Resurgence (Redleg In Space Book 2) Read online

  “You have risked your life twice to help someone else since I met you, and you make jokes about it. That is not nothing. It is everything. You saved me, and now I want to repay the debt by becoming a member of the crew. I want to be your engineer.”

  He stopped dead in his tracks.

  “Absolutely not. I saved you because it was the right thing to do, not so I could have some kind of slave. When this is all over, you will be free to go back to your normal life.”

  She let out a hiss, prompting him to explain more.

  “Look, you are coming down from a combat high. It sounds like you just killed a bunch of people, and in all the excitement your dopamine levels are probably through the roof. Sleep on it, and we can discuss it later.”

  “Do not just dismiss me,” she started. “I need to make amends for what happened to my brother. I can do that by staying with the crew and continuing to help the people we run across. The only reason he was here was because of me.”

  “What are you talking about? Sam said he was working security for one of the corps.”

  “He was only here looking out for me, his little sister. Female Baast don’t go out and get jobs, especially a masculine job like a mechanic. Most don’t even leave the house, but I am different. I loved watching my father and brother build things. I learned quickly, and I decided to strike out on my own to make a name for myself. My brother didn’t want me to be by myself…” she trailed off, her emotions had surfaced, and it took her a minute to get them under control before she finished. “He’s dead because he was protecting his rebellious little sister—me. He is dead because of me.”

  It took Zade a minute to process everything she had said. If she was being honest, she not only wanted to repay him for saving her but also wanted to try to make her brother’s sacrifice mean something. He could understand the desire to make sure his death was not in vain, but what she was leaving everything she knew behind to fly with someone she had just met. He was flying around out of necessity; the choice had been taken from him when he was pulled aboard the XES01.

  He felt for the woman and found himself apologizing.

  “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be flippant. I don’t understand the Baast honor system, but what you are proposing is extreme. You will be flying away from everything you have ever known with two strangers, with no promise of ever coming back. I don’t want to force anyone into that situation.”

  “You have made it clear several times that you are not trying to force anything upon me. That is one of the reasons I want to stay. As for not knowing you guys yet, I’ve worked with far worse, even if they did smell better,” she finished with a grin.

  Her statement was so straightforward, and joking was so out of character for her from what he’d seen so far, it took him a second to realize what had just happened. Once he did, he broke out into a stitch inducing, breath-stealing laughter.

  “I think you will fit in just fine. Welcome aboard,” he said, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Ann, meet our new engineer. Can you show her around and get her set up?”

  “I can find her a place to store her equipment, but without an engineering helmet, she won’t be able to help with much.”

  “Right, so she’s just on a ride-along until we have enough energy? What kind of advantage do we gain by having an engineer aboard?”

  “First, between our combined efforts on the planet, we have enough energy to outfit a few new crew members. Second, engineers in general build, optimize, and repair mechanical systems. If she is to follow the one-space, one-ground rule you have instituted, we can include the flight engineer and general ground engineer packages in her gear.”

  “Right then,” he started, as he cleared the rifle he was carrying. It was one of two he had brought back from the XES01. “Before I spend a significant amount of resources getting you equipped, make this better. I designed it and built it before I came aboard this ship. Let’s see if you have something for me by the time we leave the system.”

  She caught both the weapon and the magazine before looking at him questioningly.

  “I’ve never worked weapons before. I don’t even know how this works,” she stammered, seemingly intrigued yet nervous.

  “A good engineer, who wants access to ancient technology once thought lost to time, should be able to figure it out.”

  Chapter 10

  The days in orbit went by without incident. Sam took her time recovering, waking after two days. She was, understandably, disoriented when she woke but was calmed by the sight of her quarters. The last thing she remembered was the beating she had received after she threatened the men.

  After grabbing a shower, she searched out Zade, finding him at his workstation by the forge. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t even notice her enter behind him. Either the ship or his station’s AI must have alerted him to her presence because he greeted her as she neared without looking up.

  “It’s nice to see you up. How are you feeling?” he asked as he set his work aside.

  “I’m surprisingly good, all things considered. I can’t believe they tried to strong-arm us. Thanks for the rescue.”

  “It was nothing. Nobody fucks with my crew and gets away with it. Plus, I like having the company. You’re easy on the eyes and whatnot.”

  “What’s the game plan now?” she said, ignoring his last comment, even though she felt herself blushing.

  “I haven’t thought it through. We were waiting in orbit in case I had to go back down and get medical equipment for you.”

  “Any update on the pirates?”

  “Nothing. Everything seems quiet since we broke into orbit. I’m tempted to just leave this system in the rearview. These two shitbag groups deserve each other.”

  He had been actively trying to keep his mind off of what should be done since he brought Sam back to the ship. His goal was to make his way back into the contested zone to find Earth. The people of the system wrote their story and he didn’t have to have a part in it.

  “You don’t really mean that,” Samix said gently, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Sure, both groups are assholes, but they are hurting innocent people. I know you can’t stand for that. So, captain, what are we going to do.”

  “Well, we have an innocent population caught between two groups who regularly abuse them. The easy answer is to side with one over the other. I would never help out the pirates, especially if they are capturing the miners to be sold. I reviewed the information you got from Roy’s office and it seems that most of the miners have already paid off their debt to the companies for travel to the system. Brax and the others are just inflating the prices of everything to make sure the miners can never afford a ticket back home. It’s a classic company-town situation, and I can’t support that either.”

  “There has to be another option,” she said, noticing there were no other seats in the room and plopping down in his lap.

  The two sat in companionable silence, mulling over the situation in the system. As much as he agreed with Sam about helping out, he just couldn’t see a way to solve the problem that she would support. Even though she acted like a hardened soldier sometimes, he knew she didn’t have the stomach for the excessive violence the situation demanded. Seeing no other option, he just let his solution fly.

  “Well, we could kill off both groups and let the miners run the show.”

  The suggestion momentarily caught Sam off guard, but she recovered quickly, her diplomatic training showing through once again. She thought about the option for a second before finally speaking up. He knew she would never go for something so large scale.

  “I’m ok with doing away with the pirates, but we can’t do that to the people who work for the companies. It may seem harsh, but large corporations are an essential part of society out here. I say we take on the pirates then figure out our next move from their station.”

  There was a knock at the door that temporarily halted their conversation. Mara had completed her modificat
ions on his rifle and was ready for him to approve her full inclusion on the crew. When she walked in and saw Sam sitting on his lap, she blushed under the thin coat on her face.

  “Am I interrupting? Should I come back?”

  “Not at all and no,” he said as Sam stood.

  “I have your rifle done, but I want to test fire it before I give it to you. Without proper supplies, I had to just use stuff I found in the crates in the cargo bay.”

  “I don’t think we should test fire on the ship,” he started. “Ann can you find us a place, away from the companies, on the planet where we could do this?”

  “We can land on the far side of the planet. The temperature is a little high for comfort but Mara will survive.”

  “Only thinking of her. What about me? Don’t you love me?” he joked.

  “You will be in full armor, which is temperature-controlled. You would be able to survive anywhere in this system short of the faces of the stars. Mara, on the other hand, has not earned her helmet yet.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” he said, disappointed by the lack response from Ann. “Sam, you ready to get back in the saddle and take us to the surface?”

  She gave him a thumbs-up as she left the forge room and headed towards her station on the bridge. He and Mara followed her out of the forge room but headed towards the cargo bay instead of the bridge. On the way, Mara explained everything she had done to the rifle. She had given it a mechanical feed, tripled the number of capacitors, and gave it a power adjustment. She was hoping it would increase the fire rate and make it safer to use inside of spacecraft.

  “That would be awesome if it works. Where did you end up working? I didn’t see you in the other workshop.”

  “I remember you talking about getting medical equipment, so I wanted to leave that other space as a med bay. I’m an engineer. I’m perfectly comfortable working in the engine room.”

  “Isn’t that hot and loud? Cats on our planet detest loud noises.”

  “First, I am more than just a common animal. I know how to use hearing protection, and that room is a perfectly comfortable temperature,” her chided, her tone signaling that he had hit a nerve again.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I keep sticking my foot in my mouth. When I was on Sam’s ship, I had to work with two other species. One was named Jorloss and the other was called Axis. I should be better at this by now.”

  “Samix told me that your species didn’t even know other species existed. I need to remember just how alien this whole situation is for you. As long as you are trying to get better, I will try not to get angry.”

  “Thanks,” he said, feeling a genuine sense of gratitude. “What made you want to become an engineer?”

  “I’ve always just understood machines and ships. I’ve always wanted to travel the stars, so I got my certification in hopes of getting on a crew. What’s your story?”

  He delved into the story about his time fighting back on Earth, his degree, and his trip to the stars. Just as he was about to finish, the ship began vibrating, signifying that they had entered the planet’s atmosphere. The thud of the landing gear was followed by the hiss of the cargo bay floor lowering.

  He headed downrange to set out a small empty crate as a target. After he got out of the way, Mara set the improved rifle on ship mode and fired a few bursts at the crate. He was happy to see nothing more than deep dents in the box. She assured him that the rounds would be enough to tear through flesh and from what he had seen, there would be no threat of them piercing the hull of the ship.

  He got back beside her just as she was about to show off the improved firing rate. She switched the rifle back to normal and held the trigger back. His jaw hit the floor when he saw the crate all but disappear.

  “I originally wanted to triple the firing rate,” she said, smiling at his reaction to her finished product. “I did that by increasing the number of capacitors. The models showed that the weapon wouldn’t feed fast enough with gravity alone, so I made the auto-feed.”

  “Great work,” he said as he grabbed the scrapped crate for the ship recycler.

  They re-boarded the ship, and Samix immediately broke for orbit. He stowed his improved weapon in the armory and headed for the forge with Mara in tow. She had been quiet, but he could see she was almost vibrating with excitement.

  “Are you sure you still want to do this? When you get your helmet, you’re with us until the end.”

  “Absolutely,” she confirmed.

  He began working through the menus on the forge. Finding the flight engineer helmet was easy, but the different add-on programs and corresponding equipment was more difficult.

  “I am making you a flight engineer’s helmet, but I want to add an engineering element that can help us outside the ship. Do you think a general ground combat engineer or weapons specialty would fit you better?”

  “I don’t mind working on weapons specifically, but I think something general would be best with our limited crew.”

  The general ground combat had a corresponding workbench that could be used to improve weapons, equipment, and armor. It was similar to his forge workbench but focused on design and materials that didn’t revolve around using Rua. He selected what he wanted to make and then filled her in on what she would have to do once it was ready.

  “After you move your workbench into the engine room, you will need to wear the helmet while you sleep. It will teach you what you need to know about being a Groz flight engineer. Once I make you an official member of the crew, Ann will send you any engineering documents we have in the archives,” he finished and hit the confirm button on the forge.

  In no time, he watched the ship’s energy reserves drop and a new helmet appear. It was unlike his or Sam’s. The engineer helmet was black with a solid green front plate. He handed it to Mara and waited for her bench to be made. It didn’t take long for her to get it moved into the engine room and retire to her quarters to pair with the equipment. Ann informed him that Mara would now show up in his manifests as a full member of the crew, and he would be able to see vitals and other information on her if he needed to.

  He thought about finishing his work on the directional grenades he had been working on before Samix woke, but decided to turn in for some rest instead. As much as he loved the information he had been learning from his helmet and the Groz predecessors who had worn it, the idea that his mind was integrating with the device had caused him to sleep without it for the past few days.

  During the years he spent at the Military Academy and later in the army, he had forged his will and developed a rigorous sense of discipline. With just one mission, the helmet had motivated him to commit acts that would have been unquestioned war crimes back on Earth. He had to find a way to grow from the knowledge that the Groz offered from across the millennia without succumbing to the character trait that led to their eventual demise. Until he could do both, he wasn’t going to take the chance of the helmet corrupting his personality and morals.

  Upon waking he showered and headed to the galley for a relaxing breakfast. Samix had moved the ship back into the depths of the asteroid field and it was the first time since departing the XES01 that he felt like he could just relax. The ship was fully stocked with supplies, and he was still trying to figure out what to do about the pirates before heading out of the system. As he sat and contemplated the problem, Sam came and joined him with her usual breakfast of sloop and some alien pastry.

  “Morning. Anything interesting happen while I was down?” he asked.

  “Nothing outside the ship, but what did you do to Mara? She is running around like a madwoman,” she said around a mouthful of food.

  “She just got her new engineering gear. I wouldn’t have expected her to be paired yet. I haven’t seen her since I woke up.”

  “Probably because she’s squeezed into the bowls of the ship staring at bundles of wires. Yesterday I saw her just staring at a bulkhead, mumbling to herself ‘now I understand,’ over and over.”<
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  “Ann, where is Mara now?” he asked the ship.

  “Crewmember Mara is currently working in the engine room. I request that you do not bother her at the moment.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Since she has had access to the workings of the ship, she has made nominal improvements to the power distribution system and life support. I believe she is working on an improvement to the shields as we speak.”

  “Couple of follow-ups. How is it that a brand-new engineer is making improvements to you, our ship, which is also a super-advanced AI? And, why should nominal improvements not to be interrupted?”

  “You are correct in your assessment that I am probably the most advanced AI in existence, but that doesn’t mean that I have a keen grasp on creativity. I can run simulations and make changes based on statistical data, but I cannot simply create a solution without empirical data suggesting success. Mara can. As for your second question. Mara has been a Groz engineer for less than twelve ship hours and is already making improvements. These early victories will build confidence and understanding, leading to better optimization later on.”

  As usual, he couldn’t fault her logic and instead decided to drop the subject. If Mara was indeed helping to improve the ship, even by the smallest amount, he wouldn’t interrupt her work. With nothing else to do while they remained hidden in the belt, he retired to the forge room to continue working at his craft. Sam headed back to the bridge to keep an eye out for trouble, and he knew she would give him the heads up if anything changed.

  While he was working one day, the had Ann sweep the records she had to see if there was any information about how the Rua had acted on the carrier. Occasionally, he could feel pinpricks on his skin that tiptoed the border line between adrenaline and pain. Ann couldn’t find anything, and scanned him again to compare his physiology before and after the incident. While there were differences, she couldn’t pin point exactly what had changed without more data. Frustrated by the news, he put the incident on the back burner and focused on learning and planning for what was to come.