Ep.#1 - "Escalation" (The Frontiers Saga: Rogue Castes) (22 page)

“We’ll be here!” the crewman replied as they began cranking the hatch closed.

Marcus closed his hatch as well, then watched through the hatch portal until the Asa-Cafon’s outer hatch was closed and mated back up with the seams of her hull. “Breaking docking seal,” he announced over his helmet comms as he deactivated the docking ring locks on the far end of the boarding tunnel.

The sound of rushing air filled the room, as the pressure inside the boarding tunnel escaped into space. Several of the passengers crowded around the docking apparatus screamed out in fear, thinking the cargo bay was losing pressure.

“Clean disconnect,” Marcus added. “Retracting the boarding tunnel.” As he holstered his weapon again, he looked down at the young boy standing in front of his mother to his left. “That’s what happens when you don’t do as you’re told.”

“Thrusting away, one percent only,” Josh announced as he fired the Seiiki’s docking thrusters to push away from the Asa-Cafon. “You wanna call up the return jump series?”

Captain Tuplo stared at the monitor, transfixed by the expressions of absolute terror on the faces of his passengers. He could not imagine what they had been through. The loss of power. The frigid temperatures. All the while, not knowing if anyone was going to come to their rescue, or even worse, that they would freeze to death, trillions of kilometers away from their homes.

Connor Tuplo knew that he had been in a horrific crash. But he had no memory of it. Not before, not during, and not after. His only memories were from the moment he had awakened in the hospital, six months later. All he knew of the crash was what he had read in the reports, and the pictures he had seen of the wreckage. He didn’t even remember his life before the crash. That too was now just a collection of facts from his personnel file. Facts he had committed to memory in order to feel somewhat normal…as he imagined everyone else felt. Everyone who
remembered
their past.

The faces. He wondered if the faces of his passengers had been the same, fear and panic, the kind that only comes with the knowledge that certain death is inevitable.

Connor had been told the accident was not his fault. Some part, some tiny part deep within the ship he had been flying, had failed at exactly the wrong moment. He had even been given compensation for his pain and suffering… Enough to buy the Seiiki,
and
learn how to fly all over again. But that hadn’t brought back the lives that had been lost. The lives that
he
had been responsible for as the pilot that day. It hadn’t even brought back his life…only a superficial facsimile of it.

“Cap’n?” Josh called again.

“Uh, yeah,” the captain replied, snapping out of his daze. “The return series, coming up.”

“
Boarding tunnel is retracted
,” Marcus reported over the comms. “
Ramp is coming up.
”

“Coming about and climbing relative to the Asa-Cafon,” Josh reported as he eased the throttles of the main engines forward.

“
Take it easy,
” Marcus warned. “
The ramp ain’t up, yet.
”

“Relax, old man,” Josh replied. “Cap’n you got those jumps loaded?”

“Loaded and ready,” the captain answered. “Let’s get these people back to Haven as quick as possible, so we can come back for the rest of them while there’s still time.”

“What’s the hurry, Cap’n?” Josh asked. “You know somethin’ I don’t?”

“I don’t know. Something just doesn’t feel right.”

* * *

Jerrot and Dumar wheeled the last two wine barrels out of the market and toward the truck.

“I have learned that the checkpoints on both Eighty-S
econd, and Dinsmuir have been moved,” Anji said in a low voice as he stepped up alongside Dumar. “To where, I do not know. But if you take Normund Boulevard south, you will likely have only the one checkpoint on the edge of the city to deal with. That should help you get to your next delivery on time.”

“Thank you,” Dumar replied, shaking his hand in sincere gratitude. “I will not forget this, my friend.”

“We do what we must, and we fight however we are able,” Anji replied. “It is the Corinairan way.”

“Indeed it is,” Dumar replied with a wry smile. He turned and watched as Jerrot and two of Anji’s men loaded the last two barrels of wine onto the truck, and lashed them down. It would be a long and bumpy ride, especially for those submerged up to their chins in the spiced wine. Dumar thought for a moment, wondering just how Lael was going to manage keeping both her and the infant’s faces out of the water. He had taken some of the wine out of that barrel, and placed it at the front of the truck’s cargo bed, in the hopes that the Jung’s simple handheld scanners would not notice the heat signatures above the level of the fluid. It was a risk, but was one they had to take for the sake of the child.

Jerrot checked the cargo straps to ensure they were taut, then jumped down off the cargo bed. “Let us depart.”

Dumar nodded politely at Anji, then turned and climbed up into the passenger side of the truck’s cabin. A moment later, they were rolling away from the market.

* * *

“Come on, folks, let’s keep it moving,” Dalen instructed, as he helped passengers clear the bottom of the boarding stairs at the spaceport on Haven.
“There’s still a lot of people left on the Asa-Cafon.”

“I didn’t find anything out of place,” Marcus said as he came out from under the Seiiki’s port engine nacelle. “Nothin’ on the starboard side, neither. You sure you aren’t just imaginin’ things, kid?”

“I’m telling ya, something didn’t feel right during touchdown. The vibrations were wrong. They were…out of sync, or something.”

Marcus tapped his comm-set. “Cap’n, everything looks good down here. You find anything on your end?”

“
Nothing
,” the captain replied over comms. “
Diagnostics all look good. How long before we can lift off?
”

“
Last of the passengers are exiting now
,” Neli reported.

“I’m telling you, something wasn’t right,” Dalen insisted.

“Go look for yourself, then,” Marcus grumbled. “I’ll get the last of them down and clear.”

“I don’t know, Cap’n,” Josh said, as he studied the diagnostics readout on the engineering display at the back of the Seiiki’s cockpit. “There
was
a drop in power in the port, outboard engine as we flared, but it was less than two percent of what we were asking of it.” Josh turned to look at Captain Tuplo. “It ain’t the first time it happened, you know.”

“I know, I know,” the captain admitted with slight frustration. “But the last time it happened and we ignored it, we were down for a week to repair it, and it was
not
cheap.”

“That time was way more than a two percent drop, Cap’n,” Josh argued. “Two percent, we can handle, especially if we’re runnin’ light. When it starts droppin’ ten or twenty percent, then I’ll start sweatin’. Besides, if we don’t finish this job, we don’t get paid, remember?”

“
Last passenger is headed down the gangway now, Cap’n,
” Neli called over comms.

“Finally,” Captain Tuplo replied, glancing at the ship’s time display. “Marcus, Dalen; as soon as that last passenger is clear of the pad, you two get your asses back on board. I want to be wheels up and jumping in two minutes.”

* * *

Travon and Jerrot had been waiting in line at the checkpoint on the southern border of Aitkenna for more than half an hour. Their cargo bed was loaded with twelve barrels of wi
ne, four of which were empty, while the other six contained not only wine, but also the six adults and one infant they were attempting to smuggle out of the city.

“How are you holding up, Jerrot?” Dumar asked, as he watched the Jung soldiers finish inspecting the vehicle in front of them.

“I am fine. I just want this to be over with. It is like my entire future hangs on the next few moments.”

“That’s because it does,” Dumar replied, as he glanced back through the window at the wine barrels, checking that their lids were still in place. “As does that of your family.”

“You need not remind me, Travon. Believe me.”

“Well, at least this is the last checkpoint.”

“And there are no others in the countryside?”

“None that I am aware of,” Dumar said.

“But there might be.”

“It is possible. However, considering this is only the second day of Jung occupation, I would expect their focus would be on securing the major cities first. The countryside will come later.”

“Hopefully we will all be long gone by then,” Jerrot commented.

“Indeed.”

The vehicle in front of them began to roll forward through the checkpoint gate, and the Jung soldiers signaled for them to pull forward. Jerrot eased the truck ahead, coming to a stop a few meters further, as the gate came down in front of them. All Jerrot could see was the road on the other side of the gate. The road represented freedom, and life. Both without the Jung. All they had to do was get past this checkpoint, and drive back to Dumar’s resort in the mountains. The drive would be long, but it would likely be without incident. All they had to do was get past the gate in front of them without raising suspicion.

“ID card,” the Jung soldier instructed.

Jerrot handed the soldier his ID card, as the other soldiers began scanning his truck, carefully passing their scanners up and down, side to side, checking for any signals that would indicate they were carrying prohibited cargo.

Dumar handed his ID card to the Jung soldier at his window as well, while the other soldier scanned his side of the vehicle.

“You entered city from opposite,” the guard said, an air of suspicion in his tone. “Why for you to exit here, not there? Are you not to be going home?”

“No, we are not,” Jerrot replied, remaining as calm as could be expected while a tired, apparently irritated and armed soldier was interrogating him. “Our next delivery is in Jerston, the next city to the south. It made sense to exit here, rather than backtracking. I apologize if we were supposed to exit the same way we came in. I was unaware of this requirement.”

The soldier looked at Jerrot, one eyebrow raised. He checked the ID card, then compared its photograph with Jerrot’s face. “You are carrying garant spice wine, yes?”

“That is correct.”

“It is good to drink, I hear. Maybe I should take some? For my men and I. What you think of this?”

“Help yourself,” Dumar offered.

Jerrot glanced at Dumar.

At the back of the truck, one of the soldiers holding a hand scanner noticed a leaking spigot. Wine was dribbling onto the bed of the truck, down the end, and onto the street. The soldier barked something in Jung to the soldiers at the front of the vehicle, then reached down and filled his cupped hand with the burgundy liquid. He brought his hand up to his mouth and sipped at the liquid, spitting it out a moment later and cursing in Jung.

The soldier at Jerrot’s window laughed, then looked back at Jerrot. “My men do not want your rancid liquid,” he said, handing the ID card back to Jerrot. “You may pass.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jerrot replied, as he prepared to drive.

“On your way!” the soldier ordered, signaling the gatekeeper to let them through.

The other soldier handed Dumar his ID card and stepped back. Dumar nodded politely, as the vehicle pulled slowly forward.

Moments later, they were through the gate and rolling down the boulevard, away from the city.

“Finally,” Jerrot sighed with relief.

“It is not over until we reach our destination,” Dumar reminded him. “That was very good, by the way,” he added a minute later. “Perhaps you have a future in covert operations?”

“No thanks,” Jerrot replied without hesitation.

* * *

“Two meters, slow it down,” Captain Tuplo cautioned as he watched the flight dynamics display on the Seiiki’s console.

Josh tapped the flight control stick, causing another small j
et of thrust to spit out of the ship’s aft-facing docking thrusters, and slowing the Seiiki’s closure rate on the Asa-Cafon even further.

“One meter…and…” The ship rocked gently. “Contact,” Captain Tuplo reported. “Lock it in, Marcus.” He looked at Josh. “Much nicer.”

“Somethin’ was pulling us in,” Josh insisted. “I’m sure of it. That’s why we hit so hard last time.”

“How could something be
pulling
us in, Josh?” the captain argued. “She’s a bigger ship, sure. But she isn’t
that
much bigger.”

“I’m telling ya, Cap’n, it shouldn’t have taken that much thrust to slow us down. Maybe their artificial gravity plating is wonky.”

“Standard gravity plating doesn’t work that way, Josh, and you know it. And even if they had variable gravity plating, which they
might
have in the cargo bays, they’d need to pump more power into them to increase their pull. A
lot
more to pull on a nearby ship, which I don’t think even is
possible
. And that’s why they’re stranded out here. They don’t
have
any power.”

“Regardless, Cap’n,” Josh replied, standing his ground, “
something
was pulling us into her that
shouldn’t
have been.”

“
Docking collar shows a good seal,
” Marcus reported over the comms. “
Opening inner hatch.
”

“Same as before, people,” the captain instructed. “Get them on quick, so we can get back quick. We’ve still got to come back for the crew and the cargo, and that cargo is going to take even longer.” Captain Tuplo turned to Josh. “Keep your eyes on the sensors.”

“I am.”

“
Cracking the Asa-Cafon’s outer hatch now.
”

“I’ve got them divided into groups of twenty-five this time, just like you asked,” the Asa-Cafon’s crewman said as they cranked their hatch open.

“Thanks,” Marcus replied from inside the boarding tunnel. “That’ll make it easier.” He turned around and started back down the boarding tunnel toward the Seiiki. “All right, let’s go!” He stepped back through the hatch at the forward end of the boarding tunnel, into the remaining space at the front of the Seiiki’s cargo bay. After stepping through, he turned around to face the passengers coming up the boarding tunnel. “Same as before! First twenty-five to port! Head aft around the docking apparatus and up the ladder to the catwalk. Then into the corridor. Last man in the group must close the hatch behind him before the hatch at the forward end will be opened to let you in! Let’s go! Let’s go!”