Galactic Freighter: Scourge of the Deep Space Pirates (Contact) (9 page)

An orderly, a commander approached, no salute, and said, "Captains…." He nodded at the women. "…if you've not made other arrangements, the Admiral would like for you to join him."

Neither had and would have changed them had they done so. Tenkiller and his wife took the lead. Buck and Molly followed to the table. All greeted the Admiral, and took the offered seats as Buck introduced Molly. The talk was casual but inevitably got around to the attempt on the Admiral's life.

"It's happened before. Probably will again. You can't please everyone. Just too bad about Captain Brader and my driver," Hizerman said in voice that seemed filled with misery.

Buck changed the subject. "Admiral, this may not be the place to discuss such matters, but I would like to know something about these gadgets you mentioned earlier at the Admiralty." He tried to keep the comment casual.

"You're right. There are a few items we could discuss; some are restricted." With that, the completely nonplussed women, talking business wasn't what they had in mind, didn't take long to make it known enough was enough and they had reached that limit. Molly chuckled as the Admiral's wife admonished him. Other than the Emperor, there was not another person who could have gotten away with it. Publically trouncing on the High Fleet Admiral was something to behold. The Admiral took it in good taste and bussed his wife's cheek with a kiss. She leaned toward Molly, sitting next to her, and said, "At least they killed the bastard," referring to the Marines and loud enough for all at the table to hear.

Buck escorted Molly onto the dance floor, and in turn, the High Admiral's wife and followed with Tenkiller's receiving compliments for being accomplished dancers. The Admiral's wife teased her husband into a dance. A look from Hizerman toward Buck suggested he could have done without that, but he graciously, took his turn with the ladies.

The evening ended on a pleasant note with Tenkiller asking for a meeting the next morning.

Buck quickly agreed then took Molly to her home and was invited in.

Spacious and tastefully decorated, bright lamplight lit the living area, while recessed lighting illuminated the high cathedral ceiling, giving a two-tiered effect. Buck was no prude and it had been a long time. From the number of times Molly brushed against him, it was obvious she wanted the same thing he did. Long time or not, Buck wasn't ready to deal with what a deeper relationship would mean aboard Phoenix so he made what he thought were adequate excuses.

The look on Molly's face suggested otherwise.

Arriving early the next morning at the Admiralty, Buck sat nursing a cup of coffee in Tenkiller's reception area.

Rushing through the door, the Captain apologized for his lateness and ushered Buck into the office.

"We've got a lot of territory to cover and not much time. Just came from High Admiral Hizerman. He wants me to space within the next forty-eight hours."

Tenkiller presented his thoughts on how he'd attack Katakan if Buck needed assistance. Leafing through the information Buck had obtained from the missionary ship that reported on Katakan's defenses, he deferred on offering suggestions on how Buck might attack the installations.

"This little foray of mine has you nervous," Buck said, not sure he wanted to hear the response.

"Hell, yes." He shook his head. "I tried to get Admiral Hizerman to let me go in with you. Says the Emperor won't permit it. You sure did a selling job on His Majesty. You may have missed your calling."

The two shook hands, and Buck acknowledged Tenkiller's
good hunting
. Actually, he was quite pleased the Emperor had ordered the fleet to Brandenburg and that Tenkiller would back him up.

Buck confirmed their slot with the orbit master and two days after the royal fleet spaced from Iona, Phoenix deorbited. He set a different vector, selecting a right ascension heading two parsecs off the fleet's course—all part of the deception.

***

"Come," Buck said and Tommy Simms stepped into his cabin, and added, "Glad to see we're still speaking."

Understandably, Buck had made a major effort to sooth Tommy's feelings. Knowing the saboteur and not telling his engineer and close friend put a deep strain on the relationship. Molly intervened, spending time explaining how Buck had used the man against the pirates.

Tommy's reluctance to accept what had happened and move on showed some improvement after Molly’s little talk with him. He could get away with a good mad at the Captain, but Molly, that was entirely a different matter. Piss her off and he'd be in deep trouble with the crew and the Captain: too high a price to pay.

"Sorry, Cap'n." he fidgeted but did look at Buck. "I got over it. Ya done the right thing. I admit ta bein' pissed that ya didn't trust me." He chuckled and added. "Then Molly had a talk with me and, well bein' upset with you is one thing, but Molly—I don't need that problem. I'd probably killed the bastard."

Buck smiled. "I know you, my friend. That was why I kept you in the dark. You would have screwed up all of my lofty plans to turn his treachery back on him. We got some pirate ships that otherwise might still be out there killing people. On the other hand, your knowing would have prevented the attack on the Fleet Admiral and loss of his aide and driver. That I regret."

Tommy fiddled with a string of keys even as Buck offered him a chair and cup of coffee.

"I have a feeling this isn't a social call. What can I do for you?"

"Cap'n, when I signed on, ya said I got ten percent of ever’ haul. How much have I got comin'?"

Buck studied his friend for a moment, turned to the computer and brought up a tally sheet he'd maintained.

"Looks like you're a millionaire, Tommy. We've done well since becoming partners." The money he'd made from the freight business, and the six captured ships brought in some hefty credits. They really made a difference." The credits are in a bank account on Iona." Buck didn't mention he had become a millionaire fifty times over. More money than he could ever spend as a short haul freighter.

"Well, I'll be damned. Me a millionaire. Who'd of ever thought it. I sure wouldn't." He paused and then added, "All that money and I can't spend a credit. Hell of a lot of good it's doin' me." That brought a belly laugh from both.

Buck kept quiet all the while studying his engineer. He knew his mannerisms and that there was more to come. Making Danko his number two had never seemed to bother Tommy. The man had never sought fame or glory, something they both held in common.

"When this is over, I think I'll retire. Spend some of that. I ain't never had much and bein' able to do what I want is somethin' I'm gonna try before I git too old."

"I hate to lose you, Tommy but I can't blame you. I've thought of doing something different." That was true. Buck wanted to join the big freight haulers, the long distance business. With the money he'd accumulated, he could space three possibly four long haulers—armed of course and make more money with the risk much the same.

"Really? You, retire. Can't see it. Not you. Hell, ya can't be over thirty. Too young. Ya got that restless blood in ya." Tommy toed the deck, brushed his hand through the graying hair. Buck didn't make his plans known.

"Cap'n if somethin' happens to me I have a brother, his health ain't too good. He has a wife and three kids. Would ya see that he gits half the money? The rest is to go the kids at the freighter's orphanage."

"Good choice, Tommy. I'm proud to call you friend." The two shook hands. Buck had no illusions about the upcoming fight and Tommy knew the odds as well.
A lot of good people were not going to survive. Buck knew he would be writing more letters to families.

Buck created a secure chip and had Tommy make a will specifying how he wanted his estate managed. As captain, he had the authority to make the testament a legal declaration. Tommy accepted the chip and Buck told him he would transmit it to Iona that day.

"Well, I got work ta do. Thanks, Cap'n." Muttering "me a millionaire,” Tommy stepped into the passageway.

Buck breathed a sigh of relief at Tommy's attitude and returned to his attack plan, totally absorbed, questioning every decision, creating a backup, an alternative, always asking
what if
? A few hours later, he lay on his bunk and slept.

Early the next morning, he stepped onto Phoenix's bridge and keyed the comm ship-wide. "Everyone, we are going to put a stop to pirates using Katakan as a safe haven. The remainder of our little fleet will join up with us at the planet's declared outer limit."

The remaining five freighters were to follow each seven T-days apart. Rendezvous was set for three months later at a point several parsecs from their target—Katakan. The circuitous route seemed the best choice minimizing detection. The ambassador's ship had spaced for Brandenburg two days earlier with the fleet. Buck had no illusions about the upcoming fight, yet his determination to succeed remained steadfast.

Buck selected a vector that would take them up the near side of a maelstrom that bisected that end of the region. The treacherous electrical and electronic problems it caused ships kept all but the foolhardy from entering. Those who ignored the warnings seldom came out. As close as Buck had taken Phoenix, they encountered disturbances.

***

Approaching two months in space, Buck turned his chair to face the communications plot.

"Captain, I'm getting some funny readings," said the operator in an unsure voice.

"Funny? How so?" Buck asked.

"Well, not funny, funny, but strange, Sir. I'd swear there's a planet up ahead."

From his chair, Buck studied the plot. "It may be the maelstrom to starboard interfering with our readings. Few ships go into that mess. Once in a while, a pirate running from the law tried it. Most are never heard from again."

Not many spacers came this way, in part because of the troublesome area and it was well off the main travel lanes. Situated at the extreme edge of the region, beyond Iona's sector, a ship could expect one T-year to go around the danger. On the other side, lay the most traveled route to old Terra. As far as Buck knew, few had circumnavigated the region. There just wasn't enough out there to warrant investigation. To the best of his knowledge, few ships had crossed the troubling area.

"Sir, I'm betting that's a planet." Danko's assertion again sent Buck to the plot board. He punched a few icons and studied the result.

"You may be right." Buck ordered astrogation to kick Phoenix over and reduce velocity relative to the incoming mass.

"Going to check it out, Captain?" Danko asked.

"I think so. When we get within range, do an electronic sweep. Make sure something that we want no part of isn’t down there." Phoenix had spaced well ahead of the other five ships and could take time to investigate.

Nearing orbital altitude Danko put the sweep results on the overhead plot. "Doesn't look very promising captain. If I'm reading this right, most of the surface is barren."

"Is the rad level safe?" Buck asked.

Getting an okay he commed the hanger deck and told them to prep the shuttle and detailed three crewmembers, all former Marines, to make the trip with him.

"Captain, I've picked up a small region that shows a different radiation pattern from the rest of the planet," said the electronics operator.

An hour later, with the shuttle on the surface, Buck had the comm operator checked the radiation levels again just to be safe.

Once outside, he scanned the site. Beyond question, the place had been inhabited and by a sizeable number of people. Whoever attacked had done a thorough job. As far as Buck could see, they had swept the surface repeatedly with laser and energy cannons leaving nothing untouched. Wrecked buildings spotted the skyline. Years of exposure to time and nature's whims added to the disintegration. Grass and trees had reclaimed most of the surface, obscuring much of the terrain.

Buck walked through what had been a building and tuned his attention elsewhere assured nothing had survived the devastation.

Buck assigned the three men who had accompanied him to search the area. "See if you can find something that might give the name of the place; anything that might tell us who the inhabitants were."

He returned to the shuttle, keyed his locator, and headed toward the area the electronic sweep had spotted emitting the different radiation pattern. Here, the signature was considerably less than the rest of the planet.

Well away from the once inhabited areas, he steered toward the coordinates, located a spot among some stunted trees, and landed.

Razor grass, not unlike what he'd seen before, and well over a meter high made the going tough. He walked to what appeared a bunker buried under three meters of dirt that had not suffered as the rest of the planet. It took some doing, but he managed to gain entry.

Stale air greeted him and to his utter amazement, when the heavily reinforced door opened, a light came on, exposing the entryway. A short hallway led another door and that to a large room.

Neat and orderly, there was none of the damage he'd seen on the surface. Whoever manned this place left it in pristine condition. He studied the control console: English, Earth people. He recognized controls for a nuclear reactor that provided power for the lights and console. He left them alone. For all of the years since the planet had lain wasted, this powered bunker had waited for its users to return.

He had no problem reading the comm station controls, punched some icons brought a monitor to life. For the next three hours, Buck pulled up a number of files and learned the planet's name, New Hope, and that the last entry came hundreds of years earlier. He nodded and chuckled at what he called the maelstrom these people called the
void
.

Then something caught his attention.

In awe, mouth agape, he studied the screen. Unbelieving, he reread the display. Doubt crowded his mind. A search of related files carried sufficient confirmation that he thought it could be true. He didn't understand the scientific data but assumed it defined what he'd read.