The Patriot I: The Awoken

Chapter Twenty-Seven | Prepare

            It should've been difficult to fall asleep. My mind was spinning in circles. I could talk to people through my head. The Patriot was nearly dead. The crew was hanging from a thread. We were going after the intruder. Two weeks. Instead, as soon as I sat down on the bed in my room, I was unconscious. Alarms blaring through the room shot me upright in bed too soon. "Unauthorized personnel detected at cargo bay door!" cried the speakers.

    I tore off the sheet and grabbed my boots. Jamming my gun into my holster, I had just opened the door when Captain Thorn's voice echoed into my head. "Everyone report to the Bridge! First Officer, meet me in the Cargo Bay now."

    Well, no need for these communication clasps any more. I was already on my way, running down the hall. I felt more energized than I had in ages but dread still weighed in my stomach. No lights lit up the hall on my way. The Patriot was on power lock-down. I skidded into the cargo bay, Captain Thorn already there. "Do you know the person on that side of the door?"

   I looked at the screen on the wall, showing the camera footage. "That's Mayor Spencer – direct descendent of Captain Spencer and leader of this Settlement. He's an ally. Permission to communicate?"

    "Seeing as I have no idea who he is, consider this kind of thing granted without verbal permission from now on," he said dryly. "I don't have any authority over something I still don't know about."

    I pressed the button that turned on my mic. "Mayor Spencer?"

    He jumped and turned around, his eyes wide. "First Officer Autumn?" His voice warbled over the speakers.

    "Is this urgent?"

    "Very. The Communications General is here." Mayor Spencer wrung his hands. "You and your two officers need to come out. Quickly."

    My eyebrows furrowed and I glanced at Captain Thorn. He shrugged helplessly. "Is something wrong?"

    "I can't explain until you're out here."

    Even without being able to hear his thoughts, my hackles raised. I lifted my finger from the mic button and Captain Thorn raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a trap."

    "It is. Mayor Spencer's voice shifts like that when he's seriously worried. Besides the fact that that's a well-known tactic to draw a target into the open, he's given it all away." It was a basic trap – get an ally to get the target into range for an attack or capture. My jaw tightened. "What do we do? There's clearly a trap for us on the outside of the ship and we can't use any of the ship's weapons because of the power lockdown."

   Captain Thorn gritted his teeth. "We're trapped either way. We stay on the ship and they attack it. The crew dies if we're arrested or detained. Or we get off and fall into that particular set-up. We've got to comply. I suspect that since a General is the one asking for us, it's the local government. We're equals to their positions and should be able to get out of whatever they're planning. Disembarking is our best option."

   An idea lit up my head. "They don't know that anyone but myself, Byrne, and Peterson are awake. We can send the others out through the back to act as our second line of defense in case the statement about the General is a lie."

   He nodded. "We'll send Officers Decker and Bird. Myself and Edwards will come with you and the others. We'll say that we ran out of power too quickly to wake up the other two." I detected the logic and nodded back. Decker was our best fighter and Bird had been a sniper in the army. He was a perfect shot. They were the best ones to guard our backs from a distance.

   Captain Thorn closed his eyes. "Decker and Bird: arm up and leave through a door in the back. Don't be seen. Byrne, Peterson, and Edwards: get down here. We're disembarking straight into a trap. Arm up but leave it subtle. Byrne, bring every zodiac you have."

   A few "Yes, Captain," responses came back. I raised an eyebrow. "I can't say that that's not a handy trick to have."

   "I haven't felt what it's like to hear the rest of the effects, so I can't quite agree yet."

   Edwards was the first to arrive. He jogged down the hall with Peterson quick on his heels. I could see the small pistols in each of Edwards' boots. He also had one tucked into his back. Peterson had one in his sleeve. Byrne arrived last. Several items were in her arms. "I've got that cancer, picked up the aquarius from the Bridge, and the others a pisces and a libra."

   "Give the First Officer the knife," said Captain Thorn instantly. "What are the rest?"

   Byrne handed over the deactivated knife hilt. I slid it into my sleeve. "The cancer is a level three and the best one I was able to get ahold of. It can shoot four shots at a time. A shot is a small shard of solid energy, most similar to a bullet. The pisces is basically a gun. Shoots one shot at a time and a level one. The libra is a level two that can switch between shots and blasts. Blasts are more like contained explosions. Burns a hole wherever it hits and throws the target back a good ways. Doesn't kill but injures pretty badly. However it can only do eight blasts before it needs to recharge."

    "How does it recharge?"

   "Solar power when sitting out. They can also take small, specialized capsules. Each level has its own type of capsule or battery."

   Captain Thorn considered. "Give Peterson the pisces and keep the cancer. I'll take the libra. Edwards, you're going to have to function on the old-fashioned guns."

   "I'll manage, Captain."

   Byrne distributed the zodiacs. I saw why Captain Thorn had made each decision. I was the most physically capable to wield the knife, having been awoken the right way and long enough to strengthen myself. Peterson needed a good defense because he was smaller. Byrne was quick enough to keep track of the multiple shots the cancer gave out. Edwards was a quick-enough draw that leaving him with the guns was no issue. I suspected Captain Thorn had wanted to keep the most lethal weapon to himself so that we didn't kill anyone.

   "Do Decker or Bird have any?"

   Byrne shook her head. "No, sir. But Bird took a sniper rifle and a glock while Decker loaded up with two glocks and a pack of grenades."

   "That'll have to do." Captain Thorn tucked the libra into the back of his pants. "We're sure there's a trap waiting for us. Likely law enforcement, in which case we should be able to get out of quickly enough. If not, you have full permission to fight to escape and protect the ship. Watch each other's backs."

   We all nodded. I stepped up. "I should likely go first. My face was in front of a camera. I'm more recognizable and less likely to get shot out of surprise."

   "Agreed."

   I headed toward the cargo bay doors as Captain Thorn added, "Edwards, you're still on surveillance. Byrne, stick with him. Peterson, you stick with me. Understand?"

    "Yes, sir."

    I exhaled and prepared to press the button to open the doors. "Ready?"

    In response, Captain Thorn clicked his glock shut and stuffed it into his boot. "Go ahead, First Officer."