Rogue Messiah: Fleetfoot Interstellar Series, Book 2 Read online

  A flash of light blinded the Captain. He knew there was a hull breach, as he couldn’t breathe for a moment. When he could see again, it was to witness instantly weightless bodies hammer against consoles and bulkheads as inertial forces battered the ship. The temperature on the bridge fell far below freezing in an instant, turning moisture in the air to a crystal mist that drifted like dust motes. The Captain found himself wedged between the bridge ceiling and the navigation subprocessor cabinet.

  The Captain’s decades of astronaut experience allowed him to understand the situation instantly. The boson field collapsed, increasing the ship’s relative mass by orders of magnitude. The hull seemed to shriek as the ship went from near light to ballistic velocity in the span of a few short, terrifying moments. It was almost impossible to believe, but it appeared the other craft had deliberately collapsed their gravity bubble.

  Half the bridge bulkhead was gone and most of the bridge crew with it. An emergency particle field protected the surviving crew from the void. As a cold-blooded being, the temperature drop was nearly fatal to Aahloh. Only the rapid deployment of his emergency EV flight suit saved him, but his functioning was far from optimal. The blood felt thick in his veins, and his skin burned. Both were clear signs of hypothermia. He struggled to link one thought to another.

  The suit told him he was bleeding internally and the second femur of his right leg was snapped in two. While the suit administered its limited supply of medicine and its active cloth splinted his broken leg, Aahloh wondered if he would survive the next few minutes. When he pushed off with his broken leg, the pain almost destroyed him. The three hearts in his abdomen beat so fast in response that his eyes felt twice their normal size.

  The lack of gravity let him cross the mutilated bridge quickly to the first crew member in sight. Conditioning told him the next task involved assembling the survivors to get control of his ship again. That required a coordinated crew.

  The familiar human form was still. At first, Aahloh thought the protocol officer dead. When he turned the body over, grabbed the human’s wrist and checked the suit status display, he saw the man was alive and merely unconscious. Aahloh linked their suits together and entered a command that administered a potent stimulant.

  Aahloh gripped the crewman tightly and counted down from five. The stimulant did its job, and the human gave a great spasm and nearly got away in zero gravity.

  “Gah!” the human shouted over comms. “What happened!”

  “Catastrophic failure,” the captain said, matter-of-factly. “Jubilee AI, Report.”

  “Confirm catastrophic failure due to contact with multiple directed energy beams,” the Jubilee reported. “Multiple hull breaches across four decks on the starboard side. Reactor intact. Life support marginal. Broad-spectrum radiation leaks. Waiting on protocol authorization.”

  The Captain froze in place. How could that be? And what was that last part about protocol authorization? He did not recall any such AI response from countless emergency drills. His dazed mind struggled to place the report in context, while the human moved toward another crew member. The feline was conscious and clinging to a shattered console in obvious distress.

  “This one is OK, Captain” the human reported. He checked the feline and asked, “Can you move?”

  “I think so,” the male feline replied, obviously paralyzed with fear.

  “It’s going to be OK,” the Human replied. “We can get to the loading bridge and use it as our command bridge. We just have to―”

  With another flash of light, the two bodies disintegrated into a ragged cloud of frozen blood, scraps of EV suit and rent flesh. Aahloh turned in the direction of the blast to see two large forms moving toward him in bulky, heavy-duty EV suits. They held long objects in their hands that they pointed directly at the Captain.

  “Do not move,” a Reptilian voice came to the Captain over his comm. “You are property of the Reptilian Empire.”

  He complied with the order through complete shock, unable to will a single voluntary motion. Even when one of the Reptilians grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away, he did recoil. He could not process what was happening.

  “Awaiting input,” the Jubilee AI said, filling the Captain’s helmet with its calm voice.

  One part of his mind told the Captain what was happening, while another part insisted it could not possibly be true. This was an attack. His crew was being murdered. Why would anyone attack his ship? What possible reason could there be for such senseless violence? The Jubilee carried seed stock for the three fertile planets in this system. The lack of answers shut down his capacity for reason. The only thing he understood at that moment was the ship AI.

  “Secure the ship. Stand by and wait for further orders,” the Captain said.

  “Affirmative,” Jubilee said. “Will comply.”

  The Reptile activated his suit thrusters and dragged the Captain through the energy field and out into space. As he looked back at his ship, Aahloh saw many more forms being pulled out into space from breaches in the hull. The forms moved toward several shuttlecrafts that idled a few hundred meters from the shattered Jubilee.

  Aahloh could say nothing. He had no words. He knew what was happening but just could not formulate a response. He was captured, and there was nothing he could do about it.

  When the Captain experienced gravity again inside the Reptilian ship, the broken bones in his leg refused to let him stand. Only a Reptile soldier with a weapon pressed to Aahloh’s head overcame the objection. The flight suit squeezed the shattered bones in place as Aahloh rose. His abdomen burned as his hearts beat at a frightening pace. The pain became a thing separate from himself, something that spoke to him in urgent tones. The pain told him to survive in spite of its presence. It made a twisted promise to keep him alive as it tortured him. His fevered mind somehow found calm through pain.

  “He’s wounded, you bastard!” A human voice shouted. All but the last word was in Tradespeak. The Captain did not recognize the human’s final word, but he guessed it was some sort of insult.

  The Captain turned in time to see a Reptilian walk over to the human. In one motion, the Lizard drew a curved blade from his belt, swept it forward and returned it to his belt again. A headless human body collapsed to the floor. The varied screams of horror, shock, fright and anger from several different species momentarily deafened the Captain. The terrifying act spurred him. It was time for him to do his duty. He needed to gain control of the situation before more lives were lost.

  “Silence! All crew! Silence! Do as they say! Do not resist! Be calm! These creatures are beyond reason!”

  A Reptile larger than all the rest strode into the cargo bay that served as a herding pen for the prey Aahloh’s crew had become. Aahloh recognized the uniform insignia of an Alpha Leader as the Lizard moved straight for him. Aahloh straightened his much smaller body at the instruction of the agony in his leg.

  The Alpha Reptile said in Tradespeak with a booming voice, “Listen to this one! In spite of its weakness, it is wise! Do not resist us, for you are weak. Do not make us prove this to you, if you value your lives. What a relief this must be for you! There are no more choices to burden your minds but two. From this moment on, your lives are very simple. Obey us and live. Defy us and die.”

  The Alpha Lizard made a cutting motion with his hand, and his soldiers marched into the bay in two perfectly straight columns. They surrounded the captured crew and led them into the ship for processing. They left Aahloh behind.

  Another, slightly smaller Lizard surveyed the passing captives from the corridor, then sidled up to his leader. He said something to the Alpha in the Reptilian tongue. Aahloh did not recognize the uniform, nor the insignia fixed to it. While the Alpha wore a standard, Trade Union symbol for a ship captain, this new Lizard did not.

  The Alpha turned to the other, but did not make eye contact and kept his posture passive. This sign of great respect was not lost on the few remaining Reptiles that obviously served a
s the Alpha’s staff. Aahloh’s own keen sense of social order let him know that this other Lizard was also some sort of commander.

  The Alpha made a raspy noise in his throat that signified approval. He turned to the Jubilee Captain, who tried to stand still, but swayed on his webbed feet. In Tradespeak, The Alpha said, “You will assist with repairs to our new ship. If you do not work to our satisfaction, I will kill your crew one at a time while you watch. If you obey, you will be rewarded.”

  The Alpha turned on his foot claws and left the freighter Captain with his new masters.

  5

  Drexler and Chief Engineer Gajrup took a small lift to the habitation decks, directly from the engineering level. Drexler realized the ship was in a rest cycle. Things were quiet. Very few crew members were active, and those who were hardly noticed the Captain and Chief Engineer as they tended their off-cycle maintenance tasks.

  The Captain plucked the valuable officer Gajrup from the bowels of the engineering decks to spend some quality time him. Gajrup was a key part of his plan. The formally-educated former BJP Merchant Astronaut had valuable skills and immense talent. Drexler calculated that investing in quality time with Gajrup would pay great dividends. In addition to that, he felt a certain affection for the pudgy man who lived up to the image of his pachyderm namesake. Drexler guessed that escaping multiple deaths together had something to do with that affection.

  “Wow, your cabin is big,” Gajrup remarked as he stepped through the sliding door.

  “Captain’s prerogative,” Drexler said, struggling to hide the slight embarrassment in his voice. He led Gajrup to a back room where a long, dusty table dominated the space, surrounded by eight chairs.

  “You never use this room,” Gajrup observed.

  Drex scratched his head. “No. Can’t remember the last time I was in here. Supposed to be for conferences and formal dinners. I do meetings on the fly and eat standing up most days.”

  “Well,” Gajrup said as he turned to open the doors of low cabinets built into the bulkhead. “It will work.”

  “What are you looking for?” Drexler asked.

  “Something to wipe down the table before we eat,” Gajrup replied. “Hey, these cabinets are made from real Earth wood,” he added.

  “Yeah, the old man loved antiques. Those are from ancient earth sailing ships.”

  Gajrup froze, then stood up slowly, “The last sailing ship existed nearly a thousand years ago. Are you telling me …” he trailed off.

  “Yes, I am,” Drexler replied. “They’re more like fifteen hundred years old, closer to two-thousand.” He tended to take the relics for granted. Gajrup closed the door slowly and with great care. He no longer cared what was inside.

  “Wait,” Drexler said. He bolted from the room to return with a damp washcloth. “This will do.” He wiped down the table and two chairs, and the two sat.

  “What do you feel like eating?” Drexler asked.

  “Home cooking.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “Well, I’ve been saving something for a special occasion. When I signed on as a Merchant Astronaut, my mother put some of my favorite food in stasis for me.”

  “Oh,” Drexler replied, “I don’t want to eat up your care package. That’s for you.”

  “Not unless you like Indian food,” Gajrup replied. “Because if you do, my Mother’s cooking is best when shared. I mean, she gave me enough to share. We’re talking kilos of food here…”

  Drexler couldn’t turn down the invitation. “I do love Indian food. My sister and I had it all the time, even before she married your third cousin.” Remembering his sister brought Drexler a sudden sadness that he did not bother to hide.

  “I met her at the wedding, but briefly,” Gajrup remarked. “It’s the same place I met that Admiral’s daughter.”

  “The one that got you kicked out of the BJP Fleet Academy?”

  Gajrup laughed, said, “No, that was all me and my bad poetry. I also blame the ukulele. She just happened to be there. Captain, if you ever get the urge to serenade someone, think twice. It can be a career-ending move.”

  Drex expended some laughter, and then stared at the table. “I didn’t make the wedding. I was on a long haul, eighty light years between Beijing 8 and the Three Pillars colonies in the Archer’s boot.”

  “Wow, that is a long haul,” Gajrup replied. “Must have fetched a good payday.”

  “Honestly,” Drexler confessed, not able to take his eyes off the table. “It was a bad run. I got beaten up on the contract because I just took it to avoid that damn wedding. My sister was the last to leave the company.”

  The two fell into awkward silence. Gajrup didn’t know what to say.

  Drexler snapped out of it and said, “Let’s eat. Where is that home cooked meal?”

  Gajrup smiled and called the mess hall. To the crew member on duty, he said, “Chief Engineer Gajrup here. Can you access my personal food storage for item 1547? Please prepare it and bring it to the Captain’s quarters, along with items 1550 and 1575.”

  “Affirmative,” the mess crew replied. “Give us fifteen minutes.”

  “Whoa,” Drexler said, “That sounds like a lot.”

  “It is a lot. Let’s feast.”

  Drexler couldn’t argue with that. He smiled and began to feel normal again. The two sat in silence after Drexler used the table console to turn the outer bulkhead transparent. Facing the window gave them both the impression of sitting on a ledge overlooking the void.

  The door chime sounded. “That can’t be the food already,” Drexler said, checking the time on the data panel on his flight jacket sleeve. He stood up to get the door, rather than telling whoever it was to come in. He wanted the chance to shoo whoever it was away so he could get to his meal when it came.

  The cabin door slid silently into its pocket to reveal three insectoids. One was a full head taller than Drexler and colored bright green. He recognized that praying mantis-like head.

  “Tara?” Drexler said. He had not seen the Broodqueen in nearly a month. She was busy in the cargo bay that housed her one-hundred-fifty children. At first, Drexler did not recognize the two, larger Insectoids standing beside her.

  They had the same praying mantis-like body plan, but their black shells shone with a mirror-like finish. When he focused hard on the shell, he noticed a subtle, varicolored marbling effect. Veins of the deepest blue ran through the exoskeletons, along with several lighter shades of black and gray. He stood for a moment and surveyed the new arrivals from head to toe.

  Their shapes though familiar, were longer than he remembered. It was not until he noticed a raised area on the shell of the larger Insectoid to his right, that he realized who they were. A portion of the shell just below the thoracic wing cover looked as if it was newer than the rest. It was a scar.

  “Dewey?” Drexler said. His jaw went slack. He slowly turned to the other Insectoid. “Huey? You…You got…really, really big…”

  The two big insectoids rattled their wing covers and pumped their legs in a little dance maneuver that startled Drexler, even though he recognized it as their expression of joy.

  “Ah, sorry! Come in! Please!” Drexler said, stepping aside. The three insects entered the cabin, just as Gajrup rushed from the side room.

  “Did you say, Dewey?” Gajrup asked. He stopped dead in his tracks when he came face-to-face with the Insectoids. His brown face grew ashy.

  Dewey spoke for the first time, “Hello, Gajrup, my friend,” he said.

  Gajrup stood blinking rapidly.

  Dewey’s shoulders fell. “You are scared of me now,” he said. The synthesized voice managed to relay his sadness.

  “No,” Gajrup stammered, “Well, yes, I mean, your appearance is a shock, but…” Dewey’s shoulders sank lower. “Oh, hell!” Gajrup exclaimed. He lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Dewey. Or, at least, he tried. The hug banged Gajrup’s forehead against Dewey’s hard shell, and his arms did not make it around Dewey'
s abdomen.

  “And you attack me now?” Dewey asked, confused.

  “No,” Drexler said, covering his mouth to hide laughter. “Sorry, Dewey. That is a hug―an embrace. It is something humans do with friends when they are very happy to see someone.”

  Gajrup separated himself from Dewey and looked up at him.

  “Why is your face wet?” Dewey asked.

  Gajrup laughed, sniffled and wiped his nose. “Ah, it’s too much to explain. Just know how happy I am to see you. I am so glad you are OK. I thought you were going to die.”

  Drexler surprised himself by feeling something similar. A lump formed in his throat. The three Insectoids saved their lives twice back on the terraformed jungle planet when they and Doctor Abiola were all being hunted by Reptilians intent on murdering them all. Dewey had even taken a rail-rifle bullet trying to protect Drexler and Gajrup. That was how his shell got its scar. The humans thought Dewey was dying, but the conflict triggered a metamorphosis for Dewey as well as the rest of his small Brood.

  “So this is good, then?” Huey asked, confused.

  “Yes!” Drexler said emphatically. He no longer felt tired, in spite of being awake for more than twenty hours. “Most definitely yes. Will you eat with us? We just ordered a meal. We can get something for you.”

  Huey spoke to Dewey in the insectoid language. They had only been living with other species for just over a standard year. They sometimes had to work things out among themselves to understand social matters. Their conversation stopped, then Dewey suddenly returned Gajrup’s hug with both sets of his upper arms. The heavy human’s feet left the deck, and the embrace looked dangerously painful.

  “Ah, Dewey?” Drexler said, gently. “I think he gets it.” The insectoid let Gajrup go.

  “Yeah,” Gajrup wheezed. “He understands hugs now…”

  “Yes!” Dewey exclaimed. “Humans soft mammals and warm!”

  For the benefit of the humans, Tara mimicked a human gesture to convey her feeling. She shook her head and covered her face briefly with a palm. “My boys…” she said. “And yes, will feed with you.”