Galactic Frontiers: A Collection of Space Opera and Military Science Fiction Stories Page 44

  “Get back!”

  Zhang Wei fired two more shots, forcing the mercenaries to duck down. With that brief window of opportunity, she turned and ran back. Kirya lifted her shotgun to her shoulder, waited, and then fired. One shot after another blasted down the galley and instantly scattered the mercenaries.

  * * *

  Branko ducked back as shots hurtled past him. Four of his men lay on the ground, three screaming in agony. He pulled out his pistol, leant around the corner, and opened fire. His pistol was Confederate Army surplus, and spat heavy calibre slugs towards his targets. One shot after another until he was rewarded by a scream of pain. He pulled back and reloaded the gun, simultaneously contacting his guards at the bridge.

  “Jones, Branko. Get back here now. We’ve got trouble in the main galley. Three compartments along from your position. Hurry!”

  He dropped the datapad and let it hang from its lanyard. His pistol was loaded and ready, and this time when he popped his head out, he could see they’d gone.

  Perfect.

  Without giving it a second’s thought, Branko stepped out into the open and weaved to his squad.

  “Chase them down like the prey that they are. Run them into our waiting guns.”

  He broke into a jog. Four of the others followed him and gave chase. They left the wounded behind still groaning on the floor. They cleared the first two barricades and then caught a fleeting glimpse of the enemy.

  “There, gun them down.”

  The mercenaries fired on the move, their gunshots lashing the two survivors.

  “Do not let them escape!” Branko roared.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Interplanetary Liner ‘Starlighter’

  Kirya helped Zhang Wei to keep moving, even while blood continued to drip from her arm wound. The young woman groaned as they ran from the fight, the gunfire still chasing them.

  “Watch out!”

  Kirya spotted the two men appear from around the corner. They were running fast, their weapons low, and now ready for the fight. Rather than drop Zhang Wei and use her weapon, Kirya increased speed towards them. She reached the first just as he lifted his carbine. She expected to feel pain, but the man’s gun merely clicked. In his haste to fire, he’d not removed the safety, and now it was too late. The two women crashed into him like a freight train and sent them scattering. Zhang Wei hit the floor and cried out in pain. Kirya rolled along the floor. In a flash, she was up and blasted the first man with the thermal shotgun. The second thought better of it and threw his weapon to the floor.

  “Big mistake,” she said, spitting the words at him as she fired.

  One shot should have been enough, but Kirya was now completely out of control. She grabbed the carbine from the dead man’s fingers, slung it over her shoulder, and headed right for Zhang Wei. In one fluid motion, she pulled the woman to her feet, and continued away from the fight. They rounded the corner, and there ahead was the closed door.

  “That’s it,” Zhang Wei groaned, “Not much further.”

  The doors to the bridge slid open. Out stepped a man in a heavy jacket and with an odd Mohawk-style haircut. His grinning tattooed face leered at the pair.

  “Well…well…well. Look what we have here.”

  Another pair of individuals stepped out from behind him and moved to flanking positions, their weapons drawn.

  “Yeah, Armando. Looks like we’ve got ‘em.”

  The three stared at Kirya and Zhang Wei, but there was little either of them could do now. The man with the Mohawk chuckled.

  “Now, put the gun down, like the good lass you are.”

  “Hey!”

  A shadow appeared at the entrance to the bridge. Both women instantly knew who it was. Kirya’s eyes lit up with surprise.

  Weston!

  The man called Armando turned around. He took a hit from a flare gun directly in the chest. The flash lit him up like a firework, sending red sparks in all directions. Zhang yanked the carbine from Kirya’s shoulder and pointed at the men, even while still strapped to her shoulder. The gun shuddered as she fired a single long burst. Bullets bit into the two men, with a few strays even hitting the burning man.

  “Get inside!” Weston yelled.

  Kirya stumbled forwards, pulling Zhang Wei with her. They passed the burning man and fell through the doorway. Weston hit the controls, and heavy metal bolts slid across from three directions, sealing them in. Kirya started to laugh as she looked into the pained face of Zhang Wei.

  “Outstanding. Absolutely…”

  As her head turned, she saw Weston clutching his stomach. No matter how firmly he gripped the wound, the blood continued to gush out.

  “Weston!” Zhang Wei cried, instantly forgetting her own injury.

  The two moved to the fallen man, and when he opened his mouth to speak, blood dripped out from the corner.

  “I did it,” he said with great difficulty, “The Navy is coming.”

  Something slammed into the door and cracked the translucent material. It triggered another mechanism, and thick metal plating slid down, sealing off the door from attack.

  “Hijack protection,” said Zhang Wei, “We’re okay in here…for now.”

  “How long?” Kirya asked.

  Weston spat blood, but his face was turning whiter by the second.

  “A cruiser squadron is coming this way, about seven hours, maybe eight. Looks like they found another ship, the Dragon something. It’s heading this way.”

  “What happened?” Zhang Wei asked.

  “The military said they were in pursuit, but the ship was already at full burn. It will be here in two hours...”

  He tried to say more, but blood spluttered out instead of words. Zhang Wei wiped the red, sticky fluid from his face and looked across to Kirya.

  “Leave the computers. We need to help him.”

  Kirya shook her head.

  “He’s gone. I’m sorry. Two bullet wounds to the chest, and that one in the gut. He’s got twenty minutes if he’s lucky. And we’ve got other problems. Once that ship arrives, they’re going to get whatever they need off this ship.”

  Zhang shrugged.

  “So we just have to hold out up here until they leave.”

  Kirya pointed towards a hard plastic case with a computer inside it, and long ribbon cables running out and connecting directly into the ship.

  “Weston. What’s this thing?”

  Zhang Wei started to protest, but Weston was having none of it.

  “It’s a warhead control panel. They’ve rigged the ship with something.”

  Kirya’s eyes lit up as she listened.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  Weston shook his head, and Zhang Wei tried to make him comfortable.

  “There must be six or maybe seven charges on the ship.”

  Kirya examined the device carefully, without pressing any of the buttons.

  “So…when this job is done, they can destroy the evidence. Smart. And that will kill us, too. It’s not like there are any lifeboats left, is it?””

  The door shuddered again, and to their surprise a small chunk of metal broke away. Kirya rose from the computer and moved about the bridge. The navigation computers were all on, but she could find nothing to help them.

  “What can we do?” Zhang asked, while Weston continued coughing up blood, “We have to get rid of those bombs, and fast.”

  Weston groaned.

  “No, there’s no other way out of the bridge now. All they have to do is wait long enough, unload whatever it is they want to steal, and then blow the ship. By the time the Navy arrives, it will all be over.”

  Weston spat blood on the floor and tried to lift himself up. He slipped and dropped back down, groaning in pain.

  “There’s another way, though. The bombs. I can trigger them.”

  He reached out for the computer, and Kirya moved between him and the case, ensuring he couldn’t press something by accident.

  “What are you s
aying, Weston?”

  The young man sighed with exaggerated frustration.

  “I’m saying that you need to get out of here. Use the bridge emergency airlock and get outside. Take one of their ships and leave.”

  Zhang looked astonished.

  “We’re not leaving you behind, Weston. And detonating the engines on this ship will kill every single person left alive.”

  Kirya lifted a hand as though wanting to answer a teacher’s question.

  “Uh…that doesn’t bother me.”

  She walked over to the bridge controls and began pressing buttons. The displays changed to show external feeds from around the ship. Two in particular interested her where a pair of small craft remained docked on each side of Starlighter.

  “They deserve all they get.”

  “What about the cargo, the stuff they came for?”

  Weston gulped and choked for several seconds. Even Kirya flinched at his discomfort.

  “I unlocked and checked the manifest. Trust me, it’s better destroyed than getting into their hands.”

  The door banged again, and another chunk tore off. Voices called to them, but with the protective layer dropped into place, it was impossible to make out what they were saying. Kirya activated one of the security feeds, and a crystal-clear image of the passage appeared. Zhang Wei instantly gasped. At least a dozen of them were there, all armed and getting angrier by the second.

  “What is that thing?”

  She pointed to the screen while Kirya leant in for a closer look. Two men carried the large object and then dumped it in front of the door.

  “No way…Are you kidding me?”

  She looked back at Zhang.

  “It’s an anti-aircraft gun mount. They’re going to blast their way in.”

  Zhang Wei looked stunned.

  “But why?”

  Weston beckoned towards the control computer in the case.

  “They need access to the bombs. It’s the only way they can end this mission with no loose ends. And if…”

  “If they don’t get it,” added Kirya, “They risk being killed.”

  She closed her eyes for a few seconds and then moved back to Weston.

  “You’re right, my friend. We have to leave. I’m sorry you can’t come with us.”

  She lifted her eyes to Zhang, but even she could see the young man had just minutes left. Kirya moved to the panel on the wall where a thin tin plate bore the name of the ship. She grabbed at it with her bare hands and yanked it off, slightly damaging one corner before tucking it down into her jacket.

  “I’m taking something of her back with us.”

  “Good. Use the airlock. There are emergency EVA suits in there. But hurry, I don’t know how much longer...I can... keep doing this.”

  * * *

  It seemed like an age that they’d been stuck outside, and Branko’s patience was wearing thin. He controlled the entirety of the ship, but without the bridge, it was all for nought. Yet as the gun lifted up to point at the door, he grinned. It was a long time getting to this stage, but just seeing the stolen weapon pointed at a target warmed his soul. His smile quickly became laughter as the gun platform began to fire. It ripped out chunks of the security door with little effort. Five shots later, there was a hole big enough to look through.

  “Check it out!”

  Zena stepped closer to the door, bent down, and placed an eye against the hole.

  “Well?”

  “There’s nobody inside. Wait…there’s one. He’s wounded and next to the…he’s in front of the bomb control package.”

  She looked back to speak to Branko just as a single bullet struck her in the back of the head. She tipped over and crashed to the ground. Several mercenaries opened fire, and the gunner on the gun platform opened up, shredding the door. Branko didn’t hang around, though. He was already running as fast as his legs could take him. He was gone before the others even realised he’d left. He was heading for the docking airlock to his ship. Only then did he call out over the scrambled channel.

  “Everybody off the ship, now!”

  * * *

  Kirya moved as quickly as she could inside the confines of the evacuation EVA suit. It was hardly the most complex piece of equipment, but it covered her from head to foot, its built-in climate control keeping her warm and snug. Zhang Wei followed right behind, and though wounded, the lack of gravity was actually helping them now. Kirya paused and pointed off to the side of the ship. Before them was the dark shape of the second small ship.

  Zhang nodded and carried on behind her. They passed along the hull inside the rotating rings and finally came to the docking port. It extended out from both sides of the ship like a pair of ugly wings. Docked to the port was a small tug. The craft was dull grey, battered, and with a large curved nose extending out from the front. The lower hull comprised of what looked like a large storage container, and a single powerful engine sat directly above the cockpit. On the flanks was a pair of short and fat movable docking arms.

  “A cargo tug. Can it get us out of here?”

  Kirya shrugged.

  “Either it will, or it won’t. Let’s go.”

  They moved to the side of the airlock shaft and the small oval door. Kirya pressed the access panel, and it glowed green. After a short pause, the outer plate slid open, then a moment later the next layer. Both entered the small room and waited. It took almost thirty seconds for the airlock procedure to complete, giving them time to remove the EVA suits and prepare themselves for what was to come.

  The door opened, and they pulled themselves out into the zero-gravity passage. The lights were dimmed, and there was no sign of life.

  “Follow me,” said Kirya.

  She used the rungs to help her along the passage. It took just seconds to pass under the small ship’s nose and into the cargo bay. Kirya turned back and hit the cargo seal. Lights flashed in sequence and then turned solid green.

  “We can do this. To the cockpit.”

  They moved up the ramp into the centre of the small ship. There was space leading back into a rec room or kitchen. Kirya nodded towards the front.

  “This way.”

  An empty weapons rack on the wall lay partially open, and the door to the cockpit was also open, leaving access to the inside of the ship. Kirya kept going to reach the pilot’s seat. She then pulled herself down and into position. Zhang Wei moved alongside her and fastened the harness.

  “Okay, this is gonna be interesting.”

  “You’ve flown before?”

  Kirya laughed.

  “Not quite. Let’s see what this does.”

  She ran her hands along the controls, activating unit after unit. Lights flickered on throughout the craft, and the engine indicators increased with a gentle hum.

  “Okay, she’s live. And that…looks like the engine controls. How hard can it be?”

  “Look!” Zhang Wei yelled.

  Shapes were moving along the shaft connected to the cargo bay at the bottom end of the ship. Then a white light ripped through the stern of Starlighter. For a moment, it looked like a lens flare, a simple diffraction of light. But then another followed in the habitation rings. More followed, and the vibrations shook the small tug.

  “It’s time. We’re leaving!”

  Kirya grabbed the engine controls and pulled on the lever. The ship shuddered violently, trying to pull away from the docking clamp.

  “Break the seal!” Kirya shouted.

  Zhang ran her eyes over the screens and controls, but nothing seemed to help.

  “Screw this!”

  She pulled off her harness and drifted to the seat behind the gun controls. A simple tap activated the unit, and a panel rose up, along with the safety, charging, and firing triggers.

  “Let’s see what happens now.”

  Zhang pulled the trigger, and the two gun mounts, each housing a pair of electromagnetic projectile launchers, thundered away. They were surprisingly powerful weapons to be fitted a
board a civilian ship. The tug vibrated loudly as the guns blasted away, tearing chunks off the umbilical shaft, breaking it apart.

  “Perfect!” Kirya said.

  With a final tug on the controls, they blasted away into space, leaving Starlighter tearing itself apart. Moments later, a flash of white fully engulfed the vessel, destroying it completely. They hurtled away, gently rolling as Kirya experimented with the controls. After nearly a minute, she managed to put the sphere of Agora to the left of their nose. She looked back to her new friend.

  “Weston did it. He saved us both.”

  Zhang Wei let out a long, sad breath.

  “He did. I won’t forget him, no matter what happens.”

  They sat in silence for minutes, perhaps even hours, drifting away from the shattered hulk. There was nothing else to see other than the green sphere of Agora, and for now that suited both of them just fine. Finally, Zhang Wei activated the mapping screen. It flickered once, and up popped a handful of objects.

  “Confederate Navy IFF transponders. They’re heading for the wreckage. We need to contact them.”

  Kirya shook her head.

  “No…not yet. We don’t know who else is out here.”

  Kirya closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. Zhang grunted as she moved her arm awkwardly, catching the wound.

  “What happens now? We head to Agora?”

  Kirya looked around the cockpit, focussing her attention on a status indicator screen. It showed their distance to the planet, as well as the nearby ships. They might look close, but the planet was still many days away, and with each passing minute, the ships faded from view. Zhang Wei’s attention was focussed on the distant shape of Agora.

  “I was looking forward to visiting the planet, but not for long. Life on a ship is all about brief stops, and then onto the next. Starlighter was my home, now she’s gone. You?”

  Kirya raised her eyebrows. She pulled out a battered metal plate from inside her jacket. It bore the name Starlighter.