Heather looked at Chase, their eyes meeting as the ship’s captain smiled. “Then they know about the vulnerability, just not exactly what it is.”
“Damn,” Chase whispered. “If we can trigger the update, then we can still take out the fleet.”
<I don’t see how we could pull that off. There’s no way they’ve even loaded it up for deployment at this point,> Potter said.
<It could still happen,> Piper countered. <I could force it.>
“How?” Heather asked.
<We need to get to Capeton Command. So long as Rika’s update is still in the datastore, I can force it and Jeremy’s update to propagate. I’ve spent enough time in Nietzschean networks…I know I can do it.>
“OK. Send the message,” Chase said to Heather. “Tell them to get to the datastore and secure it. If I were the Niets, I’d be off-lining that thing yesterday.”
* * * * *
Rika watched with impotent rage as the Niets erected a mobile frame around her, complete with powerful a-grav generators that continued to hold her suspended in mid-air when they switched off the ones hidden in the concourse.
During the process, the Orion general prowled around her cage, an almost feral grin on his face. The Nietzschean emperor stood further back, watching with a dispassionate expression on his face.
“She’ll be quite the prize,” Garza said as the cage lifted off the deck. “I’m looking forward to bringing her back—”
“Nowhere,” the emperor cut Garza off. “You’ll not bring her anywhere. Rika is a prisoner of the Nietzschean empire.”
“Captured by me,” Garza countered, turning to glare at Constantine.
“I saw my guards shooting at her in my station,” the emperor replied. “Yes, you gave them orders without my authorization, but it’s a slight I’m willing to overlook. I’ll even share what we learn from our mech here, but you’re not going to whisk her off to Orion, only to dole out what you’ve acquired in dribs and drabs.”
“You know,” Rika called out. “If you’re not sure what to do with me, you can just let me go. I wouldn’t want to cause a lover’s spat to flare up, here.”
Garza tossed a sour look her way, then turned back to the emperor, the pair now staring silently at one another.
<And now they’re on the Link instead,> Niki said. <You should have let them continue to fight.>
<I guess so. I kinda wanted to see if I could get them to start really going at it. I get the feeling that they both have leverage on the other, but neither’s willing to test it out just yet.>
<I agree…let’s not get them to go nuclear on one another while we’re a few meters away, though.>
<Have you finished the diagnostics on the QuanComm?> Rika asked. <I swear, when Tangel wants to interrupt my sleep, it works great, but I need her, and poof. Nothing.>
<I’m just finishing up now. Our side hasn’t gone out of whack from what I can tell, we’re just not getting anything from Tangel. Sure sucks that those final updates from Khardine burned out our entanglement with them.>
Rika nodded absently, still more worried that something had happened to Tangel, wondering what could possibly have knocked her out of communication. The whole idea behind quantum entanglement was that it worked anywhere in the universe. Tangel shouldn’t be able to go anywhere it wouldn’t connect.
<You’re fretting. I can tell,> Niki said.
<Well yeah, oh…we’re starting to move. I wonder where they’re taking us. And I’m stressed about Tangel. What if she’s been killed?>
Niki snorted. <Don’t talk nonsense. Tangel’s about as likely to be killed as…well…something really unlikely. She probably just had her internal blade get shot out. From what I hear, she gets shot a lot. Besides, Kelly and Keli got away—the guards are talking about the hunt for them still being on. If they got away, then the message is probably already out, and once it gets to the Lance, they’ll call Khardine with their QuanComm blades. Tangel will get word.>
<You’re right,> Rika said as she watched the bulkheads slide by. <I need to focus on getting out of here and killing Constantine. Plus this other douchebag.>
<What happened to ‘no suicide runs’?>
<Well, we’re kinda already in a precarious situation. I don’t think killing either of these two fools would make it much worse.>
Niki laughed. <No, I suppose not.>
Rika didn’t speak for a moment, considering her options, then said, <Thanks, by the way.>
<For what.>
<Not saying ‘I told you so’.>
The AI sent a languid wink into Rika’s mind. <You’re welcome. Though I might have thought it to myself.>
<Well, gee, now I take the ‘thank you’ back.>
<You can’t, it’s mine now.>
* * * * *
Leslie crept up behind the Nietzschean solder and grabbed his head, giving it a sharp twist to the left, snapping his neck while also driving an EM spike into the base of his skull to ensure no alert was sent out.
<Shit…> Jeremy whispered. <That’s brutal.>
<I’m trying to conserve nano,> Leslie replied. <I used a lot getting through those sealed bulkheads. They’ve locked this ship down like they think we killed Constantine.>
<Wouldn’t that be nice,> Annie said with a soft laugh.
<Well, it is on the docket.> Leslie pulled the soldier’s body behind a crate and peered out into the corridor. <OK, I think we’re clear.>
<Wow,> Jeremy said. <You really are bent on killing the Nietzschean emperor?>
<Kinda why we came here…well, we were coming here anyway, but we moved the Genevia System up on the schedule to take a swing at him.>
Annie sent a mental whistle. <You Marauders really think you’ll be able to do this?>
<‘This’?> Leslie asked as they crept down a corridor, now just a short distance from their destination.
<Yeah, free Genevia.>
<Well, we’re focused more on defeating Nietzschea.>
Jeremy laughed, and Leslie could hear a faint sound come from him. <Jer. Keep it in your head.>
<Sorry, I’m don’t normally slip up like that,> he apologized.
<It’s OK. This time.>
<So, what’s the difference?> Annie asked.
Leslie paused at an intersection, waiting for two soldiers and a servitor pushing a lunch cart to pass by. <Difference between what?>
<Freeing Genevia and defeating Nietzschea.>
<Well….> The soldiers and servitor had moved past the intersection, and Leslie moved on. <Freeing Genevia implies that it’s still captive. Some parts of Genevia are just Nietzschea now. Some will never want to rejoin. Freeing Genevia is really a rebuilding. And that can’t happen until Nietzschea is defeated. Maybe, I dunno, kinda talking out of my ass here.>
<Interesting take,> Jeremy’s tone was pensive. <I suppose I get that. I do hope you do both with the Genevia System itself, though.>
<Well, that’s the plan here,> Leslie said. <So long as something didn’t go terribly wrong.>
She pulled up short, not paying attention to the engineer’s response. Her drones had just made it to the bay where their ride off the Pinnacle awaited.
It was surrounded by a squad of Niets.
Her probe established a line-of-sight comm link with the shuttle, and relayed it back to her.
<Corporal Yig, you still in there?>
The RR-4 sent back a strained laugh. <Yeah, like bees bottled up in a hive. We didn’t want to start a shitstorm until you got here, Captain.>
<Makes sense. Just this squad of Niets?>
<Looks like it. The bay’s defense turrets haven’t been installed yet, which is why they’re all doing impersonations of security drones.>
Leslie breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t too worried about automated turrets; she could avoid them with ease…her charges were a different story. She considered her options, and was about to ask her engineers for ideas, when the bay doors began to close.
<Shit, Captain,> Yig said. <Going from bad to worse. Should we just come out shooting?>
<I think if we start a firefight, the shuttle won’t fare too well, Yig. And it’s our only way out of here, and it has the idents to sneak past the Niets.>
<There are always other shuttles.>
Leslie rolled her eyes. <Just hold tight, Corporal.>
<Yes, Captain.>
She signaled her two charges to keep following, and moved down the passage to the bay’s entrance. Once there, she ensured that there were no Niets nearby and slipped inside, crouching behind a stack of crates that were labeled as turret gimbals.
Ironic, she noted. <OK,> she said to the engineers. <We need to distract most of those soldiers away from the shuttle so we can get aboard. We also need to keep them distracted enough that the bay doors opening back up won’t have them firing on the shuttle in two seconds.>
<You know,> Annie drew the word out. <Those crates on the far side of the bay are the turrets themselves. From what I heard down in engineering, the Niets have been shipping them with reserve charge cylinders installed. A bit dangerous, but useful.>
<Can you get them rolling?> Leslie asked.
<Sure, going to take me a minute, I’ll see if I can make them start firing, but they might just explode and light on fire.>
Leslie laughed. <I think either of those will do. I’ll get the bay doors.>
<I’ll do those,> Jeremy volunteered. <They’re not on the shipnet yet, and the control panel is on the far side of the shuttle from Annie’s crates.>
<I didn’t. There’s a sign hanging by the door.>
She turned and looked at the entrance they’d just come through. Sure enough, a sign hanging next to it had instructions directing personnel to use the far panel if they wanted to get the bay doors open.
<Uhh…OK. Sorry about that.>
<No problem. You just keep an eye on us,> he replied. <I don’t fancy getting shot in the back by a Niet.>
Leslie was about to ask him why that was a prevalent concern, but then she realized he was more worried about Annie than himself.
<OK, you two. Our rally point is next to that rear cradle strut. If that’s blocked by Niets, then we’ll meet over by the closest bulkhead. I’ll provide cover for you.>
The two engineers signaled their affirmation and moved off. Leslie carefully climbed atop the stack of gimbals and unslung her rifle while passing an update to Yig.
<They grow up so fast,> the corporal sent back in a mock-mournful tone.
<Just be ready to get the door open and cover them,> she replied.
<We’re good,> Yig said. <Goob’s ready to open fire with the shuttle’s turrets, and Cole and Fiona are stacked up.>
<What are you doing?> Leslie asked as she saw Annie’s marker reach the crates of turrets, several of which had been conveniently opened.
<I’m supervising, Captain.> Leslie could imagine the grin Yig wore. <That’s my job, isn’t it?>
She didn’t give a reply as she watched an access panel open on one of the uncrated turrets as Annie got to work. Checking Jeremy’s location, she saw that he was already on the far side of the dock at the panel.
Satisfied that the engineers had reached their targets, Leslie began to wonder why the soldiers surrounding the shuttle weren’t yet doing anything other than staring at it.
A moment later, a scuffle came from behind her, and she turned to see a group of Niets pushing a rather large plasma cutter on a grav pad into the bay.
Well, shit.
“OK, in there!” the squad sergeant standing at the bow of the shuttle called out. “Time’s up! Say hello to our little can opener.”
<How long are your little diversions going to take out there?> Yig asked. <Because if you’re worried about damage to the shuttle, that thing’s really gonna mess it up.>
<Annie? You’ve got about forty-five seconds to make something go boom.>
<Wow, soldiering is just like being an engineer. Pulling off miracles on unrealistic timelines.>
<Sure is,> Leslie replied. <But the dire consequences for failure are a lot more immediate.>
<OK…twenty seconds, then I’m running and hoping.>
<Just don’t get blown up,> Jeremy added.
<Wouldn’t dream of it.>
Leslie carefully slid off her perch and followed the group of Nietzscheans pushing the plasma cutter. She eyed the thing, wondering if she could do something to impede it, when she saw that the cover of the emergency cut-off switch was flipped up.
Well, well.
Sidling in between the Nietzscheans, she reached out and toggled it off.
The a-grav pad shut down and the whole thing hit the deck with a resounding thud, one of the Niets howling in pain.
“My foot! What the fuck!”
“Shit, the e-cut got flipped.”
“Flip it back, you moron!”
Two of the soldiers came over to investigate, and Leslie backed away, rifle held ready. If Annie’s explosion didn’t go off in time, shooting the plasma cutter in its mag-pod might just—
An electron beam flashed in the far corner, burning a hole in the overhead before more beams slashed out, firing in every direction.
<Oh, shit!> Annie exclaimed. <I didn’t set it to spin around!>
Leslie was about to admonish the woman to run, but Annie was already sprinting across the bay, her body faintly visible as the flow armor struggled to keep up with her rapid motion in the now-ionized bay air.
Then an explosion rocked the deck, sending the wildly-firing turret soaring through the air to land on the plasma cutter, where it burned a hole in one of the Niets before exploding.
At the same time, the bay doors began to open.
She checked the bay, surprised to see that all of the soldiers, barring the two who were standing next to the shuttle’s sealed door, had run toward the plasma cutter and exploding crates.
Leslie was about to signal Yig to open up, when the shuttle’s door did just that. Fiona and Cole leant out, both firing electron beams at the remaining two soldiers.
<Your chariot awaits,> the corporal called out as Leslie and her charges ran for the entrance.
<Gotta love prompt service,> Leslie replied with a laugh.
A second later, they were safely inside, and the craft was lifting off. Jeremy disabled his stealth systems, a cheek-splitting grin on his face as he reached out for Annie, finding her arm and clasping it firmly.
“Stars…now that was fun!”
A TRIP
STELLAR DATE: 05.07.8950 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Capeton Command, Capeton
REGION: Genevia System, Old Genevia, Nietzschean Empire
Rika worked to keep herself calm as she was transferred to a large shuttle and then to a ship she assumed was the Belgara.
Certainly the most ornate shuttle bay I’ve ever been in, she thought as her cage was pulled from the shuttle and set down on the deck. An entire platoon of Nietzschean soldiers surrounded it, though neither Garza or Constantine came to check on her.
She felt a little put out that they were leaving her alone in the bay, but decided that it was preferable to having to look at either of them—or have them look at her like she was some sort of hunting prize.
<Where do you think they’re taking us?> she asked Niki.
<Well, hopefully not to Pruzia,> the AI replied. <I don’t think either of us are ready for a jaunt into the heart of the Nietzschean empire yet.>
<Agreed. But it’s either there, or Casa Mons on Belgium. I suspect that Constantine wants to keep us close, either way.>
Niki didn’t respond, and Rika watched as an engineer entered the bay and inspected the ca
ge before making some adjustments and chastising the soldiers for messing up one of the fields.
<Damn…too bad they didn’t mess it up just a bit more,> Rika commented.
<Uh…yeah,> Niki said, clearly distracted. <Rika?>
<Someone else in here you could be talking to?> she asked with a soft laugh.
<Right. I want to tell you about a conversation I had with Bob before we left the I2.>
Rika whistled aloud. The sound was barely audible from within her helmet, but two of the guards turned to face her nonetheless.
“Sorry guys, was just trying to entertain myself with a jaunty tune. Got any good vids or anything?”
“Stupid Neeve,” one of the soldiers said, shaking his head before turning away.
<Funny how our names for one another are so similar,> Rika said to Niki. <Oh, sorry. So what did Bob tell you?>
<Well, he sort of hinted that you and I have the same potential as Tanis.>
<What? To merge?> Rika asked, feeling a sliver of panic rise in her.
<Sorry, no. That’s why I said Tanis, not Tanis and Angela. Bad explanation. In a nutshell, you’re capable of ascension, as am I. But separately—unless we choose otherwise, I suppose.>
Rika barked a laugh, not caring that the Niets could hear her. <Wow, Niki. That’s quite the thing to drop on a girl. Just a ‘hey, if you want, you can become a transdimensional being.’>
<Well, you pushed me to spit it out,> Niki countered.
<I what? You volunteered it.>
<I meant by being captured.> Niki’s tone carried a note of sarcasm, and Rika wondered if the AI was angry.
She decided not to dig into that, wanting to know more about the bomb Niki had dropped on her. <Seriously, though…. Bob told you that we could ascend? That’s nuts—interesting, though. I wonder what it’s like.>
Niki let out a burst of nervous laughter, which turned into a sigh. <Rika, you’re amazing. I’ve been sitting on this knowledge for months, stewing about it, being generally terrified by it, and in a few minutes, you’ve accepted it and are wondering what it would be like.>
<Well…> Rika paused, wondering why that was. <Maybe it’s because I’m young, and my life has just been a constant stream of change, while you’re super old and stuck in your ways.>