Gate Crashers

by Patrick S. Tomlinson

  D’armic shrieked as the violence and gore erupted around him. The Terrorital unpacked his overnight bag and perused his brain’s room service menu. His skin turned a dark charcoal, and produced slippery oil, an evolutionary holdover from a time when the only surviving Lividites were the ones who were difficult for predators to get a good grip on.

  Harris and two of the other marines pounced on the head guard and pinned his arms, preventing him from bringing his weapon to bear on Maximus. Harris viciously kicked the side of the guard’s knee. With a wet crack, it became open to a whole new axis of movement. The guard crumpled as another marine stepped up to secure his weapon.

  “In case anyone was wondering, that was Step 2,” Felix said.

  Maximus tried to wrest the control bracelet from the arm of the late Vel Noric, but when it resisted, he simply turned the flashlight onto his belt and sliced it off. He then went around to do the same for the rest of the prisoners, even D’armic, who was covered in goo and babbling hysterically about someone called the Fungus Harvester.

  Maximus snuck his toes under the second Niven light and kicked it up into Harris’s waiting hand. Then Maximus leveled his weapon at the lamed guard on the deck.

  “Tell your friend in the hall to open the door.”

  “I’ll never betray my ship.”

  “Oh, really? Captain Ridgeway, will you ask our little friend where Turemok keep their genitals?”

  “I’ll do it,” said the guard.

  Harris took position by the door. Maximus nodded to the prostrate guard. “Get on with it, then.”

  The suddenly enlightened guard knocked on the door three times. “Hey, Wroth, open the door. I have to drop a glot.”

  The door clicked and slid open. Harris lunged out the doorway and discharged his laser, a bright blue flash and the sound of a body hitting the deck confirming his marksmanship.

  Maximus smiled. “Thanks for the help.” With a quick swipe of the Niven light, he relieved the guard’s neck of the weight of supporting a head.

  Allison was aghast. “You said you’d let him live if he helped us.”

  “No, I didn’t. This isn’t playtime, Captain. They want to frame us so they can destroy Earth. No apologies.”

  Harris leaned his head through the open door. “We’re clear to move, sir.”

  Excellent. Switch back to implants from here on out. Our objective is the hangar. Stick together, but if the shooting starts again, anyone unarmed scatters. Any questions? There were none. Good. Move like you’re being chased, people.

  The marines snatched up the fallen guards’ weapons and flowed into the hall like a well-rehearsed flood.

  Hang on a second, Felix said.

  Harris glanced back at him. What’s the matter?

  The guard that grabbed the Niven lights, he wasn’t even gone a minute. That means the rest of our equipment is close by.

  He’s right, Captain, Harris added.

  Maximus gave Harris a curt nod. Go.

  Felix, with me. They moved off. After a search notable only for its brevity, Felix and Harris found their confiscated equipment piled on a table three doors down.

  Harris shook his head in astonishment. Unbelievable. These guys are so incompetent I’m almost embarrassed for them. He strapped on a hip holster and sidearm, and stuffed his pockets with spare magazines. He grabbed a pair of M-118s and pressed one into Felix’s arms.

  Here, I’ve just sent the ops software to your queue. Download it and link up.

  Me? I can’t use a battle rifle.

  You did fine with my sidearm. This is even easier, because the rounds track inside a thirty-degree deflection cone. Just designate a hostile, point, and think, Shoot.

  I don’t know …

  Felix, I’m three men down, and you’re the only civilian I know for sure has even fired a gun.

  I’m scared, Tom.

  That means you’re sane.

  Felix squared his shoulders and said, Designate, point, shoo— Um, discharge.

  Good. Grab an armful and let’s head back.

  What about the armor?

  No time to get into it, and it wasn’t doing shit against their lasers anyway.

  They returned and passed weapons out to the marines. Allison and Jacqueline pulled D’armic to his feet, leaving an oil slick on the floor where he’d curled up.

  Hold up, Maximus said. Is bringing him the best idea?

  I’m not leaving him here to be tortured. Remember, he’s being framed, too, Allison said.

  Fine, but he’s your headache.

  Whatever, Tiberius.

  The procession crept down the darkened corridor, quiet as mimes in a museum. The walls bowed outward, giving the halls an oval shape. It felt like walking through the arteries of some enormous beast. To make matters worse, the corridors did not sit at right angles. Instead, they branched off and merged together like the strands of a web.

  Does anyone know where we’re going? Allison asked.

  Maximus shot her a confused look. The hangar. We talked about this.

  I meant does anyone remember the route to the hangar?

  Well, when you put it like that … not as such.

  Allison managed not to scream, but only just. Then maybe we should—

  “Get down!”

  It wasn’t immediately clear who the order came from, but any hesitation they felt dissipated when the laser pulses started exploding against the walls. Chaos filled the corridor, with the blinding flash of lasers, the crack-crack-crack of automatic rifles, the acrid smoke of vaporized plastics, and the mingling smells of ozone and nitrocellulose.

  It was too much for D’armic’s delicate, drug-addled psyche to cope with. He let out a high-pitched squeal that made everyone cover their ears, then he charged down the hall away from the gunplay at a dead sprint. Allison and Jacqueline followed, hoping to retrieve him.

  Felix saw Jacqueline go and gave chase. “I’ll cover them.”

  Harris shouted over his shoulder, “Felix, wait!”

  But his friend was already gone.

  CHAPTER 39

  “Hedfer-Vel!” Kotal shouted.

  “Yes, Kotal?” J’quol answered calmly. “What is it?”

  “Security just confirmed Vel Noric is dead. The humans have escaped and have already killed a hand of guards.”

  J’quol casually looked up from his station. “Really? However did that happen?”

  “They overpowered the Vel and his security complement. They also recovered the weapons we confiscated when they arrived.”

  “Oh, that is most unfortunate.”

  “And the internal security grid is malfunctioning…”

  “Hmmm. It certainly seems to be the humans’ lucky day.”

  “But the security grid is maintained at the…”

  “The where, Kotal?” J’quol’s voice was so cold, the air fogged around his mouth.

  Kotal swallowed hard. “The Hedfer-Vel’s station. The Hedfer-Vel also sets duty shifts. And the security crew on duty is … was … filled with Noric’s loyalists.”

  J’quol’s red eyes bored into Kotal for a painfully long moment. Finally, he broke the silence. “You are quite perceptive, Kotal. An admirable trait for a sensor interpreter. I could find uses for a soldier with your … insights. Unless you intend to oppose me?”

  Kotal shook his head vigorously.

  “Then we have an understanding.”

  “Yes, Hedfer-Vel, of course. What should we do next?”

  “Well, first of all”—J’quol strode over to take up the ship’s command station—“you should stop referring to me as Hedfer-Vel.”

  “Apologies, Vel. Should we call up an additional hand of troops to search for the prisoners?”

  “No, Kotal. We’ve already lost a hand on the planet, and three hands are garrisoned on the human vessels. We need to maintain a fighting reserve.”

  “I understand, Vel.”

  “I know you do, Hedfer-Vel. Now, take your new station, and obs
erve carefully.”

  * * *

  The firefight ended in victory, but at a cost. Simmons was KIA after taking a pulse in the neck, leaving the assault shuttle short a pilot. They linked back up with Allison after a brief search, standing in front of a door with D’armic barricaded inside.

  We don’t have time for this, Maximus said. If he wants to hide, let him.

  No, Allison protested. Don’t you get it? He’s the only witness to what happened at Okim, and he’s one of this Assembly’s officers. We need him alive if we’re going to clear our names.

  Maximus huffed, but took up a covering position and offered no further resistance.

  “D’armic, it’s Allison. Can you hear me?”

  “Yes, Allison Captain.” His voice was fast, high-pitched. Not at all like the resolute, implacable creature who’d visited her ship.

  “D’armic, there’s no Turemok, just us. It’s safe to come out.”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “Is that D’armic talking, or the drug?”

  “Both.”

  “I’ve seen how brave you can be, D’armic. It was scary how calm you were on Maggie. Why is this different?”

  “That wasn’t bravery. I hadn’t taken Valorox.”

  “Why would that—” Allison smacked her forehead. It wasn’t bravery he’d shown during their first meeting, because he hadn’t felt anything; no courage, no fear, no anger.

  “You don’t have emotions without drugs, do you?”

  “No.”

  “How long will this drug last?”

  “I don’t know, maybe hours.”

  “We can’t wait that long, D’armic.” Trying to beat the alien’s fear wasn’t working, so Allison decided to use it instead. “We’re leaving now. The Turemok are coming. They’re going to feed you to the Fungus Harvester.”

  Ouch. Maximus grinned. That’s cold.

  “No! Help!”

  “I want to help, D’armic, but you have to open the door.”

  “And you won’t hurt me?”

  “We won’t hurt you.”

  Allison held her breath waiting for an answer. Then the door clicked and slid open. The little gray alien ran out and threw his oily arms around Allison’s waist like a child, staining her already ruined uniform. Displays and blinking lights filled the room beyond.

  Hmm, what have we here? Maximus sauntered inside.

  Looks like an electronics bay, Harris said.

  Well, then, it would be awfully rude of me to do this … Maximus lit the beam of his Niven light and slashed at the room with abandon. Ooh, that looks expensive. Electricity arced out of the wounds in the trunks and cables, sending sparks cascading from the walls. It’s like when my dad tried to remodel our summer home. The lights in the hallway flickered and died. Dim orange backup lights took their place.

  Maximus admired his efforts for a moment and then stepped back into the hallway. C’mon, we need to find the rest of our people.

  Who’s still missing?

  Mr. Fletcher and your flight officer.

  And then what, fearless leader? Allison didn’t devote much effort to concealing her disdain. Even if we do get back to our ships, we’ll just get blown up.

  Maximus started walking. About that. How’s Maggie at multitasking?

  * * *

  Felix heard the scream and, against all impulses to the contrary, ran toward it. In the dim hallway, he could plainly see two blazing red lights about two meters off the floor. Just below the looming Turemok guard writhed Jacqueline’s slim frame, her hands held tight against her ponytail as the guard cruelly jerked on her hair.

  The guard raised the weapon in his other hand to Jacqueline’s neck. “You! Drop your weapon and get on the floor.”

  “Felix, run!”

  “Shut up!” The guard struck Jacqueline on the temple with the butt of his weapon. Her eyes went wide and started to roll back in her head, but she kept them open somehow.

  “Felix…” Her voice was softer, more desperate.

  “On the floor, now, or I hollow this female’s skull!”

  The rifle in Felix’s grip shook as waves of fear echoed through his body. Felix was being wrenched in opposite directions. His fear of being captured was precisely countered by the fear of seeing Jacqueline killed. He didn’t trust his reflexes to be fast enough.

  “Now!”

  With great reluctance, he admitted that there was nothing he could do, that the only way for them both to survive the next handful of seconds was surrender. Oh, shoot.

  The rifle bucked in his hands as thunder filled the hallway. Startled, he dropped the gun onto the deck and threw his hands over his ringing ears. Felix looked up, certain he’d be looking down the muzzle of the guard’s weapon.

  Instead, he saw a point of red light gazing down on him. A single point. Jacqueline slipped from the guard’s limp grip and dashed behind Felix. The immense guard toppled backward to the deck with a thud.

  Jacqueline’s mouth moved as if speaking, but Felix’s ears were still ringing.

  “What?”

  Jacqueline shouted, “You saved me!”

  “Oh, no, I didn’t. I forgot about the link trigger and—”

  “Yes, you did.” There was a finality in her voice.

  Felix decided not to argue. “Ah, yes. Sure did. Are you all right?”

  Jacqueline placed her face perilously close to Felix’s own. She put firm hands on both sides of his head, then leaned in and kissed him with velvet lips. Felix pulled her closer. This went on with rising intensity, and might have led to some X-rated surveillance footage, until Maximus stumbled onto them.

  “Seriously? Break it up, lovebirds. You can neck on the shuttle.”

  * * *

  Kotal was just getting used to the feel of his new chair when the proximity alarm went off. He sifted through the different screens at the unfamiliar station until he found the cause.

  “Vel J’qoul, the humans have neutralized the hangar guard and escaped in their small craft.”

  “How surprising.”

  “And they sabotaged our snare beams.”

  “Determined little creatures, aren’t they?” J’quol answered absently.

  “Should we open fire?”

  “As much appeal as that idea has, I believe our short-range autocannons have also been disabled.”

  Kotal checked the weapons readiness screen. The new Vel was right. “I don’t understand. We want them to escape?”

  “Again with your wild accusations. Really, Hedfer-Vel Kotal, this conspiratorial talk doesn’t suit an officer of your rank.”

  “Of course, Vel.”

  “Still, it is regrettable. Now I’ll be forced to destroy both vessels. A shame we won’t be able to preserve them for the Assembly’s inquiry.”

  Only then did Kotal grasp the full extent of J’quol’s machinations. The death of prisoners in their care would be highly suspicious, and the human ships were articles of evidence. Destroying them without cause would bring immense scrutiny. But escaped prisoners, attacking a sabotaged patrol cruiser? No one would question the need to defend one’s vessel and crew.

  That the counterattack would leave no one alive and no physical evidence behind to cast doubt on J’quol’s version of events would be lost on most. Size be damned, J’quol was the most dangerous Turemok Kotal had ever encountered.

  “You’re not a Cuna player, are you, Vel?”

  “Indeed, Kotal, since I first ventured from the nest. Why, do you fancy a game?”

  “Not on your life.”

  J’quol smirked. “How long until we are ready to open fire?”

  * * *

  Allison dropped through the hole in Magellan’s hull, freshly cut by the shuttle’s emergency docking laser. Harris and his squad secured the hallway ahead of her and began moving forward. She kept pace behind them.

  It had been decided during their escape that Harris and his team would go with Allison to help her retake Magellan. Bucephalus already
had the rest of the marine platoon aboard, as well as a full armory to work with. Jacqueline was traded to Maximus to stand in for his fallen pilot.

  Presumably, the enemy would’ve stuck Magellan’s crew in a large, open area where they’d be easiest to monitor and control, the shuttle bays being the most likely place. If the crew revolted, they could be flushed into space. Harris planned to start as far back as possible and sweep forward, starting with the engineering section.

  They moved quickly through Magellan’s vital organs toward the hardened blast door that separated engineering from the rest of the ship. Allison had spent the shuttle trip back preparing herself for the sights that might await her. Friends injured or dead. Maggie ravaged by the fight. But her frightened imagination hadn’t prepared her for what awaited her as the door peeled open.

  Sitting in a folding beach chair, holding a half-eaten banana, Chief Billings watched a data pad.

  “Steven?”

  “Evenin’, Captain.”

  “What the hell are you doing sitting down here eating a banana?”

  He looked at the curved fruit and sighed heavily. “It wasn’t my idea, ma’am. That damned nanny robot kept nagging about my potassium levels.”

  “But how did you escape?”

  “Told them there was a radiation leak from the attack I needed to fix.”

  “They fell for it?”

  He shrugged. “You gotta understand somethin’. These boys are about as sharp as a sack of wet mice.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re safe, Steven, but we have to retake the ship!”

  Billings showed her the data pad. “Already handled, ma’am.”

  Allison realized she was looking at a schematic of Magellan’s interior. In the corner, a small video played camera feeds. No sooner than the Turemok boarding party appeared, Billings touched a radiation icon on the schematic.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Herding.”

  “You’re setting off radiation alarms.”

  Billings nodded. “Did I ever tell you I used to work on my uncle’s organic cattle ranch up in Montana in the summers?”

  “Um, no?”

  “The first thing you learn about cattle is they can’t be told where to go. They’re too stubborn or too stupid.” He set off another alarm. “Instead, you gotta show them where they don’t wanna go.”