The Spiteful (Trapped.5)

The Frontier- Barrett’s ship, an old Constellation craft- was a ship full of treasure. Loot of all sorts. Treasure maps to ancient digs full of alien technology. Deeds to so many credit accounts that Galbank would go bankrupt trying to cash it all out. That and more, ridiculous promises spewed from the pirate’s mouth.

The entire time, Barrett’s casual conversation with the pirate revealed why he’d been so confident. There was something just about the way he talked that had the Pirate responding. Eerily so. He wrestled against captivity, of course, but there wasn’t much an unarmed pirate could do against a Type-A that had been modified as heavily as Vasco had been. 

Or, you know, the severe application of duct-tape and a chair. Once the Constellation goon and Lin are done interrogating the kid, the two locked him in one of the bathrooms.

“They radioed in that they saw me landing here,” Barrett says, shaking his head. “Every pirate in the system is going to be gunning for Vectera in hopes they’ll find me and my ship.”

“I mean, we could just give them the treasures on your ship.” Lin drawled. Barrett rolled his eyes.

“I wish I had something like that to give them. The Frontier’s just an old ship with a storied history,” He responded. He rapped his fingers against the desk for a moment. “Aha. I know what we’ll do. I can stay here. Lin, you can send a message to whoever is in charge. Then you can just give me to them. Call it a ransom for your safety.”

“What?!” Lin snapped. “You can’t- they’re Crimson Fleet, Amundsen! They’ll eat you up!”

“If I can bend their ear a bit, I’m sure I’ll find myself a way out. Especially once they find out the Frontier’s gone back into UC space.”

“Yeah, and who’s going to take it there?” Lin asked.

Barret glanced at me.

“Oh, no. Fuck no.” I said.

“Are you sure?” Barrett asked. “After seeing what you did, are you sure you don’t want to find out more about it? Aren’t you curious?”

I was, but… The tingling along my spine made me wary of actually listening to him.

“You aren’t a miner anymore, kid. Vree? Can I call you Vree?” He says. “I need someone to take the artifact to Constellation. And I think you’re the right person for it.”

“... Even more no.” Like hell am I going to Constellation. “I still have a contract here. It’s still my job.”

“I’m sure Lin can make an exception. She has that authority, right?” Barrett asked. He turned to Lin. “After all, the kid’s meant for greater things than being a member of Argos Mining.”

As he said that, it sent another shudder down my spine. An eerie sense. That wasn’t even a real reason, but-

“Yeah.” Lin echoed. “Don’t worry, Vree. I can sign you out of the contract. There’s a clause for personal issues. You’ll still get your share for the job. This is important, after all.”

What? Lin’s as hard-ass as hard gets. I get that she and Barrett were friends, but… 

“If you sign me out like that on ‘personal issues’, I won’t be renewed for another job,” I said.

“Barrett’s right, Vree. You’re wasted on Argos Mining. You’re meant for greater things.” She echoed his words. I turned, glancing at Heller. Heller just shrugged.

A moment later, while I was trying to figure out a way to explain how stupid this whole idea was, Lin slid a dataslate over to me.

… My contract. She hadn’t even waited. She’d already signed me out of it, waiving me of all responsibilities moving on.

“Now we won’t be holding you back,” She smiled.  Like she was doing me a favor. Like I wasn’t just fucking fired.

“I- I don’t even fucking like Constellation. Not since they’ve been bought out by the rich asshole who-”

“Vree.” Lin snapped.

“... Don’t worry too much, my friend,” Barrett responded. “Constellation’s members are all very kind people. You’ll find your place among them.”

“Why are you so determined to make me the scrub to do this?”

“You’re the one that found the artifact,” He says. “You had an experience with it. The ones I’ve found… Only one showed me anything, and none of them have shown anything to anyone else since. It’s chosen you. And aren’t you curious to see what it all means?”

I was. But not if it meant going to those assholes. Looking at Barret’s pearly white smile, I felt a hissing fury building up in me. It had been a while. A long time since I’d gotten fucked over like this. But the venom never got any less potent.

“... Fine.” I said.

I was going to take the ship, take the artifact, and fuck off. I’d drop their ship off somewhere in civilized space, and they’d have to get off their own asses to pick it up.

“Vasco will be going with you,” Barrett says. “Vasco? Protocol Indigo.”

“Again?” Vasco asked. “Understood. Protocol Indigo initiated.”

I already knew what that was before I even asked.

“Let me guess. That’s to keep me from selling the ship or leaving?”

“It’s the ship’s ‘no fun allowed’ protocol.” Barrett said. “Unless Vasco signs off on a good reason for diverting from the mission, the drives won’t let you go anywhere except New Atlantis.”

“Of course.” I said. I was still pissed, but at least Barrett wasn’t that stupid.

“And Vasco tends to agree more with Sarah Morgan than he does with me on necessary diversions, so you’re up for a boring trip, friend.”

“Of course.” I added. New Atlantis counted as civilized space. So I’d still be able to make my way off there.

And then I’d have to find a new goddamned job.

===

I had my reservations about this whole thing, but one thing I wasn’t going to complain about was the Frontier.

It may have been old tech. Older than me. Older than my parents had been, even. An old discovery-class ship, built by Nova Galactic back when good ol’ Earth was still around. Vintage, dozens to hundreds of patch jobs covered the thing. It had been refurbished a good dozen times, but it still had the distinct look of a genuine Nova Galactic. The reactor was new-ish, though, it had to be, and the hull was in good shape.

The hab itself was cluttered with the signs of Barrett’s life. A lot of old books. A few starcharts. Maps and printed photographs of planets he’d been to. I ignored it all, mostly, other than cramming everything from the bed bunk into the cargo hold and replacing it with what little I’d owned. Sitting atop the bed- for now at least- was Heller’s mining laser. Well, my laser, now. He’d insisted, and the bonus Argos Mining was going to give the crew for all of that caelumite was going to more than make up for the pay dock from missing equipment. 

I was a lot more interested in the technical details. The systems were all read-only, locked down by the Indigo Protocol, but I wanted to see how they’d had the cowling configured. The landing gear and thruster angles, the alignment…

I was a tinkerer at heart. Beyond that… starships were my one true love. I’d dreamed of working on them. Designing new parts, new modules.

Soon enough, I was in orbit around Vectera, looking down at the damned moon. I could already see a few Crimson Fleet ships- small pips on my display- making some deorbiting maneuvers. Three of them. More than enough to take care of the entire base, if need be.

Then, three more sparks appeared, sliding into orbit like shooting stars, aurora-like fields orbiting them as the gravitons ignited around them. I glanced at the navigation computer, at how its velocity readings on the newcomers were adjusting… and noticed they were reorienting toward me.

“It appears as if we are still being pursued.” Vasco said, his hull half-embedded into the custom copilot seat.

“Yeah, I noticed.” I said. “What’s the fucking point of Barrett sacrificing himself if they’re still going to chase me?”

“The Argos Mining Facility on Vectera will remain safe. The safety of civilians are priority.” Vasco said. 

“I’m a civilian.” I argued.

“Not as Barrett believes.” The robot responded. “I recommend you prepare for battle.”

I loved spacecraft. I knew the modules like the back of my hand. I could fix stuff up, and I could tinker with all sorts of settings. But I wasn’t a military person. I wasn’t some naval pilot, or space gunner.

“... Fuck no.” I said. “There are four ships. And this is just a modified Discovery Class. If I try that, we’re screwed.”

“Escape is untenable. Our current class of graviton loop drive precludes the use of both shielding and supercruise functions.”

I could probably try it. Charge the pirates. You know, the guys who make a living doing this shit, blowing up enemy ships. I could see them blasting off my engines, forcing a docking procedure. Killing me, taking the ship, taking the artifact.

“I could surrender.”

“Doing so would be in violation of the Indigo Protocol.” Vasco says. “Losing the Frontier is not an option. You must fight or flee.”

“What? Fuck  you. This is entirely reasonable.”

“It is not a viable reason to bypass the Indigo protocol.” It says. “If you attempt to surrender, I will be forced to attempt combat on my own.”

Then they’d kill me for a ‘fake surrender’. Joy.

“Why don’t you just fight them, then?”

“I am only sixty-seven percent effective when compared to a dedicated automatic turret.” Vasco says. “It is highly recommended to use a trained gunner.”

Fuck.

“What about jumping?” I asked.

“Supercruise adjustment is required for interplanetary or intersystem gravity-”

“No,” I said. “I just need a jump of about, uh…”

I trailed off for a moment, thinking quickly. Checking my elevation from the planet, orbital velocity… “Twenty thousand kilometers.”

“In which direction?”

“Down.” I said. I was already wheeling toward the pirates. The aurora-like field around their ships faded as their ships stopped using supercruise, accelerating toward me. I was facing them- and I started to push up the thrusters. My velocity indicator started crawling, and my display showed my slowly changing orbit.

They’d close in, soon.

“There is no software for that procedure.” Vasco said, after a moment.

I looked at the ships. Then I loosened my buckles, reaching out from the pilot seat, and pushing the long, curved metal of the artifact across my lap.

As long as I was touching it, I could feel it. That strange, extra knowledge. I kept most of it, but when I was touching it, I had a little more. Just a little more thought.

“We don’t need it.” I said. “I’ll free-hand it.”

I opened up the gravdrive’s display. Pressed a few buttons. Frowned.

“Loosen up the restrictions.” I said. “I’m trying to preserve the ship, so your stupid Indigo thing shouldn’t stop me.”

“Inducing a gravity-jump directly downward would involve traveling directly through the planet.” Vasco said. “That is tantamount to suicide.”

“Not exactly the plan,” I said. “Just the upper atmosphere.”

“Gravity-jumping directly into or out of an atmosphere from vacuum would also be catastrophic.” He said.

“That’s why it’s not the plan.” I said. “Just- I know what I’m doing.”

I stared at the robot’s lens for a moment. It stared back.

“Gravity drive restrictions loosened. Shield generator restrictions loosened.”

“I need the hydro tanks too,” I said.

“HO2 tanks restrictions loosened.” It said. “What are you doing?”

I saw the pirates lighting up my radio. I didn’t even respond. Their weapons were warming up, and the combat computer indicated the signs that they were prepping for a fight. I kept my own weapons dead, so they’d think I was surrendering. My grav drive was heating up, starting to charge. Their yells got louder and louder.

With a switch, I inverted my shield. Orienting it to keep things in, rather than out. Then I vented as much atmosphere as I could. Fuel misted out of the ship, everything the ship could dump on the spot.

“Fuck! Don’t fire! He’s made himself into a bomb!” One of the pirates yelled. More and more hydrogen flooded the vacuum around the ship, between it and the shield-

And then, as soon as it was equal to Vectera’s pressure, I hit the button. My shield cut out. The hydrogen started to disperse. Finally, the Frontier and I disappeared.