War on a Thousand Fronts Read online

  They took up their assigned positions within the small space, weapons covering the double doors at each end. If the ship decided to perform an inspection, they’d have to kill the inspector and get out of the container in seconds. No one wanted to die in the killbox if they could avoid it.

  Minutes passed with no activity other than the slight vibrations caused by other cargo settling onto the deck. After twenty minutes, the vibrations stopped, and Roxy crept to the doors and placed her hand on the seal, slipping a nano filament through.

  Once it was in place, the team got a view of a dimly lit cargo bay. From what they could see, it appeared to be Bay 9A, the one closest to engineering.

  The filament deployed drones that worked their way up the surface of the container. Roxy held her breath—which didn’t matter, since she didn’t need to breathe. But this was the moment of truth. They had two egress points on the sides of the containers, but they could be blocked by other cargo. If that was the case, their only exit would be the doors on either end, and opening those would be hard to hide from internal surveillance systems.

  The drones finally reached the top, and the team got a full picture of the bay. It was nearly full, supplies of all shapes and sizes stacked on racks and atop cargo containers. The overabundance was great for blocking surveillance, but bad for their exit.

  Then Roxy’s fears were quelled, and she finally exhaled. The secret opening on the right side of the container was only partially blocked. Even better, the crates sitting next to it would obscure the team’s exit.

  She nodded to Sam, who unlatched the section of the container’s side and pulled it free. A holofield shimmered into view, masking the opening and the team that was about to pass through.

  From this point on, they were EM silent. The team confirmed the countdowns on their timers, and then Roxy slipped out first. Careful to walk softly—SS-R4 could only mask so much—she worked her way over a stack of crates and down to the central aisle that ran through the bay.

  By some stroke of luck, the door into the corridor was wide open; Roxy was about to thank the stars, when a woman approached, stopping in the doorway. She pulled out a tablet, likely to do a visual inspection, then stopped and turned to speak with someone in the passageway beyond.

  Shit, Roxy cursed as she approached the woman, a CWO by her insignia. There was just enough room for her to slip past the TSF chief, so long as the woman didn’t move back any further.

  Roxy slowed her movements, all but pressing herself against the bay’s doorframe as she slipped past the chief. When she was directly behind her, Roxy considered just killing the annoyance. She knew it would be a terrible idea when it came to stealth, but it was enticing nonetheless. Of course, then she’d have to kill the man in the corridor that the chief was talking to as well. Someone would probably notice the blood and bodies.

  What a shame.

  A small part of Roxy wondered if she had always been so bloodthirsty. She couldn’t remember her younger years, before Justin had molded her into his creature, but she couldn’t imagine she’d always defaulted to killing any annoyance. It seemed illogical.

  A moment later, she was past the woman, and standing in the corridor. Her goal, the ship’s AI, was closest, but she was in no rush to reach it. Roxy decided to wait and ensure that the rest of the team was able to sneak past the chatty chief before continuing on.

  After two minutes, she picked up the ‘all clear’ ticks on the team’s pre-determined frequencies, and nodded with satisfaction.

  They were past the first hurdle. If all went well, the Damon Silas would be theirs within thirty minutes. She moved down the corridor, hoping that Lloyd was following behind. It was tricky to move invisibly through a ship with another person. Your chance of bumping into your companion was almost greater than running into the enemy.

  For that reason, they’d agreed that she would start on the route to the AI’s node chamber thirty seconds before Lloyd. She’d ensured that the other teams had set their travel order and wait points as well.

  They hadn’t given her any trouble regarding that directive. Given that Hand agents almost always worked solo, these six were admirably good at coordinating with one another.

  Four minutes later, Roxy was standing on the right side of the door leading into the ship AI’s node chamber. A soft tap on the bulkhead next to her head informed her that Lloyd was in position, and she drew in a slow breath.

  Why do I keep doing that? I don’t recall concentrating on my breathing so much on prior missions.

  Roxy’s ability to breathe was just for show, something to make her seem more human—which was odd, considering she didn’t even look human. Another contradiction Justin built into me.

  She pushed the thoughts away and cleared her mind. They had to wait another six minutes for the clock to count down to zero. Once it did, all teams would begin their breaches.

  A pair of ensigns turned into the corridor, approaching Roxy and Lloyd’s position. As they drew close, Roxy pressed herself flat against the bulkhead, careful to avoid the swinging arms of the young man on the right.

  For a moment, there was a fleeting worry in her mind, a concern over the fact that they were going to kill the TSF crew. After all, aren’t they fighting for the Transcend too? Sure, these people were fighting against Airtha and her evil ways, but they didn’t even know that Justin’s faction existed. If they knew, maybe they’d do the right thing and join him.

  Just as quickly as the thought came into her mind, it left, the feelings of certainty that Justin was doing the right thing crowding it out.

  Roxy set her jaw and gave a resolute nod. We are on the right side of this.

  Two minutes later, a lieutenant strolled down the corridor and stopped in front of the entrance to the AI’s node chamber. He placed his palm on the door control, passing secure tokens, and then stood back as it slid aside.

  Roxy’s first reaction was to worry, but then she realized that this was the perfect way in. Even if she did have to kill the lieutenant—Clancy, by his name tag—she could do it at the same time that she took out the AI.

  It would save her at least thirty seconds of breach time on the door.

  Without further thought, she slipped into the room, just as the door closed behind Lieutenant Clancy—glad that Lloyd hadn’t tried to enter as well.

  The node chamber was a standard affair, small, with a rack of equipment on one side, and the SAI’s titanium cylinder in the center, data cables linked into it in several places.

  “Afternoon, Carmen,” the lieutenant said as he pulled up a holodisplay. “How is everything with you today?”

  “Right as rain, Lieutenant Clancy,” Carmen replied audibly.

  Roxy found it odd that the human and AI were conversing audibly, but as they bantered, the exchange almost seemed to be performed by rote.

  “Another day, another supply run babysitting job,” Clancy said as he flipped through diagnostic reports, marking each off as ‘reviewed and approved’ at the source terminal.

  “I’d rather be on a milk run like this than out at the front,” Carmen replied, the AI’s voice carrying a soft laugh.

  “You always say that,” Clancy replied, glancing up at the titanium cylinder. “But you know that these ‘milk runs’ are bait. We’re trying to suck the Airthans and any separatists into attacking us. It’s why we have the stasis shields.”

  “And that’s why I volunteered for this placement,” Carmen replied. “Not because we’re a juicy target, but because of the shields. Plus, if anyone hits us, the cavalry comes running and crushes them.”

  Roxy’s blood pressure rose as she listened to the pair talk.

  Bait ship? Cavalry? No wonder this ship is out here all alone! And we’ve gobbled up the worm. Hook, line and sinker.

  She considered her options as the pair continued their conversation. If she aborted the mission, there was little chance her team would make it off the Damon Silas alive.

  The only real option was
to move forward. Based on the way Carmen and Clancy were talking, no one expected an attack to come from within, which meant that once they secured the ship, its stasis shields would make it the safest place to be in the Gorham System.

  Her real concern was for Justin’s fleet, which would jump in to escort the prize out. If the Damon Silas really was bait, and the ‘cavalry’ was coming, then he was going to be in one heck of a fight.

  There was nothing for it. He would be in the dark layer now, and there was no way to warn him that the TSF destroyer was a trap.

  As the clock wound down, the lieutenant closed out the terminal he was using and approached the AI’s cylinder.

  “Ready for your weekly checkup?” he asked as the access panel on the cylinder slid open.

  “Just keep the rectal thermometer to yourself,” the AI replied in a mock-serious tone.

  “I can’t believe people used to do shit like that.”

  Carmen groaned. “Wow, really ratchetting it up in the bad pun department, there.”

  “I learned from the best.”

  The timer on Roxy’s HUD transitioned from white to red as it crossed over the ten-second mark. She crept up behind Lieutenant Clancy and, carefully reaching down for her gun with her left hand, stilled her breathing and prepared for what was to come.

  3…2…1…MARK.

  In one, fluid motion, Roxy drew her pistol, placed it against the base of the lieutenant’s skull, and fired.

  Brains and gore exploded from the bottom of his skull, covering Roxy in the man’s grey matter and mental mods. For a moment, she stared in horror at the mess dripping off her hand, then realization dawned on her: the man must have had a reinforced skull…instead of the shot bursting out through his forehead, it all came back out the hole she’d made.

  Roxy shook her head as the body before her fell to the ground, revealing the AI’s tesseract-shaped cube within the cylinder.

  The access panel began to slide shut, but Roxy was faster and, in an instant, she tore the AI’s core free and threw it to the ground.

  She raised her dripping pistol and aimed it at the AI’s core. Without a second thought, Roxy pulled the trigger, only to see a message show on her HUD informing her that the gun’s firing chamber was jammed—with Clancy’s brains, no doubt.

  “Dammit,” she muttered, and reached for her lightwand just as an alarm blared across the ship.

  “Well, I guess you all know what’s happening now,” she muttered.

  With a flick of her wrist, the lightwand came to life, and Roxy knelt down, ready to slice the AI core in half, when Carmen’s voice emanated from it.

  “Wait! I don’t want to die!”

  “Nothing for it,” Roxy replied as she raised her hand to strike.

  “You’re going to die too! All of us will.” The AI’s voice was pleading, and something in it stayed Roxy’s hand.

  “What do you mean?”

  “This is a stasis ship, did you know that?”

  A rueful laugh escaped Roxy’s lips. “Know it? We’re counting on it.”

  “All stasis ships have countermeasures to ensure that they’re never captured. With me offline, and your team—I assume you have a team—attacking the ship, you can bet that Captain John has already armed it.”

  “Fuck!” Roxy swore. “So we go through all this, and the ship blows?”

  “I can stop it,” Carmen said, her words coming so fast, Roxy could barely parse them. “I can kill the sequence, but I have to do it fast.”

  Roxy lowered her wand. “OK, so do it.”

  “No.” The AI’s single word was laced with defiance.

  “No?”

  “You’re a cold-blooded murderer.” Carmen all but shouted the accusation from her thirty-centimeter cube. “You’ll kill me once I do. I want you to get me off the ship in an escape pod.”

  “No. There’s no way you can disable the sequence from an escape pod. You’ll need privileged access.” The AI didn’t respond, and Roxy rocked back on her heels. “Seems we’re at an impasse. But if we want to live, we’ll have to work something out. I’m Roxy, by the way.”

  “Put me in a hard case and take me to Bay 13C. The device is in there. I’ll disable it, and then I’m going to have to trust you to stick to your end of the bargain.”

  Roxy considered her options for a moment before nodding.

  “OK, I’ll do it. You have my word I won’t kill you.”

  “And the rest of your team. Do you speak for them?” Carmen pressed.

  “They won’t kill you, either.”

  “And you’ll not do something that directly or indirectly causes me to die?”

  “Shit, Carmen, I have no idea, I’m about to get in a firefight. Chances are your case is gonna get a hole blown in it, then we all die. For that matter, how will I know that you’re not going to tell everyone on the ship where I am?”

  “You’re covered in Clancy’s insides. The ship’s internal cameras are going to spot you just fine.”

  “Good point. So, do we have a deal?”

  The AI didn’t respond for a moment, then made a sound like a groan. “I guess that’ll have to do. The hard case is just above you.”

  Roxy spotted the standard-issue TSF AI case on the rack, and pulled it off, fitting the AI’s core in place before pulling up the case’s specs. She located the wireless transmitter, and drove her lightwand into it.

  “Just to make sure we’re on the up and up,” Roxy said.

  “Asshole,” the AI shot back.

  Roxy chuckled as she closed the case, and opened the door to see the muzzle flash from Lloyd’s rifle as he fired down the corridor.

  “Nice of you to come out and join the fun; got a bit messy in there, I see.” The man’s tone was dour. “We on to the bridge, then?”

  “Change of plans, there’s a self-destruct in Bay 13C that we have to take out. It’s not far from here. On the ship’s central axis.”

  “Self-destruct? TSF has gotten crazy since I served.”

  Roxy hadn’t known Lloyd was former military—not that it surprised her. Many of the Hand agents were recruited from the TSF’s special forces.

  “It’s because of the stasis shields. I guess they really don’t want it to fall into enemy hands.” As Roxy spoke, she unslung her rifle and added her shots to Lloyd’s, pushing the soldiers he was engaging with back into cover. “C’mon, we only have a few minutes!”

  The pair fell back down the corridor, moving from cover to cover, when suddenly the enemy fire ceased.

  “What the?” Roxy said, checking through her drone feeds. “They’re falling back.”

  “Well, the ship is going to blow,” Lloyd said with a shrug.

  The pair moved quickly through the final sixty meters to their target, and Roxy breached the door while Lloyd stood guard in the passageway once more.

  Bay 13C was small, little more than a storage room on the map. But it’s purpose had clearly changed. The first thing Roxy saw upon entering the room was an antimatter bottle standing on a pedestal in the middle of the room.

  An array of SC batteries were positioned around it, and a shimmering shield enveloped them all.

  “Stasis?” Roxy asked as she opened Carmen’s case.

  “Yeah, plug me in on that console over there, I need direct access.”

  Roxy complied, wondering how the field would respond if it contacted a physical object. Once she’d set Carmen onto the console—hoping the AI would live up to her word—she turned back to the stasis shield around the antimatter.

  Casting about for something to prod it with, she found a sheet of plas, and rolled it up.

  “Don’t!” Carmen cried out just as Roxy reached forward and touched the plas to the field.

  As Carmen’s shout reverberated through the room, there was a brilliant flash, and half the plas ceased to exist.

  “What the fuck?” Roxy exclaimed.

  “Don’t do that! You trying to kill us?”

  “I didn’t thin
k it would—”

  “How about you don’t perform half-assed experiments to see what happens when you push a bunch of atoms against a field of zero-energy matter, OK?”

  Roxy nodded as she looked at the half sheet of plas in her hand. “Why doesn’t the air do that?”

  “There’s a light grav field keeping the air molecules off the stasis shield. But it’s not strong enough to resist determined idiots.”

  Roxy eyed the device in the room with a newfound level of respect. “And they just leave this thing in here?”

  “Normally, only highly trained specialists come in here, not fools like you.”

  “I’m not—”

  “Shut up! Seconds here.”

  The gravity of their situation hit Roxy once more, and she clamped her mouth shut. Seconds later, the shimmering stasis shield disappeared, and then a light at the bottom of the antimatter bottle turned from red to green.

  “How long did we have?” Roxy was momentarily surprised at her own morbid curiosity.

  “Don’t ask. So, what now? You going to put me into a pod like you promised?”

  Roxy turned her attention to the AI sitting atop the console. She knew what Justin would want; he’d tell her to kill the thing. It was too risky to set free, and too dangerous to keep around.

  But Carmen had put her life on the line to save Roxy—granted, she didn’t have much of a choice, since it was her only chance to live.

  “I’ll do my best, but I can’t get to a pod right now. I’m going to put you in a stealth pouch so no one on the team sees you—but you’ll need to kill your EM to stay hidden.”

  “Roxy—”

  “It’s the best I can do. Shut down.”

  “Give me your word you’re not going to kill me,” Carmen said, her tone almost pleading—if an AI could even do such a thing.

  “I already did.”

  “Humor me.” Now Carmen really did sound like she was pleading.

  “I promise,” Roxy said.

  The AI seemed to accept it, as her core went dark a moment later.

  As Roxy pulled a stealth pouch out of her SS-R4, a strange sensation came over her. This being had placed her life in Roxy’s hands. She was trusting a person who had just stormed her ship to keep her alive.