Dubious Heroes: a novel Read online

  "Well, the short version goes like this", she said. "You left the secure area around the ship, unescorted. You met up with Scott at a bar, and then the two of you headed back here. Along the way, someone tried to assassinate you."

  "That sounds like a fancy way of saying someone tried to kill me."

  "On the one hand, you're right", she said. "On the other hand, when you're the leader of something, willing or not, then that's the appropriate term. Like it or not, you’re a political leader. Politicians get assassinated. In addition to your millions of adoring followers, there are a number of people who'd like to see you dead, and if it weren't for the quick reflexes of Solomon Scott, that's exactly what you'd be."

  "I was just going out for lunch", I said, trying to make it not sound as lame as it was. “Hell, I told Cozi I was going out.”

  “You should have told Angela, at the very least”, she said. “Or, more appropriately, me, so I could have told you to stay the fuck with the ship, without armed escort. Worse, you went all alone, all of which is precisely what you were asked not to do."

  "Alright", I said. "I get your point, and I'm sorry. Does anyone have any idea who it was that tried to kill me?"

  "Oh yeah", she said, smiling. "We know exactly who it was. The same security cam that had a paramedic team to you in less than five minutes also took a nice bit of video as Doctor Chase Smith lobbed a grenade at you. Worse, it was one of our grenades that he'd pilfered from the armory."

  "How’d they get into the armory” I asked. “They shouldn’t have had access.”

  “He’s a spy”, she said. “They do shit like that.”

  “I knew we should have spaced that motherfucker", I said.

  "You shouldn't have even hired the motherfucker", Kyra said. "And yes, Smith is male. That whole non-binary thing was just part of his cover. We figure he was a plant working for the United Planets, probably for one of their spy outfits."

  "Where is he now?"

  "What's left of him is in the custody of Arris' people", she said. "And no, I know what you're thinking, but it wasn't me that got to him, although I would still love to spend a few minutes alone with him. I was with Triton security when they came aboard to arrest him, and aside from collecting a few lumps, he was fine when he left the ship. What neither Arris nor his security people figured on was how fast news moves on a rock this small. The security team was ambushed not far from the port, and an angry mob tried to do unto Smith as he'd tried to do unto you. It took a few minutes for reinforcements to show up, and they did regain custody of him, but not before he took a pretty good beating. A few more minutes, and they’d have tossed him out of an airlock."

  "Ouch", I said, and meant it.

  Kyra shrugged. "Instant karma. Anyway, Smith is Arris' problem now. Assuming he lives."

  "Well, that explains why we needed a new Medical Officer", I said.

  "He probably already told you, but he's not a doctor, he's a combat medic, and was working as a paramedic here on Triton. Since he was one of the guys who saved your life, Eng gave him preference when he showed up looking for a job. For what we need, a combat medic is normally as good as a doctor, unless the shit hits the fan, which it routinely seems to do around you, and then he's much better to have around than a doctor. By the way, we've hired a few other people as well; you'll get to meet them, once Donovan clears you to get off of that couch, and return to duty. He mentioned something about tomorrow, but I'll ask him again."

  "What's our status?" I asked. "Repairs and such."

  "I believe most of it is done", she said. "I've heard that Cozi isn't thrilled with some of it, but I don't believe that satisfied is part of his repertoire. He'll have to fill you in on what has or has not been done. The last few days we've been hiring crew, and getting everyone situated and berthed."

  "Jeez, how many people did you hire?"

  "Let's see", she said, and began ticking them off on her fingers. "Two dozen space marines, most of them experienced, two engineering techs, five general crew, two cooks, and a Medical Officer."

  "We have cooks?"

  "I've eaten just about enough of those pre-packaged ship’s rations for a lifetime", she said. "Aside from tasting like shit, they're not good for you. On top of that, if you want happy troops, you don't feed them that crap, either. When it comes to taking care of their people, the UPDF got it right; this ship has a fully equipped galley and pantry, and it's about time we put them to good use."

  "I’m not opposed to decent food”, I said. "Did you say two dozen space marines? That’s a lot of troopers."

  "Not for a ship of this size", she said. "We're still understaffed. A full crew would be sixty people, and we're only at forty-three, right now."

  "That still seems like a lot of people", I said. "Aside from that passenger liner, there haven't been many people on the ships I've spaced on." Or, more to the point, on a ship that I was in charge of.

  "Same here", she said. "As you've pointed out before, my military experience was as a ground pounder, and all the ships I've served on have been small commercial vessels. Regardless, this is how we do this right, and I assume that's what you want to do."

  "It is", I said. "Speaking of which, we really need to think about getting the hell out of here. It won't be long before some outbound ship leaves here and hits another port, and then the whole galaxy will know we're here."

  "We haven't exactly been dilly-dallying", she said. "There were the repairs that had to be completed, and the crew thing had to be taken care of as well. Also, Donovan wanted to hang around on Triton until you'd stabilized, in case he needed help from the medical facilities here. He still hasn't cleared you for duty, yet."

  "I don't see any reason to wait until tomorrow", I said. "No sense in wasting time lying around. If you'll help me get this MedCuff off, we can head up to the Bridge."

  The door to MedLab slid open, and I looked around as Donovan walked in. He held a tray of something in one hand, and was eating as he walked.

  "A little bird told me I might have a patient who was about to go AWOL", he said, continuing to eat a sandwich. "Can't have that, now can we?"

  "Damn it, Angie", I said. "You snitched on me?"

  "Sorry, Captain", she said. "I'm glad you're feeling better, but in this situation, I believe Donovan does know what's best for you."

  "Don't be too hard on her", Donovan said. "She was just following my orders." He looked over at Kyra. "Are you done here?"

  "We're done", she said.

  "We are not done", I said.

  "She may not be done", Donovan said, "But you are." He pushed a button on the med console, and I felt the MedCuff prick my arm.

  And, he was right.

  I awoke the next morning, feeling sore and hungover. The Med System, or Angie, must have alerted Donovan, as he walked in only moments later.

  "Good morning", he said. "Is the Scourge of the Galaxy ready to get back to work?"

  “That’s my new title?”

  “That’s what the UP public relations flacks are calling you”, he said. “Personally, it sounds like a lot to live up to, to me.”

  “I’ll certainly give it my best shot”, I said. “And yes, I’m ready; I was ready yesterday. I wouldn’t mind a synopsis of the damage, though.”

  "Well, aside from all the little pieces of metal we pulled out of you, there was a broken left arm, a broken nose, as well as a mild concussion, all of which are healing up nicely. You also lost about a foot of your colon, a small bit of your stomach, and one of your kidneys. We can get you a new one of those cloned and grown, provided we ever get to someplace with the proper facilities, you have a couple hundred thousand credits, and about a month of free time. The black eyes will go away in another week or so."

  "I'll check my calendar", I said. "In the meantime, I'm okay?"

  "More or less", he said. "You'll need to take it easy for the next few weeks. I'd avoid dangling from anything, and I'd also advise against losing your remaining kidney, unless you
're really keen on living down here in MedLab with me."

  "I'll bear that in mind", I said. "Can I get up now?"

  "I dunno", he said. "Can you?"

  I swung my legs off of the exam couch, and dropped to the floor. Aside from a bit of wobbling, and having to hang onto the bed, I was up, under my own power.

  "Not bad", he said. "Looks like Angie wins that bet."

  I held up my right arm still tethered to the MedCuff.

  "Can you get this thing off of me?"

  "I don't see why not", he said, and removed it. "But, you're going to have to wear this for about another week." He held up an arm sling for me to see. "If I catch you without it, I'll remove you from duty, Captain or not. Also, I need you back down here, every six hours; I have to hook you back to the system, for regen drugs and other meds. Trust me, you’re going to want the painkillers."

  "Fine", I said, capitulating to the inevitable. I stood by as he attached the sling, immobilizing my arm.

  "Alright", he said, checking his work. "That should do. I’ll have Angela remind you of when you’re due down here. Other than that, you're good to go."

  "Thanks, Doc", I said. "I'm going to see about finding a shower and some clean clothes." I'd noticed I was wearing a MedLab smock, which was not the most flattering attire. "Is there anything I shouldn't get wet?"

  "Nope", he said. "Everything is patched up with artificial skin, and it set up nicely a few days ago. You have a real water shower, eh?"

  "Yes, I do", I said. "Only one on the ship."

  "What are the chances I could borrow it occasionally?"

  "I imagine we could work something out", I said, smiling at him. "I'll see you in the ready-room in about an hour."

  "There's a meeting?"

  "There is now", I said, as I left MedLab for my quarters.

  The Scourge of the Galaxy had work to do.

  I found Cisco waiting for me outside of MedLab. Someone had even placed a chair by the door."

  "Hi boss", he said, as I limped out. "Need a hand?"

  "I can manage", I said. We walked around the corridor to the lift. "Don't you have a bunch of new troops to supervise?"

  "Nope", he said. "That's the new Sergeant Major's job. This is my job."

  I looked at him, as the lift door opened, and we both boarded.

  "And what exactly is that job?"

  "Personal bodyguard to Captain Orel Doon", he said, smiling. "You have four of us."

  "So where are my other three bodyguards?" I asked, as the lift dropped us down to deck two of the Habitat module. We walked around the passage into Officer’s Country, which was navy lingo for the quarters of the ship’s officers. More navy tradition.

  "Only one of us has to be with you while we're aboard, unless there's a combat action. So, we're covering you in shifts. Donner is up next, then Jones, then Malach."

  "Wonderful", I said, as we reached the doors to my quarters. "So, whose idea was this?"

  "Guess", he said, smiling at me again.

  I didn't bother. I already had a good idea who was behind it.

  I looked at everyone as they sat around the table. Eng was tapping at his vidscreen, when Cozi came in and took his seat.

  "Sorry I'm late", he said. "Things keep coming up at the last minute."

  "No problem", I said. "I know everyone here is busy, so let's keep this short. I would like a quick update on what's happened, and where we stand. Eng, you probably have a better grasp on this than anyone, so why don't you get us started?"

  "Okay", he said. "First item would be the repairs. Cozi?"

  "All drives are operational", Cozi said. "The hull is patched and airtight, though as Doon noted, it's ugly as hell. The fire damage to the Avalon was extensive, though mostly limited to the electrical and avionics systems. We purchased all new gear for it, which is in the landing bay, along with about two miles of new wiring. I figure we can get to work on her once we're underway."

  "So, are we ready for space?" I asked.

  "We are", Cozi said. "At least, as far as Engineering is concerned."

  "Alright, then", Eng said. "Next up is personnel." He touched his vidscreen, and a standard inverted tree chart popped up on my screen. I figured everyone else could see it, too. He continued.

  "We've added a lot of new people, so here's the breakdown of who's aboard, and who answers to whom. At the top is our fearless leader, now sporting a few new scars to impress the ladies with." He looked over at me and grinned.

  I shrugged, and smiled back at him.”

  “Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever”, I said.

  “You’ve been hanging out with Cisco too much”, Kyra said, but she was smiling.

  “Hey, you saw to that”, I said. “Besides, that was Donner, not Cisco.”

  “Continuing”, Eng said, "Next level would be me, as Executive Officer. Next tier down is Kyra, Cozi, Lola, and Donovan. As Medical Officer, he has no subordinates, unless it's a medical issue, in which case we're all subject to his orders. Kyra remains as Security Officer, and you can see the personnel under her command. Kyra?"

  "I've placed Cisco and his people in charge of both ship security, as well as personal protection for Doon."

  "Speaking of which", I said, "Is a monumental waste of manpower. I do not need babysitting."

  "Recent events indicate otherwise", she said. "You can choose to take an assassination attempt seriously or not, but as security is my job, I do. If you don't like the arrangement, then I'll be leaving the ship, and you can find a new Security Officer."

  Whether I liked it or not, she seemed to mean it, and I wasn't about to call her bluff.

  "Fine", I said. "It just may take some getting used to. Sorry I interrupted; please go on."

  “The marines are under the command of Sergeant Major Amul Garner", she said. "If you want to use them for anything, the chain-of-command goes through me, and from me to him." She looked pointedly at me, since everyone knew I was usually the party guilty of not following the rules.

  "Gotcha", I said, since she seemed to want a response. "We're following the chain-of-command."

  "Good", she said. "That's about it for Security."

  "Who's next?" I asked.

  "That would be Cozi, with Engineering", Eng said. "A woman named Ceris Light, and a guy named Savan Sven. Anything you need to add to that, Cozi?"

  "Just the same thing Kyra asked", he said. "If you need them for something, please go through me, first. As it is, they're going to be pretty busy for some time, and I can't have them ducking out to do personal projects for any of you, at least not without some scheduling."

  "Okay, that sounds fair enough", Eng said. "That leaves Lola, who's now our Logistics Officer. In addition to any cargo aboard, she's in charge of the lander and lander bay, the galley, and our general navy crew, which at this point is six people; three women, and three men. Two of them are the cooks, Manny and Maylona. The other four are Georges, Kim, Jillian, and Indigo. I have everyone wearing nametags, so don't stress if you can't remember all their names, yet. I'm still having to look at my Pod to figure out who's who and who does what. Lola?"

  "While the navy crew work for me, and they do have assigned duties, if you need something done, then feel free to use them, that's what they're here for. If there's a conflict, they'll let you know, and we can work it out."

  "I think that's about it for personnel", Eng said. "Anyone have anything else?"

  No one said anything. I imagined they'd already been through this stuff several times, while I was laid up in MedLab.

  "Well", I said, "Unless anyone can think of a good reason not to, I'd like to lift as soon as possible. Sitting here in port is making me nervous, and I suspect Governor Arris isn't sleeping well, either. I have a hunch we're already on borrowed time. If one SpeedLink or radio message gets out of here, we'll have half the UPDF fleet on top of us within minutes. Let's plan on lifting in twenty-four hours. Let the port authority know, so they can remove the pressure ten
t, and clear the area."

  "Will do", Eng said. "Do we have a destination?"

  "Possibly", I said. "Angie, put it onscreen, please."

  A star map replaced the org chart. I touched an icon on my screen, and the view zoomed in.

  "That's a point in the asteroid belt between Sagan and Providence, Vega System. We have unfinished business there. Aside from being where we lost the Defender of the Crown, and had our run in with the UPDF, it's also where five other ships have spotted a ship with a drive signature that matches the one we know to be the hijackers. They may have a base in the area, maybe not. Either way, I'd like to go there and poke around a bit. I suspect that if we find them, we'll also find the Defender."

  "Given our current problems with the UP", Kyra said, "Is this wise?"

  "There's more to this than just our last encounter", I said. "Considering what was going on at the time, it didn't seem appropriate to share this. It is, now. The ship that took the Defender is the same ship that raided Cooper's Dream, and then shot up the Enigma, shortly thereafter. At the very least, we owe them a good ass-kicking, and I'm of a mood to deliver it."

  "Motherfuckers", Kyra said, rising from her seat. She wasn't the only one, as everyone tried to talk at once. A few minutes later, I was able to restore a measure of order. Kyra sat quietly, smoldering.

  "Fuck twenty-four hours", she said, looking over at me. "Tell them to get their shit out of our way; we're leaving now. I want those bastards."

  "It's been over a month since our last encounter with them", I said. "The sightings of their ship are hardly new, either. They may not even be there, right now, but if they have a base, and we hang around and wait, they'll eventually show up, and when they do, we'll nail them. We're leaving tomorrow, as planned. Unless someone has something else, let's get busy. There's still a lot to get done. Carry on."

  I rose, as did the others, filing out of the ready-room. Kyra and I were the last to leave, and I could tell she was not happy. If we were able to find those particular pirates, I had a feeling things would not go well for them.

  The UPDF, being the inconsiderate cads they were, didn't give us twenty-four hours. Someone on Triton had obviously gotten a message out, pending our coming departure. I blamed myself for this, since I'd announced to our hosts that'd we were going to be leaving.