Endurance: The Complete Series Page 38

  Matthias picked up one of his screens and skipped to the next file from the database. He snickered as he read the translated text. “Hey Sis, I found their tax code. You think they call it the Hax tax?”

  Maureen dropped the pocket comp she’d been holding. The clatter made Matthias’s desktop maglev train start zooming around its homemade track. Maureen reached up and shut it off, and Matthias saw her hand tremble.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Mattie, how can you still joke?” Despite her scandalized tone, Maureen’s voice retained its soothing airiness.

  “How can I not? It’s just who I am.”

  His sister spun the desk chair to face him. “I think this could be the one time you take things seriously.”

  Matthias set down his own computers. “Sis, what’s bothering you?”

  “What’s bothering me? What’s bothering me? Our home planet’s been conquered, we’re millions of miles away, and now you’re ...”

  “I’m not dying.”

  “I didn’t say you were.”

  “For all we know, this disease won’t even affect me.” Matthias shifted his posture to hide the growing grey patch of skin on his bitten leg.

  Maureen noticed. Her lithe arms folded across her chest. “Mattie, please.”

  “All right, so it’s affecting me. That doesn’t mean I’m gonna die. If it gets bad, we can still try the Revixophin you used on the zombies last time we were on Thassis.”

  “Yes, that turned out so well.”

  “Different physiologies, different results.” Matthias smiled. “Look at how much progress we’ve made already. And I’m this close to finding a way to disable the Haxozin engines. If they can’t maneuver, they can’t evade our EMPs anymore.”

  “They can still shoot at cities from orbit. Or release a toxin that wipes out humanity. If I—if we don’t find a way to wipe them out first.” Maureen tucked her legs up against her chest and rested her chin on her knees. Her voice dropped to a murmur. “I didn’t know it would be like this.”

  Matthias decided his little sister needed a hug. But when he swung his legs off the bed, she jerked to an upright posture. “No, stay there. You said the leg hurts. Don’t walk on it.”

  He obeyed, slipping back onto his bunk. “We never really talked about why you decided to become a UELE officer. You were supposed to be dancing with the Rashiq Ballet. Why’d you turn them down?”

  Maureen bit her lip. “Why did you pick this job?”

  “I love astrophysics.”

  “And?”

  “And ... I wanted to use astrophysics to help catch bad guys?”

  Maureen shook her head. “And you wanted to annoy Mom and Dad.”

  Matthias laughed. “Maybe a little. I was never gonna be a good sculptor. Not everyone can be famous artists like them.”

  “That’s why I did it,” said Maureen. “When you decided to go into law enforcement, it made me think. I wondered if I was doing the most useful thing I could with my life, and when I compared it to yours, I had to answer no. I had never thought of doing something outside the arts, but you made me realize it was an option, no matter what Mom and Dad said. I thought it would be a grand adventure. That I’d see different planets and help people. I didn’t expect ... this.”

  Matthias traced the bandage on his shin. Around it, the grey translucence had spread halfway up his kneecap and across his instep. “None of us did. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of it.”

  Maureen looked at him with the wide eyes that used to beg him to check for monsters under the bed. “Do you think Mom and Dad are all right?”

  Matthias spoke with absolute conviction. “Yes. I do.”

  “How can you know?”

  “I don’t. But until I do, there’s no reason to assume the worst.” He smiled again and picked up two of his screens. “We’ll be the most helpful if we don’t waste time worrying about things we can’t control.”

  Maureen managed a small smile. “Be a duck?”

  “Quack, quack, quack,” agreed Matthias.

  * * *

  Thomas faced Vinlin across the makeshift interrogation table in the rec room. The Haxozin soldier had been stripped of his armor, and instead he now wore a borrowed uniform of Ivanokoff’s. With the alien’s large frame, the first officer’s uniforms were the only ones that fit him.

  Areva was keeping an eye on Matthias, but Ivanokoff stood near the rec room hatch to stop Vinlin from posing a threat. Thomas hoped that after he told the Haxozin what they now knew, the threat might be eliminated entirely.

  “We analyzed your DNA,” Thomas said. “Found some interesting things, too.”

  Vinlin didn’t reply.

  “You people seem to like using targeted genetic viruses against your enemies. Turns out you’d better not do that on Earth. Whatever you do will end up killing yourselves, too.”

  This time the alien’s purple brow twitched.

  Thomas nodded. “That’s right. A whole bunch of your DNA is identical to ours.”

  Vinlin scoffed. “Impossible.”

  “Oh yeah? You said your people were taken as slaves by the original Haxozin.”

  “Yes.”

  “From where?” When the alien didn’t answer, Thomas pressed. “Where’s your original homeworld, Vinlin? You don’t know, do you?”

  The alien shifted in his seat. “Those records were lost generations ago.”

  “Not surprising. Your owners wouldn’t have wanted your people yearning for a specific place.”

  “This does not prove any bit of your story.”

  Thomas ignored the protest. “What we think happened was after your ancestors were taken from Earth, they interbred with the original Haxozin, leading to how you look now. We can’t know for sure, since there are none of them left to compare to your DNA. But at least half of your heritage is from the planet your people are currently trying to conquer. Use a genetic virus against us, and you stand a good chance of wiping yourselves out.”

  Vinlin worked his jaw. “Even if this is true, which I do not believe, why would you tell me?”

  Thomas leaned forward. “We don’t have to fight, Vinlin. Your people are human at your core. You don’t have to keep struggling to preserve the illusion of a dead empire. We can call off the war, and you can all come home.”

  Vinlin shook his head. “The Sovereign would never agree.”

  “I’m not talking to the Sovereign. I’m talking to you.”

  “I will not betray my people.”

  “No matter what you choose to do, you’re betraying your own. The difference is that we offer a life of peace, comfort, and the ability to define your own life. Does your Sovereign offer the same perks?”

  The alien didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to.

  “We’ll give you full access to the DNA analyses,” said Thomas. “You’ll come to the same conclusion we did. And then you’ll have a choice.”

  “I serve the Haxozin Sovereignty. I have no choices.”

  Thomas folded his hands. “Is that something the Sovereign said, or your old masters?”

  Vinlin stiffened.

  “Think about it. We’ll be heading back to Earth’s solar system soon. I hope it’ll be with you on our bridge as ambassador.” Thomas stood and headed for the hatch.

  Vinlin’s voice stopped him. “You would truly allow us to settle among you?”

  Thomas looked over his shoulder. “I can’t promise everyone will welcome you as neighbors, but yes. You belong with us. I’m sure we can find space for you.”

  A pause. “Show me the analysis.”

  Thomas smiled.

  * * *

  After all the research and debates, the Endurance crew had one final meeting before enacting their plan.

  Thomas stood at the head of the long tables in the rec room, their benches crowded with the twenty-some members of his crew. The ship currently held position in an empty part of space, waiting for the Adkinsium reactor to generate
enough power to use the D Drive again. Thomas left two officers on the bridge in case of emergencies, but everyone else was supposed to be present.

  Thomas cleared his throat. “Where’s Nina?”

  “Food poisoning,” said three different people.

  “Officer Lee?”

  “Monitoring the reactor,” said an engineer.

  “Areva?”

  “Here,” said a quiet voice from beneath one of the tables.

  Thomas surveyed the room. A year ago, he would not have entrusted these people with the survival of the planet. He wouldn’t have even trusted them to water his houseplants. Now, he knew better.

  “I’m sure most of you know what’s happening,” he said. He recapped the invasion of Earth and the discovery of the human elements of the Haxozin DNA. “Once the D Drive charges, we’ll head to the World of Infinite Tones to pick up some supplies, and then we’ll return to Earth to try to disable or destroy the Haxozin fleet. I know none of you signed up for this. We’re law enforcement, not special forces. We’re also on an older ship with inferior weapons, and airlocks that take three tries to open. If any of you want to stay behind on Tones, I’ll understand.”

  He paused, not sure what to expect. In any other crew, he’d assume every officer would feel the need to show courage. Here, he didn’t know.

  Chris Fish spoke up. “Joyce and I will stay behind.”

  His wife, scientist Joyce Fish, elbowed him. “What now?”

  “Honey, I don’t want to blow up on a foolhardy mission to take on a thousand enemy ships—”

  “A hundred,” said Ivanokoff.

  “You saw a hundred,” said Chris. “You’re not counting the reinforcements I’m sure they have shrouded in dark matter or hiding in false asteroids or—”

  Joyce patted his arm and talked over him. “Captain, we’ll be returning to Earth with you. I’ll convince him later.”

  Chris folded his arms and hunched in his seat, scowling.

  Thomas scanned the tables. “Anyone else?”

  Sergeant Ramirez raised his hand. “Uh, is this l-likely to get us killed?”

  Thomas saw no reason to lie. “Yes.”

  “Oh. So, er, you’ll need people, um, to be at their b-best. Sir. Captain, I mean.”

  “Relax, Sergeant. I won’t bite.”

  “Matthias might,” muttered Chris. Joyce elbowed him again.

  Ramirez swallowed, avoiding eye contact with anyone who outranked him. “Uh, if it’s okay to say then, sir ... can we make extra coffee rations before the trip? I, uh, do better with caffeine.” A few other officers murmured in agreement.

  More coffee. That was their biggest concern. “Are you all sure about this?” Thomas asked.

  Ivanokoff raised his chin. “We are UELE officers. Not cowards.”

  “I m-might be a coward,” said Ramirez.

  “Me too,” said Chris.

  “But,” said Ramirez, “that, uh, doesn’t mean we don’t have to do this. So, um, yeah. I’ll go.”

  Thomas made eye contact with every officer—his officers, who had yet again surprised him. “Thank you,” he said. “All of you. I ... I know you’ll make me proud.”

  All was quiet for a moment.

  Then Chris asked, “So is that a yes on the extra coffee?”

  Once the coffee controversy had been resolved, Thomas let his department heads explain their research findings for the coming mission.

  Chris Fish went first. “We the scientists of this ship—the most important team, by the way—have been reading the Haxozin DNA analysis.”

  “I helped,” said Maureen.

  “Fine, we the scientists and the scientist in training. We don’t have the technology necessary to create a targeted genetic virus or anything that precise—”

  “Which we wouldn’t do anyway,” said Maureen. “Because it’s awful.”

  Chris didn’t comment on that. “But the analysis revealed a weakness to carbon monoxide. Haxozin hemoglobin will be affected by the gas far faster than human cells, meaning unconsciousness or expiration from oxygen deprivation will set in far faster. And we can collect carbon monoxide as a byproduct if we misalign the superconductors on the ship’s—”

  “Basically,” said Thomas, who had heard this already, “we can knock the Haxozin out, disarm them, and pump fresh air in before there’s any permanent damage. Low risk to them, almost no risk to any humans they’re holding. We want to come to peaceful terms with them, but we can’t do that if they have hostages. So one team will be infiltrating the Haxozin’s main base on Earth, seeking out their Sovereign, and using this method to subdue him and then negotiate. Vinlin, our Haxozin guest, has been convinced by the DNA analysis and has agreed to help.”

  “Won’t their helmets filter out the gas?” asked Maureen.

  “Vinlin says no,” said Thomas. “They’re armor, not hazmat suits.”

  “The Sovereign may not listen,” said Ivanokoff.

  “I know,” said Thomas. “That’s why we have the second part of this plan.”

  Thomas pointed at Matthias Habassa, who sat alone on a chair in one corner. Thomas tried to ignore the grey, translucent quality of the engineer’s infected skin, which had now encroached partway up his neck. There was a clear, jagged line on the throat where the grey infection battled Matthias’s natural copper color.

  Matthias spoke as if he wasn’t possibly dying. “Okie dokey, guys. We’ve analyzed the Haxozin ship schematics and found the most vulnerable place to target. If we EMP a certain spot on the ventral side of the prongs, we can shut the ships down entirely. They’ll be dead in the water and unable to shoot back. Of course, in order to hit that spot, we have to disable their gravity-on-a-stick engines first. Once they can’t move, we’ll have a much easier time blasting away bits of their hull and EMPing their insides. So here’s how we do that:

  “We have to fly, in D Drive, through the gravity wells on the prongs of their ships.”

  “Whoa,” said Chris Fish. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? What if you come out of four-D inside one of the prongs? What if the star ship moves?”

  “D Drive jumps are too fast for them to evade,” said Matthias. “Once we engage the jump, it’ll hit its target. And we can avoid any complications with math.”

  “Math,” said Chris dubiously.

  “Sure. Based on the amount of force Areva’s gun used to push us to Earth a few days ago, I’ve written a program to calculate the same kind of micro-jumps and perform them automatically. We’ll have to make the jumps at, like, a billionth of a percent of max thrust—I wrote a program for that, too—and each jump will be so fast you can’t even see it, but it’ll work. It’s the same thing we did to get from Neptune to Earth, but now with technology instead of guns.”

  Chris looked at Joyce. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay behind?”

  “Guns are technology,” said Ivanokoff.

  “What coding language did you use for the program?” asked an engineer.

  Thomas took over the meeting before it could get sidetracked. “Most of you will be staying on Endurance and bringing Matthias’s plan to the other UELE ships gathering near Mars. Ivanokoff will be in charge.”

  “Oh, goody,” said Chris.

  Ivanokoff arched an eyebrow. “I do not do backtalk.”

  Chris shut up.

  Thomas continued, “A few of us, including myself, will take another ship and sneak through the Haxozin lines to land on Median Island. Vinlin said the Sovereign is probably going to stay at Earth’s capital, so we’ll go in, locate him, vent a few canisters of carbon monoxide into the room, and come in after to secure him and any guards he’s posted. Then, if all goes well, we’ll talk this out.”

  “I hate to bring up the obvious problem,” said Chris.

  “You love to bring up obvious problems,” said Joyce.

  Chris ignored her. “How are you going to sneak past a hundred alien spaceships?”

  Thomas smiled. �
�By borrowing one.”

  * * *

  “Absolutely not,” said the grey-skinned alien, waving all three of her arms in negative gestures. Her two-foot ears vibrated to underscore her point, and her voice lilted in melodious fluidity. The talky box translation probably lost the nuances of her refusal.

  “Echo,” said Thomas, “we need your help.”

  Echo shook her head again. “That captured ship is ours.”

  “Only because we helped you liberate your planet.”

  “We gave you our translation technology and linguistic databases. You promised us new languages to study in return. But you have so far not kept that promise.”

  “We gave you over a thousand languages from Earth.”

  Echo folded two of her hands and made a dismissive gesture with the third. “We finished studying those ages ago. Your speech patterns are so dull, Dirt Person.”

  “Earthling.”

  “That is what I said.”

  Thomas sighed. Translation issues aside, he needed the People of Tone to lend him the Haxozin shuttle they’d been studying for the past year. Otherwise he had no chance. “I promise to bring the shuttle back right away. A few days at most.”

  “Unless you destroy it in a foolish attempt to fight the entire Haxozin Sovereignty at once.”

  “I told you, they’re not the real Haxozin. There are only a few of them, and they’re vulnerable. This will work.”

  Echo’s ears drooped. “I am sorry, Captain Thomas Withers. It is too big a risk. We will not enable you in destroying yourselves.”

  Thomas ground his teeth. “It was a big risk when I saved your life. And when we shot the Haxozin soldiers occupying your city. Your world is free because of what we did, Echo. I’m only asking you to return the favor.” He looked into her black-rimmed eyes. “Please. If we succeed, the whole galaxy would be a more peaceful place. If we fail, the Haxozin are going to finish solidifying their control of my world, and then come back to re-conquer yours. One shuttle won’t do you any good against their fleet, but if you lend it to us, it might prevent that threat from ever coming to you.”