Exploration Page 5

  “We’ve got company. Pip detected movement nearby, using the satellites. He plugged into them once we were on the ground.”

  “You know who that could be?” Eddie asked Chester.

  Chester threw up his arms. “Who the hell knows? I’ve got every goddamn pirate in ten different systems out for my head. Didn’t you see the traps?”

  “Yeah, you tried to kill us,” seethed Julianna.

  At the back of the warehouse, there was a loud crashing sound, like glass breaking. A barrage of noises echoed through the space.

  Behind Lars, far on the other side of the warehouse, a face came into view—one that Eddie recognized. The man who had been whittling a stick on the stoop of the apartment looked quite different with his shoulders back and a rifle in his hand. At his back, he brought a gang of pirates—some human, some Kezzin.

  Eddie slipped his hand into the bag pinned to his waist and pulled a red marble from the sack. “On the count of three, you all run for the exit. Take Chester with you,” ordered Eddie. “One. Two. Three.” Eddie launched the explosive grenade in the direction of the approaching pirates. A small explosion rocked the area in front of them. Dust filled the warehouse.

  The group ran from the warehouse and came to a swift halt. A band of pirates blocked the alley on both sides, bats and guns in their hands. They had them surrounded.

  “I’ll take the north end. Lars and Julianna, you take the south,” said Eddie. They stood with their backs to each other, ready to whoop some ass.

  Eddie pulled two marbles from the sack, a blue and a red. He rolled them in opposite hands until he’d activated the switch and tossed both of them forward. He threw the explosive one through the open door of the warehouse, hoping to hit whoever was still coming. Next, he tossed the blue one at the men in the alley, standing straight ahead of him.

  ~~~

  Three men stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking the exit to the alleyway. The heat from the explosion inside the warehouse blanketed Julianna’s face.

  My scan of the area shows there are young humans playing in the alleyways around here, Pip’s voice sounded in Julianna’s head.

  What an awful place to play.

  I didn’t note any playgrounds in the area. This must be all they have.

  Okay, thanks for the heads up. “Ready to kick some ass?” asked Julianna to Lars.

  “Born for it,” he said.

  “No bullets. We can’t have strays hitting unsuspecting kids,” she said over her shoulder to him.

  “Understood,” said Lars.

  Julianna pulled her knife from her belt and darted forward just as the first of the men launched at her. She ran up the side of the wall and kicked off, throwing her foot straight into the first man’s abdomen. He shot backwards, sliding on the ground. A second man dove for her waist, but she leapt backwards, pulling the knife high into the sky and stabbing him in the back with it while he was doubled over.

  Lars brought the butt of his rifle across the third man’s face, kneeing him in the stomach soon after.

  The first man had peeled himself off the ground and spit on the street as he measured Julianna up.

  “Girl, you picked a fight with the wrong people today,” the asshole said, pulling a pocket knife from his jeans and jerking it open.

  “Dipshit, you picked a fight with the wrong bitch. Consider this the worst day of your godforsaken little life.” Julianna could have pulled out her pistol and wasted this guy, but that still wasn’t worth the risk of hurting innocent children. She lunged forward, knocking her forearm down hard onto the arm that held the knife. It dropped to the ground.

  Julianna brought her foot into a roundhouse kick, slamming her heel against his face. The man fell to the ground completely unconscious.

  She turned back to see the alley full of bodies. The disturbance in the warehouse was growing louder. “Come on! Let’s get out of here!” yelled Julianna, pulling Chester forward, Lars and Eddie bringing up the rear.

  Two mines to the left. Stay close to the right side of the warehouse, then take the path back the way you came, Pip said in her head.

  Thanks! I forgot about the mines.

  That’s what I’m here for. I didn’t forget.

  Glad you didn’t. I don’t feel like testing this new armor today. Definitely later, though.

  Definitely, Pip agreed proudly.

  Main Cabin, Transport Ship, Behemoth System.

  No one said a word until they were all seated on the transport vessel, ready to depart. Eddie could tell that Chester was observing each of them, watching every move they made for a sign that they might do something, anything, suspicious. So far, the kid hadn’t tried to get away, which meant they were probably in the clear.

  “Damn, you have a lot of nasty people after you,” said Lars, rubbing his shoulder from where he’d taken a hit while fighting one of the men.

  “You have no idea,” said Chester, sitting rigidly in his seat, staring around.

  “Which is why you made me do that acrobatic routine to bypass the lasers,” said Julianna.

  A small smile formed on Chester’s mouth. “Yeah, that was quite impressive.”

  She stretched her neck to one side and then to the other, making several cracking sounds. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten the ear-bleeding noise you made us endure.”

  “Is that all? He tried to smash me to pieces by dropping large crates on me,” complained Lars.

  Julianna laughed. “Yeah, I think the only one who didn’t suffer from Chester’s hacks was Eddie.”

  Eddie smirked, darting his eyes to the flight attendant, giving her a nod. She tapped her screen and disappeared. He had her trained, and she’d be back in no time with a tray of drinks.

  Chester stared around at the transport ship as it lifted into the air. “Where are the other passengers?”

  Eddie clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Perk of working for the Federation, I think you’ll find it’s better than hiding in a rundown apartment, Chest… Chesty… Chesterson. Damn, your name is nearly impossible to turn into a nickname.”

  The flight attendant returned in record time, unloading drinks for Eddie and Julianna. “We had them waiting when we heard you were boarding,” said the woman.

  “Thank you. That’s good service.” Eddie lifted the Blue Ale up, nodding at the flight attendant.

  “What will you have?” she asked, her attention on Chester.

  “Uhhh…” He cleared his throat. “Just water.”

  “Okay,” chirped the woman and turned to look at Lars. “For you, sir?”

  “Water?” asked Eddie. “I don’t think so, son. We’ve just saved you from a life of fear and danger. We need to cheers.” He turned his attention to the flight attendant. “Get these two a bottle of Tullamore and two glasses.”

  The flight attendant nodded and left, leaving the three others staring blankly at Eddie. “What? It’s an Irish whiskey. Don’t worry, you’ll like it.”

  “Or you’ll be trashed when we arrive at the ArchAngel.” Julianna took a sip.

  “So, this is for real?” Chester asked staring between Eddie and Julianna.

  “It’s definitely not a simulation.” Eddie leaned back, tucking his hands behind his head.

  “Look, I’ve worked for the Federation before. It didn’t turn out well. And—”

  “Before, you didn’t have our protection. I apologize on behalf of the Federation for that. You shouldn’t have been working remotely. You’re too much of a valuable asset for that. This time you don’t have to worry. You’ll be protected,” said, Julianna, knocking back a drink.

  “Yeah, I guess that helps. Everything happened so fast. I’ve been running for… Well, a long time.” Chester’s face was drawn with stress.

  The flight attendant arrived with the bottle of Tullamore and two tumblers. She filled the glasses halfway with whiskey, setting the bottle on a side table before leaving.

  “We can all relate. All of us have been running at some poi
nt. Meet your new team members.” Eddie held his hand out toward the Kezzin on his left. “Lars is the one you nearly turned to dust with the falling crates. And over here we have Commander Fregin, who you nearly fried to dust. But we’re all safe and headed back home. Tomorrow, the real work starts, but today, we celebrate.”

  Chester reluctantly picked up a glass and held it in the air with the others.

  “Cheers,” the group chorused, clinking glasses.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Jack Renfro’s Office, QBS ArchAngel, Axiom System.

  The hum of the light filled the silence for a long moment. Jack held his chin in his hand, tapping his fingers along the side of his face.

  “Good work bringing Chester in. That went smoother than I would have expected. He’s a tough one to catch,” said Jack.

  “You’re telling me, sir. That guy nearly took out most of the team,” replied Eddie.

  Jack laughed. “Just goes to show we can’t underestimate those not trained in combat. Everyone has an advantage if they leverage it.”

  Julianna stood leaning against the wall, her hands behind her back. “Chester has been set up with a workstation and will hopefully have data for us on Ray De’ft soon.”

  “I’m sure he will,” Jack said, his eyes on a pad in front of him. “However, Chester can give us access to all sorts of information, but what we need is someone who can tell us what it all means.”

  “Are you referring to another member we need to recruit?” asked Eddie.

  Jack nodded. “Specifically, I’m referring to a communications officer. Every ship needs one, and we need the very best.”

  “With all due respect, sir, what can a communication officer supply that ArchAngel or Pip can’t?” asked Julianna.

  “Good question.” Jack stood, pacing behind his desk. “Not only will a communication expert speak multiple languages, but they’ll have certain contextual perspectives that we might overlook. Each alien culture is complex, and we shouldn’t delude ourselves to thinking we’ll understand their communications even if translated.” Jack pushed the pad in front of him in Eddie’s direction.

  “Is this your choice for our communication officer?” asked Eddie, taking the pad.

  “Yes, specifically because she has experience studying both the Kezzin and Trid species. She could offer valuable insights, information that we overlook.”

  Eddie lifted the pad, reading the screen.

  Name: Marilla Sours

  Species: Human

  Occupation: Archeologist, Linguist, Xenoanthropologist

  Place of birth: Agoura City, Calston Planet, Paladin system

  Age: 28

  Marilla Sours speaks over fifty foreign languages. She’s spent over a decade immersed in the Trid culture, living on Kai. Additionally, she’s discovered many relics and abandoned habitats of the Trid and Kezzin. Currently, Marilla is on the drylands of Kai, which were once underwater. Her mission is to search for artifacts that will explain how ancient Trid lived before evolving.

  Eddie handed the pad to Julianna, who had leaned over his shoulder to read most of it but took it for a closer look.

  “So you want us to go after her,” said Eddie.

  “Yes, but as you read, she’s on Kai. That’s not a planet where the Federation is welcomed.”

  “Understood. So we need to be careful. Not a problem.”

  Jack lowered his chin and regarded Eddie with a great deal of skepticism.

  “Okay, we’ll try and keep ourselves out of trouble. We would have been fine on Kemp if it weren’t for those damn thugs.”

  “Well, maybe I can count on you to keep a low profile. The last thing we need is an incident on Kai. It will draw unnecessary attention to us.”

  “You can count on us, Jack,” said Eddie.

  “Also…” Jack said, gaining both of their attentions. “Something small, but we need to think about it…”

  “If you wanted our attention, then you’ve got it.”

  “What is it, sir?” asked Julianna.

  “It’s come to my attention that you, Commander, don’t have a call sign assigned. That’s fine for now, but when we have more ships, well, that won’t do.”

  Eddie laughed. “Hell yeah! We can find something perfect for this one.”

  “I’m certain that your definition of perfect and mine will be different,” said Julianna.

  “Hell, if I have to be Black Beard, then you’re getting something just as unfitting.”

  Julianna released a smile, nodding to Jack before turning and leaving.

  Bridge, QBS ArchAngel, Axiom System.

  A few more crew members than before bustled around the bridge. It wasn’t enough, but it was a start. Hiring was important, but it was also a fulltime job, one that Julianna and Eddie really didn’t have the time for.

  “ArchAngel?” Eddie called to the screen.

  The face of the A.I. blinked onto the screen. “Captain Teach, do you have orders for me?”

  “Yes,” said Eddie, passing the pad he’d been reading to a crew member. “Set us on course for Tangki system just outside Kai’s orbit.”

  “Yes, Eddie.”

  “How long until we’re in position?” asked Eddie.

  “Approximately three hours,” reported ArchAngel.

  “Perfect.” Eddie pulled out the chair next to Chester and sat backwards, his chest pressed into it. Chester would have a lab set up for him to work in soon. Already, the computer hacker had given him a list of exactly what he’d need in order to optimize his work time.

  “Any luck so far finding Ray De’ft?” asked Eddie.

  Chester pushed his black rimmed glassed up on his nose and sniffed before resuming typing. “Yes and no. Breaking into the Trid defense network is a piece of cake. Finding what you’re looking for is a different story. There’s thousands of lines of code here and most of it doesn’t tell me what you’re looking for. It’s like searching the galaxy for just one star.”

  “But you’re certain you can find something on this Ray De’ft? I need the meeting location.”

  Chester’s fingers ran rhythmically across the keyboard. “I’ve already located him in the database, but so far nothing of any use. The whole system is full of irrelevant information. I thought the Kezzin were horrid record keepers.”

  “Don’t let Lars hear you say that.” Eddie checked over his shoulder to ensure the Kezzin wasn’t around. Last he’d heard, he was in flight training.

  “But yes, I should have something for you soon. And I’m already working on hacking into Doka’s account so I can send a message to Vas and confirm the meeting.”

  Eddie chuckled. “Damn, son, you’ve been on the job for only an hour and are already getting shit done.”

  Chester blew out a weighty breath and leaned back, folding his hands behind his head. “I’ve got to say, I know I put you all through hell, but I’m glad you didn’t give up on me.” Chester stared around at the bridge where most of the crew were busy. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like a part of a team. I’ll do anything I can to help.”

  Eddie nodded. “You’re welcome. You’re the best of the best and you belong with us. I have a feeling this is just the beginning.”

  The main screen blinked on, and Hatch stared out at the bridge. “Captain Teach!”

  “Present!” chirped Eddie, standing.

  “That new kid of yours has asked for quite the list of equipment for his lab,” said Hatch. “You’re going to have to tell him I don’t have time to get everything he needs.”

  “I believe you just told him,” said Eddie. “Chester meet Hatch. This is our jack-of-all trades genius engineer. Hatch meet Chester, our genius hacker.” Eddie threw his thumb in Chester’s direction.

  “I’m a mechanic,” said Hatch to Eddie before his bulbous eye’s darted to Chester, and he frowned. “Kid, we don’t have enough dedicated servers for what you’re asking, and I don’t have the time to construct the processor you need. Even if I did, I’
m not sure this is all necessary.”

  “That’s his way of saying, ‘Pleased to meet you.’ You’ll get used to Hatch’s straightforward approach. Actually, Chester, I believe you met Hatch before, didn’t you? Remember Brody Chambers?” Eddie held his hand out to the screen where Hatch was staring back from.

  Chester cocked his brow. “Brody Chambers? Well, that explains a lot,” he said. “Pleased to meet you, Hatch, and I assure you that what I’m asking for is necessary based on what I’m required to do. The good news is that I don’t need it all right away.”

  “The good news,” echoed Hatch, “is that I’m over here and you’re over there, which means I can focus on more pressing concerns. I’ve got a Q-Ship to build.” Hatch picked up a wrench with one of the tentacles and held it in the air. “Good luck with your supply problem, gentlemen. I’m off to work.”

  Eddie laughed as the screen faded. “He’ll come around. And until then, I’ll send your requests to Jack. Things will get sorted out.”

  “Thank you, Captain. I wouldn’t ask for anything I didn’t need. Hatch said it wasn’t necessary but I’m telling you—”

  Eddie shook his head. “Hatch is going through something. We lost our best Q-Ship a little while back. It was his baby, so he’s taking it harder than the rest of us. Don’t worry. I’ll get you what you need.”

  “Thanks,” said Chester.

  “No problem.” Eddie grinned. “And welcome to the team.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Loading Dock 01, QBS ArchAngel, Tangki System.

  Julianna secured her pistol before bringing her attention to Hatch, who regarded her and Eddie with mild disdain.

  “You two will be extra careful with this ship?” asked Hatch.

  “You know we will,” said Eddie.

  “It’s the last one, so if you destroy it then you’ll have to resort to flying a Black Eagle,” cautioned Hatch.

  “Don’t you worry, we’ll bring her back without a scratch. I promise. And we all know I can’t go back to flying a Black Eagle after being in this bird.” Eddie stared out fondly at the Q-Ship. No, it didn’t have the superior handling of the original one, but Hatch was continuously working on it and, soon, it would be like the original. Maybe even better.