“They won’t fire, though, right?” Torin said from the helm.
“Not this close to the station.” Miko told him. “But the minute we move off….”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. They all knew they were in for a rough time of it.
*****
Elsewhere, Hamilton was scowling at the elevator controls. They’d used the medical override card to summon the elevator. There had been no one aboard when it arrived. However, when they tried to use the card to send them back up to the level above the quarantine section, the elevator had other ideas. The light for the main medical center had lit up and the elevator had set off. Despite repeated swipes of his card, and the one that Johnson had, the elevator had stoically ignored any attempt to divert its course.
“Why won’t it work?” Johnson frowned.
Hamilton shrugged. “Someone more important must have summoned it to medical.” He guessed.
“What do we do?”
“Just go with it. We are medical staff, after all. Just get out, wait until whoever gets in has gone, then summon it again. Hopefully it won’t be much of a delay.”
She nodded and the pair of them waited as the cab descended into the bowels of Tantalus Station.
When the doors opened, they were confronted by a small crowd of frightened looking tech and admin types. The most important of them, naturally, stood closest to the doors and held his pass card in one hand as if he could use it to smite evil. He looked startled to see anyone in the elevator.
“Oh! Get out! This is an emergency!”
“What’s going on?” Hamilton asked as he and Johnson shuffled out of the elevator.
“Patient’s gone crazy!” One of the techs told him. “Threatening to blow out one of the window panels and vent the level to space!”
That was all that Hamilton got, information-wise. The group crowded into the elevator and were gone.
Hamilton and Johnson exchanged bemused glances through their darkened faceplates.
“Don’t doors close automatically when there’s a breach?” Johnson asked.
“Sure.” Hamilton agreed. “But they’re techies and admin types. They should be smart enough to know that, but the threat of instant death often makes people act dumbly.”
The area in front of the elevators was a large reception area. Corridors led off in several directions. From one came the sound of a woman shrieking and cursing, threatening to ‘kill them all!’ Though muffled and slightly distorted by the suit pickups, Hamilton found something familiar in the tone.
“Come on!” He said, setting off down the corridor.
“We’re not waiting for the elevator?” Johnson asked.
“Change of plan.” Hamilton told her.
“Great!” She muttered, hurrying after him.
*****
Since they were surrounded by the point-defense craft well before the Captain and the others were aboard, Miko saw no point in rushing to action once the regular crew were finally aboard. Instead, he had Torin hold position, with the umbilical extended, to make it look like they weren’t finished.
Malik, on comms, had finally relented and replied to Tantalus Control, stalling them with talk of crazed crewmen gone mad and how they were ‘still securing the vessel’. None of it sounded convincing in the slightest but Malik looked to be having fun with his fiction.
When Rames finally entered the bridge and demanded a report, Miko filled him in as quickly as he could. Behind the captain, the rest of the crew quickly resumed their places on the bridge. However, helm and navigation were conspicuous by the empty chairs.
“You!” Rames ordered, pointing at Veltin. “You’re a pilot, right? Get in that chair!”
Veltin’s grin was huge. Puckett looked irritated, until Rames ordered him into the navigation position with a comment about Skip Drives.
“Skip Drive? This ship has a Skip Drive?” Puckett and Veltin both exchanged child-like grins of delight then, rivalry forgotten, both hurried to take their positions.
“You got a plan to get us out of here?” Klane asked the captain.
Rames snorted. “Not much beyond run-like-hell.” He admitted.
“What about Hamilton?” Jones inquired.
Klane and Rames exchanged glances. Jones understood the look.
Klane sighed. “He knows the rendezvous coordinates. He’ll have to make his own way there.”
Jones looked skeptical. “Without a ship?”
Rames and Klane exchanged another glance. This time it was one of tolerant amusement.
“Don’t worry about Hamilton.” Klane told him. “He’s at his best when he has no hope at all of success.”
“Captain?” It was Grimes, who had taken up position with Corporal Malik at the comms console.
“What is it?”
“Looks like that destroyer, the Triton, has undocked and is moving so as to try and block us from a run towards deep space.” Grimes stated.
Rames shrugged. “Space is big, we’ll go the other way. One ship, even one with a Skip Drive, can’t block us.”
Grimes nodded. “I know, but the Shiva, the cruiser, is beginning to undock. She carries a dozen assault craft, all equipped with Skips. They launch those and we’ll have a harder time of making a getaway. Plus, the Shiva herself is equipped with EMP torps. Big ones. Mark 15’s. They’ll put our systems out quicker than a candle in a hurricane.”
“Damn!” Rames muttered. “We need to go. Now!”
“My thoughts exactly.” Grimes agreed.
Rames thought a moment longer. “Right, Grimes, get us battened down for departure! Major Harvan! You and your men have done an excellent job so far. I need you to get your men ready to repel boarders, in case it all goes pear-shaped.”
Both men nodded and went into action.
“Klane? I don’t suppose you have any experience with ship offensive and defensive equipment?” Rames asked.
“Some.” She admitted. “But I’m no expert.”
Rames nodded towards the tactical console. “I need someone to man the weapons and shields. I suspect we’ll have a rough time of it and I seem to be short of certain crew.”
Klane nodded and hurried over to the console.
“Anderton!” Rames bellowed, looking around for his medical officer. There was no sign of him. Rames jabbed the comms button. “Anderton?”
“Aye sir?” The reply came promptly.
“Get yourself to the infirmary. We may end up with injuries out of this!”
“Already there sir. I’ve got their medic, Charlton with me. We’ll cope with whatever you send our way.”
Rames smiled. Half his crew might be missing, but those that remained knew their jobs well.
“Ah, sir?” Grimes said from comms.
Rames nodded. “Now what?”
“Looks like that alien’s record amendment has finally gone through. We’re all being tagged as terrorists now.”
“Well, we knew that would happen.” Rames said. “That’s why we’re running.”
Grimes nodded. “There’s more. Now that we’re ‘known terrorists’ all units are being ordered to destroy us if we try to flee. Before it was ‘apprehend’, now it’s ‘kill’.”
Glances were exchanged on the bridge.
“I’m beginning to think I’d be better off with Hamilton.” Jones muttered.
*****
The source of the yelling and swearing was an office in the administration section of the medical center. As they approached, the large glass walls of the sumptuous office gave them an unimpeded view of proceedings within.
A single woman was seemingly holding off single-handedly a small group of guards and orderlies. At the far end of the office was a large picture window that looked out over the planet that Tantalus Station orbited, Timoran. The woman held a plasma cutter against the steelglass panel, threatening to ignite the beam and cut a hole in the panel.
For a moment, Hamilton was at a loss to understand what a plasma cutte
r, essentially an industrial tool, was doing in a medical center. Then he recalled that Tantalus Station had become a major colonial springboard for forays into the Rim Territories. The Tantalus medical center had to cope with all eventualities. No doubt they had an emergency response team ready to ship out at a moment’s notice should some calamity occur in the nearby colonies. That team had to have all sorts of rescue equipment, including cutting equipment to gain access to trapped personnel. The plasma cutter was, with a moment’s thought, not so out of place after all.
How the woman had gotten hold of it was also not such a surprise, considering who she was.
Lewis. Hamilton thought disparagingly. And oh look! She’s threatening to kill people!
On the other hand, he realized as he and Johnson moved closer and he got a better look at her, perhaps she had good reason to threaten death to these people.
Lewis had never been what Hamilton would have considered attractive. Her features had always been plain, made nastier by her manner and habit of sneering at everyone else. But it appeared the medics of Tantalus Station had not treated her kindly.
Her entire head had been shaved completely. In place of the hair, she had a considerable number of gold-plated, circular sockets grafted into her skull. Dozens of them. Normal mental health procedures did not call for such brutal treatment. But Hamilton knew what sort of procedure did.
Psi testing.
At some point after they had reached the medical quarantine section, someone must have done a routine scan on her and detected the ability. Up until her encounter with Walsh, it had been latent, which would have been noted in her records. Latent Psions were no threat, since nobody knew how to trigger the dormant power. They received regular tests, to ensure its continued latency throughout their lives. Given that her last test had been over five years previously it was no wonder that someone had decided to redo the test. However, the alien encounter had triggered her ability in some manner and that had clearly shown up in her scan.
Standard Imperial procedure whenever an active Psion was detected called for vigorous testing to ascertain whether the individual was a danger to society. All rights of the individual were temporarily suspended so that society could be protected. Given that Lewis was already a danger to the public as far as Hamilton was concerned, it was not unreasonable to assume she would be even more so with psionic abilities. Her instability was well-known to him and the others and, like the latent psion ability, was certainly also noted on her medical files. It was no wonder the medical staff had taken no chances.
Even so, looking at her, Hamilton found it hard not to feel a little sorry for her.
LeGault had once told him that she hadn’t been so bad until the initial encounter with the alien that had taken over Walsh. That alien, whom they now referred to as Walsh, had first tried to possess Lewis. It was likely that her psionic talent was responsible for rebuffing that attack and forcing the alien to possess Walsh instead. But in doing so, it had become an active talent, no longer dormant. And the whole episode had, according to LeGault, made her even crazier. Maybe, on some level, she understood what had nearly happened to her. Maybe Walsh’s alien had damaged her brain somehow. Either way, she had gone a little nuts.
That increased instability had led to her challenging Hamilton. She hadn’t put up much of a fight, but the resentment towards him had lingered. Eventually she had abandoned him to die on an ancient Humal space station.
And now here I am. Hamilton thought wryly. On another station, with the ability to simply turn away and abandon her to her fate.
The irony was so delicious that he savored it for a few moments, standing in the office doorway with Johnson as he decided what to do.
“Isn’t that…” Johnson leaned over and whispered to him.
He nodded. “Yep. Loopy Lewis.”
“What the hell have they done to her?”
“Psi testing.” He stated. “It’s not voluntary.”
“The dreams...” Johnson murmured, lost in thought.
Hamilton nodded again. During one jump into hyperspace, Lewis had sub-consciously broadcast her own nightmares of events on the world that Walsh had been marooned on. Both Hamilton and Johnson had been recipients of that broadcast, much to their discomfort.
“Are we…” Johnson turned to him, asking the question that was rolling around in his head.
Are we going to leave her here?
Hamilton murmured. “I’m thinking about it.”
In truth he was weighing up the consequences of saving or damning Lewis. So far, the balance was about even.
Abruptly, having had enough of his thinking, Johnson took several steps forward and addressed the group of guards and orderlies.
Alright! We’ll handle this! The rest of you clear out and seal this section! We’ll let you know when it’s safe.”
The group turned and regarded her warily, taking in the medical suit and darkened faceplate. One appeared to be about to speak, but Johnson barked over him.
“Out I said! Don’t make me repeat it again! Or are you all so eager to be sucked out into space?”
Hamilton was impressed by her tone and bearing as she performed the ruse. The men still looked uncertain, but they hastily left. None of them had been wearing space-proof clothing. A hole in the steelglass panel would likely mean death for all of them. They seemed happy to hand the situation over to space-suit clad medics, even if they had no idea who they were.
“Nicely done!” Hamilton commented as he stepped up beside Johnson.
“Thanks!” She smiled.
“It’s ‘blown out’ though, not ‘sucked out’.” He corrected.
She shrugged. “Blown, sucked, you end up dead either way, don’t you?”
He grinned. “That you do!”
The pair turned their attention to Lewis.
“You two can fuck off as well!” She snarled. “I don’t care if I die and you live! I won’t let you do any more shit to me!”
“Relax Lewis. It’s us.” Hamilton told her, adjusting his faceplate to transparency.
Lewis’ eyes narrowed. “Great! Just what I need! Rescue by you!”
Hamilton jerked a thumb at Johnson. “Don’t thank me, thank her. It was her idea.”
Johnson lightened her faceplate and smiled brightly at Lewis.
Lewis shook her head wearily and lowered the cutter. “Great! Saved by the ice maiden, then! Either way it’s been a shitty few days.”
“Yeah, well, the saving may only be temporary, unless we can figure a way off this station.” Hamilton observed.
“You don’t have a plan to get away?” Lewis scowled. “Where are the others?”
“By now, long gone.” Hamilton told her. “We’re well and truly on our own.”
Lewis rolled her eyes. “Brilliant! So what do we do now?”
Hamilton frowned. “I’m still working on it.”
“Great!” Lewis muttered. Clutching the plasma cutter to her chest she staggered past them towards the office door.
“Where are you going?” Hamilton scowled.
“I’m going to find me one of them fancy spacesuits like you two are wearing. Then I’m going to get us out of here! Coming?”
Hamilton exchanged glances with Johnson. She shrugged and followed after the other woman. Hamilton muttered under his breath but followed as well. He had a feeling he knew what Lewis had in mind. Under the circumstances, it didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
Great! He thought. Now I’m following a lunatic! What could possibly go wrong?
*****
“Grimes?” The Captain inquired.
The exo nodded. “We’re good to go. Umbilical is still attached but it’ll tear free when we move off.”
“Good. You, on sensors. What was your name again?”
“LeGault, captain.”
“Right, LeGault. How’s our situation looking?”
LeGault shrugged. “Not good. That destroyer is holding station. If we head that way we’ll
be in weapons range of it long before we can employ the Skip Drive safely. The cruiser is just undocking. From the activity, I’m guessing they’ll launch the assault craft as soon as they’re free of the dock. As for the PDC’s they are all over us like a rash. Weapons locked on us. The minute we move away from the station they’ll fire.”
“Tactical? Can we take that much heat?” Rames demanded.
Klane shrugged. “Our shields are up, but they aren’t meant to repel any kind of real military firepower. The PDC’s we might manage to blunder past. But we’ll get hurt in the process. Anything more meaty than their little lasers and we’ll be in real trouble.”
“Pilot…what was it you’re called?”
“Veltin, boss!” Veltin grinned over his shoulder.
“Veltin. Any ideas for getting us out of this?”
Klane and Jones both groaned audibly.
Veltin’s grin was huge. “You bet! I couldn’t help but notice this ship is fitted with a Gravity Drive. Is that standard nowadays?”
Rames nodded. “Pretty much. At least, on military craft. Why?”
“That will make things easier, that’s all. Just give the word and we’ll be off!” Veltin grinned happily.
“We already have a jump point located. By the time we get there, the computer will have long finished its calculations.” Puckett added.
Rames frowned. “Standard procedure is to Skip to deep space then plot a jump from there.”
Veltin and Puckett exchanged glances. “The situation appears to be anything but standard.” Veltin pointed out.
“So what’s your plan?” Rames persisted.
Veltin waved his hands about irritably. “It would take too long to explain to a non-pilot. You’ll just have to trust me.”
Rames could not fail to hear a second groan from Klane. He turned to her.
“What do you think?” It was clear he was talking about Veltin.
“He’s a good pilot.” She said. “Erratic and gung-ho. But he’s still alive. That has to count for something.”
Rames nodded with a sigh and pressed the ship comms call. “All hands, prepare for flight. Secure all compartments; it’s going to get rough!”
A Taste Of Despair (The Humal Sequence) Page 9
