Too Old To Die, page 22
I hope he plans to do the right thing in the future. Most of the doctors Gareth met in his life carried a certain amount of altruism with them. Keppler… did not. He seemed self absorbed, egotistical, desperate to prove his brilliance. None of which made sense considering his earlier accomplishments.
He’s been living in his own shadow. Then got booted out of the one place he had it easy. Though working in private didn’t seem to slow him down. He got away with plenty, including assaulting a potential blackmailer. God, he probably committed a crime he didn’t tell me about. Something Franklyn discovered.
If Chelsea found out, that would likely be a problem. She had always been stubborn. While she didn’t necessarily become a slave to the rules, she maintained a personal sense of justice. It coincided with the law, for the most part. Ever since she stood up to her first bully in school, she never backed down from what she considered the right thing.
Keppler’s past might come back to haunt them soon. Gareth didn’t know how to cut that off at the pass. If I’m lucky, Earth’s attack will keep her attention rather than the criminal I’m hanging out with. Of course, he needed the doctor to finish administering the serum as well. Without him…
I won’t be contributing to any cause for very long.
“Are we there?” Keppler shouted. He seemed to be coming up the hallway.
Gareth waited for him to approach before replying calmly, “another two minutes. What’ve you been up to?”
“Researching where we might find the ingredients for that final bit of serum. In this region of space, I mean.”
“What did you come up with?”
“Nothing.” Keppler scoffed. “We’re in the ass end of nowhere, sir. This was a terrible decision when it comes to resources!”
“Don’t worry,” Gareth replied. “Chelsea will get us back to the Joint Task Force. They’ll have everything you need to fabricate your serum.”
“They better not imagine for even a single second I’m giving them to secret to it. Not before I’ve finished the whole thing.”
“I’m sure they have bigger fish to fry than to steal from you right now.” Gareth rolled his eyes. “Can I remind you we’re running away from a full invasion force that pretty much destroyed Earth?”
“Yes, yes, I know about that. But there are plenty more humans out there who can benefit from what we have. Earth isn’t the entirety of our species. The colonies often feel slighted because we treat our homeworld as the center of the universe. I’m half surprised they haven’t stood up to rebel yet.”
“Some of them have,” Gareth replied. “When they felt like they hadn’t been represented properly. They absolutely did. A militia came into power, weapons handed out, and they declared independence or whatever.”
“So what? You went in and quelled them?”
“Military personnel handled the first few,” Gareth said. “I wasn’t part of that because it happened before my time. Later, the government cut off shipping. Stopped providing supplies, resources, assistance. All that worked far better than sending in troops to shoot civilians playing soldier.”
“That’s… both genius and horrible. Did you still have to engage once in a while?”
“Of course. Some of the colonies were more self-sufficient. The militias there seized power. It didn’t come to them through a vote or anything. So we had to help. And yes, I worked on a couple. They’re never good. You’re fighting former military or zealous civilians. Neither of which you want to kill.”
“You can turn the Veldon into monsters,” Keppler said, “but the way our society works, it proves much more difficult to vilify colonists no matter how ridiculous they’re acting.”
“Pretty much.” Gareth leaned forward. “Here we go. We’ll be on the edge of the system. Should give us a fair estimate of where all the players are. Make sure we’re not stumbling into some kind of fight. God knows if she’s this far out in the middle of nowhere, it’s probably for business. Unless she got in trouble for something.”
“What sort of issue might she have?” Keppler asked.
“My daughter can be…” Gareth weighed his words. “Stubborn. To say the least. And she’s not one to suffer fools. We had a lot of trouble with her when she was growing up. A few discipline issues at the start of her military career. But she got results. Which helped a lot of her defiance slide.”
“So will it be a problem for us? Do we need to worry about her?”
“Nah.”
Keppler scowled at him. “How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”
“A while.”
“Yeah?” Keppler sighed. “What’s that mean?”
“Years.”
“No word?”
Gareth shook his head.
“And you think this woman will drop everything to help us?” Keppler rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “You know, we’ve bounced from one bad situation to another. Your decisions have saved us, so I can’t say too much. However, this feels like a bad plan. Maybe we should’ve gone straight to the JTF?”
“That… wouldn’t be a good idea.” Gareth cleared his throat. “Not without a friendly face backing us up.”
“Why’s that?”
“The last time I talked to their commanding officer ended in a disagreement.”
“You’re being obtuse,” Keppler said. “Usually, two people have an argument and they resolve the disagreement.”
“Yeah, I punched the guy.” Gareth shrugged. “Knocked him out.”
“Fantastic. Utterly fantastic. The last time you saw your daughter, I take it?”
“We had one more contact,” Gareth replied, “but pretty much.”
“And why did you punch him?”
They dropped into sub light speed. “We’ll have to talk about it later. We’re here.” He engaged the maneuvering thrusters to slow them down. At the same time, he initiated a quick scan for military vessels. The fuel depot sat somewhere off to their left, far enough that he’d have to kick in a high burn to reach.
One military ship sat well away from the station. It seemed to be parked there. Scans indicated no life forms aboard. That’s unusual. Gareth couldn’t fathom what might have happened. He double-checked the readings. They stood. He let out a heavy sigh.
“Zoe, what do you make of that?”
“The cockpit ejection floor is open,” Zoe replied. “It seems whoever was aboard left.”
Damn it, Chelsea. You’ve gotta be kidding me!
Keppler asked, “What are all those ships docked with the thing? Any of them mean anything?”
“One,” Zoe spoke over the speakers, “is an ambassadorial ship. The others are civilian freighters.”
“Let me guess,” Gareth said, “Chelsea’s signal is on the station. Right?”
“Affirmative,” Zoe replied. “Must’ve gotten aboard through the maintenance hatch. That’s the most likely entry point for a small unit.”
“How many people does her ship support?”
Zoe didn’t reply immediately. When she did, her tone turned grave. “One.”
Goddamn it. “Number of people aboard the station?”
“Can’t say,” Zoe said, “they’re using some sort of jamming device. Crude, but apparently functional. Maybe if we got closer, I could get it going.”
Keppler grumbled, “Why would your daughter do this? It seems illogical to attack a base like that alone.”
“The ambassador,” Gareth replied. “She’s worried about a hostage situation. Or these criminal assholes getting ahold of the diplomatic credentials. Those two points are likely enough to risk her life over. I’m not saying I agree with her, and I sure as hell wish she hadn’t done it, but that’s probably the situation.”
“I see. Well, so much for things being easy.” Keppler clapped his hands. “What do we do now?”
“Help her with the mission.” Gareth turned to the doctor. “Can I do this? Am I physically able?”
“How do you feel?”
“Fantastic, but that doesn’t mean it’ll last. A man on a powerful enough painkiller thinks he can walk on a broken leg.”
“You are better than you’ve ever been and will get better.” Keppler shrugged. “How do you intend to get in there? Through these… maintenance hatches?”
“Yep. I’ll need our hazard suit. Too bad they’re not military ready.”
“They are… better than that.” Keppler cleared his throat. “I bought them through a mercenary site because these are rated better for pressure and survival in vacuum. I figured if I had to put one on, I wanted it to be safe. So you’re in luck. It should take a few shots before you’d be in any real trouble.”
“I’m starting to like you, Doc.” Gareth stood. “Let me get ready and we’ll figure out how to get there.”
“Do they have defenses?” Keppler shouted. “Anything to shoot us with?”
“Not yet,” Gareth replied. “Only if they launch those vessels.” He quickly donned the hazard suit. A military grade HUD appeared on the screen of his helmet. Wow. This maniac went all the way. They had a couple rifles, though they weren’t military grade. Still be enough to handle some criminals.
“Are you sure these aren’t military people?” Keppler asked. “Maybe there’s a misunderstanding. We could reach out to them.”
“Nah.” Gareth headed for the cargo bay. “Your goal is to fly us as close to the station as possible. I’ll get out, make my way to the surface, and help them out. Get well out of the way until I contact you. We might need a pickup. Otherwise, that’s pretty much all I’ve got so… just stay alive.”
“Not the best plan I’ve ever heard,” Keppler said, “but you haven’t been wrong yet.”
Mostly fly by the seat of my pants, Gareth thought. This time, I wish I had something better. Chelsea’s life may be on the line. He leaned against the wall as the thrusters engaged. Less than ten minutes and I’m back in it. Another crazy drop out of starship. I haven’t done this in years.
The notion made him smile. I missed it. And now, with the feeling in his body, the lack of aches and pains, he felt like he could do it all again. Like my third tour. My prime. When everything worked and I recovered in twenty-four hours rather than a damn week. Or a month. Much as he tried to forget about the past, it haunted him.
Age plagued him. Beyond the way it ravished his body, it took away the things that gave him meaning. The parts he found most interesting about himself, his physical abilities. Moving through conflicts, thinking on his feet, trusting his instincts. All those things had been lost.
And Keppler gave them back. His serum made this jump possible. The chance to save his daughter, to eventually give humanity a chance to fend off the Veldon. Much as the doctor seemed shifty, dangerous even, Gareth had to give him credit for what he’d done for him. For restoring his purpose.
“Twenty seconds,” Zoe said, “get ready.”
Gotta love the precision. “That’ll get us to the surface?”
“In short order. I’m concerned about leaving Doctor Keppler alone with the ship. Not only does he lack the qualifications to pilot this in a combat situation, he’s the only way you and I will survive.”
“I’ve got a team of two,” Gareth replied. “So this is what we have to do.”
Zoe let out all the air from the cargo area so he wouldn’t be sucked out the second they opened up. She’d control the thrust on his suit to get them where they needed to be. He shrugged his shoulders several times, loosening his muscles moments before he found himself staring at the void.
“Now!” Zoe called. Gareth hurried down the ramp. She engaged the thrust, compelling him away directly above the station. He felt the familiar weightlessness, a sense of existing rather than falling, something he figured he’d never experience again. Despite the situation, Earth’s attack, everything going on… he was utterly thrilled.
Hikes and exercise aren’t remotely the same. Doesn’t matter how many times I exhausted myself. This… is me.
The station loomed ahead. His feet made impact. Zoe’s work on the thrusters made the landing gentle, a perfect descent. His HUD gave him a waypoint to the nearest maintenance hatch. There were thirty of them spread across the surface, which didn’t seem like many considering the sheer size of the depot.
Gareth slowed as he arrived at the ring. Taking a knee, the thing looked dark against the otherwise silvery metallic surface. “Is that rust?”
“Probably,” Zoe said.
“God. I might not have this. Find the next one but… I’ll give it a try.” Gareth got a tight grip. He took a breath then turned with a quick jerk.
The connection popped, allowing the wheel to spin freely.
Wow. That was… wow. I can’t believe that just worked. He threw the hatch open, descending into the tunnel. As he closed the one above him and sealed it, the one below popped out, giving him access to the station. He dropped to the floor in a crouch, aiming his weapon in all directions.
“Give me a direction to Chelsea,” Gareth muttered. “Preferably with fewer other people in the way.”
“I don’t have access to the internal sensors,” Zoe said, “but her signal is less than three hundred yards behind you.”
“Got it.” Gareth turned, moving swiftly down the hallway. He fell back into tactical awareness, easily keeping an eye on his surroundings. The HUD helped a little, with a camera angle directly behind him. The software governing those should’ve made it glow red if it caught any movement beyond the static walls.
A sharp corner loomed ahead. Gareth slowed. He glanced over his shoulder. When he turned back around, a hand grabbed him by the chest, thrusting him against the wall. His daughter’s signal made the HUD glow green, indicating he’d found it. She held her forearm against his chest.
“You’re not with the criminals,” Chelsea said. “Who the hell are you?”
“Hi, honey,” Gareth replied, “nice move. I guess you can’t see me through the helmet? Is it opaque or something?”
“Dad?” Chelsea backed away. “What the… I… what are you doing here?”
“Helping you,” Gareth replied. “Nice move. How’d you sneak up on me like that?”
“My HUD showed movement.” Chelsea sighed. “Dad, this is really dangerous. There are at least thirty pirates aboard this station. They’re holding an ambassador, along with their ship. I need to get them out of here and either take the ship back, or blow it up.”
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
“Dad… no offense, but you’ll only slow me down. How’d you even get here?”
“That’s a long story,” Gareth said, “but it started with the attack on Earth. I’m assuming you’ve heard about it.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m… I’m glad you’re okay. But…”
Movement on Gareth’s HUD caught his attention. He held up his hand. “We’ve got company.”
“Zed,” Chelsea said, “what’s going on? Why are they coming this way?”
“They can’t get into the ship,” Zed replied, “they’re going to interrogate the prisoners. You’ve got some guards there to contend with but you’d better hurry if you want to get to them without a massive firefight.”
“Pretty sure we won’t have a choice about that.” Chelsea sighed. “Come on, dad. Do your best to keep up.”
“Yeah.” Gareth smirked. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Chapter 15
Chelsea took the lead, running down the hall toward their destination. Two dots on her HUD indicated the people guarding the prisoners. They were just up around the corner. She held up her hand for her father to slow down as they approached the edge. My dad… I can’t even believe this.
Putting aside the notion he came all the way out there from Earth, she had a hard time believing he made it onto the station undetected. He must’ve used a ship. But where could he have docked without being caught? Something crazy is going on. If he tried to do what I did, then he’s insane.
Chelsea held up her hand, indicating two, then jabbed her thumb in their direction. He nodded. They slipped out, weapons raised. The guards glanced in their direction though neither immediately reacted. She opened fire, blasting her target. Her father put one in both of them before the bodies hit the floor.
“Did you stun them?” Chelsea asked.
“I did,” Gareth replied, “this is a civilian weapon. I don’t have a choice right now.”
“Got it.” Chelsea moved over to the door. She checked the input pad. “This is locked with biometrics.”
“It has a handle,” Gareth replied. “Step aside.” He took hold of the grip, then leaned into it, dragging it away from the frame. It complained from the effort but once he broke the lock, it opened as if he entered the code. “Voila. We’re good to go.”
“How the…” Chelsea shook her head. “We have a lot to talk about, it seems.”
A woman grabbed Chelsea, dragging her into the room. The two spun, each struggling for control of the rifle. They continued moving until they made contact with the opposite wall.
Chelsea kneed her attacker in the side twice. A bigger man moved on them from the left. He reached for her half a second before a weapon discharged three times into the ceiling.
“That’s enough!” Gareth bellowed. “We’re here to get you people out! Take it down. We don’t have time. So file out with us, and we’re getting out of here!”
Another man stepped close, holding the weapons from the guards outside. “My name is Sergeant Bryce Driver. I’m the ambassador’s bodyguard.” He handed the extra weapon to the big guy. “I’m ready to do whatever you need to get us out of here. But you should know, our ship doesn’t have any fuel to get out of here.”
“Ours either,” the other woman said. She shoved Chelsea off of her. “So we’ve got some problems.”
Chelsea nodded. “Then we have to destroy the ambassador’s vessel. It’ll be a tight fit, but my ship can get us back to civilization if we wear our suits. The life support can’t handle this many people.”
