by JN Chaney
Could I?
“Fuck off, Al,” I said, hitting the door control and stepping out into the hall. “I’m not letting you out of here.”
“That’s too bad,” he said, then gave me a soft smile.
The door began to close as I lowered my gun, still watching him.
He picked up his pad and tapped the screen. “Good luck on Priscilla,” he said, leaning back on the bed and crossing his feet. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
FOUR
“That’s crazy,” said Octavia. She sat in her chair at the end of the conference table.
“Which part?” I asked from the opposite end. “There was a lot to unpack.”
Abigail, Hitchens, Freddie, and Bolin had taken seats along each side, listening intently.
“The part where you suggested we fly into Union space and steal a power core from a government facility,” she responded.
“Oh, that,” I said, fanning my hand. “Yeah, I guess it’s a bit messy.”
“More than a bit,” muttered Abigail.
“It’s the only option we have, unless you’re all okay with sitting on this ship for the next five years, just hoping the Union doesn’t catch up to us,” I said.
“We can’t do that, either,” said Freddie.
“So, how’s this going to work?” asked Octavia. “You sneak in and steal the core? What about security?”
“You’re talking about if we get caught,” I said.
“Won’t you?” she asked.
“Probably,” I conceded. “I just don’t see any other way around it.”
“What about Alphonse?” asked Octavia. “You said he offered to go with you.”
“We can’t do that!” said Freddie.
“Why not?” asked Octavia.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked. “He works for the Union!”
“Not anymore. Besides, he saved Lex and has been providing Captain Hughes with valuable intelligence. Did you already forget about the cloak?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” asked Freddie.
I cleared my throat. “Alphonse told me how Brigham was tracking us. He’s the reason we managed to escape when we did.”
“Even still,” interjected Abigail. “He’s not to be trusted. We have no idea what his true motivation is.”
I thought about it for a second. Both Abigail and Octavia were right. We couldn’t trust Alphonse, even if we wanted to, but we still needed him. I’d known it when I was talking to him in his room, and I knew it right now.
“Are you suggesting we hold a gun to his head?” asked Freddie.
“Why not?” asked Abigail.
“I don’t think they’ll let you carry a weapon into Priscilla, just so you can keep Alphonse in check,” said Octavia. “You’re going to need a better way.”
“There might be a way around that,” I finally said. “We could put a bomb on him. If he tries anything—” I raised my fist and extended my fingers, like an explosion. “—no more Constable.”
Freddie’s eyes widened. “S-Seriously?”
“Do we have that kind of device?” asked Octavia, apparently not fazed by my morbid suggestion.
“That’s where Athena comes in,” I said.
“Hello,” said Athena, suddenly appearing behind Bolin and Hitchens.
“Goodness!” exclaimed Hitchens, clutching his chest.
“I apologize,” said the Cognitive. “I sometimes forget that sudden appearances can be alarming to humans.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, fanning my hand at Hitchens. “He’s fine. Now, Athena, you think you can help us out with Alphonse?”
“Your proposal is possible, although dangerous and highly unethical,” she said. “I must admit I have reservations.”
“That’s an average day for us,” I said, unwrapping a piece of hard candy—strawberry flavored—and stuffed the treat in my mouth.
Hitchens twisted his lips. “Would it be possible to use those tractor beams to pull the object out from within the compound?”
Athena frowned. “The tractor beam cannot reach the surface of a planet from space. It would have to be much closer. Besides, we currently lack the necessary power needed. I also fear doing so would deplete what little energy reserves we have upon our arrival.”
“That’s a shame,” he said.
“Indeed, it is,” said Athena.
“Guess that just leaves one option,” I said, thumbing the side of the desk. “Which means the next problem is getting around their security. Most of us are on the Union’s watch list. We’ll have to find a way to mask our identities.”
“How do we do that?” asked Hitchens.
I shook my head. “Beats me.” For once, I was out of solutions.
“You can use the personal shields,” said Athena.
The suggestion took me by surprise. “The shields?”
“I can modify them to alter your appearance, although you’ll have to be careful not to let anyone touch you,” said the Cognitive.
“You can do that?” asked Abby.
The artificial woman smiled. “I will need some time to make the necessary modifications, but I believe I can accommodate your request.”
“This is crazy,” muttered Freddie. “We’re talking about sending the two of you down there alone with a Constable, disguised with ancient technology, all so you can steal an artifact from what must be one of the most heavily guarded vaults in Union space.”
“Your point?” I asked.
He blinked at me, then shook his head. “Oh, nevermind.”
I gave a slight shrug. “It’ll be fine, Fred.”
“Because that makes it better,” he said.
“How can we be certain that Alphonse is telling the truth?” asked Abigail. “What if we get down there and it turns out he can’t even get through the front door?”
“We’ll handle it,” I said, more than confident in my ability to get the fuck out of a bad situation. “If worse comes to worst, we’ll blow up the whole goddamn building.”
“It’s always explosions with you,” she said.
“You’re the one who used my quad cannon to drop a crater in the middle of Spiketown,” I countered. “Or did you forget about that?”
She gave me a wry smile.
Bolin, who had been quiet until now, leaned on the table with his elbow. “What can the rest of us do?”
“Stay on Titan and protect what matters,” I said. “If we fail, then you go with the second option. Run and hide.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment as my words lingered in the air. “You can’t do this alone,” said Freddie. “I’m coming with you.”
I shook my head. “Don’t be ridiculous. We can’t risk too many people on this job. We’re already pushing it with the two of us.”
“You don’t think I can be of use?” he asked.
“No, I just think you need more training before you’re ready for this shit.” I looked at Abigail. “You agree?”
She glanced at Freddie, then nodded. “It needs to be a small team. The fewer, the better.”
“Jace is right,” muttered Octavia. “We have to trust these two to get the job done. They always do.”
Abigail raised her head at Athena. “Can we take another look in that armory of yours?”
“By all means,” said the Cognitive. “I’ll be happy to assist you.”
* * *
I lingered behind, after the meeting, when I noticed Freddie meandering in the corner. He seemed to be lost in thought, staring blankly at the floor.
I already knew the reason. He wanted to help, the same way he always did. He’d made improvements since I’d first met him, even getting his first kill, but it wasn’t enough to warrant this kind of mission. He still had a long way to go.
“Fred?” I said, tapping his arm.
“Huh?” He said, blinking. “Oh, sorry, Captain.”
“What’s the problem?” I asked.
“I’m just thinking,” he sai
d.
“About?”
He hesitated to answer. “Nothing important. I still need to talk to Athena about a request I had.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, remembering what he’d said when I ran into him on the bridge. “Didn’t you take care of it yet?”
Athena appeared beside me. “You needed to speak with me, Frederick?”
Freddie jumped, taken by surprise. “Ah!”
I chuckled. “Well, go on and ask her. She’s eager to find out.”
“I, uh,” he began. “I was hoping you’d have something to help me improve my skillset, Athena. A training program, if possible.”
“What sort of skillset?” asked the Cognitive.
“I think Freddie wants you to help him learn how to kill people,” I said, plainly.
Freddie’s eyes widened. “Captain! I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Sure, you did,” I said. “Don’t try to walk around it. Say what you mean, kid. It’ll save you more time than you realize.”
“I believe I understand,” said Athena. “Frederick, can you please join me in Section 018 of Deck 04?”
He nodded, quickly. “I’ll be right there!”
She vanished. “Very well,” said her disembodied voice. “I shall see you soon.”
“Wonder what she’s going to teach you,” I said, scratching my ear.
“Me too,” said Freddie. He started to leave. “I’ll let you know how it goes!”
“Sure thing,” I said, watching him take off down the hall. “Just don’t do anything stupid.”
FIVE
Abigail and I met in the armory, hoping to be fully prepared for the mission ahead. I was already planning on picking up some shields, but I still hadn’t had time to browse the entire inventory yet. I needed to prepare for the possibility of us ending up in a firefight, should the plan go belly-up.
Hell, who was I kidding? We were heading straight into one of the most heavily guarded facilities in Union space. A simple firefight was the least of my worries.
“Okay, Abby,” I said to her as we walked in-between two rows of lockers. “What are we looking for?”
“Guns,” she said. “What else?”
“I don’t know what other answer I expected,” I admitted. “Athena! You there?”
The Cognitive appeared a few meters in front of us. “Welcome. I have a few items set aside for your consideration, if you’ll follow me.”
She turned and started walking to the far wall in the back of the room. We followed, passing by dozens of sealed lockers. I wondered what was in each of these and why we were passing them by.
I decided to wait and see what she had for us, before I bothered with questions.
Athena brought Abby and me to a large table, with several items placed neatly across the surface. I recognized a few instantly, including the shield modules we’d trained with earlier today. No sign of the electric staffs, though. “Each of these items has been specially chosen to aid you in your mission,” said the Cognitive. “There are better weapons, but due to your limited biology, you will be unable to wield them.”
“Limited biology?” I asked.
“She means we don’t have Lex’s markings,” said Athena.
Right, of course, I thought. Since I’d arrived on Titan, I noticed I could only interact with certain devices, including locked doors and passages. Athena had to let me in, and sometimes it was a problem. The bridge, for example, couldn’t be accessed without Athena’s permission, although Lex had no problem getting inside on her own. The same was true of the Armory as well as the upper decks. “What are we working with?” I asked.
“Lighter small arms,” informed Athena. “Here we have the AD-619 as well as the SS-223. Both are capable of single and burst firing. The bullets are refined carbon fiber ammunitions, strong enough to pierce most industrial metals, while also resisting most scans and inspection devices, although I am basing that assumption on your ship’s database.”
“So, you’re not sure,” I said.
“The material used to create all of this equipment requires advanced detection abilities, which I do not believe the Union possesses. However, given the blackout of information surrounding your target facility, I cannot be certain,” explained Athena.
“If things go bad, we’ll just kill everybody,” said Abigail.
“That’s the spirit,” I said, taking the pistol. I turned it over in my hand, feeling the weight. It was exceptionally well-balanced, better than my standard pistol, and the grip was smooth and comfortable, like it had been custom made for my hand. “Not bad,” I said.
“Next, you’ll recognize your shields. They are fully charged and can withstand multiple direct hits. I suggest using caution, nonetheless, as they will degrade with enough use. Additionally, you’ll find they’ve been modified with alternate identities to assist you in the mission.”
Abigail picked up the shield and placed it on her shoulder. It glowed briefly with a soft green, then disappeared, blending in with her skin. I was about to ask when it was supposed to start working when Abigail’s face suddenly changed. Her eyes grew slightly thinner, changing from green to brown, her hair turned black, and her skin color was a few shades darker.
I blinked, surprised by how drastic the change had been.
“What is it?” she asked, noticing my expression.
My mouth dropped when I heard her voice. It sounded different, raspier. “Holy shit,” I finally said.
“What?” she asked again, looking at Athena. “Is it broken?”
Athena snapped her fingers and the wall behind her changed, showing Abigail’s new body. “Your new design, Ms. Pryar.”
Abigail gawked at her new appearance, then glanced at her arms, twisting them to get a better look at her body. She bent her ass, trying to see her hips and legs. “Not bad,” she said.
I grabbed the other shield and snapped it to my shoulder. “Let’s see what I’m working with,” I said.
I saw a brief flicker of blue in my eyes, but nothing seemed to happen. “Did it work?” I asked, looking at my hands. They looked pretty similar to my old set.
Abigail covered her mouth, giggling.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“You look…different,” she said, after a second.
“Athena, let me see,” I said.
Athena flicked her fingers again and the screen changed, showing a tall man with white hair and bags under his eyes. No, they were wrinkles. He was old. Too old, goddammit.
Abigail laughed. “You’re a grandfather!”
“Athena!” I barked. “What’s the deal?”
“Your disguise,” the Cognitive explained.
“I look like I’m about to keel over,” I said.
“Considering that you are attempting to hide your identity, is this not the best solution?” asked Athena. “You look nothing like your normal self.”
“She’s right,” said Abigail. “Good work, Athena.”
“Thank you, Ms. Pryar,” said the Cognitive, smiling. “I am glad you approve.”
“Enemies, all around me,” I said, shaking my head. I felt around my arm, locating the device and turning it off. The display behind Athena switched off right when I pressed the button, reverting the wall back to the way it looked before. “What’s next on the list?” I scanned the table and noticed a small rectangular box. “Looks like a present.”
Athena took the lid off the small case and set it a few centimeters from the box. Inside, I spotted a small stick about thirty centimeters in length. She picked it up and carefully handed it to Abigail.
The former nun took it, curiously, but I could tell she had no idea what it was or what to do with it.
“Please, touch the white notch on the bottom,” said Athena.
Abigail turned the stick in her hand and found the spot, then touched her index finger to it.
A sudden shock sparked on the opposite end, startling her. “Whoa!” she exclaimed.
“Hey, eas
y,” I said, taking a step back.
“Yes, please use caution,” agreed Athena. “This is a miniaturized version of the staff you requested this morning. I chose this because it can be more easily concealed.” She reached over to Abigail, wrapping her fingers around the electric half of the object. The sparks went straight through her hand. “Also, if you’ll just twist here…”
She turned the stick and released it, letting the other half extend outward, until it was full length.
Abigail was so surprised, she nearly dropped it.
At this size, it resembled a baton, roughly one meter in length. Still smaller than the staff from this morning, but maybe even more useful, considering we’d be in a building, maneuvering through tighter spaces.
“I would advise you to extend the device before activating the electric current,” said the Cognitive.
“I see,” muttered Abigail. She raised the baton, examining the light on the other end, then brought the weapon down against the floor, letting out a sharp boom. It echoed through the open Armory, taking us both by surprised. Abigail grinned. “Interesting.”
“I’m glad you approve,” said Athena. “Captain, shall I retrieve another for you?”
