

  “It’s not entirely inaccurate,” Nathan agreed.

  “What can I count on from the Bad Company?”

  “Nothing. We don’t have assets anywhere near you. You are on your own in that region.”

  Lance shook his head. “You’re a real piece of work, Nathan.”

  Something about this plan irked the General. Information was power, and he was going to deprive his team of that? It didn’t seem right.

  “You expect me to keep them in the dark forever?” he asked.

  “It’s the best solution,” Nathan stated firmly. “You know all about dissemination of knowledge, about keeping things compartmentalized. Just don’t tell them what they don’t know… only what they can confirm.”

  “So we keep a lid on this, let them do the job.”

  “They’ll work better thinking there’s no backup, no cavalry to save them—and frankly, there might not be. Trust me, Lance, when the pressure is on, they’ll deliver. These are t
he best of the best. You hired me to know it, and I’m telling you it’s the truth.”

  “I’ll be goat-fucked if I understand the way your brain works sometimes.”

  “And don’t you forget it. Nice chatting with you, Lance, as always. Too bad there won’t be a record of any of our conversations.” The comm box went dead.

  “ArchAngel, what do you think about that?” the General asked.

  “Think about what, General?” the A.I. asked.

  “The conversation I just had with Nathan Lowell.”

  “What conversation?” ArchAngel asked.

  Lance chuckled as he shook his head. He stuffed the stogie back in his mouth and mumbled about how much he needed a drink.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Cargo Bay 06, Onyx Station, Paladin System.

  Eddie’s head was pounding from the night before. He really shouldn’t have had so much to drink…or maybe he hadn’t had enough. It was difficult to say, based on his experience.

  “You look like shit,” remarked General Reynolds.

  “Well, you said to go drink. That’s what I did.” Eddie flinched from the artificial light overhead.

  Lance smirked. “Here,” he said, handing Eddie a small, white pill. “Swallow that.”

  “Is this where you poison me? It took you long enough.”

  “It’s for your head. Tripinol. You’ll feel great in five minutes.”

  Eddie shrugged and swallowed the pill dry. “If you say so.”

  The door to the cargo bay opened, and Julianna entered, walking with her head up and shoulders back. She seemed energized and focused.

  Lance glanced at his watch, an ancient and rarely seen device from old-Earth. “Right on time.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Julianna said. She looked at Eddie. “I’m surprised you’re here so early.”

  “I called him myself,” said Lance.

  “I could have gotten him,” suggested Julianna.

  Lance held up a hand. “Doesn’t matter. It was faster this way. No middle man.” He paused. “Er…middle woman.”

  “Will you two stop talking about me like I’m a six-year-old?” asked Eddie.

  Julianna smiled. “Stop acting like one, then.”

  “That goes for both of you,” corrected Lance. “Don’t think I didn’t hear about your little brawl.” He shook his head. “Honestly, kids. Two bar fights in two days?”

  “They started it,” Eddie said, grinning.

  “Don’t do it again,” ordered Lance. He took out a small device from his pocket, some kind of remote control, and tapped a button. When he did, the floor behind him opened, sliding into itself, and a strange-looking ship lifted up from below.

  Eddie watched as the ship settled into place. The design was strange, almost resembling one of the old Black Eagle fighters, but still very different.

  The thought of the Black Eagle brought Eddie back suddenly. Back when he’d been a pilot he’d had an implant. However, he took a pulse beam to the head during the war. Most were amazed it hadn't killed him, but it did fry his chip and he was too close to being a civilian to get a new one. Eddie complained that he didn't want them messing around in his head anymore. It was that disconnection from the Federation that made him think he could just walk away and start a different life. He wasn’t sure he’d been right. Once a pilot, always a pilot, right? Once a part of the Federation, always, he now thought.

  The ship before him had thicker plating and was far bulkier. Is this some sort of transport vehicle?

  “We call it the Q-Ship,” explained Lance.

  “The Q-what ship?” asked Eddie.

  “Q-Ship,” the General repeated. “It’s experimental, but this is the first in the Alpha line. We’ll have more in the near future, but I thought you’d like a chance at flying one.”

  “I don’t have any training for that,” Eddie admitted.

  “The controls are exactly like the Black Eagle, so you should be able to acclimate easily enough. In any case, our E.I. will be there to assist you during your training. I suggest you defer to him if you need help.”

  Eddie looked at Julianna. “Does he mean Pip?”

  She nodded, taking out her pad. “Pip, can you say hello?”

  “Greetings, Edward Teach,” said a voice. It seemed to come from everywhere. “My name is Pip.” The voice was soft and easy-going.

  “Hey, Pip,” he replied.

  “I am pleased to meet you, Captain Teach.”

  “Is that technically possible?” asked Eddie. “Can he actually be ‘pleased’?”

  “It’s a standard greeting. Don’t think too much about it,” Julianna suggested.

  “Are you ready to begin?” asked Pip.

  Eddie looked up and around him. “To begin what?”

  “Training, of course,” responded Lance, motioning to the Q-Ship. “You’ve got some catching up to do.”

  “He’ll probably need a few months to pick things up,” Julianna teased.

  “I’ll have this puppy purring in an hour. Just you two wait.”

  “Puppies don’t purr,” stated the General.

  “They bark,” supplied Julianna.

  “Give me a break! I’ve never seen a dog. I don’t know.”

  “You’ve never seen a cat or a dog?” Lance asked incredulously.

  “Only once and it was online. And it didn’t make any kind of sound,” explained Eddie.

  “Well, now you know what to expect if you see one in the Federation,” said Lance. “Now get your ass in the bird and stretch your wings. You’ll need the practice if you’re going to take down your first target. But we’ll talk when you get back. For now, let’s have ourselves a test flight.”

  Eddie cracked his knuckles and grinned. He approached the Q-ship. “Sounds like a plan. Let me show you guys how it’s done.”

  He realized his hangover was gone, much to his surprise, and he’d soon be back in a cockpit. His circumstances were looking up.

  Six Hundred Kilometers Outside the Asteroid Belt, Paladin System.

  “That’s far enough, Pip,” said Julianna over the comm. “Captain, are you ready to take over the controls?”

  “I thought you’d never ask. The last ten minutes felt like a boring tour.”

  “We couldn’t risk you colliding with any incoming or outgoing ships during your training lesson. Pip is here to help you avoid any distress.”

  “I’m also quite adept at personal shopping,” informed Pip.

  “That’s good to know.” Eddie smiled and gripped the handle in front of him.

  Surrounding the ship was a vast stretch of nearly empty space. The station was so far behind him that he couldn’t see it anymore, and the asteroid belt was some distance ahead, the large rocks blocking the starlight as they hovered.

  Eddie pushed the handle forward, and the thrusters accelerated. He tilted left, and the ship began to turn. He tilted right, and it went the other way.

  The controls were remarkably similar to what he remembered from flying his old Black Eagle.

  With the flick of his wrists, he did a barrel roll, spinning to the right until he’d done a complete rotation. It was easy enough to do in space, surrounded by nothing but good, wide-open training areas.

  “Let’s see here,” he murmured, looking over the rest of the controls. One of the buttons had a symbol on it that he recognized as the booster. “Not ready for that yet,” he decided.

  “Captain, let me know if you need any assistance,” offered Pip.

  “Just hang back and let me do my thing, Pippy.”

  “‘Pippy’?” echoed the E.I.

  Eddie squeezed the grip and pressed it forward, igniting his thrusters and moving ahead. He performed a double roll, then an aileron roll for good measure.

  As he continued, he noticed the asteroid belt was approaching. Or rather, he was approaching it.

  “Sir, you may want to avoid the belt for now,” advised Pip.

  “Don’t be a baby,” said Eddie. “Didn’t
your mother ever tell you, it’s better to run first and crawl later?”

  “I don’t believe that’s how the saying goes.”

  Eddie twisted the ship around the first asteroid, which was double the size of his craft. He squeezed between two more, which was as large as houses. In the midst of the field, he weaved and turned, barely missing several of the boulders.

  Eddie felt a rush flow through him, and the controls began to feel tighter, more responsive. He reached for the triggers behind the wheel—small buttons, one for each finger. With a distant asteroid in his sights, he fired, releasing a string of bullets and piercing the stone, breaking it apart and shattering it into pieces.

  He was finally home—here in this cockpit, surrounded by the deadly void. This was where he belonged, with wings at his sides and bullets between his hands.

  “What else do we have on this thing?” he asked, looking over the buttons. “Hey, what’s this red button do?”

  “Don’t fuck with that,” cautioned Julianna over the comm.

  Eddie’s finger hovered over it. “But it’s so…enticing.”

  “Don’t you do it, Edward!”

  “Must…touch… button…”

  “If you do, you’ll plow straight into one of those asteroids, you idiot.”

  Eddie froze, his finger a few centimeters from the button. “Huh?”

  “It produces a gravitic field and launches the ship through a gate. You hit that button, and you’ll be halfway to the next star system in ten seconds flat.”

  Eddie blinked. “This ship has gate capability?”

  “That’s right,” she confirmed.

  “How’s that possible? I’ve only ever seen that on Empire battleships and other big ships. Aren’t gate drives the size of a fucking building?”

  “Most of them are, but we’ve got a special model. Good for exactly one jump in case of emergencies.”

  “One jump?” asked Eddie, staring at the special button that he could never touch.

  “And the same rules apply as with any other gate engine. If you activate it too close to an object, such as that asteroid in front of you—”