The Begining (The Navigator Book 1) (10 page)

“That's true, which is the only reason this guy has got to go.”

“Yeah, but this is a fuck of a lot worse than eavesdropping, or stealing a file for him. Which is what we agreed to. I'm not a murderer!” Hal said getting more upset with each step.

Thom stopped and looked at his friend. “Look, why don't you go back to work and I'll finish this. You know we have to do this, or he'll kill Carne and Jess.” He paused and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. “I didn't know this would get to you so badly. Go back; you can help cover my absence while I'm gone, okay?”

Hal nodded. “Just... be careful, Thom. I know he's supposed to be unconscious, but I heard he was some kind of black-ops super-soldier back on Earth. Those folks are a whole new level of scary.”

“Like you said, he's unconscious, how's he supposed to stop me?” Thom explained. “Go on, I'll do this, and be back before you know it."

:NanoSySquery?> Potential threat approaching; Request threat analysis.

:MedComSySreply/> Unauthorized person approaching patient. Unauthorized person is armed. Recommend defensive protocol Alpha06.

:NanoSySComCon/> Command Systems are online. Activating DefPro A06... DefPro A06 now active. Req MedComSyS Security Alert.

:MedComSySreply/> Silent Security Alert initiated... SecComSyS reply; ETA 06 minutes.

:NanoSysComCon/> Data accepted. DefPro A06 draining patient energy. Terminal event in 04 minutes. Request Auxiliary External Power Source be supplied.

:MedComSySreply/> Activating external Defib. Power Setting?

:NanoSySComConreply/> 150mA – continuous for duration of emergency.

:MedComSyS/> equipment not designed for continuous use. MedComServSys request for maintenance sent.

Thom pulled the doors to the medical suite open and saw his target lying on the bed in the center of the room. Stepping inside, he pulled the doors closed and quietly chambered a round on the silenced pistol he'd been given.

He walked closer to the sleeping man on the table, once he got about five feet away, he raised the pistol, and aimed at the man's head.

“Dude, I am really sorry I have to do this to you, but it's either you or my sister and Jess.  That insane fuck will kill them if I don't kill you,” he said softly. Tears were running down his face, and he argued internally about killing the man.

:NanoSySComConalert/> Patient awake. Spacial anomaly detected. Stand by to release DefPro A06. Req. ETA for Security Personnel.

:MedComSyS/> Security ETA now 04 minutes.

“Son, it sounds like you have a real problem. However, if you lower your weapon, maybe I can help you with it,” Joe replied without opening his eyes.

Thom was startled and almost fired the gun. “I'm imagining this. You're unconscious; the nanos are keeping you under until you heal. There is no way in hell you can be talking to me.”

“If I sit up, will that prove it to you?” Joe asked.

“You're going to fucking kill me aren't you? I know you're some kind of super soldier!”

“No, I give you my word, I will not harm you. Honestly, I'm still far too weak to even beat off! Sitting up is going to be a chore.”

“Uh, oh.. okay. Just go slowly, please,” Thom said.

“Can't do it any other way, Son,” Joe said as he started to sit up, very slowly, he swung his legs off the side and used the leverage provided to help him get upright. By the time he was upright, he was almost sweating. Very slowly, he began opening his eyes.

“Okay, so you're awake. That doesn't change the fact that I have to kill you. I don't have a choice,” Thom said.

The room seemed a little bright, but not overly so. However, he was seeing a lot of extra... stuff. Almost like his eyes wouldn't focus, except that he could see everything very clearly. Weird, and something to ponder later; when there wasn't a nervous young man pointing a gun at my head.

“Yeah, so you said. Would you tell me the whole story? Maybe I can find a way out for you that doesn't involve murder and will be safe for your sisters,” Joe offered. “By the way, what's your name?”

“Thom and I really doubt it. But you asked, so here you go. My best friend's name is Hal. We moved here together from Earth a few years ago and have been friends ever since. We both have younger sisters that are also best friends.

“Shortly after Hal and I got jobs here in the lab complex. There was an accident in midtown. A defective plasma conduit blew out, and at first we thought our sisters had been right in front of it. In fact, that's the official story.

“What really happened was that during the confusion of the emergency, our sisters got grabbed and taken to the Citadel. That psycho bastard Jared had them kidnapped. He contacted Hal and me a day later and told us that we were going to do a few things for him, or we would never see our sisters alive again. He proved what he was saying by putting them on the vid so we could see them.

“Since then, we've been his spies here in the labs. We haven't told anyone like he said and so far we've done everything he's told us to do. Neither of us is a killer, Sir. He's just not giving us any choice though,” Thom finished sadly. He still had the gun pointed at Joe, but no longer at his head.

“Hmm, you know, I think I might know a way out of this for you. But, you'll have to give me the gun before the security guys arrive, or they'll probably shoot you before anyone can stop them,” Joe said, holding out his hand.

“You won't kill me?”

Joe shook his head. “I gave you my word. Hand it over and let’s figure out how to save your sisters.”

Thom tentatively lowered the gun, then slowly pointed it at the floor and handed it to Joe.

Joe looked at the weapon. It was a newer model Glock with a silencer. He dropped the mag, and worked the slide to remove the chambered round. Surprising him he saw lines of text scroll up in front of his eyes, as if seeing the world through a computer monitor:

:NanoSySComCon/> Emergency Alert is now concluded. Deactivating DefPro A06. Returning DefSys to stand-by mode. Req. discon. of ext. pwr. Returning to normal OpMode. Event Logged.

Now that was just plain weird. He would have some serious questions for his Doctor after this situation was dealt with.

Joe looked at the door and saw a man in a white lab coat restraining Becka from entering the room. He waved them in.

“Relax, Thom, this is my friend Becka, and I assume my Doctor,” Joe said.

Thom nodded to them. “Hello Doctor Symms.”

“What's going on here Thom?” Symms asked.

The young man just looked at the floor.

“Jared sent Thom to kill me in my sleep. He's holding Thom's sister hostage against Thom's obedience,” Joe explained. “This isn't Thom's fault, and I don't think he should be held responsible for it.”

:NanoSys/> Security ETA now 01 minute.

“Uh, Doc, what's with the computer terminal in my head?” Joe asked.

“It's a long story and I'll fill you in on everything as soon as we get this handled.” Symms replied. “But for now, I'd like you to think 'nanosys request communication with Admiral Hawkling' please.”

As the words were said, Joe thought them, and like an overlay before his eyes, he saw:

:Com/> Req. comm. with Hawklings, Admiral, Darkwater station.

:NanoSyS/> Local Comm unit available, initiating comm. Req Display option: Audio only, Video only, Internal only, External?

Getting the hang of it, Joe thought 'nanosys comm display option video only, external.'

:NanoSySquery?> Set Display Option as default?

'nanosys set current display option as default.' Joe thought and saw :Com/> Set current display as default.

:NanoSyS/> Comm Default Set.

“Well, that was different,” Joe said aloud.

“What was different, Major?” the Admiral said as a hologram of him sitting in a chair took form next to the head of Joe's bed.

When Joe tried to stand, Symms and Becka rushed to him. “Stand down, Major! You're still on medical, so forget protocol for now.”

Joe settled back on his bed. “Thank you, Sir.” he sighed. “I asked to speak to you because something's come up, and we have a problem."

“Go ahead, Son,” the Admiral said.

Joe told him of the events of the morning, and saw the Admiral getting madder by the minute. When he finished, the Admiral sat in thought for a few moments, then turned to Thom.

“Son, if the Major says you're not in trouble, you're not. But, unfortunately, we are going to need you and Hal to keep working for Jared for the time being. Can you do that?”

“Will it mean rescuing our sisters, Sir?” Thom asked.

The Admiral nodded. “It'll mean far more than that, but yes, getting your sisters home to you is included in that.”

Thom smiled. “Absolutely, Sir. What do you need?”

“Well, for now, we need to make sure that Jared believes the Major is deceased. Then I'll need you to resume feeding Jared the information he asks for. Just the same as before, be sure to do everything just as you have before and don't get caught. The fewer people that know of this the better."

:NanoSyS/> Security has arrived.

“NanoSyS says security's here,” Joe said.

The Admiral looked at him funny, but didn't ask. “Doc, please go meet them. Ask the team to stay put, tell them it’s because of some top secret shit you're working on. Have the Security Chief follow you back so he can ‘look over the crime scene' until you can secure all the secret stuff.

“We'll brief him, then move the Major to another room. Once there, we'll stage the crime scene, and do something with the security footage. Do we have a cadaver available?”

Symms shrugged. “I'll find out, we do keep a few from Earth for experimentation. I'll see if I can find one roughly Joe's size,” he said as he left the room.

The Admiral turned to Becka. “Sweetheart, would you please get Thom something to drink and maybe a chair? I think he's had enough of an emotional rollercoaster to need a rest by now.”

“Certainly Admiral, Thom, what would you like to drink?” Becka asked.

“Uh, cold water I guess. I never could develop a taste for coffee,” Thom said. When Becka left he said, “Sir, can I tell Hal? All of this has really been bothering him."

Hawklings was very tempted to say yes, and was about to when Joe interrupted. “Thom, that might not be such a good idea. I mean, I know it's really getting to him, but what if someone overhears you? That crazy bastard will kill your sisters before you finish telling Hal. You can't tell anyone. The risk is far too great. Okay?”

Thom thought about it for a minute before he nodded. “Yeah, you're right. I hate to see him like this, but it'll be better when I can tell him his sister's safe.”

“You'll be one of the first to know,” Joe said.

“Major,” Hawkling said to get his attention. “By order of the Terran Council, you are hereby recalled to active duty effective immediately. After considering your unique set of skills, they have tasked you with removing Jared Small as the leader of the Citadel, and correcting the potential insurrection brewing there.

“An open Sanction has been authorized at your discretion. The Council further requests that you preserve viable reproduction material from those you sanction, however, because it is still unknown if the propensity for mental aberration or defect is genetic in nature, this is not a mission objective,” The Admiral said, finishing the order.

“I will be dispatching a package for you, addressed to Becka, care of Doctor Symms. In it, you will find a hard copy of your orders, the findings and reasons for the discretionary sanction order signed by all the Council Members.

“You will also find your usual toys, with a few modern upgrades added in. I would suggest that, before you use them, find a way over to the far side of the planet and acquaint yourself with them.”

“Yes, Sir. I'll get on that as soon as they arrive. In the meantime, I'm going to do a little poking around to see if I can find anything else Jared might have his claws into,” Joe replied.

“No, in the meantime, you're going to finish getting healed up. You scared the hell outta me. One thing you need to know, Major. You are not expendable. The Council was scared as hell that they had given you permission to go on a killing spree, but I managed to convince them you wouldn't.

“I had to call in a lot of favors, and do a few questionable information requests, but I managed to get the real records of your previous disagreement with The Agency. After reviewing it, they all agreed to sign the order to make sure you knew that no one was using you,” Hawklings said.

“I really appreciate that, Sir. It does make my job a lot easier,” Joe replied. “After this mission is over, could you let me know what the protocols are for making requests to the Council for consideration?”

The Admiral grinned. “Yeah, just remind me later. You really want to get Laura up here don't you?”

Joe nodded. “I don't see a reason against it, Sir. I really do need her.” He gestured to Thom. “This situation is a perfect example. She is my grounding rod. She keeps me sane enough to be able to recognize things like the fact that Thom would never have pulled that trigger.”

“Without her, I'll begin to slip. If this would have happened in a couple of months, there is a good chance Thom would be dead, we wouldn't know Jared is taking hostages, and I would eventually need to be sanctioned myself. Seriously Sir, if you want to keep me sane and useful, I'm going to need Laura here with me," Joe explained. “I do not want to become a bigger problem to you than Jared is.”

“You're really not just blowing smoke are you? You really mean it.” Hawklings said.

“I swear to you, Sir. I really need my wife with me.”

Hawklings said. “How does Becka feel about this? Would Laura become a problem with the more, uh, intimate aspects of your duties?”

“Sir, Laura is bisexual. She likes women a bit more than she likes men. If she's healthy, and in shape so she feels good about herself, about the only thing that'll bother her is if I don't let her play too,” Joe replied.

“I agree, Admiral,” Becka said from the door. “Even if Laura objects to me, Joe needs her like he needs air. Although I do hope she'll accept me into their relationship, if she doesn't, I'll step aside for her without complaint.” She brought Thom the chair and his water.

About that time, Doctor Symms returned with another man in a khaki uniform. The man looked around questioningly as he followed the Doctor. “Forgive me, Doctor. But where is the body?” the man said in an Indian accent.

“That would be me, Constable,” Joe said and held out his hand. “Major Joseph Anderson.”

“I must say, Major, you look quite spry for a dead man.”

“Admiral Hawklings, I believe you know Constable Singh?” Symms said making introductions. Singh bowed to the Admiral. “It is good to see you again, Admiral."

Symms turned to Becka. “This is Navigator Becka of the Citadel.”

Again, Singh bowed. “It is an Honor, Navigator.”

“The young man here is Thom Garreth, one of my lab assistants.”

“It is a pleasure, Mr. Garreth,” Singh said.

“Constable, just as a point of clarification, Major Anderson is a Senior Navigator that has yet to officially join the Guild,” Symms explained.

Hawklings took over and explained the situation to the Constable, who listened intently. When Hawklings finished, Singh slowly nodded his head as he processed the information.