by Brian Fisher
Chapter 41
Captain Jason McWilliams lay on his back, elbow deep in repairing a computer terminal. Changing circuit boards and relays kept him busy, and therefore kept his mind off Major Narja, off Olcai, and off Kamira. The Major at least seemed to be making decent progress. As for the rest, Jason had no idea. The sensors still could not give an accurate reading of Olcai, and Kamira still was beyond his reach.
"Captain, there is a communiqué for you from the Admiralty." Angel’s voice startled her Captain into banging his head as he crawled out from under the console.
"Thank you Angel, I'll take it in my ready room." Jason stood, wiped his hands on his pants, and quickly left the bridge. He had been able to make a handful of repairs to the bridge, but there remained a lot of work left to do. Redemption needed a space dock, but that was a distant dream and nothing more.
Jason's ready room had become a staging area for repairs to the bridge, so parts lay everywhere. A small red light flashed lazily on Jason's communication console. He wasn't looking forward to speaking with the Admiralty anytime soon. They seemed to always want something that he wasn't ready to give.
Taking a moment to breathe and prepare for the inevitable, Jason activated the communication link. It took a moment before the image of a man in an Admiral's uniform hovered a scant few centimeters above Jason's cluttered desk. He was tall and thin, with graying hair and gaunt skin stretched across his high cheekbones.
"Captain McWilliams, I am Rear Admiral Nigel Andrew West the Third, of the Fleet Support Group. You can call me Admiral West." the man in the hologram sneered. "My group and I will be arriving at Olcai within the hour to clean up your failure. Make ready. Rear Admiral Nigel Andrew West the Third, out."
"Admiral." was all Captain McWilliams said as he watched the hologram disappear. This was not going to be pleasant.
"Angel, please prepare a reception for the Admiral." Jason sighed. He had heard rumors about Admiral West, and none of them were good.
"Of course Captain. Is there anything else sir?" Angel asked without showing her face.
"Yes, actually there is." Jason paused, running a hand over his weary face. "I need you to bring up and review my ownership documents for Redemption. And I also want to see my Commission papers."
"Understood sir." Angel replied softly. "I will have those momentarily."
With a heavy sigh, Captain Jason McWilliams sank back into the welcoming softness of his chair. He hadn't realized just how tired he had become. Just before the exhaustion claimed him, he recalled the incident a few years back, when he was still a Constable, which changed his life forever.
He had been working late in his office on Home Station, when a security alert flashed across his computer. There was activity in cargo bay twelve. Jason thought for a moment. Cargo bay twelve had been locked down earlier in the day for repairs, and the maintenance crews had all gone home for the evening. Something was not right.
Jason made a quick check to make sure that he was properly armed, and left his office. Things had a way of going awry on Home Station, and he needed to make sure that he was prepared. "Lt. Monroe, meet me at cargo bay twelve in ten minutes." he called to his second in command.
"Yes sir. Ten minutes." the crisp reply came as Constable Jason McWilliams jogged down the vacant corridors. Cargo bay twelve was three levels down, and near the other side of the mammoth mining station. As he ran, Jason rehearsed his plan in his mind. Lt. Monroe was the best man he had, and would make an excellent backup.
A few minutes later, Jason arrived at cargo bay twelve, sweaty but not exhausted. Lt. Monroe stood calmly waiting by the door to the cargo bay. He was young, a handful of years younger than Jason, and in excellent physical condition, probably from his years of Greco-Roman wrestling.
"What's going on Sir?" the Lieutenant asked.
"I got an alert from inside." Jason checked his pistol again. "Shouldn't be anybody in there. Maintenance closed it down earlier today for repairs." He looked at his Lt. "You ready to go in and find out what's going on?"
"You know it sir." Monroe smiled. "Should we knock?"
"Nah." Jason replied as he overrode the security lock. "That would take the fun out of it." the door slid silently open and Jason stepped inside with his weapon at the ready. It was dark in the cargo bay, save for a few work lights at the far end. Small crates and a handful of large cargo containers sat in the middle of the otherwise empty bay.
Nothing moved as the two peace officers quickly secured the area. Soon, the two men met at the far side of the bay, near the work lights.
"Something's not right here." Jason whispered to his partner. Instantly the overhead lights flashed on, and dozens of armed men swarmed the two officers.
"Thanks for the tip Monroe." the surliest looking of the intruders yelled out as he rushed in. "This 'Constable' of yours has been a pain to those of us in the Regiment for a while now."
"My pleasure, just keep the money coming." Lt. Monroe said as he leveled his pistol at the back of Jason's head. "Constable, if you would relinquish your weapon please."
Jason slowly placed his pistol on the deck, never taking his eyes from the men surrounding him. "Why John?" were the only words he could manage before Lieutenant John Monroe slammed the grip of his pistol into the back of Jason's head.
He remembered his head feeling as if it was going to explode into a million pieces. The blood had matted into his red hair, giving it an odd shade of crimson. Jason finally opened his eyes to see that he was in an airlock. Someone had been kind enough to put an environment suit on him, but he didn't have high hopes that it would work very well.
No one spoke a word to him before they simply opened the airlock, and he was sucked out into space. It wasn't empty space, but still, it was going to kill him. A rainbow of gasses swirled around him as he tumbled, helpless toward his death.
"This is Constable Jason McWilliams of Home Station. I am in extreme duress. Please send help." Jason called out to anyone that might possibly be able to hear him. He glanced down at the readouts for his suit. There was just enough oxygen for five more minutes, and then he would die.
Jason refused to fight the inevitable. Struggling was useless, and would only hasten his death, so he closed his eyes away from the beautiful array of deadly gasses swirling around him. He simply tumbled through space, remembering those that he had left behind.
Minutes passed in silence as Jason's breathing grew labored. His oxygen was quickly running out. Blackness crept in around the edges of his sight, until all was dark. He never felt the impact his suit made against the hull of the ship. He didn't see the massive doors smoothly slide open, or the nearly invisible woman standing on the hanger deck, waiting for him.
Painfully, Jason opened his eyes to see a blinding white light. "Am I dead?" he rasped. The air blazed hot in his lungs, forcing him to gasp as the life-giving element rushed into his body.
"No, you are not dead." the words came from the shimmering, ethereal woman standing next to him. "Are you Constable Jason McWilliams?" she asked coolly.
"Yes." was the only word he could manage. His body burned from lack of oxygen.
"Do you claim salvage rights?" she pressed.
"Salvage rights to what?" He forced the words out. Salvaging anything was the furthest thing from his mind. The fact that he was alive rebounded throughout his consciousness, leaving no room for any other thought.
"Redemption." was all that she said.
"Yes, I want redemption." a tear started to fall down his cheek. "I want redemption." He needed redemption for his failure as Constable of Home Station, redemption for all of the innocent people that were going to be hurt by the Regiment and the Ta'Reeth. He wanted so much more than just redemption. He wanted revenge.
"Excellent." she shimmered as she spoke. "Transferring ownership of Earth Coalition Defense Fleet Ship Redemption to Jason McWilliams, in accordance with Earth Coalition Revised Salvage Code 349 paragraph 1257."
"What is
going on?" Jason managed, struggling to his feet. The world tilted violently as he tried to stand. He forced himself to focus on a single point on the wall far in front of him, anything that would keep him from falling over.
"You have just assumed ownership and command of Redemption, an Odin class assault cruiser." the ethereal woman glanced in Jason's direction.
"Wow." Jason grabbed his head in an attempt to stop his world from spinning. "And you are?" he asked.
"I am Angel. I am Redemption." she replied.
"I don't understand." He looked at her quizzically.
"I am the ships Artificial Intelligence, Captain." she shimmered slightly as she walked toward Jason. You need medical attention. Please follow me."
Jason followed Angel deeper into the ship. They changed levels, and finally came to Sickbay. He had never seen anything like it in his life. The equipment was pristine, and beyond the capabilities of anything on Home Station.
"How old is this ship?" Jason asked. "I mean, if I can claim salvage rights to it."
"Redemption has been at strategic automated station keeping, for the Reserve Fleet, for the last one hundred seventy-five years." Angel replied. "I have not received an annual update for the last one hundred and fifty years."
"That's because the Earth Coalition was defeated by the Ta'Reeth right about that time." Jason climbed onto a DioBed and lay down.
"That would explain a lot." Angel watched her new Captain as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Angel stood in silence beside her Captain's desk in his ready room. She watched him sleep for the first time since arriving at Olcai. She hadn't told him, but she had been monitoring his biosigns for some time, and was relieved that he was finally getting some rest. Unfortunately, she had to wake him for the arrival of Admiral West.
"Sir, the Admiral is here. Your presence is required." was all that Angel needed to say before Jason was awake again.
