Till its over, p.21
Till It's Over!, page 21
part #2 of Cole & Srexx Series
“May I help you, ma’am?”
“Mr. Coleson said to come to this airlock,” Callie said.
“Mr. Coleson, you say?” the marine asked. “We don’t have-”
The marine on the far side of the airlock took two steps and slapped her associate on his left bicep, saying, “She means the captain, ya goof. Ma’am, may I have your name and identification, please?”
“Callie Fernam,” Callie replied, withdrawing her CIE identification.
The second marine looked at the identification for a moment before saying, “Airlock team to Bridge.” She was silent for a few moments. “Ma’am, we have a Callie Fernam at the ‘lock. She says the captain told her to visit the ship.” She was silent again. “Aye, ma’am. On the way.” The marine turned her attention back to Callie. “Ma’am, we’re to escort you to the bridge. Please, follow us. Daniels, seal the hatch.”
The female marine led Callie through the airlock, and Callie almost screamed when she stepped through the hatch onto nothing. Taking a closer look, though, she saw an energy field extending from the ship some twenty meters away. It was a faint shimmering that looked to be forest green in color.
“Oh…sorry, ma’am,” the female marine said. “I should’ve warned you. The ship doesn’t have a docking collar to match our standardized designs. It uses a combination of force-fields and gravity beams to trick a station’s dock into reading a hard seal.”
“Gravity beams?” Callie asked. “You’re not messing with me, are you?”
“If you think our docking methods are outré,” the female marine replied, “just wait till we get to the transit shafts.”
Cole turned at the sound of the port bridge hatch cycling and smiled at seeing Callie Fernam behind her marine escort. She moved slowly, almost as if she were trying to keep quiet, and her eyes darted everywhere.
“Welcome, Callie,” Cole said. “Thanks for coming. There’s an observer seat just behind the port recess. Just pull it out of the bulkhead.”
“O-0kay,” Callie replied.
“Jenkins, has Docking Control signed off on our departure?” Cole asked, as Callie accessed the observer’s seat and occupied it.
“I’m not sure if anyone’s awake over there, Cap,” Jenkins replied. “I’ve hailed them three times so far, with no reply.”
“Heh…I hope the old man’s just taking a nap,” Cole muttered. “Okay. Place a call to CIE and inform them Docking Control is unresponsive. Inform them we’re departing for a quick trip to Earth.”
“Aye, Cap,” Jenkins said. Five minutes later, Jenkins announced, “CIE reports they’re sending a team to investigate Docking Control, and they wish us well.”
“Thank you, Jenkins,” Cole replied. “Helm, undock us, please, and move us away from the station.”
“Aye, Cap,” Wixil answered. Cole grinned and looked to Sasha, lifting his right index finger and making a single mark in the air. Sasha shook her head and sighed. Six minutes later, Wixil compounded the problem when she announced, “Cole, we’re clear of the station and free to navigate.”
“Good job, Wixil,” Cole replied, making another mark once he’d made eye contact with Sasha. “Tactical, bring us to full stealth.” A memory floated to the forefront of Cole’s mind, and he grinned. “Belay that. Tactical, from here on out, ‘rig for silent running’ will be the command for activating full stealth systems.”
“Aye, sir,” Mazzi replied. “Rigging the ship for silent.”
The bridge lighting dimmed just enough to notice as status lights all over the ship shifted from green to blue.
“Wixil, plot us a course for Proxima Centauri b, please. Once we’re clear to the near-planet traffic, run us up to half-lightspeed.”
“Yes, Cole. We will arrive in the near-planet traffic in approximately nine hours and thirty minutes.”
Cole nodded. “All right, then. Comms, my compliments to Purser Yeleth; could you ask her to visit the bridge?”
Four minutes later, Yeleth stepped through the starboard hatch. “You sent for me?”
“Thank you,” Cole replied. “This lady is Callie Fernam. She’ll be with us during our jaunt to Proxima Centauri b. Would you show her the mess deck and see that she has somewhere to sleep, please?”
Yeleth nodded. “Of course, Cole.”
Callie stood, returned the seat to its nook in the port bulkhead and left the bridge with Yeleth. Cole made eye contact with Sasha once more and made another mark in the air, grinning.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Planetary Orbit, Proxima Centauri b
Centauri Trinary System
5 September 3000, 22:17 GST
Haven drifted in a geosynchronous orbit over the warehouse that Srexx said was the origin of the messages sent to Engineer Fernam. They maintained full stealth and had not communicated with Planetary Traffic Control, taking care to orbit outside the declared near-planet traffic lanes. After all, no one wanted some poor sod to ‘find’ Haven the hard way.
Cole occupied the command chair, and Sasha stood at his side. Cole swiveled the command chair to face the sensors station; like Communications, it occupied a space on the aft bulkhead. Cole wished Haskell occupied the station, as the most senior person in the department. Still, as much as he wanted Haskell on the station, Cole couldn’t bring himself to wake Haskell and imply that he didn’t trust the young woman at the station. The only cover he’d have would be bringing the entire ship to battle-stations. And Cole wasn’t about to go that far.
“Sensors,” Cole said, “have you located the target warehouse?”
“I have, sir,” the sensors operator answered.
“What do you have?”
“I’m reading twelve Humans, sir. Two of them haven’t moved since I zeroed in the location.”
Cole chuckled. “Well…it will suck if we drop on the wrong address or if it’s some kind of party. Do people still like to party in abandoned buildings?”
“I don’t know, sir,” the sensors operator replied. “I’m a spacer kid.”
“You are?”
“Yes, sir. I grew up on my parents’ freighter. I saw more systems by the time I was fourteen than many people see in their lifetimes.”
Cole grinned. “Wow. That’s neat. Well, I should get going.”
Before Cole could vacate the command chair, Sasha slipped in close and leaned down to his ear.
“Sir,” Sasha whispered, “Harlon and I discussed this with you. He’s sending his two best platoons, and Emily’s best pilots are sitting first and second seat in the dropship. You’re the captain now.”
Cole sighed and swiveled to face Sasha. He started to speak but sighed again. Then, he swiveled to face the port recess, saying, “Flight Ops, my compliments to the CAG; launch the dropship, please.”
“Aye, sir,” the officer staffing Flight Ops replied.
“Tactical,” Cole said, “bring the ship to alert status, please. Marine Ops, my compliments to Colonel Hanson; ask him to loop the bridge into the comms channel for the mission.”
“Aye, sir.”
Less than fifteen seconds later, the bridge speakers chirped.
“All units, all units,” a voice Cole didn’t recognize said, “tactical comms channel is live.”
“Mako to Ground Forces Control. Flight computer estimates our transit time at thirty-five minutes and twenty-two seconds. We are proceeding under full stealth.”
“GF Control copies, Mako.”
The next twenty-five minutes passed at a crawl for Cole. He felt like pouting, just to annoy Sasha, but he had a bigger audience than just Sasha. He didn’t want to risk anyone misinterpreting his expression or state of mind. After all, he was the ultimate leadership figure aboard the ship. In one way or another, everyone looked to him.
“Control, this is Mako.”
“Control copies.”
“We have the target location in sight. Passive sensors confirm the presence of twelve people, and they have surveillance systems.”
“They think they have surveillance systems,” Srexx said over the tactical channel. “As soon as the dropship came into range, I introduced myself to the surveillance control system. You are clear to proceed at will, Mako.”
Cole grinned. It was good to have friends, especially friends like Srexx.
“Copy that,” Mako replied, “and thanks. Blue Leader, we’re in position for deployment. Hatch is dropping…now.”
“Blue team,” the person Cole assumed to be Blue Leader said, “let’s go! Double-time, people!”
Cole continued to listen as the platoon making up Blue Team surrounded the building and prepared to breach. The moment everyone was in position, Blue Leader called the go code, and Cole heard a series of muffled detonations followed by shouts and other exclamations or surprise. Sounds of stunners discharging followed, and not even fifteen minutes after deploying, Cole listened to repeated announcements of “Clear!”
“Control, this is Blue Leader. Target building secured, and we have the hostages and ten subjects for interrogation. Be advised; we need medical support to meet us on the flight deck; one of these poor sods was too close to a sonic grenade and is now bleeding from both ears. We also have several tablets and a workstation or possible server. Mako, we need a ride.”
Ninety minutes after the dropship left Haven, it was back aboard. Engineer Fernam met the dropship on its return, and Cole watched a very tearful reunion through the flight deck sensors for a brief moment before closing the feed.
“Helm, like they say in the holos, our work here is done. Put us on a return course to the Clanhold, please, and make your speed half-light. Tactical, take us out of stealth, please.”
“Aye, sir,” the officer at the helm replied.
When the Delta shift bridge crew arrived thirteen minutes later, Cole instructed the officer of the deck to dock at the Clanhold. Then, he and Sasha left the bridge.
Captain’s Day-cabin, Battle-Carrier Haven
Docking Slip F-Seven, Coleson Clanhold
Centauri Trinary System
6 September 3000, 14:27 GST
Garret eased into a chair as Cole did likewise.
“Would you like a drinkable or some eats?” Cole asked.
Garret shook his head ‘no,’ saying, “Thanks, though. I ate lunch just before coming here.”
Cole nodded. “So…learn anything from them yet?”
“I have. The medical scans were instructive, too.”
Cole frowned. “How so?”
“Each of our kidnappers had a subdermal smart-chit. Upon accessing them, we found each contained fifteen thousand credits and lists of safe houses on Proxima Centauri b.”
“What?”
Garrett nodded. “But that’s not the best part. We turned Srexx loose on the safe-house lists, and he found some author data that wasn’t sufficiently scrubbed from a couple files. Now, the author data could be a plant to misdirect anyone who discovered it, so we didn’t leap for joy when Srexx reported it. The electronics the marines recovered from the site were not locked or encrypted in any way. I almost feel embarrassed that these people are tangentially related to my field of expertise; no self-respecting professional would’ve put unsecured electronics in the field.”
“You got something, didn’t you?” Cole asked, grinning.
“We didn’t get ‘something,’ Cole. We got everything. We have comms logs. We have target surveillance. We have dispatch records, as in when they were deployed for this op and when and who ordered it. After all that, it’s a lot easier to believe the partial author data on those two safe-house lists Srexx found.”
“Okay. Give. Who are these people, and who ordered them to mess with my people?”
“Solar Republic’s Ministry of Intelligence.”
Cole’s expression narrowed into a glare. “Is this retaliation for the logic bomb?”
“Not unless it was pre-emptive retaliation,” Garrett answered. “They’ve been on Proxima Centauri b, planning and preparing, since just before we arrived in the system. Given transit times from here to Earth, this op must’ve been put into play quite some time ago.”
“What was the point of it all?” Cole asked.
“It wasn’t a double-blind or anything. They actually were after the schematics. I saw a message from one of the tablets where someone named Parkins commented that the ‘nice way’ was taking too long. And no…there’s no further mention of the ‘nice way’ or what it means.”
“I can tell you what it means,” Cole replied. “One or more people in CIE are working with or for the Solar Republic. While we were at Earth, quite a few senators approached me about my decision to relocate CIE to Beta Magellan, and up to that point, I’d only announced that to the C-level executives. Well…and whoever they told.”
“That’s not an encouraging picture. We need to identify these people sooner rather than later.”
Cole nodded. “Srexx, you there?”
“Of course, Cole. How can I help you?”
“I’d like for you to devote as much of your resources as you deem appropriate to sifting through all files and communications related to the C-level executives and everyone who reports directly to them. Look for any suspicious connections to the Solar Republic, specifically Solar Republic senators.”
“Yes, Cole. I’ll start on that right now.”
“Thanks, buddy. I appreciate it.” Cole shifted his attention to Garrett. “What’s the status of the Chief Security Officer?”
“He would’ve been released from CIE Medical by now, but I prevailed upon the chief of staff over there to delay his release.”
Cole nodded. “Take a squad or two and transfer him and his assistant to our brig. Then, start interrogating them, and use Kiksaliks. See how or if they’re connected to whatever this is.”
Garrett nodded. “You realize this is probably going to get a lot worse before it gets better, right?”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a mess. Depending on what we find, I may interview the entire CIE roster in front of Kiksaliks. Once we get the company to Beta Magellan, I’m certainly instituting Kiksalik review of all applicants, just like what we have in Haven Enterprises now.”
“That’s something else,” Garrett said. “Have you thought about the risks of leaving the Clanhold undefended? I know you were only planning to stay in Centauri long enough to solidify your authority, but there’s nothing stopping the Solar Republic from moving on the station after we leave.”
Cole grinned. “For once, I reached a conclusion before you did. Srexx and I are already working on a plan about that. When we leave, the Solar Republic will be no threat whatsoever to the Clanhold.”
Garrett eyed Cole, suspicion coloring his expression. “What have you planned?”
Cole shrugged. “You’ll just have to wait and see. I’d hate to spoil the surprise.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Docking Slip F-Seven, Coleson Clanhold
Centauri Trinary System
6 September 3000, 09:15 GST
Cole sat at his desk. The workstation’s holo-display contained his current unit of study toward the ISA’s Fleet Command certification. There were also a number of simulations he needed to pass before taking the final exam.
With a heavy sigh, Cole leaned back against his seat and rubbed his eyes. Whoever wrote the study material for the ISA certifications had no concept of how to tell a good story, especially once a person reached the Fleet Command materials. Some of the stuff was almost painful.
“Cole?” The office’s overhead speakers broadcast Srexx’s voice.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“Forgive the interruption, but I thought you would want to know that the head engineer and the Chief Research Officer just summoned Engineer Fernam to their office. The wording of the message was…terse.”
“Interesting. Thanks for the heads-up, buddy. Mind informing my travel party I’m en route to the station, please?”
“I do not mind at all, Cole, and you are welcome.”
Cole stood and left his office. By the time he reached the port personnel airlock on Deck Two, he found Red and ten marines waiting for him. A ten-minute hurried walk delivered Cole and his travel party to the outer office of the Chief Research Officer. The CRO’s assistant didn’t notice Cole right away, because she was wincing at the loud ranting echoing out from the CRO’s office. Cole recognized the voice as belonging to the head engineer. When the assistant came out of her wince, her eyes shot wide when she realized she was no longer alone in the compartment.
Cole smiled. “Good morning. Do you remember me?”
The assistant jerked a choppy nod.
“Excellent. Now…I’m going in there to stop that, and if the CRO abuses you over not stopping me, I’ll stop that, too. We good?”
The assistant jerked another choppy nod.
“Excellent,” Cole replied and strode past her.
The door opened at Cole’s approach, and he frowned at what he saw. The head engineer stood over a seated Callie Fernam, and his right arm waved its extended index finger like a hammer striking hot iron in time with his harsh beratement. Callie sat with her shoulders hunched, leaning ever so slightly away from the source of her torment.
“How dare you interrupt—” The head engineer froze when he looked up and saw who entered the office.
Cole pointed his right index finger at the head engineer. “You’re fired.” He accessed the comms function of his implant and sent a message to Harlon, asking for a security team to report to the Chief Research Officer’s office. “Red, corral that abuser until Security arrives. I’ve already notified Colonel Hanson.” Then, Cole shifted his attention to the Chief Research Officer. “You’re now on six-month probation for letting that travesty happen. Engineer Fernam walked out yesterday on my orders. Didn’t she tell you?”
“Well, yes, but Walter—”
“Who?” Cole asked.
