Chapter 6

We popped out of Nullspace at the coordinates, and I sent the recognition code on the sub-light frequency we were given. A minute later, a voice but no visual came through my comm.

“In exactly twenty-seven minutes, the killer satellites in your quadrant will be shut down for thirteen seconds. Plot a course to land at these coordinates. Shut down your ship and wait to be contacted. Do not attempt to contact us.” A text message with the coordinates showed on my screen. I forwarded it to Mom. “We cannot be responsible if you miss the thirteen-second window. Good luck. Over and out.”

I did a touch-and-go scan of the nearest satellite to gauge its effective range and gave my report, “They’re Dynamics model 300s, effective detection range 12,300 meters, effective kill range 11,200 meters.” Mom moved us to within 12,499 meters, and we waited for the appointed time. Mom had plotted our course, and all Mom had to do was hit the ignition, and we would be planet-bound. It shouldn’t take more than 11.2 seconds to get through the killer satellite defense field. Plenty of leeway.

Mom hit the ignition precisely on time. The satellites went dark. 4.5 seconds from being home free, our ship shuddered, and Oxy’s console flashed. Oxy flew out of her seat and landed hard on the deck. Blood started to pool around her head. I was getting out of my seat to go to Oxy when a second glancing blow hit us. I was slammed back into my chair.

Mom screamed at me, “Leave her and do your fucking job. Toast that fucker.” I recovered from my shock and sent a salvo of three micro rockets at the offending satellite. There was a bright flash as the satellite disintegrated. Definitely overkill and costly. But I was pissed. I knew Mom would be mad about the needless use of the two extra rockets, but she didn’t say anything.

As soon as we were clear, I grabbed a medkit and went to Oxy. Mom stayed on station to control the landing. Oxy was unconscious but breathing. She had about a 50-millimeter gash in her hairline just above the center of her forehead. I pinched the skin together and got out the SkinWeld, and applied it to the gash to close it. I picked her up gently and carried her aft to her cabin. I laid her on her sleeping platform and hooked her to the medical monitor. One extra benefit of the regen pills is that a wound such as Oxy has will heal in fewer than four hours. I hope her brain isn’t scrambled.

I went back to my station and opened a screen to monitor Oxy. Twenty minutes later, we had circled the planet in close orbit and came in for our landing.

We had landed in a field of fused earth. I could tell this field had been used before. The external monitors showed three heavily armed men approaching our cargo bay.

Mom opened a comm channel and said. “Humpty Dumpty.”