Age of Lies (Original Version)

Chapter 7

The squad stared warily at the damaged doors and wondered what they would find inside. They pressed forward cautiously and entered the bridge. Light grey smoke rose from a few of the consoles and bright blue sparks dripped from severed cables that hung like vines. Sam and Frost who were in the lead poked their heads around each section nervously with beads of sweat dripping down their faces. They eventually secured the bridge letting Markelium and Quincy get to work on running the diagnostic.

"What do you think happened here?" Asked Quincy as he shifted uneasily.

"Who knows? But I think it may have been a pirate group." Replied Markelium.

"What makes you think that sir?"

"For one thing there was not much cargo on this ship. Secondly, the burn marks on the bridge doors indicate that a PIT-class plasma cutter was used. And since it was outlawed in twenty six forty many units found their way into the hands of pirates. I do not know for sure but it is just my hunch."

A moment later the ship diagnostic was done. Markelium and Quincy looked over the results and send a copy and a status update to Captain Kelly who sent orders to search the rest of the ship. Myra rounded up her squad and they set forth into the ship searching for survivors and any clues they could find.

After venturing down one of the corridors Markelium held back put some distance between himself and the squad. Quincy noticed and stayed near Markelium as he peered into a room off to the side. Quincy spoke up in a hushed but slightly urgent tone, "Myra's squad just checked that room sir. If we wait too long we will get separated from them."

Markelium said nothing. Just raised his hand in a shushing motion and walked slowly into the room, gun in his hands ready at a moment's notice. He looked around carefully and Quincy began looking around nervously. Markelium then turned around and headed back towards Myra's squad. Markelium checked the next room down and disappeared behind several of the towering information centers located within the room. After a few moments of searching Markelium moved on and found a view port and looked out into space admiring his view of the Prince. Quincy stood beside him staring out as well. Suddenly Markelium noticeably stiffened as something in the reflection caught his attention and turned around to investigate. Quincy saw this and began looking for what had caught Markelium's eye. Quincy looked and looked in the dark corridor but could see nothing and all he could hear was the dripping of some fluids.

Markelium moved forward and stopped at a pool of liquid then looked up cautiously and took a step back. "Quincy. Get me a ladder or something to stand on."

"Aye sir." Said Quincy in a curious tone as he turned to search. Markelium walked around a bit longer checking other places and waited as Quincy brought a small container that he could use. Markelium thanked him and then placed the container on the ground and stood up on it. He then reached up to where Quincy noticed some fluids dripping down some wires. "Sir? What's up there that has gotten your atten- WHAT IN THE WORLD!!!!?" Quincy jumped back as a large object fell from the ceiling and into a small pool of fluids that Quincy now began to suspect was blood."

Well, we found what happened to the crew. Inform the firefight teams and give me a hand." Markelium said as he lowed himself down to get a good look at the victim. He used his null-suits camera to get several different angles of the man, who must have been dead for a day now, so that he could review it later. He then went back up to search and found a small room where a few supplies were located." This must have been where he lived before he was killed." Muttered Markelium sadly. Markelium searched around the small room for a journal of some kind. A few minutes later he found a small holo-pad under some fallen supplies. Upon opening the damaged Holo-pad Markelium found that the audio logs were damaged and would not work properly. So he placed it in his pack to take back to the ship.

They soon made their way back to the main cargo bay where the two drop ships were docked. Captain Travis saw them and yelled out in his loud bellowing voice, "Did you get what you came for? If so we need to get going soon as the other squads get back. Sounds like they found a few bodies as well. Kelly said can't save this ship. She's scrap, and as soon as we are done he's going to send a message to the nearest scrapper fleet." A few minutes later after all the squads had returned to the two birds they loaded up the gear and all the equipment that they had found. Markelium dug through some of the finds hoping to find more clues but to no avail.

The drop-ship's engines began to whine as more power was fed to them, and moments later they took off and headed to the Prince.

"Too bad we couldn't help them." Said Quincy. But before Markelium could reply he noticed a rift in space appear and out of it came an old heavy frigate painted a dark grey with red highlights. The two birds executed evasive maneuvers as several smaller weapon systems tried to track them. Moments later the heavy frigates weapons began to power up and the Prince raised its shields just in time for the opening salvo of the unknown attacker.