Crystal Venom (17 page)

They all nodded. ‘I agree; do it,’ said Marko. ‘How badly did I mess up
Crystal’s
AI?’

Patrick chuckled. ‘Shall we say that when you are angry you become a little heavy-handed. All information has been recovered, but the AI is now insane. I think that you ripping bits off it, and what had happened to it when the ship was taken over, finally tipped the balance.’

‘Patrick, can you create a clone of yourself, please? Take anything you need from Ernst and Topaz if they are willing to assist. Slave
Crystal
to yourself. I think that we need to go have a look at what’s going on, even if we just hold at a local LP to where that enemy base is. From there we can send
Crystal
with your clone in charge and raise the alarm. We will go with our standard brief of engineering and weapons intelligence gathering. OK, lift all the usable weapons from
Crystal
and get them into
Basalt.
Now, what the hell was the Games Board doing on board
Crystal?
Admin are going to be seriously shitted about that. GB broke all the protocols by being there.’

‘Think, Marko, some of your involvements with the Games Board,’ Jasmine said. ‘Now consider also that there may be other factions within the Games Board who have a completely different agenda. The Haulers’ Collective believes that a greater game is afoot.’

‘Yeah, I have been told that, Jasmine. Is all the contaminated material gathered and how soon before the information retrieval from that head and the like is complete?’

‘Another three hours give or take a few moments is required,’ Patrick replied. ‘It will only take a short while for a Compressor to do the job.’

~ * ~

He grabbed a couple of hours’ sleep and was on the bridge with Lilly and Jasmine when Patrick started to take the ship towards the nearest Lagrange point. Behind them a Compressor flashed twice, destroying the last of the contaminated material plus the investigative unit. Many terabytes of useful information had been recovered from the urchin colonel’s head, the remains of the
Crystal
AI and also the Games Board monitors’ remains. The AIs were churning their way through it and promised to have data blocks available to them within hours.

The jumps started as Patrick moved them closer to the Sphere of Humankind. Jan was the first out of cryno, which was a great relief to Marko. They came together for a long kiss, as if they had been separated for months. The introductions and exchange of news between Jan, Jasmine and Lilly were interesting to watch from Marko’s perspective. Jan, being her normal deeply cynical self, privately wondered with Marko if they had not been, once again, superbly fooled. She did admit that it didn’t really matter, as they would have no chance against them if they were unfriendly. Jasmine and Lilly were fascinated by everything about Jan and started to assimilate information in regards to weapons, much to Jan’s delight.

Julie and Major van Beere joined them a few hours later and Marko was relieved to be able to hand command and control over to him.

The obviously tired but hungry major addressed Marko. ‘Exemplary work, Sergeant Major. If I were your commander, I would award you a commission immediately. I shall recommend that to the Administration, anyway. We are starving. I need bread, cheese, pickles and beer, please.’

Marko nodded to the major in sympathy. ‘Ernst. Is the beer safe? I’d not even considered it.’

‘Only Harry’s current brews were contaminated,’ the AI replied. ‘We will sample each bottle as it is opened, in any case.’

As they dined on a classic ploughman’s lunch, Marko filled his crewmates in, with the AIs and Lilly, then Jasmine, filling in the gaps as well. Towards the end of the meal, Flint came racing in, scuttled up Marko and gave him a little hug around his neck. He then perched on his shoulder and started to soak up the news as everyone talked.

A few hours later, while Marko was manhandling a new casing for Patrick’s clone into place aboard
Crystal,
Glint and then Nail arrived on the scene. He was relieved that the crew was slowly coming back to normal and he was so pleased to have the other two ACEs in top form. There were hugs and pats all around. He wanted to know how the diamond bones actually came to get broken, but he’d discussed it with Ernst and Topaz and they had decided it could wait for another time. The ACEs needed time to settle back in.

‘Nail, go have a long look at Lilly and Jasmine,’ Marko asked through the line-of-sight crew comms. ‘Then come back and tell me what you think, OK?’

Nail nodded while Glint couldn’t help adding his piece. ‘I shall give you my opinion as well, Marko.’

Nail and Glint raced away, while Marko smiled and shook his head. He finished wiring the AI casing in and started to slowly hook up the datalinks and electronics. Fritz would have done it in a quarter of the time, he was sure. Flint seemed to know considerably more than he did about the diagnostics of the units, so he was pleased to let him do it.

‘It is all done, Marko.’

‘Thanks, Flint. I now see why Harry is so keen to have you around all the time.’

He just smiled his little smile. ‘Patrick, the housing is in place. It is ready for the clone whenever you are.’

‘Installation initiated,’ Patrick replied.

Major van Beere then came on the line. ‘Patrick, this is Jonathan. As soon as the clone is installed and checked out, please advise me.’

‘Will do, Major. Should only take a couple of hours. Presuming that you would like
Crystal
to be on its way as quickly as possible, I shall begin preflight. All spare weapons and systems which may be of use to us will be clear of
Crystal
within an hour.’

‘Good. My thanks; carry on. Marko, Jan, my compliments. Please join me on the bridge as soon as you are available.’

Jan was already with the major when Marko arrived twenty or so minutes later. Nail and Glint had met him briefly on the way with both saying that Lilly and Jasmine were the most perfect humans they had ever encountered, that they possessed a great deal more brain tissue throughout their systems than anyone else, that they also had much tougher skin, their bone strength was more like ivory, their internal organs appeared totally re-engineered and they reckoned that their sense organs would work much better than anyone’s.

Marko had been thinking that it was really nice to have Jan back, realising that he had missed her a lot. She must have felt the same, as she rose from her chair and gave him a quick kiss when he walked in. The major motioned him to sit. ‘Marko. Stephine and Veg will be joining us in a few hours. Do you know anything additional to what you have already said in your data blocks and your briefings to me? I am not Intel, just an infantry engineer specialising in salvage, as you know, but there are a few too many unanswered questions. And why exactly are those spectacular amazons now on board this ship?’

Marko thought about being cheerful with his answers, but seeing how the major was looking at him, decided that a serious approach was best.

‘Well, Major, I really wish I could help you, but I am as much in the dark as you. The Hauler,
Chrysanthemum,
knew that we were in very serious trouble, and he had a couple of spare crew who had worked out their tenure. He was about to put them ashore, anyway, and he asked if they wanted to join us. They know about our adventures to date and leapt at the chance. Is there a problem?’

Marko inwardly smiled, thinking it was interesting that whatever the Hauler constructs had infected him with, it allowed him to lie in a totally convincing fashion with no elevated heartbeat, no skin flush and no hesitation. He thought the ability would be absolute gold it he was a gambler or card player, but he was neither and simply couldn’t see the point in that lifestyle anyway. He saw Jan looking at him in a way that only such a long-term partner could when they know something is not one hundred per cent on the level. He looked across at her and gently smiled. She knew that he was bullshitting, but none of the usual signs had appeared. Normally, he was an awful liar.

The major let out a short laugh. ‘A problem? No, absolutely not. Everyone knows that Hauler crew are probably the most excellent crewmates anyone could wish to have. They are so rare in the general population that most of us only ever see one every ten years, so I am more than a little intrigued when two arrive and attach themselves, not just to
Basalt,
but also to you personally.’

Marko came close to laughing out loud. ‘What can I say, Major? I’m just an interesting kind of guy.’

That earned him a swift kick to the nearest ankle from Jan.

The major looked between them. ‘OK. I shall ask Stephine and Veg when I see them. Now, to business. I will talk to Jasmine and Lilly shortly, and offer them a contract under standard terms as if I were the long-term master of this ship. Have either of you any objections to that? No. Good. Patrick, do you have any objections?’

‘No, Major. I have their service records here and also their preferred specialist trades. I would be very happy indeed to have them as crew.’

Major van Beere gave a large and genuine smile. ‘Good. Please note that in the log, Patrick.’

He became serious again. ‘In regards to the question of Colonel White. Her entire body is infected, so the question is, do we send her back to the Administration on ice, or keep her here? A consideration is that something could go wrong with
Crystal
and she might be revived by Admin personnel unaware of what they are dealing with. I think it best the colonel remains here. Any objections? AIs, are you in agreement? Yes. Good. In regard to the remaining crew members, I have been told that Stephine may be able to speed their recovery further. Yet another thing I find most interesting. I am pleased that she is on our side! Now, I should very much like to hear everyone’s views of what we should do in the next day or two.’

~ * ~

Over the next couple of hours Patrick announced that
Crystal
was pre-flighted and good to go. He also called on each of them to upload their Soul Savers to her before the ship left. Marko was the last to upload and as soon as he had finished,
Crystal
communicated Patrick’s clone’s farewells to them and promptly left, jumping away fast so he could to get to Administration with the great deal of data he held as quickly as possible. Marko excused himself and went down to the galley to start preparations for their meal and also to lay in a large amount of protein-rich food and drink for Veg.

He was just pulling loaves from the oven when his friend walked in. Veg looked worn out and gaunt. He was even stooped a little, and did not seem his normal vibrant self. He came over, shook Marko by the hand, then unexpectedly hugged him, solemnly thanked him and sat down to eat. When he was halfway through, Stephine arrived, looking equally haggard and drawn, with Nail right beside her. Marko placed her favourite juices, fruits, cheeses and breads in front of her and she ate more than he had ever seen her eat before. Soon, Lilly and Jasmine arrived with Julie.

Stephine greeted them like long-lost sisters, and she even hugged Jan when she came at the dinner call with the major. Veg caught Marko looking at them, winked, rolled his eyes and went back to demolishing a large piece of bread between mouthfuls of beef stew. He had given up on using a fork and was using a large tablespoon instead.

‘That was a grand feed, thanks, boy. I’m on dinner tomorrow I see. I shall cook you something special.’

‘Hey, any time, Veg. Bloody pleased to have you back.’

‘Yeah, and you smacked a couple more GB monitors, I hear, Marko, you bad lad you. You’ll be on a very special list by now, as we all are. Looks like the colonel’s underskin ceramic fibre was no match for the blades on your suit and pleased about that, I am. We’d better finish it off in the next few days, but right now I’m knackered, mate. I really need to sleep. Sneak around the corner and talk to Stephine. She wants to talk with you in private while everyone else is occupied cleaning up. You did well, my friend, Marko. A debt is held for you and it is a big one.’

Marko smiled, reached up and clapped Veg on the shoulder, then walked off to find Stephine who greeted him almost formally. ‘Hello, friend Marko. I am in your debt. I thank you for what you have done and I am aware that you now know a little of my true nature. In time, you will get to know the rest. You are a special person, Marko, and I am very pleased to know you and count you among my friends. You can trust Lilly and Jasmine. The Haulers are a remarkable group and will always look out for you and this crew. Good night, Marko.’

With that she bent down, kissed him on the cheek and then walked away, leaving him a little dumbfounded. He decided he would have to talk to Veg about this debt business as he believed he had been doing what came naturally to him ... breaking things!

~ * ~

Four

Marko walked to the galley, feeling like he could do with a few more hours’ sleep himself. Jan had been as horny as all hell so it had been a great night for both of them. Everyone was up and doing. Veg and Stephine looked much better. Their resident amazons were cheerfully enjoying breakfast and holding conversation with a fascinated-looking major. Marko chewed through his bowl of muesli while watching the main screen, checking through his boards and bringing up the long-range views of the target system some half a light year from them. The astronomical drones had mapped the system and identified the moonlet of main interest, where everyone believed the missing scientists and their facilities would be found.