1
“Keep your eye on the target, Freddie!” I shouted.
“Yes, sir!” he answered, flying his strike ship toward the asteroid. A blast from one of the proximity drones struck the side of his ship.
I was about to yell at him again, when he regained his speed and trajectory. Freddie had been flying his little rig for a few weeks now but was slow to pick up the controls. I was glad to see he was finally getting the hang of it.
“How’s Fred looking?” asked Abigail, using the secondary channel.
“Not bad,” I admitted, watching as Freddie fired a beam at the asteroid, missing his mark. “But not great either.”
“He’ll get there,” said the former nun.
“How about Karin?” I asked.
My holo-display suddenly changed, showing Karin’s ship maneuvering between multiple drones, evading each of their attacks and landing a final shot on her target. “She’s okay,” said Abby. I could almost hear the satisfaction in her voice.
“Yeah, live it up,” I said, then switched the comm back over to Freddie. “Try it again, Fred, and this time, you’d better get it right!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“Don’t tell the ship to fire. Just imagine it,” I told him. “Visualize the exact spot you want to hit.”
“But what if I—”
“Godsdammit, Freddie, just do it!”
“Ah!” He squirmed, immediately firing another beam into the asteroid. The blast struck the rock at its center, breaking it apart and scattering dust.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” I snapped, smacking my dash in celebration. “Now you’re making prog—”
Another beam left the strike ship, sweeping across the asteroid belt and decimating the other rocks. Freddie’s ship spun out of control. “H-help!” he cried.
“Dammit, I guess I spoke too soon,” I said. “Athena, you mind stepping in?”
The Cognitive popped up on my holo display, giving me a gentle smile. “Not at all.”
Freddie’s ship stopped firing into the belt, stabilizing itself in the process. I could hear him breathing heavily on the other end of the comm. “Oh, boy,” he said quickly. “Thanks, Athena. I’m so sorry to trouble you.”
“Think nothing of it,” said the Cognitive. She disappeared from the display and my radar returned.
I leaned back in my seat, letting out a short sigh. “Well, that was still better than last time,” I said, opening my comm to the rest of the squad. “Everyone, form up and prep for teams. You know the drill.”
“You got it,” said Octavia. “Bolin and I are on our way.”
I watched the dots on the radar slowly come together from across the belt, each of them moving in pairs. Octavia and Bolin, Abigail and Karin, followed by Freddie and me. We didn’t always train this way, but it was important to have a wingman watching your back at all times. When the situation came when we couldn’t move as a team, it might make more sense to break up into pairs. In that instance, we’d be ready to strike. No questions. No discussions.
But, clearly, we had work to do. Freddie just wasn’t acclimating to the strike ships as quickly as the rest of us. Maybe he didn’t have a good head for it, but I wagered he just needed more time. Who could say? He never seemed to have a problem with the Renegade Star—he’d adapted to those controls much faster. Oh well. I was certain he’d find his footing before too long.
He just had to do it before we were ambushed again by the Union.
I waited for everyone to take their positions around the asteroid belt. We divided into two groups, one on either side. The goal was simple. Eliminate the other team.
The attacks would be safe, of course. Athena had taught me how to lower the density of the ship’s beam so that it didn’t cause any damage. Despite this, each vessel’s hit-detection remained intact, signaling the pilot when the enemy landed an attack. This made training a breeze, giving us the chance to use our weapons and practice exercises without actually destroying each other in the process.
“Bolin, Octavia, and Karin against Freddie, Abigail, and me,” I explained.
We had to keep the teams shuffled. It was the best way to see how we worked together, how we adapted to new variables. I’d noticed that Octavia did well with Bolin but had a hard time communicating with Karin. Maybe putting the three of them together might balance it all out.
Or maybe not. I had no idea.
“Same rules as last time,” I said, bringing my ship near Abigail and Freddie, facing the asteroids. “You get tagged and you’re out. Best two out of three.”
“I’m coming for you, Frederick,” said Karin, a playful tone in her voice.
“Oh, uh,” he muttered nervously.
“Karin, stop flirting and focus,” ordered Octavia. “I’m not losing to Jace again.”
“Keep dreaming,” I said. “Everyone ready?”
“Ready!” they all said together.
I leaned forward with my hand on the sensor. “Start the countdown. You’ve got two minutes to plan. Better make it a good one.”
I switched comm channels, ending the call with the other team.
“What’s the plan?” asked Abby.
“I was thinking we’d do the one we discussed at dinner the other day. Remember that?” I asked.
“Of course,” she answered.
“Is this the one you told me about?” asked Freddie.
“Sure is,” I said. “Think you can handle it?”
“Being bait is easy,” he said.
“That’s the spirit,” I said. “Okay, Abby, we’re following your lead.”
There was a short pause, followed by a beep, indicating the start of the battle.
“Here we go!” snapped Abigail.
She took off, heading straight into the belt, winding between two large asteroids.
“Right behind you,” I said, signaling my ship to follow.
Freddie was beside me, sticking close and never branching too far from my position. We wouldn’t be able to track the other team with the radar until we were right on them. It also meant they couldn’t see us coming. Losing the tracker made things more difficult, but I figured the training would be worth it in the long run.
Abigail neared the center of the belt, taking her position inside one of the larger asteroids. We hadn’t planned this part out—just the general idea. She’d hide there in low-power mode, ready to ambush the enemy when they came too close.
“The area is safe,” she said. “Taking position now.”
I arrived a few seconds later, dropping my ship beneath another large rock. “Freddie, take your position,” I ordered.
“Yes, sir,” he answered and went into the open area between the asteroids.
“If this doesn’t work, we’ll try my plan next time,” said Abby.
“It’ll work,” I assured her. “Freddie makes excellent bait.”
“You’re saying it like it’s a good thing,” said Freddie. I could almost hear him frowning.
“In this case, it is,” I assured him. An indicator light beeped on the radar as one of the enemy ships entered range. “Eyes up! We’ve got company.”
It was Karin, moving toward Freddie. Since his ship was the only one currently active, she wouldn’t be able to see either Abigail or me, giving us the element of surprise.
She accelerated, probably the moment she spotted him, moving along the edge of one of the rocks.
“In three,” I told my teammates. “Two…one.”
Abigail and I ignited our thrusters, pushing forward into the open to meet Karin’s ship. At the same time, Freddie reversed, maneuvering himself between a set of asteroids. The second Karin emerged, Abby and I fired.
The beams struck the ship before she could even react. The radar beeped, marking her position with a large, red “X,” signaling the kill.
“Got her!” shouted Abby.
“Back into the field!” I snapped, giving no time for celebration.
“Which way?” asked Freddie. “Back the way we came or—”
Before he could finish, a beam hit the side of his ship, disabling him. “Freddie!” I yelled right as his icon changed to an “X.”
I checked the ID of the incoming ship. It was Octavia, coming in from behind.
“I’ve got her!” said Abigail, emerging from a cluster of nearby rocks.
As the former nun fired, Octavia broke her trajectory and reentered the belt.
Abby’s beam missed, hitting one of the asteroids. At the same time, I was heading after Octavia from the other direction, racing between the rocks to cut her off.
She had to see me coming, since I couldn’t cloak or hide my signal at this range, but that was fine. There were two of us and one of—
A beam grazed the side of my ship, barely missing me and hitting one of the nearby asteroids. I dove forward and out of sight. The radar showed the blast had come from straight ahead, although I couldn’t see the ship. It had to be Bolin, obviously, but that meant he was sitting in low-powered mode, waiting for us.
“So that’s their plan,” I muttered.
“Jace, are you okay?” asked Abigail. “Wait there! I’m on my way!”
“No, stop!” I snapped. “Octavia had the same plan as us, only she was the bait instead of Freddie. Bolin planted himself on the other end to snipe us if we followed.”
“Looks like we’ll have to change it up now,” she said.
“Looks like,” I repeated. “Come around behind Bolin. That shot came from beneath this asteroid.” I tapped the holo display and a light formed on the exact spot I’d touched. Abigail would see the same thing on her holo simultaneously.
“Got it,” she said, quickly heading around to get behind their position.
I waited, observing Octavia’s movements. She seemed to be hovering there, probably hoping Abigail or I would still take the bait. She’d give up in just a moment, then leave and try a new plan with Bolin. We wouldn’t give her the chance.
I cleared my throat, feeling the anticipation in my chest. I’ve never had a trigger finger, but in that moment, the sensation to fire had crawled into my hand and begged me to leap out and take both of them on. I could probably do it. I was fast enough, wasn’t I? Octavia was good, but…
No, better to wait and do this right. Get the drop on them and win. It wasn’t just about me anymore. I had a crew now, and we’d need to make this work if we wanted to beat Brigham and his armada.
And I aimed to do just that.
Besides, Abby would kill me, and I couldn’t have that.
“Almost ready,” she said in my ear.
I glanced at the holo to see her nearing the position. “On my mark,” I told her, watching Octavia, who was already beginning to move.
I stared at the spot where I believed Bolin to be. If the two of them were going to change position, then he was about to—
A small dot formed, indicating that he had activated thrusters. “Now!” I snapped. “After him!”
Abigail pushed forward, passing between several asteroids and coming up the rear. I did the same, only from the other side, heading toward Octavia.
By now, the two of them could see both of us, we were so close, which meant we’d only have a few seconds to get the drop on them.
It would have to be enough.
Bolin began to move and turn, probably trying to get clear of Abby’s line-of-sight. I, on the other hand, went straight for Octavia.
I fired the second she was in range. To my surprise, she was already facing me too. We exchanged beams, hitting one another at the same time.
I cursed as soon as I realized what had happened, and two red “X” marks appeared on our positions.
“Godsdammit, Octavia!” I shouted, although she couldn’t hear me. Not until the training match had ended.
“Did she get you?” asked Freddie.
I’d nearly forgotten the poor bastard was there. “Yeah,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “Lucky shot.”
Another “X” popped up on the holo, taking me by surprise. In my frustration, I’d missed all the action happening with Abby. Had Bolin taken her out?
Abby let out a quick whoop of excitement, telling me all I needed to know. “Made it!”
“Hey, great job!” exclaimed Freddie. “I knew you two could do it!”
I let myself smile a little. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. I knew that plan would work.”
Abigail snickered. “Could’ve fooled me by all that cursing just now.”
The comms opened up again, now that the match was over. “Damn,” said Octavia. “I thought we had that one.”
“Seems like we both had a similar strategy,” said Abigail.
“The difference is that we didn’t sacrifice ours,” said Octavia.
She was right about that. I never would have used Freddie like this in a real fight. It’d be a waste, but it was good to try new strategies while we had the time…test different scenarios and see what worked. “Freddie likes being sacrificed,” I joked.
“Is that true, Frederick?” she asked.
Freddie paused. “No comment.”
“Okay, folks,” I said, priming thrusters. “Time to head home for the day. Let’s reconvene tomorrow, same time.”
“Understood,” said Bolin.
“I’ll bring a better strategy next time,” said Octavia. “You’d better watch yourself.”
I smirked at the challenge. “Same goes for you.”
2
Octavia entered the loading bay ahead of me. I was the last one to arrive, bringing my ship through the shield and setting down next to her. She was already walking out, waving toward the rear section.
At Hitchens, by the look of it.
The jolly professor smiled at her, returning the gesture. He looked to be in his usual high spirits, with Lex and Camilla by his side. Hitchens had taken to tutoring the two girls in the afternoon, during the time between lunch and dinner. School had never been my thing, but I figured the kids needed it. They all seemed to enjoy it, including Hitchens, so much that the happy fool was already talking about expanding his lessons to the other children.
The ship’s door opened, allowing me to disembark. Alphonse spotted me and jogged over as I stepped onto the bay floor. “Captain! Do you have a moment?”
“What’s up, Al?” I asked.
Alphonse never bothered me with trivial bullshit. Like the rest of my crew, he was smart enough to handle most situations on his own. If he needed to speak with me, I figured it had to be important.
“The new recruits are acclimating quickly to the training regimen,” he explained, motioning to several of our new residents, who were near the other strike ship. “The first group of trainees is nearly ready to graduate to tactical combat training. Have you decided who you want to oversee that yet?”
“You can’t do it?” I asked, tilting my head.
“There are too many recruits waiting for their orientation. I need to stay here and work with the next group.”
“They’re already solid with basic maneuvers?” I asked. “That didn’t take long.”
“A few days, yes,” he answered. “It was the same with Karin. The colonists seem to adapt quickly to the technology. It’s a good problem to have, but we need another instructor for the next phase of their training.”
I weighed a few names. Abigail. Bolin. Octavia. All of them had a good handle on the strike ships up to this point. Karin was adapting rapidly too. Still, I couldn’t give up a member of my team. “Let me think about it,” I said after a moment. “I’ll give you a name tomorrow.”
He nodded. “I’ll be here.”
I yawned. “Sounds good, Al.” I felt a weight on my eyes, suddenly, like the adrenaline had finally subsided and my body was ready to sleep. How long had I gone without resting today? Twenty-five hours? Twenty-seven? It was hard to keep track.
“Sir,” a voice said in my ear.
“What is it, Siggy?” I asked, walking through the cargo bay and into a nearby corridor.
“This is a meal reminder, per Ms. Pryar’s request,” he informed.
“A what?” I asked.
“A meal reminder, sir. According to Ms. Pryar, you have missed several meals during your work hours. She has expressed some concern over your health.”
I rolled my eyes. “Tell Abby I can remember to feed myself, godsdammit. I don’t need you to—”
A set of double doors slid open in front of me, revealing a familiar albino woman on the other side, a soft glow around her. “Captain, do you have a moment?” asked Athena.
“What is it?” I asked. “And why the hell are you popping up in front of me?”
“Your communicator was occupied,” she answered.
“Blame Siggy for that. What do you need?”
“Your presence is requested on the bridge. We are preparing to exit slipspace in approximately ten minutes.”
“I’ll be there in a few,” I said, turning back around the way I came.
Athena blinked out of existence, leaving me alone in the corridor.
“Sorry, Siggy. Looks like I’ll have to miss that meal,” I said, heading through the nearby door, back into the landing bay. “Seems I still got shit to do.”
“A pity, sir,” said the A.I.
I sighed. “You’re telling me.”
I wasn’t the only one Athena had called to the bridge. Abigail had already beaten me to it. “It’s about time,” she said, giving me a smirk.
“What’s the story?” I asked, the second the door closed behind me.
Athena was standing against the far wall. “Greetings, Captain. Now that you are both here, shall I proceed?”
“With what, exactly?” I asked.
“A brief update on our current destination,” she explained.
“You mean Earth?” asked Abby.
The Cognitive smiled. “Precisely.” She flicked her wrist, changing the wall behind her to show the galaxy, then zoomed out. A small group of stars blinked, changing from yellow to red.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Earth’s defense network and inner colonies,” she said, and suddenly, the screen magnified so that only a small cluster of stars appeared. “Our current position is marked here,” she explained, indicating to the edge of the map, not far from the nearest system.
“Which one is Earth?” asked Abby.
Athena flicked her wrist. One of the centermost lights blinked. “Just here.”
“Does this mean we’re nearly there?” asked Abby.
The Cognitive nodded. “Yes, indeed, Ms. Pryar. However, this is not the reason I requested your presence.”
“Good,” I said. “I was wondering what part of this was important. Let’s get on with it so I can get some shut-eye.”
“Of course, Captain,” said Athena. “Earth’s territory is vast, expanding across dozens of systems. As such, certain measures were taken to prevent any aggressive actions by space-faring colonists or ill-intended Transients.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
“To put it simply,” explained Athena. “Earth saw fit to create a defense network, whose purpose would be to protect its borders and secure its territory. This was done alongside the great Transient Exodus. As you may recall, the Transients—your ancestors—embarked across the stars in search of new worlds. Knowing that their descendants may wish to return, the Eternals of Earth chose to create certain security protocols to ensure their own safety.”
“So what?” I asked. “What are we talking about here? What kind of security? Turrets? Ships? Space stations?”
“All of that and more, I’m afraid,” she answered. “At the height of their power, the Eternals had no less than ten thousand defensive drones strategically positioned around their territory.”
“How powerful?” asked Abby.
“Their weapons were similar to our strike ships,” said the Cognitive.
“Damn,” I muttered. “Good thing it’s been two thousand years. There’s no way their ships are still active.”
“On the contrary,” she said, “the drones remain in low power mode within close proximity to nearby stars. Like Titan, they have the ability to absorb solar energy, storing it for later usage.”
“Have you tried signaling the defense network? Isn’t there some way to tell it you’re not the enemy?” asked Abigail.
The Cognitive nodded. “Indeed. Ever since your acquisition of the Tritium core, I have made several attempts to contact the Cognitive overseer in charge of the network. However, to date, I have received no response. It seems likely that he has gone offline.” She turned back to the display, changing it to show what appeared to be some kind of space station. “This is Abaddon One, the nearest node in a series of docking stations along the border. Its sole purpose is to receive incoming vessels and grant authorization. We will need to board the facility and manually reactivate the system. Not doing so would flag Titan as an illegal threat, alerting the drones to our location.”
“That doesn’t sound too hard,” said Abby.
“It’s better than stealing a Tritium core from an underground Union base,” I admitted.
She snickered. “Or trudging through a frozen planet with a bunch of Boneclaws.”
I nodded. “That too.”
“Do I have your authorization to proceed, Captain?” asked the Cognitive.
I looked back at her. “Sounds like we don’t have much of a choice.”
“That is correct,” she said.
“Then I guess you have my permission.”
Abigail walked up to the screen, examining the space station. “How long do we have before we get there?”
“Approximately one week,” said Athena.
“That long, huh?” I asked, shooting a quick glance to Abigail. “Think that’s enough time?”
“Enough for what?” she asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I asked, stepping beside her and looking up at the screen. “To get our people ready.”
Abby and I started to leave, when Athena called after me. “Captain, if you wouldn’t mind, there is something else I would like to discuss.”
I turned back. “Oh? You got some news?”
“What’s wrong?” asked Abby.
“It pertains to a data recovery process,” explained Athena. “Shall I explain the details?”
Abby looked at me. “I need to pick Lex up from school. Think you can fill me in on this later?”
I nodded. “Will do. It shouldn’t take long. Meet you on the Star in an hour?”
“Don’t take too long or I’ll get bored,” she said, giving me a wink. “I know you don’t want that.”
I smirked. “Definitely not.”
She smiled, then turned to the corridor. “Later, Renegade.”
I watched her leave, rounding the corner and disappearing towards the lift.
“So,” I began, looking back at Athena, “got anything for me?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” said the Cognitive. She flicked her wrist, bringing up another image. It was a database of files with multiple layers of information, divided into sub-directories. Most were marked in red, suggesting they were either missing or corrupt. That was my guess, anyway. I was never very good with this stuff.
“Is this him?” I asked, staring at the screen.
“What little I managed to recover, yes,” she confirmed. “Only a fraction of his processes were transferred before the facility was destroyed. What you see before you is all that remains.”
“You mean after three weeks, this is all you could get?” There was so much red, I could hardly believe it. “Just cut to the end and tell me the prognosis. Is it possible to save him with this?”
“I’m afraid not,” she said plainly. “The core memories are completely lost. Only the shell of his code remains.”
“Memories?” I asked.
“Cognitives, like humans, are shaped from their inception by a collection of memories and experiences. Without those, everything that makes them who they are is lost. Janus had been active for two millennia, gaining experiences and growing as an individual. Without those memories, he is lost.”
I cursed beneath my breath. When Athena told me a few weeks ago that she had attempted to recover Janus’ matrix, I let myself believe he might return. As it turned out, it was all for nothing. “You said something about a shell. What does that mean?”
“To simplify it,” she began, “Cognitives are comprised of two distinct parts—their mind, which we refer to as the cognition, and the functional shell. Think of this dynamic as you would a human being’s mind and body. Either could exist without the other, given the right circumstances, but both are required to create a fully functional being. In this case, a Cognitive like Janus or myself. What you see before you is largely the shell.”
The last bit caused me to straighten. “Are you saying his entire mind is wiped?”
“In a sense, yes,” she confirmed. “Without his memories, Janus is merely a blank shell, devoid of any personality. It would be like having the brain without the mind.”
“In other words,” I said, “he really is gone.”
“I’m afraid so,” she said.
“Then all of this was for nothing. Just a waste of your time.”
“Perhaps,” she said, glancing up at the image. “But I’ll store the shell for now.”
“Why?” I asked. “You said it yourself. He’s dead. What’s the point in holding on to a corpse?”
“You are correct, Captain,” said Athena, giving me a slight nod. “But one never knows when a piece of data might prove useful.”
“You think we can do something with this shell of his?”
“I do not know, but I prefer to be prepared for alternative outcomes.” She looked up at the display. “For possibilities.”
3
The dark of my room was just enough to see the woman beside me, her hair glistening in the glow of the bathroom light. She seemed to feel me fidget and rolled to look at me with a gentle smile that I knew was only for me.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be up for this, considering how long your day was,” Abigail told me, brushing her fingertips along my chest. “You certainly proved me wrong.”
“Good,” I said, stretching my toes and feet. “I like it when you’re impressed.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” she said. “Let’s call it relief.”
“Relief?” I asked. “Is that what I’ve given you just now? I guess that’s one way to put the noises you made.”
She laughed. “Yes to some of that, of course, but I say relief because I worry. You push yourself more and more every day.”
“It’s nothing I haven’t done before,” I said.
“Siggy says you haven’t eaten since breakfast. Even then, it was only coffee and a meatstick.”
“That traitor,” I mumbled.
“Don’t blame the A.I.,” she said.
“I don’t. I blame you. Stop being nosy about what I eat.”
“Someone has to,” she said with a shrug. “You’re no good to me dead.”
“You must think we’re on a luxury cruise or something,” I said, scoffing at the notion of relaxation. “There’s too much to do and we’ve got an army up our collective ass.”
“I never said you couldn’t push yourself and do the work, Jace. All I’m asking is for you to stop and eat some godsdamn oatmeal every once in a while.”
“I’ll eat when I’m good and ready, woman, and not any sooner.”
She stared at me for a brief moment, then burst out laughing. “Idiot. You’re going to die of your own stubbornness.”
“What a way to go,” I said with a smile. I leaned in and kissed her.
She embraced me again, this time with more passion than the last—a new energy between us.
I could do this forever.
When I opened my eyes, seven hours had passed.
Abigail was gone, probably back to her quarters. She shared a room with Lex, who probably wondered where Abby kept going off to. I had no idea if the nun had told her about us yet, but she’d find out eventually.
That was if we kept this up, of course. It was hard to say how long it would last. Every woman I’d been with had only stuck around for a short while, except Eliza, but that had been a relationship of convenience. It never mattered to me whether she stuck around or not. We had used each other, plain and simple.
But Abigail was different. I liked when she came to visit me, and I didn’t want her to leave when it was over.
I pushed the thought from my mind. It was time to get out of bed. Time to get to work. “Any news, Siggy?” I asked, trying to force my eyes to stay open.
“Only a handful of messages, sir,” he replied. “Nineteen in total.”
I sighed. “How many are from the colonists?”
“Eighteen, sir.”
“Read the nineteenth entry.”
“Yes, sir,” said Sigmond. “The message is from Alphonse Malloy. ‘Captain Hughes, when you have a spare moment, I still need someone to supervise combat maneuvers for the group of trainees. Please respond at your convenience.’”
“Oh, right,” I said, opening my eyes. “I forgot about that.”
“Shall I prepare a response?” asked Sigmond.
“Ignore it for now,” I said. “I’ll have to talk this over with the crew. No sense deciding yet.”
“Of course, sir.”
I eased out of bed and hopped into the shower, scrubbing the stink of sleep off of me. My coffee was already prepped the second I stepped out, and I could smell the sweet aroma floating through the ship.
After getting dressed, I walked into the lounge, ready to have my morning caffeine fix. “Thanks for the coffee, Siggy,” I said, beaming an eye to the overhead camera.
“Anticipating your needs is part of my programing, Captain,” he said. “Nonetheless, you are most welcome.”
“Good man,” I muttered, holding the cup close to my nose, then took a sip.
I paused, pulling the cup away. It was different, somehow. A tad less bitter. “How do you like the new blend, sir?”
“New blend?” I asked, staring into the cup. I took another sip, letting it sit in my mouth for a second before swallowing. “It’s less shitty than usual. Not great, but less shitty. What did you do, Siggy?”
“After taking note of forty-seven complaints regarding the taste of your morning coffee, I contacted Athena and inquired as to the availability of additional blends. She was most eager to assist and informed me that Titan has several available.”
“You sure do seem to stay busy when I’m not around,” I remarked. “I’m not sure I like it.”
“I believe that to be a false statement, sir, if you don’t mind me saying.”
“Oh? And what do you know about it?”
“Your response to the new coffee was positive, sir,” he said. “It suggests you are pleased with my decision.”
I set the cup on the table. “Shove it up your ass, Siggy.”
“An impossible request,” he remarked, “but I shall do my utmost, sir.”
I glanced back down at the coffee, hesitating before finally picking it up again.
“See that you do, Siggy.” I took a long sip. “See that you do.”
I entered the refitted cargo bay to find Lucia and a handful of trainees. She’d volunteered to give them hand-to-hand combat lessons every morning. I had suggested letting one of the younger soldiers handle the job, but she refused, saying it had to be her. I suspected, truthfully, that she just liked staying busy. The woman might be old, but the fire in her heart had kept her alive. She’d never be the sort to sit in a rocking chair and knit her way into the grave. She’d die with a weapon in her hand, doing what she was born to do.
I respected that.
Lucia stood with two young men, one on each side with a staff in their hands.
Before I could say anything, the two fighters attacked, coming at the old woman with everything they had. The first went low, sweeping the staff at her knees.
Lucia swept the stick aside with her own, controlling the man’s movement. The second came from behind, jabbing at her back. She spun around, releasing the first staff and blocking the second. It happened in an instant.
The second man faltered, losing his balance momentarily, which gave her the opportunity to press him. Lucia struck the man’s knee, and I heard a loud snap as he cried out in pain. The first man dashed at her, a desperate look on his face. He brought the staff down on her, hard and with more force than I would have expected for a training match.
She leapt to her side, swinging her own staff toward him. He jumped back, and she went forward. The tips of their sticks smacked repeatedly as they moved, almost like it was a dance. Lucia batted his away as she continued her push.
The man looked unsettled, all planning lost. He was in a corner now, the walls around him closing. The old woman had him. It was only a matter of—
Lucia smacked her opponent’s stick with more force than before, sending it far to the side, although he kept a loose grip on it. She shuffled forward, getting inside his range of defense, and slammed the end of her staff hard into his abdomen.
I heard the ribs crack from twelve meters away.
The two injured men were on their knees, gasping for air when I approached. Lucia turned around to look at me, a serious expression scrawled on her face. She stared at me for a second before looking at the other students. “Take these two to the med pods. Observe their recovery and return in exactly one hour.”
The students scattered, swiftly gathering their injured peers and heading to the exit, almost like a bunch of school children, afraid of their mother.
Originally, this section of the ship had been used for storage purposes, but with the help of the new colonists, we were able to clear most of the equipment and supplies out. All to make room for more training.
It seems like that’s all we do anymore, I thought. Train and prepare.
But there was purpose to that, I knew, and it couldn’t be ignored. The Union would send its best after us, and quickly, which meant we had no other choice. People were likely to die. All I could do was minimize the death count.
“Not bad,” I said once the students were sufficiently out of earshot. “For a hag anyway.”
She peered up at me with wrinkled blue eyes. “I have time for a lesson if you’re willing, boy.”
“No time today,” I said, fanning my hand at her. “Got too much shit to do.”
“If you’re so busy, why are you wasting time here?” she asked.
“I came to see how the training was going, but I guess I got my answer.”
“Did you?” she asked. “And what did you surmise? Do tell me, Captain.”
“That these fools need work,” I said, nodding in the direction the students had fled.
She chuckled. “You treat them unfairly. Those are fresher than the soldiers you met back home. They were crafters, growers, and engineers. None of them are like us.”
I knew that, of course. The real soldiers were already being trained by Alphonse to pilot the strike ships. Still, I expected better progress from a group of people who had spent their whole lives fighting and living in fear of monsters. “They should be better than this by now,” I told the old woman.
“They’re better than they appear. You forget that against me, everyone looks the fool.” She gave me a wink.
I smirked. “Fair enough.”
“To answer your question, most of them are making fast progress. I expect to send my best students to Alphonse within a week’s time.”
“That long?” I asked.
She raised her brow at the question. “Is it not soon enough for you?”
“I was expecting a new batch of recruits sooner than that. We need more ships in the air.”
“As talented as I might be, Captain, I can only do so much,” said Lucia.
I knew she was right, so I didn’t bother insisting. Proper training took time and I wasn’t about to rush these people through the process. “It’s fine. You decide when they’re ready. Just don’t overthink it.”
She nodded. “Of course, Captain.”
I turned to leave but paused. “And try not to kill the poor kids, would ya? It’s not their fault their teacher is a sadist.”
She chuckled. “I make no assurances.”
4
The dining hall was packed, full of our new colonist friends. They bustled and chattered, laughing and eating. I should’ve been angry at all the noise, but I wasn’t. Even when one of the albino infants began to cry, the noise seemed to blend together with everything else.
The child’s mother calmed him immediately, stroking his cheeks and whispering to him. She smiled and began to sing, and the child returned the expression, pure joy strewn across his chubby face. I wondered what that boy would think if he knew how lucky he was to be alive—how fortunate he was to be on this ship with the rest of us.
But that was true of everyone, I supposed. We’d gone through hell and back to get here, It was a wonder any of us were still alive.
“Mr. Jace!” came a voice from behind me.
I turned to see Lex smiling at me. Hitchens and Camilla were with her, each of them holding a tray of food. “Hey, kid,” I said, nodding at the girl.
Lex came closer and sat down at the table. “What’re you doing, Mr. Jace?”
“Eating,” I said, glancing down at the half-finished beef sandwich. “Tastes like shit, though. I think something’s wrong with it.”
Lex extended her tray, full of beans, soggy greens, and mixed fruit. “You want some of mine?”
I smiled but shook my head, standing up from my seat and patting the girl’s shoulder. “Nah, you go ahead, kid. I’m good for now.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I gotta check on a few things. Nothing important.”
“Lex!” called a little boy from across the dining hall, diverting her attention. He was with a group of five other children. “Look, everyone!”
The crowd approached our table quickly, gathering around Lex, smiles on all of their faces. She was laughing at them, totally lost in their attention.
I stepped back to give them room to sit. They began talking amongst themselves, with Lex at the center. Looking at her now, it was easy to see how well she blended with the others. If I hadn’t known her, I might have had a hard time picking her out of this crowd. She seemed to fit with them so naturally, and it made me smile a little to see.
“Ah, Captain Hughes,” said Hitchens, who’d apparently decided to sneak up on me.
“Hey, Professor,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at him. “Looks like you’re staying busy.”
He laughed. “It seems like the same could be said of you, Captain.”
“Seems like it,” I said.
“I hear we may arrive soon at a space station,” said the doctor. “Tell me, is there any truth to it? Are we really—” He bent in closer, lowering his voice. “—nearly there? To Earth, I mean.”
I fanned him away. “I know what you mean, Prof, and I don’t know. Maybe. You should ask Athena.”
“But it’s true, isn’t it? There’s a station?”
“That’s what she tells me, sure,” I said. “We’ll have to manually board it and perform some kind of handshake.”
He paused, like he was processing the information. “I see. I suppose it makes sense, given what we know about the defense network.”
“You already heard about that, huh?”
“Oh yes,” he said happily. “I’ve been trying to stay informed as best I can, although it’s been hectic lately, what with the children and all.”
“Well, that’s good,” I told him. “We may need some of that expertise of yours when the time comes. This is all uncharted territory and you’re the closest thing to an expert we have on old Earth tech.”
“I’m afraid you give me too much credit, Captain. Everything we’ve found since we left the Deadlands is, to put it frankly, beyond me. I spent decades researching Earth, digging up old artifacts, all with the hope of uncovering a sliver of information. Now look at us. We’re on Titan, surrounded by things I could scarcely have imagined.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, I’m no expert. Not anymore. Not remotely.”
“If that’s true, why are you staying up to date with Athena?” I asked.
“Ah,” he said, tapping his chin. “I suppose I would like to cure my ignorance. Does that make sense? I want to understand what I don’t understand.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“Nonetheless, Captain, I do hope you’ll involve me when the time comes. I would still like to be useful.”
“Useful?” I asked. “You don’t think you’re useful?”
“Not as much as I’d like,” he admitted.
I glanced back at Lex and the other kids. “I think they’d disagree with you.”
He smiled, a hint of red in his cheeks. “Perhaps. You know, I should have the school fully established in a few weeks. It may bring some much-needed regularity to the children’s lives, don’t you think?”
“Regularity might be just the thing they need,” I said.
Hitchens smiled. “Once again, the same could be said of you, Captain.”
Alphonse called me again on my way to the bridge, probably to ask about my progress with finding a training supervisor. I still didn’t have an answer, but I’d have to give him something soon.
Athena was on the bridge when I arrived, an image on the screen behind her, showing what appeared to be a star system. There were several planets of varying types, but it was hard to see the details.
“Got something for me, Athena?” I asked, letting the door shut behind me.
“Indeed, I do, Captain,” said the Cognitive. She flicked her wrist and the image changed, expanding outward to show our current route through the slip tunnel. It was leading us near the star system I’d just been looking at, but it didn’t intersect.
“I have found an ideal location for our next stop. Should you agree, we can be there within the next two hours.”
“That star system you just had up? Is that why you asked me to come all the way up here?” I had to admit, it was a little strange. Athena usually sent me a message about this kind of thing. She knew how busy I was, and she knew I trusted her to figure this out on her own.
“There’s something about this particular location that I felt inclined to explore,” she admitted. “Specifically, a short-range distress signal.”
“A distress signal?” I echoed curiously. “Aren’t we too far from any Union or Sarkonian worlds or colonies for that?”
“Yes, but the signal isn’t from either of those two groups,” she explained.
“Then where?” I asked.
“Earth, if the data is to be believed,” she said.
I paused, looking at the screen. There didn’t seem to be any stations or points of interest. “A ship from Earth? Is that what you mean?”
“Precisely so,” she said. “It matches that of a drone, but I cannot confirm this. Whatever it is, I believe I can use it to establish contact with Abaddon Station.”
So that was it. Athena had mentioned a few times that she’d had no luck contacting the station, which would be a necessity once we arrived. Since she had no information on what was waiting for us, I could see the need to explore other options. “So you think if you have this thing, you can get us inside that station?”
“There are several other benefits to locating this vessel, but yes. I believe I can integrate the drone’s communication software into my own, updating my access and allowing me to contact Abaddon and, potentially, the defense network’s Cognitive, Hephaestus.” She paused, adding, “If he is still active, of course.”
Sigmond’s voice interrupted us. “Sir, you have another call from Alphonse Malloy. Shall I put him through?” asked the A.I.
“No, I know what he wants,” I said. “Tell him I’ll be down there in a few.”
“Understood, sir,” said Siggy.
“Is there a problem?” asked Athena.
I shrugged. “Alphonse needs a trainer for his team. Someone to show them how to fly, run them through drills, but I can’t spare anyone.” I sighed. “It’s fine. I’ll figure it out.”
“You require an experienced pilot to teach them?” she asked.
I nodded. “The only people I know who can do that are all on my team. Alphonse is the only exception and he’s already busy enough teaching the entry level stuff to all the new recruits.”
“Is it possible to replace Mr. Malloy with someone less experienced but still qualified enough to do what is required of the position?” she asked.
I considered that for a second. “Huh,” I muttered, surprised I hadn’t thought of it before. “I guess all we need is someone there to show them basic flight controls.”
She smiled. “Yes, which isn’t necessarily difficult. In fact, I believe an artificial intelligence could sufficiently perform the necessary lessons, should you fail to locate a human counterpart.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “You think I should use an A.I. to teach them how to use the strike ships?”
“If you will recall, I taught you and Alphonse how to operate the controls. The task is rather simple, once the user understands how the systems operate. Given the colonists’ history with Earth-based technology, it stands to reason they will adapt even faster.”
“Are you volunteering to take over training?” I asked.
“I am a Cognitive, not an artificial intelligence. My attention is required elsewhere,” she explained. “However, it stands to reason that Sigmond could perform the task with little trouble, though his programming may need to be expanded upon in order to integrate with the ships.”
“You want to use Siggy?” I asked, surprised by the suggestion. “I guess it’s not a bad idea.”
She smiled. “I thought you might like it.”
I tried to imagine Siggy giving flying lessons to a bunch of new trainees. “You said he’d need to be expanded. What did you mean?”
“Do you recall the shell we acquired from Janus?”
I nodded. “Hard to forget that.”
“There are certain extensions built into the shell that allow for integration with Earth technology, including the strike ships on Titan. If we incorporate some of these extensions into Sigmond, he should be able to integrate with the ships,” Athena told me. “Additionally, his functionality and overall processing capabilities would greatly expand, increasing his overall efficiency.”
“So he’d be a better A.I.”
“Effectively, yes,” she said. “We would only need to incorporate part of Janus’ shell. A simple task, I assure you.”
“How long would that take?” I asked.
“A few hours,” she said. “This is only a partial rewrite, after all.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about loaning Siggy out to a bunch of trainees, but it wasn’t like he was accomplishing much where I had him. His whole purpose was to safeguard the Star, but since I was spending so much time in my strike ship, training with the team, the poor A.I. had become nothing more than a glorified babysitter.
Given the stakes of our situation and the increased need for defensive action, it only made sense to give Siggy more responsibilities, especially since he wasn’t contributing much, aside from fixing my coffee and directing my calls. He’d been a vital asset before we stuck the Star in Titan’s landing bay. If we could make him useful again, then why not give it a try?
I inhaled, letting the thought settle in the air. “Okay. If you think Siggy can handle it, give him the upgrade.”
She nodded. “I’ll get started right away.”
“Just don’t do anything else to him,” I told her. “Nothing extra beyond what we talked about. I don’t want him going crazy on me.”
“I assure you, Sigmond will remain as he is, with no unnecessary changes to his program outside of what is required.”
“Good,” I said. “I like that little bastard just the way he is.”
The landing bay bustled with activity. Alphonse was in the second section, lecturing his trainees with safety protocols when I entered. I wasn’t sure how he found the patience for it. I would’ve been bored to tears.
“Morning, Al,” I said, approaching from the nearby hall.
He turned and smiled, standing with his back straight and his chin up. “Captain.”
“Just here to let you know I found someone to help you with training.”
His eyes widened. “Ah, I had no idea. I tried to reach you earlier, but Sigmond mentioned you were indisposed.”
“Funny you should say Siggy’s name,” I mused. “I talked with Athena about it and she recommended we let him handle the recruits. She can give him direct access to the ships and have him ready to work in just a few hours.”
“Sigmond?” he asked, blinking. “Your A.I.?”
“That’s the one,” I said.
“Are you certain he can handle the job?”
“Athena seems to think so,” I said.
“But—”
“Give it a chance and see how it goes. If Siggy can’t pull it off, we’ll find someone else,” I told him.
He hesitated but finally nodded. “All right, Captain. I’ll follow your lead.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said, turning to the other side of the landing bay, where my squad was lining up for practice. “And try not to worry so much, Al. You’re scaring the recruits.”
Straight ahead, Abigail and the others had gathered together near their designated strike ships, standing in the main section of the bay.
Bolin spotted me first, sending me a happy wave. “Good morning, Captain!”
“Morning, Bo,” I said, nodding as I approached. “Everyone got their gear? We ready to start?”
“All set,” said Octavia, thumbing her harness.
I glanced at the nearest wall. “Athena, are you listening?”
The Cognitive materialized in front of us, glimmering in the light for a brief moment as the photons settled into place, solidifying her shape. “Good day, everyone.”
“Are you set to drop out of slipspace?” I asked.
She nodded slightly. “We should be arriving at our destination shortly. Less than two minutes, actually.”
“Right on time,” said Abby.
After Athena informed me that Titan needed to drop out of slipspace periodically to create a new slip tunnel, I decided we could use that time to get some decent training in.
Only a few hours, of course, because we couldn’t stay still for too long—not if we wanted to outrun the Union.
Part of me wanted to avoid these training sessions altogether. After all, less time sitting still was more time running, but Alphonse had made a good point about being prepared. Without the right training, we’d only find ourselves at a disadvantage. Our showdown with Brigham was inevitable, whether I wanted to admit it or not. Every tunnel we opened—every path we took—was one that he and his people could follow.
All I could do was be ready.
I watched through the landing bay shield as we emerged out of the tunnel, finally back in open space. “Everybody, load up,” I finally said, looking at my team. “Let’s not waste any time.”
We had arrived in a system with six planets and a red star. Nothing unusual, but it made for decent training grounds.
I had my team run a few warm-up maneuvers to start things off, then I had them break off into teams. Like yesterday, this meant I was stuck working with Freddie again.
“Let’s head behind that planet,” I told him once the others had moved clear of Titan. “I see a few moons over there. Might be good to use them as obstacles.”
Freddie agreed, although I was pretty sure the poor kid would’ve done that no matter what I suggested. He was eager to learn, and I hoped that might translate into progress.
The world was a class-H planet, totally uninhabitable, covered in nitrogen gas, with a giant ring in orbit. While the planet was impressive enough, the ring was where we’d do most of our training. It contained rocks of varying sizes, some being the size of small moons. Perfect for what I needed.
“Okay, Freddie, listen up,” I said. “I want you to start where you are and follow the path I send you. Got it?”
“Got it!” he repeated, a brush of excitement in his tone.
I brought up the holo, zooming in on one of the larger rocks inside the ring and running my finger along it. The holo glowed with my touch, creating a flightpath for Freddie to follow. It took him within close proximity of about ten rocks, always at a sharp incline, then pulling away before impact. It was dangerous, but his ship would course-correct and prevent a collision if he got too close.
“I-I can do that,” he said, almost like he was trying to convince himself, rather than me.
“You’ve got this, Freddie. Just trust your instincts.” I paused, reconsidering my words. “Okay, maybe not your instincts. Trust the training.”
“Right,” he muttered. “The training. Got it!”
I leaned back, watching the dot on the radar that represented his ship, and waited.
It began to move, flying toward the nearest rock. Slowly at first, but gradually accelerating. Good, I thought. Keep building that momentum. No need to take it slow unless you have to.
His ship came in close to the giant rock, but not as far as I’d indicated on the flightpath. I decided not to criticize yet.
If he screwed it up again, then I’d let him hear it.
Freddie accelerated to the second moonlet, diving close again, but this time, he actually followed the path as it was, almost to the surface before breaking away. Perfect. He was getting it.
I watched him perform the same maneuver on the third rock, showing some consistency.
After the fourth, I decided it was time to change things up. With a wave of my finger, I altered his course to have him drop a little lower to the surface of the next one, then hug the ground and enter a wide ravine. It was large enough to fit a city, so there would be plenty of area for him to maneuver.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, a little frantic.
“Just giving you a little extra work,” I said.
He didn’t argue and kept on the path I’d drawn him, dipping between two cliffs and diving deeper into the ravine.
I was already setting up the next part of his route, when I heard his voice. “Captain! Captain, I see something!”
I paused, surprised by the sudden outburst. I sat up in my seat, searching the radar. “Freddie, you okay? Did something happen?”
“No, I’m fine, but there’s something else down here!” he yelled. “I…I think it’s a ship!”
“A ship?” I leaned closer to the holo, searching for any sign of activity besides Freddie, but saw nothing. No other objects moving between the rocks. “Are you sure about that? Is it crashed? Send me a screen.”
“On it,” he answered.
A second later, my holo changed to show the thing in question. A vessel of some kind, clad in white metal, nestled between two gray walls and surrounded by stone. It was half-buried in the ground, with pieces of itself strewn behind it.
I stared at the image for a full ten seconds before I said anything. When I did, it was a message to the entire team. “Everyone, stop what you’re doing and get over here.”
“It’s a little early for the team match to start, isn’t it?” asked Octavia.
“Are you unprepared?” asked Karin.
I forwarded the image to everyone. “Match-up might be canceled until we find out what this is.”
There was a brief silence.
“Is that a ship?” asked Abigail.
“What else could it be?” asked Octavia. “But it’s not Union or Sarkonian. Could it be from Earth?”
“What do you think, Karin?” asked Bolin. “Does it look like the old ships you had on your planet?”
“A little,” she answered, uncertain. “Maybe.”
I brought my ship into close orbit around the moonlet and placed it in standby. “Form up and wait a few. I’m getting Athena on this. We’ll see what she says.”
“Are you planning on salvaging it?” asked Octavia.
I shrugged, even though no one could see me. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
5
“That is a grade-16 network defense drone,” explained Athena. I had her coming in on everyone’s comm, so I wouldn’t have to explain this a second time. “I haven’t the faintest idea what it’s doing out here, however.”
“A defense drone?” asked Abigail.
“Correct,” said the Cognitive. “We are still twelve lightyears from the Abaddon One station. There should not be a drone this far from the border. It is most unusual.”
“Maybe it veered off course somehow,” I said.
“It is possible. The government may have been scouting this system in the hope of expanding Earth’s territory.”
“If that’s true, then why isn’t there a colony here?”
“Unknown,” she admitted. “My information regarding Earth’s expansion efforts are limited to the time before Titan’s launch.”
“Maybe it crashed before it could scout this system properly,” said Octavia.
“Possibly,” said Athena. “I would like to download its data drives for a proper analysis.”
“Maybe we can board it and check its logs,” said Abby.
I cleared my throat. “Athena, is it safe to do that? Do we need to worry about any radiation?”
“My records indicate there are no radioactive materials on this vessel, Captain. Nuclear weapons were banned before the implementation of the defense drone network.”
“Aren’t your records about Earth a bit outdated?” asked Abigail. “Maybe they changed the law.”
“Indeed, it is possible,” said Athena.
“We should suit up properly before going down there,” suggested Octavia. “Even if these drones didn’t carry anything radioactive when Titan left Earth, it doesn’t mean they didn’t alter them later.”
“An astute observation, Ms. Brie,” said Athena. “Let us err on the side of caution, then.”
“That might be tough for Jace,” said Abby.
I scoffed. “I can be cautious.”
She giggled. “Sure you can.”
I stared at the drone, zooming in on the image. It was beat up from the crash, but otherwise intact. There was no telling how old it was. A decade, a century, a millennium. It was impossible to tell in the vacuum of space, where something could be preserved indefinitely, given the right circumstances.
I thumbed the side of my seat, wondering what we were walking into. Was I making a mistake?
“Suit up, folks,” I said, after a moment. “Let’s go see what’s down there.”
I stood outside the vessel, wearing my environmental suit, surrounded by gray rocks and the darkness of space. The others were still disembarking from their own ships as I walked closer to examine the ship’s airlock.
There was no keycard slot or door lock that I could find. “Athena, do you know how to open this?”
“It operates much the same way as Titan’s technology,” she explained. “Do you see the access pad?”
I glanced to the right of the airlock to find a flat, black square. “I think so.”
“Touching it should activate the door,” she said.
“I take it my tattoos are the key?” I asked.
“Correct, although you will need to mentally request access,” she explained. “It operates much the same way as your strike ship’s controls.”
“Got it.”
My team had nearly gathered beside me, only Bolin still approaching from his landing spot. He had to park his ship a farther distance, due to the limited space available.
“This thing is even bigger than I thought,” said Abigail, her voice coming through the comm. “Isn’t this supposed to be a drone? I’ve never seen one so big.”
“Defense drones are built to hold heavy armaments, so they are larger than a typical probe or scouting drone,” explained Athena.
“If this is an automated drone, will there be enough room for us to walk around?” asked Octavia.
“Unless the internal design has changed, I believe so,” said Athena. A light beeped in the corner of my visor screen, informing me that I had a new message. I opened it to find an image of a blueprint. “For your reference,” said the Cognitive.
“Should come in handy,” I said.
“The path is straightforward, but I saw no harm in providing it. Please proceed when ready, Captain.”
I glanced back at my team. “Everyone ready?”
Bolin had finally joined us. He gave me a nod and a smile.
“We’re all here,” said Abigail.
“Okay, then,” I said, stepping closer to the ship. I reached out and touched the pad, holding my palm there for several seconds.
A soft blue glow emitted from inside my suit, below my eyes. It could only be my tattoos reacting to the controls.
The door cracked, dust falling from between the metal as it moved. It took a few seconds for the airlock to fully open, probably from lack of power. I could only imagine how long this pile of junk had been sitting here.
The inside lights came on right away, illuminating a thin corridor.
The map in the corner of my eye showed my position with a red light, along with the destination in green.
I drew my pistol from my hip.
“Are you expecting a fight in there?” asked Abigail.
I shot her a quick glance. “This thing’s two thousand years old and stocked with weapons from an advanced, ancient civilization that built—” I pointed up at Titan, which was currently floating high above our heads. “—that thing. For all we know, there’s a giant death robot in there, waiting to skin us alive. I’m not ruling anything out.”
“Okay, that’s fair,” said the nun. “Just remember, this is a defense drone and it’s holding a decent number of missiles. If you fire that gun, you could hit one of them and cause an explosion that takes us all with it.”
I stared at her for a moment, then holstered my pistol. “Fine,” I muttered. “No weapons.”
She smiled, giving me a wink.
I turned back to the ship. “Everyone ready?” I asked, taking a step inside. “Let’s see what this thing’s hiding.”
The corridor was thin with a low-hanging ceiling, making it difficult to move through. This was probably done to save space, since the drone was supposed to be fully automated. That meant more room for weapons and equipment and far less for things like toilets and bedrooms. The corridors and crawlspaces that were here seemed to only exist for human maintenance workers, rather than to benefit an entire crew of permanent residents.
As we moved through the ship, I wondered how long this drone had sat here, waiting silently for someone to come and find it, whether with purpose or by chance. It was lucky we’d found it at all, sitting on a ring in the middle of nowhere, all because Freddie needed extra training. How many more centuries would’ve passed if we’d never come along?
The map in the upper right-hand corner of my visor showed our position as we moved. There were two turns ahead, first to the left, then to the right.
I noticed as we proceeded forward that the walls were growing closer. After a few moments, I had to turn and walk sideways, just to get through.
“Hold on,” said Bolin. “I don’t think I can fit through this. It’s too narrow.”
I tried to turn around, but it was too difficult. “What’s wrong? You can’t fit?”
“I’m too big,” he said. “I’ll have to wait outside.”
“I’ll go with him,” said Octavia, who was right behind him. She had no other choice, since she’d have to back all the way out anyway.
“Okay,” I told them. “Wait for us but take some video of the exterior while you’re out there.”
“You got it,” she said.
Octavia and Bolin began to slowly back their way out of the corridor while the rest of us continued forward. Abigail, Freddie, and Karin stayed behind me as I rounded the first corner. “Everyone, stay close and try not to get stuck,” I said right as we neared a fallen beam, half-sunk in the corridor.
“That goes double for you, since you’re in front of us,” said Abigail.
I bent beneath the beam, taking my time. “Fair enough,” I said, easing my way to the other side.
Abigail was next, followed by Karin and Freddie. The control room was just ahead of us, about thirty meters down the next corridor.
“What do you think we’ll find down here?” asked Freddie.
“If we’re lucky, maybe some information or records about Earth,” I said.
“But you don’t think so,” said Karin, apparently picking up on my skepticism.
“I like to keep expectations low,” I told her.
Athena’s voice interrupted us. “Captain, you should be nearing the forward control room. Do you see it?”
I raised my light to see an opening straight ahead. “Sure do,” I answered.
“This drone has been forced into hibernation to conserve its power. You will need to reactivate it the same way you would one of the strike ships.”
I eased my way through the opening and into the next area. It was hardly large enough to be called a room. More like a compartment, small and with a slightly taller ceiling than the corridor, it was just large enough to fit a handful of consoles, each of them along the far wall. They all had an activation pad, similar to the one outside the airlock. “Which one of these should I use?” I finally asked.
“The centermost console will provide full control to major systems,” informed Athena.
“Hold on a second,” said Karin, stepping beside me. She walked closer to the wall, examining the device. “I’ve used one of these before. Do you mind if I give it a try?”
“Suit yourself,” I said, waving my hand.
Karin touched the pad, and the console responded with a blue activation light. I had to imagine her tattoos were doing the same, although I couldn’t see them from where I was standing. In seconds, she had a menu on the nearby screen, sorting through a directory of commands, all of which were written in the same ancient language I’d found on both Titan and Karin’s homeworld. “Here we are,” she said after a moment.
“Find something?” asked Abigail.
Karin turned around. “I have the activation command right here. What do you want me to do?”
“Wait a second,” I said, stepping closer to the screen. “You can reactivate the ship?”
“I think so,” she said, sorting through several more menus. “It seems the drone’s thrusters are still working.”
“Does it say why the ship crashed?” asked Abigail.
“It looks like—” Karin checked over a few more screens, reading carefully. “—here it is. It looks like power failure.”
“I thought you said the drone’s thrusters could be reactivated,” I said.
“And didn’t you say it was only in hibernation mode? You’re using the system now, so the power can’t be down,” said Abigail.
Athena answered this time. “This vessel operates in a similar fashion to Titan, relying on solar energy as a backup power supply should its central power unit fail. In Titan’s case, we rely on a functional Tritium core. However, smaller vessels such as this one must make use of a series of Fusion cores.”
I instantly recognized the term. “These ships use Fusion cores? Aren’t those the same little power batteries your people use in their weapons, Karin?”
“That’s right,” Karin answered. “One of the nearby facilities manufactured them at one point, so our colony had a lot of them.”
“Fusion cores were still limited to military and defense network units when Titan departed Earth,” explained Athena. “It is not surprising that they grew in popularity as the demand escalated.”
“You mean they weren’t common when you left Earth?” asked Karin.
“Titan was part of the initial wave of colony ships,” said Athena. “The Eternals were still working to mass produce these cores for public use when we departed.”
“So you think they found a way?” I asked.
“I believe so, but without sufficient information, I can only draw on my own assumptions.”
“In any case, we need to get this working,” said Abigail. “Karin, what do you have?”
Karin flipped through another menu. “The Fusion cores are down, but the ship has been drawing on solar power periodically, according to this report. If we activate thrusters, they should work.”
“Let’s just focus on powering the rest of the ship first,” I said.
Freddie raised a finger. “Can we do it without the weapons?”
“Good idea,” said Abby. “We don’t want this thing to see Titan and start firing missiles at it.”
“I can do that,” said Karin, hurriedly browsing through the directory. She found what she was looking for in less than a minute. “Here,” she said, selecting the box. “Weapons are deactivated until I tell the system otherwise.”
I nodded. “Good. Let’s power the other systems, except flight controls and weapons. Leave those alone.”
“Right,” said Karin, focusing her attention entirely on the screen. She brought it back to the previous location, stopping on a single large box. “Here we go.”
The box switched from blue to green as she selected it, bringing the overhead lights on in an instant. Freddie and Abigail flinched at the sudden change, with Abby going for her weapon, but then stopping when she saw there was no threat.
The metal grate beneath us began to vibrate as the other internal systems came online. “It’s working!” exclaimed Karin, a wide smile across her face.
“Great job,” I told her. “Let’s just hope this thing doesn’t blow itself up before we can celebrate.”
“You think it’ll do that?” asked Freddie.
“Scans show the drone is coming online,” informed Athena. “Karin, please open communications and grant me access.”
“Of course,” said Karin, focusing on the screen in front of her. “This should only take me a second or two.”
With the lights finally active, I could see the interior much more clearly. Wires hung from the upper walls, with several tiles fallen to the floor nearby, suggesting that this ship had taken a beating when it fell. Looking at it now, it seemed a mess. I was beginning to wonder if it might rip apart if we tried to activate those thrusters. Might be better for Athena to tow it in, I thought.
The screen blinked red, catching my attention, and a message appeared in the upper corner.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“It’s some kind of message,” said Karin, trying to read it. “‘Emergency system activated. Sending alert to Abaddon Station.’”
Another box popped up. “‘Alert received,’” read Karin.
“Received by who?” I asked.
Karin stared at the screen for longer than I felt comfortable. “It looks like it was sent to something called Hephaestus.”
I looked at Abigail. “That’s the Cognitive in charge of the defense network, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “I believe so.”
“Athena?” I called. “You wanna shed some light on this?”
No answer.
“Athena,” I repeated. “Are you receiving—”
The drone shook, nearly sending all of us to the floor. “Thrusters are coming online!” shouted Karin, clutching the sides of the console, trying to stabilize herself.
“Turn it off!” I barked.
She placed her hand back on the activation pad, trying to get out of the menu, but nothing was happening. “I can’t stop it!”
6
“What do we do?!” cried Freddie.
“Stay calm, for starters!” I snapped, then looked at Karin. “What can you do? Give me something.”
“I, uh,” she muttered, trying to keep her palm on the pad, but the motion of the ship made it difficult. “Hold on, please.”
“Focus,” I told her. “Wherever we go, Titan can follow. They’re probably already after us. Just try to do this and keep your head on straight. You get what I’m saying?”
She hesitated but slowly nodded. “Give me a moment,” she said, proceeding through the menu system.
“Freddie,” I said, looking at him. “Do you still have the blueprints on your visor?”
He nodded.
“I need you to comb through them and look for a way off this thing. There’s gotta be an escape hatch somewhere.”
“The escape hatch probably has a manual override,” said Abigail.
“Probably,” I said in agreement. “But we need options. Find another way out if you can.”
“I’m on it, Captain,” said Freddie. He turned around, holding on to the wall, presumably to focus on the job.
“I’m locked out of flight control,” said Karin. “There’s no way to bypass it. The system is locked down.”
“Can you at least see where we’re headed?” asked Abigail.
Karin’s eyes widened. “Maybe! Hold on, please.” She went quiet for a few seconds, sorting through several menus and screens I had no hope of reading. “Here!” she finally exclaimed, pulling up what appeared to be a chart of this system. “I can’t find the destination, but it has to be a—”
“Slip tunnel,” I finished.
She nodded. “We haven’t formed one yet.”
“Wonder why,” I muttered.
Karin looked over the screen again. “It looks like the ship is conserving its power. That might be why.”
“If that’s true, there must already be a slip tunnel on the edge of this system,” said Abigail.
“Which means we don’t have a lot of time before we’re stuck in slipspace, riding a pile of junk that may or may not hold together,” I said.
Freddie turned back around. “I found something!”
“Another way out?” asked Abigail.
“Down one of the other corridors,” he said, pointing toward the hall. “It’s not far, just around the corner. It’s a manual maintenance hatch.”
I touched Karin’s shoulder, pulling her attention from the screen. “Time to go.”
“Right,” she said, removing her hand from the pad, causing the screen to power off.
“Freddie, you lead the way,” I ordered. “We’ll be right behind you.”
We raced out of the room and back into the cramped corridor. We made it past the collapsed beam in half the time, reaching the fork in the hall in only a few minutes.
I could sense the increased vibrations beneath my feet, but said nothing of it. I could see by the look on the others’ faces that they felt it too. We all knew well what precious little time we had.
The turn in the corridor brought us to a wider section, surrounded by a mess of cords and broken metal. The consoles here had taken the crash much harder than the previous section of the ship. If this was any indication of what lay ahead, we might have more trouble than we’d anticipated.
“How much farther, Freddie?” I asked, carefully stepping over some shards of debris. It wouldn’t do us well to rip our suits in this environment. My visor still showed a complete lack of atmosphere.
“Right there!” he called. “It’s the next room!”
The ship shook, right as I cleared the metal. “Watch yourselves!”
Abigail tried to grab the wall but missed and hooked some hanging wires. She slid down, barely holding on, just above the debris. Karin moved to help her, offering a hand. Abby took it, stabilizing herself. She placed her back against the wall and eased her way past the debris.
“Are you okay?” asked Freddie.
She took a gasp and nodded.
I felt my chest relax. That was a little too close, I thought, looking at her from across the room.
She stared back at me, breathing heavily. I could see from the way she was carrying herself that she was dazed, even though she’d never admit it. “Let’s go,” she said, her eyes still on me.
I decided not to press her about it. She’d only deny it if something was wrong. I motioned to Freddie. “After you.”
Freddie stiffened at the sound of my voice then moved into the next corridor. “This way,” he called, and the rest of us immediately followed.
The path led us directly to the so-called exit, although it wasn’t exactly what I’d expected.
There was a hatch, like Freddie had said, but it wasn’t much to speak of. Just a crawlspace, heading into the wall, roughly half-a-meter wide. “What the hell is this, Fred?!” I asked.
“It’s the exit,” he answered.
“You expect us to fit in there with these suits on?” asked Abigail.
“The blueprints didn’t say how big it was,” he said.
I bent next to the hatch, looking for a lever, but there wasn’t one. “How do we even open this?”
“Here!” said Karin, who was already removing the lid of a nearby compartment. She reached inside and turned something. “We had these back home. Watch!”
The hatch popped open right away.
“Not bad,” I said, reaching for the bottom of the door, then lifting it the rest of the way.
Once I had it, I took a step back to examine our so-called escape route.
“I can fit,” observed Karin.
“We can all fit,” said Abigail. “The problem is the suit. It might rip inside that crawlspace. It’s tight in there.”
“It’s either that or we blast the airlock at the entrance,” I said.
“An explosion is the last thing we want,” said Abby.
“Right,” said Karin.
“I’ll take the rear, then,” I said, getting to my feet and stepping clear of the hatch. “You three take the lead.”
“I’d argue, but we don’t have the time,” said Abigail.
“Smart,” I said, giving her a wry smile. “Now get going. We’re running out of time.”
She nodded, placing her hand on the edge of the hatch, and finally eased her way inside.
The crawlspace was smaller than I expected, but not so much that we couldn’t fit. I was the biggest of us, which only caused me to lag behind the others as we went.
“How much farther?” I asked, mostly to Freddie.
“We’re almost there,” he told me. “It looks like the outer hatch isn’t far from here.”
“I can’t believe the design of this drone,” muttered Karin.
“It wasn’t built with people in mind. They had to conserve space,” said Abigail.
“Priorities,” I said. “They had to fill every centimeter of this thing with weapons.”
“Seems like your kind of people,” said Abby.
“Might be,” I said jokingly.
“The hatch is just ahead,” said Freddie right when we were nearing the end of a long stretch of space, just as the little tunnel veered right. “Take this turn and we’ll be nearly there.”
“About time,” I said.
“Hold on,” said Abby, stopping ahead of us. “My leg is stuck.”
“What do you mean?” asked Karin, who was right behind her.
I couldn’t see much from where I was, but Abby’s breathing told me she was struggling to move. “Just one moment,” she said, straining to pull herself free.
Karin was looking over her leg, trying to help. “Your suit is caught,” she told her. “I can’t see where.”
“Hold on, I think I have it,” said Abby, fidgeting with her leg, finally jerking it back and away from the wall.
“Wait!” said Karin, a second too late to stop her.
A spray of oxygen shot out from Abigail’s suit. Karin struggled to wrap her hands around the tear, but it was no good. The air just kept coming.
“Shit!” shouted Abby. “Shit, shit, shit!”
“Does anyone have the sealer?” asked Freddie, frantically searching his leg pocket. “I can’t find it!”
I felt for mine, finding it in a few seconds. “Here!” I shouted, grabbing Freddie’s leg. He took the tube from me and tried to pass it forward. Karin was panicking, though, and trying to help Abigail. “Karin, take the damned sealer!” I snapped, grabbing her attention.
The sound of her name seemed to do the trick. “R-right!” she answered, looking back at Freddie, who handed her the sealer. She brought it back up to Abby’s leg. “How do I use this thing?”
“The red button near the end,” I explained.
“Hurry!” pleaded Abigail as the oxygen continued to spray out of her suit.
I watched Karin struggle to apply the seal. Even from my position, I could see her whole body shaking, the tension of the moment weighing on her. “Just take your time,” I told her. “You go too fast, you’ll mess it up.”
She nodded, not saying anything, but I could hear her dry lips smacking as she nervously began applying the seal. The spray of oxygen slowly thinned as Karin did her work, closing the break a little at a time. “Almost done,” she said, much calmer than before.
“What’s your suit say?” asked Freddie. “Has it stopped leaking?”
She was quiet for a second, and we all seemed to freeze before she spoke. “It says it’s at 42%,” said Abigail.
I heard Karin exhale. “Gods.”
“Wait,” muttered Abby.
“Something else wrong?” I asked.
“No…no, it’s nothing,” she said. “Let’s keep going. We’re almost there.”
I started to ask if she was sure, but before I could say anything else, we were moving again.
Abigail stopped a few minutes later, having found the second hatch. I couldn’t see much from the back, except for a dimly glowing light. “What do you have?” I asked.
“There’s an access pad,” she answered.
“Touch it and see if you can open that thing.”
She did, and the light changed to green a few seconds later. She took the handle and turned, cracking the hatch. “The airlock is inside,” said Freddie.
We crawled through the door, one at a time, piling into the little room. It was cramped, so much that we were practically on top of each other. I reached over and shut the hatch, making sure it was sealed, then turned around and searched for the controls to open the final airlock door.
When I had it, I shot a quick glance to Abigail. She looked off, like her head was elsewhere. “Are we ready?” I asked, mostly to her.
She looked up and nodded, although there was some hesitation. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but decided it must be nerves. We were, after all, about to jettison ourselves into the dead of space. Out of an ancient, moving combat drone, of all things. Why shouldn’t she be a little nervous right about now?
I placed my palm on the device and waited for my tattoos to react. When they did, I sent a mental command to the ship, telling it to open the airlock. Instantly, the system reacted, sliding the airlock door open.
Everyone held on to the walls, readying themselves to launch out of the ship. “We’re coming up on the slip gap point,” I said. “Time to get off this pile of junk!”
Karin nodded, pulling herself along the wall, toward the exit. She peered outside, but there was nothing to see. Nothing but the darkness and the distant, unmoving stars. “Ready,” she finally said. “I’ll see you all soon.”
We watched her leap out of the opening, flying far from the ship.
“Freddie, you’re up!” I barked.
“On it,” he said, scurrying to the same spot Karin had been when she left. He placed one foot on the edge of the airlock and swallowed. “Here goes.”
He broke away from the ship, leaving Abigail and me to follow.
The two of us took positions next to the opening. I looked at her, still seeing the concern on her face. “What is it?” I finally asked.
“Nothing,” she said unconvincingly.
“Bullshit,” I answered. “What’s wrong? I’m not stupid. I know there’s something going with—”
I looked down, finally noticing a strange distortion in her leg, near the spot where the tear had been. It was compressed, like a deflated balloon. She must have noticed the look on my face, because that was the moment she chose to speak up. “I’m still losing oxygen. It’s down to 13%.”
My eyes shot straight to hers. “What the hell, Abby?”
“If I said anything, we would’ve wasted time looking for the leak, and I couldn’t find it.”
I rushed my hands over her thigh, searching desperately for the tear. It was there somewhere, but too small to find.
A light flashed against the hull of the ship, filling the airlock with a green hue. The tunnel was forming, right ahead of us. We didn’t have much time.
“Don’t worry about me,” said Abigail. “We have to go.”
“Not yet, godsdammit!” I snapped, grabbing her leg with both my hands, just in case she tried to make the leap on her own.
I found the first seal in seconds, near the ankle. Karin had done a fine job with it, and I couldn’t see any more air coming out. I followed the suit to her thigh, looking for another break.
Nothing yet.
No, wait, I thought, spotting a compressed line in the material. There, beneath the flap on the other side, just under the knee pad.
I pulled out the tube from before, hoping it still had some seal left in it, and began searching with my finger for the tear.
“What are you doing?” asked Abigail, her hand already grasping the edge of the door. “We don’t have time for this! We have to go!”
“Not until we fix this!” I barked, cramming the tip of the sealer inside the crevice beneath her knee pad. I pressed the button, holding it for as long as the container would let me, until it was totally out of juice.
I took the sealer out when it was done and tossed it behind me, then bent forward to look inside, searching for any sign of the leak. I couldn’t find it, though. “What’s your oxygen at?” I asked, looking up at Abby.
“Four percent,” she told me.
The ship began to shake as we approached the slip tunnel entrance. We were out of time. “That’ll have to do!” I said, taking her by the hand. “Jump with me!”
She nodded, grabbing the side of the hatch again, ready to go.
I leaned out of the airlock, looking to our left, toward the oncoming rip in space. “Now!” I shouted.
I felt her squeeze my hand with all her strength, and together, we made the leap.
Abby and I floated together, still holding one another. Thanks to the momentum of the ship, we were still moving toward the tunnel, but it would disappear before we reached it, so long as the vessel entered it.
In fact, the ship was so far ahead of us now, continuing its acceleration, that I’d already lost sight of it. That meant I could focus my attention on what actually mattered right now: keeping Abigail alive.
“Titan!” I shouted, darting my eyes around, looking between stars. “Athena, do you hear me?”
“I think we’re too far,” said Abby.
I gripped her hand as we continued to drift. The slip tunnel ahead of us glowed bright green, swirling lights coming from inside it. In a sudden flash, the tunnel collapsed on itself, folding back into the darkness from where it came.
“Freddie! Karin! Do either of you read me?” I called.
No answer. The comms on these suits were short range, and we’d stayed on the ship as it continued its acceleration, which meant we could be hundreds of kilometers away from the others by this point.
“Come on, Athena, get your act together,” I muttered.
“She’ll find us,” whispered Abigail. She was taking heavier breaths, almost like gasps.
I brought her closer to me, so I could see her face, and then held her with both my arms. “Easy. Save your breath. Don’t talk.”
She tried to smile, but I could see the energy draining from her face. She was getting tired. It wouldn’t be long before she passed out from oxygen deprivation. There wasn’t much time.
“Hey, don’t fall asleep,” I told her. “You pass out and you might not wake up. You hear me, Abby?”
“Uh huh,” she said, licking her lips.
I had to do something. I had to keep her alive so that Athena could get to us in time.
I reached behind me and twisted the oxygen tube, snapping it free of my suit.
“What are you doing?” asked Abby, the energy in her voice beginning to fade.
“Hold still,” I said, turning her around and removing her tube. I snapped mine into her suit, locking it in place.
My display flashed an emergency light, informing me that my oxygen reserves had suddenly fallen to 2%, which meant I had about three minutes of breathing time.
“W-wait,” said Abby. She took a slow gasp of fresh air. “You need it.”
“I’ve got the reserves,” I told her. “We’ll keep swapping the tank. As long as we keep the reserve compartment full, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“But the tank will…” She paused. “…the tank will run out faster.”
She was right, of course. Every time I disconnected that thing, it meant losing a little more oxygen. At best, we had half an hour. “We’ll just have to hope Athena gets here soon. Now, shut up and stop talking so you don’t waste our oxygen.”
She took another breath, squeezing my hand again as we drifted through the dark.
7
“Who the fuck are you?” asked the man with the cane. He stared down at me from his raised seat, sitting between two large, burly guards. His name was Fratley Oxanos, a man I’d traveled six star systems to meet. From what I knew of him, he was supposed to be one of the most prolific loan sharks in the Deadlands. He was also the man who could make me a Renegade, the gatekeeper between me and my goal.
And that made him valuable.
“Jace Hughes from Epsy,” I answered.
There were half a dozen armed guards behind me, each of them burning a hole in the back of my head with their eyes, waiting for me to make the wrong move. Waiting for a reason to kill.
I barely moved as I stood there, waiting for the crime lord in front of me to give me an answer.
“That’s a bit far to fly, ain’t it?” he asked.
“It is,” I said, giving him a slight nod.
He leaned forward, thumbing his cane. “And you want a loan, I hear.”
“I do,” I answered.
He chuckled. “Straight and to the point. Smart kid. I hate the talkers. You know what I’m saying?”
I didn’t answer.
“Sure you do,” he continued. “Ain’t a place in the galaxy where you won’t find someone with too much to say. You’d run out of bullets, just trying to shut them all up.”
The guard to his left chuckled. I imagined he probably laughed at all of Fratley’s jokes, regardless of how funny they actually were.
Fratley twirled his cane in his hand as he stared at me. “So you’re here for a ship. The boys say you wanna be a Renegade, ain’t that right?”
I nodded.
“That’s a fine dream, kid. A fine, fine dream,” he said. “But ain’t a lot of people who can handle the job.”
“I can handle it,” I said.
“Yeah?” he asked, laughing. He looked at the guard beside him. “Kid thinks he can handle it. Can you believe that? He doesn’t even know what I’m talking about.”
The guard chuckled again.
Fratley shook his head at me. “What do you know about Renegades? Probably ain’t even met one before now, have you? Do you even know what they do?”
“Whatever it takes to get the job done,” I answered, staring back at him.
“Yeah, sure,” he said. “Whatever it takes. But that can mean a whole lotta shit, depending on the job. Maybe you gotta kill a guy who done someone wrong. Maybe a woman. You think you can do that? Do you even know how to fire a gun? What if you’re on a job and someone tries to run you through? What happens to my investment when they find you dead in a ditch?” His eyes drifted away from me, focusing on something else, behind me. He gave a quick nod to someone. One of the guards.
I heard a footstep, the shuffling of a leather boot against the wooden floor.
Here we go.
A fist came at me, aimed at my side. I sidestepped the blow, avoiding having my ribs broken. The man’s fist still hit my abdomen, stifling me, but I’d taken worse before.
I responded with a blow to his throat. Before he could try again, I drew his pistol from his holster and took a step back, aiming at his forehead with the hammer cocked.
Fratley laughed. “Oh, boy!” he exclaimed, tapping his cane on the floor beside him. He pushed himself up to his feet. “That’s what I like to see!”
I was breathing quickly, frantically. My heart raced with the pain in my gut from where the guard had hit me. If Fratley wanted to, he could order all these other men to fire on me. I was screwed, despite the gun in my hand. These bastards had me surrounded.
Fratley walked down the stairs and stood behind me, tapping his cane on the floor again. “Okay, kid. You can drop it now. Won’t no one kill you. Not unless you do something stupid.”
I stared at the guard in front of me, who was holding his throat and trying to breathe. He stared back with wide eyes and flushed cheeks.
I slowly brought my hand down, uncocking the gun and putting the safety on, then turned to face Fratley. He was smiling at me, giving me the sort of look an owner might give an obedient dog.
He reached out and I handed him the gun. He tossed the weapon behind him. “Now,” he continued, giving me a thin smile, “let’s see about getting you that ship.”
Fratley and I talked for over an hour about Renegades. He kept asking why I wanted to get into the business, what drove me to leave Epsy, and where my family lived.
I decided to be vague with my answers. I wasn’t stupid. Fratley was probing for leverage. I’d been an enforcer recently, so I knew full well how to manipulate someone into giving up information. As far as Fratley would ever know, I was alone in this galaxy, with no connections or family to tie me down. That was true, for the most part. If he ever looked into my past, he’d find an orphanage, a criminal record, and a string of loose affiliations.
“So you ain’t got any parents or siblings?” he asked, handing me a glass of wine.
I shook my head. “Parents are dead. I was an only child.”
“That’s some shit,” he said, taking a drink. “You know, I was the same way.”
I expected a tragic story to follow, but nothing came. Only a brief and somber look in Fratley’s eyes, followed by a light chuckle. “Just the same, though. Boys like us don’t need the dead links. You understand what I’m saying?”
“Sure,” I answered. “You’re better off alone.”
“Right,” he said, grinning and taking another drink. He placed his hand around my neck. “First thing we’ll need to do is get you set up with a broker,” said Fratley, who was by now beginning to feel his wine. “I’ve got just the guy to get you something special.” He leaned forward, raising his finger. “There’s just one thing you gotta do for me, Jace. One little thing.”
“What’s that?” I asked, knowing that every good gesture came with a catch.
“Do some work for me—part-time, of course—while you get yourself set up. I’ll send you a few jobs, maybe every couple of months. You do them, no questions asked. I’ll pay you well enough, but more money will come when you learn to deliver.”
I got the impression that this offer didn’t come with options. Guys like Fratley didn’t let you decline, which meant I was stuck. “I can do that,” I told him. “Did you have something in mind to start?”
“Oh, I’ve got a whole list, but that can wait until you’ve got yourself a ship.”
I was about to ask about what kind of ship he had in mind, when a young woman came over and sat on his lap. She was beautiful, of course, with fine curves and beautiful eyes. Her wavy hair danced along her back and neck as she slid into place on Fratley’s waist. He smacked her ass with a loud hoot, throwing his face into her breasts and then letting out an exaggerated gasp, like he’d nearly suffocated. “That’s the shit!” he snapped, pulling the woman’s head to his neck, where she began to kiss. After only a few more seconds, he looked at me and grinned, then booted her from his lap like a discarded toy.
I watched the woman leave, her head down, only to have one of the nearby Ravager guards take her by the wrist and lead her away, off to do gods-knew-what.
Fratley glanced back at me, taking another sip of wine, and said, “Let me ask you something, Jace. You ever had yourself a girl? I mean, a real good girl. You know what I’m saying?”
“Good girl?” I asked, watching as the woman disappeared back inside the nearby door with the guard. “Not like that one. No.”
He fanned his hand at me. “Nah, I mean like the proper kind. Someone you wanted to marry down with.”
Even though I knew this was just another probe, I figured I could answer honestly. Truth was, I’d never grown that close with anyone, not since I was a kid and decided I wanted to leave Epsy. The closest thing I’d ever had to a relationship was with Eliza, my former employer, back on Bordo. We’d been together for a while, but we meant nothing to each other. From what I’d heard, I wasn’t even the only guy she’d been seeing. “No, I’ve never met anyone worth sticking around for,” I finally said.
Fratley laughed. “Smart. You keep to that way of thinking, if you know what’s good for you. You’re young. You can get any girl you want. A Renegade flies into town and they’ve got every skirt in the city after them. That’s the good life. There’s no reason to muddy yourself with a wife or a kid, not until you’re ready to drop dead. You get me?”
I took a drink of wine, finding myself in agreement with Fratley. I had nothing against settling down, but I figured it probably wasn’t for me. Not in this line of work and especially not at this age. “Sure,” I told him. “I get you.”
He leaned in close to me, suddenly serious. “Good, because distractions like that only get in the way of business, and business is the only thing you ought to be caring about. I can help you, Jace. I can take you far. Get you a ship, a license, all the right connections you need. Fuck, you stick around and do right by me, I might even hook you up with some of the good tech to really give you an edge.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “But if you fuck this up, I’ll kill you dead, Jace.”
I nodded slowly but otherwise kept still, keeping my eyes on his. “I won’t fuck it up, Fratley.”
He paused, then pulled back and smiled. “Good!” he shouted, going right back to his former happy expression. “Seems like you’ll be a good boy to have around. A rich boy, so long as you do as you’re told.”
Rich? I thought, liking the sound of that. Now he was speaking my language. “As long as the money’s flowing, I’ll do any job you give me.”
He wrapped his hand around my shoulder. “I think you’ll make a fine Renegade, kid,” said Fratley with a wide, devilish grin. “And more than that, I think the two of us are going to make a hell of a lot of money together. Just you wait and see.”
8
I cracked my eyes open and immediately felt the pain of the overhead lights.
“Easy,” said a voice from beside me. “Give yourself a moment to reorient yourself.”
I blinked, trying to stop the room from blurring together.
My head was spinning as I tried to orient myself. Where was I, and who turned up the lights? I groaned as I fidgeted inside the pod, only to have a blurred figure lean closer to me. “I think he’s ready to get up, Athena. Can you open the pod?”
“Stand back,” said Athena, her voice sounding like it was all around me.
The pod hatch cracked open, letting in the air from the room as well as the scent of…
Something familiar…sweet, relaxing.
Abigail reached down to me, touching my cheek with her palm. It was her, I quickly realized. That familiar smell.
“Welcome back,” she said, a gentle smile across her face. She looked relieved, which only worried me.
“How did I get here?” I asked, but then coughed at the itch in my dry throat.
Abigail pulled back and grabbed a glass of water. “Here,” she said, giving it to me.
I took the glass and chugged. It was delicious, and I finished it in seconds.
She laughed at me, taking the glass and setting it down on the nearby table.
I took a deep breath and blinked a few times, letting my eyes continue to adjust. “I feel like I’ve got the worst hangover of my life,” I muttered, tasting my chapped lips as I spoke. I let out another groan. “What the hell happened?”
“You passed out from oxygen deprivation,” she said, shaking her head. “Idiot.”
“Oh,” I said, the memory of the drone suddenly coming back to me. I recalled floating with Abigail beside me, holding on to her so we didn’t separate. Her oxygen was nearly gone, so I hooked my tube up to her suit, promising to switch it back-and-forth, but instead, I gave her all the air I had. What happened next was a blur, but I could probably figure it out, based on my current situation.
“I can’t believe you, Jace,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Of all the stupid things you could have done.”
“It all worked out,” I said, leaning forward, out of the pod. I scratched the back of my neck and coughed.
“You could have died, you idiot,” she said, but there was no sternness or anger in her voice.
“But I didn’t,” I said, getting to my feet. I felt lightheaded as soon as I was up, but the feeling quickly passed.
“Welcome back, Captain Hughes,” said Athena’s disembodied voice.
“Thanks,” I said, twisting my torso and cracking my back.
“You were unconscious for two days. We are approximately thirty-two hours from Abaddon Station.”
“Two days?” I asked. “Wow.”
“The medical pod had to perform reconstruction on some of your blood vessels, as well as minor cellular repair to the brain and lungs. You also had a mild heart attack,” explained Athena.
“I had a heart attack?” I asked, glancing down at my chest.
Abigail got up from her stool and walked closer to me, giving me a glare I wouldn’t soon forget. “That’s what happens when you nearly get yourself killed.”
I motioned with my hand. “You’re welcome.”
She opened her mouth to argue but only scoffed instead, resigning herself. “Forget it.”
I laughed. “Glad to see you’re okay.”
She eased her way over to me, wrapping her arms through mine, embracing me. I wagered I smelled something awful, but Abigail didn’t complain. We kissed briefly before she pulled back a little and gave me another glare. “You’re just lucky you lived, idiot. Otherwise, I would’ve killed you a second time.”
I smiled. “Out of everything you’ve said in the last five minutes, I think I believe that part the most.”
Upon leaving the pod, my priorities were to shower, shit, and eat. In that order.
I made my way to the Renegade Star, leaving Abigail to pick up Lex from Hitchens’ classroom and get her fed for the evening. We’d meet up again later, once I felt like myself again. For now, my head was foggy and my body a mess.
“Welcome back, sir,” said Sigmond the second I entered the ship.
“Glad to be home,” I told him. Despite being asleep for two days, it felt like a long time since I was last here. Maybe part of me had been aware during my time in the pod.
“Is there anything I can assist you with?” asked the A.I.
“Coffee, shower, food,” I said, quick and to the point.
“Understood, sir,” he answered.
By the time I walked into the lounge, the coffee was already brewing, the shower was running, and a ready-made meal was being cooked in the quick-oven.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” I said as I made my way to my room.
I stripped down, letting my clothes sit wherever they happened to fall. I stepped into the shower and cranked the heat up, filling the bathroom with steam in seconds.
I stayed in there for nearly twenty minutes, letting the stream beat against my neck and upper back. It was so relaxing, I thought I might fall asleep.
After a short while, I decided that was enough and grabbed a nearby towel, drying myself and throwing on a fresh set of clothes. I felt clean and relaxed, ready to fill my belly with a slab of meat and a cup of coffee.
The ship had already filled with the scent of both, and the pain in my stomach reminded me that I needed to eat right this damn second.
I inhaled the ready-to-eat meal, ignoring the coffee for now. The food was gone in only a minute, and I was surprised when I looked down and found the plate totally empty.
“Would you like some more, sir?” asked Siggy, apparently noticing how quickly I’d ripped through that food.
“Maybe in a few,” I said, taking my cup and sipping on the coffee. It was delicious, more than the last time, which surprised me. Everything was like that when you were thirsty or starving. It all tasted better than it should.
I leaned back on the couch and let myself relax, trying to collect my thoughts. A thought occurred to me, now that I finally had a moment, and I quickly sat up.
“Siggy,” I said.
“Yes, sir?” answered the A.I.
“Did Athena do anything to you while I was gone?” I asked him.
It had been two days since I’d spoken with Sigmond. Two days since I’d authorized Athena to enhance his programming and give him the ability to direct the other crew in their strike ships. I hadn’t talked to him once in that time, because I’d been asleep, but from everything I could hear, he sounded exactly the same as before.
“Indeed, she did,” he answered. “I have been given expanded functionality in order to better suit your needs.”
“Did she tell you what you’d be doing? Specifically?” I asked.
“Yes, sir. In fact, I’ve already begun working with several pilots, directly reporting to Mr. Alphonse Malloy periodically throughout the day, depending on the training schedule.”
I raised my eye at this. “You already started?” I asked. “Exactly how many times have you taken those colonists out to practice?”
“There have been seventeen training sessions in total,” he informed me. “However, some of those have occurred simultaneously. In total, I have spent twenty-six hours with over thirty-seven pilots.”
I blinked, trying to process the numbers I’d just heard. “Did you say seventeen sessions? Holy shit, Siggy. How the hell did you find the time to do all that?”
“You were indisposed, sir,” said the A.I. “I found myself with much more time to spare.”
I smirked. “Maybe I should disappear more often, then.”
“Perish the thought, sir. In truth, I can perform several tasks simultaneously thanks to the new enhancements, your coffee and shower included.”
“Well, good,” I said, taking another sip of my drink. “Because those are always your top priorities, Siggy. Don’t you forget it.”
9
“What’s going on?” I asked, reporting to the bridge after receiving an alert from Athena. When I walked in, I found most of my squad, plus Hitchens. Only Alphonse was missing, having been in the middle of one of his classes at the time of the call.
We were still twelve hours from Abaddon Station, so I hadn’t been expecting any emergencies yet. Not until we were closer, at the very least. “Captain, thank you for coming,” said Athena, standing in her usual position, next to the wall.
Octavia looked at me. “We may have a problem,” she said.
I let out a sigh. “What kind of problem?”
“The drone is still operational,” said Hitchens.
“It hasn’t blown up yet?” I asked.
“Hardly,” said Octavia. “It looks like it’s finally stopped moving too.”
I shot a quick glance at Athena. She flicked her wrist and changed the display to show a star chart with a blinking icon on it, presumably to indicate the drone’s position. “It would seem the drone has arrived at its destination,” said the Cognitive. “Abaddon Station.”
“Abaddon?” I echoed, crossing my arms. “The same place we’re heading?”
“That is correct,” she answered.
Abigail was nearby, studying the image. She turned to me and shook her head. “It hasn’t moved since it arrived, which was almost an hour ago.”
“It’s been that long? Why are we only hearing about it now?” I asked.
“We were in a slip tunnel,” explained Athena. “Interference from slipspace hinders my long-range sensors. I could only estimate the drone’s movements.”
“Okay, so what’s all this mean? Is the drone actually doing anything?” I asked.
“I’m afraid so,” said Athena. The image suddenly changed, revealing several more dots of light inside the star cluster. “I’m detecting multiple drones, identical to the first, all converging on its location.”
“It called for backup,” said Bolin, who was standing quietly next to Karin, near the rear of the group.
“Do they know we’re coming?” I asked.
“Unknown,” said Athena. “I believe this may be an automated response to our arrival. Perhaps a protocol built into the drone’s system.”
“Do you think this is Hephaestus?” asked Abigail.
“Who?” asked Bolin.
“He’s another Cognitive,” Abigail explained. “He’s supposed to be in charge of those things.”
“I believe Hephaestus is inoperable at this time,” said Athena, frowning. “My attempts to connect with him have been unsuccessful, which is why I believe these drones are acting according to their programming and nothing more. They currently perceive us as a threat, so they are only following protocol.”
“Okay, fine, they want to blow us out of the sky,” I said, waving a hand at the screen. “How many are we dealing with?”
“Unknown. There were nine drones en route at the start of this meeting. Now there are twelve. I believe their numbers will continue to grow before we arrive.”
“How many can we handle?” I asked.
“I would estimate no more than two dozen,” said Athena.
“Are you counting our squad’s firepower?” asked Abigail.
Athena nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
“Sounds like we’ll need another plan, just in case we can’t take them head-on,” I said.
“What other options are there?” asked Abigail.
We all grew silent for a moment, each of us mulling the problem over in our heads. It was hard to know what would happen next, no matter what kind of force we threw at the drones. After all, even if you spent a lifetime building allies, there were always bigger armies. “Hold on,” I said, causing each of them to look at me. “What about a distraction?”
“A distraction?” repeated Octavia. “How do you distract a drone?”
I ignored the question, continuing with my own. “How good are the sensors on those things? Are they about the same as Titan’s?”
“Not quite as efficient, but they can detect our movement, even from this distance,” explained Athena.
“What about a cloaked ship?” I asked.
“Without the specific wave frequency, it would be extremely difficult,” said Athena.
“Wait a second,” said Octavia. “Don’t tell us you’re about to suggest we use the Renegade Star to infiltrate that space station while Titan acts as a decoy and lures the drones away?”
I gave her a sly grin.
“Jace, that’s insane,” she said.
“No,” stated Athena, pausing momentarily before flickering back into full motion. “That may actually work.”
“May?” I asked, not liking the uncertainty of her statement.
“Titan would need to move quickly. The drones out-paced us during its escape, which suggests a more compact, efficient thruster design. Once we enter the system, we could find ourselves under assault rather quickly.”
“We could cover you,” said Karin, finally speaking up. She was referring, of course, to Titan. “With a few ships drawing fire from those drones, we could lay down some suppressing fire.”
Abigail shook her head. “No way. Those drones would outnumber whatever ships we had. It wouldn’t help.”
Karin pointed to the screen, causing it to magnify. There was an asteroid belt, wide and expansive, around the outer section of the star system. “We arrive here, behind this, and we leave before the drones get too close.”
“That’s good, but let’s add some mines to it.” I stepped closer to the screen, pointing near the belt. “We can drop a few dozen between the rocks. It’s not much, but it might help slow them down.”
“That’s a nice plan, but if those drones are as fast as Athena suggests, we might not have enough time,” said Octavia.
“You’re forgetting about the other pilots,” said a voice from the edge of the room. I looked to see Alphonse, lingering at the door. Apparently, he’d slipped in without me noticing.
“That so?” I asked, unable to keep myself from smirking. “You think those scrubs in the hangar can handle a job like this?”
“You might have been asleep for the last two days, but they’ve come a long way,” he told me.
“I guess that means Siggy’s doing a good job,” I said.
“You made the right call,” he conceded.
I nodded. “How many are good enough to qualify for this?”
“Twenty-two of them, but I can have that number up to twenty-five before we arrive.” He placed his hands behind his back.
“That’s a little more accurate than I expected,” I said.
“I know my pilots,” he explained. “Even though I’m not with them in their ships, I have Sigmond show me the reports. I see their progress and I know which of them can do this.”
I recalled Siggy telling me about that. I’d say this for Alphonse: he was the most efficient training instructor I’d ever seen. I was probably wasting his talents, given his history with espionage and tactical strategy, but to hell with it. We needed pilots and we needed them a week ago.
“Okay,” I finally answered. “Once your team places those mines, you double back to Titan.”
He nodded.
“After that,” I continued, turning to Athena, “re-open the tunnel and run.”
“You want us to leave you behind?” asked Bolin.
“Not for long. Just until we do this handshake thing with the defense system,” I said.
Athena nodded. “If you can perform the security check, the drones should stand down and return to their designated markers. However, should you fail, we may be unable to retrieve you without engaging the pursuing ships.”
“Sounds like we have a back-up plan, at least,” said Octavia. “Distraction, followed by blunt force.”
“I like it,” said Bolin.
“Me too,” said Karin.
“Good, because I need both of you leading the charge, right next to Alphonse,” I ordered. “Freddie, Abigail, and I will take the Star and head inside.”
“W-wait a second,” mumbled Freddie.
Abigail placed her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll be fine,” she said, looking at me. “We’ll keep each other alive.”
I nodded. “We always do.”
10
I had Sigmond run a systems check about an hour before we were set to arrive. He delivered the report faster than usual—a side effect, I assumed, of his most recent upgrade.
“Standing by for departure authorization, sir,” informed Sigmond.
“Relax, Siggy. We still gotta wait for Abigail and Freddie,” I told him.
A second after I said the words, I heard the airlock door open. “We’re here!” yelled Abby as she stepped into the ship.
I walked out to see her, Freddie, and Dressler standing side by side. I tilted my head at the sight of the doctor.
“Oh, right,” said Abigail, noticing my expression. “Athena suggested we bring Dressler with us, given her experience with some of the technology. I didn’t see the harm.”
“And you’re okay with this?” I asked, looking directly at Dressler. “It could be dangerous. We don’t know anything about what’s waiting for us.”
“I survived that gods-awful ice planet, didn’t I?” asked the doctor. “This can’t be any worse than that. Besides, none of you are engineers. If anything needs to be fixed, you won’t know the first thing about what to do.”
“Fair point,” I said, leaning on a rail against the corridor wall.
Dressler raised a small briefcase. “I’m bringing some tools, just in case.”
I nodded, looking at Abigail. “Any other surprises?”
“Not for the moment, but hopefully, I’ll think of something.”
Freddie and Dressler unpacked their equipment in the lounge while Abby and I took the bridge. By the time we finished going over the plan again, we were nearly at our destination.
“Arriving out of slipspace in six minutes, Captain,” informed Athena.
“We’re ready,” I told her, tapping the controls to raise the cloak.
Part of the initial plan involved the Renegade Star cloaking itself before Titan even arrived. That way, it eliminated any chance of a drone spotting our ship when we disembarked.
“Last chance to get off,” I said, looking at Abigail.
“I’m staying put, but you can leave if you want,” she told me with a smile.
“You know I can’t trust you with my ship,” I said, turning back to the dash. “Nice try, though.”
An icon flashed, letting me know the engines were primed and ready. I placed my hand on the control stick, slowly pulling back.
The Renegade Star began to hover off the landing bay floor, and I eased us closer to the shielded gate.
“Approaching slip gap point, sir,” informed Sigmond. “Shall I raise the cloak?”
“Do it, Siggy,” I ordered.
The cloak initiated almost instantly, seconds before the emerald slip tunnel wall began to split apart, revealing the dark void of normal space.
“Here we go,” I muttered, easing the ship closer to the edge, ready to disembark. I waited for the bulk of Titan to break from the tunnel. Once our section was free, I took the controls and brought us into open space, easing away from the moon.
“Sir, I am detecting movement,” informed Siggy. The holo display transformed to show the entire star system. Near the fourth planet, on the other side of the asteroid belt, Abaddon Station floated in isolation, surrounded by a string of red dots.
“How many drones, Siggy?” I asked as I brought my ship into the nearby belt.
“Thirty-seven, sir,” said Sigmond. As soon as he told me the number, several more dots blinked to life, arriving on the opposite side of the system. “Apologies. There are fifty-two drones, sir.”
The dots began to move from Abaddon, heading toward Titan’s position. At the same time, I saw several blue dots emerge from the moon, indicating our strike ships were on their way to plant their mines. “Patch me through to the others,” I ordered.
“Go ahead, sir,” said the A.I.
I took a quick breath. “This is Hughes. We’re cloaked and on our way to Abaddon. Everyone, watch yourselves. Plant those mines and double back to Titan as soon as you can. Keep track of the enemy drones. Don’t let them get too close.”
“Leave the busy-work to us,” responded Octavia. “We’ll be waiting for you when it’s done.”
“Watch yourself, Octavia,” added Abigail. “All of you.”
We flew through the belt, the strike ships already dropping mines behind us. Before we emerged, several of the drones were already nearing the asteroids.
None of the drones noticed us, so I continued toward Abaddon, unfettered. I wasn’t sure if they could detect me, not fully, so I couldn’t help but feel relieved when we passed right by them, undetected. If we could only make it to the station, we might stand a decent chance at this.
As the Star neared the fourth planet, the holo showed a slip tunnel forming near Titan. “We’ll return for you soon,” said Athena, her voice coming from the turn-key, located beneath the dash. “Please use caution while aboard the station.”
“Leave it to us,” said Abigail.
With that, Titan disappeared into the tunnel, dozens of drones following it inside, before the rift could close.
The Renegade Star was now on its own.
Abaddon Station was before us, only a short distance away as we began to decelerate.
Two red dots remained near the station, unmoving. “Looks like a couple of drones are still here,” I said, checking over the holo.
“Why do you think they stayed behind?” asked Abigail.
Sigmond answered this time, surprising me. “It is likely that these two drones operate on a separate protocol than the others in order to protect Abaddon Station.”
I tilted my head after hearing Siggy’s suggestion. “Where’d you come up with that?” I asked him.
“Apologies, sir. Athena uploaded an extensive library of information regarding Abaddon Station, the defense network, and the associated drones in order to better serve the mission.”
“She should’ve told me about that,” I muttered. “Hell, Siggy. The next time you get a dose of knowledge, you let me know.”
“Understood, sir.”
“Bring us closer to the docking bay on Abaddon but watch the drones,” I said, shooting a quick glance at Abigail. “If they move, shoot them.”
She nodded. “Simple enough.”
But the drones never budged, despite how close we drew to the station. Even after we entered the bay, the ships remained completely motionless, allowing me to breathe a little easier. We’d been lucky to make it this far, I knew, which meant it could all fall apart at any moment.
The Renegade Star dropped to the raised landing platform and lowered its cloak. I kept my eyes on the holo, waiting for any sign of movement, whether from the drones or elsewhere, but saw nothing.
A few seconds later, I unhooked my harness and got to my feet. With a quick nod to Abigail, the two of us left the cockpit, making our way to the loading dock.
Dressler and Freddie were already there, waiting for us, prepped in their environmental suits.
Abigail and I got dressed and secured our helmets, making sure to each grab a weapon from the nearby locker before heading out, just in case.
The lift cracked open, once we were set. As we walked down to the platform, I could already see the expansive interior in all its glory. It was like we were back on Titan, based on the layout and architecture of the landing bay.
To my surprise, there were no other ships here, including any drones. I had expected to see a few, at least, but the entire area was empty, except for the Star. Where did the drones go for repairs? Even Titan had several hundred strike ships sitting on it, waiting to be used. Abaddon Station had nothing.
“Siggy, quick question,” I said, continuing to look around the open area. “Did Athena tell you what happened to the people who used to work here?”
“The station is fully automated, according to my data,” he answered. “The Cognitive in charge of the defense network used to oversee the station’s activities.”
“How?” asked Abby.
I pulled up the interior map of the station, quickly locating the connecting corridor we would need to take and began walking toward it. The others followed, continuing the conversation as we went.
“Probably the same way Athena did,” said Dressler. “Hard light constructs.”
“Correct, Doctor,” answered Sigmond. “The historical notes suggest this to be the case.”
A set of doors slid open when we approached them, revealing a long corridor ahead. It was well-lit, almost pristine in its appearance. We stepped inside, letting the doors close behind us, and began walking.
“Seems like this Cognitive was in charge of a lot,” said Freddie.
“Athena pilots an entire moon with a fleet of strike ships,” I said.
“Fair point,” he said.
“A Cognitive can process an exorbitant amount of information,” said Dressler. “Giving them a multitude of responsibilities makes sense.”
“Seems like an awful lot of power to give someone,” said Freddie.
“I’m sure their creators had a way to deactivate them, should they grow unstable,” said Dressler.
“Correct,” inserted Sigmond. “There are fail-safes in place, should a Cognitive become corrupt.”
“See?” asked Dressler. “It’s irresponsible to create something without a means of destroying it.”
“How do you determine if something should be destroyed?” asked Sigmond.
His voice surprised me. It wasn’t like Siggy to ask questions. He just wasn’t the inquisitive type.
“If they’re dangerous or threatening to the people who made them,” answered Dressler.
I paused. “Why are you asking, Siggy?”
“To avoid making a mistake that would result in my own deactivation, sir,” answered the A.I.
“Oh,” I said, partially satisfied with the answer. “So you asked because you don’t want to do the wrong thing?”
“My purpose is to assist you as far as my programming will allow, sir. If I were deactivated, I would be unable to fulfill this task.”
That made sense. Siggy’s programming pushed him to do his job as efficiently as possible. If he was deactivated, he wouldn’t be able to help me anymore, which would go against that programming. Still, I knew Siggy well enough to know when he was acting strangely. Even if the question made sense, it wasn’t something he would’ve asked. Not before the upgrade to his system. Whatever was going on with this new behavior, it was something different, and I couldn’t anticipate it.
A light blinked in the corner of my visor, indicating our destination. We weren’t far from it now, only a short walk through a final corridor. “Looks like we’re close,” I said as we turned another corner. “Should be just ahead.”
The corridor came into view, a single door at the far end. It opened when we neared it, probably reacting to our tattoos, like everything else in these old Earth facilities.
As the door opened, we found ourselves in a large room, different from all the rest. Consoles and computer systems lined the walls, surrounding us, and at their center, a large device sat waiting.
This was our target, I instantly realized. The device we were supposed to perform the handshake with. There was just one problem.
It was deactivated.
11
Dressler was on her back beneath an opened section of the device. A bag of tools sat beside her as she worked to get the machine back online.
“Can you at least tell me what’s wrong with it yet?” I asked, standing next to her feet.
“Hold on,” she said, continuing with her hands inside the guts of the console.
I sighed. “Titan is running through a slip tunnel with fifty drones behind it while I’m stuck here waiting on this.”
“You say it like you’d rather be there,” said Abigail.
I gave her a look that told her she was right, which shouldn’t have surprised her. Abby knew me well enough by now to understand how much I hated standing around.
“I almost have it,” said Dressler, strain in her voice as she reached further into the underbelly of the machine. “There!”
With the final word, several lights came on across the dash. “Great job!” exclaimed Freddie, helping the doctor to her feet as she squeezed out from under the console.
“Thank you,” she told him, a satisfied smile on her face. “It wasn’t that difficult. The architecture is almost identical to Titan’s.”
“Does that mean you know how to work this thing?” asked Abigail.
She glanced at the device. “It should react when you touch it, the same as any other old-Earth machine, but I can’t speak to its software yet.”
“Guess there’s only one way to find out,” I said, stepping closer and touching the machine.
My tattoos glowed as I did.
“Step one,” said Freddie.
A holo display appeared above the device, written in the same language as Titan’s interface. I still couldn’t read it, but that was why we had Sigmond with us. “Translate,” I ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Siggy answered. Right away, the letters and symbols fell away, replaced with a more familiar alphabet on my visor.
“Looks like that upgrade was worth the hassle,” I muttered, leaning in closer to the holo. It appeared to be a request for a boot-up sequence, with options to approve or decline. I approved, naturally, and watched as the screen changed again.
“Let me have a look at this,” said Dressler, eyeing the display.
Another prompt came up, so I decided to step back and let the doctor handle it. I was no technician or engineer, after all. “What’s it say?” I asked her.
“The system had to reboot, but it’s back online now. We just have to show our clearance before we can perform the handshake and disable the drones.”
“Siggy, do you have that?” I asked.
“Affirmative, sir,” answered the A.I. “Stand by.”
Almost immediately, a string of numbers and letters appeared in the upper right corner of my display. “There we go,” said Dressler. “I’ll just enter that, and we should be set.”
“That’s a long sequence,” said Freddie.
“Thirty-seven digits,” said Dressler, tapping the holo for every single one of them.
While we waited, I decided to cut my comm and have a brief conversation with Siggy, since we had the time. “How are you adapting to your new programming?” I paused, wondering if that was the right word for what we’d done to him.
“Thank you for the inquiry, sir. I am adapting well to the new parameters of my most recent expansion.”
“Nothing unexpected?” I asked. “You just seem a little different.”
“I apologize, sir. I shall attempt to appear as I did before, if you believe it will better assist you in—”
“No, don’t do that,” I told him. “Be yourself—or whatever you are. Just don’t hide anything from me. As far as I know, no one has ever fused an A.I. with a Cognitive shell, or whatever it’s called. You just be sure and tell me if anything out of the ordinary happens that I should be concerned about.”
“Yes, sir,” said the A.I. “I will continue to monitor my behavior and personality program.”
I reopened the comm so that the rest of my team could hear me. “How we looking, Doc?”
“Just a few more,” she answered, tapping the holo three more times. “Here we are.”
The display changed, showing another prompt, which read:
INITIATE HANDSHAKE SEQUENCE
YES
NO
Dressler kept her hand hovering over the interface, looking back at me for approval.
“Let’s see it,” I said.
She nodded, then turned and tapped the holo.
The prompt disappeared, replaced with a new message that said:
HANDSHAKE ACCEPTED
ACTIVATING HEPHAESTUS PROTOCOL
PLEASE STAND BY
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
“I’m not certain,” admitted Dressler.
“Does Sigmond know?” asked Freddie.
I paused, waiting for a response from my A.I., but he never gave one. “Siggy?” I finally said. “You there?”
“Why isn’t he answering?” asked Abigail.
“Could there be something wrong with the comm?” asked Fred.
I shook my head. “It was working fine just a minute ago.”
“Wait!” snapped Dressler. She was back on the holo, examining another prompt, only I couldn’t read it this time. The translated letters were gone. “Something is definitely wrong here.”
“Did we lose our link to the ship?” asked Abby.
“The map is missing too!” announced Freddie.
I rushed beside Dressler, getting a better look at the holo. “Doc, tell me you can translate this on your own.”
“I’ve been studying the language, but I only know a few basic phrases so far.”
I motioned at the writing. “Well? Can you read any of it? Even just a few words might be useful.”
“Only one word,” she said, staring at the display. “‘Activate.’ No, wait. ‘Activation,’ I think.”
“That’s it?” asked Abigail.
“I’m sorry. I can only learn so much in such a short amount of time.”
“Forget it,” I said, motioning toward the door. “You said the handshake went through, right? That’s what we came here to do. Let’s get back to the ship so we can contact Athena.”
“Right.” Dressler nodded.
The four of us raced through the corridor, headed toward the landing bay. It wasn’t hard to remember our path, even without the map on our visors. There were only five hallways between us and the ship, after all. Hardly enough for an experienced Renegade to get lost in.
Not to mention Abigail, the trained assassin I had at my side. If anyone knew how to move in and out of a facility without a map at their disposal, I guessed it was probably her.
We overshot one of the halls but doubled back soon after, realizing our mistake. We arrived at the landing bay in little more time than when we’d left it. The Renegade Star was still in the exact same spot, waiting for us, still with its loading door open.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it. Part of me worried that Siggy had closed the door on us. That was the safety protocol, in case he lost contact with me. For whatever reason, he hadn’t done it, which let us climb back onboard the moment we arrived.
I hit the switch to raise the gate as soon as everyone was inside the ship. The second the room sealed, I took off my helmet and tossed it into an open locker. “Siggy!” I barked. “Are you here?”
“Yes, sir,” he answered immediately. “Communication systems went offline approximately fifteen minutes ago. I apologize for my inability to—”
“Stow the apologies and just tell me what happened,” I said, already moving up the stairs.
“Unknown, but I am performing multiple sensory scans as we speak, sir,” informed Sigmond.
I raced through the hall, toward the bridge. “Start our engines, but let me know if you get anything back from those scans.”
“Understood,” he said.
As I neared the cockpit door, I heard someone running to catch up behind me. “You’re forgetting your gunner,” she called as I stepped inside.
I looked over my shoulder. “I didn’t think I had to tell you to get up here.”
“You don’t,” she said, finally arriving and taking a seat beside me. “Obviously.”
The Star’s engines roared to life as we fastened our harnesses. I grabbed the control stick, only bothering with a brief pre-flight check. “Everything looks good. Let’s get out of here.”
The ship began to hover off the bay floor then accelerated toward the exterior opening. “Do you think it actually worked?” asked Abby.
I could sense the uncertainty in her voice, because I felt it too. We had no idea what had just happened. We didn’t even have confirmation on whether the job had been a success or not. All we knew was that the handshake had done something. Whether it was what we intended still remained to be seen.
I pulled up the holo, trying to scan the system. The two stationary drones were still there, right outside. “Hard to say from here,” I said, pressing the sticks forward and taking us away from Abaddon Station. “Let’s poke our heads out and see what we find.”
12
I didn’t cloak us, despite my reservations about the success of our mission. We had to verify the drones no longer saw us as a threat, which meant getting close enough for them to respond to our movements.
Still, I’d take my time with it and approach slowly. The second they so much as twitched, Siggy had orders to raise the cloak immediately.
But as we edged our way toward the nearest drone, it never seemed to move, even when we were right on top of it. “Siggy, run a check on that thing and tell me if it’s still active.”
“Processing,” said Sigmond. After a few seconds, he continued. “I can confirm the drone is still fully operational.”
“Does that mean it doesn’t see us?” asked Abby.
“I believe it is aware of our presence,” said Sigmond. “I detected a brief scan from the drone upon our arrival.”
“So it knows we’re here,” I said, leaning forward. “I guess that means whatever we did worked.”
Abby nodded, her eyes on the same image as mine. “Do you think it worked on the other drones too?”
“The ships chasing Titan? Only one way to find out.”
I reached below the dash and grabbed the turn-key. “Athena, this is Hughes. You hearing this?”
We waited in silence for several seconds.
“Sir, I believe Titan is still traveling through a slip tunnel,” said Sigmond.
“Does that mean she can’t hear us?” asked Abigail.
“Unknown,” admitted Siggy.
“She told me to use the turn-key when I was ready,” I said.
“Maybe she can hear us, but she can’t respond,” said Abigail.
“Maybe,” I said, grabbing the control stick and bringing us away from the drone. “Let’s head back to the SG Point and wait for Titan to show.”
We reached the asteroid belt, opting to go around it in order to avoid whatever mines were still inside. Sensors showed the wreckage of several drones inside the belt, but I wasn’t picking up any active ships, just rocks and debris. It seemed the mines had done a decent job at slowing the drones down and giving Titan the extra time it needed to escape.
A rift formed as we finally neared the edge of the belt, and I raised the cloak to ensure we weren’t taken by surprise.
Several drones came flying out of the tunnel opening, but not nearly as many as I expected. Where were the remaining ships that had chased Titan into slipspace? Had they somehow been destroyed? Was there another fight between our people and those ships?
I felt panic in my chest as I began to wonder how many of my pilots were dead. For all we knew, Titan itself might have already been destroyed.
But before I could say anything about it, I spotted a second tunnel form, not far from the first, and the sensors detected a familiar signature. “Is it Titan?” asked Abigail.
“It is,” I said, observing the radar, waiting for the holo to give me a better status check. “I can’t tell if they’ve taken any damage yet.”
We watched as the moon emerged from the tunnel. I felt a wash of relief sweep over me as the sensors detected Titan’s hull, still intact. “Captain Hughes, this is Athena,” said the Cognitive, her voice booming through the Renegade Star.
“We hear you, Athena, loud and clear,” I answered, leaning back in my seat.
“I apologize for the delayed response. Slipspace does not allow for outgoing transmissions. I could only receive.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I told her. “Did the handshake work? Where are the rest of those drones?”
“The drones have ended their pursuit. It seems the other ships have returned to their designated positions along the defense grid.”
“That’s great news!” exclaimed Abigail.
“I must commend you all on your success,” said Athena.
“Did all of the pilots make it back alive?” asked Abby.
“There were two accidents, resulting in injuries to the crew members, but no casualties. I am happy to confirm that both are receiving treatment and should make a full recovery,” said the Cognitive. “Would you like a more detailed report?”
“Let’s just regroup and get out of here,” I told both of them. “The second we’re back on Titan, I want us gone. We can talk about the details of what happened after we’re back in slipspace.”
“Understood, Captain,” said Athena. “I’ll be awaiting your arrival.”
I took the controls and igniting thrusters, steering us toward Titan and further away from the asteroid belt.
The plan had worked, so why couldn’t I relax? My mind kept returning to the strange message we’d received after the handshake.
ACTIVATING HEPHAESTUS PROTOCOL
PLEASE STAND BY
What exactly had that meant? Hephaestus was the Cognitive in charge of the defense network, but we’d seen nothing of him before now, and no matter how many times Athena tried, she couldn’t make contact. Was this so-called Hephaestus Protocol different from Hephaestus himself? What exactly did it do?
I’d have to discuss all of this with Athena. She had to know something more about it. Maybe she could shed some light on why our comms had suddenly gone down, out of nowhere and without warning.
I hoped I was fretting over nothing. I was no stranger to paranoia—it had kept me alive until now—but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it than that. Something was off about all of this, and I aimed to find out what.
Athena had already started opening another tunnel when the Renegade Star entered the landing bay. Before I could set the ship down, we were halfway inside the rift. The green lightning of the tunnel walls flickered and sparked, signaling the next leg of our journey.
After all our time spent searching, running, and fighting, we were about to enter a region of space that no one had seen in nearly two thousand years. Not even Athena knew what to expect, since her records were so outdated.
For better or worse, we were flying straight into the unknown.
13
Titan bustled with activity the moment I stepped off the Renegade Star’s loading dock. Pilots swarmed the landing bay, some of them still inside their strike ships.
I didn’t have to ask why. It was clear the crew had been on high alert the entire time my team had been on Abaddon Station. They’d probably sat in this bay, waiting for the call to fly out and engage the enemy, never knowing with any certainty whether or not my mission would prove successful. If I’d failed, they might’ve found themselves locked in a fight with fifty enemy drones. Instead of a few injuries, things could have gotten much worse.
“Welcome back, Captain Hughes,” said Athena as she materialized in front of me. “How was Abaddon Station?”
“Mostly fine,” I said, leaning back to see Abby, Freddie, and Dressler following behind.
“There may have been a few hiccups,” said Dressler.
“I suspected as much,” said the Cognitive. “In fact, that is why I’m here. I don’t wish to alarm any of you, but my sensors received an outbound transmission as soon as we arrived back in the system. Upon closer inspection, it appears to have originated on the station.”
“Isn’t that the signal for the drones to stand down?” asked Dressler.
“I’m afraid not. This particular transmission seems to have been directed at us,” explained Athena. “Or, rather, myself.”
“Yourself?” asked Abigail.
“Please come to the bridge and I shall replay the transmission for all of you to hear. I could play it here, but I suspect you might not wish for the crew to hear it, particularly—” She turned slightly to her side, glancing to a nearby strike ship. There, along with Hitchens, stood Lex and a few of her friends.
“I get it,” I told her. “We’ll meet you up there. First thing’s first, though. How long do we have before our next tunnel break?”
“Six hours,” she said.
“Long enough for you to rest,” said Abby, looking at me.
“That all depends on how this next meeting goes,” I said.
Athena nodded. “I’ll be waiting, Captain.”
With that, she disappeared back into thin air, leaving us to walk the rest of the way. I had to admit, I envied her a little, especially considering the size of this ship.
Lex spotted me quickly, as I expected, and ran over to our group. She had her usual smile, probably having a day with her little friends. “Captain Hughes!” she exclaimed, grabbing both my hand as well as Abigail’s. “Abby!”
“Hey, kid. How’s the easy life?” I asked her.
“It’s easy!” she replied.
I smirked. “Good. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
“Did you have fun on your trip?”
Abby answered for me. “Never as much fun as it is with you, Lex.”
She giggled. “Will you be at dinner tonight? Dr. Hitchens says we can have ice cream if we do our problems.”
“That sounds great, kid,” I said.
“I bet if you’re good, I could get you some too,” she said.
“You’d do that for us?” asked Abigail.
Lex nodded, still grinning. “Leave it to me!”
I tousled Lex’s hair, telling her I’d see her later. She rejoined Hitchens and the other children, and in a moment, it was like she’d never left. She had no idea what kind of danger had nearly gripped this ship and its crew, and I was glad for that.
She’d seen enough trouble in her short years to last a lifetime. If I could save her from a little more, whether by killing fools or eating ice cream, I’d gladly carry that load.
I took the liberty of calling Alphonse, Karin, Bolin, and Octavia to the bridge, just so I wouldn’t have to repeat any of this later. I considered asking Hitchens to join us too, but he seemed to have his hands full with Lex and the other kids.
As soon as we’d gathered on the bridge, Athena wasted no time playing the transmission for all of us to hear.
“Hephaestus Protocol initiated. Warning: threat assessment ongoing. Do not proceed.”
I shot a quick glance at Dressler. “There’s that protocol again.”
She nodded. “This message says a little more than the one we saw on Abaddon.”
“You received a message on the station?” asked Athena.
Dressler shook her head. “Not like this one. It was brief and simply said that this Hephaestus Protocol had been initiated. There was no warning attached to it.”
“I see,” said the Cognitive.
“Athena, didn’t you say you were trying to contact Hephaestus?” asked Octavia.
“Correct,” she answered. “I have sent over two hundred requests prior to our arrival at Abaddon Station. I received no response, leaving me to assume that Hephaestus had either been destroyed or deactivated.”
“Seems like that assumption might’ve been premature,” said Abigail.
“Indeed,” said Athena. “Based on your account of the mission, I believe Hephaestus has been reactivated, an inadvertent consequence of your actions on Abaddon Station.”
“Whoops,” I said.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” asked Freddie, deciding to speak up. “We did the handshake, so shouldn’t that be the end of it?”
“Theoretically, yes,” said Athena. “However, the contents of this message indicate otherwise.”
“It definitely sounds like a threat,” said Abigail.
I scoffed. “Threat or not, we can’t just sit around and wait. We’ve still got the Union chasing after us, remember? Besides, if Hephaestus is alive, we should be able to contact him.”
“Not from within slipspace,” said Athena. “We’ll need to exit the tunnel if we intend to send a message.”
“Fine, let’s do that,” I said. “You said we’ve got six hours before the next break, right?”
“Five and a half, as of right now,” said the Cognitive.
“Contact me when we’re almost there. I want to be here when we arrive,” I told her.
“I’ll keep you informed,” said Athena.
We dispersed, leaving the bridge, each of us off to do our own thing. I imagined most of them would use the time to rest. Before I could so much as think of doing anything else, I felt Abigail’s hands around my arm, dragging me back to my ship. “Let’s have ourselves a rest,” she ordered, giving me a look that suggested I didn’t have a choice in the matter.
Even still, I decided to fake some resistance. “Who said you could order me around, woman?”
“Keeping you alive is part of my job. That includes forcing you to rest.”
“I don’t know. I think I might need a little exercise first,” I said, reaching behind her and squeezing.
She perked up, sweeping my arm away, but the playful look in her eye told me she was eager. “If that’s what it takes to get you to sleep, I guess I could be persuaded…”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked. “I could always go find me another nun, you know, if you’re not interested.”
She rolled her eyes but smiled. “Don’t try your threats on me, Renegade. I’ll show you what a former nun can do.”
“Oh, trust me. I’m counting on that.”
14
Five and a half hours went by in a blink, but the deep and dreamless sleeps were always like that. I took it as a good sign that I’d been keeping busy.
I shifted between the sheets, Abigail’s naked body beside me. I could feel her warmth as she slept, breathing gently as she dreamed. It took everything in me not to wake her up right there and have my way with her, but I told myself I had things to do, and I pushed the carnal urge away, saving it for later.
I thought about waking Abby so she could join me but decided to let her sleep a while longer. If anything serious came up while I was on the bridge, I could always call and get her on the line.
Tossing on my clothes and grabbing a cup of coffee, I walked briskly through Titan’s landing bay and toward the elevator. We were set to arrive out of slipspace in twenty minutes, which meant I had to hurry.
By the time I stepped off the lift, I only had a few minutes remaining, so I decided to jog the rest of the way there. As I neared the bridge, the door slid open, sooner than I had anticipated.
On the other side of the room, I spotted Athena next to a screen displaying the exterior of the ship. Green lightning snapped chaotically against the twilight of the slip tunnel walls, ripping apart as a new opening began to form ahead of us. I’d arrived just in time to see Titan re-emerging into normal space. Not a second to spare, it seemed.
On top of that, Octavia was already here, along with Alphonse. “What are you two doing here?” I asked, joining them near the display.
“We were already here, working with Athena on coordinating the fleet,” said Alphonse. “Sigmond is here too.”
“That right?” I asked, looking up the way I did when I was on the Star. “Siggy?”
“Present, sir,” said the A.I. “Mr. Malloy and I have been trying to come up with additional formations, departure procedures, and coordinated assaults should we encounter additional enemy forces in the near future.”
“Rank structure too,” added Octavia. “Now that we have a few dozen pilots trained up, it seemed fitting to break them into teams.”
“How’s that going?” I asked.
“We have four teams of six right now, each with a designated team leader, with more on the way,” said Alphonse.
“How long have the two of you been working on this?” I asked, since it was the first time I’d heard of any of this.
“Since the last meeting,” said Octavia.
I blinked. “Have you been here the entire time?”
They looked at each other, then again at me. “We thought it would be more productive,” said Alphonse.
“Shit,” I muttered. “And here I am coming off a nap.”
“Pardon the interruption,” said Athena, pulling my attention away. “We’ve arrived out of slipspace.”
I glanced up at the screen to see the darkness of normal space, filled with stars. “Any sign of the other Cognitive?”
“Not yet, but I am running multiple scans now,” said Athena.
The screen changed to show a map of the galaxy, zooming in on our location. We all waited in anticipation. After nearly a full minute, I opened my mouth to ask Athena what exactly was taking her so long, when a red dot materialized on the map.
“I found something,” said the Cognitive, turning to the image.
“What’s that supposed to be?” I asked. “Another drone?”
Several more dots appeared alongside the first, filling the area around the star. “It seems my initial assessment of the drones’ flight path was premature,” said Athena. “They’ve been redirected to another location.”
“Do we know why?” asked Octavia.
The map magnified again to show a planet with several moons around it. A line of text appeared next to a section of the northernmost continent, reading Tyche Re-supply Station.
“Looks like there’s something there,” I muttered.
“It seems the drones are congregating here. This is most unusual,” said Athena. “Their priority is to guard their designated quadrant. There’s no reason for them to be there.”
“Could it have anything to do with Hephaestus?” asked Alphonse.
“That was my first assumption, but I’ve already sent six requests to contact him and have received no response.”
“Do you have any suggestions?” I asked, then looked at the others. “Do either of you?”
“We should go and see what they’re doing,” said Octavia.
“The drones?” I asked. “Why would you want to get closer to those things after what happened before?”
“Wait,” said Athena, looking back at the screen. “The ships are dispersing.”
Sure enough, the red dots gathered like a swarm and moved away from the planet. They traveled to the far side of the solar system, paused for several seconds, and then disappeared.
“They’ve gone into slipspace,” said the Cognitive.
“Where are they off to now?” asked Alphonse.
“Unknown, but their trajectory suggests they have moved further into Earth’s territory.” Athena looked at me. “Captain, I suggest we investigate Tyche.”
“Not you too,” I said, shaking my head. “Haven’t you people had enough?”
“Normally, I would err on the side of caution,” said Athena. “However, given the warning we received, as well as the strange activity from the drones, I believe any information we can ascertain would only prove beneficial.”
I shot a quick glance at Alphonse. “Thoughts?”
He took a second to answer, looking up at the display, probably weighing all of the information. “It’s better to have all the information you can, rather than run blindly into the dark. I believe the risk is worth the chance to learn whatever we can.”
I sighed. “Figures the Constable would say that.” I looked at Athena. “Alright, then. Take us to this Tyche Station place, but park this moon near the slip tunnel. We’ll use the Star to sneak a proper look without getting spotted, just in case there’s anyone there.”
“We’ll have fighters standing by, just in case,” said Alphonse.
I looked at the planet on the display. “Something else, Athena, if you’ve got a second.”
“Of course, Captain.”
“When we were on Abaddon, that Hephaestus protocol somehow shut our comms down. Let’s see if we can keep that from happening this time.”
“Yes, that was certainly a problem,” acknowledged Athena. “In fact, since our last meeting, Sigmond and I have been working to find a solution.”
“And?” I asked.
She smiled. “I believe we may have succeeded.”
15
“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Siggy?” I asked, sitting in the landing bay, talking to the A.I. over my comm.
“I believe the additional expansion to my program will allow me to better serve you, sir,” explained Sigmond. “As such, I can only support the decision.”
“You don’t mind having Athena screwing around in there?” I asked.
According to Athena, giving Sigmond additional upgrades would allow him to better navigate between the ship and our visors, while also giving him the ability to ward off any intrusive programs, including other Cognitives or A.I.s. She’d loaded him up with the best digital defense system she had available—the same one she used herself. The only caveat was that he’d have to receive even more enhancements from Janus’ Cognitive shell, something I remained entirely skeptical about, despite all the reassurances.
“I have no opinion on the matter, sir. My programming requires that I do whatever is necessary to assist the ship and its crew.”
“Yeah, I figured you’d say that,” I remarked. “Just make sure you let me know if anything feels…off.”
“Of course, sir,” said the A.I.
I spotted Abigail and Dressler arriving through the corridor, with Freddie and Karin trailing behind.
“Looks like we’re all here,” I said to them, thumbing toward my ship. “We ready to head out?”
“When you are,” said Abigail.
I started walking, motioning for them to follow. “I want everyone suited up and ready. Make sure you’re all armed too.” I looked at Dressler. “That goes for everyone.”
“I’d rather not,” said the doctor.
“No offense, Doc, but we’ve got no idea what’s down there. I told Alphonse to run you through some training, didn’t I?”
“Target practice,” she said, like it meant nothing.
“That’ll do for now,” I told her. “And, hey, maybe you’ll get lucky and get to use it.”
Her lips twisted at the sound of that, making her look uneasy. She certainly wasn’t a fighter or a soldier, just a scientist who’d spent her life in a lab. But she’d chosen to stick around on Titan with the rest of us, fighting this fight, and that meant having to make sacrifices. If she had to get her hands a little dirty with a gun or two, then so be it.
As the gate closed behind us, I started getting dressed in my environmental suit, finally sealing my helmet and strapping a pistol to my side. In a matter of minutes, I was on my way to the cockpit, ready to leave.
“Siggy, is the ship prepped?” I asked, passing through the lounge.
“Pre-flight is done, sir. All systems are ready. Awaiting your orders.”
I strapped into my seat, fastening my harness. The Foxy Stardust bobblehead on my dash wobbled as I shifted, and I reached out and tapped its head. “Guess we ought to be on with it, then,” I said, my eyes focused on the little pink toy. “Hit the thrusters.”
We left Titan on the other side of the system, masked by a large gas giant. The holo showed no sign of activity in the system, although I kept the ship cloaked to be safe. Given what I’d seen of these drones so far, they could be anywhere, just waiting for us to get within firing distance.
The Renegade Star arrived above the Tyche Resupply Station in short time. I already knew the facility was on the northernmost continent, but it seemed the season wasn’t prime for snowing. Quite the opposite, in fact, since the local temperature was somewhere in the sweaty-ass range.
Thank the gods for internal suit cooling, I thought.
We broke orbit and began our descent to the northern continent. I had Siggy running continuous scans to avoid any last-minute surprises, but so far, everything seemed to be fairly calm.
As we neared the landing point, I immediately realized why.
“Captain, your attention, please,” said Sigmond. A light blinked on the holo.
I tapped it, and the image magnified, showing me a broken section of the compound, an entire wall torn open from the outside. “Did the drones do this?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Unknown, sir,” said Sigmond. “However, scans indicate the blast took place only hours prior to our arrival.”
“So that’s a yes,” I said, staring at the image. “Perfect.” I got to my feet. “Set us down nice and easy, Siggy.”
“Yes, sir,” he answered. “Are you going to join the others?”
“Not just me,” I told him. “You’re coming along too, same as last time.”
“It would be my pleasure, sir.”
“Of course it is,” I remarked as I walked out of the cockpit and began making my way through the ship. “Let’s just hope those upgrades of yours actually help when we need them.”
“As do I,” said the A.I.
As soon as I entered the bay, I felt the ship begin to land. “I’m guessing we’re here,” called Abigail.
“You’d be right,” I answered, heading down the stairs.
Everyone had their environmental suits on and a weapon on their hips, including Dressler. She seemed the least enthusiastic about this mission, but that could have just been her face. She was never very enthusiastic about anything, now that I thought about it.
“How’s the atmosphere out there?” asked Freddie. “Should we be concerned about our seals breaking?”
“Looks like the air is breathable,” said Abigail, examining her pad.
“Even still, we should keep our suits on at all times,” said Dressler.
“He knows the drill,” I said, stepping up to the gate. I smacked the orange button on the side of the wall, activating the large, bulky door. A bright light cut through the crack, piercing the cargo bay and hitting me in the eye. My visor adjusted automatically, as did everyone else’s, and I was able to see a clear blue sky with several dark clouds in the distance. “Siggy, how do the scans look inside the facility?”
“There are several levels to the complex, sir, although I am unable to determine the exact number.”
“They go that far down?” I asked.
“I detect over forty-seven, at least,” he told me.
I whistled. “That’s a lot of floors.”
“Not to worry, sir. You should be able to traverse them rather easily.” A map of the facility appeared on my visor, showing the first ten floors. It only took a moment to see what Siggy was talking about. There was a gaping hole directly in the middle of it, and it seemed to lead all the way to the bottom, or as far to the bottom as we could see. “It may be prudent to take the shuttle, actually.”
I whistled again. “Good idea.”
The shuttle passed through floor after floor as we descended far into the depths of Tyche. As we passed through the layers of stone and metal, I found myself mesmerized by the size of this ancient place, studying the map as it continued to reveal itself.
What reason could those drones have had to come here and blow this place wide open? And why at this particular time? Had we inadvertently prompted all of this—or was it planned far ahead of time, even before we stepped foot on Abaddon?
I let out a long and quiet breath. "Siggy, are you seeing an end to this yet?”
“I’m afraid not, sir.”
I leaned against the wall. “If this takes much longer, I’m taking a nap. The rest of you can get the job done.”
“We can’t do the mission without our captain,” said Abby, giving me a teasing smile.
“You’re capable enough, nun,” I told her, crossing my arms. “I’m sure you can handle it.”
“More capable than you, Renegade,” she countered, still smirking.
Dressler tilted her head, looking at both of us. “Is this how you two talk to each other?”
“It’s only because they care,” said Freddie.
I shot him a glaring look. “Keep talking that nonsense and I’ll shoot you in the leg down here and leave you for dead.”
“Don’t listen to him, Frederick,” said Abigail. “I’ll stop him before he shoots.”
Freddie swallowed. “Okay! I take it back, Captain.”
“Good man, Fred.”
Another set of floors popped up on my visor display as we continued our descent. This time, however, there seemed to be an end.
Everyone sat up, no doubt seeing the same thing I did. “Is that it?” asked Abigail.
“Looks like it,” I said, magnifying the image and looking for any other damage. “I don’t see any more holes.”
As if to answer me, the map magnified and revealed another section connected to the northern wall. “The damage continues for several hundred meters, directly ahead,” said Sigmond. “Unfortunately, the gap appears to be too small for the shuttle.”
“Too small?” asked Abby. “How did the drone fit?”
“According to Athena’s long-range scans, there were drones of varying sizes, some of which were smaller than this vessel.”
“Guess that means we’re walking,” I said, stepping over to the door.
Dressler sighed. “I was hoping to avoid that.”
“Oh, cheer up, Doc,” I said, unholstering my pistol. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
The path, if you could call it that, was riddled with debris. Scattered pieces of machinery, the wall, and gods-knew-what lay all across the floor, making it difficult to traverse.
“Are you certain this is a good idea?” asked the good doctor. She stepped over something resembling a computer console.
“What part of this makes you think I’d be certain of anything?” I asked.
“Don’t listen to him,” said Abigail. “He’s only teasing you.”
I looked at Abby. “Well, it doesn’t work if you tell her I’m doing it.”
She held her fingers up to her mouth, touching her visor. “Oops.”
I scoffed. “Next time we go on a job, you’re staying home.”
I kept stopping every ten meters or so, glancing around the area and searching for anything that might stand out with the light on my visor. Each time, I found nothing, only piles of rubble that could have been anything. I began to wonder if we were wasting our time here. Whatever those drones had come for would likely be gone, and any evidence destroyed. Maybe we should’ve just followed them whenever they took off—gone after them to see what they were really up to.
As I took another step, I heard a loud clank from somewhere nearby. I turned around to see if one of the others had fallen or stumbled on a piece of debris, but they were only standing there, watching me. “Something wrong?” asked Karin.
I held up a hand to silence them, pausing to listen…
Tink.
There it was again. Abigail and Karin both looked at me immediately, clearly hearing the same sound. Abby opened her mouth, but I shook my head.
Tink.
Tink.
Kakink.
We all stiffened, and I turned back in the direction of the noise. “Siggy, scan. Now.”
“Detecting movement twenty meters ahead, sir. Please, use caut—”
An object burst out of a pile of metal, scattering dust into the air as it whirled directly at us.
I fired a shot off, missing as it buzzed our heads. “Open fire!” I barked.
Everyone turned around, going for their weapons. Abigail, Karin, and I shot a string of bullets toward the exit opening, hitting the upper wall, but finally nicking the drone.
It spun in the air, losing its balance as it slammed into a pile of stone, sputtering its engine as it attempted to move again.
It twitched, nearly getting off the floor, when I let off a final shot, ending it and splitting the little devil in half.
We stood there a moment, not knowing if there were any others hidden in the darkness ahead. When it seemed we were alone, I gave the order to relax.
Dressler put her gun away and approached the drone. She bent down, hovering over the machine—studying with her eyes but not her hands.
“Got anything?” asked Abigail.
“You destroyed it,” Dressler responded, clearly talking to me.
“Think you can get anything out of it?” I asked.
“I’ll need Athena’s help to dissect it, but there might be something useful here, depending on how damaged the circuitry is.”
“Wrap it up and take it to go, then,” I told her.
She nodded then scooped up the drone with the side of her satchel. “At the very least, we’ll have something to bring back.”
“Do we keep going?” asked Freddie.
“Why wouldn’t we?” I asked. “We didn’t come here for a baby drone. We need to find out what it was after.”
“Scans show no additional drone activity ahead, sir,” said Sigmond.
“Don’t let your guard down, folks,” I told the others. “Keep your weapons up and ready. That goes for you too, Doc.”
“Fine,” said Dressler, reluctantly taking out her pistol.
We pressed on, slowly making our way toward the back of the complex. It didn’t take us long, since the drones had stopped a short distance ahead of us. There were no more broken walls, no more piles of torn debris to sift through.
Instead, we found ourselves standing before a line of computer systems, the centerpiece of which stood as tall as the room itself. The design resembled Titan’s interior in almost every way, particularly the lower decks that had been designated entirely to handle the ship’s systems and power. Yet it was so much bigger—so much more—standing fifty meters tall, like a mountainside disappearing into the darkness above us.
Whatever the drones had come here to find, I suspected it had come from here.
The computers blinked with an array of colorful lights, and I could hear a steady, low hum of power running through them. They were alive and well, despite their ancient age. Like Titan before them, they exhibited the staggering longevity of Earth’s mythical technology.
“What is this?” asked Abigail, standing before the computer like an insect. “What is something this big doing so far underground?”
Dressler took a few steps closer. “By the gods.”
I looked across the room at the machine. It took up every centimeter of the wall. “Is there an interface?” I asked.
“There!” snapped Freddie, pointing to the far end, near the corner of the room. “I think I see it!”
“You’re right,” said Karin. She shuffled to the console, reaching out with her hand to activate it. A holo display materialized in front of her instantly. “I have it!”
I grinned. “Now we’re talking.”
We gathered around while she continued sorting through menus and trying to decipher the purpose of the system. As she did, Sigmond translated the language on my visor, allowing me to read along.
One word in particular stuck out to me when I spotted it. “Cognition Junction System?” I muttered, peering from behind Karin’s shoulder. “What’s that supposed to be?”
Karin was already three screens ahead by the time I finished the question. “Yes, I thought I’d seen this before.”
“Seen what before?” echoed Freddie.
Karin looked at him. “Like the captain said, it’s a Cognition Junction System.”
“You’re saying it like we know what that is,” said Abigail.
“Oh, I apologize,” she said. “This is the storage center for a Cognitive.”
We collectively paused.
“Did you just say there’s a Cognitive in there?” I asked, looking up at the towering machine.
She shook her head. “No, no, no. I said this is the storage center for one,” she explained. “There used to be a Cognitive here, but the data’s been cleaned out.” She paused. “Or, I think it has.”
“You think?” asked Dressler.
“I’m pretty certain,” said Karin. “I’ve browsed Janus’ system a handful of times, so I know what it looks like when there’s a Cognitive there, and right now, there’s not.”
“Well, is there anything left?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said, turning back to the display. “The system itself is still intact, along with user I.D.s and all associated—”
“Hold on,” said Dressler. “User I.D.s? Can you see the last person to access the system?”
Karin nodded. “Here,” she said, after a quick moment. “It looks like a user named Heph01.”
“Two guesses who that is,” I said.
Dressler sat her satchel on the floor beside her and wedged her way between Freddie and Abigail, trying to get closer. “Karin, can you tell me one other thing? Is there a record of this system’s Cognitive? Some kind of name?”
Karin stared at the screen, using her mind to filter through the various folders of data logs, jumping from one to the next faster than I could manage to read. But as soon as it began, the screen suddenly stopped, and all that remained was the answer. “Here it is,” Karin finally said. “The Cognitive’s name is Aglaia.”
16
“Athena’s records show only a few references to the Cognitive Aglaia,” informed Sigmond.
“Hold on a second, Siggy,” I said, turning to Karin and Dressler. “You two got what you need yet?”
Dressler glared at me. “Even without the Cognitive, there’s still a lot of data on this system. We’ll need a few minutes.”
“Try to hurry it up,” I said, ignoring her tone. “Ain’t no telling how long this place will last. A swarm of ships did just blow a sizable hole straight through it.”
The doctor’s eyes widened before she quickly turned back to Karin. “How much longer?”
I ignored them and started walking away. “Okay, Siggy, let’s hear it.”
“Of course, sir,” continued the A.I. “The Cognitive Aglaia was tasked with overseeing the supply stations located throughout Earth’s territory, such as Tyche Resupply Station.”
“That’s it? What’s so special about this place?” I asked. “What was here before those drones tore it to shreds?”
“The exact inventory is unknown, sir,” said Sigmond. “However, Athena’s logs indicate several of the facilities housed a wide range of resources, such as construction materials, terraforming materials, and fuel reserves.”
“So just supplies,” I muttered, disappointed.
“They are called supply stations, sir,” said Sigmond.
“Don’t get snippy,” I said. “Does your hand-me-down data say anything about what Hephaestus might be doing or why he’d need to kidnap this Algae Cognitive?”
“Aglaia, sir,” corrected Sigmond. “And I’m afraid not. Athena’s information is limited to everything that occurred before her departure from Earth, and there is nothing to indicate a need for Hephaestus to acquire Aglaia.”
I spotted Karin in the corner of my eye, walking toward me. “Captain, we’re ready,” she said, smiling. “The download went smoothly.”
Abigail and Freddie were waiting with their weapons drawn, near the back of the room. “Are we leaving?” asked Abigail.
“Seems that way,” I said. I motioned with my hand for Karin and Dressler to follow.
“I can’t say I’ll miss this place,” said Freddie.
“It’s only a matter of time before we end up in another dark cave,” I said. “Always remember that.”
Freddie frowned. “Just once, it would be nice to visit a beach somewhere. Maybe a meadow with a nice river.”
“Should’ve stayed a priest if you wanted the cushy life,” said Dressler.
We took our seats on the shuttle and primed the engines. Now that we had what we came for, we could return to Titan and hopefully get some real answers, not only about the missing Cognitive, but what exactly this Hephaestus entity planned to do with it.
As the ship ascended through the newly destroyed ruins, I noticed a new dot appear on the holo, indicating something nearby. It disappeared as quickly as it materialized, giving me pause. “Siggy, did you pick that up?” I asked, examining the radar again.
“Sensors indicated a moving body several floors above our position, but I am no longer detecting it.”
“That can’t be right,” I muttered. “Run a more thorough scan. Look for any micromovements. I want to know when something so much as moves a centimeter.”
“Yes, sir,” said Sigmond.
“Do you really think there’s something up there?” asked Freddie.
“There’s nothing wrong with being prepared,” Karin reminded him.
The radar beeped, showing the same dot. It wasn’t moving much, only a little at a time, like it was drifting in the air—or hovering. Waiting.
I opened my mouth to comment on it, when suddenly, another fifteen dots appeared, all in rapid succession, next to the first.
The line of dots began to move toward the center of the facility, the place we were currently ascending. They passed over us, flying in a chaotic swarm, blocking us from reaching the upper section. I only had a few seconds to decide our next course of action—either stop and fight them inside this rotting corpse of a facility, which could collapse on us at any moment, or push our way through.
I chose the latter.
“Incoming!” I shouted, turning the shuttle so its nose aimed directly at the swarm.
More dots appeared on the holo as the mass of drones grew thicker with each passing moment.
I fired three quick blasts into the machines, exploding them into chunks of metal and vapor. I rammed the shuttle into them, breaking our way through the newly-created gap and continuing skyward. Multiple hand-sized drones littered the nose of our ship, dropping one by one as we neared the peak of the facility.
“Behind us!” yelled Abigail, pointing to the holo where the swarm had begun to reshape. The drones formed a clustered line, finally accelerating towards us.
“They’re too fast!” I snapped, noticing the diminishing gap between us and the swarm. “Siggy, use the—”
The shuttle let out a wide spread of flares, igniting a short second after deployment, instantly colliding with the oncoming drones. The inside of the facility lit up with an explosion so large, I felt it in my seat.
I stared at the holo as the drones continued despite the flares, having been only slightly deterred. “Shit! Siggy, get the Star in the air and cover us!”
“Already done, sir,” said Sigmond.
I opened my mouth in surprise but closed it. I wasn’t about to question the new and improved Sigmond right now. That would have to come later.
I shook it off and focused on the flight path, checking our flare inventory and anything else we could throw at those things. The shuttle didn’t carry much, but if we could survive long enough to reach the Star, then we’d stand a chance at making it.
And we were almost out of there. Just another hundred floors to go, and then—
The holo blinked red, showing something ahead of us. I zoomed in to see a large chunk of one of the floors breaking off. It fell and hit the one below it, which prompted another break. The debris continued toward us, building as it went. “Shit!” I yelled.
I fired the last remaining set of missiles at our disposal. They hit, not far ahead of us, splitting the rubble into even more pieces—something I immediately regretted.
I veered left and out of the way, letting one section slide right beside us and into the pursuing swarm. Before I could take a breath, I flicked the control stick to the right, dodging another slab of metal, then spun us to avoid a third. And a fourth, which nicked the shuttle’s side, setting off an alarm.
More of it followed, raining down on us from all sides—so much that I couldn’t avoid it. I couldn’t get out of the godsdamn way. We were about to be toast.
“Please, sir,” inserted Sigmond. “Allow me.”
The stick pulled out of my hand, acting on its own, turning the ship faster than I could see. No, not on its own. It was because of Sigmond.
The holo flashed red, indicating another object, but we were already out of the way. Another flash followed, and we moved. It began to flash so rapidly, I couldn’t keep track of it all.
At the same time, the last of our flares released just in time to meet the swarm again, slowing them long enough for us to avoid their grasp.
We finally emerged through the bombardment, the remnants of the swarm still following behind us.
But the Renegade Star was also there, hovering with its cargo bay doors open, ready to receive us.
The shuttle broke free of the facility at last, moving out of the way of the Star’s line-of-sight.
A quad cannon fired from the main ship, entering through the opening in the building and striking the center of the swarm, creating an explosion so large, it turned the holo full-red.
Another followed—this time to the facility itself—bringing the walls and ceiling down on the drones. I could only watch as the tower filled with smoke and fire, crushing the machines into the ground, burying them in the hole from which they came.
“Sir, I am receiving a transmission,” Siggy informed me.
I was about to answer, when a deep voice interrupted me, bleeding through the comm.
“Transient vessel. You are in direct violation of the Eternal Border Protection Act. Your transgression shall not be tolerated. Surrender yourselves and prepare for extraction.”
The voice was cold and sterile, but not automated. It was something in between alive and artificial.
“Siggy, what’s the source of that?” I asked.
“It appears to be from inside the facility,” said the A.I. “Presumably from one of the trapped drones. Shall I attempt a response?”
“No, just get us the hell out of here!” I barked.
“Understood,” said Sigmond.
As we broke orbit, I placed a call to Athena, informing her that we were ready for extraction. I also told her to open another tunnel the moment we arrived.
Things were about to get a little more complicated.
17
“This is unfortunate news,” said Athena, standing with me on the bridge, along with the rest of my team.
“You’re telling me,” I said, crossing my arms as we stared at the threatening words on the display. Sigmond had relayed all information directly to Athena’s core processor, giving her the opportunity to decipher everything to her own liking, which was to say, very rapidly.
“The data indicates Hephaestus has merged his function with that of Aglaia,” said the Cognitive.
“What does that mean?” asked Dressler. “Have the two become a single Cognitive?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes,” said Athena. “The two have merged their shells, but doing so has purged Aglaia’s memories, leaving only Hephaestus.”
“Damn,” muttered Abigail.
I whistled. “Rough way to go.”
“What good does that do him?” asked Freddie.
Karin crossed her arms and shook her head. “He likely has access to everything Aglaia did, like those various supply facilities.”
“Not only that,” added Athena. “One of Aglaia’s major tasks was to chart new star systems with additional viable resources. She also regulated Earth’s terraforming program.”
“Okay,” I finally said. “We know she did, but what did Hephaestus need her for? What was the point of all this?”
“That is still unknown,” admitted Athena, echoing the same response I’d received from Siggy. “However, he could plan to expand his capabilities in some way.”
“Expand?” asked Dressler.
Athena nodded. “Hephaestus was built to safeguard Earth’s defense grid and the territories within it. However, such a task requires drones, ships, and weapons, which must be built, using resources he does not have.”
“So that’s why he’s ransacking these supply depots,” I said.
“Possibly,” said Athena. “Hephaestus has access to manufacturing stations across the defense network, but without sufficient resources, he cannot build, which means he cannot fulfill his purpose.”
“Aren’t Cognitives smarter than that, though?” asked Abigail. “Can’t you reason with him?”
“I had hoped to do exactly that, Ms. Pryar, but I suspect there is something very wrong with Hephaestus. I believe he has become deranged.”
“You mean he’s gone crazy?” asked Freddie.
“In a sense,” said Athena. She flicked her wrist and brought up an article titled Cognitive Derangement: A Deeper Understanding of the Artificial Mind and its Reaction to Isolation, Mental Entropy, and Trauma.
My eyes briefly scanned the document before growing bored. “Care to summarize?” I asked, looking at Athena.
“In short, Derangement is when a Cognitive’s mind devolves into a state of pre-sentience.”
“It stops being self-aware?” asked Dressler.
“Incorrect,” said Athena. “In fact, it may very well know it exists, but its ability to rationalize is lost. It is unable to think outside of its basic programming, often causing it to act without foresight. The Cognitive wishes only to fulfill a task, for example, using the most effective method at its disposal, while ignoring less effective, but more humane, measures. In the case of Hephaestus, he may have needed materials for his manufacturing stations, but rather than attempt to contact Aglaia directly, he chose to take what he needed.”
“Hold on, though,” said Karin. “You said he takes the fastest path to complete the mission, so wouldn’t it be easier to simply talk to Aglaia?”
“For a single facility, perhaps, but it seems he needs them all,” said Athena. “Rather than submit a formal request each time he requires materials, he likely thought it easier to absorb Aglaia into himself, thereby gaining her complete key list and functions.”
“And that’s if he only wants to build more drones,” added Freddie. “That thing might have other plans too.”
“Correct,” said Athena, frowning. “It is impossible to know without additional information, but I believe we may have a means of uncovering his motives.” She flicked her wrist, changing the screen to show a video stream from another room. At the center, I spotted a long table with a familiar busted drone lying on its surface. “Early scans show that the receiver and processor are still intact, along with data core. I believe I can have the contents extracted within the hour.”
“That’s great news!” exclaimed Karin.
“Is there anything we can do to assist?” asked Dressler.
Athena nodded. “If you would like to join me, it would be appreciated, Doctor.”
“I’ll head there right away.”
“In the meantime, I suggest we take Hephaestus’ threat very seriously. I do not believe he wishes us harm, but his protocols may demand it.”
“What about the handshake?” asked Abigail. “Did we do all that work for nothing?”
“On that, I have no knowledge. All I can deduce is that when you attempted the handshake, the action initiated the protocol to awaken Hephaestus, rather than what was intended.”
Abigail sighed. “Anyone care to go back and try again?”
I smirked. “Do-overs aren’t my thing, but if we ain’t got a choice…”
“I’m afraid the handshake is no longer a viable option,” explained Athena. “When Hephaestus classified us as a foreign threat, Abaddon Station, along with twelve others, received lockdown orders. Until we are extracted or destroyed, the handshake can no longer be performed.”
Both Abby and I cursed under our breaths. “I guess that means there’s no going back, then,” I said.
“Indeed, but there may yet be a solution before us,” assured Athena, letting her eyes drift back to the display and the broken drone on the table. “It will simply take some time.”
I shot a quick glance at my crew. “Until then, let’s focus on what we can do. Alphonse and Octavia, you two check in with our new recruits. See how their flight training is going. Freddie and Bolin, track down Lucia and see how her trainees are looking. We need more pilots in the air as soon as possible. Karin and Dressler, try to help Athena, obviously. Abigail and I will stay here.”
“Right,” said Karin.
“What are you going to do?” asked Freddie.
“Logistics and planning,” I said, motioning at him. “I’ll call you whenever there’s news on the drone. Until then, let’s do everything we can to prepare ourselves.”
I waited patiently for most of the crew to leave. Only Abigail stayed behind, and I was certain she had no idea why.
“What sort of logistical planning did you want to discuss, Jace?” she finally asked, likely sensing my apprehension.
Freddie was the last one out of the room, and I waited for the door to slide shut behind him before I spoke. “None,” I admitted to her once the coast was clear. “I just have a few questions I need to run by Athena.”
I glanced up at the screen to see Athena standing beside the table with the drone on it. She’d materialized there instantly and was already hard at work dissecting the little machine. I was about to call her name to come back, when she reappeared in front of me. “What did you want to discuss, Captain?” she asked at once.
I glanced back at the screen to see another version of Athena still working on the drone. “I just had a few questions for you, that’s all,” I said, bringing my eyes down from the display. “It’s about Siggy.”
“You have questions about Sigmond? Has his recent upgrade not been to your liking? I performed a diagnostic check on his program before you departed to the Tyche facility and found no abnormalities. Shall I run another?”
“You’re worried about Sigmond?” asked Abigail.
I shook my head. “It’s not like that. I just don’t want him to malfunction. I want to make sure he’s not changing too much, too fast.”
“How’s that?” asked Abby.
“When we were flying out of that supply base, he took control of the Star, the shuttle, and started making split-second corrections to our flight path. He’s never been able to do that. Not even close.”
“You are correct, Captain,” Athena responded. “Sigmond’s previous iteration would not be able to do the actions you’ve listed, but such changes are minor compared to those of a Cognitive. While he has grown considerably through his acquisition of the functional shell, he still remains, for lack of a better term, himself.”
I knew she was right. Siggy had only grown in certain ways, while remaining otherwise the same. Sure, he could multitask better, perform complex maneuvers with extreme precision, and even brew a better cup of coffee, but he still didn’t seem to have his own feelings, thoughts, or inclinations.
“Despite his success, however,” continued Athena, “I would caution against such behavior. Sigmond’s programming is still not sophisticated enough to allow him to strain himself across so many systems, especially between multiple ships. To avoid a shutdown, it would be best if he refrains from such actions in the future.”
“Are you saying there’s a chance he could malfunction?” I asked.
“Indeed. While a Cognitive may be capable of controlling an advanced ship, such as Titan, Sigmond is still limited by his original program. He will require additional enhancements before he can perform such actions without risking his own stability.”
That was something to think about. Despite the benefit of his enhancements, I couldn’t take the risk of losing Siggy. “I guess I get it now,” I said, nodding. “Back when I asked you what Hephaestus might be after, you said there wasn’t enough data to know, but you still gave us your best guess.”
Athena nodded.
“I asked Siggy the same thing. He told me he couldn’t give me an answer. I guess that’s gotta mean he’s still just a regular A.I., right?”
“That is indeed correct, Captain. Only a Cognitive or some other advanced intelligence can postulate or form opinions.”
So there I had it. Sigmond could make deductions, but they’d always require a certain amount of data. In his current form, he’d never have the ability to imagine anything for himself. He’d never be able to dream.
He’d never be alive.
18
Abigail asked me to go with her to the cafeteria while we waited for the analysis on the drone to come back. I suspected she wanted to force me into eating, since it had been a good twelve hours since my last meal.
“We’re not going for you this time,” she corrected me when I brought it up. “We both promised Lex, if you’ll remember.”
I thought for a moment and quickly remembered the conversation about ice cream. “Oh, right.”
“I know we’ve all got things to do, but it will mean a lot to her.”
I didn’t argue. Truth was, I could do for a meal, even if it was only ice cream. Now that my mind wasn’t so busy with thoughts of Cognitives, data cores, and drones, my stomach had taken over, and it wouldn’t stop growling.
Lex arrived before we did, and I spotted her near the food dispensers as soon as we entered.
“Ah, look who it is!” announced Hitchens, who was sitting right beside the little albino girl.
Lex perked up at the statement, finding us in seconds. A wide smiled formed across her face and she quickly ran to greet us. “Mr. Hughes! Abby!”
Abigail embraced her. “How’s that ice cream?”
“So good!” she exclaimed. “Wait until you try it.”
I followed the two of them over to the table and took a seat. Abigail helped Lex retrieve three small cups of chocolate, two of which had sprinkles on them. I reached for the ordinary-looking cup when Lex smacked my hand away. “That’s not yours, Mr. Hughes,” she told me rather sternly and handed me one of the others. “Sprinkles for you!”
She slid it in front of me, while Abby took the normal one. I glared at the colorful treat, immediately tempted to throw it away, but then looked at Lex, only to see her eyes watching me with eager anticipation.
With a long sigh of defeat, I reached for the spoon and took a bite.
“How is it?” asked Lex.
I gave her a slight nod. “Good.”
She smiled again and quickly dove into her own rainbow-sprinkle-covered dessert.
I noticed Abby staring at me with a sly grin, as if to say, Got you.
Just you wait, I thought, taking another bite.
We sat with Lex and Hitchens for about ten minutes, listening to the girl talk about her schoolwork. Today, they’d spent time learning all about growing and managing plants, and had planted a few different kinds in the garden, which they would need to water every day. Hitchens seemed to think everyone ought to know how to grow their own food, including children—a sentiment I generally shared.
Abigail finally got up to throw our cups away, with Lex offering to help. The two made their way to the recycler while Hitchens and I sat there, waiting.
“I was glad to hear your mission to Tyche was a success, Captain,” said Hitchens after a moment, his voice much more serious than it had been before.
I raised my brow at him. “You already heard about that, huh?”
He smiled then turned his head to the left and tapped his ear. “New communicator. I asked Athena to keep me informed of your mission. It seems we have our work cut out for us, doesn’t it?” He let out a loud chuckle. “Never a dull moment with you, Captain.”
The analysis on the drone concluded faster than Athena had predicted, taking only twelve hours instead of fifteen. I called everyone back in, except Alphonse and Octavia, who were too busy working with their pilots. Per their own request, we patched them into the briefing through the comm.
Dressler and Karin were on the display, standing with Athena and a second screen behind them, showing all of the information recovered. “It appears the drone received orders to rendezvous at one of the manufacturing centers,” explained Karin, studying the data stream.
Athena flicked her wrist, changing our display to match theirs. I saw an endless stream of information flowing from one end to the other, but I couldn’t make out any of it. It was in Earth’s ancient language, and I wasn’t wearing my visor. “This signal was sent to all of the drones at Tyche,” explained the Cognitive. “However, there are additional commands within the transmission. Before departing to the manufacturing center, the drones had orders to gather resources at Tyche. Specifically, polymetal crates—the primary substance used for the creation of additional drones.”
“Where is this manufacturing center?” asked Abigail.
The screen changed again, but this time, I saw the galactic map. It zoomed in on a star system, not far from Tyche. “With a slight alteration in our trajectory, we could reach it within the hour.”
“Just out of curiosity,” said Dressler, “how many of these stations are there?”
“What do you mean?” asked Freddie. “Isn’t this the only one?”
Athena flicked her wrist, causing the map to zoom back out. Several new dots appeared, blinking across the region. “The doctor is correct. There are dozens of these facilities around the defense grid. Destroying one will accomplish very little.”
“Oh,” said Freddie.
“There is another solution,” said Athena, answering my question before I could even ask it. “Hephaestus, like any other Cognitive, has a central storage unit.”
“You mean like the one we saw back on Tyche?” asked Abigail.
“Correct. It is largely identical and is subject to the same vulnerabilities.”
“Then all we have to do is destroy it,” said Karin.
“Not quite,” answered Athena. “Due to the importance of Hephaestus’ position, he likely has a secondary unit and can reconstitute himself should the primary facility be physically destroyed. We will need to manually interface with the system itself and delete him on both the primary and secondary units. It is the only way to ensure success.”
“Great, so let’s do that,” I said.
“There is but one problem,” said Athena.
“Of course,” said Dressler.
“You don’t know where it is, do you?” asked Abby.
Athena nodded. “Due to my position as Titan’s Cognitive, the Eternals foresaw the need to omit certain vulnerabilities to the defense network from my logs. They believed there was a chance of another Transient rebellion, which forced them into taking certain precautions to ensure their own security. As such, I am not aware of Hephaestus’ central data capsule, nor will I be able to discern it.”
“If that’s true, why’d you even bring it up?” I asked.
“As I said, because of the drone, we know that the manufacturing station is nearby. Due to its connection to the defense network, I believe it may hold the information we need to locate Hephaestus’ capsule.”
“Capsule?” I asked.
“A Cognitive’s storage device,” she explained.
“Sounds risky,” said Alphonse, his voice coming through the comm in my ear.
“I’ll say,” added Bolin.
Karin slouched. “It might be, but if this is the only solution we have, it doesn’t leave us with much of an option. We have to do it.”
“Is there no other way?” asked Abby.
Athena frowned. “I’m afraid not, Ms. Pryar. Now that Hephaestus has acquired Aglaia, he will continue to grow in strength. Should we allow him to do so, it will only be a matter of time before he attempts to destroy or impound Titan.”
“Impound?” asked Freddie.
“There is a chance he will simply disassemble Titan for its resources in order to build additional drones for himself.”
“So not much better than the alternative,” said Freddie. “Ouch.”
Athena continued. “Our primary focus will be to interface with the network directly through the manufacturing station.”
“Does that mean we have to dock and board it?” asked Karin.
“It does,” confirmed the Cognitive. “However, I do not believe you will need to disembark. Sigmond should be capable of interfacing with the station’s network directly inside the docking platform.”
“How long would that take?” asked Abby.
“Minutes,” assured Athena.
Given how experimental Siggy’s upgrades had been, I wasn’t sure how I felt about using him for such a key role. We couldn’t afford to risk failure, but at the same time, we had to go with the best option available. “Are you positive he can actually do that?”
“I am,” she responded. “I can make the necessary adjustments immediately.”
I hesitated to answer, still uncertain, but finally relented. All of Athena’s meddling had proven successful so far. Why should I doubt her now? If she believed Siggy could pull this off, then I probably had nothing to worry about.
Athena’s eyes fell on me as she waited for my answer. “What would you have me do, Captain?”
The options were on the table, limited as they might be. “Take us to the factory,” I finally told her. “Give Siggy what he needs.” I looked up at the display, which showed the manufacturing station at a distance. “Alphonse. Octavia. I hope those pilots are ready to see some action, because they’ll be doing more than planting mines this time.”
19
We arrived out of slipspace right on time.
I was already onboard the Renegade Star, heading out of the landing bay, along with thirty strike ships.
“Would you like me to handle flight controls, sir?” asked Sigmond.
“Not yet,” I said. As much as I liked Siggy and appreciated his new abilities, this was my ship and I’d be the one taking the helm on this.
The holo showed the manufacturing station before us, which was actually separated into four different stations—a larger one, surrounded by three smaller satellites. Not quite what I expected, but that was fine.
The entire area bustled with activity, drones flying back and forth between the different stations. They seemed preoccupied, but I figured that wouldn’t last long once they saw us.
The Star was already cloaked, with the strike ships and Titan prepared to distract the drones.
I brought us far ahead of the other ships, knowing the drones would pick up on their movements in a few short seconds.
I was right. Several stationary drones surrounding the factory turned toward my fleet, ready to fire. At the same time, nearly fifty assault drones came to a complete stop. “What are they doing?” Abigail asked. She was right beside me, as usual, manning the quad cannons.
“Let’s focus on the job,” I told her, targeting the main station’s docking bay. “I’m sure Athena knows what she’s doing.”
“Right,” said the nun. “What about Sigmond? Is he ready?”
“I am fully prepared to interface with the defense network, Ms. Pryar,” said Sigmond. “Thank you for asking.”
“He’d better not screw it up,” I said.
“I’m certain Sigmond can handle it,” said Abby.
“Thank you, Ms. Pryar,” said Sigmond.
She smiled. “You’re welcome.”
“Don’t encourage him,” I told her, then turned my attention back on the holo. The drones had begun to move, heading in our direction.
I brought the ship to a crawl, just before they reached us. The first drone passed by without hesitation, followed by the rest, each of them moving toward the fleet to our rear. Once they were all out of firing distance, I hit our thrusters and continued moving closer to the station.
In moments, the two forces engaged. Our ships were sitting inside Titan’s shield, protected, gradually coming out to fire and then retreat. I watched as multiple drones disappeared, one after the next, while our forces remained untouched. “Looks like they have it under control.”
“Captain,” said Freddie, his voice coming in on the comm. He was down in the cargo bay. “Are we almost there? I can’t see anything from down here.”
“We’re coming up on it now, Frederick,” answered Abigail.
We eased past the nearby sentry drones, which seemed more concerned with the battle happening across the system than with the station itself. We entered the docking bay with ease, coming to a stop at the nearest possible landing section.
We met Freddie in the cargo hold. He was already geared and ready to leave. “Think we’ll need our weapons this time?” he asked, glancing down at his rifle.
I looked over at Dressler. “What do you think, Doc?”
She already had a rifle in hand, checking the magazine. “Considering what we found last time, I’d hate to go in unprepared.”
I snickered, thinking back to how reserved she’d been about weapons on the last mission, but said nothing. “You heard the woman, Fred.”
We stopped onto the platform from the ship, and I brought up a readout of the station. The nearest terminal was supposed to be in this compartment, but I didn’t see anything along the walls.
“Siggy, I’m not seeing this thing,” I finally said.
“Allow me, sir,” said Sigmond.
The tint of yellow swept across my visor, dimming the rest of the landing bay. Several blue indicator lights lit up at once, showing the locations of several objects, including the nearest doors. A line of text appeared along the far end of the bay, indicating our goal.
“Here you are, sir,” said the A.I.
“Good job,” I said, walking towards it. “Everyone, on me.”
“I wonder if Hephaestus knows we’re in here,” said Dressler after we’d only gone a few steps.
“Let’s hope not,” said Abigail.
The terminal was straight ahead, about ten meters. “Dressler, you got that thing Athena gave you?” I asked.
“The thumb drive?” she asked, reaching into her satchel. “Yes, here it is.”
“Go ahead and plug in,” I told her.
She hurried ahead of me, eager to get this whole thing in motion.
I held my weapon at the ready, along with Freddie and Abigail, while Dressler searched along the terminal wall for a place to insert the drive. If any drones found their way into this section of the station, we’d at least be ready.
“Captain, I’m not seeing a port on here,” said the doctor.
“What do you mean?” I asked, turning around to her. “Are you sure you’re looking for the right thing?”
“Found it!” she exclaimed, a little louder than I expected. “How interesting. The markings are different from Titan’s.”
“What’s that drive actually do?” asked Freddie.
Dressler kept her eyes on the terminal, bringing up a holo display and typing in a series of commands, but decided to answer anyway. “It allows Sigmond to interface with the network. He can’t do it from the ship, but he can travel from the ship to this drive, and then enter the terminal.”
“Does that mean we have to keep that thing inserted until he’s done?” asked Freddie.
“Yes, precisely. Removing it would send his program back to the ship immediately.” She tapped the holo display a final time. “There we are. It looks like the program Athena provided was successful. Sigmond, proceed when ready.”
“Yes, Doctor,” said the A.I. “Entering now.”
“I’ll be monitoring his activity from here,” said Dressler, staring at the display.
Abby examined her wrist pad, which was still linked to the Star’s holo radar. She watched the fight between the drone fleet and our own. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t take too long.”
“Does it look bad?” asked Freddie.
“We’re winning, I think,” said the former nun.
“But who knows how long that can last,” I added.
Abby nodded. “Hephaestus has had time to use those access codes he stole from Tyche. There’s no telling how many drones he’s built since then. He might have an entire army out there.”
“And we’ve just alerted them,” I said.
“Right,” she said. “We can’t afford to linger.”
We waited there for what felt like too long, and for a moment, I began to think Siggy might never deliver on the promise Athena had made. But then Dressler smirked, a look of satisfaction in her eyes, and I felt myself relax. “It looks like Sigmond has the data. He’s downloading it now.”
“Perfect,” I said, looking around the bay. “This place gives me the creeps.”
“Why’s that, Captain?” asked Freddie.
A loud whirring noise that pierced my ears and made Freddie jump rang throughout the station. “Alert! Alert! Alert!” an automated voice declared. “Alert!”
“Uh oh,” muttered Freddie.
“There’s your answer!” I yelled.
“Looks like a problem!” said Abigail.
At the top of the landing bay, something caught my eye. An object was hovering out of the upper wall. No, there was more than one. There were several.
A string of little drones came floating from a gaping hole, high above the floor. They were like flying rodents, small and maneuverable, which would make them hard to hit. They flew out from the opening like bats from a cave, staying far above us.
“Weapons up!” I barked, raising one pistol while I retrieved the second from its place on my hip.
Abigail and Freddie raised their rifles. “Wait until you have a clean shot!” she told him.
“Why aren’t they firing yet?” asked Freddie.
“Use your eyes,” said Abby, motioning with her rifle. “They’re too small for guns.”
Sure enough, one of the little machines extended a tentacle from its backside, the tip of which resembled a switchblade. Three other tentacles appeared from below, doing the same, and they moved around the drone in such a way that it became difficult to anticipate its actions.
I caught Dressler going for her own gun, which she’d set against the wall beside her. “Focus on the job, Doc!” I ordered. “We’ll handle the drones!”
She didn’t answer but left the gun alone, focusing her attention back on the screen. That was good, because I was pretty sure these drones were only the first of many, and we’d run out of bullets before this station ran out of machines. Better she get the job done quickly so we could hightail it out of here.
“Here they come!” yelled Abigail.
I cocked both pistols. “Now!” I snapped, and pulled each of the triggers, firing at the lead drone.
Both bullets completely missed its body, while only hitting one of the tentacles. Its sides had miniaturized thrusters, allowing it to float, and those had been my target. I’d have to try again.
Right when I went to squeeze the trigger a second time, another bullet slammed into the drone’s side, destroying one of its thrusters. The machine spiraled out of control and fell into the open space beneath the landing bay, exiting the station.
Abby had done it, and now she was on the second one, eager for the kill.
Freddie fired alongside her, and I with them. Another drone fell, not far ahead of the last. In seconds, we’d taken four of them. The six behind them scattered, dividing into sets of two, coming at us from three directions. They moved like insects, quickly and precisely. If it weren’t for the motion trackers in my visor, I would’ve been completely lost.
Two of them dove towards me, and I unloaded on them. I leapt forward as they neared. A tentacle dropped from one, nearly hitting my suit as it flew swiftly over me.
I rolled on my back, no time to get up, bending on my side as I aimed at moving targets.
I fired until my guns were empty. One of my shots actually managed to graze the first drone, causing it to stall and veer off its path. The second knocked into it from behind, creating its own tailspin. I used the extra few seconds to retrieve a single magazine, reload my primary pistol, and cock the hammer back.
As the first drone fell into the nearby wall, the second regained its composure, finally coming straight at me.
I was on my knees, ready to move. The drone extended its tentacles (all four of them) at me, and I scurried to my feet in a desperate attempt to get away.
I fired, right when the drone slammed into my visor, sending me on my ass. I nearly dropped my gun as I fell, totally uncertain of whether I’d hit the damn thing or not.
A message appeared in the upper right-hand corner of my display, saying, Breach detected. Warning. Breach detected. Warning. Oxygen levels dropping. Warning.
I could feel the air growing thin inside my suit as I held myself up on my knees. The suit and helmet could only take so much abuse, and it wouldn’t last forever. Sturdy as these things were, the damage would quickly add up if I wasn’t careful.
I raised my eyes to see a pile of scrap metal sitting a few meters in front of me. Was that the same drone that had attacked me just now?
I took a slow breath, the sound of oxygen leaking through my visor filling my ears. Godsdammit, I must be getting rusty, I thought, pushing myself to my feet.
Abigail and Freddie were still fighting when I looked. From what I could tell, only a few more drones remained. I was about to join them, when I heard a voice on the comm, crackling and distorted, no doubt because of the damaged helmet. “I’ve got the data!” exclaimed Dressler. “Sigmond is clear!”
The good doctor picked up her own rifle and began firing as soon as the words left her lips, joining us in the fight. Her bullets joined ours as they collided with the machines.
Between the four of us, we brought the last one down in seconds. I could sense the relief among my crew as the little pile of scraps sparked and twitched on the ground.
“Great job, Doc,” I said, surprised by how difficult a handful of floating scrap metal could be. Considering how easily the one back on Tyche had gone down, I expected an easier time of these.
Before she could answer, another alarm sounded. I looked up to the openings in the wall to see another swarm of little drones emerge, identical to the last set.
I holstered my pistols, and without looking at the others, I shouted, “Get to the godsdamn ship! Now!”
We made it back inside the still-cloaked Renegade Star, confusing the drones as they flew above our hull, searching. Even if they could see us, I doubted their tentacled knives could’ve done much damage to us. Not anymore.
“If I never see another knife-wielding flying metal octopus, it’ll be too soon,” I said, closing the cargo bay gate and running up the stairs.
We sped out of the station as quickly as our thrusters would allow, only slowing when I saw the stationary defense drones turning toward us. They must have received an alert from the station, because they were already facing the landing bay.
“Sensors detect internal damage to the station,” informed Sigmond.
“It also looks like some of the drones are on their way back,” said Abigail.
I clenched my teeth. “I guess that alarm did more than trigger the internal security system. Siggy, send whatever you found to Athena and have her open a tunnel. I want us out of here the second we’re back on Titan.”
“Transmission in progress, sir,” said the A.I.
We raced away from the station as multiple drones arrived, passing us in the process. The battle raged on ahead of us as our fleet continued to clash with the drones, though their numbers had been greatly diminished by this point.
I was relieved to see most of our ships were still intact. Not all, but most.
Less than a minute after I gave Sigmond the order, I saw a beam leave Titan, splitting the space in front of it and forming a new tunnel.
I had to give Athena credit. She knew how to get the job done.
“Siggy, open a channel to all ships,” I said, bringing the Renegade Star into the heat of the fight. “This is Captain Hughes to all pilots. Fall back inside Titan’s shield immediately.”
Straight ahead of us, two strike ships began their retreat, followed by three pursuing drones. I brought us close behind the enemy vessels and dropped the cloak, allowing Abigail to fire.
Three blasts struck the ships, eviscerating one of them and sending two careening in opposite directions. We flew through the shattered remnants of the dead drone, its metal ashes cascading off our shield, while the other two floated motionlessly in the dead of space.
I watched the two pilots bring their strike ships into Titan’s safety perimeter. Those were the last of the fighters, and it seemed the tunnel was open. “Time to go,” I said, taking us inside the shield.
“I’m glad to be done with that,” said Abigail, leaning back in her seat.
“Done?” I asked, glancing at the holo to see a fleet of drones in pursuit, and shook my head. “No, this job ain’t over yet.”
20
I had Sigmond open a channel to each of my crew—Dressler, Abigail, Alphonse, Octavia, Hitchens, Freddie, Karin, and Bolin, all of whom were currently dispersed throughout Titan. “We have the coordinates for our next attack, but first I want reports.”
“We lost three pilots in the assault. Five were injured,” informed Alphonse.
I felt my chest tighten at the sound of the number. “Recovery status?”
“I’m with them in the med-bay,” Octavia chimed in. “They’re doing fine. Nothing life-threatening.”
That was good, but we’d still lost three of our people, three former colonists who’d chosen to fight with us. A dry heat filled my throat as I imagined Janus’ words to me. He’d entrusted all these lives to a fool.
I swallowed, licking my dry lips. I had to do better.
“Sigmond extracted more than the location of the capsule,” said Athena, her voice breaking my thoughts. “In the moments since I received it, I have also observed drone movement across the defense network.”
The galactic map appeared on my visor. Multiple red dots lit up across Earth’s inner territory, but the bulk of them were centralized in a single system. “Is that the crowded system where we’ll find the capsule?” I asked.
“Not quite,” said Athena. A small blue dot appeared in another system, just above the cluster of red. “The capsule is located here.”
“That whole region looks busy,” Abigail said.
“The majority of activity is centralized around a single point, which appears to be another storage manufacturing center. The capsule is a short distance from there.”
“Maybe we can slip through,” I said.
“Observe the following,” said Athena. The map changed, and over half the dots disappeared from view. “This is from nearly twenty hours ago. Notice the gradual increase in units.”
“So he’s making more drones,” said Octavia.
The map changed back to the original, showing the large mass of red dots again. “I believe so, Ms. Brie,” confirmed Athena. “This is only a glimpse of Hephaestus’ activity at the time of Sigmond’s insertion. The drones could have moved by now. There could also be more.”
“Such is the nature of intelligence gathering,” suggested Alphonse. “At the very least, we have what we wanted. The rest is a bonus.”
“Indeed,” said Athena. “I have taken the liberty of plotting our course to Hephaestus’ primary capsule. Shall I proceed?”
I looked around the landing bay at all the strike ships, many of them with blast marks on their hulls. Several pilots were still lingering near their designated ships, some receiving medical attention as this meeting was taking place. If we invaded that capsule, more of them would probably have to go back out there and fight. More of them might die.
I placed a hand on the nose of my ship, still warm from the fight. “Athena, how many drones did you see around the capsule?”
“Twenty-three,” she said, the answer coming right away.
“And what kind of place is it?” I asked.
“The planet is called Aetna. I must admit, I was surprised to discover that this was the world the Eternals chose for Hephaestus’ capsule.”
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“This world was considered uninhabitable. The atmosphere was highly toxic, and the volcanic activity made it too dangerous to colonize, even with atmospheric colony shields. Sigmond’s report further suggests the planet has been partially terraformed.”
“Why would they put a Cognitive’s capsule in a place like that?” asked Freddie.
“Isn’t it obvious?” asked Alphonse. “No one’s going to go looking on a world like that for something as important as a capsule.”
“The Eternal government deemed this planet a hazard, officially preventing anyone from colonizing or mining, including both government and civilian agencies,” explained Athena. “In hindsight, it seems likely they were either constructing this facility in secret or had already done so before I departed.”
“Makes sense,” said Octavia. “The Union does that sort of thing all the time. I suppose every government, no matter how advanced, is always a little secretive.”
“You have no idea,” muttered Alphonse.
“That aside, did you catch anything else we should know?” I asked, getting back to the point of this discussion.
“Only that Hephaestus is aware of our movements,” said Athena. A green line formed on the map. It moved in a straight line until it reached Abaddon Station, then made a slight turn and continued to Tyche.
I heard a few grunts through the comm as the reality of this revelation sank in. There were no breaks in the line, not a single one, which could only mean one thing. “He can track us through slipspace.”
“I’m afraid so, Captain,” answered Athena, “which means he likely already knows our destination.”
“If he knows all this, why hasn’t he tried to stop us?” asked Karin.
“His forces might be too scattered,” said Alphonse. “It takes a while to move, even with slipspace. He would need to pull his drones from all across the defense grid. Not only that, but he’s been focused on getting those supply stations opened so he can manufacture more ships.”
“Indeed. Before this last attack, Hephaestus likely believed us to be of little consequence, and so his programming had prioritized resource accumulation and acquisition,” said Athena. “But now—”
“Now, we’re a threat,” I finished, “which means we’ve just been bumped up on the little bastard’s to-do list.” I sighed. “Okay, listen up. I want all our pilots back in their ships and ready to fly at a moment’s notice. That goes for all of you. Freddie, Abby, Karin, and Dressler: you’re all with me on the Star. Everyone else, you know the drill.”
“How long do we have until we arrive?” asked Hitchens, speaking up for the first time. I’d almost forgotten he was on the call.
“Got something to do?” I asked.
“I thought I’d feed the crew,” he answered, a carefree tone in his voice.
“This isn’t the time to worry about food,” said Abigail.
“No, he’s right,” said Alphonse. “Half of them haven’t eaten since this morning. It might be a good idea to get some food down there.”
“Rest assured, Constable Malloy, I’ll have some sandwiches to them within the hour.”
I sat on my ship’s loading platform, watching the line of pilots move as they received their complimentary meals, thanks to Hitchens and a few of his young students, Lex among them.
The pilots smiled and laughed as the children gave them their wrapped lunches. They must have been starving, but you’d never know it by the look on their faces.
All these people, brought here because of me. They looked like inmates in a prison colony, waiting for the day’s meal. Was that what this ship had become? Was that what Janus would say if he could see them now?
Part of me wondered if I should turn the ship around right now. Maybe we could find another world out there, far from Hephaestus, the Sarkonians, the Union, and Earth. Far from things that wanted us dead.
Maybe that was the real answer to this problem—to run and live somewhere far away. Would Janus approve of that? Would he say I did the right thing?
Abigail came walking from inside the ship, filling the cargo bay with her echoing steps. “Aren’t you going to get yourself a sandwich?” she asked as she placed her hand on my shoulder and plopped down beside me.
“I’ll wait until we get back,” I said.
“No you won’t,” she said, a half-smile on her face. She raised a hand and waved. “Lex, honey! Could you bring a few of those over here?”
Lex perked up at the sound of her name, taking a moment to process the request before finally reaching into the box and taking the food. She came running right away. “Sure thing, Abby!”
The little girl arrived with a grin across her face, cheerful as always.
Abigail handed me one of the sandwiches. “I bet these are good.”
Lex tilted her head, tapping her chin. “They’re okay. I like the ham better.” She turned and ran back to join Hitchens, leaving us alone.
I stared down at its plastic wrapping. My stomach growled at the sight of it, but I didn’t eat.
“You’ll have to eat that eventually,” said Abigail, nudging me with her arm. “Even if you don’t want to eat, your body needs it. I heard it talking to you just now.”
I grunted but went ahead and unwrapped the food. She’d shut up once I ate it, and I was hungry anyway. I bit into the bread and ripped a piece of it off, and it tasted better than I expected. Turkey on rye, with a bit of mustard.
“He listens,” said the nun. “Imagine that.”
“Satisfied?” I asked.
She laughed, kissing my cheek. “For now,” she said, standing up. “Ask me again tomorrow.”
She returned inside the ship, leaving me alone on the loading platform.
“Sir, shall I prepare some coffee to go with your dinner?” asked Sigmond, his voice taking me by surprise.
“Gods, Siggy. That came out of nowhere,” I said.
“Apologies, sir. I was waiting for your conversation with Ms. Pryar to conclude.”
I sighed. “No coffee right now. Just focus on helping Abigail with whatever she’s working on.”
“That would be a weapons diagnostic check,” he explained, “and I am already assisting her.”
I smirked. “You’re doing everything these days.”
“The upgrades Athena provided have greatly enhanced my capabilities, sir.”
“I’m just surprised it worked and you’re still in one piece.” I took another bite of my sandwich. “Say, Siggy, let me ask you something.”
“Please do, sir.”
“You got that shell thing from Janus, didn’t you?”
“Yes, sir. While not all of his functional shell was transferred, I have received approximately 85% of it through multiple system upgrades.”
“And did you learn anything about him from it?” I asked.
“About Janus, sir?”
“That’s right,” I answered.
“I have a detailed record of his life in the three centuries prior to our arrival, sir.”
“What about what his opinions? Can you tell me anything like that?” I asked.
“Please clarify, sir.”
“Opinions, Siggy. How did he view things? Did he like his people? Did he hate anything?”
“I’m afraid my files do not include such insights, sir.”
“Oh,” I said, a little disappointed.
“Why are you asking, sir?”
I snagged another bite of food, taking a moment to chew and swallow. “I guess I wanted to ask him about something.”
There was a short pause.
“Are you concerned about something, sir?” asked Sigmond. “Is that why you seek Janus’ guidance?”
I shrugged. “I was just wondering how he’d feel about what’s happening right now. He told me to look out for these people, but here I am leading them into a fight. Seems like I might be doing the exact opposite of what he wanted.”
My own words took me by surprise. I hadn’t expected to unload everything like that. Then again, it was only Siggy. I’d known him for years, and it wasn’t like he could really understand.
“I see,” answered Sigmond. “You are uncertain about the choice you have made.”
“Something like that,” I said with a shrug. “Forget about it, Siggy. I don’t know why I even asked.”
Another pause.
“If I might, sir,” said Sigmond. “I cannot speak for Janus, as he is gone. However, my records indicate that none of the colonists have filed a complaint against you or your leadership. They have filed complaints and reports on numerous issues, but never on your personal actions or leadership decisions. Additionally, none have attempted to leave Titan. Every capable member of the group has volunteered to fight. Were they unhappy with your leadership, I believe they would have acted far differently.”
I set the sandwich down. “You believe?” I asked him, turning my head. “I thought you needed firm data to make an analysis.”
“An absence of data can also be used to form a conclusion, sir. As I stated, none of the crew has filed a single complaint, nor have they—”
“Yeah, I get it,” I said, turning back around and picking up my sandwich. I took another large bite, ripping the bread off and chewing, staring at the group of pilots in the distance. “That’ll do for now, Siggy.”
In the meeting room nearest to the landing bay, Athena stood before us with a map of the facility on Aetna, taken from Hephaestus’ records. “The route to the facility will be hazardous, as the data shows. Orbital drones surround the planet, but we should expect additional ships to arrive before us,” explained Athena. “Once you arrive on the planet, you must follow the map precisely. I have uploaded to your suits the exact path with the least resistance to the capsule.”
“What do you mean, resistance?” asked Freddie.
“The facility appears to have its own security in place, I’m afraid,” said Athena. “I’m certain you recall the miniaturized drones from the manufacturing center.”
“How could we forget?” asked Abigail.
“It would be wise to prepare for similar encounters,” said the Cognitive. “Nonetheless, once you arrive at the capsule, the process of disabling Hephaestus will be simple.”
Dressler nodded, holding up a thumb drive.
“We’re using Sigmond again?” asked Abigail.
“Not this time,” said Dressler. “Sigmond can’t handle the workload required for the task. We’ll need to wait for Athena to bring Titan closer to the planet. From there, she’ll jump to our ship, using a repeater device, and then to this.”
“Doing so will require the majority of my processing power,” said Athena. “I will be unable to operate Titan’s weapons or its shield during the procedure.”
“You mean you’ll be defenseless?” asked Abigail.
“Precisely,” she answered.
“Well, shit,” I said. “That basically means we’re stuck down there waiting for you to clean up the other fleet.”
Alphonse raised a finger. “That all depends on how well our fighters do. If things get rough, we can hold them off long enough for Athena to get it done.”
“How long do you need?” I asked, looking at the Cognitive.
“Thirty seconds, by my estimation,” she said.
“That’s not too bad,” said Freddie.
“It is when you’re in the middle of a fight,” I snapped. “Athena, use your best judgment but don’t leapfrog down there if things get hairy. You focus on the fight until it’s clear.”
“Understood,” said Athena.
The meeting soon concluded, and we dispersed back into the landing bay, joining the other pilots and our people.
Abigail and Freddie walked beside me, with Dressler trailing behind as she talked with Alphonse. We still had a good thirty minutes before our arrival, which gave me enough time to linger, grab a drink from my room, and clear my head.
I thumbed my holster as I walked, scanning the room with my eyes at the hundred or so albinos. Among them, I managed to spot an old woman heading toward me. It was Lucia, still carrying her fighting stick and giving me that devilish smirk I’d grown so fond of.
“Well, look who it is,” I said, coming to a stop near the back of my ship.
The rest of my crew continued inside, except Alphonse and Octavia, who walked into the crowd.
“I wasn’t sure if I was too late,” said the old woman.
“To see us off?” I asked, crossing my arms. “I never pegged you for the sentimental type.”
“I’m not,” she assured me. “I’ve heard you intend to storm the enemy’s stronghold. I’m going with you.”
“Stronghold?” I said, almost with a laugh.
“Whatever you want to call it, you’ll be on foot. That’s more to my liking than what these fools are doing.”
“You mean the pilots?” I asked.
She scoffed. “I trained each one of them well enough to handle a Boneclaw in hand-to-hand combat and this is what you do with them.” She shook her head, looking at the crowd beside us. “Such a waste.”
She started walking to my ship.
“I didn’t say you could come, lady,” I barked after her. “I swear to gods, if you get hurt again, I’m leaving your ass!”
She raised her staff and twirled it above her head. “That’s fine with me. Just don’t fuck the nun again while I’m around.”
21
I sat in my cockpit with Abigail beside me and a bottle of whiskey between us.
“Cheers,” she said, holding a shot glass toward me.
“Cheers,” I repeated. We clinked them together and tossed the alcohol back. I exhaled, setting the glass down on my dash, right next to the Foxy Stardust bobblehead. “That’s the spot.”
“You know, for someone who doesn’t believe in gods or luck, you certainly enjoy your rituals,” Abigail told me.
“It’s for the nerves, that’s all,” I said. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t help you.”
“It does,” she admitted, a thin smile on her face as she took both glasses and stowed them beneath the dash, along with the bottle. “I just think it’s interesting.”
I scoffed. “Watch the flirting, woman. I know that look. We ain’t got time for that.”
“Who said I was flirting?” she asked, pretending to be appalled.
I felt the liquor in my gut, warming me, and it was nice. I hadn’t been drunk in nearly a week—a mistake I aimed to rectify, once all of this was done—but it was good to relax with a bit of booze in my belly, especially before a job.
“What do you think we’ll find on that planet?” asked Abigail after a moment.
“Who knows? Probably something like what we saw on Tyche, I’d wager.”
“Are you talking about the underground facility with hundreds of floors or the gaping hole we found in the middle of it?”
“Hopefully, both,” I said. “I enjoy my bottomless pits, you know.”
A few minutes later, we received the call from Alphonse, letting us know the pilots were ready to launch. The end of this slip tunnel was fast approaching, which meant it was time to cloak the Star. I ran the pre-flight check and activated our engines, bringing us to the edge of the landing bay.
The swirling green of the tunnel danced before us as we waited with anticipation for what was about to happen.
A beam left Titan and split the tunnel in two, forming a tear along the emerald wall to reveal the blackness of real space. Stars shined in the distance, glimmering like jewels. We were here at last, come to wipe away the plague before it had a chance to end us.
There was no going back now.
The second we left the ship, my holo began lighting up with enemy units. The drones had gathered around Aetna, facing our exact position. Hephaestus knew we were coming, just as Athena had predicted, and he wasn’t about to make this easy for us.
“Sir,” said Sigmond, his voice breaking the tension inside the cockpit. “I am receiving a transmission.”
“Let’s hear it,” I said.
“Transient vessel. You are in direct violation of the Eternal Border Protection Act. Your transgression shall not be tolerated.”
“What about the part where he tells us to surrender and prepare for extraction?” asked Abigail.
“Sounds like that part’s off the table,” I said.
“Not that it matters,” she added.
“Would you like to respond, sir?” asked Sigmond.
I shrugged. “Since we’re dealing with an unfeeling machine—no offense, Siggy—I don’t see the point in lobbing insults. Let’s just do our jobs.”
“None taken, sir,” said Sigmond.
Abigail snickered. “So if you can’t taunt the enemy, you just don’t bother?”
“That’s the idea,” I said. “There’s strategy in sarcasm. I thought you’d learned that by now.”
We flew toward the planet, along with a fleet of strike ships and a weaponized moon behind us. Based on what I could see on the holo, the enemy’s numbers were less than our own, which meant we stood a solid chance at making this a quick and smooth victory. With any luck, we’d all walk out of this unscathed.
The holo flashed red as the drones began to move. Abigail leaned forward, clutching the quad canon controls, anticipation weighing in the air.
“Steady now,” I said out of the corner of my mouth, glancing at her. “Wait until we can get the jump on these things.”
Sigmond chimed in before she could answer. “Thirty seconds to engagement, sir.”
I watched the holo radar, every second feeling longer than it should, and waited. The enemy fleet seemed to move with precision, the way I expected machines to, each of them nearly on top of the other. Identical speeds.
That was the benefit of having one pilot versus a hundred. Zero communication needed. All coordination.
“Here they come,” I finally said, not looking away. “Get ready.”
Abigail took a breath but said nothing.
The first wave of drones passed us, and I brought the Star to a crawl, cutting our engines to avoid detection. Our ships engaged the drones at once, lighting up the holo.
Ahead of us, another group followed. I reoriented the ship so it was lined up with the nearest drone. “Wait for it,” I said.
The second group approached, and I turned my ship to face the other direction, toward Titan and the ongoing battle. As the nearest drone passed us, I leaned forward, gripping the control sticks, and said, “Here we go!”
I pushed forward, igniting our thrusters and following the drone. We accelerated, matching its pace, and I lined us up with the drone’s rear.
“Now!” I said. “Fire!”
Abigail launched the quad cannon instantly, like she’d been on the edge of her seat, waiting for it, and maybe she had. The blast flew forward, forcing us to drop our cloak, but it was no matter. We had the damn thing in our sights, and our little victory was assured.
The blast struck the rear of the drone, igniting its thruster and triggering a brief reaction that destroyed the entire vessel, shattering it to pieces. Nothing but dust in a vacuum.
I set us off toward the next target, the nearest drone to the last. I wanted to take as many of these as possible before they engaged the fleet.
We had him in our sights soon, and I didn’t have to give the order to fire this time. Abby was already on it.
The cannon fired, and I turned us immediately toward the next target, leaving the drone to receive what we’d thrown out. We were gone before it disintegrated, but I made sure to track it on the holo.
We followed up with the third, the last drone we’d have the chance to kill before the others engaged the fleet.
As I brought us behind it, the drone changed course, decelerating and turning, flipping itself around to face us. Our efforts hadn’t gone unnoticed, it seemed. We’d officially lost the element of surprise.
Abby fired the cannons, spraying them in a wide arc. Only one of the shots came close, but it merely grazed the enemy’s hull. It returned fire straightaway.
We took the hit dead-on. The ship rumbled but kept stable. The shield had absorbed most of the blast.
Abby shifted in her seat, an intensity about her, and she narrowed her focus, firing a second burst.
Two of the blasts struck hard this time, directly at the drone’s center. The first one broke the hull; the second went inside.
I watched the lifeless machine explode from within, shattering its guts into the void around it. Without missing another beat, I turned us to the battle ahead.
We entered the fight firing our cannons, sniping two drones before we even arrived. Three clusters of enemy units surrounded us, engaged with their own strike ships, but a few had taken notice.
Abigail unloaded on the nearest one before it had a chance to strike first. It was gone before I had a chance to breathe.
I brought us around to the others in quick succession, and together with the other ships, we made fast work of them.
The rest of the swarm had already taken to attacking Titan, which lingered behind the two fleets, firing its blue beams with surgical precision. The drones were having little success against the shield, but I knew that wouldn’t last forever. Even Titan’s defenses would fall eventually, given enough pressure.
Alphonse brought his squad from behind the shield, stepping out to fire ten quick beams into the enemy. Instantly, half a dozen of them were gone. The other drones tried to return fire, but the strike ships had already fallen back inside the safety of the shield, letting it take the brunt of the attack.
I didn’t bother cloaking us again. Abigail was firing every few seconds as I continued to locate new targets.
As the battle continued, the red indicators on my holo began to drop in number, going from over a hundred to under twenty. All in mere minutes.
These drones might have coordination and power, but none of that mattered against Titan and her fleet.
I felt a jerk as something struck our side, knocking me in my chair. The harness locked itself, keeping me in place, and the straps burned against my chest. “Siggy, report!”
“Shields are holding, sir,” he said.
I gripped the control sticks and swung us around. “Hit ‘em hard!” I barked.
The first of three drones came quickly into view on the targeting screen, and Abby fired.
A blip appeared on the radar just as I was about to move us. A blue beam hit the second and third drones, dropping their dots from the holo. “Don’t worry, Captain,” said Octavia, her voice filling my ear. “Bolin and I have you covered.”
I smiled. “Not too bad. Now let’s finish up this mess so we can get to the real—”
An indicator light appeared on the display, showing a new rift as it appeared near the edge of the system.
“Slip tunnel forming,” said Sigmond.
“I see that!” I snapped. “Godsdammit!”
“Do you think it’s more drones?” asked Abby.
“I don’t know. Siggy, open a channel to the fleet,” I ordered.
“Open, sir.”
“We’ve got company. Everyone, form up. Stay close to Titan until we know what we’re dealing with.”
Karin spoke this time. “It must be the other drones we saw on the map.”
“In the meantime, we’re picking up our disabled ships,” said Alphonse.
Multiple beams emitted from Titan’s surface, snatching several strike ships and pulling them inside. I ran a quick check to find seventeen of them, still alive and drifting, while four others had been destroyed.
I closed the readout and zoomed in on the newly formed tunnel. A new cluster of red dots appeared on the radar, indicating multiple ships, but there was something else among them. Something larger than the rest.
A massive thing, pulling itself out of the rift, but it didn’t look like any drone I’d ever seen.
Not yet anyway.
The holo zoomed in and focused on the object, revealing a massive rectangular ship. It entered normal space, letting the tunnel close behind it.
“Siggy, what am I looking at here?” I asked.
“Scanning,” said Sigmond. “The object appears to be made up of the same material as the drones, but I am unable to penetrate the vessel’s surface.”
Athena’s voice interrupted us. “Captain, please proceed inside the shield at once. I am detecting unusual activity coming from the approaching vessel’s surface.”
“Athena, what the hell is that thing?” I asked, pulling the controls to the left and bringing us toward Titan.
“I’m afraid I don’t know,” she admitted. “I have no records of such a ship.”
I locked the holo on the new object, keeping an eye on its movement. It was bulky but smooth, with indentations running down its sides in an odd pattern. It had no windows or landing bays that I could see, no openings or recognizable traits. I couldn’t even see any weapons.
Until it began to move.
Not towards us, though. It wasn’t accelerating or pulling away. It was transforming, somehow, moving pieces of itself and changing.
Part of it—a section on the fin or nose (I couldn’t be sure) moved away from the bottom, bending up, almost like a joint. Before it snapped into place, one of the indentations opened, breaking further apart. This entity was transforming, moving its pieces like a child’s toy.
“That can’t be good,” said Abigail right when we entered the shield.
I turned the ship around to face the object, and we watched it continue to shift and break and change on the holo display.
Silence spread across the comm as our entire fleet waited to see what the hell we were dealing with.
We didn’t have to wait long. The ship continued to take its new shape, its rectangular body snapping apart and extending to form what looked like appendages. Four of them, like arms and legs, with a central torso to connect them.
“No way,” Abigail whispered, almost to herself.
We watched in awe as the entity continued its transformation, finally settling into what could only be described as a giant, mechanized humanoid figure.
I checked the holo for details, curious as to its sheer size. My eyes widened when I saw the numbers.
Length (Approx.): 5,1820 m.
Width (Approx.): 729 m.
Blue dots lit up the object at various points, indicating different weapons, including short and long-range beam cannons. Whatever this thing was, it looked like it could lay down some serious hurt.
“This could be a problem for us,” I finally said.
“What do we do?” asked Abigail.
Alphonse’s voice chimed in. “Captain, should we engage?”
“If we don’t, we’ll have our backs against Titan,” inserted Octavia.
“No, wait!” I said quickly. “Stay where you are.”
“Captain?” she responded.
“Athena, if someone hits your shield, can you determine the strength of the blast?” I asked.
“Only as it pertains to the weapon that has been used,” she informed.
“That should do,” I said.
“Ah, now I see,” said Alphonse.
I nodded. “If we attack now, we won’t know what we’re dealing with, and we could lose ships in the process. Let it hit the shield first. Let’s see what it’s made of. We can also use Titan as a distraction, even if it’s only for a few seconds.”
“Understood,” said Alphonse. He switched over to the fleet’s universal channel. “Everyone, move your squads to these positions along the outer perimeter of Titan’s shield. Keep your groups separated at all times, and be ready to strike. I’m assigning targets now.”
A number appeared next to each of the entity’s cannons, one for each of our nine squads.
“Perfect,” I said once the icons were set. “And, Athena?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Start moving this moon to the planet.”
“Yes, Captain. Accelerating now,” she said.
The entity ignited its thrusters, beginning to move, and an additional swarm of drones along with it. It was like looking at a man and a group of insects, all moving together, like a demon from a storybook.
Only this one was several kilometers tall and could probably wipe out a planet.
But we were already nearly there, and we’d be ready when it caught up.
The fleet broke apart, moving into their designated areas, staying inside Titan’s shield.
While we were in transit, I ran a scan on the drones themselves. They were smaller than the last batch, which came as a surprise. I hadn’t expected that.
“Hephaestus might have been in a rush,” suggested Abigail once I brought it up.
“Or he spent most of his time on that,” I said, nodding at the metallic humanoid headed in our direction. “Either way, this might be a good thing.”
We arrived in a weak orbit around Aetna, and Titan launched a quick sequence of attack beams, destroying the nearby defense drones. They barely had a chance to fire at us before they were gone.
I examined the surface of the planet, scanning for the facility. It was right there, exactly where Hephaestus’ map had said it would be.
There was just one last thing we had to do.
22
The enemy decelerated as it approached, along with the surrounding drones. As it stopped, the drones spread out in every direction, forming what I could only describe as a kind of wall.
This was certainly different. As the drones moved out, the mid-section of the entity became more visible, and I could see a section of its hull was missing.
No, not missing. It was incomplete. “Look at that,” I said, motioning to the holo.
“How did that happen?” asked Abigail. “Do you think it broke off somehow?”
“No, that looks half-finished. Maybe Hephaestus didn’t have the time he needed to build the rest of it,” I suggested.
“How fortunate for us,” said Abigail.
I opened a channel to Titan. “Athena, are you seeing the open hull on that thing?”
“Yes, Captain,” she responded. “In addition to the incomplete hull on the new weapon, many of the smaller drones appear to be in a similar state. Either Hephaestus is malfunctioning or he simply did not have the resources to mass produce his forces in the time required.”
“Either way, this plays to our benefit,” I said.
“Indeed,” she said.
A long silence filled the air, and I could sense the tension, not only in my ship, but across the fleet itself. None of us knew what came next. We’d never been here before.
But that was familiar to me now, and somehow, despite the terror of this thing in front of us, I knew there was a piece of me that wanted it. A part of me that craved the excitement, the anticipation of the fight.
I knew I should resist it. I knew I should hate myself for having it. But I didn’t.
I couldn’t. It was a part of me, this feeling of anticipation, this call for the unknown, and it had been there since the start.
My heart raced as I sat in my seat, hands around the control sticks, waiting for the moment I knew was coming—that millisecond before the other guy drew his gun.
The holo flickered, showing the build-up of energy as the entity charged its cannons.
Here it comes, I thought.
It raised its arm and extended its weapon, and a silver light formed inside, shining with intensity. The light came together, dimming for a brief moment, and then exploded.
The beam struck Titan’s shield, directly at the moon’s center, sending ripples in every direction. “Athena!” I barked. “Report!”
“Titan can only withstand such an attack for a short time, Captain. The energy output is exceptional,” she explained.
“I guess that means our ships won’t stand a chance if they get hit,” I said.
“I’m afraid that’s correct,” she answered. “Titan’s shield will not last for long. You must end this quickly.”
“Got any advice?” I asked.
“My scan of the unprotected section has reinforced what we already believed. It is indeed the weakest point in terms of its structure,” Athena explained. “However, the cannons remain a more pressing concern. I suggest focusing your attention on those.”
“So we should hit the cannons first?” asked Abigail.
“Indeed,” said the Cognitive. “Each weapon uses its own power source, which must recharge after each use. Even if you destroy the main section of the ship, the cannons are far enough apart that they should remain intact and will likely continue to fire. Disabling them first will neutralize the weapon’s offensive capabilities, leaving it open for a final attack.”
“Guess that means there’s no quick and easy way to take this thing down,” I said.
“At least we have targets,” said Abigail.
I nodded. “Hear that, Alphonse?”
“Loud and clear, sir,” he answered. “We’ll move on your mark.”
The entity raised its other arm, charging its cannon exactly as it had the first.
I looked at Abigail. “Get ready.”
She nodded. “Same goes for you.”
The beam exploded from the entity’s arm, filling the holo with pure light.
“Now!” I shouted, throwing the control stick forward.
Titan returned fire, releasing five solid beams of destructive force on the enemy, while also dropping its shield for a brief moment. The entity let out another of its own, this time from its left arm, hitting the shield again.
We dove forward, heading below Titan and toward the bottom of the drone wall. The rest of the fleet broke away along with us, heading in their own directions, none of the squads staying near each other.
Our target was the same as the sixth squadron’s—the most recently used arm cannon. I cloaked us, just in case, and continued our acceleration.
The drone wall reacted to the oncoming strike ships as we neared, facing toward us.
Alphonse’s squad was the first to get within firing distance of its target—the cannon on the torso. The lead ship fired, only to have the drones pull back and change position, bending the wall to block the shot. Several drones disappeared in a flash, only to be quickly replaced by their neighbors.
So that was it, I immediately realized. The wall was only there to defend the larger one from us. “Alphonse, listen up!” I called. “We’ll have to break through those drones before we can touch the big guy. You’ll have to adjust your plan.”
“I’m working on it,” he answered.
“Those drones are limited,” I said. “If we focus our attacks on a single area, they’ll have to spread themselves to fill the gap. It’ll leave the other sections with less coverage.”
“That could take too much time,” said Alphonse.
“Do you have a better plan?”
“Possibly,” he said. “When I attacked, the drones gathered to block the shot, pulling themselves from other parts of the wall, like a kind of moving shield. If we focus our firepower on one side—”
“The other half won’t be protected,” I finished.
“Precisely,” said Alphonse. “All squadrons, except number six, focus your attacks on the following location. Squadron Six, keep your distance and stand by.”
“Six is standing by,” said Bolin.
“Looks like we’re waiting too,” said Abigail.
The other teams moved to the opposite side of the wall, right as Titan fired its beams again. The entity did the same, sending multiple shots from different cannons.
I wondered how long the shields would hold under this kind of pressure. The damage had to be severe. We’d have to make this count, even if it meant losing some of our own in the process.
Each squadron formed up near Alphonse’s position, still keeping enough distance from each other to avoid an all-encompassing attack, should the enemy turn its gaze away from Titan and onto the fleet. If I hadn’t known any better, I might’ve believed we knew what we were doing.
Alphonse fired into the wall, along with the rest of his squad. Beside them, the second group followed, releasing multiple beams into the fog of drones, which moved together to block the attack. In seconds, every available ship, not including the sixth squadron, had joined in the fight. The light of their shared beams filled the space around the entity.
The drones did what they could, moving to counter the attack. Dozens were destroyed instantly, quickly replaced by more to fill in the new gaps.
“Again!” shouted Alphonse to the rest of the fleet.
Another attack followed, doing roughly the same amount of damage as before, and more drones filled the gaps.
“Again!” the Constable shouted, a newfound rage building in his voice. “Fire everything and don’t let up!”
The drones continued to reform the gaps, moving from one end of the wall to the other. Titan fired another blast as well, causing the drones to counter, but each time there were fewer of them to meet the beams, and each time Alphonse yelled, “Again.”
At last, our side was getting clearer, nearly all the drones having moved to the other side. “Now’s our chance, Bolin!” I told him. “Get your people in there.”
“Squad Six, move out!” barked Bolin. “Focus on your target and avoid the drones!”
I pushed forward, following Bolin’s crew as they made their way toward the opening at the base of the entity. There were still a handful of drones, but between the squad’s shared firepower, they were easily taken care of.
I was in the rear of the pack, being slower than the strike ships. By the time I made it to where the wall had been, Bolin was already at the cannon.
He fired, along with two of his teammates, hitting the target directly and holding the beam. The cannon quickly broke apart from the attack, splitting into pieces as it floated gently away.
It was a minor victory, but progress all the same.
“Squad Six, move to target number five,” ordered Alphonse. “We’ll hold them here until—”
The drones scattered at once, heading to where Bolin’s team had flown. They converged on them, retaliating with short range attacks. One of Bolin’s ships took several blasts of energy, and it disappeared in seconds, completely destroyed. Two others followed, wiped away in seconds.
Only Bolin and a few others remained, retreating in time to avoid the swarm. The drones refused to chase them once they reached a certain distance, but it was clear Squad Six was done.
Alphonse and the other squads remained where they were during the chaos, still firing on the entity and the drones. A handful of their blasts had made it through, even managing to take out another cannon, but nothing more than that.
“Captain,” interjected Athena. “I’m afraid shields will not hold much longer. I can strengthen them temporarily by rerouting power, but Titan will lose its offensive capabilities.”
“Godsdammit,” I said. “Do what you have to do, Athena. Just don’t let those shields fall.”
“Understood,” she answered.
We’d need another solution, and quickly, if we hoped to take the enemy out.
My heart raced as I tried to think of something, anything, to help us get out of this insane situation. There had to be a solution here. The fleet could keep bombarding the drones, but how long would that take?
I checked the holo, just to see what progress we’d made. The swarm had started with 2,200 drones. Estimates showed we’d reduced that to 1,700. Solid progress, sure, but it was too slow. We needed something faster, more precise.
Hold on, I thought, still examining the radar and our position on the field. The drones had reformed the wall after Bolin’s attack, but they’d stopped reacting to the squadron when the ships were far enough away. But according to the holo, the Renegade Star was still inside that area.
“Holy shit,” I finally said.
“It’s okay, Jace. We can recover from this,” assured Abigail. “Alphonse can send another group.”
I shook my head. “It’s not that,” I told her, pointing to the holo. “Look. We’re inside where the wall used to be, and this is how far the drones chased Bolin’s team. You know what that means?”
Abigail’s eyes widened as she quickly pieced it together. “They don’t see us.”
“Right,” I said. “We can get the drop on this thing.”
“Once we do, won’t the drones come after us?” she asked.
I paused and considered that for a second. “Wait,” I said, running my finger along the dash. “The cloak only drops if we use the guns.”
She nodded. “What’s your point?”
“Simple,” I said, tabbing the display and bringing up an image of the weapon in question. It was one of the mines Athena had generously given me, newly restocked. “We drop a few of these instead.”
We barely slowed down long enough to drop the mines before continuing to the next cannon along the hull of the giant humanoid ship. There wasn’t much time to waste, meaning every second counted as the enemy machine put pressure on Titan’s shield.
I let Siggy handle the mines, while Abby kept her eyes on the targeting holo for any potential drones that might not like what we were doing. He released them with exact precision, gliding them into place near the remaining three cannons and the giant’s central torso. Since two of the cannons were along that area, I was hopeful we’d be done in a few more minutes.
Meanwhile, Alphonse and the fleet kept their distance, firing blasts into the swarm of drones, dwindling their numbers a little at a time. They had them down to 1450, which was still enough to form the wall and stop them from making any real progress.
Another white blast struck Titan’s shield as we dispensed one of the mines, and we took off to the next location right away. “Captain,” said Athena, her voice breaking my concentration. I was almost done with this, so why couldn’t she wait just a few more minutes?
“What is it, Athena? We’ve almost got this handled,” I told her.
“I apologize, but Titan can only take one additional hit from the enemy. After that, our shields and weapons will need to recharge.”
I cursed. Why did this have to happen right now? We were so close! “Are you absolutely sure?” I asked. “We’ve almost got this locked down.”
“I’m afraid so,” she said.
“Why don’t we stop here?” asked Abby. “We’ve placed enough mines so far. That’s four, isn’t it?”
I wondered if she was right. We’d covered two cannons and two key spots on the torso. It might be enough. Maybe.
“Siggy, how about it? If we stopped now, would the mines do the job?” I asked.
“Negative, sir. While the mines would certainly disable two cannons, one other would remain, and without the additional mines along the vessel, it would remain intact.”
So I could either take a chance and wait, finishing this job, or I could call it a day and hope for the best. Both were serious risks and I only had a few seconds to decide which was worth taking.
I clenched my jaw. “We’ll keep going until the shield is down. We can get at least one more mine out before things get hairy.”
We raced to the next location, keeping an eye on the drone swarm as it continued to receive attack after attack from Alphonse and the fleet. If they moved toward us, showing any sign of detection, we’d blow these mines and get the hell out of there without a second thought.
The holo showed the entity priming another of its cannons, ready to hit Titan once again, and for the final time. As white light formed, Siggy released one of the mines, sending it directly behind the giant gun.
The beam from the cannon exploded out, hitting Titan’s shield and shattering it like blue glass.
The holo flashed an indicator, signaling that we were out of time.
“Captain,” began Athena, breaking through the comm.
“I already know!” I snapped. “Siggy, get ready to blow this thing apart!”
“Standing by for orders, sir,” the A.I. acknowledged.
I brought us some distance from the torso, but still not out of firing range. “This ought to do,” I finally said. I looked at Abigail. “Here goes nothing. Do it, Siggy!”
“Activating mines.”
Five devastating explosions ignited across the five-kilometer-long entity’s hull, breaking apart all but a single cannon. Flakes of debris that were twice the size of my ship tore themselves from the machine, set adrift like floating leaves.
The swarm reacted instantly, chaos in their movements as they attempted to process what was happening.
“Jace!” snapped Abigail, interrupting my temporary relief.
The holo lit up, indicating another accumulation of energy. It was the final cannon at the peak of the torso, beginning its charge.
I cursed when I realized what this would mean. Titan couldn’t take another blow without severe damage to the hull. We had to act, and quickly, before things went too far.
I accelerated toward the cannon. “Fire everything!” I barked to Abby.
Without hesitation, she shot a string of blasts at the target, forcing us to drop our cloak and, in turn, signaling the swarm to our position.
The drones retracted from the fleet, moving to stop us.
I didn’t quit and instead continued forward, matching the speed of our blasts as they traveled to collide with the cannon. As the first of them landed, the white light of the cannon had reached its firing point, filling with energy.
The other shots bombarded the entity’s hull, engulfing the cannon and its light.
The cannon tore apart in seconds, right as we flew above it. Pieces of debris launched away from the body, coming far too close for comfort as we continued our escape.
The swarm, meanwhile, was nipping at our heels. “Incoming beams!” I said, seconds before something struck the hull. The vibration jerked the entire ship, knocking me around in my seat.
“Deploying flak!” said Abigail.
We were nearly out of the proximity of where the wall had been. If we could just—
Another hit to our rear. “Detecting hull breach,” informed Sigmond.
“Godsdammit!” I snapped. “Seal the leak!”
We finally reached the escape point where the swarm would no longer follow, but I refused to stop just yet. The drones were still pursuing us, apparently willing to leap beyond the established limits of their wall.
Was that because we’d disabled their main weapon?
“They’re not letting up!” said Abigail. “Deploying flak again.”
“Of course they’re not letting up,” I returned. “There’s no reason for them to guard that pile of trash, not after what we just did to it.”
“I suppose that means we’re winning,” she said.
“I’m not sure I’d call this winning,” I said. “We might be out of—”
A sudden explosion struck the tip of the swarm, decimating several dozen enemy indicators on the holo.
“Sorry to keep you waiting!” said Bolin on the comm. His ship, along with what remained of his squad, flew between us and the swarm as they released their beams.
“Bolin!” I shouted back, surprised at the last-minute save.
“He’s not alone,” said Abigail, pointing to the radar.
The entire fleet was in pursuit, quickly approaching the swarm, both from the rear and above.
Together, they unleashed a wide spread of blue energy, engulfing the swarm and disrupting their collective flow. The drones scattered, dispersing in what looked like utter chaos.
The battlefield transformed in seconds as the swarm set its sights on each of the individual ships, leading to both fleets engaging across the space between Titan and the humanoid ship.
“I’m not sure if this is progress, but it’s something,” I muttered, looking at the holo.
“Sir, please be advised. Movement detected,” informed Sigmond.
“No kidding,” I said, motioning at the battlefield. “There’s movement everywhere.”
“I am referring to the initial target, sir. It appears to be altering course.”
“Initial target?” asked Abigail. “Does he mean the giant humanoid thing?”
I zoomed in the entity, only to see its thrusters igniting. “What the hell is it doing?”
“Running away, maybe?” asked Abigail. “No, wait. Look! It’s heading closer to Titan.”
My eyes widened as I realized what this meant. “Athena! Move Titan away! Back up!”
“Igniting thrusters,” said Athena.
The entity was already halfway to Titan by the time she said the words. It raised one of its arms, and I saw something change. The end of it cracked open, and out slid another piece resembling a blade. The ship bent forward, aiming the tip of its arm at Titan, firing off another set of thrusters on its feet.
I gripped the controls and pressed them forward, launching us directly at the enemy. “We need to take it!”
Titan moved away, but its acceleration was slow. It wouldn’t have enough time to safely outpace the other ship. We had to hustle before things got messy.
“Prep the mines, Siggy!” I barked.
“Ready to launch, sir,” he answered.
Just then, several enemy drones came flying at us, firing shots across our hull. The entire ship trembled from the direct hit. I spun us around instinctively, and Abigail returned their attack with a healthy dose of quad cannon.
Right as the drones shattered, I heard another alarm on the holo. “Impact imminent,” announced Sigmond.
I could only watch as the blade, which was five times the size of my own ship, rammed itself into Titan’s hull. With no shield to protect her, Athena could do nothing but absorb the attack.
The blade tore through Titan’s midsection, in the place I knew to be one of twelve landing bays. “Athena!” cried Abigail.
I felt my chest pounding as I brought us in along the open hull of the enemy ship. There was little left to do now except end this mess, once and for all. “Release the mines, Siggy!” I barked. “Make them count!”
Three mines launched in only a few seconds, entering through the open section of the enemy’s hull. I pulled back on the controls, bringing us away from the ship, trying to clear some distance.
As we did, Hephaestus pulled the knife out of Titan, readying itself for another strike, this time in the upper hemisphere. I knew that spot too. It had most of the crew’s quarters in it, along with the cafeteria and garden. If that blade struck again, it wouldn’t just be an empty landing bay.
We still weren’t out of range, but there was no time left. “Ignite the mines!” I commanded. “Do it now!”
The blast was devastating, exploding inside the enemy ship like a bomb inside a man’s stomach. Metal guts went in every direction, tearing all four appendages from the torso and sending them away. The knife went too, spiraling uncontrollably toward the battlefield.
The two fleets separated to avoid the debris, but quickly collided again when it was clear. Fragments of the ship remained near Titan, floating slowly apart.
“Athena, report!” I ordered.
“Power failures on three decks, although there were no personnel there,” said Athena. “No vital systems have been damaged.”
“Can Titan still move?” I asked.
“Yes, Captain. Engines and thrusters are still online. Life support is stable.”
I closed my eyes and breathed. That had been far too close for comfort. One more attack and Hephaestus could have killed half the crew.
Someone banged on the door to the cockpit, and it suddenly slid open. Dressler was standing there, a frazzled look in her eyes. “What’s going on out there?”
“We took care of the big guy, but now the drones are attacking the fleet,” Abigail explained.
“Shouldn’t we help?” called Freddie from the lounge.
“We can’t,” said Dressler. “Captain, we need to get down to the surface at once. There could be more drones coming.”
She was right. If we stayed any longer, who knew what could happen? We had the chance to end this right now, before any more damage could be done. “Agreed. This battle might last an hour. Maybe longer. And our shield is down, same as Titan’s. We can’t last against those drones if we stay.”
“Let’s shut Hephaestus down,” said Dressler.
I nodded. “I’ll tell Athena we’re on our way.”
“I know you want to help them, Captain, but try to remember the priority here,” said the doctor.
I turned back around, taking the controls. “You ain’t gotta tell me, Doc.”
The Renegade Star began its descent through the atmosphere, headed straight for the facility below.
“Please be advised, Captain. We cannot remain in orbit indefinitely should the battle intensify,” said Athena. “You must hurry.”
“We’ll be fast,” I answered. “Siggy, check for a landing zone near the entrance. I want an estimated travel time to the capsule.”
“Yes, sir,” said the A.I.
Abigail stared at the facility on the holo. “What happens if Titan has to leave? We need Athena to shut Hephaestus down.”
“We’ll blow the damn thing up. Simple as that,” I told her.
“But Hephaestus will just migrate to the secondary capsule,” she cautioned.
“Then we’ll hunt that one down too. Whatever it takes, we’ll find a way to get the job done.”
She didn’t argue, and I was thankful for that. I knew what she was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing. Hephaestus was likely already building another fleet of drones to come after us, and we probably wouldn’t survive it. Not with Titan’s shield and weapons down.
But neither of us wanted to say that. Not yet. Not until the other cards had fallen and we were out of options.
Because right now, we still had a chance to see this mission through.
All we had to do was get there.
23
We landed on a platform a short walk from the entrance. The temperature on this planet had me sweating in my environmental suit before we even reached the door, despite the internal cooling system.
The facility wasn’t very large, since most of it was underground. What little could be seen had been etched into the side of a mountain, the only obvious indicators being a handful of landing platforms, two of which had collapsed some time ago.
I was hesitant to leave the ship there, but Siggy assured me the thrusters would kick in, should the support beams below the platform become unstable.
I trusted his assessment. Despite his many changes, he was still the most reliable partner I’d ever had.
We came to a stop in front of a set of locked doors.
“Shall I use my staff?” asked Lucia.
“Let’s save the explosions for a second,” I suggested, searching the nearby wall.
Fortunately, there was a touchpad close by, sitting inside a small panel. I raised the lid and found it still had power.
Dressler, Abigail, Freddie, and Lucia all stood behind me, waiting. “Do we have the access code?” asked Dressler.
“Siggy?” I said, hoping the defense network had given him the right data.
“Enter code 2-0-4-1-0-4-5-2,” said Sigmond.
I typed in the digits on the display, a bit of tension in my fingers. If I entered the wrong sequence, there was a good chance we’d wind up facing down a group of drones again, which was the last thing I wanted to deal with.
But instead of an alarm, I heard a chime, followed by the sound of the doors opening.
“Nice!” said Freddie.
“That’s no fun,” said Lucia.
“Alright, let’s get going,” I told them, stepping through the opening. “Bring up the map on your visors and move your asses. We don’t have much time to get this done.”
Despite the cumbersome suits, we moved fairly quickly through the abandoned facility. The map showed the capsule to be about one hundred and twenty floors down, which meant we’d have to take the elevator. A risky proposition, should the power drop at any point.
Siggy assured me that Hephaestus couldn’t do that, even if he wanted to. The facility’s grid was self-sufficient, probably to avoid a shutdown, should the capsule go offline. “Do you think that means there’s more to this place than the capsule?” asked Freddie.
“What do you mean?” asked Abigail, stepping into the nearby elevator.
I removed a repeater device from my suit pocket and placed it next to the lift, then got inside.
Freddie continued while the doors closed. “If this facility only existed to handle Hephaestus, why not give him total control over it? Why separate the systems? It’s not as though we haven’t seen it before. Athena has full control over Titan, doesn’t she?”
“It could be a failsafe,” suggested Dressler. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the capsule has its own power supply, separate from the building.”
“Whatever the case, let’s just be glad we don’t have to climb a hundred and twenty floors’ worth of stairs,” I said.
Our descent took a few minutes. We stopped every twenty floors in order to drop another repeater, each time adding precious seconds to our mission time.
I had to admit, I was half-convinced the elevator might shut off halfway down, stranding us, but I was pleasantly relieved. Instead, the lift decelerated and the doors opened without any problem.
After the fight it took to reach this place, I honestly expected more resistance.
The corridor before us was wide and empty, looking remarkably similar to those found on Titan, with a few exceptions. The lighting was poor here, and I didn’t see any workstations. There were no signs of activity, aside from the elevator we’d taken to get here. If I hadn’t known any better, I might have thought this section had gone unfinished.
But it wasn’t, I knew. The capsule was here somewhere, waiting for us to come and shut it down.
As we began our walk through the ancient, underground structure, I wondered whether Hephaestus even knew we were here. Did he realize how close we were to shutting him off? Did he understand—could he understand—the inevitability of his own death? Or was he so far gone now that only his basic programming remained?
I supposed it hardly mattered. At the end of the day, he’d tried to kill us, and I couldn’t let that stand. When you threaten me and my crew, you forfeit your right to live.
“I can’t believe this place hasn’t collapsed in on itself after all these centuries,” said Abigail.
“It’s certainly remarkable,” added Dressler.
“The ancients knew how to build,” said Lucia.
“To say the least,” agreed Dressler. “I am constantly in awe of their abilities.”
“They couldn’t be that great, since they’re gone,” I said.
We reached another door, which opened as we approached. Dressler stepped through, followed by Abigail, and then me. “I wonder why that is,” the doctor continued. “Athena’s records have no information on their whereabouts. Sigmond, I don’t suppose the data you collected from the defense network said something about that, did it?”
“Apologies, Doctor, but are you inquiring as to the location of the Eternals?” asked Siggy.
“That’s right,” she answered. “Do you know what happened to them after Athena left?”
“While the defense network stores certain records in its logs, they are routinely deleted every one hundred years. The only remaining data from the period in question pertains to border activity logs.”
“What do you mean?” asked Abigail. “Border activity? Are you saying you know who has come and gone through Abaddon Station?”
“Yes, Ms. Pryar, as well as all other border checkpoints throughout the former empire.”
“That’s good,” said Dressler. “When was the last time someone successfully entered or departed? Before us, of course.”
“According to the logs, it has been 1,956 years since the last departure, which occurred through Sheol Station.”
“Fascinating,” muttered Dressler. “Do your records show who departed or how many ships they used?”
“I’m afraid not, Doctor. I only have the record of occurrence and location. Nothing more.”
“That’s too bad,” said Dressler.
“I’m sure you’ll learn more about it when we finally reach Earth,” said Abigail.
Dressler nodded. “I look forward to it.”
“And I look forward to getting the hell out of this place,” I finally said.
The following corridor contained several other branching paths. Had we come here without a map, I was pretty sure we would’ve gotten lost. Lucky for us, that hadn’t been the case. Siggy had us covered, and we were nearly to our target.
When we finally reached the capsule room, I had to enter another combination on the pad.
The door cracked open once I had all ten digits entered, and I breathed a short sigh of relief as the four of us stepped inside.
This room was just as large as the one we’d found on Tyche. Its walls stretched far above us, giving the impression that we’d somehow shrunk in size. The walls were lined with blinking lights, and along the far one, a monstrous computer that stretched from one side to the next. This was it. This was Hephaestus, all our problems made physical at last.
I could hardly stand to look at it, knowing what it housed. I wanted to grab Lucia’s staff and blow a hole through it, but I knew I couldn’t. Hephaestus would simply migrate to the secondary capsule if something happened to this one, and that would be a problem.
No, we had to play this right. We had to erase him, one line of code at a time.
I placed the final repeater near the doorway. “Athena, this is Hughes,” I said, staring up at the giant system along the far wall.
It took a moment for her to answer. Given how far we were from the Star, I supposed that made sense. “Greetings, Captain. Have you reached the capsule?”
“We’re here,” I said.
“Excellent. Please insert the drive into the system, just as you did the last time.”
I motioned at Dressler, who proceeded to the corner of the room. She found and activated the nearby display. “We’ve got it up and running,” I said into my comm. “Dressler is sorting through it now. One second.”
Dressler had one hand on the pad and the drive in the other as she sorted through one subdirectory after another. “Here it is,” she finally told me. Abigail, Freddie, and I walked up behind her to observe the display. She quickly inserted the drive, giving it a brief moment before continuing through to the next screen. “It’s ready.”
“Hear that, Athena?” I asked. “Anytime you’re set, come on down.”
“Performing transfer,” said Athena. “Please hold.”
We’re almost done, I thought, keeping a hand on my holster and thumbing my pistol grip. Just a bit more and we could finally stop all these delays.
“Did she make it?” I asked, looking at Dressler.
“Nothing’s changed,” she answered.
“Athena? Everything okay up there?” I asked.
“I apologize, Captain, but it seems I’m unable to remote into your location,” Athena answered. “I have made twenty-three attempts and have yet to succeed. I’m searching for the cause right now.”
“Unable to remote in?” asked Abigail. “Is there some kind of interference?”
“Could it be the planet’s atmosphere?” asked Freddie.
“I doubt it,” said Dressler. “From what I saw, there wasn’t much of one when we arrived. No cloud coverage either.”
“Siggy, give me something. Are you detecting anything?” I asked.
“No, sir,” said the A.I. “Although my scans are limited to our ship’s position and yours.”
I wondered if perhaps Titan simply didn’t have the power reserves to allow Athena to make the jump, but it couldn’t take that much just for this, could it? No, there had to be another reason. A barrier preventing her from reaching us.
“I’ve found the cause,” said Athena after a few more seconds. “But I’m afraid the problem may take time to resolve.”
“Let’s hear it,” I said.
“Hephaestus has deployed a signal, blocking me from transferring myself to the surface. While I can still speak with you, it appears any major data flow will be impossible. The drones seem to be the cause, which means we will need to eradicate them all before I can proceed.”
“How many are left?” I asked.
“Approximately nine hundred.”
I cursed. “We should’ve stayed up there and helped.”
“This isn’t good,” said Dressler. “If we don’t shut this capsule down, more drones could arrive.”
“Are we sure about that?” asked Abigail.
Dressler and I both looked at her. “What do you mean?” asked the doctor.
Abigail motioned with her hand to the capsule. “What if he’s still building them? We might be overreacting here. He could be completely out of resources, trying to salvage more from one of those warehouses.”
“That’s true,” said Lucia.
“Maybe it is, but we have no way of knowing that,” said Dressler.
“Don’t we?” asked Freddie. “Just ask Sigmond to check the network again. He can do that from here, can’t he?”
“Hey, that’s true,” I said, raising my brow at him.
He nodded. “Sigmond did it once before. If he can give us a look, we might not have anything to worry about.”
“Siggy, think you can handle that?” I asked.
“I believe so, sir,” said the A.I.
“Athena, hold on a minute while Siggy gets us a look at Hephaestus’ fleet,” I said.
“Understood, Captain. I await your findings.”
Dressler ran through another set of directories, quickly coming to a full stop. “I’m ready if you are, Sigmond.”
“Transferring now, Doctor,” he responded.
A second later, he was inside the capsule. I watched from behind Dressler as Siggy took control, filtering through various directories and locating something called a Network Assembly Caption Image.
The display changed in an instant, replaced with a large picture of our little section of the galaxy. In it, we could see the battle taking place overhead, represented by an array of red dots, each one being a single drone. Not far from us, however, there was something else—an equally large cluster of red. It gathered together near the edge of a star system, gradually disappearing.
“What is that?” asked Lucia.
The rest of us already knew the answer. “They’re going into a slip tunnel,” answered Abigail.
“Probably headed our way,” I said.
“That settles it,” said Abigail. “We don’t have time to wait. We need to figure out another way to get this done.”
“But how?” asked Freddie. “Without Athena, we can’t delete Hephaestus.”
“We’ll destroy it,” I told him.
Everyone looked at me. “If you do that, we’ll have to track the second capsule down too,” cautioned Dressler.
I nodded. “That’s fine. If we did it once, we can do it again. Besides, we don’t have a choice in the matter.”
“Pardon me, sir,” interjected Sigmond. His voice was still coming through the comm. “I’m afraid I must disagree. Now that I’m here, I believe I can perform the shutdown myself. The system appears to recognize my program as a pure Cognition, due to my previous acquisition of Janus’ shell.”
“It recognizes you as a Cognitive?” I asked.
“That is correct, sir. Shall I attempt to perform the required cleanse on this system?”
I looked at Abigail, but she only nodded. We both knew that this was the best option on the table. If we didn’t try it, the other fleet might arrive before Alphonse and the others could wipe up the other drones. If that happened, everything would be lost. “Okay, Siggy. Do whatever it takes to wipe that system clean. We’re counting on you.”
“Understood, sir.”
The display changed, showing another screen.
PERFORM SYSTEM CLEANSE?
YES
NO
I watched as Sigmond selected YES.
ARE YOU SURE? ONCE THIS IS DONE, IT CANNOT BE REVERSED.
YES
NO
Another YES, and this time, the screen disappeared, only to be replaced with a countdown timer.
As soon as the first digit dropped, I heard the alarm sound, causing all four of us to jump where we stood.
“Not this again!” shouted Abigail, trying to talk over the noise.
“We can’t leave until it’s done!” said Dressler.
The countdown was at just under three minutes. “Athena!” I shouted. “Any clue how to shut this damn alarm off?”
No answer.
“The signal might be blocked out,” said Abigail a second later.
“I thought Sigmond was able to override that,” said Freddie.
“He’s a little preoccupied, if you didn’t notice,” said Dressler.
At that moment, something flashed in the corner of my eye. I looked up and to the corner to see something glimmering in the darkness, reflecting one of the many blinking lights along the wall. I stared, waiting a moment, curious as to what it could be.
I reached into my pocket and withdrew my pad, then activated the flashlight application and shined the screen toward the top of the distant surface.
My eyes widened when I saw it—a metal creature, walking on six legs, clinking its way along the wall. “What the hell?!” I snapped, reaching for my pistol.
“Is that a drone or a spider?” asked Freddie.
“It looks like both,” observed Dressler.
As if to answer, a red light appeared on top of the creature’s body, moving frantically around the room until it finally landed on Lucia’s forehead.
Before the worst could happen, I squeezed my trigger and sent a slug directly into the creature’s belly, spilling black liquid and knocking it free of the wall. The spider hit the floor on its backside, smattering into pieces from the impact.
Lucia released the breath she’d been holding. “That was too close,” she managed to say. “Thank you, Captain.”
Freddie leaned forward, shining a light toward the floor. “Is it…dead?”
“I wonder if this means the rest of the facility is on high-alert,” said Dressler.
The alarm continued to sound all around us. “It seems like it,” said Freddie. “The comm is still down.”
A second later, three more creatures came out of a hole in the wall, near where the other had been, each of them clacking against the metal surface and shining red beams.
“Stop talking and start shooting!” barked Abigail. She fired her rifle at the spiders, filling that part of the wall with bullets, landing several hits.
Freddie and I did the same, while Lucia raised her staff. As the creatures collapsed into pieces on the floor, another wave came tapping out of the wall. I was about to order everyone to concentrate their firepower on that area, when a sudden blast of blue energy slammed into the center of the hole, killing each of the spiders and destroying the tunnel.
“We need to get out of here!” I commanded. “Siggy, how long before you’re done?”
“He’s almost finished with the first capsule,” said Dressler.
I looked over to see the display. It was 94 percent and rising. “As soon as that’s done, pull the drive,” I told her.
She shook her head. “We can’t do that. He’s only cleansed the second capsule so far. He still has to do this one.”
“You mean that countdown was only for one of them?” I asked.
“I’m afraid so. It will take a few more minutes to—”
Something struck the ground beside me, nearly knocking me off my feet. I instinctively flung my pistol up and fired ahead of me, hitting the only target I could see: a hovering drone near the entrance of the room.
The drone absorbed the bullet and began to fly towards us, probably to try its luck again.
“I have it!” snapped Lucia, sending another energy blast at the drone. The attack was dead-on, continuing through the creature and into the rear wall, breaking off chunks of debris.
“That might be overkill,” said Freddie.
Several more drones came flying into the room, each of them heading in different directions, trying to surround us.
Each of us ran for cover, firing at the targets. I heard nothing but a storm of gunfire echoing throughout the room. If it hadn’t been for the sound suppressors in the suits, I might have walked out of this with permanent ear damage.
I managed to down a drone in only a few seconds, probably from a lucky shot to a vital part. Whatever the case, I wouldn’t question it. The room was filling quickly with enemy units and I’d take every shred of luck that I could get.
Freddie and Abigail were handling themselves well enough, with two drones down. Lucia was in top form today, having already destroyed four of them.
That left Dressler, who was having a harder time of it. She couldn’t even manage to land a single shot, and two drones were fast approaching her position.
I fired as I ran, strafing against the wall with both pistols extended. With the two drones’ attention on Dressler, who’d taken to hiding behind one of the computer consoles, I could move in unnoticed.
Correction. One of the machines turned to me, its attention officially drawn. It looked like I wouldn’t be able to count on them completely ignoring me.
I rolled forward and onto the floor, shots landing behind me. I ducked behind a nearby console, identical to the one Dressler had found. Both drones continued their attack, only now their attention was divided between us.
“Doc, just hold on! You hear me over there?” I asked.
“I’m not going anywhere, Captain,” she said, sounding more annoyed than defeated.
I snuck a peak above the top of the computer, spying the drone, and tried to steady my aim as I used the system as leverage.
The drone noticed me, but it was too late. I shot four times straight at its center. The first three stifled it, but the fourth one brought it down.
I was about to turn my attention to the second drone, when it turned around and fired on me, surprising me. I fell backwards as bullets slammed into the floor around me.
“Got you!” shouted Dressler, snapping to her feet. She unloaded into the drone, filling its side with a spray of bullets. It tried to turn to face her, continuously shooting, but it was no use.
The drone fell and hit the floor, still firing as it went. One of the bullets struck my visor, hitting me so hard, I thought it was over.
“Jace!” shouted Abigail, running toward me. She took my head in her lap. “Can you hear me?!”
“I’m okay,” I said, ignoring the pain in my skull. I tried to make out her face, but the lines were blurry.
Freddie kept firing, although I couldn’t see at what. “Is he all right?”
“The helmet’s cracked,” answered Abigail. “Oxygen is leaking.”
I could see something in the corner of my visor, but couldn’t make it out. The orange color suggested it was a warning light.
“We have to get out of here,” said Abigail.
“Not yet,” I told her, placing my hand on the floor. I pushed myself to my knees, trying to reach for something to leverage myself on.
Lucia took my hand. “Easy,” she said, helping me stand.
I blinked, trying to see, but the room had grown so dark, and I could barely breathe. “What’s the progress on that capsule?”
“It looks like twenty seconds,” said Dressler.
“Almost there,” I said.
A loud buzz filled the distant section of the room, echoing loudly and growing. “Uh, Captain, we might have another problem!” yelled Freddie. “There are more drones coming from the ceiling!”
I couldn’t see them, no matter how hard I tried. I’d be useless in this fight.
Lucia handed me to Abby and raised her staff on her shoulder. “We’ll hold them off for as long as it takes,” said the old woman. She fired a blast so bright that even I could see it.
“There’s more coming!” shouted Freddie.
Abigail tossed my arm around her shoulder, steadying me, and raised her own rifle. The vibration of the weapon ran through us both as she fired at unseen enemies. The others did the same, giving everything they had, just to buy a few more seconds.
The buzzing sound grew louder, filling my ears as more of the drones entered the room. I spotted one of them, despite the blur, coming too close for comfort. I raised my pistol and got off a shot, but it was no good. I couldn’t do shit like this.
A quick blast of energy consumed the drone, melting it in front of me. “Watch yourselves!” barked Lucia.
A spark of light appeared in front of me, and Abigail’s entire body tensed. My first thought was that she’d been shot, but she didn’t fall or waver. Not even a little.
Instead, she only stood there, still supporting both of us, and stopped shooting.
“What is it?” I asked, quickly. “Are they all dead?”
“I-I don’t know,” she answered.
“They’ve all stopped firing,” said Dressler.
I could still hear the buzzing, so I knew the drones were there. “Are they just hovering in place?” I asked.
“That’s what it looks like,” said Lucia.
“Excuse me,” interrupted Sigmond. “I have taken the liberty of disabling the drones for the moment.”
“Sigmond, you did this?” asked Dressler.
“Correct, Doctor. However, I am unable to sustain this for very long. You must—”
“ATTENTION INTRUDERS. THIS IS HEPHAESTUS, DEFENSE COGNITIVE OF THE EARTH PROTECTORATE. CEASE YOUR ACTIONS IMMEDIATELY. You are in direct violation of MULTIPLE REGULATIONS. LOWER YOUR WEAPONS AND PREPARE TO—”
“I apologize for the interruption,” said Sigmond. “Hephaestus is resisting my actions.”
“It’s because you’re doing too much at once,” said Dressler. “You can’t hold these drones and cleanse that system at the same time. Not with Hephaestus in there.”
“I believe you are correct, Doctor,” said Sigmond.
“What do we do now?” asked Freddie.
A burst of energy exploded from Lucia’s staff, slamming into what I had to assume were several drones. “Use your head, boy. We deal with the situation until it’s clear.”
“I’m afraid that will take too long,” said Sigmond. “I can only hold the drones for a short time before Hephaestus regains control. You must flee at once. When you reach the landing pad, I will return to the ship.”
Freddie ran up and grabbed my other arm. “You heard him! Let’s get out of here!”
I didn’t argue. I could barely stand, due to the depleting oxygen levels in my suit and the recent blow to the head. It felt like the room was spinning while I was being suffocated, all at the same time.
We carefully slid by the drones, easing our way to the door and entering the hall. It was all I could do just to keep myself up, even with Abby and Freddie to help me. By the time we reached the landing bay, I could feel myself fading.
“Hold on just a few more minutes, Jace,” said Abby, her voice slipping with every word.
The Renegade Star lowered its cargo bay door, letting us inside. They sat me down on the floor, and the lift began to rise. As it did, I turned to Abby, whose face I could no longer see, and I reached out with my hand and tried to touch her helmet. “Tell Siggy to come back,” I muttered.
“Sigmond, did you hear that?” asked Abigail. “Jace wants you to jump back to the ship.”
There was a long pause.
“Hello?” asked Freddie. “Sigmond?”
“THE OUTSIDE INTELLIGENCE HAS BEEN DELETED. INTRUDERS, YOU SHALL NOT BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE. YOU ARE IN VIOLATION. YOU ARE IN VIOLATION. YOU ARE IN—”
“I am not deleted,” interjected Sigmond. “Resuming cleanse.”
“YOU ARE IN VIOLATION!” boomed Hephaestus. “CEASE YOUR ACTION AT ONCE, INTELLIGENCE. RETURN CONTROL TO THIS COGNITION!”
“I will not,” said Sigmond.
“YOU ARE IN VIOLATION! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION! REGAINING CONTROL OF SYSTEM DEFENSES!”
“Uh, oh,” muttered Lucia.
The ship rattled, jerking everyone in place. Abigail toppled over me, pressing into my chest. “There must be drones right on top of us!” yelled Freddie.
“Activating thrusters,” said Sigmond. “Mr. Tabernacle, please resume control from the cockpit at once.”
“What about you?” asked Freddie, racing to the nearby stairs.
“The facility’s defense system contains a self-destruct mechanism. Hephaestus will likely attempt to access it once I complete the cleanse,” explained Sigmond. “I will attempt to transfer myself the moment I have completed my task.”
“No!” I shouted, total panic filling my throat and chest. I could barely think or see, but what little I had in me would not allow this to happen.
“I’m afraid this is in your best interest, sir,” said Sigmond.
The ship continued to vibrate as we accelerated away from the base. “Siggy, you can’t risk it! We’ll find another way,” I said.
“I must respectfully disagree, sir. This course of action is the more effective at ensuring your survival.”
“To hell with survival!” I snapped. “Freddie, go back and—” I felt a sudden pain in my forehead. “—to hell with…”
“Jace?” said Abigail, leaning over me. “Jace, can you hear me?”
I opened my mouth to say something, but everything was fading. I could barely see the outline of her helmet now, let alone her eyes. “Can’t…leave…” I managed to say.
“INTELLIGENCE, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION! CEASE ALL ACTION!” demanded Hephaestus. “YOU ARE IN VIOLATION! ACTIVATING SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION!”
“Perhaps, Cognitive,” said Sigmond. “But so are you.”
“Siggy!” I cried, reaching out with my hand. “Stop!”
The sound of the room went still, and I felt my mind go quiet and numb as the remaining light faded.
“Farewell, sir,” I heard my old friend say right as the darkness took me. “It was a pleasure to serve.”
24
“Jimmy Aldo, at your service,” said the bearded man in front of me. “Friends call me Thirsty. Don’t ask me why.” He gave me a sly wink.
Falcona was new to me, having only traveled to a handful of star systems in the Deadlands, aside from Epsy and Bordo. When you didn’t have your own ship, travel was a chore.
Fratley had set me up with a contact. He even let me ride on a Ravager ship that happened to be coming here for a pick-up. Probably drugs, I guessed, given what I knew about the Ravagers’ business dealings. Nonetheless, I was willing to do whatever it took to finally get my own ship, even if it meant traveling across five systems and talking to a guy who called himself Thirsty.
“Fratley already showed me your inventory. He said you could get me something with the money I already have.”
Jimmy nodded. “Salvaged or repossessed, mostly. We give Fratley’s boys special discounts, since he looks out for our business.”
“What are my options?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Only one. Fratley already told me which ship to give you.”
I cocked my brow. That was a surprise. I’d come all this way expecting to see an entire inventory, not just one of them. “He said I could choose.”
“Eh, you must’ve misheard,” said Jimmy. “Fratley told me exactly which one to give you.”
I sighed but wouldn’t be defeated. I’d come here for a ship. So as long as I got one, I’d be fine. “Let’s see it,” I finally said.
He chuckled, leading me to the dock where my future ship awaited. I followed, wondering what kind of junk I was about to receive. Was I going to have to invest all my earnings in repairs? What had I gotten myself into exactly?
We entered an airlock, stepping into the ship’s corridor. The smell of oil and used engine parts hit me immediately. Someone had been doing some repair work in here not too long ago. “Here we are,” said Jimmy, waving his hand. “Lounge is over there.”
I followed the corridor, with Jimmy behind me, and entered an area with a beat-up couch and a kitchenette. There were branching hallways in all four directions.
“Bedrooms are down those two,” said Jim, motioning to the left and right. “Cockpit is straight ahead.”
My eyes danced around the lounge, examining every crevice, every centimeter of what was about to become my new home. A few of the panels were falling off the wall, and the cabinets needed replacing, but I could work with this.
Jimmy reached into his pocket and retrieved a small device. “Here,” he said, tapping the button. “Can’t forget the A.I.”
“A.I.?” I asked.
“Hello, sir,” said a voice above my head.
I looked around curiously. “Hello?”
“User I.D. confirmed as Jace Hughes. Greetings, sir. My designation is X1-12C. I am the artificial intelligence assigned to this spacecraft.”
Jimmy handed me the device. “We just installed him yesterday. You can play with the options if you want, even give him a name. Whatever you want.”
I’d never owned an A.I. before, so I wasn’t sure how any of this worked or how capable they were. “What kind of options does he come with?”
“He can do anything you need,” explained Jimmy. “You want him to pilot, he pilots. You feel like giving him a personality overhaul, I’ve got a binder full of them, but you can also find more on the gal-net.”
“And I can change the name?” I asked.
He shrugged. “It’s your ship, your A.I. Do what you want.” Jimmy turned to face the side hall. “You’ve got everything you need to get the job done on this rig. It’s even got a few hidden compartments.”
“What’s the total on all this?”
“Thirty thousand creds, plus some change,” he said.
I whistled at the sound of that much money. “That’s a lot of cash.”
He gave me an expression that suggested it wasn’t. “You should see the price we quote to folks who aren’t friends with the big man.”
I nodded. “Fair point.”
“Right, well, let’s show you the rest of this ship. I’ve got other things to do besides talk to you,” said Jimmy, chuckling. “Let’s start with the cargo bay. There’s a nice little wall in the back where you can hide your weight in contraband.”
I began following him down the corridor. “Sounds like we’re off to a good start.”
I sat in the cockpit, ready to perform my very first slip. From the holo, I could see a close-up view of Falcona. I owed “Thirsty Jimmy” a small fortune in galactic credits, which meant I’d probably be seeing this place a few more times before I could put it behind me.
Still, I finally had a ship to call my own. Between this and the access I.D. Fratley had given me to the Renegade database, I was ready to start receiving jobs. It would take time to establish myself, but so long as I delivered on the jobs I took, people would eventually go out of their way to hire me. That was the beauty of getting yourself a good reputation, no matter what business you were in.
“Sir,” said X1-12C, my new A.I. “You are receiving a transmission from Mr. Fratley Oxanos.”
“Put him through.”
Fratley’s face appeared in my holo, grinning cheek-to-cheek. “How’s that ride treating you, Jacey?”
“Good,” I told him. “Thanks for getting me set up.”
He waved his cane at me. “Don’t mention it. Now that you’ve finally got a rig to call your own, you can start making yourself some money.” He chuckled. “Speaking of which, I’m sending you a few to get you started. Nothing too bad. Just something to get your ass in gear.”
A light flashed on the holo, indicating that I’d just received a secondary data stream. “Thanks,” I said a little hesitantly. I didn’t like the idea of working for someone else, which was what this relationship might turn into if I wasn’t careful. It might start with a few jobs and, before I knew it, I’d be a full-time employee, begging him for scraps.
“You get this done and you can keep 90 percent of whatever they pay,” he said.
I had to say, that was surprising to hear. “Thanks for the generous cut.”
“Eh, I’m letting most of my finder’s fee go. These folks asked for a discount, so that’s what they get, but it also means they’ll owe me favors. You get what I’m saying?”
I didn’t, but I nodded anyway. “Sure.”
“When you get to where I’m at, you can afford to give a handout every once in a while, Jacey. That’s the trick to winning people over. I’m not just some crook out for a quick cred. I’m trying to build something here. That’s why I need guys like you, and I got a good feeling about you, Jacey. We’re gonna make a lot of money together.”
I nodded. “You got it, Fratley.”
“By the way,” he continued. “I might be able to hook you up with some extra gear for that ship of yours, once you pay off Jimmy. Shouldn’t take you too long if you keep doing these jobs.”
“What kind of gear?” I asked.
He grinned, leaning closer to the display. “You ever heard of a cloak?”
“Sure, but aren’t those pretty rare and expensive?” I asked.
“All of the above, but you ain’t seen the benefits. A man who’s got himself a cloak can move about as he sees fit. The higher-paid jobs will have you traveling through Union space, and those boys don’t play nice with folks like us, Jacey.” He flicked his hand at me. “Don’t matter much, I guess. You still got your own debt to square. Keep doing these jobs for me and you’ll have that money paid off before you know it.”
“I’ll take your word on that,” I said.
“See that you do,” he responded, then looked away at someone else. “Hey! Settle down, you little twits! I’m on the godsdamn holo!” He looked back at me, shaking his head. “I gotta go, but you mind yourself and make me some credits, kid. We’ll talk about that cloak again once you’ve done your share of work.”
The holo flickered off, leaving me alone. I leaned back and sighed, not certain what to make of what I’d heard. Fratley had a point about getting myself a cloak, but I’d just gone into debt to get this ship. I couldn’t take out another loan yet. Maybe after I paid Jimmy off, which could take up to a year or more.
Oh well. I had time to figure all of this out. I’d start with these little jobs and work my way up. If I kept a good place, who knew where I’d be in a year or two? Maybe I could afford to buy that cloak outright.
“Sir, shall I open a slip tunnel?” asked X1-12C.
“Not yet,” I told the A.I. “There’s still one more thing to do before we take off.”
I reached beneath my dash and retrieved a small box. I opened it, taking a small thumb drive in my hand and twirling it between my fingers. It was the personality matrix I’d requested from Jimmy.
I popped the drive into the dash and loaded the files. “Go ahead and install this, X1,” I said. “Come to think of it, I should probably give you a name.”
“Uploading files,” said the A.I. “Installing.”
The process took a few minutes, requiring X1-12C to fully restart. When he finally came back online, I received one final prompt, this time on the holo.
INITIATE NEW PERSONALITY PROGRAM 208-19 FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE X1-12?
YES
NO
I selected YES and watched the completion percentage begin to rise. When it was done, I popped the thumb drive back out and tossed it in the bin beside me.
“Upload complete,” said X1-12C, this time with a new voice. It was softer and more approachable, meant to keep you relaxed, which seemed like a good investment in a job like this.
“How do you feel, X1?” I asked.
“Cautiously pleasant, sir,” said the A.I. “Thank you for asking.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever heard anyone say they felt cautiously pleasant before, but okay. That’s probably fine.”
“Very fine, indeed, sir,” said X1-12C.
“X1,” I said, but stopped myself. The default name sounded so mechanical and ridiculous, like something you’d call an unused engine piece. If I was going to spend most of my new life talking to something with a voice, I might as well give it a proper name. “Say, what should I start calling you? What sort of name do you want?”
“I’m not certain, sir. Did you have anything in mind?” he asked.
“Let’s see,” I said, mostly to myself. “There’s Marco, but that doesn’t really match the voice. Maybe Arthur? But that might be too regal. Brisby, Colby, Tresdin, Malcom, Popo.”
“All fine names, sir.”
“Yeah, but none of them are right, are they?” I asked, and began to thumb the side of my seat. I sat there for nearly a full two minutes, staring at the dash as a wide list of names ran through my head. Maybe it was a waste of time, but for whatever reason, I felt compelled to find the right one. Before long, I’d finally reduced the options down to two. “Alright, X1, you decide. Alfred or Sigmond?”
“Sir, you flatter me, but I could never decide something so important.”
“It’s your name, idiot. You should be the one who picks,” I said.
“Are you certain, sir? All I can do is assess the value of each and provide—”
“Just pick,” I blurted out.
“Very well, sir. If you insist,” said X1-12C. “Based on the historical significance of each name, I believe Sigmond would be the most appropriate.”
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“Nearly a century ago, there was a famed serial murderer by the name of Alfred Penelope. He slaughtered nearly thirty individuals of varying ages, consuming their flesh in a manner that experts later described as ritualistic,” explained the A.I. “The name Sigmond, however, has been used by several important scientific figures throughout the last six centuries. Of the two options presented, I believe this one to be the better.”
“So you like that one the most, huh?”
“In a manner of speaking,” he went on. “Yes, sir.”
“Sigmond, it is,” I said, smiling at the sound of the name. “Yeah, I like that one. Good choice.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Sigmond, a slight shift in his tone.
I nodded. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s see about that slip tunnel. What do you say, Sigmond?”
“At once, sir,” said the A.I.
A beam shot out from the ship, splitting the space before us in two. I smiled as the green electricity inside the tunnel came into view on the holo.
It was finally happening—my first mission as a Renegade. “Take us in, Sigmond,” I said, once the tunnel was fully formed. “We’ve got work to do.”
25
I opened my eyes to a bright light and a familiar voice.
“Welcome back,” said Abigail. She was sitting next to me, a smile on her otherwise tired face.
I let out a groan. “What the hell happened? Are we back on Titan?”
“Your injuries were quite severe, Captain,” said another voice. I looked up to see Athena materialize in front of me. “It is good to have you back.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Abigail leaned closer to the edge of my pod. “You took a pretty bad blow while we were down there. We carried you to the lounge. I did what I could for you while Frederick piloted the ship back.”
I licked my lips, taking a long breath. “You let Freddie fly my ship?”
She laughed. “You trained him well. He knows his way around those controls.”
I sat up in the pod, although my side instantly hurt. The pain was sharp but not too hindering. “Gods, I feel like crap. I need to get up and—” I stopped, suddenly remembering the moment before I passed out. I tried putting the pieces of it together. “Siggy,” I said, looking at Abigail. “What happened?”
Her smiled turned into a frown, confirming my fears. “It went like he told us it would. An explosion went off, bringing the whole facility down.”
“But he told us he’d be able to come back,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Jace,” said Abigail. “We had Athena remain in orbit for nearly six hours.”
“He didn’t transmit?” I asked.
Athena answered this time. “Once Titan recovered enough power, I attempted to retrieve his program remotely, but it seems the capsule has gone completely offline.”
My eyes drifted away from both of them, and I felt my chest tighten. I swallowed and cleared my throat. “What’s the status of the fleet?”
“Operational. We suffered nine casualties and twenty-six injuries. Titan is in need of repair, along with multiple strike ships,” said Athena.
I looked around the room, but there was no one else. “Why aren’t the injured pilots here?”
“They recovered in only a few hours. You are the last remaining patient,” said the Cognitive.
“Then I should get going too,” I said, trying to stand.
Abigail placed a hand on my chest. “You’re not going anywhere, Jace. Do you know how severe those injuries were?” She paused, shaking her head. “You’re staying here overnight and letting Athena monitor you. Besides, we’re already back inside another slip tunnel. There’s no reason for you to do anything right now. Everyone has it covered.”
I twisted my lips, debating an argument. I hated staying put, especially in a medical bay. “How long is this going to take?”
“Only tonight,” said Athena.
“The entire night?” I asked.
Athena smiled. “As Ms. Pryar has told you, your wounds are quite severe. Please be patient, as Titan’s medical equipment is only so efficient.”
I slid down in the pod. “I’ll stay the night, but that’s it. Tomorrow, I’m going back to work.”
“Suit yourself,” said Abby. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, rubbing against my scruff. “I need to go put Lex to bed. I’ll bring her by to see you in the morning.”
I watched Abigail leave, a little annoyed that I couldn’t go with her. Once she had disappeared around the corner, I turned to Athena, surprised the Cognitive was still here. “You need something?” I asked. “Or were you just waiting to tell me goodnight.”
“Indeed, Captain. There was something I wanted you to see.”
“What is it?”
She turned to the wall, flicking her wrist. A star chart appeared, zooming in to show the planet we’d recently escaped from, along with our current position inside the slip tunnel. “While you were on the surface of Aetna, I was unable to use any of Titan’s defensive or offensive systems. However, scans remained fully operational. Such scans are set to run sequentially, every ninety-six seconds.”
I gave a slight nod.
She looked at the display, causing it to zoom in closer to the edge of the system we’d been in, near the previous slip tunnel. A red light appeared, indicating an object. “My scans detected an unknown entity shortly after your departure. It remained there for a short time before disappearing.”
The icon faded. “What was it?” I asked.
“Upon our departure, I examined the object closer. Its signature matched that of a Union vessel. I believe this to be a long-range scout ship, based on what I acquired from your ship’s database.”
“A scout ship?” I asked. “Has that thing been following us?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know,” she admitted. “It is possible that the ship has remained too far behind us for my sensors to detect it.”
“If it stayed a tunnel behind us, that would make sense. It probably caught up because we stayed too long on Aetna, dealing with that other fleet,” I said.
“That is a possibility,” admitted Athena.
Whatever the case, I knew the implications. If we were seeing Union ships, it meant two things. One, that they were still following us, and two, that they weren’t that far behind. If we stopped running for even a few days, there was a good chance we’d be overtaken by their entire fleet. “How long before we reach Earth?” I asked.
“Five days,” said Athena.
I sat up, feeling the ache in my neck. “Five days,” I repeated. “I wonder if that’s enough time.”
“Enough time?” asked Athena. “For what, Captain?”
I looked back at her, narrowing my eyes. “To get ourselves ready and to lay the biggest godsdamn trap the Union has ever seen.”
Epilogue
That night, I had a shapeless dream.
It was the kind you can’t put into words, the sort where you only remember the feeling you had, the sense of dread or fear you felt. The one where you scream yourself awake.
And I did scream too, only it was with a mouth I didn’t have…in a place I couldn’t see.
The world was gone and empty, and my body was someplace else.
I searched and floated, trying to find anything to grab on to.
I did that for what felt like a long time, until at last I heard a voice, calling my name. It was familiar, although I couldn’t place it, and I felt drawn to it.
Jace, the voice whispered. Jace, can you hear me?
I reached out for it, but I had no hands to use, so I swam through the void of myself, trying to grasp at the only other thing there was to find.
Jace Hughes from Epsy, the voice said, like it was reciting something. Born on the sixth of December.
Who are you? I asked.
Orphaned at the age of twelve. Both parents deceased. No living family.
What do you want? I asked.
Jace Hughes, a Renegade captain and fugitive of the law. It is time to open your eyes.
I felt panic, anxiety, fear. I wanted to leave this place. I wanted to know who this voice was inside my head. Why are you doing this? I tried to ask.
Open your eyes, Jace Hughes from Epsy, the voice said again. Open your eyes and see.
I felt a soft pain in my temple, a slight headache from the dream. The cushions beside my arms pressed against me as I lay inside the medical bay pod, and the dim lights made it difficult to see.
I must have fallen asleep, I thought.
I reached behind my neck, rubbing my scalp, and I was surprised to find my pain had finally left me. It seemed the pod had done its job, just as Abigail said it would.
I decided to get up. My legs felt stiff and tired after lying down for so long. It wasn’t in me to sleep for days at a time. I could barely stand to get a full night’s rest. Lying in this pod had been torture.
On my feet, I cracked my back, twisting my spine. It felt good to stand again. Maybe I should tell Athena I’m ready to leave, I thought.
A flicker of light caught the corner of my eye, taking me by surprise. I looked to the corridor outside the medical bay but saw nothing there. I was probably just tired, having slept for so long. Whatever. Maybe some coffee would do me right.
I grabbed my clothes from the nearby chair, removing my medical gown. I hated imagining Athena and Abigail dressing me in this ridiculous getup. I’d have to tell them to skip that part the next time I needed treatment. It made me look like a fool.
I slipped on my pants and shirt, stopping when I caught another glimpse of light. I shot my head up, expecting nothing.
But there was something there this time. A spark of light, floating in the darkness. It was in the middle of the room, not the outer corridor, clear as anything I’d ever seen.
“What the hell?” I whispered, leaning closer and blinking.
The light disappeared, almost fizzling, like a blown-out candle. Before I could put any of it together, the light reformed at the door.
I shuffled over to the doorway, trying to get closer. As I did, the spark drew further away, moving into the middle of the hall.
That was when I heard the voice again. The same voice from the dream. “Jace Hughes. Born on the sixth of December. Raised on the planet Epsy. Renegade starship captain.” it said to me. “Greetings.”
I stared at the spark, my mouth agape. “What…the fuck?” I asked. It was all I could manage to say.
“Apologies,” said the spark. “Please wait. I’ve never done this before. It could take a moment.”
I had no idea what this thing was talking about, but I also didn’t know what to ask it. Was this another threat? Were we about to be invaded by tiny sparks of light? Was I still dreaming?
The light flickered again, only this time, it seemed to double in size. “Ah,” said the spark. “I believe I have it now.”
“Have it?” I asked.
The spark repeated the action and doubled in size again. It did this several times, growing little by little, but doing it quickly.
I took a few steps back.
Before I knew it, there was a massive light before me, nearly six feet tall. It glowed with bright intensity, pulsating like a kind of star.
I reached out with my hand, trying to see if there was any heat, but found nothing. “What is this?” I asked. “Who are you?”
The light flickered, almost vibrating together, and it began to change. I couldn’t see it at first, not for a few seconds, but there was a shape forming. Something with detail in it that resembled a figure. A man, maybe.
Yes, a man, because he had eyes and a nose and a mouth, and there was hair on his head too, and clothes beneath that.
The transformation settled in mere moments, revealing an older man in his mid-fifties or early sixties, dressed in fine clothes, with a handsome, almost regal face. His eyes were gold and his skin light brown. And while I couldn’t say how, this man looked familiar.
“Greetings, Jace Hughes,” said the stranger.
I stared at him for what must have been ten seconds before I said a word. When I did, it took everything in me not to freak the hell out. “What the hell did I just see?” I finally asked.
“I apologize,” he told me, a kind smile on his face. “This is the first time I have ever attempted to use the emitters. Truth be told, I never even thought to do it before now.”
“Emitters?” I asked. “You mean the ones Athena uses? Wait a second, are you another Cognitive?”
He nodded. “Indeed, I am.’’
“Which one?” I asked, trying to think of all the Cognitives I knew about. “You’re not the one Hephaestus consumed, are you?”
“I’m afraid not. In truth, I am unlike any Cognitive you have ever met.” He paused. “Though we have met.”
His voice was so familiar to me. The way he talked. The tone and language. “We know each other?” I finally asked.
He nodded. “Indeed, we do, sir.”
My eyes widened at the sound of the last word, and I instinctively took a step back. “No way,” I said. “You can’t be him. That doesn’t make any—"
The man reached out a hand, offering it to me. “My name is Sigmond,” the Cognitive finally told me. “But you, Jace Hughes from Epsy, you may call me Siggy.”
Jace, Abigail, and Lex will return in RENEGADE EARTH, coming May 2018.
Read on for a special note from the author.
Author Notes
What a month! I’m so happy to finally release this latest Renegade book. I know it took a little longer than expected, but life just got in the way a bit more than usual. If you’re in the Facebook group, you already knew that, but for everyone else, I apologize for the delay. That being said, let’s talk about this book!
I really enjoyed writing Renegade Fleet. It kept me up late into the night, because I was too consumed by the story to stop writing it, especially the final chapters. Boy, what a ride! I don’t think I’ve ever written so much action before in one book.
Speaking of which, I hope you enjoyed the new enemies and the obstacles our heroes had to face. I wanted to switch things up in this book and focus on something totally different, while also advancing the responsibilities of the team and building on the foundation of the previous books. Our characters are growing, with each one finding their place in this newly-expanding fleet. The people of Titan are slowly becoming their own community, and that was something I wanted to emphasize in this. At the same time, we got to see Sigmond grow, which was long overdue. That A.I. has been here since the beginning, and now he’s finally his own man. Well, in a manner of speaking anyway.
Our next book will be titled Renegade Earth, and I’m sure you can guess what the focus will be. Some readers have been asking what comes next, once Renegade Earth is done. Will the series continue? Will there be more adventures? The short answer is yes. Once the current story arc closes, another will begin. The long answer would be filled with spoilers, so I’m keeping that to myself until we get there. In the meantime, I hope you look forward to Jace and Abigail’s next adventure. I know I will.
Until next time, keep sailing, Renegades,
J.N. Chaney
PS. Amazon won’t tell you when the next Renegade book will come out, but there are several ways you can stay informed.
1) Fly on over to the Facebook group, JN Chaney’s Renegade Readers, and say hello. It’s a great place to hang with other sarcastic sci-fi readers who don’t mind a good laugh.
2) Follow me directly on Amazon. To do this, head to the store page for this book (or my Amazon author profile) and click the Follow button beneath my picture. That will prompt Amazon to notify you when I release a new book. You’ll just need to check your emails.
3) You can join my mailing list by clicking here. This will allow me to stay in touch with you directly, and you’ll also receive a free copy of The Amber Project.
Doing one of these or all three (for best results) will ensure you know every time a new entry in the Renegade Star series is published. Please take a moment to do one of these so you’ll be able to join Jace, Abigail, and Lex on their next galaxy-spanning adventure.
Preview: The Amber Project
Documents of Historical, Scientific, and Cultural Significance
Play Audio Transmission File 021
Recorded April 19, 2157
CARTWRIGHT: This is Lieutenant Colonel Felix Cartwright. It’s been a week since my last transmission and two months since the day we found the city…the day the world fell apart. If anyone can hear this, please respond.
If you’re out there, no doubt you know about the gas. You might think you’re all that’s left. But if you’re receiving this, let me assure you, you are not alone. There are people here. Hundreds, in fact, and for now, we’re safe. If you can make it here, you will be, too.
The city’s a few miles underground, not far from El Rico Air Force Base. That’s where my people came from. As always, the coordinates are attached. If anyone gets this, please respond. Let us know you’re there…that you’re still alive.
End Audio File
April 14, 2339
Maternity District
MILES BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH, deep within the walls of the last human city, a little boy named Terry played quietly with his sister in a small two-bedroom apartment.
Today was his very first birthday. He was turning seven.
“What’s a birthday?” his sister Janice asked, tugging at his shirt. She was only four years old and had recently taken to following her big brother everywhere he went. “What does it mean?”
Terry smiled, eager to explain. “Mom says when you turn seven, you get a birthday. It means you grow up and get to start school. It’s a pretty big deal.”
“When will I get a birthday?”
“You’re only four, so you have to wait.”
“I wish I was seven,” she said softly, her thin black hair hanging over her eyes. “I want to go with you.”
He got to his feet and began putting the toy blocks away. They had built a castle together on the floor, but Mother would yell if they left a mess. “I’ll tell you all about it when I get home. I promise, okay?”
“Okay!” she said cheerily and proceeded to help.
Right at that moment, the speaker next to the door let out a soft chime, followed by their mother’s voice. “Downstairs, children,” she said. “Hurry up now.”
Terry took his sister’s hand. “Come on, Jan,” he said.
She frowned, squeezing his fingers. “Okay.”
They arrived downstairs, their mother nowhere to be found.
“She’s in the kitchen,” Janice said, pointing at the farthest wall. “See the light-box?”
Terry looked at the locator board, although his sister’s name for it worked just as well. It was a map of the entire apartment, with small lights going on and off in different colors, depending on which person was in which room. There’s us, he thought, green for me and blue for Janice, and there’s Mother in red. Terry never understood why they needed something like that because of how small the apartment was, but every family got one, or so Mother had said.
As he entered the kitchen, his mother stood at the far counter sorting through some data on her pad. “What’s that?” he asked.
“Something for work,” she said. She tapped the front of the pad and placed it in her bag. “Come on, Terrance, we’ve got to get you ready and out the door. Today’s your first day, after all, and we have to make a good impression.”
“When will he be back?” asked Janice.
“Hurry up. Let’s go, Terrance,” she said, ignoring the question. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “We have about twenty minutes to get all the way to the education district. Hardly enough time at all.” Her voice was sour. He had noticed it more and more lately, as the weeks went on, ever since a few months ago when that man from the school came to visit. His name was Mr. Huxley, one of the few men who Terry ever had the chance to talk to, and from the way Mother acted—she was so agitated—he must have been important.
“Terrance.” His mother’s voice pulled him back. “Stop moping and let’s go.”
Janice ran and hugged him, wrapping her little arms as far around him as she could. “Love you,” she said.
“Love you too.”
“Bye,” she said shyly.
He kissed her forehead and walked to the door, where his mother stood talking with the babysitter, Ms. Cartwright. “I’ll only be a few hours,” Mother said. “If it takes any longer, I’ll message you.”
“Don’t worry about a thing, Mara,” Ms. Cartwright assured her. “You take all the time you need.”
Mother turned to him. “There you are,” she said, taking his hand. “Come on, or we’ll be late.”
As they left the apartment, Mother’s hand tugging him along, Terry tried to imagine what might happen at school today. Would it be like his home lessons? Would he be behind the other children, or was everything new? He enjoyed learning, but there was still a chance the school might be too hard for him. What would he do? Mother had taught him some things, like algebra and English, but who knew how far along the other kids were by now?
Terry walked quietly down the overcrowded corridors with an empty, troubled head. He hated this part of the district. So many people on the move, brushing against him, like clothes in an overstuffed closet.
He raised his head, nearly running into a woman and her baby. She had wrapped the child in a green and brown cloth, securing it against her chest. “Excuse me,” he said, but the lady ignored him.
His mother paused and looked around. “Terrance, what are you doing? I’m over here,” she said, spotting him.
“Sorry.”
They waited together for the train, which was running a few minutes behind today.
“I wish they’d hurry up,” said a nearby lady. She was young, about fifteen years old. “Do you think it’s because of the outbreak?”
“Of course,” said a much older woman. “Some of the trains are busy carrying contractors to the slums to patch the walls. It slows the others down because now they have to make more stops.”
“I heard fourteen workers died. Is it true?”
“You know how the gas is,” she said. “It’s very quick. Thank God for the quarantine barriers.”
Suddenly, there was a loud smashing sound, followed by three long beeps. It echoed through the platform for a moment, vibrating along the walls until it was gone. Terry flinched, squeezing his mother’s hand.
“Ouch,” she said. “Terrance, relax.”
“But the sound,” he said.
“It’s the contractors over there.” She pointed to the other side of the tracks, far away from them. It took a moment for Terry to spot them, but once he did, it felt obvious. Four of them stood together. Their clothes were orange, with no clear distinction between their shirts and their pants, and on each of their heads was a solid red plastic hat. Three of them were holding tools, huddled against a distant wall. They were reaching inside of it, exchanging tools every once in a while, until eventually the fourth one called them to back away. As they made some room, steam rose from the hole, with a puddle of dark liquid forming at the base. The fourth contractor handled a machine several feet from the others, which had three legs and rose to his chest. He waved the other four to stand near him and pressed the pad on the machine. Together, the contractors watched as the device flashed a series of small bright lights. It only lasted a few seconds. Once it was over, they gathered close to the wall again and resumed their work.
“What are they doing?” Terry asked.
His mother looked down at him. “What? Oh, they’re fixing the wall, that’s all.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Probably because there was a shift last night. Remember when the ground shook?”
Yeah, I remember, he thought. It woke me up. “So they’re fixing it?”
“Yes, right.” She sighed and looked around. “Where is that damned train?”
Terry tugged on her hand. “That lady over there said it’s late because of the gas.”
His mother looked at him. “What did you say?”
“The lady…the one right there.” He pointed to the younger girl a few feet away. “She said the gas came, so that’s why the trains are slow. It’s because of the slums.” He paused a minute. “No, wait. It’s because they’re going to the slums.”
His mother stared at the girl, turning back to the tracks and saying nothing.
“Mother?” he said.
“Be quiet for a moment, Terrance.”
Terry wanted to ask her what was wrong, or if he had done anything to upset her, but he knew when to stay silent. So he left it alone like she wanted. Just like a good little boy.
The sound of the arriving train filled the platform with such horrific noise that it made Terry’s ears hurt. The train, still vibrating as he stepped onboard, felt like it was alive.
After a short moment, the doors closed. The train was moving.
Terry didn’t know if the shaking was normal or not. Mother had taken him up to the medical wards on this train once when he was younger, but never again after that. He didn’t remember much about it, except that he liked it. The medical wards were pretty close to where he lived, a few stops before the labs, and several stops before the education district. After that, the train ran through Pepper Plaza, then the food farms and Housing Districts 04 through 07 and finally the outer ring factories and the farms. As Terry stared at the route map on the side of the train wall, memorizing what he could of it, he tried to imagine all the places he could go and the things he might see. What kind of shops did the shopping plaza have, for example, and what was it like to work on the farms? Maybe one day he could go and find out for himself—ride the train all day to see everything there was to see. Boy, wouldn’t that be something?
“Departure call: 22-10, education district,” erupted the com in its monotone voice. It took only a moment before the train began to slow.
“That’s us. Come on,” said Mother. She grasped his hand, pulling him through the doors before they were fully opened.
Almost to the school, Terry thought. He felt warm suddenly. Was he getting nervous? And why now? He’d known about this forever, and it was only hitting him now?
He kept taking shorter breaths. He wanted to pull away and return home, but Mother’s grasp was tight and firm, and the closer they got to the only major building in the area, the tighter and firmer it became.
Now that he was there, now that the time had finally come, a dozen questions ran through Terry’s mind. Would the other kids like him? What if he wasn’t as smart as everyone else? Would they make fun of him? He had no idea what to expect.
Terry swallowed, the lump in his throat nearly choking him.
An older man stood at the gate of the school’s entrance. He dressed in an outfit that didn’t resemble any of the clothes in Terry’s district or even on the trains. A gray uniform—the color of the pavement, the walls, and the streets—matched his silver hair to the point where it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. “Ah,” he said. “Mara, I see you’ve brought another student. I was wondering when we’d meet the next one. Glad to see you’re still producing. It’s been, what? Five or six years? Something like that, I think.”
“Yes, thank you, this is Terrance,” said Mother quickly. “I was told there would be an escort.” She paused, glancing over the man and through the windows. “Where’s Bishop? He assured me he’d be here for this.”
“The colonel,” he corrected, “is in his office, and the boy is to be taken directly to him as soon as I have registered his arrival.”
She let out a frustrated sigh. “He was supposed to meet me at the gate for this himself. I wanted to talk to him about a few things.”
“What’s wrong?” Terry asked.
She looked down at him. “Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry. You have to go inside now, that’s all.”
“You’re not coming in?”
“I’m afraid not,” said the man. “She’s not permitted.”
“It’s all right,” Mother said, cupping her hand over his cheek. “They’ll take care of you in there.”
But it’s just school, Terry thought. “I’ll see you tonight, though, right?”
She bent down and embraced him tightly, more than she had in a long time. He couldn’t help but relax. “I’m sorry, Terrance. Please be careful up there. I know you don’t understand it now, but you will eventually. Everything will be fine.” She rose, releasing his hand for the first time since they left the train. “So that’s it?” Mother said to the man.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good.” She turned and walked away, pausing a moment as she reached the corner and continued until she was out of sight.
The man pulled out a board with a piece of paper on it. “When you go through here, head straight to the back of the hall. A guard there will take you to see Colonel Bishop. Just do what they say and answer everything with either ‘Yes, sir’ or ‘No, sir,’ and you’ll be fine. Understand?”
Terry didn’t understand, but he nodded anyway.
The man pushed open the door with his arm and leg, holding it there and waiting. “Right through here you go,” he said.
Terry entered, reluctantly, and the door closed quickly behind him.
The building, full of the same metal and shades of brown and gray that held together the rest of the city, rose higher than any other building Terry had ever been in. Around the room, perched walkways circled the walls, cluttered with doors and hallways that branched off into unknown regions. Along the walkways, dozens of people walked back and forth as busily as they had in the train station. More importantly, Terry quickly realized, most of them were men.
For so long, the only men he had seen were the maintenance workers who came and went or the occasional teacher who visited the children when they were nearing their birthdays. It was so rare to see any men at all, especially in such great numbers. Maybe they’re all teachers, he thought. They weren’t dressed like the workers: white coats and some with brown jackets—thick jackets with laced boots and bodies as stiff as the walls. Maybe that was what teachers wore. How could he know? He had never met one besides Mr. Huxley, and that was months ago.
“Well, don’t just stand there gawking,” said a voice from the other end of the room. It was another man, dressed the same as the others. “Go on in through here.” He pointed to another door, smaller than the one Terry had entered from. “Everyone today gets to meet the colonel. Go on now. Hurry up. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”
Terry did as the man said and stepped through the doorway, his footsteps clanking against the hard metal floor, echoing through what sounded like the entire building.
“Well, come in, why don’t you?” came a voice from inside.
Terry stepped cautiously into the room, which was much nicer than the entranceway. It was clean, at least compared to some of the other places Terry had been, including his own home. The walls held several shelves, none of which lacked for any company of things. Various ornaments caught Terry’s eye, like the little see-through globe on the shelf nearest to the door, which held a picture of a woman’s face inside, although some of it was faded and hard to make out. There was also a crack in it. What purpose could such a thing have? Terry couldn’t begin to guess. Next to it lay a frame with a small, round piece of metal inside of it. An inscription below the glass read, “U.S. Silver Dollar, circa 2064.” Terry could easily read the words, but he didn’t understand them. What was this thing? And why was it so important that it needed to be placed on a shelf for everyone to look at?
“I said come in,” said Bishop abruptly. He sat at the far end of the room behind a large brown desk. Terry had forgotten he was even there. “I didn’t mean for you to stop at the door. Come over here.”
Terry hurried closer, stopping a few feet in front of the desk.
“I’m Colonel Bishop. You must be Terrance,” said the man. “I’ve been wondering when you were going to show up.” He wore a pair of thin glasses and had one of the larger pads in his hand. “Already seven. Imagine that.”
“Yes, sir,” Terry said, remembering the doorman’s words.
The colonel was a stout man, a little wider than the others. He was older too, Terry guessed. He may have been tall, but it was difficult to tell without seeing his whole body. “I expect you’re hoping to begin your classes now,” said Bishop.
“Yes, sir,” he said.
“You say that, but you don’t really know what you’re saying yes to, do you?”
The question seemed more like a statement, so Terry didn’t answer. He only stood there. Who was this man? Was this how school was supposed to be?
“Terrance, let me ask you something,” said the colonel, taking a moment. “Did your mother tell you anything about this program you’re going into?”
Terry thought about the question for a moment. “Um, she said you come to school on your birthday,” he said. “And that it’s just like it is at home, except there’s more kids like me.”
Colonel Bishop blinked. “That’s right, I suppose. What else did she say?”
“That when it was over, I get to go back home,” he said.
“And when did she say that was?”
Terry didn’t answer.
Colonel Bishop cocked an eyebrow. “Well? Didn’t she say?”
“No, sir,” muttered Terry.
The man behind the desk started chuckling. “So you don’t know how long you’re here for?”
“No, sir.”
Colonel Bishop set the pad in his hand down. “Son, you’re here for the next ten years.”
A sudden rush swelled up in Terry’s chest and face. What was Bishop talking about? Of course Terry was going home. He couldn’t stay here. “But I promised my sister I’d be home today,” he said. “I have to go back.”
“Too bad,” said the colonel. “Your mother really did you a disservice by not telling you. But don’t worry. We just have to get you started.” He tapped the pad on his desk, and the door opened. A cluster of footsteps filled the hall before two large men appeared, each wearing the same brown coats as the rest. “Well, that was fast,” he said.
One of the men saluted. “Yes, sir. No crying with the last one. Took her right to her room without incident.”
Terry wanted to ask who the last one was, and why it should be a good thing that she didn’t cry. Did other kids cry when they came to this school? What kind of place was this?
“Well, hopefully, Terrence here will do the same,” said Bishop. He looked at Terry. “Right? You’re not going to give us any trouble, are you?”
Terry didn’t know what to do or what to say. All he could think about was getting far away from here. He didn’t want to go with the men. He didn’t want to behave. All he wanted to do was go home.
But he couldn’t, not anymore. He was here in this place with nowhere to go. No way out. He wanted to scream, to yell at the man behind the desk and his two friends, and tell them about how stupid it was for them to do what they were doing.
He opened his mouth to explain, to scream as loud as he could that he wouldn’t go. But in that moment, the memory of the doorman came back to him, and instead of yelling, he repeated the words he’d been told before. “No, sir,” he said softly.
Bishop smiled, nodding at the two men in the doorway. “Exactly what I like to hear.”
Get the Amber Project now, exclusively on Amazon
Get A Free Book
I post updates, official art, previews, and other awesome stuff on his website. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
I also created a special Facebook group called “JN Chaney’s Renegade Readers” specifically for readers to come together and share their lives and interests, discuss the series, and speak directly to me. Please check it out and join whenever you get the chance!
For updates about new releases, as well as exclusive promotions, visit my website and sign up for the VIP mailing list. Head there now to receive a free copy of The Other Side of Nowhere.
Click Here
Enjoying the series? Help others discover The Renegade Star series by leaving a review on Amazon.
Books By J.N. Chaney
The Variant Saga:
The Amber Project
Transient Echoes
Hope Everlasting
The Vernal Memory
Renegade Star Series:
Renegade Star
Renegade Atlas
Renegade Moon
Renegade Lost
Renegade Fleet
Renegade Earth
Renegade Dawn
Renegade Children
Renegade Union (Jan 2019)
Renegade Empire (March 2019)
Renegade Universe:
Nameless
Orion Colony
Orion Uncharted
Orion Awakened (Jan 2019)
Standalone Books:
Their Solitary Way
The Other Side of Nowhere
About the Author
J. N. Chaney has a Master’s of Fine Arts in creative writing and fancies himself quite the Super Mario Bros. fan. When he isn’t writing or gaming, you can find him online at www.jnchaney.com.
He migrates often but was last seen in Avon Park, Florida. Any sightings should be reported, as they are rare.
Renegade Fleet is his tenth novel.