The Diary of a Space Scoundrel: The Eye of the Storm
02 Apr 2020Seth Bradwell
10:00 - Moon Dock"I will look forward to being able to properly touch down in the docks without being arrested on sight." I said as we again approached Moon Dock in our SRVs.
"You will not have long to wait. We just need to sneak in, and hack into their public address systems, and I will rouse the troops." said Morgan.
"Security will have gotten wise to people just sneaking in through the personnel airlocks, Morgan, and remember I had people in Blue Vision, not to mention Anastasia, helping me out then. We need to plan our move carefully." I replied.
"But we do have help on the inside - their own surveillance system! During yesterday's hack job I got hold of the codes for every camera in the facility. Not only can we send them false images, we can also use them to find out exactly where they are." Morgan took out a data slate. "With this, I can watch Tarquin Yates picking his nose, all in ultra-high 3D holo-definiation!"
"Charming!" I said. "But we need to get in first."
We disembarked our SRVs to walk the final K to the base. "I have found this entrance that is fairly lightly guarded, mainly because opens right into where the System Security Vipers are stationed. Also it is the entrance nearest Yates' office, so if we can keep a low profile, we will be able to capture him and liberate the base with little blood spilt." said Morgan, confidently. "Okay, Seth, you got that skeleton key I gave you?"
I handed it over, and Morgan activated it on the airlock's keycard sensor. "Hmm..." said Morgan, "it doesn't want to play ball. I wonder why?" I start looking at the data slate, and make an ominous discovery.
"Morgan, we won't be able to get in through there, or through any other personnel airlock on this base. All the airlocks have been set so they can only be opened from the inside by a select group of personnel, with staff working outside having to request access." I said sadly.
"Okay, that complicates things. Let's go with Plan B. To the landing pads." said Morgan.
"Are you sure this is the right pad?" I ask Morgan.
"According to traffic control, a ship is due to land here any moment. We just need to get down into the hanger as it goes down." said Morgan.
"Sounds extremely dangerous to me." I said.
"We will be safe as long as we are not on its path and we avoid the exhausts of their thrusters. Once the ship is down we need to hide somewhere out of sight of the crew." assured Morgan. "Anyway, here it comes."
We watch as the ship makes its approach to the landing pad, and I become very interested in the ship after identifying what type it is. "Morgan," I ask, "Who would bring a Dolphin out here?"
"I have my suspicions, but we can worry about that once we are inside." said Morgan. "Anyway, prepare to dash under it the moment it touches down."
We watch as the Dolphin touches down, and quickly scramble underneath the ship's landing gear. With a jolt the pad lowers us down into the hanger, and with a whoosh the base's internal atmosphere rushes in. We watch intently as the ship's occupants disembark and exit the hanger.
"Morgan, that was Heenan! What's he doing here?" I ask.
"The kid has made a mess of things so the grown-up has come to take charge." Morgan replied. "Martin may have made a greater hash of managing here than we first thought. Good, it means people here really have had enough. But we need to act fast, if the situation is that critical it's only a matter of time before they get Yates to order a clampdown."
We walk out of the hanger and into the base's promenade. "Where shall we do this hack?" I ask Morgan.
"Somewhere where we are likely to have allies to help us out and avoid capture. We will struggle to kick off this revolution if Yates and friends nab us ten seconds after we do this." said Morgan.
"I assume you have somewhere in mind." I reply.
"Yes... somewhere we both know very well, in fact..." began Morgan.
"The Diamond Moon? Firstly even Yates wouldn't think we were so stupid to just walk in there, and also it's still morning, not many miners around to rouse to rebellion." I said.
"That's the point. Yates wouldn't think we would be that stupid, so we call his bluff. Besides, I doubt he has enough personnel at his disposal to attempt a raid there. Also mining is a round the clock business. There is a night shift as well as a day, and anyway here "night" and "day" are highly arbitrary concepts based on the rotational cycle of one planet in the Sol system - whilst in reality it's always night here. So plenty of miners to get to our cause, my dear Seth." said Morgan.
"Okay. So next thing, how to get there without running into Yates and his goons." I said.
"Well Mr. Heenan's arrival has given us the chance to catch them all unawares. I suspect Yates will be called to this meeting to be briefed by Heenan too, after all he is Martin's right-hand man." said Morgan. "Also remember not all the security staff are on his side, and we have access to their whole network, so I can soon find out if any guards we encounter will stand with us or betray us to Yates."
"Halt! Who goes there?" cried the guard as we approached.
"Friends." replied Morgan, as if he had every right to be there.
"Morgan, is that really you? You really must be crazy! I am guessing that's your partner-in-crime too. You do realise that I am supposed to arrest you both and bring you to Yates. What are you doing here anyway?"
"Going for a drink down the Diamond. Wanna come?" I say nonchalantly.
"The Void be damned - you really think Yates will let you just stroll around the base like this, much less let you leave alive?"
"Relax, Haden. It just happens we are here to call for a vote of no confidence in your boss, and your boss' boss too, come to think of that." said Morgan.
"You really think you can overthrow the Partnership?" asked Haden.
"We are not actually overthrowing anything. We are just exposing corruption and a conspiracy to take over the Partnership, which involves two of this base's favourite people." answered Morgan.
Haden paused for thought. "Okay, well I always said I would lay down my gun rather than be the one to cause you to fall into the hands of Yates. Count me in. I have a few contacts who also feel inclined. I wish I knew what happened to poor Marlon." he said.
"Marlon is safe for the moment. Help us put him back in his rightful position." said Morgan.
"Count me in, Captain. So, I take it we shall all meet in the Moon?" asked Haden, happily.
"As soon as possible, and preferably before 12:00 hours." said Morgan.
11:00 - outside HIP 73128
"This is the personal log of Commander Cameron Sanchez of the Camorra vessel Toqui. We have been given the task of taking over a transport carrying prisoners to Clough Reformatory. My esteemed crewmates are obviously apprehensive about coming here, we all have suffered in that dreary place, but the Big Boss has promised us 2 million credits as part of this endeavour, of which I get to take 800k and Rita and Liam get 600k each. Not a bad payout considering the risk that we are all taking. I am preparing to brief them on their mission whilst awaiting the arrival of the transport."
"So, any further questions? No? Good! Prepare to board their ship on my command." said Cameron to her two crewmates.
"Ready on your order, boss. They won't know what hit them." replied Liam.
"You word is my command, boss. We shall take control of that vessel with minimal resistance." added Rita.
"Good." purred Cameron. "Remain at your stations and prepare to interdict target. I want this mission to be executed flawlessly. I have only just managed to get a ship back this morning after my last one was regretfully sacrificed in the process of escaping from Cauchy Horizons. I will be most disappointed if it were to be scratched."
"I will be happy to not have to deal with that annoying squeak in the chair, or indeed anything else that has moving parts, if only for a few weeks." laughed Liam.
"That's enough of that. I will not tolerate insubordination in my ship!" said Cameron fiercely. "Just prepare to board on my signal, OK?"
"Aye aye, boss." said Liam.
"Very good. Rita, scan the local traffic. Let me know the moment our target arrives."
"Yes boss. Lakon T6 associated with Social Partnership of HIP 71931, spotted 124 light seconds away, and getting further away, present course appears to be Clough Reformatory." announced Rita.
"Excellent. Their flight plan is about to change. Prepare for interdiction!" ordered Cameron.
"Yes boss." the two said in unison.
Cameron placed her throttle into maximum setting and set about lining her ship up with the T6's stern. On closing to within interdictor range she engaged the interdictor and witchspace started to distort around the two vessels.
"Gotcha!" she shouted with glee. "Now, come to mama."
For the next ten seconds Cameron fought to stay on the back on the T6 whilst the T6 tried to align with the escape vector.
"Your gonna lose them!" cried Liam.
"Don't distract me!" yelled Cameron. "Now, just a bit closer, nearly there, haha! You're mine!" she exclaimed in triumph as both ships' frame shift drives simultaneously underwent emergency shutdown. "Boarding detail - stand by!"
Liam and Rita dashed off to the boarding pod. "Okay," announced Cameron over comms. "Hold tight, this may be a rough ride."
Cameron set her power distributor to divert full power to shields and all remaining power to engines, and wrestled to bring the Toqui up to align with the T6's cockpit. The T6 tried desperately to engage Cameron's Cobra, but was easily outmanoeuvred.
"Launching boarding pod. Good luck, you two! Don't mess up, or else..." Cameron said in one final message before sending the boarding pod on its way.
The boarding pod homed in on the T6, closing on a pressurised bulkhead. It then clamped on and started cutting away. Alarm sirens sounded as Liam and Rita made their way towards the cockpit.
"They won't be prepared for this kind of assault but keep your gun on you." said Rita. "Nothing can be left to chance." On approaching the cockpit door, Rita threw a flashbang grenade inside before she and Liam burst through.
"Drop your weapons! Do not resist if you want to live!" shouted Liam.
The pilot obliged, but the co-pilot tried to raise his gun, which resulted in a swift kick from Rita, who snatched the plasma pistol out of his hand, and then pinned him to the bulkhead, dagger held against his throat.
"You were warned about trying to resist. Those that try and engage in foolish heroics do not survive long in this galaxy." hissed Rita. "Yield now and you can live. Resist further and you will die. Understood?"
The co-pilot nodded.
"Good." said Rita. Rita swiftly swung her knee between the co-pilot's legs, striking him hard. He winced. "Kneel." she commanded. The co-pilot fell to his knees, partly out of obedience, partly due to pain. She then swiftly bound his feet and legs.
"Co-pilot has been neutralised. Liam, set course for HIP 73321." commanded Rita.
"Yes, ma'am. Pilot is also neutralised. Setting course. You know, we could have gotten away much sooner if we just shot them to begin with. In fact Cameron could have busted up their canopy and all we would have needed to do is get a rail slug in their suits, leaving them to gasp on the Void. We would had enough O2 in our Remloks to make it to the destination." said Liam.
"The Big Boss has instructed us to keep them alive if at all possible." said Rita. "It's ridiculous and sentimental but we are just subcontractors, the people who are really paying us want to minimise causalities. Apparently they are on the same side anyway."
"Huh. This sector is no place for softies. Whatever they have planned, I wish them all the best as they'll need it, assuming those plans don't involve actions against us or the Camorra, of course." said Liam. "Preparing to jump."
Five minutes later, the T6 arrived at Birkhoff Ring, and its docking computer began to guide it into the station. Just before it made its final approach, a small item which looked like an escape pod with a hatch breaker limpet grafted on to it detached from the ship. Shortly after, a orange and black Cobra launched a collector limpet which latched onto this strange item, and guided it though the Cobra's cargo scoop and into the cargo bay. Immediately after scooping the pod up, the Cobra turned away and engaged its frame shift drive, and soon the only sign of the three Camorra members was the Toqui's high wake signature, which went unnoticed amid the dozens of similar wake signatures of ships departing the system.
11:35 - Birkhoff Ring, Hanger 41
"No sign of the attackers here either?" Milah asked, looking puzzled as her security staff did a sweep of the newly arrived T6.
"Negative, Ma'am. It's like the other one, they seem to have boarded, incapacitated the crew, set course for here, engaged the docking computer, and then left the ship before it entered the station." said the security guard.
"How are the crew, anyway?" asked Milah.
"Pretty much like with the other ship. We found them bound but otherwise unhurt. Although one thing, their Remloks indicate that they were on emergency oxygen for about one minute. The same is true of the crew of the first ship." the guard replied.
"Well there is a big hole in the front bulkhead, like with the other Lakon that arrived." Milah pointed out. "My guess is that our spacejackers attached their vessel to there, like a limpet, breached the hull and then detached on arrival here. A very old fashioned but effective way of boarding. No sign of any Remlok beacons or escape pods?"
"No, Ma'am." replied the guard.
"These people are professionals, and they obviously didn't want us to know who they are. But at present the main thing is that the Blue Vision personnel are alive and safe. I shall notify Nate Farron, and we can begin thawing them out. Keep me posted of any further strange arrivals." said Milah.
"Yes Ma'am." said the guard.
12:30 - Moon Dock, the Low Temperature Diamond Moon bar
"So, are you with me?" announced Morgan, addressing a hundreds-strong crowd of miners, friendly security, and civilians who had had enough of Martin and Yates' mismanagement.
"YES!" they all shouted in unison.
"Can't hear you!" shouted Morgan. "I said... are you with me?"
"YES!!!" they all shouted, much louder this time.
"Good. I think it's high time we squished this Thargoid! Seth, is the transmission ready?"
"Ready to transmit on your signal, Captain." I said.
"Let's do this. Transmit." said Morgan.
I pushed the button on the data slate, and in that moment a pre-recorded message by Morgan was broadcast on the base's radio network and PA system.
"Attention, citizens of Moon Dock!" boomed Morgan over the PA. "This is your one and only Captain Morgan speaking. Are you all tired of being pushed about by that oafish thug Yates? Does having your grievances ignored by that blundering idiot Martin really grind your gears? Are you sick of the Partnership telling you about the ever present threat the Camorra bring even though larger pirate groups account for 90 percent of all crime in this system? Does it anger you that in spite of this system's riches, our facilities are woefully maintained and are putting your lives at risk? Well you are not alone, and I say: enough is enough! I say we march to the Partnership's offices and DEMAND that Martin and Yates resign their positions, and leave HIP 71938 forever. Stand up for your system, join us and rise up as one!"
The bar erupted with cheers.
"How do you think I did, Seth?" asked Morgan.
"Not bad at all. Morgan. But we now certainly have Yates' attention. So let's get out there and get ready to deal with the reprisals. At least we won't have go skulking around any more." I said.
"Citizens - we now march!" cried Morgan.
Inside the offices of the Social Partnership of HIP 71931, Heenan, Martin and Yates watched the events unfold in horror.
"What are you morons doing? Put those rebels down! I want that Morgan dead, along with his sidekick Bradwell! 20,000 credits for each of their corpses presented to me!" ranted Yates, who was in a cold sweat. "What do you mean all your staff have defected? They are traitors - execute them! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE JOINING THEM?!? I will deal with you myself!" He closed off comms. "I am surrounded by imbeciles and traitors! Mr. Martin, we need to send in aerial bombardment. Scorched earth is the best way to deal with these kind of people. I should have had Morgan executed long ago!"
"So much for you getting this colony under control, Mr Heenan." said Martin. He then turned to Yates. "This is all your fault, of course. You could have tempered that iron fist with a velvet glove, but no, you had run all roughshod and try and stamp your authority over everyone, letting their resent seethe and seethe, now just look out there - there's a mob out for all of us!"
"It not my fault if my men are disloyal! I told you I needed more reliable people in my security! I told you these people couldn't be trusted. See how they erupted with glee when that simpering rat Briggs managed to take over."
"Squad 6 to Yates. It's no good, there are too many of them. Falling back to base." announced an officer over comms.
"No! Engage them to the last man!" screamed Yates.
"Negative, Sir. We are out of ammo, and outnumbered 10 to 1." said the officer.
Yates' head fell into his hands.
"There is only one course of action left to us." announced Heenan. "We need to escape, and get back to headquarters where we can call for some real muscle to deal with this rebellious colony. In ten minutes the mob will be at the front doors, and none of you want to face them, not even you, Yates. Don't worry, you will have your revenge on these traitors soon enough."
"How do you plan on doing that? The mob stands between us and the hanger!" shouted Yates hysterically.
"There are other ways to the hanger." said Martin. "The security building is linked to the System Authority Vessel hangers, and from there we can go around to the main hangers, where Mr. Heenan's vessel is parked."
"So what are you all waiting for?!? Let's get moving!" shouted Yates.
"Mr. Yates is right." said Heenan. "We have to unfortunately withdraw. But don't worry, these people will be dealt with. Now, let's go."
"Yates - OUT! Martin - OUT! Heenan - OUT!" came the chants as the rebels approached the main admin building of the Partnership.
"No sign of them yet." I said.
"Probably gone on the run." Morgan. "Haden, how do you fancy being acting head of security whilst this blows over?"
"It would be my honour." replied Haden.
"I suggest your first job is to calm everything down and make sure this doesn't turn into a full - blown riot. Then your staff can go search for those three."
It is then I noticed Hennan's Dolphin take off from the pad. "Look!" I cried.
The crowed cheered.
"Well, well, well. Cowards to the end. Wouldn't even stay to face our demands." said Morgan. "Okay, everyone," he announced to the crowd, "we have achieved what we set out to do. Yates and that slimy eel Martin are gone, and so is the one behind the pair of them, Allan Heenan. Now the next thing to do is to keep the colony safe. There is a power struggle in the Partnership at present, a power struggle that I hope will conclude in our favour. It is my hope that we get a more competent and honest manager of the base, and that Marlon Briggs returns to be head of security on a permanent basis, and that this leads to a widespread improvement in living standards for everyone here. Now my friend George Haden is now going to be running security on a temporary basis until he gets word back from '931. In addition, Blue Vision are on their way back to the colony as I speak, and will be assisting in securing the colony."
The crowd cheered one last time before dispersing. Security guards reported back to the security office to await new instructions, and a feeling of calm descended on Moon Dock.
"Time to not be here, Morgan. We have another job to do, and we need to check in with Nate and Marlon." I said, as we made our way towards the now fully accessible airlock and back towards our SRVs.
One hour later a T6 fitted with passenger cabins full of the colony's Blue Vision personnel docked at the base to make a glorious return, greeted in person by a now free Ellen Douglas. However unseen to them were two SRVs making their way from the base towards a pair of Pythons, which quietly lifted off and then high waked. Other than the absence of the oppressive atmosphere that had marked the final weeks of the previous regime, there was no sign of there being any unrest, although the commodities market remained closed and the docks were still being run by a skeleton staff. Indeed in the weeks to come this event would come to be known as "The Phoney Rebellion", however many of the inhabitants of Moon Dock preferred to call it "Morgan's Revolt", although Morgan himself declined to take the credit for what happened.