by John Walker
“You don’t think they were ready to leave the area,” Milna said. “That they did so in a hurry.”
“Yes. This place needs a lot more work to move like that. It’s obvious from this section alone they did so in haste.” Jok tapped the screen. Emergency lights lit up the corners of the corridor, illuminating filthy walls. He offered his hand to her. “There we are. Now we don’t have to stumble around here in the dark.”
“Thanks.” Milna accepted his help. “Which way do we go then? Any ideas?”
“Right over here.” Jok gestured to a door. He approached but it didn’t open. “Not a single step of this is going to be easy, I suppose.” He pulled a multitool from his belt, extending a round rod from it. This he jammed into a hole near the edge, disengaging the safety latch. “Give me a hand, will you?”
Together, they shoved. The resistance surprised her. Milna had used the manual release many times on doors over the years. None of them had been overly hard to open. This one felt like it had been fused shut; rusted maybe. She strained with him until they heard a clunk. The door practically flew into the casing after that.
“What happened?” Milna spoke through panting.
“I doubt that door…” Jok paused to take several breaths. “I doubt it’s been open in years. It doesn’t matter. Just means we’re probably lucky to be here. Or alive for that matter. If this place is in such a state of neglect, they might’ve jettisoned it when they went into warp. The walls alone show they don’t care.”
“I don’t expect them to keep it clean,” Milna said, “but it’s a perfectly good hangar.” They stepped into the room. She gestured to crates secured on the left. “And that’s cargo of some kind. Do you think they’ve forgotten about it? Or left it down here to rot? I don’t understand what they’re about.”
“Maybe they have so much, they can’t keep track.” Jok shrugged. “I’m speculating. I’ve dealt with their kind before but not them specifically. No one ever invited me to the Flotilla and if anyone I knew worked here, they kept it quiet. I wonder why everyone’s so loyal to this place. They must offer insane rates.”
They moved to the next door, which opened automatically. Jok huffed though he didn’t say anything. Why that one worked but the other didn’t, Milna had no idea. She suspected they’d find many such situations aboard the thing. And they were stuck there for a while. Which meant getting out of that section as soon as possible.
“Are you thinking,” Milna said, “that if we get to the main part of the station, we’ll be relatively safe?”
“From environmental hazards,” Jok replied, “yes. These outlying areas are not remotely safe. Unfortunately, that means our ship is in jeopardy. But I can replace that if I’m alive.” He led her down the corridor toward the hangar. “There we go. Straight shot to the ship. I’ve got replacement devices, armor pieces, and weapons.”
“How will we get to the center of the station?” Milna asked. “Won’t they be locked down?”
“Probably have to use the manual override on the doors, but I’m fairly certain they haven’t thought about keeping everyone out. More to the point, they likely don’t want to. Authorized visitors shouldn’t be locked in areas to suffocate. But then again, they’re strange criminal bastards. Who knows how they treat each other?”
Horrifying point. Milna fell silent as they rounded the corner, moving into the hangar proper. Their ship loomed ahead. Jok had to use the panel on the side to drop the ramp. She wondered how much damage the vessel took in the surge. If it’s been completely fried, we may be in a lot of trouble.
“Here we go.” Jok stepped aside as the ramp dropped. “After you.”
“Is this thing protected against… what happened?”
“Yes, the hull would’ve protected the internals.” They boarded the vessel. “Grab what you need. Make it quick. If you’re hurt, head to the medical bay and we can sort out any burns, though I think we got lucky there.” Jok headed off to a different part of the ship than she expected. “I’m getting some new scans of the Flotilla!”
Milna stripped as she headed for their armory. A couple deep breaths steadied her. She found her resolve again, a desire to find the information, to finish their task. On their way back to the ship, she had to admit all she wanted to do was stay on board. Leave the first chance they got.
Only when she found herself safe, did she reclaim her courage and fortitude. A little shock and poor oxygen content knocked me for a loop. Pathetic. She scowled as she dressed herself. Focus, you simpering fool. Is this because you have feelings for Jok? If so, put them aside. They aren’t going to keep you alive.
She wondered if she’d gone soft. Wanting nothing, having nothing always allowed her to do her tasks without fear of death or injury. Suddenly, both bothered her. The threat of those things gave her a chill. After so many years of reckless abandon, performing her duties without hesitation or trouble, she entertained cowering.
Not anymore. Milna scowled at herself in the mirror before donning the helmet. I’ll hold it together and finish this no matter what. All the conviction she could muster didn’t bring the resolution she hoped for. Her crisis of faith in the cause left her wanting something more than fulfilling duty.
It made her want to live.
***
Niva Lon Tilas brought the Manager to the door. The portal was definitely locked. Maybe the guy controlling the command center might’ve been able to get it open but otherwise, they were relatively safe for the moment. Unfortunately, they had two people outside requiring immediate aid.
Not to mention Andrews down in the hangar. Niva scowled at her captive. “I need your assistance. I’ve got a wounded man out there. We’ve won your ridiculous game. Will you provide us with some aid, or do I have to be in a constant state of apprehension throughout our interaction?”
“You have won,” the Manager acknowledged, “that much is true. Pity you can’t give me back Giden. I would like to have wrapped up that loose end. However, I understand about the wounded. I’m sure there are plenty of pirates requiring help as well. I think we can call a truce and work together.”
“How magnanimous of you.” Niva rolled her eyes. “You know the people out there might be more interested in seeing you dead than otherwise, right? They don’t strike me as overly forgiving. And after what just happened with their ships, I’m thinking you might have some hard negotiations ahead.”
“They can be troublesome.” The Manager shrugged. “But I’ve been dealing with their kind for a long time. How long will it take your friends to get the information they need?”
“Doesn’t matter. They can have all the time they need.” Niva checked her computer. “First thing’s first, you and I are going to leave the room. Get my friend some medical attention then figure out how long we’re going to be in warp, okay? Will that work for you?”
“Certainly.” The Manager smiled, looking entirely fake. “After all, I don’t have to flee the Flotilla anymore. I’m easy to get along with in those cases, you see. You’ll find I’m a generous sort. The kind of man that gives far more than I take.”
“You’re laying it on thick.” Niva turned to Kyle and Lysa, speaking English for the rest. “I have to help Alon.” She clicked her comm over to the others. “Vesper, Tiller… can either of you hear me?” The interference seemed to have lifted. There wasn’t even any static, but the connection looked solid.
“We’ve got you,” Vesper said. “Tiller’s doing his best with Alon, but we really need a station quick. What’s going on? Did we go to warp?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Niva replied, “and we’ll deal with what that means soon enough. The Manager and I are coming out. I need you to get up here right now to back up Kyle and Lysa. Tiller and I will tend Alon. Next, contact Andrews. Find out how he’s doing. Have him keep the ship locked down.”
“There’s still some enemy activity down here,” Vesper said. “Tiller can’t take care of Alon while keeping this area secure.”
&nb
sp; “Understood. Stay there then.” Niva sighed. “I’ll see you soon.” She turned to the others. “Sorry, Kyle. You’ll have to watch the door. Lysa, keep it up. I’ll check in soon.” She nudged the Manager. “Take me to the medical center. We’ll start there.” The door opened. They stepped out.
A pipe came swinging toward the Manager. Niva tossed him out of the way. The weapon clanged off the wall. She threw a kick, blowing out the attacker’s knee. As he dropped, he waved his club wildly in her direction.
“What are you doing?” The Manager shouted at the man. “Why would you randomly assault me? I’ve done nothing to you!”
“My crew!” The man glared up at him. “Our ship is gone! And where are you taking us?”
“Nowhere you want to be.” Niva lifted her pistol. The Manager stopped her. “He tried to brain you. What’re you doing?”
“We can lock him up until he calms down,” the Manager said. “Give him a chance to relax.”
“And then?” Niva waved her hand. “You know what? I don’t care. That’s on you. He comes at any of ours though, and I’ll put him down.” The man stopped flailing, turning his attention to his damaged knee. It might’ve been dislocated. She doubted a break. “Medical center. Now.”
Kyle came to the door, glancing out. He sucked a breath through clenched teeth. “That looks painful.”
“Close and lock the door!” Niva shouted over her shoulder. “Don’t let anyone in.” As it shut, she returned her attention to the Manager. “Why did you destroy those planets? Did you think you’d go unnoticed?”
“We’ve done it plenty of times,” the Manager said. “We can collect an incredible amount of ore and rare—”
“It’s an atrocity,” Niva interrupted. “One which most governments treat with life imprisonment or death. Why not strip them? Leave the structures intact?”
“That’s not how the mining works with the station. Surely, you know the design. Prytins came up with it after all.”
“And never implemented those designs!” Niva shook her head. “Those worlds you destroyed had life on them, didn’t they?”
“Animals.” The Manager waved his hand. “No sentient life.”
“Wow.” Niva fell silent, letting him lead her on. She kept her eye on the scanner, watching for any more surprises. There couldn’t be too many other criminals in that particular area. Not after their firefight in the common area. Those people who lived likely scoured the place for valuables, looking for a way to leave.
“What was your plan? Were you going to leave the station?”
“I do have a private shuttle,” the Manager replied, “but leave? No! I was simply… ensuring…” He smiled. “My treasures were safe.”
“That place is in shambles,” Niva said. “Why leave everything out like that?”
“I’m not about to clean it up,” the Manager scoffed. “And who would I trust to do it for me? There are far too many thieves out there. I’m sure you understand. A man’s valuables are simply not safe in the hands of the lesser.”
“Lesser? What’s that even mean?”
“Servants. Cleaning people. Scum, basically. What do you care? It’s nothing to you.”
“Except that you’ve got anything of value from all the planets you’ve destroyed in there,” Niva said. “I’m with Prytin intelligence. We don’t take kindly to people obliterating resources.”
“Even when you haven’t been this far out in generations?” The Manager clicked his tongue. “You Prytins really are self-righteous. I must say I often prefer the Kahl. At least they’re straightforward about themselves. You lot can do what you please and frown on others who do the same.”
“Because we live by a set of laws, you bloated moron!” Niva shoved him. “Hurry up! I have a man dying while you criticize my people.”
They took the stairs back to the common area. No one was around. The sounds of sparks coming from the broken monitors provided the only noise in the area. She motioned to the passage where Alon fought for his life. They started down the corridor, moving at a clipped pace.
“Freeze!” Vesper shouted.
“It’s me!” Niva called. “We’re ready to move him. Where’s the medical bay?”
“Down this hall,” the Manager said, “and to the left. A well-stocked affair, I promise. I can unlock the door when we arrive.”
“Then let’s go.” Niva gestured to Alon. “Vesper, Tiller, can you manage to carry him?”
“We’ve got him,” Tiller took his shoulders. Vesper grabbed the feet. They hoisted the man, following as the Manager led them along.
Shouts broke the silence off in the distance. They were indistinct; perhaps signaling some sort of battle. Nothing showed up on the scanners. Niva felt a sense of urgency to get Alon into a bed, out of the open. Whatever was going on down there, she wanted no part of it. Not until they understood the situation.
How long can this thing be in warp? And how fast does it go? Niva wanted to calculate where they’d turn up. Getting a distress call back to the Brekka might be possible, even in their current state. It all depended on what sort of communications equipment they had installed. And whether it’s in good working order.
Most of the modules making up the Flotilla were either in decent condition or neglected. She didn’t trust the reactor. It had the potential to go at any moment. If it failed while they were at warp, they wouldn’t have much to worry about. Scientists as far as the Prytin homeworld would catch it on long-range scans.
We can perform maintenance on the thing if we’ve got qualified people. They arrived at the medical bay. The Manager pushed his hand against the pad to open the door. Tiller and Vesper went in first, their presence making lights flicker on overhead. They put Alon on one of the beds.
“I’ll help him,” Niva said, “at least until we can trust a physician.” She scanned the area. The Manager’s boast about the stock in the bay proved true. They had everything she needed though she rarely dealt with as severe of injuries as Alon suffered. The thought gave her pause. I wish I had a proper professional here.
“Niva…” Tiller called. “Whatever we’re going to do…”
“Yes, I know.” Niva sighed. “Sorry.” She took down a trauma kit, bringing it to the table. The door burst open.
“Whoa!” Vesper shouted. Weapons were raised. A pale, bald man entered with a pistol, aiming it at the Manager’s head. “What the hell is this?”
“Everyone calm down!” Niva shouted, repeating it in English. “Who is this, Manager?”
“The Custodian,” the Manager replied. He lifted his hands. “What’re you doing, old friend?”
“You were going to abandon the station,” the Custodian replied. “You were collecting your loot and leaving!”
“Nonsense! I just wanted to ensure it was okay. Then the lights went out and I got locked in the room. These kind people saved me and as you can see, one of them is injured.” The Manager gestured to Alon. “If you’d lower the weapon, they can save him and this won’t escalate.”
“I don’t believe you!” The Custodian took a step closer. Tiller did the same, menacing the man with his rifle. “Tell these people to stand down! You must be dealt with!”
“I didn’t do anything!” the Manager shouted.
“Stop!” Niva interjected. “Listen, if you’re the Custodian, then you’re in charge of keeping this thing going, correct?”
“I am.”
“Do you have a team? Because this tub needs work right now if we want to survive. Your grudge with him can wait.” Niva opened the kit, pulling out one of the seal bandages. She went about detaching Alon’s armor as she spoke. “You don’t have a lot of choices here, Custodian. What’s it going to be?”
“We will have words later,” the Custodian said. He lowered the weapon, bringing some relief to the tension in the room. “Do not leave the medical bay as I assemble the others. The reactor needs work along with some other problems.”
“There’s a radiation leak,” Niv
a replied. “You’ll want to look into that. And we need to treat everyone for it. I can get that started here. Do you have a physician? If so, I want them delivered here so they can be vetted.” She finished removing Alon’s torso armor, pressing the bandage against his skin.
The edges immediately sucked down, adhering to his body. The pressure would help while she administered long-term care. That would come in a moment. After she assigned tasks to the others.
“Yes, we’ll make it happen,” the Custodian said. “And I can send our medical professional here.”
“Are we in danger?” the Manager asked. “How bad is the damage? Do we have to worry about the reactor detonating?”
“Calm yourself,” the Custodian grumbled. “We had to go to warp in a hurry. We’re lucky we didn’t strike any of those ridiculous starships out there. They flew far too close to us many times. Anyway, I dumped a number of modules. We lost some of our supplies but there are still plenty. I’ll take an inventory when I can.”
“Yes, it would be good to see how far behind we are on goods.” The Manager smiled as he finally brought his hands down. “I can assist with the administration side of things.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Niva said. “Just find a seat. The only thing we need right now is repairs and medical treatment. Anything else is a major luxury. Where are we going, by the way? Do you have coordinates?”
“I randomized the computer,” the Custodian explained, “to ensure no one could track us easily. At the last moment before we blazed out of there, the navigation set a specific place. I’ll have to look into the deep code to find out where specifically. It didn’t seem all that important at the moment.”
“Are there any parameters it’s following to prevent some locations?” Niva asked. “Like, say… Kahl space?”
“Not particularly.” The Custodian shrugged. “But I can’t imagine it would pick such a location. It does attempt to keep things remote. As far as I’ve seen, at least. That’s been where most of our work has taken us, after all. We like to stay well off the grid as you can imagine. The Flotilla is not for people like you.”
