Exploration Page 7

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Landing Bay, QBS ArchAngel, Tangki System.

  Eddie picked up a stick and threw it, watching as Harley ran open-mouthed after it. Marilla was working with Chester to review the data he’d found on the Trid defense network. She’d been a bit shy when they boarded the ArchAngel, but something told him she’d adjust fine. Marilla was used to different cultures and ship life was a lot less strange than living with giant fish.

  “Good boy.” Eddie petted the dog when he returned the stick, panting slightly. He threw it again, grinning as Harley sprinted eagerly back in the same direction he’d just come from. Dogs were fun.

  Hatch waddled out from the outboard side of the bay, an irritated look on his purple face. Harley dropped his toy and bounded over to him, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

  “Where did that come from?” Hatch scrunched back, diminishing in size significantly.

  “The new recruit, Officer Sours, brought him aboard.”

  Harley jumped about trying to put his front paws on Hatch. The alien lifted two tentacles in a menacing fashion, and then swelled suddenly, tripling in size.

  Harley yelped, tucked his tail between his legs, and ran, taking cover behind Eddie. He laughed, looking down at the cowering dog. “That’s the first time I’ve heard him bark.”

  Hatch returned to his normal size. “Keep that thing away from me. Dogs are a natural predator of the Londil. They think we’re a snack.”

  Eddie grimaced. “Gross. I bet you taste salty.”

  “Hey, kid, watch yourself. I’m already peeved at you.” He threw a tentacle in the direction of the Q-Ship.

  “What? There’s not a single scratch on the Q-Ship. I checked it over myself.”

  “Yes, and a scratch could be easily repaired. However, burning out the booster is a big pain in the ass to fix.”

  “Oh, that…” Eddie scrunched up his face and looked down at the dog, a guilty look on his face. “I do believe we are responsible for that. Sorry.”

  “We?” Hatch asked. “Was the canine flying the ship with you?”

  “No, not yet, but I have a feeling he’d make a fine co-pilot.” He leaned over and scratched Harley behind the ears making him roll over and show his belly, begging for more attention.

  Hatch sneered at the display.

  “I really tried to keep the ship in good condition. I thought that avoiding attacks by throwing the booster into overdrive would be a good solution.”

  The bitter look on Hatch’s expression faded as he reluctantly nodded. “Once I’ve repaired the boosters, I have an idea for an upgrade.”

  “Are you going to make my ship faster and better?” asked Eddie, excitement in his voice.

  “I’m going to make my ship faster, but I’m not sure of the specifics.” Hatch picked up a set of tools with three of his tentacles. “Actually, I need your help.”

  “Anything for you Doctor Hatcherik. What can I do for ya?”

  “Jack has the details. He wants you in his office. That gives me a chance to fix your screw up with the Q-Ship.”

  “Alrighty,” chirped Eddie. He slapped the side of his leg as he strolled off, Harley following.

  ~~~

  Eddie swung by the Intelligence Center, which had been set up with everything that Chester had requested. The hacker had many special demands. A dozen monitors streaked one wall of the giant room. Chester sat at the main workstation, Marilla stood behind him, leaning over his shoulder, pointing at something on the screen closest to them. Six other workstations filled the space, one of them belonging to Marilla. One day, the Intelligence Center would be fully staffed with personnel obtaining, monitoring, and dissecting data. He stared proudly at the newest recruits, deep in talk about the Trid data.

  “Marilla, thanks for allowing me to borrow Harley,” said Eddie, getting both their attention.

  She turned and smiled down at her shaggy friend. “You’re welcome. You can keep him with you as often as you like. He’s used to roaming free. I’ve always allowed it on my digs. He’s a people person…well, dog.”

  “Thanks. And I’m sure we’ll have more adventures. However, I’m off to meet with Chief Renfro and I’m certain Julianna will be there.”

  “Oh, right.” Marilla seemed to understand at once. “I fear she’s allergic to Harley.”

  “I think she’s mostly irritated. It’s nearly impossible for Julianna to be allergic to anything.” Eddie shifted his gaze to Chester. “How’s it going?”

  “Good! Much better now that I have Marilla to analyze this code the Trid use. It’s incredibly complex, but she’s helping me make progress. We should have specifics for you soon.”

  “Great! I knew this would all work out!”

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

  “You smell like dog,” said Julianna, wrinkling her nose. Her senses made it so she could smell, see, or hear incredibly well, which wasn’t always a good thing.

  Eddie sniffed his shoulder. “Is that an improvement?”

  “It’s not,” she responded.

  Jack laughed. “I never know what you two are going to bring back from your adventures. When the general told me how you brought Lars back, I was shocked. It’s highly uncommon to see a Kezzin so willing to work with the Federation, and this one’s a total badass.”

  “And now Lars is a part of the family,” Eddie beamed.

  Julianna nodded, smiling. “Thank you, sir. You mentioned you have a new mission for us?”

  “I do,” chirped Jack. “ArchAngel?”

  The screen behind Jack’s desk lit up, showing the face of the A.I. that resembled the empress. “Greetings, Jack. What's up?”

  “Bring up the planet Yit,” ordered Jack.

  “Certainly, Jack.” The screen flickered and a red and brown planet rotated in space. Whereas Kai was covered in blue mostly, this one was monopolized by land, with only a few water sources.

  “Here you’ll see Yit, a planet in the Seolus system,” said Jack, pointing.

  “The system where we met Lars and destroyed the arsenal,” stated Eddie.

  “Correct. It’s a system well known for having many planets where the Brotherhood has bases of operation. They’ve abandoned many of their old facilities and taken residence in other places. This is a newer one.” The picture zoomed in until it showed an area comprising multiple buildings. “This is the Crimson Compound. We’ve only recently picked up activity from the site.”

  The screen shifted to display the interior of the buildings. Multiple Kezzin bodies lit up in infrared. Additionally, multiple pathways formed, snaking between the buildings and underground, each of them glowing red hot.

  “What’s that?” Eddie and Julianna asked in unison.

  Jack nodded. “Yit is a hot planet, full of many active volcanos. That is—”

  “Lava!” boomed Eddie, an edge of disbelief in his voice.

  “Oh, Crimson… I get it now,” said Julianna.

  “Aircraft facility, ArchAngel,” ordered Jack. The screen zoomed in on a large warehouse. “This is where the Brotherhood are believed to be building a fleet of ships as well as storing many of their current ones. Now, as you’re aware, Hatch is working on building another Q-Ship, but he can’t stop there. With the recruits you’re pulling in, we’re hoping to construct a few dozen of them in due time. Nothing immediate, of course, but eventually, that’s the goal. That requires specific materials. The Federation could, and definitely would, supply us. However, I have a better idea.”

  “Let me guess. You want us to steal the supplies from the Brotherhood, is that it?” asked Julianna, connecting the dots.

  “Yes, I do. If the Federation funded this operation, it might draw unnecessary attention to Ghost Squadron. We’re supposed to be a stealth operation, after all, so the least amount of attention is for the best.”

  “And stealing from the enemy will put them at a disadvantage,” added Julianna.

  “Exactly,” said Jack.
<
br />   “Hell yeah. I love a win-win sort of plan.” Eddie looked at Julianna and clicked his tongue twice with a wink.

  Jack directed their attention back to the screen. “We believe the supplies to be housed on the north end of the warehouse.”

  “We’ll get in and out before they even know what hit them,” said Eddie.

  “Getting in isn’t going to be the problem. It’s getting out with everything you need,” cautioned Jack. “Hatch needs at least one crate of supplies to finish the Q-Ship. However, the more crates you retrieve, the more supplies he’ll have for constructing future ships.”

  “That’s a bit more complicated.” Eddie absentmindedly rubbed his fingers over his stubbled chin.

  Jack nodded. “If you pull this off, it will be an incredible heist. It’s also going to require a detailed strategy and new technology.”

  “I’m liking this more and more,” said Eddie.

  “ArchAngel, zoom in on building two.” The screen shifted and closed in on a different location.

  “Here is where we believe the security operations to be housed.” Jack stood and pointed at a building much smaller than the aircraft warehouse. “We’ve gotten word that the Brotherhood has increased security since your team destroyed the arsenal on Exa. Once they became aware that we had personal cloaking technology, they set up motion sensors on all their security systems.”

  “Does that mean we can’t use the cloak?” asked Eddie.

  “No, I don’t think you’ll be successful without it. I think you’ll be better off disabling the sensors first, at least around the aircraft facilities.”

  Eddied nodded. “How do we do that?”

  “Could Lars get into the security facility?” asked Julianna.

  “That’s my thought. If Chester can get him the right credentials, then I think he can put on his previous uniform and act as one of the personnel.”

  “Then, once inside, he disables the sensors on the aircraft warehouse. Yeah, I like it,” said Eddie.

  “It won’t go unnoticed for long,” said Jack. “And Lars could be recognized at any point. However, I’m guessing you two should have roughly fifteen minutes to move the crates out to this area.” Jack swiped the screen and pointed to an empty field. “The Q-Ship would be stationed here and could pick up the crates and hand them off to automated shuttles a safe distance away.”

  “That’s a lot to do in fifteen minutes,” said Julianna, letting out a breath. “If we even have fifteen minutes.”

  Jack nodded. “It is. Not to mention that lava flows throughout this area and could pose a risk to you all, as well as damage the crates. This is an incredibly complex operation, but if you’re successful, we’ll put the Brotherhood at a serious disadvantage.”

  “We can do it,” said Eddie. “This team is unstoppable!”

  Jack grinned. “I’m sure you can, but pushing crates of supplies out into this field will be noticed. Hatch has upgraded the cloaks, thankfully, which means you won’t have the same problems as last time. The only way this is going to work is if you cloak each of the crates, as well as yourselves.”

  “Hatch has enough devices for that?” asked Eddie, sounding stunned.

  “He assures me that he does. I’m certain that Londil never sleeps,” said Jack with a chortle.

  “I’m sure you’re right,” said Eddie. “Now, who’s ready to pull off the heist of the century? Julianna?”

  She smiled. “They won’t see us coming.”

  “Or leaving,” added Eddie.

  She nodded. “You’re goddamn right.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Landing Bay, QBS ArchAngel, Seolus System.

  Julianna handed a pad to Lars, who was already geared and ready. “What’s this for?” he asked.

  “That’s loaded with an interface to Pip. When you’re in the security facility, you need to plug that into one of the main drives. It will give Pip a chance to jam communications while you disable the sensors. But almost more importantly, he’s going to copy all internal messages from the server. We’re hoping to find new information on the Brotherhood or this weapon that Vas is after.”

  “Yes, since Orsa is gone, I’m sure there’s been many changes. I’ll try to find out what I can about the new commander,” said Lars.

  “You keep your head down and your mouth shut. We can’t risk losing you or raising any suspicions.”

  Lars nodded appreciatively. “Yes, sir. I’ll go completely unnoticed.”

  Eddie whistled as he strolled up, fully dressed in his gear. “Where’s our favorite mechanic?”

  Hatch wheeled out from underneath the Q-Ship, deflated. He pushed out his cheeks and took his normal size and shape. “Just doing some last minute tweaks.”

  “Is she good to go?” asked Eddie.

  “Yes, the boosters are repaired. And I’ve upgraded one of the engines to have HEMI power. If you’re going to be hauling that many supplies, then you’re going to need more muscle, especially if you’re being chased.”

  Eddie rubbed his hands together, his eyes eager. “More horsepower is always a good thing.”

  Julianna cast a look sideways at Eddie. “Tell me, have you ever seen a horse before?”

  He gawked at her. “Yeah,” he sang, “I wasn’t born yesterday.”

  “In comparison to me, it feels like it.”

  “Just because I’d never seen a dog before doesn’t mean I’m completely sheltered.”

  “Doesn’t it, though?” joked Julianna.

  “Okay, kids, I need your attention.” Hatch’s tentacle stretched across the space until it was wrapped around a black bag sitting on a work station. His tentacle shot back to his body, resuming its normal length. He retrieved a small disk inside the bag. “These are cloaking devices for objects. You will be able to stick these onto the crates and make them disappear. Not only that, but they will make the objects levitate.”

  “Devices that make objects disappear and levitate. This just keeps getting better and better,” said Eddie.

  “You’ve been busy, Hatch,” gushed Julianna.

  “I should let you think that, but no, I got access to my old storage unit, which holds many of the devices I’ve created. These were one of them, but we never had a good use for them until now. Because of the lava activity on Yit, we need the crates off the ground because damaged parts are useless to me.”

  “Not to mention that five hundred-pound crates would be too heavy to move without making noise,” said Eddie.

  “Too heavy for you to move,” teased Julianna.

  “In some instances, like with large crates, it might take more than one of the devices to fully cloak. You’ll just have to keep sticking on devices until the crate disappears.” Hatch jiggled the bag. “I'm sending you with two dozen devices.”

  “Can we use the cloaking devices on us?” asked Eddie.

  “You can’t.” Hatch’s tentacle stretched across the space again, for the work table. He retrieved two belts and brought his tentacle back. “I’ve upgraded the personal cloaking devices so that each of you can wear one.”

  “You’ve had to use a lot of Aetherian crystals for all this,” observed Julianna.

  “It’s true, and I hypothesize that the small devices will only work for a short period of time. That means you have to be fast, before they burn out. Furthermore, that means we’ll soon be running low on Aetherian crystal and need to secure more from Beroisa.”

  “Sounds like another adventure!” cheered Eddie.

  Hatch handed Julianna and Eddie each a cloaking belt. “The technology in the belts is a bit more reliable, but still there might be glitches, although they’re fully tested.”

  “Thanks, Hatch. Great work.” Julianna smiled at him.

  He puffed out his cheeks, turning slightly pink. “If you’re successful, then I can complete the current Q-Ship I’m working on and move on to constructing more.”

  “And we’ll be on our way to having a fleet,” said Eddie, buckling the belt around
his waist. Julianna and Lars followed after him, loading into the Q-Ship.

  Kezzin Battlebase 57, Planet Yit, Seolus System.

  “Whoa! This puppy has way more get up and go!” Eddie took the cloaked ship closer to the surface of the planet, enjoying the increased power.

  “Lars, I want you out of there pronto if your cover is blown,” ordered Julianna.

  From the second row, Lars said, “Yes, but let’s hope that’s not an issue.” The third row had been removed to make more room for the crates. The Q-Ship should be able to hold two crates, which meant it needed to make two to three transitions to the automated shuttles stationed a safe distance away. The two ships would rendezvous to unload before the shuttle took the supplies up to the QBS ArchAngel.

  “Hatch are you ready to take over remote control of the Q-Ship?” asked Eddie, over the intercom.

  “I’m all set,” Hatch confirmed from his place safe on the QBS ArchAngel. There wasn’t room for him to come along, since space was crucial.

  “Note that the current temperature is 102 degrees Fahrenheit,” informed Pip.

  Eddie whistled through his teeth. “Damn, and here I forgot my speedo.”

  Julianna’s face puckered. “Ew.”

  “Don’t you pretend like you aren’t curious,” joked Eddie. Far off, in the distance, volcanoes sat, steam rising off them. Apparently, they weren’t explosive, but lava still flowed from them.

  Eddie sat the Q-Ship down on a patch of ground that appeared free of lava.

  Before the three disembarked from the ship, Eddie shot a look at Lars. “We’ll wait for your confirmation. Be careful. And be quick.”

  “Yes, sir.” Lars saluted before hurrying off in the direction of the security facility.

  “Ready for some fun?” Eddie shot a look at Julianna.

  She smiled easily, a spark in her eyes. “You know I am.” She pressed the button on the box on her belt and disappeared.