Melissa Good - Xena Sci-Fi 1 Partners By Melissa Good

Jess took a half step forward, and stiffened. Bock put a hand on her arm.

“I see.” Bain nodded. “So you felt this was the best way to motivate them?”

“It worked.” Bricker turned back to the display. “Excuse me. Team Beta, report.”

“Sir, I tracked them they’re in shadow right now.” One of the techs standing at console spoke up. “Due in position one hundred ninety seconds.”

“Sir.” Jess spoke, her low voice echoing softly in the chamber. She fell silent when Bain held a hand up in her direction.

“Director Bricker, please turn around and face me. “Alexander Bain said.

“Sir, I’m sorry, I’m in the middle of something here.” Bricker glanced up. “Can it wait?”

“No, I am afraid it cannot.”

Bricker straightened up and turned. “Yes?”

The room swirled into motion, as Bain lifted his hand from his side and there was a hand weapon in it, and both Stephen and Jess stiffened, then Jess made a sign and they both froze, and Doctor Dan spun Dev around and put his body between her and Bain and…

The projectile caught Bricker in the throat, and exploded, sending blood and skin out to either side with a splattering sound as it hit the consoles to the right and left of him. His head lolled and dropped off to the floor, and his body collapsed to the ground, thumping and twitching as the techs jumped out of the way.

Absolute shocked silence fell, until Bain replaced the weapon into it’s hidden holster and dusted his hands off. “I never have approved of shooting anyone in the back.” He commented. “Now.” He turned. “Bock, please take charge, and have this unpleasantness cleaned up.”

He looked at all of them. “Any questions for me?” He glanced at Jess. “Drake, I suggest you take a look at what those colleagues of yours are into. I suspect it’s not good.”

Jess stirred out of her shock and jumped up onto the platform, shoving aside the tech as she stepped over Brickers body, muttering curses under her breath.

Bain clapped his hands. “Come on, people. We’re in some trouble here. Let’s think our way out of it, shall we? Start moving.”

Bock went to the comms panel, and started speaking into it, as the other men on the platform went to consoles.

Dev stood as still as she could, her mind on overload trying to absorb all the data she’d just been given. She tried to make sense of it, but found her focus irresistibly turning to the ops console, where the woman Bain had called Drake was sitting finding it much easier to think about her than about the man she’d just seen killed.

She no longer looked sad, or depressed. There was energy crackling from every inch of her, as her eyes flicked through the screens with intense concentration.

She was so interesting.

“Dev.” Doctor Dan stirred her from her focus. “Are you doing okay?”

Dev looked at him. “I’m all right.” She said. “I just don’t know really what’s going on.”

Doctor Dan looked around, then shook his head a little. “I’m not really sure either. But we’ll find out, don’t you worry.” He did, in fact, look worried himself. “I wont’ leave you here otherwise.”

Dev nodded. Then she glanced past Doctor Dan to the platform, to find the woman Drake looking back at her, with wary curiosity.

“We’ll find out.” Doctor Dan patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry.”

Dev looked down at the ground, surprised to see spatters of blood on the steel only a few inches from her boots. “I’m sure we will.” She murmured, thoughtfully. “Yes.”

**

Jess was aware of the security team behind her, and the medical techs bundling up Bricker’s body. She could hear their breathing, a little faster than normal, and sense the insecurity around her as everyone tried to adjust to what had just happened.

She focused past that. She had her elbows on the console and her eyes flicking from status readout to predictors, listening for the incoming bursts from the two teams out there.

Two teams of two people, agent and tech, in armored personnel carriers whose flight characteristics were roughly those of the ancient and mythic sperm whale. Only thing going for them were two engines powerful enough to launch the damn things into space and a lot of strap webbing that kept you from killing yourself inside one.

Jess sighed, and flicked a few settings.

Running the boards wasn’t her favorite task. She hated being here, and not there, able only to react to what was going on, but she’d done her share of this. Every agent had, in training and in the times they couldn’t be out in the field for any number of reasons.

But she was glad she was here now, and able to concentrate on those signals because otherwise she’d have to think about how her life had gone into a radical tailspin in the last hour, and what the hell she was going to do next.

Less time to think about the quiet figure seated near the far wall, hands clasped, eyes absorbing everything around her. NM-Dev-1 wasn’t anything like what she’d expected. She’d figured they’d taken one of the pilot duffs, and tweaked him for this gig

This wasn’t a pilot. This wasn’t any of the types they’d gotten before. She glanced to one side, watching the bio alt’s serious face as she studied the console next to her. This was unknown.

A bleep caught her attention, and she looked back at the screens.

Bricker had screwed it. Jess checked the position of the two teams, seeing them on the very edge of the dark side “Six one, six one base.” She uttered into the comms. He’d sent the two in without full intel and they’d gotten their asses chomped by a big armed patrol with long range guns.

There was only crackling for answer The two teams, in their armored carriers had gone in over sea and tried to penetrate a small research station but they were caught now on the flats, the edgy cross-lines of laser cannons pinning them down.

“What’s the game?” Stephen slid into the seat next to her. “This is crazy.”

“I can’t get to them.” Jess pointed at the scan link. “They’re blocking comms. Only thing I can tell is they’re intact. I can see the outline.”

“Shit.”

A blast of antiseptic made them both turn, to see a medic with a tank on his back washing down the floor. He glanced at them, then went back to his task.

Jess glanced at Stephen. “Wasn’t how I figured this day to go.”

Stephen snorted and shook his head. Then he leaned a little closer. “Glad?”

Jess’s face tensed into a faint smile.

“All right, people.” Alexander Bain came back into the comms center. “Report.”

Stephen swiveled in his seat. “No new status sir. The two carriers are pinned down under tracer fire, no comms.”

“Well.” Bain strolled over. “Then suppose you go to the briefing center and join me for a strategy meeting. I think we need some strategy. Been sadly lacking here for a while, I believe.” He considered. “Drake, please take our new recruit here and have them kit her out. Get her creds. My orders.”

Jess stood. “Do I have creds?” She asked. “Hate to walk into security and get shot.”

Bain’s face shifted into a somewhat piratical smile. “I appreciate a sense of humor, Drake.” He said. “I believe my presence has been advertised sufficiently that you should be safe walking the halls. Once that’s settled, join us in the briefing center.” He glanced at Doctor Dan, then crooked a finger at him. “You come with me.”

Doctor Dan regarded him. Then he got up and patted Dev on the shoulder. “Go with the agent, Dev. I’ll see you shortly.”

They all shifted and moved. Jess walked over to where the bio alt was standing, and gestured. “This way.” She waited for the silent figure to join her and they walked down the ramp and out the door.