Planetfall infinitys end.., p.3
Planetfall (Infinity's End Book 6), page 3
“Do you have a launch plan in mind for the spacewings?” Cas asked. Where was the hypervator? He hadn’t used one in a few days and now he knew why. So many of them were down or damaged this was taking forever.
“Four with each group of shuttles,” she replied. “Which includes me. I could have stayed to coordinate, but we’re one pilot short.”
Cas held his tongue. She was talking about Grippen, the pilot who had died on Cas’s mission back in Coalition space when they’d encountered that space creature. And even though Lecia had volunteered for the mission, Rafnkell still blamed Cas for her death. And she probably always would.
“That should be fine,” he replied, trying to keep his voice even. “I don’t know what we’ll find down there but without any structures I don’t think we’ll need more than four spacewings to a group. And if you happen to find something you should be able to clear it eas—”
“Look,” Rafnkell said, turning to him and poking a finger in his chest. Cas noticed it was right where the blast from Diamant had hit him. Underneath that finger sat skin and organs that weren’t his. They were new. “The Space Corps didn’t assign me and my team to this ship to be captained by a wet-behind-the-ears officer who has no clue what she’s doing. Not to mention a former criminal first officer. You can bet if this was the Coalition I would have already filed a formal complaint and had both of you removed from service.”
“That is your right, but while we’re out here I expect you to follow your orders, whether they come from the captain or myself. Anything else I’ll treat as insubordination,” he said. “Is that clear?”
Her mouth turned into an ugly grin. “Do you think you have authority here? That you’re anything more than a token officer, filling a space that needs to be filled for convenience if nothing else? You are a criminal. Who has been kicked out of the Coalition more than once. Don’t think I don’t know about your hearing. I have friends all over the Coalition.”
Cas was taken aback, but he tried not to let it show on his face. His trial before the Coalition Committee was supposed to be sealed and secret. They had even deleted the full transcript of the event. How had Rafnkell heard about it? Had she known someone on the board that had interviewed him? And if so, which one of them had leaked the information?
“That’s right,” she said. “I know you’re this close to being thrown back into a cell for the rest of your life. So don’t pretend any of this,” she gestured to the ship, “is anything more than a fantasy. When we get back, it’s all over for you. Especially after they learn about how you invited a hostile force aboard who tried to take over the ship.”
“That wasn’t intentional,” he snapped.
“Whatever you say, I’m sure they’ll believe that from someone who used to work for the Sargan Commonwealth.” The hypervator doors finally opened and Rafnkell stepped inside. “Going down?” she asked, her voice sickeningly sweet.
“I’ll take the next one,” Cas said through clenched teeth. She shrugged and the doors closed, leaving him alone in the corridor. Should he inform Evie? Or would that only lead to further stress on her part? He couldn’t believe it, Rafnkell knew someone on his review board, and she knew they’d given him a stay of execution because of Zenfor. What would happen when they returned? Even if they were dealing with the Andromeda crisis would they take the time to remove Cas from the ship now that Zenfor no longer needed him? And what about Evie? If Cas allowed Rafnkell to openly challenge her authority it could lead to chaos. He’d have to find a way to keep her from doing anything drastic, which was easier said than done.
Rather than wait for another hypervator, Cas headed for the access corridors. He’d get down there the hard way.
***
Cas emerged in Bay One, scanning the area for Rafnkell. She’d been on her way down here as well to start coordinating the assignments with the other spacewing pilots. Fortunately, she wasn’t around. She was probably over in Bay Two, either complaining about the futility of their mission or sulking in her office near the back. Either way, he needed to get to work. They had to transport a hundred and nineteen personnel down to the surface along with supplies and food for three to four weeks. Normally he would have coordinated with the maintenance chief for Bay One, Abernathy, but…
Cas avoided the spot on the ground where he’d seen Abernathy’s head roll after it had been unceremoniously removed from his body by the Bulaq and instead turned his attention to the flight controllers in the giant windows overlooking the bay. Once he caught their attention, he waved one of them down.
“So, we’re headed down to the surface after all, huh?”
Cas turned to see captains Ryant and Jann making their way over to him from Bay Two, Ryant’s voice echoing off the walls. As always, his trademark goggles were perched on top of his head; Cas didn’t think he ever took them off. And while he had an iron jaw and was a good half-meter taller than Saturina Jann, she always seemed like the more imposing of the two. Maybe it was because she only spoke when it was necessary. Ever since he’d met her, Jann had been quiet, reserved, but deadly when necessary. They were the only two spacewing pilots Cas had gotten to know; he assumed the rest probably wanted nothing to do with him after what happened to Grippen. Ryant and Jann weren’t like that.
“Those are the captain’s orders,” Cas replied.
“Can’t believe it, man,” Dorsey Ryant said. “Abandoning ship. It’s a ballsy move.”
“Is that what Rafnkell told you?” Cas said, heat rising in his cheeks.
Ryant shrugged. “Is that not what’s happening?”
“No,” Cas emphasized. “Sesster and Zenfor are staying on the ship. We’re going to have maintenance crews going back and forth all the time. We’re not abandoning anything. Man. What is that woman’s problem?”
“You’ll have to cut her some slack,” Jann said. “Today’s the anniversary of when Grippen joined the team. She’s extra sensitive today.”
Cas cursed under his breath. While he could understand anniversaries could be painful for people, Rafnkell had outright threatened him. “Could it be anything else?”
Jann’s mouth turned into a frown. “I don’t think so, why?”
Cas hesitated. While he trusted these two, discussing their commanding officer behind her back could lead to even more cards stacked against him. But only if they let it slip, which he didn’t think they would. Both Dorsey and Jann had risked their lives for him, and vice versa. He could trust them. “It’s just…she threatened to pull your squad from Tempest when we got back. It seems she’s not happy with the new chain of command.”
Jann arched an eyebrow. “You? Or the captain?”
“Both.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Ryant said. “She’s always been a stickler for the chain of command. And ever since the death of Captain Greene she’s been more on-edge than usual. I didn’t pick up on it until you said something, but it makes sense now. She was a big admirer of his. I think his death might have hit her harder than we realized.” He turned to Jann for confirmation.
“His death hit all of us hard,” Cas replied. “And it doesn’t help we haven’t had the chance to even have a proper funeral.” An idea sparked in him. They still had the captain’s body in stasis in the morgue. He wondered if Evie would be open to holding a ceremony down on the surface. It might be a good chance for the crew to reflect and pay tribute to their captain, and to all their fallen comrades. It might be perfect timing.
“You don’t have to worry about us,” Ryant added. “The annihilator here and I will stay aboard, even if she tries to pull our squad. We’ve got your back.”
Jann looked up at him. “The annihilator?”
“Yeah, I thought you needed a new nickname. And since your ship has more guns than all the others…plus you did blow a few holes in the ship sooo…”
“Then what are we going to call you? The fumbler?”
“Hey, that was one time,” Ryant protested. “And I was half-drunk. Do you know how hard it is to hit something dead center when your vision gets blurry?”
“Not for all of us. Plus, I thought that’s what those were for,” she replied, tapping the goggles on the top of his head. Jann turned back to Cas. “Don’t worry about Raffy. She’s not going to do anything. Especially because the Coalition is going to be dealing with much bigger things by the time we get back.”
“Yeah,” Cas replied. “I hope you’re right.”
The man who’d been up in the flight control room came jogging into the bay through the main entrance. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“I hope you had a big breakfast, because we have a lot of preparation to do.”
5
“This is racism, pure and simple!” Box yelled as he strode across the landing area in the bay. “Just wait until the Judge Advocate General hears about this! You don’t yet know the meaning of a lawsuit! I will own this ship by the time this is over.”
“Would you shut up and get on the damn shuttle already?” Cas yelled back.
Evie watched this exchange from across the bay, doing her best not to let her annoyance show. Box had been complaining about being on the first wave headed down to the planet ever since Cas had informed him. The fact his body was more resilient than most organics and he didn’t need to breathe didn’t make a difference; he was still upset about being “cannon fodder” as he put it. Evie thought it was nothing but bluster; but wasn’t she using him as part of their initial wave because he was a robot?
“Box, wait up.” Evie trotted over to the two of them arguing at the foot of the shuttle’s ramp.
“Captain, my individual rights as a person are being violated by this man.” Box pointed at Cas.
“Would you stop complaining for once in your life and do your job?” Cas grumbled.
Evie put on a sweet smile. “Box, I want you to know I’ll be recommending you for a special commendation once we get back home. I think it will go a long way to helping Coalition Central make a decision on your personhood status.”
His yellow eyes blinked once. She thought that might mean he was skeptical. “You’re just saying that to get me on the ship.”
“No, it’s long overdue. You’ve been a tremendous help to this crew. In fact, you are one of its most valuable members. We wouldn’t be where we are today without your help. You’ve been essential.”
Something clicked in the back of Box’s head. “You’ve been essential,” Evie’s voice said again, distorted from the recording. “Hear that?” He turned to Cas.
Evie crossed her arms. “Did you have to do that?”
“Being the most important member of the crew, I didn’t need to hear it,” Box replied. “But it helps for everyone else to know how things stack up.”
Evie sputtered. “Wait, I only said—”
“I would like my special commendation to come with a full navy ceremony, as required by Coalition law,” Box interrupted, puffing out his metal chest. “And I want my medal to be magnetic, so I can display it, right here.” He tapped his sternum.
“See what you’ve done,” Cas whispered.
“Excuse me, peasant.” Box pushed past Cas. “Hero coming through. I have to lead this motley crew to victory on the planet’s surface. You know, to make sure it’s safe for the weaklings like yourself.”
“Thanks,” Cas said.
“We’ll have your ceremony when the ship is repaired,” Evie called after him. He flitted his fingers like it no longer concerned him, his head raised high as he disappeared into the ship.
“I am really thankful I’m not going down with the first wave,” Cas said.
She shrugged. “He deserves it. He’s gone far beyond the capabilities of any other autonomous robot I’ve ever seen.”
“Yeah, cause he’s insane.”
She surveyed the scene. Fourteen shuttles, all full of crew and supplies for the first run. Most of their security forces were on those shuttles, prepared to secure the landing site Evie had picked out. Though she’d left a few behind for the other waves, just in case. “Is that everyone?”
“Almost.” Cas looked over her shoulder.
Laura stood a few meters away, a pulse rifle slung over her shoulder in the same manner Evie wore her sword. She didn’t see Cas leave, but he must have because it was just the two of them now. “Ready to go?” Evie asked.
Laura nodded. “Ready. We’ll be waiting for you down there.”
“Got all your equipment?”
Again, she nodded but didn’t move from where she stood. When Uuma had given Evie her outline of who would be going down and when, she’d been surprised to see Laura’s name at the top of the list for wave one. She’d tried not to be too conspicuous about it, but Uuma had explained she was one of the more skilled tactical officers and Uuma had chosen her to lead the wave one team. In that moment Evie cursed Laura for putting in so much practice on the simulators. But there was little she could do about it. Pulling Laura off the rotation would look like favoritism, because that’s exactly what it would be. So she’d approved the assignments.
The only problem was she had a bad feeling about what was on that planet, and she didn’t like the idea of Laura going down there without her. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it felt as real as anything else she knew. Now with Laura standing here in front of her, she was afraid it might be the last time she’d ever see her.
They’d already said goodbye once in her quarters a few hours ago, but still, it was nothing like seeing the person you loved for the last time. Evie was greedy and she knew it. She should have stayed in Engineering, but she couldn’t help wanting to see them off. To see her off.
“Anything else, Captain?” Laura asked and Evie noticed a brief shimmer in her eyes before she blinked it away.
“Good luck down there. We’ll be behind you in a few hours,” Evie replied.
Laura hesitated, then took a deep breath and stepped onto the shuttle. She disappeared into the body as the ramp retracted and the door closed the shuttle off. Evie made a twirling motion with her hand to the flight controllers and left the bay, with Cas reappearing from wherever he’d gone to give them a last moment of privacy.
“You okay?”
“Fine.”
“Box won’t let anything happen to her,” he said. “And we’ll be down there before you know it.”
“I know,” she replied, absently. She wasn’t looking to be placated.
They took the short ride on a hypervator back up to Engineering as the flight controllers kept her apprised of which shuttles were launching. Once they were back in Engineering, Tyler already had a visual pulled up of the Bays and the outside of the ship.
“The last of the shuttles are launching now,” he reported as they entered. “Spacewings one through four are on standby and waiting in formation.”
“Rafnkell took the lead?” She’d gotten the impression from the chief she hadn’t liked Evie’s idea. It was surprising to learn she was going down with the first wave.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Course is plotted and laid in,” Ensign River said from one of the adjacent stations. She’d been responsible for creating the landing plan for all the shuttles in their designated location. But the real test would be once the ships were through whatever was blocking their scanners. Once they could get a good read on what was down there they’d have a much greater chance of success.
“Here we go,” Evie said under her breath. “Tell them they are clear to proceed when ready.” Evie watched all eighteen of the ships line up in a standard entry pattern. She turned to Uuma who manned the tactical station adjacent to Ensign River. “Anything out of the ordinary?”
“Nothing yet, ma’am.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
“They’re approaching the atmosphere,” Cas said, his eyes on his own monitor. “All the power levels look good.”
Evie took a breath. She had to remember to breathe. She hated not being fully prepared in any situation, but this one felt like it was so much worse. They couldn’t afford to have any mistakes, not with the entire ship and her crew on the line.
“Entering the upper thermosphere,” Cas said.
“How far down did our scanners penetrate?” She thought she saw her first officer shudder, but it could have been her imagination.
“Top levels of the stratosphere,” Zaal replied. “Everything below that was a blank.”
“This is fleet commander Box, reporting in.” Evie caught Cas curse under his breath. Maybe the commendation hadn’t been the best idea after all. By the time they got down there he’d have started a coup against them.
“Go ahead,” Evie said into the comm.
“We’re skimming the upper layers of the stratosphere, Captain. My superior optics can report the landing zone is in sight and looks to be clear of any hostiles. I’m not picking up fauna movement on the surface.”
“Are your scanners working yet?” she asked.
“Nothing yet. But I believe as soon as we—” Static.
Evie jerked her head up; she hadn’t realized she’d been looking at her boots as she spoke. “Box? Come in.” Out of the corner of her eye Cas and the others began to check their systems. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure yet, checking,” Uuma replied. “We’ve lost all contact.”
“Where were they when they went out of range?”
“Over the third-largest continent, near the planet’s equator. Right on course,” River replied.
Evie could feel the panic rising in her throat, but she couldn’t allow that to happen. She needed to remain cool in a crisis and it took everything she had not to start screaming at the crew for answers. “Is there something that could be interfering with our systems? Other than the planet’s atmosphere?”
