“Wh-where are you taking me?”
“Keep walking,” Jaycee stormed forward, threatening to pulverize the poor guy. “If I had my way I’d put a proton charge right between your eyes. Then I’d take you to the airlock and flush you out of this ship along with all the other human waste.”
“P-Please, d-don’t kill me,” Baldron pleaded for his life. At the far end of the corridor was the ship’s prison – N-Carcerate.
“Crew of Opera Beta, may I have your attention, please?” Katz’s voice came through the speakers in the corridor and vessel at large. “I regret to inform you that we have uncovered a traitor among us. Do not be concerned. Jaycee is dealing with him as we speak….”
Jaycee booted Baldron in the chest, sending him tumbling down the corridor, closer to N-Carcerate. “Congratulations, big man. You’re famous.”
Katz held the communication device in his hand. He kept on speaking as Tor watched on, utterly dumbfounded by the revelation.
Androgyne entered the room, looking around the control deck’s walls, taking in the information.
“… communications second officer Baldron Landaker has been placed under arrest for attempted murder. He will be housed in N-Carcerate until we return home, where USARIC will deal with him. Please do not approach or attempt to communicate with him. Failure to comply with this order will be seen as a contravention of Infinity Clause twenty-five-point-five. Thank you. Katz, over and out.”
Tor shook his head and felt like crying. “Baldron?”
“Yeah,” Katz hooked the communicator to the flight deck. “Baldron Landaker. Tried to kill me.”
“How?”
“Dropped his cyanide capsule into my drink. If it weren’t for Jelly acting up, you’d be speaking to a corpse right now, under commander Tripp’s directions.”
“Unbelievable,” Tor sat into his chair and looked at Androgyne. “Uh, what will happen to him now?”
“He’ll spend the next eighteen months in N-Carcerate, twelve of them in hyper-sleep. When we get back, USARIC will try him on the evidence. Pretty compelling stuff. I wouldn’t be surprised if they execute him.”
“Wow,” Tor shook his head once again. “Did he say why he did it?”
“No.”
“Did you upset him?”
“No.”
“Why do you think he did it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he say why he did it?”
“What do you think, Tor? I don’t know.” Katz let out a violent exasperation. “Yeah, the second I asked nicely, he was all like “Oh, Daryl, I really love you, but you’re married, and if I can’t have you, no one can!” Idiot.”
“I’m sorry, Daryl,” Tor cleared his throat. He hadn’t seen this Katz’s wrath of venom before now. “I didn’t mean to—”
“—No, you didn’t meant to, whatever that means. No one ever means to,” Katz took a deep breath and felt sorry for his first comms officer. He was only trying to help, after all. “I’m sorry, Tor. I shouldn’t take it out on you. I’m a bit on edge.”
“Captain Katz?” Androgyne stood before him, dressed in her outer-suit. The helmet sat around her shoulders with the visor opened. “Should I proceed to the primary airlock?”
Katz took a deep breath and tried to acclimatize himself to his work environment. “Yes. Good idea. I’ll have Bonnie accompany you to disembarkation.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
Androgyne turned around and made her way out of the control deck.
“Oh, and… Androgyne?”
“Yes, captain?”
“Watch your six,” Katz said, returning to his controls. “You never know where danger is going to spring from.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Androgyne and Bonnie reached the primary airlock. Bonnie pressed her finger to her ear. “Okay, we’re all set.”
“Understood,” Katz voice advised, “When Androgyne reaches Alpha’s dock, all she has to do is press her glove to the out plate and it should open. Standby for bridge connection.”
Bonnie patted down Androgyne’s outer-skin, a thinner, silver spacesuit that clung to the skin like a pair of leggings. Androgyne’s helmet was more traditional – resembling a small goldfish bowl.
“You ready?”
“I’m scared, Dr. Whitaker.”
“Don’t be. We’re right behind you. Check your comms,” Bonnie nodded at her ear. “Speak.”
Androgyne flipped down her visor and locked to the rim of the helmet. An ear piece automatically folded around her mouth. “Can you hear me?”
Bonnie turned away to make sure she could hear her voice. “Yes, coming through loud a clear. You read me?”
“Yes,” Androgyne looked around inside her helmet. “You’re coming through crystal clear.”
The ship began to rumble.
Bonnie looked through the first door to the airlock. Through the second window, the bridge started to extend away from the ship, headed for the airlock on Space Opera Alpha.
“We don’t know what you’ll find in there.”
“Bonnie,” Katz interrupted through the headset. “Don’t intimidate the poor girl. Androgyne, can you read me?”
“Yes, Captain.”
Androgyne took in the enormity of what was about to happen. “When you board Alpha, we need to establish three things. One, that the ship is habitable for human life. Two, that Alpha’s on board Manuel is operational. He’s an older generation, so if he’s operational, you should expect some differences to our own.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Three, we need to know who survived. It’s that simple.”
“Understood, Captain.”
“Once we’ve established those three facts, we’ll join you and see what we can salvage and rescue. Androgyne?”
“I understand,” she whispered, staring through the airlock window, fearing for her life.
“There’s nothing to be worried about,” Katz said, “I want you to provide a running commentary at all times. If there’s a period of more than ten seconds of radio silence, we’ll assume something is wrong and act accordingly. You’re in safe hands.”
The primary airlock door slid to the side, allowing Androgyne inside.
“The bridge is ready,” Katz said, “Prepare to disembark.”
Bonnie held Androgyne’s shoulder and reassured her. “Good luck. Remember, keep in constant contact.”
“Yes.”
Androgyne took a deep breath and stepped into the airlock. The door slid behind her as she stood perfectly still. “I’m ready, Captain.”
“Good.”
Bonnie waved at her as the outer door opened onto the white, ceramic bridge that presented a thirty second walk to Space Opera Alpha’s airlock. “Good luck.”
“Thanks, Bonnie.”
Androgyne stepped onto the bridge and took her first few weightless steps. She gripped the gantry bars for dear life.
She took in the view of Saturn and her rings looming above her head, spinning very, very slowly. “Wow.”
“What’s up, Androgyne?” Katz asked.
“It’s amazient. It’s so big.”
“Try not to look up, keep focused,” Bonnie’s voice beamed around her head, “Admiring the view will only slow you down.”
Androgyne twisted her head to the left. Enceladus shone brightly, illuminating her visor. She felt a hum rattle through her outer skin, numbing her limbs.
Her feet lifted away from the bridge floor as she moved forward. She grabbed the railing and yanked herself toward the spaceship, her toes barely trailing along the surface.