"Shattered Bones" The Ballard of Black Rose: Part 3
01 Nov 2016Stryker Aune
Deep Space
Part 2
Personal Log: I had just successfully interdicted the target and now I have to break in. I have created a plan; a way to divert the captain in order to avoid a firefight if at all possible. I just hope that my programming is up to snuff.
Stryker stood there, the airlock had opened and he was looking out into the vast endless abyss that was space. With nothing to orientate himself, his stomach churned. He quickly focused on the T7 which was listing slightly in space, but that didn’t help his uneasy feeling. Lifting his arm, he pressed a command on the holographic display on his forearm. Though he couldn’t hear it, he saw a limpet fire away, dart in a loop then attach itself to the rear entry port. It was awaiting his command. Stryker had programmed the thing to knock at the door with irregular intervals to simulate someone trying to break in.
The large man finally pushed himself off the Cobra. His stomach gave a lurch as he used his suit’s jets to propel himself through the void. He never liked doing this, there were always too many small adjustments to make. As the large T7 drew closer, he maneuvered underneath and lined himself up with the cargo hatch. Unfortunately, he bumped into it and started to spin wildly. Clambering for anything to grab a hold of, he managed to hook a small outcropping by his fingertips and steadied himself.
Stryker took a moment to catch his breath before he spun himself around to get a better hold of the ship’s underside. He started searching around the edges of the cargo hatch. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out a tool and pried open a metal panel. Inside was a cylinder-like object. Pulling it partially out, Stryker Swapped his tools and opened the side of the cylinder, exposing its circuity. He worked quickly to shut down the hatch’s power relay. There was a spark and the cargo scoop unlocked allowing the big man to forced it open before crawling inside.
Once he was fully inside, he turned, grabbed the inside of the hatch, and heaved. The hydraulics were stiff and it took a great amount of exertion and strength on his part to pull it closed. Once that was done, he turned and looked for another panel. Luckily, it was close. Stryker opened it and got to work on the exposed wiring. Eventually, he magnetic seals engaged and the sound of atmosphere grew louder as it filled the compartment.
He was in.
His heart pounded as the inner door opened. Above him he could see the large magnetic clamp used to grab cargo and stack it in the now-empty racks. Quietly pulling himself along the rows, Stryker could hear the limpet doing its job; the subtle drumming of it attempting to break down a door. He ran to the cargo bay door and pried open yet another panel, exposing its circuits. The large engineer repeated the same steps as with the previous hatches and shorted the magnetic seal.
He quietly pulled the large metal door up and standing there with his back to Stryker was Hacksaw. The short pudgy man had his arms outstretched holding a firearm and pointing it at the rear access door the limpet was pounding away at.
Good…. Stryker thought, ….it worked.
He walked quietly up behind the man. In a quick movement, the bodybuilder hooked an arm under Hacksaw’s armpit and pulled him into a headlock. Stryker’s other hand grabbed the wrist, and pulled with a quick twisting motion. There was a crack as the bone broke Hacksaw screamed as the gun hit the metallic floor
Stryker kicked the weapon away. “Where are the gems?” he asked in a low menacing growl.
“I…I don’t know…..” Hacksaw didn’t have a chance to finish. Stryker applied brute leverage to the arm he held, twisting that. There was another crack as the shoulder joint was pulled from its socket, followed by a scream.
Stryker continued quietly, though his heart was racing in his chest. “I suggest you tell me now, before I rip it from your body.”
Hacksaw whimpered, and pointed to a seemingly innocuous and nondescript wall.
“After you.” Stryker ordered, pushing the man roughly.
Hacksaw grunted, and with a shaky hand removed the façade. Behind it was an equally nondescript metallic briefcase.
"Open it.” Stryker ordered again.
Hacksaw did as he was told. The case had a foam interior, and a place setting for 5 gems, except only 4 were present.
“Let me guess….” Stryker started, “You kept the fifth for yourself and was going to claim that it was stolen from you?
“I….I….I was...” He stammered, “Ooph!” Stryker kicked him hard in the stomach. The man retched.
“If I have to ask for it, I will break your neck….”
“Here!” Hacksaw pulled out the crystal blue gem from a pocket inside his vest and handed it to Stryker.
"Good man.” He kicked the short, pudgy man again. Hacksaw curled up into a ball from the pain.
Stryker called up and touched a display on his forearm. The drumming sound of the limpet ceased. A few moments later, there was the sound of shattering glass followed by the rapid decompression of air. The limpet had attached to the canopy and detonated causing the whole ship to shake.
“Well, that’s my cue to leave….” Stryker said turning towards the cockpit.
He saw Hacksaw unball and start to grope for the fallen firearm. Stryker shrugged, pulled out an explosive charge from his belt and gave it a toss. It connected with the floor. The thing had a timer rapidly counting down, and two buttons. One red, the other blue.
“I think you best work on disarming that instead of wasting time groping for the gun to extract your revenge. The code is Red Red Blue Blue Red Red….Or was it Red Blue Blue Blue Red Red….I forget.” He turned and pulled himself along the bulkhead.
When the large man finally arrived at the cockpit, he pushed himself out through the gaping hole and maneuvered himself back to the Swamp Donkey.
Once inside his own ship, Stryker pulled away from the T7. A part of him wanted Hacksaw to live, and provided him means to do so. The other part of him felt a sense of power from his actions. Stryker liked it, and that unnerved him. He powered up the ship, and slipped into Super-Cruise.
Many Thanks to Jubei Himura and Marra Morgan for their edits and suggestions.
Part 4
Stryker's Profile and Table of Contents