Found the flight recorder. Not that it will be much help if Faso hits our engines
. Shang’hai yanked off a square section from the foot of the citizen’s stasis chamber. “The bitch is targeting our people again.”
Get control of those weapons, Chief
. Bei felt the hum in the WA as both his security officer and engineer sent override commands through cyberspace to the
Starflight
’s bridge.
The citizen wiggled out from under the band of metal keeping her in place. She half crawled and half floated over the edge. Once clear, she smoothed the emergency blanket wrapped around her lithe form and hooked her heels into the indentation at the base of the chamber.
Bei watched her progress. Did she think to escape them? Where would she go on his ship that they wouldn't find her eventually?
“Targeting your people?” She blinked, then clasped her hand over her mouth. “As in going to kill them?”
Doc pinged Bei.
Admiral, my systems have detected some anomalies in the citizen.
Later.
Bei ground his teeth together.
Status, Chief.
That bastard Tim has set up firewalls
. Chief Rome squeezed his eyes closed, focusing most of his consciousness in the WA.
I’m trying to knock them down, but there seems to be a subroutine that adapts to my every move. The fucker is using our own technology against us.
Engineering controls are locked out, Admiral. Unless I can get on the
Starflight
’s bridge, I can’t override helm controls
. Shang’hai growled through the WA. The tips of her knuckles shone white as she gripped the flight recorder.
Without opening his eyes, Chief Rome grabbed the citizen’s arm and kept her from drifting up.
I’m in the telemetry core, trying to access targeting
.
The human’s brow wrinkled as her gaze bounced off them all in turn before settling on Bei. “What’s happening? Why aren’t you doing anything, like jamming the signal or blowing her out of the sky?”
Typical human. Thinks we’re stupid
. Shang’hai rolled her eyes.
Disable those weapons permanently, Rome
. After freeing her from the Chief, Bei used his body weight to gently pin her between him and her stasis chamber. Frustration coiled low in his belly at having to let his senior staff do the fighting, but too many cyberspace presences would definitely register on the
Starflight
’s sensor. Right now, a surprise attack through the WA was their only means to limit the damage Faso could inflict.
The citizen grabbed onto the front of Bei’s uniform, digging her fingers into the navy material. “I know, why don’t you loop what she sees over and over again like in
National Treasure
or
Speed
?”
Doc Cabo skirted the stasis chamber to stand at their side.
Admiral, the human is displaying unusual cerebral spikes. The medicine may be having a side effect. It wasn’t meant for pure organics
.
Later, Bei shouted through the WA and focused on the Chief.
Rome opened his eyes, fear blazed in their light blue depths.
Tim’s blocked every entrance. I’ve been locked out. Weapons are charged and I can’t do a damn thing about it.
Shang’hai punched the citizen’s stasis chamber. “Two pods have been destroyed. Seven Syn-En reporting suit damage, switching to hibernation mode. They can’t use their location beacons or she’ll target them.”
Another minute and the
Starflight
will be out of range of the WA
.
The human flinched, as the unit shoved her against him. “Can’t you change what she sees so she thinks everyone is destroyed, like trick photography? Why are you just standing there when your men are dying?”
Her lower body ground against Bei’s. With his implant sensors heightened in battle mode, the feel of her supple legs snug against his interjected a spurt of lust, scattering his control. Her heart rate increased when he set his hand on her bare shoulder. For a moment it seemed as if her desire was fueling his inside the WA.
Dammit Bei, that bitch Faso is killing our people
. The chief’s disgust roiled through the WA.
Bei clamped down on the out of place emotion and handed the citizen off to the doctor. “Keep her still and quiet.”
Nodding, Doc Cabo cupped both of her shoulders. Her skin glowed green under the monitoring of his MedPak.
Bei stepped back, closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to enter the WA. Using his command code, he merged with his avatar in cyberspace and materialized inside the CIC mainframe. Bundles of data, hearts, lightning bolts and other symbols of emotions whizzed by his digitalized body. Latching onto a cartoon image of a brain, he rode a stream of information into his ship’s data core. The busy terminal had bits and bytes traveling in every direction, each stamped with a unique identification code. Spotting the Chief’s security over-ride command, Bei’s avatar climbed on board the yellow data packet. The missile shaped code carried him off his ship, through open space and into the
Starflight
’s information port.
Roadblock signs lowered on the data streams, prohibiting access. The Chief’s code disintegrated under Bei. Jumping onto a platform, he called forth the command protocols citizens always demanded be embedded in Syn-En technology. A key materialized in his hand and an emergency door appeared in front of him. Staring at the emblem of a ringed planet on starry background, he appreciated citizen paranoia for the first time. After touching the key to the door, he watched the barrier dissolve, and he stepped into the
Starflight
’s mainframe. Scanning the hexagonal shaped room, he noted the six closed doors, one for each of the hubs on the bridge.
I’m in the com system. Chief, I need images of the life pods against our current position
.
Rome’s surprise blipped across the WA. Aye. Images captured.
The photograph of capsules glowing against the luminescent walls of the wormhole flickered inside the picture frame that materialized in Bei’s palm.
Loop it through one of the fight simulator programs.
Done. Sending file
.
A bright yellow package replaced the picture frame.
Received. I’m allowing you access
. An avatar of the blond Chief appeared next to Bei. Opening the box, Bei removed a red crystal containing the program. He tugged on the ends, pulling it apart like taffy, then handed one of the two pieces to Chief Rome. For a moment, Bei stared at the closed doors ahead, then pointed to the one marked weapons before taking his position in front of communications.
I need you to disable the weapons deck on my command.
You’re using the humans’ idea
? Red flags and lightning bolts exploded like fireworks around the Chief’s head.
Yes
. Bei glanced at his friend, knowing that if Tim was as savvy as his record told, he could have tracked Bei’s entrance and even now be locking them inside the
Starflight
’s computer. Their bodies would soon die without their consciousness.
On my mark
. Opening the command door, Bei stepped inside a closet sized room. Bright, multicolored crystals stuck out of the black walls. He set his hand on the one flashing green in the sensor panel.
Ready
?
Aye
. Chief Rome sent another burst of lightning bolts.
Mark
. Bei quickly replaced the green crystal with the red one in his hand. The Trojan program lit up, indicating it went live.
Shang’hai’s laughter thrilled in Bei’s physical ears. “It’s working.”
Bei’s avatar joined the Chief’s in the foyer.
Of course, it’s working
. Animated strutting roosters floated around the Chief.
We’re Syn-En
.
After his avatar locked both doors with the command key, the digital man carried Bei’s consciousness to his body before melting into cyberspace. He opened his eyes and glanced around the cargo bay.
Chief Rome grinned back at him.
Bei shook his head once. The roosters might be gone but the chief’s cockiness hadn’t diminished.
“What is working?” The citizen tugged on his sleeve, her confusion written in the wrinkles of her forehead.
Shang’hai answered the human. “The admiral disabled the
Starflight
’s targeting systems.”
Bei’s attention drifted to the image of a ringed planet on the metal band across her stasis chamber. Although not quite the same as the emblem on the
Starflight
’s backdoor, it was too close to be dismissed. He used his ocular implants to snap a picture of the symbol and sent the package to his avatar to run a query through
Jane’s Space Recognition Guide
.
“So Burkina won’t be able to kill anyone? That’s great!” The human practically vibrated and her smile broadened, revealing a slightly crooked front tooth.
Its appearance shocked Bei. Citizens didn’t suffer imperfections in their appearance, especially when a dental fix involved no technology penalties. What manner of human was she? Before he could ask the doctor to report his findings, Bei’s query returned two results. His gut clenched. Both entries regarded the
Terra Dos
probes.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to chatter so much but I just woke up, then died, then was revived and that crazy woman started blowing people up and… Well, I guess…”
Chief Rome pinged him.
What’s with the search in Jane’s
?
Ignoring his security chief and the woman’s prattling, Bei opened the first data clip. It contained information about the discovery of the wormhole and the first probe sent to explore the event horizon. While the planet emblem matched, the dimensions of the logo were too large to fit on the initial small probe. That band of metal could not have been towed in their wake from the event horizon. Bei closed the entry.
Rome rolled his eyes as the citizen waved her arms to punctuate her point.
Whatever you do, Admiral, don’t let her know about the WA. No one will ever get any sleep
.
“Well, I just mean, I know soldiers stick together. No man left behind and all that.” Frowning, she waved her hand, hitting a piece of starship shrapnel that had drifted too close. She grimaced and her brown eyebrows met in a vee above the bridge of her upturned nose. “Or is that the Marine’s saying? I guess it doesn’t matter, does it?”
The unguarded play of emotions fascinated Bei. He felt a stab of envy at another freedom denied him and his kind. When she filled her lungs for another long winded speech, Bei spoke, “No. It does not matter.”
She blinked. Red tinged her pale skin as she looked up at him. “Thank you. For not killing me for forever. I never thought I’d say those words. Then again, I’d never thought I’d be here. I’m in space. I always wanted to go to space, but really who wouldn’t when…”
The Chief’s annoyance flickered through the WA.
Does she have an off-switch, Doc
?
Bei silenced his security officer with a look.
She may tell us why she’s here
. A reason other than to save them.
She’s telling us everything but
. Rome glanced at her hand still on Bei’s sleeve. His concern flared hot inside Bei’s skull.
Think I’ll go someplace quiet, like the receiving area for whining, complaining and recently rescued civies
.
Doc shook his head.
She’s nervous. I’d give her something to calm her down but I’m afraid of how she’d react
.
Bei watched his security chief stride from the cargo bay before switching his attention back to the citizen. She’d changed topics from space and floating and something called Christmas ornaments, but it was the fear, joy and chagrin flitting across her oval face that fascinated him against his better judgment.
What have you discovered about her, Doc
?
I’m detecting intermittent cerebral spikes which could be due to the meds being incompatible with pure organic tissue. Her tox panel confirms a liquid diet, such as was proposed for long term space flight twenty years ago. Which is odd in and of itself without her titer report
.
Bei glanced at her hand. If her titer panel was odd, did that make her a carrier of some disease? While viruses and germs wouldn’t harm their synthetic limbs and organs, it would interfere with powering and maintaining their few remaining organs. On the bright side it would give him a reason to quarantine her.
What’s in the titer
?
I have seven unknown antibodies and six antibodies of diseases that were eradicated a century ago
. Doc straightened the curly hair at his temple.
Hell, Admiral, if it wasn’t for her ME571 immunity, I’d say the citizen was placed in stasis prior to the 2010 pandemic
.
Shang’hai shook her head dismissively.
Impossible. Not even Syn-Ens live to be a hundred and fifty years old.
I said ‘if it wasn’t
’, Doc replied defensively.
Before either of them could launch a ridiculous debate over whether or not fully organic humans could live beyond a hundred years, Bei changed the subject.
When will you know anything from the flight recorder, Shang’hai
?
Shang’hai scratched her fingers through her short, pink hair before holding out the box in her hand to Bei.
So far all I can say is this flight recorder is too advanced for the citizen to be from the past. It has wireless capabilities, but none of my frequencies can open more than basic information and that’s in code, similar to the text on her life pod.
Can you unscramble it
? Bei asked, unzipping the second emblem entry in
Jane’s.
I’ve yet to meet a code I can’t solve
, Shang’hai bragged with reason and tapped the square flight recorder against her palm.
I’m going to take this with me to engineering. I can run the decoder program while checking the fusion engines
.