Terry glared at the blank screen before turning around to face Ramses. “Butthole.”
Ramses and Cory turned to each other, and in unison they shook their heads and sighed.
“We’ll leave you to it, Nathan. You have an empire to oversee, and I’m sure you have more schoolchildren to bilk out of their lunch money.”
“Only if they buy our Coke products. Nathan out.”
Micky tried not to look at the colonel.
“What are you knuckleheads looking at?” Terry scowled. “I have no dignity left. People are getting their digs in from across the universe! How many are in this betting pool?”
“Almost a thousand at last count,” Ramses said softly.
Someone snickered.
“I see how it is. Time to take things seriously. I’m here to chew bubblegum and kick some serious buttocks, and I’m fresh out of bubblegum!” Terry declared before turning back to the graphical representation of the star system.
“When will we be close enough to get a better sensor picture?” TH asked.
“A few hours,” Micky replied. “Chart a course, Clifton, and let’s be on our way.”
“Aye, aye, Skipper,” the helmsman confirmed. A course appeared on the screen and the War Axe accelerated.
Terry stayed in place for a moment longer before turning and running into Char. “Everyone to the workout room! Nothing like throwing around a little iron to clear one’s head and prepare for battle!”
“What’s the plan, TH?” Micky asked.
Terry grabbed the captain’s shoulder. “We’re going to board that space station while you map the surface of the planet, of course, then we’re going to take a closer look at the surface. And then we’re going to go kick some a…hairy buttocks.”
“Hairy buttocks?” Char repeated.
“No credit for trying? Sheesh! What a hard crowd…”
Kaeden’s smile vanished. “More space station ops?”
“Yeah. If we can’t link up to an airlock, Dokken is going to be mad. Don’t anyone tell him.”
He already knows, Dokken replied.
“While we’re in the gym, let’s talk about why you shouldn’t go,” Marcie told Terry.
CHAPTER TEN
Sheri’s Pride
The airlock cycled and the hatch opened. Felicity, Sue, and Rowan stood one behind another, sandwiched between four armed guards. Timmons greeted them from inside the Pride.
“Are you coming in?” he asked.
Felicity took one hesitant step before marching confidently forward. The group from the station wore their shipsuits in case of emergency decompression. The women’s suits were far different than the men’s.
“Is there any way you could look less, um… Less… Help me out here,” Timmons stammered as the group walked down the main corridor toward the bay where the group of Home World men were waiting.
“Less what, dear?” Felicity asked.
“What you’re trying to say, my lover,” Sue said over her friend’s shoulder, “is that the three hottest women in the known universe stand before you and we will ruin it for every other woman that these poor men ever meet?”
“I was thinking the round bits, but your version works too.”
Rowan stayed close to Sue, stepping where she stepped. Her anxious eyes darted back and forth.
Timmons held up a fist to stop the procession. “We’re here. You still want to do this?”
“I never wanted to do this, but it must be done nonetheless,” Felicity drawled. “This pales in comparison to the risks my husband and our friends take on behalf of those who will never know someone is fighting on their behalf. Out there,” Felicity pointed overhead. “keeping us all safe. This? We do what we need to do here on the homefront so they can do what they need to do. We need this shipyard operational, Timmons, and in there is the workforce that’s going to make it happen.”
Felicity pointed with her chin at the hatch.
“Well said, Madam Director.” Timmons bowed deeply and opened the hatch, and Felicity took one step inside. There was a moment of silence and then a massive intake of breath before she was nearly blown over by the volume of the cheers and whistles.
The Space Station
Terry wore his shipsuit, and the others were in the powered armor. He overruled them about him going, but those in armor won the right to go in first.
Ted, Ankh, and Dokken sat by Terry in the front of the drop ship. Six mechs were wedged into the rear, ready to rush through the airlock into the space station and ensure it was secure before the other members of the team entered.
Kaeden, Marcie, and Merrit were the first three, Kae because he was the best with the armor and he was in charge of all mechs, and Marcie and Merrit because they could see power flowing from the Etheric. Shonna, Capples, and Kelly rounded out the mech drivers. Joseph, Petricia, and Char were between Terry and the armor, and there was no room for anyone else. Christina, Kim, Cory, and Ramses had not been pleased at being left out of the operation, but depending on what the first group found a follow-up expedition could be required.
Terry needed them as the ready reserve.
A thin energy screen materialized at the rear of the ship before the ramp dropped and disappeared below the shuttle. The ship backed up against the airlock, and with a couple deft touches on the external keypad Kae opened it. He waited for the pressure to stabilize before pushing the circular hatch inboard.
The next hatch rotated inboard as well, a design feature to use the station’s internal pressure to help keep the hatches secured. Kae went first, and promptly wedged himself into the opening. He tried to push his shoulders down and squeeze through the hatch sideways, but the mech was too large.
“Motherfucker,” Kae announced using the suit’s external speakers. “Pull me back.”
Marcie and Merrit grabbed him, and on three jerked Kaeden free.
“Clear to the side,” Kae ordered. “Mom, it looks like you’re up.”
Terry tried to force his way in, but Char held him back.
“We got this,” she told him.
The mechs couldn’t clear enough space for Joseph to get through, so nobody could move. Terry tapped his foot and steam came from his ears.
Kae wedged himself around so he could see the others. “Mechs, lie down. The others can climb over, then we’ll remove our suits and join them inside.”
One laid down, then another, then a pyramid and one more to fill a gap. Kae and Marcie pressed against the bulkhead on the same side of the shuttle. Char climbed over the mechs, then Joseph and Petricia. Terry and Dokken vaulted the suits as soon as the space was clear, and Ted helped Ankh over.
Char didn’t wait, just continued straight into the station. Once inside she observed the three corridors, sniffing, looking, and reaching out with her innate ability to sense power drawn from the Etheric.
The space station had been built with a series of tube-like corridors surrounding a central core, and looked like a massive spinning top that wasn’t spinning. A transverse tube led from the airlock into the interior. Everything was well-lit.
It was as Smedley had said—the lights were on, but nobody was home. Char tapped her temple with a finger and shook her head, and Joseph did the same.
Neither of them sensed any creatures either using the Etheric or letting their thoughts leak outside their minds.
“No life on board?” Terry asked.
“Not that we can tell,” Char replied, yet she remained wary. “Air smells stale.”
“Kae, give me a look using IR.” Terry crouched within the airlock, blocking Ted and Ankh from moving forward.
Kae leaned into the airlock and went through a series of sensor sweeps. “Nothing on IR but you guys. Nothing else piques interest.”
“I believe there’s one of the Etheric power sources on board. At least one,” Char said, pointing toward the interior.
“Take me to it!” Ted demanded.
“Can’t you see it?” Terry asked. Ted
was a werewolf.
“Of course, but I have other things to think about. I can’t be bothered with fiddling around in the Etheric. It’d be like sitting on a chair and looking out a window all day. Who in their right mind would do such a thing?”
“People who have peace of mind, that’s who, but clearly that isn’t you.”
“A busy mind is a happy mind,” Ted replied. He was usually dismissive of the philosophy of life, but the excitement of an impending discovery surged through him. He started to rock himself in his impatience.
Terry did the same thing before going into battle as he psyched himself up to encourage the adrenaline to start flowing.
“You and I, Ted—we’re not so different,” Terry suggested, still waiting for the go-ahead from Char.
Ted’s eyes widened until the whites showed, then he turned to Ankh. The two shared a look and started to laugh, each in his own way. The Crenellian’s face remained stoic but his small body vibrated, and Ted slapped his leg, his mouth wide open as unintelligible noises came out.
Char rushed back into the airlock, stopping when she saw them.
“I thought he was having a seizure. I’ve known Ted for nearly two hundred years, and I have never seen him laugh like that. My compliments, TH! That must have been a doozy.”
Terry scowled. “Are we going in or not?” he asked gruffly.
Char’s purple eyes sparkled as she traced a single finger along Terry’s jawline.
“There’s nothing in there, so how about we break up, search, and reconvene here in about thirty minutes?”
Dokken danced through the station, running a few steps down each corridor before returning. I don’t smell anything. I don’t know if anyone has ever been in here, the German Shepherd reported.
Char led the group out of the airlock to give Kae and his people space to extricate themselves from their suits.
“Let the kabuki dance begin,” Terry said, rolling his finger for the group to hurry up.
“Do you think that’s going to help? They’re stacked like cordwood.” Char watched with mild amusement.
“One open airlock, so we couldn’t use two shuttles. Four mechs is the max on a drop ship unless there’s open egress. Then we can accommodate six, but no more,” Terry said aloud as a reminder to himself to add those limits to their ever-expanding SOP.
“Unless we do multiple access runs: daisy-chain one after another, quick off and next!” Joseph added while continuing to look down the tube-like corridors. “And yes, only four mechs. We got greedy this time, TH, but to be honest, I like having mechs in front of me.”
“They absorb a lot of the pain and suffering associated with combat.”
Kae and Marcie got out of their suits first. Shonna and Merrit were next, and last out were Cap and Kelly. Cap wedged the suits against the forward bulkhead before he climbed out of his.
In case they needed to make a rapid exit.
The others nodded in appreciation of his foresight, and he bowed slightly and pointed past them. Time to go.
“Marcie and Kae, that way.” Terry pointed toward the corridor to the right, the one that circled the station. “Shonna and Merrit, to the left. The rest of us will head straight in. I expect we’ll separate further once inside and that you will meet us there. Ted, you and Ankh stay close to Char. She’ll lead us to the power source.”
Char stepped away first. She was tired of waiting, and the first rule of combat was to not dally after crossing the line of departure.
Smedley, are you with us? Terry asked, trying to walk and use his comm device at the same time. He bounced off a bulkhead but kept going.
I am. I am following along as much as I can through the comm system. Ted has a remote device in his pocket that allows Plato full access to the sights and sounds. Can you carry a device like that for me?
I didn’t know that such a device existed. Ted! You have to tell me sooner than this, so no, there’s nothing I can do about that now, but next time I will. Make sure the device is produced and standing by. I have it on good authority that you know people who can help get it done.
I might know people, Smedley admitted.
Terry stopped listening to the voice inside his head as they passed into the main part of the station. A gentle turn had kept them from seeing inside, but once there they realized that the Benitons weren’t the backward race most of them had assumed they were even though they had the miniaturized Etheric power supply. Nothing else of theirs had suggested advanced technology.
It reinforced how much they didn’t know about the Benitons.
Char stopped, and the others spread out beside her. The sound of their movements echoed, disturbing the peace of the dead station.
They stood in an atrium, a large open space in front of them with levels below and above. It was round, which suggested that it was the center of the station. Across the opening, they could see the walkways that circled the center area. Doors and windows abounded, as if privacy mattered but at the same time didn’t.
Char held a finger to her lips and pointed to an opening a level above the one they were on.
Terry gave the hand and arm signals for the group to spread out and take up firing positions. Through a clear pane that they assumed was a type of Plexiglas, a small bot became visible. It turned and continued rolling along the walkway that bordered the atrium.
“Check that area.” Terry waved at Cap and Kelly and pointed to the rooms on the left. “And there.” He pointed to Joseph and Petricia and then to the nearest spaces on their right.
Ted and Ankh were already on their way around the center area. Char hurried after them, and Terry went after her. On the other side, they found Ted scratching his head.
“How do we get down there?” he asked. Dokken looked through the transparent pane, cocking his head from one side to the other as he wondered the same thing.
Ankh squinted into the middle, standing on his tiptoes to look over the top of the railing. Terry looked at one of the clear panes, and toward the bottom he found something to comfort him.
Scuff marks, where someone had walked past and kicked the glass. It represented normalcy.
Terry got Char’s attention and drew a line with his finger along the scuff marks. “That’s something we’d do.”
“Are the Benitons humanoid?” Char asked.
“The file says they are, but it didn’t say that they were advanced enough to build a space station.” Dokken sniffed the marks and dog-shrugged. Nothing new.
“It also didn’t say they wore boots that would leave scuff marks.”
“The file was incomplete, don’t you think?” Terry remarked, and Ted huffed as his train of thought was interrupted. “Scuffing boots and cleaning bots. We need to know these things.”
Ted shushed Terry, but the colonel waved him off.
“Doors to the spaces are unlocked. Looks like everyday stuff, but did anyone see any personal stuff on the tables? We can’t read any of the writing, not with the translation chip and not with Smedley’s help.”
Not yet, anyway. Thanks to all of you, I have a nice sample to work from. I’ve asked Plato to help, until Ted needs him, that is.
“We need to get down there.” Ted continued to peer over the railing at a point three levels below.
Shonna and Merrit showed up at the same time as Kae and Marcie.
“Let me guess: one big steaming bucket of nothing slathered with nothing sauce,” Terry said.
“It was more than that,” Kae replied. “We enjoyed a side of nothing burgers on the way.”
“Everything is open. The station looks completely operational, but no one is here,” Marcie observed. She tapped Ted on the shoulder. “There were stairs that way. You can’t miss them.”
Ted took off at a run toward the corridor from which Marcie and Kaeden had emerged. Ankh hurried after him, but quickly fell behind.
“Should we?” Char asked
“We’d better,” Terry replied, and looked at Marcie. “Keep
searching up here. We’ll be with the kids.”
Terry, Char, and Dokken ran after Ankh, picking him up as they passed him on their way to catch Ted. They accelerated when they heard him yell from the stairwell.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The War Axe
“First pass over the poles,” Clifton confirmed.
The Yollin K’Thrall worked within a holographic image as data collection began in earnest. The world appeared like building blocks, filling in as they passed over the sections.
“Accelerating. Stabilizing,” Clifton said. “Collection is nominal.”
They were at the sweet spot for maximum speed without outrunning their ground mapping and data collection.
“One hour to completion,” K’Thrall reported.
Smedley built an intricate three-dimensional map as they continued their orbit, and Micky’s attention was drawn to a flashing icon in the dead area of the equator.
“Is that what I think it is, Smedley?” the captain asked.
“That is such a curious human expression. It surmises that I know what you are thinking, but humans think about the oddest things. For example…”
“I get it, Smedley! Is that the dimensional tear?” The captain shifted from one foot to the other. He was in no mood for verbal jousting. One team was on the space station while he was building an initial map from which they would conduct a refined reconnaissance mission. Micky hated having people spread across the galaxy.
“I suspect that’s what we’re looking at, but we’ll know for certain within the hour,” Smedley replied emotionlessly. “Allow me to provide more detail.”
They zoomed into the image like an eagle diving on unsuspecting prey. The tear was simple, and much smaller than Micky had thought it would be. The energy radiating from it reminded him of a pulsar. As they looked at the unaltered image one of the creatures wriggled through, then stood up.
It was indistinct in the image taken from that altitude. Micky leaned closer and recoiled when the creature looked up. He swore it locked its gaze on the captain.
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