by Jason Hutt
“Correct. Like it or not we are all expendable on this ship. If one crewmember falls, another crewmember will immediately step in and take his or her place. The replacement will be seamless and this ship will continue to execute its mission. Don’t act on emotion; act on instinct,” Akimbe said. He turned to the Petty Officer standing just behind him. “Drill instructor, make them do it again. If there are any more deficiencies, report to me immediately.”
“Yes, Captain,” she responded with a nod.
Akimbe turned and walked away. Despite the slip-up, he was encouraged. This crew was learning. Discipline was creeping in. They were still soft in too many places, but they were coming around. It had been too long since they had someone in charge that cared about how well they did.
Akimbe checked his messages and then turned toward the analytics room. When he arrived, the bleary-eyed small team snapped to attention. The three young crewmembers saluted and Akimbe returned the gesture. They relaxed at his signal. Weariness had a stranglehold on them.
“What do you have?”
“We’re not entirely sure. It’s…”
“Out with it,” Akimbe ordered.
“Ensign Kraznov may have found something embedded in the timing data being transmitted by jump beacons. We thought it was just noise in the signal and at first glance that’s what it looked like. He wouldn’t let it go though and after two hours, he noticed that bits of data that we thought were noise are actually something else.”
“Well, what is it?” Akimbe said.
“We don’t know yet, but we’ve extracted a dozen encrypted files from that noise. We’ve looked at the timing data from three beacons and we’ve found the same on all of them. There’s something embedded in the signal that is being broadcast from every jump beacon in the Republic.”
“How long to decrypt?”
“I don’t know, sir. The system is working on it. We could transmit it back to station and let them help.”
“No,” Akimbe ordered, “Keep at it. Let’s keep this under wraps. If someone has embedded a message here, we won’t know who is behind it. Let’s not tip our hand just yet. Let me know as soon as you crack it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well done, all of you,” Akimbe said, “Be sure to get some rest. You’ve earned it.”
***
As Reggie prattled on about the political climate on a colony that’s name escaped her, Hannah stared out the cockpit window thinking of Sundeep. Every step she had taken away from Sundeep increased her desire to spin on her heels and demand that she come with her. She didn’t have to live like that, toiling every day with no hope for relief. Hannah had begged her to come with her, but Sundeep refused.
“I’ll come back for you,” Hannah had said as they stood on the edge of the field, Hannah wrapped in her makeshift headwrap and Sundeep in her coverall.
“Do not trouble yourself for me,” Sundeep said, “I have accepted my life. I hope that someday you find a life that is pleasing to you.”
Hannah was tempted to stay and argue with her, to drag Sundeep back to the ship, but instead she nodded and trudged back to the shuttle. The slog back was longer than she had remembered. Her calves cramped as she walked up the Guardian’s ramp.
“You appear to be experiencing some discomfort. Did you not properly hydrate during your journey? You had plenty of rations,” Reggie commented, “Perhaps I should check your water bottle for leaks.”
“Don’t bother,” Hannah said, “I gave all I could to Sundeep. She needed it more than I did.”
“Please be cautious, Ms. Cabot. Under such circumstances that was not a wise decision.”
“It’s okay, Reggie. I made it back just fine.”
“Just remember, if you were to become injured or incapacitated, I would receive no warning and I would not be able to pinpoint your location in a timely fashion.”
“I know, Reggie. I’ll be careful. Any word from Max?”
“No, ma’am.”
Hannah had nodded and retreated to her bedroll for a nap. When she woke up, they were in deep space. Hannah rubbed at her forehead as she tried to figure out her next move.
“Reggie, find me a colony where there’s already some instability. I need to find people who are already pushing back. Someplace where the living conditions are a bit better, too.”
“Querying. Cross-comparing the list provided by Mr. Chen with your parameters.”
“How many options are there?”
“Just three, ma’am.”
“Run through them.”
“The first candidate is Mr. Jarvis Mintz on Nunavet. Nunavet has been experiencing a series of protests over perceived sector security overreach in the accidental killing of a young man.”
“I don’t remember him,” Hannah said, “Show me a picture.”
“This was his picture at the time of capture.” An image of a acne-stricken red-headed boy floated above the command console.
“Ugh. He was a complete jerk. Who else?”
“Ms. Shantee Tanwaa on Hazel. Hazel was recently placed under martial law due to a series-”
“No, let’s not go that route. Sector security will be all over the place. Who’s that last one?”
“Oscar Wilhelm on Seguin. Seguin has been experiencing a round of peaceful protest over labor conditions and other workforce related issues.”
“Oscar? Really?” Hannah asked with a smile.
“I assume you knew him.”
“We were good friends,” Hannah said, “Played together a lot. I can’t remember the last time I saw him.”
“Shall I set a course, ma’am?” Reggie asked.
“Yes,” Hannah said, “Yes, let’s do that. Where did you say he was?”
“Seguin.”
“Very good,” Hannah said as she stood and stretched. The muscles in her back and legs were stiff from the long hike. Despite the fatigue and soreness, she was a little excited. “I’m going to go see if I can get the food synthesizer working a little better. Let me know when we get close.”
Hannah sidestepped a particularly driven old woman as she kept her eyes on her quarry. The bustle of the crowd kept her from getting a good look at the man she was following. He ducked around a fish stand and disappeared again. Hannah checked his location on her wrist computer.
She stepped into a thin alleyway between two crumbling shops and nearly tripped over a woman asleep at its outlet. A cut opened on her right hand as she scraped it against the rough façade. The alleyway turned sharply to the left and she came face-to-face with a rodent the size of her forearm. It sniffed at her with its copper eyes and twitched its whip-like tail. Hannah carefully leaped over it before emerging back onto the busy street.
A crowd was gathering on the steps of the large white building in front of her. She checked the map; Seguin’s Governor’s Hall loomed in front of the crowd. Men and women of all ages and ethnicities joined the rapidly growing throng. Her target was somewhere in that mix of humanity. She briefly considered wading into the crowd until she noticed the Sector Security officers forming a perimeter around the gathering.
Someone, maybe the Governor, was standing on the top of the steps, arms raised, palms out, trying to calm the crowd. Someone else shouted something in return. The crowd erupted in a cheer and suddenly the members of the crowd raised their fists in the air.
“For the people! For the people!” They chanted, over and over, in practiced rhythm.
Hannah looked to her left and right. The Sector Security officers had flanked both sides of the crowd. She felt very conspicuous, standing by herself, leaning against the building. She pulled the bottom of her improvised scarf up to cover her mouth, leaving only her eyes and nose exposed to the cool wind that blew through the town square.
Someone in the crowd threw a rock. It barely missed its target as it flew just over the official’s shoulder. The man ducked and the Sector Security officers sprang into action. High pitched screeches screamed through the air causing
most members of the crowd to immediately duck and cover their ears. The lead security officer stepped forward.
“You are hereby ordered to leave the premises immediately,” his voice boomed, “Anyone who does not comply will be arrested.”
Hannah stepped back into the alleyway as the screechers once again erupted. The protesters doubled over once again. Several people started to flee from the edges of the crowd. Then one large man, has face red with rage, charged the nearest Sector Security officer and tackled him to the ground.
Chaos erupted.
Hannah slipped farther into the alley as a woman whacked the security officer closest to Hannah with something that emitted a short zap. The officer fell backwards. The lead security officer drew his pistol and bolts of electricity arced out and felled three of the protestors. Hannah started running through the alleyway, trying to get as far away from the rioters as possible.
She reached the market just as two Sector Security aircars descended on the end of the street. Many of the shoppers and shopkeepers stopped to gawk at the goings-on as officers quickly deployed a barricade blocking off access to the square. Hannah didn’t bother to look back as she walked away, blending into the growing crowd of people hastily leaving the scene.
***
Hours later, Hannah found the residence she was looking for – a small apartment nestled among a hive of similar units. She knocked on the metal door and after a minute of no response, and a quick check to see if anyone was watching, she tried to push the sliding door open. It didn’t budge. She looked around trying to find another way in.
She didn’t know how to override the lock and wasn’t about to risk setting off any kind of alarm. A small window was to the right of the door. Hannah looked in; the lights were out inside. She pushed her palm against the window pane and to her surprise, it slid up.
Hannah scrambled through, hoping that no one would see her legs dangling out the window. She knocked a metal cup off a table by the window and it loudly clanged off the floor. She cursed and pulled herself all the way through. She slid the window shut and looked around. After several minutes, nothing happened and she let out a sigh of relief.
The apartment was cramped but did have a separate kitchen, living room, and bedroom. A small canvas door separated each room. Hannah took a seat in a rickety chair that faced the door. She tried several times to find a way to sit that didn’t result in a stick poking her in the back. A check of her wrist computer showed that it had been two hours since the riot erupted. She was about to get up and find a glass of water, when a tall young man walked in the door.
He rubbed at a raw red spot on his temple as he slid the door shut.
“Lights,” he commanded.
He jumped out of his skin as he caught sight of Hannah. She couldn’t resist smiling.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I would’ve bet my life that you would remember me, Oscar,” she said.
He squinted at her, studying her. A look of dawning remembrance covered his face.
“Hannah? Holy shit. What are you - how did you even – I don’t know where to start.”
She gave him a wry smile. Beneath the scraggly facial hair and the giant welt was a boy she once knew. Memories of walking hand-in-hand, chasing each other along the steps of their canyon home, and laying on their backs staring into Dust’s night sky flooded her mind. Before she even realized the thought was going through her mind, she reached forward and hugged him. He returned the embrace and they stood in silence, holding on to one another in the dimly lit apartment.
She pulled back with a slight bit of hesitation.
“I’ve seen the news,” Oscar said, “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “That’s why I’m here. I saw you out there today.”
“You were there?”
“I was following you. I wasn’t sure if you were really you. It’s been so long.”
Oscar’s eyes widened as a switch clicked in his mind. “You shouldn’t be here. It isn’t safe. After what happened today, they’ve put a curfew in place. They’ll sweep the neighborhood every hour or so.”
“But that’s why I’m here. I want to help you fight back.”
“Hannah, you show up here after I haven’t seen you in ten years and you want to fight? How do I know you’re not here with them? How do I know you’re not setting me up?”
“Don’t insult me, Oscar,” she said. His expression remained unconvinced. She swept aside her hair and showed him the back of her neck. “I’m clean, Oscar. The Republic wouldn’t allow me to walk around like this.”
He nodded. “We were out there trying to get the Governor to step aside. We’ve been protesting for months. Tomorrow, we’ll go back and there will be fewer of us. Today, we had maybe a hundred folks. A month ago, we had two hundred. Six months ago, it was a thousand. With each day that passes, fewer and fewer people come forward. It won’t be long before it’s all over.”
“You sound like they’re already won,” Hannah said.
“We’re not getting anywhere. I know almost as many people in jail as I do out on the streets. I’ve had friends disappear in the middle of the night. They’re watching us. They monitor every call, every message. They peer into every aspect of our daily lives waiting for us to slip up, to do something that they can put us away for.”
Hannah grabbed his arm and shook it, trying to get him to meet her eyes. “So, come with me. Get away from here and help me fight back.”
“I can’t leave,” he said. He leaned over and she could see a small scar on the back of his neck. “They’ve setup monitors on the perimeter of the city. They scan every chip to see who’s coming and going. I’m already on a watch list because of where we came from. If I leave unauthorized, not only will they track me, but they’ll lock me away for a long time.”
“Then let me help you,” she said, “I’m still not tagged. I can do things for you.”
The door chime rang and they both froze. Hannah’s heart began thundering in her ears. She looked around the room; there wasn’t much to fight with. She had left the disruptor back at the ship; it was too conspicuous to walk around with.
The chime rang again. The image of a Sector Security officer appeared on Oscar’s wrist computer.
“Answer the door, Mister Wilhelm. We have a recording of someone breaking into your apartment earlier. We need to do a security sweep.”
Oscar put the computer on standby. He grabbed Hannah by the elbow and pulled her in close.
Oscar whispered into her ear, “Get in the bedroom and in the closet, now.”
She looked at him wide-eyed. “I need to leave. Where’s the back door?”
“There is no back door,” he whispered, “Get in there now!”
Hannah ran to the bedroom and forced her way to its back, hiding behind a rack of clothes. She could hear the door open in the living room.
“What took you so long?” the Officer asked.
“Sorry, I was changing,” Oscar said.
“Well, we need to do a sweep.”
Hannah tensed; she couldn’t see what was going on. She heard a beeping and her heart rate jumped. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, readying herself to burst out of the closet and make a run for the door. She heard a creak in the floor as the officer took a step toward the bedroom. Then, the beeping stopped.
“Well, no one here,” the officer said.
“My girlfriend probably left something here and came back to get it. Sometimes the door sticks.”
“Uh-huh,” the officer said, “Well, maybe you should get that looked at.”
“Will do, sir.”
“Stay out of trouble,” the officer said as the door closed.
After a moment of waiting, Oscar called out, “Come on out. They’re gone.”
“That was close,” Hannah said.
“They scanned for chips. You’re clear,” Oscar said, “It’s not safe to stay here though. We’ll wait a few minutes and then I’m going
to take you to see some friends. If you really want to fight back, well, then they’ll be happy to have you.”
***
A luxury cruise liner gleamed like a rainbow-colored pearl as it glinted in the glow of the Horsehead Nebula. It drifted lazily along its path, allowing its passengers to bathe in the wonder and spectacle of the cosmos. The liner, christened The Glass Slipper, was the jewel of the Monarch Cruise line and a trip in its confines was a sign of status even among the elite.
The Phantom had been traveling in the ship’s wake for the past two days. Ironheart and his band of mechanically-augmented misfits had lain in wait at the jump beacon and slipped behind the passenger liner and its escorts as it emerged from its journey through space-time. Now, with The Glass Slipper far enough between two jump beacons that there was no way help could arrive in anything less than days, the Phantom was abuzz.
Max strapped into a seat on the perimeter of the dome-shaped chamber where Ironheart had first introduced Max to the crew. Ironheart was sitting in the same throne that he had been in on that day. The doors to the chamber suddenly slid shut and locked into place. The floor retracted leaving Ironheart floating in the center of the room. Max gulped as the floor slipped away from under his feet. He pulled on his restraints making sure they held firm.
Ironheart raised his hands and the lights in the copper-colored room extinguished. Max sat staring into darkness until images of the cruise liner gradually emerged from the darkness followed by the pinpricks of tens of thousands of stars and the colorful majesty of the nebula. Were it not for the seat he was strapped into, Max would’ve felt as if he was floating in space.
A soft, blue light enshrouded Ironheart. He sat unmoving, eyes closed, arms resting at his sides. A projection of the Phantom gradually appeared, protruding from the center of his chest. Then, like a maestro conducting a symphony, he spread his arms out palms up and the projection of the Phantom began to glow brighter. He then flashed his hands outward and two dozen small flecks separated from the Phantom’s hull and began circulating around the ship.
Ironheart thrust his arms forward and the small specks raced toward the cruise liner’s escorts. He erupted in a feral grin as the overwhelmed escorts burst into rapidly dispersing gouts of flame. Within moments, the drones that had been protecting the liner were gone. Ironheart then drew his hands together in a thunderous clap and his forces began strafing the liner. Flashes of light began lancing out from each of the specks, striking targets along the hull of the luxury ship. Ironheart leaned his head back and the Phantom pitched up and began to overtake the ship.
