The Exile: A Military Sci-Fi Series (Omega Taskforce Book 3) Read online

  “How about you slip your fingers off the triggers of those weapons?” Sterling said, fearing that the next thud against the door would cause one of the strangers to accidently shoot him.

  “Last chance, Fleet,” the man spat, ignoring Sterling’s request. “Drop that gun or I blow your head off.”

  Sterling held his ground, though made sure not to make any sudden, provocative moments. “Are you sure you want me to put this down?” he asked, nodding toward the plasma rifle. “I don’t think those two antiques you’re holding will be much use if that thing outside breaks down this door.”

  “I built that door myself and it’s held for the last ten years,” the man hit back. “It’ll survive another ten.” Another thud vibrated through the walls and every muscle in the man’s body tensed up. Sterling also flinched, but only because he expected to eat a bullet at any moment. “But you won’t survive another ten seconds, unless you put that goddam rifle down!” the colonist barked, switching the aim of the weapon so that the barrel was now aimed at Sterling’s head. The tremors shaking the man’s body had become more obvious, despite the colonist’s firm words. Ironically, Sterling realized it was more of a risk to drop his weapon than it was to keep possession of it.

  “Fine, I’m putting it down,” said Sterling, slowly crouching then placing the rifle on the ground. “You too, Lieutenant,” Sterling added, glancing back to Shade. Sterling knew Shade’s subtle tells well enough to understand that his weapons officer did not agree with the command. However, she complied without complaint.

  “My name is Captain Lucas Sterling,” Sterling said, still showing the two colonists his hands. “This is Commander Mercedes Banks and Lieutenant Opal Shade. We’re here looking for information, that’s all.”

  “I don’t give a damn what you’re looking for, you’re not welcome here,” the man barked back. “How the hell did you get inside, anyway? That door was locked.”

  Sterling scowled at the man. It had suddenly dawned on him that these two colonists had been waiting on the other side of the door the whole time they’d been trapped outside.

  “I managed to unlock it, no thanks to you,” Sterling hit back. “Were you just going to leave us out there to get torn to shreds by those creatures?”

  “If you were dumb enough to go walking around outside in the storm then you deserve what you get,” the man replied, with a coldness worthy of an Omega officer. “Besides, you’re Fleet. Gettin’ mauled to death by those things is no more than you deserve.”

  Banks glowered at the man then balled her hands into fists. However, Sterling was quick to bar his first officer from going any further. They’d just survived a confrontation with alien beasts that could soak up plasma blasts like they were BB gun pellets. He wasn’t about to lose his first officer to the nervous trigger finger of an irate colonist.

  “I don’t care if you like us or not,” Sterling said, turning his attention back to the male colonist. “All I want is information. Once I get it, my officers and I will leave without any trouble.”

  The man frowned then glanced over at his companion. To Sterling, it looked like the man was seeking her approval, rather than her opinion, and guessed that she was the leader.

  “Well, they’re inside now, anyway, so we may as well make the best of it,” the female colonist said.

  The man sighed then pulled the rifle back, aiming the barrel at the ceiling. The woman behind him also lowered her weapon, but only aimed it fractionally off to one side.

  “What the hell are you doing here, anyway, Fleet?” the man asked. “We haven’t seen your kind around here for longer than I can remember.”

  “We’re looking for someone,” Sterling replied. “A scientist. We think he may have stopped by here in a shuttle, before heading deeper into the Void.”

  The woman cursed then flipped on the safety and shoved her pistol down the waistband of her pants.

  “I told you that damned shuttle would only bring more trouble,” the woman said, stepping to the side and glaring at Sterling.

  “He was here?” Sterling said, feeling a rush of excitement race through his body. “It’s imperative that we find him. The success of the entire war could depend on it.”

  The woman laughed openly and scornfully. “The war ended for us a long time ago, Fleet,” she snapped back. “No-one here cares about what happens to Earth or the inner colonies. Why the hell should we?”

  “If Fleet loses then we all lose,” Sterling replied, still managing to keep a lid on his own emotions. “The Sa’Nerra won’t be content with Earth. Once they’re done, they’ll clean out the Void too.”

  The woman laughed again then gestured to the walls of the corridor around them. “Look around, Captain,” she said, picking a strip of peeling paint off the wall. “Some of us lost already.”

  Sterling empathized with the colonist’s anger and he knew their bitterness was justified. However, he was also rapidly losing his patience with their two reluctant saviors.

  “How about we make this simple?” Sterling said, shaking off some of the excess water that had pooled on his armor. “You let us in, so we stop turning this corridor into a swimming pool, and we trade you for any information you have on that shuttle.”

  The mention of trade seemed to pique the man’s interest. “What exactly are you offering?” he said.

  “We need energy cells, a replacement type-seven generator and a whole heap of medicines,” the woman interrupted, stepping forward and taking charge. “There are a hundred of us in this block alone, and many more spread out across what’s left of Thrace. Some are sick, many are injured, and our supplies ran out years ago.”

  Sterling nodded. “If your information is good then you’ll get what you need,” he replied, calmly.

  The woman scowled at Sterling then glanced across to her companion, who simply raised his eyebrows.

  “Okay, Captain, you have a deal,” said the woman. She then turned on her heels and marched back along the corridor. “The living areas are on the top floors,” she called back as she walked. “I’m afraid you’ll have to take the stairs. Like I said, the generator is out.”

  The man then slung his rifle and looked at Sterling. “The name’s Bradshaw, by the way,” he said, turning down the corridor. “She’s Landry,” he added, setting off in pursuit of his companion.

  “Are those your first names or last names?” Sterling called after the man.

  “Either or both, it don’t matter, anymore,” the man called back without stopping. “There ain’t enough of us left here to need more than one name.”

  Chapter 15

  The crazy old man

  Sterling collected his rifle from floor then set off in pursuit of the two colonists. The adrenalin flowing through his veins was wearing off and he was suddenly conscious of a dozen new aches and pains resulting from the fight with the alien creatures. Banks and Shade followed, water pouring out of their armor like a leaky gutter. Both looked as weary as Sterling felt.

  “We should be cautious,” said Banks, stepping alongside Sterling and shaking the excess water from her armor. “Those assholes were willing to let us die out there.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me,” Sterling replied, activating the safety on his rifle then slinging it. “Lieutenant, make sure you watch our backs while we’re up there,” he added, glancing behind to his weapons officer. “We have no idea what to expect, and Bradshaw and Landry have already made it clear we’re not welcome. They’re not to be trusted.”

  “I don’t trust anyone, Captain,” Shade replied. Like Sterling, she had also slung her rifle. “Well, almost no-one, sir.”

  Sterling smiled, grateful for Shade’s quick correction, though he still couldn’t be sure whether it was himself that his weapons officer trusted, or someone else entirely.

  “At least we know that Colicos was here,” Sterling continued, also shaking water from the joints of his armor. “That’s a lot more than we knew a few minutes ago.”

&nb
sp; “Assuming it was Colicos’ shuttle and not some other random transport,” Banks replied.

  “That’s a possibility,” Sterling admitted, while inspecting the dilapidated corridor of the accommodation block more closely. “But I don’t think anyone would ever come here unless they didn’t have a choice.”

  Sterling continued to lead the way, following the two colonists up the steep flights of stairs to the upper levels of the accommodation block. Due to their various bumps and bruises, plus the extra bulk of their armor, progress was slow. Eventually, they reached the seventh floor of the building and Sterling saw that a door had been left propped open for them. He pushed through it, feeling breathless and exhausted and was greeted with the smell of food. Moving further inside, Sterling was amazed to see that the entire floor had been transformed. Instead of multiple apartment blocks, the colonists had knocked through walls and created a number of larger communal areas, including a large kitchen and dining space. Sterling headed toward it, noticing that the colonists were using solid-fuel burners and actually cooking food on stoves that looked custom built. Sterling had spent most of his life eating Fleet meal trays. The sight of an actual kitchen was as compelling to him as he imaged the sight of a starship would be to someone who had never been to space.

  “Captain, might I suggest I hang back and cover you from the communal area?” said Lieutenant Shade stopping beside Sterling. The long climb up the narrow flights of stairs had opened the wound in her leg and blood was again trickling through the cracked armor. “It will also allow me to tend to my injuries.”

  Sterling could see that Shade was hurt, though neither her expression nor her voice gave away the fact she must have been in pain.

  “Understood, Lieutenant,” replied Sterling. “Co-ordinate with the ship and see when they’ll be able to land a shuttle on the roof of this building. I have no intention of walking back to the ship with those things prowling outside.”

  “Aye, sir,” Shade replied. She then began to limp toward the communal area, though she didn’t take her eyes off Sterling and Banks for a moment.

  Shade dropped into a seat then rested her rifle across her lap before removing the med kit from her armor. Sterling watched as a group of children went up to her, curious to learn what she was doing, but then quickly scattered as his weapons officer stared at them with her unflinching eyes. However, none of the children went far and simply hid behind various items of furniture, continuing to observe the surly-looking officer with intense interest.

  “I must admit, this setup is pretty impressive,” said Banks, peering around the space. “They’ve modified the ducting system to vent the fumes from the cooking and heating stoves, as well as distribute heat around the floors. And it looks like they’ve engineered a rainwater tap over by the wall there,” she added, pointing across to the cooking area. “They’ve adapted this entire building into a survival shelter. I doubt they’d ever need to leave it, other than to gather supplies.”

  Sterling nodded. In an age where everything he ever touched was made by a machine, he couldn’t deny that the colonist’s ingenuity was remarkable. He then noticed that Banks was smiling and frowned back at her.

  “What are you plotting in that head of yours, Commander?” Sterling said, starting to feel a little self-conscious.

  Banks nodded over to the kitchen area. “I thought I might sample the local cuisine,” she said, still smiling. “I might be able to gather some intel from the other diners while I’m over there.”

  Sterling huffed a laugh. “You want to go eat just so you can gather intel, is that what you’re telling me?” he said, shaking his head. However, Banks just smiled innocently and shrugged in reply. Sterling then saw Landry - the woman who had met them on the ground floor - approaching from out of one the enclosed rooms further into the space. “Hold that thought,” Sterling said to Banks, as the woman came closer, holding out a thin sheet of material.

  “Here, I made a list while you were taking a lifetime to make your way up here,” said Landry. Sterling took the thin sheet, but the material just flopped around his glove, like a piece of fabric. “Our PDAs stopped working years ago too, like most things electronic in this place,” the woman said, scowling at Sterling. “We make parchment from the pulp of a tree that grows locally. One of the other colonists managed to get a recipe for ink from our offline database, before the computers also lost power.”

  “Let me guess, because your generator packed in, right?” said Sterling, straightening out the piece of parchment with his other hand and ripping it in the process. The woman tutted loudly then folded her arms and waited for Sterling to read the items on the list. The menu of requests was extensive and unreasonable, but Sterling was careful not to show his concern. He needed to keep the colonist on-side.

  “Commander Banks will make arrangements to have these items shipped over, once the storm lifts in a few hours,” Sterling added, folding the note in half and handing it to his first officer. Banks took the parchment and read the items on it, her eyebrows rising further up her forehead as she progressed through the list. However, she had the wherewithal not to openly balk at its content. “Now, what can you tell me about the shuttle and the information concerning James Colicos?” he added, getting to the crux of why he was there.

  The woman scowled then pointed toward the corner of the room, where the dining area had been laid out. An old man was sitting alone at one of the smaller tables, eating a bowl of stew.

  “This shuttle you’re so interested in landed by the generator house,” the woman went on. “Whoever was flying it broke in and stole all the goddam fuel, which is why we’re living like cavemen.” The anger and bitterness flowed out of Landry without restraint. “Four of my people were killed trying to stop those filthy, no-good thieves.”

  Sterling frowned. “So, how does he fit in to this?” he asked, nodding over to the old man.

  “He was on his way back from the hills and passed near the generator house when it happened,” Landry replied, scowling at the man. “He was supposed to be out foraging, but that old fool hasn’t done a day of honest work for years. He just sits in the corner, eating our food.” Then the woman took a couple of deeper breaths, presumably to calm the anger that the older colonist inspired in her. “Since that shuttle arrived, he just talks crazy about a speaking alien and a man with a secret mission,” the woman went on, now meeting Sterling’s eyes. “I don’t think you’ll get much sense of out him, but he’s the only one still alive who saw that shuttle up close. It was gone before anyone else arrived.”

  Sterling nodded then the woman departed, joining a group of people in the communal area. Sterling noticed that all eyes were on them and realized that their sudden arrival and armor-clad appearance was probably quite unsettling. He noticed that Lieutenant Shade had casually moved her chair into a darker corner of the room. She was stitching up the wound to her leg, but the rifle was still resting across her lap and Sterling could see her eyes frequently flick over to his location.

  “We’re not really giving them all this, right?” asked Banks, holding up the parchment.

  “Unless this old coot has something revelatory to say, I’m not giving them a damn thing,” Sterling replied, in a manner that left Banks in no doubt as to his sincerity. Sterling hooked a thumb over to the man. “I’ll talk to him alone. It will be less intimidating that way.”

  “Good idea, I’ll get some supper while I’m waiting,” his first officer replied, smiling again.

  “Just make sure you leave some for everyone else,” Sterling said to Banks as she departed. “And watch my back…”

  Sterling set off in the direction of the old man, who had been watching him carefully out of the corner of his eye as he approached the dining area. Then, as it became clear that Sterling was heading toward him specifically, the man became suddenly excited.

  “You’ve come looking for the others, haven’t you?” the man said. He was perhaps in his late seventies, but still appeared active and
unencumbered by his advanced years. “I told them others would come,” the man continued, his voice growing louder as his excitement built. “I told them, but they wouldn’t listen.”

  “Shut up, you crazy old bastard,” a younger man from a nearby table called over. Four others on the table with him laughed then one of them flicked a crumb from the table, which struck the older man on the face.

  “You’ll see, Lars!” the man yelled back, shaking his fist at the younger man as he laughed, cruelly. “You’ll see that I was right!”

  Sterling held up his hand to get the older man’s attention then glowered at the table of troublemakers. Despite his armor and the plasma rifle slung over his shoulder, the younger colonists did not appear intimidated by him.

  “Tell me about this shuttle,” Sterling said, managing to grab the attention of the older man again. “Did you speak to whoever was on board?”

  “Yes, yes!” the man replied, the excitement again causing the volume of his voice to increase. “There were two of them. An impressive older gentleman and a Sa’Nerran warrior,” the man went on.

  “There was no goddam Sa’Nerran, you crazy old fool,” the man who had been identified as Lars yelled from the table next to them. “How long are you going to keep this crap up? It was just one man that you were too chicken-shit to stop from stealing our stuff.”

  The older man’s chair screeched back across the floor and he shot up, stabbing his finger at Lars. “Lies, lies!” the older man yelled at the table. “I was there! Where were you? Where!? You’re the chicken shit here, not me!”

  Enraged, Lars shot out of his chair and shoved the older colonist in the chest, knocking him back into his chair. Moments later the other four diners at the table also pushed back their chairs and stood behind Lars.

  “Hey, take it easy, this doesn’t concern you,” said Sterling, looking up at Lars and the other colonists from his seat.