The Orphan Alliance (The Black Ships Book 3) (12 page)

Yes. Once you initiate the ejection sequence, he will
begin to lose his hold on the ship, and he cannot access this workstation. It
was built for the installation of symbiotes so there was no need for an
installed symbiote to access its controls after the fact. Within minutes, he
will have only his original brain to carry his consciousness.

And once I’m inside the chamber, he can’t stop me?

That’s right: as soon as you pass the threshold, his
ability to affect matter is neutralized, but how will you get inside? The
moment you materialize, he will kill you.

If you place me directly in front of his chamber door, I
can jump through as soon as the opening is large enough.

But he will still have ample time to eliminate you,
Keeva
explained patiently.

But what if we distract him?

Two minutes later, Tommy appeared on the bridge of the
Firm
Resolve,
standing directly in front of the chamber door. At the same
moment, one of Kale’s grenades also appeared on the other side of the bridge,
its fuse smoking as it dropped to the deck and rolled toward the shield.

The doors had seemed fast enough when opening on the
Dark
Defiance
but now they seemed to take an eternity as Tommy listened to the
metallic clatter of the rolling grenade. He wormed through the opening,
noticing the absence of the clatter as he pulled his feet inside the room.
Couldn’t
have been more than four seconds,
he thought,
or the bloody grenade
would have killed me.

He raced over to the workstation. Not wanting to take any chances
– the chamber on this ship might have been upgraded, allowing its occupant to
affect matter – he began to open the emergency protocols.

“What are you doing?” The voice was heavily distorted and
distant. It sounded as though it was coming from the vibration of deck plates
outside of the shielded area. Since this ship didn’t have his mind mapped, it
couldn’t speak to his mind, in the chamber or out of it. Tommy ignored the
question and selected the ejection sub-menu.

“I can’t open the chamber door,” the metallic voice growled,
“but my security drones certainly can.”

The drones.

Tommy had been shot by drones once.  He had scars on
his legs to prove it. They would have no problem with eliminating him and
stopping the ejection sequence. He still needed two minutes for the ejection,
but he knew a bridge drone could be here in a matter of seconds. He forced
himself to think through his newfound knowledge of the chamber.

On a sudden inspiration, he opened a maintenance menu.
Overriding a backup system, he shut down the grav plates that held up the
symbiote. He heard a dull thud from the other side of the workstation, followed
immediately by an alarm. He looked down at the screen, seeing a flashing
message advising him of a connection failure.

The symbiote was no longer connected to the ship.

The ejection was still in progress, now at fifty-eight
percent.
His mind is still ejecting, but there’s nowhere for it to go,
Tommy
thought as he stepped around the wall of monitors to see his enemy. The body
lay where it had fallen, eyes blinking listlessly.
Serves him right, bloody
murderer.
Having just seen a planet choked to death by ash, he was in no
mood to extend any sympathy. Tommy shivered in spite of himself. He moved back
to the terminal.

The progress indicator inched toward completion.
Soon as
it finishes, I’ll have to take my chances with the drones.
He fervently
hoped the symbiote had taken direct control of them rather than issuing a set
of detailed commands. The indicator flashed an orange color.

It was finished.

Tommy took a deep breath and turned around. He forced
himself to walk toward the door, one foot after another, wondering each time if
it would be his last step. He jumped slightly as the eight panels separated and
began to retract with a shriek.

Two drones hovered in front of him.

He waited for the second eternity of the day. His lungs
began to protest, shaking him out of his trance. He took a deep breath,
savoring the sensation of still having working lungs rather than collapsed,
blood-filled ruins.

The drones still hadn’t fired at him.

He stepped out into the bridge, easing around the deadly
sentinels.
Keeva, do you have control of this ship?

Yes, I was able to take control as soon as the ejection
was complete.

Tommy realized his fear of confronting the drones had been
baseless. Once in control, Keeva would have noticed the drones and erased any
orders that may have been given to them.

What about the symbiote?
Her tone was conflicted. She
was asking about one of the few remaining members of her species. Even though
they had agreed to take drastic action against him, he was still one of her
people.

I was forced to cut the stasis field before the ejection
was complete,
Tommy made a helpless gesture, aware of her feelings in the
matter.
He’s unresponsive.

I’ll bring him to a hospital for the time being if you
can pull him out of the chamber,
she announced.
Meanwhile, we need to
get everyone off that planet. I’ve been thinking that the best method would be
to keep continental groups together. That way we should be able to avoid
breaking up communities and families.

How long will it take to remove everyone from the
surface?

They are already off the surface,
she seemed
surprised at Tommy’s question.
As soon as I took control of the
Firm
Resolve
, I initiated the transport.

If they’re already aboard, why are we discussing where to
put them?

I haven’t materialized them yet.
She spoke as though
reminding Tommy of the obvious.
I’m examining their current experience
levels before assigning their positions and implanting the necessary knowledge.
Once that is done, I will materialize them in their newly-assigned homes.

Huh!
Tommy was impressed that Keeva had the ability
to transport, analyse and educate fifty million people all in one shot. The
computers that augmented her humanoid abilities must be far in advance of even
the most sophisticated quantum cores yet produced on Earth. Then a new thought
struck him.
So, we’ll have neighbors.

Yes, most of the units will be filled in the building
where you live.

Neighbors…
He tried to imagine the ship, not the
ghost
vesse
he had always known, but a living ship,
teeming with people. He tried to conjure up images of pedestrians hurrying to
work, groups at ease in the many parks, children running and playing – safe
from volcanoes and starvation.

He was surprised to realize that he was actually smiling.

Dactari Logistics Station, Tauhentan Orbit

H
arry
was sweating and his stomach was trying to replicate the various knots he had
learned in his early academy days. He knew the plan was a good one, but no plan
ever lasted for more than a few minutes in the real world. He was following
Ro’j off the ramp of the shuttle, boarding the Dactari logistics station. His
hands were behind his back and a casual observer would assume they were bound
there – not holding a pistol. His ‘guards’ were walking in close formation,
concealing his weapon and keeping any inquisitive station staff from
approaching.

As with any plan, this one was fraught with unanswered
questions. Would the station guards be too inquisitive, leading to a firefight
in which the Alliance team would be forced to fight their way in to the control
room? Would the smuggler have some subtle way of signalling the ruse to his
Dactari associates?

Would Harry end up captured for real? If so, then the
Dactari wouldn’t make a second attempt at a showy death. They’d stand him in
front of an airlock shield, put a bullet in his brain, and send the video to
Oaxes. 

“What’s this?” The Dactari guard frowned at Harry but,
recognizing Ro’j, he left his weapon hanging from its shoulder sling.

“It’s called a prisoner,” Ro’j replied with a heavy helping
of sarcasm. “How your people ever managed to conquer so many planets is beyond
me.”

“If you Tauhentans are so smart, why aren’t you guarding a
Tauhentan military installation in orbit around Dactar?” A triumphant sneer.
“Oh, that’s right, there is no Tauhentan Republic!”

“True.” Ro’j nodded solemnly. “It has been my lifelong dream
to guard a door. I would count my life fulfilled if I could stand by a
magnificent door such as this one,” he spoke reverently as he waved at the
ordinary airlock door behind the guard, “where I could furrow my brow in
consternation at any new arrival and speak clever phrases such as ‘what’s
this?’.”

The guard’s ears reddened as his right hand came to rest on
the grip of his weapon. “You had better state your business, smuggler,” he
spat, “or I’ll throw you in a cell for a few days. Maybe then you’ll learn to
show proper respect.”

“My business is with the commander of this station,” Ro’j
replied loftily. “It involves a high-priority captive,” he added, nodding
toward Harry, flanked by fifteen guards in traditional Tauhentan garb, “and it
would be very unfortunate for you if you knew anything about the matter.” He
leaned a little closer to the Dactari. “I would not be the least bit
surprised,” Ro’j breathed the words, “if you found yourself assigned to the
next draft of troops for Earth – if, indeed, your people are still considering
such a thing.” 

He drew himself back up to tower over the guard. Tauhentans
and Oaxians were almost the same average height as Humans, and Ro’j was taller
than Harry by a good three inches. “They wouldn’t want you hanging around the
Republic with this kind of knowledge. They know how you guards like to flap
your lips.”

Harry saw the momentary flash of fear in the guard’s eyes.
So
the Republic hasn’t been able to completely whitewash their defeats in our
solar system.
Official proclamations must have lost some of their luster. When
the first fleet went to Mars, they had simply never returned. The Republic
would have been free to concoct any story they wanted, seeing as nobody would
have been able to prove them wrong.

In the second invasion attempt, too many ships had managed to
escape from the combined Human/Midgaard fleet. The return of thousands of
defeated troops would have complicated matters. They would most likely have
been prevented from returning to Dactar, but they had to end up somewhere. The
simple fact that Humans had come to Weirfall in force had given the lie to
Dactari invincibility. They might be able to hide it from citizens on Dactar,
but the troops stationed on subject worlds would have to have at least
some
warning
that Humans were loose in the Republic.

The fear in this guard’s eyes proved that Earth was not a
popular word among the Dactari military.

Ro’j swept past the guard, who muttered feeble protests, but
did nothing to stop him. Harry and his armed escort followed closely behind.

“What’s the meaning of this?” the station commander demanded
as the small group walked into the control center. Five crewmen sat at a ring
of terminals in the center of the room, arranging transport for weapon orders.

A young woman stood beside him, a look of mild disinterest
on her face. Her brown eyes were slightly larger than normal and sat above a
narrowed chin. She was roughly five and a half feet tall though her tumbling
black hair added another couple of inches.

“Ah, you see!” Ro’j commented to his group. “A similar question
but he asks for the
meaning.
That is why he’s in command of a whole
station rather than just a door.”

The commander’s face showed fury for just an instant. That
look transformed to complete disbelief as Ro’j’s guards drew their weapons, and
the prisoner pulled his hands out from behind his back. He was no prisoner at
all. He was armed with one of those efficient Human pistols.

The invading guards, some of Lothbrok’s men, leapt over the
ring of terminals, kicking the operators away from their keyboards. They were
forced, face-down, onto the deck where their hands were bound behind their
backs.

“Get them down to the loading bay,” Harry ordered Fenris. He
turned back to the commander who was edging toward the wall consoles. “You keep
moving around, and I’ll blow your damn head off.” He raised his sidearm. “Get
over there.” He waved his weapon toward the middle of the open space.

He was alone now with the commander and the woman. It had
been an officer in this exact position that had put him through the horror of
past Oaxian lives. “Tell me how to remove the logistics module.”

“Do you really think I would betray my people?” The
commander raised one eyebrow.

“No,” Harry replied calmly. “That’s why I’ll make this
quick.” He pulled the trigger and the enemy officer pitched backward, his face
a red ruin. Harry heard footsteps behind him and turned, expecting to see
Mickey, the foremost Alliance expert on Dactari systems.

“That was definitely unfriendly,” Benedict drawled. He
strolled casually to the center consoles where he leaned against a bank of
keyboards. “He wouldn’t betray his people, but he
would
have stood by
quietly, if you’d have let him.”

“Benedict!” Harry stared at his nemesis in shock. “How the
hell did you know we’d come here?”

“Maybe it’s not all about you,” Benedict grinned. “Or, then
again, maybe it’s no great feat to figure out where you’d go next.” He looked
around the room and shrugged. “If you take Oaxes and Tauhento, you can build
and arm new ships, and your host planets will enjoy an economic boom. All you
need is for this station to blow
after
you take the logistics module, so
the Dactari won’t realize you have it.”

“Why would you betray your own people?” Harry shook his
head, ever so slightly. “What kind of a man are you?”

Benedict stood up. “The kind who does what has to be done.”
He waved his hand at the console. A red light was blinking next to a round palm
button. “You need the station to self-destruct. I’m just helping you out.”

“Get away from that console!” Benedict complied with Harry’s
demand, sliding toward an exit corridor. Harry aimed the pistol at Benedict’s
head as he moved to take his place. “That’s far enough. How do I disarm this?”

Benedict smiled.

Harry turned at the sound of footsteps, seeing Mickey
Willsen.
Thank God. She can work on taking the module while I try to stop
this.
He turned back to Benedict, but he was already gone. “Dammit. Mickey,
the module is over there.” He pointed to the back wall. “Same slot we talked
about. Get it out of here, the self-destruct is already counting down. I’m
trying to reset it but I doubt I’ll have any luck.”

She didn’t say a word. Filled with the sudden sense of
urgency, she raced over to the back wall of the command center and counted two
columns in from the left followed by four rows down. She typed a combination of
keys on one of the touch screens at the front of the module and the lights
faded.

Harry looked up at the main display. Seeing that the
hundreds of ships had faded from the display, he nodded. “That’s the one. What
kind of process do we need to use before you can disconnect the…”

Mickey ran past him with the module in her hands. “Move your
ass, Harry. There’s no way in hell you’re gonna hack the self-destruct in the
next few minutes.”

Harry’s wave indicated the woman should follow Mickey. He
fell in behind the dark haired female, jumping over the consoles to follow her
down the corridor.

He couldn’t help but laugh. Willsen’s cousin Mike had been
one of his science officers on the
Völund
and he’d been just as
pragmatic – right up until the moment he was killed by a Midgaard.

If simply yanking the damn thing out had ruined it, then it
was still better than being blown to hell along with the station.

They rounded the last corner and passed through the door,
finding the captured crew lined up on their knees with their hands restrained
behind their backs. “Get aboard,” Harry yelled to Mickey.

She ran onto the boarding ramp of the Weiran shuttle and
turned to look at Harry. “You’re not just going to leave them here to die, are
you?” Her eyes shifted to the mystery woman who had joined them in the back of
the shuttle.

Harry set his sidearm to full auto as he joined her on the
ramp. “Nope.” He aimed at the left hand prisoner and started firing. He ignored
her inarticulate protest as he sprayed the small group of Dactari. It felt
surprisingly, revoltingly, good. Two of them threw themselves to the decking
behind the bodies of their dead comrades before Harry could shoot them.

“You try to help a guy…” Harry chuckled. “Fenris,” he yelled,
“get us out of here, the station is going to blow any second.”

The ramp closed under them as the small craft lifted off the
deck and headed for the atmospheric shielding. They had gone no more than
twenty kilometers before the explosion heralded the end of the logistics
outpost and its few remaining occupants. After a few seconds, they felt the
slight tremor of the shock wave.

No sooner had the tremor passed than the small shuttle began
to distort. Made before Oaxes had been forced to stop deliveries to Weirfall,
the shuttle boasted a small distortion drive capable of short-duration jumps.
It was a new invention, most likely not replicated anywhere else in the
Republic – yet.

“Why’d you kill those guys, just now?” Mickey was busy
checking out the connections on the back of the stolen module, but her restless
mind was capable of following several threads at the same time. It took a
little getting used to.

“No witnesses,” Harry feigned a tone of tolerant surprise.

“They were going to blow up anyway,” she was still staring
at the back of the module, running her fingers over the array of ports. “What I
saw looked like a personal thing.”

“Can’t a man enjoy his work?” Harry answered darkly.

She shot him a grimace before turning back to her work. That
one glance was more eloquent than a thousand words.

“Look,” he began, “those bastards put me in one of their
implant chambers and made me live through dozens of lives. Each one was an
Oaxian resistance fighter and each one had to watch his family die in the arena.
I’m not gonna lose any sleep over killing a Dactari.”

“Hmmm,” she said, in a non-committal fashion. “I’m pretty
sure this will work. It’ll take me and Ed a couple of days to knock together an
interface, but it’s pretty ordinary equipment. The module itself is the same
standard case that goes into all Dactari warships.” She stopped talking for a
moment and stared up at Harry in surprise.

“Their modules are the epitome of plug-and-play,” she said,
her eyes shining with excitement. “I bet if we plug it into one of the spare
slots on the bridge of the
Leetayo
, we might be able to bring up the
output with no need to build an interface at all! I’m such an idiot for not
thinking of that right away!”

  “Oh, yeah,” Harry muttered. “I had that figured out
seconds ago…” It was rare for a captain to get a chance to use sarcasm.
Usually, it was bad for morale. “We can start testing this in less than an
hour, thanks to your sudden inspiration.” The
Leetayo,
one of several
captured Dactari ships, was waiting at the rendezvous point on the off chance
they might need to return to Tauhento disguised as Dactari.

“You’ve probably saved a lot of Tauhentan lives,” he told
her. “They would have launched a full-scale uprising as soon as they saw the
station blow up. If we can confirm the unit works when we get to the RV point,
we can turn around and go straight back to Tauhento and wipe out every Dactari
station and ship in orbit.”

“And what happens if this thing is fried?”

“The official plan is to return to the fleet and find a new
target.” Harry leaned back against his seat. “As soon as you plug that thing
into the
Leetayo
, we’re going back to Tauhento. I’d prefer to go with an
idea of where the enemy ships are, but I’m going whether that thing is working
or not. It’s long past time we switched from defense to offense, and we’ll
never get another world to trust us if we incite the Tauhentans to rebellion
and then fail to back them up.”

Across the shuttle bay, the dark haired woman closed her
eyes, bowing her head.

“Who is she?” Mickey spared a glance from her new toy.

“We’ll have to find out later,” Harry answered. “She was in
the control center when we arrived.”