Tailspin, page 40
Her eyes shifted, and she looked to each of us. “If I refuse an order, it will be for a very, very good reason.”
“They were wrong,” Walter reassured her. “And although you did directly refuse an order, you likely saved your whole squad by not firing those guns.”
Her demeanor changed, totally, and her voice lowered. “You really think I was right?”
“I do. If you’d have done what they asked, the—” He looked at me.
“It would have killed a load of civilians and yes, maybe the monsters hiding in their midst.”
I swallowed, knowing we were a bunch of misfits of underprepared-yet-willing men and women. I felt a connection with them, and I wanted them.
“I will follow your orders, Airman Kestrel,” she said and looked at me. “If you point me at almost any target, I will take them out. I’m weapons specialist, essentially your gunner.”
“Seems like we have a good combination, then?” I asked and looked at our pilot.
Malaki eyed them all, then nodded. She motioned to the building at the bottom end of the gardens. “Let’s go in, sit, and talk some more. Assess the other fireteam. I want to know everything I can and more about them.”
“You want legal information?” Niko asked. “I can do that.”
“No.” She shook her head.
“Even better.” Niko grinned and rubbed his hands together. “Looks like we’re going digging.”
Ren laughed, her smile turning to an outright grin. “I like you a lot already.”
“You are in. All of you?”
“We’re in,” they chorused back at me.
The building was an open lounge room, with a large wooden table and 3D computer display. “How is this even here?”
“Aug-World.” Niko laughed. “You can virtually have what you need in the blink of an eye.”
“At a cost,” I said, then looked at them. “Who’s paying?”
Walter moved to the large table. “Doesn’t matter who is, just that we’re here. Let’s use it.”
I glanced at Malaki, and she shrugged. “Beats me.” I said.
So, at a guess, it was Walter, and he did exactly what he was trained for. He took up position at the front of the table while we all sat, chairs squeaking on the marble floor. “I’m not going to beat around the bush here. My request to join you came with some other information. Mission specifications.”
“You’ve looked at them?” I asked.
He nodded. “This is not like what you’ve been doing, Rusty. This involves double-duty flying.” It was the way he looked at Malaki, his brows furrowed, eyes narrowed, then back at me. “We’ll need you to get us there, Malaki, to fly us on missions, and you to get us home.”
“Wait, what?” Malaki asked.
“Here,” he said. “I’ll show you, it’s much easier.”
Walter tapped the side of the desk and brought up a 3D view of OOF, Artem, and beyond. It was the beyond that suddenly worried me.
“They’re sending us out past the wall,” Malaki said. Her voice was calm, and I had never seen her concentrate so much as the map changed into view.
“Yes,” Walter said. “They are expanding, trying to cut off the Masaow Mountains from Tili Lake through to the ocean, building a new wall. It’s just not there yet.”
“So where are we going?” Ren asked.
“We’ll take a jumper to Shore Farm.” Walter tapped the map. “Then hop on over to here. This is one of our most northwestern bases, aptly named New Forest. This will consist of many others, and there’s been some civilian developments around the area. We’re not going to be the only fireteam out there.”
“Others more experienced?” I asked, though I already knew the answer. To his nod, I added, “Why include us, then?”
“You tell me that,” Ren asked. “We’re only here because of you?”
“They’re still in need of, and I hate to say it, expendable people.”
“Damn,” Niko said. “Why not just send in ground troops?”
“They do, and they will,” Walter added. “A lot of them, but we can get in and out much quicker with better weapons.” When everyone looked blankly at him, he added, “In this instance, they’re giving us poison.”
“What’s out there?” I asked him, already fearing the worst. “More skellies?”
“You won’t see skellies, not that far inland at this time of year, at least. They’re wanting us to hunt out and destroy several croba nests they believe are getting out of hand.”
That name, croba. Those were the critters that killed Joe’s friend all those years ago. They were dangerous. Very much so.
“We will cover a large area. Our last fuel point is here, and one of the other notable farms is here—Grange Foods.” Walter tapped the screen again. “On the other side of where the wall’s being built. There’s a couple of old cities that have been in ruins for centuries. They’ve been taking down what they could use for three new wind farms. They are building walls and water runs, and will eventually expand to six more farms, reclaiming the land for us.”
“It’s all crops on this side, isn’t it?” Niko asked. “The animals are west side?”
“They’re pretty split, some animals are here, most though are west.”
“Crops means insects.” Malaki shivered.
“And not the nice kind,” Ren added.
“Not at all,” I put in. “I’ve spoken to someone who has had dealings with croba in the past.”
Walter just nodded. “They’re clearing these areas because we need more farms, we need more supplies. Our city, and its population, is not getting any smaller, but the croba well, we need to take their land too, and they’re just too close to the new planned crop fields.”
No, it wasn’t, and from the talks I’d already had on the farms, it was consistent hard work to keep those farms running and free from critters, any critters.
“At least we know where we’re going, almost what we’ll be up against.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “A test of endurance for us and for you.”
They all nodded. “So,” Niko said. “The others we’re with, I can’t get any other info from their records. Ren? Know anyone who might be able to?”
Ren shook her head. “If I call anyone for this kind of work, I’m in more trouble if I get caught. I would never be given another chance, even if there were special circumstances.”
“I’ll do it,” I said.
Malaki kicked me under the table. “Well,” I added, running a hand over the tabletop, feeling its nicks and grooves, “if I can borrow some funds, that is.”
“No money?” Ren asked. I shook my head. “At all?”
“Just my pay, so no, not for what this guy might ask of me. Maybe, ugh, I don’t know.”
“Ask him how much, we’ll split it,” Ren said and put her wrist across the table towards me.
“I’ll ask first,” I said. “Yeah?” I waited for them all to agree, then I went back inside my internal systems to track down the only hacker I knew.
Apex, I said. Can you seal off my bank accounts from a hacker?
Depends on how good he is. I will try.
All you can do, I replied.
48
I did as my hacker friend had instructed and used the server he asked me to bounce off last time. Then I hit the comms ID. It was a message only, so I left one in return. I have a request. Call me back soon as you can. I did not leave a name.
My HUD lit up with an incoming call almost instantly.
“What’s the job?” the hacker asked without even a hello.
“I’d like all background information on six names. How much first?”
“Piece of piss,” he said, then he went silent, and then he laughed. “You got a lot to learn, kid. This one’s on me. Instead, I’m leaving a deposit. I’ll be back for it this week.”
I swallowed and watched as an insane number of credits entered my account. Holy shit, that would cover the TAP I wanted. I couldn’t think that, though. The one Malaki wanted me to have had to be earned, she said, M-Corp’s finest. We were going to do that with the squad.
“Names?” the hacker asked.
I sent over the names. “Files returned will come from a different ID,” he said. “Here’s another comms ID for me again, if you need.”
“Thanks.”
“Just one thing, before I go.”
“What?”
“Next time, get me a harder job, please. You’re in the best spot for me to really test myself. Don’t hold back.”
I smiled. “I’ll try,” I replied, and he was gone.
As a fireteam, the others were talking and planning well, it seemed. Niko and Malaki, with their obvious extra experience, Walter with his ease of command. I watched them, and I grinned.
“What is it?” Niko asked.
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “You’re just meant to work together.”
My HUD pinged a moment later, and I accessed the file sent to me from an unknown source. “Got it.”
“What was the price?” Ren asked.
“I got it.” I promised. “Don’t worry.”
“Pass it over then,” Walter said.
I did so, and he brought up all six names from Justin’s fireteam onto a screen.
Helo 1
Helo 2
Pilot
Malaki Canlas
Pilot
Justin Bridger
Drone Pilot
Ruslan Korolyov
Drone Pilot
Kadar Silao
1st Command
Walter Kestrel
2nd Command
Johnny Briggs
Engineer/Tech
Declan Harbor
Engineer/Tech
Henath Aloa
Weapons Specialist
Ren Knight
Weapons Specialist
Fiona Istax
Medic
Niko Rise
Medic
Ethan Tapal - T717
There was a gray area by Ethan’s name with the tag on it—T717—and we all saw it. It wasn’t a callsign, that was clear.
“Wait.” Malaki stopped Walter from clicking it. We all looked at her. “That’s seriously classified info.”
“How do you know?”
“That’s my father’s tag,” she said. “If he gets even a sniff that this has been hacked—”
“I’ll take the risk, personally,” Walter said, and he snatched the file out of view, turning his back to us. We all waited, not speaking, till he turned back. His face gave me nothing.
“It’s good information to have, gives me a better idea of what we can do between us. But no, you don’t get to know. This really should stay classified.” He looked at me. “That means you, too, Ruslan. Don’t go opening it when we’re not around. Okay?”
I nodded. Though the not knowing would drive me insane, I’d deal with it. I’d lock it away where no one could access it from me…somehow. I wasn’t sure how.
I will delete the file from your memory, Apex said. Once you’ve all looked enough, just let me know when.
We all looked at the others’ files, and Ren listed off for us what she could surmise.
“Justin Bridger, pilot. Kadar Silao, copilot and drone pilot. Fiona Istax, gunner. I know Fiona pretty well; she’s good.”
“So together we would be a full squad like West said? That’s what you’re saying?” I asked her.
“You and Justin are going to be quite the teams when you advance,” Ren said and added, “when we advance. But no, you won’t make one squad forever. I believe you’ll just split, and each become your own. You’re too incredible as pilots to not be.”
“So essentially Justin would be on the lookout to pinch,” Malaki said
“Any of you,” I interrupted her, and my eyes ran over them all but settled on Niko.
“Oh no,” Declan said. “No way. You are stuck with me. I’m not swapping teams.”
“Going nowhere,” Ren also said. “I might not know you all much, but I’m with her.”
Malaki blushed. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”
Ren kept her eyes on her. “один день,” she said. “один день.”
Malaki glanced at me, and I could only shrug. I didn’t speak her language, either.
“So, you’re out as lead pilot for us, then?” Declan asked, looking at me.
“No, no way, I’m second all the way,” I said and looked directly at Malaki.
“I already got the request to report to Station Five.” Malaki said. “Yes, you’ll all be under me, and it’s out in the open.”
“Cat’s well out the bag now, then?” My heart soared, it was official now, and I was so relieved.
Malaki grinned. “Guess so. I’m looking forward to it, to getting to know you all better.”
“We need to go.” I checked the time. “I need some sleep before tomorrow’s training.”
“Yes, you really do, get some sleep,” Malaki said and stood.
“All of us should,” Walter added, and he sent me my files back.
Apex?
It’s gone, nothing is left of them.
The others vanished one by one, till Niko was the only one left. “You okay?” he asked.
“Tired,” I said. “Freaked out at how fast this can move.”
“Always does,” he said and walked out of the building with me. Darkness spread before us, only the odd twinkle of streetlights lighting the way home. “We are going to part of the front line. That front line’s changing a ton. They expand, they upset a ton of life out there, they retaliate. It’s a cycle that happens every so many years.”
“Yeah.” I recalled my youth, the day my father went off. “I’ll catch you tomorrow.”
“That you will.” And he vanished too.
I took one look around and was about to disconnect when I felt a knock on my HUD—caller unknown.
I froze for a second. It could be my hacker friend or Justin, so I answered it.
“I waited till you were alone,” the voice said.
“Lieutenant General Michaels?” It was almost a guess; he had his voice modified a little.
“Yes,” he confirmed.
I returned to my room, even if wasting my AW credits now didn’t bother me, I just wasn’t like that. Waste was waste. I sat on my bunk. “Sir?” I honestly thought he’d bubbled us tracking the other’s full backgrounds.
“I just wanted to say how impressed I am with you so far.”
“Thank you, sir.” I put a hand to my mouth and stopped myself from yawning and plucking the courage up. “May I ask you one question?”
“You may ask. I might not give you the answer you seek.”
“What is inside my head? It is no X1, is it?”
“No,” he said. “There is no term for what you have inside your head. I cannot tell you any more than that.”
“Will Apex tell me?”
“Apex? It has a name?”
“Yes, sir.” I yawned again, not able to stop this one. “I’m sorry.”
“Sleep. I will be back in touch again.”
I wanted to ask more, but he was gone.
Run any training manuals you have, I said to Apex. Not addressing anything else specific inside my mind, I wondered if he—it?—could read everything about me. Everything.
I shook off those thoughts, and with the manual talking in my ear, the close walls of my bunk, the warmth of my blankets, I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
***
I walked next to Malaki as we approached Station Five and our assigned helo pad. This Bumble wasn’t what I was expecting. It was bright yellow, looking more like a Bumble than any of the others.
“Little on the bright side, no?” I looked at her and then pointed to the inflated skids. “What’s on the agenda today?”
“You’ve been clocking up flying hours, but you’ve done a lot of flying without serious things going wrong. Simulations and crashing because you were new, sure. But you haven’t flown out here, so today I’m going to show you everything that can go wrong, that will go wrong, and hopefully how you come out of it without injury or damage to the helo. That means lots of practice with autorotation.”
I knew it was coming. “I’ve read all the manuals. I’ve watched the videos.” Even if I’d been asleep, it counted. Almost.
She frowned and ran a hand down her flight suit. “Nothing beats experience. Let’s go, up and out. Follow the designated flight path.”
It didn’t take long. I had got used to doing checks and I was picking up speed. Even Apex didn’t help anymore or prompt me. Just a few minutes later with all pre-flight checks done, we were soon up and in the air.
Several other helos had their own flight paths, and Malaki tapped the screen and pulled up a course for us crossing safely over theirs. I quickly traced it out into the ocean depths to the northeast of the station. Back towards Artem, just a little. We’d be going over the dam. “We need permission to be over the dam, right?”
“Yes, but it’s good training with all the conditions that come with the changes in altitude and water around us. It’s good practice.”
“Practice I need,” I replied. “The conditions here can be similar from one day to the next, nothing changes.”
“Correct, so you’ll see and experience lots of differences today.” She paused, looked around. “This is good enough. Now, I’m going to cut the engine. In three, you’re going to tell me exactly what I’m supposed to do, and I’ll do it.”
Malaki waited for my nod. “Three, two, one. Roll off throttle.”
“Drop the collective,” I said, not hesitating to instruct her. She complied straight away. “That gets rid of the pitch, flattens the rotors.” The Bumble started to dip, fast. “RPM is critical. Keep that as high as you can. Safe spot to land is easy. We’re in the middle of the ocean.”
