Chapter Thirteen
The Smiling Man
Crush pulled at the stupid silver armor, but nothing he did would make it comfortable. Andy seemed to be having similar problems, judging from his constant fidgeting.
The Quad and Sec cents with them didn’t seem uncomfortable, but they had the advantage of metal bodies that were immune to being squeezed in inconvenient places.
The skiff they had borrowed was flying on automatic, heading for the large destroyer on the flank of the heavy cruiser. It was not where they had hoped to end up, but things fell as they did. Crush was used to making do with reality, as opposed to what he wished would happen. Plans fall apart, situations change, and you either adapt or die.
“Ballard, hurry up those repairs. I expect you to report to my cabin as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Captain,” Ballard announced. The gun pressed against the back of his head certainly helped, but Crush was getting the impression that the man was almost happy all of this was happening.
He and Andy exchanged a look over the man’s head. He was bound and tied to the floor—Crush was not surprised to find manacles on the skiff—but his contentment was making them nervous.
“If you pass any sort of code…” Andy threatened.
Ballard laughed and smiled.
“See, now that is going to get you shot,” Crush added in a friendly tone.
“Look, mate, I am no hero,” Ballard twisted his head to look up at Crush. “My contract with the Imperial Line explicitly states that if captured, I will be considered dead or lost. Either constitutes a breach of contract, and I can expect neither rescue nor the payment of ransom.”
“You’re shitting me,” Andy said in disbelief.
“The moment these manacles went on, my employment was terminated,” Ballard shrugged. “I’m currently hoping that cooperation will allow me to walk away after this?”
“I would be happy to leave you at the station when we leave,” Crush admitted.
“That would be fine, thank you,” Ballard settled down. “Anything you need to know, I’d be happy to tell you in exchange for a small payment.”
“Fucking Imperial Line,” Andy shook his head and turned away. “It’s always about money with you lot.”
“I suppose you are doing all of this for warm feelings?” Ballard laughed.
“Pretty much,” Andy admitted. “Hey, Boss, have we ever been paid?”
“Not that I am aware of,” Crush grinned.
“And you think we are the weird ones?” Ballard looked horrified.
The large destroyer was well-equipped, well-armed, and well-manned. Attempting to get inside would be a long, hard fight.
Or it would have been if Crush had less time to think on the way over or a little more mercy for those who prayed on others. Nellie had explained the Imperial Line to Crush, and everything he had seen confirmed what she told him. All the legal documents in the world would not convince him it wasn’t a mob with fancy titles.
That made them criminals, and criminals paid the price.
“Everyone secured?” Andy asked, his voice tiny over the silver armor.
Everyone sounded off, including their bound prisoner, who seemed utterly unbothered about what was about to happen.
“Go,” Crush ordered, and Andy flipped the switch on the Skiff’s emergency release.
Three minutes earlier, Quad had hacked the destroyer's security. Although it had an onboard computer, it was no barrier to a creature designed and nurtured by Paren. Oxygen pumps shut down as every compartment door and hatch opened as they drifted clear, instantly venting the entire destroyer to vacuum.
A single Centrum unit leaped the widening gap, landing in the destroyer and stalking into the ship as the skiff maneuvered on thrusters.
“Should hit the engine room any moment now,” Crush hinted to their pilot. “If this works…”
“I have a plan, Boss,” Sec assured him.
The skiff drifted behind the second destroyer, a much smaller one, as the large destroyer's engines flared into life, rocketing it into the rear of the heavy cruiser.
“And overloading the engines about now,” Crush added before the darkness outside flared brilliant white for a moment.
Debris flew past them, hidden safely behind the other destroyer.
It did not fare quite as well, being sent spinning with a large piece of metal buried in the side as it, too, began to vent atmosphere.
“Get us out of here before it blows!” Crush yelled at Sec.
The skiff's engines flared to life just in time to see their own overpowered and nanite-boosted destroyers opening fire on one of the two remaining cruisers while the Talon unloaded on the other.
Of the heavy cruiser? Nothing but debris remained.
Both of the remaining Imperial Line cruisers were already heavily damaged from the heavy cruiser going up. Every single Imperial Line ship had dropped their shields to a minimum the moment Ballard reported they had taken control of the Talon.
“These fuckers really need to learn to spread their formations out a bit more,” Andy commented drily as the lights on one of the enemy cruisers went out.
“Hey, Boss,” Cara called over the squad comms, ignoring the ship-to-ship comms entirely. “We just got an unconditional surrender from the remaining cruiser. We letting them do that?”
“Yes,” Crush replied. “I think it would be good for them to learn that giving up against us doesn’t mean death.”
“What about the destroyer?” Cara asked. “They are currently begging for help, but the station is ignoring their calls.”
“Tow them in,” Crush replied after a moment, “Get all the ships docked at our bays.”
“What about that disabled cruiser?” Andy asked.
“Oh, yeah. Cara? Get some nanite cubes out of storage and send some cents to start converting that thing. Just enough to get it home, okay?” Crush smiled hugely.
Nellie would never believe they came back with three times the ships they left with.
“Roger that, Boss,” Cara called. “You guys docking with us before we get to the station?”
“On our way, Bossette!” Sec called.
“Bossette?” Cara growled.
“Oh, that is so becoming a thing,” Andy chuckled.
===<<<>>>===
Viria squirmed in her seat, looking at the smiling man across from her with a feeble attempt at bravery.
“The Station Master made a deal with the Imperial Line,” Cheape reported, keeping her voice level and controlled. “Captain Lang would execute the crew of the Talon and its escorts, seizing the ships in the process. In payment for your location and the station’s assistance in capturing you, they would get your cargo.”
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“That is piracy,” The smiling man offered with a slight drawl to his words.
Cheape had not known any of these people long, but she was currently reminded of an incident in her home world. It was an out-of-the-way place run exclusively by a band of bastards who took everything and then came back for more.
As a child, she vividly remembered hiding in the walls of the village hall when they finally raided it. They had strolled in like they owned the place, and everyone simply cowered.
Even her father. Not even complaining when they grabbed her mother and sister to entertain them that night. All except Old Man Hubbard.
He had just smiled this lazy smile as he picked up his rifle from the corner of the room.
None of them had walked out that night, and Old Man Hubbard did not even need to reload.
It was the most vivid memory of her young life. The smile most of all.
The same kind of smile that was making Viria so nervous.
“It is not piracy!” Viria protested. “We simply chose to acknowledge the Imperial Line’s claims. The system is entitled to claim a finders fee.”
“Like I said, piracy,” The smile stretched wider, and Cheape fought the urge to close her eyes. “You also declared war on the Nanite Imperium in the process. Who currently has three cruisers in your system, two destroyers, and troops in command of this station. Do you consider this to have been a wise choice?”
“In retrospect, no,” Viria admitted. “Though I doubt you care.”
“You’re wrong.”
Cheape jerked her head to look at the woman who had originally captured her, Cara.
“I suggest a peace treaty between us,” the smiling man went on. “You agree to remain neutral in this war, and we leave that third destroyer where it is.”
“I accept, but I fail to see what leaving the destroyer has to do with it?” Viria was starting to sweat.
“If I may?” Cheape stepped forward.
“Go ahead,” Cara nodded.
“First, Captain Lang intended to seize the cargo and the station.” She swallowed while Viria’s spines stood on end. “And leaving the destroyer there would make it a derelict and therefore subject to salvage laws. You could recover it, and it would become your legal property.” She cleared her throat, “The Imperial Line would accept it as yours by law as well.”
Viria goggled at Cheape.
“I take it we have a deal?” Cara prompted.
“We do. We do!” Viria seemed to be trying to pull herself together.
“I have to ask,” the cute man with the wavy hair asked, “Why not just buy the cargo?”
“Our system is not rich,” Viria said sullenly. “We could not afford it.”
“Try lowering your ridiculous fees,” Cheape added, trying to be helpful.
“No! That would get us less money!” Viria hissed at her.
“You know more ships would dock here, which would get more fees, right?” Cheape tried.
“You clearly do not understand money,” Viria huffed. “Less is less. More is more.”
Cheape just stared at her until Cara pulled her away.
Since no one told her what to do, Cheape followed them through the station and back to the docking bay. The man with the smile was apparently the one in charge. His name was Crush, while the cute one was Andy.
Cara stopped her as they were about to head back onto the Talon.
“You can go now if you want,” Cara told her, the stone-hard eyes boring into her. “You took no hostile action, committed no crimes against us, and kept to your end of the deal. As far as we are concerned, you are free to leave.”
“Do I have to?” Cheape asked.
“Pardon?” Cara asked, a small smile curling her lips.
“I am asking if I have to leave or if you might have a job for me.” Cheape clarified, standing at attention. “I am well trained in shipboard operations and administrative matters of all kinds, with a specialty in logistics and fleet provisioning.”
“You are aware we are currently at war with the Imperial Line?” Cara asked.
“I am, but I have no allegiance to them. It was simply the only job on offer.” Cheape tried to show how honest she was being and crossed her fingers.
“Boss,” Cara seemed to talk to the air, not pressing a comm button that Cheape could see. “We have a complication.”
Cheape frowned as Cara seemed to listen to the air, thinking that Cara was making a joke.
“She’s good at a bunch of stuff,” Cara nodded at nothing for a moment, “Logistics, apparently.”
Cheape was about to tell her to cut it out when Cara smiled.
“Okay, girlie,” Cara said. “It looks like you get an interview.”
Cheape hesitated for a second when Cara waved her onto the Talon, still worried this might be a joke at her expense, but decided to enter. At this point, what did she have to lose?
The interior of the Talon was just as strange to her as when she was first on board. The corridors were bigger, and the airlocks were more frequent, but more than anything, they were empty. Other than the four people, it seemed to be staffed entirely by automatons.
There had to be more than just this, right? Even a trade convoy should have a decent staff on board. Especially from a major power.
While Cheape herself had never heard of the Nanite Imperium, they had heard stories on the way here—stories of the destruction of the Quick Response Fleet at the hands of a dangerous new enemy. Stories of a vanishing recovery detachment and the Line’s rising star, Carter.
When she was finally ushered onto the bridge, Cheape felt like her heart was beating out of her chest. It was eerie, a ship this empty, and it made her think of ghost stories.
Then the cute guy turned and smiled at her, and Cheape focused on not blushing like a schoolgirl.
“Over here,” Crush called, and she hurried over to stand in front of the Captain’s chair. She noticed it had two others next to it, which was very different from the Imperial Line ships. That being said, the Captain was even more different.
Cheape had served under four Captains of the Line, and each one was different. The only thing they had in common was sitting in the Captain’s chair like they were seated on a throne. Their power radiated from it, and they reveled in it.
Crush sat in it like it was just a chair.
Some instinct told Cheape he would have happily sat at a console if that was his assigned spot. To him, the chair was irrelevant.
It was kind of impressive, even if it made her feel off balance.
“You want to work for the Nanite Imperium?” Crush asked her.
“Yes, Captain,” Cheape answered smartly.
“By that, I mean you want a job in exchange for pay?” Crush asked again.
“Yes, Captain,” Cheape answered again, not sure where this was going.
“Then there is nothing I can do for you,” Crush told her.
“We don’t get paid,” Andy offered.
“Pardon?” Cheape asked, her brain short-circuiting.
“I think there might have been a few misunderstandings, Cheape,” Cara grinned at her.
“I better set you straight,” Crush said kindly, “Have a seat.”
Cheape sat on a spare chair and tried to understand, then tried to believe what he was saying.
The story was something out of a fever dream. A woman from another world and an evil corporation—one that everyone had heard of—and then, it got weird. A planet destroyed, a scrap merchant becoming a queen. It was beyond belief, but looking at the faces of the Talon’s crew, Cheape believed.
There was not an ounce of a lie in any of it.
What was clear to Cheape was that they were going to lose. There was just no way that they could possibly survive. And yet…
What if they could?
What if she managed to join them? Get in on the ground floor of a whole new type of society.
“Can I ask some questions?” Cheape asked when Crush finished.
“Go ahead,” Crush nodded.
“Do you never intend to use money?” Cheape had to know.
“We probably will,” Crush shrugged. “We just haven’t gotten around to it yet, I guess. I mean, we haven’t needed it yet.”
“We need, we ask, we get,” Cara shrugged. “There has been no time to want anything yet.”
“Does everyone have nanites?” Cheape was more than a little nervous about this point. As far as she knew, they were very limited in use.
“No, we didn’t until recently,” Crush said with a smile. “Long story, but the short version is that we have lots of people without them.”
“Idiots, the lot of ‘em!” One of the automatons called back.
“Are there many automatons in your society?” Cheape asked.
“The cents here are a form of synthetic,” Crush said. “We have all forms of robotic, synthetic, cybernetic, and AI life. All are people; all are equal.”
“Liar!” Another called back. “We are sooo the best ones! Paren made us!”
“Shut up, Sec,” Cara laughed.
Cheape nodded her head and thought about it. They saw automatons as people? That was… new. Most of the places she had seen had trouble seeing other people as people. So this had to be a good sign, right?
“Are there opportunities for advancement?” Cheape asked.
“Our Queen was a scrap merchant last year; what do you think?” Crush smiled. “But honestly, yes. Queen Bonne Chance is a unique person, but yeah, everyone moves up if they want to.”
“Why give me an interview at all?” Cheape felt her neck prickle at even asking the question. “I mean, if you didn’t think there was anything to offer.”
“You said you were good at logistics? Well, we need people like that.” Crush shrugged.
Cheape sat and thought for a few moments. This was a huge gamble and almost sure to end in her death. The chances of this small group surviving the next few weeks, let alone months, had to be around the single digits.
On the other hand, if they did…
It's an all-or-nothing situation. A new life, unlike anything she had ever imagined possible or certain death. It was more than likely death, to boot.
“How do I sign up?” Cheape asked.
Death had been a constant threat her whole life. It had hung there like a cloud that followed her around until she forgot to be afraid of it anymore. It was just life.
The chance of a life worth living? Not some distant future goal, but right now, today?
That was something new.
“You’re sure?” Cara asked, still smiling.
“I am,” Cheape replied honestly. This was something she would have killed for, let alone risk her life for.
“Just to be clear,” Crush added, that smile appearing on his face as his accent thickened. “If you are trying to get in with us to spy on the Imperium, I’ll kill you.”
Cheape looked at the three pairs of suddenly hard eyes staring at her and knew it was true. They laughed and joked, were friendly, apparently honest, and kind, to boot.
But not one of them would blink before snapping her neck if she betrayed them.
“No problem,” Cheape smiled happily. “When can I start?”
They had nothing to worry about from her. The Imperial Line could go suck a black hole for all she cared.