Icarus (Interstellar Cargo Book 1) (6 page)

“I don’t suppose you’ll give me a chance to try and change your mind, will you?” The ice returned to her eyes, and Cole knew he had to tread lightly. “You’re all fucking crazy!”
Whoops! Never was much for finesse.
“This is Terracom you’re looking to screw over.
Terracom!
You know, the System’s only known legal crime syndicate operating in public view. Everyone’s favorite slave traffickers.” He scratched under his chin and looked up in feigned contemplation. “The same organization that influences all five levels of our lovely AMBER government....”

Emmerich held up a silencing hand, though she seemed calm and collected. “You just gave me all the reasons why we
shouldn’t
change our minds.”

Cole clenched his hands, his gloves creaking in the silence. There would be no persuading Emmerich. Whatever anger she harbored ran deep and would not be quenched until blood was spilt. Forester seemed to be in league with the inspector, though Lin—despite her obvious involvement—seemed the hasty conclusion of the three. Unfortunately, she appeared to be third in command. And CAIN was under the protocol spell. That left him with only one option: submission.

Well, at least I’ll get to see Cygnus before I die.
Cole breathed a deep, defeated sigh and met Emmerich’s confident regard. “What do you need me to do?”

C
ole’s return to interstellar travel was far less enjoyable than he had hoped it would be, his company was even less so. Despite his grim predicament, his wanderlust managed to distract him from the dread deed of which he was to be a part. The adrenaline rush of the Dark Matter Processor deconstructing and catapulting life through the vast reaches of space and time never grew old, and Cole couldn’t help but believe that he was somehow being reborn at the other end of the spectrum.

Maybe I am.
He took some solace from the thought.

The ICV-71 completed its interstellar jump with ease and flair. The wormhole closed and faded behind them, leaving a 1,400 light-year gap between them and most of mankind. Terracom 3, Earth’s distant and slightly larger exoplanet cousin, came into view, inviting them to explore its partially terraformed surface. Cole wanted nothing more than to do just that, and his “obligation” nearly had him jerk the controls toward the planet and call Emmerich’s bluff.

The Terraport was a titan of a space station, capable of housing a few thousand workers and colonists. Orbiting the evolving planet, the port acted as both a satellite generator and command center for the mega-corporation’s several terraformers stationed below. There was a myriad of activity all around it, ships constantly leaving for the surface and returning to the port. Cole knew the occasional shuttle would be bringing volunteers as well. He was surprised one had not followed the ICV-71 shortly after arrival.

“You don’t have to connect the capacitor to the generator,” Cole said to the others, his attention on the viewport. “We can still make a normal delivery and call it a day. No one has to know about any of this.”

“Take us to the dock, Captain,” Emmerich said, nodding toward the Terraport.

Cole sighed.
It was worth a try,
he thought, keeping surprisingly calm.

CAIN announced.

“Only two, eh? Must be expecting us,” Cole said, searching for the heralds. “We’d be dead already if we didn’t have that wonderful logo digitized on the hull.”

Emmerich rested her arms on the back of Cole’s chair. “Had some previous experience I don’t know about?”

Not everything about my life is on Ocunet.
“Knowledge is power, Inspector. I’m an avid reader when I’m not spreading terror throughout the galaxy.”

Emmerich chuckled, though it was devoid of mirth.

“I’ve read enough to know not to piss these guys off.” Cole locked onto their point of destination, and sat back. “The very thing we’re about to do.”

“For a test pilot, you certainly have many reservations,” Forester said, impassive. “You learned our aim. This has been in the making for some time. Do you not think we have considered all the possibilities?”

Cole shrugged. “I’m sure you think you have, Art, but—well, you know.” He indicated the Terraport.

“We also have our AI backup,” Emmerich added, though she didn’t sound convinced.

“Yeah, Cain worked a lot better before I was tricked into allowing him to be injected with that protocol update,” Cole said, gazing at the green light in the center of the console. “Now he’s obedient and incapable of piloting this ship.”

Emmerich sighed. “I have considerable faith Dr. Dartmouth will uncover the root of this minor issue.” Again, she did not seemed convinced by her own words.

Cole looked for the engineer but saw that she must have retreated to the recreation room further back.
Can’t imagine she’s doing any fixing from there.

As the Terraport slowly drew the ICV-71 toward its fate, Cole’s mind drifted to a place he had not visited since his time in the service. A place that brought him both comfort and terror. The very same place which eventually led to his discharge. He likened his unusual state of consciousness to a sort of primal defensive Zen brought on by extreme circumstances. He was certain there was a medical diagnosis for his “condition,” but that would have required him to visit a doctor, and he would never willingly allow that to happen. He called it his “Corner,” and he had been backed into it against his will.

The ship veered away from the typical delivery destination, aiming toward the upper region of the station which vaguely resembled a gyro-top. It was there they would dock at a separate hangar bay for prospective customers, affluent clients, and executives. SolEx’s prototype ship would be on full display in front of Terracom’s elite as it made its first delivery. It would also be its last.

The two fighter escorts arrived, flanking either side of the ICV-71 with more intimidation than hospitality. Cole knew his crew was one military order away from being blown into space dust if they made a false move. Terracom was a big target for attacks, and they left nothing to chance. A substantial part of their multi-trillion unicred stockpile was dedicated toward defense, and it made the whole of the United System Military envious.

Cole recognized the pair of fighters as the Kobold-2, recalling having piloted an older model during his tenure. Small, fast, and deadly, they were built solely for short range patrol and delivering heavy firepower with precision. He wondered whether or not the ICV-71 could manage any sort of escape against them. He also wondered if CAIN was capable of switching on the ship’s weaponry while under the company protocol spell. Something told him they would need that option available soon.

The bay door raised for their arrival, and the trio of ships were quickly swallowed whole by the mouth of the beast. The inner airlock bay door opened once the other was safely sealed behind them. The hangar was mostly devoid of other vessels, as SolEx was the guest of honor on this day. A small retinue awaited them at a designated area with a team of cargo handlers and their machinery in-tow. Armed security was there as well, adding to the warm welcome.

The ICV-71 touched down, hydraulics hissing and groaning, allowing for a gentle landing. Cole closed his eyes, knowing the easy part of the mission was finished. He interlocked his gloved fingers and cracked his knuckles. His breathing was still calm, and he knew he was deep in his Corner. Anything could happen now.

CAIN announced.

Cole looked over just as Lin re-entered the bridge, and he shook his head. “You better be right about Cain.”

The engineer blinked in response, worry lines cracking her impassive exterior.

“Everything is going as planned,” Emmerich said to the group. “Our visit will go as expected, and then we will leave.” She focused on Cole. “Simple as that.”

Except for the genocide part,
Cole reminded himself. “Easy for you to say,” he said to the inspector. “You get to stay here and critique the show.” He pointed to her holstered sidearm. “You better have a good explanation for that.”

“I’m an officer as well as an inspector, Captain. I have the proper legal documentation to carry, and I will temporarily surrender my weapon when asked.” She smiled that familiar steely smile. “I have no need for it while we are here.”

Stop having answers for everything!
Cole cleared his throat and turned back to the viewport.

Much to his dismay, everything did proceed as planned. Lin and Forester exited the ship and joined the awaiting retinue. Cole was quickly forgotten as he set to the task of unloading the converted generator. Emmerich stayed aboard with CAIN and had a front row seat to the entertainment. In the midst of it all, the bay door permitted the docking of another SolEx spacecraft. This one was larger than the ICV-71 and built specifically for comfort.

The Interstellar Limousine,
Cole thought with a shake of his head. Caliber and company would be aboard, joining the congregation fashionably late. The Terracom executives would be among them, unknowingly walking into a trap. Both corporations would be dealt a critical blow in one fell swoop.

Cole focused on the underside of the ICV-71 as the cargo hold opened to reveal the solitary item within: the generator. He examined the large piece of machinery, wondering what part of the complex design was the capacitor. For all he knew, the entire thing was rigged to be a bomb and made to look like a generator. The capacitor could be anything. He sighed.
Should’ve been an easy first day as Captain. Not my last.

A chatbox prompt entered his vision through Ocunet. The host’s name was generic, auto-generated at random. Cole had no idea who could be contacting him. Then he read the post.

Cole began to sweat. He hesitated to reply, worried their conversation was being monitored somehow. As though the person at the other end sensed his concern, a new post appeared.

Lin,
Cole realized with relief. He looked back toward the approaching crew and security officers, then back at the suspended generator. It would take them some time to unfasten, lower, unload the oversized item, and sort through the proper documentation. He had a few minutes to play doctor. He sent his thoughts through the Ocunet.

Cole thought back to the engineer’s odd behavior when Emmerich first came aboard the ICV-71. Her lack of interaction and silence spoke volumes. She was being blackmailed as well.

A three-dimensional line diagram appeared in Cole’s vision alongside the chatbox. As it slowly rotated, a particular area of the complex machinery highlighted and zoomed in to give a more detailed view. The capacitor had been designed to blend in with the generator seamlessly. Had he not been given the schematic, it would have been impossible to locate.

Cole frowned, confused.
Never armed?
He stepped aside for the receivers, offering them a half-hearted greeting. He looked over the generator, but was unable to locate the capacitor from where he stood. He would have to get closer and interfere with the receiving team.

So many questions were filtering through Cole’s mind at once, but he knew he would get no answers. He would have to accept his current situation and trust Lin. There was no other alternative.

The presentation
, Cole remembered. Then another thought occurred to him.

There was a long pause between the response, and Cole wondered if maybe Lin had begun her presentation. He would be on his own.

That’s one hell of a plan, Doc!
Cole couldn’t openly chastise her. She was already taking a great risk going behind Emmerich’s back. Dealing with the inspector would have to be a delicate operation. She had clout, whereas he had little more than a cloudy past. There was also the issue of her sidearm.

Unless...