Against the Tide - A New Elysium Story [Complete]

Complications and Resolutions

"Where is the little rat?"

Major General Yaremova snapped at the data specialist so suddenly that the woman almost dropped the tablet she was holding. She fumbled for it, and then frantically tapped and swiped across the surface, all the while she seemed to continue to shrink under the Major General's icy stare.

"Delta squad lost him somewhere in sector seven, ma'am," the woman said meekly.

"That was not the question, you incompetent oaf," Yaremova growled through gritted teeth.

Meyer watched in fascination as the woman turned on her heels and began to make another round through the command center meeting room.

In all of his four years as a hunter, Meyer had never seen her unhinged like this. Her hatred for augments was unparalleled, but usually she was calculating and composed. During her sermons he had witnessed how she could stir the masses with her perfectly articulated speeches and choreographed displays of power and authority. Now, in between shouting orders out of the blue or snapping at the data and surveillance team tasked with tracking the intruder, she was pacing the meeting room in circles like a rabid animal, taking erratic turns and occasionally mumbling to herself with a feverish look in her eyes.

Meanwhile, General Neris just stood at the window, staring out at the desolate landscape of Astraphos, as if none of this concerned him and he didn't have a care in the world. To Meyer it seemed like both Yaremova and Neris had gone mad in their own way. In truth, the whole world seemed to have gone mad within the last couple of hours.

The mere fact that he was standing here instead of rotting in the brig was proof enough of that. Perhaps Yaremova had really just lost it after all. What other explanation was there that she had believed him that the security guard he had shot in the docking bay to help the pirates escape had simply walked into his line of fire? So either she was more gullible than he had ever thought possible, or she was going insane.

So here he was, waiting for another order, or something else to happen. He knew that he was running out of time. His plan hadn't exactly worked out as intended, nothing in the past three weeks had, really, and he wondered if he would get a chance to leave this room before it was too late.

His thoughts were interrupted as a man barged in without knocking. He was panting heavily, and his dark eyed stare darted through the room wildly until he spotted the Major General and the General.

"Sir! Scandroid data's coming in from sector eight," he reported with a brief salute. "Looks like he's made his way through some ventilation shafts to shake them off his tracks. The scandroids can't follow him in there... but they're tracking him, and we're on his heels now."

His heart sank at those words. The scandroids would probably make quick work of the man once they got to him. He could only hope that the pirate would put up enough of a fight to at least delay them for a while, although it was unlikely. They were programmed to kill him – Orion's Reach had no use for a nameless prisoner.

"Useless scrap buckets...." Yaremova grit her teeth audibly, then she turned to address the man. "What's your name, Major?"

"Park, ma'am," the Major replied, still breathless.

"You're in charge of the scandroid unit that's tracking him?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Major Park, I want you to form another search party and go after him," she raised her icy blue eyes and stared straight at Meyer, causing him to straighten his shoulders.

"And take Sergeant Meyer here with you," she added.

"Me, ma'am?" he blinked at her in confusion.