Rogue Colony (Galaxy Mavericks Book 6)

by Michael La Ronn

“But why?” Hassan asked. “You’d think the guy would know how to follow a line of ships.”

  “You remember what happened on our shift,” Michiko said. “The airlocks are confusing, especially when there are a lot of ships.”

  The elevator stopped at the airlock.

  Hassan stepped out.

  “Where are you going?” Michiko asked. “Jason’s upstairs.”

  “The evening intake ended about twenty minutes ago,” Hassan said, checking his watch. “Maybe he’s still out there.”

  “You’re not thinking about going out there, are you?” Ashley said.

  “What if the guy had a heart attack?” Hassan asked. “What if his oxygen’s about to run out?”

  “We have to follow the rules,” Michiko said.

  “By the time Jason gets off his ass to call the Galactic Guard, it might be too late,” Hassan said. He pointed to a row of gray corsairs parked in the airlock. “They told us we could use the corsairs if we wanted to, as long as we didn’t get in the way. What’s the harm?”

  “It's not a good idea,” Michiko said. “There are a lot ships out there. What if we get stopped?”

  “Oooh,” Hassan said, wiggling his fingers in front of his face. “You’re scared.”

  “I'm not!” Michiko said. “But that's why we have protocols. And we should follow them.”

  Rudy stepped out of the elevator.

  “Rudy!” Michiko said.

  “We’ll be back,” Rudy said. “Shouldn't be too hard. Besides, Hassan’s right. It's not quite within our scope, but it won't do any harm.”

  Ashley stepped out of the elevator, too.

  “Why don't you go tell Jason?” Ashley said. “If we don't find him, it would be a good idea to start the missing person process.”

  Michiko pursed her lips and stamped.

  “You guys are jerks,” she said.

  “I'm the jerk-in-chief!” Hassan said, walking into the airlock of the nearest corsair. The ship was sleek and its metal surface shone in the airlock light.

  “We’ll be back in time to have a few drinks,” Hassan said.

  Rudy and Ashley followed him.

  “Guys, seriously!” Michiko said, jumping up and down.

  But they ignored her.

  “No, no, no,” Michiko said.

  The elevator door started to close.

  She slipped out of the elevator.

  “No, no, no,” she said, walking toward the corsair.

  She walked into the ship’s airlock, into a bubble of warmth. She walked through the salon and kitchen, up a set of stairs into the cockpit where Hassan, Rudy, and Ashley were strapping themselves in.

  Hassan flicked on the power and the instrument panel beeped and lit up.

  “Change of mind?” Ashley asked. “Or are you coming to arrest us?”

  “No offense,” Hassan said, “but if you're going to complain the whole time, then I'd rather you not come.”

  Michiko frowned as she strapped herself into the seat behind Hassan.

  “Just shut up and fly, will you?” she said.

  9

  The airlock doors opened and Hassan eased the ship into space.

  “We've got four sets of eyes, so be on the lookout for any private passenger ships,” Hassan said. “Maya said Drake was flying a red corsair.”

  The ship’s gravity ring kicked in and Michiko felt the weight of artificial gravity pulling her down. Through the bubble-like windshield, she scanned empty space and saw nothing.

  Hassan did a quarter-turn and swung away from the disaster ship, then back toward it. The gargantuan mothership loomed ahead, and Hassan flew over its smooth metal surface. Lights from windows glittered all over the ship like small fires.

  The radio beeped.

  “This is Disaster Command. State your name and your purpose for leaving,” a male dispatcher said.

  “This is Hassan Babayev,” Hassan said. “We’re searching for a red corsair that belongs to a Drake Alpert. Have you seen him?”

  “We haven't seen anyone matching that description,” the dispatcher said. “Should you be stopped by military, give them the passcode five two seven oh three oh nine.”

  Hassan snapped his fingers at Rudy, who took the number down on his cell phone.

  “Got it,” Hassan said.

  “Per protocol, you are required to be back by curfew,” the dispatcher said. “Nine o’clock.”

  “Won't be a problem,” Hassan said. “Thanks a lot.”

  “Be careful. The Galactic Guard is reporting electrical disturbances across the region.”

  “Any idea what it is?” Hassan asked.

  “No, but we are recommending that travelers charge their spacesuits in the event of a power outage. Your suits are online and look good. Call if you need assistance.”

  The radio went silent.

  “I knew there was something to those electrical disturbances,” Michiko said. “Wonder what’s going on?”

  Hassan craned his head to get a good look out of the windshield.

  “Damn,” he said, pushing up on the throttle. “I'm not seeing any red corsairs, are you?”

  “Nothing,” Rudy said.

  “Same here,” Ashley said.

  “Same,” Michiko said.

  The perimeter around the disaster ship was empty and devoid of any ship activity. Hassan flew upward, over the edge of the ship.

  Ahead, Reader IV took up the entire windshield. A network of warships and police ships were scattered across the area like asteroids, their siren lights flashing.

  “This guy could be anywhere,” Rudy said. “I say we circle the ship again.”

  “He's not here,” Hassan said. “It's pointless to retrace our steps.”

  “We can't go out there,” Rudy said. “There're at least a hundred ships. The chances of us colliding with one—”

  “We’re not turning back yet,” Hassan said. “I didn't come all this way to quit.”

  “I say we keep going,” Ashley said. “Let’s go with the disaster ship in the rearview camera. The moment it shrinks out of sight, we should turn back.”

  Michiko didn't like the idea of going further, but she said nothing.

  “Deal,” Hassan said. “Keep those eyes peeled, guys.”

  Hassan flew toward the field of ships. They rode in silence for a while until Michiko cleared her throat.

  “Crazy that a planet would just disappear,” she said. “For all we know, we could be flying through where Refugio used to be.”

  “Things are strange lately,” Ashley said. “The killings on Coppice. All the crazy turbulence at the Macalestern Corp. Strange aliens. Disappearing worlds. Maybe its doomsday.”

  Rudy puffed.

  “They've been saying it's doomsday since the first day of man,” Rudy said. “If anything, I'd say this is a normal day.”

  “Normal is subjective,” Michiko said.

  “No philosophy on my ship,” Hassan said. “I've already seen enough these last few days that I don't need my head exploding.”

  “Ay, captain,” Michiko said, saluting.

  Hassan passed a warship. Its disk-like shape was darkened, as if the lights onboard were turned down low.

  Then he passed a Galactic Guard cutter, which was traveling quickly in the opposite direction.

  “Wonder what they're doing,” Ashley said. “How exactly do you investigate a missing world?”

  “I bet they're around mostly for protection,” Hassan said. “In case those bastard aliens decide to come back.”

  Michiko kept her eyes on the rearview camera. The disaster ship grew smaller and smaller. She took solace in the fact that they were going to turn around once it disappeared. Then they'd go back, Hassan would be happy, and she wouldn't have to worry about breaking any rules anymore.

  Hassan increased his speed. Michiko held onto her seat as he wove between two ships, rolled the ship so that Reader IV was upside down for a few seconds. Then he rolled the ship upright.

&
nbsp; “Thought maybe some motion would help us see things differently,” Hassan said. “Guess not.”

  “Where do you think Drake is?” Hassan asked. “Figuratively speaking. Maybe he saw all of this, said screw it and went to Kavios II.”

  He glanced at the instrument panel.

  “I'm thinking we could get there via hyperspace in about seven hours. Who's in?”

  “Not me,” Ashley said.

  “Me either,” Michiko said. “Not without my flip flops and sunscreen.”

  “Oooh,” Hassan said, raising an eyebrow. “Don't forget your bikini.”

  Michiko reached up and tapped Hassan on the head.

  “Pervert!”

  Hassan rubbed his head and laughed.

  “Hey, over there,” Rudy said, pointing.

  In the distance, a gray corsair drifted away from Reader IV.

  Hassan opened the radio.

  “This is Hassan Babayev and we noticed your ship stopped in space. Do you need some help?”

  Silence.

  Hassan repeated his introduction.

  “Is there a Drake Alpert on board?” he asked.

  Silence.

  Hassan slowed down and cruised next to the corsair.

  An orange sticker was attached to the windshield.

  Rescued by Galactic Guard. Do not move.

  “Well, that's easy,” Hassan said.

  “Didn't match the description, anyway,” Rudy said. “See anything else, guys?”

  Everyone shook their heads.

  “Let’s push out a little further,” Hassan said.

  He blasted the ship forward.

  Michiko glanced at the rearview camera. The disaster ship was getting smaller and smaller. It was almost a speck in the darkness now.

  Soon she could put the brakes on this thing. Soon she could demand that they go back and Hassan would have no choice but to listen because he made a deal. She sighed, held onto her seat and imagined herself being back on the disaster ship. She tasted a crisp, bitter margarita on her lips.

  “There's just no one here,” Hassan said. “My guess is that all the private passenger ships have been searched already. Damn.”

  The disaster ship disappeared from the camera.

  “Better turn back,” Michiko said, trying to suppress a grin. “Ship’s out of view.”

  “Just a little farther,” Hassan said.

  Michiko let out a loud sigh.

  “Relax,” Hassan said. “You're taking this way too seriously and its starting to piss me off.”

  Michiko folded her arms and looked outside.

  Then the ship jolted and threw her against the seat.

  The lights went out.

  “What the?” Michiko said. Her heart raced. She hated the dark. Absolutely hated it.

  Everyone went weightless in the darkness.

  Hassan flicked the switch for the gravity ring. The ship did not respond.

  “Crap,” Hassan said. “Suit up, guys. I'll send a distress signal.”

  Michiko unclicked her seatbelt and floated toward the ceiling.

  “Are there handcoils here?” Michiko asked. “We should have brought handcoils.”

  “For what?” Hassan asked. He pushed off the wall with his feet, shooting into the hallway.

  Michiko, Ashley, and Rudy followed.

  Michiko remembered weightlessness training classes from elementary school.

  Be calm. Use your environment.

  She grabbed the doorframe of the cockpit entrance and pushed herself forward.

  They floated through the salon of the corsair, with couches and chairs that were bolted to the floor, and into the airlock, where several red spacesuits hung from the wall.

  Michiko grabbed one and climbed into it.

  “Let's keep the oxygen off for now,” Hassan said.

  They suited up and floated into a circle.

  “I'd say we've got six hours of oxygen left before we need these suits,” Hassan said, holding his helmet in his hand.

  “What's the plan?” Ashley asked.

  The lights turned on and the engine hummed to life.

  Gravity kicked in and they fell to the floor.

  “Ow!” Michiko said, rubbing her arm.

  “Let's get the hell out of here,” Rudy said.

  “Agreed,” Hassan said.

  They ran back to the cockpit and strapped themselves in.

  Hassan spoke into the radio.

  “Mayday. We’re at distress coordinates alpha thirty-six degrees point omega seventy-nine degrees one point four two six. We are flying back to our disaster ship, but please send assistance along the route contained in the distress signal.”

  Something rocked the ship and rolled it.

  CLANG!

  The ship struck the corsair nearby.

  “Hold on!” Hassan shouted.

  Michiko screamed as the metal around the cockpit folded onward. The ship turned upside down.

  “Let’s go!” Rudy said.

  Hassan reached for the joystick, but something struck the ship again, and he banged his head against the dashboard.

  Rudy grabbed the joystick, but the lights went out again.

  “What's going on?” Michiko asked.

  Hassan groaned.

  A tremendous shadow swept over the windshield and all four looked up slowly and gasped.

  Red eyes.

  The windshield was covered in darkness and red eyes.

  10

  The red eyes crowded across the windshield, staring at Michiko, Ashley, Rudy, and Hassan.

  “What the hell is that?” Rudy asked.

  Michiko and Ashley screamed as the ship shook.

  The red, crimson eyes blinked and light reflected off them, making them look like faceted, blood-covered jewels. Michiko saw herself a hundred times reflected in their eyes.

  The metal around the ship folded and creaked as it bent inward further.

  “They're trying to break the glass!” Rudy cried.

  A section of the darkness peeled away from the window.

  Michiko spotted the starry expanse of space behind it.

  Then the stars disappeared as the darkness returned in the form of a long hand that struck the windshield.

  “It’s black,” Michiko whispered. “It’s blocking out sunlight!”

  The black mass struck the ship again and the eyes blinked.

  “What do we do?” Ashley said.

  “We can’t use weapons,” Hassan said. “We’re screwed.”

  Ashley began to cry.

  “I don’t want to die!” she screamed. “I’m too young and I’m too beautiful to die!”

  Hassan turned around. “Stop it!”

  They fell silent. The black mass reared back and rocked the ship again.

  A crack spidered across the windshield.

  “Turn on your oxygen, guys,” Hassan said. His voice was quiet, sad.

  Michiko put on her helmet and turned on a switch. A rush of oxygen entered the suit.

  Rudy rested his head against his seat.

  “This sucks. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.”

  “Stop talking like that,” Michiko said. She glanced around the cockpit for something, anything they could use to fight back.

  But there was nothing.

  There was no way to fight.

  There was no way to defend themselves.

  “Here it comes,” Hassan said.

  The black mass struck the ship again.

  The glass broke and they were sucked into the black, eye-filled mass. A graviton force pushed and pulled on every bone in her body from every direction.

  She screamed, but she couldn’t hear herself.

  All she could hear was a sucking sound.

  She couldn’t hear it, but she felt it.

  Mawhrg…mawrhg…mawhrg…

  She caught a glimpse of the stars, the bright, blinking stars, and the underside of Reader IV and its brilliant rings.

  But they quickly disa
ppeared.

  Mawhrg…mawhrg…

  Michiko gave in to the force. She couldn’t fight it. Her bones felt like they were going to pop.

  Her suit beeped.

  Oxygen at fifty percent.

  “No,” she breathed.

  Mawhrg…mawhrg…

  The mass was sucking the oxygen out of her suit.

  She exhaled, and her breath clouded across the glass of her helmet.

  She stared at the fog, thinking how beautiful it was.

  And then with one final suck, a giant, toothless mouth wrapped its jaws around her waist and pulled her into darkness.

  11

  MAWRHG…

  MAWRHG…

  Michiko opened her eyes.

  She was floating in a brownish-purple darkness. The sucking sound grew softer until it disappeared.

  She was breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding.

  The air was murky and thick. And hot. Michiko’s skin was drenched in sweat.

  She looked at her hand and gasped.

  It didn’t look like her hand. It was but the color was different. Instead of brown, it was brownish-purple, and it looked like a three-dimensional model, the kind she used to see in video games.

  She looked down at her spacesuit.

  It was sepia.

  Her head hurt. Hadn’t the spacesuit been red?

  She floated along, downward.

  She heard a cough next to her.

  Ashley was floating a few feet away. Her eyes were closed.

  “Ashley!” Michiko called. Her voice was full of reverb, like a dream.

  Ashley opened her eyes and looked at Michiko sadly. Her body had a brownish-purple tone, too, and her suit was the same sepia as Michiko’s.

  Ashley didn’t look African. She barely looked human.

  Was it the light here?

  Was there light?

  Michiko didn’t know.

  The corsair drifted by. Instead of gray, it was a pale white. Hassan and Rudy lay on top of the ship, groaning.

  “What’s happening?” Rudy asked.

  Michiko shook her head as they continued drifting downward.

  Slowly, a landscape came into view.

  They floated among debris. A field of it. Scrap metal. Asteroids. Rocks. House pods. Cars. Corsairs. All broken and floating. They all had a brown, purple, and white hue to them.

  The whole place looked like a scene from a film negative.