Michael actually liked the fact that Ajax refused to enter deep sleep, because it meant that he constantly had someone on board who was keeping watch. Everyone in the galaxy had heard stories of ships being boarded and looted whilst their occupants slept. The Out Drifter had automatic security systems to prevent such an unfortunate event, but no amount of automatic security was a substitute for a real person.
Michael lay back in his sleeping pod. A panel of glass slid over his body. He hit the operation switch; an instant later he was asleep.
**
Ajax had a unique way of escaping the confines of the ship. On one of his first missions he had salvaged an ancient virtual reality simulator from an abandoned wreck. The simulator came with two helmets; once placed on his head the helmet would project light waves into his eyes and electrical impulses into his upper spinal cord. He could use the virtual reality simulator to explore hundreds of virtual worlds which were loaded onto the system. The worlds were so real that the brain was completely tricked into thinking they were actually reality.
Such technology was known for its tendency to make its users addicts. In the virtual world there were no consequences and no hardships. What’s more, the player could often develop the virtual world to suit their particular interests. The risk of using virtual reality machines was well known throughout the galaxy, and the technology was shunned by most people who regarded it as potentially unproductive and life destroying. Often people would refuse to leave their machine once they were addicted to the world inside, and sometimes people would die from not meeting their essential needs in the real world.
For Ajax the technology was just a way of escaping the confines of his life on the Out Drifter. The virtual worlds gave him a rare feeling of freedom, and freedom was a precious commodity in his life. He considered life on the Out Drifter as a life of confinement and restriction. He felt that he had no real freedom because he belonged to a crew and had to follow orders. He respected Captain Michael more than any other person, but he knew there was a limit as to how much he could take and that soon he would have to move on.
**
Ajax was sitting beside a pristine stream which was situated between two snow-capped mountains. Rows of towering pines ascended the mountainsides. He could see silver fish swimming through the crystal clear water. He lay back on the soft grass and looked up at the bright blue sky. He felt completely relaxed and at peace. He was smiling dreamily up at the majestic clouds above as birds cheeped and the sound of the flowing water relaxed his mind.
‘So this is where you go when everyone sleeps,’ said Cynthia.
He leapt to his feet and his smile melted away. ‘What are you doing here?’ he yelled. ‘This is my world. I built this place. You have no right to be here!’
Cynthia was standing beside the stream. She took two steps back. ‘I’m sorry. There was a spare helmet. I didn’t realise I wasn’t allowed to use it.’
Ajax shook his head and muttered some words under his breath. ‘You’re meant to be in deep sleep. That spare helmet is my property!’
Cynthia beheld the icy mountain tops. The beauty of the virtual world was quite astounding. Rays of light were reflecting off the mountainsides, creating a golden glowing haze in the sky, which shimmered over the mist filled distant valleys.
‘I will leave if you want me to, but I have to say this place is amazing. I had no idea that such places could be so beautiful. How big is this world?’
The question distracted Ajax from his initial annoyance. ‘Very big,’ he grumbled. ‘This is my favourite place. I constructed all of this. There is a small town on the far side of those mountains. There are a few people living there.’
‘People?’ she questioned.
‘They’re written into the programming.’
‘Do they seem as real as this world does?’
‘Let’s just say that you can’t have a deep and meaningful conversation with them.’
‘Can you give me a tour?’
Ajax crossed his arms and turned away. ‘I told you this is my world. You should have asked for my permission.’
‘I apologised.’
‘Sorry isn’t good enough,’ he snapped.
‘I’ll go then,’ she said, turning away. She took a few steps and prepared to exit the program.
‘Cynthia, don’t go yet.’
She glanced over her shoulder. ‘Ajax, either you want me here or you don’t want me here.’
Ajax lowered his eyes. ‘Half the time I don’t know what I want,’ he muttered.
‘Why? What’s wrong with you?’
‘Nothing!’ His face hardened. ‘There’s nothing wrong with me! What’s wrong with you?’
She turned away from him and disappeared from sight.
**
Michael woke to the sound of the ship’s automatic alarm, which was usually a warning of a critical malfunctions or a potential threat. The alarm was set to instantly open the deep sleep pods. Ajax was standing in the room.
‘Wake up, wake up, ladies and gentlemen; it looks like we have a grade A salvage opportunity,’ he said loudly, clapping his hands to rouse them from sleep.
Michael sat up and quickly stepped out of his pod. He shook his arms to help the blood flow back through his body.
‘What’s the story?’
‘The scanners picked up an abandoned cruiser. I don’t know what type; you know I’m no good at working the computer, but the analysis panel is saying it’s a goldmine.’
‘I’ll check it out,’ said Sara in a sleepy voice as she slipped out of her sleeping pod and shuffled across to the door; her legs were still adjusting.
Michael followed Sara and Ajax down to the control room. Sara took her seat and checked the scanner display.
‘It’s an old colonist ship. Colonial Standmast Class 12. The engine components are rare and valuable. It’s probably at least a hundred years old. There should be a lot to salvage.’
‘Are there any signs of life?’
‘Just a second,’ she said as she flipped to another screen. ‘Nothing, Captain; no people or droids. The reactor is depleted and life support is offline. There should be enough air for us to board without space suits, but it will be very cold in there. There are no signs of significant damage. I think it’s been abandoned and left floating.’
‘Pay day,’ said Ajax with a broad grin.
‘Ajax, prepare the crew,’ said Michael.
‘You got it, Cap.’ Ajax walked back toward the cargo bay.
Sara brought the ship out of interstellar speed. The engines rumbled as the Out Drifter slowed to standard speed. She then angled the ship in the direction of the abandoned cruiser. Michael watched through the viewing panel as the ship appeared in the distance. The cruiser was about a hundred metres long. It was shaped like a hammer, with a long thin cylindrical back section which was intersected by a cross section at the front.
Such ships were primarily used by colonists and explorers who were searching for new worlds in the regions beyond the boundaries of human civilisation. Their chief function was to provide their crew with the ability to survive for long periods of exploration. They were equipped with a range of scanners and other instruments for examining the suitability of worlds for colonisation. The long narrow section that extended toward the back of the ship was the engine block. The engine had been built for the purpose of extended space flights in a singular direction; such ships lacked the ability to maneuver or perform any agile movements.
There were at least forty billion stars in the Triangulum Galaxy. Billions of stars had yet to be surveyed by humanity. With so many undiscovered systems, the culture of colonisation had always been strong throughout history, even twelve thousand years after the arrival of humanity in Triangulum. Colonists were often idealistic people who wanted to improve their lot in life and find a world where they could live in peace, far away from the controls of the Epherian Empire, the Trade Guild and the many feudal houses and corporations who ruled th
e Outer Worlds. However, even with so many uncharted stars systems, it was often difficult for colonists to find a world which could sustain human life and even more difficult to find a world with prime conditions for life to grow. Prime worlds were prized and often fought over by colonists. Many colonists would settle for less than ideal worlds out of desperation and a lack of resources to continue their search.
Sara angled the Out Drifter toward one of the security doors on the section at the front of the colonist ship. She masterfully glided the ship downward. Michael was reminded of her awesome skill every time she performed such a maneuver. He knew he was fortunate to have such a talented pilot aboard. He often wondered why she didn’t leave to join the war effort, as he knew that such gifted pilots were in high demand among the war fleets facing the aliens.
The magnetic clamps extended like claws and secured the Out Drifter to the hull of the other ship.
‘Well done, Sara. Another perfect attachment,’ he said as he stood up and walked back to the cargo bay. Ajax, Cynthia, Ivan and Ethan were gearing up and preparing to disembark. Michael picked up his charged particle rifle.
‘If the scanners are saying there are no lifeforms we won’t need much gear, Cap,’ said Ajax.
‘You can never be too careful,’ said Michael. He then turned to Cynthia. Her eyes revealed a high level of anxiety. She noticed him looking at her and she quickly averted her eyes. ‘Are you feeling okay, Cynthia?’
She gave a curt nod. ‘Fine, Captain,’ she replied.
‘You don’t look fine,’ said Ajax with a hoarse chuckle. ‘You look terrified, and this isn’t even a dangerous mission.’
Cynthia’s pale skin turned bright red, and her eyes narrowed as she stared back at Ajax. ‘I’m not afraid of anything. I can do anything you can do,’ she said sharply.
‘Really! Do you think you can carry this plasma enforcer for me?’
‘I’m sure I could,’ she said, stepping forward to reach for the massive gun. Ajax stepped back from her.
‘Cynthia. I just want you to observe this mission and help out when needed,’ said Michael. ‘Don’t carry anything.’
Ethan walked over to the exit door and lifted the quantum code breaker. ‘Captain, there is enough air on the other side for us to remain in the ship for about an hour. The odd thing is that the ship has no codes.’
‘What are you talking about?’ questioned Ajax.
‘The security system has been removed,’ said Ethan hesitantly.
‘Who in their right mind would bother removing a security system?’ asked Ajax.
‘Maybe it’s a trap,’ suggested Cynthia in a low voice.
Michael stared at the door for a long moment. ‘Have your rifles ready. Ethan, open the door.’
Ethan opened the Out Drifter’s exit door and the door of the Standmast ship. They were instantly hit by the icy air. Michael pointed a flashlight into the darkened ship. The cruiser’s main service corridor was directly ahead of them; it cut through the living quarters of the ship.
‘Light it up,’ said Michael.
Ethan fired a florescent flare down the corridor. Instantly glowing mist lit the entire length of the way. The corridor was completely empty. There were four doors on each side which were spaced at intervals, and there was a single security door which led to the engine block.
‘All right, everyone. I want to do a complete sweep of the entire ship. Cynthia, Ethan; come with me. We’ll see what can be salvaged from the engine. Ajax and Ivan; see if you can find anything to salvage in the main living compartments.’
‘No problem, Cap,’ said Ajax as he stepped into the corridor.
Michael led Cynthia and Ethan to the engine block security door. The door was jammed in place with a gap just wide enough to pass through. Ethan shot a flare down the full length of the narrow corridor beyond. There were indents with control consoles for the engine set at intervals along the length of the corridor. The corridor cut directly through the elongated engine block. Many colonist ship engines used a similar method of firing particles down a long shaft directly into a reactor. When the particles struck the reactor at full speed they would cause a chain reaction which would significantly reduce the consumption of fuel. The process would then be repeated as the fuel depleted, which would enable ships to travel vast distances through space without refuelling. The problem was that these ships were not useful for other purposes because the engines were unable to increase or decrease power rapidly.
‘What do you think, Ethan? Can you remove the particle accelerators? I think they’re worth about twenty thousand each.’
Ethan walked down to the first console. ‘It’s going to take some time, but I can remove them one by one.’
Michael’s wrist-com suddenly beeped. ‘...Cap, I think you better come and take a look at this…’ said Ajax.
‘Did you find something good?’
‘…I don’t know if good is the right word…’
‘What is it?’ asked Michael.
‘…Let’s just say that this ship isn’t abandoned…’
‘Damn it,’ said Michael as he turned on his heel.
Cynthia and Ethan followed him out of the engine corridor and back into the main corridor. The mist from the flare was still providing a faint glow. Ajax appeared at a side door and indicated for them to come in. Inside was a large room with a two sleeping pods which were covered with scan-defence polymer sheets. Michael had seen the polymer sheets before; they were mostly used by smugglers to disrupt scans performed by other ships. The sleeping pods were occupied.
‘Are they dead?’ asked Michael as he peered down at one of the occupants who was a middle-aged woman.
‘No, they have wired their sleeping pods to a separate power source which has been cloaked in the same manner as the pods,’ said Ivan. ‘It appears that their reactor was depleted and their only option for survival was to power their sleeping pods with a portable battery.’
‘Why would they cover their pods? Why are they hiding?’
‘I believe they are trying to protect themselves from being boarded by aliens,’ said Ivan. ‘Aliens will not board a ship if they do not detect organic occupants. If they detected an abandoned ship they would most likely pass it by.’
‘How long have they been under?’ asked Ajax.
‘Ninety-six days,’ said Ivan as he viewed a small monitor on one of the pods.
‘It looks like this mission is over,’ said Ajax. ‘It’s the code of the Outer World Salvage Guild; we can’t take anything from an occupied ship. Let’s go back to the Out Drifter.’ Ajax turned to leave and Michael was about to follow.
‘We can’t leave them like this,’ said Cynthia, grabbing Michael’s arm.
‘What are you talking about,’ snapped Ajax, turning towards her.
‘These people are stranded,’ she said, staring directly into Ajax’s fierce eyes. ‘Who will save them if we don’t?’
‘It’s not our problem,’ said Ajax. ‘I knew the Cap was making a mistake when he let you join the crew. It’s your first mission and you’re already trying to give orders.’
Cynthia looked to Michael for support, but he held his silence. ‘Captain, we can’t leave these people. It’s not right.’
‘We don’t have a choice,’ said Ethan. ‘If we picked up every stranded person we wouldn’t have time for salvaging anything. We don’t have room for them on the Out Drifter. You have to accept it, Cynthia; these people have nothing to do with us.’
‘We have to help these people,’ she said, raising her voice.
Ajax groaned and gave a dismissive wave. ‘This is ridiculous. Let’s go, Cap.’
Michael stared at the two stranded occupants of the sleeping pods. ‘We will take a vote.’
Ajax shook his head and groaned. ‘I can’t believe you are allowing a vote. This is crazy.’
‘I vote to save them,’ said Cynthia.
‘Ethan?’ asked Michael.
‘No, Captain,’ he replied.
/>
‘Ivan?’
‘I am bound by my programming which is dependent on the intention of the direct task at hand. Therefore I cannot vote.’
‘You have to vote. Should we save these people?’ asked Michael.
‘If the question is simply whether we should save two colonists who would die otherwise then I must vote yes because my underlying programming framework is in favour of saving life.’
‘That vote can’t be counted,’ growled Ajax.
‘It will be counted,’ stated Michael flatly.
‘So it comes down to you, Cap,’ said Ajax. ‘You know this is foolish. A minute ago you were about to follow me directly out of here without a second thought. Let’s keep going to Zeno Par. Remember we’re a salvage crew.’
Michael thought back to the time when he had been exiled from the Epherian Empire and remembered when he had no one to turn to. If he hadn’t been given a chance by random strangers he would have died of starvation.
‘I vote yes,’ he said.
Ajax’s jaw dropped. ‘This is madness,’ he said under his breath. ‘What about Sara. She still has to vote.’
Michael nodded in agreement and lifted his wrist-com. ‘Sara, we found two people in deep sleep on the ship. We are having a vote to determine if we should save them. Which way are you going to vote?’
‘…I trust you made the right choice, Captain. Which way did you vote?...’
‘To save them,’ he replied.
‘…Then I agree with you...’
‘That’s four against two,’ said Michael. ‘Ivan, open the pods.’
CHAPTER FOUR
The sleeping pod glass cover slid back and an instant later the woman opened her bright, blue eyes. She was at least forty years old with a lined face and sandy blonde hair which was greying at the sides. She instantly sat up and looked at the crew who were standing around her pod.
‘Who are you,’ she asked, coughing as she spoke.
‘My name is Captain Michael Cornelius of the Out Drifter. We are a salvage crew.’
‘A salvage crew,’ she repeated. She scanned the faces. ‘How long have we been asleep?’
‘Ninety-six days according to the control console,’ said Ivan.