by T. R. Harris
Robert Kincaid and Bondel Drake stood at a large plate glass window that looked into Joanne Kawasaki’s workshop. She had several of the objects laid out on a table, and was being assisted by Ryan Grossman and two other people, a man and a woman.
“Those friggin’ things killed a member of my crew.” Drake’s tone left no doubt how he felt about the inanimate objects on Joanne’s table. “Why the hell did you bring them back here? If they form up now, like they did then, it could destroy the whole base. Did you ever think that might have been they’re purpose all along? Have you capture a KST ship and then bring the objects back to your secret base, just like a Trojan Horse.”
“For someone who supposedly dropped out of school at fourteen to start piloting merchant ships, you seem to have a more rounded education than one would expect.”
“Is that really what you want to talk about, Kincaid? I happen to read a lot—which I know, also surprises you.”
“Hey, I’m trying to compliment you.”
“Yeah, well bullshit. If that is how you dole out compliments, then keep them to yourself.”
Robert laughed. He loved it when Bondel got upset, and especially from something he had done or said. “Relax. Joanne has identified what she calls the control modules. Without them being out of their boxes, the other ones just sit there acting nice.”
“But you still think it’s a weapon of some kind?”
“Possibly, but I’m mainly going by what you said about the objects on the Vixx’r ship. And what’s got me most confused is how you said they were part of the bulkhead until they began to form up.”
“That’s what it looked like to me. Of course, I wasn’t looking too closely at the walls of the cargo bay. I was there looking for treasure, not weirdly-shaped objects with names I can’t pronounce.”
Robert passed a datapad over to Drake.
“What’s this?”
“It’s the coordinates of the shipment’s destination, taken from the H2’s manifest records.”
“Is this supposed to mean something to me?”
“No, but it does to me. There’s nothing there. It’s just a section of space within a stellar system with no habitable planets.”
“Is this your day to piss me off, Kincaid, or is there a point in here somewhere?”
“I mean, there’s something there now where once there wasn’t. Thomson and I believe there’s a secret Vixx’r base at those coordinates, and that the objects play some major role in what they’re up to there.”
“There, he said it himself! Maybe this is just a new power source for an isolated military base.”
“Or maybe it’s a weapon they’re building designed to take us out.”
Drake squinted hard at Robert. “You’re not thinking about going there, are you?”
“I was, actually. And I’d like you to come along. You’re the only one who’s seen these things in action.”
“So you want me to ride along while you enter some super-secret alien military base and start sniffing around? You’ve got to be crazy. Besides, they’d probably blow you out of space before you got with a couple of light-years of the place.”
“I don’t think so. We have the KST ship, and we can empty out the crates and put them back on the ship. They’re going to be expecting two Human pilots; that could be you and me.”
“They’re also expecting a whole battalion of Vixx’r troops, too. How you going to explain how you had a major pressurization problem aboard and only the Vixx’r died as a result?”
“I’m not looking to take up residence at the base, just to get in for a quick look around. And if we do run into any trouble, it would be nice having someone with your piloting skills aboard.”
“Again, bullshit, Kincaid, you know you’re every bit the pilot I am—barely—so knock off the flattery.”
Robert smiled. “So…you coming or not?”
Drake grimaced. “Well, seeing that you had to beg me…and we might even find something there we can steal.”
*****
“I can still smell the alien in here,” Drake said wrinkling his nose.
“I thought you were supposed to be the tough guy; so spit on the mat and call the cat a bastard.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s an old sailing term from ancient Earth. If you’re going to get lashed with the cat o’ nine tails, you may as well relax and endure it and forego showing any weakness.”
“Ahh. Got it. So, how long did you say this trip will take?”
“Two days to get there, but not sure how long we’ll stay in the area.”
“Hopefully it won’t be for the rest of our lives. Being cooped up in this tin can with you and your inane quotes for days will be a real test of my endurance—and patience.”
“Relax, Drake. Besides, you might actually learn something.”
Robert looked over at Drake and saw the sour look on his face. “I thought you knew this area? Haven’t you carried any cargo between Freeland and Sunderland through the Cygnus Gap tramline?”
“Nah, my main routes are between Ione and Freeland, sometimes all the way into the Midlands.”
Robert raised his trademark eyebrows. “That far? I didn’t think the Kai Shek had that range.”
“Hell, that bucket could get you all the way to Earth with only one refuel.”
“Then she’s not a standard V-16. We have eight in our fleet and none of them can do that.”
“You mean the Kincaid Shipping fleet—which if I’m not mistaken—isn’t yours anymore.” Robert saw the trace of a smirk cross Drake’s bearded face.
“We’re going to be cooped up in this ship together for at least four days so can’t you try to be a little civil without going out of your way to piss me off?”
Drake shook his head. “I was just stating a fact, and the sooner you realize that all you knew before this is gone, the better for all of us.”
“I don’t accept that,” Robert said, then turned his gaze out the forward viewport of the KST Heavy Hauler. “Unlike you—obviously—I see the Vixxie occupation of the Reaches as something temporary and once they’re gone things should return to normal.” They were eight hours out from the pirate base and heading for the enigmatic coordinates the H2 had originally been destined for. The ship would be forty hours behind schedule and Robert was hoping he could come up with a plausible excuse as to why before they arrived at the secret Vixx’r base.
“That’s what they said in the Shadowlands when the Vixx’r first showed up,” Drake countered. “Now they’re not even considered to be occupied any longer. They’re as much a part of the Confederation as is Vixx. And if the reports are accurate, the Human population there is around a million, down from a high of forty. What do you think happened to the other thirty-nine million? I’ll tell you: the same thing that’s going to happen to us if the Vixxie ever see their grip on the Reaches slipping away.”
Robert was getting angry. Their mission was hard enough without having the eternal pessimist sitting next to him. “From what I gather, you’re not even from the Reaches; so why are you here?”
“I’m from the Midlands—from Elysium. I came here just before the occupation and now I’m stuck, just like everyone else.”
“Bullshit, you could take the Kai Shek and ride the rapids outside of Jaxson; you have the skills and the crew to pull it off. That tramline is barely guarded—”
“Because it’s really dangerous.”
Robert stared at the huge pilot for several seconds. “You are a strange one, Bondel Drake. I’ve seen you do heroic and courageous things, and then the next minute you’re whining like a little schoolboy. So which is it, are you courageous or are you a coward?”
“Watch your step, Kincaid,” Drake growled. “There are certain words you don’t use around me, and coward is one of them.”
“Hey, I’m just stating a fact. I wasn’t trying to upset you.”
“Okay, smartass, I’m both. Any reasonable person is.
I’m courageous when it counts but a coward when it comes to facing reality, which is something you seem to have a problem with.”
“You know what the difference is between you and me, Drake?”
“No…tell me.”
“I always see things as being possible, while you start out believing everything is impossible. That’s why I take risks and why you have to be dragged into every mission kicking and screaming. Sure, some things I try turn out to be harder than I first thought, but at least I try. You, on the other hand, often find out things aren’t as bad as you first thought, and that’s when you finally throw in your support.”
“You sound like one of the fake shrinks on the videos, Doctor Kincaid.”
“It’s a sound analysis, and that’s why I start things, while you’re more reluctant to take chances.”
“I’m here with you now, aren’t I? What does that tell you?”
“It proves my point. Without me starting this caper, you’d be back at the base, probably sipping a brandy and cuddled up with Claudia.”
Drake smiled. “And so who’s the sanest between the two of us: me snuggled up with a gorgeous woman, or you heading off on a mission that could likely get us both killed?”
Robert looked out the viewport again and cocked his head. “I didn’t say anything about the sanity of our positions, just the impetus for action and risk-taking. Yet if you follow my path, we could make a difference.”
“Or get ourselves killed.”
Robert smiled. “You know what, Mr. Drake, I think I was wrong about you.”
“How so?”
“You may turn out to be the most courageous of us all.”
Drake rolled his eyes. “Now you’ve lost me.”
Robert’s smiled widened. “Even with all your negativity and worst-case-scenario thinking, you still came along. That says something. It’s different when you always expect the best outcome, yet just the opposite when all you can see is the worst. It takes real courage to walk through the door when you believe only death and destruction lies beyond.”
“So does this mean we can become best buds, go to movies together and have sleepovers?”
“Let’s get through this mission first then we’ll see.”
Robert saw Bondel smile, and it was at that moment when he knew Drake could be trusted. And who knew, maybe someday they could become friends—if they lived beyond the next couple of days….
*****
“HEY, I’m just following orders,” Robert explained for the umpteenth time. “When they got off after the hull breach, they told us to continue with the delivery and that’s what I’m doing. The Vixx’r are running the show now at KST, so I just do what I’m told.”
“An alert has been sent out for your ship, and now you show up two days late and without the Vixx’r contingent aboard.”
“That just about sums it up,” Robert said. “So do I turn around and return to Sunderland, or do I offload my cargo? I’m just a mule-driver so it doesn’t matter to me either way. I get paid whether you take the cargo or not.”
The disgruntled Vixx’r on the screen placed his hand over the tiny comm bug in his ear and listened as others spoke to him. Then he turned his attention back to Robert. “I’m pinging a destination among the ships and facilities we have here. Proceed to that location at crawl speed. Do not deviate. Your cargo will be offloaded and then a more detailed statement regarding your activities over the past two days must be filed before you will be released for return to Sunderland. Is that understood?”
“Perfectly, but I won’t have much to add beyond what I’ve already told you.”
“Proceed to destination. Dispatch out.”
Once the screen went dark Robert turned to Drake with a satisfied grin. “That was vague enough to only confuse the matter. Sometimes playing dumb is the best plan.”
“And I have to say you’re a natural at it,” Drake said, his mood as sour as always. “So with all your tactical military expertise, Captain Kincaid, have you seen anything yet that was worth us risking our lives to learn?”
Robert looked at the proximity screen and at the accumulation of over a hundred different contacts in a region of space that should have had none. He ran his finger in a circular motion around a cluster of contacts near the flashing point that was their destination. “These are all four-masters and there are about fifty of them. They carry the same signature and energy output as the ship you boarded during the Crinous convoy raid. And here we are carrying a load of the same geometric objects you found aboard that ship. I see that as significant.”
“What’s significant is what the Vixxie will do to us once they find out all the crates are filled with rocks taken from your asteroid base instead of those mysterious shapes. At that point we’re going to have a lot more explaining to do than simply what happened to over thirty Vixx’r guards. Oh, and look, we’re heading for the very center of over a hundred alien contacts. I’m glad I updated my will before heading out on this suicide mission with you.”
“Each of those crates has a security lock on it; even the one we destroyed opening the first crate has been replaced. Hopefully they won’t open them until we’re long gone. What I would really like to do is get a look inside those fifty four-masters. I bet the walls of their landing bays are covered with those objects.”
Drake now leaned in closer to the proximity screen, turning serious. “And if it takes around a thousand of those things to line a landing bay, then those ships contain fifty times our supposed cargo.”
“That would make one hell of a spark if they were all to form up.”
“That’s right, and no ship would be able to withstand it.”
A large space station came into view ahead of them, with a huge, gaping landing bay beckoning them. “Kinda looks like the mouth of a shark, doesn’t it?” Drake said.
Robert scanned the auxiliary controls for the supplemental weapons that had been added to the H2’s basic array. The ship was now as powerful as a light cruiser, even though she didn’t show it. Kincaid hoped the alien grunts aboard the station wouldn’t recognize any of the upgrades made to the H2 by technicians back on Sunderland. As they slid into the massive landing bay, he began to identify targets—just in case they had to blast their way out of the belly of the beast.
Once inside the confines of the bay, a series of three overlapping hatches slid across the opening, securing the chamber. Atmosphere was pumped back in and a squad of Vixx’r workers, all wearing bright yellow pants and lighted collars, began to guide the H2 to a location near the left rear. Robert turned the ship around until the back end was facing an area filled with stacked crates—all identical to those the H2 carried. There were easily a thousand or more of them and he and Bondel shared a concerned look. The objects the crates held were far too many to be used as some new, exotic energy source for the secluded base. These were for a weapon, a massive weapon, and the phantom cargo of the H2 was only a fraction of the total. Robert had been hoping that missing the thousand objects from his shipment would negate whatever plans the Vixx’r may have for the objects, but that wasn’t going to be the case. There were simply too many crates already here.
He set the H2 on the metal deck just as the obligatory announcement came over the comm that gravity was being restored to the landing bay. Soon a whole fleet of crate transporters approached the H2, ready to offload her cargo.
“This is bad,” Drake said. “There could be half a million of those things just in here, and no telling how many more aboard those fifty ships.”
Robert nodded.
They were ordered to open their rear landing bay doors. Robert complied and then he and Drake went aft to watch the unloading.
A First-X’er approached them holding a data pad, as a dozen transporters entered the bay and began to haul the crates away. Robert and Drake breathed a sigh of relief when none of the workers bothered with opening any before exiting.
The alien with the datapad was one of the tallest Robert
had ever seen, easily towering more than a foot taller than both of them. Vixx’r were typically only half a foot taller than Humans, but this one was an exception. He now looked down at the Humans with unconcealed contempt.
“I am FX Jorvis and I will be conducting the inquiry into the disappearance of the Vixx’r crew that was assigned to guard the shipment.”
“They didn’t disappear,” Robert said. “They left.”
“And why would they do that?”
“Like I told the other Vixx’r, we sustained a hull breach from a random meteorite hit and so could only maintain pressure and atmosphere within the forward section. All the Vixxie—I mean Vixx’r—were bunked in the aft section, so they had no place to stay. The First-X’er aboard decided to abandon the ship and told us to continue with our delivery. Another KST ship took them off. That’s all I know.”
“That explanation is lacking in sense. They were tasked with escorting the shipment all the way here and they would not have abandoned their responsibilities. If anything, they would have continued the escort in the other KST ship.”
“You’re right, First-X’er Jorvis,” Robert agreed. “That’s why I would be very anxious to locate that other officer and ask him what he was thinking. It sounds like he may be in a lot of trouble.”
“That is not your place to say, Human. I still find it curious that he would have abandoned the shipment, and then not made a report in the interim.”
“All I know is we got the shipment here, that’s the most you can expect from us. That was our job and we did it. With so many guards for the cargo, I would think you would be thanking us for continuing with our delivery even after the others left.” Robert turned to Bondel and they both nodded emphatically.
The alien was silent for a moment, and with a furrowed brow he studied the two Humans. “I suppose it is commendable that you did see fit to continue. Most others of your species would not.”
“Yeah, most of them would have run off to join Captain Malicious,” Drake said. Robert felt his stomach tighten. What’s Drake doing?
