Wandering Engineer 6: Pirates Bane (22 page)

“You'll get used to it. Sit your ass back down. Get some rest.
Your turn is coming. You'll need all the sleep you can get.”

“I'm doing it.” John said. He sat near Captain Franx and let Proteus
go to work once more. He did this three more times, once near each Captain or
other person. Each of the nanite packages was programmed to repair as much
tissue damage as he had scanned, and then create the information implants they
would need later. He needed them whole and as healthy as they could get. When
they were finished the nanites were programmed to return to him along the ant
trails if possible.

He even had the AI create simple implant packages in each of the
Horathians in the compartment before he quit. They were programmed as a
failsafe; a simple WI-Fi link wired to a bot attached to the sleep centers of
their brain, along with taps to their ears and eyes. He could have Proteus
knock them out or have the AI just monitor them.

“Admiral,” Proteus said, breaking off his repeated review of the
plan.

“Yes?” Irons replied through text.

“When you touched the food replicator we used the WI-Fi node there
to access the Micro surveillance bots you have left behind.”

“Status report?”

“I am not comfortable about extending my nanites as far as I have Admiral,”
Proteus protested.

“Tough. Get over it. We're all doing things we'll regret later.”

“Very well. I have traced the electrical and data lines under the
deck and behind the bulkheads. I have accessed several.”

“What the blob is beating around the bush about is, we're in,”
Sprite interjected.

“In?”

“In as in; in the ship's net. Proteus created an access splice for
me to hack the ship's net. We're in,” Sprite said.

“Destruct?”

“Working on it. There is no guarantee it will be where it was in
the blueprints, or that we will be able to access it though,” Sprite reported.
“It could be entirely Horathian in design, such as a nuke. Be prepared for
that,” she warned.

“Understood.”

“We are keeping tabs on the spy packages the Proteus left on the
bridge and in the wiring. Everything is set. I'm even working on a discussion
package with Nata'roka. I have to use the translation software I have on hand
however.”

“Risk?”

“High right now. She is being tormented by the so called human
navigator,” Sprite responded. “I'm waiting for an opening when she isn't paying
attention,” Sprite replied.

“Okay,” John replied.

“Hopefully she doesn't think I'm a hallucination,” Sprite said
dryly. Irons grunted. He cracked an eyelid, then stretched out and decided to
get some rest. Tomorrow would be a day for fell deeds indeed.

ACT II

-Break out-

Four hours later Defender woke him, as the guards got ready to
enter the cell. He feigned sleep, allowing them to approach them and kick him
awake. Groggily he dragged himself up, and they warily stood back.

He chuckled mentally and motioned with his cuffed hands to the
door. “On your feet,” the first said gruffly. From the sound of it he wasn't
quite awake either. John snorted softly.

Escorting him out to the anteroom, the guards assigned to escort
him were new Irons noted. Well, one was, the other had the cut me tattoo on his
throat. That one he knew, that one he owed.

“He doesn't look like much. I wonder why the Captain wants to see
him in his quarters,” the first commented.

“He may not look like much but he put Rodrigo, Bard, and Quya in
the sickbay. Chief Bard is going to need surgery on the knee, Quya is still
having breathing issues,” the guard at the desk said, warily as they left.
“Don't screw up,” he called out. The second guard turned to wave back and then
pulled his baton to poke John a few times.

“You hear that? Don't fuck with us. You'll regret it,” he growled.

John nodded. He felt a wolf like snarl from Defender and suppressed
it.

Outside the anteroom they strode to the lifts. He ran a passive
scan, and felt no sensors or cameras in the corridor. “Fell deeds,” he
murmured.

“What'd you say?” the bored guard said.

“Oh nothing,” Irons said, stumbling. He yawned.

Defender tapped his pharmaceutical implant and he felt a rush of
adrenaline pump into him. It wasn't caffeine but it was something, something
potent. The cobwebs cleared and the room seemed to slow and take on an
incredibly clarity. Purpose flowed through him, purpose and grim determination
to make this work. A lot more than just his life and the lives of the prisoners
were at stake here the lives of millions. They had to get it right the first
time.

Sprite cut his cuffs off with his right arm tools, but he held them
on. “Admiral, there is a camera in the lift,” Defender warned as the approached
the lift doors. Irons mentally acknowledged it. Now, now was the time he
realized. Whatever was going on, he knew instinctively he had run out of time.
He was tempted to let them take him to the Captain's quarters, he could
decapitate the head of the snake in one move... but no, he wanted back up. He
slowed, allowing the man behind him to crowd him slightly.

The man in front stepped to the lift to signal a car and Admiral
Irons went into overdrive. His hands dropped the cuffs and his right shot
backwards behind him, grabbing an arm and crushing it. He pivoted on his leg before
the point man could signal the lift and struck the point man as he whirled,
landing a blow on his larynx, crushing it instantly. The point man went down
gurgling; already dying but Admiral Irons spared him no attention.

The other guard reached for his communicator and Admiral Irons
squeezed the captured arm, making him screech and collapse. A quick snap of the
wrist broke the man’s neck. He turned, electrical room nearby. He tugged the
bodies inside and shut the door.

“Phase two is complete Admiral,” Sprite said in satisfaction. “I
told you he was done with waiting,” she said in an aside to the other AIs.

Irons grimly turned from his prey. “Don't pussy foot around.
Proteus, Sprite, contact that Ssilli. Get her on our side. Then move on to the
phase three list.”

“Aye aye Admiral. Good to have you back,” Defender said as the Admiral's
uniform changed into a copy of the Horathian utility uniform.

“We're not back yet, but we will be.”

“Mutiny on the bounty. A bit of an irony, mutiny against pirates.”

“Save that for the memoirs Sprite, for now, focus on the job at
hand.”

<----*----*----*---->

Rory Gustov inhaled deeply. Like everyone else in the brig
compartment, he'd been awakened by the noisy guards entry. He looked around.
Ian, Mary, and Sindri were both on shift with their teams. That sucked.

He stretched slowly. He felt oddly better, better than he had in a
long time. He rolled his shoulders and then his head, getting the kinks out. He
froze when something appeared in his vision. A blinking bar... he wondered if
he was losing it.

“Booting,” the bar spelled out. He frowned, now feeling a bit of
alarm. “Be prepared for break out in a moment,” the line said.

Gustov looked around covertly. He noticed a few other people
stiffening and also looking around.

“Um, not to sound crazy, but... what's going on?” Yosef Behr
whispered to him. “I keep seeing stuff. Words.”

“Shut up and do what it says,” Gustov said mildly, stretching. He
looked around, taking careful note of where the Horathians were in the
compartment. Whatever was going on, he hoped it happened soon. He looked over
to Craig Lewis. The other man nodded slightly but firmly. Expectant eyes turned
to the door.

<----*----*----*---->

“Trouble coming Admiral. I am jamming radio transmissions,”
Defender reported as a familiar clatter of metal claws on decking approached.

“Shit,” Irons muttered, looking around. There was no place to go,
they were close to the corner and the nearest door was too far away.

He turned as the robotic sentries, including two flying robots and
two robotic dogs rounded the corner. A third dog hanging a few meters behind
the duo was a cyborg, an experiment it looked like. It was a bulldog in a
robotic bulldog body he noted.

“What the hell is that?” Sprite asked.

“Trouble,” Defender said. “The operator is probably noting the
absence of a signal Admiral. The robots are scanning you now. If you aren't in
their database you are in trouble,” the security AI said.

“Trust a security AI to think that up,” Sprite said in disgust.

“Sprite, hack or jam the robots,” Irons ordered.

 Sprite attempted to do so but couldn't before they turned on him.
Glowing red eyes contemplated him briefly before the cyborg in the back
growled. The other two moved forward and then lunged, clearly on the attack.

Defender had indeed jammed the communications though Irons noted
as he waded in. The robots were programmed to expect him to run, to corner him
most likely. Of course he couldn't be sure of that, but he had to assume that
they wouldn't kill when they were off the grid, that would be awkward if they
accidentally killed someone.

A quick chop and one of the flying droids spun into the other,
they both collided and their rotors tore each other up. The Admiral's right arm
morphed and he followed up their self-destruction with a short ranged force
beam for good measure.

The beam hit the gravity field in the deck and played havoc with
it, blowing it out. Panels shorted down range, momentarily distracting the
three canines. They looked back and then to him once more. One of the robot
dogs lunged and bit his left arm. The Admiral spun, breaking its bite and
throwing it against the wall. Proteus immediately used nanites to take control
of the robot. “Admiral, we have control,” the AI said hurriedly before Irons
could do further damage.

“Good dog. Heel.” Irons said as he used his right arm to shoot its
partner. The other dog went down in a shower of debris and sparks.

The cyborg whined and retreated. It limped away, having been
damaged in the fight, or from poor maintenance, he wasn't sure.

Irons threw a piece of dog 2 at it and it skittered into an open
closet. He looked inside to see the cyborg monstrosity cowering there so he
closed and locked the door. He'd deal with it later.

Proteus had nanites going to various places in the ship. The AI
and the Admiral were low on nanites Irons realized. He did have a new helper
though. He looked down at the robotic dog. “How long until they are missed?”

“A half hour. Shifty is the controller on duty now and he has a
tendency to play Tetris or watch videos. Or so the gossips said,” Sprite
replied.

“Let me know if he tries to make contract,” the Admiral said,
nodding. “We'll leave this thing guarding the brig.”

“So...” Sprite asked hopefully.

“Activate the signal for the uprising. Punch a signal through to
Phoenix,” Irons ordered.

“Done and done,” Sprite said. She sighed happily. “It's good to be
back.” The Admiral grunted. “Signal coming in from Phoenix,” Sprite reported
after a second. “Handshake protocol accepted. Password accepted.”

“It's good to hear from you Admiral,” Phoenix replied. “I was
worried.”

“Fell Deeds Phoenix. No time to exchange pleasantries now,” Irons
said hurriedly. Every second counted now. They needed to hit the ground running
with minimum time to explain. That was the trickiest part of his plan; he
hadn't had the time to brief the others. He felt Sprite send the plan out.

There was another reason of course; he still wasn't certain whom
he could trust. Today they would go a long way to resolving that, he thought.

“Acknowledged,” the ship AI replied. “I will do what I can,”
Phoenix AI said. Irons grimaced. The AI like the ship was damaged, and under
guard. It was also outside the ship, so limited in its utility.

“Admiral, with the bridge and engineering crews augmented we dared
not do a hot swap of video or data feeds while they were watching,” Sprite
reported. Also, our signal strength is intermittent.

“I can help there,” Phoenix replied. “I can't get in though unless
you... ah yes,” the ship AI said as Sprite sent a data package to him. “Got it.
I am in. I think if we do a subtle overlay, and slowly creep in the false feed,
not just slam it up...”

“Agreed,” Sprite said. “And we do want them to continue monitoring
the reactor status. Can't have that go kablooe on us right now,” she said. The Admiral
grunted.

Still the delay in things was a problem. Still springing the others
should pass the time.

“We'll have to do this the old fashioned way then,” the Admiral
said. He knew the AI were his ticket on a successful take over. If they didn't
do the job it could and would get ugly.

“Mutiny indeed,” Sprite said.

“Something like that.”

“Admiral, the guards escorting you had communicators and weapons.
Do you think it would be wise to go back and get them?” the AI asked. “We can
get the frequencies from security off their radios.”

“Agreed. Proteus, do the same for the dog,” Irons said, looking
down at the robot. Proteus lit a green light on his HUD. “Then pass control to
Defender. Defender, warm up my shields,” the Admiral ordered as he dragged the
remains of the other robot back to the electrical room.

“Already done Admiral,” Defender replied as Irons opened the hatch
and tossed the bot in. “Getting full in there,” the AI said. “And I second the
request for the weapons and radios,” the AI said.

“Yeah, yeah, so I overlooked them,” Irons muttered.

Grabbing the guns and communicators, Admiral Irons whirled back to
the brig. The door opened and he shot the guard who looked up in surprise. The
second guard tried to react, but a shot through his forehead splattered
whatever intentions he had onto the bulkheads behind him.

“I think I'm glad we worked out that sniping ability. Had you used
a full plasma bolt...” Sprite said.

“Glad it worked too,” the Admiral said. Proteus had been the one
to use the weapon choice, not Irons. He shrugged it off.

“They are primed Admiral,” Sprite reported as his hand raised the
key to the lock. The outer steel door was closed and the sliding window shut.
He could see someone on the other side waiting.

<----*----*----*---->

Captain Franx looked up as data flooded his view. He scanned the
outline quickly and then moved to the door. He looked back as he felt and heard
someone behind him. Lewis and Gustov were there. He turned grimly to the
Horathians but they were all out cold.

“Let them sleep,” Gustov said.

“We could kill them,” Lewis said softly. “A blow to the throat
would be all it takes,” he said.

“No. We don't know if this will work. If it fails, I don't want
that coming back on us,” Captain Franx said. He looked over to Karen Hoshi. The
woman nodded reluctantly. At least two in the compartment had been part of her
gang rape initiation. She had been looking forward to spacing the bastards.
After
she cut their genitals off and stuffed them down their throats or up their
Asses. Lovingly peeled beforehand too if she could arrange it.

Franx looked at the others. Everyone was on their feet now,
determined and ready. “Whatever happens, stick to the plan. The one you can
see,” he said pointing to his eyes. “Doe has gotten us this far. I'm not sure
how he's doing this, but I'm willing to follow him.”

Many of the people nodded. Some shrugged or looked away.

“Let's give the man a chance,” Lewis said softly, looking around.
His eyes fell on Karen. She shrugged.

“We'll see,” was all she would say.