by Jeff Walsh
Marcus ignored him and just stared at Genny.
Taam popped the leg restraints and turned to Marcus, “You'll need to catch her. They drugged her up really bad.” Taam pointed at her neck; dozens of needle marks could be seen. “It looks like the neural bath was just a precaution. She won't be conscious for a while.”
“Why?” Marcus said coldly. “Why would they do this to her? You two are the dangerous ones and they just filled your cell with the knockout gas. What've they done with my wife?”
“Won't know until we get out of here,” Taam said. He managed to shut down the arm clamps and Genny fell free. Marcus was there instantly to catch her.
The entry door to the hallway blew off its hinges. Bartl peeked around the cell door and fired three shots before the Urumaruu crew could take a step inside. Two of them collapsed to the floor.
The Urumaruu crew took cover. Bartl fired off four more shots, each of which struck the frame of the doorway. A moment later the metal doorway melted away exposing four of the Uruamaruu crew. Before they realized what was happening Bartl took aim and fired.
“Rookies,” he muttered.
“All clear for now,” Bartl said as he turned back toward the group. Anthony looked to him, and back to Genny who was being carried by Marcus. Bartl tossed one of the particle guns to Taam.
Everyone looked to Marcus who was just staring at his wife, limp in his arms.
“Say with us,” Taam said.
Anthony watched as his friend looked to Taam, tears were pouring down his face.
“She'll be fine,” Taam said. “I promise. There's nothing they could've done to her that we can't get fixed somewhere in the universe. I promise you, whatever they've done, I'll make it right.”
Marcus just nodded, and looked back down at Genny.
“But listen to me,” Taam continued. He grabbed at Marcus' mask to look him in the eyes. “You know what's going on more than we do at the moment. I need you to fill me in so we can get out of here.”
Anthony watched as Marcus took a few deep breaths and composed himself. His friend looked to him and he gave a reassuring nod in return.
“We need to take the ship,” Marcus said.
“What?” Taam asked.
“Omnis managed a short hack to get me aboard,” Marcus continued. “But he told me that they'd recover quickly. He loaded me down with these masks, guns, and a couple gizmos he said I'd need. One of them I clamped to the door at the end of the hallway to seal it shut. Omnis said we'd probably be on our own once I was aboard, but that he'd run evasive maneuvers outside to keep them busy.”
“Omnis is a heck of a pilot,” Bartl said. “If he's attacking this ship, and the Urumaruu know he got someone aboard, they can't run the risk of losing us. The Core or the Attillians would hunt them down. You heard Captain Oosun; he ordered everyone onto the bridge with a ship-wide Gamma. The entire ship's gone dark with a bridge lock. Nothing on here has power except these cells and the bridge. That way, even if we do escape, there's no way off. Taking this ship is our only option.”
“So we're trapped again,” Anthony said. “But just less trapped than we were a minute ago. Oh, and now Marcus is trapped with us.”
“Okay,” Taam said. “Obviously Omnis knows this ship somehow, otherwise he couldn't have snuck Marcus aboard. He would've known they were going dark. What else is in that bag?” Taam asked. He pointed to the bag Marcus had on his back.
Marcus turned and Taam flipped it open.
Taam smiled.
“We take the ship,” he announced.
“What's in the bag?” Bartl asked.
“You'll see,” Taam said. He and the others left the cell and rushed down the hallway. Bartl and Taam lead the way, pistols raised and ready.
“C'mon,” Bartl said. “Just tell me. Temporal grenades? Micro vortex orbs? Oh, I know, a two way bio-split.”
Taam said nothing.
The group turned the corner, strode through the ship's kitchen, and down another walkway that split in three different directions. The group paused for a second.
Taam and Bartl looked around for a few moments. Taam stepped one way, Bartl another. The two paused for a moment then stepped toward each other.
“Seriously?” Anthony asked. “This is a first. It always seems like you two know where everything is on every ship. It's actually kind of entertaining to see you two lost.”
“Maybe we should split up,” Bartl said.
“Are you crazy?” Anthony asked. “You never split the party. That's like the number one rule.”
Bartl looked confused. “What?” Bartl started to say but paused. “Rule?”
“Yeah,” Anthony said. “And the bridge is down the middle.”
“How do you know that?” Taam asked. “We don't have time for guesses.”
“Look at the wear patterns on the floor,” Anthony said. “The center walkway is the most heavily worn. I'd venture to guess that the bridge is that way since it appears everyone wither comes from that direction or heads toward that direction. I'm not a super savvy space man like yourself, but I'm guessing on a small ship like this, there's only two places where every single person treads. The first being the kitchen, which we just passed through.”
“The second being the bridge,” Taam said through a smile.
“Well done,” Marcus said.
Anthony smiled.
The group rushed down the middle walkway and came to a metal door. They approached cautiously. Taam leaned in close and nearly pressed his ear against the door.
The ship shook violently once more, then again.
Marcus turned his head slightly and began to tap at his earpiece. “Hello? Omnis, you there?”
Marcus looked to Taam and Bartl. “We need to hurry,” he said. “Omnis is taking pretty bad damage. We just lost comm.”
“Stand back,” Taam said. He tossed his pistol to Bartl and reached into Marcus' bag and pulled two devices from it.
Bartl cursed and kicked the wall once he saw the devices.
“Of course,” he said. “Omnis isn't stupid.”
Taam stepped over to the door and stuck a small rectangular device to it. He pressed a series of buttons and two long handles sprouted from the device. Taam wrapped his arm around one then with the same hand grabbed a hold of the other. He braced himself up against the door. In his other hand were three small black orbs. He pressed another button on the device and an orange glow lit up around the door frame.
Anthony watched as the door fell loose. Taam was now carrying it like a massive metal shield. He stepped forward and Bartl sent three shots right by his face into the bridge of the ship. Taam rolled the three orbs into the room and pulled back. He punched a button on the device and the door resealed itself.
Three loud thuds came from just beyond. Taam snaked his arm out from the handles and pressed the button again, the door frame lit up once more. This time Taam kicked it down. Bartl stepped forward, pistols raised and ready. A second later he lowered them.
The group stepped onto the bridge and Anthony looked around. Twelve Urumarru scavs were lying unconscious, on the floor.
“What was that?” Marcus asked.
“Sonic Orbs,” Bartl said. “They're non-lethal, but these guys are going to wake up with really bad headaches in a little while.”
Taam moved across the bridge and began to work the command console.
“I've established comm with the Sunspot,” he said as he swiped across the console. “He's not responding.”
“Omnis, this is Taam, can you hear me? You need to evac now. Your ship is leaking Veritus, evac now. We've taken control of this vessel. We can grab you, just get out of there.”
The Sunspot was on the ships display. It had taken some serious damage. Power appeared to be flickering off and on across the ship.
“Looks like they had him dead to rights before we breached the bridge,” Anthony said.
Marcus walked over and kicked one of the Urumarru crew off a chair.
The limp scav crumpled to the floor. Marcus carefully set Genny down on the seat. He reached down and grabbed at the straps which dangled below. Carefully he strapped her in. Standing over her unconscious body he just stared at her. She was breathing. Marcus took notice that the needle marks on her neck had disappeared.
Bartl took a seat at one of the terminals and began scanning the scav crew's travel log.
From across the room the sound of a grunt caused everyone to jump.
Bartl brought his pistols up and fired.
It was a split second too late.
The Uruamarru slammed down on a turret pad and the ship fired one last shot.
Bartl's shots struck the scav in the face and chest. The man was tossed back and fell lifeless to the floor.
Everyone turned and watched as the scav vessel fired.
Marcus stepped forward; time appeared to slow. He watched the orange blasts of energy leave the scav vessel and collide with the center of the Sunspot. A second later the ship detonated into bursts of light and hundreds of pieces.
Everyone stood frozen in place for a moment.
Bartl gritted his teeth and began stomping around the room, shooting every unconscious scav in the chest.
Anthony watched, horrified.
Marcus stood staring at the display, his mind blank.
“Bartl,” Taam yelled.
Bartl continued to execute the scavs.
“Sergeant Heezarian!” Taam exclaimed.
Bartl fired one last shot and looked to Taam. He'd killed them all.
“They don't get to live,” Bartl said. “There's no escape pods, no transports, and we couldn't take the risk of them escaping if we locked them up. Now we dump them out of the air lock and get out of here.”
“We could've figured something out,” Taam said. Anger filled his voice.
“Just like they did when they destroyed Alvin?” Bartl replied. He turned and touched one of the consoles. The ship's main display showed the scav had just left Qynn-9 to meet up with the Attillians.
“They tracked Alvin and Marcus to Qynn,” Bartl said. “Probably by searching for the dirrillium pod. I'm not stupid. I didn't miss the fact that Marcus isn't carrying around Alvin's memory core in his bag.”
Anthony watched as Taam's eyes watered up.
“That means Alvin was either aboard the Sunspot and just died along with Omnis,” Bartl said, his voice now quivering. “Or he died here.” He tapped at the console once more. “During this attack.”
A recording came up on the screen. It was surveillance footage from the scav vessel. It showed the Qynn-9 station far off in the distance. Everyone watched as the scav ship launched two torpedoes, which almost immediately vanished.
“Spacial slip,” Taam said.
The group watched as a flash of light came from the station, a small silvery orb had been jettisoned away. The two torpedoes reappeared and made a sharp turn toward the pod. A second later it exploded.
“These faruks killed Alvin and Omnis, and nearly killed Marcus. They made a deal with the Attillians to turn us into the Core. And who knows what they've done to Genny,” Bartl said coldly. “As I said, they don't get to live.”
“Urumarru vessel Enyalius,” came a voice over the ship's comm system. “This is Fen of the Attillian vessel Starfaller. We've received your distress and are inbound. Have you contained the situation? Please respond with captain's codes.”
Chapter 20
“I'm sorry sir,” one of the crewman said to Commander Tira. “I followed your orders precisely. But the Urumaruu vessel, Enyalius, is gone. It appears they activated a spacial bend no more than fifteen hecatryls ago.”
“Commander,” another bridge worker said. “I've extrapolated their course and I'm seeing a secondary bend. If they continue to to use spacial bends they will get a considerable lead on us.”
“Cease all efforts to follow the Enyalius,” Tira said. “But continue to track their course. When they move, where they move, I want to know. We needn't waist resources chasing after them, not when we know where they'll end up.”
҉
“You're sure they can't follow?” Marcus asked.
“No,” Bartl said. “They can follow, but it'll take them about twenty times longer to get here. Mass is a factor in spacial bends, and since the Starfaller is significantly larger than the Enyalius...”
“It'll take them longer to get here,” Anthony said.
“Exactly,” Bartl replied. “If I had to guess, they won't even follow.”
“Why?” Marcus asked.
“We're all headed to the same place,” Taam said. “I'm sure the Attillians know we've managed to get our hands on the Volja pattern. And since you three are here, there's no point in hunting us down. They'll cloak up and wait for us to drop into their lap.”
“Great,” Anthony said. “So we've escaped being captured again, and now we're headed into another trap.”
Anthony plopped down into a chair and laid his head back. He breathed deep and exhaled.
“This sucks,” he exclaimed.
Marcus turned and looked at Taam who caught his glare.
“I know what you're thinking,” Taam said. “But she's out of their hands, which means she's safe. This ship's infirmary is sophisticated, but nothing they have on file is helping.”
“And her skin?” Marcus said
“I don't know why we can't inject her,” Taam replied. “But everything we try just breaks on contact. It's like her body has gone into some sort of protective mode.”
“Our bodies don't do that,” Marcus said.
“I know,” Taam replied. “But I've done all I can, all I know how to do. The stasis field is keeping her body safe. We're using inhalation to keep her system at peak conditions. Until we can discover what they did to her on the Imperium, it's the best we can do.”
A tear rolled down Marcus' cheek. “My wife is,” he said through gritted teeth. His words choked out by emotion.
Anthony stood and placed a hand on Marcus' shoulder.
“We're on a bounty hunter ship,” Anthony said. “There's not a lot Bartl and Taam can do. Genny needs a real hospital, people with the right equipment to figure out what's going on. Just trust them; if they could do something, they would.”
“Scav ships typically keep supplies for injuries they regularly encounter,” Taam said. “Pulse fire, physical wounds, stuff you'd see from fighting. Whatever Halen did--”
“How do you know it was him?” Marcus blurted out. “How do you know it wasn't the Attillians, or some other crazy group hunting us down?”
“Halen isn't a good guy,” Taam answered. “And since Genny was already locked away on this ship when we boarded it doesn't seem likely that it was the Attillians. Nothing about her current state fits with their typical operations. And these scavs, well, they weren't smart enough to do anything like this.”
Marcus wiped away the tears.
“Believe me,” Taam said. “There's nothing I won't do to fix this. We just need time.”
“And you're sure she has it?” Marcus asked.
“You saw the same thing I did,” Taam replied. “Her body is protecting itself. Physically, I'd say she's probably the safest person on this ship at the moment.”
“I don't mean to interrupt,” Bartl said. “But we're here.”
“Here?” Anthony asked. “I thought we were on the run.”
“We are,” Bartl said. “But I wanted to see her one last time.”
The view screen switched from a ship-wide status display to a view of a planet.
“Where are we?” Marcus asked
“Detrin III, the closest planet to our altercation with the Attillians,” Bartl answered. He worked the console and enlarged the screen.
There, in the planet's orbit, were hundreds of pieces of debris. A small green-ish glimmer caught Marcus' attention.
“The Platnium,” Marcus said.
Taam and Bartl stared for a moment. Silence hung in the air.
“We caused a lot of ruckus, for a lot of cycles, in that ship,” Taam said.
Bartl chuckled.
“Remember when I dropped a series of short range light slips,” Bartl said. “Made it look like there were five us. The Kholholds thought we lured them into a trap.”
Taam started laughing.
“Those furry beasts turned and bent space faster than I've ever seen,” Tamm said.
“Yeah,” Bartl replied. He was now laughing too.
“It's a shame she went out like that,” Taam said.
“I can't imagine a better ship to be on for our first trip into space,” Marcus said.
“Yeah,” Anthony chimed in. “I was kind of attached to it, you know, first spaceship and all.”
“Well, we built her once,” Bartl said. “We can do it again.”
“The Platnium V,” Taam said.
“She'll be a menace,” Bartl finished with a smile.
A beep rang out on the command console and the ship's display closed in on a section of debris.
“Components confirmed,” the ship's computer said.
“Components?” Bartl asked.
“Computer,” Taam announced. “Can you trans-warp the item directly onto the bridge?”
“Affirmative,” the computer said.
A moment later a white light flashed and there in the center of the bridge sat a silvery, but charred, box.
“What's that?” Bartl asked
Taam walked over to it and worked his wrist unit.
The box hissed for a moment indicating its seal was released. The top of the box clicked open and Taam knelt down.
“When we were escaping the Starfaller,” Taam said. “I knew we wouldn't make it very far. The Platnium was too close and had been powered down. Sure, we've made spacial bends and light slips that quick before, but I figured the Attillians were on the watch. We weren't getting far.”
“When we boarded the Platnium,” Taam continued. “I dropped the matrix and energy destabilizer into a safety box. Just in case the ship was destroyed.”
