Alliance Gold (Space Rogue Book 2)
Page 23
"The only thing I can think of is using a explosive charge, to weaken the stations gantry. It still has the possibility of causing significant damage to the docking clamps and our airlock."
"We will do that as a last resort."
"Nathaniel, I have some bad news. They won't let this go. The urchin you loped an arm off of, was the stationmaster's son. He wants you, Amber, and Jewel, executed for murder."
"They attacked us, twice. When we left them, after our last skirmish, they were still alive."
"I know that and so does he. We both reviewed the recording. He doesn't care about justice, he wants revenge."
"What if I were to make it to costly and dangerous to hold us?"
"What do you have in mind."
I told him. "Your devious, it might just work."
"Persephone, could you hack into the stations computes and control systems without getting caught?"
"Their systems are antiquated, it will be easy."
"To start with I need you to raise the temperature two degrees every half hour until the temperature reaches 112°, in red, white, and blue sections. Leave green and yellow sections unchanged. I also need you to initiate quarantine protocols sealing all hatches throughout the station. The last thing I need is a biohazard warning and a general message stating that a level 4 biohazard has been accidentally released. The biohazard material is an air born agent and in the ventilation system."
"Are you aware that if I initiate a level 4 biohazard quarantine, it may be permanent? No one will be allowed to leave the space station without clearance from a biohazard team."
"All the better. I plan on causing as much havoc as I can. I want to generate panic, and a desire to be rid of us."
Panic did happen. The people aboard the station, could not get away. All the shuttles and escape pods were disabled, by the quarantine protocols. The more the heat rose, the greater the feeling of panic became. The stationers were beginning to fight amongst themselves, fearing they had become infected. The stations security forces lost control of the populace. In many cases they joined the stationers in rioting.
After six hours had passed, I had Persephone broadcast a second message:
"Attention all citizens, the source of the biohazard leak has been located. Our investigation reveals that is the result of a containment failure aboard the Persephone, currently docked in Red section."
"Nathaniel, its working. The station master wants to be rid of you. He can't release the docking clamps from the core section, but he has unlocked them."
"It wont be long before the dock workers, cast me off. Target their weapons, just in case they decide to fire on me when we depart."
The docking crew aboard the station, disconnected our umbilicals and cast us free. Persephone, used our thrusters to maneuver us away from the station. No one fired a single shot, glad to be rid of us.
"Persephone, reset the stations temperature controls to normal. Release a warning beacon that the space station is under a level 4 biohazard lock down."
"Beacon away."
"Can they override the quarantine?"
"Negative, that will take a specialized containment crew. It will be very expensive. The best they can do is to manually unseal all of the hatches and pressure doors."
"The next time they see us, I imagine they will try to collect the bounty on my head."
"Good work Nathaniel, that was a brilliant plan," Reds voice boomed over our comms.
"Thank Doc, he told me a story about needing to do something similar, when I was a child."
"Set course for the Penduli System. I'll arrange to have your crew shuttled back to you."
"Thanks Red."
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