Aliyn tapped her fingers on the console on the bridge of the Ardent. She squinted at the information on the screen, rubbing her temples while letting out a long sigh. A day had passed, and the crew, small but efficient, prepared to leave Europa's orbit and head into deep space. The new part of the Ardent's air system had arrived this morning, and Alex and his crew were working on its installation.
The SS Lunar had been inviting, but its sterile white halls had taken their toll on Aliyn's nerves. No matter how the advertisements portrayed the space station as a place to stop, rest, and resupply, the astringent smell and look of a research vessel never quite dissipated. It was a quiet reminder of the past, and how far humanity had come.
The Lunar's docking arms contained a variety of ships, most of them piloted by humans. Some alien races opted to visit Earth's solar system, but they never stayed long as the novelty wore off quickly. Earth was a rare stop for most travellers. It was located a great distance away from the larger galactic civilizations, and most vessels would have to veer off course to visit. Despite its distance, Earth's reputation as a retirement destination had been increasing over the years.
"Captain?" The urgent tone of Corin's voice caused Aliyn to look up from her work.
"What is it?" She replied, shutting the computer and sliding off her seat. She tugged her black jacket into a smooth line at her hips and gave the Ardent's pilot her full attention.
Corin shook his head, his vivid blue eyes betraying his annoyance. He was tall and muscular, towering over most men, with warm, sun-kissed skin that resembled smooth sand. He kept his shoulder-length flaxen hair tied in a neat ponytail at the back of his head, causing the features of his angular face to stand out.
"There is a situation in engineering," he spoke, his voice terse. "Lillian is already on her way, and she requests your presence."
"If it's something Lillian can't handle—" Aliyn exhaled, finished her sentence with a frustrated sigh. There wasn't much that the Chief of Security needed help with; she was very self-sufficient. "Come on." She gestured towards the doors, and headed off in a light jog, Corin close behind her.
As they neared engineering, the sound of raised voices became increasingly clear, echoing down the long hallway. Something was wrong.
"Lillian, I saw him messing with the components of the communication device!" It was Alex's voice.
Aliyn frowned as she and Corin burst into the room, almost too fast for the automatic sliding door that brushed their shoulders as they squeezed through simultaneously.
As they came to a halt, a man pushed past and almost knocked Aliyn off her feet. Corin reached out and steadied her, grabbing her forearm.
"Go after him!" Lillian ordered, and her gloved hand reached for the sleek black pistol at her waist. There wasn't even time to blink before Lillian pushed through the doors and followed the fleeing man. Alex was right behind her, his face contorted.
Aliyn fell into step beside Alex, looking over at him. "What the hell is going on?"
"One of the new recruits was tampering with the engineering communication port. I caught him installing something. When I called him on it, he denied it. Lillian came down right away at my request, and as she was questioning him, he took off, right when you two came through." Alex huffed as they tore through the hallways of the ship, sidestepping to avoid anyone moving in the opposite direction.
"Don't let him out!" Lillian's voice carried over the commotion, but it was too late. The man had bolted through the doors and down the corridor, vanishing into the crowd that filtered around the anchorage. She skidded to a halt.
Aliyn looked to Lillian. "Lillian, head to the station's security office right away. Alert them to the situation and get the Lunar's status into high alert. We'll look up his personnel file and meet you there. We're not leaving until we've found him!"
Lillian nodded. She secured her pistol at her hip and slipped through the doors of the ship into the docking area of the port. Her fiery red ponytail vanished into the crowd as she made her way to the security office.
"Come on!" Aliyn turned from the door and gestured to Corin and Alex, motioning for them to follow. Their boots tapped on the metal corridors as they ran to the bridge, various crew members looking on in confusion. The terminals there would hold all the information they needed.
"Here," Corin spoke, moving his hands over the console. The deft movements of his fingers brought up a series of images and captions, the entire crew of the Ardent. He scrolled through the files, eyes flicking back and forth as he looked for their target.
"That's him!" Alex raised a hand, pointing to an image of a dark-haired, middle-aged man.
"Johnathan Fritz, Senior Engineer," Corin read. "Says here he was a veteran of the Interstellar Defense Movement of 2998, decorated with multiple awards."
Aliyn looked perplexed. "Send that to Local Intelligence and get a confirmation on this information. I question why someone with his experience was sent on an exploratory mission. Why is he not on a military mission?"
"Sometimes these types want a more relaxing assignment. Although, nothing with you at the helm is relaxing, Flynn—I mean Captain." Corin smirked, holding off a chuckle.
"Stop it, Corin," Aliyn rolled her eyes. She grew tired of the crew's attempts at formality. "A new ship does not change our dynamic. It's what's kept us alive for this long." Her face became serious. "Send that off and gear up. We'll meet at the exit once we're ready and then rendezvous with Lillian. We can find the answers to the questions later after we apprehend him."
After a short time, the three met at the Ardent's main doors. They wore red and black fatigues that encased a thin and fibrous material on the torso, arms, and legs. The dense fibers that acted as body armour were crafted from a metallic compound found on Pluto called pulamonite. This material gave the suit the ability to reflect the strikes from most known weapons, yet it remained light and flexible. They strapped sleek black guns resembling pistols at their hips, accompanied by a belt of supplies encircling their waists.
"Local Intelligence responded while we were gearing up," Corin spoke, moving to hand Aliyn a thin tablet as she approached him. "They have located the real Johnathan Fritz on Earth. Apparently, he retired years ago after a PTSD diagnosis. They sent out their investigative team to his location immediately, and he was found dead in his small apartment in Rome, Italy. This pretender was hoping we'd believe Fritz had come out of retirement for a simple exploratory mission and that his work—whatever that is—would be finished by the time Johnathan's body was found. I guess Alex interrupted his plans."
Aliyn took the tablet and swiped her fingers against the screen, studying the information in detail, as she ran a finger back and forth along her chin. She passed the tablet back to Corin, who set it off to the side and put his gloves on.
"This is something I should have caught," Alex grumbled, adjusting the fit of his jacket. He shrugged muscular shoulders that were tight with tension. "I can't believe that guy got past me. How could I not see something was up?"
"Alex," Aliyn shook her head, "if this guy got past Local Intelligence and the recruitment organization, he has resources we are unaware of and may not even understand. Hell, he killed someone to get here. There was no way you could have known. The question is why someone with such resources would hitch a ride on this mission?"
"I won't let it happen again. We will leave the Lunar with the information we need," Alex replied, his voice firm. He brushed his dark hair from his intense brown eyes and exhaled a sharp breath. The frustration he felt was visible in his expression. He clenched a fist at his side, running the fingers of his opposite hand against the smooth surface of his weapon.
Of the crew, Alex was the one with the short temper and often made decisions without thinking them through entirely, but it wasn't always a bad thing. Despite the few times he had gotten them into trouble, he'd bailed them out of many bad situations with his quick thinking and skill with a weapon. Aliyn would rather that than complacency.
"Let's just get this over with. The more time we waste talking about it, the further away he could get." Corin pressed a button on a panel beside the door, and it slid open with a sharp hiss.
Aliyn knew Corin hated wasting time. His experience as a pilot had taught him that delaying action could prove to be the difference between life and death.
"The station is under lockdown. It's not like he can go anywhere." Alex gestured to the empty hallways. The lights that lined the top of the corridors flashed in a slow pulse, their deep red colour indicating the security breach at the station.
"This person snuck onto a Celestial Class Space Vessel. We can't afford to underestimate him." Aliyn's voice became abrupt, causing the muscles in Alex's neck to twitch.
Aliyn, Corin, and Alex slipped down the nearest corridor with Aliyn at the head, moving with quick and efficient steps through the station. The passages resembled the dock area, empty except for the officials that were combing the area for information. The team could hear the slow drone of the alarm in the background. Its steady rhythm gave them something to focus on as they moved towards the security office.
Lillian was waiting for them outside the door. She cut an intimidating form with her arms crossed and her fiery red hair dancing around her face. Her freckled face was as hard as stone, but her green eyes brightened when she recognized Aliyn, Corin, and Alex moving towards her.
"Johnathan Fritz," Lillian spat, rolling her eyes with a dramatic flair. "I got the file you sent. Smart little insect, isn't he? Few would question the wish of a retired vet wanting to go on one last adventure." She uncrossed her arms and approached the group. "I've alerted the station. They have all available resources out scouring the place for him. No ships are permitted to leave or enter the station. The containment field is active and will prevent any ships from leaving."
"I can't believe this guy got past our own Chief of Security." Corin bit the side of his cheek as he gestured towards Lillian before scratching the back of his neck. It was obvious he had great difficulty keeping his opinions to himself.
"Shut it, Corin, before I make your life very difficult," Lillian snapped back at him.
"We'll split up," Aliyn interrupted. "Alex and I will take decks one to three, and you, Lillian and Corin, will take four to six. With the support of Lunar's reinforcements, we should be able to locate him soon enough. After you've covered your areas, meet back here." She pulled a small metal device from her pocket and pressed it to the side of her neck where it attached with ease. "Don't forget your communication chips."
At her words, the team slipped their hands into their pockets and pulled out similar devices, all attaching them in the same manner.
"Call if you need back up." Lillian gave a sharp nod, pulling her weapon into her hands. She flexed her fingers around the handle. "Be safe and don't let him surprise you."
***
"That's the cargo bay there," Aliyn whispered to Alex, gesturing towards the large white door at the end of the hallway.
The ambiance of the locked-down station was eerie, causing the hairs on the back of Aliyn's neck to stand on end. The sound of the alarm had faded to a quiet drone as they descended further, their steps becoming louder around them as the sound hit the smooth walls of the narrowing corridors.
"I've gotta admit, this is creepy." Alex clenched his pistol in his hands, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of movement. Drops of perspiration formed on his brow.
"It's even creepier knowing someone killed Fritz to get on our ship," she whispered in return, turning to glance behind them. When she was satisfied nothing was there, she stepped in beside Alex.
Once they reached the door to the cargo bay, Aliyn pressed her back against the one side while Alex reached for the control and tapped it with a gentle touch. He slid to the opposite side as the door opened. The mechanism was loud in the heavy silence, and Aliyn held her breath as they waited with their backs against the smooth, cool walls. Her heart pounded in her chest, its rhythm pumping in her ears, making the edge of her vision fuzzy. She had fought before, but nothing like this. Not once did she expect they would end up in this situation.
Silence.
Aliyn wet her lips with her tongue, combating the dryness that overcame her mouth.
Not a sound came from the cargo hold. The air wafting out was heavy, musty, and warm; it was stale, reeking of a distinct lack of airflow. The large room contained crates of various sizes scattered all over the floor. Some of them rose stacked in neat piles, while others were toppled over, some of their contents spilled out.
Aliyn felt the dampness stick to her skin as they entered. It clung to her, mixing with the sweat that glistened on her neck. The two of them moved in circles around each other as they advanced further, providing cover from all directions of the room.
"There." Alex gestured towards a stack of crates something had knocked over.
Aliyn nodded, and they moved towards the disturbance, scanning the area as they took delicate and careful steps. As she slinked backward, her foot hit something with a dull thud. It was soft and gave way as her foot pressed against it. Turning her body, she looked down at the obstacle.
Fear prickled her skin as her cheeks grew cold.
***
Meanwhile, in the upper part of the station, Lillian and Corin slowly made their way through the sterile, white hallways.
"This place makes me nervous when it's like this," Lillian whispered as she slid around a corridor.
"An empty space station makes the almighty Lillian Fletcher nervous?" Corin taunted, glancing down the hallway, curiosity swimming in his blue eyes. "Frankly, I find the quiet relaxing. This place is always full of people yapping on and on."
"You would." Lillian shook her head and rolled her eyes. "With the way you fly the ship, it wouldn't surprise me if you thought barreling through an asteroid belt was the same as taking an afternoon nap."
Corin's laugh echoed down the hallway. "If I thought any different, we wouldn't have gotten out of the Reso system."
"I suppose I have to give you credit there."
"Yes, I suppose you should. It was a well-executed maneuver."
"Don't let your head explode," Lillian scoffed.
"Of course not, I like this shirt." Corin gave her a victorious smile as he pressed his back against the wall next to a door. He placed his hand on the panel and nodded to Lillian who moved opposite to him as the door opened.
Despite their lighthearted bickering, they worked well together. It was obvious they had extensive time in the field as a team. Their swift and well-executed maneuvers were exceptional.
They moved into the room with quick steps, circling the interior with caution.
It was dark, and only the light from the hallway filtered in. Various desks and furniture sat against the white walls, covered with many random objects. By the lack of organization, it seemed this room was more of a storage room and used rarely, if at all. Lillian slid her hands over a piece of research equipment pressed up against the wall.
"Corin, look at this," Lillian called out to him, brushing her hair from her eyes as she studied the old machine.
Corin made his way over to her, holstering his firearm at his side. "Wow," he said. "That's ancient! I can't believe they kept all this stuff. It's completely obsolete."
"It's also our history. History should be preserved." Lillian smiled at him, her green eyes flashing in the dim light as she continued down the length of the room. "Everything looks to be in order here." She observed, moving tablets and objects around on the various desks against a wall next to the door.
"Sure—if you can call cluttered and messy in order," Corin remarked, opening a few of the drawers. He paused, pulling a small pistol out of the drawer and holding it up to Lillian. "Don't want this getting into the wrong hands—specifically the hands of our murdering fugitive." He slid the firearm into the back of his belt and joined Lillian as they exited the room.
"What makes you think he doesn't already have one?"
Corin shrugged. "You can never be too careful."
As the door slid shut behind them, a familiar voice echoed from the communicator chip and into Lillian's ear. "Cargo hold, now!"
"That's Alex!" Corin's jaw tightened, his voice concerned. "They must have found something."
"Let's go!" Lillian replied, breaking into a quick run. "We're on our way, Alex. Hang tight." She spoke into the communicator as she sprinted down the endless white corridors in the direction of the cargo bay, Corin close at her heels.