Reavers (Book 3) (51 page)

“Then why are you even here?” she shouted back.  “Go bug someone who isn’t working.”

“It’s my fault,” Angela said apologetically.  “I wanted to get away from the more populated sections of the ship.  The anxiety of the crew was giving me headaches.”

“Well, you picked a perfect place,” Liz said in a gentle voice.  “Just a handful of us in the dock.”

“Lousy MI troopers are beyond worthless when it comes to outfitting a ship,” Marie said in clear annoyance.  “They might be good at cloak and dagger, but useless with hammer and wrench.  And half the Navy boys who
should
be helping are laughing it up on the MI recreation deck.  Overpaid flyboys.”

“We can’t all be as amazing as you are,” Liz said sweetly as she lowered a meal to Marie.

“I wouldn’t go that far.”  She paused to weld a seam.  “Even those monkeys could do this stuff - if they’d do an honest day’s work.”

“You shouldn’t be so modest!” Liz called down.  “You really are amazing.  And it’s not nice to call Navy personnel monkeys.”  She sat on the edge of the ship and kicked her legs care-freely as she stared into the distance.  “Who would have believed there was a ship large enough to have an internal docking port for a
battleship
?”

“That’s MI for you,” Cain said with a grin.  “They always keep the best toys for themselves, like a kid in a candy store with all the credits in the Commonwealth.”

“I’m sure Core Industries has a few tricks tucked neatly up its sleeve,” Angela said as she rested on his shoulder.

“More than a few.”  He kissed her forehead.  “Feeling better?”

“Liz, did I hear what I thought I did?” Marie called up.  “Did Cain just express concern for someone
besides
himself?”

“Not only that,” Liz called down after a contented sigh, “the two of them are cuddled up so romantically.”

“This I’ve got to see!”

“That’s my cue.”  Cain chuckled as he rose.  “I’ll be back in a bit.  I’ve got to rub Henry’s nose in this while I’ve still got the word in my head.”

“Just promise not to start a war,” Angela said as she leaned back against the hull.

“Would a skirmish be acceptable?”

Angela waved him off as he grabbed the handle bar of the transit arm.  Almost instantly the bar pulled him away from the docked ship.  The transit arm was an incredibly simple device.  It was little more than a metal handlebar at the end of a long metal crane.  Once he grabbed on he was quickly reeled in like a tuna on the end of a fishing line.  Despite the crude design, in the reduced gravity of the docking bay it was incredibly effective, and in no time Cain was standing in the airlock. 

After a few moments of hissing and a slight increase in gravity, he was back inside the ship proper.  As he strolled down the corridors, MI personnel rushed by with an obvious sense of purpose in their eyes.  Renoff had been taken into custody and was no doubt awaiting a long future of breaking big rocks into smaller ones on an inhospitable prison world.  Brent was elected as the temporary leader until MI could properly select their own - one of the perks of having a Master Weaver and an Admiral in your back pocket.

Not one of the MI agents had protested his appointment, and some even seemed to be delighting in the idea of working under Brent.  Some high ranking woman named Isabella had almost danced for joy at the news.  Cain had to chuckle at the notion that his secret 3P might have been responsible for that.

The only down side was once again the military knew his friend was alive and well.  They were all too willing to wait to dissect him until after he had pulled their bacon out of the fire - again.  All that could wait, though.  First, Brent still had to do the bacon saving.

While impressive, and Cain had to admit the internal docking bay had doubled the speed of the retrofit, the ship’s size was down right stupid.  There were literally a million places Henry could be lurking.  Tracking him down would be next to impossible.  Suddenly, an idea hit Cain.  There was one person on the ship that would know
exactly
where Henry was hiding out - Brent.

Doubling his speed, Cain marched down the corridors toward Brent’s quarters.  It had been suggested he take Commander Yamakawa’s office, but he had instantly protested the idea.  Officially, he had said he wouldn’t dream of taking someone’s office from them.  Cain knew that wasn’t the
real
reason.  Nobue’s office was basically a shrine to the occupant’s ego.  For a modest man like Brent, it was the equivalent of a prison cell - with nicer furniture. 

Their temporary leader had simply taken one of the unoccupied crew quarters and converted it into a workspace where he spent his days thinking up strategies for the upcoming battle.  Finally reaching the modified quarters, Cain rested a moment to catch his breath.  Naturally, the unoccupied rooms were the farthest away.  With his breath back, he entered the room to find it empty.  There were three side rooms and two had open doors, but, despite that, Cain couldn’t see anyone.  Deciding to wait for Brent to return, he plopped down on the comfy looking sofa and rested his eyes.

“You wanted to see me?” Humphrey’s characteristic mumble escaped through one of the open doorways.

Cain stirred slightly, but remained silent.

“I wanted to know how you were doing,” Brent said.

“How
I’m
doing?” Humphrey mumbled in surprise.  “You have the survival of the entire human race on your shoulders - again - and you want to know how
I
am.”

“That about sums it up.”  Brent chuckled to himself.

“I’m just fine.  Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, I’d imagine seeing your sister again after so . . .”

“That is not my sister.”

“I’ve told you . . .”

“I know that, and I know I should believe you.  But I can’t.  I remember her clear as day, and that sweet and kind doctor is not my sister.”

“She’s been through a lot.”

“How would you know?”

“Well . . . to be honest,” Brent hesitated, “I think I’m responsible for her change in behavior.”

“You?  How is that possible?”

“I’m not really sure.  You know my memory before the academy is foggy at best.  So I did some digging.  Did you know she was married?”

“Everyone did.  She was
little miss perfect
.  Mom and Dad would spend every moment gushing over her.  Barely realized I was alive.”

“I had no idea,” Brent said in a deeply saddened voice.  “But then, it’s even more important I make things right.”

“Don’t bother.  I’m sure mister and miss perfect are just . . . perfect.  I’ve made peace with my past and don’t want to be dragged back into it.”

“He’s dead, Humphrey.”

“I feel sorry for the guy, but it serves her right.  When she moved out it crushed Mom and Dad.  Dad left us and Mom killed herself not long after.  It was all her fault.”

“There are a few things you’ve got mixed up,” Brent said in a gentle voice.  “Your Dad didn’t leave because his daughter left home.  It was because she tried to commit suicide.”

“Janet?  Never!  She was always in high spirits; no way she’d do that.”

“She and her husband were both doctors.  They took an assignment to a rim world that had an outbreak of a deadly disease.  Together they managed to cure the disease before it killed many of the locals, but her husband caught it without knowing.  They had been home for weeks before anyone noticed.  By the time they realized what had happened to him, it was too late to save him.”

Humphrey remained silent as he listened.

“Janet blamed herself.  She had a mental breakdown and was overcome with guilt.  Her parents tried to help, but she wouldn’t listen to reason.  For months they tried to keep her from hurting herself, but in the end she nearly succeeded in killing herself.  She was transferred to a hospital on Trica to receive proper care and supervision.”

“Dad couldn’t take seeing his perfect girl wanting to kill herself,” Humphrey mumbled, even quieter than usual.  “Without Dad and Janet like that, no wonder Mom couldn’t keep going.  I had no idea.”

“I’m truly sorry.”

“How do you figure into all this?” Humphrey mumbled in but a whisper.

“I think I was at the hospital on Trica for a while, but I’m not really sure.  The point is you’ve got your sister back.  The only family you’ve got is right here, and she honestly wants to patch things up with you.”

“I don’t know . . . there is a lot of bad blood to overcome.”

“You endure Rhea; can’t you give your sister at least a chance?”

“I hadn’t thought about it like that.”  Humphrey burst into laughter, although it sounded forced.  “I guess if I can suffer one blowhard, what’s another.”

Realizing the conversation was at an end, Cain quickly hid out of sight.

“You’ve given me a lot to think about . . . thank you for butting your nose where it didn’t belong,” Humphrey mumbled with a tiny smile as he left.

For a few moments the room remained silent and still.

“Did you enjoy eavesdropping?” Brent called out to Cain.

Startled by the sudden sound, Cain banged his head against the table he was hiding under.

“I should have known you’d figure out I was here,” he muttered as he rubbed the sore spot.

“Who else would lack the common courtesy to leave the room?” Brent asked with a smile as he sat down on the sofa opposite him.

“I could have done worse.  Imagine if I had announced my presence.  I would have ruined the whole thing.”

“That’s true.  But you’re going to make it up to Humphrey anyways, even if he doesn’t know you did anything.”

“What kind of punishment did you have in mind for me?” Cain asked with a wide grin.

“You’re a . . . resourceful man.  Find out something fun they used to do together and set something up.  Their past together couldn’t have been
completely
dreadful.”

“You really want to get those two to play nice, don’t you?”

“I can’t help but feel responsible.  Even if I meant well, I interfered.  Somehow, I changed Janet permanently.  I have to make it up to her, and right now she wants nothing more than for her little brother not to hate her.  I have a little bit of an idea of how it is to be alone with the universe against you,” he said with a small grin.  “Thankfully, I have Cassandra now, but Humphrey and Janet have no one to support them.”

“Well, don’t worry.”  Cain cracked a wicked grin.  “I’ll spare no expense.  Leave no rock unturned.  After all, it’s not every day I’m asked to be my usual self.  Most times people ask me to be anyone but myself.”

“All I ask is you make
whatever
it is tasteful.  So, what brings you here?  Or was listening in your entire purpose?”

“That’s right!  I came to harass Henry.”

“I should have known,” Brent said, restraining a chuckle.

“Don’t worry, I have a new task to keep me occupied.  Humphrey should be just as much fun.  Although, would you pass something on to Henry for me?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Simulacrum,” Cain said with a smile before bolting after Humphrey.

Brent chuckled to himself.  Henry would be furious.  The whole thing was stupid but similar to throwing a dry twig on an already roaring fire.  Henry already hated Cain, one more taunt wouldn’t amount to much.  He couldn’t help but find the whole thing laughable.  A machine that despised all organic life had found a man who made the rest of the
filthy organics
seem not so bad.

“Supreme Commander to the bridge,” the intercom suddenly spoke.

He leaned back and wondered where the sound had come from.  He couldn’t see any speakers or the usual equipment.  Typical that MI would go to extra trouble to hide something so basic.

“Supreme Commander to the bridge,” the intercom repeated.

After a moment, it hit Brent that they were referring to him.  As he quickly left his makeshift office, he decided it was high time for that ridiculous title to change.  The MI agents saluted him as he passed on his way to the bridge.  More than a few bowed like the tripod.  For some reason he couldn’t put his finger on, it bothered him to know he was so revered by so many - that all over the Commonwealth, young troopers were watching Cain’s 3P.  Who knew how many secret groups had adopted the bow and had begun some sort of odd hero worship?

It felt natural for a Slasher to perform its bow, but for a human it seemed over the top.  When the tripod made the bow, it was a sign of respect and subservience.  Humanity already showed respect through saluting.  The fact the MI bowed instead of saluting was a public announcement that Brent was special - someone who deserved more respect than a normal superior.  As he reached the bridge he let out a resigned sigh. 
Everyone
on the bridge bowed to him like the Slashers.  It was no doubt his fate to be revered when all he wanted was to be left alone with his wife back on Jeirude.

“Before anything else, can we please get rid of that silly title?” Brent asked.  “Supreme Commander just doesn’t suit me.”