Pirates of the Outrigger Rift (23 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I
t was the first time they’d been physically in the same
room together in five years. Randol, who could barely tolerate Oke and Hemming
by holo, couldn’t stand them at all in the flesh. He couldn’t bear to look at
Maxwell at the far end of the table. His humiliation and anger were too great.

Oke stood and adjusted his blue kimono. “Let me just say
that I’m even more certain this is the best course of action today than I was
when we began this endeavor. I’m convinced this will mean the difference to
Nebulaco surviving these temporary hard times. This will give us the resources
we need to hold out until Thorne is brought to justice, and once that happens
we will see a return to prosperity.”

Hemming rose, adjusting her elaborate purple velvet cape
over her leopard-print leotard. She looked like a circus performer. “Let’s just
get on with it. No matter how badly you and I want this vote to succeed, we all
know Lord Randol’s position and his stubborn refusal to listen to reason. Your
flowery words won’t make any difference. He still has a large enough block of
stock to make our votes worthless. This affair is a waste of my time.”

Randol stood, not looking into the eyes of his fellow lords.
“I no longer have any objections to the stock sale,” he said. “Certain events
have come to pass that have made me see reason and the futility of standing in
the way.”

Randol quietly sat back down. Everyone in the room remained
silent for a moment as the reality of what just happened set in.

Oke sprouted an almost childlike smile. “What?” he asked.
“Why, this is wonderful! How did you come to see the light?”

Randol remained silent.

“Is there something wrong?” Hemming asked, staring closely
at Randol. “This is completely unlike you. Is there more going on here than we
realize?”

Randol shook his head. “I have reconsidered my position and
decided that it is in the best interest of Nebulaco. It’s as simple as that.”
He looked down at his shoes and closed his mouth tightly.

“All I can say,” said Oke, “is that it’s about time.”

Maxwell grinned. “I, too, am heartened by this change of
position, Lord Randol. Are you sure this is what you want to do? After all,
there are other options if you choose to go down that path. Of course, those
options could result in dire consequences.”

Randol gave Maxwell a cold stare. “Let’s just have the
formal vote and be done with this.”

Maxwell’s smile did not waver. “As you wish, milord.” He
rose and cleared his throat. “On the resolution that the corporation be
redistributed, with each lord selling off five percent of his or her holdings,
and with the shares being purchased at today’s market value, which currently
stands at one thousand, two hundred and thirteen credits per share, such a
resolution requiring a unanimous vote of the Council of Lords during formal
session, how do you vote? Lord Oke?”

Oke smiled. “Aye.”

“Lady Hemming?” Maxwell said.

“Aye,” she said.

“Lord Randol?”

Silence.

“Lord Randol?” Maxwell said. “What is your vote?”

Randol sighed. “Aye.”

“The resolution passes,” Maxwell said. “The sales
transactions will be processed by the corporate accounting department from your
personal holdings, and the stock will be offered on the Exchange. The funds
received will be handled by the Galactic Bank and disseminated appropriately. Let
the resolution be signed and recorded.”

Maxwell produced a notescribe, and the lords each placed a palm
on the device to legally sign the order. Maxwell then keyed the device to
upload the order and execute the stock sale.

“There is another item on the agenda, which we discussed
when we last met: a review of the suspicious entries in Lord Randol’s account,”
Maxwell said, holding up his hand to halt the expected questions. “However, I
am pleased to announce that this matter seems to have been resolved. It appears
that the data was, in fact, manipulated. I wish to proffer my apologies to Lord
Randol. My only excuse is that I was doing my job.”

Oke spoke. “Don’t trouble yourself over it, my dear fellow.
I’m so overwhelmed by the outcome of today’s events that everything else is
meaningless.”

“I think you’ll be reconsidering those words soon, Lord
Oke,” Randol said.

“Whatever can you mean? This is wonderful. We should
celebrate. And to think, you made it possible.”

Randol scowled. “Don’t remind me. Celebrate while you can,
Oke. But I suggest you prepare yourself for some changes.”

Hemming entered the conversation. “Quit speaking in riddles.
What are you talking about?”

“The stock we just sold is being gathered together with a
huge block of what we had assumed was stock owned by many different entities.
In a very short while there will be a new majority stockholder, someone with
so much stock that, even with all of our holdings combined, we won’t be able to
out-vote him. There will be a new corporate lord, and he will rule as he
wills.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Hemming asked.

Randol grinned. “I couldn’t. They have my daughter.”

“But if you were under duress, surely we can cancel the
sale,” Maxwell said, his voice full of concern.

Randol shook his head. “It is done. There isn’t anything
anyone can do to stop it now.” He turned to face Oke and Hemming. “I just hope
you two are happy. You got what you wanted.”

The
Elsa
was making good speed. Randol’s mechanics
had patched up her drive for the rescue. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do.

Hank watched the viewscreen as they entered the Outrigger
Rift. He could see the husks of derelict ships scattered everywhere, along with
asteroids and other bits of space junk. All the debris swirled slowly in
impossibly complex orbits around the dangerous gravity rifts that gave the area
its name.

“This is like old times,” he said. “Except I would be doing
the piloting and you’d be snoring in the bunk back there until we arrived.”

“It brings back some memories,” Elsa said. “I still remember
every recovery and mapping mission.”

“Well, it helps that we put your mind into our old ship. The
memory banks already had our mission data in them. I can’t even remember what I
had for lunch.”

“Pizza,” Elsa said.

“Crap.”

“What?”

“I’m hungry again.”

Hank concentrated on the minute course adjustments needed to
counteract the sudden shifts in gravity and the ever-present asteroids as they
closed in on the pirate base.

Chandler sat beside him. Sai was in the back getting the
vacsuits ready. Hank didn’t know what to make of Chandler. He wasn’t a bad
sort, really. He had his good points, but he was too damned moody for Hank’s
taste, and the man had the unforgivably annoying habit of being right all the
time.

“We’re almost there,” Hank said. “That’s the rock over
there.”

He pointed to a dark form that was rapidly expanding in the
viewscreen. From all outward appearances, it was a barren, deserted asteroid. If
their information was correct, there was a pirate base hidden on the far side.

Sai came into the cockpit to take a look. “Nothing much to
look at, is it?”

“Nope, but it is one hell of a hiding place.”

Hank slowed their approach and moved in. He flew in low,
hugging the surface, following the rugged terrain. He spotted the outcropping
in the distance that had served as a landmark on their sketched map and eased the
Elsa
into a landing next to it.

Hank switched off the main engines and got out of the pilot's
seat. “Here we go, Elsa. Keep your ears open for us. If all else fails, call
the Confed. But only as a last resort. We want to get Helen out alive.”

Hank, Chandler, and Sai got into their vacsuits, packed their
weapons and other gear, and then did a final pressure test before exiting the
Elsa
through the rear airlock.

It had taken them some time to determine what weapons to
bring while they were preparing at Randol’s mansion. The lord had quite an
armory, though there was a limited amount of equipment that could be carried
practically.

The asteroid didn’t have a lot of mass, so there was little
gravity. It was easy to unload the hovercycles and gear from the hold. Hank
looked toward their destination. It was dark country, only dimly lit by the
light reflected from the nebulas of the Rift.

They climbed onto the hovercycles and accelerated across the
plain toward the rocky outcropping where the airlock to the base was supposed
to be hidden. The speed of the cycles pressed them against the seats and made
them hang on tight to the control bars. The magpulse created a spray of dust
behind them as they raced forward.

They slowed as they neared the gray outcropping. They began
a slow pass parallel to the rock wall and tried to make out the entrance.

For a too-long moment they thought they were on a wild goose
chase, but then Sai discovered the airlock door. They parked the hovercycles
nearby.

Hank and Chandler drew their pistols and Sai her preferred whisperblade.
It was showtime.

They entered the airlock and cycled through. When they got a
green light they broke the seal on their helmet visors.

“Jeesh! It stinks in here!” Hank said.

Sai smiled and Chandler just shook his head.

The inner door opened, and they faced a long, dark corridor
roughly carved out of the stone heart of the asteroid. Every ten meters, a glow-bulb
hung, casting off a soft yellow light. The corridor appeared deserted. So far,
so good.

They padded forward as quietly as possible, each of them
scanning the shadows. The gravity field on the base was a comfortable 0.75G.

Sai took the lead, her whisperblade poised to do a quick
recon or a silent kill if needed.

Hank checked the sketch displayed on his comlink. “Take the
next turn.”

They followed the rocky wall and Sai stopped at the corner. She
launched the whisperblade and checked the area ahead using its cameras. The
video feed on her com looked clear. She nodded and made the turn. She caught
the returning blade in midair with her right hand in a practiced snatching move.

Just then, they heard the sound of footsteps. Hank reached
out, grabbed Sai, and pulled her back. A lone man appeared at the end of the
corridor, walking purposefully forward, a toolbox in hand. Just as he passed
them, he stopped.

Sai tensed and prepared to attack.

The man dug a hand in his pants and scratched himself. “Ah,”
the man sighed and walked on, continuing out of sight.

Sai blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. She peeked around
the corner again. It was clear.

They rushed forward. Chandler kept an eye on the rear. The
corridor extended another twenty meters, then forked off. One branch led to the
main base, while the other led around the perimeter. They followed the latter.

Sai reached out with her cyber-psi senses and scanned the
area ahead. There was a problem. She held up her hand and motioned for the
others to stop. There was a motion sensor ahead of them. She wasn’t sure if it
was for security or simply a light control, but she didn’t want to take any
chances. She located the wiring leading to the sensor and disabled it before
they entered the sensor’s range.

They continued forward, hearing only occasional voices. It
certainly seemed like the security was very lax. The pirates were a
disorganized bunch, but Sai thought they’d encounter more of them. Sai watched
from the shadows as two pirates passed them by. One stopped to take a leak in
the corner.

“Really?” Hank whispered. “Pissing on the wall? Who the hell
does that?”

“This from the man with the most disgusting cabin in the
universe?” Sai said.

“Yeah, but I don’t piss on the freaking wall. These guys are
gross.”