Starship Desolation (10 page)

M
alik heaved the heavy bug
, and Walker rolled out from under its carcass. His legs were practically numb from being impinged. He staggered toward Saaja.

“I need a small tube,” Walker said.

Malik looked at him like he was crazy.

“Blood is filling her chest cavity and collapsing her lungs. Don’t they teach you guys how to give first aid in the field?”

Malik grimaced. It took more soldiers to care for the wounded than the dead. The Verge felt it was a waste of resources on the battlefield. They didn’t train their troops extensively in first-aid. The Verge society was more of a collective. The individual didn’t matter.

Walker knelt beside Saaja. “Help me take off her armor.”

They unlatched her chest plate and removed it.

“Get me a tube and a first aid kit,” Walker commanded.

Malik dashed to the ship and returned a moment later with a small piece of tubing. “This is all I have. It’s a spare hydraulic line.”

Walker took it from him. It wasn’t the cleanest thing in the world, but it would have to do.

“Keep pressure on that wound.”

Malik did as Walker commanded.

Walker took his tactical sword and cut through Saaja’s shirt. Then he took the tip of the blade and lacerated her torso between one of her ribs. Red blood oozed out from her milky white skin.

“What are you doing?” Malik asked, alarmed.

“Thoracostomy.”

The term meant nothing to Malik.

Walker cut through her fascia and muscle and penetrated her thoracic cavity. Then he fed the hydraulic tube into her chest and blood began to drain through it.

“Do you know CPR?”

Malik shook his head.

Walker took over and placed his palms over Saaja’s chest. He continuously pumped her chest, resuscitating her. After a moment she coughed up blood. It spewed out of her mouth onto the sand. She gasped for air.

“In the kit there should be an expandable polymer wound healing gel. Find it.”

Malik rummaged through the first-aid kit. He tossed the gel packet to Walker. He applied it to Saaja’s wound. The gel expanded to fill the cavity. It was much like the GS gel that the UPDF had. An expandable biopolymer foam, with regenerative compounds. It was great for plugging puncture wounds. Though, the Saarkturian version seemed more advanced.

Walker rolled Saaja over and removed her backplate. Then he applied the wound sealing gel to the puncture wound on her back. The gel contained an antibiotic, but Walker rummaged through the first aid kit to find an antibiotic injection that would work systemically.

Saaja was breathing, but she still couldn’t move. It would be some time before the venom wore off.

“Just hang in there, you’re going to be okay,” Malik said in a comforting voice. He gently touched her face. Saaja nodded.

“Let’s get her back to the ship,” Walker said.

The two men carried her back to the Phantom. Walker found a painkiller in the first aid kit and gave it to Saaja. From his previous experience with Saarkturian regenerative compounds, he knew they worked quickly. But this was an extensive injury, and he wasn’t sure how long Saaja’s recovery period would be. If she
did
recover at all.

“How do you feel?” Walker asked.

“I don’t feel anything after that shot you gave me,” she said.

“That’s the way it’s supposed to be. You let me know when it starts to wear off.”

She nodded. “I never thought I’d thank a human.”

“We’re not all bad,” Walker said. “Get some rest.”

Malik was thankful, even though he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He held Saaja’s hand and tried to comfort her. The pain medication had a sedative effect, and Saaja dozed off quickly.

“You seem to care for her a great deal,” Walker said.

“We are to be mated. Unlike humans, Saarkturians mate for life.”

“Some humans mate for life. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out, no matter how much you want it to.”

“Saaja and I have always been destined to be together. If she dies, it will be the end of my lineage.” Malik gazed at Saaja with love and concern. Walker could see in his eyes that she was the most important thing in the universe to him.

“I’ll do my best to keep her alive, you have my word.”

“It seems like you’ve had a lot of practice with this type of thing,” Malik said.

Walker nodded. “Too much. It seems like every living thing in the universe tries to kill each other, at some point.”

Malik agreed.

“What’s wrong with your ship?” Walker asked.

“There’s a short in the power cell. I repaired most of the damage to the starboard engine. But I can’t maintain continuous power. We’d never make escape velocity. I don’t think we’d make it a few hundred meters without falling out of the sky.”

“Perhaps we can come to some kind of arrangement?”

“What type of arrangement?”

“A mutually beneficial one. We agree to work together to get off this planet. Then we can go our separate ways.”

Malik pondered this for a moment.

“The power cell on my shuttle is fully functional,” Walker said. “It’s two days from here. We grab it, come back, and get off this rock.”

Malik’s eyes narrowed. “Then what?”

“You drop me off at the nearest outpost, or colony.”

“If we drop you off at a colony, or an outpost, we’ll be shot down, or taken prisoner.”

“You have my word that won’t happen.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“For the same reason I’ll have to trust you once you get the power cell,” Walker said. “Do we have a deal?”

Malik’s face tensed as he thought about this. A moment later he answered. “We have a deal.”

Walker extended his hand. Malik looked at him, confused.

“Where I come from, a man is only as good as his word. And we shake on a deal,” Walker said.

Malik stared at Walker’s hand for a moment. Then he reached out and clasped it. Their eyes met, and their hands shook.

Walker didn’t know how the Verge felt about loyalty and honor. They had broken the peace treaty and had been heading toward New Earth with a fleet hell-bent on destruction. Did a handshake with a Saarkturian mean anything?

I
t took
nine slide-space jumps to reach Vega Draconis from Alpha Ceti 7. The Scarab entered the atmosphere and made its approach to a private space port in Europa City. It was the capital of Vega Draconis, and had the largest population density on the planet.

It was a city of almost perpetual night. The party never ended in Europa. You could buy liquor, or whatever you wanted, 24 hours a day. The clubs and bars and restaurants never closed. The city was filled with dazzling lights. Brilliant video displays lined the sides of towering buildings. It had that electric vibe in the atmosphere. Something was always happening. It was like New York and Las Vegas hooked up for a one night stand and had a really bad kid.

Slade watched the descent into the city from the porthole in her cabin. It was hard to believe that a city that looked so wondrous from above could be such a gritty, slimy cesspool.

The hatch to her compartment slid open. “Time to meet your new boss,” Logan said.

“I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten in a week.”

“Not my problem.”

“You know, you might get more money for me if I looked well fed and had some makeup.”

Logan frowned. Slade was right. “Mia,” he called out. A few moments later she appeared.

“What is it?”

“Let her borrow some makeup.”

“No.”

“That wasn’t a request.”

“Fine. But you’re reimbursing me for expenses.”

Logan rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just make her look pretty.”

“I’m not a miracle worker,” Mia said.

Slade glared at her.

“Do it,” Logan commanded.

“Okay.” Mia darted out and returned a moment later. She entered Slade’s cabin with a
Nouveau Visage
makeup applicator. It was in a small aluminum case, and folded open like a laptop. It had a display and a small robotic arm. It scanned Slade’s face, then displayed a number of potential makeup
looks
to choose from on the screen.

Logan kept an eye on things with his pistol drawn.

Mia swiped through a few looks, settling on just the perfect face. “Here. I think this is a good look for you.” Mia spun the display around to show Slade. Mia looked almost gleeful, playing with makeup.

Slade frowned.“It’s a little trashy, don’t you think?”

Mia deflated. It was like insulting her artistic taste. “Honey, on this planet, trashy is what sells.”

“You seem like a nice person. How can you be a part of all this?”

“It pays the rent,” Mia said. “And you’re just a convict.”

“Enough chit chat,” Logan grumbled. “Paint her up.”

“Hold still and close your eyes,” Mia said.

Slade sighed and did as she said. The robotic arm moved from left to right, like and inkjet printer, spraying her face with makeup. It was flawless perfection.

Slade looked in the mirror and almost gasped. As the captain of a star destroyer, she didn’t have much use for makeup. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to get all dolled up. Even if it was a little bit trashy.

“I have got to get one of those,” Slade said.

Mia stifled a chuckle. Then her face turned to stone. She stepped back and closed the
Nouveau Visage.
None of the crew liked to spend too much time with their cargo. They didn’t want to develop any kind of attachment. They didn’t want to see them as human beings. They were just merchandise, like any other commodity.

“Mia, go with Gorth and deliver our other goods. Then meet me at Little Nicky’s.”

“What about her?”

“I can handle this one.”

“You sure about that? She’s feisty.”

Logan glared at Mia.

“You’re the boss.” Mia shrugged and left the compartment.

“A little something to eat would be nice,” Slade said.

Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out a nutrition bar. He stepped into the compartment, strolling toward Slade as he peeled off the packaging. He held the bar to her full lips.

Her eyes narrowed at him.

“Take it or leave it, honey. It’s the only thing you’re going to get.”

Slade leaned forward and took the bar into her mouth. Her big eyes looked up at Logan as her plush lips wrapped around the bar. She could see his mind drift to lustful thoughts.

Her teeth bit into the bar, breaking off a chunk, and she gobbled it down. It wasn’t half bad. It was better than the slop she had been fed back in the prison. She devoured the bar with blazing speed, almost taking off Logan’s fingertips. She’d have probably eaten them too if he didn’t snap them away.

“I guess Carson really doesn’t feed you people.”

“Not when you’re in the hole for a week.”

“You survived a week in the hole?” Logan lifted an incredulous eyebrow.

“Something like that. I lost track of time. It’s easy to do.”

“I know hardened criminals, twice your size, that couldn’t last a day in the pit.”

“I guess those criminals weren’t very
hard
.” She subtly, or not so subtly, arched her chest out. The words slipped off her tongue like velvet. Her voice was breathy and sultry.

Logan couldn’t help but glance down at her inviting cleavage. Then he chuckled. “Look, sweetheart. I know what you’re doing. It’s not going to work.”

“What’s the matter. Don’t you want to test out the merchandise first?”

“Do you really think every woman that comes through here doesn’t try the same thing? You’re not going to catch me off guard. You’re not going to escape. You’re not going to get me to do something stupid.”

Slade laughed. “Putting yourself alone in a room with me was pretty stupid.” Slade kneed him in the groin. Logan double over. She planted another knee in his face, cracking his nose. He dropped his weapon. Slade kicked it across the deck.

Still cuffed behind her back, she flopped onto the bunk, and pulled her cuffs over her ass. She pulled her legs through and dashed for the weapon. With her hands cuffed in front of her now, she had a fighting chance.

Logan was sprinting for the gun as well. If she didn’t get to that gun first, she was going to be in deep trouble.

“
B
ailey
?” Walker yelled. “Bailey?”

The sun was rising, the desert heat was sweltering. There wasn’t any shelter nearby, and Walker was growing extremely nervous about Bailey’s whereabouts. The dog was indigenous to the planet. Surely he could take care of himself. But Walker was still filled with dread.

A few moments later, Bailey came running across the sand. His paws were kicking up plumes of dust as he ran. He jumped into Walker’s arms and licked his face, excitedly.

Walker cradled him and petted his head. “It’s good to see you too, Sergeant.” Walker smiled. He had never thought of himself as a dog person, but this little animal seemed to have been giving him more joy than he could remember having in a long time. He carried Bailey back into the Phantom. Together, they would wait out the heat of the afternoon.

“I don’t understand your attachment to this creature,” Malik said.

Walker smiled. “I don’t either. But he sure does grow on you.” Walker scratched Bailey’s chin. “Don’t you Saarkturians have pets?”

Malik shook his head. “Pets are impractical.”

“A lot of the good things in life are impractical.” Walker petted Bailey and smiled. For a few moments, all was right with the universe.

They lazed around for most of the day. There wasn’t much you could do in the heat. And the inside of the Phantom was like a furnace. Walker was bathed in sweat. Malik was running low on food and water. It wasn’t going to be enough for the three of them for more than a day.

The sun arced across the sky and began its slow descent. The Phantom cooled off, slightly.

“If we leave now, we can make it to my shelter by the evening,” Walker said. “In the morning, we can head into the flatlands and recover the power cell.”

Malik looked to Saaja.

“Go, I’ll be alright,” she said, though she didn’t sound totally confident.

Malik grimaced. “I don’t want to leave you like this.”

“I can go alone,” Walker said. “You can’t leave without the fuel cell, and I can’t leave without you.”

“The terrain is treacherous,” Saaja said. “The odds of survival out there are better if you work as a team.”

“I can survive just fine on my own,” Walker said. “Isn’t that right, Bailey.”

Bailey barked.

Malik frowned. “Saaja is right. We will work as a team.”

The two gathered their gear, reloaded the weapons, and set out into the desert. Bailey followed. They were halfway to the cavern when the sky began to darken. A storm was brewing on the horizon. Rain would be a welcomed gift.

“That doesn’t look good.” Walker’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at the approaching storm. But it wasn’t rain. It was an angry sandstorm that formed a thick, abrasive wall of particles. The kind of storm that could grind the flesh from your bones in a matter of minutes. It was moving toward them at a blistering pace.

“We need to find shelter,” Walker said. He was still wearing the Saarkturian body armor, but he had left the helmet back at the cavern. No sense in lugging it around. The heat was even more stifling with a full helmet and face mask on your head. But it would have provided some extra protection during the storm. Bailey, however, was completely exposed.

Walker took off his pack and let Bailey crawl in for cover. He hoisted the pack on his back, and he and Malick picked up the pace.

Despite their efforts, the storm descended upon them before they reached the cavern. It was like a hurricane enveloped them. Visibility dropped to a few feet. Sand and pebbles hailed down.

Walker tried to take cover behind a rock formation. A gust of wind swept him from his feet and whisked him twenty yards, slamming him into the canyon wall.

It seemed the wind speed was increasing. Painful pellets of sand peppered his face. Bailey crouched in his pack. Malick was nowhere to be seen. None of them were going to survive for long in this storm.

Walker pulled himself forward along the canyon wall. Two steps forward, three steps back. His face was red and raw from the pummeling grit. He kept marching forward, looking for an alcove, or anything that might provide a little shelter.

Walker crammed himself in a groove, behind a rock formation. It was pretty exposed, but better than nothing. He tried to shelter Bailey as much as possible, but the wind seemed to come from every direction, swirling mercilessly.

A cloaked figure emerged from the haze of sand. He was covered from head to toe in a makeshift armor, scavenged from whatever he could cobble together. He clung to a safety rope that ran through a clamp on his belt. The figure tossed the end of the rope to Walker, and he pulled himself up.

The figure turned around and marched back the way he came. Walker followed, pulling himself along the rope. It wasn’t store bought rope. It was hand made and knotted together out of a fibrous material.

The figure led him to a small opening in the canyon walls. Inside was a small alcove. It looked like a primitive, but cozy home. There were handmade tables and chairs. Crafted pottery—clay bowls and plates. A bunk to sleep on. Even some type of artwork on the walls. Whoever this figure was, he had been here for quite some time.

Walker entered the dwelling, and the figure sealed the opening behind him. The door was made of metal and looked like it had been part of a bulkhead once.

Walker spent a few minutes coughing up dirt and sand that had filled his lungs.

The figure pulled back his hood and peeled off his face mask. He was a rugged man of maybe 50, but the harsh elements had weathered his swarthy skin beyond his years. His hair was short and starting to gray, and his square jaw was stubbled with a little more than a five o’clock shadow.

Walker hadn’t shaved since he crashed on this damn planet, and his neck was starting to itch. This man must have had a nice, sharp blade to be as well groomed as he was.

Walker set his pack on the ground and Bailey leaped out. He took in the scenery, cautiously.

“Thank you,” Walker said.

“Those sand storms are a real bitch,” the man said. “Lucky I saw you.”

Walker nodded. “One of my men, if you could call him that, is still out there.”

“I’ve done my good deed for the day. But you are welcome to do as you please. There’s a few hundred feet of rope. After that you’re on your own. I’d stay put if I were you—if you want to live. I’ve seen those storms take the skin off an animal in minutes.”

Walker was torn. He needed the Saarkturian. They were a team now. And Walker never left a team member behind.