The Reaper Diaries: Supernova, Part 1
31 Dec 2015Michael Wolfe
Well, I must be moving up in the ‘verse. For once, I’m the one giving the job. I had accepted the contract from Lysenko Laboratories almost without reading the details. All I had seen was the payout at the bottom of the contract: five goddamn million for the retrieval and salvage of an armored cargo transport that had suffered catastrophic systems failure and was adrift in space. The company rep, a diminutive little man with slicked-back blond hair and a tight, unsmiling face, had made it clear that highly classified corporate secrets and equipment was on board the ship, and that all other priorities were secondary to discretion.
He didn’t even trust a standard encrypted transmission of the data. To complete the job, I had to download the ship’s logs onto a special disk, and then physically remove the data core for transport back to corporate headquarters. This was on top of physically loading the cargo into my ship, and flying it back home, as well.
Of course, I hadn’t missed the part about the ship in question being an Anaconda- but with that much money on the line, the best policy was to smile and promise the moon now, and figure out the details later. There was no goddamn way that the Hand of Blue was going to cut it, not with a measly eight tons of cargo space. The biggest ship I had for hauling was my Asp, but if we were talking about an Anaconda that had been fitted for cargo, well- even that wasn’t going to be enough. There was no way around it- I was going to have to subcontract for this one. But who?
My first choice, of course, was Kyndi. Any excuse to see her was one that I usually seized, but this wasn’t her kind of work, even with the amazing payday. She specialized in small, highly profitable loads- deals that could be wrapped up quickly, with no messy corporate paperwork involved. So Kyndi was out. Who else? Cassius Fox was a pilot, but he alternated between driving a desk and an Imperial Eagle- neither of which would work for the job, even if he had the time to play scavenger. And Rax? Well, he was still missing, and wasn’t the type to go out on jobs himself anyway. So that left- well, no one. I had to put out a bulletin for a partner.
There was no shortage of applicants, but I was able to weed through most of them right away. First, you had to be willing to meet me face-to-face for an interview, which immediately eliminated a good ninety percent of the applicants. Next, you had to have a ship that was up for the job. That sent a bevy of Adder and Hauler pilots packing. Third, you had to be rated in combat as well as trading. Why?
I had been around the block enough to know that the higher the payout, the less likely the job would go according to plan. Fortunately, there are a lot of problems in the ‘verse that can be neatly solved with enough firepower. Thus, the ideal candidate would have a ship with legs, space, and teeth. After carefully reading through commander bios, I narrowed my choice down to three finalists. I took a deep breath and prepared for my first interviews.
I almost hired the first candidate on the spot. He was an older man, with a grizzled, leathery face. He had long, salt-and pepper hair tied back in a pony tail, and flew his own Python. From the way he spoke, he had been in the game for far longer than I had, and most of the interview was us swapping piloting stories. The only sticking point was that he was insisting on a share of the reward even larger than mine, rather than the 60- 40 split I had specified in my bulletin. So I held off on making a decision. I finished my drink, shook the man’s hand, and promised that I’d get back to him.
The second candidate was also promising. Younger guy, recently discharged from the military, had spent five years flying Condors for the Federation. Now, I try my best to not hold a man’s past against him, but I could tell that there might be trouble if this kid and I worked together. It wasn’t just that I was ex Imperial navy myself- it was that he brought with him the fighter jock attitude that I despised. Cocky, patronising, acting like the entire world owes them a blow job- I hated it then, and I hate it now. Though he was doing his best to play it down, I could tell that there was plenty of left-over flyboy attitude in the man’s eyes- like an ex- jock who was still trying to coast off of how popular he was in high school.
The last candidate seemed a little more ho-hum, but on paper, he had all the right stuff. Asp that could rigged up for anything the mission called for, recently promoted to master combat ranking by the Pilot’s Fed, and some experience hauling and trading. The only problem was that he wanted to meet at a restaurant instead of a bar. I shrugged, getting up.
What’s the harm? I’m hungry anyway.
We agreed to meet at a little sushi place- the kind that’s good, but doesn’t waste your time by pretending to be from Old-Earth Japan. I sat down in a corner table for two, back to the wall. It was a habit most commanders pick up after being out in the ‘verse for so long, since no one can sneak up on you. I was browsing the menu, when I heard someone clearing her throat by my table. I lowered the menu, and a young woman was standing before me. She was short, with piercing blue eyes and brilliant blue hair. On her face was an expectant look, with her eyebrows raised.
I nodded and set down the menu. “I’d like the hot chai tea, with some egg rolls as an appetizer. No food just yet, I’m expecting someone.”
Instead of grabbing my order, the young woman just cocked her head to the side and stared.
“Very funny, Mister ‘M. Lehman’. Nice to know you’ve been digging through my history.”
Wait, what?
I looked down at my holopad, and then up to her. “You mean, you’re-“
She smiled, somewhat sarcastically. “N. Cassidy- former waitress, current freelance pilot. Call me Nova.” She stuck out her hand.
As we were shaking, I shook my head. “Apologies, miss, it’s just that I was expecting-“
Her eyebrows raised as she sat down. “A man?”
I exhaled and held up my hands. “Yeah.”
She shook her head and smirked. “Most men do.”
Awkwardly, we both pretended to look at the menu. Eventually, I looked up at her.
“So, your profile says that you’re rated a merchant with trading, and a scout for exploring. You know what kind of job this is?”
Nova nodded. “Retrieve cargo from a ghost ship, bring it home, and get paid.”
I chuckled. “That’s the essence of it, yes. You ever done anything like this?”
For a moment, Nova just stared back at me, biting her lip slightly. “I’ve done lots of hauling, and a few fetch jobs for the odd missing cargo container or two.”
“So, no?”
She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Never cleaned out a whole cargo bay before.”
I shrugged. “Well, it’s not too bad. Just lots of grunt work, since we have to suit up and hand-load whatever the limpets can’t get. All we have to do is be careful, and everything will go smooth.”
Well, that’s the first lie I’ve probably told so far.
Her eyes flashed and she leaned forward. “And after everything is delivered, my share is two mil?”
Smiling, I raised my glass to her. “That it is, darlin’. A two with six zeros following it.”
She lowered her head a little, and looked up at me through her eyelashes. “And we’re taking separate ships on this one?”
I nodded. “We’re both flying an Asp Explorer, and they’ll probably have full holds when all is said and done. Why do you ask?”
Nova’s lips curled up into a smile. “No reason. I've just had men insist that I co-pilot their ship- and then spring it on me that they only have one bunk!"
Chuckling, I turned off the holopad. “Look... you’re cute and all, Nova- but on jobs like these, distractions ain’t a good idea. Besides, the pilot and copilot are on separate top and bottom decks in an Asp anyway.”
Her smile grew just a little more. “Well, I wouldn't be particular. I’m happy with being on top or bottom.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Flying an Asp?”
She giggled. “Of course. What did you think I meant?”
The real waitress walked up and took our food order. Nova was either very hungry, or she was trying to impress me, since she ordered a pretty fair amount of sushi. Almost immediately, our hot tea showed up, along with two tiny cups for it. I poured the tea into both cups and help mine up to her.
“So, what makes a young woman like you want to go on a nasty ol’ fetch job like this? Didn’t they warn you about partnering up with strange men in Pilot’s Fed academy?”
She smiled and took a sip. “Well, it’s hard to beat the money.”
“And?”
Nova's smile became just a trace flirty. “And you seem like a guy I can work with.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m flattered, darlin’. What’s the real reason?”
She looked down at her tea, swirling it a little in her cup. “I, uh... I can also apply for an apprentice salvage licence after this.”
I smiled knowingly and nodded. “That’s more like it.”
Nova looked up, an uneasy look in her eye. "You're not upset?"
For a moment, we just stared at each other. Then, I continued. “I appreciate the honesty. But let’s get one thing straight. When I do a job with a woman, we're partnered up, not shacked up. I ain’t the type to expect" - How do I put this?- "'favors', and I promise that you’ll always be safe around me-“
Nova raised her glass. “Appreciate that.”
“- and in return, I only ask for one thing.”
Her eyebrows raised. “Which is?”
I took a sip, finishing the tea. “Just be real with me. I ain’t some table that’ll pad the tip if you smile and wiggle your rear as you walk away. Deep space salvage is serious business, and we’ve got to be able to trust each other when we’re out there.”
Nova’s eyes flashed. “’When we’re out there’… does that mean I have the job?”
I shrugged and gestured at the table. “Well, we’re already waiting on dinner, so it would be a mighty awkward time if you didn’t.”
This time, she picked up the teapot and refilled our cups. We held up our porcelain vessels and delicately clinked them together.
“Partners?” I asked.
She smiled and drank her tea in a single gulp.
“Partners.”
I ran my hands along the underside of my Asp. I seldom flew her these days, not since I decided long ago that bounty hunting was more my style than hauling or exploring. Still- she was nice to keep around, and times like this I was glad to have her. My wrist comm chimed. It was Nova.
<Ready to go>
I smiled as I typed my reply. Damn, she didn’t mess around.
<Almost in ship. I’ll be launching in five>
As I settled back into the Asp’s bridge, I was struck by the chance I was taking with Nova. She’s young, eager, and has a little bit of stick time, but hadn’t ever really done anything like this.
I shook my head. Let’s hope those pretty brown eyes didn’t cloud your judgment.
Flying away from the station, I joined Nova in close formation. Looking out the window, I saw her give a saluty-wave. Chuckling, I returned it.
Actually, that was one brown eye and one red eye. I guess she can’t afford the no-trace, natural-looking implants just yet. Well, we've all got to start somewhere.
We linked our nav systems together, and our frameshift drives started spooling up. Over the comm, I could hear Nova.
“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit….”
I keyed it in.
“This your first dance letting someone else lead?”
I heard her swallow, and unsteadily answer.
“Yeah. It’s just a little weird having a strange ship take everything over.”
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
I could hear the sarcasm in her voice. “I’ve heard that one before.”
Chuckling, I keyed the comm. The countdown was almost done.
“It’ll be over before you know it.”
“I’ve heard that one, too!”
Jesus, what a mess.
The Anaconda before us was drifting in space, right where Lysenko said it would be. Even without image enhancement and zooming, I could tell something pretty serious had gone down. All over its hull, ruptures and gashes covered the hull like boils on a plague victim. The ship was fighting to stay alive. Fires and leaking atmo was rushing out of some places, even as the ship's damage-control systems fought a losing battle against the inevitable.
At other places, it was just darkness.
Definitely a suit job.
I heard Nova’s voice come through the comm. “Do you… do you think anyone is alive in there?”
Chuckling grimly, I keyed back. “If so, I’m making ‘em buy me a lottery ticket.”
“Oh.”
I maneuvered my ship around close to the main cargo bay. Surprisingly, it looked intact. Good.
“Get a magnetic tether established, and then suit up. Don’t worry, your ship ain’t going anywhere.”
Now, her voice sounded a little apprehensive. “We’re just going to float over to the ship? In space?”
I laughed. “What did you think I meant when I said that we were on a 'suit job'?”
Again, I just got a cursory answer. “Ok.”
All in all, she didn’t do too badly with the spacewalk.
We climbed along the tethers towards the Anaconda’s hull, touching down on the gigantic ship’s plating and activating our mag boots. Once we were “walking”, Nova seemed to calm down quite a bit. We walked up to the cargo bay doors. I held up my wrist computer and dialed in a command.
Nova looked at the sealed door, and then at me. “How do we get in?”
I didn’t answer, just pointed up, where my ship was. Her eyes followed my finger, all the up to my ship, where a hatch-breaker limpet shot out and flew straight down. Ten feet away from us, it started going to work, diamond-laced titanium claws and industrial-strength cutting lasers tearing a hole through the cargo bay doors. Nova pursed her lips and looked back at me.
“Oh.”
After a minute or so, the limpet did its job, and cargo containers started to float out of the ruptured doors. I entered in some more commands, and another drone shot out of my Asp and began collecting the loose containers. Nova and I watched it do its work, and then, when there were no more containers to be retrieved, simply went to standby mode. I turned to Nova.
“That was the easy part. The rest is all us.”
We stood at the edge of the torn-open bay doors, seeing nothing but shadow and darkness. Nova leaned over, peering in.
“Do you know what’s inside?”
I stood next to her, looking in at the blackness. Hmm. No power. Not even auxiliary. I laid my hand on her shoulder and gestured towards the hole.
“A payday, darlin’. A payday is what’s inside.”
