The Sirius Job, Part 2
16 May 2017User4296
Bruce Prospect, Avik SystemFederation Space
February 3302
Three hours had passed since Takamura and Banjo left the bar, and I had spent much of the time preparing the Pyrrha for her new assignment. The Asian had made only two requests: empty the cargo bay and fit a fuel scoop. The first was easily accomplished as I hadn’t been carrying anything, but the second meant sacrificing the discovery scanner.
No exploration data this trip, I thought.
I had just finished signing off on the invoice for the refit when a cargo truck rolled up, carrying a single container. Takamura hopped off the raised platform on the back of the vehicle where the driver sat and waved at the second approaching vehicle, this one some kind of armored transport. I leaned against one of the cargo ramp’s struts and took in the scene.
The armored transport rolled to a stop, and the Asian exchanged a few words with the driver. The distance and idling engines made it difficult to hear what was said, but the driver nodded, and soon five people had climbed out of the back of the vehicle. Takamura turned and began walking toward me.
He dropped into a bow as he reached the bottom of the ramp. “John-san, once again you have my thanks for taking this job.”
I nodded back at him and straightened. “Well, two million credits is hard to argue with.”
He laughed. “This is true. You have no loyalty to our cause, so we must speak in credits.” He turned and waved at the driver of the cargo truck, which slowly began to roll forward, then turned back to me. “I trust you have agreed to our requests?”
I motioned for him to follow, and walked back up the cargo ramp. “Just as you asked – one empty cargo bay, capable of carrying eight tons. The fuel scoop was just fitted half an hour ago.”
He nodded and ran has gloved hands together. They were the thin leather kind, the ones the drivers of hovercars wore - or hitmen – and black, like his suit. “Good. We will not be needing this much space, but I also wished to eliminate any… distractions.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Are you finally ready to tell me what this is about?”
Takamura had opened his mouth to respond when we were joined by a short, thin man in a pair of blue coveralls. He pushed his black rimmed glasses back up onto his nose before running a hand through his unkempt brown hair. “Where are your cargo controls?” he asked, in a nasally voice.
“My apologies. This is Tucker, our engineer and medical expert,” Takamura offered, sweeping a hand toward the man and bowing again, less deeply this time.
I nodded at the newcomer and pointed at a control console across the bay. “Over there.”
Tucker nodded and headed toward it, taking up a position at the console a few moments later. Outside, the cargo truck had deployed two large crane arms and had lifted the cargo container partially through the opening, allowing the ship’s internal tractor beams to take hold of it and, under Tucker’s practiced guidance, maneuver it safely into one of the empty cargo racks.
Four new people had appeared then – two of them were wearing coveralls similar to Tucker’s, but the other two were armed, carrying bulky laser rifles and clad in full body armor. I turned back toward Takamura. “You planning on invading a small world?” I asked half-jokingly as the two technicians joined Tucker at the cargo container, who had opened the magnetically sealed door. The three of them began unloading equipment while the two soldiers watched.
He laughed. “Not much point in that anymore, I am afraid. It is much easier to destabilize other worlds from the inside, rather than use brute force.”
I responded by cocking my eyebrow at him a second time.
He laughed again. “That was a joke. I fear it was… not very good? In any case, commander, we are ready to depart when you are.”
“I’ll get us spaceborne, I suppose,” I said, turning toward the door.
“Very good. Give us some time to get settled in, and I shall brief you on our mission shortly,” Takamura bowed once again as I left the cargo bay.
***
I sunk back into the Pyrrha’s pilot seat as the ship hurtled up and away from the outpost, which quickly disappeared behind us. The intercom light began blinking on the control panel, and I reached over and keyed the receiver.
“Ah, is this working?” Takamura’s voice echoed into the cockpit.
“Loud and clear,” I said, nodding, though he couldn’t see it. “We’ll be clearing the station’s mass-lock range shortly.”
“Very good!” came the response. “Commander, we will need to set course for the Mitschigua system.”
I pulled up the galaxy map and ran a search before having the computer plot a course. A hundred and forty light years? I thought. That explains the fuel scoop. “Imperial space?” I asked, taking note of the other oddity on the small information panel about the system.
“That is correct, commander. And please, be quick. Come to the cargo bay when we have arrived in-system.” The intercom switched off, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Well, almost.
I looked down. During the conversation, my companion had padded his way into the cockpit, and once again had partially jumped up onto the arm of the pilot seat to see what was going on. I reached over and patted him on the head.
“You ever get the feeling something is a bad idea, pal?” I asked.
He whined softly in reply.