Perilous Hunt

by Lindsay Buroker

  The second figure—an android identical to the first—sprang toward her. Looking more like a janitor than a combat expert, he did not have magnetic boots, and his feet left the deck. She fired at his chest as she lunged to the side again. Even though she hit the android, and smoke wafted from his burned shirt, he did not react. He twisted in the air, and one of his hands caught her shoulder, clamping on.

  She jabbed her elbow at his chest, trying to knock him free, so she could spin toward him to shoot again. Somewhere behind her, blows landed in rapid succession, the thuds sounding like machine gun fire as Leonidas engaged with the other android. He growled, and his opponent went tumbling toward the ceiling in Alisa’s peripheral vision. A blazer rifle squealed.

  On her third attempt, she caught her android in the chest with her elbow, but he did not let go. His hand darted toward her helmet so quickly that she didn’t see it until he had a grip. He forced her head to the side, and her heart pounded in her ears as she realized he was trying to break her neck. Only the sturdy armor saved her, automatically taking all the flexibility out of the neckpiece.

  She twisted and finally got her arm—and the attached blazer—pointed at the android, right at his face this time. She fired into his eyes as she planted her other hand on his chest and shoved. To her surprise, thanks to the power of her suit, she pushed the android away and he flew backward. But he kicked her as he tumbled away, hard enough that her boots were knocked off the deck.

  She snarled in frustration, reaching out with her legs like a swimmer trying to touch the bottom. Unfortunately, her momentum took her in the other direction. She fired at the android as she floated away, careful not to hit Leonidas, who was tangled up near the ceiling, wrestling with his opponent. Her blazer bolt struck the side of her android’s neck. Her earlier shot had caught him in the eye, burning into circuitry and destroying it.

  Alisa’s shoulder struck a wall, and she groped for something to grab. She found the top of a doorjamb. Steadied, she pointed her arm at the android who had attacked her.

  “We’re with the Starseers,” Alisa yelled as he reached the ceiling and stopped his spin. “We don’t want to fight you.”

  The android looked at Leonidas in his crimson combat armor, then back to her. He did not have a weapon, other than his fast, strong hands, but he twisted about, perfectly comfortable in zero gravity. He prepared to spring at her again.

  Alisa aimed her blazer at his face. “Stop, or I’ll shoot your other eye out.”

  A useless threat against something with the mentality of a machine. What did the android care? He had probably been programmed to sacrifice himself to protect this station.

  “Abelardus,” Alisa yelled as the android launched himself from the ceiling toward her. “Ostberg!” She pushed away from the jamb, but she was too late to dodge him fully. The android hurtled toward her with the speed of a bullet. “Come show these androids your Starseer library card,” she managed to get out.

  She fired again at the android’s chest, but only got off a short burst before a punch too fast to block slammed into her shoulder. Even with the armor, she felt the power of the blow and heard the crunch of a dent forming. Dull pain numbed her arm, but she roared in anger and unleashed a flurry of her own punches, incensed more at having her new armor damaged than at being hurt. She didn’t try to block the android’s blows—even with her armor, her reflexes weren’t fast enough to register those lightning attacks. She only pummeled back, hoping to do more damage to the android than it did to her armor.

  Alarms lit up, scrolling down her display. She couldn’t concentrate on reading them, not with android fists slamming into her faceplate.

  “Gravity’s returning,” Mica said over her comm.

  In the middle of a mid-air boxing match for her life, Alisa couldn’t respond. Nor could she brace herself. When gravity returned, it was abrupt, and she and the android slammed to the deck. She barely felt the fall through her armor, but she definitely felt her foe’s continuing punches. Once again, he reached for her helmet, determined to rip it off—or break her neck.

  “Halt,” came a cry from the corridor. It sounded like Ostberg’s young voice.

  To Alisa’s surprise, the blows raining down on her armor stopped. She hurried to push herself to her feet and scramble away, not certain how long of a reprieve she would be given.

  The android also climbed to his feet, but he did not lunge after her. Instead, with a puzzled tilt to his head, he turned toward Ostberg, who stood in the doorway with Abelardus and Alejandro behind him. Even though they hadn’t worn their robes after Alisa’s warning about the gravity, Ostberg and Abelardus both carried their Starseer staffs. Had seeing them stopped the android?

  Alisa leaned a hand against the wall, relieved for the help. The alarms continued to scroll down her armor, and regret washed through her at having received so much damage so soon. Better than being dead, she reasoned, looking for Leonidas as she sucked in deep breaths.

  He stood a few feet away, the dismantled limbs of his android littering the deck around him. The head lay over on a seat. Alisa grimaced as she caught sight of one of the bodies over there, too, now sprawled on the deck.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t help sooner,” Ostberg said. “Androids are very sophisticated. I’m not sure I even stopped him, or if it was just that he saw our staffs.”

  “I don’t care what he saw,” Alisa said, “so long as he stopped.” She eyed the android warily, his shirt scorched in several places, faux skin blackened beneath it. She felt mollified that she had done some damage, but admitted there hadn’t been any finesse or calculation behind her battle tactics. If not for her armor, she would have been killed.

  “Greetings, young Starseer,” the android said, pressing his palms together and bowing, as if he hadn’t just been engaged in battle, as if Alisa hadn’t melted one of his eyes away.

  A finger twitched on the dismembered arm of the other android, but it did not otherwise react to the Starseers. She suspected it was out of commission. Leonidas was good at decommissioning things.

  “Uh, greetings,” Ostberg said.

  “What is your command, my lord?”

  Abelardus snorted. “Ostberg is a little young to be a lord. Or to command a pet android.”

  From the way the android continued to look at Ostberg and didn’t acknowledge Abelardus, Alisa suspected Ostberg had done more than simply wave his staff. He must have affected its computerized brain somehow.

  Leonidas walked to Alisa’s side and touched one of the dents in her armor. “Are you injured?”

  “Battered, but I don’t think anything is broken,” she said. “On me. I’m less certain about my armor. I hope Mica doesn’t mind taking a look. I hadn’t planned to get it dented up so soon.”

  “Better the armor than you. Your case may be able to handle those repairs.”

  “Uh,” Ostberg shifted uneasily under the android’s unwavering gaze. “I don’t have any commands.” He pointed to Alisa. “You can ask her for commands. She’s the captain.”

  “She also has Starseer blood,” Abelardus added.

  Alisa frowned at him as the android faced her, not certain she wanted a “pet android” either. But if he had answers, she would gladly listen.

  “I’m Captain Marchenko,” she said, trying not to feel inane offering introductions to someone—something—that had been trying to rip her head off a minute ago. “What’s your name?”

  “My nomenclature is Bravo Six.” The android looked from her to Leonidas to his dismantled compatriot and back to her again. “You have an imperial cyborg, Captain Marchenko?”

  “He works for me, yes.”

  Sweat dribbled down her temple, and some kind of suction thing in her helmet turned on to dry her skin. The armor thought of everything, but she needed a break from it. She needed to breathe. She unfastened her helmet and inhaled deeply. The station air wasn’t any fresher than that provided by her suit, but it felt good not to have her bun smashed against t
he back of her head.

  Leonidas frowned at her, as if he couldn’t imagine why anyone would remove her helmet in an enemy stronghold. Or at all. Maybe he was the one who should sleep in his suit.

  “He’s my security officer,” Alisa added, since the android seemed to be contemplating the situation and not finding it overly palatable. “We’re looking for the children who were sent here.” She started to ask if he knew where they had gone but decided to start with, “Do you know what I’m talking about?”

  Even though the shuttle the Starseers had taken from Cleon Moon had apparently been destroyed on the station’s doorstep, she still did not know for certain that the children had ever made it aboard.

  “I know of the Starseer children,” Bravo Six said.

  Alisa bristled at the idea of Jelena being categorized so, but she kept her mouth shut. The android knew of them—what more could she want?

  “Were they here? Are they still?” Alisa caught herself leaning forward.

  Leonidas, already standing beside her, rested his hand on the small of her back, as if to offer support. She could barely sense his touch through the armor, but she appreciated the gesture.

  “They were here,” Bravo Six said.

  Were. Alisa closed her eyes, the disappointment stinging, even though she’d known not to expect anything more.

  “Where did they go?” Leonidas asked.

  The android looked blandly at him and did not answer.

  “Where did they go?” Alisa repeated.

  “I was not informed,” Bravo Six said. “When the imperial ships arrived, the Starseers fled in a shuttle, using their powers to ensure the imperial soldiers did not notice them. They set traps and sabotaged the shuttle from Cleon Moon to delay pursuit. We—” He looked over to the dismembered android, nothing more than parts now. “—I was left behind to further delay the soldiers.”

  “You’re part of the security force here?”

  “No. I was Dr. Hamilton’s research assistant. He studies geology and astronomy. I was often sent out to asteroids to gather samples.”

  Alisa didn’t know what to say to that. She hadn’t imagined a Starseer scientist. She’d thought they all wandered around in their robes, meditating and playing with their mental abilities.

  You know I fly and brew beer, Abelardus informed her silently.

  I haven’t sampled your beer yet, so I don’t technically know that.

  Your ship doesn’t have brewing supplies.

  Put them on Beck’s next grocery list. Can you make a chocolate stout?

  Is that what it would take to win your love?

  No, but I bet it would impress Young-hee if you gave her a gift of beer.

  Young-hee?

  Yes, cute girl, dark hair, sharp eyes. I believe she’s from your temple. Perhaps you’ve met before.

  Ha ha.

  “We’re here because of the children,” Alisa told Bravo Six, who was still gazing steadily at her. “We’re going to look for camera footage that might help us figure out where they went. We want to find them and make sure their families know what’s been happening to them. Are you going to impede us further?”

  “No,” Bravo Six said. “May I go with you when you leave?”

  “Uh, what?”

  Abelardus smirked.

  “It has been two days since the shuttle left,” Bravo Six said. “There is no longer a need for me to delay intruders, nor is it necessary to defend the station. The scientists took their research with them when they left.”

  That hadn’t kept him from leaping out at Leonidas.

  “Did the scientists go to the same place as the children?” Alisa asked.

  “They all left in the same shuttle. That is all I know. I was not informed about their destination. If I am permitted to go with you, I may be of some assistance in the search. I wish to be reunited with my owner.”

  “I… guess.” Alisa rubbed her head. “How come I keep getting more passengers? I’m collecting them like Yumi collects stray chickens. At least the chickens produce eggs.”

  Leonidas patted her back and headed for one of the control consoles, a console that had been smashed. Had it been like that before, or had Leonidas or one of the androids crashed into it?

  “This is the security station,” Leonidas said after considering the mess for a moment. He pressed a power button, but nothing happened. “I believe it’s where the camera footage would be stored and displayed.”

  “Of course it is.” Alisa leaned against the wall, lifted her helmet, and activated the comm. “Mica? I have another project for you.”

  “I knew you would,” Mica replied.

  “That’s because you’re very wise.”

  “No, it’s because there’s always more work to do.”

  “True,” Alisa murmured in agreement.

  She closed her eyes, weariness seeping into her limbs. If the android was correct, the children had left two days ago. Why couldn’t she ever catch up with them?

  Alisa? Stanislav spoke into her mind. I’m in the shuttle bay. I came to see if there were any ships here or if they had all been taken.

  And?

  Two shuttles are here, and a third is missing from its slot.

  That must be the one that everybody left in two days ago, or so we’ve just been told. Is there any camera footage down there?

  Maybe they would get lucky and find a database that hadn’t been mangled.

  The control panel here isn’t for much more than opening and closing the bay doors.

  It figured.

  I was able to pull up some information on the shuttles that are usually docked here, Stanislav added. They’re short-range vessels.

  Alisa straightened, opening her eyes. Meaning they couldn’t have gone to another planet or station?

  I don’t think so.

  So Jelena and the others are somewhere in the asteroid belt? A fresh hint of hope stirred. Dare she hope that they were still close?

  Unless they rendezvoused with another ship.

  Alisa frowned, hoping that wasn’t likely. “We’ll operate under the assumption that they’re here in the asteroid belt,” she said aloud, and a couple of sets of eyes turned toward her. “I’ve been informed that it was a short-range shuttle that they took,” she added.

  “That is correct,” Bravo Six said.

  “Is that why so many ships are searching the asteroid belt?” Alejandro asked. “Do they know Prince Thorian is out there somewhere close?” He scowled, looking over at Leonidas, as if he should fix everything.

  “The prince, or the staff, or both.” Alisa shrugged. She didn’t know and didn’t care what the rest of the system wanted. She only wanted one thing.

  Jelena, she thought, wishing she had the ability to telepathically project the words, we’re close, and I’m coming for you.

  Chapter 6

  Alisa sat up in her bunk, swung her legs over the side, and muttered, “Half lighting.”

  She glanced toward the clock as the illumination increased, not surprised that she hadn’t done more than doze fitfully for an hour. There was nothing she could be doing, but she felt guilty for resting—or trying to rest—while Mica was over on the station working. Beck and Leonidas were there, too, standing guard while she tried to fix the security station in Command and Control. Ostberg had also remained, showing interest in the workings of the computers. Only Stanislav, Abelardus, and Alejandro had come back with Alisa.

  She tapped the comm. “Still in NavCom, Yumi?”

  Yumi had offered to keep an eye on the sensors while Alisa rested. Even though the imperial ships had come and gone, she wouldn’t be surprised if more ships showed up at the station. It clearly wasn’t the secret destination she had imagined.

  “Yes, Captain. All is quiet.”

  “Thank you.”

  Alisa headed to the lav, thinking of heading to NavCom anyway, but paused as she passed Alejandro’s hatch. She turned back and knocked on it. If he was sleeping and did not answer
, she would leave, but a question had been floating in her mind since she’d seen that pristine sickbay, complete with an operating room.

  The hatch opened, and Alejandro scowled at her, as if she were some mythical siren there to lead him astray.

  “What?” he asked.

  “If that’s the way you greet a woman, it’s not a mystery as to why your wife left you,” Alisa said, then winced. She’d come to ask him a question, not insult him, but it was hard not to respond to a scowl with a lippy comment.

  “I never said her leaving had been mysterious,” Alejandro grumbled.

  Alisa lifted an apologetic hand. “Sorry. I just have a quick question.”

  “Does it involve Leonidas’s genitals?”

  It was her turn to scowl. Did he think that was all she had on her mind?

  “For your information, I’m far more concerned about his health and his nightmares than his genitals.”

  “Sure you are.”

  “Are you always this crabby when woken up in the middle of the night?” Alisa asked.

  “Yes, and to answer what I assume is your question, yes, that operating room would be acceptable for surgery. But last I heard, Admiral Tiang wasn’t volunteering to do it.”

  Alisa felt like her scowl had frozen to her face, though now she was annoyed with herself rather than with him. Had she truly been so obvious about her intentions and her concerns that he could guess exactly what she’d been thinking about? Or was Abelardus somewhere whispering into his mind? No, he probably could guess. It wasn’t as if she had been able to hide her motivation for kidnapping the Tiangs back on Arkadius.

  “Only because a charming woman hasn’t worn him down yet,” Alisa said.

  “A conniving woman, more like.”

  She bared her teeth at him, barely resisting the urge to do more. It wasn’t professional to wake someone up in the middle of the night and punch him in the stomach. Unless one’s profession was hired thuggery.