“Sure I did, fifteen years ago and five sectors away. Okay, here goes,” He injected himself with the six ounces of dark red fluid. The lift doors started opening and he held his hands up. Luckily, the security officer wasn't overly trigger happy. “I surrender!” Ramirez called out before falling to the floor, unconscious.
Agameg tried not to look worried as Ramirez was delivered to the brig on a hovergurney.
“Bastard shot Berman and jumped into a lift. Open cell five,” the guard ordered.
Agameg pressed the door control and watched the cell open.
The guard pushed the gurney inside and rolled Ramirez off onto the floor unceremoniously. “Injected himself with an emergency stasis dose right before I caught him. Strangest thing I've ever seen.”
“What?” Agameg slipped.
The guard looked right at him. “Yup, he'll be out for at least eight hours. Probably feel better than any of us when he wakes up too,” he kicked Ramirez before pushing the gurney out of the cell. “Close it up.”
Agameg complied.
“You look better. Feeling okay now?” Asked the guard.
“Much better, thank you.”
“Got a frog in your throat?”
Agameg didn't understand and cocked his head. “I don't think so.”
“Ah, you just sound a little different, probably just a bug.”
Agameg nodded.
“Any chance we could switch? After that chase I don't much feel like getting the rest of the crew from that piece of scrap on the landing deck.”
“I don't think the Captain would like that.”
“Yeah, he's particular. See you in a few,” the guard said as he left the brig.
“You're getting better at this,” Ashley whispered after the hatch closed.
“Thank you, I wouldn't have been as convincing without your direction.” Agameg said with a nod. “Finn, it sounds like guards will be discovering our empty racks soon,” he whispered.
“You're right, there are already four guards on their way onto the ship. They've detected the energy signature from the Big Surprise and are coming to check it out.”
“Oh no.”
“I'm trying to set it to blow and get out.”
Agameg checked the locations of crew members on that floor and nodded to himself. “I'm going to let everyone out of their cells.”
“Good idea, there's a chance the brig controls would be disabled when this goes off.”
Agameg opened all the cells and was joined by Ashley, Cynthia and the two other crewmen. He had discovered one was named Marcus Jackson and the other was Vanda Mason. “We will have to arm ourselves somehow along the way.”
“Can you find a weapons locker?” Cynthia asked, looking at the brig controls.
“No, the security implemented across the ship seems to be based on a localized system of control. You can see and hear much, but actually do very little.”
“Okay, that makes things complicated. I'm not exactly the best hacker around.”
“Localized control?” Ashley asked.
“It means that most stations don't have any kind of remote control available, so you have to operate certain systems from certain stations. It might have something to do with the automation.” Cynthia supposed as she browsed through the different control menus so fast Agameg couldn't track. “Yup, there are stations specific to engineering, navigation, weaponry, medical and other broad categories. Over two thirds of the ship is completely locked down and has been for decades. This ship hasn't operated with anything but a skeleton crew for a long time. Did you find out how many people are aboard?”
“There are about sixty five crew as far as I could determine.”
“Well, that looks like an arms locker there. If we find a good corner to hole up in we should be able to hold out until the Captain finds us.”
“There's a small ship landing beside the Samson, ” Finn whispered.
“Someone is landing,” Agameg relayed.
“Well, let's get moving. I'm betting that's the Captain now,” Ashley said, opening the brig hatchway.
Finn could see and hear the incoming security team of four perfectly. The Samson's internal sensors were never turned off. “The power reading is coming from in here,” said one of the team members.
“Think it's a line of reserve capacitors?”
“Maybe, Captain Wheeler wanted it checked before the Cold Reaver landed.”
“Some name for a dropship.”
“Have you seen the guns on that thing? It's loaded down with electromagnetic pulse cannons. If that weren't enough there are two railgun turrets.” Replied one of the security officers. “I would not want to get behind that thing in a fighter, you'd be dust in seconds.”
Finn got an idea, he wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but it was better than nothing. He climbed on top of the Big surprise and got ready.
“Aw crap, there's the Reaver. We better hurry down in there and check it out,” he overheard one of the security officers complain.
“Don't worry, the Captain's got four guys with him, what could go wrong?”
“Two of them aren't even part of a security detail, they're mechanics dressed up like officers. We'd better make it quick.”
The hatch opened and Finn was face to face with one of the security officers. “Hi!”
“What the? Don't move!”
Finn squeezed his eyes shut and activated the launch door on his computer pad, holding on for dear life. The big surprise was thrust through the launch doors below it and crashed into the hangar deck, knocking the wind out of Finn even though his vacsuit protected him from most of the concussive force.
He didn't have time to catch his breath, the big surprise and the landing struts were the only cover he had. Captain Wheeler and four of his crew members looked on in surprise as Finn rolled off the ugly mess of capacitors and energy units then ran for the nearest exit as hard as he could.
He went right under where the Cold Reaver was landing and into a doorway. Finn found the control panel, closed the doors and busted the cover off hurriedly. He looked for wiring underneath. It was all modern, high quality heavy duty integrated circuitry. There were no loose wires to manipulate. Hoping for the best he pulled the flat, featureless circuit board as hard as he could and showered himself in sparks as it came free. A larger panel beneath popped open to reveal a crank for manually opening the door and he jammed his foot down onto it, hoping he was strong enough to keep the door closed. “God I hope that's the only door leading into this room,” he looked around for a moment and realized he was inside a disused workshop. It was huge, and only partially lit. There were parts in neat stacks near the doorway, along with an engine on a stand he assumed was from a shuttle.
With one finger hovering over the Big Surprise's remote trigger he watched the hangar through the Samson's external sensors. No one was coming for him yet, and Captain Wheeler was focused on the Cold Reaver as the gangway lowered.
Wheeler was disappointed. The person his security team was escorting down the ramp was certainly not Valent. He was too short for a start.
“I told you Valent was about six feet tall,” he said as he opened the captive's long coat. “And this is a woman!”
“I'm sorry sir, she had everything you described Valent with. Even his sidearm.” One of the security officers said, offering him the heavy handgun.
“Not to mention other accessories that don't come with a male captive,” Wheeler said sourly as he reached for the weapon. His hand was just about to touch it when he felt the ominous shape of a round barrel press up against the back of his head. Without a thought he dropped to his knees, drew his sidearm just enough to clear the holster, and pointed it backwards, firing several times.
He caught one of his own security team in the chest, but hit whoever was behind him three times. The cloaking field projected by Jake Valance's armour failed and his body became visible. One shot had caught him just under the chin, the next squarely in the stomach and the third had caught him in the groin. “Now that is Valent.” Wheeler said as he held his hand out towards the charred body, taking a medical reading with sensors inbedded in his palm. He checked the readout displayed on the surface of his forearm's skin. “Dead. I'll probably lose my cash reward for this,” he concluded. “Helm, set course for Pallanous four.” Wheeler ordered as he reloaded his pulse weapon.