Chapter 3

Armstrong Station, June 29, 2161
Lagrange point One, 35,000 miles above Luna

“The Scrapper has been seen again,” said Captain Lutz. “We have reports from the 5th Intelligence Corps that The Scrapper was responsible for the Adira Dolenz.”

The Adira Dolenz was a class four heavy ore freighter inbound to Deimos Steel Plant in Martian orbit when it was found with a hole in it. A 57mm hole was found on one side of the bridge, and a 57mm exit hole was found on the other. The crew that wasn’t killed when the atmosphere was vented into space tried to patch the holes and failed. They eventually climbed into escape pods and were never seen again. That’s the official story. The SS Adira Dolenz had a crew of 14, six were found dead on the bridge, and ten of the twenty escape pods were launched. The numbers don’t add up.

“Why would we be blaming the murder of fourteen men and women on a trash picker?” asked Admiral Hilmers. “I mean, other than convenience?” Admiral Dolf Hilmers didn’t like Captain Lutz in the least. Lutz was smart and good-looking, but he had tunnel vision when it came to resolving issues.

“It fits the scrapper’s M.O.”

“The scrapper has never killed anyone, he’s never shot a hole through the bridge of a ship underway,” Admiral Hilmers’ voice was controlled but powerful. “The scrapper has never taken a shot at anything, nor has he actually stolen anything. He just picks up debris floating in space. I don’t think you understand what M.O. means.”

Just then there was a beep and the video screen came on, displaying the Western Alliance Navy Logo on the screen. “Sir, priority transmission from Berserker 04.”

“Send it through,” said the Admiral. In a moment, the video screen was filled with the deep space tug, the SS Kregal. Deep space tugs are used to pull ore barges and container barges between worlds where the big atmosphere shuttles can take the goods and products to the planet’s surface. Kregal was still half connected to the series of barges it was hauling, the big six engine tug was drifting at a crazy angle compared to the barges.

“Berserker 04, this is CINCORBFORCEOuter, tell me what you are looking at.” CINCORBFORCEOuter means Commander In Chief, Orbital Forces outer, meaning he commands all Navy forces outside earth’s orbit.

“Something actually hit this ship sir,” said Commander Jim Dutton, who was filming the investigation. He was out of his F-733 fighter and drifting toward the SS Kregal. “You can see a perfect two-inch hole in the side of the command deck. There’s a hole in the other side as well. They didn’t have a chance, sir.”

“Commander, could that have been caused by a laser?” asked Captain Lutz.

“No sir, there would have been burn marks on the edges of the hole. These holes are clean through and through. What gets me sir is how they got into the barge.” The barges are only accessible at each end. The SS Kregal was connected to its barge, blocking entry access. “They cut the couplers on the left side with a torch, not a laser but a torch. I’m guessing oxy acetylene torch.”

“Why is that weird, commander,” asked Admiral Hilmers.

“Because they punched such a perfect hole through the bridge, then they cut the couplers and cables like a bunch of unexperienced pirates, it doesn’t make sense.”

“Commander, could this be the scrapper moving up in the world? Did the scrapper get tired of waiting and decided to make something happen?”

“I honestly don’t know, sir. Crime investigation isn’t part of our job, killing pirates and Eastern Block fighters is.”

“Thank you, commander.”

After the screen went blank, Captain Lutz said, “What are you going to do?”

In response, Admiral Hilmers tapped a few numbers under his video screen and waited. Soon the pixie-like face of Colonel Pandora Vermillion, Commander of the Strike Force Berserkers, came on the screen. “Pandora, I have a job for your people.”

Marine Colonel Pandora Vermillion looked up from her desk and asked, “Anything exciting, sir? To be honest acting as traffic cops is putting the Berserkers to sleep.”