Chapter 42

Jack maneuvered around on a course for the station when one last message came in.

“Raven, this is Nest. Over.”

“Go ahead Nest.”

“She is not the only one on that station. Not sure of intent, but at least one other captive is on station, over.”

Jack took a moment for that to sink in, then replied.

“Raven copies, Nest. What is source of intel? Over.”

“Escaping shuttle Raven. Last message carried information meant to delay or demoralize. Statement was meant to disrupt focus. How copy? Over.”

“Raven copies all points. Need assist on orbital layout, over.”

“Stand by Raven. Hack and scan under way. Sumpter will launch with rescue support momentarily, over.”

“Roger that Nest, moving to orbital to visual scan for airlock, over.”

“Understood Raven, Nest out.”

Jack approached the station with caution, careful not to be surprised by any remaining defenses that might remain and began a visual search for the airlock where Kazlaena was held captive. The station was built like a cylinder, with the central portion wider than the top or bottom. Other than a few knocked out defenses or necessary equipment for comms or scanning. A few tense minutes passed as he located a maintenance lock near the bottom of the orbital, and a secondary lock on the station’s midsection, along with the primary launch bay. Jack noted another feature of the station that concerned him. It was old, only maintained enough to do the job and showed little in the way of proper upkeep.

“Sumpter, this is Raven, status, over.”

“Raven, Sumpter is en-route with ten on board. Moving to launch bay, how copy? Over.”

“Raven reads you Sumpter, moving to join, over.”

“Negative Raven. Stay voidbound, how copy? over.”

“Intent, over?” Jack was surprised at the instructions.

“Unknown control on airlock. May open when boarding, or at any unknown predetermined time, how copy? Over.”

“Raven understands, moving to maintenance airlock at bottom of station to hold position. Need intel if location is where she is held, over.”

“Roger that Raven, Sumpter will locate and pass info when revealed, stand by, out.”

Jack took a few deep breaths to try to ease his anxiety and stress while he was forced to play a waiting game amid all the tension of the situation.

“How are we looking on entry?” Cardox asked D-17 as they neared the launch bay.

“Hack and scan near completion. No life signs detected in launch bay.” D-17 replied.

“Alright,” Cardox turned to the others. “We need to locate that airlock and attempt entry. Once that is done, we need to find this second captive, if they are, in fact aboard.”

“We gonna expect any contact?” Sita asked.

“Fuck yeah we better,” Ben replied and Hyone nodded once in agreement.

“What kind of hostiles would they leave behind?” Kasa questioned, adjusting the small caliber subgun on her shoulder that still looked too unwieldly for her.

“Fall guys,” Caden answered.

“Or nobody.” Rick spoke next. “We better be moving very attentively in there. A laser tripwire could end us.”

“Make sure your infrared is up on your huds.” Cardox instructed. “No frags or thermite. No incendiary either. We better make good use of stun or emp grenades. Smoke in a pinch but that could have undesired results. Think hard on smoking out a large portion of the station before you deploy, affirm?”

They all agreed.

“The launch bay is our base. Caden, Rick, can you lock it down and keep hostiles out?”

“Will do.” Caden answered.

“If I go down, you need to be in a safe location to continue ops,” Cardox said to him. “As well as keep our control center and exfil clear.”

“Ben, Hyone, your Team Two. Start with the maintenance lock on this level. I will move down to the lower lock with Sita and Kasa.”

“Roger that,” Ben gave a half salute wave.

“Caden, Rick, Team Three on comms.” Cardox said to them, and they nodded, just as the launch bay exterior door could be seen through the cockpit windshield.

“In.” D-17 stated. “Opening outer door.”

A moment later the exterior door to the launch bay slid open and they moved inside the airlock. Once the outer door closed, the inner door opened and they came to a rest inside a poorly maintained bay, full of debris and a lack of anything valuable.

“D-17, you are Control, My team is Team One, afirm?”

“Afirm. Inside atmosphere is stable. No dangerous substances detected.” D-17 said, then after a short pause. “One life sign detected. Station battery room two levels up.”

“Ben, Hyone, airlock first, then investigate that life sign.” Cardox said as they did a final check on their gear.

“On it,” Ben replied, then bumped Hyone’s stomach. “C’mon Hyoote, times wasting.”

She gave him a bump on his chest with her fist as the Sumpters rear ramp deployed and then they were off. Cardox popped the lock box in the cockpit and pulled out a pistol, handing it to Spurius. The big man took it and nodded, setting it on the dash of the shuttle.

Cardox handed another to D-17 and said, “just in case”.

“Copy.” D-17 said as they took the pistol and secured it in a quick access hatch on their body.

Cardox pulled out one more pistol and handed it to Rusu.

“Uh, oh, I can’t.”

“You may need to defend yourself.” Cardox spoke with urgency. “You came to help with intel and information, as well as to be there for her first and foremost. Take it.”

Rusu took the pistol and nodded, then sat down on the bench, placed the pistol beside him and opened his computer.

“We’ll cover you, lad.” Rick said as he sat down and went over operation of the pistol with Rusu.

Cardox, Sita and Kasa departed the Sumpter and made their way for an access stairwell in the center of the station. They moved as fast as they dared, knowing there was no time. Any moment could be tragic for Kazlaena, but they could not rush into a trap and cause more fatalities. Rooms had to be cleared and the corridor to the access point had to be scanned for dangers. As they neared the access, a frantic message from Ben came in over comms.

“Watch the fuckin walls!” He spat. “Auto defenses in the walls.”

“Roger that, Team Two.” Cardox answered as Sita stopped in front of him.

“Ah shit!” She remarked, as panels in the wall opened ahead of them and a pair of bots stepped out with weapons at the ready.

“Smoke’em” Cardox barely finished as three subguns unloaded on the bots.

Though they were decent grade robotic guards, they were not military issue units with armor and sensor stabilizers. These bots never had a chance to fire as they were shot down and finished with a few rounds to their central processors.

“Shit, look out!” Sita spat as two other bots had emerged behind them during their engagement.

They dove into rooms on either side of the corridor as the bots fired at them with harrowing precision.

“They got me!” Sita spat. “Arm. They broke my arm, Fuckin rat fuck!”

“Can’t peek them.” Cardox stopped Kasa from attempting to engage.

“Noted.” Kasa kept back. “EMP?”

“Yeah,” Cardox readied a stun grenade and pitched it into the hall, feeling bullets whizz past his hand as he did so.

A moment later the grenade detonated and stunned the bots, allowing Kasa to peek out and cap them both in their heads, smashing their processors.

“Check on Sita,” Cardox tapped Kasa’s shoulder, then passed on a message. “All teams, watch the walls for bot posts.”

“Noted.” Came Ben’s reply. “Smoked three already. Took hits to armor. Fucked up but Team Two is still up.”

“Roger Team Two.” Cardox answered, then headed over to provide security for Kasa and Sita.

“Can you still fight?” Cardox asked Sita as she stood up and swayed.

“Just an arm.” She replied and slung her subgun over the shoulder of her good arm. “Need to move.”

Cardox gave her a nod after some hesitation, then they proceeded for the stairwell.

“Team Two is at central lock. No joy. Repeat, no joy.”

“Roger Team Two. Caution as you move to life sign, over.” Cardox reported as they reached the stairwell and entered the access shaft.

“Raven, your lock is likely candidate, stand by for confirmation, over.” Cardox sent to Jack.

“Understood, Raven is in recovery position, awaiting confirmation, out.”

They descended the stairs of the access shaft with urgency, making their way to the bottom of the station. Cardox motioned them to be careful as they approached a door to a corridor that would lead them to the lower lock. As he reached for the handle, Kasa grabbed his arm and caught his attention.

“Look.” She gestured to a corner of the shaft.

Cardox caught sight of several containers that did not look overly conspicuous, until he saw all the wires sticking out of them.

“Smells heavy of thermite,” Kasa stated as she released Cardox’s arm.

“They rigged badda-booms?” Sita asked herself as much as anyone.

“Central, what is under access shaft, over.” Cardox asked D-17.

“Secondary battery storage and fuel pod, Team One.”

“Fucken.” Cardox looked over the door they were about to pass through.

“Central, is there any hint of remote detonation on explosives in any station programming? Over.”

“Negative Team One. Stand by on traps, over.”

Cardox exchanged looks with Kasa and Sita before D-17 came back in on comms.

“Team One, there is a timer set to expire in twelve minutes, how copy? Over.”

“For the airlock? Over.”

“Affirmative, Stand by, over.”

Cardox waited another tense moment.

“Team One, there is a secondary timer set to expire in twelve minutes. Secondary timer is for charges set at your location, and above primary battery storage. Resulting effects will render station apart, how copy? Over.”

“Solid copy, any chance of remote stop? Over.”

“Negative. Charges are protected by Cerberus protocol. Any interruption will activate a trigger. Airlock timer has same protocol. Any attempt to stop timer will fail and lock will open, over.”

Copy that, Team One out.”

Cardox opened the door and they moved on with increased urgency, following signs that directed them to the lower maintenance lock. They reached a corridor that showed them a sign to the airlock, but before them, there was a multitude of infrared beams in the hall.

“Shit!” Cardox spat as he took a knee and scanned the way ahead.

“Seen.” Sita said, looking over the mess before them.

“Central, we have a problem at the airlock. Multitude of infrared wires block the path. Anything you can do?”

“Hold, Team One, working on solution.” D-17 replied, then added a new condition after a moment of silence. “Central has update. Wires should be down, how copy?”

“Solid copy, wires down.” Cardox saw the beams disappear.