Scum of the Universe (Fire and Rust Book 7)

by Anthony James

  “You have twelve hours to complete the evacuation. At that time – not a minute later – our transaction will be completed.”

  Stone’s heart leapt. “It will require twenty-four hours,” he lied.

  “You have twelve, human.”

  “Twelve hours is not enough,” said Stone, not wanting to make it seem like he’d given in too easily.

  “That is your burden.”

  “Fine,” he growled. “In twelve hours, we will conclude.”

  “Another species defeated, like all the others,” said Indriss-Zar-005. “You will send the Hantisar battleship Vanquisher to me immediately.”

  “In twelve hours, when we conclude.”

  “No human. I will have it now. Did you think I have failed to notice the presence of the Sekar rift above your world? You will be pitifully grateful when I use the Hantisar warship to seal it.”

  “I will send the Vanquisher. It will depart in thirty minutes.”

  “Not a minute less.”

  The channel went dead and Stone’s pocket buzzed.

  Dyer> The Vanquisher used up its single rift bomb at Dominion.

  Stone> Yes it did.

  Dyer> Leaving it with tharniol missiles, tharniol bombs, tharniol repeaters…Won’t they just open the rift even wider?

  Stone> Maybe. That’s for our friends to find out.

  Dyer> And New Destiny

  Stone> We can only do what we can do.

  Stone put away the communicator and gave orders for a very slow and inefficient evacuation of the other warships. The fleet was spread out and the shuttles required a long time to travel from the Defiant, pick up the other ship’s crew and then return. In Stone’s mind, the evacuation was little more than a sham – something to make the enemy believe he intended to go through with the surrender.

  At thirty minutes, he ordered the Vanquisher to join the Ragger fleet. It felt more like a betrayal than a fulfilment of his duties as Fleet Admiral. The battleship’s crew were secretly instructed to do what they could to make life difficult for the enemy, without getting themselves killed in the process.

  Several hours went by, during which Stone kept up the pretense of a hard struggle to evacuate his personnel. He stalked around the bridge, muttering and swearing.

  With their original remit completed, the monitoring crew stood and watched his show. The good times couldn’t last.

  “We will look around your warship,” said Kafrol-Zu-003-0072.

  Stone came to a halt. “Will you now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Captain Vince?” said Stone.

  “Yes, sir,” slurred Vince, too much into his act to realize it was no longer required.

  “You heard our guests. A look around the Defiant.”

  “I will show them the sights, sir.”

  “Excellent.”

  Five members of the Ragger monitoring team headed off with Vince and a couple of squads, leaving the other three on the bridge under the watchful gaze of twelve remaining soldiers.

  00:04:02:53

  “Maybe you should go with them, sir,” said Dyer.

  Stone nodded. This was coming down to the wire and he didn’t want to screw up right at the last minute. He hurried after Captain Vince.

  Chapter Thirty

  “What are you hoping to find?” asked Stone.

  “What secrets are you keeping, human?” said Kafrol-Zu-003-0072. “That is the real question.”

  Stone didn’t give an answer and it didn’t seem like the Ragger was expecting one.

  “This is an assault craft carrier. We have none like it in our fleet. I am curious,” the alien continued.

  Just curious? Or looking with a specific purpose?

  “Like other warships, we have many corridors and technical areas,” Stone said. “Plus a bay to hold our Vipers.”

  “That is what I expected.”

  “Why do you need to see it?” asked Stone, aware that didn’t want to appear too worried.

  “I am bored,” said Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 simply. “Besides, whatever you believe, this warship now belongs to the Raggers. It may be that we will study the design and produce a superior version.”

  The way from the bridge to the main bay was direct, if you knew where you were going. Stone took one of the many alternative routes.

  “This is not the way we came after our arrival,” said the Ragger.

  “Many passages lead to the main bay. This is one of them.”

  Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 turned his head and gave Stone a look. “I wanted to see your spaceship. One way is as good as another.”

  “This turning,” said Stone, pointing left.

  The carrier’s interior was extensive and it also contained a lot of people. Maintenance crews were everywhere, along with armed squads hunting for the stealth-suited Raggers whom Stone was convinced were dead. The personnel took note of the enemy, but not one stepped out of line to shout at or threaten the aliens. To Stone’s dismay, the predominant expressions were of defeat.

  There were only so many wrong turnings he could make before it became glaringly obvious and Stone eventually brought the enemy into the currently pressurized main bay. Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 stopped just beyond the entrance doorway and turned completely around. For a moment, Stone thought the Ragger might venture a compliment about the engineering required to put something like the carrier together.

  “Our first effort will surpass this.”

  Stone didn’t care to get into an argument. Half of what the Raggers said was deliberately provocative and it seemed they were happy to be genetically and scientifically provable assholes.

  “These are your assault spaceships. Small, slow and vulnerable.”

  This time it was harder for Stone to keep his mouth closed. With an effort, he was successful and Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 strolled off towards the center of the bay, where he’d get a better sight of the two lines of Vipers.

  “Follow,” he ordered.

  Stone wasn’t in the mood to be treated like a child or brought to heel like a pet dog.

  “Tell me when you’ve seen enough,” he said, making no effort to go after the Ragger.

  The other four members of the monitoring team broke away from the escort and joined with Kafrol-Zu-003-0072.

  “Hold,” Stone ordered Vince. “Just watch.”

  The Raggers walked towards the center of the bay and gave no indication they intended to return. For his part, Stone was determined not to lose this minor game of who was in charge.

  “Halt!” he ordered.

  The Raggers didn’t slow.

  “You are not permitted to continue without an escort.”

  Still they didn’t stop.

  “Captain Vince. Have your men take aim at our guests.” Stone raised his voice and shouted again. “You are here to monitor only. If you do not halt immediately, my soldiers will open fire.”

  That got their attention. Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 turned and stared directly at Stone for many long seconds. The Ragger could not fail to understand the expression on Stone’s face, nor could he ignore the many guns pointing towards his monitoring team.

  It was evident that Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 did not have the authority to push matters any further. Without visible communication, the Raggers came slowly back and stopped nearby.

  Stone smiled nastily. “Now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look over this way.”

  With that, Stone led the group along the precise route the monitoring team had recently taken towards the center of the bay.

  “Follow,” he ordered.

  The Raggers followed.

  With Stone feeling he’d stamped his authority, he slowed the pace. In order to introduce additional delay, he began describing various unimportant features of the carrier’s interior and every time he spoke, he brought the group to a halt until he’d finished speaking.

  The tactic worked for more than an hour and Stone was hopeful he might keep the monitoring team occupied long enough for the Raider
to be fitted with the death pulse.

  It wasn’t to be.

  “When our shuttle flew in, I saw a join in your spaceship’s hull, which I took to be a second bay,” said Kafrol-Zu-003-0072.

  Stone considered denying the existence of the secondary bay, but he felt that doing so would only make the Raggers more interested. Perhaps they would send a report to their superiors.

  “The Defiant has two bays. This primary bay holds the offensive hardware, the smaller bay is for our transport shuttles.”

  “I will see this secondary bay.”

  “That is where the evacuated personnel are being taken,” said Stone smoothly. “It will be crowded and our presence will not be welcome.”

  “Nevertheless, we will go there.”

  The Ragger had made up his mind.

  “It’s depressurized,” Stone lied. “I will need to take a flight helmet from our stores, which are this way.” He pointed over his shoulder in the exact opposite direction to the secondary bay.

  “You must have a viewing station into the bay. We will go there instead.”

  Not wanting to protest too much, Stone acted like he didn’t care one way or another. “We have a monitoring room adjacent to the secondary bay,” he agreed. “We’ll go there.”

  He slid the communicator out of his pocket. The device’s front display showed the timer.

  00:02:32:16

  Stone pushed the communicator out of sight. “This way,” he said.

  The route to the secondary bay was several hundred meters, even if you knew the quickest route. Stone didn’t go that way and led the Raggers from place to place. The hardest part of his task was avoiding the many signs which gave directions to the secondary bay. He sensed the Raggers becoming impatient and realized that time was running out.

  With their destination only fifty meters away, Stone got another stroke of luck. Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 stopped dead.

  “We must return to the bridge,” he said.

  “Fine,” said Stone, spinning on his heel and heading back the way they’d come. “Why do you need to return?” he asked, once the group was moving.

  “We have been asked to provide another update on your battle network data.”

  Without pushing his luck too much, Stone led the Raggers once again to the bridge.

  00:02:08:49

  Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 went immediately to his console and tapped into the battle network data, while Stone helped himself to a cup of coffee. After a single sip he realized his mouth craved something lighter, so he tipped the coffee away and obtained a fruit juice from the vending station. He drained it in one, surprised at how dehydrated he felt.

  With his thirst quenched, Stone talked with his crew and brought himself up to speed with developments since he’d left the bridge. Not much had happened – the situation was far from a stalemate, but this was a comparative lull while arrangements were being made.

  Minutes went by, each feeling like an hour or more. Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 remained at his station, pissing about with the ULAF’s data, while Stone’s eyes darted with increasing frequency towards the timer.

  “We will return to the secondary bay now,” said the Ragger, unfolding from the seat.

  “The situation at New Destiny is too close to its conclusion to waste time sightseeing,” said Stone. He pointed at the seat. “Sit. We’re staying here.”

  “I have been instructed to complete my inspection of your warship.”

  It was bad news. If Indriss-Zar-005 had got himself interested in the secondary bay, then there’d be no dissuading the monitoring teams.

  “Better than you poking around with my battle network,” said Stone, trying some reverse-psychology.

  It didn’t work.

  “I expect to be on your warship for a long time after the events at New Destiny are concluded, human. I will have ample time for everything. We will go to the secondary bay.”

  “Very well.”

  Stone, Captain Vince, a squad of soldiers and the same five Raggers as last time exited the bridge.

  00:00:45:02

  “Do not take a longer route than necessary, human,” said Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 in the corridor outside.

  “There are many ways to every destination. The Defiant is a large spaceship.”

  “The software in my spacesuit has mapped our steps. You have extended every journey so far. Why is that?”

  “Because I don’t want you here on my ship, Ragger. Did you expect me to make your life easy?”

  “You are hiding something.”

  Stone found it hard to keep his expression neutral.

  “Such as what? You have access to our onboard systems yet seem determined to visit our secondary bay, rather than interrogate our databanks.”

  “Propulsion,” said Kafrol-Zu-003-0072. “My superiors believe you have a new propulsion system.”

  “On the Hantisar warships…” Stone began. He cut off the sentence. “Some of that technology has made its way to the Defiant.”

  “We will visit your propulsion section.”

  Stone felt pure, total relief. It seemed like Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 was capable of independent thought and had convinced himself that the carrier’s engines were a place of interest. The relief didn’t last long.

  “First, however, I will go to your secondary bay monitoring station.”

  The first inclination that jumped into Stone’s head was just shoot the assholes. He didn’t say the words and led the group towards the secondary bay, ignoring the suggestion that he take a direct route. Stone didn’t overdo things, but successfully added six or seven minutes onto the journey.

  “This is one of the secondary bay monitoring areas,” said Stone, stopping in front of a closed door.

  00:00:25:19

  “We will go inside.”

  Stone placed his hand on the access panel and the door opened. The room beyond was compact, with room for two basic consoles, two chairs and a team of two. On the opposite wall, the monitoring screens displayed feeds from the secondary bay.

  The personnel inside stood to attention, giving an excellent impression of surprise.

  “Sir!” they said in unison.

  “Sit,” Stone told them. He walked across the room and stood between the two chairs, while Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 followed, studying the feeds closely.

  On the screens, a recording played, showing the bay as it was several days ago when the carrier was at ULAF-1. Personnel hurried everywhere, finishing their pre-flight checks.

  “There it is,” said Stone.

  Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 lingered for such a long time that Stone felt certain the Ragger had noted the many anomalies. The bay was busy, but it didn’t look like it was receiving a full-scale evacuation.

  Convinced he was going to have to give the order to open fire, Stone’s entire body felt tight with the anticipation not only of bloodshed, but the potential death of billions.

  At last, Kafrol-Zu-003-0072 turned towards the door. “We will go to the propulsion section.”

  Hoping that his face betrayed nothing of his feelings, Stone agreed. “We cannot stay there long. I will be required on the bridge soon.”

  The group left the secondary bay monitoring station.

  00:00:20:38

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Captain Jake Griffin was feeling the heat a little more than usual. Maybe it was the concentration required to keep the Raider absolutely level in the Defiant’s secondary bay while hundreds of technicians worked to secure the death pulse generator to the Viper’s underside. Maybe it was the fact that he was holding an in-depth conversation with Admiral Isental at the same time.

  Or just maybe it was because Griffin was acutely aware that if he screwed up – or events conspired against him through no fault of his own – it might sound the death knell for humanity.

  “Back where it all began, huh? We started out on a Viper and here we are again,” he heard Lieutenant Kenyon say.

  “I can think of worse places,” said Domingu
ez, her voice taut with the pressure.

  Griffin finished his conversation with Isental. Advance planning could only go so far before someone was required to turn words into action.

  “The techs have successfully anchored the gravity clamps front and back,” he said.

  Griffin moved his head and the feed on his HUD gave him an excellent view of the activity in the bay. The power cubes were positioned directly below the Viper’s wings, with the Ragger stealth module between them. A frame of alloy struts constructed by a team in the Defiant’s workshop kept everything together.

  On top of the stealth cylinder, the death pulse generator was contained in a much smaller frame and then welded in place. Each component was linked with cables and those cables had been secured to minimize the chance of snagging. Two additional cables – these ones with some slack - connected the Viper to the stealth module and provided extra juice.

  The message came through.

  “The weapons team have finished with us, sir,” said Kenyon.

  “We’re good to go?”

  “Yes, sir. Good to go.”

  “Just another mission,” said Griffin. “Let’s get this done, folks.”

  The bay doors – closed in case the Raggers sent a warship to do some sniffing around – trundled open. Outside was the familiar darkness of space. This time, it didn’t offer Griffin the usual thrill. Instead, it seemed lonely and empty. The universe had never seemed a less friendly place than it did at this moment.

  With hands steadier than they had any right to be, Griffin increased power and took the Raider vertically higher from the bay floor. The engines didn’t like the extra weight and he was forced to compensate. With little room for maneuver, Griffin got the death pulse generator off the bay floor and held steady with the uppermost part of the Viper only five meters from the bay ceiling.

  “Has anything fallen off?” he asked.

  “The weapons guys are running a diagnostic, sir.”

  “Come on, come on.”

  “Diagnostic clear. The death pulse generator is active and online.”

  Those were the words Griffin had been waiting for.