by John Walker
“I’m on it.” Tiller stepped away.
Alon slumped to the floor. I just need a few minutes. He closed his eyes. Yeah, just a couple minutes will do nicely. Maybe a little nap even…
***
Milna followed Jok closely as they made their way through a maintenance tunnel. The fact the panel had been sealed didn’t seem to matter to him. He broke through readily enough with some kind of energy tool, like a micro-blaster. Once it went down, they had the tight corridor to themselves and supposedly, access to every part of the Flotilla.
Andrews continued to be twitchy as they moved along. Every noise made him jump. He clearly didn’t get out from behind the controls of a ship too often. At least he didn’t give them any trouble about staying together. Jok made a compelling case, apparently. Enough so to keep their reluctant ally in line at least.
“Where exactly are we going?” Andrews whispered. “This seems really dangerous in here! It’s dark and we have no idea what might be jutting out! I mean, they sealed these for a reason, right? It might be for safety reasons!”
“You think,” Milna turned to him, “that anything about this station is safe?”
“Well…” Andrews cleared his throat. “I just…”
The translator he used operated at near real time. Milna had to give the Prytins credit for the tech. It worked almost as well as the Kahl equivalent. She clapped him on the shoulder, compelling him to move between her and Jok. “There, you can feel better knowing that we’re trailing and leading.”
“Uh, thanks.” Andrews fell into pace. Despite that complaint, he kept most of his issues to himself. “Are we trying to find my allies then? Is that what you’re hoping? Or do you only care about the control center?”
“You could just tell us why you came,” Milna replied, “let us know what was so important to send people onto the Flotilla rather than just blow it up.”
“I…” Andrews tensed up. He looked back at her though in the darkness, he couldn’t have seen much. “It’s just I don’t know you people. How the hell can I be sure you’re not… you know…”
“What?” Milna asked. “Liars?”
“I’m not saying that but put yourselves in my shoes.”
“We saved your life,” Jok replied. “Your turrets wouldn’t have kept you safe for long. Because you came with us, you’re alive. So the least you could do is tell us why you’re all here. We can get your whole team to safety. My ship is plenty big enough. Help us out. Make it all easier.”
“Okay… okay.” Andrews shook his head. “Look, we’re here because there’s data aboard we need for a mission. My people have been following an ancient Kahl pilgrimage. It’s taken us to all kinds of places. When we got out here, it turned out the planet the temple was on had been destroyed by the Flotilla.”
“You don’t say.” Milna’s temper flared. Her skin turned hot. She trembled at the thought of the desecration. These criminals willfully destroyed our heritage! And they did so in such a way that they would’ve gotten away with it too had these fools not happened upon them. “But if the planet was destroyed—”
“They looted the world’s first,” Andrews replied. “That means the data archive is here somewhere. My people are extracting it now. It’ll give us the next destination. Then the Flotilla went into warp and complicated matters.”
Jok hummed. “Incredible that it survived. Tell us more about this pilgrimage. Why have your commanders authorized your trip?”
“It should shed light on the Kahl.” Andrews shrugged. “Our people believe it may be the key to winning the war. Or at least give us an edge. I have no idea how, so don’t ask.” He paused, clearing his throat. “You’re with some division that might know about it. Have you heard anything at all?”
“We have,” Jok replied. “Mostly about a Prophet. Have you heard anything about that?”
“No. But then they don’t exactly share everything with me. I ferry them around. That’s pretty much it.”
“I’d like to hear the rest of your story,” Jok said, “but we’re at our destination. Stay behind us. We’ll…” The station began to rumble, floor plates rattling. The walls shook.
Milna shoved her back against the wall, pressing her foot against the opposite side. Jok did the same. Andrews was slower to follow but he eventually braced himself. The motion turned extreme, violently bucking them in their places. Andrews lost his grip, tumbled under her foot and halfway down the hall.
She didn’t even try to reach for him. He whizzed by her in a second, disappearing into the darkness.
“What is this?” Milna called, “do you have any clue?”
“I think we were ejected from warp!” Jok replied. “That or the reactor’s going. Either way, hold on tight! Do not let go!”
Milna shoved, gritting her teeth as she attempted to wedge herself in place. The station’s convulsions made her slip, sliding a few feet down the way until she made contact with a pipe. She grabbed it with her left hand, crying out as her legs trembled with exertion. All light went out, plunging them into total darkness.
This may be the end. After all she’d been through, everything she’d done, to die in some ridiculous station accident offended her on a deep and personal level. She lowered herself toward the floor, sliding down. When she reached the plates, she felt more secure though it didn’t seem like it would last if the bumping escalated.
How long can this go on for? Milna tried to count, thought of things from her past, sleeping, having a decent meal. None of the distractions allowed her to ignore her imminent demise. I didn’t tell Jok how I felt about him. I wasn’t honest with him about my feelings. But how could I have been considering my mission?
“Hey!” Jok shouted, taking her hands. “Come on, it’s over! Get up!”
Milna blinked, looking around. The shaking had stopped though she couldn’t recall the moment it had. She accepted his help; grateful the helmet hid her flushed cheeks. I’m an idiot. A stupid, fluff-headed moron. Andrews groaned down the way. At least he survived. I guess. Not that it’ll matter in the long run.
The pilot represented the enemy. He and his companions needed to be eliminated. How long would they keep them around? Until we get the pilgrimage data. Then it’s over for all of them. The first step in excising this problem and dealing with the Prophet.
Milna watched Jok help him to his feet. “How badly is he hurt?” she asked. “Can you walk?”
“I’ll do… I’ll do my best,” Andrews replied. “I feel… lightheaded.”
Jok ran a scan. “Mostly bumps and bruises, but it wouldn’t hurt to get you to a medical bay. We’ll take care of it when we can. Right now, let’s get out of here. Find out what these idiots did to get themselves torn out of warp.” He headed to the panel they were beside, popping it with his little beam tool.
They were greeted by the sounds of screams, men and women crying out. Milna heard the same types of complaints plenty of times. Fear and pain mingling to add to the chaos, as if freaking out might help them faster. She stepped into the hall with her weapon aimed. They were at the base of a flight of stairs.
“Where does this go?” Milna asked.
“Control center’s up there,” Jok said. “Back that way is the lounge and the hallway. Probably where they put their shops and services.”
Milna huffed. “Sounds like most of our opposition has either gotten themselves hurt or killed. Should be easy enough to take the area, right?”
“I guess we’ll find out soon.” Jok grabbed Andrews. “Stay close to me and remain aware. We might not find many friendlies between here and the command center.”
“I’m with you,” Andrews replied. Blood coated his forehead. Bruises formed on his cheeks and neck. He took more than a little beating in his tumble. “I just… I feel pretty…”
“Yes,” Milna interrupted, “you’ve been damaged. You’ll live. Now pick up your feet and move!” She glanced over their shoulder. “Before someone comes up behind us and causes a scene.�
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***
Vesper found herself beneath furniture that broke free from the deck, slamming into her as she rolled into the corner. The rumbling had stopped a few moments earlier. She didn’t move, giving everyone around her a chance to reveal how they were doing. Chances were good few of them fared well.
At least without armor.
She found herself in the lounge area, literally thrown about until she came to a rest in the corner. The event did a number on the artificial gravity, throwing it for a real loop. She’d never experienced an environmental hazard like that before. I feel like I’ve been through a warp quake… which is something I totally made up.
One of the chairs came off the top of the others. Vesper’s rifle was pinned to the floor. She reached for the one on her right side but couldn’t get to it. Finally, she felt thankful for the insistence of the others to come fully loaded. Dragging the pistol from her left side, she aimed from the hip.
Quilla’s face appeared, leaning to look in on her. “You okay?” Blood covered his forehead, matting his long hair. “That fancy armor good for anything?”
“I’m fine,” Vesper replied, “just didn’t want to get up until I knew it was safe. Are the others…”
“Those that aren’t messed up aren’t coming for us right now.” Quilla kept removing the debris.
Vesper wriggled free, thrusting her weapon into the holster before digging out her rifle. The camera sparked. A hole in the housing made her feel lucky. It might not have pierced my armor but I’m glad I didn’t have to find out. She popped the attachment off, tossing it on the floor.
“Broken, huh?” Quilla asked.
“Yep.”
“I barely got a hold of the safety bar on the wall before the real shaking started. You practically flew across the room.”
“I seem to be okay.” Vesper stretched her arms. She tapped her computer. It survived the incident. “Anyone on comms, please sound off. Over?”
“This is Tiller. We’re okay. For the most part.”
“I’m not going to ask what that means. Kyle? Lysa?”
“This room is hosed,” Kyle said, “we’re okay. Battered by all the loose crap that flew around. Lysa managed to keep the key safe. The download was not interrupted. Though how she did it, I have no clue. She’s way more badass than I’ll ever be. Fact of the matter is she stayed in one place and I rolled around with all this heavy shit.”
“Andrews?” Vesper asked. “Niva?”
No response came back.
“Damn.” Vesper paced away. “Have any of you heard from Niva or Andrews?”
The others came back with a negative.
Vesper turned to Quilla. “Before the people we were shooting at decide to get up and move, show me to the command center.”
“It’s up that way.” Quilla gestured. “The darkened window right there? Normally, you can see the Manager up there. They’ve got it on privacy for whatever reason.”
“Got it.” Vesper hurried up the stairs. “Guys, we should converge. Unless you need medical attention? Alon, are you okay?”
“I’m hurt pretty bad… but I’ll make it. We’re on our way to you now.”
“Good. I’m going to the command center. From there, I’ll track Niva’s position. Then connect to the ship.” Vesper followed Quilla. He led the way with his pistol, leaning to look around the curve. When they reached the hallway, he broke into a jog… only to slip less than twenty paces in.
His feet went up in the air, and he came down hard on his back.
“Oh… wow…” Quilla coughed. “What just happened?”
Vesper approached, crouching beside him. Blood coated the floor, pooling up in the center. She helped him to his feet. “That’s what happened. Someone really took a beating in here.”
“I’ll say.” Quilla leaned against the wall. “I’m guessing it was fatal. The body must’ve been jammed up in the stairs over there. Or bodies… maybe there were more than two. Anyway… the command center is right there.” He limped over to the door, stretching his arms as he walked. “That really hurt.”
“I imagine.” Vesper waited for him to work the panel. The doors opened. She rushed past him, taking a blow to the side of the head. Metal against high polymer plastic let out a clack. Her ears rang for a moment as she allowed herself to go to the floor. The drop may have saved her life as a weapon chirped, sending a beam into the wall.
She returned fire though had no idea exactly where she needed to shoot. Three shots cut into the console across the way from her. A man yelped, diving away from her. Quilla entered, gun blazing. Their unknown attacker was prone, saving him from the assault.
A bright flash revealed Vesper’s target as he caught Quilla in the shoulder. Her ally stumbled out of the room, falling again.
Vesper shifted her aim, seconds before her target got his weapon on her. She fired, frying a good chunk of his bald head. His legs jerked, his fingers convulsing.
“Quilla!” Vesper called, “you okay?” She crawled to her feet, coming to check on him. He held his shoulder. “You need some help. I’ll get you medical attention.”
“I’ll be fine for now,” Quilla said, “just drag me into the room in case someone else comes along.”
She grabbed his feet, pulling him inside. Before the doors closed, she removed the body, tossing it into the hallway. They locked the door while she brought up her comm. “I encountered someone in the control room. They’re dead, but my ally’s hurt. If you haven’t left the medical bay yet, we need a kit at the very least.”
“I’ve got one,” Tiller said, “we’ll be there soon enough. We had to rouse the manager. He’s… let’s just say dude isn’t feeling his best. Probably the easiest way to describe his current dilemma.”
I don’t even want to know what he means. “Fair enough.” Vesper turned to the consoles lining the room and went still. This stuff… I have no idea how any of it works. She thought she might’ve had some clue, that it would be like other Prytin gear and interface with her device. But she didn’t even know how to turn it on.
“Quilla?” Vesper asked, “can you get a scanner going on this thing? Look for…” She stopped. “Crap. There are a lot of Prytins here!”
“Yeah.” Quilla half crawled to one of the chairs, hoisting himself into it. “You’d need to give me something to narrow the search.” He brought up cameras throughout the station. “Whoa…” He gestured to one. A crowd of people brawled in one of the larger rooms, beating each other with clubs and bare hands.
Some rested on the floor dead. Others huddled in the corners. The mainstay appeared content to take out some serious frustrations on each other. She didn’t see anything in the room worth fighting over. I’ll bet there aren’t enough ships to get out of here. That made some sense. Unless they discovered another treasure trove.
“Concern,” Vesper said, “check on all the docked ships. Including your own. It might’ve been damaged in that weird rumble.”
Quilla tapped at the screen, frowning. “We’re not in warp anymore. That’s what happened. We were dragged out of it.” He tapped his chin before bringing up another search. “This is going to take some time. Relays are down throughout the ship. I’m surprised those cameras work. But look at these hallways.”
Vesper narrowed her eyes as she checked out the various screens. She had no idea what he saw until she noticed the blood splatters. Depending on where people happened to be, the artificial gravity either treated them worse or better. Those brawling made it through okay but others… they were obliterated.
“Ouch…”
“Yeah, I bet we cut down on the number of people running around out there. Which means there should be plenty of ships. Providing they are intact. I’ll know soon.”
“Hey,” Tiller’s voice crackled in her ear, “be at your position in sixty seconds.”
“Got it. I’ll be at the door.” Vesper leaned against the terminal, taking a moment to catch her breath. We’ve got a long way to go h
ere. Come on, Niva! Andrews! Check in, for God’s sake! Scans were going to take some time. Maybe the Manager could help. At least he knows the system. And can tell us who attacked when I came in here.
***
Niva sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. Several of the consoles tore free of their holdings. They rested on their sides, crammed against one another as they sparked and smoked, pieces scattered across the vast space. Only a few of them remained to obstruct her view from wall to wall.
The radiation leak stopped. She hoped her attack would merely get someone down there to let her out. When it dragged them from warp, she thought for sure she’d killed everyone onboard. Artificial gravity went insane in various parts of the ship. Niva got lucky and remained safe by clinging to the safety rail wrapping around the outer wall.
With the environmental threat out of the way, she only needed to escape the room. Unfortunately, she still didn’t have the means to unseal the door. That meant probing around for an alternative, but just then, she needed a rest. The stress of the last few minutes left her nerves on end.
All the times Niva faced death on assignment, the station’s reaction to leaving warp scared her the most. Processing through the worry gave it some sense. Their ends would’ve been swift. Likely painless. But they would be gone. Literally obliterated. The thought made her hands shake.
I didn’t think I was so superstitious. Niva smiled. I guess childhood stories stick with us after all. Her parents hadn’t been particularly religious. They didn’t drag her to temples nor did they make her take special classes. Simply by growing up around others, she picked up the fairy tales and legends of spiritualism.
Going whole to the grave meant something. Discussions about death always became complicated. What did it matter if the body survived if the soul departed? The raw materials simply rotted away. Autonomic functions ceased. The meat withered. A natural cycle claimed the corpse and life moved on.
