10 - Maxon (draft)

Maxon

Something went wrong. Or horribly right. Maxon wasn’t sure, because his ears wouldn’t stop ringing and the elevator shaft was suddenly far brighter than it was two minutes earlier.

The trio had positioned themselves a healthy distance away from the blockage and detonated the explosive. Given the amount of time it had taken Ellis to carve out the meager opening, the expectation was a muffled roar, followed by another round of cutting and sweating and cursing. Instead, the entirety of the elevator and a fair chunk of the exterior disappeared in an ear-shattering blast. It was impossibly loud for a single charge of such dubious origins.

“You cockstained wretch!” Wheeler yelled at no one in particular. To Veciennes, she demanded, “How’s it look?”

“Bad. You’ve attracted quite a bit of attention. The smoke is visible well into the Iris. There are two drones heading your way and a skiff catching up. Scanners are picking up half a dozen locals. Assume they’re armed.”

“How much time do we have before our friends arrive?”

“Not enough to get back to the Supersoul, I’m afraid. Twenty minutes for the drones, another ten to fifteen for the skiff, tops.”

Even at their fastest clip, the trio were at least two times that from the derelict craft’s makeshift entrance, Maxon thought. And rappelling full-bore down would likely result in the three of them in a broken pile. Too many obstructions, too many places where twisted metal would cut flesh. They’d join the rest of the bodies scattered throughout the ship.

“Captain?” Maxon asked.

“Talk it out,” she admonished. “The second we take down a drone, this place will light up even more than now. We could pick off the welcoming party if they split up once inside the ship, but let’s assume they’re on comms and that they’re smarter than that. They’ll leave a handful outside the door, just in case. Might send them searching for the skiff, which I can guarantee they’ll find. We hid it from long range sensors, not nosy locals.”

“They’d keep the drones around too,” Maxon continued.

“Can we hack them?” Ellis asked.

Veciennes answered, “I can try, but I can’t guarantee success. Not from this distance, not without knowing their security.”

Wheeler: “Give it a go. Back out the minute you think they’ve caught on. I want their eyes on us, not the Supersoul.”

“Acknowledged.”

To Maxon and Ellis, she asked, “Give me options.”

Maxon eyed the new opening in the side of the ship. “We can’t leave with nothing, Captain. Not after all this effort. I say we get to the other side. Hopefully the hull won’t be as damaged and we won’t be as exposed.”

Ellis grunted in agreement. “We’re too open right now.” He pointed to the distance, where the drones were coming into focus. They were on a direct course to the newly opened hole in the hull.

“Let’s move,” Wheeler said, motioning for Maxon to take the lead and Ellis following. She went last. She always did. “What’s beyond the med lab?”

“Medical staff quarters, surgery theater,” Ellis said, ducking his head to make his way through the blast opening. “I know these ships. I got a thing for history. They liked to keep the sick quarantined and the science close at hand. One way in, one way out, although that does mean they also have their own escape pods. They’d be ever further past. If they launched any, the bulkhead would’ve been sealed but as long as it’s just a door and nothing like the mess we just dealt with I can make short work of it.”

Maxon had a thought as he crawled out of the ruined elevator. “Are there any left? Any chance we can use those?”

“It’s likely we’ll find one. Problem is, there’s no juice on this boat. No way to trigger it.” Ellis replied.

Maxon took stock of the med lab. The hull was badly dented, but it looked to be from the initial crash and not Ellis’ detonation. Good. Provided the drones were on the larger side – and given the distance to travel, it seemed most likely – they wouldn’t be able to make their way through the jagged hole. They could still scan from outside the lab but probably wouldn’t be able to hit the whole room. Plenty of spots to hide.

Inside the lab, everything closest to the elevator door was blackened and ruined, including the various bones of the former medical crew. Whatever happened involved more than just their one explosive. Remnants of past attempts to get through? Had the crew in their final moments booby trapped the room? It seemed excessive, but then again, so did the damage they just caused.

The rest, however, was near-pristine. There were at least two skiff loads of salvage. No, this was more than salvage. This was wealth. He spied scanners, monitors, replicators, actual medicine. And past this room was more to be had. He was sure of it. Despite the approaching group, Maxon felt good. This was the score of a lifetime. Provided they lived.

Wheeler joined them. “We could set a trap. How we fixed on explosives?”

“Four left, Captain,” Ellis said.

“They all as dramatic as the last one?”

“I was as surprised as you were, captain,” Ellis stammered.

“Will you take a look at this!” Maxon said, distracted. He was poking through one of the storage lockers. It held bags of plasma. Dozens of them, all untouched. The sale of those alone would fix the cargo hold. Maybe also net them something tastier than nutri-tabs. Maxon couldn’t remember the last time he had synthesized food.

“Give me a minute to get us out of this mess. Ellis, you’re the Imperial warship expert. How many escape pods?”

“Something this size? For the medical staff I’d say maybe half a dozen four person pods, plus no more than two larger pods for transporting the sick worth saving. The Dzengharians weren’t too keen on mercy. If you were too far gone, you went down with the ship.” He started to wander over to one of the other supply cabinets.

Without warning, the captain grabbed Ellis by the arm. “Listen up, Ellis. You’re a trade and I don’t know you like I know Kongh.”

“Sir?” Ellis replied, confused.

“He’s crew and he’s family. You? You’re hired muscle at best.”

“I don’t know where you’re going with this, Captain,” Ellis said. He tried to jerk away but Wheeler’s grip was firm.

Maxon, not knowing where this was headed either, placed his hand on top of his blaster.

“I had half a mind to use you as bait. Crippled you, tie a charger to your back, detonate it when you got caught.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Ellis protested. He looked at Maxon, who shrugged. It was a good plan, and not particularly uncommon for pirates.

“Had,” Wheeler stressed. “You may not be Kongh but you’ve done right by us. I want you to know where I stood and where I stand. You’ve earned your share.” She released the Bellzatorian, who backed away warily. “All the same, you’re still not crew. You move against us, I’ll cut you down. Understood?”

“Yessir,” Ellis nodded. “I won’t disrespect you and yours. I’ve seen how good you have it and I don’t intend on messing with that. I step sideways without your approval, I get what’s coming to me.”

Wheeler nodded. “You’re good people, Ellis. Now you and Maxon check the next room and see what else we’ve got. Hopefully VC’s making progress with the drones.”

As if on cue, the Augment chimed in through the comms. “Success, Captain. Looks like they got lax with security protocols. I’ve got control of both drones. Not total but more than enough.”

“Good work, VC. Have them scan the blast site and report two dead scavengers. Blown apart from a shit detonator.”

“Unfortunately, Captain, if I report dead scavengers, they’ll expect to see some. I can’t disconnect the live feed. There are still eyes on us. At best I can make sure they see only what we want them to see.”

“Can you mask heat signatures?”

A pause. “That can be managed.”

“Maxon, give me those bags of plasma.”

“All of them?” That was a lot of money. A lot of a lot.

“All of them.”

“Captain?” Ellis asked.

Wheeler smiled. “How long can you hold your breath?”

####

The art of holding one’s breath is commonplace amongst pirates. Sneaking up on someone was far more effective when silent. And it was a matter of fact that even on the best maintained ship, things broke. On ones that had only nominal care, things went sideways more frequently, including the machines that governed the air, so learning to regulate oxygen intake was not only a good skill but an essential one.

Playing dead, however, was another story. The easiest and best way to do that was to hide under an actual pile of bodies and hope the blood and gore and general stench of death deterred anyone from poking deeper. But that wasn’t so much playing dead as simply concealing yourself.

So for Maxon and Ellis, the problem was lying in a manner that suggested they were tossed across the room, immediately bloodied and broken, without looking like two pirates laying on the ground, covered in half century old, semi-congealed plasma, and just holding their breath.

“For fuck’s sake,” Wheeler said to Maxon and Ellis, “you two look you’re just taking a rest. I need you bent.”

“I can only bend so much,” Maxon complained. There had to be a better way.

“Drones in one minute, Captain,” Veciennes said. While she had control of the drones, she had to give the impression they were still under someone else’s.

“Okay,” Wheeler said, “Maxon, you lay against the wall. Ellis, you lay crosswise on top of him, face down.”

They complied and Wheeler poured the last of the plasma over their faces. Better to conceal identities. And the rank stench gave extra reason to not breathe. Does plasma expire? Maxon wondered. What about the other medicine? If they escaped, was it just going to be with more broken stuff?

“Good. Hold your positions,” she admonished and crept back through the med lab and into the surgery theater. If this trick worked, there’d be little reason to send the drones further into the ship. The scouting party was another story.

It was difficult with the large Bellzatorian crushing his stomach with his weight, but Maxon did his best to remain still while Veciennes counted down the seconds until the drones did their scan and left. Only before they breached the derelict ship that he realized he was still actively looking for them. He steeled himself to keep his eyes vacant.

Don’t flinch, he admonished himself as the drones peered into the elevator shaft, their scanners illuminating the shadows, casting a green light over the twisted remains of the blast site.

The light crept up Maxon’s and Ellis’ bodies. A large goop of plasma was caught in Maxon’s eyelash, teasing his reflexes. His eye watered under the strain of not blinking.

The scanner came up to his chest.

Ellis twitched.

It could have been just a minor involuntary muscle spasm but for Maxon, it seemed like Ellis had been jolted by electroshock. He wanted to do something, say something, but the scanning light was now covering his face.

“VC, hurry it up,” Wheeler whispered.

Yes, please, Maxon thought. It was getting difficult not to exhale. Another glob of plasma spilled into his mouth. It tasted sour and sharp and foul.

“Scan complete,” Veciennes said. “You were pro. Transmitted images showed two dead bodies.”

“Get those damn things out of here,” Maxon said, doing his best to squirm out from under Ellis, who was massaging his arm and looking like he was going over all the ways his day could have gone better.

Veciennes said, “On it. Command has requested the drones scan the area for craft, so I’ll lead them off. I can keep them away from our skiff as long as I can but theirs has just arrived. They’ve got three on the ground, and three have just entered through the same hatch as you. I’ll keep an eye on the exterior group but you’re on your own with the trio heading your way. Sorry, Captain. Not a lot else I can do without drawing attention to the Supersoul. The good news is the ruse seems to have worked. No other forces are headed this way.”

“You’ve done well enough, VC. We’ve got about an hour until they get to us. That might even be enough time to figure out how we’re getting out of here alive.”

To Maxon and Ellis: “Talk it out. What are our next steps?”

“We don’t want noise,” Maxon offered, mopping himself off as best he could. “They think there are two pirates and they’re both dead.”

“Would they come up this far for a couple of bodies?” Ellis asked.

“It’s possible,” Wheeler answered. “Either because they need to confirm what the drones saw or because they’re curious about a part of the ship that has been closed off and unknown. Who knows, they may be looking for something to sell. They may be fanatics but that doesn’t mean they’re not opportunistic.”

“Let them get up here and take them out?” Maxon suggested.

“If they have open comms with the group outside, that’ll bring the rest of the continent over here. You were right the first time. No noise.”

“The escape pods. If they’ve been jettisoned, we could scale down the side of the ship.” Ellis said.

“Without our score?” Maxon gestured around him. “We can’t leave this. We can’t!”

“Maxon’s right,” Wheeler said. “I’m not willing to give this up. But I’d prefer to do it without a fight. I need better options.”

“Sorry Captain,” Veciennes crackled through the comms. “Looks like our new friends are good at finding skiffs. They’re ransacking it. Most of what you found has been tossed aside.”

“Most of that wasn’t worth our time or their effort,” Wheeler replied. “They’ve done us a solid. We have bigger and better to deal with. They fuck with the skiff?”

“Negative. It’s a safe bet they’re going to keep it. Even one as beat up as ours is worth something to someone.”

“The pods,” Ellis repeated. He was chewing on his moustache again.

“What about them?” Wheeler asked.

“I’m not sure. We can do something with them if they’re still there. I don’t know what.”

“Talk it out,” Wheeler said for the third time.

Ellis said, “If there’s an available pod, we can hide in it when the locals arrive. Might be they won’t come looking for us.”

“What if they’re wondering what happened to the two corpses?” Maxon countered.

Ellis frowned and chewed a little more. “We could load one up. I doubt the magnetic bolts are still intact, so we would just need to use the explosives to trigger a launch. Well, more like a kick and a drop than a launch.”

“Impact would be rough.” Wheeler said.

“We’d lose some stuff sure, but if it were packed tight, the loot would make it out mostly okay. Us too if we hitched a ride down.”

“That doesn’t help with the locals,” Maxon protested. “We’re attracting attention.”

“True,” Wheeler said, “but loading up an escape pod means we’re getting the goods out of the ship faster than if we were lug it down piecemeal. This is something. I don’t know if it’s what we need but it’s a start.”

She picked up an old handheld, the screen cracked and flaking pieces, and passed it back and forth in her hands, lost in thought.

“Maybe not existing pods. Maybe the ones that launched” she said, tossing the handheld aside. “If we have an open pod hatch and can get the Supersoul over here fast enough, we could get load up before the rest of the planet is up our ass. It could work.”

Ellis hurried towards the back of the med lab. “I’ll go check.”

“Maxon, you know the drill. Get me an inventory on what looks expensive, with a focus on portability.”

“On it.”

“See if you can find something to pack it all in too.” Wheeler pinged Veciennes. “What’s the range of their average fighter?”

“Planetary. They won’t chase us for long and they’re not going FTL. But there’s no accounting for who else is in town. Not sure what long-range ships are hanging about itching for a fight. We saw one already.”

“We’ll have to risk it. Start prepping for an emergency load ‘n’ go. You have a read on Statner? We need him back here. I need a distraction.”

####

Ellis was off by two. There were eight pods total. Half had ejected before the ship crashed and of the remaining, three were unused and one was sealed and stuck halfway out the launch tube. They pried the door open and discovered a quartet of Dzengharian medics, mummified from half a decade in an airtight container. Judging by their positions, it looked as if their necks snapped when the pod jammed. There were worse ways to die, Maxon thought, but better ways to be memorialized. The smell was not only unpleasant – arid yet musty, like overly spiced meat that had gone bad – but also had a way of lingering in the nostrils. Between that and the plasma, he wondered if he would ever smell something pleasant ever again.

Half an hour had passed since they burst open the elevator shaft. The three locals were still ascending the ship but they either lacked the proper tools or skills and were making slow, loud progress. According to Veciennes, the other three outside had thoroughly gone over the skiff and were sorting through the salvage, occasionally arguing over pieces of interest. The drones had patrolled the Iris but curiously were unable to make it to the spot where the Supersoul was hidden. So far, nobody had noticed there was still a large gray area on the surveillance map.

And then there were the spoils. There were five containers packed and ready to go, each one holding about a two years’ worth of earnings. Even after Statner’s cut, they wouldn’t have to worry about work for quite some time. And if they managed to parse out the merch at a slow clip, they could stretch it out even longer.

Provided, of course, they could get it off the ship.

“Statner’s on his way,” Veciennes piped in through the comms. “Just dropped out of FTL. Patching him through.”

“Captain Wheeler!” Statner boomed joyfully. He sounded like he had bumped into her on the street.

“Statner,” Wheeler replied flatly. “We’ve got the goods but we need you to provide some cover.”

“Absolutely!” he beamed. “I see what you’re up against and I’m thinking we can repeat my maneuvers at the Battle of Periscope Haze. You would not believe what had happened. The troops on the ground were under fire by Imperial forces and needed an immediate evac. Fortunately my squadron had just arrived, much like just now, irony of ironies-“

“I’m sure it was magnificent,” Wheeler interrupted, “but we’re pressed for time. We’ve got twenty minutes to load up the Supersoul. The minute she heads our way, we’re going to have company, and we can’t get this done if the locals are shooting at us. Veciennes, get here as soon as you can. I need you downward from our location with the cargo bay open.”

“On my way, Captain. And just as you said, I’ve already been spotted. Looks like the same group of three that greeted us is headed our way. And much faster than the drones.”

“Heading planet-side,” Statner said and signed off. Maxon caught a whiff of dejection in his voice. He must have really wanted to tell that story.

“VC, those drones armed?”

“Light weaponry, nothing that can go against a star craft.”

“But it’s good enough to get rid of our three friends outside the ship. Do that.”

“Consider it done.”

“And clean out the decorations while you’re at it. We’re not coming back here, so we might as well give them something to remember us by.” To Ellis, she said, “Get one of your chargers and toss it down the ship. No sense in having them interrupt us. Then get back here and provide cover.”

“Yessir,” the Bellzatorian said as he lumbered off, fiddling with one of the remaining four devices.

“What happened to no violence?” Maxon said.

“We exhausted all the other options,” was the reply. It didn’t sound entirely convincing. “You and I are on loading duty. You think you can shoot the climbing cables into the bay? We’re going to need ziplines. At least two.”

“I think I can manage,” Maxon replied.

Behind them, a massive explosion and a slight shift in the ship’s position.

“Those chargers…” Maxon muttered.

Wheeler responded with a grim smile. “He must’ve been in a bad mood when he slapped them together. Or he’s just terrible at making them.”

“Captain,” Veciennes said, “There in two. Drones have taken out the guards out front and there’s not much left of their shrine. I set them to guard the entrance so if anyone else tries to come in, they’ll have trouble. But we’ve got fighters in less than ten. Statner?”

“I see them and should intercept in time. They have eyes on me?”

“One’s peeling off,” Veciennes replied. “The merc ship.”

“Someone’s sore about our last meet-up. He’ll be in worse shape when I’m done with him! Ha!”

“Don’t get too caught up with him,” Wheeler said. “The two on the Supersoul are the priority.”

“Bah!” Statner responded. “This is nothing. You’ll have clear skies in no time.”

From the closest exposed pod hatch, Maxon saw the Arkon scream past the larger of the three ships and do a barrel roll towards the two smaller ones that were coming up fast on Veciennes. The merc fighter’s tail caught fire and it jerked sideways as if shoved before plummeting downward in flames.

Like the Supersoul, the Arkon was a deep space cargo vessel, and yet Statner handled it like it was no bigger than the two planetary fighters it was up against. The wake of this ship pummeled the two fighters, causing them to almost collide. Maxon was impressed with the blasé recklessness. The other pilots must have thought differently as they pivoted away from the Supersoul and went after the Arkon.

“They took the bait,” Statner said, “but I see reinforcements are on the way.”

Veciennes agreed, “Three more just launched. Time is short. Captain, I’m in position. You good to load?”

Wheeler motioned Maxon over to the second opened pod hatch. The Supersoul hovered precipitously below the ruined warship, its cargo bay facing upwards towards Wheeler and crew. Gravity and wind were playing hell with the ship’s stabilizers, but it was almost still enough. Almost.

Maxon loaded the first climbing cable into its firing mechanism and aimed at the center of bay. If he was lucky enough, the magnetic bolt would strike the far wall and leave enough cable to create the zipline between the two ships. If not, there were two others left.

Kongh would’ve been much better at this, Maxon thought. While he grew up with firearms, his more recent experiences with them had been limited to threatening poses and a couple of skirmishes where he was firing blindly from behind cover. Kongh was the sort where the gun was an extension of his body. He would’ve nailed both shots already.

But Kongh was with Statner, most likely manning the blast turret that just took out one of the two original fighters. From the distance, he heard the approaching engines of reinforcements. It sounded like a lot of them.

Now or never, he said to himself and squeezed the trigger.

The climbing cable shot out in a graceful arc towards the Supersoul. Maxon kept an eye on the length of cable beside him, watching it rapidly dwindle as the bolt careened towards the cargo bay.

There’s not enough. We’re too short.

Faintly audible: the satisfying thunk of the bolt securing itself. It was enough, just barely.

“Captain!” Maxon shouted as he affixed the other end of the cable to the hull. “We’re attached!”

“Good,” Wheeler replied. “Launch another one. Ellis, get ready to transfer to the Supersoul.”

“Sir?” Ellis asked.

“You heard me. We need muscle to unload. You’re it. Clip yourself in and take a ride once the second cable’s all set. Try not to blow anything up.”

Ellis opened his mouth, then abruptly shut it.

Whatever he had to say didn’t matter. Maxon loaded the next cable. They all had to get off the ship somehow. He wasn’t looking forward to it either.

“We’ve got ten minutes, Captain, until reinforcements are here. They show no inclination to go after the Arkon,” Veciennes said.

“Quit fucking around, Maxon,” Wheeler said as she pushed the first of the cargo towards the zipline. “You heard VC.”

“Right,” Maxon agreed. He was just as lucky with his second shot. They were good to go. He started prepping the second zipline.

“This is definitely the stupidest idea in a day full of them,” Ellis muttered as he clipped himself to the zipline, stepped off the derelict ruin, and raced down towards the Supersoul.

Wheeler wasted no time in shunting the first container. It raced after Ellis, who managed to disconnect and roll to the side of the zipline before it crashed into him. He shot Wheeler a glare and then offloaded the crate.

“He’s good,” Wheeler said. “I may even miss him after this.”

“I wouldn’t mind him on the crew,” Maxon agreed as he pushed his container off. Unlike Wheeler, he opted to confirm Ellis was ready.

“You’re just tired of being last-on,” Wheeler said while sweating with the third container. It must’ve been the one with the replicators. “Give me a hand with this.”

“Could we handle a fifth?”

“Maybe,” she answered while affixing the carabiner. “But we’re trying to go legit. Not sure what’s out there for the good and proper and I’m not eager to take on another hungry mouth while waiting on something that may not exist.”

In the distance, another explosion.

“That’ll do, that’ll do,” Statner crackled through the comms, obviously pleased with himself. “Heading back to clean up your new mess.” The Arkon’s engines squealed and roared as it did another improbable turn.

“He’s good too,” Wheeler said, “But if I have to listen to his self-aggrandizing nonsense one more time, it’ll be too soon.” The fourth container whistled down the line.

The derelict ship lurched. Something had come unmoored with Ellis’ last detonation and with it was the climbing cable currently in use. It careened off the side and dangled from the open cargo bay of the Supersoul. The container plummeted to the ground.

“Captain?” Maxon asked.

“Let’s pick up the hustle.” She pinged Veciennes. “We’re out of time. Coming in hot with the last container.”

“Hotter still. We’ve got company.”

While Statner had again engaged the enemy and drawn the brunt of them away from the Supersoul, one was trying to get in a position where they could hit the Supersoul without damaging their religious icon. The proximity and turbulence weren’t making it easy, nor was the Supersoul’s automated defense systems kicking in. The ship’s rail gun began firing, but there was only one, ammo was low going into the job, and the targeting mechanism hadn’t worked in years. It was less cover than a blind hail of bullets.  

Indiscriminately so. A round hammered the hull above their heads. Maxon instinctively hit the ground, covering his head from the sparks and shrapnel. Wheeler ignored the fray and hitched the last container to the remaining zipline.

“Maxon, climb aboard. You’re going with the cargo.”

The Supersoul hit the enemy ship with a spray of bullets. It peeled off after firing in return. The Supersoul rocked with the impact and Maxon heard the zipline creak in protest.

“Captain,” Veciennes, “We get hit again and we won’t be able to make it off the planet without suffocating. We’ve over quota with holes.”

“Hang on, folks,” Statner piped up. “I’ve got this.” There was another explosion in the distance and the remains of another fighter fell from the sky. The Arkon strafed the fighter closest to them, which in turn backed away to get a better shot at Statner.

“I’m going with?”

“Think of it this way, if you get injured, we finally have the equipment to patch you up. Get up there and hang on.”

Maxon found himself 100% in agreement with Ellis. This was a world beater in stupidity. He climbed on top of the container, hooked himself to it, and shut his eyes as Wheeler pushed it over the edge. The world paused for a second, and then he found himself screaming as he careened towards the Supersoul.