“Well, the laser and the scans still don’t…I guess I lumped that in with the good news already.”
“You’re the nervous type, aintcha, Len?”
“No, sir. It’s just that…” Lenard’s fingers tapped and twisted around one another while he looked up at the ceiling as if it might offer some explanation. “I don’t want to be the reason the Iron Albatross can’t fight anymore.”
Irons shot him a dirty look.
“Not that you needed the extra features to fight. Um—Let’s start over. You can still see. You just can’t use the other features. Wartech parts won’t work with older fleet tech.”
Irons’s eye socket had a housing for the Cyber Eye. A two-pronged piece of cable stuck out from the bottom of the housing. Irons worked to re-connect the eye to the two prongs.
Once it was done, he moved the eye around in every direction to make sure that function still worked.
“It will take a minute for the optics to come back online.” Lenard turned to put away his tools. “Let me know when you can see again.”
“You say you can’t mix Wartech parts with other parts?”
“That’s right.” Lenard placed a screwdriver in a drawer.
“Than how come Hannah—”
A mess of tools fell to the floor. Lenard turned around and adjusted his glasses.
“Fidgety thing, too, huh?” Irons hopped off of the medical table.
“Sorry, Captain. I just…Hannah Xuyen is a— well, she’s remarkable. I mean, her ability to work with just any tech is beyond…Beyond.”
Irons cracked a smile. “You sweet on her?”
“Me? I mean— I just respect her…” Lenard’s head dropped to the floor.
“Tell you what, Len. How ‘bout I introduce the two of you?”
“Really?” Lenard’s knees wobbled. He braced himself on the countertop. “That would be…Of course, I would love to discuss scientific ideas with her.”
“Scientific. Right.” Irons walked to the door of the medical exam room. “There’s something you gotta do first though, Len.”
“Captain?” Lenard grabbed his shaking hands to steady them.
“Hannah Xuyen figured out how to combine Catter tech with Wartech parts. You figure out how to make this thing work again, I’ll put in a good word with the Specialist.”
“What would I— I mean— Do you think she would want to? I could just make a new Wartech cybernetic eye.”
“That would be cheating, Len. Can’t have that.” Irons opened the door and turned to Lenard. “You have it figured out by the time I get back and I’ll make all your dreams come true.”
“I—Of course, Captain. I did graduate with—“
“See you soon, Len.” Irons walked out and closed to the door behind him.
Lenard stood alone, looking around the room. He mumbled as he assessed what just happened. He nodded, certain that Captain Irons just offered to introduce him to Hannah Xuyen. He pumped his fist once. “Yes.”
* * *
Lindsay Brooks winced as she tried to tighten her fists. Four parallel lines ran across her forearms. The cuts from the Catter Queen were mostly closed. The stitches has done their job and finally come out. They would make attractive scars, a feature Lindsay didn’t at all mind. They were a noble reminder of how she stood toe to toe with Queen J.
Her immediate concern was how sore her arms still were. Especially when she tried to make a fist.
“The scarring may eventually fade.” An attractive doctor examined her arms. “I’m more worried about the soreness. Those cuts were deeper than you probably realized.”
“Adrenaline masked a lot of the pain,” Lindsay figured.
”Adrenaline is good at that.” The doctor smiled. It was an infectiously boyish kind of expression.
Lindsay averted her eyes immediately. She could feel her cheeks getting warm as she blushed. Her brow furrowed as she tried to shake off the feeling. She was a soldier. She didn’t have a lot of time or use for this sort of thing.
“Um…When do you think I can get back in the field, Doctor Byer?”
“Please, call me Kerry.” He flashed another smile at her. “And if by field you mean battle? I don’t really want you firing any guns any time soon.”
“What about hand to hand?”
Kerry gently grabbed her hands and looked them over. He turned them this way and that, analyzing their structure and feeling for any sore spots.
“If you absolutely have to, it might be best to use your legs for a while.” He lowered her hands back to her lap and turned to his chart resting on the counter. “I’m sure they’re resourceful.”
Lindsay’s mouth dropped open and her eyes smiled. Is he hitting on me? She pursed her lips together and hopped off of the exam table. “Am I…um, free to go?”
“For now.” He smiled. “But I want you back here in a week.” Turning back to her, he reached into his lab coat and pulled out a card. “If you have any abnormal pain, you call me. Day or night.”
Lindsay took the card and smiled before walking out of the exam room. She closed the door behind her and looked at the business card. It had a holographic shine to it.
She leaned back against the wall and bit her bottom lip, trying not to smile.
“Brooks?” Irons walked toward her.
Lindsay immediately stood at attention. All thoughts of her interaction with the Doctor disappeared. “Sir.”
“At ease. You ready to get out of this crazy house?”
“Yes, sir.” Lindsay relaxed into parade rest but leaned back at the unexpected sight of the Captain without his eyepatch.
The Cyber Eye moved just as normally as his real one. But the difference in appearance was a little jarring even to her. Regardless of how long they’d worked together, the Cyber Eye rarely made an appearance.
Irons noticed her stare. “Go ahead. Get it outta your system.”
“Sorry, sir. Just not used to it.”
“That’s gonna have to change. At least until the data flow gets fixed and I gotta cover it up again.”
“Yes, sir.” Lindsay’s gaze shifted upward just above Irons’s head.
“How are those scratches?” He asked.
“Just scratches, sir.”
“Good soldier.”
* * *
The front of the Wartech Medical and Engineering building was abuzz with employees and customers alike. Holographic and smart window displays lauded the products and services of Wartech Industries. A few of the displays had Benjamin Stevens hawking company wares while most of them had models and spokespeople doing the same.
Irons and Lindsay made their way through the various people going about their business. Lindsay’s reaction from her previous encounter with the doctor had her stepping a little lighter than normal while Irons did his best to ignore the stares from passersby. Even though there were plenty of people coming in with cybernetic additions or enhancements of their own, it was the exposed Cyber Eye that was most interesting to people. Of course, being Captain of the USS Lucky Liberty, victor ship over the Ka’traxis Brood and their queen might have had something to do with the stares.
“Hello again,” sad a cheery Nordic woman from behind the front lobby desk. “I hope your visit to Wartech Medical and Engineering was a pleasant one. Will you be signing out?”
Irons only nodded as the woman placed a clipboard on the lobby desk.
“Will you be signing out for both of you?”
“That alright?” Irons asked.
The woman smiled. “Absolutely.”
“We interrupt these important words from Wartech Industries to bring you this special report.” A matter of fact voice filled the entire lobby, making everyone stop and listen.
The displays all changed to the image of a reporter sitting behind a studio desk. “Good afternoon. I’m Lucas Williams. Nordic traitor, Haddron Lariscthyus was released from Dartmouth Military Penitentiary late this morning after serving the maximum jail sentence according to the Nordic Treat
y. Haddron was accused and found guilty of treasonous war crimes during the Ka’traxis Brood War.” The reporter butchered the correct pronunciation of the Catter species’ name but everyone knew what he meant.
An image of Haddron appeared next to the reporter as he continued with the news. “No one knows exactly where Haddron plans on going and while there is no reason to believe him dangerous, we want to warn everyone to use caution should you encounter him.”
“That poor misguided man.” The Nordic woman behind the desk frowned, clearly upset by the report.
Irons and Lindsay turned to see her larger eyes tearing up. Nordic features were very close to human features. On average they were typically a few inches taller and had larger eyes than a human.
“Misguided?” Irons tone was accusing. “The guy turned against his own soldiers—human soldiers assigned to his command. Had’em on their knees and shot’em in the head. Other than that butchery, do you know the risk that put us all under?”
“Haven’t you ever made a mistake in your life?” the woman pleaded. “We should respect that he served his time.”
“He shoulda been in front of a firing squad.” Irons’s voice grew louder.
“I hope you don’t think we’re all like that,” the woman said. She was only getting more upset by the whole ordeal, as though Irons was linking her and all Nordics to Haddron’s crime. “We really do like it here.”
Irons stared at her for a moment before looking back at the nearest display and at the face of the Nordic who betrayed the Earth.
“It’s ok,” Lindsay tried to console the woman. Doctor Byer’s exam had softened her demeanor. “Captain Irons knows that. It’s just that Haddron put all of us at risk. Including you.”
The woman nodded as she took the clip board back. “Thank you.”
“Captain Irons!” A gruff voice came from out of nowhere.
Irons looked over his shoulder as four heavily armed men in black tactical gear marched through the people in the lobby.
“You and Private Brooks are to come with us, sir,” the man in the lead ordered.
Irons turned to fully face the armed men. “You better watch who you’re ordering around, son.”
“Easy way or the hard way, sir.”
“You definitely don’t want the hard way.” Irons began raising his fists.
Lindsay followed suit.
“Please, sirs,” the Nordic woman pleaded. “You’re scaring everyone.”
The black clad man held his hand up. “Stay out of this ma’am.”
“What’s this about?” Lindsay asked.
“Mr. Stevens has requested your presence, immediately.” One of the armed men turned and Irons caught a glint of the black Wartech logo on the his plate carrier. “We have orders, Captain.”
One of the men cocked his gun for emphasis.
Three
Phase One
A bright flash of white filled the area between two metal sided industrial buildings. Just as before, the light blinked out of existence and in its place was Haddron’s ship.
The cockpit of the vessel opened and Haddron stood, taking a deep breath of the heavy atmosphere. The natural oxygen was dense and cleansing compared to the artificial life support of the prison. He surveyed the industrial area. The sound of sea gulls and water lapping against the side of a dock gently eased through the air. He took a glance at the rusted walls of the buildings on either side of his ship. The rust colored metal siding was warped and bent at the edges from years of neglect and the open salty air.
“Shall I go with you?” Kar’libon asked.
“No, my friend. This is something I must do on my own.” Haddron stepped out of the ship. “When the way is clear, you will join me.”
“They are armed.”
Haddron hopped down to the pavement. “I am prepared.”
He walked toward the opening between buildings and stepped into the full sunlight. The newly freed Nordic closed his eyes as he embraced the sun’s warmth and light.
“It has been too long since I felt this. My adopted star.”
Haddron opened his eyes and glanced at a massive warehouse near the edge of the dock. The back of the building extended out over the water where huge steel pylons supported its weight.
He walked to the doors of the warehouse and pulled one of them open. It was surprisingly light considering how large the doors were.
Haddron could hear men yelling over the sound of saw blades and torches cutting through steel. Sparks were flying out from everywhere in the building. Haddron looked up to see an entire stern section of a battle ship hoisted in the rafters. An engine turbine lay on its side next to him. The entire place was filled with spacefaring ship parts. And even more were being added to the mess every moment.
Haddron’s upper lip curled into a menacing snarl. They had better have left mine alone.
“Don’t drop that converter,” a man yelled to one of his companions. “It’s worth more than your house.”
Haddron ducked behind a nearby pile of ship parts.
“Hey, Duke! What do you wanna do with these Slipstream parts?” Another man yelled.
“Junk’em. They ain’t worth anything with the new models out,” Duke yelled back as he walked by Haddron’s hiding place. “Anybody start working on that lens looking thing? I got a guy looking to drop a million on it.”
Scavengers. Haddron watched Duke walk out of the building before stepping from his place of hiding.
He scanned the interior. The only light sources were from small work lights, the welding torches, and sparks that flew from the metal on metal grinding. A few lights hung from the tall ceiling. Most were broken. Even if they had been all on, it wouldn’t have been enough extra light to identify the workers if authorities raided the place. It was perfect for illegal ship dismantling.
Haddron kept himself to the shadows as best he could. It was an easy feat in the dimness of the building. Workers walked by, some carrying tools, others carrying parts. Many of them were talking about their last haul or how much a part was worth. Each word disgusted Haddron even more and concern for the welfare of his property grew.
He ducked under a ship wing and peered out the other side. A reflection of sparks caught his eye. He turned toward it and noticed a larger translucent lens. Haddron looked up from the lens to finally gaze upon his own ship.
As far as he could see, it hadn’t been touched. The exterior was as intact as he’d left it all those years ago. The length of his ship was close to that of an Earth Naval Destroyer class seafaring ship. The spacecraft rested on temporary skids, keeping it off of the floor. Across from it were the bones of another ship of similar size. But it had already been cut open.
As he crept up to his ship, Haddron watched the nearby worker. He was ready to fight if he had to but knew it would be best to avoid it. It was too early to reveal his plans to anyone from Earth. Of course once he had his ship back it would be hard to stay in hiding.
Haddron kneeled underneath his ship, still watching for prying eyes, and found the handle to a hatch. He opened the door and let it swing down.
A small light illuminated a short ladder. Haddron grabbed the first rung and pulled himself up.
* * *
The smell of oil and sweat immediately filled his nose as Haddron made his way through his ship. His anger rose. Humans had been in his property. Already it was apparent that pieces of the interior had been removed. His hand caressed the inner walls. They seek to render you from inside out.
The sound of laughter stopped his thoughts. It got louder as he walked farther through the ship’s corridor.
“You know I had to lay that down,” a boisterous voice said.
“You know she turned it down,” a gruff voice replied.
The others laughed.
“Man, whatever. She was begging for it,” the first voice claimed.
Haddron stepped into an open area of the corridor to see four men with various tools, all working on parts of hi
s ship.
“I sincerely hope you are not referring to my ship.” Haddron was polite but that politeness hid an ulterior motive.
The men stopped their work and looked up.
“You supposed to be here?” a man with a drill asked.
“As it is my ship, the answer is yes. You however—”
“Hey, Dallas,” a man with a sledge hammer started. “Ain’t that the Nordic guy? I seen him on the news.”
“Yeah. You almost cost us the war.” Dallas stood, tightening his grip on the drill. “Now that I know this is your ship, I’m happy to put holes in her.”
The words angered Haddron to fury. He dashed at Dallas first, his hand striking the man’s throat.
The drill dropped to the floor as Dallas’s hands clasped his crushed windpipe. He fell to his knees, trying to gasp for breath.
The man with the sledge hammer swung at Haddron but he only hit air as the Nordic ducked. Haddron rose back up after avoiding the first swing.
The hammer came back around. This time Haddron ducked while swinging his hand up through the sledge hammer’s handle, breaking it in half.
In one move, he spun around, grabbed the hammer side of the handle and plunged it into the stomach of the hammer’s wielder. The man flew backwards, air forced from his lungs and, just like Dallas, he found himself on the floor gasping for breath.
A third man rushed Haddron. He swung a heavy wrench and a large screw driver at the Nordic man. Haddron didn’t even have to block the swings. Compared to the Nordic’s speed, the attacks came so slow he dodged them effortlessly.
Finally tiring of being on defense, Haddron grabbed the man’s wrist and flipped him over, wrenching the screwdriver from his hand. The man’s boots clanged on the floor and Haddron slammed his fist into the man’s face, knocking him out cold.
The last worker slowly reached for a two-way radio.
“This is your opportunity to leave without harm.” Haddron held out his arm as an offer for the last man to exit.
The man raised the radio to his mouth.
“You will not be offered this again,” Haddron warned. “You are not my target.”
NORDIC WRATH (War In the Void Book 2) Page 2
