“Your services are not required,” I snarled, and went through the hab’s systems like the proverbial whirlwind, scraping every last ounce of data that I could, before neutralizing the explosives rigged to destroy the evidence of Astarnum’s illegal activities.
Tens joined me in the third habitat.
“Whatcha got?” he asked, and I showed him the results of the scans.
“Not bad,” he said, and I knew he was plotting them on the somewhat deficient map Delight had produced earlier. “You know we need to go back, right?”
We did? But…
“We’ve been at this for close on six hours.”
We had? But…
“We need to close it up and let Abby and Bennett take over while we sleep.”
But…
“So, you need to take a quick look at the scans you’ve got, and give them some direction, and then I’ll take us back.”
He would? Well, I guessed that would be a lot easier than me trying to retrace my steps through the net. Because, that was a really long way away from here, and he was right—I sure as shit needed to sleep.
“Not now, you don’t. Why don’t you tell us what’s next?”
And I needed to eat.
“Focus, Cutter.”
Oh, yeah. I made myself concentrate, and took a good, close look at the scans we’d pulled, but they showed nothing that looked like what we needed. None of the mine sites were big enough. Same was true of what Rohan brought us, although…
I took a closer look at the scans taken from the two habs he’d identified before I had, and then I cross-referenced the traffic schedules.
“Those,” I said highlighting two shuttle trails that led into the asteroid belt, but not to any of the mining operations we’d identified. “Tell Abs and Bennett, we need to know where those are going.”
“Gotit,” Abs said, appearing out of the ether as only she could do.
She’d dragged Bennett along for the ride, and he was looking like he’d learned a new trick he couldn’t wait to try out. I got the impression the two of them were giving Rohan, Tens, Cas, and me the once over, and then Abby spoke.
“You four need some serious sack time, a meal—and a jolly good kicking for this little stunt.”
I stared at her, not quite sure why she looked so cross, but she snapped her fingers and the four of us were surrounded by a dark sphere that cut her completely from view. When it slid out from around us, I found myself alone, and in my own head, staring across the table at a stunned Tens and Rohan. Man, that was an awesome trick. I wondered if she’d teach me some time.
“You wish,” Delight snapped, and, for some reason she seemed even more outraged than usual.
She turned on Tens.
“Eight…” She glanced at the time piece on the wall. “Ten! Ten hours, Tensor Tennyson. Ten! What the fuck did you think you were doing?”
Ten hours? But Tens had said it had only been for six.
He caught the thought, caught my eye, and shrugged.
“I lied.”
Which made me smirk.
He’d lied? Since when had he ever? And why would he start now?
“Since I knew you’d stay awake if I told you six, but would probably fall over if I told you the truth.”
And why hadn’t he pulled me out earlier?
It was a good thing I was still looking at his face, or I’d have missed it going slightly pink.
“You lost track of the time?” I managed, and he nodded, the pink becoming crimson and sweeping down his neckline.
Rohan snickered, but he looked tired, and pale. Cascade had his head resting on the boy’s lap, his ears pricked as he tilted it this way and that.
“I ought to throw all four of you in the brig,” Delight snapped, and we looked at her, “but I’m going to feed you, instead, and then have your captain make sure you hit the racks before you fall the Hell over.”
Sure, she was, I thought, not believing a single word she said—even as the door slid open and several crew walked in carrying trays.
Wow. We must have done something right.
That earned me a look, followed by a glance at the modified maps.
“Yeah, shit-for-brains, you could say that. Now, eat. We want you asleep, before Wanderer goes to warp.”
That sounded like a plan to me. I wondered how many of her team had made it through the first phase of training Wanderer had had planned, and her face clouded.
“Not as many as I’d like,” she said, “especially as we’re moving this operation up. Get your sleep, kiddo. We hit Rigel’s Banter in three days’ time.”
Three days?
That was going to be rough.
30—A Feint to the Left
The trip to Rigel’s Banter would have been rougher if Mack hadn’t dumped us all into pods for the duration. I’d kinda been hoping for another run through the Banter’s systems, and maybe a hop-and-skip out into the habs and off to wherever those shuttles had gone, but he was having none of it—and, from what I could gather, Tens was faring no better.
We all emerged just after Wanderer came out of the last warp. Mack looked a little green around the gills, so I guessed he’d emerged either during the last stages, or just after. Either way, he was by my pod when it opened, and shifted me bodily into the san before I was fully awake.
“Get clean and gear up,” he’d ordered, and I noticed the light armor and reinforced underwear set out ready for a mission. Here was hoping this one didn’t involve airlocks and EVAs.
Hell! Who was I kidding? We were heading into the heart of an asteroid mining operation, right next to wolf terr…i…tory… Oh, Stars above and around.
“Mack!” I shouted, nudging him with the implant as I got myself clean in near-record time. “Mack! We gotta check this out!”
I was pretty sure he’d been about to tell me to shut up, but that last line really got his attention. Instead, he stepped into the implant, and glowered at me.
“Don’t make me lock you
