The Final Stroll on Perseus's Arm Read online

The Widow grunted, and the two would have separated once more, but Jessica managed to get an arm around the woman’s neck.

  She tried to deliver a dose of nano into the Widow’s armor, but countermeasures stopped her attack cold.

  The two women floated through the ship’s central room, grappling with one another and landing blows where they could. Jessica took an armored fist to the head, and then another to the stomach. The Widow managed to get her arms around Jessica’s neck and pulled back hard.

  Jessica gasped for breath as the Widow’s motion sent them spinning.

  Jessica thought desperately.

 

  The a-grav systems reversed, generating over five gravities of acceleration within the ship.

  Jessica slammed to the ground, directly atop the Widow. An instant later, gravity reverted to normal, and Jessica rolled away, looking back at her enemy to see the woman’s neck bent at an unnatural angle and her body twitching.

  Jessica rolled her own neck, keenly aware of how close she’d come to being the one in that condition.

  she said to Iris, not ready to hear what her throat sounded like after nearly choking to death.

 

  Jessica replied as she walked to the closest stasis pod and hit the big green ‘open’ button. Once the lid was up, she strode back to the Widow.

  Iris replied, and Jessica felt her body become considerably lighter. She reached down and scooped up the Widow.

 

  Iris replied.

  Jessica walked to the kitchenette and grabbed a water pouch before returning to the cockpit.

 

  Jessica settled into her seat and sucked on the water pouch. “Too late now, Nosey Nancy.”

  She powered up the ship’s grav drives and signaled the bay to release the locks on the docking cradle. The locks released, and the Sierra Echo floated into the air above the cradle.

  The bay’s exit extended upward—through a kilometer shaft carved into the rock—and Jessica eased the vessel up and above Ur’s surface. She glanced down at the structures around the space port, and at Yessen’s top-side dome a few kilometers distant.

  “So long, Ur. Thanks for the ship,” Jessica said as she increased the drive’s thrust and angled the ship to stay in her breakaway lane.

  Iris commented.

  “The water helped,” Jessica replied as she located Sabrina in the traffic patterns above Ur and sent a tightbeam message: “We had another skinny black visitor, but we’re free and clear. Meet you at the rendezvous.”

  A moment later a response came back from Cargo. “Glad to hear it. See you in a week.”

  It took several more hours to guide the ship through the traffic lanes and onto an outsystem vector. It would be two days to the FTL jump point, and then three more to the rendezvous location the crew had selected.

  “More than enough time for a nap,” Jessica said as she peeled off her shipsuit and reclined her seat. “Stars are dim here, but some light is better than no light.”

 

  “You’re a peach,” Jessica said as she closed her eyes and let her first sleep in two days overtake her.

  DESTINATION: COSTA

  STELLAR DATE: 03.18.8948 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Interstellar Space, 2ly from the Sullus System

  REGION: Midway Cluster, Orion Freedom Alliance Space

  Sabrina and the Sierra Echo dropped out of FTL within a million kilometers of each other, and once the ships were within a hundred milliseconds of comm lag, Jessica and Iris joined the crew on Sabrina’s bridge via holodisplay.

  “So, what’s the word?” Cargo asked.

  Jessica couldn’t help but let a wide grin grow across her face. “We may have learned something.”

  “What kind of something?” Cheeky asked, a frown marring her delicate features. “You have surprise-face.”

  “I do, don’t I?” Jessica chuckled. “Costa is an Orion Guard military base. It’s not a major installation, looks like a patrol stopover in a system near here. The Quera System, to be precise.”

  “Huh,” Cargo grunted. “Local maps don’t have anything in Quera. Just few old mining outposts that shut down years ago.”

  “Well, the OG has an installation out there, and that’s where the Widows were going to take us and Sabrina.”

  “Why?” Finaeus asked. “It's four light years closer to the Inner Stars, away from their major installations.”

  Jessica winked at Finaeus. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because Costa has a jump gate.”

  Finaeus let out a whoop. “Well, hot-diggity-damn. We get to take a short cut home after all!”

  “Or to the Andromeda Galaxy,” Cheeky said. “I don’t know that I want to chance another jump gate.”

  “Hey, whoa. That was a one-in-a-million thing. This time we’ll do better. Besides, this solves our problem of how to get out of Orion space now that they know we’re here.”

  “Do they know we’re here?” Trevor asked Jessica. “Had the Widows reported in about us?”

  Jessica nodded, still grinning. “Yes, but that’s the best part. Our friends down in Hold 7 jumped the gun alright. Costa sent almost its entire fleet to the Sullus System—it’ll be arriving there tomorrow. The station is pretty much empty.”

  Sabrina said.

  “Yeah, seriously?” Nance asked. “So, there’s a jump gate, at an out of the way system—which sounds a bit familiar—but this time there’s no massive fleet protecting it?”

  “Yeah,” Jessica continued to grin at her crewmates. “Looks like there will be just a few patrol vessels. The gate orbits a small moon that in turn orbits a mars-sized planet. There’s an outpost down on the planet, and another on the moon—which is more like an asteroid. Either way, I think we can get in, hack the gate controls, and then hop on home.”

  As Jessica spoke, she watched the faces of the crew. They all appeared to be optimistic—by varying degrees. Cheeky looked the most uncertain, which wasn’t surprising given what she’d gone through the last time they’d hijacked a jump gate.

  “Gate control will be on that asteroid-moon, then,” Finaeus said. “We’ll need to get on there, take control of it, and then make our jump.”

  “Except we won’t have your daughter helping us this time,” Cargo said.

  “And we won’t have a Grey Division colonel trying to kill us,” Finaeus countered. “Look, it’s not going to be easy, but we have a way in.”

  “Which is?” Cheeky asked.

  “This ship,” Jessica said. “We just need some Widows to crew it. Who’s up for that?”

  Cheeky snorted. “Not me. That outfit they wear is way too constricting.”

  “Plus your breasts won’t fit,” Finaeus said with a grin.

  “If we do this, we’ll need three Widows.” Cargo glanced at Jessica’s holoimage. “It was just the three, right? One didn’t get left behind on Ferra or Ur?”

  Jessica nodded. “Just the three, yes. I’m out of the running. They’re shorter than I am. A lot shorter. Nance, Cheeky, it’ll have to be you two plus Addie.”

  “Seriously?” Cheeky asked. “Are you really volunteering me for this? I don’t want to get on that ship, fly into some other system, pretend to be an evil Widow bi
tch, and infiltrate a station.”

  “I’m not keen on that either,” Finaeus added.

  “Don’t forget the surgery we’ll need to do,” Nance said with a long sigh. “I agree, though. It’s the best way. Plus, we’ll finally get to New Canaan. It’ll shave a decade off the trip. That’s worth a tight outfit for a few hours.”

  “And we’ll pull out all the stops,” Cargo added. “No more hiding and skulking. Once the gate is under our control, we hit hard with everything we have.”

  “Wait, Nance!” Cheeky exclaimed. “What are you talking about, surgery?”

  “The Widows are clones,” Nance explained. “That means they’re identical. Addie’s an AHAP, so she can match them. You and I, however are shaped a bit differently.”

  “They are slightly different heights,” Finaeus added. “Clones aren’t always perfectly identical. We’ll need to match each of you to the Widow closest to you.”

  Cheeky looked to Jessica. “Are you sure about this? Is there no other plan?”

  “It’s infiltration, or full-frontal assault,” Jessica replied. “I’m open to other options. We don’t always need to use my first plan.”

  Everyone looked around the room at each other crewmember for a minute before Cheeky spoke up.

  “Well, someone’s going to need to make those helmets bigger. I’m not letting you slice off my nose!”

  THE NEW WIDOWS

  STELLAR DATE: 03.20.8948 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Sabrina, Dark Layer

  REGION: Midway Cluster, Orion Freedom Alliance Space

  Finaeus called up from the medbay.

  <‘Kay, let us know when to come see them,> Jessica replied as she took a sip of her coffee while staring over the cup’s rim at Trevor.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Trevor said. “It’s a good plan. It’ll work.”

  “I…” Jessica shook her head. “I sure hope so. Cheeky’s really not ready for this.”

  “She can handle it.” Trevor reached across the table and took Jessica’s hand. “She’s been through worse. Besides, you’ll be with them the whole time.”

  “Well, not all of them all the time,” Jessica said. “They’re going to turn me over to someone. Probably the base commander.”

  “See, now that’s the part I really don’t like,” Trevor replied. “The part where you’re all alone in a stasis pod.”

  Jessica tapped her head and grinned. “I’m never alone.”

  Iris chimed in.

  “Isn’t it seven?” Trevor asked.

  Iris replied.

  Trevor ‘s brow creased. “What about Addie?”

 

  “But she’s combat effective,” Trevor pushed. “I think Addie’s more than just an NSAI.”

  “Let’s call it six and a half,” Jessica offered.

  “OK, six and a half.”

  Jessica winked at Trevor and took another sip of her coffee. “This is going to work. It won’t be a cakewalk, but it’ll work.”

  “Let’s go over the plan one more time—for my sake,” Trevor said bringing up the station’s schematics over the table. “OK, here’s Costa. The station’s command center is here, and they’ll probably tuck your stasis pod here.”

  As Trevor spoke, two points lit up on the station, showing the secure storage as two levels and three hundred meters from the command center.

  “Right. We’ll secret a weapon or two—or three—into the pod, plus our last hackit. I’ll get out of the pod—not sure how we’ll fake stasis, but Finaeus seems to think he can—and meet up with our Widows. We’ll set the hackit loose on one route and take another to the command center.”

  Two routes highlighted on the station’s schematics.

  “With luck,” Jessica continued, “One or two of our Widows will be there already—or at least close by. We take control of the station from their command center, and you pick us up in the Sexy at this airlock here.”

  “And your auxiliary egress is back on the Widow’s ship,” Trevor added.

  “Yeah, we’re going to see if Cheeky can stay close to it and get back aboard. It would be a great prize to bring to New Canaan with us.”

  A rueful laugh escaped Trevor’s lips. “You’re always thinking strategically.”

  Jessica leant forward. “There’s a war brewing between Orion and the Transcend. Not this cold war that’s been going on forever, either. A real war. Any intel we bring back will be critical.”

  “You think that your Tanis Richards will let New Canaan be drawn into the conflict?”

  “Honestly? I think New Canaan will be at the heart of the conflict.”

  * * * * *

  Addie stood outside the medbay, already wearing the Widow’s armor and helmet. The sight of her gave Jessica a small chill. She’d fought two Widows so far, and neither had been easy or fun.

  “Hi, Addie,” Jessica said, trying to dispel her unease.

  “Who? I’m A93,” Addie replied.

  “Don’t assume personality yet,” Jessica said. “Not until I tell you.”

  Addie relaxed, changing her posture before nodding. “Understood, Jessica,”

  As the AHAP spoke, the medbay door opened and Nance and Cheeky walked out, also wearing the black armor of the Widows, but both still carrying their helmets.

  “This is freaking weird,” Cheeky said, looking down at herself. “My boobs are so small! Nance, how do you go through life with tiny tits like this?”

  Nance rolled her eyes. “With less back strain than you, that’s how.”

  Jessica looked the pair over and nodded with satisfaction. The Widows were lithe and thin, very close to Nance’s physique, but they were a few centimeters shorter. Finaeus had shaved those centimeters off Nance in a variety of places, shrinking her down to Widow height.

  Cheeky, on the other hand, was shorter than the Widows, and curvier. Her body was stretched and slimmed out. While Nance looked close to her prior self, Cheeky looked like her head had been grafted onto a different body.

  “When you brought this plan up, I knew I’d hate this,” Cheeky said, glaring at Jessica. “Guess what? I hate it.”

  Finaeus walked out of the medbay and wrapped an arm around Cheeky. “Don’t worry. I hate it too and I’ll make you your Cheeky self again first once this is done.”

  Cheeky turned and wagged a finger in Finaeus’s face. “You’d better. I don’t want to be this skinny thing any longer than I have to.”

  Piya added.

  Cheeky craned her neck, looking back at her butt. “I don’t know about that. I don’t feel particularly Cheeky right now.”

  “Jessica,” Finaeus said, turning from Cheeky. “I’ve modified the stasis pod you’ll be using on the Sierra Echo. It has the hackit, some weapons, a satchel of explosives, and a tactical helmet if you want it.”

  “Won’t people know she’s not in stasis?” Cheeky asked. “She’ll be breathing and stuff.”

  Finaeus shook his head. “All stasis pods use holodisplays to show the person inside. You actually can’t see into stasis, it’s just a feel-good thing.”

  “Really?” Cheeky asked, then nodded slowly. “Oh…I guess that makes sense, how can photons reflect off matter if it’s in a state of stasis. Never thought of that before.”

  Finaeus lifted a finger in the air and proclaimed, “Science!”

  “Put your helmets on,” Jessica directed. “I want to see if the final result is as freakin’ creepy as I think it’s going to be.”

  Nance and Cheeky put the
ir helmets on and Trevor laughed. “Yup, creepy as can be.”

  Cheeky pulled her helmet off. “And a really tight fit too!”

  “Sorry,” Finaeus replied. I adjusted them as much as I can to let you keep your ears and noses. Either they get squished, or they have to go.

  Cheeky reached up and touched her nose, glaring at Finaeus. “No chance! Took a lot of work to get this nose just right. You’d go and make it some big honker afterward.”

  “Easy,” Finaeus said, raising his hands. “I’m not advocating that at all. It’s why I altered the helmets.”

  “OK, ladies,” Jessica said to the three new Widows. “Clock’s ticking. We need to get over to the Sierra Echo and push off from Sabrina.

  “You ready to fly solo, Sabs?” Cheeky asked.

 

  Cheeky laughed and patted the hull. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Sabrina led the two women and the AHAP to the forward airlock where the Sierra Echo was docked. It felt strange not taking anything with them. No clothes, weapons, no gear of any sort. They had to make do with only what was on the Widows’ ship.

  Jessica stopped at the forward airlock and turned back to face Trevor.

  “You be careful,” he said, wrapping her in his tree-trunk arms. “Don’t make me have to come in there and kick some ass to save you.”

  “I like watching you kick ass,” Jessica said with a smirk. “But I’ve probably seen enough that I don’t need to watch it again just yet. It’s going to be a piece of cake. In, hack, out, jump. Just like that.”

  Trevor gave her a final squeeze. “Just like that.”

  They separated reluctantly, and Jessica tapped Cheeky on the shoulder—interrupting a rather noisy kiss with Finaeus. “C’mon Cheeks, you can suck face all you want when this is done.”

  “That’s not all we’ll be su—”

  “Cheeky! Really?” Nance admonished.

  Jessica chuckled, and Cheeky gave Finaeus a final peck on the cheek before walking past Nance and patting her on the head. “And you wonder why we call you ‘Mom’.”