Pax Galactica - A Space Opera

Chapter 31 - Joke's On You

Decker and the woman emerged from the security corridor, and Decker began to lead to way back to the Angel Baby. Decker could sense he was being watched. It must be the others.

"Why are we walking?" the woman asked almost immediately.

"We're not," Decker lied. "I'm still waiting on the flier."

Decker remembered Vega calling down one of the pill fliers before. He risked hailing one. Moments later the flier glided to a halt beside them. Decker had to hide his relief.

The two stepped into the flier.

"Stardock Section 1E," said Decker, and the flier blasted off towards this destination.

It was a much quicker trip in the flier than walking. In less than 15 minutes the two had been deposited in the appropriate dock section and the flier was already buzzing off to its next destination.

"We're almost there," said Decker. "The ship's just this way."

They began to approach the airlocks at the edge of the exterior ring, where the attached ships could be clearly seen through windows out into space. The woman came to a dead stop as soon as she realized what ship Decker was taking her to.

"That's not a real starship!" she observed. "That's a lighthugger."

"It is," agreed Decker.

"Why are you trying to stick me in an STL ship? I need urgent medical attention! You can't do this!"

Sprell. He was so close. Decker thought fast.

"It's just for one quick jump through the local router so you can rendezvous with a hospital ship. It's one of those rare occasions when the wormhole network is the fastest option and this is the first ship we could charter. If you want to wait-"

"No, no," said the woman. "This is fine. I'll go. Let's not waste time."

They both entered the airlock, waited as the first door closed and the second opened, and then walked into the ship. The interior of the Angel Baby was not particularly spacious. One could see the acceleration couches from the entrance. The woman caught sight of the real Mr. Vega, unconscious and with a large field projector aimed directly at his head and an IV pumping fluids into his arm.

She began to scream, but it was muffled as the 'trodes touched either side of her head. She lost consciousness almost immediately.

Decker caught her again. It was getting easier. He pulled her over to the second couch and was easily able to position her onto it.

He sat back in one of the passenger chairs and waited. It would be several hours before the others made it all the way back to the ship without a flier. He did not feel particularly proud of himself.

* * *

The others arrived back more quickly than Decker expected. They saw the woman laying on the couch right away. Decker was still in the passenger chair.

"Nice job, squire," said Aranarth.

"I hope so," replied Decker.

Aranarth gestured to the unconscious woman with his head.

"Looks like you're up, Usagi," he said.

"Witchy," said Helios. She seemed to mean it.

The team got to work stealing the poor woman's face and giving it to Helios. She directed everyone as best she could for the parts of the process where she was awake. She had to trust the others to do the final touches on their own.

By the time they were finished it was well into the station's 8-hour night cycle. The internal lights were appropriately dimmed.

The woman who Helios was now a very close approximation of was apparently named Qilin Wu. They had stolen this information directly out of her brain, along with all her security codes. This included the ones necessary to access the mother network.

"I'm off," said Helios, in the voice of Qilin Wu. "There's no time to waste, we don't want Ms. Wu here's prolonged absence to raise a sense of alarm."

"If you can't find the exact sales records we're looking for just grab everything that involves the Old Ones," said Aranarth. "I'm certain there will be something we can use."

"I know what I'm doing, Dane," replied Helios. "I'm not your squire."

Helios left to begin the second infiltration. All the others could do was wait with frayed nerves.

Hours passed.

Ophelia lay with her back on the ground and her entire lower body propped up against the wall. She kicked her feet against it.

"Ranger Helios isn't going to appreciate you doing that to her baby," said Aranarth.

"She doesn't actually care," said Ophelia, continuing to kick. "This ship is a floating mausoleum of obsolescence and everyone knows it."

Aranarth was sitting in the co-pilot's chair, which he had completely spun around to scold Ophelia. Decker was further back in one of the passenger seats. Behind all three rangers, on the acceleration couches, lay the sleeping Mr. Vega and Ms. Wu.

Decker signaled Ophelia with an offer to play a mind-to-mind card game, which they both had grown tired of a half hour ago.

"Can't," Ophelia replied aloud, after rejecting the offer mentally, "I'm busy kicking the wall. This ship needs to understand the contempt I hold it in."

"I think you're trying to provoke me," said Aranarth.

"Give me more credit than that," said Ophelia, still kicking. "if I wanted to provoke you you'd already be provoked. I'm extremely provocative."

Decker laughed.

"Don't you start," said Aranarth.

Ophelia slumped down the wall and the rolled into a sitting position.

"Ugh. Resend the card game Sam-Sam. This is what I've been reduced to."

All at once the expressions of the three rangers snapped into seriousness. They were all being sent a message from Helios. If she was risking doing so openly it did not bode well.

<Cover blown. On my way back, suited pursued by security drones. Could use cover fire when I arrive. Prep the ship.>

At the same time they could hear the metallic thunk of the magnetic clamps engaging. A siren blared. The stardock was on lock-down. The Angel Baby wasn't going anywhere.