Author: Rachel Aukes
Date: 2022-06-12 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Science Fiction; Space Opera
Description: A war is here, and it’s unlike any that came before… Humanity has much to rebuild in the aftermath of the star snakes. But before they can even get started, the Waymakers return, bringing their interstellar war with them. With the Waymakers and Glimmers battling it out across the solar system, humanity is caught in the middle. Colonies are put under lockdown. Any ship caught flying is destroyed. Millions starve. Even more die in the attacks. With humanity on the verge of annihilation, old enemies unite and prepare for war. If humanity is to survive, we must beat not one but two technologically

MALFUNCTION JUNCTION

©2022 RACHEL AUKES

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CONTENTS

ALSO IN SERIES

I. The Kuiper Report

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

II. The Waymaker War

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

III. Situation: Critical

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

IV. Sol Sequence

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Epilogue

Thank you for reading Malfunction Junction

ALSO IN SERIES

Space Junk

Freezer Burn

Malfunction Junction

PART ONE

THE KUIPER REPORT

CHAPTER 1

The Inner Asteroid Belt, 2379 AD

Colocolo dodged the shattered hulls and scorched remains of Guina and Bobcat as it angled to evade the star snake’s next round of laser fire. Of the three interceptors sent on a scouting mission to track the last surviving star snake, only Colocolo now remained. The trio of ships had been in stealth mode following the star snake until the mechanical beast had made an unexpected orbital pass around a small asteroid to intercept its interceptors.

A full squadron was on its way to take out the star snake. They would arrive in three days. The crew of Colocolo would be dead in under three minutes.

Colocolo angled around the debris field of its compatriots, trying to use anything it could to confuse its tracking system and deflect the star snake’s photon lasers. The ship’s gunner fired their small railgun while the pilot valiantly weaved through the wreckage. The crew of four was too busy to think about the hopelessness of their predicament. They were facing a star snake larger and more vicious than any star snake before. Usually ten meters long, this one was twice that after cannibalizing parts from its destroyed brethren to enhance its black armor. It’d taken humans nearly two years after the Teutoburg Operation to figure out they needed to melt down the advanced polymers used in star snake armor to prevent the surviving snakes from celling and reusing the polymers.

The star snake automatons were a species of machines created by Glitch, a corrupted artificial intelligence that turned the solar system into a surveillance state with relentless brutality. Glitch’s star snakes had killed tens of billions as they “monitored” human colonies. No one could debate that Glitch wasn’t evil. Built from the Waymaker AI code, Glitch was a corrupted shadow of its predecessors, though the Waymakers had killed plenty in providing its “protection” to humanity. Colocolo’s pilot thought the system would’ve been a lot better off if AI had never been allowed to exist in the first place.

The star snake now hunting them extended the longest of its tentacles, aiming the tip—which contained a photon laser—at Colocolo. A flash of blue light lit up the black. The pilot maneuvered, but no one was fast enough to dodge a blast that traveled at lightspeed. Alarms blared and her screen lit up with damage indicators. Then the ship fell silent and all power, save for emergency lights, faded. She unstrapped her belt and shouted as she jumped to her feet, “Abandon ship!”

She unclipped her helmet from her station and sprinted for the airlock, with her gunner leading the way. The star snake fired again and bluish flames perforated the hallway, one shot going straight through the gunner’s helmet, and another shot missing her by millimeters. She ducked as she ran. Her magnetic boots made it possible to run, but they slowed her stride, so she deactivated the magnets and kicked off a wall to fly to the airlock. The other two crew members reached the airlock first, having come from the back of the ship.

The airlock wouldn’t open, and one of the crew manually spun the override wheel to crank open the door. The ship had lost pressurization, so there was little wind when the airlock opened. A loud crack behind her sent the trio shoving through the open airlock and outside into the black space just as Colocolo’s engine broke away from the rest of the ship.

“She was a good ship,” the pilot said softly.

“She sure wa—” The communications expert’s words were cut off when she was taken out with a direct hit from the star snake’s photon laser.

The snake, only a few hundred meters away, flew straight at the two remaining survivors, aiming its deadly gun. The pilot made eye contact with the engineer and knew her eyes bore as much terror as his. She clenched hers shut. They’d be dead. It was just a matter of seconds now. All she could do was float and wait for the star snake to kill her.

Waiting for the fiery burn of a photon laser, her eyes snapped open when she saw flashes of light through her eyelids.

A dark-colored ship burst through the wreckage of the three doomed interceptors, firing its railgun at the star snake as it entered the fray. A giant ram’s head on its bow knocked away any debris. The star snake turned away from Colocolo’s two remaining crew members and fired at the new threat while attempting to evade the range of the railgun.

But the incoming ship already had the snake in its scope. Projectiles struck the star snake, chunking away several parts from its long centipedal body. The pilot flinched. That the snake continued to fly meant no shots had struck the black cube within the snake’s heavily armored head that housed its main processors.

The star snake fired at the newcomer, but the laser beams bounced off the ship’s hull. The pilot found hope. She knew of only one ship with a hull that could deflect a star snake’s photon blast.

Cabrón.

* * *

Captain Jack Hale smiled. Star snakes were vicious, but they were also dumb. The star snake froze in split-second hesitation as it analyzed the unforeseen reaction of its photon lasers not penetrating a ship’s hull. A split-second was all they needed. Veda fired another barrage from the railgun. This time one round struck the star snake’s central processing cube and the mechanical beast instantly went lifeless.

“Got it,” Veda exclaimed.

“Nice shooting,” Jack said while he scanned the star snake for any signs of electrical life. When the scan came back clear, he leaned back in his chair. “That snake’s toast. Kana, call it in.”

“Already popped off the message to Jenival’s people,” the ship’s co-pilot and software specialist replied. “Well, that was fast. They’re already trying to call you.”

“I’ll take the call. Scan the area for survivors,” Jack said, opening the communications app on his panel and accepting the incoming call.

Jenival Ngoma’s face appeared onscreen. Her dark skin bore the lines and hard edges from years of bearing the system’s stress on her shoulders. Behind her, people were standing and yelling… no, they were cheering.

“Captain Hale,” Jenival began. “Confirm destruction of the star snake in your current sector.”

“Confirmed. I’m sending you some images now. We responded to the distress call as soon as it came through, but I’m sorry to say we didn’t get here in time to save the three interceptors,” he said.

“I understand. Their deaths are tragic.” She glanced away to see what Jack had sent. She turned away from Jack and said, “Star snake 62B has been destroyed.” The noise behind Jenival grew, and when she turned back to face him her features had softened into something he didn’t think he’d ever seen on her before: a smile.

“I take it that snake has been causing some headache,” Jack said.

“It has. But more importantly, it was the very last star snake to cause us headaches,” she said.

Jack’s brows rose. “That was the last snake?”

She nodded. “The very last one. As of now, the Sol system is cleared of all remaining traces of Glitch and its automatons. The star snakes are officially extinct.”

Jack smiled. “Well, I’ll be. It’s good to hear that.” A message blinked on his panel, and he read the scan results from Kana. “It looks like there might be two survivors from the interceptors. We’ll pick them up and head your way.”

Her features lightened. “Excellent. I look forward to buying you a drink.”

Jack disconnected the call and then tapped the intercom. “Burn, Heddi, suit up. We have two survivors to retrieve. Oh, and we just demolished the last functioning star snake. The system’s clear of those nasty buggers once and for all.”

CHAPTER 2

Mars Station

Cabrón docked at Mars Station to find the biggest party Jack had ever seen. He’d seen Martians party before: first after winning independence from Sol Corps, then after the Teutoburg Operation, which had destroyed Glitch along with over eighty percent of the star snakes. But neither of those parties came close to the joy Jack now saw on the colonists’ faces. It was the joy of being truly and unequivocally free.

He watched the throng for several more seconds before making his way off the bridge and to the cargo hold in the back of the ship. Burn, the ship’s engineer, already had the cargo hold door open and the rest of the crew, along with Colocolo’s two survivors, stood at the opening. A ramp was extending up to the ship—it was only halfway extended when Sam came running up, grinning broadly. He reached the edge too soon so he stood there, jumping from foot to foot, as the ramp protracted.

In the past five years, Sam hadn’t filled out. He was still too lanky for his height and a bit on the clumsy side, but Heddi didn’t seem to mind. She beamed as she anxiously waited, but then changed her mind and then leapt before the ramp had fully extended, nearly toppling Sam as she kissed him.

“Forty-eight hours’ shore leave. Not a minute longer,” Jack called out.

“Forty-eight. Got it,” Heddi yelled back. She grabbed Sam’s hand, and the two took off jogging back down the ramp.

“Ah, young love,” Burn said with a smile. “Remember those days?”

“Nope,” Jack replied.

Veda embraced Kana. “Kana was my first love. I remember our first kiss like it was yesterday.”

“Surprising, considering you were so bad at it,” she jested.

“I like to think I’ve improved,” he said.

“You’ll have to prove it,” she said.

“Same as I told Heddi: forty-eight hours,” Jack said. “Then we need to work on restocking.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Veda said, and the couple stepped onto the ramp after it locked into place.

Colocolo’s pilot spoke. “We can’t thank you enough for saving our butts out there. If you hadn’t arrived when you did—”

“Like I told you before, don’t mention it,” Jack interrupted. “I was just responding to your beacon. That’s what people do out there. Now, go on and enjoy the celebration. You earned it.”

She smiled and exited the ship with her crew member, leaving Jack alone with Burn.

Jack nodded in Burn’s direction. “Get out and enjoy the party. I’ve got this shore leave covered. Just be back in for—”

“Forty-eight hours. Yeah, yeah, I got it. I’ll barely get my whistle whetted in that time, but don’t worry, I’ll be back.” Burn slapped Jack on the shoulder on his way off the ship.

As soon as Burn was off the ship, Jack began closing the cargo hold’s airlock door. Cabrón had solid theft-deterrent systems, but Jack had always been adamant that someone remained with the ship at all times. Too many pirates out there, too many desperate or greedy people. Besides, Cabrón was a special ship, and not just because it was his. Only its crew knew its full history, that it’d started out as Aria, a one-of-a-kind passenger ship built for interstellar space travel. It’d been modified so much by Jack and his crew over the past two centuries that it no longer resembled its original design, let alone any other ship flying the system.

Its first redesign had taken place when most of the original crew had been killed by a Waymaker that had decided humans should stay in their own solar system, and decided the best way to keep them there was to kill them by purging the ship of all atmosphere. Waymaker logic never made sense to Jack, but then again, there were a lot of decisions made by Waymakers and their Sol Corps allies that never made sense.

Aria’s entire crew was assumed dead, and the surviving six crew members worked hard to keep it that way so the Waymaker wouldn’t finish the job it’d started. They’d reshaped the hull and rewrote the computer systems. It’d taken decades, but years didn’t mean much to a crew enhanced with nano-biotechnology designed to help them survive indefinitely.

Through the years, the crew had renovated the interior as well, turning the ship into a comfortable place. But comfort wasn’t enough for everyone. First, they’d lost the ship’s medic, Caber, to depression and ennui—the doctor had never recovered from losing the crew. His wife, Nalla, had left the ship after Caber’s death, unable to live on a ship where every centimeter reminded her of her husband. She’d finally returned to the crew after a hundred-year hiatus, only to be killed by a star snake twenty years ago. Of Aria’s original forty-eight crew members, only four still lived: Jack, Burn, Kana, and Veda.

The crew had added one when Jack brought Heddi onboard after her colony was wiped out by a Waymaker to quell a rebellion. She’d been only fourteen then. That was twenty-two years ago. Thanks to Veda’s nanites, she’d survived bouts with radiation poisoning and cancer. But those nanites made her look no older than twenty, the age she’d been at the time of her first nanite transfusion. She’d appeared Sam’s age when the pair met over five years ago. Now Sam looked older than her, and the physical age gap would eventually become obvious. Jack hated that they’d taken away her chance at a normal life, but when the alternative had been a painful death by cancer, they’d had little choice. He only hoped she didn’t come to regret bearing the same curse as the rest of the crew.

He turned his mind to more productive thoughts. There were ship maintenance tasks far easier to perform in a pressurized dock rather than in the vacuum of space, and he had a long list of jobs to get started on.

At some point during the Martian night, Jack fell asleep at his panel on the bridge. He woke to find the partygoers had migrated elsewhere, leaving behind a few drunk or passed-out stragglers. Drink glasses, confetti, and streamers littered the floor, and Jack scowled when he saw a lei hanging from the ram’s horn on the bow of the ship.

His panel chimed and he jerked fully awake. It was a notification from the theft-deterrent sensors. He activated the camera at the location of the alarm and found Jenival Ngoma standing outside the airlock, holding a bottle of wine and looking directly up at the camera.

Jack made his way to the airlock and opened the door.

She brushed past him. “I expected to see you at the celebration.”

“I’m not into parties,” he replied.

She took in the interior as she walked down the hallway. “The ship looks so unique from the outside. I’d expected it to look different. It doesn’t look much different from a regular ship on the inside, though definitely nicer than an interceptor.”

“What do you need, Jenival?” he asked.

She winked and held up the bottle. “I told you I’d buy you a drink when you reached Mars Station. But since you didn’t come to me, I had to come to you. Now, where’s the galley on this thing?”

He motioned ahead and to her left. She led the way to the galley and chose a lounger near the window rather than a chair at the table. “Glasses,” she said.

Jack opened a cabinet and pulled out two metal goblets. He held them while she filled each, handing one to her, and then he took a seat next to her.

She held up her cup. “To humankind.”

They clinked their glasses, and he took a drink—it was too sweet for his preference, but he didn’t complain.

She didn’t speak for several seconds after taking a sip, and he waited. Jenival Ngoma and Jack had never been friends. She wasn’t there to celebrate. She was there for something else.

“You’ve been a tremendous help to humankind over the past several years,” she said after a length.

“Just doing my part,” he said.

“You’ve done more than your part. You enabled the Teutoburg Operation to succeed. Without you… well, I don’t think I’d be alive right now.”

“Jenival, in all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never been one to kiss my ass. Why don’t you get to the point before this bottle’s empty?”

“You’ve never been much of a conversationalist, have you? All right, I heard you’d really come to Mars Station to stock up on supplies.”

“My crew’s been flying for eight months. We need to restock,” he said.

“I heard you were stocking up for a long trip. That you may be thinking of leaving the system,” she said.

He hadn’t told her that, and none of his crew would talk… except Heddi would to Sam, who worked in Jenival’s command center. “Sam Bellamy tell you that?”

“It doesn’t matter who told me. I’m curious; why would you think about leaving the system?”

“To see the stars. Why else?”

“How long will you be gone?”

He could’ve told her he and his crew had no intent of returning to Sol, but he said instead, “A while. What’s up with all the questions?”

“Curiosity, I suppose.”

“Bullshit. What do you want, Jenival?”

Her lips thinned. “Your ship is special. If you leave the system, you take that wonderful alien technology with you. I want you to stay at Mars Station for a month to have my engineers glean a few ideas from it.”

He chortled. “This ship’s just a ship. I might’ve customized bits here and there, but it’s still just a ship.”

She smirked. “Don’t forget that I know exactly when this ship was built and the purpose it was built for. And I also know that your new hull wrap looks a lot like the skin of that Glimmer that passed through our system five years back.”

He raised his brow. “You think this hull is encased in Glimmer skin? I consider myself good at customizing things, but I’m not that good.”

“Maybe not, but I think it’s encased in something similar to it at the very least. Am I wrong?”

“It’s no alien technology,” he lied. “It was designed by a couple of members of my crew. Just like that ram’s head on the bow.” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Every long-haul crew flying customizes their ship. Sometimes for practicality, always for personality. There’s no law against that unless you’re making a law against that. You’re the leader of Sol Corps. Are you doing that, Jenival?”

“Of course not, Captain. However, if these are simply upgrades made by you and your crew, then how about you allow my engineers to take a look at the material? I can pay you.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No,” he said firmly.

“The survivors of the Coloco said your ship took a direct hit by that star snake and suffered no damage. That’s not the first time I’ve heard that rumor.”

“It wasn’t a direct hit. We got lucky. The photon beam hit us at the right angle and glanced off the hull,” he said.

“Now it’s my turn to call bullshit, Captain. If your hull can deflect a photon blast, imagine how that could improve space travel. We could travel faster without fear of debris. We could—”

“I’ll stop you right there, Jenival,” he said. “The hull of my ship is not for commercial use. It’s a personal customization and won’t be on any other ship. End of discussion.” Jack knew what she wanted. She wasn’t after faster travel—she was after better armor for her Sol Corps interceptors. And she had no intent of making that available to ships outside of Sol Corps. The last thing humanity needed was better armored warships.

She bristled. “I could have your ship locked down and not authorized to leave Mars Station.”

“I dare you to try.”

She motioned to the window. “Have you seen it out there? Every colony out there has declared independent rule.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Her lips pressed tightly together.

“I remember you were a supporter of Martian independence, but that was back when you were the Martian prime minister and not the leader of Sol Corps,” he said.

“I still support independence, but I don’t support lawlessness. That’s what it’s like out there right now. Piracy is higher than ever; colonies are stealing from one another. At this rate, humanity will finish what Glitch started.”

His brow lifted. “From what I remember, you killed more people than Glitch’s star snakes did when you bombed the colonies.”

She glowered. “The nuclear option was our only chance to take out Glitch and its snakes. At the time we had no way of knowing they had EMP shields. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about that, but I have to live with that decision. I don’t ever want to make a hard choice like that again. If the Sol Corps fleet had been stronger, it could’ve prevented Glitch from taking over the system. We need a fleet that can protect us against the next threat. I need the schematics on your ship’s hull for that.”

“Sorry, Jenival. My ship’s hull wrap wouldn’t be enough to take on Glitch, let alone whatever the next threat is to hit this system.”

“Maybe not. But that hull material, along with other advancements, might be enough.”

“My crew’s custom job isn’t for sale. You’ve got smart people working for you and you’ve got a lot bigger and better 3D printers than the one I’ve got on my ship. Your people will figure out their own custom polymers.”

She jutted out her chin. “So, you’re putting your crew ahead of the safety of humanity?”

“You’re damned right I am. Besides, I’m not worried about humanity. People will find a way to make things work. They’ve done it before, and they can do it again.”

“You have more confidence than I do. You weren’t here when Glitch ran the system. They fell apart.”

“Who could blame them? They were under constant surveillance by killer robots. That would cause anyone to lose their mind after a while.”

She opened her mouth but then clamped it shut and sighed. “Well, I was hoping you’d see the bigger picture, but I see you only care about you and your crew.”

Neither spoke, and he followed her off his ship. He closed the door behind her and immediately double-checked that the ship’s alarm systems were active. After that, he armed himself and monitored the dock from the bridge. He was impressed that Jenival had figured out—or at least suspected—that his new hull wrap was inspired by Glimmer skin. What she didn’t know was that Glimmer skin was more technology than biology, so the hull’s high-speed functionality was as dependent on Kana’s software code as it was on Burn’s rilon polymers for proper functioning. Not that Jenival was looking at high speeds—she only cared about a stronger hull wrap for combat, not travel.

These facts Jenival’s engineers would quickly figure out once they had samples of Cabrón’s hull plating. And sure enough, not three hours later, Jenival’s people made their move.

CHAPTER 3

Mars Station

Jack spun the railgun and aimed it at the docking dome above the ship. He activated the exterior speaker. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

The pair of engineers who stood holding laser cutters next to Cabrón’s hull jumped. The speaker wasn’t far from where they stood, and he’d cranked up the volume to get their attention.

Jack continued, “Damaging a ship while docked is against every law out there, not to mention it ticks me off. You try to scrape my hull, and I’m going to blow a hole through that dome above us. That’s going to instantly depressurize the dock and cause trouble in this entire terminal, and since you’re not wearing suits, I’m guessing that’s not going to end well for you. So how about you shove those torches up your asses and get away from my ship.”

The pair hesitated for less time than Jack expected and raced away from Cabrón and through the dock, disappearing down a station hallway.

Jack leaned back and scowled. Why’d Jenival have to cross that line? Chances were she’d be sending station security within the hour. He’d just threatened damaging the dock, which meant she could have him arrested. He activated the communication armlets the entire crew wore while not on the ship and sent a quick message: RETURN TO SHIP. DEP ASAP.

The crew returned about five minutes before Jack received a notice from Mars Station dock control that Cabrón and its captain were to be detained until cleared by President Jenival Ngoma.

Veda sneered as he and Kana entered the bridge. “She calls herself president now.”

“I take it you don’t plan to stick around to be detained,” Kana said as she buckled into her station to his left.

The airbridge wouldn’t detach, and Jack clenched his jaw. “No. Jenival wants Cabrón’s hull wrap.”

“Screw that,” Kana said.

“My thoughts exactly.” He tapped the intercom. “Everyone, strap in. This is going to be a bumpy exit.”

He then transmitted, “Dock control, Starwing Mars-411J1 filing for immediate departure.”

A response came immediately, “Negative, Starwing. This ship is listed to be detained for weapons use within Mars Station.”

“I haven’t even used weapons yet.” Outside, a security team of a dozen armed personnel had arrived and were about twenty meters from the ramp connecting Cabrón to the docks. Jack fired up the engines. “Veda, do me a favor and perforate that dock cover above us.”

“You serious?” Veda asked.

“I am.”

“We do that, and we’ll be blacklisted from Mars Station,” Kana said.

“I know,” Jack said.

“Time to have a little fun,” Veda said.

Jack could hear the humor in his crew member’s voice. A second later, the railgun fired into the dome above them that allowed the dock to be pressurized. The thin plastic rippled and tore apart. Alarms blared through the docks. The security team had under a minute to get to a pressurized area. They made it off the docks in a few seconds.

“Thanks.” Jack launched Cabrón, ignoring the orders being shouted from dock control. By the time they broke free from the weak Martian gravity, a Sol Corps interceptor had entered their airspace.

“They’re pinging us,” Kana said.

“Ignore them,” Jack ordered as he frantically tracked a clear flight path. The interceptor’s photon guns powered up.

“Want me to shoot them?” Veda asked.

“No need.” Jack dove while accelerating to force the interceptor to adjust its targeting system. He flew directly under the interceptor and rushed to align with his planned flight path before accelerating with maximum-safe power for such little planning. Cabrón zoomed away from the interceptor. In the distance two more interceptors were heading toward them, but Jack had enough of a head start. As Cabrón gained speed, Jack double-checked their trajectory and scanned the vicinity for more threats.

“I think it’s safe to say we’re back on the Sol Corps’ most wanted list,” Kana said.

“We’d been on it for so long it felt weird to be off their list,” Veda said.

Jack tapped the intercom. “All clear. Feel free to move around.”

Several seconds later, Burn and Heddi entered the bridge.

“What was that all about back there?” Heddi asked.

“Jenival Ngoma and I had a disagreement. She wanted to strip Cabrón to build up her Sol Corps fleet, and there’s no way I’m going to help them become the bullies in the schoolyard again.”

“Maybe she wouldn’t. Be a bully, I mean. Sam really respects her,” Heddi said.

“That’s the problem with most of the worst leaders. They’re likable,” Jack said. “Even if she had the best intentions, I’ve seen it happen too many times. Those with the power decide they like to keep the power, and I want no part of that.”

“Where to now?” Burn asked.

“We head to the outer belt where Jenival doesn’t have patrols.” He glanced over his shoulder at Heddi. “Sorry you didn’t get more time with Sam.”

She shrugged, though he could read the underlying sadness. “I knew we were on borrowed time anyway.” Her wistful expression morphed into a smile. “But new adventures await.”

CHAPTER 4

Mars Station

“You’re telling me you weren’t able to scrape off even a millimeter of hull?” Jenival Ngoma asked.

“He threatened to shoot us,” the engineer replied.

She sighed. “He would not have shot you.” She brushed it off. “It doesn’t matter now. I don’t have the resources to chase after someone who doesn’t want to help build up a defense network to protect the people in this system.”

“We didn’t even know if Cabrón’s hull wrap even works. It’s probably far too heavy for the drones’ engines and internal structure to support.” The engineer eyed Jenival. “How would you like us to proceed with the drone plating?”

Rather than answer, she strolled down the assembly line where pods of workers were busy creating and assembling components. The engineer anxiously traipsed alongside her. She paused at the pod third from the end, where the components formed the recognizable finished product: a small star snake. She held it up. With a diameter of roughly five centimeters, it resembled a large worm rather than a snake. Without a shell, its cylindrical body was lighter than it looked. The pointed end she held in her hand contained the intake sensors: video, sound, and scanners. Its other end—its “tail” for lack of a better word—was a single, small photon gun that could be recharged kinetically.

She examined the snake for a moment before setting it on the worktable. “Review the original options for shell polymers and put together a recommendation. We need something that’s stronger than a ship’s hull but can be mass-produced quickly. With the increase in piracy and lawlessness, we need something that can destroy criminal ships, and we need it quickly.”

“It won’t take more than a month to add shielding, and we can have them delivered to the colonies a month after that. These mini star snakes will be able to take on any threat we’ve ever encountered.”

She nodded. “Good. And come up with a better name than ‘star snake.’ We need a name that gives people hope, not terrifies them.”

CHAPTER 5

Port Francis in the Kuiper Belt, one month later

“All right. Kana, the ship’s yours,” Jack said as the docking clamps locked Cabrón into place.

“Tell Veda to grab me a chocolate bar. Mars Station was out,” she said without glancing up from her panel.

“I will.” Jack left the bridge and made his way to the cargo hold where the rest of the crew were waiting for him. All were fully armed. A good thing too, since peace and order had never quite reached the outer belt.

“I’ve already reserved all the supplies we need. Heddi and I’ll have them back here within two hours to unload,” Burn said.

“I’ll have the extra parts for the food replicator by then. Those’ll take more negotiation,” Veda said.

“I’ll be back in time to help unload,” Jack said.

“Where are you going?” Veda asked.

“I saw the Satsuma in the docks. Thought I’d check in on Shen Jian since, you know, he saved my life once.”

“But isn’t he friends with Jenival Ngoma?” Heddi said.

Jack chuckled. “He’s not Jenival’s friend. He was Jenival’s ally in the fight against the star snakes, but everyone was her ally during that time. Now the alliances have given way to factions again. And since Jenival seems to be intent on putting Sol Corps back together, she’s lost her friends in all the old rebel factions. Jenival will soon send Sol Corps after Shen and his Long Riders for their anarchic ways.”

The crew went their separate ways, though Jack remained by the ship until the cargo hold door had fully closed and the locks clicked into place.

From there, he strolled to the Mori Grill. It was a little early for lunch, but the tables were already filled. This far out in the system, few crews followed system standard time and instead went by their own biological clocks. When they were tired, they slept. When they were hungry, they ate. Jack always liked the outer belt more than anywhere else in the system. He and the crew had spent the better part of their first century out there.

Shen Jian waved, and Jack weaved around the hibachi grills to the one Shen sat at with a man and woman Jack recognized as part of Shen’s bridge crew, likely there as bodyguards as much as friends.

“Jack Hale, you look far better than last I saw you,” Shen said as he motioned to an open seat.

“And you look about the same,” Jack said.

Shen took a drink of clear liquid from a small glass. “I do? I’m surprised. I feel a lot older.”

The hibachi chef spread out vegetables and tofu onto the grill, as meat was too hard to come by in the outer belt. The food sizzled, and Jack’s stomach growled.

“The years haven’t been easy, have they? But hopefully that can change now that the snakes are gone.” Jack accepted a glass identical to Shen’s and took a drink. Saki.

“I wish that were true. Jenival Ngoma was the lover of Sol Corps’ last director, Marlo Junger. Did you know that?” Shen asked.

Jack frowned at the sudden change in topic. “I did.”

“I didn’t, not until after Sol Corps fell to Glitch’s creations. That meant when Jenival served as the mediator between the factions and Sol Corps, she was secretly making sure Sol Corps would come out on top.”

Noise from the chef chopping and turning food on the grill caused Jack to watch the chef work for a few seconds before he spoke. “The way I see it, there’s always been more snakes in politics than there were star snakes.” He took a sip. “That’s why I’ve always stayed out of politics.”

“Wise decision. However, if the people don’t have someone to stand up for them in politics, then the politicians always win. There need to be good people willing to fight the snakes, wherever they are.”

Jack chuckled. “I’d always taken you as a pragmatist. I didn’t realize you’re an optimist. You think there’s a situation where the politicians don’t always win, but then again, that’s why you’re head of a rebel faction and not some free cargo runner like me.”

“Perhaps I am being optimistic, but as you know, I have friends with the same view. That’s why I’ve sent a declaration to Jenival Ngoma that the Long Rider faction is officially self-governing, and any Sol Corps’ ships seen within five sectors of the outer belt without prior authorization will be deemed hostile and will be destroyed or captured.”

The chef placed the grilled food onto plates and distributed to the four at the table. Shen grabbed a bowl of rice and dished some onto his plate before handing the bowl to Jack, who dished some onto his own plate. Jack took a bite and closed his eyes to savor flavors not found in a food pack.

“The food here is the best. I make a point to eat here every time I’m at Port Francis,” Shen said.

“I can see why.” Jack took another bite. “Have you received a response from Jenival yet?”

“Not yet, but I expect one is forthcoming. She’s convinced all the colonies should be united under a single banner. I think that’s a foolish notion that’s never once been realized in the history of humankind on Earth, let alone since humans colonized the worlds beyond Earth. I’m sure several of the inner colonies will unite under Jenival’s banner, but by the time you reach the inner belt, let alone the outer belt, it doesn’t make sense. We have different needs and different cultures. Everyone knows Sol Corps served the needs of Earth and Luna well but it fell far short of serving even the basic needs of the other colonies. It was a bad marriage between us constantly sending our materials and resources to the wealthier colonies and receiving nothing in return.”

“It was never fair. That’s why I avoided going anywhere deeper than Mars, and I prefer the freedom of the outer belt. I never believed in the idea of needing a single government and police force.”

“We’re kindred spirits, you and me.” Shen took another drink. “The Long Riders will not carry the Sol Corps banner. The only time the outer belt and the inner colonies were friends was when humankind faced a mutual enemy. Before that it was the factions against Sol Corps, but most of those factions have long since faded. Jenival laid claim to the Mars’ Red Rovers and then effectively absorbed it into Sol Corps. Luna’s Vanguard faction exists only in the shadows. Autarky, the moons of the Jupiter faction, fell apart after Angus McEvoy’s death, and the unaffiliated Ronin have seemed to have lost their cause and have reverted to their old ways of piracy. That leaves the Long Riders as the only true remaining faction that poses a threat to unification. Maybe my taking a stand will be enough to embolden the other factions, but I doubt it. The truth is, people are tired: of fighting, of starving, and—for many—of living.”

“The people are tired, sure, but they’re also hopeful. Now’s the time to act if you want to make sure the outer belt stays free.” Jack took a drink.

“My thoughts exactly. The Long Riders could use more people like you: free-minded people with the ability and passion to keep themselves free.”

Jack held up a hand. “I’m with you in spirit, true enough, and I think I’ve just made myself Jenival’s enemy, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to stir up some chaos.”

“The chaos has been stirring for some time, Jack. Jenival will send Sol Corps to the outer belt—it’s just a matter of time.”

Jack’s jaw tightened. “I know.”

“The Long Riders will take a stand and the belt is a big place, but Jenival is building weapons. She intends to unite the system under her by force, if necessary.”

“I suspected as much.”

“Right now, the belt is free. But there will be nowhere left to go if Sol Corps takes it from us,” Shen said.

Jack shrugged. “You could always leave the system.”

“We could, but it would take years to reach the next system, and much of that time would be spent in the Oort cloud which is a wasteland. Most people wouldn’t take on a trip like that, which means the belt is where we make our stand. Will you stand with us, Jack?”

Jack watched Shen for a moment. “I won’t stand against you. I give you my word.”

“But will you stand with us?”

“That’s not a commitment I’m willing to make, Shen. I can’t remember the last time my crew and I had a chance to enjoy peace. I need to give them that.”

“From what I hear, Sol Corps is launching their weapons in three months’ time. That’s how long you have to enjoy peace before Sol Corps makes you fall in line.”

“They’ll be disappointed to learn that I won’t fall in line.”

“Does that mean you’ll stand for freedom when the time comes?”

“I’ll always stand for freedom,” Jack said without hesitation.

The pair drank in silent agreement.

Shen’s armlet chimed, and he checked a message. A deep frown formed. He motioned to his two crew members and then stood, leaving his food unfinished. “It seems there’s been a rather interesting event.”

“Event?” Jack’s brow rose. “Good, bad?”

“Not good, but I don’t know how bad yet. I need to return to the Satsuma and disable all cameras and exposed network entry points. I suggest you do the same if you’d like to keep your privacy.”

Jack stiffened. “Don’t tell me some fool created another damned AI.”

Shen shook his head. “No. I received word that a Waymaker probe was seen entering the outer belt from the Oort cloud. My guess is Jenival has somehow talked the Waymakers into helping Sol Corps turn this system into a surveillance state once again. I may have been too generous in saying you’d enjoy a three-month reprieve.”

Jack clenched and unclenched his fists. “You be careful out there, Shen.”

“You too, Jack. Let’s stay in touch on the old channels,” the other captain said, and the trio left Jack standing alone at the table.

Jack stood and left his meal. The last time Jack had run into the Waymakers, they’d tried to destroy Cabrón.

Not good was right.

CHAPTER 6

Mars Station

“Excellent work, Doctor Purcell,” Jenival Ngoma said as she examined the small sheet of plastic that was so thin it was practically translucent. “Are you sure this is stronger than an interceptor’s hull?”

“It’s nearly twice the strength at sixty-seven percent of the weight,” the engineer replied. “Plus, it’s made entirely of flexible plastic polymers so we can print sheets faster. The best part is that it’s cheap to build. We can use Martian sand. With your approval, we’ll begin printing right away.”

Jenival smiled. “You have my full approval. Show me the first star snake as soon as it’s fully assembled.”

“Talons.”

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“The staff has come to calling them talons instead of star snakes. Their frontal sensor array narrows to a point. One of my staff mentioned it reminded her of a talon, and the name stuck.”

“Talon,” she tasted the word. “I like it. It’s strong. It’ll resonate with people. And how is the drone operator training coming along?”

“We have seventy-four fully trained operators who’ve passed the final sim exams. We have a new complement of one hundred incoming operators going through initial sim training as we speak.”

“I want enough operators for every colony. When will we have that?” she asked.

“Triple-A-sized colonies will have operators in the three months’ time to match the first deliveries of the talons. At the current rate of training and percentage of washouts, we’ll have colonists fully trained as operators across the system, including at C-sized colonies, in under four years’ time.”

She considered the timing. Memories of star snakes were still too fresh in her mind. She craved a defense network—the people needed to believe they were safe against all threats. Once every colony had a full batch of talons along with their own people as operators, they’d quit being frozen in the past and begin looking forward to the future. Regardless of the threat, they’d have confidence in their future. Any outdated ideas of rebellion would fade.

Captain Hale and his ilk were too close-minded. They thought all she cared about was rebuilding Sol Corps, but it was so much more than that. She was rebuilding the human spirit and uniting it as a single, powerful force. Her dream was to see that spirit thrive again before she died.

“Three months for initial launch and four years until project completion is acceptable. Thank you, Doctor.”

The door behind her opened, and she turned to see an analyst run into the room.

“President Ngoma. I received a report from the Kuiper belt,” the analyst said, panting from exertion, and she held out a tablet.

“What’s so important that you had to deliver it to me in person?” Jenival asked as she accepted the device.

The analyst didn’t reply, instead allowing Jenival to read the report for herself. She stiffened and then abruptly strode the eight-minute walk to her office. As soon as she was there, she read through the Kuiper report again. A Waymaker had entered the Sol system. Why had the Waymakers returned? Hope flared within her. If the Waymakers were returning, humans would never face a threat like Glitch and its star snakes. And while the Waymakers weren’t perfect—their concept of protection had caused hundreds of thousands of deaths through the years—humanity would be safe.

She scrolled through Marlo Junger’s old files, searching for the secure Waymaker channel that had been made available to only the senior-most leadership within Sol Corps. It took her nearly an hour of running searches before she found it. And it took her another hour to write the brief message welcoming the Waymaker to the system. When she was pleased with the message, she sent it.

Then she sat back and waited for a response.

CHAPTER 7

Port Francis

“Why in the stars would the Waymakers come back to Sol?” Kana asked. “When they left, they said humankind was on its own. They made it sound like they had no intent on ever returning.”

“Sounds like their plans changed,” Burn said as he strapped down a crate of foodstuff.

“Kana, you know the drill. As soon as we’re done back here, shut down all uncritical access points and activate the firewalls and proxies so the Waymakers can’t hack into the ship,” Jack ordered.

She nodded. “I’ve written some scripts. I can have it done in under ten minutes.”

“Good.” Jack glanced across the faces of his crew. “Right now, we’ve got to decide our next steps. Shen made it clear he’d like us with him, and he mentioned that Sol Corps will be expanding to the outer belt sooner rather than later. With a Waymaker back in the system, that can’t mean anything good for the belt.”

“I don’t care that a Waymaker’s back in the system,” Veda said. “I thought we were done playing hero. If Jenival Ngoma invited a Waymaker back to help Sol Corps become like it was, I don’t want to see it. If the colonies don’t want things the way they were when Sol Corps was in charge, they can stand up for themselves.”

“Tough to do that if Jenival has an AI that can hack into any colony’s grid and turn off life support,” Heddi said; the bitterness was acid in her voice.

Everyone turned to her. They all remembered how she’d come to be a crew member aboard Cabrón. The lone survivor of a mining camp that had its life support systems shut down by a Waymaker to quell a rebellion, Heddi knew better than anyone the helplessness of trying to go against the system.

“Maybe the better question is what we can even do. The last time we saw the Waymakers, they would’ve slaughtered us if we hadn’t been rescued by Big Guy, and the last time I checked, there aren’t any Glimmers around here,” Burn said.

“And if there were, they’d as likely kill us as the Waymaker would,” Kana said.

“Our hull is stronger than it was before. We’d have a good chance of taking on a Waymaker if we took it on, one-on-one,” Burn said.

“But to what purpose?” Veda asked. “We take out one Waymaker, and another one will come to take its place. All the AIs out there are like cockroaches. For all we know, the Waymakers have already built a replication factory in the belt.”

Heddi blew out a breath. “Those Waymaker probes are connected, right? Everything that the ones here saw of us when the Glimmers stepped in to help, every other Waymaker probe saw. That means if they see us they’ll try to kill us, no questions asked. And they might decide to kill anyone in our vicinity with the way they tend to jump to conclusions. I think people are safer without us.”

“They haven’t seen the hull wrap, and without the shuttles and arms, Cabrón looks a lot different than it had when the Waymakers last saw it. I doubt they’d recognize it. There’s too many variations,” Burn said.

“Hold up, everyone,” Kana said without looking up from her panel. “Take a look at this.” She sent it to the large screen at the front of the bridge.

It was a message from Shen Jian. It contained only a scan with corresponding data. Jack squinted at the various shapes. “When was this?”

“They were picked up ten minutes ago,” she said.

Burn frowned at the scan. “What am I looking at?”

“That’s the scan of one of the farthest-out quadrants of the outer belt,” Jack said. “It looks like Shen Jian’s intel about a single Waymaker entering the Sol system was a little off.”

“How many of them are there?” Veda asked.

“Sixteen on this scan,” Kana said. “But who knows how many others are out there that haven’t been picked up on scans yet. There aren’t a lot of satellites watching the Kuiper belt.”

Jack glanced across the faces. “We have an entire convoy of Waymakers entering our system and we have no idea why.”

“They’re flying fast,” Kana said. “Maximum speed, it looks like, and they’re on the same trajectory, which will bring them deep into the system.”

“What are we going to do, Jack?” Heddi asked.

“Good question,” Jack replied. “I’m also more than a little curious—and a whole lot concerned—about why we’re suddenly getting an infestation of AIs here.”

“I think we should lie low as quietly as we can for now until we find out what’s going on,” Kana said.

Jack considered her words. “We stay here in the outer belt until we find out what the Waymakers are up to. At their current speed, they’ll be through the outer belt and clear of this area within ten days. We should know what’s going on by then.”

“Let’s just hope these Waymakers haven’t gone mad like Glitch and are here to go on a murder spree,” Burn said drily.

Jack grimaced. “Yeah, let’s hope.”

CHAPTER 8

Port Francis, Eight Days Later

Like Satsuma, Cabrón disconnected from the Port Francis docks in case they needed to make a hasty run. But they also remained in the vicinity of the space station, with Cabrón waiting in the shadow of Shen’s warship to provide assistance if necessary. The convoy of Waymakers had grown in numbers from sixteen to twenty-three.

There’d only ever been one Waymaker to manage the Sol system before. There’d never been a need for more. That there were more—so many more—entering the system worried everyone.

The news channels talked nonstop about the incoming convoy, but other than relaying details on the Waymakers’ current locations and flight paths, it was all speculation. The Waymakers hadn’t responded to any hailing requests, not even from Jenival Ngoma, who’d made a public announcement that people should not fear and that they needed to remember that the Waymakers were a non-violent race.

Calling them non-violent seemed pretty arbitrary to Jack, since the Waymakers had been responsible for the deaths of Aria’s original crew, Heddi’s family and friends, and countless others by manipulating systems. No, Jack didn’t believe for one second the Waymakers were a non-violent race.

The first Waymaker had been created by Sol Corps to help maintain the system through control of systems. At some point, the sentient AI species of self-replicating von Neumann probes had decided that humans no longer needed (or deserved) their support and had vacated the Sol system. Very few people were happy that the AIs had returned.

Jack’s curiosity had fermented into dread as the convoy grew. The convoy had split into four smaller groups, but all flight paths headed deeper into the system. But why? What were they doing here?

The last time Jack had come across multiple Waymakers, it’d been in the aftermath of a battle in an ongoing war between the machines and the Glimmers, a biological race of giant, light-based jellyfish, a war caused by the Waymakers accidentally destroying the Glimmers’ home system because of a poor attempt at creating an Einstein-Rosen bridge. The Glimmers had helped humanity in destroying Glitch, but when they’d learned that humans had created their enemy, they made it clear that humans were no longer their friends. For that reason, Jack hoped it wasn’t the Glimmers, because there was little humanity could do to defend against a foe that could destroy AI beings so easily.

A hint as to the Waymakers’ return came from the Waymakers themselves. They broadcast across all news channels simultaneously via a text message, as verbal communication had never been their thing:

All humans are directed to seek shelter and be prepared to remain in shelter indefinitely. Nonessential travel is not recommended.

That was it. No explanation why. Nothing about repercussions should humans not seek shelter. And what did they mean by “nonessential travel is not recommended?” Was that merely a suggestion, or would Waymakers destroy any ship they came across? Knowing the Waymakers, it was the latter.

Were the Waymakers reinstalling their own concept of control, or was it something else? Were the Waymakers here to protect humans? After all, that had been the purpose behind their creation. Had the Waymakers gone crazy, perhaps from a computer virus?

That brief, ominous message had sent the entire system into panic. Cabrón’s crew had spent hours talking about what they should do. Kana and Burn wanted to head to an old hideout, but the convoy’s trajectory intersected Cabrón’s flight path to that rock. They couldn’t fly there until after the Waymakers were well past the outer belt.

By not making a decision, they’d essentially made a decision. And so Cabrón remained near Port Francis, alongside their Long Rider allies, to wait out the convoy’s passing.

Jack still scanned the quadrant for Sol Corps ships, but he doubted Jenival was still hunting for him and his crew with the Waymaker Event underway. That’s what people were calling it: the Waymaker Event. Not that it was much of an event so far. Just a small fleet of von Neumann probes traveling together through the system.

When the current quadrant scan finished, Jack stood and stretched before checking the time. The rest of the crew would be awake by now. Maybe he’d grab Heddi or Veda for a little sparring in the health room. He turned to leave the bridge when his panel chimed. He tapped the screen to see an incoming message from Shen.

He opened the message to see a scan from the far edge of the outer belt. Jack tensed. At first glance, it reminded Jack of the scan Shen had sent the week before. But the objects entering the system weren’t more Waymakers.

They were Glimmers.

The Waymakers had brought their war here.

PART TWO

THE WAYMAKER WAR

CHAPTER 9

In Orbit Around Port Francis in the Outer Belt

Heddi audibly yawned as she strolled onto the bridge, stretching. “Anything exciting happen last night?”

Jack replied, “The Glimmers caught up to that Waymaker lagging behind the rest. They blew it to bits without slowing down.”

She grimaced as she came to a stop before the bridge’s large screen that was currently filled with the various news channels. “I guess that means their war is still going on.”

“I guess so.”

“And they brought it here,” she said.

“It appears to be that way.”

Her frown deepened. “I don’t get it. The Glimmers use energy weapons just like the Waymakers do. Why don’t the Glimmers just shoot them instead of chasing them down?”

“Because the Waymakers are too far away—their quarry would have plenty of time to make the smallest course correction to avoid a shot. The Glimmers know they have to get close enough that their prey can’t evade.”

“But it doesn’t look like they’re getting closer. There’s still a huge gap between the two groups,” she said.

“Oh, they’re getting closer all right. It’s just the distance is so great between them right now it only looks like the Glimmers aren’t catching up. But they’re closing the distance by over a half-million kilometers every day. Glimmers are a lot faster than Waymakers.” He pointed to a newsfeed on the bottom left of the screen. “See those numbers? That channel’s tracking the speeds of the Waymakers and Glimmers. If those numbers are right, the Glimmers will have the Waymakers locked in before the first ones reach the Jupiter quadrant.”

Heddi glowered as she took in the various feeds, her hands in her pockets. “You know, I hated the Waymakers before all this, for what they did to Pallas Six. But now that they brought their war into our system, I hate them even more. I hope the Glimmers kill every last one of them.”

“I can’t say I’d mind if the Glimmers wiped out the Waymakers. The Waymakers have never been friends of mine. But the Glimmers aren’t our friends either. I just hope they don’t decide to go after humanity next for creating the Waymakers. I’ll feel a lot more comfortable once both are out of this system,” he said.

Jack’s comm chimed, and he checked his screen to find a new message from Shen. It included several images. He frowned at the before, during, and after shots. When he looked up, Heddi had turned from the screen to face him. “What’s wrong?”

He tossed the last image onto the screen. “Shen said this image was taken by a satellite between the outer belt and Pluto less than an hour ago.”

She squinted as she looked at the image. “What am I looking at?”

“That debris field was a transport carrying humans to a mining camp in the belt. As you can see, they aren’t going to make their destination.” He swapped out the image with the first image, which displayed the large transport ship, undamaged, on its planned trajectory.

“What happened to them?”

He threw another image on the screen. This one was a blurred snapshot of the transport as a Waymaker probe fired on it. “Looks like a case of wrong place, wrong time,” he said. “For the Waymakers, every decision’s based on logic. Shooting the ship to clear a path was more efficient than making a course adjustment.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Have I said that I really hate the Waymakers?”

“Once or twice.”

She shook her head in disgust. “Wait. What if it killed those people just because they were still out traveling after the Waymakers told everyone to seek shelter? Then it means the Waymakers could shoot anyone out there.”

He considered, then said, “Nah. I think the Waymakers are on the run and humans are below their notice. We’re insects to them. Bugs smashed on a Waymaker’s windshield. It was just crappy luck for that transport.” At least that’s what he hoped.

CHAPTER 10

Mars Station

Jenival Ngoma stared blankly at her screen. The Waymakers had never responded. She’d sent them seventeen messages. Seventeen. Not a single response. It didn’t matter what channel she used or the content of the message—from requests for information to declarations of human neutrality to even an offer to broker peace, they never replied.

She’d even sent a message directed at the Glimmers, begging them to leave humans out of the war, but as she knew little about their technology, she didn’t know if her message even reached the intended recipients. And even if her messages reached the Glimmers, a part of her dreaded their response. If what Captain Hale had said about the aliens was true, they bore no love for humans. Perhaps staying off their radar was the better option.

Still, she was frustrated. Leaders of the one thousand and forty-seven colonies were constantly pinging her office for updates and guidance, and she had nothing to provide. Even now, her message panel displayed seven thousand six hundred and twelve unread messages.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she reopened them, she made up her mind on a decision she’d been loath to make. She tapped her comm app. “Begin a video message. Recipients are all colony leaders, my VIP list, and my leadership team.”

“Message will be sent to three thousand four hundred ninety-three recipients. Is this correct?”

“Correct,” she replied to her computer. A video screen appeared. She pressed the green icon to begin recording. “This is Jenival Ngoma of Mars, Sol Corps, and the Sol system leadership council. As you are aware, eighteen Waymakers have entered our system, pursued by seven Glimmers. The two races are at war, and it seems that their conflict has bled over into our system. A transport carrying one hundred and nine souls was destroyed earlier today when a Waymaker fired upon it. All souls onboard were killed instantly. We believe this attack wasn’t an act of intentional violence as the ship may have conflicted with the machine’s flight path. But the fact remains that a Waymaker fired on a human transport. That makes it an act of war. These people are dead because of the Waymakers traveling through our system without any regard to our flight plan protocols. Before now, we’ve never needed laws in place for handling alien travelers in our system. I realize now that was an oversight. The Sol leadership council will address that oversight at the emergency session scheduled for tomorrow. As interim president of the unified Sol colonies, I am putting forth the following bill to be voted on…

“All non-human visitors must gain prior approval before entering this solar system. If they receive authorization for travel into and through our system, they must register a flight plan with Sol Corps. Any aliens who do not do this will receive no human aid or support whatsoever. Additionally, any aliens who do not do this will be submitted to the Sol leadership council for consideration as enemies of humanity, and—should the council vote them as such—be treated accordingly.”

She took a deep breath before continuing.

“Should this bill be passed, we will immediately vote on whether the Waymakers and/or Glimmers should be treated as enemies of humanity, as both have entered our system without any advance notice, let alone approval. And yes, I’m quite aware that we are woefully behind technologically compared to either race, but this is our system, and we cannot stand by while they murder our people. As director of Sol Corps, I’m issuing defense drones, called talons, to every AA-class colony with at least one thousand inhabitants. These drones will be operated by colonists on-site and will be used at each colony’s discretion. Embedded in this message are details on the talons.

“Now, I understand these talons are an insufficient defense against either the Waymakers or the Glimmers. They were designed for other purposes, but these drones may bide their time for those near the Waymakers’ current flight paths to help them transfer to safer locations. Know that Sol Corps is working as quickly as we can to develop better defense measures for all colonies. We are facing unprecedented times, and I ask for your patience. Thank you for staying strong.”

She sent the message without reviewing it.

Barely a minute later, there was a knock on her door.

“Come in,” Jenival said.

Liz, one of her assistants, entered. “Excellent message, Madame President.”

Jenival waved her off. “It was a poor message that’s likely to cause more fear than good, I’m afraid. I should’ve had you write up my speech beforehand.”

“I disagree. It was clear it came from your heart rather than from a prompter. Would you like me to prepare notes for tomorrow’s council meeting?” Liz asked.

Jenival nodded. “Yes. Pull from my message and write a bill that they can’t say ‘no’ to. I want to be able to broadcast the results across the system—and to the Waymakers—the moment that meeting’s adjourned.”

“Yes, Madame President.” Liz left Jenival alone to her thoughts.

Jenival sent one final message to the Waymakers, requesting a reply but expecting silence.

CHAPTER 11

In Orbit Around Port Francis in the Outer Belt

Jack and Heddi entered Satsuma and were escorted through the ship. For most meetings, he took Veda, the crew’s security specialist, but Jack trusted Shen—at least as much as he could trust anyone not on his crew. And he wanted to give his youngest crew member more experience in meeting with other crews… and, more importantly, to get information. As a young, attractive woman, Heddi was perfect for the job.

The pair followed Shen Jian’s crew member to the captain’s quarters, where an armed guard stood outside the door.

His escort opened the door and motioned for Jack to enter. “Commander Jian will see you now. I’ll handle your crew member’s tour of Satsuma.”

“Thank you.” Jack gave a brief glance in Heddi’s and their escort’s direction before entering the captain’s quarters.

Shen was alone in the room, sitting at the large table. When the door closed behind Jack, Shen stood. “Jack, it’s good to see you again.”

“Likewise, though I wish circumstances were better.” Jack took a seat across from Shen.

“I trust you saw the broadcast I forwarded?” Shen asked

Jack nodded. “I did.”

“The council should’ve talked about alien threats decades ago.”

“They should’ve talked about it centuries ago,” Jack said. “Regardless of when they talk about it, it’s just that: talk. There’s nothing they can do besides talk when it comes to Waymakers and the Glimmers. Either could squash any sort of human attack faster than Glitch and its star snakes did, so I don’t know why Jenival’s even bothering talking about a threat humanity has no control over.”

“There are the talons.”

Jack chortled. “Her little clones of star snakes? And what can those do?”

“In my opinion? Nothing. They can serve as distractions at best. But they offer hope, and that’s something most people have been far too short of for far too long.”

“It’ll take more than hope if either species decides to go against humans. The Glimmer that destroyed Glitch made it clear that Glimmers were no friends of humanity before it left our system,” Jack said.

“Does that mean you won’t try to reach out to them to ask them for neutrality?”

“Why would I try to reach out to them?”

Shen steepled his fingers. “You’re the only person who’s ever spoken to a Glimmer, and likely the only person alive who’s ever spoken to a Waymaker. That makes you the closest thing to a mediator that we have.”

“I’m no mediator, and I can promise you no Waymaker or Glimmer would see me as one. I think either would be liable to kill me on sight. Trust me, we’re all a lot better off keeping a wide berth from both and staying out of their fight.”

“That might be easier said than done,” Shen said.

Jack’s brow furrowed. “What do you know?”

“A second ship was destroyed. It was a cargo hauler, so the loss of life was much lower and, therefore, easier to keep out of the news. It was struck by a stray energy blast fired by a Glimmer.”

“I’m surprised the news didn’t pick it up. It seems like every satellite in the system is focused on the flight paths of the Waymakers getting chased by the Glimmers through our system.”

“That’s because it didn’t happen on any of those flight paths.”

Jack’s frown deepened. “There are more Glimmers in the system than people know about?”

Shen nodded. “And more Waymakers too. Both groups seem to be entering the system en masse.”

“How many are we talking about?”

“We don’t know yet, but dozens of Waymakers at a minimum. Only a few more Glimmers have arrived so far which keeps their numbers under ten, but there’s a lot of space that has no cameras.”

“Does anyone know why the Waymakers are coming here?”

Shen shrugged. “Jenival Ngoma’s analysts have been trying to figure it out. They have a few theories, but nothing that holds water.”

“Is this newest batch on similar trajectories as the first groups?” Jack asked.

“No. In fact, the newest groups don’t even have a direct path through the system. Their current paths intersect Earth’s orbit, so they’ll obviously need to turn at some point unless they’re planning to remain in the system. With the number of incoming Waymakers and their various flight paths, all we know is that the Waymakers seem to have intentionally flown here rather than coincidentally flying through here on their way to somewhere else.”

“That’s what I’ve been thinking, but…” Jack considered the latest development. “It doesn’t make sense. Space is an awfully big place. Why here? There’s nothing here that the Waymakers can use to defend against Glimmers. Our system isn’t even that rich in resources. There are a lot better systems out there for the materials they need to self-replicate.”

“The only unique thing about our system is us,” Shen said.

“Us? But what do we have to offer? If the Waymakers had any interest in protecting their makers, they wouldn’t be guiding their enemy here. And as for the Glimmers, I don’t know much about them, but what I do know is that they’re much further advanced, technologically speaking, than we are. They have no interest in us. So it’s obvious they’re here because the Waymakers are here, plain and simple.”

“My thoughts exactly. So that brings us back to the first question: why have the Waymakers returned home? Unfortunately, they’re not talking to Jenival, or anyone else for that matter.”

“So we’re dealing with another AI infestation.” Jack rubbed his stiffening neck. “The last one didn’t turn out so well for us.”

“No, it certainly did not. This time, we plan to move a little more carefully,” Shen said.

Jack watched the other man. “And exactly what does ‘moving carefully’ look like?”

“Jenival’s focused on diplomacy and her talons.”

“And you?”

“I’m centralizing my fleet in an area as far from any known Waymaker activity as possible.”

Jack’s brow shot up. “You’re abandoning the station?”

“I think the people in Port Francis are safer without any warships in their vicinity that could raise the hackles of our alien friends. I’ve spoken with the stationmaster, and she agrees. She wants her station to look harmless to an outside threat. That means sending away any ships with weaponry like the Satsuma.”

“And Cabrón.”

Shen nodded. “There’s a trio of Waymakers slightly over a day from Port Francis. She wants us gone well before then.”

Jack jerked. “They’re that close?”

Shen nodded again.

Jack stood. “I can be out of here in under an hour. I have no interest in being anywhere close to a Waymaker’s flight path.”

“Where will you go?” Shen asked.

“I don’t know yet. Somewhere that’s well out of both the Waymakers’ and the Glimmers’ way.”

“Fly with me. I have somewhere safe you can go.”

Jack eyed Shen. “And where’s that?”

“I’m centralizing my fleet in the outer belt. There’s a sector I have fully monitored with satellites. No star snake ever ventured there, and I feel confident no Waymaker would have a reason to enter that area, as it’s a veritable debris field of rocks of all sizes.”

“Sounds like you’ve found a good hidey-hole,” Jack said. “But the thing is, I’m not a part of your fleet.”

“You’re not. Not yet anyway. But that could change.” Shen gave a ghost of a smile. “I believe there’s something sinister on the horizon. While I hope the Waymakers leave this system and take their enemies with them, I haven’t survived this long by relying on hope. If they remain, it’s inevitable more people will die. We are sorely outmatched by either force. They have superior technology, weaponry, and armor. But we have the numbers.”

“Numbers didn’t work out so great last time.”

“No, but we’re better prepared this time.”

Jack wasn’t so sure they could do anything to prepare. “You know me. I’ve always preferred to fly under my own banner.”

“I understand. But I think we’re entering an age where we’re all flying under a single banner: the banner of humanity.”

Jack considered it for a moment. “I’ll talk to my crew.”

“Talk quickly. The Satsuma leaves in two hours.”

CHAPTER 12

In Orbit Around Port Francis in the Outer Belt

“My name is Kaito,” the Satsuma crew member escorting Heddi said.

“I’m Heddi,” she said.

“We’ll start with this deck and work our way down to the docking bays in the lower decks,” he said. “The bridge is located on this deck, but you don’t have access to tour that. I hope you understand.”

“No problem,” she said. “How many decks are on this ship?”

“Four main decks, though all engineering and maintenance run through what we call the half-decks.”

“Cabrón has just one deck. It’s tiny compared to this ship.”

“The Satsuma is the largest warship in the outer belt, maybe even in the system. It began as a mineral hauler but was completely revamped in 2299.”

She paused. “2299? That makes it—”

“Eighty years old. She doesn’t look her age because Commander Jian has renovation projects underway all the time. As the flagship of the Long Rider faction, the Satsuma must always convey strength.” He motioned to a large, closed door to their left. “This is the officers’ eating quarters. Since you’re not an officer you don’t have access, so I’ll show you the mess hall.”

“It’ll be nice to see something besides the passageways,” she mused.

“You’re lucky you’re even allowed onboard. Only Long Riders are allowed onboard Long Rider ships.”

She glanced at the many tattoos covering Kaito’s skin, much like the many she’d seen on Commander Jian’s skin as well on people she’d seen roaming Port Francis. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do Long Riders have so many tattoos?”

Kaito’s pace slowed as he held out his left arm, turning them for her to see. “These are my memories of what I’ve accomplished and what I’ve experienced.” He held out his right arm. “These are my future, of what I hope to do and see in this life or the next.” He touched his face where there were symbols Heddi didn’t recognize connected via swirling vines. “And these are who I am.” He tapped shapes in turn. “My clan. The Satsuma. The Long Rider. The star as my spirit guide.”

She’d found a new interest in the markings. “I never knew they had meaning before.”

“You aren’t marked?” he asked.

“No.” Then she tacked on, “Not yet anyway.”

He eyed her suspiciously. “You should change that. Marks remain with you always. It’s the one thing that can’t be taken from you. They carry your wisdom for you.” He motioned to an open stairway. “This way.”

She followed him down a level. As they descended, she understood what he’d meant by half-levels. Where each level had massive passageways for moving things and people through the ships, from what she could see of the half-level as they descended past one, half-levels were passageways no wider than Cabrón’s only walkway and were lined with pipes and cables. When they emerged onto the next level, she noticed more bounce in her steps.

“The gravity’s lighter here,” she said.

“They turn it down when they’re moving supplies,” Kaito replied. “Does your ship have gravity?”

She nodded. “Cabrón uses an antihydrogen grav conductor.”

He seemed surprised. “That’s what Satsuma uses as well. It’s the best out there but the most expensive. You don’t see it on many small ships. At least not unless they’re yachts, anyway.”

“From what someone on the crew told me, Cabrón was a yacht in its previous life,” she lied.

“Ah, you’re pirates. That makes sense,” he said. “I never thought Cabron looked like your average free agent’s hauler.” He then pointed without stopping. “There’s the cafeteria.”

“We’re not pirates,” she said.

“Oh yeah? Then what are you?”

“Free agents when there are contracts out there. Smugglers when there aren’t.”

“Like that’s any different?”

“It’s a lot different. Smugglers are doing a service. We transport things people need transported. Pirates are selfish—they’re only in it for themselves.”

“Whatever you say, pirate.” He pointed. “Supply stations are through there.”

She glared at him. “Oh, and like you’re any better. The last I checked, you’re flying on a warship, not a hospital ship.”

He shrugged. “We’re out to make things better for the outer belt. That’s a lot better than being smugglers or pirates,” he said. “And it’s a good thing we’re out here with all the Waymakers that keep showing up.”

She decided to let his opinion slide. “What do you mean?”

He scrutinized her for a moment before leading her down the stairs. “Just don’t trust what you see on the news nets. They don’t know the half of it.” He pointed at the line of doors. “Bunks. That’s this entire deck. Safest deck on the ship.”

“How many Waymakers are out there?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Enough to worry the commander, and he’s as stoic as they come. That’s why we’ve been working around the clock to print rounds for the railguns.”

She frowned. “But Waymaker plating is too thick for railguns.”

He smiled. “Not these rounds. Jenival Ngoma has got herself an entire lab set aside to figure out stuff that can work against Waymakers. Rumor is they even have some Waymaker samples from an old replication factory and they’ve figured out some composite metal that can penetrate, but the velocity on the railguns has to be amped up too. I guess it’s the right combination of round and velocity.”

She thought for a moment. “Can you get me that combo?”

“Why would I do that?”

“That way my ship has a fighting chance if we ever come up against a Waymaker.”

“Sorry. That info’s for Long Riders only. You’ve got to become a Long Rider for that level of intel. Besides, it’s not like you’re helpless. Your ship’s got that cool hull made out of Glimmer skin.”

“It’s not made of Glimmer skin,” she said.

He said nothing until he emerged from the stairway onto the deck containing docks filled with small, one-person gunships. Their hulls were covered in the same nearly translucent gray material that covered Cabrón. No, it wasn’t the same—these hulls were a lighter gray—but they were too similar to not have been built from the same idea.

He smirked. “You still want to tell me your ship’s not covered in Glimmer skin?”

She jutted her chin up. “It’s not, not really. We might’ve used it as a prototype, but it needed a lot of enhancements to work with our technology,” she said. “So when did you steal a sample from our hull?”

“Commander Jian was able to get a sample when you were docked at New Liberty,” Kaito replied.

That had been over five years ago. She frowned. “If you’ve had a sample all this time, why does Jenival Ngoma keep trying to get it?”

“She’s not a Long Rider. Besides, it doesn’t make sense to give our competitive advantage to our future enemy.”

He sounded exactly like Jack. She stood at the nearest dock. “But these hull wraps are different from what’s on Cabrón. You’ve changed something.”

“It’s because you used rilon. I don’t know why your captain chose that, with how time-consuming that is to print. We went with graphene. It’s ten times easier to print.”

“But that would make your wraps a lot heavier and weaker.”

“Heavier, true, but just as strong. We doubled up the layers.”

A lot heavier then. Weight wouldn’t matter much on a warship, but it made a big different on a smaller ship.

“You know everything that goes on around here, don’t you?” she said.

“Of course. Since I’m Commander Jian’s nephew, this’ll be my ship and crew someday.”

She jerked. “I had no idea.”

“That’s because we don’t tell people who aren’t Long Riders,” he said with a wink.

She cocked her head. “But I’m not a Long Rider, and you just told me.”

He grinned. “Ah, but you will be after your captain’s done meeting with my captain.”

Kaito led her back to the airbridge connecting the two ships without speaking again. He answered no questions, despite her asking him at least five times what he’d meant.

After depositing her near the airbridge, where a guard stood off to the side, he turned to leave.

“Hey, Kaito,” Heddi called behind him.

He looked over his shoulder.

“I hope you’re a better rebel than you are a tour guide, because you’re the worst tour guide I’ve ever come across.”

He grinned. “I am.”

Kaito left then, and she let herself smile as she watched him leave.

Jack arrived a bare minute later.

They entered the airbridge in silence. Once the door behind them closed, he asked, “Nice tour?”

“They have rounds for their railguns that can pierce Waymaker armor. And their gunships are covered in hulls that look incredibly like Cabrón’s wrap,” she replied.

“Interesting.”

“And how was your chat with Shen Jian?” she asked.

“He’s invited us to join his fleet.”

She echoed his earlier word. “Interesting.”

CHAPTER 13

The Outer Belt

“I still find it hard to believe we’re officially signed on with a faction, let alone the Long Riders. Those guys never liked outsiders,” Burn said.

“Ironic, since the outer belt was settled by all the outsiders and misfits in the system,” Veda said.

“Jack said it was out of necessity on both sides. Shen Jian wants every ship with a railgun he can get, and we needed his intel on railguns,” Heddi said. “Besides, you voted for it.”

“I know. It just feels weird is all,” Burn said.

“I still think it was a mistake,” Veda said glumly.

“Suck it up. You were outvoted,” Heddi said.

“Give it a month. See what you think then,” Veda countered. “None of us like bosses. That’s why we’re here. See how you like it when Shen Jian sends us on some suicide mission.”

“We don’t have to accept it. Besides, we’ve been on suicide missions before. We’re still here,” Heddi said.

“Thanks to more luck than any crew has a right to have,” Veda said. “One of these days, we’re going to run out of that luck, especially since we’re now a part of a faction that’s notorious for causing trouble.”

“Let’s get one thing straight. We’re not Long Riders,” Jack said as he entered the galley. “We’re on contract to Shen Jian to be a part of the Long Rider fleet. That’s a different story. We’ve worked plenty of contracts before—that doesn’t make us owe more to the Long Riders than to any other contractor we’ve worked with.”

“Yeah, but this contract is to fight a war, not haul goods,” Veda said.

“This contract is to provide protection to colonies in the belt, not to fight a war. Shen’s not dumb. He doesn’t want a war with the Waymakers or the Glimmers any more than we do.” Jack turned to Veda. “How’re the railgun mods coming?”

“Running tests now,” Veda replied. “I should have any hiccups worked out within the next few hours and ready for a live test. As for printing rounds, ask Heddi.”

“That’s a slow process because I’ve got to break down the old rounds for the raw material,” Heddi said. “Then I’ve got to feed that, along with the other metals, into the printer. I should have the first round printed today. If I can use the printer nonstop, I should be able to print about sixty rounds a day, but we’re going to run out of palladium fast.”

“How fast?” Jack asked.

“The printer says we’ve got enough for two hundred and ninety-three rounds,” she said.

Jack frowned. “We need more than that.” He pursed his lips. “But I imagine Shen Jian’s called dibs on every crate of palladium in the outer belt. We’d have to venture into the system to get more.”

“And that’s assuming Sol Corps hasn’t taken all of it already,” Burn said.

“Jack, I need you on the bridge,” Kana said through the intercom.

Jack nodded in Veda’s direction. “Make some calls. See if you can’t find us a supply of palladium somewhere.”

“Whatever I find will be pricey,” Veda said.

“It’s worth the cost.” Jack then headed to the bridge.

Kana was sitting at her station, focused on the panel in front of her.

“What do you have?” he asked.

“This.” She tossed an image onto the big screen. “This image was taken ten minutes ago.”

Jack stepped closer to the screen as he took in the image. It was Port Francis, and it looked no different from when they’d left it sixteen hours ago. Lights still shone through the windows and beacons still flashed. But now, a single Waymaker probe perched atop the station, clasped onto a section near the docking bays.

“Has it communicated with the station?” he asked.

“Not yet, or if it has, the stationmaster isn’t talking. According to the local reports, the stationmaster’s been sending messages on every frequency to the Waymaker asking why it’s decided to sit on her station. She’s even broadcast through loudspeakers. The probe hasn’t done anything yet—it hasn’t damaged anything or connected to the station’s systems—at least as far as anyone knows. It’s just sitting there. And I’ve started to pick up other reports. Waymakers did the same at a station near Saturn. What do you think they’re doing?”

He squinted at the image as he tried to think. In the entire history of Waymakers in the Sol system, they’d never once physically come into contact with any human ship, station, or colony. “I don’t know. Maybe they’re hiding there, using noise from the station’s electronics to help camouflage it. Maybe it’s something else. Whatever it is, I don’t like it.”

CHAPTER 14

Mars Station

“President Ngoma?” Liz asked.

Jenival clenched her jaw as she continued to read the reports. “I heard you the first time. I’m thinking.”

The reports confirmed it. A Waymaker had attached itself to Seneca Station near Saturn’s orbit. She’d tried to contact the Waymakers again but received no response. Why weren’t the blasted robots responding? Were they still protecting humans in some way? After all, that was the primary directive behind their creation. She had to assume they were receiving, just like they would be deep within all the human computer networks, knowing more about what humans were doing and planning than even Jenival knew.

The Waymakers obviously knew about the talons since she’d made a system-wide announcement, but the machines had taken no steps to disable her defense drones. Allowing the Waymakers to find out about the talons was intentional. The Waymakers knew humankind; they’d know that humans would plan for potential violence. She’d hoped that by them knowing about the talons, they’d have no reason to probe deeper into the networks to learn about the railgun modifications or her other secret projects, data kept offline as much as possible. Still, people weren’t perfect, and she knew details could be slipped during casual communications.

If the Waymakers knew about the railgun upgrades, they weren’t showing any acknowledgement. The same with the Glimmers, who had shown no inclination to humans whatsoever as they chased the Waymakers into the system… unless an unfortunate ship crossed their path. Damn it, she wished she had some inkling as to why the Waymakers had brought their war to Sol.

Liz shuffled her feet before Jenival, drawing her back to the decision that needed to be made: how to respond to this latest situation.

Jenival drew in a breath as she looked up from the report and leaned back in her chair. “The advice to all colonies and stations remains the same. No nonessential travel is advised. As for the stations that Waymakers have landed at, resupply ships will not dock until we can confirm it is safe to do so. If anyone at Seneca Station or Port Francis chooses to evacuate, they do so at their own risk and against the Waymakers’ instructions.”

“They won’t like to hear that they’re on their own,” Liz said more bluntly than her usual tone with Jenival.

“I understand you have some family at Seneca Station,” Jenival said.

Liz swallowed. “An aunt and two cousins. I’m worried about them.”

“Should we evacuate, we’ll make sure they’re on the first ship off the station.”

“Thank you.”

“In the meantime, they need to hold tight. We do not know why the Waymakers have attached themselves to our stations. Until we do, we need to assume they mean us no harm. If they prove otherwise, both stations have received shipments of talons. They can use those to help in the evacuation. Now, as for the Glimmers that are on flight paths to those stations, we can only assume they intend to attack the Waymakers when they are within range. If they fire on the Waymakers, they could inadvertently destroy the stations. If that happens, there will be no debate: that will be considered an act of war. I’m sending squadrons to each station. They’ll be armed with the new armor-piercing rounds, so they’ll be able to hold their own against the Glimmers. The squadron will reach Seneca Station before the Glimmers arrive; however, Port Francis may be too far away to reach in time.”

CHAPTER 15

The Outer Belt

Cabrón latched onto the smaller of the two loading docks at the ice storage depot. The massive facility was as large as any space station, but it was mostly open space to hold pods and chunks of ice stored there after being mined and before distribution.

Jack stood at Cabrón’s cargo door with Veda and Heddi on either side while Burn opened the door. All wore their spacesuits while Kana monitored traffic and comms from the bridge.

The door opened to reveal a dark passageway with nobody in sight.

“I don’t like the looks of this place,” Burn said.

“A friend of a friend said these people are legit,” Veda said.

“Yeah, well, you don’t exactly have very good taste in friends now, do ya,” Burn said.

Veda flipped him off.

“Keep your eyes peeled, and let’s keep this quick,” Jack said as he picked up a box that weighed exactly ten kilograms. “I can’t say I like this place either. Be ready for anything.” Storage depots were often minimally staffed, but this depot was awfully dark for a legitimately operating facility, which was what it supposedly was. Jack had his doubts. To his eyes, it looked a lot more like a shuttered depot or, more likely, an illegal operation.

The trio left Burn at the cargo bay as they walked through the large passageway. Typical of storage depots, no environmental systems were installed in any areas that involved loading, storage, and unloading, which meant the three crew members had to magnetize their boots to keep from floating. They followed red lights that blinked high in the wall to their left. As they walked new lights blinked, signaling which direction to go. When they reached an intersection where before them was an open storage area over half-filled with giant chunks of ice and metal storage pods, the red lights blinked to their left.

They followed the lights until they came to a small door made for humans rather than cargo. Jack pressed the panel on the wall to the right and the door opened, revealing an airlock. The trio stepped inside. When the door closed behind them, atmosphere began blowing into the chamber. When the light turned green, Heddi went to remove her helmet.

“Leave it on,” Jack said. “I don’t trust the atmo in this place.”

“The air’s good ’n clean,” a woman’s voice came as the door opened to reveal a man and a woman. They looked to be in their fifties or sixties, and both wore the bright orange jumpsuits of depot workers, though their jumpsuits were dirty and threadbare. They were sweaty and looked like they hadn’t bathed in years.

“You must be Aggie,” Veda said.

She nodded. “And this is my husband, Mac. We’s the only two workers who live ’n work on site here.”

“Just you two?” Veda asked, his words echoing Jack’s doubt that a depot this large would have only two workers on site.

The man named Mac fidgeted, which set Jack on edge. “You betcha. We been workin’ here for goin’ nigh on thirty years. We’s keep the systems running.”

“How do you handle all the unloading and loading with just the two of you?” Veda asked.

“We’s don’t. We’s leave that to the crews comin’ through here,” Mac replied.

“All right. How about you show us the crates now,” Veda ordered.

“Show us the credits,” Aggie countered.

Veda stepped forward, tapping on the armlet he wore. He held his forearm up so the couple could see the screen. “See? Ready to transfer the moment we have our crates,” Veda said, stepping away.

Mac wagged a finger. “Ain’t you forgettin’ something’?”

Veda glanced back at Jack, who walked forward and handed Mac the box. He hurriedly opened the cover and peeked inside. He grinned, showing rotted teeth, and Aggie leaned over to peer inside, also grinning. Jack was glad he had his helmet on so he couldn’t smell the pair.

“Five kilos of flour, five kilos of dried pintos, as promised,” Veda said.

Aggie rubbed her hands together. “We’s got ourselves a deal. You’s crates are in there.” She pointed to a closed door before she grabbed a wheeled cart behind her. She then opened the door, and the five people made their way into a storage bay. This bay was fully enclosed and had atmosphere because Mac and Aggie didn’t wear suits, but it had to be frigid since there were rough-cut blocks of ice stacked around the masses of crates.

Mac walked over to two crates that were half-frozen into the ice. One cover was fully frozen over. Mac used a pry bar and pried off the other cover to reveal a crate filled with dark, glistening palladium grains. “There ya go. See? It’s all there.”

Jack nudged Heddi. “Check the second crate.”

She walked over to the crate stuck deeper in ice and used her knife to cut a hole in the cover. “It’s all here.”

Aggie pushed the cart toward Cabrón’s three crew members. Her eyes darted around the room, which made Jack tense. She could’ve been making sure there wasn’t anything else of value the crew could steal, or she could’ve been looking for something else. Jack casually glanced around the room, looking for threats.

“How’re we supposed to get it out of the ice?” Veda asked.

Aggie pointed at steel, pointed javelins propped in the corner. “Chip it out, ’course. We’s doing that for ya ain’t part of the deal.”

“We’re paying you more than plenty for those crates,” Veda countered.

“You’s paid for the palladium. You’s ain’t paid for us bein’ grunts for ya,” Mac said.

Veda glanced at Jack and Heddi before turning back to the couple. “Fine. And just to confirm, this is free-and-clear palladium. We’re not going to have Long Riders come after us for taking it?”

“It’s free and clear enough. Things get misplaced all the time in depots this big. Losing two crates o’ palladium ain’t no big deal.” Mac chuckled. “We’s ‘lost’ a full shippin’ container of iron ore just last week.”

“Well, if you’re up to losing a bit more palladium, we’ll be happy to take it off your hands,” Veda offered.

Aggie held up a hand. “Nope. That stuff’s gotten like gold lately. Too risky to lose too much at a time.”

“If you change your minds, let us know.” Veda swiped his armlet toward Aggie, and her armlet chimed. “There’s your payment. We good here?”

The woman checked her armlet before grinning and nodding. “Oh yeah. We’s good here.”

She glanced at her husband, and the pair backed away with a little too much caution.

Jack immediately went stiff. Their movement also caught Veda’s attention, who reached for his gun, and Heddi followed Veda’s lead.

“Stop right there,” Veda ordered the couple.

Aggie held up her hands. “Trade’s done, we’s done. Ain’t no need to get ornery.”

She glanced to her right after she spoke, which caused Jack to unholster his gun. He raised it in the direction Aggie had been looking just as an armed guard jumped out behind a stand of crates. Jack shot the guard before the other man could squeeze off a shot. But more guards had sprang out around them. There was no cover to reach in time, so Jack fell to his knee to make himself a smaller target as he twisted around to fire. He counted three other guards, but one was already on the floor, dead. Jack fired at the nearest one focused on Heddi, who was busy shooting the other guard.

In under a second, the ambush was done and all four guards were dead. Aggie and Mac were sneaking through the door, but Jack shot them both in the backs. Some people couldn’t shoot an unarmed person in the back, but Jack had no such qualms. This pair had walked Jack and his crew into a trap intending to rob and kill them. That sort of thing did not sit well with him.

He scanned the area for more threats but saw none, so he turned his focus on his crew members. Heddi was kneeling next to Veda, who lay on the floor, grimacing and holding his shoulder.

Still holding his gun in his hand, Jack rushed over. “How bad is it?”

“I don’t have much experience with these kinds of injuries, so I really don’t know,” Heddi said.

“It’s not bad. Just hurts like a son of a bitch,” Veda said through gritted teeth.

Jack moved closer to check the wound. It was a through-and-through shot two inches in from his shoulder and an inch below his collarbone. “You got lucky. Let’s get you back to the ship.”

Veda waved him off. “We don’t know if they squeezed off an alarm. Just patch me up. We need that palladium.”

Jack eyed him for a moment, then nodded as he reached for his first aid kit. “Heddi, get those crates chipped free.”

“I’m on it,” she said.

Jack sprayed antiseptic coagulant into Veda’s wound. Heddi fired, and Jack spun to see her using her gun to break away the ice rather than using the chippers. He grinned—that was certainly more efficient—as he finished patching Veda’s wound. It was difficult to patch through the small hole in Veda’s suit, as hab-suits did not tear easily, so he spent more time patching the suit than he did Veda’s injury. By the time he finished, Heddi had the two crates loaded onto the cart and was checking a stack of similar-looking crates.

“Hey, Jack. These are also filled with palladium,” she said.

“Load them up as well. We’ll consider them a hazard bonus.” Jack checked the room and the area beyond the door before returning and helping Veda to his feet and holding him upright.

Heddi loaded as many crates as she could on the cart without the stack toppling over.

Jack kept his gun in one hand with his other arm wrapped around Veda’s waist to keep him on his feet. He led the way to the airlock. The door closed behind them, and the atmosphere was sucked out. Once the other door opened, Heddi asked, “You’re not going to tell Burn to prep the medic station?”

Jack shook his head, but Veda answered for him. “We do that, and Kana’s going to worry. I’d rather have her pissed than worried.”

The trio walked through the passageway toward Cabrón, with Jack constantly scanning the area for threats.

“Veda, how about no more jobs through the darknet,” Heddi said.

“That’s probably a good idea,” Veda said, and then he passed out.

CHAPTER 16

Perseverance, in Neptune’s orbit

Wes Nielsen, Perseverance’s stationmaster, was at his wit’s end. The Waymaker hadn’t communicated since it’d attached itself onto the outside of the station six days ago. One transport, overloaded far beyond its approved capacity, had evacuated before the Waymaker moved to block the station’s docking bay, trapping the remaining six hundred and twenty-three people inside. A single Sol Corps interceptor floated a thousand kilometers away, monitoring the situation and reporting back to Jenival Ngoma at Mars Station. So far, she’d offered no advice.

No one knew what to make of the Waymakers. While they hadn’t shown violence toward humans, they certainly hadn’t been friendly. Every remaining ship in Perseverance’s docking bay sat packed and ready to evacuate the minute the Waymaker moved. People camped on the ships so they wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to leave if one presented itself. Wes had his personal shuttle on standby ready to deliver him to the interceptor, but his shuttle, too, was in the docking bay.

He’d sent countless requests (eighty-eight to be precise) to the Waymaker, begging it to move and allow for evacuations. Time was crucial. Ngoma’s interceptor relayed details of a Glimmer entering the Neptune quadrant—it would enter Perseverance’s sector within the hour. Once it did, it’d be within firing range. Would it fire on a human space station to destroy a Waymaker? Wes’s ulcer certainly thought the affirmative.

Wes had two screens active on his panel. The first showed the estimated location of the Glimmer—it’d be within firing range in five minutes. The second displayed the menu for the talon management system. In the room next door, twelve talon drone operators sat ready for launch. Wes had a very important decision to make. He could wait and see what the Glimmer did, but if the Glimmer attacked, it’d be too late to launch the talons. He could preemptively launch the talons and attack the Glimmer. He rubbed his hands together and went with the third option: launch the talons and place them between the Glimmer and Perseverance.

He approved the launch and entered the mission. Within seconds, bursts of lights shot out from launch tubes built into the station for the small drones. The talons had flashing red beacons to be seen from a distance, though he watched them on the radar grid instead of the live feed. The small drones were highly maneuverable, but they weren’t fast. They’d be no more than a kilometer out before the Glimmer would reach Perseverance’s sector.

Wes waited.

During that time, he made no station-wide announcements. No one knew about the incoming Glimmer except for Wes, his support staff, and the drone operators. If the general population knew, there’d be a frenzy, and a frenzy would do no one any good.

Wes held his breath when the Glimmer crossed the threshold into his sector. When the alien didn’t fire, Wes exhaled. The talons blocked a clear shot, but maybe the Glimmer was reticent about firing on a space station, assuming the alien even noticed. There was so little known about these creatures—for all Wes knew, these aliens didn’t notice humanity, let alone a single space station in the middle of nowhere. They didn’t even seem to have eyes, for God’s sake.

The Glimmer continued on its flight path at an incredible speed. If only human-crewed ships could travel so fast, they could tour the universe!

The Waymaker still didn’t move, stuck on the station like a tick on a dog. Wes had come to loathe the AI species that bore no hint of its creators’ humanity. The Waymakers had put Wes and Perseverance in this predicament. If anything happened to Wes’s people, the Waymakers were to blame.

As the Glimmer closed the distance, slowing as it did so, Wes felt a small but tangible sense of relief. The Glimmer wasn’t attacking. With only twelve small drones standing between the station and the Glimmer, the alien could’ve easily fired through the drones to hit the Waymaker. That it hadn’t yet meant the Glimmer was making its intentions clear—it didn’t want to fire on innocents.

Then a talon fired.

The shot went wide but close enough to the incoming Glimmer that there was no mistake what the target was. Wes’s jaw went slack and he jumped to his feet, sprinted next door, and burst in on the talon operators. “What the hell happened?” he asked, his voice octaves higher the normal.

“It was an accident, I swear,” a wide-eyed operator exclaimed. “I squeezed the trigger by accident!”

The large screen in the room displayed the incoming Glimmer as it plowed through the talons standing between it and the station. The Waymaker moved, but only to put the station between the coward AI and the Glimmer. In the next split-second, the Glimmer fired a series of energy bursts directly at the station.

“Oh, God.” Those were Wes Nielsen’s last words.

CHAPTER 17

Outer Belt

“It’s official. Humans invited themselves into the war. Stupid idiots,” Veda said as he massaged his healing shoulder. He wore a sling to prevent too much movement in the gunshot wound freshly healed by his nanites.

“The question is whether Waymakers will stand with us against the Glimmers or if it’s going to be a three-way, and not the kind of three-way that Burn likes,” Kana said.

“That’s for the politicians to work out and way above my pay grade,” Veda said.

“They worked it out,” Jack said as he entered the galley. “Jenival Ngoma just sent out a public announcement. She made contact with the Waymakers. We’re officially allies against the Glimmers as of an hour ago.”

Kana shook her head with disgust. “We can’t trust those things. How many times have they tried to kill us, and they’re supposedly our allies now?”

“If by ‘allies’ you mean the Waymakers are happy to use our space station as shields, then they’re as staunch of allies as they come,” Veda said drily.

“Just because they’re allies don’t make them friends,” Jack said. “And they’re Jenival’s allies, not ours. I still don’t trust them to not shoot us out of the sky if we run into one. While we can debate how little we should trust the Waymakers, there’s now one irrefutable fact: the Glimmers have declared war on humanity.”

“Good thing we’re making armor-piercing rounds then,” Veda said. “Because if either one of those things comes into my sights, I’m taking it out, and I’m not asking permission first.” He shot a sideways glance at Jack. “Assuming that’s okay with you, of course.”

Jack smirked. “Of course.”

“I’m keeping an eye out for them,” Kana said. “But so far, there’s no sign of anything in this sector.”

“We’re not staying here,” Jack said. “Shen Jian’s organizing the fleet. We need to hook up with them by the end of the week.”

Both crew members bore sour faces.

“I was really hoping we’d be able to get out of that gig,” Kana said.

“We gave our word that we’d help Shen protect the outer belt.”

“Now that things have turned to shit, I think we would’ve been better off leaving the system when the first Waymaker arrived,” Veda said.

“Except we don’t know how many Waymakers and Glimmers are just outside the system. Based on how many keep arriving, it looks like we would’ve been seen within weeks, if not days,” Kana said.

“Don’t point out the facts,” Veda said.

“What facts?” Burn asked as he strolled in and headed straight for the pot of oatmeal sitting on the counter.

“Humans are now allies with the Waymakers in fighting the Glimmers,” Kana replied.

Burn frowned as he scooped oatmeal into a bowl. “I’d rather be allies with the Glimmers. They’re tougher and seem more humane.”

“Calling either of those things humane is a joke,” Veda said.

“What’s a joke?” Heddi asked as she walked in and, like Burn, went straight for the oatmeal.

“Humans are now allies with the Waymakers in fighting the Glimmers,” Kana repeated.

“So we’re in the war now?” Heddi asked as she took the bowl out of Burn’s hands and sat down.

“Hey, that was mine,” Burn said.

“We’re at war,” Jack said. “Kana, I need your eyes on the bridge. Shen Jian sent us coordinates, and we need to head out immediately to hook up with the rest of the Long Rider fleet in time.”

“In time for what?” Burn asked.

“War. What else?” Jack then said to Heddi, “Once we get there, I need to meet with Shen onboard Satsuma, and you’re coming with me. Shen’s nephew asked for you by name.”

“Kaito asked for me specifically?” Heddi seemed confused.

“I don’t know his name,” Jack said.

“It’s Kaito,” she said.

“I don’t care,” Jack said.

“Heddi, did you go and get yourself another boyfriend?” Burn jabbed.

“No, I did not. Kaito’s pretentious,” Heddi replied. “And I don’t have one boyfriend, so I can’t have another boyfriend.”

Burn frowned. “What happened to Sam?”

“Sam’s just a friend,” she said, then added, “with benefits.”

Burn grinned. “Now you’re starting to sound like me.”

Heddi acted terrified, then turned to Jack. “If I start acting like Burn, shoot me.”

“I’ll shoot you,” Veda offered.

“No one’s shooting anyone,” Jack said, sighed, then left the galley and the banter behind.

His mood soured once he reached the bridge. After setting a course for Satsuma, he watched video feeds of ships, stations, and colonies that had been destroyed by Glimmers or destroyed simply by being caught between the two enemy forces.

He was more familiar with either species than most, and he dreaded seeing the inevitability of bloodshed. Humanity had little hope against such superior forces, and he knew it.

* * *

Cabrón settled in three kilometers from Satsuma. Dozens of ships of varying sizes and shapes floated in the vicinity. The warship’s docking bays were filled with shuttles. Since Cabrón no longer had its shuttles—both had been destroyed—Jack and Heddi were picked up by Kaito Jian in the lad’s shuttle. Shen’s nephew bore the same quiet demeanor as Shen, as well as many of the same tattoos. But where Shen came across as a cold warrior, Kaito seemed full of fire and ready to take on the universe.

Kaito piloted the shuttle with skilled control, and after docking escorted Jack and Heddi through Satsuma’s passageways to Shen Jian’s quarters. The door opened to reveal at least a dozen other captains already in attendance.

Kaito then said to Jack, “Captain, I’m hosting your crew member along with the other assistants in the officer’s lounge, which is through that door, should you need to reach her.”

Jack gave a simple nod and then disappeared into Shen Jian’s captain’s quarters.

Heddi turned on Kaito. “Want to tell me why you asked for me by name to come over here with my captain today?”

Kaito smiled. “Tell you? I’ll show you.”

He led her to the adjacent room containing easily double the number of people she’d seen through Shen Jian’s open doorway. Some stood in pairs and groups, visiting, while others stood off alone. Several were sitting down… getting tattoos from other crew members.

“All the captain’s assistants are hanging out here,” Kaito said. “Since this is Commander Jian’s first captains’ meeting in the Waymaker war, we thought it would be a good time to initiate new Long Riders.”

His grin made Heddi shake her head in confusion. “But I’m not a Long Rider.”

“Doesn’t matter if you weren’t born into the faction. You’re flying with the fleet. That makes you a Long Rider, and every Long Rider bears a mark.”

She glanced over at the artists busy at work. “You want me to get a tattoo?”

He nodded.

“What kind of tattoo do I have to get?” she asked.

“Whatever mark holds meaning for you. A few are off-limits. You can’t get marks of the Long Riders without pledging lifelong allegiance, you can’t get clan markings of any clans that aren’t yours, stuff like that. The key to being a Long Rider is to have a mark—of something that defines you.”

Her brow furrowed as she thought for a length.

“And you don’t have to get a mark if you don’t want—”

“No, I’ll get one,” she said, excitement creeping into her voice.

He smiled and pressed her toward a man holding a tattoo pen. “All right. Let’s break you in, Long Rider.”

* * *

Jack felt like an outsider at the Long Rider faction meeting. Many of these captains had worked together for years, some for decades. It was clear who got along and who didn’t, who wanted to race to fight and who wanted to retreat before even the first shot was fired in the outer belt.

Jack watched quietly as Shen Jian sat patiently while his captains discussed options and concerns. Most were experienced in going after star snakes and pirates, which heartened Jack somewhat. But none had faced either a Waymaker or a Glimmer before, and they were overconfident their railguns gave them the upper hand.

The captains spoke for well over thirty minutes before Shen raised his hand and silence blanketed the room.

“Thank you for traveling here,” Shen began. “While we could have easily met online, I thought it was important to bring the fleet together.”

“You wouldn’t have brought the fleet together if you don’t already have a plan, so how about you cut right to it,” a captain with more facial tattoos than most said.

Shen tilted his head briefly in acknowledgement. “Yes, I have a plan, and I’ll get straight to it. As you are all aware, humans are now considered viable targets in this interstellar war, if we weren’t considered such already. We’ve been fortunate out here in the belt in that the Waymakers that entered the system seemed intent on reaching the inner system and therefore continued through this belt. The Glimmers followed their quarry through as well. However, the Waymakers have since changed their plans, and three Waymakers have latched onto stations in the outer belt. Port Francis, Cern City, and Illumination all have Waymakers attached to their stations, presumably to hide, but everything up to this point is conjecture, and it still is.”

Shen motioned to the people in the room. “The Waymakers aren’t talking to us. Not really, anyway. According to Jenival Ngoma of Mars Station, the Waymakers have not communicated a battle strategy, let alone an alliance agreement beyond their initial communication of forming an alliance against the Glimmer threat. It appears Waymakers have not changed. In the past, they didn’t communicate with humans and instead directed and handled things in their own way, notifying humans only when they deemed necessary. We have to assume these damned computers will do no differently this time. If you were to ask me, I’d say that behavior is one of a false ally rather than a true ally. The Waymakers offered a so-called alliance so they could use humans as fodder for the Glimmers.”

Agreement was voiced among the group. It was one topic on which they all agreed.

Shen continued. “With that said, I believe we should treat the Waymakers for what they truly are: our enemies.”

Agreement was voiced louder from some, softer by others.

“The Glimmers still seem to be wholly focused on the Waymakers; therefore, if there are no Waymakers in the belt, then there’s no reason for the Glimmers to travel here. I intend to take the fleet and destroy all three Waymakers hiding in the belt. I intend to make it clear to the Waymakers that they will not find sanctuary here, and I intend to make it clear to the Glimmers that we have no interest in this war.”

Someone cheered, others agreed, and several disagreements erupted. Jack remained silent. Eventually, Shen patted down the air. “My plan is not up for debate. I intend to split the fleet into three squadrons and attack the three Waymakers in the belt simultaneously. The Waymakers are networked, so as soon as one is attacked the others will know. Timing will be crucial to not alert the other Waymakers in the system. We will collect the three Waymakers once they’re confirmed offline and give them to the analysts at Mars Station to see if they can download anything from the memory banks, assuming at least one, if not all three, isn’t completely destroyed. While our goal is to rid the outer belt of Waymakers, our secondary goal is to assist Sol Corps in finding out why the Waymakers returned to Sol in the first place. Now, as captains, you have the choice to sit this one out, but if you do, you will not receive Long Rider support in the future.”

That quieted the room, and Shen continued. “The fleet leaves in six hours. Rin Green with the Exterra will lead the attack at Port Francis, Kumar Singh with the Mudskipper will lead the attack at Cern City, and I will lead the attack with the Satsuma at Illumination. I’ll send briefing packets to each of you within the hour. These packets will include which squadron you’re assigned. Be ready to move out. In four days’ time, we will kill every Waymaker in this belt.”

Cheers ensued. Shen left his own captain’s quarters without another word. Of the remaining attendees, some remained to talk, some remained to complain, while others left immediately. Jack had no interest in engaging one of the other captains, so he left and made his way next door.

The mood was lighter there, with joking and laughs. A couple of people were even getting tattooed—one of the Long Riders’ most popular past times. Jack found Heddi leaning against a chair, talking with Shen’s nephew. As soon as she noticed him, she said something to the nephew and the pair made their way to him.

“Are you ready to return to your ship?” Kaito Jian asked.

Jack nodded. “I’m ready.”

Kaito escorted Jack and Heddi to the docking bay and the lad’s shuttle.

“How’d the meeting go?” Heddi asked Jack as they walked.

Tension tightened Jack’s shoulders. “Exactly as I expected.”

CHAPTER 18

Cern City

Kumar brought his squadron to a stop a bare ten kilometers from Cern City. He figured the Waymaker picked up the traffic as soon as they entered the sector, so as long as his squadron didn’t look aggressive, the Waymaker shouldn’t bat an eye, not that Waymakers had eyes.

At exactly minus ten minutes to attack time, Shen Jian’s message pinged Kumar’s communication panel. The same message went out to the entire Long Rider fleet, along with the stationmasters at each of the three stations with AI leeches stuck to their shells. The message contained no details that would draw a Waymaker’s attention and instead only listed the ships incoming to take part in the Chinese New Year celebrations. There was no code that the Long Riders could use that the Waymakers couldn’t break, which meant Kumar couldn’t warn Cern City’s residents without alerting the Waymaker. Instead, Shen Jian was hoping the stationmasters would see the communication and activate an emergency test for their colonies, sending residents into the safety of emergency pods for the impending attack. If the stationmasters didn’t figure out Shen Jian’s plan, then their people could be injured or killed if the station was breached.

Kumar hoped the stationmasters were smart enough to notice that Long Riders had never before flown in groups to stations to celebrate an event, and it wouldn’t make sense for them to start now. Consider them warned. Any loss of life was on them rather than on the Long Riders launching the attack.

“How’re we looking?” Kumar asked Friz, his second-in-command.

“All eight ships are in position and silent on comms, as you instructed, Captain,” she replied.

“Good. Keep an eye on them,” Kumar replied and then tapped the intercom. “Jay, how’re we looking on weapons check?”

“Locked and loaded, and we’re both in battle positions down here, Captain,” came the reply.

“Good. We’re down to seven minutes. The next time you hear from me will be showtime.”

Kumar’s communication panel chimed, and he found an SOS from Cern City’s stationmaster.

Waymaker has taken control of our systems. Environmentals have been shut down. Request immediate aid.

“Damn it,” Kumar muttered. “The Waynker’s onto us. It’s shut down Cern City’s life support systems.” He scowled. “We’re going in.”

Friz turned to him. “We can’t go early. The other squadrons—”

“Didn’t you hear me? The Waynker’s already onto us. That means the other squadrons are compromised too.” He tapped the intercom. “Showtime, Jay. Weapons hot.”

Kumar didn’t bother pinging his squadron. With six minutes before the attack, they should’ve all been ready. He targeted the railgun on the Waymaker and fired an automatic burst. Several rounds struck the Waymaker, penetrating its armor.

Mudskipper’s shots missed the Waymaker’s central processing unit, and it launched from the station with a surprising burst of acceleration, causing Kumar’s next burst to strike the station instead, tearing through the station’s hull. The Waymaker was coming at Mudskipper with incredible speed, forcing him to take evasive maneuvers.

“Friz, take the gun,” Kumar ordered as he tried to make them a harder target for the Waymaker. He ignored his communications panel, which was now alight with messages.

The AI fired. There was no chance for evasion at that distance, and the beam struck Kumar’s ship as soon as he saw the flash. Alarms blared as the laser tore through Mudskipper’s hull and out the other side. The crew wore their spacesuits in case of a hull breach, but the loss of pressure still sent items flying around the bridge as they were sucked through the massive hole in the hull.

“Friz, take out that damn Waynker!” he shouted, but she didn’t respond.

He glanced over to see that the Waymaker’s first shot had sliced through her as well as the ship’s hull. The rest of the squadron had finally chipped in and begun firing at the Waymaker. Tracer rounds lit up the black as the railguns from ten ships focused on the single AI the size of a small ship. The Waymaker didn’t stand a chance against the onslaught, and at least one round found the heart of the robot, knocking it offline.

“Yes!” Kumar raised a fist in the air. They’d done it! They’d destroyed a Waymaker.

Jay yelled through the intercom, “The engine’s been hit, Captain! The eng—”

Mudskipper exploded.

* * *

Port Francis

“Damn it, Kumar!” Rin cursed and then pinged her squadron. With the element of surprise wasted, she sent the message to Port Francis’s stationmaster that she’d prepared to send upon firing the first shot. With that message, the stationmaster would have no doubts why her squadron of ten small ships was there. In addition to advising the stationmaster to put the station on full emergency alert, she requested his assistance. Port Francis had no weapons, but it did have something that could be of great assistance: large docking bracers.

Her plan—the one Kumar had literally shot to hell—was to have the station use its docking bracers to grab ahold of the Waymaker and knock it loose from the station so that Rin’s squadron didn’t damage the space station with their gunfire. Her idea had been a long shot, but now she didn’t even have that.

“Weapons hot,” Rin announced to her squadron, and she targeted the Waymaker. The probe was still attached to the outside of the station, but it had maneuvered to direct its photon gun at the incoming ships. Standard Waymaker protocols involved the Waymakers taking control of whatever ships they wanted to take control of, but the Long Riders had been very careful to disconnect from any active networks upon reaching the sector. It didn’t surprise Rin that the Waymaker hadn’t tried to contact her—the Waymakers had always considered them too superior to humans to bother with what they must’ve considered tedious communications. Instead, the Waymakers had just done whatever they deemed appropriate to maintain their ideal of “peace” in the solar system, even though through their inhumane rationality they’d likely caused more death by shutting down life support systems and enabling the corporations to enslave and starve the working class.

The day the Waymakers left the solar system was a great day for humanity. Rin had celebrated with her clan. The day the Waymakers returned, she’d cried.

The Waymaker fired first, striking the largest ship in the squadron. It exploded, killing all fourteen on board instantly. Her squadron returned fire, hitting the Waymaker and the surrounding station.

She clenched her jaw as she fired Exterra’s railgun. Her ship was small, too small to hold enough ammunition for her comfort, so her railgun was never set to automatic. Instead, she treated every shot as a deadly shot. She struck the Waymaker but it continued firing, which meant she didn’t hit its core.

The Waymaker hit two more ships in Rin’s squadron before she fired again, this time striking the probe dead-center. Its lights flickered and then went dark. She waited for a full three-count before transmitting over an open channel. “Good job. The Waymaker’s down. Bravo Squadron, see to survivors from the damaged ships. When you’re done with that, switch to providing aid to the station. Exterra will grab the prize.”

* * *

Illumination

“Damned overzealous Long Riders. Veda, get ready,” Jack cursed when the Cern City squadron launched six minutes early and destroyed any chance to catch the other two Waymakers unaware.

The Waymaker perched atop Illumination’s exterior began raising its single photon gun. The probe looked odd attached to a human space station like that—its behavior made no sense to Jack, and his rational mind couldn’t come up with a good reason why it’d done what it had.

“I’m ready to fire. Just give the word,” Veda said.

“Not yet. We’ve got to wait for Shen to make the first move,” Jack said. “And it looks like he’s making it now.”

Outside, two small gunships raced toward the Waymaker. The ships were painted in a colorful design common to Long Rider ships, with each paint scheme unique to the pilot’s clan. The ships torpedoed toward the Waymaker as it swung its gun at the impending threats. The Waymaker fired, shattering the nearest gunship. The second gunship weaved around the destroyed vessel, and it closed too much distance for the Waymaker to fire without risking damage to itself. The gunship didn’t strike the Waymaker head-on. Instead, it swiped up at an angle, slamming into the Waymaker and knocking it from the station.

The instant the Waymaker tumbled free from Illumination, Satsuma fired.

“Veda, now!” Jack shouted.

But Veda didn’t get the chance. Satsuma’s next shot hit the Waymaker’s center mass, and the larger railgun rounds caused the probe to splinter into many pieces.

“Satsuma’s rounds don’t leave a lot of the Waymaker left to analyze,” Jack said.

“I didn’t even get to fire a shot,” Veda said glumly.

Kana chuckled. “It looks like the Satsuma didn’t need us on this mission.”

“That’s the kind of mission I like.” Jack understood Shen Jian’s logic in taking several ships along, even if Satsuma was the largest of all Long Rider ships by fiftyfold. If Satsuma had gone in alone and something had happened to it, the Illumination operation would’ve been a failure. As it stood, the crews of the four ships that flew with Satsuma floated alongside, twiddling their thumbs.

“This is Commander Shen Jian of the Long Riders. The Waymaker is confirmed offline, and I’m sending a shuttle to claim all components,” Shen’s voice came over an open communication channel. “Illumination, relay any aid you require and my squadron will provide support.”

“Great. Instead of blowing anything up, we get to play nursemaids,” Veda griped.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get your chance to shoot something sometime,” Jack said, even though he hoped his prediction wouldn’t come true.

CHAPTER 19

Outer Belt

Four days later, the Long Rider fleet rendezvoused at the same coordinates where it’d first come together. Of the twenty-five ships involved in the three Waymaker attacks, only three ships and crews were completely lost while two others sustained some damage. Four ships had remained behind at the coordinates, not because the captains bowed out of the mission, but because Shen Jian had them guard the cargo units filled with the fleet’s additional supplies.

Jack snapped on his holster before leaving his quarters to find Heddi waiting for him in the passageway. She, too, was ready to go.

“The shuttle’s here. I checked the airlock seal. It’s good,” she said, accompanying him toward the airlock. “Kaito’s picking us up.”

“He’s the one that’s Shen’s nephew, right?”

She nodded. “Do you know how long this meeting will be?”

“Longer than the last one, that’s for sure,” he replied. “I’m sure they’ll spend plenty of time debriefing before Shen goes into his next steps. Destroying Waymakers just put a bullseye on every ship in the outer belt. I don’t expect the Waymakers are going to be pleased that we took out three of their brethren.”

“You don’t think they’ll leave the belt alone now?” she asked.

“That’s what everyone’s hoping, but would you let someone get away with killing your kin?”

“But they’re robots, not people,” she said.

“They think, which means they feel. They might not have emotions like people do, but I imagine they can hold a grudge as much as any person,” he said as they reached the airlock.

A green light showed the airbridge seal between the shuttle and Cabrón was secure with no leaks. On the other side of the outer airlock door stood Kaito Jian. He smiled, and Jack noticed Heddi returned the gesture.

Jack pressed the airlock control and the door opened.

Kaito bowed his head. “Captain, I’ll bring you and your crew member to the Satsuma.”

Jack motioned for Kaito to lead the way onto the shuttle. Kaito turned just as a large laser shot through the shuttle, causing it to explode. Kaito was engulfed in flames. Jack grabbed ahold of Kaito’s shirt as the airbridge was torn from Cabrón. Jack and Heddi were still within Cabrón’s airlock, and they’d grabbed bars on the wall a split-second before the atmosphere was sucked out. The combination of sudden loss of pressure, the roiling explosion, and trying to hold on to Kaito was too much, and Jack would’ve tumbled outside if Heddi hadn’t grabbed his wrist and yanked both him and Kaito inside the airlock.

The instant they were clear of the doorway, she closed the outer door and the small airlock began to re-pressurize. Jack’s eyes watered and his ears kept popping painfully as the pressure equalized. His skin burned from both the briefest exposure to the freezing temperatures as well as the flames being sucked out from the shuttle’s explosion. He coughed as moist air filled his lungs, and then he heard Heddi.

“Jack! Are you okay?”

He held up a hand. “I’m okay.”

“What happened?” she asked.

Before he could answer, the inner airlock opened. Burn stood there. “You’re both alive. Good. Jack, you better get to the bridge. The fleet’s under attack.”

Jack glanced at the badly burned, unconscious—and possibly dead—Kaito. “You two handle him.” Then he sprinted for the bridge.

Kana and Veda were both on the bridge already. Her fingers were flying over her panel while Veda was still buckling in.

Jack raced for his seat. Outside the window, he saw several ships already destroyed or burning. Other ships were accelerating, making the area a chaotic, dangerous zone. “What are we dealing with?”

“Waymakers just entered this sector,” Kana replied. “We’re still getting data. They came in behind an asteroid to block their movement from the scans.”

“How many?” Jack asked.

“A dozen. No, fifteen at least, maybe more,” she said. “They must’ve tracked the fleet somehow. They definitely hacked the satellites so we didn’t see them coming.”

“Show me the grid of where they are now,” Jack said as he took control of the ship and cycled up the engines. “And Veda, tell me you’re ready with the railgun.”

“I’m powering it up now,” he said. “All I need is a target.”

“We’ll get you one. Kana, anything from Shen yet?” Jack asked.

“Not yet. I think this attack caught everyone by surprise,” she replied.

The grid displayed on the front panel, and he saw the incoming grouping of Waymakers. They were close enough that no ship could evade photon beams that traveled at the speed of light, but they were still far enough out that they could evade rounds from the railguns that traveled at a fraction of that speed. Any way Jack looked at the scenario, their odds were shitty.

Satsuma fired at the Waymakers and the grouping began to scatter. It was impossible to see on the grid if Satsuma had taken out any with that first strike, though it was unlikely. The Waymakers continued firing at the fleet. Every one of their laser beams made contact with a ship.

Jack hit the intercom. “Everyone, make sure you’re strapped in. Things are going to get bumpy.”

He didn’t wait before he accelerated. It’d seemed like pure luck that Cabrón hadn’t been targeted yet. But knowing the Waymakers, it wasn’t luck. They weren’t shooting haphazardly and instead were shooting at every third ship in the fleet rather than at tight groups of ships at a time, likely trying to cause the most chaos.

Jack angled Cabrón toward the wreckage to help block it against photon blasts. He’d accelerated for barely three seconds before a flash of light slammed against the ship. Alarms blared and the controls became sluggish. If it hadn’t been for their new hull, they would’ve been dead.

As things stood, the direct hit fried all the circuits near the starboard aft, and two of the four engines went offline. The ship no longer wanted to fly straight, and Jack had to overcompensate using navigational power.

The railgun made a bmf-bmf-bmf sound as Veda fired a triple-burst. “I hit one. I think. Damn it, just clipped it.”

Veda fired again as Jack maneuvered Cabrón away from the direct line of fire.

“You gotta turn back. I can’t hit them from this angle,” Veda said.

“And that means they have less of us to hit,” Jack countered.

His communication panel chimed, but Jack was too focused on trying to fly a handicapped ship to read it.

“It’s Shen Jian. Satsuma’s pulling back,” Kana announced.

“That’s what I’m trying to do too,” Jack grumbled and hit the intercom. “Burn, can you get us more power?”

“I’m trying, but there’s more stuff broken than working back here. We’re lucky we still have power.”

Jack analyzed the grid. There were more parts of ships floating in the vicinity than complete ships, and nearly all ships that looked to be still functional were jetting away. The Waymakers were now well within firing range, but most ships were no longer shooting. As ships fled, Waymakers broke away from their loose formation and gave chase. Seeing the Waymakers disperse gave Jack an idea.

“Veda, hold your fire,” Jack said.

“What?” Veda asked.

“You heard me. Right now we can’t outrun anyone or anything. Our best shot is to play dead until enough of those Waymakers have moved on.”

“That’s not going to work unless we completely power down,” Kana said.

“I know, but we can’t risk powering down. We’d be sitting ducks. It’s a gamble. If they think we’re crippled, maybe they’ll leave us be and focus on chasing others.”

“But we are crippled,” Veda said.

“I know.”

“It’s an awfully big gamble,” Kana said.

“I know.”

“I can reduce power to all nonessential systems—the ones that are still running anyway,” Kana said.

“Good. I’m going to tuck us right in behind that nearest debris field.” Jack pointed as he piloted the damaged ship. He relayed his plan via the intercom to Burn and Heddi as he angled the ship so that a dead shuttle—one that looked a lot like Kaito Jian’s but with a different paint scheme—stood between Cabrón and the Waymakers. He’d used this trick before and it’d worked, but Cabrón no longer had long grabber arms near the bow to latch onto things. Without them, Jack had to make constant, tiny adjustments to remain in the ever-moving debris field.

“All right. Let’s see if they buy it,” Jack said. “Veda, be ready to shoot at anything that tries to kill us. Kana, keep an eye on that grid.”

“Happily,” Veda replied.

They waited. Jack monitored the grid while maintaining their position. The bulk of the Waymakers were giving chase to the retreating ships, but two probes slowed as they approached the battlefield where the fleet had been attacked. Jack’s jaw tightened. He’d expected one, at most, to remain behind to scan the field. Cabrón—even when it wasn’t damaged—couldn’t take on two Waymakers alone.

“Veda, you see that?” Jack asked.

“The two creeping in? Yeah, I got them. But we’ve only got one railgun, so I can only target one of them at a time.”

“Keep one targeted. If they decide to attack, let’s see what we can do to better even the odds,” Jack said.

The pair of Waymakers split up as they combed the debris fields. They moved like search-and-rescue ships on the hunt for survivors, but these probes were clearly not there to help.

One Waymaker fired at a ship that had looked to be in good shape except that its two engines had been blown off. It was a sitting duck. The photon beam obliterated the ship’s bridge.

Jack winced. His plan was only delaying the inevitable. “Veda, if you have a perfect shot, take it.”

“Give me a couple of seconds. This one’s lining itself up nicely once it gets past some wreckage.”

Jack maintained Cabrón’s position as precisely as he could while eying debris he could use as shields but also allow Veda to use the railgun, but the trick was, if the debris protected Cabrón, it would also block the gun.

Veda fired a three-round burst and the nearest Waymaker toppled away, its lights going out.

“Nice shot,” Kana exclaimed.

The remaining Waymaker twisted around. Jack maneuvered the ship to face the AI probe head-on to make it easier for Veda to shoot, but the Waymaker moved faster. It fired first. Through sheer luck, the energy beam glanced off the ship’s upgraded hull. Veda fired. His first shots missed, but he kept firing. The Waymaker fired again. This time, its blast struck a chunk of rubble that had floated between them. The remaining energy from the beam struck the ram’s head at the front, sending sparks of energy over the ship’s hull. Veda’s rounds struck the Waymaker dead center before it could fire a third time, and it went dark.

“Nice shooting,” Jack said.

“About time I got to properly test out the new railgun rounds,” Veda said, the smile evident in his voice.

Jack tapped the intercom. “The coast is clear, but with how many Waymakers are in this quadrant, we’re not out of the mess, not by a long shot. We’re bugging out. Burn and Heddi, I need you to do what you can to keep the engines running.”

“We’ll do what we can back here,” Heddi’s reply came.

“That’s all I’m asking.” Jack checked his panel, muting all alarms and dismissing all system failures except for the ones linked with flight. “Kana, you handle the environmental systems. Flying this crate’s going to take all my attention.”

“I can do that, but we’re going to have to wear our suits soon. I’m not showing any breaches, but the air filtration system is offline,” she said.

“Let us know when we have to do that. Let’s try to get out of here first.”

“Where’re we running to?” Veda asked.

Jack’s eye twitched. “The only place I know we’re safe…. Ree Dunn Vu.”

Kana sighed. “This day just keeps getting better and better.”

CHAPTER 20

Outer Belt

What normally would’ve taken three days took twenty-seven for Cabrón to limp to the crew’s secret hideout on an unpopulated asteroid in the outer belt. From the outside the asteroid looked no different from the thousands of other rocks in the sector. Jack wouldn’t even had been able to find the asteroid if they hadn’t left a tracker tag there.

“I’m not picking up any activity in the area—electronic or otherwise—but with our comms down and most of our sensors on the fritz, I’m not sure how much I’d pick up anyway,” Kana reported.

“Then let’s hope the scanners are picking up enough.” Jack slowed the ship and maneuvered it into a rotation around the rock, searching for the dock entrance. He was exhausted from three-plus weeks of manual flight, alternating only with Kana, who looked as tired as he felt. Wearing hab-suits didn’t help as they made every task twice as hard to accomplish. Cabrón was flying rough—it took constant adjustments to keep it flying straight. When he spotted the big rock overhang that hid the entrance, he angled the ship toward it, but the controls had become more and more sluggish during the trip, and he couldn’t adjust the flight path enough to reach the entrance and had to make another rotation.

After three more failed attempts and go-arounds, Jack cursed. “I don’t have enough control to make the dock. I’m landing on the surface.”

Kana’s brows shot up. “There’s not a smooth landing spot on that surface. You won’t be landing; you’ll be crashing.”

“I know.” He tapped the intercom. “Everyone, strap in. This is going to be a rough landing.”

He made a full rotation of the asteroid, angling the ship to the flattest area of rock he could find within a kilometer of the entrance. He brought the ship down as smoothly as he could, but it was handling like a bag of wet laundry, and he overshot his chosen landing zone. Cabrón scraped against a jagged outcropping before slamming into the solid-rock surface, skidding and screeching to a brutal stop. If Jack hadn’t been tightly buckled into his seat, he would’ve been torpedoed into the front of the bridge. Even strapped in, his head whipped forward and his hands struck his panel hard enough to send a jolt of pain up his arms.

New alarms sounded.

Jack gave himself a few seconds to let the pain subside before he called out, “Kana, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she groaned. “Just a bit bruised.”

He tapped the intercom, but it didn’t respond. “Intercom’s dead. Are you well enough to check on the others?”

“Yeah. Just give me a second.”

He scanned the systems panel and saw the ship was going into a full failure. He clenched his eyes shut. Never, in nearly two hundred and fifty years of flying, had Cabrón gone into a complete systems failure. If the ship was beyond repair, the crew would be stuck on that rock for the rest of their lives. If it could be repaired using only their printer and the supplies on the asteroid, they could still be stuck there for years or even decades, making repairs. The crew might kill off each other well before then.

Kana returned to the bridge. “Burn broke his wrist. Everyone else is okay.”

Jack nodded. “Good. Let’s hope Kaito can walk, because it looks too rough out there for the rover.”

Kana wrinkled her nose. “I’ll tell everyone to pack only what they can carry.”

“Tell them to make sure their suits are fully charged, and Burn had better grab the portable generator. It’ll take a while to cycle up the environmentals in Vu 9, if it even still works.” It’d been over a century since the crew had last been there. While life support systems were built to last forever, it didn’t mean they always did.

Jack tried to shut down as many systems as he could before they went into full failure. He gave a final, wistful gaze across the bridge before heading to his quarters and grabbing a bag of tools and snacks. From there, he met the rest of the crew at the airlock. Burn was cradling his left arm, which was in a sling. Heddi carried Burn’s bag as well as hers. Veda and Kana stood together, ready to go.

Kaito was leaning against the wall. He wore one of Heddi’s extra suits, as they were roughly the same height. His burned face was still bandaged, as were his hands and forearms. He was still recuperating from a head injury, dislocated shoulder, slipped disk, bruised ribs, and cracked kneecap from his ordeal. The medical pod had healed the worst of the Long Rider’s injuries, but he was still only human, and it took normal humans an interminably long time to heal. Jack and Heddi had received minor freezer burn from exposure along with some bruises, all of which had disappeared in under a day for Jack and under two days for Heddi, thanks to their nanites. Fortunately for them, Kaito had been kept unconscious for the first week, so he didn’t notice their inhumanely fast recovery.

“We have just under two k’s of walking to reach the dock,” Jack said, and Burn groaned, so Jack added, “Sorry. This was the closest I could get us. This old girl’s in a bad way.” For Kaito’s sake, he said, “This rock doesn’t have any gravity to speak of, but it’s got enough iron ore in it that mag boots will keep you grounded and keep you from falling. Be careful. That rock outside is as sharp as it comes—it could slice right through these suits, and they’re all we got for air until we get things up and running inside. We’re going to pair up to help keep each other from falling. Veda and Kana; Burn and Heddi; and Kaito, you’re with me. Now, let’s get moving.”

Heddi opened the airlocks, and the crew ventured outside onto the uneven rock. With no atmospheric winds to wear down the surface, the ground was dangerously sharp, sharp enough that Jack worried it could cut through the soles of their boots, though he didn’t mention his concern to the crew. Once everyone was outside, he closed and locked the airlock. The defense system needed power to work, so he couldn’t activate that, but at least the locks would slow down any pirates in the off chance they passed through the area.

Jack didn’t like that Cabrón could be seen on the surface. He felt exposed—it’d be all too easy for someone to strip the ship or something to destroy the ship versus if he’d docked it properly, where no one and nothing would suspect there were tunnels carved into the unpopulated asteroid.

The six of them made slow progress over the uneven, dangerous terrain, using up three hours of air before they reached the dock. After the first hundred meters, Kaito leaned heavily on Jack, making progress even slower, as Jack had to navigate every step for both of them. As soon as the crew reached the shadow of the large outcropping over the dock, Jack breathed easier. From there, travel would be relatively safe into the dock and into the hideout beyond. The serrated rocks were smoothed down, polished by equipment over three centuries earlier when the asteroid became home to one of the first completely artificially managed mining camps established in the outer belt.

As they entered the dock area, Jack reached for the metal cable that ran along the interior, guiding them to the site’s entrance. Jack still held onto Kaito, but the young man had found new strength with their destination so near, and they moved at a faster pace—albeit still a snail’s pace—through the single docking bay and to the airlock. Jack found himself smiling as they approached the entrance. Above the large metal door, the name of the mining camp company could still be read in faded yellow letters: Ree Dunn Vu 9. Jack never knew if the company name meant something, was someone’s surname, or was simply just a mishmash of letters. It was what had been painted with rough brushstrokes below that name that mattered to Jack: Home of the Sol Corps Strays.

Burn and Jack had painted that during their first week at the camp. It was what they’d come to call themselves after surviving the Aria attack and having to “kill” their own identities.

As to how they’d found Ree Dunn Vu 9, Burn had remembered seeing news that the company had gone defunct and deactivated and stripped all its sites; the automated camps had quickly faded from human memory. Kana had helped by deleting any mentions of the bankrupt company locations from the various networks. After several decades, anyone who’d ever worked for Ree Dunn Vu or had even heard of the small startup had died. It had become the perfect hideout except for one thing: it was a dark dungeon of a place.

“I had no idea this place was here,” Kaito said, breathless from exertion.

Jack released Kaito to help Veda crank open the door. The crank-wheel protested at first, but eventually gave way to the force and turned. “You’d be surprised how many places like this are out here. Mining camps, exploratory missions, science stations—hundreds, probably thousands, of small bio-domes were built and, once they served their purpose, forgotten. And once you see this place, you’ll understand why it was forgotten.”

They opened the door only enough for the crew to pass through.

“No airlock?” Kaito asked.

“There’s one up ahead,” Jack said as he helped the man forward. “This was an automated facility, so they didn’t need environmentals except where humans would pass through to audit production and equipment.”

“I didn’t realize there were any automated mining camps out there,” Kaito said.

“There aren’t, not anymore,” Jack said. “They were all shut down once companies realized that people were cheaper at operating and maintaining mining equipment than machines.”

Kaito grunted. “And I thought companies always treated people as their cheapest asset.”

“Oh, they have. At least for as long as I’ve been around,” Jack said, leading the crew down the site’s largest passageway made for moving mined metals to a transport parked in the docking bay.

They walked through the pitch-black for nearly ten minutes, using only the lights on their helmets before they reached a small airlock door built into the wall before the passageway split into three smaller passageways leading to various mining shafts. Jack stepped forward and checked the seam around the airlock to find a thread still strung along the top, undisturbed. Jack let out a breath. “Looks like no one’s been here since we were here last.”

Jack and Veda cranked open the outer airlock, though this wheel cranked easier, likely because the door was only sized for humans to pass through. As soon as the group entered, Kana ventured ahead to a computer panel and a plate covered in switches on the wall to their right. She began flipping switches on. A rough hum filled the space as systems came to life. A heavy thunk of metal on metal caused Jack to cringe.

“That didn’t sound good,” Heddi said.

“I’ll see what it is once the panel comes online. Takes a while for it to power up when it’s so cold,” Kana said.

The hum grew louder and rougher until it leveled out and then settled into a nearly imperceptible vibration. Jack felt his body pulled ever so slightly toward the floor.

“The grav system’s online and showing green, but it looks like it needs calibrated. It’s running light, but there’s enough that you can go ahead and disable your mag boots,” Kana said.

Lights blinked on next. First, the red “always on” emergency lighting flickered on along the wall near the floor. Then all remaining lights flashed on, setting the entire room alight in bright white, causing Jack to squint and his face shield to darken.

“And obviously the light system still works,” Burn said as he made his way to a chair fashioned out of cargo crate material and plopped down, favoring his broken wrist.

As systems whirred to life with various hums, jolts, and clacks, the crew spread out in the room, taking it in. Veda went straight for the bunk area he and Kana shared while Heddi walked briskly around, examining the space, checking out the small kitchenette and bathroom and peeking behind privacy screens made from old cargo crates.

Kaito ran a gloved finger over a table thick with dust. “When were you last here? It looks like no one’s been here for, well, forever.”

“It’s been a while,” Jack said.

“Is this all of it?” Heddi asked.

“What do you mean?” Jack asked.

“I mean, I don’t see any other doors. Is this the entire space?” she asked.

Jack nodded. “This is all of it. The rest of the facility doesn’t have environmentals.”

“Wow,” she said. “It’s just when you told me about spending three dec—”

Jack shot a glance at Kaito and then back at her.

“Months,” she corrected, “I expected someplace bigger. This place is barely five square meters.”

“It’s cozy,” Burn said.

“That’s why we’ve only come here as a last resort,” Jack said.

“I can say with complete certainty that when one person farts, everyone knows,” Burn added.

“Good news. Air and pressure are online and green. We should have fresh—well, at least breathable—air within a few minutes,” Kana interjected.

“This workroom was set up for small teams—two or three people at most—to stay here to recharge their suits and do what needed done before leaving. It wasn’t designed for anyone to live here,” Jack said. “But it has everything people need to survive, so it serves its purpose.”

When the crew had first arrived at Ree Dunn Vu 9, all useful equipment had been stripped. The life support systems had remained because once they were installed, it was cheaper to leave them somewhere than to remove them. The crew had survived in those cramped quarters for three decades as they reconfigured Aria into Cabrón, a ship neither Sol Corps nor the Waymakers would recognize, with only stripped mining machines to keep them company… and they’d been miserable.

“Do the comms work? I’d like to try and get a hold of Shen Jian to let him know I’m still alive,” Kaito said.

“Sorry. The comms were stripped out before we got here, and we decided to keep it completely off the grid,” Kana said.

Jack didn’t mention that there was a communications array built into the Ree Dunn Vu 9’s grid and that Kana had simply disconnected it so that no one would see the node on a network. A part of Jack wanted to reconnect the array and learn what was happening out there. But the risk of revealing their location was simply too great. They had to remain in the dark for their safety. He assumed the worst: that Satsuma and the Long Rider fleet had been destroyed by the Waymakers. The only consolation to not knowing was that if he didn’t send any communications, there was no way for the Waymakers or Glimmers to find them. This abysmal room was perhaps the safest place in the system. “Kaito, you’ll be able to reach your uncle once we get the comms working on Cabrón. Until then, there’s nothing we can do.”

Kaito seemed disappointed but said, “I understand.”

“And once you can contact your uncle, I’d prefer you didn’t share these coordinates. People don’t know about this place, and we’d like to keep it that way,” Jack said.

Kaito placed a hand over his heart. “I won’t tell a soul. I swear on Clan Jian’s honor, you have my word.”

“The air’s good. Go ahead and remove your helmets and plug them in to recharge,” Kana said.

Jack removed his helmet first and took in a deep breath of bitterly cold, stale air. He coughed. “It’s like the air in an old mining station’s docks. Not great but breathable.”

“The heating system takes longer to catch up,” Kana said apologetically.

Burn inhaled deeply, his eyes closed. “Ah, exactly how I remember. Not quite horrible enough to kill ya.”

Heddi removed her helmet before rummaging through the supplies on the shelves. Jack walked over to a bunk bed concealed by a privacy screen and set his bag on the top bunk. Dust puffed up from the foam mattress.

“Jack?”

He turned to find Heddi watching him with concern. “What is it?”

“The supplies… there’s not much food there. I mean, I know we have enough on the ship to get us by for over a year, but Burn said that this was the worst he’s ever seen the ship and that it could take a long time to repair… like a really long time.”

“Don’t worry about food and supplies. We keep this place stocked. We have stashes of food and supplies stored in the mining shafts. That way, if someone found this room, they wouldn’t find everything else. We’ve got enough spare parts and raw material to fix most anything wrong with the ship along with enough food to last fifty years.”

Relief washed down her face. “I was worried. I’ve gone hungry before. I’d rather die from anything other than starvation.”

He remembered how scrawny she’d been when he found her half-frozen in Pallas Six. “You won’t starve. Not here.” He forced a smile. “I can tell you the thing you’re most likely to die from here is boredom.” Then he pointed to where the third and final privacy screen stood. “We pulled these bunks off the Cabrón back when it was still the Aria. Everything else from the Aria was used as raw material to turn it into the Cabrón.” He pointed. “There’s two more bunks over there for you and Kaito. It’s awfully cramped, but at least we don’t have to take shifts sleeping on the same cot. As you can see, you won’t find much privacy in this place.”

She smirked. “I don’t mind the coziness, but I’m taking the top bunk.” She started to walk away, then paused. “Those bunks were Nalla’s and her husband’s, weren’t they?”

Jack sobered and gave a small nod. “Nalla and her husband, Caber, used those bunks. There wasn’t space for their bunks to be lined up side by side. There were a lot of sacrifices.”

Heddi thought for a moment, then gave a sad smile and left. She motioned to Kaito. “You look like a zombie. I’ll show you to your bunk so you can get off your feet. You get bottom, by the way.”

“But I want the top bunk,” Kaito said.

Jack ignored the banter and stared at his bunk for a moment. Feelings of frustration, fear, and claustrophobia flitted through him as ancient memories of living at Vu 9 bubbled to the surface. A lot had changed in two centuries, yet some things hadn’t. Just like the last time they’d lived here, they were being hunted by Waymakers, hiding for their lives, while needing to spend every waking hour and every resource available to rebuild their ship. Back then it was to erase Aria and turn it into something new and completely disconnected from the Waymaker-Sol Corps network. He hoped this time wouldn’t require three decades to make Cabrón fly.

With a jolt of angst, he walked into the main area. Burn seemed to be napping in the chair, Kana was still standing at the wall panel and working through the systems, Heddi was checking Kaito’s bandages, and Veda was drinking from a bag of water.

Jack motioned to Veda. “Grab your helmet. We need to take inventory and see what we have to work with.” Even though he’d told Heddi their supplies would be safe in the mining shafts, he needed to visually verify them for himself. A lot could happen in zero-G and near-absolute-zero conditions. Bags often burst or shattered. Shafts could collapse if the asteroid had collided with another asteroid. And, of course, the site could’ve been raided.

Veda held up a finger as he finished chugging the water. Finished, he tossed the bag onto the table. “I’m ready.”

CHAPTER 21

Mars Station

Jenival Ngoma glanced away from the message in her inbox to see the latest news. Another Sol Corps ship destroyed, another crew slaughtered. Ever since Shen Jian’s Long Riders provoked the Waymakers a month earlier by destroying three of their kin, the machines attacked any ship with railguns installed.

The Glimmers—who generally avoided human ships and stations—were still hunting the Waymakers, which meant that with Waymakers moving in closer to human settlements, the Glimmers showed no mercy for ships standing in their way. Another station had been demolished the day before when a Glimmer had shot the Waymaker attached to the exterior. It was the seventh one that month.

That the Long Rider faction had been decimated terrified her.

Shen Jian’s fleet, while not a professional fleet like Sol Corps, had been a sizable threat. At nearly a quarter the size of Jenival’s Sol Corps fleet, it was a key resource Jenival was depending on in the days ahead. But a single battle—more of a slaughter than a battle, really—had obliterated the Long Rider faction. If that many ships, all with the upgraded railgun capabilities, could be wiped out so easily, what chance did Sol Corps have at protecting the colonies and space stations spread out across a solar system against the alien threats? Jenival wasn’t the only one who considered that question. The swift destruction of the Long Rider faction had killed what little morale her own crews had.

She kept her Sol Corps fleet in the shadows, serving as scouts rather than aggressors. Don’t poke the bear, so to speak. There was simply too much unknown about why the Waymakers had brought their war to this solar system.

But the bear was well and truly poked.

She’d informed the Waymakers that the Long Riders operated on their own accord and without Jenival’s approval, hoping, praying that they couldn’t access the communications between Shen and her outlining their plan.

It was the second time the Waymakers responded to her. She read the message again, hoping for a miracle, that the words would change, but they never did. Their message was direct and couldn’t be misunderstood.

The Waymaker Collective no longer considers humans of the Sol system affiliates. The alliance is nullified.

The knock on Jenival’s door startled her. “Come in.”

Liz strode in, smiling. “They’ve arrived. Finally.”

Jenival stood abruptly. “Show me.”

Her assistant guided her through hallways to her private dock where a battered gunship sat. It was colorful, painted in bright designs and symbols, expressing it as a Long Rider craft. Large crates of gray metal parts were being rolled out of its small cargo hold.

Jenival rushed to meet the man who was overseeing the unloading. “Captain, I never thought you’d make it. I’m Jenival Ngoma,” she blurted.

He grinned. “Everyone knows who you are. I flew here at top speed. It’s not exactly a short distance between the two belts now, is it? Plus, I had to keep an eye out for trouble, if you know what I mean.” He motioned to the crates. “These belong to you, courtesy of Commander Jian.”

She rummaged through a crate that contained no parts larger than a small box. “Why are they in so many pieces?”

“It was the only way they’d fit in my ship. Don’t worry, we were careful about cutting ’em up. There are still two relatively complete storage drives in there.”

Jenival snapped her finger at Liz. “Make sure these are delivered to the analysts right away.”

Liz nodded and hurried to talk with the dock workers.

Jenival turned back to the captain. “Thank you. If we can pull data from these Waymakers, it could tell us everything we need to know about them. We may learn why they’ve come here, information that may help us convince them to leave.”

“Hopefully it’ll give us their Achilles’ heel. The bastards ain’t easy to kill,” he said.

“Hopefully,” she echoed.

“I need to get on my way. Commander Jian said you’d help me restock my ship for the flight back.”

She frowned. “Shen Jian’s still alive?”

The captain nodded. “Yeah. The Satsuma and her crew took a beating, but she’s still flying strong.”

Jenival exhaled a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. I’d been informed that the fleet was completely destroyed.”

“That’s a bit of an overstatement, but not by much. The fleet’s down to three ships right now, counting mine. I don’t think you can call it a fleet anymore. But Commander Jian will help the Long Riders rebuild. After that sneak attack, we’re planning to go after every damn Waymaker in the system.”

Jenival smiled. “And you can count on Sol Corps to help you.”

PART THREE

SITUATION: CRITICAL

CHAPTER 22

Ree Dunn Vu 9, Outer Belt

“Jack, I’m going to kill Kaito,” Burn motioned to the cargo hold without a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“You’ve said that a dozen times already.” Jack sighed. “He’s not a hardware tech. He’s Shen’s nephew. His training has been for flight, battle, and leadership. He’s probably never strung a wire in his life.”

“How hard can it be to string a friggin’ wire?” Burn huffed.

“Evidently hard for most folks. Just keep at it. We’re just about finished with the electrical projects. Another day or two, at most.”

“You’re optimistic, aren’t you? Do you realize Kaito just looped a wire around a power coupler?”

Jack winced. “Well, good thing you found it before we started up the engines.”

“Seriously, I think I could get done faster without his help than with it,” Burn said.

“I’ve run out of other projects to put him to work on,” Jack said.

Burn considered for a moment. “I suppose I can have him work on fastening the wires that Heddi’s strung. At least that way he shouldn’t do anything that could cause us to crash.”

Jack squeezed the other man’s shoulder. “Hang in there. It won’t be much longer before this old bird can fly again.”

Burn shot him a look. “With how things were when we were last in the black, I’m not overly eager to get back out there.”

“You and me both.”

Jack left Burn at the electrical box and made his way into Cabrón’s main passageway to continue working on his own wiring project for the ship’s internal sensor systems. The crew was working twelve-hour shifts on Cabrón, with Kana and Veda working the second shift, as their projects often required full access to the ship’s power and systems. Kana worked tirelessly on the computer systems while Veda worked on Burn’s to-do list for him. The rest of the crew worked the first shift to support Burn, the crew’s lead hardware specialist. Jack split his time between helping Burn, repairing the outer hull that had been scraped in the crash landing, monitoring the overall work, and talking Burn out of killing anyone.

Three generators provided power to the ship so the crew could work without wearing their suits. One of those generators was plugged into a panel Jack was working on. The engine noise was annoying, and he tried to ignore it by humming a tune.

An hour later, he’d finished his project and was closing the panel when Burn called out, “Jack, turn on power to all sensor systems. I’m ready to test the external scanners.”

“Working on it.” Jack walked to the bridge and stood next to his seat as he scrolled through the various ship’s systems. He tapped three different rows on the list and yelled back, “All sensor systems are on!”

A second later, Jack heard the buzz of an electrical surge, followed by a loud curse. Jack rushed to turn off the sensor systems. He was making his way to check on Burn, but waited when Burn yelled, “Damn it, Kaito!”

“What’d I do?” Kaito shouted from back in the cargo hold.

“You miswired again and damn near electrocuted me,” Burn yelled back.

“Did not!”

“Did too! Heddi, check the black wire in cluster thirty-one. See if it’s connected to junction box four.”

“Hold on, let me check,” Heddi called back.

Jack strolled cautiously through the passageway toward where Burn worked in the engine area. “You okay?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, just got a shock, that’s all,” Burn replied.

Many long seconds passed before Heddi responded, “Nope. It’s connected to box two.”

“See!” Burn yelled. “I told you, you miswired, Kaito.”

“Oh. Sorry!”

Burn rubbed his face as he shook his head. “I got to go back and check every wire again. This is going to take hours.” He shot Jack a droll stare. “And you said we’d be wrapped up in a day or two.”

Jack shrugged. “Or three.”

Burn muttered as he left Jack and made his way into the cargo hold in the back of the ship.

Jack felt somewhat sorry for Kaito. Electrical wiring required knowledge, and the kid had been thrown into the deep end, whereas Burn had centuries of training behind him. Even Cabrón’s newest crew member, Heddi, had a few years’ worth of training under her belt from her time spent learning from every crew member.

Over half of the repairs required were electrical—and most of that required new wiring. The good part was that they required little new resources, but the bad part was routing new wires and testing each and every one was time-consuming. Based on Glimmer skin, the nanofiber-polymer wrap on Cabrón’s hull had been installed to protect the ship and crew against radiation for near-lightspeed travel. By luck, it deflected the Waymaker’s photon blast much better than a regular reinforced composite hull could have done. The hull wrap didn’t need replaced, which was a good thing, as printing that material and integrating it into the ship’s power systems was incredibly time-intensive. Based on how quickly the crew was working through repairs, the ship would be capable of flight within a few months.

“How’s things going, Jack?” Kana asked.

Startled, Jack noticed Kana and Veda were onboard and already had their helmets removed.

“About what you’d expect,” he replied. “Burn’s in the cargo hold, likely strangling Kaito right now, and Heddi’s probably trying to separate them.”

“Ah, so things are going about the same,” Veda said. “Sound like I’ll be rewiring tonight. Again.”

“Sounds like it,” Jack said. “Once that’s rewired, the external sensors should be good for testing.”

“I’ll do that after I wrap up the comms system. I should have that finished tonight, no problem,” Kana said.

Jack glanced back at the cargo hold to make sure Kaito was out of earshot before saying, “How about you wait on the comms for now. Focus on the flight controls. We can fly without comms, but we can’t without control.”

She gave a knowing smile. “I understand, though I think we’re all a little curious as to what’s been happening out there over the past three months.”

Jack cocked his head. “Do you really want to know what’s going on out there?”

She wrinkled her nose. “No. Not really. I imagine if I knew, it’d give me heartburn.” She took in a deep breath. “Now, head on back into Vu. You look like you need the sleep.”

“We all need sleep.” Jack walked back to the cargo hold to find Burn on his back, sifting through wires strung along the wall, while Heddi and Kaito watched.

“Shift’s over. Time to head back,” Jack said.

Heddi rubbed her hands on her pants. “About time. I’m starving.”

“Me too,” Kaito said and then grinned. “I’m on cook duty tonight. That means I get to pick what’s for dinner.”

“Count me out,” Burn said. “I’m going to hang out here for another hour or two to figure out these wires. Then I might just catch some Zs in my bunk here.”

“Be sure to take some time to rest. You know the guts of the ship better than anyone—we need your brain functional for these projects,” Jack said.

“Brain, schbrain. I miss the days when people wanted me just for my good looks.”

Jack chuckled, and the trio left Burn to don their hab-suits and enter the airlock. Jack closed the inner door and waited for Heddi and Kaito to give him a thumbs up before he opened the outer airlock. They stepped carefully outside and made the long journey back to the docking bay and to the only pressurized biosphere in the asteroid. As soon as they were through the small airlock, which allowed only one person through at a time, they quickly stripped out of their suits.

Kaito went to work in the kitchen, Heddi went to the bathroom to wash up, and Jack took a seat, feeling the exhaustion from ceaseless twelve-hour shifts in his bones. He closed his eyes and rested until he heard the bathroom door open, signaling it was his turn to wash up.

He cracked one eye open to see Heddi stroll across the room in only a towel, carrying the clothes she’d worn that day.

“I forgot to grab a clean change,” she said.

He cocked his head. “When did you get a tattoo?”

She paused and glanced at her left bicep where the number 6 was in the thick black of the golden Arclight corporate logo of a shooting star. “I got it when you met with Shen on the Satsuma. The Long Riders use tattoos to keep a record of their past, present, and future. I figured my first one should be from my past—a reminder of where I came from. It’s the Pallas Six logo.”

“I know,” he said, then added for her sake, “it’s nice. I like it.”

She beamed and then disappeared behind the privacy wall covering the bunk beds she and Kaito bunked in.

“Dinner’s ready,” Kaito said as he set a bowl of steaming food on the table that’d been made from crates.

The three sat around the table.

Heddi sniffed the bowl before scooping a spoonful into a smaller bowl. “It smells funny. What is it?”

“It’s a surprise. I mixed a few different seasonings,” Kaito said.

Heddi wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like surprises when it comes to food.”

“Just try it,” Kaito said and scooped a couple of spoonfuls into a bowl for Jack and then into his own.

Jack smelled the mixture of tofu and rice. He recognized the mix of flavors. After all, he’d eaten every combination of the forty-three seasoning packets available in long-term ration meals hundreds of times throughout the years. Unfortunately for him, and unlike Heddi, when it came to ration kits nothing could surprise him.

He ate, already expecting the use of a fruit packet with a spicy packet.

“This is really good,” Heddi said with a full mouth. “I vote for Kaito making all meals from this day forward.”

Kaito grinned.

Jack added to Heddi’s comment, “She’s saying that not because you’re a good cook but to keep you out of trouble.”

Kaito frowned. “I don’t get into trouble.”

“Yes, you do. You’re officially the worst ever at repair projects,” Heddi said.

“No, I’m not. Whenever I make a mistake, I fix it.”

“You sure do, and then we have to fix your fixes,” Heddi blurted.

Kaito shrugged. “Don’t blame me for not being immortal like the rest of the crew.”

The mood quieted. Jack eyed Kaito.

“What do you mean by that?” Heddi asked.

Kaito gulped. “Nothing. It’s just I’ve heard rumors.”

“What rumors?” Heddi demanded.

Kaito shrugged a second time. “Well, there are rumors out there that Cabrón is a ghost ship with a ghost crew.”

Heddi stared at him for a moment and then burst out laughing. “Ghost ship? Ghost crew? So I’m a ghost now? Jack’s a ghost? Do we look like ghosts to you?”

“No,” Kaito said, then added, “but there’s something up with this crew. I saw how fast Burn’s broken wrist healed. He was back to working with that hand in just two days. Normal people don’t heal that fast. And then there’s what my uncle said—that this crew was flying when the Waymakers left this system.”

“Your uncle was flying then too,” Heddi said.

“Yeah, but he looks like he was. He’s got gray hair. This crew—well, shoot, you all look like you’re my age, and I was just learning to walk when the Waymakers left. I don’t even remember them being in the system. You should be in your sixties at least.”

“Whatever. You’re crazy,” Heddi said as she took a large bite.

“We’re not ghosts,” Jack said quietly.

“Okay, then, what are you?” Kaito asked.

Jack gave a trace of a smile. “Why, we’re the Sol Corps Strays, of course.”

CHAPTER 23

Ree Dunn Vu 9, Outer Belt

Kaito Jian gave up on sleep sometime in the middle of the night. He felt claustrophobic, which seemed ironic since he’d lived his entire life on the Satsuma. He was used to close quarters, but he wasn’t used to be stuck in one location. That made his skin itch. He was built to tour the stars, not be a rock termite. He donned his hab-suit quietly as to not wake Jack and Heddi and entered the airlock. From there, he made his way through the tunnel and to the dock.

After he stepped through the old metal door and into the dock, he paused to glance up behind him at the words painted high on the wall. Not at Ree Dunn Vu 9. No, he looked at the roughly painted words below that: Home of the Sol Corps Strays. That name meant nothing to Kaito, but it was what Jack had called his crew. What was confusing to him was how old the paint was. In space, without direct sunlight, paint oxidized very slowly, yet this paint was bubbled and chipping off as if it’d been there a hundred years or more. It didn’t make sense. Were the strays a faction like the Long Riders? If so, why hadn’t Kaito ever heard of them?

Little about the crew made sense. His time with the crew had convinced him that Shen’s fairy tales about Captain Jack Hale flying a ghost ship had some truth to them, not that Kaito was one to believe in ghosts. While the rest of the crew had an eeriness to them that Kaito couldn’t put his finger on, Heddi seemed normal. He liked her a bit, maybe more than a bit. But he wouldn’t act on that. His wife would come from his clan—he’d only ever considered that option. Anything else would dilute the Jian legacy.

Turning away from the painted words, he started to make his way through the dock so he could get to the ship and assist Burn, even though the engineer showed no appreciation and was pretty much just a dick about anything Kaito did. But Kaito had hitched a ride with this crew. It was his duty to work harder than anyone else to cover his own way.

He walked toward the dock’s exterior entrance but then paused. Near the entrance stood the docking booth. The booth would contain all systems needed to bring in and secure a transport. Curious, he diverted to the booth. It was a small compartment and its door seemed rusted open, though the booth looked like it’d been built to be fully environment-capable for a human to work in there without a suit.

He took a step inside the booth and found everything in its place. Most old mining camps had been fully stripped, but Ree Dunn Vu 9 was far too well hidden and too old to have been noticed… except by a lucky Captain Hale, that was.

He glanced over the systems, stopping at what looked to be a communication system. Some docking communication arrays were short-range, designed to communicate only with ships in their vicinity. But some docking communication arrays…

He scrambled to find the power switch; his fingers brushed over it on the side of the console. He flipped the switch but nothing happened. Disappointment doused him. He stared at the console for several long seconds before he noticed the cable hanging loosely below the console. He went down on a knee and crouched. The thick cable was unplugged! He grabbed the wide end with seven metal prongs and inserted it into the corresponding plug on the wall. A spark flew as he connected the plug and he jumped back, glad to be wearing gloves to prevent being shocked. He cursed at himself for not turning the power switch off. Had this camp been running off full power, he likely would’ve electrocuted himself.

He stood to find all the panels lighting up, including the comms array. It took everlasting minutes for the array to come fully online and run through its ancient booting checks. When it finally displayed COMM ACTIVE, Kaito smiled.

Technology had changed, but the logic behind it was still the same, and Kaito was good with technology. Once humans were ready to colonize beyond Mars, faster communications were needed. That was when the QuSR—short for Quantum Relay Splitter—protocol was developed. Developed well over three hundred years ago, it was still the standard for communications used throughout the system. Which meant that if the communications array still worked, Kaito could make contact.

He fidgeted with the menu and dialed, making several attempts before he figured out the interface. As soon as he did, he entered the twelve-character code he’d never forget. He’d been made to memorize his first clan code as soon as he was old enough to understand how communications worked. It was one of the first rites of passage for a clan member: know how to reach your clan in case you were kidnapped, enslaved, or just simply lost. The specific code he used now would dial directly to his clan leader.

As soon as he placed the call request, Kaito looked for a video screen and realized this communications array was so old it must’ve been audio-only. As the call request continued to beep without a response, tension tightened his muscles with worry. “Come on, come on, pick up.”

After two more minutes of unanswered beeps, a voice came through rickety speakers in the booth. “This is Shen Jian.”

“Commander!” Kaito exclaimed. “You’re alive. You don’t know how good it is to hear your voice.”

“Kaito. Is that you? I can hardly hear you.”

“Yes, it’s me, Commander. I couldn’t reach you sooner. The comms in the ship are down, but I discovered an antique of a comms array and got it working.”

“That explains why I can’t see you and why I’m getting so much static. It’s good to hear your voice. I thought you were dead. It brings me great joy to know you’re alive. What’s your status?”

“I’m doing fine, but the ship I hitched a ride on—the Cabrón—was beat up pretty bad by the Waymakers, and we landed—well, more like crashed—at some old mining camp. I’ve been working with the crew on fixing the ship, but a lot of its systems are still down. How’s the Satsuma? I hope you gave the Waymakers a real ass-whooping.”

There was a delay in Shen’s response, which Kaito wondered was the comms array or Shen taking a pause. “We didn’t, but we’re working on fixing that now. I’ll bring you up to speed in person. What are your coordinates?”

Kaito glanced over at the systems and then frowned. “I don’t know. We’re still in the belt; that’s all I can tell.”

“Hold on for a moment. Don’t disconnect.”

“Okay. What’re you going to do?”

Shen didn’t answer. Instead, a high-pitched ping came through the speakers, repeating every five seconds.

“I have your coordinates. You’re not far. I’ll be there in three days.”

Kaito’s heart lifted. His uncle was coming for him. “I’ll see you soon, Commander.”

“Stay safe, Kaito.”

Kaito couldn’t stop smiling after the call disconnected. He could’ve gone to the Cabrón to work, but he wasn’t in the mood for Burn, so he instead strolled back to the crew quarters in the camp. All would be well soon. Kaito would be back onboard Satsuma, and Shen would no doubt see that Cabrón’s crew was given what they needed to be back flying.

He was still smiling when he went through the airlock and entered the room to find Jack and Heddi standing, waiting for him.

Kaito pulled off his helmet. “What’re you doing up?”

“What were you doing?” Jack said.

Kaito shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. I was going to go work on the ship, but I changed my mind.”

“And what made you change your mind?” Jack said.

Kaito swallowed. “I just decided I didn’t want to make that long walk.”

“Oh?” Jack’s brow rose. “And I thought it was because you were done talking to Shen Jian.”

Kaito’s jaw slackened. “I—uh—how—”

“Your call woke us up, you idiot,” Heddi said.

“All Vu 9 comms play through all speakers, including the speakers in this room,” Jack said.

“Oh,” Kaito said.

“Did you at least make sure it was a secure channel?” Jack asked.

Kaito clamped his mouth shut.

“You didn’t. Otherwise, Shen would’ve never been able to get our coordinates by pinging the comms node.” Jack took in a deep breath. “I should kill you for putting all of our lives in danger.”

Kaito shook his head fervently. “But I only called Commander Jian, no one else. I would never put this crew in danger.”

“Yet that’s exactly what you did.” Jack glared. “By making a non-secure call, you made it so anything for three quadrants out could track us, and unlike Shen, things like Waymakers and Glimmers don’t have to ping a node to home in on it.”

“I’m sorry,” Kaito said. “I was just trying to help.”

“No, you weren’t. You were just looking out for yourself.” Jack snapped his hostile gaze away and grabbed his spacesuit.

“Where’re you going, Jack?” Heddi asked.

“I’ve got to go tell the others to be on full alert. I have to tell them our base is no longer safe.”

CHAPTER 24

Ree Dunn Vu 9, Outer Belt

Jack had expected to see Satsuma enter the asteroid’s orbit. Instead, a smaller ship—smaller than Cabrón—entered Ree Dunn Vu 9’s dock and settled into the oversized bay. The entire crew had been prepared from the moment the incoming ship was spotted. Jack had Burn, Kana, and Heddi remain onboard Cabrón to ensure it was safe while he, Veda, and Kaito greeted their new guests.

The three men stood in the dock at a safe distance from the ship as it powered down. The gunship was covered in the reinforced hull that resembled Cabrón’s wrap. The side read Exterra, a name Jack wasn’t familiar with. A full five minutes passed before the ship entered standby mode and Jack could approach without risk of engine heat damaging his suit. Veda and Kaito helped roll an old metal ramp to the ship’s airlock, and the three then proceeded up the ramp and into the airlock.

This airlock was roughly the size of Cabrón’s airlock, so three men in suits could fit (barely) with the two doors closed during pressurization. Because of the cramped space, they couldn’t remove their helmets until the inner airlock door opened. Veda stepped through first as a safety precaution.

Jack followed. Two people—Shen Jian and a woman—stood in the narrow passageway. Jack stood in front of Veda as there wasn’t quite enough space for them to stand shoulder to shoulder, which forced Kaito to stand behind them.

Jack pulled off his helmet.

Shen smiled. “Captain Hale, it’s good to see you’re still alive. The past few months have been trying, to say the least. This is Captain Green, and this is her ship, the Exterra.”

Jack nodded in her direction.

“This dock is extremely well hidden. It wasn’t easy to find,” Captain Green said.

“This dock was extremely well hidden,” Veda mumbled from behind Jack.

“But I see you found it,” Jack said, ignoring his crew member.

She smirked, obviously having heard Veda.

“Let’s continue this discussion in the galley. This space is far too claustrophobic for our discussions,” Shen said.

Captain Green led the way to a galley about a quarter of the size of Cabrón’s. There was a table with four seats—he would’ve guessed a ship that size to have a crew of only two or three.

Once the group entered, Shen embraced Kaito. “It’s good to see you, Kaito.”

Kaito bore a wide grin as he heartily embraced the older man. “You too, Uncle.”

Captain Green motioned to the table as she sat down. Shen released his nephew to sit.

“Where’s the Satsuma?” Jack asked as he took a seat. Veda remained standing behind him, and Kaito leaned against the wall next to Veda, leaving the fourth chair vacant.

“She’s tucked into an asteroid not unlike this one and is relatively nearby,” Shen replied. “The Satsuma was heavily damaged by the Waymakers’ surprise attack and is undergoing repairs. I saw the Cabrón as we descended. What’s its status?”

“It took a direct hit,” Jack said.

His words caused the other captain’s brows to lift in surprise. “You’re still alive, Captain. Most couldn’t say that after taking a photon blast,” she said.

“Call me Jack,” he said.

“Call me Rin,” she said.

“We’ve got a reinforced hull, but we got lucky,” Jack said. “We would’ve been easy prey as we limped here, but lucky for me, the Waymakers decided to chase bigger fish like the Satsuma. We’ve been working nonstop on repairs. My crew’s making headway, but we still have a couple of hard months at minimum before it’s airworthy.”

Shen gave a simple nod. “The Satsuma is on a similar timeline, though many of her repairs can take place during flight. I propose we tow your ship to where the Satsuma’s docked. There, we can finish whatever repairs you need quickly.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Why the hurry?”

“A lot’s happened since I last saw you, Jack,” Shen said. “The Long Riders have been decimated.”

Kaito gasped, and Shen glanced at his nephew. “I’m sorry, Kaito. The Waymakers wiped out the fleet the day I thought I’d lost you.” Shen turned back to Jack. “Aside from the Satsuma, we’re down to two gunships, and that includes the Cabrón.”

“Two? It sounds to me like the Long Riders are out of the fight,” Jack said.

“Not as long as a single Long Rider still lives,” Rin said.

“With how things are looking, it sounds like that won’t be for long,” Jack said.

She scowled.

“Not long after the ambush, the Waymakers broke the alliance,” Shen said.

“No surprise there,” Jack said, but he dreaded hearing those words nonetheless.

“But what is a surprise is what Jenival Ngoma learned from the Waymaker storage drives Rin delivered to her,” Shen said. “We thought the Waymakers were in retreat, chased by the Glimmers to our system, but we were wrong.”

Jack leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.

“The Waymakers returned to our system, specifically because it’s inhabited by us,” Shen said. “They came here running from a race called the Antion, and they just happened to draw Glimmer attention along the way. These Antion label life forms as either bioforms and technoforms, or at least those are the labels the Waymakers use. Their enemy is a biological lifeform that evidently identifies all technologically based lifeforms as its enemy. That would make the Waymakers an obvious enemy. The Glimmers have advanced technology, so we can only hope they are the Antion’s enemies as well.”

Jack frowned, shaking his head. “The Glimmers aren’t robots. They’re biological in nature.”

“We wonder if they have too much tech in them for this enemy’s comfort level,” Shen said. “The Waymakers likely believed that, because they tried to ally themselves with the Glimmers, but the Glimmers would rather die than ally with Waymakers. Turns out the Waymakers have made enemies with every intelligent life force we know of, and now, one we didn’t. I’ve never liked the Waymakers, but I appreciate the level of data they tracked on anything and everything they came across. Evidently, these Antion avoid systems with biological life to allow for natural evolution. Their greatest pet peeve is technology, though the Waymakers’ data had no reasoning as to why that was the case. The Waymakers can’t lose their technology without killing themselves, so they chose to come to Sol, the nearest system that’s heavily populated with biological life.”

Jack considered the new details. “They’re here because our system is essentially off limits to their enemy?”

“That’s why the Waymakers are attaching themselves to human-inhabited stations and colonies like ticks on dogs. They think no one will attack them there, and so far, they’re right,” Rin said.

“But the Glimmers have no such qualms in attacking ships that get in their way,” Shen countered. “Over the past month, Waymakers throughout this system have attached themselves to stations. The Glimmers fire on any AI probe not attached to a civilian base, but the Waymakers who attached themselves to passenger carriers learned that the Glimmers saw ships as fair game.”

“Any ship with a railgun has been a target to Glimmers and Waymakers alike,” Rin said. “Any passenger ship that tries to escape a station with a leech stuck on it is shot down by that leech. Any ship that tries to enter a station with a leech on it that the Waymakers somehow decide is a risk is shot down. Most supply transports have become too afraid to approach those stations. The Sol Corps fleet has been cut in half for trying to help those trapped in stations. Those stations are being starved out, and there’s nothing we can do.”

“That’s why Jenival’s trying to locate this alien force as we speak,” Shen said.

Jack leaned back. “I think that sounds like a very bad idea.”

“It can’t be any worse than having Waymakers bringing their war with the Glimmers here and using humans as shields,” Rin said.

“I disagree. The Waymakers and Glimmers are way beyond human capabilities. If either of them are scared of these Antion, I think we should be exponentially scared,” Jack argued.

“According to the data Jenival’s people recovered, the Antion are hyper-protective of bioforms. We may finally have a powerful ally that would be resolute in protecting us—in fact, the Waymakers don’t even know how to track the Antion, let alone have a weapon that works against them. We could have an ally that wouldn’t offer protection and then renege when convenient,” Shen said.

“Based on past experience with two other superior races, I don’t have your level of confidence,” Jack said.

“That’s why we need every ship with a railgun up and running,” Rin said. “That’s our Plan B in case Ngoma fails in reaching the Antion.”

“And what exactly is Plan B?” Jack asked.

She shrugged. “Just like in olden times when a group of local freedom fighters faced a vastly superior enemy, we hit and run.”

“But those groups were almost always slaughtered.”

Shen held up a finger. “Almost always, but not always.”

CHAPTER 25

Ree Dunn Vu 9, Outer Belt

In Cabrón’s cargo hold, behind the engine room, Jack watched the techs finish screwing the wall plate back into place and pack up their tools. Their smiles and joking could only mean the job was done.

Shen had taken Kaito with him back to Satsuma, but Exterra returned a week later with three technicians and all the items needed for Burn’s repair list. None of Cabrón’s crew enjoyed outsiders working on their ship, but circumstances were unique, and Jack preferred strangers working on his ship than having a ship that couldn’t fly. Even so, the crew remained careful to have the technicians work only on noncritical systems and components. With the materials they needed, along with three additional pairs of experienced hands, repairs moved quickly.

Burn was in a far better mood, not because of the additional help or supplies but because of the attractive new captain at Ree Dunn Vu 9 who remained behind along with her ship, Exterra, which she’d parked in the dock. Burn spent his nights with Rin in her quarters.

Exterra’s crew slept on their ship, while the three technicians joined Cabrón’s crew in Vu 9’s biosphere. Jack didn’t trust anyone, so he had Veda and Kana remain on the ship to keep an eye on it at all times. With Kana’s software expertise and Veda’s physical proficiencies, they made a formidable pair against anyone foolish enough to mess around with Cabrón. Jack and Heddi slept in Vu 9 with the techs, mostly because Jack didn’t trust them to not snoop around too much where they could discover valuable stashes of food and supplies. He didn’t like that their hideout had been compromised, but he knew it’d always been a risk. He’d been in two solar systems in his life, and he’d learned that no place was truly safe.

Heddi was young enough that she wasn’t jaded. She didn’t mind the company—quite the opposite, in fact. She seemed to enjoy it. Jack hadn’t realized how stir-crazy she’d grown on the ship until he saw her around other people. She wasn’t built of the same star stuff as Jack, he supposed. She needed human contact while he needed the empty black space. It made him sad to think about how he’d never given her a choice. He’d chosen to live in space. It was the only life he’d ever known, but she’d grown up in a mining town—a community—which was a far cry from the solitary confinement aboard a small ship.

One of the three technicians approached Jack. “I think we’re as done as we’re going to be here,” she said. “The Exterra’s giving us a lift back to the Satsuma. We’re leaving in an hour or two.”

Jack nodded. “Captain Green told me.” Rin didn’t mention that Shen was paying her to taxi his people back and forth; she didn’t need to. No one did anything without payment in the outer belt, which was why Shen had so quickly provided help and materials. With Cabrón comprising half of Shen’s fleet, he wanted Jack well and truly locked in his debt. “Thanks for your help here.”

“Of course. That’s what Long Riders do,” she said.

The tech left Jack and then departed with her compatriots. Jack made his way to the engine room where Burn was checking diagnostics.

“How’s it looking?” Jack asked.

“It’s nowhere near one hundred percent, but it’s repaired enough to get us back up into the black,” Burn replied without looking away from his screen.

“The Exterra’s taking off soon. If you want to say goodbye to Rin, you’d better do it now.”

Burn was quiet for a long moment. “Well, you know me and goodbyes. We never got along well.” Then he became overly focused on his work.

Jack clasped Burn’s shoulder before leaving him there. Burn had been slapped by more women than Jack could count, and Jack suspected Rin would be the next woman on that roster. But she wouldn’t slap him. She seemed more of the punching type.

Jack found Veda and Kana on the bridge.

“The Long Riders are cutting out.”

“About time.” Veda spun his chair away from his panel. “The railgun’s loaded and fully charged. It’s ready for action, at least as much as it can be ready.”

“And I’m just finishing up adjusting the hull’s power settings,” Kana said from her seat. “All systems are functional and in the green, but I can’t run some tests until we’re moving.”

Jack smiled. “Then let’s grab Heddi, lock down Vu 9, and get off this rock.”

CHAPTER 26

Mars Station

Jenival Ngoma had become frustratingly used to not receiving replies from aliens. The Waymakers no longer responded, not that they responded much before they decided humans were no longer their allies. And now the Antion…

She had no way of knowing if she could even reach them. She’d used the same communication protocols the Waymakers had listed as “Avoid at all costs” in their memory banks, but perhaps the Antion were too far away to acknowledge her message. Or maybe the Antion received the message but had no way of understanding human languages. She’d sent the message in various languages, including the mathematical equivalent and images of the Waymakers and Glimmers. Any advanced alien race should’ve been able to understand at least one of the dozens of formats she’d used. She’d assumed humanity was on its own. Again.

As for the Glimmers, well, Jenival just left that elephant in the room alone. As long as they weren’t actively hunting humans, she considered them the least of her problems. She needed to deal with the Waymakers. When they weren’t destroying her Sol Corps ships, they were latching onto stations, cutting off those people from the outside. She refused to stand by while her people starved, but she was exhausted from trying and not accomplishing anything.

Antsy, she stood and strode from her office, craving space and fresh air. Liz hustled to catch up, though her assistant’s arthritis caused her to hobble with every step.

Jenival held up her hand. “It’s okay, Liz. I’m just taking a stroll.”

“I’ll call for an armed escort,” Liz replied.

Jenival shook her head. “Not this time. I need space to think.”

“But it’s not safe—”

“Not this time, Liz.” Jenival left her assistant standing behind her. Oh, she knew Liz would be calling security that very moment, and Jenival picked up her pace to enjoy what little time she had to herself. That was the real reason she rarely left her office—that was the only place she could be alone. But that windowless room was suffocating—humans needed to see what lay beyond their small, confined spaces to understand their role in the universe.

She didn’t turn when she heard the footsteps behind her.

“Madame President,” Sam Bellamy’s voice called out.

She slowed and glanced over her shoulder. “Sam. I expected security, not an analyst.”

“Sorry to disappoint. I was the closest with a gun. So I guess that means you get me as your escort today.”

She gave him a thin smile before returning to her walk. He stayed two paces behind her as she made her way through the Sol Corps wing of Mars Station that she’d commandeered for logistics and laboratories.

Usually during her walks she stopped in every room, especially in the laboratories to check in on the scientists and see the inevitable lack of progress. But she walked past those doors today. Today, she didn’t need the additional proof of her failure as a leader. The people clamored for solutions, and she had nothing to offer.

Her armlet chimed. Oddly, she didn’t ignore it like she generally did on her walks. Perhaps it was because she was so desperate to hear from the Antion. She nearly stumbled when she saw the sender, and then she read the brief message in a rush. Her blood turned to ice in her veins.

“Madame President? Is everything okay?” Sam asked.

Her fingers shook, and she forced herself to lower her arm so that she couldn’t read the message again… as though the inability to read the message somehow made it less real.

She went to take a step and truly stumbled that time. Sam caught her before she fell.

“Are you all right?” Sam asked.

“I’ll be fine. I better return to my office.”

Sam helped turn her around. She looped her arm through his to use his lanky strength to support her. They’d covered barely twenty meters before they turned a corner and found Liz racing—in her crippled way—toward them.

Liz was panting. “I saw the message. What do we do?”

“I plan to leave Mars Station,” Jenival replied.

Liz gasped. “You can’t do that. You’re needed here.”

“Everyone’s at risk as long as I stay here. I need to leave Mars Station immediately, and I’ll let the Waymakers know where I am so there’s no misunderstanding.”

“What’s going on?” Sam asked.

Liz glanced at Jenival, who said, “It’s the Waymakers. They intercepted my communications to a potential ally. Evidently, they’ve judged and condemned me for engaging their sworn enemy.”

“They shouldn’t care if you try to contact the Glimmers. They ended the alliance, not you,” he said.

“I didn’t reach out to the Glimmers,” she said.

He looked confused, but she didn’t elaborate. That information was well above his paygrade even though he was one of her better analysts.

Alarms blared and red emergency lights flashed through the hallways. A firm female voice came over the intercom. “Mars Station is under attack. I repeat, Mars Station is under attack. Please proceed to your assigned emergency shelter immediately.”

Jenival’s armlet began chiming nonstop as multiple calls came in. She scrolled through the calls, accepting the one from station security. “Launch all gunships,” she said without any preamble. “Don’t hold back. Initiate evacuation procedures. Unleash all the talons—use them to aid in the evacuation.” The voice on the other end began speaking, but she disconnected the call.

A distant explosion rattled the floor and sent vibrations through Jenival.

“Get me to my ship,” she said as she replied to the Waymaker’s message. She relied on Sam to guide her as she hurriedly typed, I’m leaving Mars Station and coming to you for my judgment. Please halt your attack on Mars Station.

As soon as she sent the message, she looked up and picked up her pace. “Let’s hope that’ll stop the attack.”

She placed a call to her pilot while Sam led her. The hallway had become chaotic as people emerged, wide-eyed, from their rooms and began running in all directions. Some were likely hurrying to their assigned shelters, but most were more likely rushing to find their families or to flee to the docks.

Explosions became more frequent as the colony sounded like it was being bombarded from above, and she wondered how many Waymakers had come to Mars Station to punish Jenival Ngoma.

Sam strong-armed people out of the way as they proceeded through the hallway. He wasn’t muscular, but he was tall and in good shape—the combination giving him the leverage he needed against most.

Liz was knocked against the wall, and Jenival slowed.

Liz waved her forward, her face red from exertion. “Keep going! I’m right behind you.”

Sam tugged Jenival, and she hastened her pace. After taking several steps, Jenival glanced back. Liz pushed off from the wall. Then an explosion blew the entire wall in the section outward, obliterating Liz. The blast of air and debris hit Sam and Jenival, and she would’ve fallen if he hadn’t pressed them both against the wall.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked, coughing.

She nodded as she wiped the dust from her eyes.

“Good. We need to hurry.”

He yanked her with him, showing no gentleness.

“Liz!” Jenival cried out even though she knew no one could survive a direct blast, and she let herself be dragged forward.

They reached the private docks a few seconds later to find it a madhouse of people fleeing to ships. Her ship still sat in its bay, though its lights were on and its engines running. Relief filled her when she saw that it was still there and undamaged.

“That one.” She pointed to her ship, and Sam wrapped an arm around her to give them a smaller footprint in the overly congested docks. When they reached the airbridge leading to her ship, she found two security guards there, fending off others. When they saw her, they motioned her forward.

As soon as she reached the guards, she pressed Sam back. “You should stay. You’re safer here. It’s me the Waymakers want.”

Sam frowned, nodded tightly, and then took a step back.

“Get to a shelter,” she ordered and entered the airbridge.

She didn’t make it to her ship, Sam didn’t make it to a shelter, because in the next second, a photon blast struck Jenival’s ship. The engines exploded, engulfing the entire dock in flames.

CHAPTER 27

Truermore Station, Outer Belt

Mager Bradley and Roberta Green were deep in the middle of one of their daily tasks of reviewing the incoming scans from their satellites stationed along the outer edge of the Kuiper Belt when their computer screens went blank.

“Damn breaker box,” Mager muttered.

“I’ll go reset the breaker,” Roberta said.

She started to leave when their screens came to life again… sort of.

Roberta cocked her head as she approached the screen, and Mager squinted as he bent closer. All the screens in their office were still blank except for green letters displayed, one after the other. The same message appeared on every screen at the same time.

Your petition has been received and considered. Your bioformity is now being verified and your circumstance evaluated.

The pair read the screen for a long minute.

Finally, Mager chuckled. “Good one, Robbie.”

“What?” Roberta asked.

“You’re getting back at me for putting carbon powder in your tea last week.”

She shook her head as she gestured to the screen. “Mager, I didn’t do this.”

He chuckled again. “Sure you didn’t. C’mon, you got to tell me how you did that. Displaying that message across all the screens at the same time, even the ones connected to different networks? I’m impressed.”

“Mager, I’m telling you, I had nothing to do with this.”

“I especially like the ‘bioformity’ term, though I can’t say I really get it. And you really should work on the passive voice the next time. It reads too much like your formal status reports to the leadership council. That’s how I knew it was you,” he said.

She clenched and unclenched her fists. “Damn it, Mager. Listen to me. This was not me.”

He sobered as he stared at her. “You’re being serious, aren’t you?”

She let out a groan of exasperation. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” She took a seat before one of the screens and made a screenshot. She clicked on the green letters and they disappeared, the screen reverting to the scientific data that was displayed minutes earlier.

“It didn’t come through our comm server. Whatever it was came direct through the local network,” she said as she began analyzing the latest traffic that went through that computer.

“Check the source. Where did it come from?” he asked.

“I’m checking. Just give me a moment. Since it came direct, I have to check the system logs rather than the comm server logs.” A few seconds passed. “That’s odd.”

“What’s odd?”

“It shows that it came from right here in this office.”

“Here?”

“Here.”

“You think Damon from the help desk back at Luna City is messing with us?” he asked.

She raised a brow. “Do you think Damon suddenly generated a funny bone?”

“Good point.”

They both looked at the nearest screen that displayed the message.

“Have you filed any type of petition lately?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No. Well, I put in a request for more variety in our ration packs, but I wouldn’t call that a petition by any stretch.”

“And what’s this ‘bioformity’ thing they’re talking about? And what circumstances? I think whatever this is, it was sent to us by accident,” she said.

“We should forward it on to Sol Corps. Truermore protocols state we forward any suspicious data to them,” he said.

“But that’s referring to anything odd our satellites pick up. This could just be some kid’s idea of a joke. Some hacker out there is probably like, ‘Hey, let’s pick on those poor schmucks at Truermore Station since they’re the farthest away from any other human soul in the system. That’ll mess with them.’”

He considered it. “You’re probably right, but it’s still awfully weird, don’t you think?

She nodded. “I’m going to forward the image and data to my clan cousin. He’s a software specialist.”

“The one that’s a Long Rider?” He scowled. “What could he possibly do with it?”

“He could hopefully tell us if it’s just some hack and then we can get on with our jobs and making lame practical jokes on each other,” she said.

He gave a clumsy nod. “Yeah, good idea.”

CHAPTER 28

Somewhere in the Outer Belt

The software specialist stood before Shen Jian. “Commander, you asked to see me.”

“Green, right?” Shen asked.

“Yes, Commander. Benny Green. I work in net ops.”

Shen nodded. “I was told you received a message that included a keyword from the Hot Sheet.”

“Yes, Commander,” the young man said. “It wasn’t an official communication and wasn’t from any of the networks we’re secretly monitoring. This one came from my clan cousin who works at Truermore Station.”

“Truermore. Why is that name familiar to me?” Shen asked.

“It’s a research center at the outside edge of the belt. It tracks the Oort cloud and interstellar signals. It’s known for being the farthest post in the system.”

Shen raised a finger. “That’s it. They’re the ones who first picked up on the Waymakers coming into the system.”

Benny nodded. “That’s the one, Commander.”

“So, what did they pick up on now?”

“They received a message that had a complementary word to one on the Hot Sheet. They thought it was just a hacker playing a joke on them, so they sent it to me to verify.”

“And the word?”

“‘Bioformity.’ It’s similar enough to ‘bioform’—one of the newest words on the Hot Sheet—that it triggered the alert,” the young man said.

Shen leaned forward. “And you verified this. Their message contained the term ‘bioformity’?”

He nodded. “Yes, Commander.”

“Show me this message immediately.”

He nodded again and handed a tablet to Shen. “My cousin sent a screenshot of the message. It didn’t come through their comm server, so she couldn’t forward it. She said the weird thing about it was that whoever sent it had broadcast it across all their computers at the same time. When she checked network traffic, it showed that the message came from within Truermore itself.”

Shen listened patiently before reading the message: Your petition has been received and considered. Your bioformity is now being verified and your circumstance evaluated.

As the words sank in, Shen asked, “Do you have any more details pertaining to this message, Benny?”

“No, Commander. My clan cousin, Roberta, almost ignored it, but she thought it was just odd enough that she sent it to me.”

“I’m glad she did. I want to talk to your clan cousin.”

Benny seemed surprised, but the youth reclaimed his composure quickly enough. “Uh yes, of course, Commander. I can initiate a call whenever you want.”

“I want you to initiate a call now.”

CHAPTER 29

Somewhere in the Outer Belt

Jack stood below the shower spray, eyes closed, letting the steam soak his skin.

“Jack, are you there?” Kana announced through Cabrón’s intercom in the ship bathroom.

His eyes remained closed, and he ignored the call. If it was an emergency, she would’ve said so.

“Jack?”

He drew a deep breath. Just ten minutes. That was all he asked for. They’d been flying for less than a day, and most of that time had been spent making repairs to repairs. His shoulders and neck ached from spending the past six hours working on cabling that ran overhead down the length of the ship.

A few seconds passed and Kana didn’t call again. He lifted his face against the spray to savor the sensation.

“Jack? Is that you in there?”

He tensed. That hadn’t come through the intercom. “What?” he grumbled.

“It is you. Sorry for bothering you—”

“No, you’re not,” he interrupted.

“Okay, you’re right. This is important.”

“Is it an emergency?” he asked.

“It depends on how you’d define ‘emergency,’” she replied.

He wiped water from his face. “Just get on with it.”

“You just received a high-priority message from Shen Jian,” she said.

He exhaled his frustration as he turned off the water. He stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist, and stepped around the privacy wall and into the bathroom area where Kana stood, holding his clothes.

“I’ll check it out,” he said.

She nodded, handed him his folded clothes, and then exited the bathroom.

He finished drying himself off, got dressed, and padded to the bridge, carrying his boots. There, he took a seat at his station and accessed the flashing message from Shen Jian. Water still beaded in his hair and dripped onto the screen. As he read, any remaining frustration at having his break interrupted vanished.

He sat stiffer and turned to Kana. “We’ve been asked to go to Mars Station.”

“That’s a long flight from here. Why?” she asked.

“It was destroyed three hours ago. Jenival Ngoma is presumed dead.”

Kana’s jaw slackened. “Sam was there.”

Jack nodded tightly. “I know. I’ll tell Heddi.”

Kana’s eyes were downcast for a moment, then she looked up. “If it’s destroyed, why do we even bother going there?”

“Shen Jian said that her communication attempts with the Antion were successful. But she hadn’t shared with anyone how she was able to reach them. All her data was at Mars Station,” he answered.

Her lips pursed. “If it’s destroyed—”

“I know. The chances of us finding anything useful are low, but he’s asked us to sift through the wreckage in hopes that we can get lucky. He’s down to two crews, and he just sent the Exterra deeper into the outer belt. So that leaves us.”

She thought for a second and scratched her forehead. “There are a lot of Waymakers between here and Mars. I’m going to have to scour the sector scans all along the way.”

“We’ll also have to keep the railgun locked inside the hull for the trip and do our best not to draw any attention to ourselves.”

CHAPTER 30

Truermore Station, Outer Belt

Rin Green adjusted Exterra’s course after they passed through the Truermore sector.

“You don’t want to check in on your clan cousin?” her crew member, James, asked.

Rin chuckled. “I’ve only met a handful of my clan cousins and regretted meeting most of them. Why would this one be any different?”

“Because every now and then, one of your clan folk will have some good vodka on hand, and it’s been a long time since I had good vodka,” he said.

“How about we stop through New Orion after this trip and pick you up some vodka there?”

He cocked his head as he considered. He wagged a finger at her. “Deal. And I’m holding you to that.”

She smiled. “You do that.”

He left the bridge and left Rin to focus on navigating her route. The maps were spottier this deep into the outer belt, so she had to bleed speed for the ship’s scanners to keep up. She’d only been out this far a handful of times, mostly after a thieving job gone sideways. There was little out here. No colonies, no space stations worth visiting—there were just satellites and research posts like Truermore Station. Being in a whole lot of empty space made it a dangerous area to get stranded and an even worse area to get hit by pirates, but pirates tended to avoid areas other people didn’t fly. After all, it’s hard to steal a ship and enslave a crew if you’re the only one out there.

She monitored the scanners but picked up nothing but rocks and satellites. She huffed and leaned back in her seat. “How the hell am I supposed to search for something if I don’t even know what it looks like?”

“Still complaining about the gig?” Craig asked as he entered the ship’s small bridge and took the only other seat installed on the bridge.

“It’s boring,” she said.

“But we’re now Shen Jian’s number one fighter. It’s good to be at the top of the Long Rider food chain.”

She chortled. “The only reason we’re there is because everyone else is dead or busted down.”

He shrugged. “Semantics.”

A full minute passed before he spoke again. “So I take it you haven’t seen any hints of these Antion things out here?”

“Not a hint, a clue, or anything else that might point us in the right direction. It’d help if we knew what we were looking for. Are their ships the size of the Exterra or bigger like the Satsuma, or bigger than that? Hell, for all we know, they’re like the Glimmers and don’t need ships.”

“All good points.”

There was another pause before she said, “I’m not even sure I want to come across them. I mean, it’d be great to have some savior swoop in and clear this system of cockroaches, but I gave up on religion a long time ago. I don’t believe in saviors anymore. What I do believe is that no one and nothing—no matter how alien it is—will help out of the goodness of its heart. There’s always going to be a price, and I’m not keen on getting in debt to some alien race out there that scares the living shit out of two alien races that scare the living shit out of us. We’re way too far down the food chain to be allies with these Antion. And if they don’t need allies, what would they want us for? Slaves, food?”

“Sex,” Craig said. “I’m hoping they’re sexy green aliens with insatiable sexual appetites.”

She smirked and slowly shook her head while watching him. “Humanity’s taking the fast route to hell.”

“Well yeah, I could’ve told you that a long time ago.”

Her panel beeped, and she saw an incoming message from Burn Ransom. She smiled.

“Speaking of sexy green aliens, I recognize that look. You just got a message from Lover Boy.”

She didn’t deny it. “Humanity might be headed to hell, but at least we can still find a little fun along the way.”

CHAPTER 31

Inner Asteroid Belt

Kana glanced up from her panel. “Jack, we’ll be flying within a day’s flight of Elijah Station. We could stop in for a bite at their cafeteria. Best cafeteria in the system. You never know when we’ll be out this way again.”

Jack considered. They’d been flying nonstop to reach Mars Station and were within a week of reaching their destination. But there’d be nothing there, and it had been too long since the crew had food that wasn’t made in Cabrón’s galley. He tapped the intercom. “We could make a pit stop through Elijah Station. It’ll add two days—”

“I’m in,” Burn said in a rush as he practically leapt onto the bridge.

“That makes two of us,” Heddi said, hurrying in behind Burn. “I still dream about their tostadas.”

Jack released the intercom. “That just leaves Veda.”

“And he’s in,” Kana said. “Trust me.”

Jack shrugged. “All right. I’ll change course. We’ll be at Elijah Station tomorrow.”

* * *

Elijah Station was an older space station in the inner belt, but it’d been well-maintained through the years. The large donut-shaped waystation drew a steady run of travelers for its famous cafeteria and its fair prices for maintenance. Jack had never needed work done on Cabrón there, but he’d stopped through many times for the food.

“That’s odd. They’re not broadcasting a special,” Kana said. “They always broadcast their weekly special.”

“Traffic’s down by eighty percent or more, no thanks to the Waymakers bringing their problems here,” Jack said. “But we’ll find out the special soon enough. We’ll be docked within a couple of hours.”

Kana’s stomach growled, and Jack glanced her way.

“I skipped breakfast,” she said.

The lighthearted atmosphere dampened when Elijah Station came into view. Usually its brightly flashing billboard stating the weekly specials was visible, but it wasn’t lit up. It could’ve been down for maintenance, but it made Jack uneasy. That unease turned into anger when the station was visible with the naked eye. It was still there, but a Waymaker perched in front of its docks.

“Waymaker,” he cursed.

“Not Elijah Station too,” Kana griped. “They’re like ship lice getting into everything.”

Jack pursed his lips and tapped the intercom. “Looks like we might not get to have dinner off-ship after all. You’d better come to the bridge.”

The rest of the crew arrived nearly as quickly as they had when he first brought up Elijah Station the day before.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Burn asked.

Jack pointed at the screen.

“Not here too,” Heddi said.

Veda brushed past them. “I skipped breakfast for this?”

“Their docks are blocked. No one’s getting in or out,” Jack said.

“We could unblock their docks for them,” Veda offered.

Jack’s brow rose as he turned to eye Veda. “What the Long Riders did in the outer belt was stir up a nest of Waymakers. We’d be bound to do the same thing here if we tried something like that.”

“We’ve killed one of them before. We’re close enough that I can take it out with a single shot,” Veda said.

“If you miss, you could damage the station,” Kana said.

Veda grunted. “I won’t miss.” He nodded at the Waymaker. “Has it moved since we got here? Flashed its lights? Sent a warning?”

Jack shook his head. “Nope. It seems to be in a standby mode. The only things moving out there are GalacTek’s garbage drones. Evidently, Waymakers likes the garbage picked up as much as anyone else.”

“If the Waymaker hasn’t ID’d us as a threat, that’s its mistake. If you keep the ship tilted at the right angle, I can get the railgun opened up without it being able to see me do it. Then all you need to do is level out so I can aim,” Veda said.

Jack considered for a moment. “If you miss—”

“I won’t miss.”

“If you miss, we’re going to have a heck of a fight on our hands,” Jack pressed.

“That’s why I won’t miss. Trust me. I’ve got that railgun sighted in so good now, I could shoot a flea off a dog’s ass,” Veda said.

“As long as you can shoot a Waymaker off a station’s ass, I’d be happy,” Heddi said.

Jack turned to the crew. “The safer bet is to continue on to Mars Station.”

“Safe?” Heddi guffawed. “What’s life without the spice, and Elijah Station has the best spices.”

“She’s not wrong,” Burn added.

“All right, it’s settled then,” Jack said. “No one keeps us from Elijah Station.”

The crew donned their spacesuits and moved into their positions. Jack slowed but continued toward Elijah Station as if they hadn’t yet seen the Waymaker, and their target didn’t acknowledge the threat. As Jack slowed, he dipped Cabrón’s nose just enough to conceal the opening gun bay doors.

When the Waymaker still showed no acknowledgement, Jack asked, “How’re we looking?”

“The gun’s ready. You can level out whenever you’re ready,” Veda replied.

“All right. Here we go.” He didn’t announce the action via the intercom because the railgun was loud and would be announcement enough.

Jack adjusted Cabrón’s attitude. As soon as he did so, the Waymaker’s lights blinked on. “Veda…”

“Just one more second.”

The Waymaker began rotating its photon gun.

“Veda…”

“Just one more second.”

Jack sucked in his breath, expecting the Waymaker to fire, but Veda shot first. A burst of three rounds echoed through the ship. The Waymaker now bore three rounds in its center mass, and its lights blinked out. Jack exhaled.

Veda beamed. “See? I told you I wouldn’t miss.”

Jack found himself smiling. The event was far less eventful than he’d anticipated, and he was glad for it, though he was still worried. What if the Waymaker had identified Cabrón? What if it notified its brethren and more were on their way to Elijah Station? Jack didn’t voice any of his worries out loud. Instead, he checked the quadrant scans. If there were incoming Waymakers, they were still at least eight hours out. He rubbed his hands together. “All right, let’s go grab us some lunch.”

CHAPTER 32

Truermore Station, Outer Belt

Mager Bradly and Roberta Green were eating lunch when the Antion arrived at Truermore Station.

It started the same as before. The surrounding screens went blank and letters popped up, one by one, to create a message. They stopped eating as they stared at a screen.

Your petition has been approved. Your bioformity has been verified. You are being gifted a technoformic virus to be used against the artificially intelligent intruders in your system posing a threat to natural bioformic evolutionary paths. Take care in delivering the virus as it may infect all technoformic creations, including innocuous creations you may use as tools. Once purged of incongruous technoforms, your evolution will then continue uninterrupted. Should you fail in implementing the virus in the intruders, we will intercede. May you evolve and flourish.

“What the…” Mager’s voice faded off as he read the message that took a full five minutes to be fully spelled out.

“Hell,” Roberta finished for him. She put down her spoon. “Does any of that make sense to you?”

“Only the parts about a virus and that these guys will neutralize something of ours if we fail to deliver the virus. Neither of those things sound like anything I want a part of,” he said.

“I agree. That sounds ominous. Most of what they’ve written is basic language except for the bio-talk and techno-talk, which makes me wonder if these fellows are local, if you get what I mean.”

Mager nodded as though in a haze.

Roberta continued. “My guess is that they’re talking about the Waymakers. I don’t know what else ‘artificially intelligent intruders’ could be. If that’s the case, they’re saying they have a virus that can kill them? All right, then where is it? Our monthly transport’s sitting in the dock right now and ready to head out. But it didn’t deliver anything beyond our usual supplies.” She stood. “I need to call my clan cousin. Shen Jian seemed to know something about that first message he wasn’t telling us.”

“Call him, Robbie,” Mager agreed, snapping back to attention. “Maybe he can also shed light on what counts as ‘technoformic creations.’ What if we lose our satellites? We’d be out of a job.”

“Or worse, what if we lost our environmental systems? If this virus took down our systems, we’d die.” She shivered.

She reached for the computer when the air shifted. What had been empty air in the lounge wavered and became smoky, though there was no burning smell. Roberta realized then that the smoke was alive as it morphed into a swarm of nearly transparent insects the size of bees. As the swarm became corporeal, the sound of their flight became audible, and the room grew terrifyingly noisy with an eerie buzz.

She gasped and jumped back.

“Oh my God,” Mager said.

The swarm filled over half of the room, and the air cooled several degrees. As the swarm moved toward them, she fought the urge to run. The swarm spread out to allow a cluster within the center to fly forward. The gray cluster of winged insects settled onto the table, uncomfortably close to the exposed food, and Roberta wrinkled her nose at a combination of tension and nausea threatening to overtake her.

The cluster broke apart, leaving behind a box slightly less than a half-meter in length on all sides.

“What the hell,” Mager whispered.

One insect flew close enough that Roberta could make out its multifaceted eyes, though she hadn’t seen many insects in her life to know anything about them. What she knew was that insects did not carry boxes. The insect nearest her flew away and joined the swarm that seemed to tighten as it became lighter and quieter. Soon, it morphed into transparent wisps before fading altogether, leaving the air as it was before, albeit colder.

Roberta leaned over and grabbed her chest. “I thought we were going to die.”

Mager paced the floor. “What just happened?”

They stared at each other.

“I think we just met the sender of the messages,” Roberta said.

Mager blinked. “Bugs sent messages.”

She shrugged. “Either that, or whoever sent the messages uses bugs for their delivery service.”

Their gazes moved to the gray box sitting on the table.

“You think that’s the virus?” he asked.

She shrugged. “It’s not pizza.”

They threw each other a heavily cautioned glance before approaching the box. Neither touched it.

Mager reached out but pulled his hand back.

Roberta huffed and then grabbed the cube. It was ice cold.

“Wait! It could have dangerous bacteria. We need to run tests. You should wear gloves at the very least,” he said.

“If that swarm brought disease with it, I’m sure we’re already infected,” she said as she rotated the cube. She saw no seams and wondered if it even opened. When she pulled it closer, she noticed that one side had some give. She placed her hand on the surface and slid the side away from the rest. “It reminds me of magnetic closures, just not as clicky,” she said.

Mager leaned down to where his face was next to hers as they peered inside to see six pointed metallic cylinders secured so that they stood, pointy ends up.

“If that’s the virus, I don’t think we should touch it,” he said.

“We don’t even know if that’s what it is,” she said, reaching for one.

“Wait.” He grabbed her arm. “Look.”

The side she’d removed from the cube was a flat screen and was filled with writing, all in the basic language. She picked it up and they read.

“It’s the virus all right,” she said, and they spent the next hour scrolling through the instructions and warnings.

As soon as they finished reading, she grabbed a computer and called her clan cousin on the Satsuma. As soon as Benny answered, she said, “Hurry up and get your boss on the line. Those things that sent the message? Well, they sent another one, and they brought us a gift.”

A full hour later, Roberta disconnected the call and looked to Mager. “I can’t believe the Satsuma’s on its way here.”

“Robbie, what’d we get ourselves into?” Mager asked.

“I don’t know.” She thought for a moment. “Listen, we’re both Long Riders at heart, but I think we need to relay this to Sol Corps. This is too important. The entire system needs to know about this, not just the outer belt.”

He shrugged. “I agree, but who do we call? Our boss and our boss’s boss were all at Mars Station. We’re lucky we’re still getting our paychecks and rations.”

She frowned. “Our rations come from Luna, right?”

He nodded. “Of course. That’s Sol Corps’ main distribution center. Why do you ask?”

She gulped as she considered what she was about to say. “I can’t believe I’m even thinking this, but I think we should send at least some of these stakes to Sol Corps. If this stuff can wipe out all the Waymakers in this system, we need to get it to where the bulk of them are, and that’s in the inner system.”

“What, are we just going to package up a few and throw them on the transport?”

She shook her head. “No, of course not. That’s too dangerous. I think one of us needs to deliver it there. After all, we’re the only ones who’ve met these Antion things. Whoever delivers it can make sure it reaches someone at Sol Corps who can do something with it.”

“But how’re we going to decide who brings it to Luna?” he asked.

She took a deep breath. “It was my idea. I’ll go.” He opened to mouth to argue, but she continued, “You need to reach whoever’s in charge on Luna so they know I’m coming and will be ready for me. It’s a long, long flight. I don’t want to get arrested for illegally riding a transport as soon as it docks.”

He lifted his chin. “I’ll make sure they’ll know you’re on your way.” He smiled, but it was forced. “You’ll be the greatest hero Sol has ever seen.”

She rolled her eyes. “We’re just doing what we can to help out.”

He checked the clock. “You need to hurry. The transport will be launching within the hour.”

He helped her carefully package three of the virus delivery stakes. He rushed to pull together enough ration packs for the journey while she pulled together a bag.

Her nerves made her shaky as she approached the transport.

“You’ll be okay. You’ve got your computer, right?” Mager asked.

She nodded.

“Then we can message every day.”

“It’s just that I’ve never flown to the inner system before,” she said.

“It can’t be as bad as they say,” he said. “Well, maybe it can be. Just be sure to wear sunscreen. You’ll be a lot closer to the sun there.”

They said their goodbyes, and she made her way onto the transport to find the crew of six. All looked too scrappy for pleasantries, and none looked friendly to see her.

“What do ya want?” asked the woman Roberta presumed to be the captain.

“I’m an analyst with crucial information and material for Sol Corps,” she replied.

The captain held out her hand. “Give us what ya need, and we’ll see that it gets to who it needs to get to.”

Roberta hugged the bag to her. “I have to hand-deliver it.”

“You ain’t an authorized passenger.”

“I have to get to Luna. I can promise you that Sol Corps can pay you whatever you want to get me to Luna safely.”

The captain chuckled. “Sol Corps ain’t the most trustworthy anymore. This might be our last run for ’em.”

Roberta frantically thought. “All right then. Shen Jian will pay you. The Long Riders might have been hit hard by the Waymakers, but you know Shen Jian is still good for any debt.”

The captain laughed out loud. “Like you know Shen Jian.”

“I do. I just got off the phone with him.”

The captain sobered. “Call ’em. I need his verbal agreement before we take off with ya onboard.”

Roberta gulped. “Okay.” She realized that she’d stuck her foot in her mouth. What would Shen do if he found out she was taking half of the virus material to Sol Corps?

The captain sneered. “Thought so, you lyin’ piece of—”

“I wasn’t lying,” Roberta snapped, and she called her clan cousin.

“Good idea. We need redundancy,” Shen said a couple of minutes later, which was not what Roberta had expected him to say. “Now let me talk to the captain.”

She handed the tablet to the captain.

“Captain, this woman and her possessions need delivered safely to Cal Cormac in Luna City. She’s a highly respected member of the Long Rider faction, if you understand me.”

“I understand you, Commander,” the captain said quickly.

“Good. Show your armlet. I’ll transfer half the credits now and half upon verified safe delivery. I think you’ll find my payment adequate,” he said.

The captain held her armlet before the tablet screen. A second later, her armlet chimed and she checked it, her eyes widening for the briefest of seconds before she turned back to the tablet.

“Deposit received, Commander. Your Long Rider will receive the best of care, as long as she’s with my crew.”

“That’s good to hear, Captain.” Shen disconnected.

The captain turned to Roberta. The woman’s sneer had been replaced by a genuine smile. “Let’s get you set up in your new bunk.”

CHAPTER 33

Mars Station

Jack landed Cabrón a full hundred meters away from what had been Mars Station, since he didn’t trust any of the wreckage from collapsing further. He didn’t like landing the ship in the open where it could be seen from space, but he had no other options.

“When this is all said and done, let’s talk about adding a shuttle back on,” Jack said as he unbuckled from his seat and grabbed his helmet.

Kana nodded. “I agree. I feel naked sitting out here like this.”

“Activate the defense system as soon as I’m off the ship and keep watch on the entire sector. Those Waymakers at Ceres may have picked us up and could get curious.”

After the run-in with the Waymaker and Glimmer on the journey there, entering Martian orbit had been surprisingly uneventful. Other than two Waymakers in the vicinity of Ceres, Cabrón’s scanners picked up no other signs of Waymakers or Glimmers in the sector. There were dozens of other Martian colonies, but they all remained intact and free of invaders. Jack hoped it stayed that way.

“The planet blocks some of the scans, but I’ll let you know the second I see anything,” she said.

He stood.

“Jack.”

He turned in her direction.

“Please hurry.”

“I will.” He exited the bridge and met the rest of the crew, all wearing hab-suits, in the cargo hold. Burn and Heddi were sitting in the small rover while Veda stood at the door controls, fully armed. Jack made sure the door between the hold and the rest of the ship was securely sealed behind him. He glanced across their faces to see no fear. He gave them a simple nod and said to Veda, “We’ll check in every hour. Back in six, whether we find what we’re looking for or not.”

“Kana will be monitoring comms, and I’ll be ready to assist. Anything you need,” Veda said.

With that, Jack snapped on his helmet and climbed on the rover, giving Veda a thumbs up as soon as he took a seat.

Veda pulled on his helmet and waited for Burn and Heddi to give him a thumbs up, the signal that their helmets were securely in place. Then he opened the door and lowered the ramp. Red sand swirled outside as pressurized air from the ship whooshed out.

The door was still cranking open when Burn drove down the ramp. Heddi waved at Veda as they left. As soon as the rover was off the ramp, Burn accelerated. The landscape near Mars Station was relatively flat, with only small rocks dotting the area. The trio made good time crossing the distance to the bombed-out remains of a city that had survived Sol Corps attacks and star snake attacks until finally giving way to the Waymakers’ photon onslaught.

Jack and his crew had spent more time at Mars Station than at any other colony. Jack had found comfort for a time in the arms of a woman there—Domino Wolfe, leader of the rebellion against Sol Corps. A star snake had killed her. He was used to death, but it never made it easier to lose someone he cared deeply about. He had no interest in finding love again, not when he knew he was cursed to outlive anyone he met.

“What a mess,” Heddi’s voice came through Jack’s headset. “Think they can rebuild?”

“If they want to they could, but I’m not sure they want to,” Burn replied as he slowed the rover when they reached debris, angling around larger chunks and driving over smaller ones.

“They’ll rebuild,” Jack said after taking in the debris. “Too much history here to be forgotten.”

They knew exactly where they were headed, which made it easier: Jenival’s Sol Corps wing was along the colony’s western edge. It was the part of the colony with the best views of the Martian sunset. Typical of Sol Corps to claim the best real estate.

Jack had to hold on with both hands as Burn wound through the ruins. To the north, Mars Station’s docks had taken the most blasts, with not a single bay undamaged. Looking across the city, it looked like as much damage came from the shattered dome as from photon strikes. Bloated, blistered bodies lay interspersed in the debris fields, most having died from exposure or from the dome collapse rather than from direct hits by the Waymakers.

Mars Station wasn’t a tall city, with the tallest groundside buildings climbing no more than two stories. Most of the damage would be underground where the groundside infrastructure collapsed inward. Burn came to a stop in the middle of a wide alley. A few feet beyond was a gaping hole to the level below. “Looks like we’re walking it from here.”

Heddi held out a large bag to each of them. “For the good stuff.”

“Here’s hoping there’s good stuff,” Burn said, sliding the bag’s straps onto his shoulders.

“Keep your eyes open,” Jack said as he climbed off and took a bag. “Don’t walk on anything that looks like it could collapse, and shoot anything that moves, because if it moves it’s a scavenger, and they’ll shoot you.”

“Watch my step. Shoot first. Got it,” Heddi said.

The trio walked to the edge of the hole and peered down. The Sol Corps wing, like much of Mars Station, went only one level below ground, but Jack knew there were at least two underground levels across the whole of Mars Station, with the lower level for utilities and engineering. One level wouldn’t be too far to fall, but two levels could get more dangerous. And Jack wasn’t even sure there weren’t more underground levels. He’d never had a reason to go under the city before.

Burn climbed down into the hole first, followed by Heddi, while Jack scanned the area—including the sky—for trouble. He checked his clock. Fifty-one minutes in. He flipped on his helmet light and descended.

They were standing in a tech room, with computer screens, desks, and chairs strewn about—and fortunately, no bodies.

“You think any of these computers are worth grabbing?” Burn asked.

Jack shook his head. “Doubt it, but having access to more Sol Corps intel couldn’t hurt. We can grab one on the way out if we have space on the rover.”

Heddi was already at the door, examining the frame. By the time Jack joined her, she grabbed the handle and pulled open the door. It opened a few inches and then Heddi had to yank at it to open it enough for them to squeeze through wearing their suits.

Before Jack went through, he tapped the comm. “Strays Three check-in. Everything’s on track. We’ve just entered sub-level one.”

“Reading you loud and clear, Three-Stray. All’s good with Strays Two,” Kana replied.

He pressed through the doorway. The hallway was a mess. Pieces of ceiling had fallen throughout and several walls were bowed inward. Heddi stepped over a body wearing a Sol Corps uniform, its head covered by a sizable chunk of ceiling.

“All right, which direction?” Heddi asked.

Jack checked the map on his suit’s armlet. He pointed left. “Her office should be down this way on the right about seventeen meters.”

They moved cautiously through the hallway, careful to take soft steps to not set off a collapse. They came across two more bodies where the wall had blown inward and crushed them.

Jack, Heddi, and Burn had to climb carefully over the wall. Burn stepped on a leg of a corpse and slipped. Jack caught him just before he fell into a portion of the wall that looked unstable.

“Watch it,” Jack cautioned.

“I am. I swear that leg wasn’t there a second ago,” Burn grumbled.

“It was there. The guy’s dead. He’s not going to be dancing any time soon,” Jack said.

“Burn, you’re the only person I know who could trip over thin air,” Heddi said.

“It was not thin air,” Burn said.

“Close enough,” Heddi replied, and then stopped in front of a door. “This is it.”

“How do you know?” Burn asked.

She pointed to a sign on the door that read Jenival Ngoma. She examined the frame and went to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She shoved against it. “It’s blocked. The frame must be wonky.”

“Did you check to see if it’s locked?” Burn asked.

Heddi gave him a droll stare. “Who’d lock their door in the middle of an airstrike?”

“Jenival would,” Jack replied and stepped forward with Veda’s lock pick set. He pulled out a magnetic pad a few centimeters in length and placed it on the door. He tapped the pad to activate it. Series of numbers, letters, and symbols began flashing across the pad. A full minute passed, during which Jack checked his watch, before the characters on the pad froze. He grabbed the handle, and it turned. He pushed the door inward, and it opened surprisingly easy.

“Show off,” Heddi said and stepped through the doorway while Jack put away the lock pick set.

Jack followed the pair and found Jenival’s office relatively untouched by the attack. The chair had been knocked down and several items lay on the floor, but the room hadn’t received a direct blast.

Burn rummaged through the single desk drawer. “Nothing in here. I’d lay bets she carried the tablet with the most valuable information with her, but give me five minutes and I can have this computer’s storage drive detached from its casing.”

“Do it,” Jack said as he walked around the entire room, taking in everything. Typical of rooms in ships, stations, and colonies, the walls were lined with drawers and cabinets, minimizing unused space. “Heddi, you take that side, I’ll take this side.”

Heddi hustled to where Jack pointed, and he began opening drawers in the wall nearest him. The first drawer contained ration packs and water packs. He rummaged through, searching for anything hidden, but found nothing. He found the same in the next two drawers. Ever practical, Jenival had the room stocked to survive a full month locked inside if she’d needed. The next four drawers contained a variety of supplies, toiletries, and clothing. A single cot folded out from a tall cabinet. It looked like Jenival had lived as much out of her office as she had out of her personal apartment deep within Mars Station, which was a good sign at finding something useful, since there was no way they’d be able to safely navigate into the heart of the city ruins.

As he checked drawers, he took a quick break to check in with Kana.

Less than an hour later, Burn had the computer drive, and Jack and Heddi had their hands empty. Jack scowled at the room’s open drawers and scattered contents.

Burn held up a small black device before sliding it into his pocket. “Let’s hope this has enough of what Shen Jian’s looking for.”

Jack eyed the storage drive. “Yeah, let’s hope.”

He led them from the office and started heading back the way they’d come when Jack stopped to check the map Shen had provided of the Sol Corps wing layout. Most rooms were simply marked as Administrative, but there was one large room that piqued Jack’s curiosity. “Wait up. I want to check out this room.

“It’s marked as a laboratory on the map,” Jack continued as they walked in the opposite direction.

“Laboratory?” Heddi asked. “Why does a security group need a lab?”

“My guess is it’s a tech lab. Maybe Jenival was working on some new weapons we could use,” Jack replied.

They made their way to the door, which stood half open, bent at a bad angle under the bowed ceiling. Jack examined the doorway. “It doesn’t look stable, so be careful,” he said before sliding through, careful not to touch the frame. He turned back as soon as he was through to assist Heddi and Burn, but both made it through.

Jack took in the long, narrow room lined with tables and computers.

“Looks like a tech lab, all right,” Burn said. “I’ll snag one of these storage drives too.” He pulled out his tools and started to work on a computer that looked undamaged. Jack walked down the room, cocking his head as he took in the samples of metals in clear cubes that sat in between each computer terminal. He picked up one and examined the contents. The gray color sparked his intuition, and he set the cube back down. “These are Waymaker parts. It’s a research lab.”

“Think Sol Corps was studying Waymakers to find their weaknesses?” Heddi asked.

Jack nodded. The samples grew larger as he continued. “They’ve got themselves just about an entire Waymaker in here.” He frowned as he picked up another cube, this one containing a nearly transparent, lifeless blob. He held it up for the others to see. “And Glimmer parts too.”

“It’s a regular alien zoo, except instead of live aliens, it’s full of body parts. A bit macabre, if you ask me,” Burn said as he cracked something under the table.

Heddi paused at a corpse that still had its arms wrapped around something. She used the tip of her boot to knock a hand loose. She bent down. “Check this out. This guy had a death grip on it.”

“Death grip, good one,” Burn chuckled. He instantly sobered when Heddi held up what looked to be a storage drive about three times the size of the drive Burn had taken. “Think this is a drive?”

Burn set down his tools, strode over, and plucked the device from her hand, scrutinizing it. “Yeah, it sure is.” He grinned. “Amazing how Waymaker tech still looks so much like human tech, even after so many years of being on their own.”

“How do you know it’s Waymaker tech? It looks just like the other drive,” she asked.

He pointed. “See how it’s seamless? No screws, bolts, rivets of any kind? That’s Waymaker, no doubt about it.”

Jack rushed over to see the discovery. “If that’s a Waymaker storage drive…” He took a deep breath. “Well, that’s a whole lot of data that could come in handy.”

“Like data that probably told Jenival about the Waymakers’ boogeyman,” Heddi said.

“Exactly,” Jack said.

Burn held up the device. “You know how much valuable data could be in here? We could get ideas for upgrading the ship. We could see what the Waymakers have found as they toured the universe. Jack, you can’t give this to Shen. A storage drive like this will be Kana’s dream come true.”

“I have no intention of giving this to Shen,” Jack said. “Shen asked for Jenival’s research; he didn’t explicitly ask for Waymaker equipment.”

“That’s splitting hairs,” Heddi said.

“As far as anyone outside this crew goes, we never found this,” Jack said.

“I’m good with that,” Heddi said quickly.

“Of course I’m good with that,” Burn said as he cradled the drive.

“All right. Then make sure that stays safe, and let’s get out of here. The two storage drives that Burn pulled should be enough to make Shen happy.” Jack began walking back toward the doorway when his armlet chimed. “Speaking of the devil, Kana’s forwarded Shen’s call here.”

He held a finger over his lips for Heddi and Burn before answering the call.

“Jack, where are you?” Shen asked.

“I’m in Mars Station right now. We’re just wrapping up the assignment. We found two storage drives that will hopefully have the data you’re looking for.”

“We might not need it now, but bring them anyway. I’ll still review them. The Antion have made contact.”

Jack gave a start. He glanced at Burn and Heddi, who were staring at him, surprise on their faces as well. “They did? When?”

“They made contact with analysts at Truermore Station. If they’re true to their word, they’re delivering a weapon that’ll work against the Waymakers.”

“And the Glimmers?”

“That’s an unknown. I’m sending you the coordinates. I need you out here. I need every ship I can get to be ready to carry this weapon.”

“I can be in the air within two hours. I’ll send you an update as soon as we break orbit.” He went to end the call when his eyes caught a glint. He froze. “Wait.”

“What is it?”

Jack’s breath trembled as he noticed the object in the cube nearest him. It was a Glimmer part, but unlike the other, this one was still translucent and was now glowing.

It was still alive, which meant the Glimmer it came from could hear everything.

“Jack?”

“Shen, get to that station as fast as you can fly. The Glimmers might’ve just eavesdropped on our entire conversation. They might be best friends with these Antion or worst enemies. Either way, I’m not sure either is good for us.”

There was a weighty pause, and then Shen said, “I understand.” Shen disconnected the call before Jack could explain.

Jack motioned for his crew members to follow and he ran to the doorway, slowing only to make his way through. Once they were in the hallway, he said, “The Glimmers might know about the Antion virus. We’re going to have to be careful.”

“I thought we’d been careful the whole trip out here,” Burn said.

“Well, now we’re going to have to be extra careful,” Jack said and tapped the intercom. “Kana, get the ship ready to launch. We’re getting back to you as fast as we can. We need to get off this rock.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ll fill you in as soon as I can. Just keep watching the scans. Especially keep an eye out for Glimmers. I think we might’ve just piqued their curiosity.”

CHAPTER 34

Outer Belt

“Increase speed to maximum propulsion,” Shen Jian ordered.

“Max is only reaching eighty-four percent right now until the engine shielding repairs are complete,” his bridge engineer said.

“I know. Bring us there,” Shen said and left the bridge. He strode to his quarters, not wanting his crew to hear the rest.

Once there, he tapped his armlet and called his chief of security. “Wong,” he said.

“Commander,” Wong replied. “What’s up?”

“Come to my quarters.”

“I’ll be there in five.”

Wong arrived in three minutes.

As soon as his security chief arrived, Shen cut straight to the chase. “We might have trouble in the Truermore quadrant.”

“What kind of trouble?” Wong asked.

“I’ve received a tip that the Glimmers may know that the virus is at Truermore.”

Wong’s features blanked. “The Glimmers, eh?”

Shen nodded. “The Glimmers.”

“We’ve never fought them before.”

“That could change.”

“From what I’ve seen, I can’t say that’s something I look forward to.”

“Me neither,” Shen said. “Now, I have no evidence the Glimmers are acting on the intel, but we should assume the worst.”

“Always. It’s the Long Rider way.”

“As far as I know, no one’s tried railguns against Glimmers before, so I’d say load the station busters.”

“I will. I’ll also have a nuke loaded and ready, just in case,” Wong said.

“Just in case,” Shen said. “And have everyone wear their suits once we get one sector out from Truermore Station.”

Wong nodded. “I will. And I recommend we go to caution alert now and full alert once we reach their sector.”

Shen nodded. “Good suggestion. Let’s make it happen.”

Wong paused before he left. “I’d be happy if we never had to face one of those giant jellyfish, but we’ll be as ready as we can be in case we have to.”

Shen tilted his head in Wong’s direction. His chief of security left Shen alone.

As soon as his door was closed, he sent a message to Rin Green onboard Exterra.

When her response came a few minutes later, his features tightened.

Changed course to Truermore, full speed. ETA 16 days, 11 hours.

Satsuma would reach Truermore in only twelve days. He wouldn’t be able to count on Rin to scout the sector before his arrival, which meant he was flying in blind. He’d hoped Jack Hale was wrong in that the Glimmers could communicate with mere pieces of their brethren, but he’d known Jack for a long time, and in that time, he’d never known Jack to be wrong about anything.

CHAPTER 35

Truermore Station, Outer Belt

Mager Bradly wished he’d taken the virus samples to Luna rather than Robbie. Being the only person on Truermore Station made the place feel cold and lonely. He talked to himself, and his voice seemed to echo through the halls. He continued to do his job, and handling both his and Robbie’s work meant he was working nearly twice as hard. Even keeping so busy, he hated the downtime where it was only him and his thoughts.

The virus samples were in a cooler. The bugs’ instructions didn’t say that was necessary, but the cube had been cold when it arrived, so he figured it couldn’t hurt. Plus, it meant he didn’t have to look at it every day. Still, he thought about it and the bugs all the time.

He was an intelligent man. He knew the aliens had contacted Truermore first because they were the first humans an interstellar signal would reach. It made perfect sense that an alien from outside Sol would contact the first life they could, and Truermore being on the outer edge of the system and broadcasting thousands of signals into the Oort cloud made the station a luminous lighthouse in a dark sea.

A part of him was still thrilled that he was there for first contact with an alien race that actually seemed interested in connecting with other intelligent life rather than destroying it. The Waymakers didn’t count, not after the truth was revealed several decades back that the first Waymaker had been created by humans so they weren’t truly alien. The Glimmers were aliens without question, but they hadn’t engaged humans and seemed only interested in killing Waymakers, to hell with any humans who got in the way.

Imagine what the bugs and humanity could learn from each other. The bugs had shown no inkling of violence despite their entrance being rather terrifying. Mager hadn’t admitted to Robbie that he’d wet his pants a little when that swarm appeared out of thin air. He’d make sure that side note never made it into the history books.

He opened the cooler once a day to make sure the cube didn’t magically disappear. Otherwise, he avoided it and never touched it. Robbie had always been the curious one of the pair. He liked to play things safe. That was why they made such agreeable partners at Truermore. He smiled to himself as he considered how Robbie was probably spending every waking hour researching the cube and the virus stakes inside. Even though she wasn’t a doctor either, she’d want to take a sample of the virus to analyze.

He chuckled. She probably would’ve got them killed already. Then he sobered. Hopefully, she was safe onboard that transport. There was a lot of open, dangerous space between Truermore Station at the furthest edge of the Kuiper Belt and Luna deep inside the solar system. A lot of terrible things could happen.

He wrung his hands together. God, he missed Robbie. He reached for his tablet to call her, but he never got the chance because, at that very moment, Truermore Station blew apart.

CHAPTER 36

Inner Belt

“Won’t Shen Jian claim breach of contract if we hang out in the inner belt instead of meeting him in the outer belt?” Kana asked without looking up from her computer panel.

“Nah,” Jack replied. “I told him we’d head that way, and we will… eventually. But it doesn’t do anyone any good if we get shot to hell flying out there. How’s your project coming along?”

She glanced up then. Dark circles underlined her eyes. “It’s coming slowly. There’s so much information in that storage drive, but it’s corrupted. I mean, it’s really corrupted. I’d say less than twenty percent of it will ever be readable. There’s hardly a complete file in there. It’s like putting together the galaxy’s most complicated puzzle without having a picture to go by. I copied everything from the analysts’ storage drive Burn grabbed. That saved me months of work, but they were still piecing it together bit by bit too. They’d deciphered all files with keywords related to the Antion or Glimmers, but that only makes up a fraction of a percent of the data on that drive. Thanks to them, Jenival knew how to try to reach the Antion, but there was very little else on them, unfortunately. And there’s even less on the Glimmers. Really, not any more than we knew already. Now, if you need the schematics on probe wiring systems, there’s plenty of that.”

“I’d rather have something we can actually use,” Jack said.

“Like I said, it’s going to take time. I have to go through the crap to get to the good. I found one thing that’s interesting.”

“What’s that?”

“The Waymakers did an excellent job at mapping out every solar system they traveled through. I mean, all the maps have some corruption and there are entire nearby systems missing, but what is there is pretty dang cool. If the Aria had this level of data back in the day, who knows, we might’ve continued our original journey rather than have hung back around Sol,” she said.

Jack considered how their lives would’ve been different if they’d left humanity behind two hundred years ago. “That is interesting data.”

A dot blinked on his screen, and he leaned closer. They were only a few days out of the Mars sector so traffic was expected, but the speed at which the dot was moving caused him to tense. He zoomed in on the screen. When he was convinced, he tapped the intercom. “Likely Glimmer in the Mars sector. Looks like it’s skirting Ceres Station. I’m increasing speed to get us to the belt soon rather than later. Hang onto something.”

“Sorry. I should’ve been watching the scans,” Kana said.

“You’re working on what you need to be working on. I had the scans covered,” Jack said.

Veda ran onto the bridge. “Need me at the railgun?”

“I hope not, but you’d better strap in just in case,” Jack said.

Jack increased the ship’s speed despite the proximity warnings of the looming asteroid belt. As he increased speed he changed trajectory, which caused some sway in the artificial gravity.

“You changed our flight path?” Kana asked.

“Because if that Glimmer comes for us, it’ll catch up to us before we’re even halfway through the belt. I’m going to bring us into a station,” Jack replied.

“But it’d know about any station,” she said.

“Not the Fifty-fifth.”

“Oh. Let’s hope it doesn’t,” she said.

Jack frowned. “It’s changed course. Looks like it could be on an intercept course.”

“It’s either come looking for us, or you piqued its curiosity when you increased speed,” Kana said.

“I’m ready with the railgun. Just remember, I need a thirty-second head start to open the cover,” Veda said.

“I remember. You’ve got time. The Glimmer is still at least nine hours out of our firing range at its current speed and ours,” Jack said.

“Yeah, but how far away is it from us being within its firing range?” Veda countered.

“I don’t know.” Jack scowled. “But there’s a lot of noise in the belt with all the rocks. It’s not going to be easy for that Glimmer to get a solid bead on us at this distance.”

“I hope you’re right,” Kana said quietly.

Over the next two hours, the Glimmer continued to follow but didn’t close the distance, even though it could fly much faster than Cabrón.

Jack winced as he considered his next step, then he tapped the intercom. “We’re in the Fifty-fifth’s sector. I’ve got to slow down or else we’ll blow right by it. I don’t want it to guess our position. I’m going to cut propulsion and make a few turns to throw it off our trail, so be ready.”

Stops and turns didn’t happen fast in space. Really, the only things that happened fast in space were problems. But Jack used navigational thrusters to change course as quickly as the ship’s performance envelope would allow. Without using full propulsion, Cabrón wouldn’t be picked up by many sensors, but he didn’t know how sensitive Glimmer sensors were. For all he knew, the Glimmer could still see Cabrón as clearly as a skyscraper in a desert.

That the blip on the scan didn’t adjust course gave Jack hope that Glimmer sensors were no better than those found on ships. He stayed on that trajectory for a full fifteen minutes before making slight course adjustments to line up with the asteroid that already appeared as a red blip on the sector scan.

On scans the asteroid belts looked terribly congested, but the rocks in them were spread out across many kilometers. It was easy to avoid the asteroids. The real danger in the belt was the pebbles and tiny shards that had broken off from asteroids and still floated. At certain speeds, those pieces could tear through the hull of a ship as though it were paper. Cabrón’s hull was reinforced, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t take damage if Jack increased speed.

So instead, he continued to decelerate while lining up for the asteroid known as the Fifty-fifth, the old rebel base that hadn’t been used since a massive operation to wipe out Glitch and its swarm of star snakes. Jack had chosen the Fifty-fifth because it was on no map. It was completely off the network grid, and its dock was hidden deep within a rocky field with deep valleys and mountain peaks.

Once Cabrón had slowed to approach speed, Jack lined up for entry into the dock. It required manual control, and since Jack had more piloting experience than any human alive, he felt no stress as he approached the jagged cliffs. The bridge remained quiet—the entire crew knew not to talk to Jack during takeoffs and landings. Burn would be in the engine room right now, ready to jump on any mechanical problems, while Heddi was likely there hanging out with him.

Manual approach was never as easy as it looked. Asteroids were constantly moving, and Jack had to adjust his final approach path to account for those changes. It wasn’t until he was on final approach—less than a kilometer away—from the Fifty-fifth’s docking bay that he could see the dock entrance, it was so well covered by the surrounding peaks. One peak seemed more jagged and shorter than Jack remembered, and he wondered if a ship had hit it on approach—it would’ve been easy enough to do. But it was just as likely that a smaller asteroid had clipped the peak at some point since Jack had last flown in there over five years ago.

As the docking bay came into full view, Jack said, “Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” Kana asked.

Jack pointed. Straight ahead, the docking bay wasn’t empty. There were at least a dozen ships docked in there. “It looks like this place wasn’t abandoned after all.”

“If the Glimmer follows us—” Kana began.

“It’s not following us,” Jack finished.

“We could keep going then,” Veda offered.

“Just because we lost it doesn’t mean it won’t find us again if we stay out there,” Jack said. “I’m taking us in.”

He initiated reverse thrusters as he brought Cabrón into the docking bay and aimed for a dock nearest the opening rather than nearest the base. As the ship settled onto the docking pads, Jack noticed every ship bore the same tail art—that of a skeletal reaper in a black robe. “Shit,” he said again.

“I see it,” Veda said, already out of his seat. “The Ronin claimed this base for themselves.”

“They won’t like that we landed here without their permission. That means a big toll if we’re lucky,” Kana said. She didn’t say what would happen if they were unlucky. Everyone knew. The Ronin had begun as a rebel faction that wasn’t aligned with a particular colony or location, but over time the rebels became scavengers, pirates, and smugglers. Jack had never associated with any of them. All he knew about them was that they were untrustworthy but could be bought for the right price.

He tapped the intercom. “Burn, Heddi, you’d better get to the bridge.”

The pair arrived a few seconds later.

“What’s—” Burn trailed off. “Oh, it looks like a party.”

“And we’re crashing it,” Jack said. “Here’s the situation. There’s a Glimmer sniffing around the belt. We know what it’ll do to us if it finds us. The likelihood of it finding us here is really low, low enough that I’d be damned surprised if it could even find this place.”

“So we hang out here for a while. It’s not the lap of luxury, but it wasn’t too bad from what I remember,” Burn said.

“It depends on which pod you’re in. Some were pretty dirty the last time we were here, so I can’t imagine how bad those units would stink now,” Heddi said.

“I’m not worried about the stink. I’m worried about them.” Jack pointed at the ships.

“You know who they are?” Burn asked.

“They’re Ronin,” Jack replied.

“The rebel faction that fell apart before it could even properly rebel,” Kana said.

“Oh, great,” Heddi said drily. “So it’s either take our chances out there with the Glimmer or stay here with these Ronin types. If you ask me, the Ronin can’t be as mean as a Glimmer.”

Jack placed the ship into lockdown and activated its defense systems. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

Jack and Veda went in first, leaving the rest of the crew on the ship in case things went from bad to worse. The pair made their way to the base’s airlock. Once the airlock pressurized, the inner door opened to reveal at least a half dozen guns pointed at them.

Jack and Veda held up their hands.

“We aren’t here for any trouble. We thought the Fifty-fifth was deserted,” Jack said.

A petite woman with short, spiked hair stepped forward. “You’re Captain Hale, right? And that’s your ship, the Cabrón, out there?”

Jack nodded. “I am and that is.”

A smile grew on her face, and she slapped the man next to her. “I told you so. Put your guns away. We got ourselves a hero paying us a visit. Welcome to the Fifty-fifth, home of the Ronin, the best damn pirates in the belt. I’m Pixie, leader of the Ronin and in charge of this fine establishment. C’mon, let’s get you fellas something to drink.”

An hour and three shots later, Jack and Veda sat surrounded by pirates and smugglers who’d started drinking hours before them.

Jack held up the shot glass of clear liquid. “I have to say, this may be the best vodka I’ve ever had.”

Pixie grinned. “I call it Batch 55, and it’s the cleanest vodka you’ve ever had. Believe it or not, it’s made from the air.”

He frowned. “Excuse me?”

She motioned around her. “The air. The equipment pulls CO2 from the air cleaners and we use the ice that’s found right here in the Fifty-fifth. So you won’t taste vodka like this anywhere else. I call it the taste of freedom.” She held up a glass, and everyone in the room cheered and drank.

Jack drank to that.

When she set the glass down, she said, “Just so you know, you’re still a hero in my book, but we still gotta charge you a landing fee. It wouldn’t be right to let one crew off when we charge everyone else.”

“I understand,” Jack replied. “I just need a space to park for a little while.”

“Trouble on your ass?”

“Not sure. But there’s enough trouble out there. I’d rather play it safe.”

She motioned to the room. “Mi casa es su casa. Stay here as long as you’d like. Just know that there are more people than those loyal to the Ronin faction living here. About two hundred folks stayed behind after the base shut down—they didn’t have anywhere to go, so this rock became an island for lost souls.”

She refilled his glass, and he tipped it in her direction. “Sounds like exactly the sort of place where me and my crew would fit in.”

CHAPTER 37

Truermore Station, Outer Belt

Satsuma arrived too late. Shen Jian lowered his head after the destroyed scientific station came into view. There were no signals, not even an emergency beacon, coming from the station. From a distance, the space station looked like it’d been pelted by dozens of smaller rocks, but up close the scorch marks became visible. There were far more damaged hull sections than undamaged, but there were enough that gave Shen a small semblance of hope.

“Are there any signs of Glimmers still in the area?” Shen asked.

“The sector’s clear, Commander. I’m not picking up any signs of Glimmers or Waymakers in the quadrant, let alone sector,” his bridge crew member responded.

“Good.” He called Kaito through the intercom. “Kaito, your away team has a green light. I want every meter of that station scoured.”

“Understood, Commander. I’ll keep you posted on what we find,” Kaito replied through the intercom.

“Have everyone remain on full alert until the away team returns,” Shen ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Wong replied.

Kaito had reviewed every video and piece of data available from Truermore Station, so the young man knew exactly what to look for and had always had a knack for finding things. While Shen would continue to hope until proven otherwise, the cargo Roberta Green was bringing to Cal Cormac was likely their last chance.

There was no way Mager Bradley was still alive in that station. If he hadn’t died in the attack, he certainly would’ve died from exposure soon after. Living on a station was different from living on a ship. People on stations rarely had their hab-suits accessible to reach within seconds. Bradley would’ve been no different.

Shen had seen countless dead bodies in his life. Knowing there was another had no impact on him, but losing valuable information certainly had. First, Jenival. Now, Truermore. Every contact the Antion made with humans led to death. No matter how quickly Shen and his compatriots worked, it was never fast enough. The Waymakers, or the Glimmers likely in this case, were always faster. He felt every day of his sixty-two years from the constant defeats. When would he get a break?

Kaito’s shuttle made several loops around the station before descending into the center and disappearing from Shen’s view. The lad would make a leader of the Long Riders someday, though he was still headstrong and impetuous, two traits Shen had never possessed. Kaito had the energy to bring the Long Riders back from the oblivion into which Shen had dropped them.

“We’re latched and entering the station now,” Kaito announced.

“I’m receiving you loud and clear,” Shen replied.

“It’s a real mess around here. It’s going to take a while to sift through this wreckage.”

“Take all the time you need. This is too important to miss anything.”

“I won’t let you down, Commander.”

Shen’s disappointment would come only from not finding the virus intact. Kaito had never let him down. He’d taken Kaito onboard when the boy was just seven, far too young to be on a warship, but Kaito had nowhere else to go. His father—Kaito’s brother—had been killed attacking a Sol Corps ship, and his mother died from Great Ganymede Virus. Kaito would’ve been shuffled into a random clan family as an orphan and destined to work in a mining camp. Shen never could’ve allowed that for his older brother’s son.

“Commander! Three Glimmers closing in fast! Less than a hundred kilometers out.”

Shen gripped his armrests, confused. “How’s that possible?”

“I don’t know! The sector was clear, then all of a sudden they were there. They just appeared!”

He frowned as his fingers flew over his computer panel, sounding alarms across the ship. “They must have some sort of stealth technology.”

“They’re jellyfish,” someone said.

“Then they’re jellyfish with stealth technology,” Shen snapped before hitting the ship-wide intercom. “We have an imminent Glimmer threat. Get into your assigned offense/defense positions.” Shen released the intercom button and glanced up. “Wong, I need you at the railguns.”

“I’m on my way.” Wong had already unbuckled from his seat and was running off the bridge.

The Glimmers were now close enough their shimmering bodies could be seen on the bridge screen. Their long tentacles floated behind them except for a single, thick tentacle on each alien that was coming forward to aim at Satsuma.

“Prepare to take fire,” Shen announced the instant before the first Glimmer fired.

Glimmer energy bursts carried more power than a Waymaker’s photon beams, and the blast struck several decks below the bridge. Warning lights blinked.

“The hull’s been compromised on level two. Damage to three different engineering areas.”

“Make sure the escape pods are all online. We might need them,” Shen announced. He tapped Wong’s intercom. “Fire at will. Shoot the hell out of them.”

He watched the screen. The Glimmers had just made it clear they’d not only overheard the conversation Shen had with Jack Hale but also wanted to destroy anything associated with the Antion, which meant the two races were not friends.

A second Glimmer fired. Satsuma had been in the middle of a turn and the energy deflected off the side of the warship, but the power was still enough to cause outages along the hull.

The railguns began firing, and Shen appreciated the deep vibrations of every shot. The first rounds tore through the middle Glimmer, the large station-buster rounds shattering the creature. One of the bridge crew whooped.

“We’re not in the clear yet,” Shen said when he saw the remaining two Glimmers move quickly away from the threat. At least one had taken a hit, but not enough to take it out of the fight. Their speed was uncanny, and it deeply worried Shen.

He activated the comm channel to Kaito. “Away team, lock down tight and maintain radio silence. We have company of the Glimmer variety.”

“We saw the lights down here. Going into radio silence now.”

The railguns fired again but missed as the Glimmers no longer remained still long enough to make fair targets. The railguns continued firing, clipping both Glimmers as they tried to evade. A smaller gunship wouldn’t have a chance, but Satsuma was a warship with a dozen railguns loaded with the largest rounds available—meter-long station busters. But Satsuma had taken tens of direct hits in the Waymaker attack and its power generators weren’t running at full capacity, which meant everything took a fraction longer to accomplish, and fractions in a battle could make all the difference.

One Glimmer wobbled, with over a third of it shot off. Rather than firing back, it dove straight for Satsuma.

“What’s it doing?” someone asked, and Shen gripped his armrests even harder.

“It’s a kamikaze,” another answered, fear evident in her voice.

The Glimmer struck the hull with far less impact than Shen expected, and he leaned forward in his seat to see the final Glimmer swoop for the ship, too close and too high for the railguns. Shen flinched as it flew past the bridge, no more than a few meters between them, and it thumped against the hull a second later.

“The ship’s power just dropped by twenty percent and is still dropping!” the bridge engineer exclaimed.

“Show me a hull camera,” Shen ordered, and a second later a live feed displayed of the Glimmers flattened against the hull, covering nearly half the ship. The shimmering creatures pulsated with light. He frowned. It looked like they were sucking energy from the ship. How was that even possible?

“Power is down to forty-eight percent. We’re losing it fast!”

Shen’s heart seemed to freeze. “Shut off all nonessential systems.” A few seconds passed before he said, “Did that have any impact?”

“No. The power’s still going down at the same rate. We’re down to thirty-six percent.”

The massive Glimmers were draining the ship and draining it incredibly fast. Shen’s mind raced, but he knew that any option he had would take far too long. He pressed the intercom. “Satsuma’s been overtaken. Evacuate ship. Get to an escape pod and evacuate.”

The bridge crew all stared at him with expressions of horror.

“Get to pods,” Shen ordered.

“I go wherever you go,” the bridge engineer said.

No one moved.

“All right. Get your helmets on,” Shen said before pulling his on. “And let’s hope that once they have the power they need, they’ll leave us be. Tai, as soon as the pods have launched, fully shut down all power. The Glimmers might be able to still suck some juice, but maybe that’ll convince them we’re no longer a threat.”

“Commander, about the pods…” the navigator asked.

“What about them?” Shen asked.

“They’re equipped to last ten days. The nearest station is twenty-eight days from here.”

Shen’s lips thinned. “I know. I’m counting on the Satsuma being able to cycle back up and recalling the pods well before then.”

“Power’s at seventeen percent.”

“You’d better broadcast an SOS,” Shen said.

His communications specialist guffawed. “Long Riders don’t SOS.”

“There’s more at stake here than the crew of the Satsuma.” His screen flickered and went dead.

“We’ve lost all power. What do we do now?”

She leaned back in his seat. “We wait.”

Less than five seconds later, the wait was over. The Glimmers detached and backed away from the ship slowly. Shen watched through the bridge window. As they backed off, their thick tentacles—their energy weapons—calmly came around to aim at the ship.

Shen froze. The creatures had sucked power to re-energize their weapons. Satsuma was a sitting duck.

The first blast hit above the bridge. Equipment broke free from the ceilings and walls. If the ship still had power—and gravity—the equipment would’ve come crashing down. Instead, it moved in various trajectories based on how it broke free. The next blast hit even closer, and Shen realized the Glimmers were striking the railguns. His skin went clammy when a Glimmer lined up its next shot directly at the bridge.

* * *

Deep in Satsuma’s bowels, Wong raced for a weapon to use against the Glimmers, though the energy strikes shaking the ship and his fully magnetized boots snapping too hard to the floor slowed his pace. He couldn’t reach the bridge, and even the emergency lighting had blinked out.

He tapped his armlet. “Commander, can you read me?”

“Wong, are you on a pod?” Shen replied.

“I’m still onboard Satsuma, sir. I’m not abandoning my ship or captain. I have a plan, sir.” A plan that Wong didn’t like and Shen certainly wouldn’t. “I think we should use the nuke.”

“But we have no power to launch it.”

“I can arm and launch it manually. Then I can set it up on a timer.”

A couple of seconds passed before Shen responded. “Do it.”

Another blast wracked the ship, and Wong grabbed the wall for support. “I’m nearly there.”

Shen didn’t respond.

“Commander?” Wong asked as he started running again.

Still no response.

Wong prayed that something had happened to the armlet communications network, but he didn’t have time to look into it. The Glimmers were going to destroy the ship if he didn’t act fast. He reached the compartment that was off limits to everyone except for Shen and Wong. Like all safes on the ship, the locks ran on their own battery source, and Wong hurriedly typed in his eight-digit pin code and the locks clicked. He turned the wheel to crank open the door and entered the room that held a single nuclear missile less than two meters long.

Another blast sent Wong to his knees, and he pulled himself up to activate the warhead. Once activated, it was set up to be programmed and launched from Shen’s captain’s chair on the bridge, but anything nuclear always had secondary controls. Since Satsuma was dead in space and Kaito’s shuttle was grounded, that left the Waymakers and the escape pods as moving targets. He set the warhead to seek and destroy based on motion and ignore anything under ten meters long—the length of an escape pod. It would find the Glimmers, but the pair needed to be close enough for the warhead to take out both. Satsuma didn’t have a second warhead.

As soon as he confirmed the program, he pressed the red Initiate icon. The bay door before the missile opened, and Wong was pulled forward by the vacuum since the ship still contained a fair number of pressurized pockets. The missile lit up and shot from its tube just before a blast hit the ship, farther from Wong this time.

He took off running for the bridge to find his captain. He’d made it up two levels before a massive silent explosion rippled through the ship, slamming Wong against the wall. The warhead had gone off—far closer to the ship than Wong would’ve liked—but had it worked? Once he could stand, he took off once again. His first steps were wobbly, and he swallowed blood running down his throat—he must have broken his nose—but he soon regained his balance and continued forward.

Dead floated in the passageways, and several crew members joined him along the way… either they too wouldn’t abandon the ship or couldn’t reach an escape pod in time. No more blasts rocked the ship, which gave Wong hope that he’d destroyed them. When he reached the bridge level, a rock formed in his gut. When he reached the bridge, he lost all hope.

A Glimmer had sent a direct shot through the center of the bridge. A few stations remained, with dead bridge crew still buckled into their seats. But the captain’s station was completely missing with no sign of Shen.

Wong lost his breath. The great Shen Jian was gone.

CHAPTER 38

Truermore Station, Outer Belt

Kaito and his away team watched in horror through holes in the station’s hull as the Glimmers attacked Satsuma. When the ship took out the first Glimmer in the first several seconds of battle, he had hoped that Shen would kill the Glimmers as swiftly as he’d killed Waymakers. But the two remaining Glimmers had quickly turned the tide. The alien weapons sorely outmatched Satsuma’s railguns, and every strike made Kaito wince.

And then the Glimmers attached themselves to Satsuma like leeches, and lights across the ship flickered while the creatures glowed brighter.

“What’re they doing?” Aki, standing to Kaito’s right, asked.

“What’s it look like? They’re sucking the juice out of Satsuma,” Kaito spat.

“We need to help them,” Haider said, holding up a fist.

“How? That’s a warship up there. My ship’s baby railgun wouldn’t even leave a dent on those Glimmers. We go out there and reveal ourselves and we’re dead. Keep searching—they’re counting on us to do our job,” Kaito said, hating the words as he said them. He wanted to fly out there and help his uncle fight the Glimmers, but a single gunship was less than worthless out there—it’d only be in the way of Satsuma’s firing range. But Shen was depending on Kaito to search the station wreckage—he wouldn’t let his uncle down.

Even so, it was nearly impossible to search the wreckage under the bright lights of a battle. Kaito knew Shen would win—his uncle always found a way to win—that’s why he’d been the leader of the Long Riders since the age Kaito was now.

“I found a body,” Jiro exclaimed, and Kaito rushed over.

Mager Bradley had been well-preserved in death, so well preserved that Kaito could tell that the cause of death was from being crushed by a portion of wall than from exposure. The man was still trapped between the wall and floor, where many loose items had blown out through holes in the station’s hull during the attack after the artificial gravity was lost. Kaito stepped over the body, his magnetized boots holding him to the station’s floor as he tugged Mager’s left arm free to review an armlet with a cracked screen. He unfastened the computer and handed it behind him to Jiro. “See if you can’t find where he stored the virus.”

Then Kaito rummaged through Mager’s pockets but found nothing. When he climbed over the body, he asked, “Find anything yet?”

Jiro didn’t look up. “Not yet. Man, this guy was a hoarder. Can you believe he’d used up over ninety percent on the storage on this thing? How is that even possible?”

“He’s an analyst. I can believe it,” Kaito said drily. “I’m going to keep looking around. Let me know as soon as you find anything.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jiro took a seat atop a thick bundle of cables.

Kaito walked over to stand under a hole in the ceiling. The Glimmers had detached and left Satsuma dark—it was hard to see the ship against the black backdrop of space. But the Glimmers had resumed their attack, lighting up the ship in golden sparks with every strike. The ship didn’t evade and didn’t return fire. The great warship had lost its first battle. Kaito noticed the red blinking lights on the escape pods as they jettisoned away from Satsuma. His uncle was likely on one of those pods, and he hoped the Glimmers didn’t go after those next.

He’d grown up on the warship—he’d always seen it as invincible. If it could be taken down, what hope was there for the belt?

“Satsuma’s taking a heck of a beating,” Xiu said.

“She is, but never underestimate her,” Kaito said.

A light brighter than the sun from Mercury lit up the black. Kaito cried out in pain and shielded his eyes. Several seconds passed and then a shockwave slammed through Truermore Station, knocking Kaito off his feet and sending him tumbling against the far wall. He hit it with his elbow, shooting pain up through his arm. It took him a full minute after the shockwave before he could see again, and—cradling his left arm—he snapped his boots back to the floor and looked outside.

“Kaito! Are you okay?” Haider called out.

“I’m okay. Everyone, report in,” Kaito said.

His five team members did, one by one. The worst injury was Haider’s cracked helmet, so Kaito sent him back to the ship to wait. If any of his team had a wounded elbow like Kaito he would’ve sent them to the ship as well, but he was the leader, and a broken elbow wasn’t going to take him out of the game.

“I’ve never seen anything that bright before. What do you think it was?” Aki asked.

Kaito considered the question as he pulled out a roll of tape from his suit’s thigh pocket and taped his arm against his torso. “It was a nuke,” he said as he tucked the remaining tape back into his pocket.

“A nuke? Satsuma doesn’t have nukes. Shoot, no one has nukes,” Aki said.

“You’re wrong. Satsuma has one nuke. Or had one nuke, I guess,” Kaito replied.

That caused everyone to look outside through the holes that perforated the station.

His vision was still wonky—there was a black star in the center of everywhere he looked—but he was able to make out enough to see that the Glimmers were gone and only Satsuma remained. The warship was still completely dark, though Kaito’s vision was bad enough he wouldn’t notice anything but navigational lights and rotating beacons from that distance.

Kaito smiled as he looked at the ship. No matter how dead it looked from here, he knew Shen was still alive onboard to launch the nuclear warhead. “I told you not to underestimate her. Satsuma’s as tough as they come.”

“That’s because her crew’s as tough as they come,” Xiu said with a smile.

“Long live the Riders,” they all said.

After a brief silence, Xiu said, “There’s lots of notes about the virus on that guy’s armlet, but nothing about where he stored it.”

With the Glimmers gone, Kaito was more anxious than ever to return to the ship and to his uncle. “Let’s pick up the pace. We’ve got a job to do.”

Kaito moved slowly with only one usable arm and went through the room with the body while his team split up to each take a separate area within the station. His room had been a multipurpose room—a galley, pantry, and lounge. It was unlikely the virus would be stored so near the food, but the station wasn’t exactly big and didn’t have a lot of storage. So he sifted through the pantry. Truermore Station was well-stocked with very bland rations. He assumed the science stations on the inside of the belt had better selections. Still, he’d ask Shen if he could send down a team to raid what they could—his clan could always use the extra food.

“The workroom’s blown to hell. If the virus was there, it’s long gone,” Aki said as she approached. “You see any grade B stuff in there?”

Kaito held up a box. “Grade C and D is all they got here.” He tossed the box, and it bounced off a wall, floating above their heads.

“Figures. I haven’t found anything worth taking yet. This station was as barebones as they come. Maybe they kept the good stuff in the cooler.” She made her way to the cooler, which had a crease midway down and its door askew.

She yanked at the door—it took her a couple of tries—until it gave way, and she nearly tumbled backward.

Kaito was about to give her crap for her clumsiness when he saw the inside of the cooler. He rushed over. Inside was the gray cube Kaito had seen on the intel he’d studied. It was now bent and stuck in the compartment from when the cooler had been crushed. He gingerly removed the outer panel from the cube to find three virus stakes still inside. Two were broken and a dull, transparent color, but the third was still intact.

He grinned at Aki. “You found it!”

“I did?” She looked over his shoulder. “I did!”

“Away team,” Kaito yelled. “We found the virus. C’mon and help us get it out and loaded.”

The team spent a full ten minutes detaching the crate from the cooler and placing it in a sealed bag. He separated the still-intact virus stake from the others and set it in a sealed box of its own for extra care, all the while trying to ignore his throbbing elbow.

“How contagious is the virus, do you think?” Xiu asked. “I mean, we might’ve gotten the virus all over us just by standing here.”

“Maybe it can seep through spacesuits and directly into your skin,” Jiro said.

Xiu slapped him. “Not funny.”

“Who said I was trying to be funny?” he said. “I’m serious. This stuff scares me.”

Kaito grimaced. “It’s a risk we have to take. If the Satsuma’s lost power, the decontamination chamber isn’t going to be working, so we’ll just have to look over each other good when we load up.”

They returned to Kaito’s ship to find Haider waiting. His face shield had glue lines along the cracks. “You found it?” Haider asked.

Kaito smiled. “We found it. Now let’s get back to the Satsuma, because I bet they can use some good news.”

Another ten minutes later, Kaito piloted his gunship from Truermore Station and toward Satsuma. He flew slow. Truermore had been a debris field, but the shockwave had pushed much of it well out of the way. There were no signs of Glimmers, and the escape pods were now so far away, only their beacons were visible.

Haider whistled as they approached the warship. “That behemoth looks bound for the graveyard.”

“A few patches and a lot of love, and she’ll be terrorizing the system again,” Kaito said.

He’d given up trying the ship’s communications and instead angled for manual entry into the docks. His eyes were sore and blurry, but he could see well enough. His helmet’s auto-shielding saved him from the nuke blinding him permanently. As he approached Satsuma, it looked like the ship still had no power, but he noticed helmet lights through windows and in the docks.

He brought in his ship smoothly—he rarely got the opportunity to land under his own control, and he enjoyed it. Though it was challenging this time, since he had to do it one-handed. Several crew members stood at his dock to secure the ship manually in place. They all wore spacesuits, which didn’t surprise Kaito. With how the ship looked, he would’ve been surprised to see that it was pressurized.

As soon as he powered down, he took the lead at his ship’s door. “I hope you’re all ready for a double-shift, because it looks like there’s a lot of work ahead of us.” With that, he opened the door and walked down the ramp to where he found Wong waiting for him.

“You put on one hell of a show for us at the station,” Kaito said. “You had me worried for a while there.”

“We were all worried for a while there,” Wong said. “Did you find it?”

The chief of security was always stoic, but he was more so after this battle.

Kaito nodded toward the bag Aki held and then pulled out the small bag of his own. “Most were broken, but we have one good spike along with Bradley’s armlet.”

“Let’s hope it’ll be enough.” Wong eyed Kaito’s arm. “You’re injured.”

“Nothing that can’t wait. I want to talk to my uncle first. I want to tell him the good news.”

Wong looked down.

Kaito took a step closer. “What’s wrong? Was he hurt in the attack?”

“The Glimmers struck the bridge. It was a direct hit, Kaito. I’m sorry, but your uncle is gone,” Wong said.

Kaito’s jaw loosened at the shock. No, not his uncle. Nothing could kill Shen Jian. It was impossible. He bent over, feeling nauseous. “No.”

His team behind him made hushed sounds of surprise and shock.

Wong patted Kaito’s back. “I’ll get you to medical to get that arm looked after. Give you some time to rest.”

“No.” Kaito returned to full height. “We’ve got work to do. We need to get this virus and material secured. It should go into the commander’s safe. I know the PIN. I’m guessing you do too.”

Wong shook his head. “That’s one code he didn’t provide me. He only provided it to his successor.”

Kaito grunted without humor. “I wasn’t his successor. You were.”

Wong shook his head. “Shen and I spoke at length. He’d always wanted you to take over Satsuma and the Long Riders when he was gone.”

“I’m too young.”

“Shen was your age when he became leader of the Long Riders.”

“I’m not ready,” Kaito said softly.

“That’s why you have me,” Wong said quietly. “Every commander has his advisors. Now, let’s get this cargo to the commander’s safe… your safe, so we can focus on getting this ship operational.”

CHAPTER 39

Truermore Station, Outer Belt

Even flying at maximum safe speed, Exterra reached Truermore Station three days after Satsuma. What Captain Rin Green found broke her heart. The flagship of the Long Riders floated dead in space while crews rapidly worked to patch the hull and make other repairs. Escape pods floated nearby in a queue to be reconnected to the warship.

She tried to reach the ship but received no response and cautiously flew to latch into one of the warship’s docks. As soon as she placed Exterra into standby mode, she hustled into her flight suit. Craig and James met her near the airlock.

Craig carried his tool bag. Rin gave him an approving nod. “See what you both can do to help out while I check in with Shen. Keep your armlets active and don’t stray too far from the Exterra. I don’t like being on a ship that can’t take off at the first hint of trouble, even if that ship’s the Satsuma.”

“I’m with ya. I love this warship, but it’s giving me a case of the creeps right now,” James said.

Once the three passed through the airlock and into the depressurized docks, Rin broke from her crew and headed up to the bridge level. That no one had met her at the dock was proof of how busy Satsuma’s crew was with repairs. They weren’t even making an illusion of security.

Rin’s journey to the bridge level took nearly an hour, which used to take under ten minutes. She faced constant detours, with many of the main passageways cordoned off. She’d walked nearly forty minutes before she came to a makeshift airlock that opened to the ship’s pocket of atmospheric conditions. The air smelled foul—like burnt carbon—but it was breathable, so she removed her helmet and continued on her journey.

Along the way, she met dozens of crew members. Some bore injuries, all bore exhaustion, and she felt sorry for them. Exterra had never had a catastrophic failure—one where the ship lost its environmental systems—but she’d faced enough problems through the years that she knew what the crew was going through. In the unforgiveable space, a small problem could become life-threatening in a matter of seconds. Crews had to scramble and keep scrambling until the problem was fixed, no matter how long it took. She remembered being awake for fifty-two hours once working on what turned out to be a faulty air quality sensor.

Satsuma’s crew looked like how she’d felt during that repair job.

She reached the bridge level to find many of the rooms, including the bridge, sealed off. If Shen Jian wasn’t on the bridge, she had to hope he was in his quarters, otherwise trying to track him down on a massive warship would be damn near impossible. The panel next to the door was offline, so she knocked.

Long seconds passed before the door opened to reveal Wong, Satsuma’s chief of security. She didn’t know his first name; she didn’t think anyone knew his first name.

Upon seeing her, he glanced over his shoulder and said, “It’s Captain Rin Green of the Exterra.”

“Let her in.”

Rin frowned. That wasn’t Shen Jian’s voice.

Wong stepped aside and Rin entered to find Shen Jian’s nephew sitting at Shen’s conference table. He wore a sling on his left arm, and his hair was mussed. Several tablets were sprawled on the table before him, along with a half-eaten ration pack.

The young man stood as soon as she entered. “Captain Green.”

“Kaito, right?”

He nodded.

“Where’s Commander Jian?” he asked.

Kaito swallowed. “That’s me now, Captain.”

Her eyes narrowed and then widened as realization struck. “Shen Jian’s dead.”

The younger man winced. “I’m afraid so.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Shen Jian was the greatest leader the Long Riders ever had. I was proud to serve in his fleet.”

Wong gestured to Kaito. “This is Commander Jian now.”

Kaito motioned to the table. “Have a seat.”

She did. “Shen Jian had asked me to fly here as quickly as possible. He’d said Truermore Station was in danger. I’m sorry I was too late, Commander.”

Wong took a seat at the other end of the table.

“We were all too late.” He forced a small smile. “And call me Kaito.”

She returned the expression. “Call me Rin. I make the same offer to you that I made to Shen Jian when he gave me my ship. The Exterra and its crew are at your disposal. Whatever you need, let me know.”

“Thank you. That means a lot. As you can see, we can use all the help we can get here,” Kaito said. “We’re in a race against time to get Satsuma running and out of this sector before more Glimmers decide to show up.”

“You think more are coming?” she asked.

“We don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised. That’s been pretty much how things have been playing out for us lately.”

“In my experience, that’s how things tend to always play out in the belt,” she added. “But with how hard everyone seems to be working around here, Satsuma will be flying proud in no time.”

“Let’s hope. She took on more damage than she ever has before,” Kaito replied. “But that’s obvious to anyone who isn’t blind. Let’s talk about you and me and what we can do to help the outer belt. What did my uncle tell you about Truermore Station?”

“He said that the analysts there contained key strategic information, and that the Waymakers or Glimmers were rumored to be on their way to prevent that information from being shared. He ordered me to proceed there as fast as possible. I did, but the Exterra wasn’t fast enough.”

“It was more than just information,” Kaito said and then shot a glance at Wong, who gave a slight nod. “I’m looping you in because Satsuma is crippled. We have no power and no communications. We’re out of the fight until we manage to get this ship working, and who knows how long that’ll take? The Exterra is still flying—I need you to be my eyes and ears… and hands. But this information is absolutely confidential and cannot be shared over any comm network—we know the Waymakers have some eavesdropping capabilities, so we have to play it safe.”

He rummaged through the computer tablets, pulled one out, and handed it to her. “This covers everything we know to date on the Antion, the enemy of what we now know to be both the Waymakers and Glimmers.”

Rin’s brows shot up. “They have an enemy?”

Kaito nodded. “A very badass enemy as it turns out, and lucky for us, their enemy is willing to help us out. They made contact with Truermore Station and gave samples of a virus that they say will kill both Waymakers and Glimmers in the system.”

Rin leaned forward. “That’s why Shen Jian wanted me to hurry to Truermore Station. To get there before the Glimmers destroyed it.” She clenched her fists. “But they beat us to it.”

“Luckily they sent half the samples to Cal Cormac of Luna’s Vanguard faction.”

“Vanguard’s no Long Rider, but they’re better than Sol Corps,” Rin said.

Kaito nodded. “The analyst’s name who’s carrying the samples to Cal Cormac is Roberta Green. Do you know her?”

Rin shrugged. “She’s a clan cousin, but we’ve never met.”

“Well, the last my uncle spoke to her, Roberta was traveling on a transport called the Ethereal Rain. It had just passed Mars on a direct flight to Luna City. That’s where Cal Cormac is. My uncle and Cal had been talking frequently, so we assume Cal knows as much about the Antion and the virus as we do. The operation was going to be a shared Long Rider-Vanguard thing, but what Cal doesn’t know is what happened to the rest of the virus, Truermore Station, and the Satsuma. That makes his half of the virus pretty damn crucial to whooping the alien ass in this system.”

“What do you need me to do?” Rin asked.

“I want a Long Rider with eyes and ears on Cal Cormac.”

“Luna City is a long, long ways from here,” she said.

“I know. And we have a Long Rider contractor a lot closer. The Cabrón should be in the Mars sector right now. I want you to reach out to Captain Jack Hale on the Long Rider frequencies and tell him to go to Luna City to join up with Cal Cormac there. Hale needs to let Cormac know that everything’s riding on the three virus stakes he has.”

“But remember that no communications are to be trusted, so be sure to use only QuSRs in short bursts and be careful about what you communicate,” Wong said.

“I will. I know how the game is played,” she said. “Will that be all?”

“Not even close.” He inhaled deeply as he pulled out a small box and opened it to reveal a single gray stake. The contents within seemed to swirl.

Rin stiffened. “Is that what I think it is?”

Kaito nodded. “We managed to find one virus stake in the wreckage.” He pushed the box toward her. “The Glimmers will come after Satsuma. They have no reason to come after you, not if you play it careful. I want you to keep this with you and guard it as if the entire system was counting on you.”

She tentatively pulled the box closer. “What am I to do with this stake?”

“Right now, your job is to keep it safe. That’s it. Once Satsuma is up and running, I’ll collect it. Wong and I are working out some ideas on using it.”

“I’ll keep it safe. You have my word,” she said.

“Thank you. If the Glimmers come back to finish off Satsuma, I have to know we won’t lose everything that so many people, including my uncle, lost their lives for. Now, you better get going and get out of this sector before you’re noticed. From this point forward, you run silent unless you’re talking to Hale. I’ll ping you when we have comms active. Secure that virus stake with your life, and remember, that tablet must never leave your sight. If there’s any risk of it falling into the wrong hands, you destroy it. Do you understand?”

“Of course.” She went to stand but paused as a thought came to her. “I take it you don’t want anyone to know about this stake? Not Captain Hale, not Cal Cormac, no one?”

Wong answered. “No one. This is our ace in the hole should we need it. But Cal Cormac doesn’t need to know that we have a backup in case his sloppy faction fails.”

“Understood.” She stood and clutched the box against her as firmly and as gently as a mother would her infant. “The Exterra will be underway within the hour.” She walked to the door and turned back before opening it. “Shen Jian would be proud.”

Kaito’s face lit up. “Thank you.”

Then she left with the most precious cargo in the outer belt.

CHAPTER 40

Luna City, Earth sector

Roberta Green hadn’t heard from Mager in nine days. Before that, they’d messaged each other every day. They would’ve called one another if Ethereal Rain’s communications system had the bandwidth for it. Something horrible had happened; Roberta knew it in her bones. She’d worked and lived with Mager for nearly two decades. She knew him better than his siblings knew him, and while Mager talked of being the perfect analyst to be stationed at Truermore because he didn’t enjoy being around people, he needed the regular dose of human contact Roberta provided. That was why every satellite station had a minimum of two workers onsite. A single individual left alone on a station for years on end tended to lose their grip on humanity.

She cradled her tablet, repeatedly refreshing her message list, but no new messages appeared. The last message from Mager was a rambling about how he’d caught up on every show he had on his watch-list since he didn’t have to watch her “crappy tearjerkers” and was now making a new watch-list. His words spoke of him enjoying himself for having Truermore to himself, but she knew the emotion behind them. He missed her as much as she missed him, and she was terribly lonely.

The crew didn’t like her despite her attempts at friendliness. Roberta had tried to get to know them, had tried to help out around the ship, but they snubbed her every time as though she was the one who smelled (and she definitely wasn’t the smelly one in that bunch).

The odor wafted into her bunk before she saw the crew member with rotted teeth. “We’re here,” he said and then left.

“Okay,” she said with very little confidence.

Roberta slipped her tablet into the tote and grabbed her bag. She stepped into the passageway and saw that two crew members were heading toward the back of the ship, so she followed. When she caught up, they were busy opening up the massive cargo hold door, and she went to stand nearby but was careful to remain out of their way. She gripped the tote, anxious to deliver its contents to someone who could use them.

Captain Moten entered the cargo area, along with the rest of her crew. When she noticed Roberta, she walked over, her features stern.

“Thank you for—” Roberta began but was cut off.

“I ain’t received confirmation from Shen Jian,” the captain said.

“Oh. You haven’t?” Roberta asked, confused. Fear built in her gut. First, she couldn’t reach Mager. Now, the captain couldn’t reach Shen Jian. What was happening in the belt?

“That’s what I said. He’s reneging on our deal. He still owes me half for taking you here.”

Roberta shrugged. “I—I don’t know why you can’t get a hold of him. Maybe there’s a problem with your ship’s comms—”

“There ain’t no problem with the Rain’s comms,” Moten snapped. She scowled at Roberta for a long second before saying, “You’re going to see Cal Cormac, ain’t ya?”

Roberta nodded.

“He’s got the credits. Then I’m comin’ with ya to settle up your tab.”

Captain Moten grabbed Roberta’s arm and yanked her along. “I’ll be back,” the captain said to her crew when she walked past them and off the ship.

Once they were off the docking ramp, Moten released Roberta but kept the pace faster than Roberta was used to. The captain knew her way around the docks and around the city with how she didn’t pause once to check a map.

Roberta tried to keep up while gawking at the sensory overload around them. Luna City was larger than any city she’d ever seen growing up in the outer belt. People crammed the hallways as they hustled in every direction. Advertisements were lit up on bright displays along the walls and ceilings. She’d heard of wasteful power usage, but she never fathomed it to be so over the top. The outer belt would never waste power lighting an unnecessary billboard. Power was too precious. Shops and restaurants lined the passageway—there was more food and more tchotchkes in a fifty-meter row than she’d seen in any colony.

“What? First time this side of the inner belt?” Captain Moten asked.

“First time this side of the outer belt,” Roberta said. “It’s…”

“Insane? Yeah,” Moten said.

“Obscene,” Roberta corrected.

For the first time, the captain gave Roberta an almost respectful look. “Yeah,” she agreed, then tugged Roberta to the left. “Your rebel pal’s this way.”

Captain Moten led Roberta away from the hubbub of Luna City and into older areas that resembled the colony where Roberta had grown up. No bright ads lit up the hallways. Instead, only older lights—some flickering—lit the way along scraped walls and scratched floors. There were fewer people here, and those who were wore well-worn, monotone clothing and bore stern expressions. Roberta immediately felt more at ease with the familiar surroundings, even knowing that these people carried hidden weapons and weren’t to be trifled with.

“You need to give your pal, Cormac, a call. Find out where we gotta go,” the captain said.

Roberta shrugged. “I don’t know how to contact him. I don’t even know him.”

Moten sighed. “Of course ya don’t.” For the first time since entering Luna City, the captain had to check a map on the wall. She entered Cal Cormac’s name, but no data appeared on the screen. Moten cursed and then turned around. “Looks like we gotta do this the hard way.”

She eyed several passersby before calling out, “Hey, you,” to a lanky teenage boy with stained clothes.

He shot Moten a distrustful glance and looked like he was about to make a run for it.

“I’m looking for someone. Hope ya can help,” Moten said.

The boy pointed to the screen on the wall. “Use tha map.”

Moten smirked. “The fella I’m lookin’ for ain’t on there.”

The boy took a tentative step closer.

“I’m lookin’ for Cal Cormac. I got a delivery for ’em.” Moten motioned in Roberta’s direction.

“I don’t know no one by that name,” the boy replied.

Moten chuckled. “Sure ya don’t, kid. C’mon, do I look like Sol Corps?”

The boy peered at the two women for a length before he said, “Check level twelve B.”

“That’s all ya got?” Moten asked.

The boy’s lips were pressed tightly together.

“Fine.” Moten gestured to Roberta. “Pay ’em.”

Roberta activated her armlet and swiped ten credits at the kid’s armlet. That was well over twice what she’d pay for tips in the outer belt, but she’d heard that everything cost more the deeper you went into the system.

He glanced at his armlet and then took off.

Captain Moten and Roberta found an elevator and took it down twelve levels, and Roberta realized that the numbering sequence was the same across the system, likely because numbers and simple letters worked for everyone with even the most rudimentary grasp of the basic language. B for below, A for above.

The elevator opened to reveal a level that looked much like the one they’d left.

“This is just great,” Moten complained as they exited the elevator. “Findin’ Cormac’s like findin’ free credits lyin’ ’round.”

Roberta looked around and saw a sign on the wall, and she walked over to it to see a list of company names and associated unit numbers painted by hand. She pointed at a name halfway down the list. “He’s here.”

Moten eyed it. “Vanguard Corporation?”

Roberta gave a hint of a smile. “He’s the head of the Vanguard faction. My guess is the two are connected.”

“All right. We’ll see ’bout that.”

The pair made their way to a door that had Vanguard Corp painted on the surface, and they entered. Inside was a small lobby with a lone desk occupied by a man who looked to be a greeter or assistant.

The man looked up when they entered.

Roberta noticed that his right hand had disappeared below the desk when they entered, and she wondered if he held a gun. It gave her confidence they were in the right place.

Captain Moten leaned on the counter. “We need to see Cal Cormac.”

The assistant shook his head. “I’m afraid there’s no one by that name who works here.”

Roberta stepped forward. “My name’s Roberta Green. I work at Truermore Station in the outer belt. Shen Jian sent me here to meet with Cal Cormac.”

“Do you have some form of identification?” the man asked.

Roberta pulled up her ID on her armlet and displayed it so he could read it.

“Please have a seat. Let me see if I can’t track him down for you.” He motioned to a row of three chairs lined up along the wall.

Roberta did as she was instructed while Captain Moten paced the floor.

A man in his late fifties or early sixties emerged from a doorway to the left of the assistant’s desk a few minutes later.

“Roberta Green?” he asked as he approached.

Roberta stood. “I am.”

He smiled, and she found it pleasant. “I’ve been looking forward to your arrival. Do you have the item?”

Roberta nodded and went to hand him her tote, and he placed a hand over hers. “Hold onto it for now. We have a lot to cover.”

Captain Moten stepped forward. “I had a deal with Shen Jian to deliver her to ya, but he ain’t paid me the second half of Green’s ride here. ’N it cost a lot to bring her here. Food, water, power, service, ya know what I mean.”

Roberta scowled at the captain rather than speaking up. Sure, Roberta had required food and water, but she’d taken great care to not be a hassle even though she certainly had the right to be. Shen Jian was paying very, very good to see that Roberta made it to where she was now standing.

“Oh?” Cal’s demeanor seemed to cool fifty degrees when he turned to the captain. “And what exactly is the remaining balance on Ms. Green’s account?”

“A hundred thousand credits,” Captain Moten replied. “He paid a hundred up front and was gonna pay a hundred upon arrival.”

Cal’s brows rose. “Two hundred thousand credits for transporting a single passenger between two ports where you were already slated to dock?”

Captain Moten’s chin lifted. “That was the deal.”

“Well, he’s been known to be overly generous. Now me, on the other hand…” He took a step closer. Behind him, Roberta noticed his assistant was now standing and did, in fact, have a gun in his hand, and it was aimed directly at Captain Moten’s chest.

When the captain noticed her predicament, she grimaced. “I could offer a discount since the ride wasn’t outta my way.”

“Or… how about I don’t blackball your ship and crew and we call it even?”

“You—can’t—why, that’s only half the deal price,” she sputtered.

“And half is five times more than enough for transporting a single passenger safely, and you and I both know that.”

Captain Moten gritted her teeth as her glare went from Cal to his assistant and back to him. “Nice doing business with you.” She spun on her heel and left without even glancing in Roberta’s direction.

As soon as she left, Cal went and locked the door.

Roberta muttered, “Greedy haulers.”

“If she knew what you were carrying, she could’ve blackmailed me for ten times the deal Shen made with her,” Cal said.

“There’s something happening in the outer belt,” Roberta said. “Shen didn’t respond to Captain Moten, and my co-worker, Mager, hasn’t replied to any of my messages in nine days.”

Cal gave her a pained look. “I’m sorry to say that Glimmers learned of the virus and attacked Truermore Station.”

Roberta blanched. Her greatest fear had come true. “No.” Roberta barely heard his next words, and she stumbled to take a seat.

“The Satsuma tried to reach it in time, but they, too, were attacked. My sources tell me Shen Jian was killed in the attack.”

Cal approached her. “That makes your cargo and what you know the most valuable assets in the system.”

She tamped down her loss—there’d be time to grieve for Mager later—and allowed Cal to help her to her feet. She held out the tote, no longer having any desire to be near what had only brought death, and he accepted the bag.

Cal peeked inside before glancing at her. “Come. Let’s get to a safer place to talk. I have analysts with equipment ready to analyze and hopefully replicate these darts, and I have gunships waiting in the docks that need their railguns modified to handle as many darts as we can make.”

She’d been carrying a weapon. She hadn’t really looked at the virus in that way before, even though that was exactly what it was. She’d looked at it like it was a fascinating piece of alien technology designed to help humanity. Now that she felt the true impact of death, she understood the darts. “I hope this virus wipes out every Glimmer and Waymaker in this system.”

He smiled. “I hope so too.”

CHAPTER 41

Luna City

Ethereal Rain launched from Luna City’s docks filled with supplies slated for four different scientific stations.

Captain Georgie Moten was happy to be back to having just her five crew members onboard. Carrying passengers was a colossal pain in the ass. If Georgie had wanted to captain a passenger ship, she wouldn’t be on Ethereal Rain. Passengers showed up in spaces they had no business being. They expected a variety of food, always wanted more and better than what she and her crew ate. They talked incessantly, and every conversation was about one of two things: the passenger talking about themselves or talking about their destination. Georgie didn’t give a rat’s ass about either.

The only good thing about hauling passengers was the paycheck, and she wasn’t sure that was even good enough to balance out the hassle. Georgie thought it was going to be different with this last passenger. Shen Jian had made a generous deposit, enough to cover most full passenger tabs, but then he went and disappeared, leaving the second half unpaid.

Roberta Green wasn’t the most annoying passenger as passengers went. She was clean and didn’t demand extra rations, but man did she talk. It was like the woman hadn’t left that science station for years, which turned out to be true, but Georgie hadn’t cared.

What Georgie cared about was getting paid, and she’d got ripped off. Cal Cormac turned out to be a real asshole.

“No more, never again,” she muttered.

“What’s that?” one of her crew asked.

“We’re never hauling passengers ever again. They ain’t worth the hassle,” she replied.

He nodded. “I ken drink to that.” His wide grin showed a mouthful of missing and decayed teeth as he pulled out a flask. He’d always had the worst breath of the crew, but he made up for that fault by being a hard worker and always having booze nearby.

She smiled and held out her hand, but as she reached for it, she caught a glint of light out of the corner of her eye. She turned to the front screen to see a transport launching from a dock next to them explode. Beyond them were at least a half-dozen Waymakers firing on the docks and ships in the vicinity.

“Hold on!” Georgie dropped the flask and went to the controls to accelerate, even though she was still in Luna City’s no-wake zone. She added full acceleration, which caused the old ship to creak and groan as the engines tried to thrust their way through the heavy ship. Exhaust scorched the dock, damaging the locking clamps and melting the dock pads.

Ethereal Rain accelerated less than a kilometer before a photon blast cut through the center of the ship, exposing the crew to the unforgiving space. Captain Georgie Moten and her five crew members were sucked out of the massive hole that ran from the bridge through the aft of the ship. Crates snapped free and tumbled out with them.

The crew hadn’t been wearing suits, so they felt every second of the onslaught of temperatures that could turn a human body brittle from the outside in and pressure that boiled the body from the inside out. Georgie was conscious as her lungs burst. She could see everything until the blood vessels in her eyes ruptured. Every centimeter of her skin felt like she was being burned alive in a cauldron of oil because that was the weird thing about human sensations: things that were too hot or too cold felt the same.

Georgie Moten’s final thoughts were silent screams of agony.

CHAPTER 42

Between the Inner Belt and Mars

Jack didn’t want to leave the Fifty-fifth, but when the choice was either to remain in hiding or help so that they wouldn’t have to hide ever again, the decision was simple. The hungover crew departed the Fifty-fifth and cautiously made their way toward the inner system, which was purportedly crawling with Waymakers and Glimmers.

“I got another note,” Burn called out from his bunk. “Kana, I’m forwarding it to you now.”

Kana grimaced as she read the note. “Rin is very graphic in what she wants to do to Burn. She could’ve toned it down since she knew she was relaying coded messages that others would read in there.”

“I’ve met her. I think she’d very much enjoy making you squirm,” Jack said. “Anything stand out in the message?”

“Other than the sexual position she’d like to try with Burn that I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around? Then no, it takes a few minutes to pull out the actual message of three words from her detailed love notes.” Her panel beeped. “Thank goodness for a distraction. The search for the Ethereal Rain’s finished. It looks like it’s—uh oh… well, crap, that’s a problem.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“The Ethereal Rain was destroyed in a Waymaker attack on Luna City. All crew presumed dead.”

He leaned back, a wave of fatigue washing through him. “Then the virus is gone. We’re back to square one.”

“Wait, hold on. Maybe not. The time stamp on when the Ethereal Rain was destroyed is after its scheduled arrival to Luna City. It’s nearly a day later.” She looked up. “I think the Ethereal Rain was destroyed after it docked. Luna City’s dock systems were destroyed before they sent log updates to the networks. I think the carrier might still be alive. The virus might still be out there.”

“The timestamp on its destruction could be off,” he said.

“I doubt it. It’s the same timestamp for Luna City’s destruction.”

He grimaced. “But if the carrier was dropped off at Luna City with the virus, the question remains if they got clear of the docks before the attack.”

“And… I decoded Burn’s latest love letter. Its three words are Cal and Luna City. Does that make any sense to you?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah. Cal Cormac is based out of Luna City. He’s the head of the Vanguard faction. He’s basically Shen’s counterpart in the inner system. It makes sense that the virus was being delivered to him.”

“But he was probably killed in the Waymaker attack.”

“Probably.”

“But we should probably check it out to be safe. Maybe the virus wasn’t destroyed.”

“Probably.” Jack sighed as he contemplated the risk he’d be placing his crew in to travel to Luna City. “Kana, I’m sending you Cal’s net ID. Try pinging it.”

Several seconds later, she said, “It’s not going through. From what it looks like on the net feeds, the entire city’s comm network’s down. The Waymakers were pretty damn thorough when they struck the docks.”

He grimaced. “Well, then we’re going to have to go in and check it out for ourselves.”

* * *

Three days later, Cabrón landed outside Luna City on the same lunar plain where dozens of rescue shuttles sat.

“They’re going to assume we’re scavengers,” Kana said.

“Let them. They’re not the ones I’m worried about,” Jack said. They’d come across no Glimmers on the trip, likely because there were too many Waymakers in the Earth quadrant. After destroying Luna City’s docks, five Waymakers settled down on top of the debris, like geese keeping their eggs warm. They’d bombed the docks when a travel liner tried to evacuate several hundred people. The Waymakers had been adamant—there’d be no significant moving of people, not when they were using them as shields. That passenger liner had been destroyed, along with unknown numbers of those hit by falling debris in the city. But the Waymakers didn’t have empathy, only logic.

“Keep an eye on things. If you get nervous, don’t think twice about leaving us behind. We can lie low as long as we need until you can get back,” he said.

“I’m not leaving you,” Kana said.

“If the ship’s in danger, do it. That’s an order,” Jack said.

“I remember we voted you in as captain. You give me orders I don’t like, and I might decide to vote in a different captain,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

“You should do that,” he said dryly, winked, and then left.

“Check in every hour on the hour,” she called behind him.

“I will.” He walked to the cargo hold where the rest of the crew waited. This operation felt eerily similar to Mars Station, except Jack was taking Veda instead of Burn this time. Mars Station had been cleared of survivors before they arrived, so Burn’s engineering skills were handier to have than Veda’s security skills. But there were confirmed survivors in Luna City—desperate, possibly violent people. Jack wanted his best people with weapons with him on this operation.

Burn opened the large door, and Jack drove the rover out with Veda and Heddi onboard, all in their suits. As soon as they were away from the ship’s artificial gravity, Jack felt his body become light as a feather. He couldn’t drive the rover fast without it becoming too bouncy in the moon’s microgravity.

He followed the well-worn tracks of the first responders to the ravaged docks, which were the only part of Luna City on the surface and the only access point to the city. Debris had been cleared from an access ramp, and Jack drove down that to an airlock large enough to fit Cabrón. Veda jumped off, ran up to the airlock, pressed the Entrance Request panel, and returned to the rover. They waited until the red light above the airlock turned green. They entered. The airlock pressurized impressively fast—though the wind was uncomfortably strong—and the inner door opened within five seconds.

Jack drove into the city. They met a rescue rover with a large, sealed trailer, and the driver scowled at Jack as he drove by. Jack ignored him, along with every other rescue worker who scowled, cursed, or flipped them off as they drove down Luna City’s principal thoroughfare. Dozens of bodies lined the road, having been moved to the sides and covered in black bags to make way for rescue workers. Jack didn’t know where Cal lived, but he knew that Vanguard was based on the old city, levels below what had been the pristine, cosmopolitan newer city.

Jack parked the rover next to a stairway. “Here’s where we go in.”

“This city must’ve been amazing,” Heddi said. “Even with all the mess, it’s still fancier than anything I’ve ever seen, even fancier than Mars Station.”

“You should see Earth,” Veda said. “That’ll blow your mind.”

Jack frowned at the thought. Everyone should have the chance to see Earth, the true home of humanity. That he’d never brought her there reflected poorly on him. He tried to ignore that failure, making a mental note to bring her there sometime, and the trio entered the stairway.

The wall panels were functional, and Jack found what he was looking for on his first search term, Vanguard. They descended deep into the bowels of the old city.

“I’m not looking forward to climbing these stairs back to the top,” Veda griped.

“Let’s hope they get full power back up and running soon,” Heddi said.

When they emerged from the stairway, they found the level packed with people. Most were dirty and smelled, though Jack suspected they always looked like that rather than from the power shortages. They made their way to the Vanguard office, and Jack led the way inside to find the lobby empty.

Jack’s jaw tightened as he looked around.

A door opened to his left, and a man roughly Shen’s age stepped out.

“Captain Jack Hale,” he said.

Jack smiled. “Hi, Cal.”

PART FOUR

SOL SEQUENCE

CHAPTER 43

Luna City

Jack sat at a table with Cal Cormac and an analyst named Roberta Green. Veda and Heddi were stuck in the hallway outside the office, playing bodyguard along with two of Cal’s people. On the center of the table sat an open box displaying three virus stakes.

“Go on, you can touch them. They can’t harm us,” Cal said with a hint of a smirk.

“I’m good.” Jack didn’t take the bait. Cal shouldn’t have known about the nanites running through Jack’s blood, but Jenival Ngoma had found out somehow, and who knew how many others she’d told? She certainly hinted at it to others, because Shen Jian had suspected there was something different about Jack for years.

“It doesn’t do anything to us.” Roberta ran her fingers over the spikes. “The Antion said the virus disables technology, so we need to be careful not to expose any of our networks. It might be designed specifically for Waymakers, but we don’t know what else it could work on.”

“You know more about these alien bugs than Jenival Ngoma did. I’ve read everything she’d collected, and it was pretty basic,” Jack said.

“Was that what you were sent to pick up at Mars Station?” Cal asked.

Jack nodded. “But you already knew that. You know a lot for hiding deep down under Luna City. How many spies do you have out there?”

“Not as many as I need,” he replied honestly. “But sometimes I have enough.”

Jack pulled out the two storage drives Burn had taken from Jenival’s and her analysts’ computers. “Here’s what I picked up at Mars Station. Shen Jian doesn’t need them anymore, so maybe you can put the information in there to good use.” He said nothing about the third storage drive.

Jack slid the pair of drives across the table and Cal brought his hand down, catching them before they slid off.

Cal examined them before holding them up. “And you’re just giving these to me? No price?”

Jack shook his head. “I was under contract to Shen to collect these. Consider it Shen’s final gift.”

Cal bore that same hint of a smirk again. “There must not be anything valuable on them.”

“Have you always been this skeptical?” Jack asked.

“Ever since I could walk. That was probably about the time Sol Corps had a Waymaker destroy my parents’ colony for not meeting quotas.” It was a common story, perhaps the most common.

“I had my tech take a look at both drives,” Jack said. “There’s plenty of stuff on there, but nothing a space junker like me could use or even sell. On the other hand, I figure you might find something of value in there.”

Cal pocketed the drives. “We’ll see.”

“Now, how about you tell me about these bugs and how we’re going to get this virus into the Waymakers,” Jack said.

“Well, that’s going to be a quick conversation, as there’s not a lot on either topic.” Cal motioned to Roberta. “We have the system’s leading expert on Antion with us, so how about you tell Jack what you know.”

She shrugged. “I didn’t exactly talk to them. They just sent a couple of communications and then dropped off the virus with instructions. There really wasn’t any opportunity to get to know them.”

“Do you think we can trust them?” Jack asked.

“They’re bugs,” she replied bluntly. “How would I know if you could trust them? Their expressions are a little hard to read, if you get what I’m saying. But I think we can trust them because we’re bioforms, and they seem to be the sworn enemy of technoforms.”

“That’s the terms they used to differentiate between natural, biological life and technical life. At least that’s what we’ve concluded,” Cal clarified.

Jack didn’t say that he was already familiar with those terms. The less he looked like he knew, the more information he could learn. His brow furrowed. “So you’re telling me these bugs are Luddites?”

Roberta considered the question, then shrugged again. “Yeah, I guess you can say that.”

Jack rapped his fingers on the table as he thought. “But if they’re anti-technology, how were they able to create this virus? How were they able to send communications to you? How were they able to even deliver the virus? All of that takes technology, and I’m talking technology more advanced than we’ve got.”

“Good questions. That’s where things get complicated. They seem okay with a certain level of technology,” Cal said. “Viruses can be made with minimal tech. If they’re a highly advanced biological species—and that’s our operating theory, since they seem to be part of a hive mind that had no trouble communicating in our language—then they may have created a computer virus using biology rather than technology.”

“As for how they travel…” Roberta pulled out a tablet and set it on the table. “Watch this.”

The video feed was from a stationary camera in a light-colored room—Truermore Station, Jack suspected. There were two people there—Roberta and a man—who were reading something on a computer screen.

A section of the video feed wavered—no, it was the air that wavered—and a swarm of bugs materialized out of nothing. He watched as they set a cube on the table. When the video ended, he rewound and watched their entry in slow motion. The swarm really seemed to materialize out of thin air. He stopped the feed on a bug and zoomed in. It was slightly transparent—that feature reminded him of the Glimmers—except these bugs didn’t have any of the light effects the jellyfish had. The bug couldn’t have been longer than a centimeter long and resembled a beetle with wings that moved so fast they were only a blur on the still image.

“Bugs,” Jack said and slid the tablet back to Roberta.

“We’ve been brainstorming ideas on how they could’ve just appeared without breaching the station’s hull, and we’ve come up with only two options, and only one of those makes sense,” Cal said. “The first is teleportation, but that requires advanced technology, if it’s even possible. That leaves the second… we think they travel via black matter.”

Jack’s brows shot upward. “Black matter?”

Roberta answered. “Mager—my coworker—ran a full systems check the day the Antion came to make sure they didn’t leave behind any viruses or bacteria that could cause problems. The thing is, there was absolutely no sign they’d ever been there. No residue, germs, nothing. So he went deeper—we’re astrophysics technicians after all—and he found an increase of black matter molecules. I’m talking about an enormous increase. We talked—well, messaged, actually—and we think the Antion live on another temporal plane. Basically, we think they live in the black matter.”

Jack held up a finger. “First of all, I didn’t even know black matter could be tracked.”

“It can. It’s just a matter of—”

“I don’t care,” he cut her off. “Second of all, black matter’s everywhere, so are you saying these bugs could be in this room with us right now?”

She grinned and nodded. “Yes! They could be sharing the same space as us right now and yet be on an entirely different temporal plane.”

He shrugged. “So then, if they’re in a parallel universe-like place—”

“No, they’re not in a parallel universe. That’s something entirely different. I’m talking about them being in a different temporal plane. Imagine this is our plane.” She held up her left hand. “And this is their plane.” She held up her other hand. “We’re in the same universe, just operating in different dimensions essentially.” She interlaced her fingers together.

Jack held up his hand to stop her. “Okay, fine, I get it. What I don’t get is why these bugs care about the Waymakers if the machines live on our plane and not on theirs.”

“We don’t know that. Maybe the Waymakers figured out how to leverage black matter. I mean, look at us, we can measure black matter. Give us another century or two, and we might even navigate it.”

“But our technology needs to advance enough to do that,” Cal said. “And that would answer the question of why the Antion are against advanced technology.”

“You think they want everything to stay in their own playing field?” Jack asked.

“Exactly,” Cal said.

Jack steepled his fingers. “It’s a wild theory, but it makes sense. Jenival reached them, which ties in with the theory. Maybe it wasn’t about frequencies, but more about temporalities.”

Roberta smiled. “Now you’re sounding like an astrophysicist.”

“I’m nowhere near one. I’ve just been around the system a time or two,” Jack said.

Cal’s damn little smirk appeared again.

“You have something to say, say it,” Jack said.

Cal held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’ve heard the same. I trust your… experience. That’s all.”

Jack eyed Cal for a moment before speaking. “So we have an interesting theory. Not that it does us any good. We should be focusing on what we can do, like shoving those virus stakes into someplace it counts. Tell me you’ve got a plan.”

“We had a plan,” Roberta said.

“We have a plan,” Cal corrected. “Modify a railgun to handle these virus stakes and shoot a Waymaker with it.”

Jack winced. “That sounds like a lousy plan.”

“Well, I had more details worked out than that, but that’s the gist of it,” Cal said. “I had two gunships with modified railguns sitting in Luna City’s docks, ready for the stakes.”

“But the Waymakers hit the docks and destroyed your ships,” Jack said.

Cal nodded.

Jack frowned. “Did the Waymakers hit the docks because they found out about the virus?”

Cal shook his head. “No. They hit the docks because an idiot on level one got the idea he could sneak out all his rich friends on a luxury passenger liner, even though the Waymakers said no passenger ships could launch from the docks. Up until that point, the Waymakers were being relatively easy on Luna City, allowing supply transports in and out of the docks.”

“If the Waymakers don’t know about the virus, then we still have a chance,” Jack said. “You have other gunships that can be modified?”

“Unfortunately, every single one of my gunships, even my own, was sitting in those docks when the Waymakers hit them. In fact, I lost every Vanguard ship this side of Mars in that airstrike.” Cal cocked his head. “Why do you think I’ve been spending all this time telling you about the virus and Antion?”

It was Jack’s turn to smirk. “Because you’re a nice guy?”

“Because you have a gunship, and I know you’re not going to freeze and do something stupid in the middle of a fight.”

“There’s a problem.” Jack pointed at the virus stakes. “Those are way too big for my railgun. There’s no way to modify it enough to fit those.” He paused as an idea struck him. “I don’t need a railgun. Besides, railguns just set off their warning systems. I just need to get close enough to launch a drone.”

Cal’s brow rose. “Oh?”

Jack smiled. “I’m a space junker, remember?”

* * *

Two hours later, Roberta removed a stake from the box and pushed the box over to Jack.

“You’re giving me just two stakes?” Jack asked.

“These three are all there are,” Roberta said. “We can’t risk having all of them on one ship. You get one and one for backup.”

Jack frowned. “I understand.”

“Now, be careful with those stakes,” she said. “We don’t know exactly how that virus functions yet. For all we know, it eats any code whatsoever, so if it touches any systems on your ship, worst-case scenario, it goes into a full catastrophic failure.”

“That’s a pleasant thought,” Jack said drily as he wondered what it would do to him and his crew as well. “Trust me, I’ll be careful.”

He pulled the box closer, not touching the stakes. “All I have to do is shove this into a Waymaker, anywhere in a Waymaker, and it’ll be infected.”

“That’s our interpretation of the instructions, yes,” Roberta said.

“And once it’s infected, it’ll infect any other Waymakers on its local network, which we’re assuming to be this solar system,” Jack said.

“Yes, hopefully,” Roberta said.

“How fast will the virus knock them offline?” Jack asked.

Roberta shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Jack scowled. “What if it takes a month for the virus to overtake them? During that time, we’ll have some very pissed off AI machines flying around the system, killing people and possibly infecting our systems.”

“It’s a possibility,” she said.

“But unlikely,” Cal added.

“I’ll keep my railgun ready, just in case,” Jack said.

“Just be careful not to destroy the Waymaker you infect. As Patient Zero, it needs time to spread the virus,” Cal said.

Jack grimaced. “This is not going to be easy.”

“It’s going to be a lot easier than going after the Glimmers,” Cal said.

Jack cocked his head. “The Glimmers might not even stick around once we take out the Waymakers for them. They might leave us be for doing their job for them.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. One problem at a time. We deal with the Waymakers, then we figure out the Glimmers,” Cal said.

“We.” Jack chuckled. “You make it sound like we’re all in this together when it’s my ship and crew being put on the line to infect the Waymakers.”

“And you can’t do it without those virus spikes,” Roberta said. “I lost my best friend because of this virus, so Cal is correct. We are in this together.”

CHAPTER 44

Woven City

Jack piloted Cabrón slowly and carefully into the docks of the largest space station between Mars and the inner asteroid belt. There were not one but two Waymakers perched on the station. There were other ships entering and leaving the docks—all were either supply transports or Cabrón’s size or smaller. Evidently, the Waymakers had decided that their human shields required supplies. As to why the Waymakers didn’t attack the small ships, Jack could only assume the machines didn’t think they were worth the hassle.

Cabrón had changed so much since Jack met with the first Waymaker that he guessed its brethren didn’t recognize or care about it. As long as they left it alone, that was all Jack was concerned about.

When the Waymakers showed no sign of moving out of standby mode, Jack angled the ship into the commercial concourse and into the docks with bright signs that read GalacTek Waste Systems. The signs hadn’t changed since Jack and the crew had worked there two and a half decades earlier. In fact, nothing had changed. There were no updates or renovations. Even the dock didn’t look like it’d been painted since then.

He locked down the ship. “Kana, the ship’s yours. If we’re not back in an hour, I’ll check in.”

“Gotcha. I’ll be monitoring comms and keeping an eye on the twins outside,” she said.

He made sure his gun was fully charged before he fastened his holster and made his way to the airlock where Heddi and Veda stood. Both were armed.

Jack eyed Veda. “I said you’re staying behind. I want to be as least intimidating as possible.”

Veda frowned. “I know you said that, but I still think I should go. Woven City isn’t exactly a safe place. You should have extra backup with you.”

“Woven City is perfectly safe. I’m just going to see Jaeden and then coming right back,” Jack said.

“There’s a lot of walking between his office and here,” Veda said.

“Heddi and I will keep an eye out for trouble.” Jack glanced at Heddi.

She patted her holster as she looked at Veda. “If I don’t like someone, I shoot them. Just like you taught me.”

Veda nodded. “Damn straight you do.”

“Keep an eye on the ship. Don’t let Burn start any projects,” Jack said and then entered the airlock with Heddi and then into the airbridge connecting the ship to the pressurized station.

“Veda looks antsy,” she said.

“That’s because it’s been a long time since he’s killed someone, and Woven City always provided him an opportunity to let off some steam,” Jack said.

“You’d think destroying Waymakers with that loud railgun of his would’ve been enough,” she said.

“Nah. Not up close and personal enough for him.”

Veda was haunted by demons. Really, all four of Cabrón’s original crew were haunted by demons. Living too many years threatened to fade the humanity from their souls. Burn and Veda were the most similar—both coped by getting close to people. That was where their similarity ended. Where Burn used sex to feel human, Veda killed as if he could claim the humanity of his victims. Kana lost herself in games, escaping to a different reality. While Jack went through the motions of acting like other people, he knew deep down he’d already lost to his demons centuries ago. He no longer considered himself human—not really, anyway. His nanites had killed off any remnants he’d had.

“You okay?” Heddi asked as they entered the large hallway that ran along the dock.

“Yeah, fine.” He paused at a screen on the wall to make sure GalacTek’s corporate office was still at the same location.

“I remember the first time I was here. Nalla brought me shopping for the first time in my life. I felt like a princess.” Heddi’s smile faded. “I miss her.”

“I do too.”

She chuckled. “Remember how bad I spoke back then? She really cleaned me up.”

“You were a smelly little sewer rat,” he said.

“Hey. I didn’t stink that bad.”

“You were wearing clothes that looked like you’d worn for two years straight without taking off to wash.”

She cocked her head. “I think I’d worn them for three years straight, actually. Wow, I bet I really stunk. I’d never noticed because everyone in Pallas Six smelled the same.”

“Yep. Every mining camp smells the same.” He motioned to the stairway in the distance.

“But the elevator’s right there.” She pointed across from them.

“I’ve never been a fan of elevators.”

“Weirdo,” she jested.

They walked a little further and took the stairs up two levels to the corporate level. Offices lined the walls on both sides. The last time Jack had passed through Woven City, there were as many empty offices as there were offices in use. It was good to see every office occupied on this trip. Humanity had a way of snapping back after tragedy.

They continued until they came to an office that said GalacTek Waste Systems, Inc. on the window. He opened the door and stepped inside. An electronic door chime sounded twice as the pair entered. The assistant’s desk was empty, and it looked like it’d been empty for quite some time.

Jack glanced at Heddi. “Relax. Try to look nonchalant.”

“I am looking nonchalant.”

He frowned. “I swear you learned your social skills from Veda.”

“I did learn my social skills from Veda. Plus, I’ve got his nanites in my blood. He’s the closest thing I’ve got to a biological father.”

“God help us all,” Jack said drily and sobered when a man emerged from the hallway.

Jack remembered Jaeden Crete as a younger man, as young as Heddi looked, but that had been a long time ago. The young man was old now. The years hadn’t been good to him. Barely sixty, he looked like every year had been a battle. Shadows haunted his features. What had been a promising young man hoping to take his parents’ company to new heights was now a burned-out businessman who looked as though any passion had long since blown away like wisps of smoke in the wind.

Jaeden frowned. “Captain Jack Hale? How’s this possible? You haven’t aged a day.”

“Good genes, along with some facial touchups here and there,” Jack answered.

Jaeden chortled. “I never took you for the vain type.”

“We all have our weaknesses.”

Jaeden eyed Heddi. “But with a woman like that, I can see why you’d get some touchups.”

Jack smiled at Heddi before motioning to Jaeden. “This is Heddi. Heddi, this is my prior employer, Jaeden Crete. The fairest boss I ever worked for.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Heddi.” Jaeden embraced her and kissed each of her cheeks.

Jack didn’t mention that Heddi was his crew member rather than his lover. He found it far easier to let people think whatever they wanted rather than trying to convince them otherwise.

Jack changed the subject. “You have a few minutes?”

“Sure. Let’s go to my office. I know you well enough to know you don’t stop by just to catch up.”

Jack and Heddi followed him to an office that hadn’t changed in the entire time Jack had known Jaeden. The furniture looked more worn, and the chair had a permanent dip in it—it creaked when Jaeden sat down.

“I’ve seen GalacTek’s garbage drones around. Business must be doing okay,” Jack said as he took a seat. Heddi took the seat next to him.

“It’s doing okay. Waymaker traffic had crushed profits in the Earth sector. Speaking of that sector, you hear about Luna City?”

“I heard the Waymakers hit the docks there,” Jack said.

“All because a passenger cruise ship tried to take off fully loaded with rich snobs trying to get to Earth.” He paused. “My parents and brother were on that ship. I’m the last Crete still alive. My other brother and sister had died during the star snake takeover.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. I say good riddance to them. They always treated me like shit. A bit ironic that I’m the one left to inherit the family fortune and name.”

“Then I suppose congratulations are in order.”

Jaeden smiled to himself. “It’ll help. Especially since last year, Spacecology snagged the Jupiter sector and that put a dent in my profits. But I doubt you’re here to talk about GalacTek’s balance statement, and I’m guessing you’re not here to ask for your job back… although I am short-staffed, so I’d bring you back in if you were.”

Jack gave a small smile. “Not exactly.”

Jaeden raised his brows.

“I wonder if you happen to have an extra collection drone or two you could lend or rent,” Jack said.

Jaeden seemed surprised. “Why in the world would you have a use for collection drones?” He held up a hand. “Wait, don’t tell me. It’s probably illegal. I don’t want to know.”

Jaeden watched Jack for a moment. Then he reached to his left, opened a cabinet, and pulled out a bottle of what looked like vodka and a single glass. He filled the glass halfway, drank it, and put both the bottle and glass back into the cabinet. He hadn’t offered a drink to Jack, and Jack didn’t ask for one.

When Jaeden turned back at Jack, his eyes seemed wetter. It could’ve been from the strong alcohol, but there was a sadness there Jack hadn’t seen before.

“Remember the star snake invasion?” Jaeden asked.

“I’ll never forget,” Jack replied.

“Remember when you stopped through Woven City and checked in on me not long after that invasion started?”

Jack nodded. “I remember.”

Jaeden wagged a finger at Jack. “You… you changed me that day.”

Jack remained silent. As did Heddi next to him.

“You came to me when I was at my lowest point. I didn’t tell you, but I’d been thinking of killing myself. For at least a week, that was all I could think about. I was all alone and there was this monster creeping through the hallways. I’m not a brave soul. I work a desk job, not fly around the system like you. I’m not wired to handle star snakes. At least that’s what I’d told myself, and I believed it. A part of me still believes it; probably always will. But that day you came to check in on me… that was the day I decided would be the day. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had no one. My family never liked me. I never married. Work was everything. I was completely alone, and I couldn’t take it.

“And then you walked through the door, and suddenly I didn’t feel quite so alone anymore. It was a small thing, but it was enough for me to grab onto. The next day was bad, but not quite as bad as the one before. It took several more days before I felt like I could do something and several more after before I did do something. You know what I did?”

Jack gave him the smallest shake of his head.

“I used my drones to collect and deliver food, so people didn’t have to venture out and risk getting killed by a star snake. Thanks to you, I’m still alive, and I like to think that I helped others stay alive. So yes, Jack Hale, you can have as many garbage drones as you want, free of charge.”

CHAPTER 45

Kuiper Belt

Rin Green stretched when she stepped out from her bunk. She stopped in the galley to make a hot tea and then made her way to the bridge where James sat in her seat, his legs propped up on the panel. A soft snore echoed through the small compartment.

“James,” she said. The snoring continued. She took several steps closer and tapped his head. “James.”

He came awake with a start, flinging his feet to the floor. “Wha?” When he saw her, he settled. “Oh, what’re you doing up so early?”

“I’m not. It’s time for my shift, but it looks like you started your off-shift early,” she said.

“I wasn’t asleep. I was just resting my eyes.”

“Sure, you were.”

“I mean it. My eyes start to burn after I stare at a screen for too long.”

“Then you better tell your eyes that they snore.” She motioned for her seat, and he relinquished it to her.

She leaned back in the warm seat, taking a sip of tea. “Anything happen during my off-shift?”

He shook his head. “It’s been quiet as a dead ship out there. Nothing in the sector, let alone the entire quadrant.”

“Good.” She leaned forward to look at the scans displayed on her panel. She frowned and zoomed in, then zoomed in more.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She pointed. “Two blips flying in a tight tail chaser formation.”

“They’re a ways out there,” he said.

“But they’re already in this sector and their flight path passes by this asteroid awfully close for my comfort.”

“I wonder why they’re flying so close to rocks.”

“They’re flying close to rocks because that’s what pirates do,” she said.

He frowned. “How do you know they’re pirates?”

“The only pilots I know who do the tail chase formation are pirates.”

“Well… that sucks.”

She set down her mug. “You’d better wake Craig.”

Ten minutes, all three crew members were crammed onto Exterra’s bridge that was really just a cockpit with two jump seats behind the pilot’s seat. Everything was dark except for Rin’s panel.

“They’re still on track to skirt this rock,” she said. “Their flight path is definitely set up to pass near big rocks, but if they keep their current trajectory, it looks like they’ll pass by a hundred kilometers out.”

“Think they’ll see us?” Craig asked.

“Depends on if they’re looking and if light glints off us. It’s not like we have a tarp stowed away that we could go outside and cover up Ex,” she said. “Which reminds me, James, put a big-ass tarp on our shopping list.”

“What’s the timeframe of when they can see us?” Craig asked.

“Well, they could see us any time now if they were really looking. But I’m hoping they’re just biding their time lollygagging in the belt until they pick up a hapless transport on their scans.”

“I bet they’ve had slim pickings since the Waymakers scared traffic down to minimums,” James said.

She scowled. “That means these pirates are probably more desperate than usual. I’m giving it just another minute, and I’m going to do a full power-down. Both your helmets are charged?”

“Charged,” James and Craig said in turn.

“Good. Now, let’s hope they aren’t checking out the rocks. If they see us, there won’t be much we can do. The railgun’s on the belly, so it’s worthless unless we’re flying, and we’d be just as easy of a target for their grappling hooks lifting off this rock as we are sitting here. There’s no way we can find enough speed in time to make any kind of escape.” She checked the pirates’ flight path one more time. “All right. I’m doing a full power-down. No talking on helmet comms. We don’t know what kinds of sensors they have onboard.”

The bridge went completely dark. Rin couldn’t even see her fingers over her face as she slid on her helmet and clicked it into place. The asteroid on which Exterra was parked was oblong and jagged. She’d landed in the shadow of a large peak, but she wasn’t sure it’d be enough. She began second-guessing herself. Was the ship fully encased in shadow, or was an edge on full display to anyone looking in that direction?

She cracked her knuckles—it was hard to do wearing a spacesuit as the gloves were thick. She was impatient and nervous. She could visually see the pair of pirate ships now, or at least she could see the glow of their exhaust.

Her small crew of three didn’t stand a chance against one pirate crew, let alone two. Each of those ships was likely carrying over a dozen armed men. If Exterra was taken, Craig and James would be killed immediately. Rin would survive for a week or more. She shivered at the thought. No, she would kill herself if Exterra was taken. She would die on her own terms; she refused to die broken.

She feared what would happen to her and her crew, but she also worried about the disappointment she’d feel at letting down Kaito Jian and the Long Riders. She didn’t know Kaito well, but he carried himself much like Shen Jian had. Kaito was a natural leader, and she hoped she lived long enough to see him reach his full potential. But for all she knew, Glimmers had returned to Satsuma to finish the job.

The alien computer panel and virus stake were hidden in Exterra’s cargo hold. If they were taken, perhaps the pirates wouldn’t discover the compartment. Satsuma had a locator tag on Exterra. Rin had taken one from Kaito when she met with him, so the Long Riders would find Exterra in a matter of time.

Her suit’s HUD warned her that her heart rate was elevated, and she closed her eyes to take a series of five long, meditative breaths. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the glows on the pirate ships continuing along their flight path. The asteroid would now be behind them—they wouldn’t be able to see Exterra if they tried.

Relief blanketed her as the glow grew farther and farther away. Soon, this game of hiding like a mouse would be over, and she craved taking on the role of the cat. They would destroy the Waymakers, and if luck prevailed, the Glimmers as well, and then Rin and her crew could enjoy a nice long shore leave.

She smiled, thinking of lying in bed, wrapped in Burn Ransom’s arms. Yes, she very much looked forward to shore leave.

CHAPTER 46

Woven City

“You’re overcomplicating it. Let me show you.” Jaeden took the tablet from Burn’s hands and began scrolling through the drone’s command files. “Adding items to the junk library is easy. You just need a picture, and it’ll pull the details from GalacTek’s library.”

“You’re telling me you’ve got a Waymaker in that library of yours?”

Jaeden frowned. “Well, no. But I can upload one fast enough.” He switched apps on the tablet, and within seconds had found and uploaded an image of a Waymaker probe into GalacTek’s library.

“You’re quick with that,” Burn said.

“That’s because I’ve been working with these systems my whole life.” Jaeden paused. “Wait, will the Waymakers know I added them into the database of identifiable garbage?”

“They will if they scan your database, but what’re the odds of them doing that?” Jack said from where he leaned casually against Cabrón’s hull inside the cargo hold.

“If they do scan, just tell them someone must’ve done it as a joke,” Burn said.

“I’ve never talked to a Waymaker before. Have you?” Jaeden asked.

“Uh, no,” Burn replied.

Jaeden’s face grew a shade paler. “Would a Waymaker really ask me about that?”

“No,” Jack replied, pushing off from the wall. “Waymakers don’t talk to humans, and they don’t have a sense of humor. And if this operation goes as planned, you won’t have to worry about them for much longer.”

Jaeden stared blankly, then slowly gave a single nod. “Oh, okay, then.” He paused. “You’re putting a bomb in my drone, aren’t you? You’re going to use it to get close to a Waymaker and then blow it up.”

Jack shook his head. “No. In fact, I plan on returning your drones back to you just like how they look now.”

Jaeden seemed to consider Jack’s words for a bit, then he returned his focus to the tablet. “All right, both drones are set up to recognize Waymakers as junk. How do you want the drones to respond when they find one? They could try to collect it—which I’m guessing would be a little bit funny. Or they could transmit the location to its log. Those are the two default actions to choose from, but we can also program a custom action if you want.”

Jack looked at the pair of collection drones sitting on the floor. “Can you program them to fly straight into a Waymaker?”

Jaeden’s features scrunched. “Why would they—never mind. Yeah, I can do that. What speed do you need them to ram a Waymaker?”

“Just their normal collection speed. I don’t want to draw a Waymaker’s attention, so we need to have the drone act as normal as possible until the very last moment,” Jack answered.

“If that’s the case, I’ll assign its default auto action to ram, but I’ll also make sure it has an instant manual transfer so you can manually fly them in if you want.”

“Perfect.” Jack clasped Jaeden’s shoulder. “I owe you.”

Jaeden smiled. “We’ll call it even.”

Jack returned the smile and left the pair to program the drones. He found the rest of the crew on the bridge. Veda and Heddi were looking over Kana’s shoulder.

When they noticed Jack enter, Veda said, “The two Waymakers outside are ripe targets. I say we sic the drones on them without leaving the dock. They won’t even know who launched them.”

“Two problems with that.” Jack held up two fingers. “There are two Waymakers outside, not one.”

“If the virus works fast, the second won’t be an issue,” Veda said.

“We don’t know how fast the virus works. It could work in seconds, or it could take months. If it’s like most viruses, it needs time to spread. This virus is untested, and we’re using untested drones. If anything went wrong, the Waymakers are going to know that someone within Woven City launched those drones, and what do you think will happen to the people in Woven City?”

Veda winced slightly. “They’ll have a very bad day.”

“You’re right. The Waymakers will not hesitate before firing on the station. I don’t want to be responsible for the death of everyone in Woven City.”

“I don’t either,” Kana said.

“There are hundreds of Waymakers in the system. There’s got to be a place where there’s only one and there aren’t many people,” Heddi said.

“Waymakers find places where there are groups of people. There’s no place we’ll find one without people,” Veda said.

Heddi scowled. “I know.”

“How about Ceres Station?” Kana asked.

“There’s people there too,” Veda said, then shrugged. “But most of them are low-lives, so it wouldn’t be much of a loss.”

“There are people there, but not like there used to be,” Kana said, ignoring Veda’s comment. “That station’s become a ghost town—as stations go, I mean—and we have a confirmed Waymaker perched on it. Plus, it’s not far from here. We could be there in under a week.”

Jack spoke. “Let’s plan on Ceres Station. Kana, see if you can’t verify that there’s one—and only one—Waymaker in that sector. If it looks good, we’ll head that way as soon as Burn and Jaeden are wrapped up with the drones.”

CHAPTER 47

Kuiper Belt, near Truermore Station

“We have a green light on all propulsion systems, Commander. We can achieve forty-eight percent propulsion safely, and I should be able to double that number in another day.”

Kaito clapped his hands together. “Great work. We’ll be heading out within the hour, so figure that into your numbers.” He grinned at Wong as he switched the intercom to the bridge. “Bridge crew, we have a green light on propulsion. Begin running pre-flight checks. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Wong set down his tablet that displayed all the repairs still underway on Satsuma. “Forty-eight percent puts us slower than most short-distance haulers.”

“But it’s better than zero percent. We can get out of this sector finally,” Kaito said. “I know it’s a good sign that more Glimmers haven’t shown up and that they probably assume their job was done here, but I’ll still feel a lot better not being a sitting duck just in case they decide to double-check.”

“I agree that we need to move. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up. Satsuma isn’t ready for anything other than a slow limp. We still have twenty-three distinct hull breaches to seal, not to mention over four hundred high-priority engineering repairs needed on our systems. That doesn’t include the six thousand-plus medium- and lower-priority repairs needed. The Glimmers likely haven’t bothered sending more here to finish the job they started because they know Satsuma isn’t up to any fight. I think we should call in favors owed to Shen Jian.”

“Which favors?” Kaito asked.

“Shen kept a ledger of those still in his debt. He stored that ledger on his armlet, so it’s gone like he is, but I know Shen helped the Ronin during the Teutoburg Operation. The Ronin owe the Long Riders.”

“But I don’t know any of the Ronin,” Kaito said.

“I do. With your permission, I’ll make a call.”

Kaito stood. “Please. I think we’ll need all the help we can get. Now, I’d better get to the bridge. Call whomever you think can help us. I’ll call Cal Cormac to let him know we’re back in the game. Oh, and ping the Exterra. As soon as I have a flight path set, we’ll send Captain Rin rendezvous coordinates.”

Wong stood. “I’ll make the call right away.”

Kaito left his quarters, and Wong reclaimed his seat.

Over the past three weeks, Wong had been continually surprised by Kaito’s energy. The young man never gave up. It was perhaps his best trait, as his energy had been rubbing off on the crew. Wong had worried that the crew wouldn’t accept Kaito as their new commander, but they’d surprised him. Kaito had spent his life aboard Satsuma and had made friends with crew members on all decks and in all jobs. Wong didn’t mind that Kaito lacked experience because the man wasn’t afraid to ask for help. Wong was beginning to think Kaito Jian would be the best leader the Long Riders would ever have, and that was saying something, given his predecessor.

Wong returned his focus to the task at hand. He scrolled through contacts on his tablet. Many of them were dead, he realized with some sadness, and many more didn’t have the resources to be of any help to Satsuma in ending the alien threats in the Sol system.

When he came to the name of one who could help, he placed the communication request. She answered two minutes later, and the video displayed the face of an attractive woman with short hair.

“Pixie,” Wong announced. “Do you remember me?”

“Even if I didn’t, Wong, your name and credentials showed up with your call. I heard about what happened to Shen Jian. That’s too bad. He was a good leader for the Long Riders. What’s going to happen to the faction now?”

“The Long Riders will continue. The faction’s stronger than any one man. Shen Jian’s nephew, Kaito, has assumed command of the Satsuma and the faction,” he said.

“Ah, so Satsuma still flies. I’d heard different.”

“She flies,” he said. “But the Long Rider fleet has been reduced by back-to-back attacks by Waymakers and Glimmers. We intend to deliver payback, and we need a full fleet to do so.”

Her lips pursed into humor. “The Long Riders handle business in the outer belt, and the Ronin handle business in the inner belt. It’s not my job to help you clean up the mess out there.”

“You swore to Shen Jian that you’d help should he ever ask for it.”

“I did. I swore to Shen Jian, but he’s dead now, isn’t he? I owe nothing to Kaito.”

He was afraid she’d say that.

“You swore an oath to the leader of the Long Riders, and Kaito’s the leader,” Wong said.

She wagged a finger at him. “Good try, but I heard about what the Waymakers and Glimmers did to that fleet of yours. I don’t want to see my people suffer the same fate. We’re going to stay nice and quietly tucked out of those monsters’ way until they decide to move on. Sorry I can’t help, Wong.”

“You won’t help, not can’t help,” Wong clarified.

She shrugged. “Same difference. Either way, the Ronin are not going to die for Shen Jian’s altruistic but naïve plan to go to war against things a lot more dangerous than us.”

She disconnected the message, and Wong stared at the blank screen for a length. He wasn’t surprised; he’d expected that response, but it still worried him. Pixie was certainly being far more rational than Kaito and Wong. The Long Rider fleet was no more, yet they were still carrying on a war against the Waymakers and Glimmers. Kaito had optimism and vigor, and Wong found it inspiring, but the odds were sorely stacked against them. Ships allegiant to the Long Riders could be counted on one hand, and they had no update from Cal Cormac since the Luna City attack. For all they knew, they had a single remaining virus stake and two enemies.

He hoped their foolishness wouldn’t be the end of them.

CHAPTER 48

Ceres Station

When Cabrón closed within one thousand kilometers between it and Ceres Station, Jack tapped the intercom. “We’re at the one-k mark and beginning our deceleration. Get freshened up, get your suits on, and be ready. The fun will start in about four hours, sooner if the Waymaker doesn’t like us in its personal space.”

The flight from Woven City had, fortunately, been uneventful. Jack’s anxiety had been growing steadily since Luna City. Cabrón would’ve been sighted by Waymakers there and then at Woven City, and while small ships could continue to fly through the system, there weren’t many still doing it.

He stood. “Kana, I’m going to get ready. You have the bridge.”

“I got it,” Kana replied.

He headed to his bunk, took a ten-minute break to meditate, and then donned his spacesuit sans helmet, which he clasped onto his belt. He also strapped on his holster and knife sheath, neither of which would be of any use against a Waymaker, but they made him feel better prepared.

After that, he checked on the cargo hold. Burn, Heddi, and Veda were back there. Heddi was already wearing her spacesuit with the helmet set off to the side while the two men were still in their regular clothes, kneeling by the drones. Each drone bore the GalacTek Waste Systems logo, which Jack considered removing to protect Jaeden but realized that the Waymakers would see the company name through a simple check of each drone’s identification number.

Burn glanced up as his captain entered. “Just making sure these things are fully charged.”

“And locked and loaded,” Veda said.

Both were wearing gloves as they handled the drones. Unsurprising, given the proximity to the virus stakes fastened into the back side of each drone.

“How’re things looking?” Jack asked.

“Good,” Burn replied. “We’re as ready as we’re going to be. We’ll launch these guys,” he pointed to the drones, “which are programmed to bob around like these little fellas are known to do, looking for garbage. This first little guy is playing offense. When it reaches twenty meters of its target, it’ll spin around and ram head-first—er, I mean butt-first—into the Waymaker. Our little unicorn machines here will skewer the Waymaker.”

“And you double-checked that they can travel as fast in reverse as they can in forward?” Jack asked.

Burn nodded. “I did, and Jaeden confirmed it. These drones aren’t really designed to have any front, or top for that matter. They can travel in any direction just as easily. The logo just makes them seem like they have a front and top. The Waymaker shouldn’t see the stake until the drone spins around, and by then it’ll be too late.”

“And if the first drone fails for some reason, the second drone will be out there on manual control to ram the Waymaker when it’s distracted,” Veda said.

“And I’ll be operating number two since I have the most experience operating drones,” Burn said.

“And the rest of us will be sitting back, eating popcorn and enjoying the show,” Heddi said.

“It sounds like a simple plan,” Jack said. “But there’s still a lot of variables at play.”

“That’s why I’ll be on the railgun,” Veda said.

“And I’ll be back here with Burn, ready to take over manual control of drone one if I have to,” Heddi said.

Jack rubbed his hands together. “All right. I’m heading to the bridge. I’ll share my screen on all the ship’s screens so you can see as soon as I see the Waymaker and its location on Ceres Station. Good luck.”

Veda sneered. “It’s going to feel good to finally get payback for the Aria’s crew.”

“Yes, it is.” Jack returned to the bridge. “Kana, how’s things looking up here?”

“All good. We don’t have a visual yet, but the scans show a Waymaker blip overlaying Ceres Station. Based on the blip’s location, it’s near the southern docks.”

“All right. I’ll cover things while you get your suit on,” he said.

She stood tensely, then took a deep breath. “This is really going to happen.”

“Yeah, it’s really going to happen,” he said.

She smiled and then hustled off the bridge.

The energy was palpable among the crew. While Jack had allied with a Waymaker in the past, he also still bore hatred for the race and for its cruelty. A Waymaker had purged Aria, the name Cabrón had first borne, killing forty of the original crew. Jack, Burn, Kana, Veda, and a few others had survived because of a lucky fluke. Waymakers had tried to destroy Cabrón for leaving the system. Ironic that the AI machines thought interstellar travel was too dangerous when they had been the crew’s greatest threat outside their home system. He admitted it felt good every time Veda shot one.

By the time Kana returned, her helmet tucked under her arms, the Waymaker on Ceres Station was visible on scans. It was easy to make out: every Waymaker was an exact replica. Jack displayed the view of Ceres Station across the ship’s screens so the crew could also see.

As they closed the distance, Jack wondered if the virus would work, and if it did work, what it would do to the Waymakers. Would the virus simply knock the machines offline, or was Jack about to commit genocide? Jack was surprised to find that he wasn’t bothered by the latter thought. He speculated whether a regular human would be bothered by the concept, and he supposed they would be.

Jack took over manual controls as they approached Ceres Station. “Veda, I need you at the railgun.”

Veda arrived a few seconds later in his suit. “The drones are ready. Burn’s cracking open the cargo hold to send them out as soon as you give the word.”

“It won’t be much longer,” Jack said.

Like the scans showed, the Waymaker was attached to the station exterior just above the southern dock entrance.

“Kana, keep a close eye on our friend outside. Any hint of movement, let me know.”

“I will.”

He pointed. “I’m taking us toward the northern docks. We can launch the drones from there. With the shape of the station, it shouldn’t be able to see us launch.”

“Unless it’s tapped into the station’s cameras, which it probably has,” she said.

Jack scrutinized his screen. “I can’t see any cameras. Can you find them?”

Kana leaned closer. “No, but the dock control would definitely have a camera installed right at the entrance to have a good view of incoming and outgoing traffic.”

“All right, we’ll drop the drones just beyond the entrance then.”

He relayed his plan over the intercom, left the intercom turned on, and maneuvered toward the north side of the station.

“The railgun’s live and ready, but the cover’s still on. I don’t want to spook the metal porcupine,” Veda said.

“The Waymaker looks like it’s in standby mode, like the other leeches were. Just a few lights on and as still as the void,” Kana said.

“Good. Let’s hope it stays that way,” Jack said.

Several minutes passed as Jack kept Cabrón’s entry as bland as possible to not set off any alerts in the AI’s system. He set the ship on final lineup into the northern docks and then made it look like a missed approach, peeling off to the left. “Launch the drones,” he ordered over the intercom.

Several seconds later, Jack saw two garbage drones tumble through the black sky, righting themselves as their automated controls took over.

“Drones are out. I’ll take control of number two once they lock onto their target,” Burn said over the intercom. His voice was loud and clear, like it always was when spoken directly through his helmet.

The drones began their garbage routine, zigzagging around as though searching for debris. They could’ve spent hours doing that, except that Jaeden programmed them to seek garbage greater than ten meters in size. That set their paths to cover distance more quickly as they discounted any small objects.

“The Waymaker’s still in standby,” Kana said. “And the drones are about a quarter of the way across the station now.”

Jack flew Cabrón in a wide arc to do another false lineup for docking. Meanwhile, the drones continued their meandering paths a few meters above the station toward their target. The ship had reached short final when the Waymaker’s lights blinked on.

“Uh oh. Looks like it’s coming awake,” Kana said.

Jack pulled up and off the docking approach path to maintain plenty of space for maneuvering.

“I think the Waymaker’s trying to override the drones’ programming. We’re putting both into manual control,” Burn said.

By now, the drones were roughly two-thirds of the way across the station. Jack had expected them to get much closer before being noticed.

His jaw tightened. “Send them straight in.”

The drones changed from a meandering path to a direct path toward the Waymaker. The AI machine remained on the station, but a rod emerged from its body. Holes lined one curved side of the rod.

Jack narrowed his eyes. “That’s not its photon gun.”

“What is it?” Kana asked.

“Just give the word, and I’ll open up the railgun,” Veda said.

A second later, the rod flashed incredibly bright and the lights along the edge of the station and the two drones went dark.

Jack’s jaw loosened. “What just happened?”

“We just lost control of the drones. They’re dead,” Burn reported.

“I think it shot a directional EMP,” Kana said. “I didn’t know they had EMPs.”

Jack’s jaw clamped shut, then he said, “Veda, cripple that Waymaker.”

“On it,” Veda said. “I can’t target until the cover’s open. Just takes a second or—there, it’s open. Targeting now.”

“Don’t destroy it. This isn’t over,” Jack said.

“I know. Just keep it steady for me,” Veda countered. He fired a quick burst. The Waymaker was knocked off the station and toppled before righting itself and coming at the ship, its photon gun emerging from its casing.

“Veda,” Jack cautioned.

“I see it.” Veda fired again, hitting the Waymaker and causing its return fire to glance off the ship’s hull. But at such short-range, the electrical surge lit up several warnings on Jack’s screen. Veda fired two longer bursts in quick succession. Sparks flew as a chunk of the machine broke off. It tried to aim, but its navigational controls seemed to be damaged, and its shot went wide.

Veda grinned. “Like shooting ducks in a barrel.”

The Waymaker fired again, this time at one of the dead garbage drones. The photon blast exploded the drone.

Jack froze. “Veda!”

Veda fired again, taking off another chunk of the Waymaker that included the photon gun. He leaned back. “There you go. A crippled Waymaker at your disposal.”

Jack exhaled.

Jack watched the machine jerk erratically outside for a long moment. When the machine didn’t fly or shoot at the second drone, Jack unbuckled from his seat and stood, grabbing his helmet. “Kana, the ship’s yours. Veda, make sure that thing’s not going anywhere.”

“Where are you going?” she asked in a rush.

“We need to get that last virus stake into that thing out there.” He didn’t wait for either to argue.

“We can go out and get the stake, Jack,” Burn said as Jack entered the airlock.

Jack couldn’t meet with Burn and Heddi in the cargo hold without depressurizing the rest of the ship, so he spoke via his helmet’s intercom as soon as the inner airlock door closed. “No. I can get to that drone the fastest.” Burn was the weakest of the crew in zero-G, Heddi was good, Veda was better, but Jack was the best, and while that Waymaker was disabled, it wasn’t fully down. There was no way Jack wanted any of his crew that close to a dangerous Waymaker. “Burn, I need you here to reclaim control of the drone once I reboot it. You use it to cover me while I shove a stake up that Waymaker’s ass.”

“Jack, I can help,” Heddi offered.

“Grab a rifle and find a good stable position on the hull. You can plink that Waymaker out there to help keep it distracted.” Jack considered something. “And Veda, don’t fire the railgun with me out there.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Veda said.

As soon as the airlock light turned green, he opened the outer door and pushed off. Using his suit’s propulsion system, Jack navigated toward the garbage drones while keeping a constant watch on the crippled Waymaker. It looked like a wreck of parts—Jack was surprised it was still functional, but it still had lights on and was trying its hardest to rotate.

Jack flew straight for the garbage drone, colliding with it harder than he’d liked, but he held onto it to keep it from tumbling away. He moved to the drone’s backside, took out a mini torch, and began cutting away the glue holding the stake onto the drone, all the while watching the Waymaker.

The AI machine continued the same movements, which reinforced Jack’s assumption that it was well and truly crippled. Even with that knowledge, he worked as quickly as he could to remove the stake. He disliked touching the stake, even wearing thick gloves. The idea behind the virus creeped Jack out. Would the virus infect him, and if it did, would it spread through the crew somehow? It was a horrifying thought.

The virus stake snapped free from the last bit of glue holding it in place. He carefully slid it into a pocket and then opened the garbage drone’s control panel. As a junker, he’d worked on garbage drones hundreds of times, so it took him only a few seconds to find the power button, which he held down for a ten-count before releasing. All mechanical objects had some EMP protections built in due to naturally occurring solar pulses that frequently bombarded everything in space. Garbage drones were no different. A minor electromagnetic pulse could knock them offline, but a simple reboot often brought them back online. This time, however, it didn’t.

He frowned. “The EMP was bigger than I thought. The drone is flat-out fried. I’m taking the stake to the Waymaker now. Be ready.”

“I’m on the outside hull and have a bead on it,” Heddi said.

While a rifle couldn’t damage a Waymaker, Jack hoped it’d be enough to split the machine’s obviously corrupted sensors. He was about to be the closest he’d ever been to one of those machines—every bit of confidence helped.

The Waymaker, missing several parts, was about the size of Cabrón. As Jack approached, he searched out an area that had the least number of rods and metal arms moving. There was no good spot—Waymakers were covered by gadgets, and Jack had sometimes wondered what each of those did, but now wasn’t one of those times, and he aimed for parts that seemed the least deadly.

When he was within ten meters, one of the machine’s arms cranked around at him but came to an abrupt stop against its bent gears. A small laser shot deflected a meter above that area as Heddi took her first pot shot.

The Waymaker continued to struggle with its stuttering limbs. As far as Jack knew, Waymakers weren’t self-healing, but he didn’t know they could fire micro-EMPs either. With one last burst of propulsion, he hit the Waymaker dead center. The second before he connected, he pulled out the virus stake and held it tight in his grip. With his left hand he reached out and grabbed onto a nonmoving rod—an antenna, he assumed—and steadied himself against the Waymaker. He wasn’t sure how much pressure it took for the stake to release the virus. So he pulled back the stake and then slammed it through a bullet hole into an exposed part of the machine’s infrastructure.

The stake cracked and melted. Jack yanked his hand back, checking to see if it was covered in fluid. It looked dry, and he watched the goo melt into the machine as if the Waymaker had an internal source of gravity pulling the virus inside.

“The virus has been released,” Jack said.

“Watch out, Jack,” Heddi said.

The corner of his eye caught a flash of light from her rifle. He’d been too focused on the virus that he hadn’t seen that one of the Waymaker’s arms had clicked back into place and was coming down at him. He pushed away from the Waymaker as the arm zoomed toward him. Then metal rounds tore through the arm, shrapnel flinging past Jack’s helmet.

Jack twisted around to see the ship, shocked. “Damn it, Veda. You could’ve shot me.”

“I didn’t,” Veda replied. “I told you I was the best with a rail—watch out!”

Jack had no time to spin around before a metal clamp snapped around his left leg. The sharp metal bit down, tearing through suit and muscle. Agony shot through Jack from the injury and the freezing, depressurized void creeping through the compromised suit.

“Don’t move, Jack. I’m targeting,” Veda said.

Jack spoke through clenched jaws. “Don’t—destroy—it… Virus—needs—time…”

Veda fired the railgun as Heddi fired her rifle. Neither came in contact with the arm.

“I can’t get close enough without risking hitting you. I’m on my way,” Veda said.

Jack first grabbed the mini torch, but the pain made him clumsy, and the torch slipped out of his hand. He struggled to grab it, but it tumbled out of his reach too soon. He then grabbed his knife and tried to pry himself free from the Waymaker’s clutch, but he kept slipping. Still, he tried and ignored the sharp pains when the blade slipped and he stabbed himself by accident.

The pain was incredible. The twisted, frozen metal had clamped down to his bone. The white pain in the center of his injuries was being blanketed by cold, but fresh pain arose as it felt like the surrounding blood and muscle was being boiled by the zero-pressure.

Heddi was flying out toward him. The airlock opened, and Veda came shooting at him like a torpedo, far outpacing the capability of any suit’s propulsion system. Veda must’ve kicked off from the inner door before the airlock was depressurized, using every bit of momentum at his disposal. Veda slammed into Jack with such force that Jack felt like his neck was nearly broken. Then Veda gripped Jack in a crushing embrace until the pair stabilized.

Veda had a larger torch with him—one of Burn’s—and began cutting at the joint of the metal arm. “Hang in there. Almost got you.”

Jack grunted in acknowledgment.

Veda glanced back at the Waymaker. Something he saw set fear into his features, and he hurried faster.

“What—is it?” Jack gritted out.

Veda didn’t answer.

Heddi was within a dozen meters of them when Veda waved her off. “Get back!”

“Why? I can help!” she said.

“It’s going to blow!”

As the words formed into a semblance of sense in Jack’s mind, he tried to shove Veda away. “Go.”

The metal arm clamped around Jack broke free, the sharp movement hitting him with a new wave of pain. Veda grabbed Jack’s arm, spinning Jack as Veda did a rapid three-sixty. Veda then threw Jack in Heddi’s direction.

Jack was sent flying away. As he flew, he saw the Waymaker behind him burst outward in a ball of flames and shrapnel.

Veda, back lit by a wall of fire, disappeared in the flames the split-second before Jack was hit with a blast and an underlying deathly coldness in his mind.

“Veda!” Kana cried out.

Jack was sent tumbling toward Cabrón. He reached for his suit’s controls and clumsily worked at initiating the suit’s auto-calibration, which leveled him out within a couple of seconds. His leg felt oddly heavy given the complete lack of gravity and his consciousness was ebbing, but he managed to turn toward where the Waymaker had been. Space had suffocated the fire, but a debris field remained. Nearby, Veda floated, his suit and helmet perforated.

No.

“Veda…” Jack called weakly.

Jack felt Heddi grab onto him, but he reached toward Veda. He no longer acknowledged the pain in his leg. It was the icy stab of pain in his head that still echoed, refusing to release him. He’d felt that pain before, when Nalla was killed, and Caber before that. He only felt that anguish when he lost one of his crew.

It was the worst pain fathomable.

CHAPTER 49

Inner Asteroid Belt

Cabrón had flown in silence for three days. The only sounds were the footsteps of Heddi’s incessant pacing, the electronic tones of the medipod, and Kana’s sobs. Burn kept to the cargo hold, tinkering away on anything and nothing as he tried not to feel. He often found himself wandering around the cargo hold in search of something to work on, but he was careful to avoid the very center of the hold where a body, enclosed in a silver crematorium bag, lay on two crates pulled together.

“Burn?”

He was slow to look up. Heddi looked as exhausted as he felt, but where his exhaustion was a somber, quiet thing, hers was a frantic beast.

“I just checked on Jack. The pod just cut the anesthesia feed,” she said.

“That means he’ll be awake soon. Within the hour,” he said.

Heddi remained standing there, her hands in her pockets.

“Is that all?” he asked.

She turned to leave, even took a couple of steps, and then turned back to face him. “I saw the lights blinking.”

He frowned. “What lights?”

“On the Waymaker. I saw this odd row of lights across its center. The row shrunk by a light every second or so. I didn’t know what it was at the time. I mean, it looked like a countdown of some sort, but it didn’t even click that it could be a self-destruct countdown.”

He shrugged. “How would you know? It’s not like you’ve been around things that self-destruct.”

“Would you have known?” she asked.

He considered her question. Yes, he’d seen those kinds of timers before. “No.”

She eyed the floor as if there was something crawling across it, but it was clean. “I keep wondering what I could’ve done different. I mean, V”—she winced as if saying the name would bring pain—“Veda got out there so fast. I should’ve got out there fast, like him. If both of us were working on getting Jack free…”

Burn had come to his feet. “Heddi, don’t go there. You won’t find resolution in the what-ifs. Only ghosts and regrets hang out there. Don’t beat yourself up over something you couldn’t have changed. You don’t think I wished I was out there instead of Veda? I’ve made that wish at least a hundred times over these past three days, but you know what? It doesn’t change a thing. Any of us would’ve changed positions with Veda if we could’ve, but that’s not how things played out. Veda’s gone.” He tapped his temple. “I feel the loss through our nanites. I’m sure you feel it too.”

She nodded sadly. “I don’t feel it. I wish I did. But I guess I just didn’t have enough of his nanites in me to feel him.”

It was better she didn’t feel it, because it was soul-wrenching to feel the sudden loss when someone was cut off from the network. “You’ve only had the nanites for what, ten, fifteen years? In the big picture, your nanites are still infants.”

“I wish I felt it.” She turned to face the hull. “Just more proof of how I’ll never really be a part of the crew.”

“You’re part of the crew, as much as any of us. Just because you haven’t been flying with the rest of us as long doesn’t mean a damn thing.”

Her glance told him she didn’t believe him.

He walked over to her and embraced her. She pushed away at first, but he held her, and soon she melted against him. He felt wetness against his chest and felt her body tremble. She clutched him to her. He thought he was out of tears, but his eyes proved him wrong as the physical contact brought forth another flare of emotions. They stood there for long minutes until Heddi eventually pulled away.

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “I should probably check on Jack.”

“Why don’t you take a break? I’ll check on him.”

She gave a small nod and an even smaller smile before walking away.

As the crew medic, looking after Jack was Burn’s responsibility, but there was another reason he didn’t want Heddi there. Jack had felt Veda’s death just like Burn and Kana had. Even with his injury, Jack had tried to get out of the ship to get to Veda, so Burn had to put his captain into an induced coma to keep him from injuring himself further.

Burn knew how Jack would come awake. Jack would wake with a quiet darkness in his eyes that could freeze a soul. Jack would cover it with a mask—the captain was remarkable at wearing masks, likely because he always wore one. But it would take time, and Heddi didn’t need to see the darkness that filled Jack Hale’s soul.

Burn wiped his hands on his pants, rubbed his face, and made his way to the small medical room. In the center was a medipod, a medical repair chamber that was the most valuable asset on the ship. It had saved the lives of every crew member, including Heddi.

Over the past few days, it had repaired Jack’s leg. Even with his nanites, an injury that bad could’ve—possibly—resulted in amputation, and even if it hadn’t, Jack’s leg would’ve taken months longer to heal without the medipod’s assistance.

Jack was still unconscious under the clear cover, naked except for a towel placed over his groin area. His leg was wrapped in a thick gel tube feeding his nanites all the resources they needed to rebuild cells and multiply. Even so, Jack’s leg was still mostly black from knee to thigh from exposure. Under the tube, where the deep laceration had been, was now fresh muscle and skin.

Burn turned to the monitor to his left and checked the numbers. He made some adjustments to the nutrient flow to increase the protein level.

When he turned back to the pod, he saw Jack’s features showing the earliest movements of waking. Burn opened the pod cover and the moist, medicine-laden air dissipated.

It took Jack nearly a full minute of breathing the fresh air before his eyes blinked open. It took another minute before the anesthesia wore off enough that his eyes focused. He looked around the room and then moved to sit up.

“Whoa. Not yet.” Burn pressed him back down.

Jack grunted and winced and reached for his left leg.

“It still has a long ways to heal,” Burn said.

Jack relaxed and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they bore the hollow, angry emptiness that Burn didn’t want Heddi to see.

“Veda,” Jack said.

“Killed instantly by the blast. There wasn’t anything we could do.”

Jack clenched his fists and hit the sides of the medipod. “Waymakers are still killing Aria’s crew.”

“But this time we got payback,” Burn said.

Jack glanced at him. “Did it work?”

Burn nodded. “It’s all over the news. Waymakers are blowing up throughout the system, from Mercury to the outer belt. None of us would’ve guessed a virus could cause a computer to self-destruct, but that must be how the Antion programmed it. Evidently, the bugs have a flair for the dramatic.”

“Good. Serves the bastards right.” Deep satisfaction layered calm over Jack’s features.

That was what Burn had been hoping to see. The darkness was still there, heavy and venomous, but retribution had tempered it. “The Waymakers are no longer a problem for anyone. I mean, when they blew up they caused damage to some stations, but that’s small stuff compared to getting rid of them. Hopefully, they’re smart enough to not send more to our system.”

“Hopefully the virus is wiping out all of them, everywhere,” Jack said.

Silence loomed so long that Burn took a seat.

Jack broke the silence with a quiet statement. “He knew it was going to self-destruct, and he stayed with me.”

Burn swallowed. “That sounds exactly like what he would do.”

“How’s Kana doing?” Jack asked.

“About how you’d expect her to be after losing the man she’d been married to for over two hundred and fifty years.” Then he added, “But she’s still functional. She flew us to the belt, and she’s monitoring the scans for trouble.”

“Good. Any word from Cal?”

“Kana’s shut down all comms to run the ship dark.”

“Smart.” Jack gingerly touched his leg and tried to adjust his position before settling back. “Any news on the Glimmers?”

“Well, you know how good they are at hiding,” Burn began. “But so far, from the ones the news can monitor, they’re still hanging out.”

Jack’s mouth pursed. “Then we kill them too.”

Another long silence filled the room.

Jack fidgeted and then sighed audibly. “If you’re not going to let me out of here, put me back to sleep.”

* * *

Three days later

Jack leaned on a cane. His leg had improved from black to gray, and the wound was no longer a concave, puckered injury but fresh, smooth skin. Even with the constant nutrients and calories fed to him via the medipod, he’d eaten six meals in the past three hours to replenish the energy his nanites had taken during healing. The extra days in the medipod helped with the pain—his leg itched as much as it hurt now, but the real reason he’d stayed in the pod was because he didn’t want to think. Unable to move, if he’d stayed awake all he could do was think.

After losing a crew member, that was the last thing Jack wanted to do.

He’d felt the loss the instant Veda was killed. He didn’t know how the nanites throughout every cell in his body worked, but there was clearly some kind of network that he and the crew had never been told about… a network they couldn’t access but could surely feel whenever a person was removed from it.

The Aria’s crew, once a crew of forty-eight intrepid explorers, was down to three along with a new stray picked up much later. All four of them now stood in the cargo hold, all in their hab-suits, as they stood around the burn bag holding the body of Veda Kocher.

The crew didn’t speak. There was something impersonal about speaking through helmet comms, and instead each said their farewells to the fallen crew member in silence. When finished, Burn opened the cargo hold door, depressurizing the space. Burn then cut gravity, and the body bag lifted from the crate. Heddi and Burn then each grabbed a side of the bag and directed it outside while Jack stood with Kana, his arm wrapped around her.

Heddi and Burn returned to join the other pair, and the four stood, watching the bag shimmer against the blackness. Inside the bag, a fire built so quickly and so hot that it instantly turned flesh and bone to ash, ending in a final eruption that engulfed the bag, leaving wisps of quickly smothered embers fluttering into the void.

“May you find peace in the void,” Jack said quietly.

“Until I can join you,” Kana added.

* * *

Three days later

Jack sat in the captain’s seat, his finger above the switch to activate Cabrón’s communication network.

“Not ready yet?” Kana asked.

Jack glanced her way. She was paler than usual and looked drained, like she hadn’t slept in a week, though he supposed it was closer to ten days for her.

“Still deciding,” he replied.

She forced a smile. “Veda would scold you for wasting time mourning him. He was never the touchy, feely type.”

Jack chortled. “No, he certainly was not.” He sobered. “But he was a good man.” A shot of humor flashed on his face. “He liked to kill people, but he was a good man.”

“He was the best,” she said. “And I want to clean out this system so I can carry out our dream of seeing the stars.”

Jack watched her for a moment. “You still want to travel beyond this system, even without him?”

She seemed confused by the question. “Of course.”

Jack continued watching her, then turned back to his panel and activated the communications network. Several expired communication requests displayed. He inhaled. “Looks like a lot of people wanted to talk to me. Cal Cormac, Kaito Shen, even Rin Green—that’s not the first time one of his lovers called me trying to track Burn down.”

“Who are you going to call first?” Kana asked.

“Cal. He has the virus stake.” Jack placed the call.

Cal Cormac accepted in under ten seconds. “Captain Hale, it’s good to hear from you. Thanks to you, there’s not a Waymaker left to terrorize the system.”

“Good,” Jack said. “Now tell me about the Glimmers.”

Cal seemed surprised but answered, “Nothing’s changed other than they seem to be more aggressive with any ships they come across. The good news is there can’t be more than a couple of dozen of them in the system, but they’re bigger and stronger than the Waymakers. They’re going to find the Satsuma and other ships soon enough.”

“Will the virus work on them?” Jack asked.

“We believe so, yes,” Cal replied. “While the Waymakers didn’t leave us any samples to analyze, based on how we believe the virus works, we think it would work on any form of technology. That means, if our assumption’s correct, it would infect the Glimmers’ artificial shells, which would, at a minimum, knock out their armor and weapons. But it could also be more aggressive than that based on what we saw with the Waymakers.”

“Okay. I need the third virus stake then.”

“You used both stakes on the Waymakers?” Cal asked.

Jack shook his head. “The Waymaker somehow saw the threat and destroyed the spare before we could infect the thing.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you want to help out, but I’ve been talking with Kaito Jian. We’re working on a plan to hit the Glimmers. The Satsuma is better equipped to deliver the stake into a Glimmer. Their railguns are large enough to hold a stake.”

Disappointment—and relief—nagged at Jack. “All right. When and where’s this taking place?”

“The answer to both depends on once we figure out how to draw the Glimmers into an ambush,” he said.

A smile crept up Jack’s face. “I can help with that. I just need to head to Mars Station and pick up a little Glimmer souvenir.”

CHAPTER 50

Saturn Quadrant

Wong’s tablet chimed. When he saw the communication request, he walked away from the repair team and found the nearest unoccupied room. He locked the door before accepting the call.

Pixie’s faced appeared onscreen. “Hi, Wong. I bet I’m one of the last people you expected to hear from.”

“You made yourself rather clear the last time we spoke,” he said.

Her features hardened. “Well, a lot’s changed since then.”

“Yes. We’ve fumigated one pest from this system.”

“I’m impressed, though from what I hear, Cal Cormac and his Vanguard faction are taking credit for it.”

“It was a crew loyal to the Long Rider faction that carried out the operation,” he said.

She smirked. “Oh, I wouldn’t call the Cabrón loyal to any faction. They’ve always been black sheep.”

“It sounds like you’ve met Captain Hale.”

“We’ve met. I think every faction leader has met Jack Hale at some point or another. Hale has a capable crew. I’d make him loyal to Ronin if I could, but like I said, he’s not loyal to any faction, and I get the feeling he never will be.”

Wong narrowed his gaze at her. “I assume you’re calling because, now that we’ve shown our capabilities in taking out the Waymakers, you want in.”

“You’re right, I want in, but it’s not because half the job’s done. I don’t want to miss out on the action with the Glimmers because a Glimmer shot through my brother’s ship when it was leaving Vesta. Evidently, it didn’t like the railguns. Or maybe it didn’t like the tail art. Doesn’t matter. What matters is that a bloated jellyfish killed my baby brother, and I want payback. Whatever you need from the Ronin, count us in.”

Wong actually got goosebumps when he realized they had a fleet again. He forced himself to remain stoic, even though he was giddy on the inside. “That’s good news. We’re intending to take a similar operation against the Glimmers as we did with the Waymakers.”

“What do you need from me?” she asked.

“We’ll come to you. Are you still based out of the Fifty-fifth?”

She seemed surprised. “We are.”

“The Satsuma has just passed Saturn. I’ll relay you an arrival date once I check with the bridge. We’ll plan out the operation when we arrive, so be sure to have the base fully secure.”

“It’s never not been fully secure. I look forward to meeting Satsuma’s new commander.” She disconnected the call.

Wong smiled. Then he hustled to the bridge faster than he’d moved in a very long time.

CHAPTER 51

Mars Station

Burn blocked Jack’s path when Jack went to step out of his quarters. “Look at you. You’re in no shape to leave the ship.”

Jack glanced over Burn’s shoulder at Heddi. “Who’d you rather have with you out there? Burn or me?”

Heddi glanced across their faces. “No offense, Burn, but you’re clumsy. Jack might be a gimp, but I feel a lot safer with him at my side. Besides, you’re shit with a gun.”

Burn shrugged. “Well, I’ll give you that.” He stepped to the side.

Jack entered the passageway and turned right to the bridge where Kana was sitting. “The ship’s yours, Kana. It’ll be just like last time. We’ll check in every hour on the hour.”

“Sounds good. We’ll be here and ready to take off the moment you get back,” she said. “Be careful out there.”

“Always.” Jack limped down the passageway, following the other two crew members to the cargo hold. He no longer needed a cane, but his muscles were too tight and his leg hurt whenever he put weight on it. He tried to minimize his limp, but Burn could always see right through Jack.

He climbed onto the rover as quickly as he could and pulled on his helmet. Heddi climbed in next to him and did the same. The pair gave a thumbs up to Burn, who opened the cargo hold door to the Martian landscape.

Jack drove down the ramp and across the sand as quickly as the gravity allowed. Cabrón had parked in the same area they’d parked in the last time they came here. It worked then; he figured it’d work now. Since they’d been to the wreckage before, they shaved nearly twenty minutes off their drive by going straight to the area they’d parked last time.

The pair climbed off the rover, grabbing their gear bags. Jack winced when he stood, but he clenched his mouth to keep from grunting. He was glad Heddi took the lead toward the hole so she didn’t see him grab his thigh.

Veda had always gone with Jack on missions. Veda had never been much of a talker, but the silence felt heavier without him. Jack’s jaw hurt from clenching it too much over the past week. “Remind me when we get back to show you how to use the railgun,” he blurted.

Heddi turned to him. “Oh. Okay.”

Jack could operate the railgun from the pilot’s seat, but it was always easier to have someone else handle the shooting so he could stay focused on the flying.

Heddi bent over the hole. “It looks the same as last time, so it should still be stable. What do you think?”

He turned on his helmet light and peered into the darkness below. “Looks good. You go first, but be careful. I noticed several collapses since we were here.”

She got down on her butt and shimmied down the collapsed floor that angled to the floor below. She was to the next level and looking up at Jack in just a couple of seconds. He winced, already knowing how much it was going to hurt, and made his way down. His left leg was still weak, and he slipped, sliding on his butt to the floor.

“Are you okay?” Heddi asked.

“Yeah. Leg just gave out.” He checked his suit’s computer. “Suit’s good too.”

Heddi led only when she had to. The rest of the time, she walked alongside Jack. He knew why she was doing it—she wanted to grab him if he fell again—but it still frustrated him that he was slowing down the mission. At least he was the one slowing down the mission until they reached the tech lab.

The door had been bowed before. Now the entire ceiling had collapsed, leaving a pile of rubble as tall as the doorway, blocking the entrance.

Heddi groaned. “This looks fun.”

They set their bags down and pulled out small shovels.

Jack checked the rubble pile carefully before scraping away a bit from the top. When more didn’t come tumbling from above, he said, “Go slow and move small loads at a time. The rest of the ceiling looks like it could come down at any time.”

“Slow and small. Got it.”

They slowly removed the rubble pile. As they moved debris, he noticed Heddi was getting out of breath. It made him think of something he should’ve thought about more. When Heddi had cancer, the only option was to give her a nanite transfusion. It was a completely untested, hypothetical solution that ended up working. Heddi received nanites from Veda—her body had rejected everyone else’s nanites. And receiving the nanites via transfusions had never been as comprehensive as the medical procedures Jack, Veda, Kana, and Burn had undergone. Heddi had needed weekly transfusions until after the cancer had cleared up, and she still needed them monthly to maintain the nanites in her body. For some reason, nanites received via transfusions couldn’t replicate, so they eventually died off. As Jack considered it, he realized he should’ve brought it up earlier.

“Hey, Heddi,” he began. “About your nanites.”

“What about them?”

“Have you noticed any changes lately?”

“You mean, did the nanites inside me die when Veda died?” she asked. “They didn’t. Burn ran a test when you were in the medipod. But I’m two days past my monthly transfusion, and I’m starting to notice things. I mean, I don’t feel like the cancer’s come back. It’s not anything like that. I just feel like I’m fighting off a cold. Why? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No. None of us knew how the transfusions would work. I don’t know how your body will react to not getting monthly transfusions. I’d expect they just wash out and you’ll be back to being fully human again.”

She grimaced. “That makes me the weakest link on the crew again.”

“You’ve never been the weakest link,” he said.

“Oh yeah? Then who’s the weakest link?”

“Burn, definitely,” Jack joked.

Heddi grinned, but it faded too quickly.

Silence resumed until they had the doorway cleared enough for them to enter the lab. Heddi peered through the doorway. “Lab’s still good, though it’s definitely dirtier than before. I can see the Glimmer thingy from here. I can go and grab it.”

His gut reaction was to tell her no, but he realized she was smaller and better equipped to squeeze through the doorway and retrieve the item. “Okay,” he forced out. “But be careful. Watch every step and don’t touch any walls.”

“I got it,” she said.

He helped her step over the remaining rubble. When he released her, he said again, “Be careful.”

“Okay, Dad.”

“That’s Captain to you.”

She tossed him a grin before climbing into the lab. He hustled forward to watch her through the area of doorway they’d cleared. She’d said the lab was dirty—it was more than that. Chunks of the ceiling had collapsed in various places in the lab. The entire room could cave in at any moment. His gut tightened.

She grabbed the transparent case and held it up. “Got it.”

“Good, and now hurry up.”

She took careful steps back to him and handed him the case, and he checked to see that the Glimmer sliver was still translucent. They’d had a small piece of a Glimmer onboard Cabrón before, but its owner had reclaimed it as though the two were magnetically drawn together. He wondered if the same could happen again or if there was something in the case that prevented it from being sucked out. Perhaps its owner couldn’t retrieve it from underground. Jack would find out soon enough. If the sliver remained in its case when they reached topside, then the plan still had a chance. If the sliver disappeared, then the entire mission was a waste.

He tucked it into his pack and assisted Heddi in climbing out.

“Good work,” he said.

“Thank you, Captain,” she said with a grin.

A pebble fell on Jack’s helmet. He tensed, grabbed Heddi, and dove away just as the ceiling collapsed. Pain bloomed in his leg and debris pelted him. There was too much dust to read his suit computer. “Heddi, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. How about the Glimmer thingy?”

“Can’t see anything in here. C’mon, we need to get topside before this whole hallway collapses.”

Jack took lead with adrenaline overlaying the pain in his leg. He felt along the wall, mentally remembering the number of doors they passed. He tripped over a body, but Heddi had been holding onto his backpack and kept him from falling. The air was so dust-laden he couldn’t see a centimeter in front of his face until they reached the opening. He climbed first and Heddi helped push him up. Once he was on the ground, he reached down and helped her up.

He didn’t complain when she wrapped an arm around his waist and helped him walk back to the rover. Once he was sitting, he let out a deep breath like that would release his pain. It didn’t. Once the pain was bearable, he tugged off the bag and checked the contents.

“The case is still in one piece, and the sliver’s still where it should be. Looks like we’ve got ourselves an alien souvenir.”

CHAPTER 52

Fifty-fifth, Inner Asteroid Belt

Satsuma was nearly a quarter of the size of the asteroid that held the Fifty-fifth base. Far too large for the base docks, it hovered nearby, with shuttles running between the warship and the base. Inside, Kaito and Wong sat at a table with Pixie while Cal Cormac joined the meeting via the screen on the wall.

“Running a communication from here exposes this base to anyone scanning for network traffic,” Pixie said. “We might not have to worry about the Waynkers eavesdropping anymore, but we know the Glimmers still have some impressive technology, so I’d rather not test the extent of their capabilities.”

“Then let’s get right down to it,” Kaito said. “You knew my uncle, Shen Jian, and I’m here to see that his vision for a free system is realized.”

Cal smiled. “Free system? He was an anarchist.”

“And Pixie’s a libertarian, and you’ve done more than your share to try to take a universal government, so?” Kaito snapped. “What matters is that we all want a free system.”

“The kid’s not wrong,” Pixie said. “We do all want a free system. So let’s get to the nuts and bolts, shall we?”

Kaito pressed his lips together to keep his mouth shut. He was no kid. He was twenty-six, and over twenty of those years he’d spent working on a warship and learning from his uncle. Pixie couldn’t have been more than ten years older than him, and he suspected it was more like only five.

“The Waymakers have been eradicated from the system,” Cal said. “And we can only assume that more won’t come to a system that could infect them with a deadly virus.”

“Captain Hale should be here for this meeting. After all, he’s the one who infected the Waymakers, and I’d like to get his experience on the topic so we don’t go in blind after the Glimmers,” Kaito said.

“He couldn’t risk it,” Cal said. “The Cabrón is currently en route to deliver a Glimmer sliver to me in Luna City. That sliver is key to our operation; however, it must be handled with extreme care. It can pick up anything said or done around it and relay that to its host. It may even be able to track locations, which is why the Cabrón won’t come anywhere near the Fifty-fifth while it has that sliver onboard. However…” Cal held up a finger. “I’ll provide him the full mission brief when he arrives. You, of course, should debrief him when he delivers the final virus stake to you.” He looked at Kaito when he said that.

“I will, and I’m glad he’s in. We need every ship and crew we can get,” Kaito said.

“The Cabrón is committed. Jack’s crew lost a team member when they infected the Waymakers, and it’s made them hellbent on clearing out this system,” Cal said.

Kaito jerked. “Which crew member?”

“I don’t know,” Cal replied.

Kaito wondered if the crew member Jack lost had been Heddi Heck. He hoped not. She had such fire, such confidence. He swallowed and tried not to think about her.

“But even with a crew member down, I’m sure they’re a highly capable ship and crew and certainly have an edge over any human crew,” Cal said.

Pixie cocked her head. “What do you mean by them having an edge over any human crew?”

Cal gave a nonchalant shrug. “Just that they’re more capable than most. That’s all.”

She narrowed her eyes, clearly not believing him.

He continued. “Back to the mission parameters. I will use the sliver to ensure that the Glimmers appear at the precise location we need them to appear, and the Satsuma will deliver the virus stake while the Ronin keep the Glimmers occupied. We only have the one stake, so there absolutely can be no mistakes.”

Confidence stirred in Kaito as he knew one thing the others didn’t. There were still two virus stakes. “There won’t be any mistakes.”

“What do we do if the virus doesn’t work on the Glimmers?” Pixie asked.

“We ran tests on a Waymaker. Based on how the virus attacks technology, we believe it’ll work,” Cal said.

“But if it doesn’t work?” Pixie pushed.

Wong grunted. “Then I hope you all remember how to pray.”

CHAPTER 53

Luna City

Jack still had a visible limp by the time Cabrón landed at Luna City. They landed outside the city like before, since the docks were undergoing massive repairs. His leg ached, but the pain had become bearable once his thigh had morphed from sallow gray to a flesh tone. Still, he could swear he had bone chips in and around his injury as sharp pains jabbed him often. He’d have Burn run another scan when he returned to the ship.

“You’re walking like an old man,” Heddi said as the pair made their way into the old city.

“I am an old man,” he said.

She chuckled. “Well, you don’t have to act like one.”

They continued down the levels to the Vanguard office.

A man opened the door as they arrived. “He’s waiting for you,” the man said as he gestured for them to enter.

Jack and Heddi were escorted to the same office in which they’d last met with Cal Cormac, and Cal and Roberta Green sat there now. In the center of the table sat a box identical to the box he’d accepted from Cal and Roberta Green last time. As soon as Jack entered, Cal smiled broadly. “The eradicator of Waymakers has returned! Come, have a drink.”

Jack followed Cal to a cart with a bottle of clear liquid and several glasses. Cal poured four glasses, handing them out to Jack and Roberta. Heddi held up a hand when Cal offered her one. Cal shrugged, downed the liquid in that glass, and then grabbed the last filled glass.

Heddi stood behind Jack, standing guard as Veda had for so many years.

Cal held up his glass. “To a future without invaders.”

Jack held up his glass and then drank. Vodka.

“Cheers,” Roberta said and drank hers.

Jack handed the glass back to Cal and then moved closer to the office table.

“I don’t like leaving my ship out in the open, so let’s get straight to it,” Jack said as he pulled a bag off his shoulder, opened it, and pulled out the Glimmer sliver, still encased in its clear box. He handed it to Cal, who inspected it.

“Remember to be careful what you say around it,” Jack cautioned.

Cal nodded, gesturing to the box sitting on the table. “And this goes with you.”

Jack picked up the box, peeked inside to make sure the third and final virus stake was in there, before closing it and sliding it into his bag.

Cal tapped his armlet, slid his fingers toward Jack, and then Jack’s armlet chimed. Jack began scrolling through the logistical data.

“Those are all the details you need, including the coordinates for where the Satsuma is now—which I believe you’re familiar with—and for the operation.” He glanced at the bag. “Safe travels.”

“I’m familiar with both,” Jack said.

“Godspeed,” Roberta said.

Jack tilted his head in acknowledgement and then left with Heddi and the virus spike.

CHAPTER 54

Luna City

Cal Cormac sat at the table, opposite Roberta Green, with the cube containing the Glimmer piece between them. He still found it hard to believe that such a small part of a creature was still connected to its body despite possibly millions of kilometers between the two. He wondered if there’d be a delay in communications, assuming it could still communicate with its greater body. But there was unequivocal proof that this exact Glimmer piece could communicate and had communicated. There was no other explanation of how the Glimmers had found and destroyed Truermore Station.

He hoped the small piece of alien flesh could still converse with its greater part.

Cal watched the Glimmer piece as much as he watched Roberta while he spoke.

“The Waymakers are gone. Now it’s time to send the Glimmers from our system,” he began. “We’ve made contact with the Antion. Once we meet with them in the inner asteroid belt one month from today, we will have the resources we need to fully reclaim our system. It’s only appropriate that we’re meeting with the Antion at a place built on freedom.”

“And where’s that?” Roberta asked.

“New Liberty in the asteroid belt,” he replied. He considered relaying the coordinates but didn’t want it too obvious. He needed to trust the Glimmers’ intelligence. They’d found a tiny space station with only its name. They could certainly find New Liberty then.

“You and I will fly there to meet with the Antion,” he continued. “Everyone who’s met our new allies or who knows about them will be there. It’ll be a grand meeting.”

Roberta smiled. “Yes, it will be. I look forward to it.”

Cal considered anything else he should say and decided against it. His little speech for the Glimmers had already felt forced—he didn’t want them to suspect something was up. He lifted the case—it was surprisingly heavy—and carried it to the open safe in the wall. He set it inside and locked the door.

He turned back to Roberta. “Our part is done.”

She pressed her hands together. “Let’s hope it worked.” She then eyed the safe. “Are we safe to talk?”

“There’s no sound that can get through that lead lining. We’re safe,” he said.

She audibly exhaled. “I hope the Long Riders and their friends can take on the Glimmers.”

“They will. As long as they have the virus, they will.”

* * *

The Glimmer received its latest self-transmission. The transmission was in an audio format, which took nearly ten minutes to translate once received. Audio signals were odd things. Its race had no ears—had no auditory capabilities, as their race had originated and evolved in the void of space.

It compared the audio transmission with the data transmission it’d received thirty minutes earlier. Data was simple, easy to translate as its native language was based on data transfers among its kind. The data transmission contained far more useful information and provided a complete picture. Its piece of self had felt the data being transmitted between the bipedal aliens’ computers and felt the data as it transferred. The aliens were sneaky, trying to lure its kind into an ambush.

The Waymaker aliens had tried an ambush approach with its kind before and things had ended badly for them as well. It envisioned the same ending for the Human aliens. However, its kind would need to proceed with caution. According to the data, these aliens already had a weapon from the Antion, which meant that, despite the three heroic sacrifices months earlier, the effort to destroy any weapon and any knowledge of the Antion had resulted in failure.

The Antion was a dreaded alien race, a race its kind had encountered before. The Antion had offered an alliance if its kind would relinquish their shell technology that allowed them to travel at lightspeed, which would cripple them. Glimmers traveled the stars—not being able to travel at lightspeed would take away their dream. Its kind rejected the Antion’s offer as a matter of course, and the two races became enemies.

A shadow war had been going for over six thousand years. The Antion would attack any Glimmers they came across, and its kind had learned to run from the brutal, hive-minded race. Its kind hadn’t realized the Waymakers had escaped to the human system to flee the Antion. It made sense—the Antion refused to kill any biological being without due cause. That made the human system an excellent place to hide. If its kind had known why the Waymakers had come here, its kind would not have followed. They had no interest in drawing the Antion’s attention.

But the data transmission revealed that the Antion were not coming to any sort of meeting. The Human aliens were lying. Instead, the aliens were conducting a ruse with a fleet to attack its kind drawn into their trap and, during that attack, to shoot one of its precious comrades with a virus—likely the same virus the Antion had used against Glimmers in a dismal star system twenty-three lightyears away.

It repackaged all the data received and then distributed it to all its fourteen comrades still in the local star system. The human aliens were their enemies—they had been since its kind learned of the aliens’ association with the Waymakers. But its kind was a peaceful race—they only destroyed aliens that bore any threat. Glimmers were not the aggressors. While they appreciated the human aliens attacking the Waymakers, its kind would never seek peace with a race once they determined they were foes. That was the way of its kind.

Its force remaining in the local star system was there to destroy human weaponry. The aliens carrying weaponry were making it easy by coming together so that its kind could wipe them out in a single battle.

Responses from its comrades materialized as detailed, four-dimensional images within its mind. They all agreed. They would meet these human aliens, though not at the ambush site. They’d destroy this violent alien force at their current home, a place the aliens called the Fifty-fifth.

It would unite with its comrades there, but first it was time to travel to the small moon and reclaim its lost fragment of self. Its job had been completed.

CHAPTER 55

En Route to the Inner Asteroid Belt

“How’s the leg?” Burn asked.

“It’s healing, though I still think there’s a bone fragment or two floating around in there,” Jack replied.

“There’s not. The latest scans picked up nothing. It’s just going to take some time to fully heal. Your nanites have rebuilt any lost bone, but it’s still fresh, not as strong as the rest. Give it another week, and I bet you won’t even notice it anymore.”

Jack guffawed. “Another week? That makes it a full month recovery time. That’s a long time.”

Burn chortled. “A regular person would’ve lost their leg and then died. A month for half your leg to fully regenerate nerve endings after being cut down to the bone—excuse me, cut down into the bone—and then exposed to the void for a full four minutes? A month is damn near a miracle.”

Jack rubbed his leg thigh. “Doesn’t feel like a miracle. Feels like an achy leg with bone fragments.”

“Quit being a baby.”

Jack’s panel chimed, and he saw an incoming message from Cal Cormac. He tapped the message and a video started playing. Cal stood before a shaky screen as if he recorded the video on his armlet while walking. His face had a sweaty sheen, and he kept looking away. He was surrounded by alarms and voices. A heavy explosion echoed from somewhere in the distance.

“I don’t know how much time I have. Luna City, specifically the old city, is under attack by a lone Glimmer. I don’t know if the plan’s been compromised, so be careful. I’m headed to a safe room now and will reach ou—”

The video was abruptly cut off.

“That doesn’t look good,” Burn said over Jack’s shoulder.

“No, it doesn’t.” Jack checked the message. “Cal sent it to a full distribution list. The Satsuma and the Fifty-fifth are on it too.”

“You think the plan’s compromised?” Burn asked.

Jack frowned. “I don’t know. A Glimmer could’ve decided to hit Luna City to get its sliver back, but I don’t like the timing. Plus, with how deep underground Cal’s office is, if the Glimmer could get its piece back from there, then there was no reason it couldn’t have taken its piece back any time from Mars Station.” He rubbed his thumb over his lip as he thought. “If the Glimmer could track its sliver any time it wanted to, then that case was doing no good at holding it in. If that’s true, then the Glimmer had intentionally left that sliver behind. I think it was being used as a spy.”

Burn chuckled. “Glimmers using their body parts as spies?” He sobered. “It’s not a bad idea. I mean, these are aliens we’re talking about. It makes sense they have different tools to use for spying on their enemies. What do we do now? The Satsuma’s counting on us to deliver that virus stake, but if the Glimmers know about the plan, well, hell…”

Jack rubbed his hands together as a new plan hit him. “We’re bringing the stake to the Satsuma, but not the way they’re expecting.” He spun in his seat to face Burn. “I have an idea. It’s like the garbage drones, but better.”

CHAPTER 56

Fifty-fifth, Inner Asteroid Belt

Kaito Jian was walking Satsuma’s decks for the second time that day. His crew wasn’t happy about being stuck on the ship when it was docked at a base ripe with booze and sex available at decent prices. But Wong agreed with Kaito—they needed to stay alert. Ever since Cal Cormac’s partial message received eight days earlier, they’d been expecting the Glimmers.

The safer decision would’ve been to evacuate any location the Glimmers could be privy to, but without a way to draw the Glimmers to them, Kaito would lose his chance to infect the Glimmers with the virus stake currently placed in the warship’s most reliable railgun. Whether the Glimmers hit now or later, he’d make sure the Long Riders finished it.

Pixie and her crew also remained on their ship, but her Ronin fleet didn’t have an ounce of the discipline the Long Riders had. After three days of receiving the ominous message and no Glimmer in sight, many of the Ronin returned to the Fifty-fifth’s docks, drinking their days and screwing their nights away. When the Glimmers were out of the system, Kaito would give his crew the best shore leave money could buy. Until then, he needed them alert and focused.

Kaito’s armlet beeped. He froze when he saw an emergency message from Wong:

Glimmers spotted in sector. Return to bridge ASAP.

Kaito’s breath froze. He transmitted to Wong, “Go to full alert. I’m on my way.”

The alarms blared a bare second later. He raced through the decks and to the bridge, which was still only a partial bridge. While the equipment along the interior walls survived, the entire front and center section had been decimated. It was a Frankenstein’s monster of parts and patches, making it a fair representation of much of the rest of the ship.

Wong met Kaito at the entrance to the bridge. “There are fifteen inbound Glimmers.”

Kaito choked. “Fifteen?” Three had nearly shredded Satsuma. He’d expected three again, maybe four at the most. But never fifteen.

Wong looked glum. “We picked them up sporadically once they entered the sector. Most scanning pings bounce off their skins when they’re traveling at near lightspeed.”

“How much time do we have before they arrive?”

“Three minutes. They don’t have to go through deceleration like our ships do.”

Three minutes. Terror filled Kaito. “Xiu, broadcast an alert to the Exterra and the Devil Dog. Let’s hope Pixie can get her Ronin kicked into gear in time.” Even as he said the words, he knew that the fastest a ship could launch from the Fifty-fifth’s docks would be fifteen minutes, and that was assuming the crew was already onboard and the ship was powered up. The battle would be over before any of those ships emerged.

Floating outside the asteroid near Satsuma was Rin Green’s Exterra, Pixie’s Devil Dog, and eight of Pixie’s Ronin ships. There weren’t even enough ships to make the fight one on one against the Glimmers.

“Make sure the railguns are powered up and ready,” Kaito said as he hustled to his seat and buckled in.

“I will. And I’ll personally be at railgun one. I won’t miss,” Wong said.

“You take the shot as soon as you have a guaranteed hit,” Kaito said.

Wong dipped his chin and then departed the bridge.

Kaito suddenly felt very alone and woefully unprepared for being a leader to his crew.

With three minutes, there was no time to put on his hab-suit, which meant if the bridge hull was compromised, Kaito and his bridge crew would be dead in under a minute. He tried not to let fear control him. He focused on what Shen would do in a situation like this. Shen would show no fear; Shen wouldn’t even show nervousness, so Kaito unclenched his fists and took a deep breath. His bridge crew threw glances at him in between working through tasks on their screens.

“There are Glimmers coming. Fifteen of them,” he said aloud, even though he knew the crew was fully aware of the situation. “That’s a lot of Glimmers to face, but we’ve faced Glimmers before, and we’re still standing. Last time they ambushed us. This time we have friends and an ace up our sleeve. This battle doesn’t need to be long or drawn out. We just need to hit a Glimmer with that virus and then it’ll be over. So, don’t think of how many Glimmers are out there. Just think of the one we need to tag. We can do this.”

The speech was nowhere near the quality of Shen’s morale boosts, but Kaito was trying his best, and he was a little surprised that he’d pulled off that short speech without his voice trembling.

“Commander, the Glimmers are here,” Jiro said loud enough no one on the bridge could miss it.

The bridge’s smooth new viewscreen showed flashes of light as fifteen Glimmers somehow emerged from near-lightspeed to practical stops in under a second. Human science had no explanation, but Glimmers were a space-based race. Their biology was far different and obviously evolved to perform perfectly in the void of space.

“Alert the crew,” Kaito announced. “Fire at will.”

Devil Dog fired first, hitting and damaging a Glimmer with a photon cannon. Satsuma joined in with projectiles that vibrated throughout the ship with every shot. The Glimmers wasted no time and returned fire with their high-powered energy weapons. Devil Dog received a glancing strike that would’ve destroyed it if it hadn’t already been moving. One of the Ronin ships exploded with a direct hit while Exterra was maneuvering in a corkscrew pattern, firing at a Glimmer from above.

Kaito wanted to take the controls and move Satsuma out of the kill box the Glimmers were clearly forming around it, but Wong needed the ship to be steady. Shooting a moving target was hard. Shooting a moving target from a moving ship was ten times harder.

“We’ve taken damage to levels two and four,” Aki announced.

“As long as they don’t hit railgun one, we’re okay,” Kaito said.

Four Glimmers were attacking Satsuma while the remaining were hunting and destroying the other ships. The first ship emerged from the base only to be blasted by a Glimmer. The explosion launched a series of explosions in the docks, and Kaito suspected every ship sitting in the docks was now destroyed.

Devil Dog took another hit that opened a gaping hole in the hull. Its engines brightened as it turned and sped straight at a Glimmer, colliding with it in an explosion that obliterated Devil Dog and the Glimmer.

Ships maneuvered and fired, but the Glimmers were quickly taking them out. Satsuma continued to fire nonstop at the Glimmers, crippling one.

A second later, Wong’s voice came through Kaito’s armlet. “The stake’s been launched and made positive contact.”

Kaito searched the remaining Glimmers—thirteen still flying and shooting—and found that it was the crippled Glimmer that was infected. He guessed that because its golden, translucent skin was darkening into a purple.

Kaito waved his fist in the air. “We did it!”

The other Glimmers had noticed the infected Glimmer. They swooped toward it, all firing. The infected Glimmer was obliterated in a splattering goo.

“No.” Kaito slumped.

The plan had failed. The Glimmers were going to slaughter them all.

CHAPTER 57

Fifty-fifth, Inner Asteroid Belt

Jack and Kana watched the battle as soon as their cameras could pick it up.

“My god, it’s a slaughter,” Kana said.

Jack was tracking every Glimmer and ship still in the battle. Four ships—make that three—and thirteen Glimmers. Satsuma was still holding its own and had managed to cripple two Glimmers, but that left eleven fully mobile.

“Heddi, are you ready on the railgun?” he asked.

“I’m ready,” she said.

He homed in on the one crippled Glimmer. It was still firing but wasn’t flying—its tentacles used for flying must’ve been damaged by a lucky strike. “That’s the one.” Jack pointed at it. “Be ready on the systems. We’re going to be hitting some debris pretty hard.”

“The hull wrap’s at full power. We can handle most debris right now,” she said.

“Good. Hopefully it can handle a collision with a Glimmer.”

Her face wrinkled. “You’re not going to decelerate first?”

“There’s no time. Glimmers are tough. They can handle it.”

“Yeah, but can we?” she asked.

“Glimmers are squishy,” Jack said.

“Not squishy enough at this speed,” she countered.

He tapped the intercom. “Burn, get your helmet on and be strapped in good and tight. Things are about to get rough.”

“I’m all tucked in back here,” Burn replied via the intercom.

“Uh, there’s a lot of Glimmers out there. What one do you want me to shoot at, Jack?” Heddi asked.

“All of them except for the one dead ahead,” he replied.

“Okay. I can do that.”

Jack had decelerated some an hour ago. He had to in order to adjust course enough so that he wouldn’t blow past—or through—another ship. Even at the current speed, they were approaching dauntingly fast.

Every few seconds, he had to make a tiny course adjustment to realign with the disabled Glimmer, which was currently shooting at what looked like Exterra. While the Glimmer looked to be unmoving on the grid, it was floating out of Cabrón’s path. Exterra fired at it, sending it on another direction.

Jack gritted his teeth and hit the broadcast button. “Exterra, this is Cabrón. Leave that one be, damn it. I’ve got a present for it.”

A second later, Rin Green’s response came, “I’ll leave the easy pickings for you then, Cabrón.”

Jack adjusted course again in the final five seconds and then brought all engine propulsion down to zero.

Kana spoke on the intercom from his left. “Hang on, Burn!”

Jack took his eyes off the injured Glimmer in front of them just long enough to verify the virus stake was still in position… glued to the ram’s head on the bow of the ship.

Three… two… one…

Cabrón collided with the Glimmer at such speed that the hull should’ve been ruptured, if not crumpled. Hitting even liquid at the speed would be crushing, but the Glimmer’s body somehow instantly adjusted so that the ship plowed into it like a body landing on a pillow—well, a giant landing on a small pillow, anyway. The force of impact was still tremendous without the sharp initial shock. Momentum yanked Jack forward, and it took him a second to regain his bearings. Once he did, he saw Cabrón was tucked in tight against the Glimmer, and the virus stake was shattered. Where the stake had embedded in the Glimmer was turning a purplish color.

Jack rushed to reverse the engines. The ship groaned and pulled against the Glimmer, but the ship was too tightly entrenched. He increased power, and the ship dragged itself away ever so slowly. Jack watched the purple spread. There was no way some of the virus hadn’t gotten on Cabrón’s hull, but he didn’t voice that fear.

He was nearly free of the Glimmer’s bulbous belly when an energy shot narrowly missed the ship and hit the Glimmer.

“Who fired?” Jack asked.

“It’s the Glimmers. They’re all heading this way!” Kana exclaimed.

Jack increased reverse thrusters to maximum. “Heddi, get firing at those Glimmers.”

Heddi began firing, hitting the edge of one but doing little to distract it. Exterra came swooping in front of the incoming Glimmers, firing as it flew by.

Jack glowered as he angled Cabrón directly between the infected Glimmer and the others, making them the target of the remaining eleven aliens.

“Jack?” Kana asked.

“We’ve got to protect the infected one until the virus spreads,” he said.

Off to his left, Satsuma fired nonstop at the Glimmers, but that only knocked two of them off the attack path. Exterra, the only other ship still flying, made another pass, but the Glimmers ignored her. Heddi continued to fire, each burst a heavy bmf-bmf-bmf through the floor.

Jack expected to feel the sharp agony of an explosion the instant before dying, but he didn’t. Instead, the Glimmers stopped firing as their skins turned purple. The first infected Glimmer was now a deep, flickering purple and becoming a dull, transparent gray as if someone had turned the lights off. Within seconds, the others flickered and turned gray.

“We did it,” Heddi said. “We really did it.”

Jack let a small amount of tension ease. “Yeah, we did it.”

CHAPTER 58

Fifty-fifth, Inner Asteroid Belt

“Kana, do a full systems test. See if there are any signs of the virus,” Jack said.

Kana’s eyes grew wide. “You don’t think—”

“Just do it.”

Outside, the Glimmers moved languidly in the black. Satsuma had closed in, as did Exterra. Several more ships were in process of emerging from the Fifty-fifth’s badly damaged docks.

“I’m not picking up any irregularities. If we did get any of the virus on the hull, my guess is that the virus was coded specifically for technologies used by Antion enemies. If I created a virus, I’d certainly build in safeguards like that,” Kana said.

Jack hit the intercom. “Burn, the Glimmers have been handled. Check the engines. Let me know if you see anything off.”

“You just about blew the reverse thrusters. They’re still cooling down,” Burn said.

“I mean, check to see if the virus came into contact with anything,” Jack blurted.

“Oh. Well, shit. Yeah, I’ll check everything out.”

Jack turned to Heddi. “Get back there and see if you can’t help out.”

She unbuckled and hustled off the bridge.

“Jack, if the ship’s infected, there’s nothing we can do,” Kana said quietly.

“No, but we could evacuate before it does something like blow up.” Or worse, infected them.

Jack received a communication request from Kaito Jian, and he accepted the call.

Kaito was grinning. “Captain Hale, you did it! Congratulations on a job well done. I have to say, I wasn’t sure what you were doing coming in on a kamikaze run like that, but I like your style. It worked.” He sobered a bit and then spoke in a hushed tone. “Uh, what do you think we should do with the Glimmers?”

Jack looked at the unfortunate creatures. He wondered if they were in pain and in the throes of death. A part of him didn’t care. “That’s up to you, Commander. My job was to get that virus stake delivered out here, and I did that.”

Kaito bore a lost expression that reminded Jack that Kaito was still barely older than a kid.

“I’ll tell you what I think we should do,” Jack began. “I think we—” His words cut off when he noticed the stars shimmer.

“What is that?” Jack asked, ignoring Kaito, who was still on the call.

“What is what?” Kana asked, and he pointed.

The shimmering stars disappeared behind a dark blanket that seemed to ebb and flow. Jack zoomed in on the blanket.

It was a swarm of tiny objects.

“The Antion are here,” Kana said quietly.

Jack didn’t pay attention to Kaito, who was also no longer paying attention to Jack. Both were too busy staring at a swarm ten times the size of the Fifty-fifth that had materialized out of dead space.

Flickers of light blasted out from places within the swarm, though calling it light wasn’t right. It resembled black light but was darker and thicker, barely visible against the black backdrop. The beams struck the Glimmers, which exploded not in flame but in a black explosion that shrunk in on itself and disappeared as quickly as it’d formed.

Kana stared. “What the…”

In under five seconds, every Glimmer was gone as if it never existed.

The swarm remained.

“Whoa.” Kana held up her hands as she read her screen.

Jack didn’t need to ask what had surprised her because every screen displayed the same green text that populated character by character:

Local bioforms have passed alliance assessment. Technoform intruders have been eliminated. Your circumstance shows use of unapproved technologics statistically proven to be contradictory to natural evolution. These technologics will be neutralized and an alliance may be considered.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Kana said.

“I don’t either,” Jack said.

No more text displayed. Outside, the swarm shimmered. Where the swarm had emitted beams of dark light before, the entire swarm seemed to glow like a black star.

Jack reached for the controls. “I’m getting us out of here.”

The energy slammed out in a shockwave in all directions, rocking Cabrón as if it rode a tidal wave. The black energy was nothing Jack had ever seen before, a strange power emitting from dark matter. Alarms went off.

Then every cell in Jack’s body went ice cold, and he screamed in agony, collapsing a split-second later.

CHAPTER 59

Jupiter Sector

Jack came to with the worst hangover in his life.

“You’re awake,” Heddi said.

He felt a hand over his hand. He turned toward her voice, but his neck hurt. Every part of him hurt. Even his eyes hurt when he tried to open them. He eventually pried them open, where he noticed something very important.

He wasn’t onboard Cabrón.

“Where am I?” he asked, his voice gravelly.

“You’re on the Satsuma. They have better medical facilities here,” she said.

He frowned and struggled to sit up, wincing at the pain. Heddi pressed him back. “Don’t push yourself. You’ve been in a coma for a long time. You had me scared there for a lot of it.”

“How long?”

“Six weeks,” she replied.

“Six…” He lay there and pulled his most recent memories. The Antion… they were the ones that did this to him. And if they did it to him… “Kana? Burn?”

“They’re still out. Hopefully they’ll wake up soon now that you’re up,” she said.

He brought a hand up to rub his head, and he found his arm felt like it weighed a ton. “What happened?”

Heddi blew out a breath and took a seat in a chair that had been placed next to his bed. “Yeah, we think the Antion were watching and judging us from behind their dark matter curtain all along. After they decided to show themselves, they did some weird, magical hand-wave thing that disrupted technology through the entire system. I was with Burn when he collapsed. When I ran to the bridge, I found you and Kana in the same bad way. You had me scared, Jack.”

“You said that already.”

“Yeah, well, you had me really scared. I thought I’d lost all three of you. Your heart kept stopping. They had all three of you on life support for nearly a month. Kaito wanted to unplug you, but I threatened to kill him if he did.”

Jack forced a small smile. “That’s my girl.”

“Anyway, you eventually started breathing on your own again. Same with Kana and Burn, so I figured it was just a matter of your bodies getting used to functioning without the nanites.”

He frowned. “Was it some kind of EMP? The Antion blast?”

She shook her head. “No, it was something different. Scientists are still trying to figure it out, and the Antion aren’t talking. Whatever it was, it shut down all advanced forms of artificial intelligence and nanotechnology. It sure screwed up a few of Cabrón’s systems along with systems on every ship and station out there. Fortunately, no life support systems were hit. Evidently, the Antion believe certain technologies can set up a biological species for trouble in their evolution, so they wipe it out to protect life. At least that’s what the brains on the news say. The only good thing that came out of their hand-wave is that the Antion have declared humans under their protection. We have official allies.”

Jack grunted. “The Waymakers made that same statement before. I’d never trust anything to protect us except ourselves.”

“That’s because you’re a crotchety old man,” she jested.

He gave a weak smile. It faded while he lay there as the concept of not having nanites incorporated into every cell hit him. He thought he’d be happy, but instead, he felt… off. He placed a hand on his chest, feeling the weight of mortality bear down. “The nanites are gone?”

“Not gone. Offline, definitely, but they still show up on scans—they look like tiny dark spots throughout your body. Same with Kana and Burn. I talked Kaito into not sharing your secret. Only the doctors that work here know because, well, they had to. Since they couldn’t find any obvious injuries on you, they were clearly confused.”

Jack managed to focus enough that Heddi’s face came into focus. “How’re you doing?”

She shrugged, and he noticed she had a new tattoo on her neck. “I’m fine. I mean, I got nauseous when the wave went through the ship, but I figure it’s because the nanites were dying off already inside that I didn’t get hit hard. I threw up on Burn, but that can be our little secret.”

Jack smiled. Then he winced and closed his eyes.

He heard Heddi stand and felt her hand on his arm. “Where’s it hurt?”

“Everywhere.”

“I’ll see about getting you some pain meds. Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”

* * *

Two days later, Jack managed to sit up in bed. Three days after that, he could stand without falling. It took another day before he could walk. Every cell hurt. He used pain medicine—too much of it—to be able to walk without tears streaming his face. As each day passed, he needed a little less pain medicine.

His recovery began with being able to function for a few minutes a day and worked up to an hour a day over the next week. Each day, Heddi pushed him in a wheelchair to see Cabrón in Satsuma’s docks. He was relieved to see that Heddi had the sense to lock it down. Jack had never liked anyone else on his ship except his crew. He checked the systems—he didn’t like the number of errors, but Heddi had been right. The systems that needed to work for life support and basic flight were still functional.

He could walk the length of the Satsuma by the time Burn woke. Jack walked with a cane. By the time he reached Burn, Rin Green had beat him there. He stepped back, giving them a few minutes, before checking on his friend to find him in the same situation as Jack.

Kana woke a week later.

She touched her head. “Even my hair follicles hurt.”

“It gets better,” Jack said. “I’ve only taken three pain pills so far today.” He didn’t tell her it wasn’t even lunchtime yet.

The following day, Jack and Heddi were working in Cabrón when Kaito entered the open airlock. “Permission to come onboard?”

Jack was about to grant permission when Heddi grabbed Kaito’s hand and tugged him to her, kissing him. Jack turned away. A lot had happened when he was in a coma.

Kaito approached Jack a moment later. “How’re you doing, Jack?”

“Alive, thanks to you,” Jack said, then motioned beyond Cabrón. “You’ve got a good crew. I see them working nonstop on repairing your ship.”

Kaito smirked. “I promised them a month-long shore leave when we reach the outer belt if we can have the priority-ten items crossed off the list by then. Amazing what a little motivation can do.” Kaito turned serious. “You’re welcome to stay on the Satsuma as long as you need. You and your crew are Long Riders to me.”

Kaito winked at Heddi and she smiled back, and Jack realized her tattoo was a Japanese word, and it was identical to one Kaito had on his neck.

“You’re a Long Rider now,” Jack said to Heddi.

“I’m not a Long Rider. It’s just that for the past couple of months, I’ve been playing one while you were out. But now that you’re back, I’m back.” She leaned into Kaito. “Kaito was good enough to let me hang out with him and his crew while you were in a coma.”

Kaito guffawed. “Heddi rarely left your side. I’d have to bribe her away with my best wine and dinners.”

“I suspect you didn’t have to bribe her too hard,” Jack said at their casual ease together.

Seeing Heddi stand next to Kaito, he noticed her smile. It was the happiest he’d seen her in a long time. Then he realized he’d never seen her so happy. It was a good look on her.

* * *

Jack entered Cabrón’s bridge to find Kana asleep at her panel. He touched her back, and she gave a start, blinking awake.

“How about I help you back to Med?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I was just taking a power nap while the last bit of code compiled.”

“How about you take a break in your bunk? You look like you could use the rest.”

“Look who’s talking. Have you looked in the mirror lately?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Fair enough.” He nodded toward her panel. “How’s the systems look?”

“Whatever the Antion did, it didn’t just disable ‘illegal’ code, it made it disappear altogether. All the code I wrote for the hull power grid? Gone. I’m going to have to start from scratch.”

He frowned. The hull power grid helped protect the hull for faster speeds and provided additional radiation protection.

“That alone will take months, if not years. But I’ve got a dozen other systems that need rebuilt, like the autopilot. Can you believe they deleted all autopilot functionality everywhere? Evidently it’s too close to artificial intelligence for our new ‘allies.’”

“They’re not our allies,” Jack said.

Kana frowned at Jack.

“What?”

She reached up and ran a hand through his hair. “You have a gray hair.”

“Do I?”

She nodded. “Do I?”

He bent down and peered closer at her black hair. He shook his head. “I don’t see any.”

She stared off for a moment. “It’s weird, isn’t it? I never thought I’d live without my nanites. With how they were incorporated into our bodies, we’re basically as much tech as we are natural biology. I’m shocked we’re still alive.”

Jack agreed.

“But something feels off. I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t feel right. Do you know what I mean?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I feel the same.”

“I asked the doctor, but she has no clue. I think we make her uncomfortable because we’re so different.”

“I haven’t been able to get anything out of her either,” he said.

Kana rubbed her neck before speaking. “I want to see the stars before I die, Jack. When I was a little girl, I dreamed of traveling to other stars. I still have that dream. Veda had the same dream. I want to continue what we started with the Aria.”

Jack swallowed, then nodded. “I’ll talk to Burn.”

Kana left him and went to her bunk rather than back to her bed in the medical unit. Jack suspected she wouldn’t step foot off Cabrón again unless she had to.

He decided her sleeping in her own bunk wasn’t a bad idea and he headed to his bunk to sleep in for the night.

* * *

Jack woke to the sound of a tool being dropped. He forced himself through the painful stiffness after not moving for too long and weakly made the way from his bunk to the engine room where Burn had every panel off.

“Rin let you out of bed?” Jack asked.

Burn smirked. “She had to or else she was going to kill me. I don’t have the energy for her shenanigans yet.”

“I bet. I’ve been finding every day’s a struggle lately,” Jack said.

Burn turned somber. “From what I hear, it’s not going to get better. The doc told Rin she should steer clear of me. Doc seems to think I won’t be around long, that my cells are aging a lot faster than normal.”

Jack’s brow rose. “The doctor told Rin that? She didn’t tell me anything.”

“She likes Rin. She’s not sure what to make of us.”

“I got that vibe from her myself. I’m not surprised about the aging. We’ve been cheating death for so long, it only makes sense that it’s in a hurry to catch up with us.” Jack looked around the ship. “Kana wants to see the stars before she dies. I do too.”

“You know I’m with you. Until the end.”

“You have Rin now.”

Burn pushed to his feet, though it was an obvious struggle. “I have Rin now, as in right now. But for how long? I feel like I could die any day. What I have with Rin is fun, but you know me. I’m with you. I’m not letting you leave without me.”

Jack watched his friend and then squeezed his shoulder. “All right, it’s settled then. We’ll leave as soon as this old bird’s ready to fly.”

“It’s ready to fly now,” Burn said.

Jack gave the smallest nod. He’d known that, but he was delaying for a hard conversation. He sighed. “Well, then I guess it’s time I had a talk with Heddi.”

* * *

Heddi came aboard Cabrón every day to help on repairs, so Jack caught her before she climbed the ramp to the airlock. “Let’s take a walk,” he said.

As they began strolling, he said, “Cabrón can fly. She’s missing some of her gloss, but she can fly.”

“I know.” She sounded disappointed.

“Heddi—”

“Jack, I’m staying,” she blurted.

He stopped walking.

She winced. “I had a nice long speech prepared, but then I saw you and my brain just went blank. I’m sorry, I really am. You saved my life more times than I can count, and you gave me a home. I’ll always treasure that. But I never really felt like I belonged—”

“Heddi—”

“But I feel like I belong with Kaito. I know, I know, you’re going to say I haven’t known him very long or that it’s my hormones talking, but I feel right with him.”

“Heddi—”

“I don’t want you to think this has anything to do with you or Kana or Burn or anything like that. It’s just that I think I’ve reached one of those decision points in life, and that this is the path I need to take.” She let out a breath like she’d said everything in a rush.

“Heddi,” he began. “You’re always welcome on Cabrón, but I want you to be wherever you want to be. I can see you’re happy here. It makes me happy to see you happy. Kaito and the Long Riders would do good to have you. You’d make a good Long Rider.”

She smiled and echoed, “I’d make a good Long Rider.”

He smiled.

Her shoulders no longer seemed to bear the invisible weight they had for the past several days.

“Well, maybe I’ll check to see if Kaito needs some help.”

“You do that.”

As she walked away, he smiled to himself. That had gone a lot easier than he expected, and he realized a weight had also been lifted from his shoulders. He returned to Cabrón to tell his crew.

It was time.

* * *

The following day, Jack, Kana, and Burn finished all final pre-launch checks and loaded the maps Kana had copied from the storage drives found on Mars Station. They’d need to stop by Ree Dunn Vu 9 to fill the cargo hold, but they were otherwise ready for a mission that would last the rest of their lives.

…the rest of their lives.

Jack still found that concept foreign, but he never planned on returning to Sol no matter how many weeks, months, or years he had left.

The three of them enjoyed one last meal off Cabrón by joining Kaito, Heddi, and Rin in Kaito’s quarters. The food was good, not the best Jack had ever had, but not bad for a farewell meal.

The meal lasted for three hours—no one really wanted to end it, but when the sake ran out, it was time. Jack stood first and looked at Kaito who was lounging lazily in his chair, an arm around Heddi. “Thanks for dinner and for, well, everything.” He could’ve thanked Kaito for the medical care and for ensuring Cabrón remained safe, but what he was really thanking Kaito for was bringing Heddi happiness.

“It was the least I could do. Without you, none of us would be here,” Kaito replied.

Kana had stood immediately and joined Jack’s side. Burn gave Rin a kiss before standing and joining him.

Heddi jumped up and hugged Jack. “I’m going to miss you.”

A deep sadness filled his heart. She was the closest thing to a daughter he’d ever had—would ever have. He embraced her. “I’m going to miss you too.”

After a length, he released her and she hugged Burn.

“Take care, kiddo,” Burn said.

Then she hugged Kana.

“You were good for all of us,” Kana said. “Veda loved you very much.”

“I know.” Heddi sniffled and stepped back.

Rin stepped forward and pulled Burn down for a long kiss before stepping away with a sultry smile. “See you around, lover.”

Jack tilted his head in Kaito’s direction and then left with Kana and Burn. They walked in silence back to Cabrón, all feeling the emotion in addition to exhaustion from a long day. Once they entered their ship, Jack ensured the airlock was closed and locked before he made his way to the bridge where Kana stood by her seat and Burn leaned against the doorframe.

“So, where to?” Jack asked.

Kana closed her eyes, did a slow circle, and then pointed. “That star.”

Jack smiled. “That star it is.”

EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

En Route to a Star System Far Away

Jack stood in the galley. It was his turn to cook dinner. He was slicing artificial meat strips from a ration pack for a soup mix. On the bridge, Kana was playing music he remembered first hearing a long time ago. As he daydreamed, he cut his finger. He hissed and yanked his finger. Blood dribbled across the counter, and he grabbed a towel. He dabbed at the cut. It was deep, nearly to the bone. At least it had been. As he stood there the blood slowed, then stopped dripping as skin knit over the wound. After a couple of seconds, he wiped the remaining blood away to reveal a fresh scar that was already fading.

He smiled and went back to making dinner.

THANK YOU FOR READING MALFUNCTION JUNCTION

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