A Fury Of Aces: Crystal Venom Part 16

Marko sped himself up. 'Blackjack, please contact our transport and ask if there is vacuum around this area of the s.h.i.+p, as there is vacuum in here. Also advise it that we use a harmless fluorescent mist in the air to locate holes.'

'Our transport says no, but will organise for you in minutes. Stand by ... you should have vacuum now. It is familiar with our leak-finding spray.'

Marko nodded. 'Open the air valves, Glint, and attempt repressurisation.'

Seconds later the interior was filled with a fluorescent green mist, which was sucked into the smaller difficult-to-find holes that they had missed, making them easy to see and seal.

They finished some hours later. 'OK. Patrick. Think that we have them all. Can you change out the atmosphere, please? Blackjack, can you advise our host that drones will be exiting the s.h.i.+p to place permanent seals over the exterior now that we have identified all leaks in this s.p.a.ce?'

'Done, Marko.'

'Thanks. Patrick, you have control of the drones. Glint, let's start identifying damaged machinery.'

They steadily worked their way around the machines, checking each in descending order of importance, stopping for drinks and a meal break, before Marko submitted the lists. Finally, they exited the s.h.i.+p through the exterior airlock to check the antimatter thrust bells and reaction motors, together with the main, shallow, inverted bowl-shaped thrust plate that the rockets were mounted on. Everything was badly damaged, except for the main base thrust bowl, showing only dents, but nothing critical, which was a relief: if there had been serious damage they would have required a major facility to fix it.

'What a b.l.o.o.d.y mess!' Marko commented when they had finished the inspection. 'This lot is going to keep us busy for a good long time. Boss, we have the lists completed.'

A moment later the major replied, 'Good work. Get a decent sleep and get on with it in the morning.'

Marko and Glint made their way back through the airlocks. When Marko looked across at the walls of the ent.i.ty that was transporting them, he recognised the shapes and colours as the same as he had seen in the s.h.i.+p where they had found Blackjack.

Marko sent all the lists to Patrick, who authorised the auto-mills and fabrication machines to start making the replacement parts.

He slipped gratefully into his bed. Glint, not needing sleep, first checked in on Nail to see how he was progressing and was delighted to learn that he would be with them the next night, complete with a new set of true hands - which he could swap for his paws any time he wished. Glint then enlisted Flint to help start stripping the damaged fuel pumps. As they worked, their banter and discussions sped up, into the realm of Blackjack's speed. While the humans slept, the topics ranged far and wide, as they always did between the created. Most of all, they missed Ernst and his input.

Privately, Glint had decided that Blackjack was a little odd, but the more they engaged with her the more interesting she became. He felt quite proud of her development, thinking that as a sentient she was coming along nicely.

Over the course of the next few weeks the s.h.i.+p was slowly restored to a fully working unit. A new rocket engine bell was made by altering the fuel feeds on one of the diamond bells which they had made years before. The damaged one, deemed beyond repair, together with hundreds of other unserviceable pieces of equipment, was placed into the nanote baths to be torn down to molecular level and the metals and materials separated and stored. The Skuas were stripped and one fully functional craft was placed back on the launch platforms beside Harry's two-seater, which had not been used in the fight. The cannibalised Skua was moved by hoists above the hangar into the main workshops so that over time it could also be repaired. It was the same with the three Hangers. Lilly's engines needed full replacement, so it was stripped to rebuild Sledgehammer and Jasmine's Hanger. The remains also moved up into engineering.

At the weekly conference, after the reports had been placed and discussed, Fritz was the one who finally addressed the big question. 'We are almost good to go, but what the h.e.l.l do we actually do? If we front up anywhere, we will be instant targets for everyone to have a crack at. So, where ...?'

The major replied slowly. 'Yeah, been thinking about that. Couple of things that don't add up ... like this pick-up for Veg and Stephine. Marko, you told us that the date is still a couple of weeks away and yet this transport around us, according to Patrick's stellar neutrino readings, has been storming around in a great big loop. I think that we are on ice as it were.' He paused and looked around at his friends before continuing. 'Not a bad thing, actually, in that we are away while all the s.h.i.+t about the fight settles down and we get to repair ourselves. And Marko's info is that Sirius and her faction recorded and broadcast everything anyway. Which begs a little question ... is the recording still going on?'

Harry added, 'Fritz, you are very good, but technology advances all the time, so sorry, son, but I would not be surprised if machines have been built and seeded among us by Sirius which would circ.u.mvent your security. Bet you any money you like we are still being recorded; in fact. I bet you the GB are still making mountains of money from us. I shudder to think what you did with that garrotte of yours, Marko, but I tell you what: it would have made excellent AV material! Just a thought.'

There was complete silence for some time, until the still very fast voice of Blackjack was heard. 'It is logical. I have detected many attempts by tiny machines to gain access to me. Each has been thwarted.'

The major nodded. 'Yes, it makes a certain sense. OK, leave the recorders alone. Blackjack, please advise me in the future of anything out of the ordinary. Fritz, locate a couple of the devices and find out what makes them tick and also a way to shut them down. And while you are at it, get me a map of their distribution throughout Basalt. We may have a future as free citizens after all, comrades. That gives me hope. Now we just have to figure out how to get a message to them to find out for sure. Lilly, what's the status of the gardens, please? I note that additional roses are now blooming throughout the s.h.i.+p and I thank you so much for that. They are beautiful specimens and the scents are superb.'

Lilly smiled. 'The trees are growing again. A few cutbacks and re-splicings were required, but we'll have the first crops of fruit available within weeks. The herbs are now available as are a percentage of the leafy vegetables. The grain-type crops will be a little longer. I'm sorry, Marko and Minh Pham, they were the worst damaged. The meat-producing plants are also making good progress. Sadly, some of the more specialised hybrids that Stephine created will need her touch. We have kept most of them alive, but it seems she had additional knowledge, so some of the coffees, for instance, will not be available until her return. The bodies of Games Board personnel were rendered down into compost and are now aiding the growth as well. By the way, Jasmine and I have certain protocols to contact Chrysanthemum and the other senior Haulers to seek their a.s.sistance once we are able to communicate again. They would gladly intercede on our behalf with the Administration and the Games Board.'

Harry said bluntly, 'Yeah. Thanks. So is there anyone who does not agree that we may have been manipulated once again?'

There was complete silence around the room as the major nodded and agreed.

'Yeah, thought as much. Right, good work, people. Let's crack on, shall we?'

'Marko.'

'What's on your mind, Flint?'

'Topaz was building anther version of me for that Admiral, before he was damaged. What is the state of that build? Would be useful to have another of me around.'

Marko patted the spider's head. 'Ha! Had completely slipped my mind. How about we go find out? Topaz, the latest spider build. What's its status, please?'

'Ninety per cent complete,' the design and fabrication AI said. 'Am holding it at that stage as per our priority list, although I do not have a great deal on at the moment. Shall I continue with it? Who is going to imprint it?'

Marko grinned. 'I shall talk to Minh Pham. He has always liked Flint, and I am sure he would be happy to be its guardian. Yes, finish it. You know what, why not just give that one to Minh, as I know he will be delighted to have an ACE in his life, and start on another for the admiral - on the off-chance we ever get to speak with him again on civil terms!'

Two days later a nervous but grinning Minh was given the card; the deep green spider was out of the construction tank and ready to be given life and woken to full sentience. It was almost identical to Flint, except it had a larger abdomen housing an upgraded power plant and a tiny, compact, offensive double-pulse laser. Marko had had to promise Flint that 'Yes, he could have a laser like that!'

Minh read the long sequence of numbers and letters that awakened the mechanical spider to full sentience. He added: 'Welcome to the universe and to the crew of Basalt. I name you Ngoc.'

The machine flexed its limbs as its eyes seemed to twinkle a little more, and with a voice of deeper timbre than Flint's, said: 'h.e.l.lo, Minh Pham, and my greetings to you all. Ngoc: precious jade. A good name, my thanks. Goes with my overall colour.' Ngoc looked around the room, seeing Glint and his friends. 'So you are the other ACEs. I am honoured to be in your company.'

With that the latest ACE gave everyone a bow, then climbed up Minh's proffered arm to be shown around the s.h.i.+p.

Harry grinned and hugged Julie, looking at Nail, who was sitting at their feet. 'So, Nail, how are the hands?'

'Different, Harry, very different,' the cat replied. 'To utilise them efficiently, I need to have adjustments made to my hips so I can stand more easily. Do you think that Marko would approve?'

Harry laughed. 'I'm sure he would, but what about Stephine?'

Nail yawned, purely for effect. 'Oh, I'm sure that I can do a few extra things for Stephine that will convince her it was a good idea.'

With that Harry watched a hatch open in the side of Nail as he swapped his hands back to paws and he raced off down the corridor to catch up with the other ACEs.

A few days later the major made an announcement.

'All crew, message from our still-nameless transport, via Blackjack, that in one hour we will be off-loaded beside a large comet so we can replenish our fuel reserves, then we pick up Stephine and Veg ... we've been given the coordinates. Just as well we decided to retain the equipment we made the last time we had to use a comet to refuel. Everyone is to be at their station in fifty minutes.'

Marko, with the ACEs and Minh, was working on Lilly's Hanger. They had just lined up the fuel pumps in the refurbished engine compartment to bolt them into their housings.

'OK, Flint, Ngoc, activate the couplings and lockdowns,' Marko instructed. 'Glint, bolt the thing in and let's test it before we go.'

Bringing up the remotes on his wrist screens, he started the warm-up processes for the units that would be placed against the comet to melt the ice and process the water. Keeping an eye on Minh and the ACEs, he watched the housings open to accept the pumps, as the onboard computer that Minh was monitoring tested each then locked them down.

Marko nodded in approval. 'Checks out. Glint, go ahead and place the locking bolts. Good work. Few more hours and Lilly can have her toy back.'

The emerald-green mechanical ACE was curious about his surroundings. 'Can we see what our transporter looks like, please, Marko?'

'Sure, Ngoc. Have a look at the screens.'

Outside the s.h.i.+p, the huge finger-like plates encompa.s.sing them split apart, allowing them to see the local starfield views. Marko started to recognise some of the stars, realising that they were not far from where they had dropped Stephine and Veg off months before.

Patrick, who was controlling the camera views, followed the retracting segments of the alien craft as it folded down into itself then rotated within its length as it slowly rolled and moved towards the huge bulk of the fifteen-kilometre-diameter comet. They could see that parts of the surface of the great ball of ice had been cleaned of its blackened debris, revealing deep blue water ice.

The major smiled as he fed images of the huge, squashed-ball shape set in grandeur against the starfields, with soft starlight lighting it from every angle, into his data blocks. The star the comet was...o...b..ting was so far distant it was merely the biggest star in the background.

'Interesting,' Harry said. 'Wonder how many times this has been used as a refuelling spot, boss.'

'Haven't a clue, but Patrick is taking lots of additional images to find out how many different-sized probes have been used. I note that the transporter has left us plenty of room so I suppose it would be rude not to accept the invitation! In your own time, please, Harry.'

Harry piloted Basalt down towards the surface until the two objects were almost touching in the microgravity field.

'Good,' the major said from his control pod. 'Minh, please deploy astronomical drones to gather as much information for Patrick as possible. Jasmine, launch the defensive drones - have no idea of what might be here so always best to have something ready if we need it. Lilly, you are in charge of the recon drones. Fritz and Julie, launch in your Skuas and hold outer defensive station whenever you are ready to go.'

On his side screens, Marko saw all the hardware being launched as Basalt was positioned against the comet by Harry. Checking the visual feeds coming from the two-metre-diameter heads of the heating and pick-up pipes, Marko looked for the purest areas between the cracked, scored surface of the ice. His radar unit showed the surface to be relatively clean in two areas set twenty metres apart, so he manoeuvred the pickups individually onto the ice's surface. As soon as they touched, three rigid spears were fired into the ice, locking the heads against the surface, and they started to drill themselves into it.

When the heads were three metres into the ice the pipes flashed red hot, melting the ice, then rapidly cooled, allowing it to refreeze and seal the units in. The heads below started to heat up the ice with microwaves which generated steam that flowed back up the pipes, through the filters, and through the condensers aboard Basalt, fifty metres above them. The heads themselves started to slowly rotate, swinging from side to side, reaching further into the chambers they were creating.

Once satisfied, Marko reported. 'We have clean water coming on board, boss. Good values, and a few low-grade radioactives to be had as well. At current flows, we will have full tanks in about sixteen hours.'

The major sounded a little distracted as he replied. 'Good. We know where we are as well: the opposite side of the star from where you dropped Stephine and Veg off. Start making antimatter as soon as you have sufficient water.'

Bringing up the additional screens, Marko started to prep the antimatter conversion units. Then, over the next day, with a few quick breaks for meals, he routed the precious water around the s.h.i.+p, filling every possible tank on every vehicle including topping up the tanks in the Gardens. As units of antimatter became available as well, he shunted them into Basalt's engine feeders, the two landers and then finally filled Basalt's own spare containments to capacity. Finally, he filled the Games Board shuttle tanks as well.

While Marko had been concentrating on his tasks, Julie and Fritz had been quietly patrolling the area looking for anything that might give them problems, but the only occurrence was the huge transport gently investigating each of them as they moved around their designated areas. Julie likened the experience to a whale looking carefully at a fish, wondering if it needed some kind of a.s.sistance. As they watched, the huge s.h.i.+p slowly moved to gently touch the hull of Basalt before turning away and heading starwards at an exponentially increasing speed, its drives showing bright against the intensely populated starfield of the great Milky Way.

Julie keyed her microphone. 'Patrick, did you see that?'

The AI sounded buoyant. 'The transport, you mean, Julie? Yes, it was like a grandmother kissing a baby and wis.h.i.+ng the newborn well. Sadly, it would not communicate with me, in spite of everything I tried. The message I got from Blackjack is that it wished us safe journeys and to look after the blessed one. That final request has me intrigued.'

At his station, listening to the exchange, Marko allowed himself the tiniest of smiles as he heard the major say, 'Lilly, could you swing one of your drones across to look at the area where the transport was taking on water?'

'Already on it, Major. I see nothing except an oblong-shaped, perfectly smooth depression over a large area. Would say that it uplifted approximately twenty-four thousand tonnes of water. I note many similar depressions and looking at this comet's...o...b..t I would conclude that it is an artificial one. Definitely a refuelling point, with three different refuelling methods identified, including one where it appears the ice has been ground out as if it were removed in pieces. The other two are similar methods to our own, including two that appear identical to ours.'

At his command station the major frowned in thought. 'Interesting. So Admin possibly knows of this? Good work. Marko, what are you doing? Do I really need great lumps of ice around the s.h.i.+p?'

Marko had detached the ends of the steam inflow pipes from the primary intakes and had three engineering drones on each pipe, allowing the steam to condense and freeze on the s.h.i.+p's outer hull; he could be seen to be having fun, allowing the ice to build into interesting shapes.

Patrick replied before Marko could answer. 'He is doing it on my suggestion, Major. Deposits of ice will break up the sensor silhouette of the s.h.i.+p. I am having the drones carve it into additional bulges and the like. A little extra insurance, if you will.'

'Ha! Impressive, Patrick. Carry on, and how much longer do you need?'

'A few more hours should see us finished. I note the rendezvous coordinates are relatively close and we have fourteen hours before we need to be there. And besides, I think that Marko is rightfully obsessive about getting as much fuel as possible.'

Marko laughed. 'Me? Obsessive? Never. Just pleased that we have additional antimatter in storage as well. We never did get around to returning those containment modules, did we? Oh, well, must put it on the to-do list.'

'An interesting snippet of information for you, Major,' Patrick said.

'What's that, Patrick?'

'Looking through the data streams from the recon drones which mapped the comet, I have identified several points where technology is evident. Would appear that there are reaction engines buried under its surface for manoeuvring and possibly changing the orbit of the comet. I suppose that it would be more sensible to call it an asteroid, in fact, as I believe that it will not loop back around the local sun any time soon like a comet, as its...o...b..t is planetary. I have also identified a control node of sorts. Interesting deep-imaging radar returns too. Appears octopoid in construction, maybe. Do we have time to have a look?'

The major did not seem to be interested. 'Um, maybe not. Let me have a look at what you have got. Yeah, interesting. Catalogue everything you have, and we will turn it over to the Rangers. More their cup of tea, really.'

Marko lay on his bed quietly contemplating his life and listening to some of Fritz's new music before sleep, when there was a knock on the door.

'Marko, may I come in?' called Jasmine.

'Hey, Jasmine. Yes, sure.'

She crouched down at his eye level in the half light from the corridor. 'I know that you miss Jan very much, as do we all, but I also know that you are lonely, as am I. I know also that s.h.i.+p contracts are good for people who care for each other, but do not expect long-term relations.h.i.+ps. I would like such a contract with you, Marko. Would you be willing to share your bed with me?'

Marko looked up at Jasmine, then slowly around the cabin, thinking that it could be years before he saw Jan again and knowing that she would be physically different, anyway. He looked back at Jasmine, detecting for the very first time a little uncertainty in her demeanour.

He smiled. 'Yes, Jasmine, I would be honoured to make such an agreement with you. Patrick, could we have a s.h.i.+pborne agreement between myself and Jasmine, please? Standard form should be acceptable. Leave the time stipulation open.'

Jasmine smiled, closed the door behind her, leant down and kissed Marko full on the lips as he pulled back the bed cover and reached for her.

Four.

'Crew, we are at the coordinates. I have no idea what to expect and we have a couple of hours before the rendezvous time.'

'Thanks, Patrick,' the major replied. 'Jasmine, launch the astronomical drones. s.p.a.ce them out at the one-hundred-kilometre mark ... actually, stand by on that. Lilly, can you partner each with a defence drone as well? Let's find out if there are any surprises waiting for us. When linked, launch. Marko, what should we expect, anyway? You know Stephine and Veg the best.'

Marko held his hands up and shrugged. 'Well, we are dealing with Stephine and Veg after all, boss. Sorry, but I have no idea what to expect.'

'I have completed the a.n.a.lysis of the data collected by the astronomical drones while we were at the fuelling station, Major,' Jasmine reported. 'Interesting planetary system inwards from us as well. A rare pair of gaseous giants which have an orbit period of thirteen point two standard days, plus the usual rocky ones closer to the system's sun. Some very interesting small ice planets appear to be orbiting the gas giants. Intriguing that they even exist, but as we all know the universe continually surprises us.'

'd.a.m.n!' the major exclaimed. 'I would dearly love some time to get up close and examine that. I noticed when I looked through the data files that this system was given a brief inspection by the Haulers some eighty years ago, but it was deemed of little interest. No one seems to have been back since. Get as many images of those binary gas giants as you can, please, Patrick.'

Instead of answering the request, Patrick announced: 'Popper signal detected! Right where it should be. Very fast. Nope, no popper; we have a small drone inbound, even faster. Looks like a recon drone. Ident.i.ties exchanged with it. Wow, but that thing is moving fast! Must be solid as nothing should be able to withstand G forces like that.'

They watched on the screens as the sphere did a quick loop around them, then activated a small wormhole generator and popped back out of existence.

'Anything useful, Patrick?' Harry asked.

'No, just that it's Stephine's transport ID-ing us. Looks OK, had all the correct codes and protocols. Said that they will be with us in a few moments ... Popper detected, RV speed. Yeah, here they are.'

Harry frowned looking at the image. 'Interesting, they must have been with Rick the Hauler, or another long-range exploration Haulers maybe? That is a souped-up version of one of the salvage craft that Rick had, with a whole lot of extras. I wonder what he has been up to since we parted ways after we recovered the souls from that Gjomvik s.h.i.+p. What's the bet there is a job for us?'

As the large crab-shaped craft moved towards them to swing around and hard dock, the conversations flowed between old friends catching up on events, with Marko feeling the p.r.i.c.k of tears when Stephine and Veg told him how sorry they were about Jan. An hour later they emerged from the airlock after both s.h.i.+ps had checked themselves out for possible contagion to exchange smiles and hugs and enjoy being back with Basalt's crew again. To Marko's eyes, Veg appeared just the same but Stephine seemed slightly taller and more muscled than previously. She also seemed a tiny amount more resolute and forthright.

After an enjoyable lunch and the best coffee Marko had had since Veg left, he went down to Blackjack with Glint walking at his side. 'What does Nail say, Glint?'

'That Stephine is well, and that, yes, you are right, she has been augmented further. Flint and Ngoc have looked over Stephine and Veg's salvage craft. They conclude that it is one of Rick's or certainly of the same construction. They have placed the crew comm links per our protocols. They also say that, contained within the blister housings slung under the carapace, are six one-person atmospheric AG ground support craft. Nice design too. Would you like to see?'

Marko ruffled Glint's head, saying, 'Yes, of course.'