Zeta Hack: A Paranormal Space Opera Adventure (Star Justice Book 3)

by Michael-Scott Earle

  “They are turning!” Juliette shouted.

  “Fuck yeah! Suck it you pieces of shit!” Z whooped, and a half smile came to my lips. Nebula Gammon still had half of their fleet left, but all of their mini-carriers were gone, and there was one battleship. The rest looked to be cruiser or destroyer class.

  As I tried to do a count, one of the ships stretched like a pulled rubber band and then disappeared from my screen. Then another escaped to hyperdrive. The rest of the fleet followed a few seconds later, and all the drones stopped their attack.

  “Yesssss!” the six of us shouted as soon as it became clear that we won.

  “I can’t believe we took them out,” Z said. “They had an ass load of ships.”

  “We can overcome great odds, as long as we work together,” Eve said.

  “Our work isn’t done.” Juliette stood. “We need to go arrest Congressman Baccala and his wife. Then we need to find out who the other traitors are and arrest them. It’s going to be another two days of--”

  “You keep saying ‘we’ as if you are including us in this,” Z said.

  “Of course, you are all deputized, and have a duty to--”

  “Wait,” I said, and Juliette stopped talking. “If Z and Eve wish to help you, that is fine, but I need to sleep.” It felt as if I couldn’t even force the words out of my mouth anymore. I was so fucking tired.

  “It is true, Adam must rest,” Eve confirmed.

  “No. You can sleep later. I need you too--” she started to say, but I was already leaning against the back of the chair.

  Then I was asleep.

  Chapter 20

  I woke up in a hospital bed.

  At first, I thought it was my own room on Persephone, but a quick blink of my eyes confirmed that I was in the same room where I first met Juliette. It even smelled faintly of the policewoman’s cigarette smoke, and I wondered if she had recently been in the room.

  “You are awake,” Eve said, and I turned my head to find her sitting next to my bed. She was still wearing her tight gray and black banded jumpsuit, but I didn’t see any blood on the garment or smell it on her.

  “How long have I been sleeping?” I had another IV drip in my arm, and I saw a few empty bags on the hanger.

  “Eight days,” Eve replied with a smile.

  “Eight days? Fuck.” I sat up and wiped a greasy palm over my face. “What about the station?”

  “After you slept, Z, Juliette, and I paid a visit to Izetta and Carlos Baccala. I was able to get a list of parliament members and security captains they were working with. The trial was yesterday, and they were all found guilty by the judges.”

  “They move fast around here,” I said with a chuckle. When I had been arrested on Ganymede, it took a good six months to go to trial.

  “Yes. They have already been executed.”

  “Damn. I imagine Juliette threw them out of the airlock herself.”

  “I am unsure, but I wouldn’t be surprised.” Eve smiled, and we stared at each other for a few moments in silence.

  “I missed you,” I said. “I asked Juliette to release you. I didn’t want either you or Z to be in prison, but I know you’ve spent you--”

  “Do not worry. It is not your fault, nor is it Commander Larns. Her background drove her actions, and I have already forgiven her.”

  “You’ve talked to her?” I asked.

  “Yes, for many hours. She understands our mission and has helped us purchase food we can deliver back to Jatal and his people. If they are still alive.”

  “Yeah. We’ll still need to hire a crew. I imagine the station is in a bit of chaos because of the attack.” I pulled the needle out of my arm and almost immediately felt tired again. “We need to get the warpdrive fixed so that--”

  “It is fixed,” she said with a pleased smile. “Kasta and Paula were able to determine what was wrong. The power couplings connecting the hyperdrive and warpdrive were disconnected. The engine wasn’t calibrated correctly, but they were able to read the manual and correct it.”

  “How about the foldingdrive?” I asked.

  “They haven’t found the room where it is located, but they were able to get the control terminal functioning again. They told us it didn’t work because the warp engine was off-line.”

  “Damn, that’s great. I told Byron I’d take them on as crew,” I said.

  “I know. They have already moved their possessions onboard Persephone. She enjoys having them with her. The twins will be wonderful additions. They believe in our mission, and can help us maintain the drones and engines.”

  “You all have been busy while I slept.” I let out a light laugh and then pushed the sheets off me. I was naked underneath, and Eve pointed to a neatly folded Persephone jumpsuit.

  “So we still need a pilot, navigator, cook, and probably twenty other people on the crew. How much money do we have left? Have you tried to hire anyone?” I asked.

  “We still have sixty thousand. The twins paid for some of our supplies and gave us a few dozen kilograms of rhodium dust to pay for their passage.”

  “Damn,” I said with a dry laugh. “Those are the kind of crew members we need to hire; the ones that pay us to be on board and work.”

  “Yes, but their circumstances are unusual. We put out a call for crew, but the damage to the station has created an overwhelming demand for workers, and no one has answered our inquiry.”

  “Alright. Let’s hope someone will apply before we have Persephone loaded up and ready to go,” I said as I put on my tight jumpsuit. I still felt kind of naked when I wore the garment, but it at least had padding over my crotch. I didn’t see the pistols or the double magazine shotgun in the room, so I guessed that they were either on Persephone, or back in Juliette’s armory.

  “It is already done, Adam. We are fully loaded with food and various survival equipment for Jatal’s people. Persephone’s water and food reserves are filled. The engines are tuned and ready to go. We just need to convert our remaining R-credits into rhodium, and then we can depart.”

  “Great,” I said as I reached for the door handle, but then I stopped and turned around to face the beautiful vampire woman.

  “We should talk about Z first,” I said with a deep breath. “Now is a good time.”

  “Yes.” Eve’s smile seemed to fade from her face. “I understand why you are upset, but you need not be.”

  “I feel as if I have betrayed you.”

  “I do not.” She shrugged.

  “And that sounds strange to me. I know you spoke about--”

  “Adam,” she interrupted me. “When I was alone in the glass tube, my only company was my own thoughts and prayers. I’ve told you before that I wished for freedom. I wished for love. I wished for friends. I promised I would give of myself if I could have them. Now I do. I am honored by your love, and I know it is real because I can feel your thoughts as my own. I feel them so strongly; it is hard to tell where yours end and mine begin. I also love Z, and the thought of you two being together makes me happy.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said as I brought my fingers up to rub my temples. “I heard the words coming out of your mouth, but it doesn’t make any sense to me. Are you saying that you love, like love Z? I am confused.”

  “I have been alone for so long.” Eve shrugged and smiled once more. “Now I am surrounded by extraordinary people who have sworn to help those in need. I love them. I take pleasure in their company. I would like to experience all the joy I can with them. I care not about ancient rules or gender roles. You are a strong and honorable man. You will draw others to you. Why would I fault another woman for feeling how I feel about you? Especially if I find them attractive in mind, body, and soul?”

  “It sounds like you are saying you are fine with me taking you and Z as lovers.” The words came out of my mouth before I could really think them through. I was a man, and men did tend to misunderstand women frequently. My question might anger Eve.

  I’d seen Eve get angry.
/>
  “Z and I have spoken, and I told her my feelings. It has made her uncomfortable so we will leave it at that.” The vampire stepped closer to me, and we wrapped our arms around each other. “I want to be respectful of her feelings. That is why I did not want us to become lovers while we were in hyperdrive.”

  “I know,” I said.

  “We have only been together for a month. I know your soul, and you know mine. Z will need time. She might not be comfortable, but that is her decision now. She does understand this is not a competition for your love.”

  “That still doesn’t tell me how I’m supposed to feel,” I said with a laugh.

  “Who am I to tell you who you should love or not? Perhaps I have an advantage over most women since I can see how bright your passion burns for me.”

  I considered Eve’s words and then pulled her away from my chest so I could look at her beautiful face again. She knew what I thought before I could speak it, but I said the words, anyway.

  “What you are saying doesn’t sound fair to you or Z. If you told me you loved another man, I would be filled with jealousy. Yet I have feelings for both of you. You tell me you are okay with it. Fuck, you are telling me you like this, but I don’t because I know I wouldn’t be as open about it as you. Perhaps that is what really bothers me.”

  “I understand,” Eve said with a nod. “I will not tell you I will never love another man. That is not fair to either of us, but I can tell your heart and soul are pure, and the way you feel about me brings me incredible joy. If you asked me right now to be yours forever, and no other man’s, I would say yes without a second of hesitation. Even if you took other women into our bed.”

  “No,” I said with a sigh. “Eve, you don’t know any better.”

  “Oh?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “You are saying this, but you don’t have experience with--”

  “I know your heart. I know Z’s, but neither of you know mine. I should be angry because you do not trust that I speak the truth, but I am more frustrated because you do not have my ability to read thoughts. I can understand you might think I do not realize what I am committing to, but I do. I have met plenty of men. I have peered into their minds when they look at me. Some are good. Some are evil. None I love but you. I know what I am asking of you.”

  “I am sorry, Eve,” I said with a sigh. “This is such a strange conversation. Loving both of you feels as if I am cheating. I feel guilty.”

  “I understand. Perhaps you will become more comfortable with the idea. Nothing has to happen right now, or tomorrow, or anytime actually. All that is left for us is the consummation of our desires, but we all know of each other’s emotions.”

  “Consummation? Did you use that word with Z?” I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Oh yes.” Eve laughed. “She was incredibly uncomfortable, but we needed to speak of it. I do not want to do anything without her approval.”

  “Her approval?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

  “She cares for you like I do, but like you, she does not trust in my words.”

  “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s that--”

  “I understand,” she said as she raised her hand away from my chest to silence me. “We need more time. It will evolve our relationship one direction or the other. I do not want to hurt her. Or Kasta and Paula.”

  “Kasta and Paula? What do they have to do with anything?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine that the strange twins gave a shit about who I was or wasn’t having sex with on the ship.

  Eve smiled at me and then pointed to the door. “We should be going. It has been twenty-seven days since we left Jatal and his people. They are probably close to the end of their food supply.”

  “If they are alive,” I said with a sigh. “Elaka Nota could have destroyed their moon like they did to C-ii.”

  “We will pray for the best. If the miners are alive, they will be in desperate need of the supplies we bring them, and now that our warpdrive is working, it will only take us twenty-six minutes to get there.”

  “Much better than seventeen days,” I said, and then I opened the door of the room so the dark beauty could walk out into the security station.

  The hallway was filled with uniformed cops, armored security workers, and people in hospital scrubs. Eve got a few hungry glances from the men that we passed, and I got a few nods, but no one stopped us from walking out of the station.

  “Hey!” I heard a shout behind us as soon as we walked out of the complex gate, and we both turned around. Juliette was wearing her tight uniform again, and her red hair was tied up in a nest of braids. “You leaving without saying goodbye?”

  “Sorry. I thought you were busy,” I said as the commander's fierce green eyes met mine.

  “Well, I’m not,” she said, but I saw two men wearing uniforms following behind her with datapads. The pair looked like they hadn’t slept in three days, but Juliette looked wide awake.

  “You sure?” I gave her a smirk.

  “This shit can wait,” she said as she pointed a thumb back to her assistants. “Are you heading back to Gliese 876?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What if those assholes from El Ka Note are waiting?”

  “Elaka Nota,” I corrected. “If there are only a few ships. We’ll fight. If there are more, we’ll run. Eve told you?”

  “Yep,” the police commander turned to Eve and smiled. “We talked for a while. Did you find a pilot?”

  “No,” Eve said.

  “Damn. You gonna let Blondie fly then?”

  “That’s the plan. She’s done a great job so--”

  “She’s terrible, and you can tell her I said that.”

  “She’s my friend, and she makes it work,” I said as I stared into Juliette’s green eyes.

  “Fine, but let me make you another offer.” The woman crossed her arms and then seemed to remember she had the two assistants behind her. “Go back inside,” she said to them, and they both retreated back into the station.

  “So look, I’ve got mountains of paperwork and the whole rebuilding of the security force. Might take me a month, two at the most. Why don’t you wait around? If you haven’t found a pilot by then, I’ll go with you.”

  “What do you mean by that?” I asked.

  “What do you mean, what do I mean?” The redhead rolled her eyes in a movement that looked just like something Z would do. “I’ll go with you. You’ll need a skilled pilot. Blondie needs to stick with computers and shaving her head.”

  “You’d join us as crew?” I hadn’t expected Juliette to ask, and I didn’t know if she was going to be a good fit. The woman could obviously get shit done since she commanded the police force, but I wouldn’t have thought she would want to give up a career to join us.

  “I talked to Eve,” Juliette said as she pointed to the dark-haired woman. “I’m helping here, but I miss the stars. I miss being at the controls. Flying your ship really got me back in the mood.” The woman sighed a bit. “I think about my family a lot.” Juliette looked at Eve and then smiled. “You were right. I’m like this because I blame myself. I’m fucked up, but I want justice for people that the universe forgot about. You guys are like a drop of water fighting against a burning planet, but it’s more than I can do here. I’m tied up by the laws of this place.”

  “I don’t think you and Z will get along,” I said.

  “We’ll be fine. She’s just mad because I keep making passes at you,” Juliette winked at me. “Also, I thought you were the captain?”

  “I’ll need to run it by her. I want everyone’s feedback.” I looked at Eve, and the vampire smiled.

  “I would be pleased for Miss Larns to join us,” Eve said. Her words were telling since I knew my friend could read Juliette’s mind. If the redhead was not a good person, Eve wouldn’t have wanted her to join us.

  “You can call me Juliette. It’s fine.”

  “Very well, but we cannot wait a few months. The people on Gliese 876 - B -
iv need our help.” Eve frowned. “We will have to go ahead without you.”

  “Damn. That is unfortunate. The offer still stands though. I think you are making a mistake going back without a proper pilot, but I can understand being in a hurry. If you come back in a few months, things will have died down around here, and I’ll go with you.”

  “I’ll think about it,” I said as I extended my hand.

  “You better. Fuck, I got all excited about the idea. I’m disappointed now.” Juliette clasped my hand, and she didn’t let go for a few moments.

  “Sometimes the timing is wrong.” I knew we could use Juliette. Hell, we just needed bodies on Persephone, but Eve was right. We couldn’t wait around for two months. “We have to deliver these supplies and then visit another planet. Maybe after?”

  “I’ll hold you to it,” she said. “Thank you, both.” For a half second, Juliette’s face seemed to crack, and her apathetic manner dissolved. “I wasn’t nice to either of you, and you still helped me. I guess that is another reason I want to go with you. It’s been awhile since I’ve had friends. Even Blondie isn’t that bad.”

  “We will come back,” Eve said.

  “Promise?” The redhead cracked a smile, and Eve nodded.

  “There,” Juliette said as she looked at me. “Both you and your sexy girlfriend have made a commitment. It’s a done deal.” She finally let go of my hand after she spoke, and her fingers traced along my palm.

  “You are brash,” Eve said with a light laugh, and Juliette smirked at her.

  “I can try, huh? You haven’t clawed my eyes out yet.”

  “Perhaps I like you too much.” Eve shrugged, and Juliette was now the one laughing.

  “I’ll see you in two months, or sooner. Tell Blondie to fly fast, okay?”

  “Will do,” I said.

  Our eyes met again, and it looked as if she was about to say something, but then she pivoted in place and walked back into her station.