Mercurial: Ace Evans Book 5 (Ace Evans Series), page 21
She went into the operations center, sat down at her console, and synced one of the Valkyries in the MBS hangar. They weren’t meant to be remotely piloted, but they could be. She wouldn’t have the finesse of being in the mechanized battle suit and would have to rely on her console’s rudimentary controls, but she could manage it. She wasn’t going to leave Alex all alone to die in space.
It didn’t take long to launch the Valkyrie and she easily set it on an intercept course for Alex’s position. The difficult part was waiting. He was over two hours away at the Valkyrie’s best speed. And flying through space was either completely boring or completely terrifying if something went wrong.
And things did sometimes go wrong. Things malfunctioned, or just broke. There were tiny bits of matter that flew through space that could wreck a starship, not to mention gamma rays, solar flares, black holes, and rogue comets. Space was a dangerous place, she knew that and had long ago accepted that fact. Perhaps it was because she had grown up on a space station, or maybe for many people, it was just a fact of life. Unless you were content to live on one planet for your entire life, the danger of space was something you had to wrestle with. And even staying on a level-one planet didn’t protect you forever. Stars went nova, asteroids and comets sometimes came hurtling through space to crash into the surface of beautiful worlds, wiping out every living thing except for a few strains of bacteria. It was one of many hard truths a person had to come to terms with—safety was just an illusion. A person could take every precaution known to mankind and still drop dead from some hidden physical defect like an aneurism.
It made Nyx uncomfortable to think of all the people that Alex had killed, but she understood that every person who took a job in corporate defense had accepted the risk that they might be killed in the line of duty. They might never really think it would happen to them, but they were soldiers in military vessels. Some people might say it wasn’t fair, the way Alex could manipulate their ships and use his power to kill the crew, but was that any different from when ancient man created bows that could kill at a distance? Alex had developed ways to kill that others hadn’t, but he had put himself at risk to fight on behalf of the service that had recruited him to do just that. She didn’t feel like it was wrong for him to use that power, a power that Ahzco had unleashed by surgically implanting him with their technology. The INC was designed to give Operators greater control over mechanized battle suits. The fact that Alex could do more with his than the average Operator shouldn’t be blamed on him. History was full of individuals who excelled at things. Professional athletes developed their skills, but on every team, regardless of the sport, some individuals were better than others. It was a fact of life. Some people had perfect pitch, some could paint masterpieces, some were geniuses. It was just part of being human. Alex could do incredible things via the INC, but he was still just a man, and he needed her. She would never turn him away in his time of need.
Time seemed to creep by at a snail’s pace, but eventually he came into sight of the Valkyrie’s cameras. Nyx adjusted the video feed and began the process of slowing the MBS down. The last thing she wanted was to crash headlong into Alex. Once she was less than ten kilometers away, she began hailing him, but he didn’t respond.
The final five hundred meters were the most agonizing. He was drifting in a slow, head-over-heels spin. She tested the Valkyrie’s articulated arms to make sure she was ready to catch him. Taking her time, she made sure not to damage his Titan battle suit as she caught hold of his lower left leg. A few well-timed bursts with her thruster arrested the spin, and she was able to draw him in. Nyx felt almost like a spider. The Valkyrie was a big, boxy asset recovery suit. It was made for exactly what she was doing. With a deft touch on the controls, she pulled Alex in toward the Valkyrie and locked them together using the AR suit’s electromagnets. She immediately turned them around and started the long flight back to the Drachma, but once the thrusters were engaged, she connected a diagnostic line from the Valkyrie to the Titan.
Immediately, her console filled with data. There was still power to the Titan, and air. The diagnostic showed no damage to the Titan battle suit whatsoever. But Alex wasn’t okay. His temperature was almost 104 degrees, and his heart was beating at over a hundred and fifty beats per minute.
“Alex,” she said, using the connection to engage the Titan’s com-link. “Can you hear me?”
The only reply was a pain-filled moan of agony.
“Alex, you’re sick, but it’s going to be okay,” she said. “I’m going to—”
Before she could finish her promise, an image on her video feed made the breath catch in her throat. It was a ship coming through the space tunnel. One moment there was nothing, and the next a battleship came drifting out. There was something familiar about it. After thinking about it a few seconds, she realized it was the Republic. A full-sized Ahzco carrier, it popped out of the tunnel and kept moving. It was immediately followed by more Ahzco ships.
“The armada, Alex,” Nyx said excitedly. “They’ve come back. Things are going to be okay. I promise. We’re a couple of hours away from the Drachma, just hold on. I’ve got you now.”
Nyx was tingling all over. Help had arrived, and she had Alex. Things might not be normal ever again, but she wasn’t going to lose him. And to her, that was a major victory. They were still well away from the space tunnel and the ships entering the system. Her navigation app showed the Valkyrie at full speed with an ETA at the Drachma in one hundred eighteen minutes.
Alex continued moaning and mumbling. He was in a feverish, delusional state somewhere between consciousness and sleep. It scared Nyx, but there was nothing she could do for him. The Valkyrie was designed to recover other battle suits damaged in space or on the battlefield, but it didn’t have medical capabilities. Not that she could open his Titan battle suit in hard vacuum to administer help anyway. The best option was to get Alex back to the Drachma, which was what she was doing.
From a distance, using the Valkyrie’s cameras, she watched the incoming ships. There were two more carriers and several smaller battleships that reminded her of the Currency, although that ship wasn’t among the Ahzco fleet. The last ship through was different. It wasn’t a CDF ship at all, but a huge dreadnought class super battleship. It had massive laser cannons and huge engine vents, with angular lines that made the vessel look intimidating. The weapons were larger than anything Nyx had seen that wasn’t attached to a space station. There were sections with what looked like spikes that Nyx guessed were antenna of some kind. And a large parabolic dish was mounted right on the top center, making the vessel look like a robotic cyclops from a horror film.
Nyx stuck a portable earpiece in place and left the operations center. Alex still had over an hour and half of travel time, and being nonresponsive, Nyx wanted to give Commander Haley an update. She also wanted to find out why the Ahzco armada had suddenly returned. Almost as soon as Nyx stepped onto the bridge, a large image of Colonel Chastain appeared on the main display. She looked tired, with dark bags under her eyes and lines radiating from her upper lip, which was pinched into a tight scowl.
“VP Haley,” she said, her voice almost strained. “What have you done?”
Nyx glanced at Loman, who was back in the command chair. He also looked tired. His eyes were red, as were his cheeks and the tip of his nose.
“We came here looking for you,” Loman said. “Why would you leave the system without sending word?”
“You didn’t answer the question,” she snapped. “You’ve overstepped your bounds, and as colonel of Ahzco’s Corporate Defense Force, I am officially relieving you of duty. Please stand by to have your ship boarded. You will be brought to the Theogony while I attempt to clean up this mess you’ve made.”
Loman didn’t move, didn’t respond at all for a moment. He just stared straight ahead, his face a mask that hid whatever he was thinking or feeling. Nyx realized he was hiding his emotions, but she wasn’t sure why. It was shocking to think that after all he had done that he might be removed as executive vice president of security. He had been the one constant in her career, first from afar, then as a strong supporter of her work with Alex.
“Of course,” Loman said. “I’ll be glad to join you, although I’m not familiar with that vessel.”
“It’s new,” Chastain said. It was the only explanation she was given.
“I’ll alert my crew and stand by to receive you, Colonel,” Loman said.
The image of Chastain disappeared and was replaced by the swath of ships spreading out and moving toward the Drachma. Nyx felt a stab of fear. It looked like they were surrounding the old ship, treating it like an enemy vessel.
Loman stood up and turned to Lieutenant Jones. “You will not resist,” he ordered. “No matter what they do to me. Your job is to get this ship and her crew home safely. Do you understand?”
“I believe so, Commander,” Jones said, his voice trembling slightly.
“Listen to me,” Loman said. “Lynn Faulk is on that ship. She’s managed to turn Colonel Chastain to her side somehow. Which means that if any of you speak out about what you hear regarding me, this ship, what happened here in the Askerria Sector, anything, you’ll be in danger. Spread the word. I want no resistance. No matter what you see or hear, don’t deny it. Don’t insist on the truth. We’ve underestimated her, and the only hope of survival now is to go along. Lieutenant Jones, the ship is yours.”
“Aye, Commander,” Jones said. “The ship is mine.”
Loman left his command chair and headed straight toward Nyx, who was so shocked she didn’t know what to say or do. He took her arm and pulled her along as he left the bridge. He wasn’t hurting her, but he pulled her close and she could feel his hand trembling. When he spoke, there was the stench of alcohol on his breath.
“You have him?” Loman asked.
“Y-yeah,” Nyx said, momentarily forgetting her military decorum.
“Don’t let them have him,” Loman said. “No matter what.”
“Okay…sir,” she managed to utter.
“You know what he’s capable of,” Loman said, turning and looking Nyx in the eye. “If she can control him, and she’ll do anything including hurt you, or his family to bend him to her will, she could destroy entire worlds. The only thing we can do now is hide him. Maybe it’s best if he…”
Nyx knew what the VP was going to say, but she was already shaking her head.
“No,” Nyx said. “As long as he’s alive there’s always hope.”
Loman’s face twitched, he nodded. “You’re right, Nyx. Tell him…tell him I’m sorry. I’m afraid all my help has only made things worse. I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for everything.”
He walked away, leaving Nyx alone in the corridor between the bridge and the operations center. An icy stab of fear penetrated deep inside Nyx. She didn’t know what to think, but she knew they were in trouble. Without Haley, everything they’d been working for would be for nothing. She hurried to her console on the operations center. She pulled the earpiece out and slipped her normal headset back on. Even as she spoke, her hands were busy slowing the Valkyrie, and she was considering their options.
“Alex, I know you can hear me,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “Things are bad. I’m in danger. And so are you. Lynn Faulk is here, Alex. In that massive ship called Theogony. They’re coming to get Mr. Haley. Once he’s off this ship, they might just blow us all to oblivion. I know you can hear me. If you want to protect us Alex—if you want to protect me—you have to wake up right now!”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
In the dark all he knew was heat and pain, but it was distant. In some ways he felt barely connected to his body at all, just a frail tether held him in check as his mind floated away toward the sweet oblivion where there was no more pain, no more fear, no more anything. But even though every cell in his body felt like it was on fire, and Alex was weary beyond anything he’d ever felt before, he couldn’t ignore Nyx’s cry for help.
His eyes popped open and blinked away the drops of sweat that made them sting. Pain seemed to explode in his head with every beat of his heart. He clenched his teeth and pushed the pain away. The interior of the Titan battle suit was completely dark, but the INC filled his mind with the images from the suit’s external cameras. He saw a fleet of Ahzco ships encircling the Drachma. At the very heart of their formation was a behemoth unlike anything Alex had ever seen before.
“Alex, please,” Nyx begged.
“I’m awake,” he said, his voice so hoarse it didn’t even sound like his.
Alex’s mouth felt dry, his tongue thick and gummy. He worked his jaw, trying to will moisture into his mouth, but there was none. He licked his lips and tasted sweat. The salt seemed to make everything worse.
“Oh my God, Alex. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he lied.
“You sound terrible.”
“I need to get out of this battle suit,” Alex said. “I need to drink something.”
“I can help, but you’ve got to let me back in,” she said. “Re-engage the remote-control settings.”
Alex had no idea what the remote-control settings were, but he thought it—willed it—to be, and suddenly Nyx wasn’t crackling through the Titan battle suit’s helmet speakers. She was in his head where he belonged.
I’m in, Alex. Initiating the emergency hydration system. But you shouldn’t be fighting, Alex, you’re burning up. Your body temperature is one oh three point eight.
“Must be why I’m so thirsty,” he said.
What happened? What is wrong with you?
“Nothing,” he lied again, knowing it was the INC. It was killing him, and he didn’t want to die, but if Nyx was right and Lynn Faulk was on the huge ship, they were all in danger.
There was a sudden sting in the side of his neck. He was about to complain that something was wrong, but instead a cool wave swept into him. It was like being in the hot sun, exposed to the unrelenting heat, and then stepping into the shade just as a cool breeze blows across your sweat-soaked skin. He sighed as the fire inside him began to abate.
I’ve turned down the internal temperature in your suit. It should help.
It was helping. Alex felt the mental fog drift away, and his body was responding to the fluids being injected into him. He felt stronger, his fatigue seemed to melt away, and he was more like himself.
“It is,” he said. “You can release me from the Valkyrie. In fact, you need to get off that ship.”
What?
“The Drachma is in trouble. You should have the entire crew abandon ship.”
Alex, I’m not the captain. I can’t just order everyone off the ship.
“You have to,” Alex said. “I’m too far away to help, and as soon as Faulk has VP Haley in her possession, she’ll destroy the Drachma. Find a way, Nyx. Tell Ash and Sly, warn the others, and then get off that vessel. I’m coming.”
He was flying fast, but he needed more speed. The longer he accelerated, the faster he would go, but the suit’s armor was only strong enough to stop small debris from compromising his hard-vacuum protection if he stayed under a certain speed. Going faster was a risk, but he knew he had to take it. He was still several hundred kilometers from the Theogony, and if he didn’t get there soon, Lynn Faulk was going to kill everyone he cared about.
Alex could hear Nyx’s fingers flying over the keys of her Controller console.
“What are you doing?” he asked her.
You’re not the only one who can hack their way into a computer system, Nyx said. I’ve sent word to the Operators. Now I’m breaking into the ship’s life-support system.
“Can you trip the alarm?” Alex asked. “Maybe set off a warning about something deadly in the ventilation system. An ammonia leak would do it. The boarding party coming for the VP might even hesitate if the ship is reading a large ammonia leak.”
On it. What about you?
“I can’t get close enough to that new ship to take control,” Alex said. “Not before they fire on you. I can feel their weapons powering up.”
It wasn’t a feeling, really. More of a recognition, like when a faint sound becomes loud enough to understand what it is. Alex understood the strange, building hum in the EM waves were the ship’s heavy lasers. One blast would vaporize the Drachma. There wouldn’t be debris, nothing but atoms set adrift in the cold vacuum of space.
An alarm sounded in Alex’s head. It was a strange sound that made him nervous, but at the same time, he recognized that it wasn’t from his battle suit. He had already disengaged the velocity warning, and he still had enough power and air for the time being. The alarm was from the Drachma. Nyx had done it!
Okay, the alarm is sounding. I’m going to the hangar.
“No,” Alex argued. “Take an escape pod. You shouldn’t waste another second.”
I can’t just run, Alex. I may only be acting chief, but I have a responsibility to the Operators.
Alex wanted to scream at her to do what he was telling her, but it wouldn’t help. He needed to distract Lynn Faulk and there was only one way to do that. He opened the Titan’s radio settings and began hailing the Theogony.
“Theogony, this is Sergeant Alex Evans in Cronus One. Do you read? Over.”
There was a slight pause. Alex was beginning to fear that he had done something wrong. The Titan battle suit only had an internal antenna. It wasn’t made for long-range, deep-space transmissions. But just when he was about to try again, a voice replied.
“Cronus One, this is the Theogony. You are ordered to stay clear of the Drachma. Instead, report directly to the Theogony for boarding and debriefing.”
