Chapter 10

"I'll see you on the other side, sugar lips," Riata said pulling on her blouse.

"Ree," Ferro said, pleading. "Where are we going? What is the other side? Why are you calling me sugar lips?"

"Because your kisses are so sweet," she said with a drawl.

"I cannot believe you are a weapon-wielding, death-blow-certified security officer," Ferro said, fearful that she might tell someone else her pet names for him. "Where are we going?"

Her smile slowly morphed into her professional face. "If you don't know then Benni wants it that way. Ferro, it doesn't matter because the mission begins in a matter of hours. Do you know where you have to report?"

"Yes, I did read my briefing, Ree," Ferro said. "Does everyone on this blasted ship know but me?"

"Are you paranoid?" she said as she slipped into her boots.

"I believe the appropriate question is whether I'm more paranoid or less paranoid than the Volentin family is," Ferro said. "The jury is out on that one."

"Are you coming?" Riata asked as she turned to leave.

"No, I'm supposed to stay out of the corridors for the next several hours and then report to my assigned airlock. Apparently, spaceship designers are hazardous to the smooth running of the ship."

"I don't know about that. You always seem to get my motor running smoothly," she said.

"Ooh, spare me the corny lines," Ferro said as he searched for something blunt to throw at her.

She was out the door and gone before he found his shoe. Ferro set his chrono alarm and rolled back over to sleep. He had learned to take advantage of any downtime that came his way.

Dressed and standing outside of the airlock a few hours later, Ferro asked one last time, "Where are we going, Kay?"

"I'm surprised that you haven't figured it out, yet," Kay said. "We are going to get you a place to build your spaceships and your other gadgets."

"I kind of guessed that, but why couldn't you tell me?" Ferro said and then he stopped. "O Mother. O Mother, tell me we're not going to dock at Callisto. Why couldn't you tell me?"

"We're not docking at Callisto," Kay said. "We are boarding her from a variety of airlocks, but we are not risking the ship or the station by docking. The security on Callisto is so poor that they would end up killing each other by putting big holes in the walls of the station. You didn't need to know in case of any latent, misplaced loyalties."

"Why are we taking the station?" Ferro asked with trepidation.

"Volentin has learned it is better to act first and ask permission later," Quiyo said. "Outsiders have so much difficulty making decisions."

Ferro hadn't noticed her approaching.

"Where on the station are we going?" Ferro asked.

Kay began dressing in her evac suit.

"We thought it would be easier to enter through the airlock that you and I used last time. Quiyo is on point, not that we expect anyone to be in that corridor but panicking people do peculiar things. She will begin the process of opening up the workshops on that level while you and I travel up to the command center after we are given the all clear signal."

"Gee, I've never been to the command center," Ferro said with a false cheeriness. "I'm having a hard time believing that this is real. Why am I doing this?"

"Because you want to build spaceships and save the human race from the Vizz," Quiyo said with a "duh" look on her face.

"If you weren't Family... ," Ferro started and was immediately stopped by a motion from Kay indicating that he was to shut up and suit up.

Outside of the ship, Ferro took a moment to get his bearings. The ship was stationary below the bottom spindle of the space station. The station's spindle was thin at the bottom, medium thick in the middle and bulged out in a disk at the top. Around the middle were the arms that secured the great ring to the spindle. Of course the entire station spun on its axis to generate centrifugal force and energy.

The three pushed off the airlock door towards their destination under radio silence. According to Kay, the first wave was hitting the station at that moment and the second wave was within five minutes of securing the docking bay controls in the ring. Volentin wanted the ships and the station.

The plan called for Ferro to come aboard the station twenty minutes later and take on the role of interpreter in the command center. Speaking Galach wasn't the issue. It was making outsiders understand what Volentin was demanding and that task would require skill. Ferro was the only candidate for the job.

They dodged the bulbous protrusions at the bottom of the facility and ran over the topside of the structures to gain some more momentum without having to use their jets. Speed was the priority and the jets would be needed to halt their rapid assent up the spindle. Windows flew past too quickly for Ferro to peek inside as they traveled. At times he caught movement. He could only imagine what panic the inhabitants must be experiencing. Facing a full-fledged incoming Volentin assault would have him shitting in his pants.

His new computer beeped as they drew near the airlock to tell him that he was close. Quiyo reached the door first and peeked inside. When she signaled, Ferro reached for the mechanical handle and unlocked the door with practiced ease. The door still stuck and required muscle to push open.

Inside the small airlock, it took three of them to close the door because of the lack of magnetics in their boots, but they got it. The space filled with atmosphere and they stepped into the airlock vestibule. Ferro popped the small shelf and they hung up their suits on the hooks dangling underneath.

"No one is going to steal these?" Ferro asked as he pried his feet out of boots.

"If they do, They will get a rude awakening when they step out and suddenly float away," Kay said.

"The corridor is empty," Quiyo said.

A small handheld weapon was nestled in her right hand.

Kay held up her own weapon in acknowledgement and stepped out into the corridor to survey the landscape with her sister.

"Don't I get one of those?" Ferro asked. "They look really nifty."

"That is why we don't let people like you have toys like these," Kay said, hoisting her gun. "You have two knives and that should be all that you need ... to cut your meat at dinner."

Ferro gave her the finger. Kay's computer beeped and she signaled him to follow her. Quiyo was already opening warehousing doors as they passed her. All three were dressed in the loose tunics and pants of the Volentin ship which allowed them to move in the large corridors of the station at an easy run

"Bye," Quiyo called after them as Ferro and Kay trotted down the corridor.

"Aren't marines supposed to be dressed in body armor and have shields when they attack installations," Ferro asked Kay.

"Did I not explain on the ship that we are more worried about these idiots shooting themselves than us. Armor is for cowards and shields are only good if you want to hold the enemy at bay, not attack." Kay's computer beeped twice. "Benni grows impatient with us. We run faster."

They ran through the empty corridors to the Main Market in the middle of the station. Ferro spotted a crouching figure. Before he could say anything, Kay had already shot the man. The target sprawled on the floor without comment.

"Get his weapon," Kay ordered as she trained her gun on the open space.

Ferro ran over, snatching the black object as he bent down. He hit the floor and then noticed the whine of a pulse over his head. Kay fired.

Ferro looked at the weapon and realized that he had no clue how to fire it. He put it down and drew his knife. Kay fired again as he crawled to his left and made his way to some potted plants circling a small fountain. The water was burbling happily, spraying its mist into the air.

A figure rose and fired a shot at Kay and ducked back behind the wall of the market stall, too fast for Ferro to attack. Ferro glanced over to where he thought Kay was but he couldn't see her to get any guidance. He counted to three and crab crawled towards the stall, trying to stay as silent as possible.

He reached the thin front wall of the stall and planted both feet flat on the ground and bent himself at the knees and the waist. Kay fired, hitting the back post above the waist high wall. The figure rose to fire. Ferro saw her head come up and lunged. He plunged his knife through the backside of her upper arm and into her ribs.

She screamed and dropped her weapon. Ferro stared at her and watched as fear blossomed across her face. She toppled against the back wall and slid down to the floor.