Starship Fairfax: Books 1-3 Omnibus - The Kuiper Chronicles: The Lunar Gambit, The Hidden Prophet, The Neptune Contingency

by Benjamin Douglas

  “I see that. Hang on a moment.” From behind them and back around the corner, they heard someone pounding on the wall and yelling.

  “Let us out of here!”

  Another bulkhead?

  “The news is not good, Ada. Your retreat to the main concourse has also been sealed.”

  “We’re walled in here? You mean there isn’t a way out?”

  “There may be one way. But it’s going to be very dangerous.”

  “Do it.”

  “Very well. You’ll need to acquire spacesuits. There’s a supplier not far from your location; you should be able to enter his shop through the back without worrying about sealed bulkheads.”

  “Just give me directions, we’ll make it happen.”

  Moses guided them back the way they had come, then down a side corridor, up a service ladder, through a few more narrow passages, and finally to a locked backdoor. Ada used her multi-tool to cut the bolt, and they were in. A burglary alarm blared at them, but it hardly seemed to matter compared to the other klaxons wailing away.

  The AI directed them to the spacesuit section of the retailer, and Ada and Joyce grabbed suits, complete with head gear and arm-mounted consoles.

  “I don’t suppose you can sync up with this console and display a map of the station with the Cupid’s location, can you?” Ada asked Moses.

  “Child’s play.” The console flared to life. A few seconds later, a dialogue box from Moses greeted her. She swiped it away, and the requested map appeared. “Don’t head for Cupid, though. Head for the observation lounge. It’s back down a level, but otherwise not far from you.”

  “Ok…” A bundle of nerves began to wad up in Ada’s stomach. Why did she get the feeling she might be in for a very violent sort of spacewalk?

  They trucked back down the service ladder and made their way to the observation deck. Ada stopped and watched in awe for a moment. Wall to wall windows showed them the battle panning out around the station. Well, if it could be called a battle. Heavily armed ships were assaulting any craft that passed between the station and the surface of Ceres below. Small and mid-sized Privateers—must have been Empire liaisons, Ada thought—were being popped out of the sky like bubbles. The assaulting ships seemed to have the area surrounded and completely on lock.

  Further down, a passel of small distinctive looking ships dove together toward Ceres. They made a run over one of the large round towers marking an entrance, then circled back for another. Then something strange happened. One of the big over-gunned ships broke away from station space and shot toward the planet, pulled up at the last moment, and opened fire on the lead small ship.

  Friendly fire, Ada wondered? Or had she read the battle wrong?

  Moses’ voice startled her away from the panorama. “You’ll want to back as far from the window as you can, now. Make sure your suits are sealed and air is cycling. Get ready.”

  “Moses…?” She glanced at her console and saw the map of the station no longer gave her Cupid’s location.

  Right. Cupid wasn’t on the station anymore.

  “Clear the room!” she yelled as loudly as she could. “Move, move, move! This window is about to go!” She must have sounded commanding enough, because the small crown obeyed, scrambling over one another to spill back out into adjoining hallways. Once only Joyce and Ada were left, Ada fumbled with a console beside a door. It was cracked and wouldn’t allow her to select submenus. She cursed.

  “I got it.” Joyce held up her new multi-tool to a small white circular object embedded in the ceiling, and sparked a little flame from the top. Instantly the doors slammed shut, and water poured down from sprinklers. “Nothing as reliable as an old-fashioned smoke detector.”

  “Brilliant. Now get your head gear on.” Ada had just finished sealing her own, when Cupid appeared outside the window, hovering like an insect. “Moses, you have any guns on that thing?”

  “Negative. But we do have a grappling hook.”

  Ada smiled. Now he was speaking her language.

  “I suggest you activate mag-boots, if you have them.”

  “Good thinking, Moses.” She checked her console, and swiped the command. Immediately her boots snapped to the floor. Outside the window, Cupid seemed to be angling for a better shot. “Back up!” Ada grabbed Joyce around the waist and started to haul her back. Joyce pushed her arm away and dove for the back wall.

  “You wouldn’t take advantage of a girl who’s had a little too much to drink?” she said.

  Ada held up her hands. She turned in time to spot the grappling hook shoot straight toward them. “Incoming!” She grabbed Joyce again, just in time.

  The sound of the window breaking was dwarfed by the rush of air as all of the observation deck’s atmo was sucked out of the room in a matter of seconds. Cupid’s hook sank into the floor, ripping up carpet, subflooring, and a sharp-looking twist of metal. Ada fought to hold onto Joyce.

  “Moses, can you open a comm between our suits?”

  “Confirmed”

  “What did you do??” Joyce screamed over the comm.

  “Joyce, you have to activate your mag-boots. They’re on your arm console. Can you do it?”

  Some more struggling amid panicked gasps for air, and Joyce had turned about to find her console. “Where?”

  “To the right. Yes, there. Now sub-menu. Good. Lock them in!”

  Joyce fell to the deck, her boots sticking. Ada breathed a momentary sigh of relief. Outside, Cupid had spun around so that her rear faced them, and the back hatch had opened, coming down about ten meters away from the exterior of the station. Ada grabbed hold of the wire from the grappling hook.

  “Just crawl over?” she asked.

  “Just crawl over,” Moses said. “I advise speed with caution.”

  She scoffed. “You don’t say. That’s a lot of open space to cross in the middle of a battle. You couldn’t hover a little closer?”

  “Structural integrity of the station is failing. Increased proximity would exponentially increase the risk of— ”

  “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Coming over.”

  The rush of atmo had calmed. Ada crossed to the edge of the station and peered out into the void, gulping. Her first spacewalk. Of course it couldn’t have been a nice, controlled environment. The ship quaked, and she grabbed hold of the wire. “Joyce, come here.”

  Joyce joined her, and Ada guided her to stand in front. Once she had a good grip on the wire, Ada reached for her console and deactivated her boots. “Now just pull yourself across, ok? Arm over arm. Don’t let go, no matter what.”

  “Ok.” Joyce nodded, still panting a bit. She closed her eyes and began to pull.

  Another boom, another quake.

  “You’re doing great, Joyce. A little faster, maybe?” Ada was still waiting on the deck, Joyce directly in front of her, about two feet out.

  Joyce nodded again and moved. When she was about halfway out, Ada deactivated her boots and kicked off behind her, floating out along the wire and guiding herself with her good hand.

  “Ada, we have a problem,” Moses said. “Please hurry.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I believe one of the attacking ships may have taken an interest in Cupid. They’re heading our way, guns first.”

  Ada cursed.

  “Can you retract the hook and tow us behind while we climb?”

  “Negative. The hook appears to have embedded itself in the station, and will have to be detached entirely once you are aboard.”

  “Lovely. Joyce, move it!”

  “I’m moving it!” Another few seconds passed, Joyce still pulling herself along. There had to still be five meters between her and the ship.

  The station quaked, shaking the wire with it, and Joyce and Ada both held it close to their bodies. Debris shot out into the void like shrapnel. Ada forced herself to breathe in through her nose, out through her mouth. Keep calm. There was nothing she could do if some passing chunk of metal shredded her suit, so it was
useless to worry.

  “Joyce, MOVE!”

  Joyce made an effort and closed another two meters before the next blast hit the station. This time the explosion was directly overhead, the fireball lighting up space and casting Cupid in a warm glow. The wire seemed to fly wildly for a moment, as ship and station veered apart and together.

  “Gah!” Ada lost her grip with her right hand and tried to grab with her left, and was rewarded with more shooting pain. She blinked back the blackout that threatened to take over, and hooked her left arm around the wire instead, hugging it with her elbow. As she twisted in space, she saw a large, thin metal sheet flying toward her—must have been part of the station’s exterior, she thought. She cringed, ducking, and the sheet passed cleanly between her and Joyce.

  Cutting the wire.

  Chapter 13

  “NO!” Caspar screamed in rage. Lucas watched the screen in horror, the frozen planetoid transforming into a fiery hell in a matter of seconds. Mulligan sobbed behind him.

  Randall kept them in a tight curve and used the momentum to jet them away from the surface.

  “Incoming blast,” Jeffrey announced.

  If the ship was moving before, it took off like a banshee the moment the blast hit. Randall had them angled so that the force of the explosion added to their thrust, and they were pummeled out into space like a bullet, everyone plastered to their seats by the additional gravity.

  When they finally began to slow, Lucas shook away the burgeoning headache and took a few deep breaths, telling himself he wouldn’t be sick. Randall was sick all over the floor beside the helm console.

  “Why?” Caspar asked. “What could they possible gain by nuking a civilian planetoid hab? Was it a hit of some kind?” She spun around to face Darren, who had unstrapped from his chair.

  “No,” he said. “I don’t think so.”

  “Then what! You’re the expert killer in the room, so please explain to us what could possibly motivate someone to rain hell down like that on a whole community of—”

  “They’re sending a message,” he said. “It’s an underworld coup. What you witnessed with the mafia families pales in comparison. Rome wants the whole system to know they own this space.” He turned his back on the rest of the bridge, an arm around Mulligan.

  “Will anyone survive?” Lucas muttered. He remembered that Rust and the other Ceres settlements had been hewn from the rock beneath a vast worldwide ocean that rolled darkly beneath the surface ice. There were many ways he wouldn’t wish to die, but drowning might have been at the top of his list. He closed his eyes, heaving a sigh of pity for those trapped below.

  “Statistically, no,” Jeffrey answered. “However, survivors of the initial blast and extensive flooding are currently launching from the surface in escape pods.”

  “What?” Lucas looked up at the screen. “Jeffrey, please highlight the pods on tactical.”

  “I don’t much see the point. But very well.”

  Lucas spotted them on the cam view just as they showed up on tactical, three oblong ships, not much to them but some thrust behind and a bunch of cargo space before, presumably full of survivors. He hoped.

  “Helm, take us to the nearest pod.”

  “Aye, Sir.” Randall wiped the side of his mouth and brought them around on course to intercept.

  “Mulligan?” He turned. “You with me?”

  She sniffed, wiping her nose, and nodded. “Sir.”

  “Do you feel up to meeting survivors on the hangar deck?”

  She nodded again, stood, and left the bridge. Darren followed.

  “Incoming livefeed,” Jeffrey announced.

  “Onscreen. Please.”

  “Freighter.” The speaker was a pale, rather delicate-looking man, sitting in the chair on an impressive looking bridge. “Stay on course. First blood is yours. I want the other two.”

  “First blood?”

  “The pods.” The man leaned forward. “Low-hanging fruit, I know, but we get our thrills where we can. Am I right?” He flashed a completely sincere grin, lifting his eyebrows as he did.

  “You’re going to shoot them down!?”

  The man frowned. “Well, I thought we were going to shoot them down together, but I gather from your tone that you’d rather not bond over blood with me. Shame. I’m a charming fellow to bond with. Stay clear then, they’re mine. You will be, too, if you get in my way.” The feed ended.

  Caspar cursed loudly. “Is anyone really that sick?”

  “Let’s not give him a chance to show us. Good flying, Randall. Bring us up alongside, tract them in.”

  “Aye, Sir.”

  “Jeffrey, open hangar bay C doors, please.”

  “Confirmed. Letting the vermin onboard.”

  “Jeffrey, please refrain from colorful comments for the next ten minutes.”

  “Doors open. Tractor engaged.”

  “Good.” Lucas nodded to Randall. Bring us alongside the next pod as soon as they’re onboard. Lieutenant, tell me something good.”

  “Jeffrey’s disabled target locking. I can’t get a bead on anything, be they friend or foe… or both, I guess.”

  “Jeffrey, any chance your programmer would make an exception if firing upon a Rome Inc. ship was the only way to prevent this ship from being destroyed.”

  “Negative, Captain.”

  A thought occurred. “What if it was the only way to prevent your majesty, Lord Jeffrey, from also being destroyed?”

  “Impossible. In the event of ship destruction, my consciousness is jettisoned onboard a specially designed courier probe that will return me to Rome Inc. property.”

  Lucas stood. “Lieutenant, you have the bridge.”

  “Aye, Sir.”

  He stormed toward the doors.

  “Captain Jack? Captain Harris? Sir, where are you going?” Jeffrey sounded flustered.

  “You know where, or you’re a sorrier excuse for an AI than even I thought.” He came to the doors. They woudn’t open.

  “I can’t let you do that, Sir.”

  Lucas cursed. They only had a few courier probes, all located on the hangar deck. If he could manually deploy them and shoot them out of the sky, maybe he could force Jeffrey’s hand. But he couldn’t do anything about it from the bridge.

  “Taken care of, Sir.” Mulligan’s voice was raw, but still a little smug, over the comm.

  “You wouldn’t dare,” Jeffrey said. Beep. “She did!”

  Lucas smirked. Her comm had been open the whole time, and she must have deployed the probes as soon as she heard Jeffrey mention them. Clever.

  “Private, if we get out of this mess alive, remind me to promote you. Jeffrey, you were saying?”

  “I’ve got my lock back, Sir!” Caspar ran the back of her arm over her forehead.

  “Only if you are fired upon, do you have permission to fire,” Jeffrey said. He sounded morose.

  “I can live with that,” Lucas said. “For now. Mulligan, is the pod secured?”

  “On deck, Sir. Ready when you are.”

  Randall brought them into a wide arc to circle back for the next escape pod.

  “Livefeed,” Jeffrey said. The same pale little man appeared.

  “I don’t know whether to berate you for spoiling my fun, or to blow you a kiss for making it more interesting. Are you ready to dance, freighter?”

  “We don’t want trouble with you,” Lucas said. “We’re just doing what obviously need to be done.”

  “Ooo, bit of a cowboy, aren’t you? I like that. I like fighting lawmen. Consider this my acceptance of your challenge.” He showed them his teeth, garishly, and the screen went back to the cam and tactical split. On the tactical side, Lucas saw one of the dots from the bombing formation break away and begin heading toward the Fairfax—and toward the pods.

  “That’s our guy,” he said. “Caspar, guns at the ready.”

  “Oh, I’m ready.” A steely edge came into her voice, more than Lucas thought he’d heard before. He was g
lad they were on the same side of this fight.

  But the incoming ship didn’t home in the Fairfax. Instead, it locked onto the pod farthest away.

  And fired.

  The pod blew apart in a fireball. They didn’t need an AI to tell them there were no survivors.

  Chapter 14

  Ada’s world was a spinning hellscape of fire, metal, and the unforgiving void. She grunted, pulling herself back to the observation deck and locking her mag-boots on. Beneath her, Ceres had erupted into a tiny star, and Cupid had pulled up and away to evade the blast.

  Uh oh.

  She stomped across the deck as quickly as she could, and searched frantically for some shelter. She found none. The blast hit the station, rocking it violently. The heat came after. But the blast had tilted the open hull of the observation deck up, away from the planetoid, so the searing wave passed by without taking Ada head-on, and her suit held.

  She breathed. Still alive.

  “Moses?” Silence. “Moses, are you there?” Cautiously, she made her way back to the edge, and peered over. It was difficult to see what was happening from her new vantage point. What had caused the sudden fiery apocalypse below? Volcanism? She frowned. Then she remembered that formation of spacecraft that had been doing runs over the surface.

  Bombers.

  “Moses? I could use some help, here.”

  “Ada, yes, hello. Apologies. The comm was taken out by the blast and subsequent wave, but I’ve boosted the signal with the backup battery. We are circling back to your position.”

  She blew out a sigh. “Did Joyce make it onboard?”

  “Affirmative. She and the others are alive and well, as well as can be.”

  Others? “Um… you mean her and Bone Crusher, right?”

  “You’ll see soon enough. Here we are.” Cupid peeled into view, firing front thrusters to slow and hover again. Again, the ship turned and the back hatch opened. Joyce stood in her suit inside the airlock, reaching out as if to catch her. Moses backed it up a little more this time. “How does that look, Ada?”

  “Is this closer than before?”

  “Affirmative.”