He Who Dares: Book Two (The Gray Chronicals 2) (42 page)

“Jesus, this station is big, sir, what do you think would be our best course?”  Sergeant Rice asked, looking around.

The Star base was big, a multi-leveled circular structure, and from top to bottom and at least half a mile long, and a three quarters of a mile wide at the center.  From the outside, it looked something like an old-fashioned spinning top.  The main concourse teamed with gaudy clad people, sampling the local wares, as the ‘ladies of the evening’ plied their trade, or enticed the men into knocking shops or bars.  The air was filled with a multitude of enticing smells, and sounds of music.

“Nice place to spend some R&R, if it wasn’t on the wrong side.”  Rice muttered, looking longingly at a tray full of beer floating passed on the top of a droid.

“Later, Charley, we’ve got work to do.

“Aye-aye, sir.”  He sighed.

“I’m betting those fighters are in a strictly military area, so see if you can find a directory terminal.”  He looked around.   “If the Sirriens build their Star bases anything like Earth, then they should be spaced out around the main concourse.”

“Aye, sir.”  Rice muttered softly, then pushed his way through the crowd, and passed the word.

It didn’t take long to locate one, as expected, finding them scattered about the wide concourse at regular intervals.  The terminals also gave the information in a multitude of languages, and simply by tapping in ‘English’ all instruction and direction came up that way.  Mike did note one piece of good fortune, according to the terminal the Star Base was in a night rotation, not that you could tell from the number of people milling around.  Hopefully, it meant there wouldn’t be so many people on duty, especially in the military section.  Mike stayed with Rice, while the other wandered about, checking out the market stalls, or chatting with the locals.

“Found it, sir, six levels down, all military passed that point, and no information about it.”

“That’s a place to start, let’s go.”  Mike eyed the security cam all over the place.  “Keep it casual people and don’t bunch up, they have eyes on us.”  Without being obvious, everyone looked for, and spotted the location of the cams.

Using hand signals the group followed as they looked around for an elevator.  With the crush of people wandering about, it was difficult to find, so in the end they used a stairway that leads down.  Even so, there were a lot of people going up and down, babbling in countless languages.  They managed to go down four decks before they were stopped by two men in dark green station security uniforms.

“Where do you think you’re going, rock hound?”  One asked in French.

“None of your damn business.”  Mike answered in a surly manner using his native language, trying to push passed them.  Avalon English was similar to Earth English, but different enough in tone and inflection so the MP didn’t think it strange, not with the multitude of other languages spoken here.

“Watch your mouth!”  One snapped in Standard English, placing his shock baton in the center of Mike’s chest and fingering the button.

“You watch it!  Why are you putting a squeeze on us?”  He asked belligerently, hooking his hand in his web belt, inches from his holster.

“Checking ID, that’s what.”  The MP said, prodding a little with the baton.  The position of Mike’s hand didn’t go unnoticed.

“Sound like a squeeze to me! “  He snapped, putting on his best scowl.  “Go bother some FNG’s, you might have more luck.”  It was obviously the right note, as the two cops looked at each other.  Something passed between them and they walked away.

“Phew!  Thought they got us for sure then, Skipper.”

“No, seen it before.  Just a couple of Red caps looking for a little extra cash from some FNG's who don’t know any better.  They know miners aren’t too careful about carrying their ID tags all the time.”  Corporal Peters commented.  Rice and Mike nodded, Peters being one of the two Marines who’d worked the asteroid belt back home.

“Let’s not hang around, just in case they come back.”  Sergeant Rice fingered his sidearm, a hard look on his face.

“Easy, Charley, we don’t want to start a fuss, just yet.”

“No, sir.”  He took a deep breath.  He didn’t like white mice, Sirrien or Earth.

“You see any good places to plant something?”

“All ready did, sir, two electrical junction boxes and some gas lines.”

“What sort of gas?”

“Don’t know, sir, they’re labeled in French.”  Mike chuckled.

“Let’s hope it wasn’t a fuel or a hydrogen line.”

“Wow!  Didn’t think of that, sir.”

“Never mine, we’ll be several decks below if it is.”  They reached deck five, and the crowd thinned out.  The main concourse on this level seemed to be more offices and equipment stores than pleasure or entertainment.  They were also more vulnerable here as most miners and traders stayed up on the main concourse.  With the omnipresent security cams, it wouldn’t be long before someone in the control center started asking questions.

“Now it starts to get tricky, so stay sharp.”  Mike pulled his comm link out of his pocket and fit it over his ear, signaling the rest to do the same.  At least now, he could communicate with them all directly.

“Let's take a quick walk round the concourse as if we are going somewhere, the second team should be on its way by now.”  He whispered, checking his timepiece.

“Found an elevator, sir,” someone whispered in his ear, “they are spaced around the inner bulkhead about a hundred yards apart.”

“Good, anyone got any idea where the launch bays are from here?”

“From what I saw on this layout, they should be about half way round the station from here, sir.”  Another voice answered a female one this time.

“Good, let's head in that direction.”

Two of the team turned and started walking at a good pace away from them, and the rest followed.  They didn’t bunch up, and to a casual observer they looked like individual groups who happened to be going in the same direction.  Mike did see one or two of them stop occasionally and examine an interesting store sign, betting they were planting something nasty.  There was a lot to choose from, with exposed conduits and piping everywhere.  It was more a matter of choosing the right place more than anything.  At one point, Mike spotted a group of pipes and conduits running down a wall and disappearing through the floor.  The hole around the bottom made a good place to drop one of his packets.  Setting the arming trigger, he took a quick look round and dropped it in.  The package fell about two feet before lodging against the seal off between decks.  Just as he walked away, alarm bells started ringing, and for a moment, he thought he’d triggered some internal security sensor.  A few of the other people in the hallway stopped and looked around, puzzled looks on their faces.  Then the speaker system came to life and someone started babbling excitedly in French.

“What’s he saying, sir.”

“Something about, don’t panic, there’s no danger.”

“Danger from what?  Our diversion.”

“Find a view port.”  He whispered and started walking again.

“There's a view port over here, sir, come and look.”

Mike did, finding he could just see the edge of the solar furnace.  As he watched, it started to wobble more and more, the red targeting laser missing the target crucible and flashing out across the void. Then it hit one of the space docks and something exploded as the concentrated sun beam cut a line of fire across the structure.

“Okay, people, the funs started, let’s get to that elevator.”

As they crowded in, the speaker system started issuing instruction in different languages, telling people not to panic, and that they should stay where they were.  Mike nodded to Sergeant Rice, and with a smile, he triggered the first of the charges.  Even four decks down, they felt the explosion and felt the elevator shudder.

“Good grief, how much explosive did you use?”  Mike asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“Enough to get their attention, Skipper.”

“You did that.”

“Let's hope that wasn’t one of the power relays the control this elevator Sarg.” One of the Marines muttered.

“Nar, going to hit them after we get out of there.”

Their ride halted with a jerk and the doors slid open on the Seventy-six floor, and two armed soldiers immediately stepped towards them.  Standing behind Mike, Rice triggered several more explosions.  One was obviously the power to the elevator system, as the lights inside went dead.”

“Hey, you can’t come down here, back upstairs where you belong!”  One of the guards stepped forward, while the other looked up at the flickering light in the ceiling.

“We can’t the elevator controls aren’t functioning.”  Mike explained as he stepped forward.

Behind him, two of the Marines fanned out, looking each way down the passageway.  Without warning, they both fired stun bolts into the guards, dropping them to the deck.

“That should save a lot of explanation, Skipper.”

“Yes, I guess that’s would be a conversation stopper.  Dump them in the elevators and close the doors.”

Hopefully, the explosions and the wandering solar mirror were causing enough distraction in the control center they weren’t paying any attention to a few miners being on the wrong deck.  Not that it mattered now.  They were committed and getting close to their target.  Mike and the team walked swiftly around the circular concourse until they ran into an armored steel door, blocking further progress. Mike examined the door and the keypad on the bulkhead and shook his head in exasperation.

“Damn, we need the key combination to get through this.”

“There might be an easier way.”  Rice offered.

“Don’t think we can blast through it.”

“Don’t have too, just wait until someone opens it from the inside.”

“That might be a long wait.”  Rice grinned at him and shook his head.

“Ready, Marines?”

“Yes, Sarg, go for it.”  Rice pulled Mike to one side.

“Cover your ear, sir, fire in the hold!”  He warned and triggered his keypad.  A resounding explosion rocked the passageway and smoke began billowed out of a junction box some distance down.

“That should get someone's attention.”  He announced.  It did, as the security door rumbled open.

In an instant the Marines were through, followed by the sound of blaster, and stun bolts.  Mike followed, and sure enough, it was the launch bay.  Four guards lay on the floor.  All were out cold with surprised looks on their faces, and none of his people were injured.

“Which way, sir?”  Rice asked.

“Haven’t the foggiest idea.”

“Christ, this place is enormous, how the hell do we find the fighters in here.”  A female Marine muttered.

“I’m betting they are in another area, with more security, so fan out in two and start searching.  Corporal Prentice, close and seal that door.  We don’t want any unfriendly people coming up behind us.”

“Aye-aye, Skipper.”

“Anything on the detector, Sergeant Rice?” Passing through another large hatch.

“Not so far, but all this steel could be interfering with the tracker signal.”  While Rice scanned the area for any traces of a signal, Mike looked around to find out where they were.

“Chief?”  Mike called, switching channels on his comm set, “do you read me?”  Mike looked at the sign over the entrance door. “We are in launch bay, ALPHA-6, and by the look of it you should be able to bring the mining ship right in here, it's big enough.”