Archaea 3: Red (6 page)

“Thank you Dak, Jane, Yak... thank you Janis! I...” I trailed off as my eyes welled up in tears.
I wasn’t one for emotions, but damn this place was dusty.

“Gene,
stay with me. Jane, lead the way please”, Yak said quietly as we hustled down the corridor.

Shorty was moving like a machine. She would kick and kick, skipping down the corridor, and come to a stop at each corner, check the route, and was away by the time we caught up. Yak had me tight, and wasn't letting go –
we were going so fast we were damn near flying.

We hooked an escaladder going up and climbed
for the sky. I climbed until my arms ached and forced myself to keep going, my heart hammering in my chest. As we worked our way back topside, the crowds gradually increased, forcing us to slow down or attract attention.

“Janis, we're almost there, two more levels to go. How are we looking?” Shorty said into comms.

“Jane, the two original pursuers are through the door, and were trying to use their handsets. I allowed them to connect so I could trace, then killed their connection and wiped their comms capability. I am still using their handsets to track their movements, and you are well clear.”

“Do you know who they were contacting?”

“Yes Jane. Captain Smith and Steven are working on our options right now, and I am standing by to assist with whatever direction the captain decides to take. I am currently crashing connections routed towards a number of individuals in your vicinity, and will continue to plot their locations to your screens. Please stay on the course I have set for you, and I will adjust as necessary.”

Jane had her
wrist screen up as we moved up walkways in a large, open area. She stayed out ahead of Yak and I, and led us on a dizzying run up ramps, down ladders, across walkways, through side corridors, but always moving upwards and outwards.

We were climbing a ramp along a beautiful waterfall
fountain that was spraying water from oscillating nozzles, resulting in a breathtaking slow motion helix as the water fell back down. The spray from the nozzles was lit from below, and the entire slow motion sequence was so captivating, I wish I could have sat there for hours. Unfortunately, Shorty and Yak were not keen on sticking around; I doubt they even noticed.

“Jane, be advised I have one individual currently holding station in the prep area for the topside lock
. I am unable to intervene on your behalf without substantial loss of pressure to the habitat.”

“Thanks Janis,
we'll just have to deal with him, I guess.” Shorty said, looking back at Yak pointedly. “Gene, we're getting close now, so here's what I want to do. Chances are better they won't notice me, so I'll go in first, and get near him. Give me to the count of ten before you enter the prep area, and stay to the left side of the room. Yak, give him a three count before you come in, and if we time it right, we can scoop him as he's headed for Gene. Sound like a plan?”

“Oo
h-rah”, Yak said softly with a smile that looked like he meant it. Jarheads... they live for this sort of thing.

We topped
out past the waterfalls and the signage for the lock hung ahead of us. At the corner, Shorty waved me back, and started off. I counted to ten, and then started walking, angled to the left side of the prep area as I came out of the corridor, eyes forward, not looking anywhere but a spot on the wall below a series of cage rentals. A small group of people had just walked in before us, and were getting suited up in the prep area; the left side of the room was empty.

I walked right over to one of the far cages and fiddled with the mechanism, as if I was trying to open or rent the space, and the only indication I had that something had happened, was Shorty tapping me on the shoulder.

“Did he--” I said quietly, turning around.

“Yes, he's asleep back along the benches. I zapped him right as he got up to follow you.”

“He's dead?” I hissed, in alarm.

“No, Gene, what do you think I am? He's asleep. I used the same hype they were going to use on Yak. He
barely made it up off his chair. Nothing to it!” she said proudly.

“Nicely done, Jane
” Yak said softly as he moved up. “Now let's get suited up, it looks like we have about three minutes until the next grounder arrives, so we have to make it snappy.”

“Quick, fast like a bunny?” I said, laughing.
If there's one thing my time in the service has given me, it's an endless supply of bizarre sayings. Shorty smiled, but Yak looked at me strangely… so I hopped over to the rack rental counter to illustrate my point.

Suiting up was fast, the same kid was on the counter and he remembered Yak. Either he liked us, or feared Yak – of course it could be a little of both – but we had our suits in no time. With the clock ticking down,
watching chin gauges for sixty seconds seemed like forever, when you knew bad people were on your trail.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, those of you leaving on the blast pan transit should now make your way towards the lock at this time. Remember to check your seals, and thank you f
or visiting Tranquility Habitat. Please come again!”

We
passed through the lock as soon as it opened, and stood off to the side, just out of view of the corridor and prep area, watching the countdown on the inner lock screen.

“Comms check” Shorty said.

“Check” Yak said.

“Check” I said, with a little glance around the corner into the prep area. “Oh hell... Shorty, they're here.” I leaned back as far as I could against the wall of the lock. It was a quick glance, but I could see at least six extremely large,
ex-military types moving up the corridor.

“Easy Gene, ten more seconds on the door.” Yak said, holding an arm out to press me back.

“Come on damn you”, cursed Shorty, watching the countdown click away

*****

“Captain, we have compiled a précis for you of a Mr. Sergei Dragovich. He appears to be the individual in command of the opposition, sir. The report is on your holo now.” Pauli called back on comms as I secured the bay hatch.

“Pauli, is he a Lune?” I asked as I cursed the lack of crew and an
ever-increasingly filled cargo bay.

“Yes sir, and a bad guy, looks like. Janis pulled tons of connections from comms logs with organized crime syndicates throughout this system.”

“You have solid evidence of this?”

He laughed. “Sir, we are in possession of... well, all of the evidence
. Everything that is available. This is not a nice guy.”

“Well I wonder what beef he has with my kids? This isn't exactly a common port of call – unless it's the ship, of course – and not us at all. The Archaea was just parked for ruin on the other side of this rock a few months ago.” I was thinking out loud, but it made as much sense
as anything else did. Then it hit me.

“Pauli
, we're spending a massive pile of money here – maybe enough to cause a spike. I’ll bet they’re trying to find out where all that money is coming from!”

“Well, of course...
sir. You just offloaded the fifth completely full hauler, and it's not full with coffee... sadly.”

That
reminded me, I wasn't full of coffee either.

“Pauli,
I need you to open comms with my old friend William Hartley on the Barracuda. He's probably in near space, if I know him.”

I shifted another stack into my pack and secured it while I waited for the connection to be made. That he would take my hail, I had no doubt.

“Ah Captain Smith, how nice to hear from you again.” he said, about as sarcastically as decorum allowed.

“Mister Hartley, the pleasure is all mine, I am sure. Are you anywhere near Tranquility?”

“I can be... why, are you there? I still owe you a tour of my brig, I believe.”

“Well now
mister, I heard you recently received new orders regarding my command, if I am not mistaken”, I said knowingly. The service isn't going to haul me in for blasting from Darkside Station without clearance, not after destroying a rogue destroyer, and rescuing another from certain doom.

“That's true, but it is a mighty nice brig. Are you sure?” he was clearly testing his shiny new captain's eyebrow, and who could blame him... heck, he
was practically a midshipman last Wednesday.

“I am quite sure, mister - no thanks. Listen, we
've uncovered a significant pile of very interesting information about a Mr. Sergei Dragovich, a resident of Tranquility. Are you aware of him?”

“I am afraid I can't say either way, of course. You know how it is.”

“I do, and understand. You would be interested in this information, though?”

“Yeah, I'd take a look at it. W
hat sort of information do you have, exactly?”

“
Well, our technologist has dredged up 'all of it' in his words. Apparently, he is not a very nice person to have around in this system. I'll have him send it right over. It should be coming in any moment.”

“Pauli, transfer everything you have on Dragovich to Hartley please.” I asked on comms.

“Sir, Janis started that transfer a moment ago.”

“Of course she did. Is it a lot of data?”

“It is, but quite compressible. It's going quickly.”

“Very well, Pauli”, I said,
and then clicked back over to the hail channel, “Captain Hartley, we're sending you what we have now.”

“I was just informed, and am looking now. This is definitely juicy stuff. Are you in the area?”

“Do I need to be?” I asked with a straight face.

“No, of course not – I was going to say, if you were, now might be a good time to head out
… I am about to make it rain.”

“Very well mister, carry on. Good hunting, out”

“You as well Captain, thanks again, out.”

“Janis, how far away is the Barracuda?”

“The Barracuda is located in near-space, sir. They are currently ranged 94,234.23 kilometers on a following orbit, accelerating towards an insertion burn on this location.”

Damn, we were cutting it pretty close.

“Gene, are you kids on the road?”

A slight crackle on comms, “Dak, we're... hold on.” he whispered. “Sir, we are through the lock and loading up. I am afraid they know we're here, it will be a miracle if we can get underway before they come through the lock behind us.”

“Steady on folks. Shorty, Yak – are either of you armed?”

“Always, sir.” she said calmly. “How do you want us to play this sir? This isn't exactly rim space.”

“I understand Shorty; I don’t want shooting if I can avoid it. Here's what I want you to do. Go to the lock right now – Janis, can you open that lock?”

“On your command, sir, I am standing by.
”

“Shorty,
get over to that lock with something you can use to wedge it open, an air tank, seat cushion – anything. Let Janis know when you're in position.”

“Aye sir”, she said
.

“Janis, when she's ready I want you to shut that door, then lock it by whatever means necessary.” I said into the air of the cargo bay, and then clicked on comms. “Shorty, with that outer door wedged open, the interlock will prevent the inner lock from opening. They'll have to build a coffer-lock, or exit somewhere else.”

She replied a few short moments later, “Copy that, sir.  Janis, I am in position.”

“
The lock is immobile. Be advised the nearest lock to Jane's current position is 360 meters.” Janis said, helpfully. My hackles started to rise. That’s nothing for a grounder.

“Janis... out of curiosity, do those
busses have assist?”

“They do, sir – w
ould you like me to assume control?”

“At your e
arliest opportunity, if you please. Get my crew home, dear.”

“Aye Captain
”, she said sweetly.

“Yak,
Janis is going to drive you kids up out of there, so I need you to convince the driver to relax and enjoy the ride. Be nice, okay? He doesn’t need a broken arm.”

“I'm on it, skipper.” he said. I felt bad for the driver, but not too bad. It's not like we were goin
g to do anything bad. Just drive a little faster, maybe.

*****

I stepped forward towards the cab as Jane bounced back towards us from the outer lock, and reached the driver right as she came in through the door. He looked up at me in surprise, and I held my hand out in the universal sign for 'relax-I-am-not-going-to-kill-you', a hand gesture I am very skilled at.

“Sir, I am afraid there is an emergency. We are
commandeering this vehicle”, I said as the grounder started moving up the ramp towards the surface. Everyone out of their seats found their seats in a hurry, or made an acquaintance with the deck as we started to accelerate.