U.S.S. Humanity Read online

  “I need to find the station chief,” Dex admits finally and finishes dressing quickly. Xiao looks at him accusingly.

  “Dex? What have you gotten him wrapped up in?”

  *****

  Before the guards had grabbed his datapad, Alex learned the dock number of the ship that had attempted to kill them during their near-Earth launch. As he makes his way to the dock, he feels anger swell inside and is glad Dex entrusted him with this mission. He has no intention of forsaking that trust. Upset he lost his pad, resolve replaces disappointment. At the dock, he eyes the entry pad. He knows the model and tries the manufacturer’s default code. The door opens. The station’s inhabitants aren’t concerned with security out here. The ship’s lock is another matter. He produces his secondary pad and adds Dex’s data chip. Alex can see the security is too strong, analyzes the console readings and punches in augmentations to the scripts. The door begins to open slowly.

  Alex smiles briefly in victory, then scowls. When the door finishes opening, he will exact his own revenge: hacker-style.

  *****

  The doors slide apart and Beppe enters the cafeteria. It is large compared to the other rooms on the station. There are video screens in every wall displaying a variety of content: sports, nature channels, and news. There’s even a children’s corner with toys and a screen displaying the latest of Earth’s animated programming. A dozen or so men and women sit at the tables, most in white lab coats or coverall technician gear. He approaches the menu board displaying today’s specialties and smiles broadly. It reads Pancetta and Rosemary Pizza. But his exuberance is stifled by experience. He tentatively approaches the counter and a short man soon appears.

  “What can I help you with,” he asks.

  “You have pizza today?”

  Detecting his accent, the short man replies, “Si”. Beppe and the man smile conspiratorially.

  *****

  Beppe is drinking wine, enjoying pizza and chatting with the Italian chef when two men enter the cafeteria. His attention would have been otherwise unbroken, had one of the men not been dressed in the latest fashionable casual Earth wear and had an engaging smirk on his face. His capable looking friend in a flight suit split off, his attention grabbed by a video screen. The smirking man scans the customers, measuring, and then approaches the Italians. “Buon giorno. Anki mio posso prendo un puo vino di rosso?” he asks in perfect Italian.

  The Italians exchange glances and laugh, pouring the smirking man some wine. He taste it and closes his eyes with pleasure. “That was much needed, my friends. You make the wine yourself, no?”

  “Si, right back there,” answers the chef, proudly.

  “I remember a grape I had once in the North of Italy. Near Garda. Amore … macaroni …”

  “Amarone,” corrects Beppe.

  “Yes, that’s it,” the smirking man says. “Ah, it was special …”

  “I have it. Make it. On my ship.”

  The man looks at him with disbelief, but stops, “You would not lie about such a thing, would you? No, I can see you are a good man. A rare man. Your name, please, sir?”

  “Beppe Russo: Engineer, chef, vinologist.”

  Appraising Beppe, the man smiles, eyes reflecting goodwill, “Here is to you, sir. ‘Drink, for you know not whence you came nor why. Drink, for you know not why you go, nor where.’ Salute.”

  “Salute,” they answer, impressed.

  *****

  Xiao wouldn’t let the point drop as she walked with Dex down the hallway. “We’re supposed to be relaxing, Dex. Why would you have Alex do such a thing?”

  “I’m sorry, old habits and such.”

  “Well, if you’re paranoid delusional, I want to know.”

  Dex looks back at her as he walks, “Really? That’s what you think? I expected more analysis and less emotion from a professional.”

  It was her turn to be offended, “So you lash out when hurt?” They arrive at the cafeteria’s closed doorway.

  “No, I …” Dex stops walking. Xiao circles to face him. Dex struggles, “I want everyone safe. Is that so wrong?”

  Xiao is smitten, “Of course not.” She takes a step back and the doors open. “That’s all I want, too.”

  Dex’s eyes go wild and wide as Xiao stares at him uncomprehendingly. He bares his teeth and shoves Xiao to the ground hard, bursting past her and into the cafeteria.

  Pharris turns from the Italians when Dex enters and his smirking face falls into malevolence. Dex jumps up onto the long cafeteria tables, running down their length, leaping again and again. Pharris casts his wine to the floor and grabs a tray as a shield. Dex leaps and their combined weight hurtles them into the silverware cart, which dumps knives, forks and spoons across the floor. Someone screames and the station’s inhabitants scatter.

  Pharris and Dex stand, Pharris deflecting blow after blow using the fiberglass tray. Frustrated, Dex clubs the tray from Pharris’ hands, who, predicting this, is already reaching for a knife on the floor. Dex sees the knife: It is blunt and would barely cut pancakes, but he knows what velocity can do. Now Dex picks up a tray to fend off the knife attacks. He quickly turns Pharris’ attack and catches him with a harsh kick to the sternum. Pharris hits the wall and falls, knife flipping away.

  Dex, in mockery, waits at a distance for his opponent to rise. Pharris stands and they approach each other like jousting knights. Dex attacks with a combination, but Pharris counters, striking Dex’s thigh. Dex bends with the force and catches a fist in the face. Now it is Pharris’ turn to let Dex rise.

  Vlad tries to assist Pharris, but Beppe holds him in check. Xiao can’t figure out what to do, paralyzed with concern for Dex’s safety.

  Dex’s hand searches purposefully behind him and, gripping metal, he stands and attacks. Bone on bone, the sounds of the clash sounds more like muffled stick fighting. Dex jabs, sneaking his armed hand into Pharris’ ribs only to discover that what he holds is a spoon. Pharris smiles and Dex smacks him in the skull with the spoon and it careens away. They range over tables and chairs, reciprocal hatred hardening their resolve. Murder: A shared effect to which they both aspired with equal purity.

  Security enters the room along with Alex and Nadia. “What the hell?” asks Nadia, reaching for her empty holster and frowning.

  “Dex came in the room and attacked that guy,” Beppe explained.

  “It’s Pharris: the guy who tried to kill us,” explains Alex.

  “What?” says Beppe, surprised and turning to look at Alex. Using the opportunity, Vlad breaks Beppe’s hold and produces a concealed weapon. The security officers, who’d been concentrating on the brawlers, turn their attention to Vlad.

  “Dex, gun!” yells Xiao. Dex, momentarily distracted, is knocked to the floor.

  Smiling, Pharris retreats toward Vlad, breathing hard and taking time to dust himself off. “Kill him,” he orders, smiling at Dex. All Vlad has to do is carefully point his gun at Dex and pull the trigger. On the floor, he has nowhere to hide.

  That moment never came. Alex clicks a key on his datapad and braces himself. The entire station shakes knocking most folks to the floor. Red lights and alarms go off everywhere and an automated voice resonates calmly, “Danger. Main engine ignition has been detected at docking bay 3A. Recommend detonation of collar failsafe in 30 seconds to avoid entities mutual destruction.”

  “Pharris, that’s our ship!”

  “I don’t care! Kill him now!” Pharris yells over the alarms, but Vlad, giving Dex one last uncertain glance, is already moving away. Pharris glares at Dex and flees. Both the owners of the ship at docking bay 3A sprint out of the room. Dex rises and approaches Alex, who holds his datapad at his side, affecting innocence.

  “Good boy,” says Dex to Alex, sincerely. Alex accepts, nodding his head appreciatively.

  “Too good. They’re not going to be able to stop it.”

 
; “Anyone object to leaving?” Dex asks, rubbing his bruised arms and looking at the rest of Humanity’s crew. The station shudders again. “Alrighty then.”

  A station guard puts a hand to Dex’s chest. “Hold it right there! You’ll be answering my questions first!”

  “Ah,” grunts Dex, disappointed. He looks at Alex, “Can you just blow up his ship from here?”

  Alex smiled and looked down, shaking his head. Then he peeks back up at Dex and shrugs, “If you’d given me 10 more minutes …”

  *****

  Pharris and Vlad take their seats and release the collar. “Get us out of here.”

  “No choice, I can’t disengage the engines.”

  “Masterson,” Pharris curses. “Just lay in a course then.” Vlad works quickly. “You better brace yourself.”

  The computer chimes, “Course accepted, dickwads. Prepare for maximum launch velocity, buttmunchers.” Pharris looks around indiscriminately and bares his teeth in frustration. They strain under the speed. “Maximum velocity achieved. Have a crap day, toolbags.”

  ###

  Read an excerpt now from Episode IV:

  “Understand what you ask … all of you. If I do this thing, I do it my way and, believe me, people will die,” warns Dex. “How does that sit with you?” They exchange glances, grim but decided.

  “I ask for justice. And I understand war. I protect those in my charge, don’t ever think differently, but to these men …” Jen looks out the window, “… I owe nothing.” Satisfied, Dex turns to Nadia.

  “Dex, looks like they have a big laser attached to the station,” says Xiao looking up from the radar with her jaw set, “Pharris’ ship is there, too.” Dex looks slowly to Nadia.

  “How do you feel about a high-velocity HALO drop?”

  Turning from the window with fire in her eyes, she clinches her jaw and nods.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nate Covell was employed by the White House Military Office, worked in cyber counterintelligence, was a Japanese interpreter and lived in Japan and Italy. He has a B.A. in Creative Writing and has done graduate work at Harvard. He likes to talk about himself in 3rd person, as evinced here. But enough about me! Hit my website and let me get to know you, too 

  Thank you for taking the time to read this episode. Please take a moment to leave a comment at the site from which you downloaded. Find out more at https://natecovell.com

  Episode IV

  Jen bandages a young girl’s arm as her parents look on. “There you go, Zoey. Your arm will convalesce nicely.” Zoey returns a quizzical look. “Er … be just fine,” corrects Jen. The girl looks wide-eyed at the tools behind the doctor and then at her parents. Her parents smile at her and Jen.

  “Thank you, Doctor. Come on, Zoey. We need to get back to First Light.” Zoey’s mother looks at Jen, ”We still have a lot to do before rendezvousing with our sister ship: Second Dawn.”

  Perking up, Zoey asks, “Where did you learn that?”

  Jen smiles turning and packing up the instruments lying behind her. “I went to school for it, honey.” Jen returns to face the little girl, smiling.

  “They don’t teach that at my school,” Zoey says, sounding doubtful. Zoey looks in Jen’s eyes, tentatively. “I wish I knew that stuff.”

  “You will, Zoey, if you want to.” Jen glances at her parents and continues, “You can do anything you want, if you don’t give up.” Jen moves a bit of the girl’s hair with her hand and Zoey smiles. Jen stands and says to herself, “... and don’t mind the smell of phemaldehyde.” The station’s doctor approaches the group having aided several other personnel in the area.

  “Thank you for your help, Dr. Silvera,” the older physician says and smiles, “How do you feel, Zoey?”

  Zoey pops to her feet, “Convulsing nicely,” and runs off. They all laugh.

  The senior guard nods his head at the scene and turns to Dex. “Alright, Colonel Masterson, you and your crew seem to be mostly innocent,” he admits, reluctantly. The younger guard spasms at their absolution.

  “You mean outside of the disorderly conduct … and computer hacking … oh, and the sabotage to a ship not to mention this station?” the younger guard protests.

  “Temper the letter of the law with good judgment, son. The ship had a bogus transponder and the ship the Humanity brought here had no transponder at all.”

  Dex looked accusingly at the young guard and said, “So, where did they go? They can’t return to Earth. They can only stay out here for so long.” Dex looks to the older guard for an explanation.

  “Things have gotten a little crazy out here. Corporate ships come and go from this area more often these days. Some have stations in remote areas, I’ve heard. Now that the technology has caught up, fuel is plentiful and the ship-borne biospheres provide an near-endless food supply.”

  “But who would want to stay out here?” asks Xiao.

  “The same people who always do: criminals. Space is the final, wild frontier. With space, the struggle for civilization will never end,” explains Nadia. “There will always be marauders and physical force and skill will be necessary to carve out order and put them down.” She touchs the sidearm that had been returned to her and glances at Beppe.

  “Supplies run scarce, eventually … so does expertise,” adds Jen, eyeing a young, female scientist. “They’ll be back when they need something. And they’ll take it unless dealt with. Your raped, blade-hewn, frozen carcasses will be bouncing around space like just so-much common stellar refuse.” A squeak escapes an eavesdropping young lady before she clamps a hand over her own mouth. Beppe stares at Jennifer, mouth slightly agape confronted with her uncouth speech.

  “Ah, let’s be more constructive, okay? Dex, next steps?” offers Alex, trying to diffuse the tension.

  “Right, let’s question the prisoners we delivered and see what we can learn.”

  “Sorry, Colonel, they escaped with your friends.” Dex closes his eyes and smiles, nodding while seeking composure.

  “Well, Stu, what do we know? Where do we think they went?”

  “These were criminal types, so they’re most likely on DS1: the original, derelict station that this station replaced. It was stripped down, but is believed to have been brought back online after pirates towed it away. None of us has been there, but I can help you find it.”

  “The Space Navy just lets it be?”

  “Waste of resources and they pretty much keep to themselves.”

  Dex looks around at the others and finally Nadia letting the silence grow. Then happily, “Well, that’s good enough for me!” He turns to go, when Xiao grabs him.

  “You can’t be serious!” she demands.

  “The Navy knows about it. What can we do? Nadia?” Dex shrugs, gesturing at his Russian Captain.

  “Da, it is not our mission,” she admits.

  “There,” says Dex, triumphant.

  “I would love to kill that pirate trash, but we do not have an assault ship. Do not have the necessary equipment.”

  “Yeah, see?” says Dex, then less convincingly, “What do you want us to do? Slap stuff together … make bombs out of spare nitrogen tanks? Do a high-speed tactical insertion?” Nadia purses her lips, considering and then brightening. Dex speaks again quickly, pre-empting any comment, “No! It can’t be done. Why the ego alone necessary to pull off such a stunt … would be dangerous.” Xiao and the others exchange glances, unconvinced but lacking a plausible argument. “No, this isn’t what we’re here for. Thanks for your hospitality, DS2, but we’ll be going.” Dex leaves the room and the others follow, reluctantly.

  “Oh, and sorry about the air lock,” says Alex, smiling and shrugging. The security officers’ return unamused glances.

  *****

  Xiao, Jen and Nadia sit on the bridge, watching the stars pass by. Xiao throws a cheese curl in her mouth while Nadia enjoys a bowl of Hungarian goulash. They are all dr
inking a glass of red wine.

  “Wow, this goulash is spicy. That Italian can really cook.”

  “He’s cute, too. Right, Jen?” jibes Xiao. Jen straightens a bit, not meeting Xiao’s stare and smile.

  “He does meet the quintessential standards for most females.”

  “But not yours?” Nadia smiles at Xiao.

  “If my needs become such that I require a man, I shall acquire one. It is not difficult.”

  “Ouch, I thought men objectified women,” adds Xiao. “Do you think your needs will become such? It’s part of a healthy human existence.”

  “There is nothing healthy, then, about our existence for the next six years. There only three men on this ship. Things would become very difficult. I suggest you all concentrate on your jobs,” chides Jen.

  “You better take it where you can get it. I do,” Nadia perfunctorily states. Xiao leans forward, suddenly interested.

  “What?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Nadia innocently chews.

  “What did you do on shore leave on DS2, anyway? I didn’t see you until the cafeteria.”

  “I make … how you say? Booty call?” They all laugh.

  *****

  The three men of Humanity open the door to the bridge.

  “What’s up, Nadia”

  “We’ve got a ship on the radar.”

  “You’re kidding,” replies Dex.

  “Looks like a derelict craft.”

  “Space junk,” concludes Dex.

  “Negative. The ship is giving off residual heat.”

  “Oh my god,” Xiao whispers. “The transponder id says it’s the Second Dawn.”

  “Not a chance,” says Dex getting up impatiently and moving to Xiao’s station. “You’ve been on this ship 3 months and you can’t read a communiqué?” Xiao leans back in her chair to let Dex in. “Get up!” yells Dex. Shocked, Xiao gets up quickly and Dex sits, punching various buttons. Nadia steps behind him, as he studies the screen.

  “Isn’t that the sister ship of First Light?” asks Alex.

  “No signs of life,” reports Jen. “Several dozen subcutaneous ids are on the ship. It appears that several are missing or destroyed.”