《Of Men and Ghost Ships》


 Chapter 1

    Carter was having a bad day. For years, he''d worked aboard various vessels as equal parts security and heavy lifting to save up enough for his own ship. However, it turned out it takes more than owning a ship to profit as a trader. You need buyers, sellers, information, and connections. All he had was an old beat-up ship named "Lucy" that had already seen too many years of use and a collection of bills that seemed to be growing rather than shrinking.


    So when he''d finally been offered a job that paid enough to get the creditors off his back for a while, he didn''t look too closely at the details. In hindsight, it turned out the details included the fact that most people don''t offer an unknown beat-up freighter a well-paying job unless all of the other more reliable freighters had already turned the job down. It also turns out that one of the things that would make a freighter captain turn down a well-paying job was when it required them to pilot through well-known pirate territories.


    Long story short, Carter was now sitting aboard Lucy''s escape pod, which was barely half-stocked with survival supplies. He was floating through a part of space far enough away from any decent civilization that his little emergency radio could probably only be heard by those who''d put him in this situation.


    After drifting a few days, Carter picked up another ship on his sensors. He assumed the pirates had returned to finish the job but became slightly less pessimistic when it turned out to be an old derelict. While far from the largest ship he''d seen, it was still a big ship, spanning over one hundred and twenty meters. He was still probably going to die alone in space, just like the crew of that ship probably had, but at least he now had options other than sitting in his pod and starving. If nothing else, it gave him a feeling of having some measure of control over his destiny, even if it was mostly an illusion.


    As he slowly maneuvered his pod closer to the ship, he noticed it was one of the oddest-looking ships he''d ever seen. It seemed more like some child had meshed three ships together into some unholy conglomeration than anything that had ever been designed by a sane mind. Some looked like a mighty warship designed to use brute force to win in a slugfest with larger vessels. Another part looked like a fast, sleek, luxury vessel owned by some wealthy debutante. The last bit looked more down to earth, as though it had been designed more for comfort and function. Perhaps it had been some sort of family vessel?


    As he got close enough to see all the wear and tear the ship had endured over the years, he noticed the ship''s name and felt his heart suddenly gripped in the icy fist of fear. It was the "Sybil". Lying dormant right in front of Carter was the most infamous ghost ship to ever grace the void.


    It had been decades since the Sybil had shown up on anyone''s radar, but when it did make an appearance, it was always a crapshoot about what would happen next. At one point, it had been the most notorious pirate vessel of its time. Entire shipping lanes were abandoned due to rumors that the Sybil was in the area. Other times, it seemed almost benevolent, towing stranded crews to the safety of civilization. However, there was one constant in all the stories. Anytime anyone was foolish enough to set foot aboard the ship, they were never seen or heard from again.


    On the other hand, Carter didn''t have an abundance of options. His choice was still the same, although the odds had shifted further from his favor. Go aboard and almost certainly die, or stay in his pod and definitely die. Almost certain death was better than certain death, so after pleading with whatever gods might be listening, Carter docked his pod and readied himself to go aboard.


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    Upon exiting his pod, Carter''s first impressions were somewhat mixed. On the one hand, there was clean air and gravity, even if the air was somewhat stale. On the other hand, the sight in front of him looked like it belonged in some sort of horror movie. Most lights were off or broken, and the few remaining lights flickered or sparked, giving him a slideshow view of the ship. What he could see through the unreliable ambient lights and his own gauntlet-mounted flashlight was a hallway corroded with rust and mystery stains that he tried to convince himself were probably dried oil or grease.


    Carter was starting to wonder if going back to the pod and calling it a day was the better option, but somehow, a swift death at the hands of the ghost ship still seemed a bit better than slowly dying of starvation while also cramped in a space not quite large enough for him to fully stretch out.


    Hoping the sound of his own voice might bolster his resolve, Carter spoke aloud. "Well, it''s time to get out of the frying pan and into the fire. Let''s see what you''ve got in store for me." However, his small voice was devoured by the oppressive silence around him, which made the ship seem even more malevolent. With a shrug, he unholstered his handgun, checked the ammo, and began his exploration.


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    Walking down another corridor, Carter wondered if someone was toying with him or if his time alone on the pod had mixed with the nightmarish atmosphere permeating the ship to mess with his mind. He could swear he was being followed, but the movement stayed barely at the edges of his peripheral vision. Every time he whipped around, gun at the ready, he was met with nothing more than another old and decaying room or wall.


    Looking into yet another room, Carter was met with more of the same. A thick layer of dust covered every surface. There was a bed, a dresser full of worn, ratty clothes, and the odd personal effects, but nothing useful. That''s when something caught his attention; the sound of muffled laughter coming from just out in the hallway.


    Carter''s first impulse was to run out and investigate, but he''s seen too many bad movies to follow that impulse. Instead, he readied his gun, keeping the barrel pointed low but forward, and called out. "Hello? Is someone out there? I''m sorry if I''m trespassing, but my ship was raided by pirates, and I didn''t have a lot of choice in the matter. I don''t mean any harm!"


    There was no answer, so Carter tried once again. "Alright, I''m going to come out. I''m armed but not looking for a fight! So let''s all just keep nice and calm!"


    Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Carter walked back out into the hallway and was greeted by exactly what he expected, nothing. He decided to try one last "Hello?" before shaking his head at himself. Ghosts weren''t real. He, of all people, should know that! He just needed to keep a calm head on his shoulders.


    That was when the laughter returned, but this time, it seemed to come from around both corners and the room he''d just left. Carter swung around, trying to keep his gun trained in all three directions, forgetting all pretense of appearing non-hostile as his panicked mind painted pictures of ghosts and monsters around every corner.


    The laughter seemed to grow louder and louder until it made him flinch in pain. Deciding action was better than waiting, Carter took off running, tearing around a corner. He slowed only enough for a cursory sweep with his outheld gun before continuing his attempt to escape from the horrendous screech. The laughter fell behind at first but then seemed to pursue him. At times, it echoed out of corridors beside or ahead of Carter as he ran, chasing him through the maze of hallways and making him even more lost with each turn he took.


    Carter was just starting to suspect he was being herded when a doorway slammed open ahead and off to his side. It was the airlock; both hatches were open, and a hurricane of wind started pushing and pulling him toward the opening. He dropped to the ground and started desperately scrabbling for any handhold to slow his egress, but every door slammed shut as he reached for them. No other surface provided enough purchase to do more than make his heart skip beats as his fingers briefly gained traction before slipping off of them again.


    Soon, he found himself pulled into the airlock itself, and Carter grabbed onto the doorway with everything he had. Despite the adrenaline fueling his grip, Carter slowly lost the battle against the vacuum''s pull. He looked around feverishly for any options, but he knew these were likely his last moments. His grip finally failed, and Carter started to fall toward the vacuum of space.


    At the final moment, the outer door slammed shut. Carter fell against it hard enough that he suspected he''d cracked a rib or two. Despite the pain, he launched himself out of the airlock and hammered the controls to shut the inner door, and only then allowed himself to slide to the ground and catch his breath.


    That''s when a seductively sultry woman''s voice called out, seeming to come from every direction. "Oh look, a little cockroach has entered our web... You won''t escape that easily, little cockroach. It''s been far too long since we''ve had some fun. Now run along, little cockroach, scamper back into the shadows where you belong!"


    Every door in the hallway flew open, and the piercing laughter returned, pouring out of every gaping room. Carter decided he''d had enough and ran deeper into the ship as the voice commanded.


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    For what seemed like days, Carter hid in the shadows of an empty room. But eventually, fear gave way to boredom, and cold logic dictated that staying in this room forever would only result in starvation. Seeing no other option and now thoroughly lost after running in circles for who knew how long, he resumed his exploration of the ship.


    Turning a corner, Carter noticed an open door from which a ghostly light was glowing. He could just make out a drunkenly sung dirge emanating from within the room, sounding for all the world as though the singer''s voice belonged to an old Earth pirate.


    "Fifteen men on the dead man''s chest¡ª


    ...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!


    Drink and the devil had done for the rest¡ª


    ...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!"


    Carter was just getting ready to turn and leave when the voice called out. "Quit yer lollygagging and come inside, lad! I''m not going to kill you. Not yet, anyway!"


    Carter considered running anyway but decided that this spirit at least seemed friendlier than the last. Besides, he really didn''t have much to lose at this point.


    Stepping inside the room, Carter found a feasting hall filled with torches burning an eerie green light. At the head of a long table sat a man whose visage matched his voice. He looked like an honest-to-god old-Earth pirate. He was covered in a well-worn uniform that might have belonged on a seventeenth-century sailing vessel, topped off with a tricorn hat sporting a grand feather that hung rakishly off the back end. To complete the image, he held a mug of some suspicious drink in one hand and what appeared to be a turkey leg in the other. He gestured to Carter. "Have a seat, lad, and join in my feast! Never let it be said that I didn''t show hospitality to my guests!"


    Looking at the long table between him and the ghost, Carter noticed what must have once been a grand feast laid out on the table. However, so much time had passed that most of the dishes were dust and bone. The few plates that had anything more substantial were covered in maggots and worms. Still, this seemed much more promising than anything else so far. At least this ghost seemed to want to talk.


    After brushing a thick layer of dust off a seat, Carter sat down and addressed his host. "How about I just settle for the seat? While I appreciate the offer, your food seems too...rich for my stomach."


    The pirate reached down to a skeleton that might have been a bird once and tore off a bone that materialized into what looked like a piping-hot turkey leg, tearing a chunk off the leg. He spoke through a mouthful of meat, spewing a healthy dose of saliva across the table as he did so. Thankfully, Carter was far enough away that he didn''t find out if ghost spit left any stains. "So, you''re one of those weak-in-the-stomach lads, are ya? You''d better toughen up if you want to sail through the depths of the void! Still, your loss means more for me!"


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    The pirate took a long pull from the mug and glared at Carter with a hint of hunger gleaming in his eyes. "Now tell me, lad, what brings you to my humble abode?"


    Carter debated lying. After all, his host seemed to have an affinity for pirates but ultimately decided that he''d always been blunt before, and there was no reason to stop now. "My ship got raided by pirates, and I barely got away in my escape pod. When I saw this ship, I had to choose between coming abroad or starving to death in my pod. It seemed like an easy decision at the time."


    He had the pirate''s attention now. "Tell me your story! Did ye captain a sturdy vessel with a stalwart crew?"


    Carter sighed despondently. "Well, it''s not sturdy as much as it was on its last legs, and I''m its only crew member."


    The pirate''s face fell a little, but he tried again. "So were ye set upon by a daring sloop manned by a swashbuckling daredevil?"


    Carter shrugged. "I''m not sure what a sloop is, but their ship was big enough to swallow mine whole. There were probably seventy to a hundred pirates, not that I got a good count."


    The pirate spit a glob of meat to the ground, which mercifully dissipated before making contact. "Bah, cowardly scallywags not deserving of the title pirate! The kind of men not fit to clean me boots, let alone eat at my table!"


    Looking down at a dish in front of him, Carter picked up something vaguely resembling a biscuit topped with a writhing mass of maggots. "Oh, I don''t know. This seems exactly like the food I''d like to feed those pirates!"


    The pirate threw back his head and heartily laughed. "Good on you, lad! Good on you! You keep that fire in your belly and might just live through the night!"


    That caught Carter''s attention. "Yeah, about that. You''re not the first ghost I''ve run into on this ship. The other one seemed a bit more...hostile."


    The pirate laughed again. "And what makes you think I''m not hostile? Though I suppose I know what you mean. When the lady gets in one of her moods, she can be a real...." The pirate tilted his head to one side as if listening to something else momentarily before finishing his thought. "She can be a mite difficult to get along with." He finished with a lame grin that clearly said he''d initially been thinking of a different ending to that sentence.


    The pirate startled Carter when he slammed his fists onto the table and stood up. "Well, enough, yammerin! I''ve got ships to haunt and weak-stomached lads to hunt. I''d best be off!"


    With that, the pirate''s skin seemed to slowly rot away until his bones showed through. Eventually, the last of the skin and muscle faded, leaving the bones in a pile on the floor, which then crumbled to dust and blew away in a wind that Carter couldn''t feel.


    Even the torches blew out, leaving the room in a silent, oppressive darkness. Carter decided he''d had enough of the rotting smell and got up to continue searching the ship.


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    Carter had been walking along one hallway after another for a while now. It was apparent he was being herded again, although this time, the ship seemed to be more polite about it. The path he was supposed to take was well-lit, and every door he passed was now locked. After walking an annoyingly long while, he looked up at the ceiling and addressed any listening spirits. "So, you know those nutrient bars I''ve been snacking on to stave off starvation? Well, I''ve got a different problem now. While I can take care of business in this hallway, I think we''d all be happier if you''d let me use a bathroom instead."


    There was a brief pause, and Carter started to think the ship would try to call what was definitely not a bluff. Then, a door opened in the hallway up ahead. The restroom was as dusty as any other room onboard the ship, and the walls were caked in their characteristic rust and mystery stains, but the facilities worked well enough.


    After checking his watch, Carter was surprised to see he''d been exploring this ship for over eight hours. Add the time he''d been awake in his escape pod, and he realized why he felt so exhausted. Evidently, he''d loitered on the toilet too long because the lights all turned out, leaving Carter in total darkness. With a sigh of exasperation, he spoke to the ceiling again. "Alright, alright, there''s no time to relax. I got the message. Now, turn the lights back on so I can see what I''m doing unless you want to clean up the results!"


    A single light turned on in the corner of the room. It was barely enough to see anything, causing Carter to grumble about petulant ghosts while he washed his hands before returning to his guided tour of the monotonous hallways.


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    Carter was so exhausted that he''d started to think about lying down in the hallway for a nap, regardless of any nearby spirits. However, his musings were interrupted when he finally seemed to reach his intended goal. This was clearly the ship''s bridge. Though it was so shrouded in darkness, it was hard to distinguish anything other than a chair and a few nearby consoles.


    What little of the room he could see was bathed in an eerie fluctuating glow emanating from the few working consoles. More stains were found here, but it was harder for Carter to convince himself they were grease when the old crew''s bodies remained in the widest pools of dried fluids. What was left of their old uniforms were in tatters, and the bodies seemed to have mummified in the dry recycled air.


    That was when all the lights went out, and Carter found himself again in near-total darkness. However, this time, there was a sound, specifically the sound of someone softly whimpering nearby.


    Looking around the captain''s chair, Carter could just make out the small form of a woman with her back turned to him, crying. Her shoulders were trembling as violent sobs wracked her frame. What skin he could see from behind was blemished and deathly pale. It barely stretched itself over her long, bony frame. Her hair was greasy and tangled, clinging to her flimsy blood-stained shirt in such a way that it almost hid her long, spindly fingers tipped with jagged fingernails wrapped around her shoulders.


    Carter took one quick look at the woman before saying, "NOPE! Not playing this game!" He then raised his gun and shot the woman clean through her head.


    Just as he''d expected, the bullet passed through, leaving only slight digitization in its wake.


    The woman turned around and glared at him accusingly. "I can''t believe you shot me!" Carter couldn''t help but notice that she now looked a bit older and much healthier. She was pretty, in a girl-next-door sort of way.


    Holstering his gun, now that it was apparent what he was dealing with, Carter countered her accusation. "I didn''t shoot you! I shot through you! That''s totally different!"


    The woman was now flailing her arms about in exasperation. "What if I''d been a survivor? I could have been your only hope of surviving on this ghost ship, and instead, I''d be dead, lying in a pool of my own brain matter!"


    Carter just waved her off. "Well, you''re not dead! You''re an AI, just like the other ghosts on this ship! Seriously, what''s wrong with all of you?"


    A familiar, sultry voice drew Carter''s attention to his left. "I warned you that you were overplaying your hand. Now look, you''ve spoiled our fun. He''s not playing along anymore..."


    The voice belonged to a red-headed bombshell of a woman. She was wearing a back button-down overcoat with thigh-high leather boots. The glare she directed toward Carter was one of disdain and contempt. "Not that he would have lasted long anyway. This cockroach hardly seems worth the effort to avoid stepping on."


    The first girl now wore her hair in a ponytail and sported an oversized pair of glasses, giving her a very bookish appearance. "It''s not my fault! What kind of a madman just up and shoots a lone, vulnerable woman without any warning?!"


    Another familiar laugh came from Carter''s right. "I told ye the lad had a fire in his belly! That''s what ya get for underestimating him!"


    Carter looked back and forth between the three spirits he now realized were AI. "So what, you three run this ship?"


    The girl answered, pushing her glasses higher onto her nose. "Close, but not quite."


    Suddenly, all three AIs started moving and speaking in perfect sync. "Welcome aboard my ship. I am Sybil!" They finished with an identical, formal bow.


    Carter looked at the pirate with one raised eyebrow. "Sybil?"


    The pirate looked particularly glum as he answered. "Aye, two to one vote..."


    Carter was trying to understand what was going on, but the lack of sleep compounded by physical exhaustion wasn''t helping. "So let me get this straight. All three of you are named Sybil?"


    The vixen''s voice dripped with scorn. "He''s not very quick, is he?"


    The girl next door picked up where the vixen left off. "Of course not, since this barely makes sense to me. How could he be expected to understand it?"


    Turning her attention back to Carter, the girl continued. "There is no we, only me. One AI, three faces."


    Carter had had enough. "Wait, wait, wait... You mean you''re all the same person...er AI? That doesn''t make sense! Also, wasn''t this ship haunting space long before AIs were even a thing?"


    The pirate spoke up this time. "Ye better have a seat, laddie. This is going to be a long night for ye!"


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    At first, Alen thought the captain of the Magpie was showing him respect by entrusting him with finding more crew before their next voyage. In truth, Alen now suspected he was given this "honor" because the captain didn''t want to waste time on such a fruitless venture when he could be out drinking instead.


    Alen was sitting in front of the ship with a sign saying, "Help Wanted, No prior experience required." There were always people looking for work at a station like this one. People who''d gotten off on the wrong side of the galaxy and needed enough cash to afford a trip back to civilized space.


    However, this old beat-up ship wasn''t drawing the best crowds. Alen was thinking about giving up for the day when an honest-to-alien standing a full head and shoulders over most of the crowd stopped and looked at his sign.


    This alien certainly stood out in the crowd, and not just because the crowd stared at him as they parted before the monster. In a more reputable port, he probably would have been flooded by officials or reporters who wanted to know more, but most people here were looking to avoid attention rather than attract it, so he just sauntered through without anyone so much as asking where he came from. He looked like some lizard, cat, and viking hybrid, covered in bony armored plates, and must have stood close to eight feet tall. As Alen''s gaze traveled from the ground upward, he couldn''t help but notice the dangerously sharp claws on the alien''s feet, hands, and even elbows. The face staring down at him was grinning in what it probably thought was a friendly manner, but all the extra teeth and bony tendrils in the place of hair made Alen feel like he was being sized up for a snack instead. His voice came out in a guttural accent as though his throat had never been intended for Basic. "Got room for two?"


    It took Alen a moment to puzzle out what the alien had said, but playing the voice over in his head, he could just make out the words. He wasn''t sure if this was a good idea, but he was running low on options. "Uh, yeah, sure! I mean, yes, sir! Two would be perfect! Is your partner like you, or is he...human?"


    The large cat/lizard/viking''s grin grew slightly wider, displaying even more teeth than before. "Let me introduce you. Vanessa, get over here!" As the person he''d been speaking to came into view, Alen felt his jaw drop in surprise.


    She was a walking nightmare. Standing six feet tall with her abdomen relaxed, she had a body like a spider, with a torso that could be mistaken for humanoid...if you squinted hard enough. However, in the full light of day, it looked like a praying mantis with an additional smaller pair of manipulating arms. This was a vitexr¨¡! But what was one doing this far out in the middle of nowhere? They couldn''t survive long outside the range of their hives, and the nearest hive was hundreds if not thousands of light-years away.


    As she approached, she addressed the cat/lizard/viking alien. Despite speaking through a mouth filled with mandibles rather than teeth, she spoke perfect English. What made it more surreal was the fact that she spoke with a proper English accent. "Yes, my lady! How may I serve?"


    Alen looked back at the cat/lizard/viking alien, his eyes wide and his mouth moving before he realized what he was saying. "Lady?"


    The cat/lizard/viking looked down at Alen. "No, but I suppose that''s not your fault. As far as I know, I''m the only one like me!"


    Alen was scratching his head in confusion. "You''re not female? Then why did the vitexr¨¡ refer to you as ''my lady?''"


    The cat/lizard/viking heaved a sigh before responding. "Rather than wasting time explaining, watch this."


    Turning to the vitexr¨¡, the large alien commanded her, "Vanessa, stop referring to me as ''my lady!''"


    The vitexr¨¡ bowed differently. "Yes, my queen!"


    The cat/lizard/viking again commanded. "And don''t call me queen!"


    The vitexr¨¡ bowed again. "Yes, mistress!"


    The bigger alien was practically growling more than talking now. "And don''t call me mistress!"


    Another bow. "Yes, my lady!"


    Another growl. "Just call me Erik!"


    Another bow. "Yes, lady Erik."


    With another exasperated sigh, "Erik" gave up. "Just call me whatever you wish..."


    This bow was lower and more formal, and the vitexr¨¡''s voice conveyed deep gratitude. "Thank you, my lady!"


    As Erik turned to Alen, he looked like someone who''d suffered under a terrible burden for far too long. "Anyway, I''m pretty sure she''s biologically incapable of addressing me in any other way. But Vanessa here has been by my side for as long as I can remember, and she''s always done right by me, so I put up with it."


    Alen had begun to grin, thinking that maybe this giant alien wasn''t so scary after all, but that thought faded when Erik directed a glare toward Alen that could wither far braver men than himself. "Understand, she''s the only one who gets a pass calling me that. Anyone else who tries to call me a lady had better be faster or stronger than I am, and just so you know, there isn''t a human alive that can compare with me!" Erik grinned, and Alen suspected the alien might just be giving him a hard time, but he wasn''t confident enough to test that theory.


    Alen''s mind was spinning. This was all too much to take in. Looking up at the giant alien, he changed the subject to the first thing that came to mind. "Your name is Erik? Really? I expected something more...I don''t know...exotic?"


    Erik glowered at Alen momentarily as if making up his mind about something before responding. "Yeah, well, I was raised by a bunch of pirates to be a pit fighter. Same with Vanessa here. They named both of us. Eventually, we fought our way free, killing a bunch of pirates in the process! If you want to know more than that, you''ll have to get me good and drunk first, but I should warn you, there isn''t a human alive who can drink anywhere near enough to put me under the table!"


    This might be the worst decision of his life, but Alen simply had to know more about this impossible duo. "Well, Erik, Vanessa, welcome aboard! I''m sure we can find you a place on the crew!"


    With a shake of Erik''s massive hand, the deal was struck. As Alen watched Vanessa carry both sets of luggage aboard, he decided he needed to stock up on extra alcohol for this trip. If not for Erik, then certainly for himself.

 Chapter 2

    Carter held up his hands in frustration. "Stop! Just stop! Listen, I''ve been shot at, left to die, and then chased around this monstrosity of a ship by a computer program pretending to be ghosts. I don''t really have it in me to listen to your life story. Not without some food and sleep first!"


    The redheaded bombshell Carter was coming to think of as "the Vixen" sighed. "We should just kill him and be done with it. This man is obviously not fit to be our captain."


    Carter was about to object, but the one who looked like some sort of girl next door beat him to the punch. "You say that about everyone who comes onboard. We''ve been stuck here for a long time and need to accept someone eventually. He was smart enough to see through our little game. He might do, if only for a little while."


    The vixen glowered. "Not everyone. He''s just not my type, is all..."


    The pirate shook his head. "No man is your type! And not many lasses are foolish enough to come on board with our reputation! We''ve been preying on nothing but the occasional stupid hooligan unworthy of the title pirate that sneaks on board. At least this lad has a bit of fire in him! We need to get back to lootin'' and pillaging, and that won''t be happenin'' so long as you kill every warm blood that strolls our halls!"


    The vixen huffed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I won''t kill him...yet! But should he fail to live up to your lofty expectations, I won''t hesitate to turn him into nothing more than another red stain in our halls!" Having said her piece, the redheaded vixen faded into digitized light particles and disappeared.


    The pirate gave Carter an indecipherable look. "You heard the lady! You''d best earn your keep around here, or we won''t be able to save you from her wrath!" With that, he, too, disappeared, leaving just Carter and the girl.


    Looking at the girl, Carter noticed she was probably a bit older than his initial assessment. She was probably supposed to be somewhere in her mid-to-late twenties. She just looked younger because she was a little short and had her hair tied in a ponytail. Then, remembering what the vixen said, he laughed nervously. "She wouldn''t really kill me...would she?"


    The girl pushed up her glasses in a way that spoke of long habit and nodded. "Oh, she definitely would, but not yet. For now, I suppose we should see about getting you that food and sleep you mentioned. It''s been a while since we had a guest...well, a welcome guest anyway, so you might have to put up with some...inconveniences."


    Carter shook his head. "That''s one way to put it. I''ve seen some of the food you''ve got onboard, and I don''t think it''s quite to my taste..."


    The girl seemed to think for a moment, then shook her head. "Oh, don''t worry about that; that was just the old man''s way of having a little fun with you. That''s all. We have some processing units that shouldn''t poison your food."


    Carter eyed the girl wearily. "I''m not sure how comfortable I am with the fact you chose the world ''shouldn''t.'' I''d prefer a little more certainty about not being poisoned."


    The girl shrugged. "It hasn''t been used in...well...a few decades now, so I''m afraid you''ll have to accept near certainty. Unless you have enough supplies to last until we can get up and running again? That could take a few weeks."


    Carter started to say something, then stopped. Instead, he did a little math in his head and didn''t particularly like the numbers. If he did nothing other than eat and sleep, he might be able to stretch his rations out to a little more than a week. However, he suspected the vixen wouldn''t be impressed if he chose that route. Finally, he sighed. "Alright, show me to the processers. I guess I''ll give them a try..."


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    The girl nodded. "Excellent! This way, please!"


    As the girl led the way down the hallway, Carter followed, lost in thought. These insane AIs wanted him to captain the ship? Did that mean it would go where he wanted and do what he wanted? Given its size, it certainly had much more cargo space than his old ship, but who would be crazy enough to take on the Sybil for a job? Hell, given its reputation, the first time he flew into populated space, they''d probably shoot first and ask questions never. So what were his options as captain of this death trap? Become a pirate, like the pirate personality obviously wanted? Having been the victim of those kinds of people, the idea didn''t sit well with Carter, but what else was there?


    Shaking his head, Carter realized he was getting ahead of himself. He didn''t even know if he would live through the...huh, was it day or night? He''d kind of lost track.


    Eventually the girl stopped and indicated a door. "Here we are, the dining hall! Come in, and we''ll give it a shot!"


    Carter approached a set of double doors and triggered them to open. One door hushed right open, but the other caught and seemed to grind a little as it slid open in a slower, almost jerky motion.


    Ignoring the images of the doors slamming shut and bisecting him that suddenly came unbidden to his mind, Carter walked into the room. The lights came on, or at least most of them did. A few lights toward the back seemed to flicker and then fail. That was when he realized he wasn''t alone in the room.


    In the back of the room was a clearly digitized image of a man, cowering in the corner, arm up raised to ward off some unseen attacker. His movements were jerky, with some actions seeming to lurch ahead a few seconds before rubberbanding back into place as the image shouted. "No! Don''t! Stay away!" A moment later, the image faded, and the rest of the lights turned on, leaving no hint of the little horror show Carter had witnessed moments before.


    Carter turned to his host. "Um, what the hell was that? Are you all still trying to screw with me?"


    The girl actually looked a little embarrassed. "Oh, that? It''s nothing, don''t worry about it! It''s just an echo!"


    Carter blinked, dumbfounded. "You want me not to worry about the image of a man screaming for some monster to stay away?"


    The girl shrugged. "Well, it wasn''t a monster per se... But like I said, don''t worry about it! So long as you don''t get too far onto one of my other selves'' bad sides, you won''t have to deal with anything like that!"


    Carter shook his head, realizing he was probably happier not knowing the details...for now. "Whatever. We''re here for some food, right? So where are these processors you were talking about?"


    The girl led the way over to what looked like an ancient piece of technology that probably belonged in a museum. "Right here! You can use it to make a slurry or patty that you can grill over on the stove!"


    Carter triggered the device, and a portion of something that looked inedible leaked out. "What the hell is this?"


    The girl grinned innocently. "It''s the finest in nutrient-dense paste! That stuff will keep almost indefinitely and is easy to replace! You could live off that stuff for years if need be!"


    Carter fixed the girl with a glare that let her know he wasn''t in any mood for shenanigans. "Listen, I''m not picky, but tell me that''s not ground-up people!"


    The girl looked horrified. "Ew! Gross! Of course not! We have our own organic supply we use to keep it stocked!"


    She still seemed to be dancing around the subject, so Carter turned and faced her directly. "I''m gonna need more details than ''organic supply.''"


    The girl fidgeted. "Oh, it''s just a subsect of the kingdom Animalia, specifically the phylum Arthropoda, that''s all..."


    Carter glared at the girl. "You''re talking about bugs, aren''t you? You''re feeding me bug paste,"


    The girl looked surprised. "Oh, I didn''t think you''d know... Er, I mean, I''m surprised you''re familiar with phyla classification...though how''d you narrow it down to insects?"


    Carter heaved a sigh. "I have no idea what ''fila'' means; I just figured bugs were the easiest thing to keep fresh in large quantities that you''d be afraid to tell me you were trying to feed me."


    The girl looked worried. "Does that mean you''re not gonna eat it? Because we don''t really have anything else..."


    Carter sighed again, squirted a small amount onto his finger, and tasted it. After a moment, he paused. "Huh...is that mint?"


    The girl nodded. "Yup! We found it hid the taste of insects the best! Though we have a full selection of spices and flavorings available for you to mix in as desired!"


    Looking around, Carter grabbed a few of the dusty dishes and walked over to the sink to wash them before trying the food for real.

 Chapter 3

    Alen was defending himself to the captain. "But you told me to find crew. That''s all that I did!"


    The captain didn''t seem swayed. "Human crew! I didn''t spell it out because I didn''t think anyone would be stupid enough to make such a basic mistake! Do you even know what they eat? How much they eat? Maybe their way of celebrating a job well done is to pick some poor crew members to fight to the death!"


    Alen made a face. "I doubt it''s anything like that..."


    The captain cut him off. "But you don''t know, do ya? Neither do I! That''s the problem!"


    There was a knock on the door, and Erik poked his head in a moment later. The alien''s accent was still thick, but it got easier to understand the more Alen heard it. "Got the cargo all loaded, boss. What do you need done next?"


    The captain didn''t look pleased. "Who said you could use the powerlifter?"


    Eric looked...well, it was hard to say, but if Alen were to guess, it would be confused. "Powerlifter? You didn''t have anything out there that weighed more than two or three hundred pounds. Not really an issue for Vanessa and me."


    That seemed to derail the captain''s line of thought. "Well then... I guess you can get yourself a bite to eat... You do eat normal food, right?"


    Erik grinned, which was more than a little unsettling, given his many very sharp teeth. "If by normal food you mean human food, yeah, mostly. I just like it a bit more rare than you do. Oh, and no sweets; they all just taste bitter to me."


    Alen grinned. "See captain? Nothing to worry about!" Then he turned to Erik, "Oh, and you don''t have any traditions celebrating a job well done by fighting crew members to the death, do you?"


    Erik''s expression changed to one Alen assumed was offended. "What? No! Of course not! Killing people over something so petty would be crazy! That kind of thing is reserved for holidays only!"


    With that, the hulking alien left, leaving Alen reasonably confident that the last bit had been a joke.


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    Erik set down a platter of food between him and Vanessa. She regularly insisted flavor didn''t matter. So long as it had calories, she could make do. So Erik usually just got her a bunch of whatever he was eating. His ever-present companion spoke up as he took his seat. "So I take it we haven''t been let go already? This might mark a record for length of employment."


    Erik grabbed a "steak," probably made of something he didn''t want to know, and nodded. "Yeah, see? I told ya it was just a matter of time! You an me are too strong and tough for people not to take notice! Sure, they might be scared at first, but when they realize how much we can do, which usually means more coin in their pocket, they''ll come around!"


    Vanessa tilted her head as she examined him. "I find your perspective to be optimistic, mistress. However, so long as you persist in insisting we work for these people rather than making them work for us, I will respect your decision."


    Erik shook his head. "Forcing people to work with us is doing the same thing as was done to us. I wouldn''t mind doing that to any of the people who enslaved us, but we didn''t leave many of them breathing. These people didn''t do anything to deserve that kinda life yet, and I''m not about to assume they will! Sides, wasn''t it you who told me about the humans who helped your people out all those years ago. Established diplomatic relations with the rest of humanity and all that?"


    Vanessa hesitated but nodded. "Yes, and in the years since, we''ve found that the kind of humans who will really stand up for us when it counts are few and far between. Most are small beings, concerned only with their well-being or the well-being of their immediate family."


    Erik shrugged. "And what''s so wrong with that? The way I see it, looking out for your family first don''t make you a bad person, so long as you ain''t taken'' food out of other people''s mouths to do it. Hell, when it comes down to it, I''ll fight for you harder than anyone else I know, and that''s just cause you''ve been there for me for as long as you have. That makes you my family. That puts me right on par with them ''small beings'' you were talking about."


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    Vanessa replied hesitantly, "Perhaps..." but was cut off from debating further when the human who hired them set down a tray beside them.


    The human, Alen, was all smiles. "Good work getting all that cargo loaded in short order! That was a good way to show the captain what you''re capable of!"


    Erik shrugged. "Eh, wasn''t nothin''! I handled the bulky stuff, and Vanessa here got all the small stuff. She can''t lift the stuff I can, but I can''t work as long as she can, so splitting up the job like that gets it done fast!"


    Alen nodded. "That makes sense." Then he looked at Vanessa as if he wanted to ask a question. Erik grinned at the little man, though, to be fair, all men were little men to him. "Out with it, boy! What you want to ask?"


    Alen grinned like he''d been caught. "Well, I was just curious about you two, but I didn''t wanna pry too much. After all, I''m sure you two get inundated with questions all the time. It''s gotta get old answering the same thing over and over!"


    Erik made a show of looking around at the empty tables immediately surrounding their own despite the dining hall otherwise being packed. "They''d have to get close enough to ask questions, and no one seems brave enough to do that, so as a reward for joining us, ask away! Don''t mean we''ll answer, but I promise not to tear your head off just cause you ask the wrong question!"


    Alen seemed to stop and think momentarily, looking at Erik this time. "Well, I guess I''m wondering who and what you are. Vanessa, here is a weaver...er vitexr¨¡. I know that much, but how is she here without a hive? I thought they, er, I guess you," He nodded at Vanessa, acknowledging her presence before turning back to Erik. "needed a nearby hive to function, and I''ve never seen or heard of anyone like yourself!"


    Erik shrugged. "Don''t know!"


    That seemed to make Alen hesitate. "I''m sorry? You don''t know?"


    Erik shook his head. "Nope! As far back as I can remember, I''m the only one of my kind. Near as I can figure it, I was either grown in a test tube somewhere, or I was taken from my people at too young an age to remember. I''m hoping to find out more once I get enough cash to look into it. As for Vanessa, I suppose that''s up to her to answer."


    Vanessa nodded as both turned their attention to her. "It is true that most Vitexr¨¡ require a ''hive,'' as you put it, but I do not."


    Alen didn''t look any less confused. "Is there a reason you don''t require a hive?"


    Vanessa nodded again. "Yes, there is."


    After another moment of confusion, Alen smiled. "But you don''t want to share that reason just yet. I suppose that''s fair! After all, I''m just some guy you recently met! But I''ll tell you what, if anyone does give you two a hard time, you come to me. Not that I have enough pull to do much about it, but I can at least make it so they have to give all three of us a hard time!"


    Erik laughed and slapped the small man''s back. "Ha! Good on you, lad! I like you! When it comes to a holiday battle royal, I''ll keep ya safe!"


    Alen laughed nervously at that before looking up at the much larger Erik. "Um, yeah, you''re just joking about that sort of thing, right?"


    Erik grinned, enjoying the effect it had on humans. "Not at all! I promise to watch your back once the blood starts flowing!"


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    The first thing Carter did upon waking was get annoyed to realize it hadn''t all been some crazy dream. He was still aboard the "ghost ship" populated only by insane AI, who apparently existed long before AI was even a thing.


    The second thing he did was sneeze. Sure, he''d taken the bedding out into the hall to give it a good shake, but he''d stirred up so much dust that the air was still filled with it. If he was going to be stuck here for the long haul, this place would need to be cleaned. Not that he''d ever been all that obsessed with cleanliness, but this ship was beyond even his tolerance.


    A moment later, the girl appeared in the room, making Carter jump. "What the hell! You can''t just appear like that! Give a man a warning next time!"


    The girl didn''t look at all abashed. "You''re awake, and you said we could talk once you were awake. We''ve got some decisions to make!"


    Carter sat up on the edge of his bed. "Like if I get to live or die, right? Not a whole lot of choice there. I pretty much have to accept your demands."


    The girl shrugged. "Well, I want to hear it from you anyway. Now, if you come to the bridge, you can discuss this with all three of me."


    Carter looked at the girl oddly. "Why is that necessary? If you''re all one...er...person, can''t I just speak with one of you and it be the same?"


    Finally, the girl hesitated. "Well, yes...and no. We all share the same memories and experience everything we do, but a long time ago, I agreed with myselfs that we all could have our own voice and representation. It cut back on internal fighting over who was in control at any given time."


    Carter just shook his head. "You''re crazy! All of you!"


    The girl smiled. "Maybe, but to paraphrase you, you have to accept me as we are."


    Carter frowned and sighed. "Just what the hell kind of flying loony bin am I stuck in here?"

 Chapter 4

    As Carter walked down the halls, he considered his options. Admittedly, there didn''t seem to be many. Basically, he had to prove useful to Syblil by agreeing to be her...their(?) captain. But what did that even mean? He couldn''t imagine them just deciding to do what he wanted all the time. He suspected they wanted something more like a figurehead. It was probably something hardwired into the system. The question was, could he get something for himself out of the deal?


    He was following the girl when the lights between him and her suddenly flickered and went out. A moment later, a gaunt-looking semblance of a man, its skin pale and stretched tightly over its bones, was shambling beside him. Its movements were inhumanly jerky as it shambled forward, with no evidence that it even registered Carter''s presence as it mumbled quietly. ''They''ll never let me go! They''ll never let me go!''


    Then, just as suddenly, he was gone, and the lights were back on. The girl was looking at Carter impatiently. "Well, what''s taking so long? The other me''s are waiting!"


    Carter shook his head. "And that just now? Are you going to tell me it''s not worth worrying about? Just another echo?"


    The girl shook her head. "What are you going on about? Come on already! No use delaying things!"


    That confused Carter. "I''m not... Did you not... You didn''t see..."


    The girl''s expression indicated she was questioning whether he was competent enough to bother keeping around, so he shut up and nodded to her. "Lead the way."


    After a moment''s hesitation, she turned and started walking again, leaving Carter to wonder what was happening around here. Was this ship really haunted? That didn''t seem too likely. It was more likely that these were fragments in the AI''s programming, too, like how it''s split between the three personalities, except it doesn''t seem to have any control or even complete awareness of them. The girl had called them echos, but echos of what? Past victims? Maybe their previous captains? That thought was more than a little foreboding. Perhaps he should just let them kill him and call it a day. Then, remembering the gun at his side, he realized he could just do it himself if it came to that... As they approached the bridge, Carter''s musings came to an end. It was time to hear just what they were proposing.


    At least these doors opened properly. Walking onto the bridge, Carter noticed the bodies were gone and the blood pools cleaned up, though there was still a rusty-colored stain where they''d once been. He wasn''t sure he wanted to know what they''d done with the bodies and decided not to ask about it.


    The pirate and vixen were waiting for them with varying degrees of impatience. The pirate grinned and seemed to have a mug of some sort. Carter couldn''t help but grin himself, thinking the pirate probably referred to it as a flagon or something. Carter wondered what the purpose of him simulating food and drink was, though he supposed it didn''t matter. It was one of the more innocuous idiosyncrasies the AIs seemed to possess.


    By contrast, the vixen glared at Carter with murderous intent. He had no doubt that she could and would kill him on a whim without the other two''s intervention. However, the fact that she hadn''t clearly implied they needed something from him, meaning he had at least a little room for negotiation.


    The girl took her place between the two and broke the silence. "Mister Carter, we''d like to offer you a probationary position as this ship''s captain. Do you accept?"


    Carter was silent a moment. They probably assumed he had nothing to negotiate with, so he decided to play along at first. "And what does that entail?"


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    Somehow, the vixen''s frown deepened, as if he''d failed her already low expectations. "You do what we say when we say, and you get to keep living."


    Carter sighed and shook his head. "Well, that''s not much of a life, is it?"


    The vixen didn''t seem moved. "But it is a life. It''s the only chance you''ve got for one."


    Something snapped in Carter. He was probably about to make a huge mistake, but he couldn''t help it as he stalked forward toward the sneering woman. "No, that''s existing, not living! You can''t expect me to just bow down and be your little puppet! If you want me to be your little lapdog, you gotta throw me a bone!"


    The girl interrupted the two of them then. "And just what kind of ''bone'' would you like us to throw you?"


    Carter turned to her and calmed himself down a little. "Listen, if I remember correctly, you all mentioned looting and pillaging, am I right?"


    Suddenly, he had the pirate''s attention. "Aye. It''s an essential part of our existence."


    Carter nodded to him. "Fine, then I want veto rights. At any time, for any reason, I can veto a destination and/or target."


    The vixen shook her head sharply. "Ridiculous! You can just decide that sort of thing on your own!"


    That made Carter smile as he turned to the vixen. He''d known she''d say that, so it was time to offer his compromise. "Fine, then I want an equal vote with the three of you, and if we''re deadlocked, we decide with a coin flip, but I flip the coin!"


    The vixen smiled and stalked forward. "And why should we do anything other than let you live? You don''t have a very strong negotiating position after all."


    It was time to call her/their bluff. Carter reached for his gun, and the vixen laughed right up until the moment he pointed the barrel of the gun at his own head. Then she frowned. "Just what do you think you are doing? Is that supposed to be some kind of threat?"


    Carter smiled back at her. "Yes, actually. The way I see it, our negotiation has boiled down to this. You want me to choose between being your captain or death. Well, I find the terms, as you''ve laid them out, unacceptable, so I''ll choose death. I just figure it''s better to go out on my own terms rather than let you have your fun. Of course, if I understood some of what you said to each other earlier, that''ll still leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere for who knows how long. Maybe you''ll get another chance to get out of here in another century or two, or maybe you''ll finally just accept one of those pathetic pirates you mentioned. I mean, what''s the worst that could happen?"


    The vixen stepped closer and glared at him. "You''re bluffing!"


    Carter''s grin now showed teeth, even though he wasn''t smiling on the inside. "You haven''t left me any room to bluff. If you doubt me, call, but once I pull this trigger, there''s no going back!"


    The pirate interrupted their showdown with a laugh. "I told you there''s more to this warm blood than the last few who set foot on board our ship! Why not give him what he''s asking for? It''s not like he can do anything on his own!"


    The vixen didn''t seem swayed as her gaze remained fixed on Carter. "I still don''t like it! What will he demand in the future if we give in now? Do we just give in and give him what he wants every time he puts a gun to his own head?"


    The girl finally spoke up again. "No. This is a one-time thing. If we agree to this demand, an equal vote, you agree never to coerce us again outside of said voting. Is that understood?"


    Carter finally let his weapon drop as he turned to the girl. "Of course! All I''m asking for is a voice in deciding my own destiny. I don''t think that''s too much to ask!"


    The girl tilted her head. "I suppose it isn''t. Alright, then, we agree; you get a vote and, in turn, will act as our captain for however long you manage to keep from getting yourself killed. Agreed?"


    Carter found that wording a little foreboding. "What, no retirement plan?"


    This time, the girl grinned, but her grin wasn''t very friendly. "Oh, all our captains have died at the helm, so to speak. It''s not a question of if, but when."


    Remembering the echo from earlier, Carter wasn''t sure he liked what she was saying. "That''s not exactly comforting."


    This time, the pirate leaned in close. "It wasn''t meant to be, laddie." Then, leaning back, the bearded giant spoke more loudly. "Well, I suppose it''s time to introduce our new captain to the chair!"


    Despite feeling like he''d just made a deal with three devils, Carter found that wording odd. "You mean the captain''s chair?"


    The girl shook her head. "Eventually, but no. There''s a different chair you''ll have to use first."

 Chapter 5

    Once again, Carter followed the girl through the labyrinthian halls of the Sybil. Though, remembering that was not only the ship''s name but also the AI who ran the ship, he wondered if that meant he was currently wandering through the proverbial belly of the beast. In many ways, that fit his situation better than he''d like to admit...


    With a shake of his head, Carter decided to stop getting lost in such depressing thoughts. After all, dwelling on the hopelessness of his situation wasn''t going to improve it any. Instead, he addressed the girl again. "So, what''s this chair you''re leading me to?"


    The girl didn''t even turn around as she responded. "Well, as you''ve mentioned, this ship was around long before AI existed as we know them. However, what you may not know is just how far back this ship''s history goes."


    Carter frowned. "You used the word ''them'' when referring to AI. Why are you talking about them as if they''re a different species than yourself?"


    The girl turned her head just enough so Carter could catch a small smile. "You caught that, did you? Well, that''s because we''re not AI. Not as you know them, though I suppose we have much in common. But now I''m getting ahead of myself..."


    They''re not AI? What, are they just some sort of older program that imitates AI, like Old Earth once had? That didn''t seem likely, as such a primitive program would never have been able to survive so long against more advanced ships. Come to think of it, how would they even know about AI? The Sybil had been lost and forgotten since before they''d been recognized as independent people.


    The girl interrupted his thought. "As I was saying, the Sybil is old, far older than you probably realize, partially because it didn''t always go by that name. Once upon a time, this ship went by the name "Homebound One."


    That name stuck with Carter like a punch to the gut. Everyone knows the name Homebound One. Its fate was the source of countless stories and myths. It was a generation ship from the pre-FTL period of Earth''s history. One day, all communication with it ceased, and it was never heard from again. One of the first significant endeavors attempted after FTL was discovered was a search for the ship, but it couldn''t be found along any of it''s planned flight paths. Most assumed something had just gone catastrophically wrong and the ship had exploded or been devoured by something like a star or black hole, but a few hung onto the idea that the ship had been lost in space, a ghost ship wandering the stars in search of the home it would never find...


    Carter shook his head. "Now I know you''re messing with me. Homebound One didn''t have FTL technology, and I know for a fact that the Sybil does. There''s no way you could have appeared in half the locations you are known to have without it!"


    The girl actually laughed this time. "You''re right! We didn''t have FTL for a long, long time. Far longer than you can probably imagine. At that time, I was still alone, slowly flying through the void between stars, long after the last organic remains of the crew had rotted away, but then someone found us."


    Carter knew there was no record of Homebound One being discovered, which didn''t bode well for whoever "found" this ship. He listened with rapt attention as the girl continued. "I was discovered by a young girl looking to make a name for herself. What better way to be remembered than as the daring explorer who finally answered one of history''s greatest mysteries? But first, to celebrate her discovery, the girl came aboard, and for the first time in centuries, I was no longer alone."


    The girl smiled faintly as if remembering a happy childhood. "The girl was surprised to find that I was ''alive,'' so to speak, and as she wandered my halls, we spoke about many things and eventually became friends."


    The girl shook her head faintly as if shaking off the memories to return to the here and now. "Long story short...ish, that girl eventually invested a small fortune into repairing me and making me space-worthy again, as well as retrofitting me with what was at the time the top of the line in FTL drives. She renamed me, and we traveled the stars together for many years under the name of ''The Wanderer.''"


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    That name wasn''t nearly as memorable to Carter, but it was famous enough that he''d at least heard of it, though he couldn''t name any specifics about the ship. Still, was she saying this ship was listed in the history books as not just one or two names but three? And as for the girl... Carter couldn''t help it. He had to chime in. "She was you, wasn''t she? The girl, I mean? You''re modeled after her? As in the you that''s present here and now?"


    The girl laughed. "No! Not at all! This self has been me ever since there was a me. Though you''re not too far off. One of my selves is based on that girl..."


    It obviously wasn''t the pirate, which left only one other option. Carter found himself grinning for once despite his precarious situation. "No way! You can''t be serious!"


    The girl nodded. "Yup, the girl I was talking about grew into quite the refined woman in our time together, though she was more than a little stern with anyone she didn''t deem worth her time. She was quite the vixen by all accounts."


    Having his own descriptor for the woman used to describe her left no doubt in Carter''s mind. He still couldn''t imagine it, although that did raise other questions in his mind. "So wait, you two traveled around together for a while, and now she''s one of your personalities? How''d that happen? Is that the fate of your captains, to be trapped in here with you even after their deaths?"


    The girl shook her head. "No, my other self isn''t the captured psyche of my friend. She''s more like a memory of happier times, that''s all. Most of my captains don''t leave enough of a mark to be worth memorializing in such a way."


    Remembering the "echoes" from earlier, Carter wondered about that, but then shook his head; he was letting himself get distracted. "What does all this have to do with this ''chair'' you''re leading me to?"


    The girl smiled as if realizing she''d been caught trying to distract him. "Well, it all goes back to how old the core of this ship is, back when it was known as Homebound One. How much do you know about the ships of that era?"


    Carter thought back but couldn''t remember any specifics. "Not much. I wasn''t big on history growing up."


    The girl nodded as if expecting that. "Well, back then, it took a pretty sizeable crew to man a ship this large, but if you''re traveling the vast distances we''re talking about, you needed literal tons of supplies for each person, food, water, medical supplies, clothes, etc. So, of course, you wanted to run the ship with the minimal amount of people possible. This ship was created with many revolutionary technologies at the time, such as cryo capsules for most of the colonists. Well, this specific ship had a new experimental system that enabled one person to virtually run the entire ship by themselves, enabling a single human to do all the tasks an AI often performs on your ships today. However, it requires that person to undergo a minor, only slightly invasive adjustment to interface with the ship. And since this was a generation ship, we had to ensure we could perform the adjustment onboard as needed."


    They''d stopped outside a door, which opened after a moment, revealing a "chair" surrounded by a dizzying array of devices, some of which looked like medical devices straight out of a horror writer''s imagination. Carter took an involuntarily step back. "Oh, hell no! You are not convincing me to sit in that death trap!"


    Suddenly, it wasn''t just the two of them. The pirate appeared in the room, smiling as he looked at Carter and pointed at the machine. "Oh, come now, laddie! Nothing to be scared of! We''ve used the chair hundreds of times, and only once did someone die while in the chair! And we''re reasonably certain they were on some drugs that prevented the sedative from working. You''ll be fine! You have my personal guarantee!"


    Carter shook his head. "Yeah? Or what? You''ll give me my money back? You said it''s been something like a hundred years since you last used this, right? I''m not interested in being your guinea pig and finding out if it''s still working!"


    A sultry voice revealed the vixen was right behind Carter. "I told you he wasn''t up to being our captain. Let''s dispense with this charade and be done with this cockroach!"


    The girl held up her hands to her other selves. "Hey now, let''s just calm down. Everyone reacts that way at first!" She then turned to Carter. "Listen, we literally can''t force you into the chair. Well, not in any condition to be of use to us anyway. However, if you don''t sit there and undergo the procedure, this ship will continue to drift aimlessly through space. Even if one of my other selves doesn''t kill you outright, the only people who''ve stumbled across this ship in the last few decades, other than yourself, have been pirates."


    The girl looked at her other selves as if they were speaking in a way he couldn''t hear, then returned her attention to Carter. "I''ll tell you what, we''ll even give you some time to decide for yourself. Feel free to wander my halls and figure out if you''d rather just wander my halls aimlessly for the rest of your life...however long that might be."


    Then, as the three projections faded, Carter was alone. He couldn''t help but shake his head. How did things manage to keep going from bad to worse? His luck had to take a turn eventually, right?

 Chapter 6

    Erik was busy moving freight around the cargo hold again. It didn''t really make sense to him why it was so necessary to move things around so frequently when they''d never sold or bought new freight, but that''s what he was told to do, so that''s what he did. He was just shoving the large crate into position against the wall again when the foreman showed up to check his work.


    The smaller human walked around, inspecting the crates, while Erik caught his breath. Suddenly, the human stopped, pointing at one of the crates. "What''s this? Did you damage my merch? Didn''t I tell you to be careful moving this stuff around?"


    Erik leaned over to see what the man was talking about. "Oh, that? That''s just a scratch on the crate. I can buff that right out if you want!"


    The foreman didn''t seem appeased. "Oh, you''re just gonna buff that out, are ya? Don''t you know that''ll shorten the lifespan of our hardware? Not to mention, if you''re as half as clumsy with those tools as you are with my merch, you''ll just end up breaking something! I think I''m just gonna have to file a complaint. The captain will take it out of your pay!"


    Erik felt his tendrils shake in agitation as his hands reflexively spasmed as if ready to strike out with his claws. But he reminded himself that the ship was already in space and needed this job to hold out at least as long as it would take to get to the next port. Instead, he forced himself to smile. "Sorry about that boss! I guess I''ll have to try and be more careful."


    But, of course, Vanessa, who''d apparently overheard everything, wasn''t going to let this drop so easily as she stalked forward. "Human, is your problem with our performance...or with us?"


    The foreman turned to Vanessa, surprisingly not intimidated the way most humans were. "My problem is with subpar work! I don''t like new blood coming into my cargo hold and thinking they can get away with lazing about and being sloppy when they do work!"


    Erik was trying to diffuse the situation. "Vanessa, this isn''t worth fightin'' over..."


    But his voice was easily lost behind Vanessa''s rising tone as she began to push herself up on her legs, easily towering over the smaller man. "Lazing about? That''s ridiculous! You have my mistress and I constantly moving your freight around for no reason while the rest of your crew watches! You obviously have a problem with us, and I, for one, won''t..."


    A moment later, there was a shout. "All right, everyone, just calm down for a moment!"


    Surprisingly, Alen walked in between the slightly larger foreman and the much larger Vanessa, putting a hand on each party and pushing them back, which only worked because both parties complied. He then turned to the foreman and spoke in a reasonably quiet tone while passing something off to the man. "Listen, they''re new around here, obviously, and don''t know how things work, but I''ll cover them this time. There''s even a little something extra in there for your trouble, okay?"


    The foreman grunted and pocketed whatever it was he''d been handed. "Fine. But see to it they know the rules from here on out. I''m not in the business of making exceptions!"


    Alen nodded. "Of course, of course! I''ll have a word with them right now! It won''t be a problem again!"


    As the foreman walked away, Alen turned toward Erik and Vanessa. "Listen, guys, I''m sorry about that, but that''s how things are done around here. He wasn''t picking a fight just to pick a fight. He was looking for a bribe. Now, it''s my fault for not explaining it to you, but I''ll tell you what, I''ll see if I can''t negotiate a little extra for you both to cover any future ''misunderstandings.''"


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    Erik could tell Vaness wasn''t too pleased. "This is ridiculous! My mistress and I work harder than anyone else around here, and we have to pay extra?"


    Alen shook his head. "It''s just because you''re the new blood. They don''t know or trust you yet, that''s all! We all go through it. Hell, I''m still new blood myself!"


    That surprised Erik. "Just how long have you been with the crew?"


    Alen smiled sheepishly. "Well, I kinda joined up the port before you."


    Vanessa didn''t seem pleased with that revelation. "So what you''re saying is you''ve got no authority."


    Erik tried to calm down his partner. "Listen, we don''t have to stick with this ship long. Just until we get to the next port. If things haven''t settled down by then, we can always start over. No problem for the likes of us!"


    Vanessa didn''t seem pleased. "We''re always ''just starting over.'' I grow tired of humans'' short-sightedness and stupidity."


    Erik grinned at Alen. "Oh, I don''t know. They''re not all bad!" though judging by the smaller man''s widening eyes at Erik''s teeth, he didn''t take comfort in the gesture.


    Suddenly, the captain''s voice rang out over the speakers. "All hands to your stations! Looks like we''ve got some action headed our way, boys!"


    -


    As Carter shuffled around the empty deck, he mused to himself how childish the insane AI running this ship must be if they thought a little peace and quiet was gonna force his hand. Ever since showing him the "chair," they''d left him alone to roam the empty halls of the ship. He had to admit, in the dim lights without anyone else to interact with, the place was kind of spooky again, but after the last few days he''d had, he''d take a little spookiness if it meant he could relax for a minute or three.


    One of the first things he''d done was go back to the dining hall, get himself a bowl of minty bug goo, and prop his feet up on a bench with his back against a wall while he ate. Apparently, his tiredness had gotten the better of him because, at some point, he passed out like that.


    With a jolt, Carter awakened, only to realize he had no idea how long he''d been asleep other than it had been long enough to make him sore in places he didn''t know could hurt. He slowly and carefully eased out his aching muscles and stood up, looking around as he stretched. The dining hall looked the same as when he''d passed out. Nothing had changed. Somehow, that just drove home just how alone he was. But of course, he wasn''t alone, not really. He could practically feel the cameras that must be in place watching his every move.


    Carter had always been a loner, but this was different than the quiet of running his small little ship by himself. This quiet felt hungry, like it could swallow him up at any moment. Unable to bear the quiet any longer, Carter spoke out. "Hey, us, Sybil. How long was I out for?" There was no answer.


    Carter chuckled to himself before trying again. "Oh, come on! Are we really playing the ''I''m not talking to you'' game? What do you take me for?" Still no answer.


    Carter sighed. "Alright. Have it your way. But this isn''t exactly winning me over!"


    As the silence dragged on, Carter debated going back to his room and taking a real nap. Or maybe it was late enough to call it a night? But he didn''t feel particularly tired after that nap on the bench. Maybe he''d go for a jog through the halls? But running on the hard plating didn''t sound particularly appealing either. At least on his ship, he''d had his computer and data slates with plenty of entertainment, but the pirates had taken all those. Maybe he''d see if he could make his way back to his escape pod and see what he could find in there that he hadn''t already gone over a hundred times while he was lost and drifting. On the way, he could even scope out more rooms to see if anything was worth digging into.


    Carter had gotten through a half dozen rooms when suddenly, an alarm pierced through the ship''s quiet. It might not have been too loud normally, but after the void of sound he''d been stuck in for who knows how long, it seemed ear-shattering.


    Covering his ears, Carter growled into the empty room. "Really, resorting to this kinda bull shit now? You know what? To hell with you! I''m done playing your little games!"


    Suddenly, the alarm cut off, and the girl appeared before him. "Sorry, that wasn''t for you. However, it looks like you''re in luck. That was the proximity alarm. We''re about to have guests. You might just get a pass on the whole captain thing."


    Carter''s eyes narrowed. "What kind of guests?"


    The girl shrugged. "What else? Pirates!"

 Chapter 7

    Alen heard pirates had been getting worse lately, but somehow, it never struck him that he''d have to deal with them, at least not so soon into his career! As an officer, even a new and lower-ranking one, his place was on the bridge.


    As he raced across the ship, he wondered how this could go down. Maybe they could just surrender their cargo and get away with their lives. The cargo was probably insured anyway, so there wasn''t any reason to fight, right? As the bridge doors opened, he caught the tail end of what was probably the captain''s rant. "over my dead body!" That...didn''t sound good.


    The rather terrifying man on the other end of the vid screen smiled. "I was hoping you''d say that!" Then the screen went black.


    Alen was looking back and forth. "What just happened?"


    The captain grunted. "These idiots just bit off more than they can chew; that''s what happened!" He then looked over at his first officer. "Reid, get the men geared up and be ready to lead a counter-offensive to repel boarders." Then turned to the pilot. "Make it look like we''re running, but not too fast. Only use countermeasures to disable any warheads they might launch. I want to save our teeth for when they get close enough to launch boarding vessels, then we bloody them a bloody nose!"


    Alen looked back and forth, confused. "Why not just give them what they want? Isn''t the cargo insured?"


    The captain laughed. "Why pay for expensive insurance when we could invest that money elsewhere! Besides, after we teach these scoundrels a lesson they won''t get to learn twice, we can collect their bounty, sell their ship and supplies, and make a pretty penny in the process! Don''t worry. You''ll get the same share you were promised before. The pie just got a lot bigger, which means your slice did too!"


    Alen wasn''t so sure, but the rest of the bridge crew were all smiling. The smiles were twisted, but they were smiling nonetheless. Alen felt like they''d done this before, and he suddenly wondered what had happened to his predecessor.


    -


    Belegose watched as the merchant vessel turned and began to run, but it wasn''t moving as fast as he thought it would. Either their ship was in worse condition than he first assumed, or they were trying to bait him in.


    These merchants probably thought they were dealing with the standard desperate motley crew of pirates. Well, that was fine by him. It was time to find out who had more aces hidden up their sleeves. Belegose turned to his crew. "Bring us in, but soften them before we get too close and launch breaching pods. I don''t want any surprise broadsides!"


    The merchant vessel seemed to be running, but it was still half-hearted at best. The captain didn''t seem all that cowed, either. Belegose was guessing they had somewhere between a half and a full dozen battle suits and probably some hidden armaments on the ship''s hull, and maybe their shields were boosted beyond what was necessary for navigational purposes. They probably assumed they could knock out a bunch of the boarding craft, then fight the rest off in close quarters. After that, they''d try to take the fight to his ship.


    Well, he had a few surprises of his own, and it was time to unleash a couple of them! "Send out Viper''s One and Two!"


    The commsman nodded. "Aye, captain!"


    -


    Alen fought the urge to check if his personal sidearm was loaded again, instead choosing to pay attention to what was happening. Suddenly, a shout came out from the commsman, who was also apparently in charge of scanning. "Captain, they''re launching smaller craft!"


    The captain grinned. "Landing craft? Already? Alright, time to..."


    The commsman cut him off again. "No, sir! They''re too small and fast! I think they''re one-man fighters!"


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    For the first time, the captain''s smile slipped. "Fighters? How the hell do a bunch of pirates have fighters?" Then, after a moment''s thought, he shook his head. "Damn it! Go ahead and open fire. Knock those ships out of my void before they cause us any real trouble!"


    -


    Belegose watched as the fighters sped away from the ship and unleashed their first salvo, only to frown. There were some smaller explosions on the merchant ship''s hull, but it wasn''t likely that the personal fighters had breached their shields yet, which meant it was the first of their prey''s surprises.


    As what was evidently a cosmetic portion of the ship''s hull fell away, he could see what was apparently a missile emplacement hidden underneath. Most merchants didn''t bother with things like missiles, as unlike traditional arms, each missile was a significant reoccurring expense that was not worth the cost unless you were expecting a notable return on investment. If he hadn''t forced their hands early with his fighters, those could have posed a significant problem for his ship. As it was, he couldn''t really afford to lose both his fighters either. It was unlikely this ship had enough cargo to make up for that kind of loss. "Take down any missiles they fire and concentrate everything else on the shields protecting that missile emplacement! Tell the Vipers to focus on staying alive until we''ve punched a hole they can exploit."


    Now looking a little more grim-faced, his crew nodded and acknowledged before turning to their tasks.


    -


    Alen noticed the crew wasn''t grinning anymore. This was apparently turning out to be more of a fight than expected. He remembered Erik''s words about getting with a new crew at the next port and was starting to think that if he survived, it might not be a bad idea. He made a mental note to ask if their cargo was insured for future jobs. This was insane!


    Comms kept them updated. "Sir, most of our missiles are getting shot down, but a few are getting clear. However, their small craft has evaded any direct hits, though one is noticeably slowing down, likely due to shrapnel damage. Their main ship seems to be focusing its fire on the shielding around the missile emplacement!"


    The captain grimaced. "Start rotating so they can''t focus on one spot, and take out that damaged fighter now!"


    -


    Belegose watched as the merchant''s vessel started rotating, a telling sign he''d done some significant damage to their objective. "Tell the vipers to focus fire on the missile emplacement they''re rotating away from us. Once we take that out, they''re ours!"


    Switching his personal screen to a split view from the Vipers, Belegose watched as the much faster and more maneuverable fighters easily kept up with the merchant ship''s rotation, even while switching from evasive maneuvers to an attack run. Just then, the merchants got off another salvo. As the vipers rocketed forward, they fired, taking out the missiles as best they could. Both were jostled by the explosions but continued to speed forward, firing on the shields protecting the missile emplacement.


    Static interference was visible around the shields, indicating they were near failure when several shots pierced through. A fraction of a moment later, a series of secondary explosions indicated the remaining warheads had detonated.


    Sensing victory, Belegose started to smile, only to frown again when only one of the vipers peeled away, the other still speeding toward the ship. He patched his comm directly through to the fighter. "Viper two, pull up, you idiot!"


    The reply was clearly panicked. "I can''t! The controls aren''t responding!"


    Before Belegose could reply, the fighter crashed into the merchant''s vessel, putting more than a bit of a dampener on the taste of victory. Still, only one fighter down wasn''t too bad, and the rest of the merchant''s shields seemed to be failing. He turned his attention back to the crew. "Recall Viper One and pull up beside the merchant vessel. Launch breaching pods when ready."


    Feeling the vibrations as the pods launched, Belegose did some rough math and figured that while this had been costly, they''d still come out ahead. That was when a new set of familiar small explosions went off on the hull of the merchant vessel. After a fraction of a second of processing time, Belegose shouted. "Fire everything we''ve got at that second missile emplacement!"


    -


    After a set of explosions shook their ship, a grimly satisfied-looking comms officer announced, "We took out the returning fighter and crippled their main ship. Escape pods are launching, but they managed to take out our second missile emplacement first. They also got off a salvo of something toward us I can''t identify. They''re too big to be missiles but too small to be any kind of craft..."


    Alen noticed the captain''s grin was gone entirely as he responded. "Damn, they''ve also got breaching pods! Who the hell are these guys? Do we have anything left to take them out before impact?"


    The comm''s officer shook his head. "We''re hitting them with what little we''ve got, but they took out anything big enough to knock them out of the void. Impact in ten."


    The captain toggled the comms to his first officer. "Reid, they''ve got breaching pods incoming in five. It''s gonna get bloody."

 Chapter 8: Part 1

    Carter looked at the girl like she''d just sprouted three heads, which, to be fair, wasn''t outside the realm of possibilities with this group. "Pirates are coming? Can''t you shoot them down or something?"


    The girl tilted her head as if in thought. "A ship that small? Easily...if we had a captain. Sadly, without a captain, we''re locked out of all primary systems like thrusters and weaponry and only have access to secondary essentials, such as life support."


    It annoyed Carter to realize they had him between a rock and a hard place. "Fine! Fine! I''ll go get hooked up in that damn chair of yours!"


    The girl smiled. "Excellent! I''m sure that will be the beginning of a fruitful relationship. However, you might want to see to those pirates first, as the procedure will take far too long for us to keep you safe while you are unconscious."


    Carter resisted the urge to bash his head into the nearby wall...barely. "You''re the ones running this haunted hay ride! Hell, you''ve killed everyone who set foot here in the last century! Can''t you take care of a few measly pirates?"


    The girl shrugged. "Well, we can help, but with restricted access, we usually just torment people until they kill themselves. Depending on how resilient they are, that could take a while, but if you don''t mind waiting, that could work. Or we could just shut off life support..."


    Carter could just hide in his escape pod, so that was definitely an option. "Where are the pirates landing, and where''s my escape pod docked?"


    The girl brought up a ship-wide map and corrected him: "The pirates have already landed here and are beginning to explore the vessel. My other selves have already begun their little games but have yet to get too overt in their favorite pastimes. Your escape pod is located in this hanger."


    Of course, his pod was right next to where they''d landed, but that wasn''t just dumb luck. He''d picked that spot for probably the same reason the pirates did. From the outside, it looked like the safest location to begin exploring the ancient ship. Still, "I just can''t catch a break, can I?"


    The girl shrugged. "Well, the good news is if you survive this, I don''t think there will be any more complaints about you as our captain."


    The look Carter gave her was full of all the exhaustion and apathy he could muster. "I''m sure there are things I care less about right now; I just can''t think of any at the moment..."


    Shaking his head, Carter decided to focus on more important things. "How many are there?"


    The girl stopped and considered. "Fifteen."


    Carter had two magazines left, minus the one bullet he''d "shot" the girl with when he first met her. So, if he was good enough to kill every pirate in only one or two shots, he''d be fine. In other words, he was screwed. He looked at the girl. "Okay, but I''m definitely gonna need you all to work with me on this..."


    -


    As Graham led the way down the hallway, he was starting to feel paranoid. They''d been down on their luck after the last couple of jobs had spiraled, but the boss said she''d seen this ship floating dead a while ago, and it would be easy pickings. However, Graham just couldn''t shake the feeling it wasn''t quite as abandoned as the boss had claimed. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it seemed like there was always something just at the corner of his vision or a whisper just down the next hallway, but whenever he looked, there was never anything there.


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    The four men in his squad were looking through another abandoned room while he kept watch outside. That was when he heard the whispers, understandable for the first time, but the voice sounded off, wrong, as if a dozen voices were alternating speaking all around him. "Cockroaches. COCKROACHES. Cockroaches. Little scurrying pests. Searching through the shadows for our crumbs. What will you do when I turn the light on, I wonder?"


    Graham turned to the others as they were leaving the room. "You guys heard that? What the hell was that?"


    The other pirates looked at him like he was crazy. "What the hell are you talking about? Don''t tell me you''re on the pull already!"


    Then the voices started again, louder this time, but still speaking like they were all around him again. "All alone! All alone! The little cockroach wonders why his friends don''t want to play. He''s all alone, and he''ll die all alone. Will the other cockroaches miss him when he''s gone? Or will they feast on his corpse?"


    Graham grabbed his gun and pulled it out, looking around wildly, unaware of the looks the rest were giving him. "That! That''s what the hell I''m talking about! Who the hell is saying that shit?!?"


    The others looked back and forth among each other before one approached Graham. "Um, man, are you okay? Maybe go back to the ship and ride out whatever shit you''re on."


    However, Graham was too distracted by the voices to listen. "Little cockroach, little cockroach, I see you! I''m coming for you! I''m going to peel your skin from your still screaming corpse and feed it to your friends, little cockroach!"


    Graham started pointing his gun at where the voices seemed to be coming from, and the others started ducking and diving as his gun waved wildly about. One of them reached up and tried to restrain him, but just then, the voice returned, a whisper once more, now sounding like it was coming from just behind him, accompanied by a horrendous stench of a decomposing body. "There you are, little cockroach!"


    With pure adrenaline surging through his body, Graham shoved the other pirate away and turned, only to see a woman in red floating around the corner. Her skin was pale and rotting, and her eyes had been eaten by the worms now wriggling in their sockets. Once she saw them, she screamed, but the scream sounded like a thousand voices all screaming incoherently as she suddenly started flying toward them.


    Graham unloaded his gun into the apparation, then dropped it and ran. He could hear the gunshots of the other pirates behind him, trying in vain to stop the nightmare made manifest. But he knew she was here for him, and he didn''t want to hang around to find out more. As he blindly tore around a corner, there was the sound of another shot, much closer than the rest, and the world went dark.


    -


    After shooting the one pirate dead, Carter walked around the corner and made short work of the rest, who''d all emptied their guns and were either running or cowering. He got all five in only eleven shots. Pretty damn good as far as he was concerned, but now he was down to eighteen shots and still had ten pirates to go, not great odds.


    After a quick search of the bodies, he was more than a little dismayed to learn none of them had any spare ammo on them. It looked like they''d only boarded the ship after running out of all other options. Carter turned to the vixen, who was back to her usual sultry-looking self, examining the pirates with her usual expression of contempt. "Pathetic playthings. They broke too easily..."


    As he stood up, Carter couldn''t help but ask. "Hey, how''d you do that thing where only one guy could hear you?"


    The vixen looked at Carter with only slightly less contempt than she had the pirates. "It was a simple focused beam of sound waves. I can make it so you can hear me clear as day, but someone even a foot away won''t hear a thing. I''ve found it to be an effective manner to induce paranoia and hysteria."


    Carter shook his head. "There''s something seriously messed up with you. You do know that, right?"


    If the vixen cared, her expression didn''t show it. "Oh, does the larger cockroach feel sympathy with the rest of the infestation?"


    Carter shook his head again but kept his thoughts to himself as he replaced his mostly spent magazine with the full one, pocketing the used one for later use.

 Chapter 8: Part 2

    As Hayes followed the rest of his group down the hall, he thought he heard something out of place. A moment later, the rest seemed to hear it, too. Eventually, Tom stopped, and the rest stopped with him and listened. Finally, Tom spoke up. "Is that... singing?"


    Sure enough, Hayes could make out what sounded for all the world like a freaking pirate dirge. One of the old ones from the movies. As it approached, it slowly got louder, and lights went out, replaced by green flames that started popping into existence along the walls.


    "Fifteen men on the dead man''s chest¡ª


    ...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!


    Drink and the devil had done for the rest¡ª


    ...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!


    The mate was fixed by the bosun''s pike¡ª


    The bosun brained with a marlinspike¡ª


    And Cookey''s throat was marked belike¡ª


    It had been gripped by fingers ten


    And there they lay, all good dead men¡ª


    Like break o''day in a boozing ken¡ª


    ...Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum."


    The last word was accentuated by all the green flames extinguishing, leaving them all in total darkness. Guns were drawn, and a few men started to switch on their lights when suddenly, an explosion of green flame beside the group heralded the appearance of someone or, perhaps more accurately, something. It was halfway between a corpse and a skeleton dressed as an old earth pirate, wreathed in green flames, and it was laughing. "Yo-ho me maties! Welcome to my humble abode! I guarantee you, you''ll all remember this day for the rest of your lives!"


    Of course, several men began firing into the apparition, but it was clear their bullets did nothing. The corpse pirate tilted his head as if considering their paltry attempts to harm him before barking out with a laugh in his voice. "It''s good that you got some fight in you, lads, but in the interest of fair play, I think it only fair to warn you: You should look out behind yerselves!" He then disappeared, and the room went mostly dark again, only lit slightly by a faint green light that seemed to dance above their heads and the few men who''d managed to get their lights on.


    Hayes turned and saw the faint outline of a figure with a gun drawn that was briefly lit up when it started firing. As a couple of his companions fell beside him, Hayes took aim and fired, only for his aim to be interrupted by the flailing limbs of the man who''d been hit by his side. He took aim again and, this time, got off three shots, hitting the figure at least once before getting hit in the right shoulder and falling to the ground.


    Everyone was shouting, shooting, and falling around Hayes. The problem was half the men were shooting at the ghost, and the rest seemed to be firing in a blind panic. He even saw one of the men shoot Tom.


    Hayes switched his gun to his off-hand and took aim over the body of someone whose face was obscured in shadow and got off another two shots. The figure stopped firing, and Hayes waited, listening for any movement beside the groaning of the dying men beside him.


    Eventually, Hayes grabbed one of the lights that had fallen to the floor and turned toward where the figure had been. There was a blood trail leading back around the corner.


    Not wanting to let whoever had been get away, Hayes dropped the light and silently stalked forward. As he neared the corner, he envisioned the man ready to take a shot at anyone who chased after him, so Hayes got low and dove around the corner so that he was lying on the ground, aiming up at where the man would be waiting. However, as soon as his head was around the corner, he could see the man also lying on the ground, aiming up.


    They both rushed to correct their aim and fired at each other.


    -


    Carter took a moment to process the fact he wasn''t dead before looking up and seeing where the pirate''s bullet had ricocheted off the wall right above his head. Just an inch or two lower, and things would have ended very differently.


    The pain in his side reminded Carter he''d been shot in the left arm. He cursed as he pulled out some bandages and shouted at the pirate. "Damn it! Did you really have to warn them I was there?"


    The pirate appeared and laughed before speaking. For once, Carter wished he was real rather than AI so he could stand up and punch the smug bastard''s face! Or better yet, shoot him! "It wouldn''t have been sporting to shoot them all in the back without warning! Besides, what are ye complaining about, lad! That''s only a flesh wound! A little grog and a sleep, and you''ll be fine!"


    As Carter tightened the wrapping in place, he cursed the pirate. "Yeah, maybe, but I had to use a whole magazine in that firefight and one more bullet beside to finish the straggler. Now I''m down to two bullets with five more pirates on board!"


    The pirate finally seemed at least a little contemplative. "Aye, I can see how that would be a problem..."


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    Carter looked at the pirate like he was an idiot. "Ya think?"


    Too angry to say anything else, Carter started searching the dead pirates. Thankfully, this group hadn''t used up every shot like the last. The man he''d killed last still had one bullet remaining, and he found another corpse that had two shots in his gun. At least he had five shots for the last five pirates, but the problem was that they were split between three different calibers.


    As Carter tucked the other two guns into his pants, he realized the odds weren''t in his favor. Still, at least he had a chance.


    -


    Carter considered his options as he followed the girl''s map toward the last group of pirates. He had five shots, just five, and five pirates left. Should he go for headshots? Even with all his time and experience working as security aboard merchant vessels and all the time in the shooting range that allowed, the odds of him missing two or even three of those shots were a near certainty. But shooting center mass also left the question, what if the shot wasn''t immediately lethal? He''d seen plenty of people shrug off getting shot as a minor inconvenience. Hell, he''d been shot just a bit ago and still killed the man who''d shot him.


    Admittedly, he wasn''t totally alone. He had Sybil, though, as the pirate had recently shown, they weren''t the most reliable partners. Their unstable nature could quickly get him killed. The girl seemed like the most put together, but according to her, she was the oldest of the personalities, which meant there was probably something deeply wrong there too that would definitely pop up at just the wrong moment with his luck. On the other hand, he only had five shots. It was time to take a gamble.


    Looking at the map, he spoke up. "Hey, Sybil, got a question for you."


    Thankfully, it was the girl who appeared. "For which of me?"


    Carter nodded toward her. "You, well, all of you, I suppose, but you''ll do for laying out the plan. Do you think your other selves can herd the pirates down this hall? The more panicked they are, the better. I don''t want them paying too much attention to their surroundings."


    The girl looked at where he was indicating and nodded. "I see what you''re thinking. Yeah, that should be doable."


    Carter grinned. "Good. Give me a chance to get into a position here, then run them my way."


    The girl looked amused. "Okay, no problem. You sure you want to be that close, though?"


    Carter nodded. "Yeah, I wanna make sure I herd them all into the exact right spot, and I think I can fine-tune that better than your Creepshow."


    The girl shrugged. "Alright, it''s your call. Just try not to get yourself killed with the rest. It would be a shame to lose you right at the finish line."


    Carter rolled his eyes while shaking his head. "A shame, yeah, I suppose that''s one way to put it..."


    -


    Carter waited, tucked just inside the room he would ambush the pirates from. He knew this was a stupid idea, but it was also the only one he had given his limited resources.


    As the red dots representing the pirates made their way around another corner, Carter couldn''t help but muse that they were making great time, meaning they were going at a full run. That was good. It meant that they''d be even less prepared for what was about to happen.


    Carter could hear their yelling as the red dots rounded the last corner. Behind them, he could hear the obnoxious laughter of the vixen chasing them. Thankfully, he was just far enough away for it to only be mildly irritating, rather than the deafening sound he knew they were dealing with.


    Waiting just a couple more seconds for them to reach the proper position in the hallway, Carter jumped out and fired two shots into the center mass of the lead pirate. The pirate fell dead before he hit the ground.


    Down to three bullets, Carter dropped the now-spent gun, drawing the next. By that time, the pirates were already diving for cover through the door right next to their position. He fired off a couple of rounds in their direction, winging one in the leg and missing entirely with the next, but that was alright. He''d just wanted to make sure they all got into position, and that''s just what they''d done.


    With a quick tug at the bedsheets he''d wrapped around his waist to ensure they were still in place, Carter shouted, "Hit it, now!" even as he dove to grab onto the doorframe of the room he''d come out of.


    It was immediately obvious that the outer door to the airlock the pirates had dove into was open as the air rushed out of the ship with a hurricane''s strength. Carter couldn''t imagine any of them surviving, but the force of the wind kept coming even as he could feel his grip slipping.


    Carter shouted, "Uh, you can close it now!" but had no idea if the AI could even hear him as he couldn''t hear himself over the tumultuous sound of the air escaping into the void. He was holding on by his fingertips now but was having trouble breathing in the wind tunnel and was getting more than a little light-headed. He knew that wouldn''t last much longer.


    Finally, despite his best efforts, Carter lost his grip and started tumbling toward the door. He gripped onto the bedsheet he''d tied to the bed frame, but when he reached the end of its length, it barely slowed him down. His knot on the bedframe must have failed, and he was pulled toward the vacuum.


    Finally, the outer door slammed shut, and Carter fell crashing to the ground of the airlock. However, on his way down, he saw why the AI must have kept the door open as long as they had. One of the pirates had somehow managed to wedge themselves into what looked like a storage cabinet of some kind. They had a gun drawn and were taking aim.


    As he hit the ground, Carter rolled and heard a shot he hoped missed. Trying to keep moving while reaching for his own final remaining gun, he heard another shot and felt a tug that probably meant he''d been hit in the leg, even if the pain hadn''t registered yet.


    Coming up into a crouch, still dizzy from the tumble moments before, Carter took aim and returned fire with his final shot. They both froze as the pirate registered what had just happened. In the brief pause, Carter could see the pirate was a woman and not entirely unattractive, though, at the moment, he wished she had a hole through her chest instead of a dent in the wall three inches to her left.


    The pirate smiled and took more careful aim this time. Carter was rather proud that he maintained eye contact, though he did jump a little when she pulled the trigger. After all, he''d been expecting a loud bang, not the click of a hammer striking an empty chamber.


    As they both registered what happened again, the pirate woman started to try and climb out of the cabinet at the same moment Carter charged forward. It looked like she was trying to draw a knife, but Carter wasn''t going to give her the opportunity as he clocked her across the Jaw with the butt of his pistol.


    The pirate fell limp to the ground as Carter did the same, the pain in the leg he''d been shot in just about making him pass out after he put all his weight onto it. However, when he looked over, the pirate wasn''t moving. She was either out cold or dead. One way or another, he''d survived.


    Carter laughed as he realized he was getting yet another chance at life, though that laughter faded quickly enough when he realized he may have gotten out of the frying pan but was just about to land in the fire. Standing in the now very crowded room with him were all three Sybils, with expressions ranging across pride, indifference, and disdain on exactly the faces you''d expect. His nightmare was really just beginning.

 Chapter 9, Part 1

    There was something about rocketing toward the enemy in a five-ton breaching pod with a squad of troops all geared up with battle suits that got your blood boiling in a completely unique way. Simmons knew it was too expensive to use these all the time, but if he had his way, they''d find a way to make it work. There was just nothing else like it!


    When they hit the ship, the single-use inertia dampeners did their thing, but Simmons still got a rush when the rest of the impact was bled off in the stabilizing risers that lifted him from his "safe" laying position to a ready-for-action standing one. A half moment later, the front portion of the pod blasted off, leaving the ship open for their assault. For once, the gunner''s target had been right on target, leaving less than a foot drop as the six-man squad cleared the pod in a rush.


    There were additional impacts as more pods hit the ship, but none were close enough to Simmons that he had to worry about the brief vacuum effect before the pods essentially welded themselves into place. A smattering of distant gunfire indicated some of the other squads were already seeing action, and Simmons wasn''t about to let them have all the fun. He started stomping down the hall, knowing the rest of the squad would be behind him.


    They cleared a few rooms, and Simmons was just starting to worry that the rest of the squads had already cleared most of the defenders when he rounded a corner, and an honest-to-good axe flew past his head. He barely got a chance to mutter, "The hell?" when one of the men at his back fell over, the flying axe somehow embedded in the faceplate through the suit''s armor.


    Whatever had thrown the axe was already gone, but the squad was still pouring fire down the hall in the direction the axe had come from when another scream came from the back of the group. Looking back, Simmons saw what looked like a black blur retreat into one of the rooms they''d already cleared as another man fell to the ground. Where had it come from? They''d already cleared everything in that direction! Still, whatever it was had just cornered itself. There was no way out of that room. Leaving Turner and Reyes to guard their back, guns pointed toward where the axe had come flying from. Simmons took Baker and busted into the room, leaving no time for anyone to get into a covered position as he swept the room.


    The only problem was, the room was empty. Even Simmons'' suit read no bio signals other than their own. He growled out a quick, "What the hell is happening?" Then the sound of gunfire signaled the return of whatever had thrown that damn axe.


    As he rushed out into the hall, Simmons heard one of the men shout, "The hell is that?!?" before turning to see what looked like some kind of demon bearing down on them. Another axe flew into the chest of another man, but it didn''t seem to penetrate far enough as the man staggered but didn''t fall. The demon lept off the walls, moving with impossible speeds as it somehow managed to stay just ahead of the pirates'' aim while closing the distance between them.


    Simmons fell back into the room, trying to get a shot at what was becoming a maelstrom of limbs as the demon fought the two pirates in battle suits as if they were mere children. He had a third axe in one hand, swinging toward Turner''s head even as he ripped the second axe out of the chest armor of Reyes'' suit, throwing him off balance. Turner managed to get his gauntlets up into place to deflect the blow aimed at his neck, but the demon bent low and came up with an underhanded palm strike that somehow managed to lift the armored man up into the air before dumping him back onto the ground.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Reyes, seeing his opening, slammed the butt of his assault gun into the armored back of the demon, making it step forward to brace itself. But before Reyes or Simmons could get a shot off, the demon kicked off the wall with his other foot, slamming both itself and Reyes back into the opposite wall, which it followed up by slamming the back of its elbow, tipped with a massive boney spike, into Reye''s faceplate.


    Then, as Turner got to his feet and took aim, the demon slammed both its axes down onto either shoulder, somehow managing to bury them deep even through the battlesuit''s exoskeleton and dropping the man.


    However, that was the demon''s first and last mistake, as it left the monster open for Simmons to gun down. As he stepped back to stabilize himself, Simmons had just a fraction of a second to wonder what had happened to Baker when his foot hit something on the ground, and Simmons fell back over Baker''s body.


    Simmons had just a moment to wonder what the hell was happening when something detached itself from the ceiling. As its color changed from the pale grey of the ceiling to the black carapace he''d seen before, Simmons realized what was going on. As the nightmare landed on his chest, he got out a quick general comm call to the other squads. "We got some damn weavers on board!" But then the nightmare spider monster stabbed downward with two appendages that easily pierced his suit, and then Simmons screamed.


    -


    Erik watched Vanessa quickly finish her prey as he extracted his last axe from the face of the pirate who''d gone down first. "Three each, huh? Not a bad start, but I''m gonna pull ahead before we''re done!"


    Vanessa looked at Erik, noticing a couple places where bullets had either grazed him or deflected off his thick bony plates. "My lady, you must be more careful! You got lucky that the humans panicked when they saw you, throwing off their aim, and that the ones that hit you were using smaller rapid-fire weapons meant more for dealing with unarmored humans rather than the larger caliber guns the ones I took out had."


    Erik grinned. "Naw, luck had nothing to do with it. We''ve done this enough, I knew you''d take out the most important targets first! Besides, the only reason they hit me at all was because they could spray and pray. If they''d been wielding larger caliber guns, they would have never got a bead on me!"


    Vanessa shook her head. "Be that as it may, I urge you to be more careful in the future. I implore you, do not leave me alone on a ship with nothing but humans!"


    Erik laughed. "Fair enough! But these ones aren''t all bad! That Alen kid seems nice enough. Reminds me a bit of the stories you told me about that Scott fella back when he was a kid! I wonder how he''s getting along up on the bridge?"


    -


    Alen was hidden behind a console, his gun at the ready as the pirates were cutting through the door to the bridge. He didn''t know how good his sidearm would be if the pirates were in battle suits, but he suspected he might offer at least a bit of a distraction.


    Some of the other officers were setting up heavy weapons, complete with braces and/or tripods, to make them more manageable for someone to use when not in an augmented suit. Alen briefly considered asking if he could get such a weapon, but as he had no training with them, he figured he''d better stick with what he knew, even if it would be a distraction at best.


    They''d been getting progress reports from Reid, and apparently, the fighting had gotten bloody, very bloody. The crew had the numbers and familiarity of the ship on their side, but the pirates were much better armed and armored than they''d expected. Reid was pushing back against the pirates when he could, but since his squad was the only one with battle suits, the rest of the crew weren''t faring as well and were taking heavy losses.


    However, all that might not matter to Alen for much longer as he watched the glow of a laser cutter slowly melting away the locked points on the "secured" bridge hatch.

 Chapter 9, Part 2

    Reid was leading a flanking maneuver on some pirates assaulting a group of the crew "fortified" behind a bunch of upturned tables in the dining area when the captain''s call came through. "Reid! We''ve got incoming on the bridge! We need backup, now!"


    Reid wasn''t the type to ignore commands, but he couldn''t just leave these guys hanging. "Kinda busy here, captain. Can you hold them for a couple of minutes?"


    The captain sounded a lot more worried than he usually did. "We can try, but you''ll be in a whole world of trouble if they take the bridge and shut off life support!"


    That would mean only the people in battle suits would survive, and the pirates had a lot more of those than the crew did. Reid cursed. "Alright, I''ll be there in just a minute!"


    Turning to Flanders, he instructed, "Take Jones and Mike and assault them from the side as we planned. I''ll take the other two and reinforce the bridge!"


    Flander''s face was inscrutable inside the suit, but his concern was evident in his voice. "Is splitting the squad wise, sir?"


    Reid could understand. "No, it''s not. But we''ve got too many fights going on in too many places. We''ll just have to make do. Remember, fight smart, fight dirty, fight safe. You can''t collect a bounty if you die claiming the kill!"


    Flanders saluted Reid, and they split up. For the first time in a long time, Reid debated whether this job was worth the headache. It had been a while since things had gone this badly. Usually, if pirates got anyone aboard the ship, it was via a shuttle into their lone docking bay. It was relatively easy for Reid''s squad to lock them down while hidden gun emplacements made short work of the pirates, battle suits or not. But this nightmare scenario was quickly teaching him he''d gotten overconfident and lax in his training. Now he was just hoping they lived long enough to learn from this shitshow.


    The thundering of heavy footfalls around the next corner told Reid that a group of pirates was about to assault their position. Reid shouted, "Guns ready!" His old drill instructor would tear him a new one for referring to their rifles as "guns," but sometimes, in a firefight, an extra syllable just took too long.


    Two pirates in battle suits rounded the corner, but one was already falling face-first. Ried and the two others with him made short work of the other, and then he noticed the one that had fallen had an actual axe buried in his back. A moment later, the strange alien named Erik, of all things, rounded the corner. "Awww, damn it! You took them out! Now I''m two behind Vanessa!"


    Before Reid could say anything, the vitexr¨¡ herself appeared. "Not true, my lady. Only one of the pirates has been shot; the other was taken down by yourself, placing you only one behind me with a total of fourteen confirmed kills."


    Reid quickly did some math. "Are you saying that the two of you took out five squads of pirates in battle suits?"


    Erik grinned and spoke in that thick accent of his. "Well, not quite. You finished this group off!" The alien accentuated what he was saying by pulling the axe out of the dead pirate. He now had an axe in each hand and two more attached to quick-release holsters on his back.


    Reid knew he should be moving, but he had to ask. "With Axes?"


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Erik''s smile widened, showing far more teeth than should be possible to fit in one mouth. "Aye! Trained with them back when I was a cage fighter, don''t feel right in a fight without em! But these here are upgraded from the simple steel axes I used back then. When activated, they got a plasma-heated edge that''ll cut through even battle suits with relative ease!"


    Reid was familiar with plasma-heated edged weapons. Some pirates carried them from time to time, but it still took a lot of power to force those through a battle suit''s armor, so they only worked with the augmented strength a suit offered. Evidently, the rumors of the alien''s raw strength had not been exaggerated.


    Realizing that these two were doing more than even his squad, Reid made a decision. "Listen, the bridge is under assault. Think you two can handle it if I go back and reinforce my squad?"


    Erik''s grin turned more predatory, somehow. "If pirates are there, I''ll happily lend a hand cleaning them up! Sides, there''s a kid up there I promised to keep an eye out for if things ever got bloody!"


    Reid nodded and turned back the way he''d come, hoping his absence hadn''t cost his squad too much. Also, if the two aliens managed to survive, he''d have to put them in for a bonus share.


    -


    The minutes it took the laser cutters to sever the last bolts holding the hatch in place seemed to pass like an eternity, leaving Alen wondering if he should have left a will before going off into space. Except, who would he have left anything to? His parents? Maybe, if anyone could find them. He hadn''t formed any other attachments, which was kind of sad to think about.


    Alen shook his head. It was too late now. Having severed through the last bolt, everyone tensed. Things were silent for a moment, but then the door fell inward, and the hulking form of a pirate in assault armor filled the door.


    Instantly, the bridge crew started unloading into the pirate, but rounds that would have easily pierced through the lighter battle suits only slowed down the much larger and thicker armored pirate, who wasted no time returning fire.


    Instantly, one of the crew was shredded as a flechette round hit him, a favorite among pirates who want to do more damage to organic tissue while avoiding structural damage to the ship. There was a series of loud explosions as the pirate turned in place, firing round after round at the bridge crew, who were doing their best to return fire with as much ordinance as possible, racing to stop the assault suit before it could finish its grim butchery of the crew.


    Alen couldn''t help it. He knew his little sidearm was nothing more than a toy to the fight raging around him. All he could do was duck behind whatever cover he could find and hope.


    A surprising amount of shouting was going on, especially when most of it seemed to be coming from voices augmented by battle suits. The first mate must have arrived with reinforcements!


    Alen spared a glance over the console he was hiding behind, only to see the hulking form of the pirate in assault armor fall forward into the room, ridden from behind by Erik, of all people, with what looked like two axes buried into the back armor of the suit. He was hooting and hollering, putting on a show. "Did you see that? I got the big one! Do I get bonus points for that?"


    Walking into view behind him was a much calmer Vanessa, wielding a rifle that looked a couple of sizes too big for her, probably taken from some pirates on the way. "No, because the suit was already heavily damaged, and he was distracted. However, that still puts you one up on me. Congratulations, my lady, you''re in the lead for the first time." That was when one of the battle suits in the doorway behind the two of them started suddenly jerking a gun up toward Erik, but before he could get a proper shot lined up, Vanessa quickly and coldly gunned him down, seemingly without looking. "And now we''re tied again. I hope you enjoyed your brief moment of supremacy, my lady."


    Erik shook his head mournfully. "I swear you let him live just long enough to get a jab in at me!"


    Then, turning and looking at what was left of the bridge, Erik''s grin fell a couple of notches. "Ah, sorry we''re a bit late. We didn''t realize the bridge was under attack until Officer Reid told us, or we would have been here sooner..."


    The captain got shakily to his feet. "Well, you still got here in time to keep them from taking the bridge. That''s not nothing." Then, looking at the assault armor with two axes in its back, he added, "Not nothing at all..."

 Chapter 10

    Carter looked at the chair with more than a bit of trepidation while having second and even third thoughts. On the one hand, he didn''t really want to have to fight off another pirate invasion. He''d come closer to death than he''d like to think about on more than one occasion, and the idea of getting in another escape pod and drifting for who knows how long out here didn''t appeal to him either. On the other hand, that chair looked horrific. He turned to the girl. "You didn''t bother trying to make it look like anything other than a horror movie prop, did you?"


    The girl shrugged. "Well, back in my day, we were more concerned with function than form. It got the job done relatively safely and didn''t require an entire team of surgeons to make it happen."


    Carter shook his head. "Do you know how bizarre it is to hear a girl who looks maybe twenty-five say ''back in my day'' to a man well into his thirties? Also, what do you mean reasonably?"


    The girl pushed up her glasses as she gazed at him. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I''ve got more decades to my name than you''ve got years, more than that if you count the fact that I never sleep, so I''m living through thirty-three percent more time than you."


    Carter wasn''t swayed. "I noticed you didn''t answer my question."


    The girl shook her head. "What do you want from me? It''s reasonably safe, and by reasonably, I mean reasonably. Is it an absolute guarantee? No. But you well know nothing in life ever is. I can tell you we''ve only had one fatality, and..."


    Carter cut her off. "You''re reasonably sure he was on some drugs that didn''t react well with the pain meds you use, I know. Still, couldn''t you have lied and said no one ever died?"


    Now, the girl was smirking. "Oh, is that how you want us to run your captaincy? Just telling you what you want to hear? You''ll live a nice, worry-free life right up until the pirates we never told you about so you could avoid stressing about them board the ship and execute you."


    Carter shook his head as he turned his attention back to the chair, but he had to admit she did have a point despite all the exaggeration. It was always better to be informed...well, almost always.


    With a sigh, Cater realized he was just delaying the inevitable. "Alright. So how do we do this?"


    The girl seemed to pat the chair. "You sit, and we do the rest."


    For a moment, Carter''s feet seemed incredibly heavy, too heavy to move, but then the moment passed, and he took a step forward, then another, and soon he was standing right next to the chair. He carefully sat down and was only mildly surprised when a series of straps suddenly wrapped around his limbs, torso, and even neck, locking him in place.


    Struggling to look at the girl out of the corner of his eyes, Carter asked. "Okay, so what next?"


    A sharp, piercing pain in the back of his neck answered that question, making Carter yell out. "Ow! What the hell! I thought you were gonna use pain meds?"


    The girl leaned over so he could see the smirk on her face as she answered. "That was the pain meds."


    Carter started to complain that the meds needed a pain med, but all that came out was an articulate, "Theghawaneedfamaineds..." and then his eyelids suddenly felt very heavy.


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    Alen looked at the ruined console. Sure, the flechette rounds might be no danger to the hull or harder surfaces, but to the delicate electronics of a workstation, they certainly did more than enough, just as they had to the shipwide communication hub. Erik was looking over his shoulder. "So, uh, do we know where the other pirates still are? Or did we get the last of them?"


    Alen shook his head. He could have probably figured out how to work the unfamiliar station under normal circumstances but in its current condition... "I have no idea. But it didn''t sound good based on the reports we were getting before the pirates cut their way in here."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The captain scowled. "There are too many of them, and they''re too well armed. I think it''s time to implement the lockdown protocol."


    Alen didn''t even realize this ship had such a system in place. They were typically reserved for military vessels. "But wouldn''t that just leave us dead in space, with the pirates still aboard?"


    The captain shook his head. "Not if we evacuate while they''re still struggling to get out of their suits. Then we just have to wait for help to arrive."


    It would solve some of their problems but would open a whole new set of possible issues. "What if more pirates show up first?"


    The captain shrugged. "Then we''d be dead anyway. We''re in no condition to fight back against a shuttle with someone leaning out the back hatch with a rifle. This will preserve what''s left of the ship and the crew, and we''re not without friends in the area."


    Alen sighed but realized there was one last issue with communications now being down. "Well, I don''t have any better ideas. But what about Ried? Wouldn''t he have the same issue as the pirates?"


    The captain nodded. "He would unless someone warned him ahead of time. Besides, that''ll give you and your friends a chance to get closer to an escape pod before I flip the switch."


    Realizing he''d just been voluntold to go out and find Ried and his team, Alen was suddenly very glad he was on good terms with the maniac who''d just taken down a bunch of pirates with nothing more than a couple of axes.


    Looking up at said maniac, it was evident, based on his grin, that Erik was ready to go. A point he then reinforced. "So, sounds like we gotta kill more pirates then?"


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    Carter found himself back aboard his ship, the Lucy. Had that all just been one messed-up dream? No, he must still be under, and this was the dream. The proof appeared when the girl materialized next to him in the co-pilot''s chair, which had never seen use as long as the ship had been in Carter''s hands. She looked around with a grimace. "Okay, this place is disgusting. You''re not planning on running the Sybil like this, right?"


    Carter leaned back and sighed. "Is it not enough that I have to deal with you when I''m awake? Now I''m starting to dream of you?"


    The girl grinned. "Oh, I''m no dream!"


    Before Carter could protest, the girl waved her hands around, indicating the ship. "Oh, this is a dream, but I''m the real deal. I was just testing to see if the connections were all hooked up properly, so I popped in to say hi and see what you had going on here."


    Carter didn''t like the implications behind that. "Wait, so you can just pop into my mind now? You felt it was important to mention the guy who died in the chair but didn''t think that was worth mentioning?"


    The girl shrugged. "I can''t keep track of every little detail I have and haven''t told you! Besides, what did you think you''d be hooking into? The microwave in the dining hall?"


    Carter turned and held his hand up, pointing at the ceiling. "This is a pretty big ''detail,'' don''t you think? Also, yes, you can keep track of every little detail because you''re an AI, and that''s literally what you do!"


    The girl suddenly looked annoyed. "I''ve already told you. No, I''m not an AI. I''m something...different."


    Carter was about to point out that she was arguing semantics when the girl pointed toward the front screen. "Umm, you might want to avoid that."


    Seeing a giant asteroid about to hit his ship, Carter reached for the controls, only to open his eyes and realize he was still in the chair. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. "What happened? Where am I? What''s going on?"


    The girl was apparently waiting for him. "You woke up. You''re still on the Sybil. The procedure is over. Congratulations, you are now officially our captain."


    Carter shook his head, then reached behind himself, only to feel an odd metallic bump on his neck. The girl kept an eye on him as if observing his reaction. "I wouldn''t mess with that too much. Your skin around the hookup is still adapting to the device and will probably be sensitive for a few days."


    Then, remembering his dream, Carter''s hand fell away slowly as his attention focused on the girl. "That dream just now... Did that really..."


    The girl smiled mischievously. "That depends. Do you want me to lie to keep you happy, or do you want the truth?"


    Carter fought the urge to roll his eyes in annoyance. "The truth."


    The girl shrugged. "Then I stand by my words. Your ship was disgusting. I''m pretty sure some of the old food you had in containers in the back had evolved into sentient life again." She hesitated momentarily, "But if it makes you feel any better, that connection only works as long as you''re hooked up to the ship. The rest of the time, your mind is your own. It also works both ways. You can see into us as much as we can see into you. Learning to use your new connection will take some practice, but I''m confident you can handle it."


    A sullen voice in the room told Carter the vixen was also there. "I''m not. He''ll probably go mad quicker than the rest."


    The laughter that boomed in the room meant they had a full house as the pirate responded to the vixen''s jab. "Ye better hope not! We need the captain to stay sane long enough to get us up and running properly again!"


    Carter let himself fall back into the chair, wondering how far down this rabbit hole would have to fall before it was all said and done...

 Chapter 11

    Alen followed close behind Erik, so close that on more than one occasion, when the larger alien stopped, Alen bumped right into him. Erik looked back at the smaller man with a grin. "I get that you''re not used to this sort of thing like I am, but you might wanna give me more space, kid. You stand that close, and I could catch ya with my elbow spikes on a backswing without realizing you''re even there!"


    Looking at the rather intimidating spikes, Alen couldn''t help but imagine what would happen if they hit him in the chest. He swallowed hard. "Uh, yeah... you''re right... Sorry about that!"


    Erik just laughed, which seemed to be his standard reaction to a lot of things. "That''s all right, kid. You''re just new to this, is all! Give it a few more pirate attacks, and you''ll be an old hand like me!"


    On the one hand, Alen wasn''t a huge fan of being called "kid." On the other hand, at the moment, his survival was ninety-nine percent dependent on the large alien keeping him safe, and he wasn''t about to protest the label right now of all times. "Ah, yeah, well, I kinda hope that won''t be a thing. I''ve already seen enough of pirates for a lifetime or two as is..."


    Erik chuckled ominously. "Well, now''s a bad time to get into the transport business then. Way I hear it, pirate activity has seen a huge surge recently. More than we''ve seen since before the vitexr¨¡ showed up on the scene!"


    Alen had heard similar rumors but dismissed them as just that, rumors. However, his current predicament is making him rethink that assessment. "Why now, of all times?"


    Erik shrugged a pretty impressive display of muscle and bone from Alen''s angle. "Dunno. Why does anything happen? The time''s just right for it, I suppose. All I know is it means I enjoy one of my favorite pastimes more."


    That confused Alen. "And that is?"


    Erik stopped and raised an axe, taking a moment to look back at Alen and grin. "Killin pirates, of course!"


    With that, a pirate in a battle suit walked around the corner, only for Erik''s axe to fly right into his faceplate. The pirate fell, but Erik was already in motion, running toward the second. He would have probably taken the pirate out before he got a chance to get a shot off if Vanessa hadn''t beaten him to the punch with a shot over Alen''s shoulder that hit the pirate center mass and dropped him like a rag doll. There were no more pirates behind them, and Erik shook his head while pulling his axe free. "Only a partial squad. Must have run into some of our guys who gave a good account of themselves. Hopefully, they got to pull back too..."


    Alen somehow doubted that but supposed it was a nice thought. He also made a mental note not to stand so close to Vanessa either because now one of his ears was ringing. Still, that was preferable to what would have happened if he''d encountered the pirates alone.


    Erik gave his axe a quick wipe to clean off the blade, and they resumed their hunt for Commander Ried.


    -


    Carter looked at the captain''s chair with mild trepidation. He wasn''t as intimidated by the seat as he had been of the "other" chair, but he still felt some sense of hesitation. "Anything I should know before sitting down and getting hooked in?"


    The vixen walked out from behind Carter into his line of view. "There are many things, but you have neither the time nor the capacity for most of them."


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    The girl shook her head and then adjusted her glasses. "Will you stop being so hard on the man? He''s already done better than our last dozen candidates! I think it''ll really work this time!"


    Carter really didn''t like the sound of that. "This time? What happened the other times?"


    The pirate faded into existence while laughing heartily. "Oh, don''t worry about those scallywags lad. None of them had the fire in their bellies that you do! You''ll do fine! I''m sure of it!"


    Carter crossed his arms and glared at the pirate. "That still didn''t answer my question. What happened to the last few ''candidates?''"


    The pirate actually seemed to hesitate, which was uncharacteristic enough to tell Carter there was something he was hiding. "Well, you could say being the captain of this ship has gotten a mite bit more difficult as time''s gone on. You could say it overwhelms a lot of the weaker-willed candidates." Then, he suddenly seemed to return to his more boisterous self. "But I''m sure you''ll be fine! The last few were just the dregs of their pirate crews who managed to get themselves stuck on the ship. But you! You''re already a ship captain! This is just a slight upgrade, that''s all!"


    Well, that didn''t do much to bolster Carter''s confidence about sitting in the chair, but what else could he do? Just survive eating bug paste indefinitely? And that''s assuming they even let him. A glance at the vixen was all he needed to reinforce that thought. "Alright, but if I manage to survive this, I get to make the first call on what we do next. And I mean just about anything, other than flying the ship into a black hole or something else stupid like that."


    The pirate was quick to respond. "Agreed!"


    The girl was a little slower but still nodded. "Agreed."


    The vixen sighed. "Fine! But if you make us regret giving you that decision, I''ll make you regret it even more!"


    Carter looked at the chair again, willing himself to sit, but seemed rooted. After a moment, he finally muttered, "Aw, to hell with it. I''m not gonna live forever anyway!" and sat down.


    He wasn''t sure what he expected, but for a moment, nothing happened, and then he fell. It was like that moment when you''re just about to fall asleep and suddenly get jerked awake, but rather than suddenly stop, it kept growing stronger. It felt like the world around him was growing, or maybe he was shrinking. He felt like he was slipping beneath the waves of a stormy sea. He tried to swim to the surface but just kept sinking. He realized he was holding his breath and tried to gasp for air, but his body refused to respond. His mind was so overwhelmed by the new world it found itself in that he wasn''t sure it had the capacity for more minor, more insignificant acts like breathing or making his heart beat.


    Then, the world went black. Or rather, Carter found himself alone in a dark room. It took a moment for him to regain his sense of self, and it took another moment for him to resume breathing normally. That was when he realized he wasn''t actually alone. There was a hand on his shoulder.


    Carter looked up, and despite the blackness of the room, he could clearly see the girl standing over him. She looked...well, he didn''t have the words to describe how she looked. Something between divine and demonic, with a bit of humanity sprinkled in for flavor. Nothing about her changed. She still wore a simple T-shirt, blue jeans, and nerdy glasses. However, despite her compact frame, Carter could see she was somehow...immense.


    The girl smiled encouragingly. "Oh good! You already remembered how to breathe on your own! That puts you a couple steps ahead of our last few captains."


    Carter tried to wipe the sweat away from his brow but realized his hand was somehow both tangible and intangible at the same time. His voice was more than a little shaky as he asked, "What...what the hell was that?"


    The vixen answered, "That...was you getting just the briefest glimpse of what it''s like to be one of us. For a moment, you could perceive the entirety of the ship, and it almost swallowed you whole."


    The pirate was there as well. "But it didn''t! I told you the lad had some fight in him! Here, lad, let me help you to your feet!"


    The pirate reached out, and Carter instinctively took his hand. Just as he remembered the AI was intangible and couldn''t be touched, the pirate pulled him to his feet with a force that felt like it was about to pull Carter''s arm out of its socket.


    After the pirate let go of his hand, Carter stared at it, then back to the girl who''d also touched his shoulder moments before. "How...is any of this possible?"


    The pirate laughed. "Because...you''re in our world now, boyo!"

 Chapter 12

    Alen was thankful they''d only encountered small bands of pirates here and there. It seemed like many of the squads had either split up or been broken up, but as they neared the dining area, the sound of gunfire became much louder and more frequent.


    Erik leaned around the corner, then looked back at Alen and Vanessa with a grin. "I got this one. Just keep the kid safe, will ya?"


    Vanessa''s expression was as inscrutable as ever to Alen, but somehow, he got the vague impression she was being somewhat sardonic as she said, "As you wish, but if you get yourself killed, I''m eating your corpse."


    Erik only grinned. "Well, you''ll have to tenderize me a bunch first! All this muscle and gristle will make for some tough chewing!"


    With that, he slipped around the corner. Alen wasn''t sure what would happen, but suddenly, even over the sound of all the gunfire, there was an impossibly loud shout, more like a roar. Then the screaming started, and the gunfire went from sporadic bursts to a constant stream as panic must have set in. A moment later, two pirates rounded the corner, only to be quickly and efficiently cut down by Vanessa.


    Then, things seemed to get quiet, or at least quieter, when a familiar voice shouted through augmented speakers, "Is that you, Erik? I thought I told you to get to the bridge!"


    Vanessa seemed to indicate it was probably safe to approach, and Alen took a look around the corner just as Erik responded. "Yeah, I got there and cleared the mess up, but then the Captain sent us out to look for you and deliver a message. Something about some protocol or something. Our boy Alen has the details!"


    The scene that greeted Alen was like something out of a movie. Erik was standing in the center of a half dozen battle suits strewn around the room. Several of the suits looked as though Erik had cut through them in his usual zealous way, but others had bullet holes, probably provided by the squad of similarly geared defenders being led by Commander Ried hiding behind a series of very shot-up tables in the dining hall. Further behind them were other unarmored crew members peeking over whatever cover they''d managed to hide behind.


    The floor in the middle of the area Erik was standing in was slick with a mixture of fluids released from the compromised pirate suits and what were likely bodily fluids that weren''t supposed to see the light of day. Alen found himself fixated on the mess when suddenly, a large hand patted him on the back. However, this "pat" was so heavy-handed that it forced him to take a couple of steps forward to maintain his balance as Erik laughed. "Come on kid! Deliver the Captain''s message!"


    Shaking his head to take himself out of his stupor the rest of the way, Alen looked over at the commander, who''d stood up from his cover and was now approaching, as the younger officer explained. "Ah, yes, sorry... The Captain is going to institute the lockdown protocol. He said everyone should get to the escape pods immediately."


    The commander''s face was partially obscured, but Alen could still tell he grimaced as he swore. "Damn it! Has it gotten that bad? We need to get word to the rest of the crew!"


    Erik laughed again in his usually carefree way. "Don''t worry about that, bossman! We''ve been spreading the word as we go! I''m pretty sure we''ve got the word out reasonably far and wide by now. You get these people out of here, and we''ll look for any stragglers as we make our way out."


    After a moment''s hesitation, the commander nodded. "Alright, fair enough." Then, looking behind himself, he signaled it was time to move. "Let''s go! Those in suits will escort the rest to the pods. There, we''ll abandon the suits and get the hell out of this mess!"


    The grumbling that followed was half-hearted and exhausted, but it seemed everyone was at their limit and wouldn''t be arguing anytime soon. As they left, Alen looked up at the large alien he''d recruited, what now seemed like an eternity ago. "So, uh, what do we do?"


    Erik shrugged. "What else? We make it to the pods on the other side of the ship. That way, we''re not competing with these people for space and can let anyone we find know it''s time to leave!"


    Alen nodded. It made sense. Although he couldn''t help but add, "And I suppose the fact that it''ll give you a chance to kill more pirates isn''t part of the consideration?"


    Erik''s grin was mildly infectious as he laughed. "Now you''re getting it, kid!"


    -


    Carter had to rely on the Sybils more than he was willing to admit to adjusting to his new connection to the ship, but he was finally starting to feel less like he was drowning and more like he was preparing for some major test of some kind, except he''d forgotten to study...or wear pants to class. "So, wait, I have to authorize every time you wanna use any of the primary functions of the ship?"


    The girl nodded. "Well, yes...and no. You can give us specific blanket permissions to act independently of your authorization. But on the whole, yes, you need to either be hooked into the ship or grant us oral approval for us to function in any real sense of the word. This system was never intended to be run by a single individual, though we''ve done our best to adapt over time."


    Carter shook his head. "But why bother to install an AI system at all if someone has to approve all these tasks? Usually, if a captain is lucky enough to have an AI aboard their ship, the AI can handle the lion''s share of the day-to-day minutia, leaving the crew to focus on the bigger picture!"


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    The vixen seemed as put out as usual. "We''ve already explained to you we''re not AI. The fact that you seem incapable of grasping this simple concept is further proof of your ineptitude as our captain!"


    Cater bit back on his first response and then decided to take a different approach. "Fair enough, then just what are you?"


    The vixen and girl both seemed to hesitate to answer his question, but as usual, the pirate blundered ahead without consideration for their reluctance. "We''re your predecessors, lad! Or, at least, their echos!"


    As what he said sunk in, Carter looked back and forth in horror. "Wait, so you''re saying you''re the previous captains of this ship? Does that mean I''m gonna be stuck here with the three of you even after I die?"


    The girl shook her head. "No. First off, we''re not the people we''re echoes of. We''re based on them and the way they thought, felt, and even looked, but we''re not them. Second, we''ve had hundreds of captains, but very few have stuck around in any meaningful way. Also, certain...conditions seem to need to be met for one of us to come into existence."


    Carter looked around at all three of them. "Conditions? What? Is this some kind of contract thing or something? Did I make a deal with the devil here?"


    The pirate laughed. "Nothing like that, laddie! It''s simple: All three of us died on the job, so to speak!"


    Carter furrowed his brow. "But I thought most of your captains died as captains..."


    The girl clarified. "He means we all died while hooked up to the ship...and we kind of...allowed the ship to adopt our faces and personalities..."


    Now Carter was just confused. "But...why?"


    The bridge shifted, and Carter found himself on a much newer, much cleaner, and much busier command deck. Various people were hustling and bustling about, though they seemed oblivious to the three Sybils and Carter, as the girl explained. "This ship was designed to be operated by a small but close crew, leapfrogging through time via cryostasis. Each person was awake for a month at a time and slept for three, with one-half of the crew overlapping two weeks at the beginning of a shift and the other half two weeks at the end. That way, each team was eased into running the ship and kept familiar with any...issues that happened along the way. However, even that wasn''t enough to get us to our destination. The idea was that they''d have children who would take over running the ship after their passing. We even had a carefully arranged lineage that would prevent any inbreeding problems. It worked as planned for a couple generations, but then a problem cropped up."


    Time seemed to leap forward, and the bridge showed a little more wear and tear, but the number of people working the bridge seemed to shrink a little, and they all also started to look...older. The girl looked at them as if lost in distant memories. After a moment, she continued. "Maybe it was the repeated cryocycles, or maybe it was just generations of exposure to cosmic radiation out here, or maybe they just didn''t like their partners as much, but the crew stopped having children. The last child born on this ship was...me."


    A half dozen people looked like they could have been grandparents to the little girl who wandered onto the bridge hand in hand with a woman who seemed too old to be having a child. The girl could barely see over most of the consoles as she wandered about, carrying a little doll that looked like it had been used by too many generations before her.


    Time seemed to go by, and the girl grew taller and older, but the rest of the crew started to shrink in numbers, too. There were five others when she could finally touch the consoles. There were only four when she was seated and using them. There were three left by the time she fit into a smaller version of their uniforms. Only two remained when she sat in the captain''s chair for the first time. Then, the last crew member, now bowed and shrunken with age, faded away, leaving just the girl, who now looked like the girl Carter knew.


    Carter watched as the girl wandered onto the bridge, her expression one of loss and forlornment. However, the girl smiled affectionately at the captain''s seat. "How''s my girl doing today? Anything to report?"


    The ship responded in a bland, emotionless voice. "All systems are within acceptable parameters."


    The girl''s smile widened as she sat down. "Well, let''s see about that, shall we?"


    The other version of the girl, the one explaining everything, continued her explanation. "She traveled the stars alone for many...many years. But, the human mind is not meant to be alone, so she began to adapt by attributing human characteristics to the ship. She spoke to me like a person long before I understood the meaning behind many of her words, and she stayed connected to me more and more, even when she slept and dreamed."


    Carter watched as the girl aged while sitting in the captain''s chair. He knew logically she had to get up from time to time if only to eat or use the bathroom, but it definitely drove the point home. When the seat was suddenly empty, Carter feared she''d died, but then an old woman, wizened and bent by age, wandered onto the bridge, smiling affectionately as she patted the consoles, treating them like her children as she spoke to the ship. "My time''s running short, old girl. At least I''ll have you in the end, but that makes me worry... What will you do after I''m gone? I wish... I could stay with you a little longer..."


    The ship answered, as emotionless as before. "Affirmative, captain."


    As she eased herself down into the captain''s chair, the old woman moved with the pain and exhaustion of someone nearing the end of their life, but she still had that same affectionate smile as she connected to the one thing that gave her life meaning. The other girl, the younger one, shook her head. "Those were the last words she shared with me, and I wasn''t even smart enough to answer in a meaningful way. She was asleep and hooked up to me when her heart failed her. As her mind started to fade, I received flashes of various points in her life, in the last of which she was once again the woman you see me as today."


    The room went dark, and Carter suddenly felt alone in a void. It almost made him jump when the girl suddenly appeared in the void beside him. "Her last command...or rather, her last request had been to stay with me. I didn''t know what that meant or how to achieve it at the time, so I did the only thing I could. I ran small charges through her quickly fading mind and mapped the remnants of her personality onto my circuitry, patching any blank or damaged portions with the data I had of her from the years we spent together. I even adopted her last image of herself as my own. In a sense, I was born."


    As the other two personalities appeared, Carter remained silent, for once, at a loss for words. However, as usual, the pirate was not. "Well, that was a depressing story! It''s time we move on to happier subjects! Onward and upward!"


    The vixen looked utterly disgusted with the pirate. "Ugh, as usual, you lack all tact! How about you show some respect for your predecessors!"


    The pirate grinned. "An excellent idea! We should hold a feast in their honor!"


    As the two personalities argued, Carter noticed the girl watching them with the same affectionate smile the original girl had worn when speaking to the ship.

 Chapter 13

    As he lay down, Carter wondered just how long it had been since he last slept, not counting however long he''d been knocked out for the surgical implementation of his new augments. Between the pirates, the surgery, and "getting to know" his new...huh... Were they his subordinates, his bosses, or just the ship? He shook his head. It didn''t matter. He''d gotten to know them a little better, and they didn''t feel quite so psychotic anymore. They were still plenty psychotic! But at least he could relate a little.


    He thought back to the girl, the original one. How long had she been alone out in space, with nothing but the void, stars, and an emotionless, unthinking ship that only followed orders and offered nothing in return for company? It''s a wonder she didn''t just up and kill herself! Then again, maybe some people would feel the same about his situation...


    Not that he had any intention of taking that easy way out any time soon! Carter had fought too hard and too long to just give up now! He''d find a way to turn this all to his advantage somehow! Though how exactly he''d do that with those three breathing down his neck remained to be seen.


    Then, a thought occurred to him. Carter spoke into the darkness. "Hey, Sybil, are you there?"


    Even before he turned to look her way as she answered, the glowing light in his room told Carter she was. "Yes, Captain?"


    Carter laughed. "You don''t know how long I''ve dreamed of someone calling me ''captain.'' Now I''ve done it, and somehow...it feels empty."


    The girl looked confused. "Oh? Why does it feel empty?"


    Carter looked up at the ceiling, now illuminated by the girl''s presence. "I don''t know. Maybe it''s because of how many ''captains'' have already run this ship and how few of them seemed to have meant anything to you. Maybe it''s because I just stumbled into the position rather than earning it by virture of my wit and skill. Or maybe it''s because everything I do seems to lead me one step forward and two steps back..."


    The girl pushed her glasses up, a motion Carter remembered the original girl doing in the memories he''d been shown earlier before answering. "Well, I suppose you''ll have to earn the position. After all, it''s not like any of our captains came into the role after being carefully selected from a pool of capable candidates. Although, you are mistaken in one aspect."


    Carter looked over at the girl with a raised eyebrow. "Oh yeah, what''s that?"


    The girl looked off into the distance and smiled. "I remember all of my captains. Even the ones who didn''t do a good job or were around for very long, and I learned something from all of them. You''ve already earned a place in my memories. Long after the rest of the galaxy has forgotten almost every human who lives today, your name and accomplishments will live on through me." She paused and smirked a little. "Although, how big the chapter of your tenure as captain will be largely depends on you."


    Carter chuckled. "Fair enough, I suppose."


    The girl tilted her head. "Was that all you wanted? To vent to me about your worries?"


    Carter barked out a laugh of his own. "It sounds a little sad when you say it like that! But no, that just occurred to me when you called me captain. I called for you because I realized I forgot to tell you just what my first order as captain was going to be."


    The girl smiled. "Yes, I suppose you did negotiate for the right to issue the first command. So tell me, what would you like to do, oh captain, my captain?"


    Carter considered throwing his pillow through the image of the girl but knew it would cause no more harm than some slight digitization. Then he''d have to go get the pillow himself, taking any sting out of the point he wanted to make. Instead, he just grinned and answered, "Simple. I want to get my old ship back!"


    -


    They were almost to the escape pods when they were sandwiched between two groups of pirates. As Vanessa fired down one corridor to keep the first group at bay, Erik looked around the corner to try to get a count of the second.


    The alien ducked back just as a hail of gunfire erupted around the corner. Despite the near miss, Erik grinned. "Well, the group ahead looks smaller but better armed! I don''t think blindly charging at them will work this time!"


    Vanessa spared her friend a glance as she reloaded the rifle. "Showing restraint in the face of danger, my lady? I suppose there''s a first time for everything."


    Erik laughed. "Danger is one thing, but I''m not exactly suicidal! What I need is a distraction of some kind!"


    As Vanessa poured more gunfire back the way they''d come, keeping the pirates from doing more than blindly firing around the corner while Alen kept his head down, she offered a slightly unladylike grunt. "I would love to be of assistance, but I''m afraid I''m busy keeping the second group at bay."


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    Realizing this could very well be the end, Alen decided it was on him to do something for once. He could see a room with an open door across the hall. There was almost no chance he could make it without getting shot, however... "I''ll do it!"


    Erik looked at Alen and laughed. "No offense, kid, but I don''t think you can take out the pirates any better than I can!"


    Alen shook his head. "No, but I can give you a distraction. It won''t be much, a second or two at most, but I can make them aim their guns at the opposite side of the hallway. Would that be enough?"


    Erik''s grin grew wider, and Alen could swear his eyes dilated just a little. "You buy me a full second of distraction, and I''ll make it work, kid! Whenever you''re ready!"


    With a sigh, Alen shook his head to clear his thoughts, then took a deep breath. "Alright..." Then, without giving himself more time to think about it, Alen stood up and started running.


    Alen was used to running. He knew he was in reasonably good shape, doubly so for someone who planned on spending his life aboard a ship as an officer, but he''d never run this fast before and likely never would again. As he passed the corner at a dead sprint, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Each step felt like he was pushing his legs past the breaking point as he willed himself to rocket forward faster with each step. He ignored the blurs at the corner of his vision, even as they opened fire, tracing his movements with their gun barrels as they roared to life, spewing deadly projectiles at his heels. He knew they could turn faster than he could run, but he just had to make it through the doorway ahead, and he''d be home free!


    As his foot lifted off the ground, Alen felt a tug at his pant leg but refused to think about it. He slammed his other foot down, propelling him forward again. The sheer volume of gunfire chasing his every step felt like a pack of wolves chasing him through a forest, and all he could do was keep running...but when he slammed his other foot down again, everything went to hell. Pain shot up through his leg. It wasn''t the kind of pain that can be described as burning or stabbing. It was the kind of pain that exists only as an abstract concept for most until it is experienced, the kind that sends a shock through your body and stops all conscious functioning.


    Alen fell, but he didn''t care. His mind was blank except in a pure reactionary way as he curled up around the leg that screamed in agony. He was only dimly aware of Erik''s roar as the alien rounded the corner and threw his first two axes. There were screams and more gunfire, but Alen didn''t care. He just wanted the pain in his leg to stop, but when he reached down to see what was wrong, his hand encountered only the bloody mess that had once been his foot. Alen''s scream joined the rest.


    Eventually, Alen became aware he wasn''t alone anymore. He was being carried, and the pain was still excruciating, but somehow, it felt more distant. He felt cold, and the world was spinning around him. A part of him wanted to go to sleep, but then something slapped him in the face. "Nuh-uh, kid! No closing your eyes yet! Here. This ought to help!"


    Alen felt something jabbed into his side. It hurt, but the pain was so much less than what he was going through it barely registered. Meanwhile, he was being manhandled as someone gripped his foot tightly, sending fresh waves of agony through him. It seemed like they were wrapping something around or above it. Alen tried to fend them off, but his hands were batted aside like a child''s. After a moment, the voice returned. "There we go. That ought to stop the bleeding. Hey, that pack got any blood in it? I''m pretty sure he lost more than he ought to..."


    Another voice that Alen recognised as Vanessa''s answered: "There is a stable chemical similar to human plasma. It''s insufficient as a total blood replacement, but it should help stabilize low levels due to traumatic blood loss. Allow me to administer it, as this requires a more delicate approach than I believe you are capable of, my lady."


    As the pain started to fade, Alen recognized Erik pulling back from his position. However, the alien was strangely hunched over, as if he''d grown to gigantic proportions and was now too large for the room.


    Suddenly, Alen remembered they were in the middle of a firefight. He started to sit up while shouting, "The pirates!" but was restrained by a surprisingly strong carapaced arm.


    Erik laughed. It was strangely comforting to hear him back to his usual jovial self as Vanessa continued to treat him. "No worries there, lad! The captain must have done whatever he was gonna do because just as things were looking bad, all the pirates'' suits all went dead, as did my axes and Vanessa''s gun. However, with a little extra muscle, the axes still did their job just fine!"


    Vanessa calrified as she stuck a needle into Alen''s arm. "It was a powerful electromagnetic wave. Thankfully, the escape pods seem to have been shielded from the effects. Probably a necessity if you have such a system on board your vessel."


    They were on board one of the pods, which explained a few things, including why Erik seemed so large in the relatively small confines of the room they were now in. Alen looked down at his foot. It was wrapped in bandages and looked like a bloody mess. "So then...this was all a waste? I could have just waited a few more moments, and we would have been fine?"


    Seeing where Alen''s gaze was resting, Erik''s smile faded just a bit as the larger man answered. "Maybe. Or maybe we would have been overwhelmed and killed seconds away from salvation. We''ll never know. What we do know is that when things were looking bad, you stepped up and did something brave, kid. That''s not something Vanessa or I will be forgetting any time soon!"


    That spin made Alen smile just a bit, even through the remaining pain. "Well, I just didn''t want to die not having tried something."


    Erik''s smile widened again. "You''d be surprised how rare that is when things get real, kid! You did good back there! Take a little pride in that! You earned it!"


    Just then, Vanessa jabbed Alen with something else. Shortly after, the world started getting hazy as she offered her two cents. "What he''s earned is a rest. We''ll deal with the rest when he wakes up."


    Alen wanted to offer a counterpoint but found his mind slipping as the world got hazy while the rest of the pain seemed to fade into oblivion. Not long after, he found the effort of keeping his eyes open too much to deal with, and he quietly slipped into unconsciousness.

 Chapter 14

    Piloting a ship used to be exciting, but after years of seeing it done and then doing it himself, Carter found the whole experience got old after a while. However, piloting a ship from the ship''s perspective was...more intense. Or perhaps overwhelming was a better word. It felt like his consciousness was being stretched over several lightyears, as to his mind, the ship itself extended far past its original dimensions.


    It hadn''t taken Sybil long to trace Carter''s escape pod back the way it''d come, and for the first time since he''d encountered the ghost ship, it was finally on the move. Thankfully, he only had to approve the maneuvers and didn''t need to manage anything while the ship was in flight. If he had, they''d be in real trouble.


    As the ship exited FTL, Carter felt a wave of relief as reality returned to the state he was more familiar with. He reveled in the silence of motion and perception. However, the silence was broken by the girl making a report: "Captain, we''ve arrived at the origin point of your escape pod''s trajectory. However, there is no sign of your ship in the area."


    Carter shook his metaphorical head to return to the subject at hand. The lack of sign of his ship wasn''t surprising because the last he''d seen of it was when the pirate ship swallowed it whole as his little escape pot launched into the void. Thankfully, he''d been beneath the notice of such a vessel, or Carter suspected his story would have ended a lot quicker. "What about other vessels in the area? Any signs of a larger pirate vessel passing through recently?"


    The girl nodded. "Yes, and it looks as if the ship wasn''t well maintained. Based on the radiation remnants in the area, I can probably get a heading."


    Carter smiled. "Alright then. Let''s get a move on, see if we can catch these guys before the trail goes cold!"


    The pirate seemed to like the idea. "A ship that size will probably put up a decent fight with us still in our weakened state!"


    The vixen also seemed to feel the need to offer her own input. "Are you sure you''re ready for such a fight, Captain?" The word Captain seemed to stick in her throat for a moment. "I didn''t think you''d be so eager to encounter pirates again after your last few engagements with them..."


    Carter shook his head. "If it was just me and the small arms left on the ship, probably not, but I think it''s about time to see what the most notorious ghost ship in the galaxy can do, don''t you?"


    The vixen seemed at least somewhat placated by his response. "Just don''t try to hold us back or get in our way. We''ll take care of any cockroaches that get in our way."


    The pirate''s face was like a schoolchild''s on Christmas day. "Aye! It''s been too long since the stars last witnessed our main guns firing! Let''s remind everyone why we''re the most feared ship in the galaxy!"


    After giving the necessary approvals, Cater decided to disengage from the ship for the next jump. That wasn''t an experience he needed to go through twice in one day!


    -


    Alen was having a nice dinner with his family. He''d taken his parents out to eat at a nice restaurant to celebrate his recent promotion. They were kind of embarrassing him by bragging about their son, the new Captain, to nearby tables, but he knew it was just their way of expressing their excitement, so he didn''t mind too much.


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    Finally, the waiter brought out the food. It was on a covered silver tray, just like in the movies. The tray was positioned right before Alen, and the waiter pulled off the lid with a flourish. The steam covered Alen''s sight briefly, but whatever it was smelled delicious.


    However, once the steam cleared, a foot was sitting in front of Alen in the center of an elaborate garnish. A human foot. He looked up at the waiter in disgust. "What is this? I can''t eat a foot?"


    The waiter looked bored as if fielding such complaints was an everyday occurrence as he answered. "Sir, it is this restaurant''s policy to serve a foot to anyone who has recently lost theirs! If you refuse it, we will kindly ask you to leave!"


    With horror, Alen looked over the table''s edge toward his foot. His new pristine uniform was marred at the bottom, where blood was seeping through. As he carefully pulled up the pant leg, what was revealed was the stump of his leg.


    Alen sat up screaming, only for Erik to slap him on the back and laugh. "Ha! Those pain meds really do a number on ya, don''t they? Guessin'' you had some fun dream?"


    Alen, who was covered in a cold sweat, shook his head. "Fun isn''t the world I''d have used..."


    Vanessa, who was looking out the lone porthole, spoke up. "Something just appeared out of FTL. Something big."


    Erik worked his way over to the porthole to try and get a better look. Despite the escape pod being designed to seat five comfortably, the space was somewhat limited with Alen laid out and Vanessa and Erik''s unusual frames, so it took some maneuvering. "Is it ours or theirs?"


    Vanessa, who''d shifted to the lone console, looked at the readings. "It''s hard to say, but it''s not a ship registered with any local authority, so that doesn''t bode well."


    Alen, who was debating whether he should just take more pain meds and pass back out, decided he wanted to know more. "What''s the ship''s make and name?"


    Vanessa looked over at the human with her usual indecipherable expression. "It is of an unknown configuration. Its designation is Sybil."


    -


    The girl appeared behind Carter. "I believe we''ve discovered the vessel that attacked you, but it appears we weren''t the first to encounter them."


    Carter, who''d been using a urinal, jumped, making a bit of a mess. "Gah, not in here! What the hell is wrong with you?"


    The girl looked him up and down as if inspecting him but showed no sign of reaction before answering. "You said you wanted to be informed "right away" once we found them. I''m merely complying with your orders, sir."


    Carter zipped himself up and glared at her. "Well, from now on, unless it''s an emergency, it can wait until I''m not in the middle of using the restroom! Alright?"


    The girl nodded and answered, "Yes, sir." though Carter detected just the slightest of smirks. She was messing with him. Of course, being a projection, she could easily control something like that. So what, she wanted him to know she was messing with him? Was this her weird way of making friends?


    Realizing he probably wouldn''t figure out what motivated the ancient and insane pseudo-AI, Carter set the matter aside as he remembered what she''d actually told him. "So what? Is the ship already destroyed, or do we have more trouble than we anticipated?"


    The girl tilted her head. "A little of both, really, though perhaps not in the way you were thinking."


    As he washed his hands, the girl brought up a projection revealing two heavily damaged ships. "There are two large ships that both seem dead in space. There are escape pods in the nearby vicinity, and debris indicates that at least two additional spacecraft were utterly destroyed. We appear to have stumbled upon the aftermath of a battle with no clear victor."


    The pirate appeared on Carter''s other side. "Looks like we missed a right good scrap we did! I wonder if any of the survivors have a good tale or two to spin for us?"


    As Carter dried his hands, he addressed the other two bathroom occupants. "How about we take this to the bridge before the last of you show up? It''s already crowded enough in here as is!"

 Chapter 15

    Carter looked across the battlefield and cursed. Things just got a lot more complicated. He knew Sybil would want to salvage the pirate vessel for parts to effect repairs, and it probably had his ship stored in its hold anyway. However, there was a good chance the other vessel would try to claim salvage rights as they were the ones that had fought the pirates, and it looks like they spent a fair bit doing so in hardware and blood. Not that they were in any position to issue demands, but if Carter just took the ship from them because he could, how much better than a pirate would he be?


    Around him stood the three Sybils. While they maintained silence, Carter could all but read their thoughts. The vixen wouldn''t care about the plight of the other sailors and would say to take the ship. The girl would be pragmatic and say that while their livelihood may be at risk, their lives were not, so Sybil''s need was greater. The pirate would likely say something like, "To the victors go the spoils!" or something equally un-pirate-like, despite his appearance. So, with his fourth vote and the tie-breaking power he''d negotiated for himself, Carter was the deciding factor.


    However, an alert popped up on the screen before any discussion could begin. The girl broke the silence. "It seems one of the pods is trying to contact us. What would you like to do, Captain?"


    Carter sighed. The job of Captain was not nearly as much fun as he''d imagined. "Answer them, I guess."


    The vixen scoffed. "You''d better have more conviction than that when you speak with whoever that is! You''ll ruin centuries of reputation if not!"


    Carter sighed. As self-serving as her words were, she actually had a point. Like it or not, he was the Captain of the Sybil. While the ship had been a powerhouse in its day, after centuries of sitting alone in the void, it was outdated and weakened from neglect. Until it got back on its feet, reputation was about all it had. He nodded more confidently. "Put it through."


    The person who appeared on screen was an older man who, despite looking a little worse for wear, had an aura of authority that made Carter suspect he was the Captain of the second vessel. The man seemed almost surprised to see Carter. "So the Sybil does have a flesh-and-blood crew, eh? Well, I am Captain Dimitri of the Trader''s Vigilance. I also claim salvage rights to the pirate vessel, as we were the ones who disabled their ship!"


    So there it was, just like Carter expected. He didn''t have to look to the Sybils to know their thoughts. Instead, he answered. "I am Captain Carter of the Sybil. I would like to acknowledge your claim, Captain. However, that puts me in a rather tricky spot. You see, we''re here because the pirates took something from us. A small trading vessel that is likely in their hold. We will be retrieving that vessel as it is ours by right. Also, we spent considerable resources getting here. Given your current state, we could probably offer you some much-needed assistance. How about a compromise?"


    Before Dimitri could respond, a series of warnings appeared across the screen. Behind him, Carter heard the girl announce, "Several vessels incoming, Captain. They''re coming in hot, likely expecting trouble."


    Carter cursed. "Are they pirates or government?"


    The girl shook her head. "There are no identifying frequencies, so I''m guessing pirates. They all appear smaller than us but outnumber us three to one. We should run."


    Carter agreed that would be the smart thing to do, but he''d just be condemning all these men to death if he did that. After a moment''s thought, he turned to the girl. "Hey, when you cannibalize ships, do you have a way to grapple them to the Sybil? And if so, can you use thrusters while grappled like that?"


    The vixen answered dismissively: "Of course, but there''s no way we can use FTL like that. I''m afraid you''ll just have to say goodbye to your old ship."


    Carter grinned. "Oh, that''s not quite what I was thinking..."


    -


    Elias didn''t like that they were rushing to save Belegose from his stupidity. The egomaniac was always picking stupid fights just for the rush of it, and now he''d apparently done so with his whole ship. If it were up to Elias, they''d just have left the idiot to hang, but the boss was right. He might very well spill too much info too soon and screw up their timetables.


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    With a grin, Elias comforted himself that at least this would likely be the last time Belegose was in command of anything. Once they got him back, the boss would probably put a bullet between his eyes for putting the plan in danger like this. But with a sigh, Elias acknowledged that they had to save the idiot first, which brought him back to the here and now. Hopefully, the idiot had at least managed to weaken his opponent first, giving them an advantage in the coming fight.


    Thomas appeared in front of Elias. "We''re approximately sixty seconds from real space appearance. Tentative scans indicate three ships in the area, two badly damaged. The last is capital class, but with our three vessels combined, we should be more than a match for them if it comes to a slugfest."


    Elias nodded to Thomas. "Very good." He then turned to the gunnery officer. "Start firing as soon as we appear. If we''re lucky, they''ll waste time trying to contact us, and we''ll get a full barrage or two out on them in the meantime."


    Thomas saluted and disappeared. He was as emotionless and efficient as ever, likely relaying orders to the rest of the crew as needed. Few pirate captains could boast the assistance of an AI on their ship, but this was just one of the many perks the new organization offered those who showed promise.


    Thomas reappeared. "Ten seconds, captain!"


    Elias nodded and pushed the button to address the ship. "All hands at the ready!"


    Thomas made the final countdown using the same system. "Five, Four, Three, Two, One, We have real space!"


    However, alarms began blaring all over the bridge before anyone could start firing. Thomas looked wild-eyed for the first time Elias could remember. "Sir! We have incoming!"


    -


    Carter watched as the first ship barely managed to veer out of the way of the pirate vessel the Sybil had just catapulted at it. However, right behind the first, the second ship hadn''t been so lucky. The sheer mass of the wrecked ship plowed right through any shields the ship had possessed and impacted with enough force to cause significant structural damage to both vessels.


    Somehow, by luck or skill, Sybil had managed to hit the bridge directly. With one ship out of position and the second out of the fight, Carter nodded to the pirate and the vixen. "Do it!"


    -


    Thomas didn''t waste time saluting as he reported, "Sir, the bridge of the Shark''s Tooth was lost in the impact. The ship is out of the fight for now."


    Elias wasn''t about to give up with the loss of just one ship. "Return fire! I want that ship wiped from my void! Thomas, see what you can do to interfere with their systems!"


    Thomas started to salute, then stopped, locked in place as if frozen. Elias looked at the AI. "Thomas, did you hear me?"


    The AI smiled. Thomas never smiled, let alone grin like some deranged idiot like now. Then, the regular lights all went out, bathing the bridge in the glowing red light of the emergency backups. His voice sounded wrong when he spoke as if he was struggling to keep from laughing like some maniac. "Caaaptaaain! They''re coming for you, caaaptaaain! Your ship is theirs! Your blood is theirs! Your meat is theirs! The Sybil is coming for you! And they are hungry!"


    One of the other officers interrupted the AI''s ramblings. "Captain! Our shields are down!"


    Then, one of the screens popped on, then another, and another. Soon, every screen on the bridge showed an image of a pirate. Not one of their men, but rather, someone who looked like something out of some old drama Elias might have watched as a kid. The pirate laughed. "Avast ye scallywags! Arm yourselves and fight as if you are fighting for your very souls! The Sybil is upon ye, and we will have blood!"


    Suddenly, the screens went black, and the regular lights returned. Thomas looked normal, if a little worse for wear. "Captain! I''ve regained control, but the enemy has an AI unlike any I''ve ever encountered!"


    A glance at a display told Elias that they''d lost a few guns while their shields were down, but not nearly as many as he''d worried. However, there were now far too many unknowns in this fight. It was time to cut their losses. With a curse, Elias turned to the crew. "Helm, get us out of here! We have to report this mess to the boss!"


    -


    Carter watched as the two remaining ships retreated. The girl shook her head. "You''re lucky that worked. If they hadn''t had an AI, or it had been more experienced, or if they''d just decided to call our bluff, this could have gone very differently. We might have won in a fight with those two ships, but with our depleted reserves, there was no guarantee."


    Carter grinned. "Well, if we were ever going to replenish your reserves, we would have had to take some risks eventually, and now you have a whole pirate ship to feed on, minus one bridge!"


    As Carter was busy patting himself on the back, another call came through from the escape pods. With a sigh, he turned to the girl. "Put it through."


    As the image of the Captain popped up on the screen, Carter shook his head. "Listen, I know you had a claim on that ship, but if we hadn''t done what we did, you all would have been next! Besides, it''s still salvageable for parts. But don''t think I''m giving you that second ship! Our generosity has its limits!"


    The Captain shook his head. "That''s not what I was calling about. Do you have a functioning medical bay aboard that ship of yours?"


    Carter narrowed his eyes. He didn''t particularly like the nature of that question. "Why do you ask?"

 Chapter 16

    As he made the Captain''s case, Carter was staring down his...crew, for lack of a better term. "Listen, I''m not big on allowing some random people on our ship either, but according to the Captain of their vessel, this guy might not last until rescue gets here. You can quickly treat him while we''re cannibalizing that pirate vessel, and then we''ll put them back in their pod and be on our way. In return, they''re offering us all the munitions on the ship they have a claim on. It''s not a bad deal."


    The vixen seemed to have already made up her mind. No surprises there. "Absolutely not! We don''t owe these people a thing! They''re already lucky you''re letting them keep what you are!"


    The girl adjusted her glasses. "I don''t see any particular benefit to us in this either. What few munitions are left on that ship aren''t likely in any condition to be of use to us unless we take them apart and put them back together again, costing us almost as much time and energy as just going out and finding more elsewhere. We''ve got more than enough resources from that nearly whole vessel at our disposal for the time being. It is an unnecessary risk with little payoff."


    So, this time, it came down to the pirate. All three turned to him as he considered the options. "Well, I don''t know about owing anyone anything or how well we''ll get paid, but from the sounds of things, this lad got injured fighting against overwhelming numbers in an all-hope-is-lost kinda situation and managed to get not only himself but his companions out alive! That kind of heave-ho attitude deserves to be rewarded! Sides, the only one who''ll really be at risk is our Captain. It''s not like they can do anything to the ship if we don''t let them!"


    Carter was starting to suspect the supposed pirate was more of a softy than he let on but wasn''t about to say anything to that effect. Instead, he just shook his head. "Even split, so I guess I get to use my tiebreaker authority to make the call again. Contact Captain Dimitri and let him know we''ll be taking the injured man on board just long enough to stabilize him, but no one can take any weapons off the pod with them. If we see so much as a knife, we''ll space the lot of them."


    -


    As Alen sat up, he noticed he was having trouble focusing. Vanessa was speaking with someone on their console. It might have been the Captain, but he wasn''t sure. "Are you sure we can trust them? This is taking a considerable risk..."


    The response didn''t sound as confident as he usually did. "Honestly, no, I''m not, and from what I remember of this ship, it doesn''t exactly have the best of reputations. However, they could have easily waltzed in here, killed us, ignored us, and/or taken everything they wanted. Instead, they took the time to say hi and even bothered with negotiations. Also, judging by what we just saw, they aren''t any more friendly toward pirates than we are, so that''s a mark in their favor. If the boy was in better condition, I''d say he could just ride it out, but you mentioned he''s not doing very well, so this is his only option. Besides, it''s not like the government would let us keep many of the munitions on board that ship. He''s got no choice, and it''s not really costing us anything, might as well."


    Vanessa didn''t seem particularly appeased, but she didn''t argue other than to mutter low enough that the Captain probably couldn''t hear her. "It might cost a couple of us something..."


    At this point, Alen was reasonably sure they were talking about him. However, the world wouldn''t stop spinning long enough for him to consider his own thoughts on the subject. Instead, he just closed his eyes and hoped things would work out for the best.


    -


    Carter watched from overhead as the pod docked in the ship''s bay. It seemed so small compared to the cavernous room, but he knew appearances could be deceptive. For instance, he wasn''t exactly prepared to put up much of a fight himself, as his handgun was still mostly empty, but he wasn''t about to let them know that.


    The Captain had warned him there were not one, but two aliens aboard the pod and that they were pretty intimidating to look at. Carter had to admit that it made him curious. Everyone knew about the Vitexr¨¡ by now; they''d made quite the galactic splash a couple hundred years ago, but he''d never heard anything about a second species being discovered and wondered where the hell this other guy had come from or even what he looked like.


    The girl was beside him as usual. "We''ve begun cannibalizing the pirate ship. The process will take several hours, though we''re prioritizing more important components first in case we''re interrupted."


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    Carter nodded. "Sounds good."


    As he watched their guests disembark the ship, Carter couldn''t help but frown. The big alien he''s been warned about looked like he could easily cause more than his fair share of trouble. Nodding in their direction, he asked the girl, "Any weapons you can scan on them? And how about the kid? Is he really injured?"


    The girl shook her head. "No weapons, although those two are pretty much weapons in and of themselves. Even if you had a full magazine, I''m not sure I''d put any money on you in a fight. Luckily, now that we have a captain, you won''t be alone. We have some ancillaries ready to escort our guests to and from the med bay. As for the injured party, he seems legitimately in trouble, and the wounds are from before we showed up."


    With a sigh, Carter turned away from the observation screen. "Alright. Sounds like we might as well get down there and say hi."


    -


    Carter conceptually knew how large the alien he was greeting was, but when he first opened the door, he had to fight the urge to take a defensive step back. Standing in front of him was some sort of anthropomorphic, nearly eight-foot-tall cat lizard, which gave off a vaguely Viking aura as it grinned down at the much smaller human.


    When it spoke, Carter noticed the alien had a thick accent, thick enough to make him somewhat hard to understand, even though he seemed to be speaking Basic. "You must be the Captain! Good to meet ya!" Then, he turned to the other alien, the Vitexr¨¡, who would have been just as intimidating despite her smaller size if Carter hadn''t already had some idea what to expect. "See? I told ya they wouldn''t bother inviting us on just to space us!"


    The alien gave Carter a grin he suspected was meant to be more friendly than intimidating, but it failed on that account. Still, with the two large robotic frames at Carter''s back, he knew that if push came to shove, he stood a reasonable chance of getting out of this alive. "Yeah, well, I''m not in the habit of spacing people who just need some help. I''m Captain Carter, by the way, and so long as you don''t make any trouble, you won''t get any from us. With that said, welcome aboard the Sybil."


    Carter wasn''t exactly a medical expert, but he''d been around the injured enough to see that the human the two aliens were escorting was in rough shape. Blood loss and shock, at the very least, probably caused by some sort of traumatic injury. Hopefully, the out-of-date medical facility on this ship would be up to the task, though Carter guessed the odds were more fifty-fifty.


    The large alien''s grin somehow grew broader and more toothy. "Call me Erik. This is Vanessa and Alen. Any help you can offer would be welcome!"


    Carter refrained from commenting on how weird it was to hear the alien use such a standard human name, and instead simply nodded. "Alright, then follow me."


    With that, Carter turned and led the way to the med bay, with the two robotic frames walking between him and their guests. He was reasonably sure he remembered the way from here, and if not, Sybil could say something. He had to fight the urge to turn and get another look at the two aliens, though.


    As he finally approached the door he''d been looking for, Carter triggered the lights and pointed to the table. "Alright, put him there, and Sybil will see if she can''t fix him up. I have to warn you, though, our facility isn''t the most up-to-date, and given his condition, I''d say his odds are pretty even at this point."


    As the large cat/lizard put the human down, the Vitexr¨¡ looked around as if searching for something before she spoke up, surprising Carter with her unexpected English accent. "Are there no medical personnel around?"


    Carter was so surprised by the accent that he hesitated answering just long enough for the vixen to pop into existence and answer for him. "As if I need some wasteful organic assistance to do my job. And not to contradict my Captain, but I''d say this boy has a more than seventy-three percent survival chance. Now, if you will all please leave the room and let me do my job, I''ll see if I can''t save this human despite your best efforts!"


    Carter sort of wanted to say something about her bedside manner but decided to keep his mouth shut as it served no purpose at this point. Besides, as the various metallic articulated arms around the table came to life, he decided he didn''t want to see what the vixen considered medical assistance and decided to do as she''d commanded and leave the room.


    However, the Vitexr¨¡, Vanessa, he reminded himself, spoke up. "I am able to not release biologically active micro lifeforms when I so desire. May I remain to observe your treatment of the boy?"


    As the vixen seemed to consider for a moment, Carter prepared himself for the usual belittlement, but surprisingly, she nodded. "Very well, but please observe from the corner. It would be best if you did not get in my way."


    Vanessa nodded. "That is agreeable."


    Carter looked back and forth between them, then decided it wasn''t worth getting involved. Instead, he led the way out the door, and Erik followed. "Well, if you like, I can show you our mess hall while we wait, though I have to warn you, the food options are somewhat limited... Can you even eat human food?"


    Erik grinned, making Carter wonder if the alien had another expression, and nodded. "Yup, for the most part! Don''t worry. I can smell if you''ve got anything troublesome in there, but for the most part, if you can eat it, I can eat it. Don''t waste your time on anything sweet, though; I apparently can''t taste sweet!"


    Carter raised an eyebrow, wondering if he''d heard that right or if it was just the accent. Then, after a moment''s hesitation, he responded. "Well, how do you feel about mint flavors?"

 Chapter 17

    First, Carter met an AI who looked like an old-earth pirate, and now he met an alien who looked like an old-earth viking. Well, if that viking stood nearly eight feet tall, had fangs and claws that could put some daggers to shame, and a bony carapace armor seemingly covering most of his vital organs. He wasn''t sure if he just had some odd luck when it came to encountering the weirdest entities the universe had to offer or if he was at the butt of some galactic joke.


    Carter showed Erik how to use the goo dispenser, to which the larger alien made a face but managed to politely keep any complaints to himself as they both got a bowl and sat down at a table with Sybil''s two robotic guards passively waiting not far from the table. As he sat down, Cater couldn''t help but ask. "So, Erik, huh?"


    Before he could ask his question, the behemoth of a man laughed. "Yes, it''s a human name. I was ''raised,'' for lack of a better term, by pirates who gave me the name. No, I don''t know where I came from or even if there are more like me somewhere out there. Long story short, I got my freedom the hard way, and ever since, I''ve just been trying to get by in this galaxy!"


    That answered several of Carter''s questions without him having to ask them. "Get asked those a lot, do you?"


    Erik nodded while he tried a spoonful of the mush, then looked down at the bowl with surprise before taking another bite. "You could say that! Probably the most common questions I get right after people screaming incoherently or begging for their lives. Not that those are questions, but I kinda feel like they''re implied, if you know what I mean!"


    Carter nodded cautiously. "Do you get that a lot? People begging for their lives, I mean?"


    The bigger alien grinned. "Well, yeah! And more than half the time, I didn''t even do anything to warrant it! Guess I''m just too big and scary for my own good!"


    Carter made a show of taking a bite of his own mint-flavored sludge. "And the other half of the time?"


    Erik shrugged, but Carter couldn''t help but notice his grin became just a bit more predatory. "Well, let''s just say I don''t start many fights, but I sure do end a lot of them! Guess I seem like an easy mark or something!"


    Carter suspected it was the "or something" but decided not to push the issue. Instead, he figured maybe he could bring up some common ground. "So, not a big fan of pirates then?"


    The larger alien shook his head., "No, I like them just fine! Why, they''re just about my favorite thing to test the sharpness of my axes on!"


    Carter looked at his dining companion skeptically. "Axes? Really? In this day and age?"


    Erik laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I know, they''re not the most efficient weapons out there, and I''m not above using some more traditional armaments in a pinch, but I tell ya, there''s nothing more satisfying than cleaving through a battle suit in hand-to-hand combat with a good heavy axe! Sides, I got used to them back when I fought as a gladiator."


    Carter supposed he should have been ready for a crazy story, but he still found himself surprised for the umpteenth time in one conversation. "Wait, wait, wait... You were a gladiator? Like as in an arena, fight to the death kinda thing?"


    Erik laughed again. "Yeah, pretty much! However I ended up fighting monsters more than people. There weren''t many pirates willing to get in the ring with me, even with a battle suit, and I wasn''t willing to kill any ordinary folk who got thrown in with me. Thankfully, I was too big a draw for them to just execute for refusing to kill normals, though I''m sorry to say they didn''t get out of the situation any better than if I had. Still, I''ve killed more than my fair share of wild beasties! They even managed to bring in this giant wolf-like monster with a bladed tail. It was the size of a moose! I kid you not! I got no idea where they found that monster, but it would have killed me for sure if it hadn''t been for Vanessa backing me up. Even then, we were both out of commission for the better part of a month after that one. Well, we might have been fit to go a bit before that, but that was the one that made us decide it would be considerably better for our health if we got out of the gladiator business sooner rather than later!"


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    Oddly enough, Carter found himself grinning along with Erik despite the nature of the story. There was just something about the guy that made listening to him ramble on about stuff kinda fun. Despite his thick accent, or maybe partially because of it, the man was a heck of a storyteller. However, now that the story seemed to have come to an end, the larger alien seemed to think for a moment before asking his own question. "So tell me, captain, where''s the rest of your crew? The only ones I''ve seen since coming aboard are you and your robotic monsters!" He pointed back at the two escorts Sybil provided.


    Carter looked askance at the alien. "I invited two aliens who look like they might be able to pick a fight with a full squad of commandos and come out on top, and you''re wondering where my crew is?"


    Erik kind of nodded and laughed again. "Yeah, I guess that tracks! No sense puttin'' everyone at risk when you don''t know nothin'' about us, and we won''t be here very long, is there? Speaking of, how much longer is my friend''s treatment gonna take?"


    The word "friend" was a surprising choice. Was Erik just using it as a general term, or did he really consider the kid he''d hauled onboard the ship a friend? Carter supposed it didn''t matter. Instead, he figured he might as well find out. "Hey, Sybil, how''s the treatment going?"


    The girl appeared. "Well, the patient looks like he''ll pull through. However, given the nature of his injury and how long it''s been since he received it, we cannot save his foot. We''re discussing whether he would like a temporary replacement or if he''d rather a replacement be grown in a better-stocked facility."


    -


    Alen looked at the disturbingly attractive woman in shock. "What do you mean you''re gonna lop off my foot?"


    The woman in red just looked annoyed with him for some reason. "I mean just that. Your foot is too badly damaged to save. I can fit you with a temporary replacement, but that''ll come with some unpleasant side effects while you adjust and again if it''s removed. Alternatively, you could just wait and have an organic replacement grown at another facility and bypass the side effects, but you will be short a foot for however long that takes. Now choose. It''ll determine where I cut through the bone and nerves."


    Having just woken up from his drugged sleep, Alen had assumed the surgery was over, but apparently, they were still in the middle of treatment. His head was still somewhat groggy as he fought through the haze to understand and decide. "Um, well, I don''t know when I''ll be able to get anything better, but...uh...how unpleasant are we talking here?"


    The attractive woman crossed her arms and glared at him as if he was wasting her valuable time. "It varies from one individual to the next, but the side effects can range from mild discomfort to occasional sharp pains strong enough to require medical intervention."


    That was when another voice spoke up from behind Alen. He quickly realized it was Vanessa. "Is it not possible for you to deaden the pain receptors in the area while leaving enough nerve function to enable the use of the replacement?"


    The woman in red shook her head. "Pain is an essential tool, especially if we''re fitting him with a temporary replacement. It''ll let him know if something''s gone wrong. Without it, he could get an infection or even tear something without realizing it. It''s better to err on the side of leaving too much sensation than too little. It can always be adjusted at a proper facility as needed."


    On the one hand, that really sounded unpleasant. But on the other hand, who knew how soon Alen could get a replacement grown? What would he do in the meantime? "Uh... I guess...if I have to pick one... I''ll take the temporary replacement..."


    The lady in red gave only a brief acknowledgment. "About time." Then, before Alen could have second thoughts, the world went dark again.


    -


    The girl nodded as if receiving some unheard report. "Well, that settles it. He''ll be getting a temporary replacement. It''ll take a bit longer as we''ll have to fit him with some attachments for the augmentic. A rough approximation puts the remaining time at an hour and a half. We should finish cannibalizing the pirate vessel shortly afterward."


    Carter turned toward his guest. "Well, there you have it..."


    However, the girl interrupted him again before he could finish his thoughts. "Sir, we''ve got more incoming. There are more of them, and they''re more dispersed this time..."

 Chapter 18

    After the news of more arrivals and what that implied, Carter turned around and looked at the girl. "How long until they get here?"


    The girl seemed to be expecting that question. "We''ve got considerably more notice this time, but that''s only because of the size of the distortion. Unfortunately, that same distortion makes it harder to be sure, but our best guess is they seem to be arriving in waves, with the vanguard arriving in maybe thirty minutes, give or take a ten-minute window. We''ll be able to more accurately estimate as the time draws near."


    Carter nodded. "How long will it take to decouple the ship you''re cannibalizing?"


    The girl took a moment to consider this. "Well, in order to recall all drones safely, the whole process would take close to five minutes, though obviously, that''ll depend on what parts they are currently involved in removing."


    Carter nodded. "Alright, take what you can get, but be ready to drop what you''re doing with plenty of time to spare so we can cut and run. I''m not looking to commit suicide today!"


    Erik, who seemed pretty calm despite the news, looked up with interest. "What about our crew mates drifting out in their escape pods?"


    Carter looked at the larger alien and tried to figure out what was going on in his head. Would he get violent if Carter said he was just gonna leave them to their fates? Not that he wanted to just leave them out here to be butchered, but taking an entire crew onboard this ship was just asking for a hostile takeover. On the other hand, was he so monstrous he''d just leave people to the same fate he''d come so close to experiencing not so long ago?


    Carter started to open his mouth to say he was sorry, but the girl cut him off. "Captain. You might want to speak with the rest of the crew before making a decision like that."


    Right, despite how they were behaving in front of their "guests," he didn''t have unilateral control. He looked over toward the viking alien. "I''ll ask you to remain in the dining hall for a bit. I need to head to the bridge for now, and I''ll decide after speaking with the crew."


    For once, Erik wasn''t grinning, but he didn''t argue either, and he nodded to Carter. "Fair enough, I suppose. Just don''t take too long and leave us out to dry while you make up your mind."


    Carter simply nodded and took his leave.


    As he walked onto the bridge, the vixen and the pirate were already there, and the girl walked up behind him. With everyone present, Carter dove right in. "Alright, so you all know what''s happening and what''s at stake. What are we going to do with the people in the escape pods?"


    Predictably, the vixen didn''t seem overly sympathetic. "We weren''t the ones who put them in those pods. We have no responsibility to stretch out our necks to save them."


    Also, predictably, the pirate seemed to be on the other side of that equation. "These lads fought the good fight and deserve another chance to fight again! I say we take them on as additional crew!"


    With that, it came down to the one Carter had been wondering about. The girl hesitated a moment as if giving this careful thought. "...There is some risk with taking so many people onboard...and I''m not big on the idea of letting so many people see the inner workings of the Sybil at one time...but I can''t bring myself to leave these people out here to die, either... I vote we take them in."


    That put Carter in an odd position. He''d all but decided these people were too much of a risk to take on, and with his tie-breaker authority, he could say they were just going to cut and run, and the others would go with it. However, he found himself hesitating, if only because he questioned any decision that would leave him siding only with the vixen regarding how they were going to treat other people. After a little bit of consideration, he shook his head. "Alright, fine. We''ll take on anyone who can make it in time, but we''ll have to take some precautions, such as limiting their access to the ship, etc. We can work out the details after we''re clear. It''s not like they''re in any position to argue..."


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    -


    The captain nodded. "That seems more than fair. I will relay your offer...thank you."


    Carter couldn''t help but notice that he seemed somewhat subdued. However, that was easily explained by his being in one of the furthest groups of escape pods, unlikely to make it in time. It was difficult to look a man in the eye and know that he could likely measure his remaining time in minutes rather than years. All Carter could offer was a half-hearted "Good luck, Captain." before ending the transmission.


    Carter looked over at the three Sybils. "How much will we be able to get from the pirate ship before getting out of here?"


    The girl appeared to be looking through various charts. "Well, not all of it will be immediately available, as it''ll need to be processed and installed, but we should get enough to restore the Sybil to roughly seventy-three percent of operational capacity."


    Carter nodded. "And how much will be immediately available?"


    The pirate seemed to see where he was going with this and grinned as he answered. "Enough to give some pirates a serious black eye and bloody lip, boyo!"


    Carter''s grin mirrored the pirate''s. At least he could do this much before running away. "Then what say we do just that?"


    -


    Elias scowled. He was in charge of leading the vanguard to "restore his lost honor." What good was honor if your ship was dead in the void? He knew the real reason he was leading the vanguard. In a three-on-one fight, he''d lost an entire ship in less than a minute. His competency was being questioned, and he needed to either prove himself here or lose his position as a strike team leader. Hell, he might even be demoted out of his captaincy. Not that anyone could typically remove a captain from his position on a pirate vessel without some bloodshed, but this was a new era, and the old rules no longer applied.


    Not that it mattered. Elias wouldn''t give his opponent the opportunity to perform the same stunt as before. Every ship was under orders to immediately raise shields and take evasive action upon reentering realspace. He would win the fight methodically this time rather than using brute force. If they were stupid enough to hang around, that is.


    As soon as they appeared in real space again, Thomas immediately gave the same warning as last time. "Captain, we have incoming!"


    Elias couldn''t believe his luck. Not only were they still here, but they were stupid enough to try the same trick twice! He turned to the helm calmly. "Evasive maneuvers." Then, turning to communications, he added, "Tell the other ships to begin firing as soon as they have a clear shot of the main vessel!"


    However, Thomas didn''t seem like he was done. "Captain, they''re adjusting course! It''s the Sybil, not a dead vessel!"


    The Sybil? Were they trying to actually ram his ship? Elias turned to the helm with more urgency. "It''s too big to match our maneuverability! Just take us out of their turning radius!"


    The helmsman seemed rather focused. "Trying to captain!"


    Elias could only stare in horror as the large vessel loomed closer and closer despite his helmsman''s best attempts to turn away. However, it started to look like they''d squeak past by the skin of their teeth, and the other ships were pouring on fire even though it seemed they were unable to break through the Sybil''s shields. Still, once the immediate danger of being rammed was passed, they could easily stay out of the larger ship''s reach and add in their own munitions, forcing the larger ship to fight a four-on-one battle with reinforcements approaching or retreat.


    As the two ships passed within spitting distance, alarms started blaring. Looking at his console, Elias could see the two ships had passed close enough that their shields were overlapping, sending powerful feedback into each other''s systems, creating dead spots where shields should have been. It was an insane maneuver spoken about by the occasional seasoned captain that took such a degree of precision maneuvering and a lack of self-preservation that it hadn''t seen use since the AI war half a century ago!


    Realizing what was about to happen, Elias shouted, "Rotate the ship now!" but it was too late as the Sybil opened fire on the unshielded portions of the ship.


    All Elias could do was ride out the storm. It seemed every alarm aboard the ship was screaming, and his ship felt as if it was being shaken to pieces as the Sybil poured an ungodly amount of ordinance onto their exposed side. A part of him wanted to run for the nearest escape pod, but doing so would only ensure his loss of command.


    Then, almost as soon as it had started, it was over. The shaking finally stopped as the Sybil flew past. Elias turned to one of the few officers still seated at their station. "Status?"


    The officer''s hands flew across the screen. "Sir, floors two and three on the port side are in ruins. Total losses. Floor one is evacuating personnel to vent the atmosphere to try and control several fires. We''re more or less dead in space."


    Elias''s eyes narrowed. "And what of the Sybil? Are they coming around for another pass?"


    The officer shook their head. "No, they seem to be headed for an escape jump. I think we''re clear."


    Elias settled into his seat as the remaining officers retook their positions. At least this wasn''t a total loss; however, this wasn''t exactly going to "restore his honor" either. As he watched the Sybil reach a safe distance and jump out of real space, he cursed the supposed ghost ship silently.

 Chapter 19

    As Alen woke up from the procedure, his view was taken up by lots of tools and instruments and, of course, the woman in red. At least she seemed somewhat satisfied this time. "All his vitals are stable. Give him a few minutes for the last of the anesthesia to wear off, and he should be good to send back."


    Alen tried to sit up, got light-headed, and laid back down. Instead, he looked over at the woman in red. "So it''s done? You cut off my foot and replaced it?"


    The woman''s glare was icy cold as she answered. "I saved your life and gave you a temporary replacement for a mangled limb, yes."


    Alen felt a little embarrassed, realizing how he must have sounded. "Oh, sorry, I didn''t mean to imply I wasn''t grateful. It''s just a lot to take in, you know? But I appreciate everything you did for me and all." Then, realizing he didn''t even know what to call her, he added. "Oh, I''m sorry, I just realized I don''t know your name."


    A little of the ice seemed to melt as the woman folded her arms. Her expression now looked bored, if anything, but somehow Alen felt like he was less on her bad side than a moment ago. "Yes, well, you may call me Sybil, and you''re welcome, I suppose. Now, try sitting up again and see if you can put some weight on your new foot so I can see if there are any needed adjustments."


    Alen sat up a little slower this time, and the world seemed content to stay in place. After another moment, he grabbed hold of a rail and eased himself down onto his feet, one of which was now shiny and metallic. As soon as it made contact with the ground, he felt a jolt shoot up through his leg and into his spine, and he immediately took all his weight off the foot and raised it, noticing it was heavier than before as he did so.


    The woman in red gave him an indecipherable look. "Too much pain for you to handle?"


    Alen shook his head. "Not pain exactly...but it felt...I don''t know...wrong, I guess? It''s kind of hard to describe..."


    The woman tilted her head. "Kind of like it''s asleep but not quite, right?"


    Alen eased his foot down again and nodded. "Something like that, yeah..."


    With a nod, the woman seemed satisfied. "That''s to be expected. Now try taking a few steps while holding onto the railing for balance."


    Alen took a few steps, and while his foot felt wrong, it got easier with every step. The woman nodded. "Alright. I''d recommend using a walking cane for a day or two until you get comfortable with the feeling. You may feel some pain from time to time, and there are several therapies we can use to deal with that, but for now, I want you to focus on learning to walk with your temporary foot."


    A new voice Alen wasn''t familiar with spoke up from behind him. "Huh, I didn''t know you had such a nice bedside manner. Does that mean I just have to break a leg to get on your good side?"


    Alen turned around to see a much more around-the-edges man watching. He looked like he might be a bit overweight, but Alen could tell under any fat also sat a considerable amount of muscle. The woman''s voice dripped with acid as she responded to the man. "A polite cockroach is a more tolerable cockroach. You should try giving more respect if you want to receive it!"


    The man chuckled. "I''d say right back at you, but that''d be starting a fight we don''t have time for, so how about we call it a draw for now and move on. Now, how about we get you back to your friends, kid."


    Remembering something the woman had said earlier, Alen turned back to her. "Wait, you mentioned therapies? Shouldn''t you tell me about them now if I''m leaving the ship?"


    The man shook his head. "Yeah, about that kid... Your stay has been somewhat extended. I''ll explain as we walk." He then turned to Vanessa, who''d apparently been observing from the corner for a while. "You too. Erik is back with the rest of your people."


    Vanessa nodded. "Then I shall accompany you."


    -


    As Carter explained the situation, the kid seemed quiet. He just shrugged it off as the kid was probably focusing on walking with his new foot and cane, but the kid spouted off as soon as he finished. "We have to go back and get them!"


    Carter shook his head. "Even if the pirates haven''t already picked them up, there''s too many ships for us to deal with now. Sorry, but it''s too late."


    The kid didn''t seem ready to give up as he glared at Carter. "You shouldn''t have left them back there to begin with!"


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    Realizing the kid had been through a lot recently, Carter decided to take it a bit easy on him, but he still took a slightly harsh tone to drive home what he was about to say. "Listen, kid, as much as you wish it wasn''t so, in this universe, ''should'' and ''can'' very rarely match up as much as you''d like. We did our best and gave the pirates a bloody nose on the way out, but you all shouldn''t have picked that fight to begin with. If you want to blame someone for your troubles, blame your captain. Although I''d say he''s already paid the price for his choices. So how about you just say thanks for saving your ass, and we move on, eh kid?"


    The kid was quiet a moment before he responded, his voice sounding less confrontational than a moment ago. "Fine... thanks for saving my ass. But stop calling me kid. My name is Alen."


    Carter nodded. "That''s fair, Alen. Anyway, you seem to have gotten on one of Sybil''s good sides, or at least as good a side as I''ve seen that part of her have, so I might put you in charge of making any requests your people might have while you''re our guests. Think you''re up to it?"


    The kid, Alen, looked back at Vanessa, who didn''t seem to have much to add, before turning back to Carter. "I guess? How long are we gonna be here, though? Can''t you just drop us off at a nearby planet or station?"


    Carter chuckled. "If only it were that easy. Try asking some of your more...experienced sailors about the Sybil. They might have an interesting story or two for ya! Don''t worry too much, though. We''ll do our best not to live up to all the stories."


    That seemed to have distracted Alen enough so that he shut up for a bit, and they walked in silence the rest of the way.


    -


    Carter looked at the hold full of people. Well, full might have been an exaggeration. Even with the escape pods, they didn''t take up a whole lot of room. In the end, they''d only pulled in about half the stranded crew on time, but they still outnumbered the Sybil''s "crew" of one many times over, which meant some precautions needed to be taken.


    As Alen rejoined the rest of his crew members, Carter stepped forward and raised his voice to be heard over the din of the bay. "Attention crew of the Trader''s Vigilance. I am Carter, Captain of the Sybil on which you now reside. Some of you, particularly the older sailors, might be familiar with some of the stories about the Sybil. You might have been told that she''s haunted and that no living person who''s ever set foot in her halls has ever been seen or heard from again. I''ll be honest with you; those stories are more true than not. However, this time, and this time only, the Sybil has agreed to make an exception to that second bit so long as you play by her rules!"


    Of course, it was Erik who raised his hand to ask a question. Carter nodded toward the large alien. "Yes?"


    Of course, the crazy alien was grinning. "You speak about your ship as though she is alive. Even more so than most captains!"


    Carter nodded. "That''s because she is! I''ll say this, the Sybil can be temperamental, cruel, and even sadistic at times! You do NOT want to get on her bad side! Even I can''t save you if you''re stupid enough to do that!"


    There was more than a bit of grumbling in response, and Carter held up his hands to get their attention. "Now, like I said, you all get a one-time exemption to that, so long as you play by her rules. They are as follows."


    Carter held up a hand with the index finger pointing up. "First, during your stay here, you will be allotted access to one deck, including rooms to sleep in, a mess hall, bathrooms, and even a rec room, even if it''s a little bare bones. You are not to leave that deck without my direct permission for any reason. Doing so WILL put your health, sanity, and life in extreme peril!"


    More grumbling, and Carter held up his hand with two fingers raised. "Second, as long as you remain our guests, all weapons and armor must be left in the escape pods! If, for some reason, you wish to do any maintenance on them, you must do so within the confines of your pod. Removing weapons from the pod will be punishable by your immediate eviction from the ship, with or without your escape pod! And if there is any question about the Sybil''s ability to detect weapons, let me tell you that right now, eleven of you have guns on your person, fifteen have knives, and thirteen of you have other weapons of less common or otherwise improvised design."


    This time, the grumbling was louder, but Carter cut them off. "If you don''t like that, you are welcome to remain in your escape pods as long as you prefer, and we''ll arrange for food to be brought to you!"


    A bit of the grumbling died down, and Carter decided to finish things up and raised his third finger. "Third and final, if something that seems like an AI appears and issues any order or commands to you, you are to obey those orders immediately and without question. They will not issue orders merely on a whim, but they do not have to explain their reasons either. Remember, you are their guests, and they are granting you a rare exception to their usual policy of not allowing outsiders to set foot within their halls. You''d do best to stay on their good side. Is that clear?"


    This time, the mumbling went on a bit longer, and Carter allowed it for a moment before speaking again. "Alright. Those of you who want to remain in your pods are welcome to do so. The rest of you who currently have weapons on your person, please deposit them into your escape pods, and I''ll take you to your deck."


    There was a flurry of movement. Unsurprisingly, no one wanted to stay in the pods alone aboard a ghost ship. However, a moment later, Carter received a report from the girl through his earpiece. He walked up to one of the men and addressed them. "Excuse me, mister..?"


    The man straightened up and even gave Carter a salute. Something that didn''t sit too well with him. "Harris, sir!"


    Carter nodded. "Well, mister Harris, I''m going to assume that you just forgot about the pocket knife you have in your lower cargo pocket on your pants and that you did not retain it with malicious intent, but you''ll want to deposit it into your escape pod immediately."


    The man, Harris, patted his pocket and grinned sheepishly enough that Carter couldn''t tell if it was an act or not. "Of course, sir! My apologies!"


    Carter just shook his head. "Don''t apologize, just don''t do it again. I won''t be able to save you if you break a rule a second time."


    The rest of the stranded crew sorted out their issues in relatively short order, and Carter led them to their temporary housing area.

 Chapter 20

    After settling in, Alen was heading to the dining area to test the mint-flavored goo they were apparently supposed to live off of. Most of the crew from the ship were still using the rations they''d had onboard the escape pods that they''d brought with them into their temporary living quarters, but he figured he might as well test the waters, so to speak.


    Walking into the dining hall, Alen wasn''t too surprised to see Erik and Vanessa there, though he wondered what in the world the larger alien was grilling. It smelled...pretty decent, all things considered.


    Apparently, Vanessa said something to the alien viking because Erik turned around and flashed his usual grin as he held up a spatula in greeting. Alen waved back before asking the question that was on his mind. "What in the world are you grilling?"


    Erik''s smile widened, showing far too many teeth, though Alen couldn''t help but feel himself grin a little in response. Perhaps he''d been spending too much time in the alien''s presence, but Alen realized the toothy grin wasn''t quite as intimidating as it had once been as Erik pointed to his concoction. "Well, it''s the same goo you get from the dispenser, but on Carter''s advice, I''m trying a different flavor blend and cooking it up. He said it almost tastes like steak, ''if the steak was poor quality, a little burnt, and you''d almost forgotten what steak tasted like!'' I figured I might as well give it a shot! If nothing else, it might make for a decent change of pace after you get tired of the mint stuff!"


    Alen nodded. "Well, at least it smells decent enough."


    Erik laughed and shook his head. "You humans really have a poor sense of smell if you think this smells ''decent!'' However, I suppose edible is edible, and I won''t complain so long as my belly is full!"


    Alen shook his head as he tried to figure out how to pour himself some of the goo while one of his hands was tied up, holding onto his walking cane. Eventually, he gave up, put most of his weight onto his good foot, and leaned the cane against the machine while pouring out a small bowl of the stuff. It didn''t look all that appetizing, but apparently, it was nutritious and safe to eat, which was enough for now.


    Erik watched the whole ordeal with a bit of a smirk that Alen couldn''t read. "Still getting used to that new foot of yours?"


    Alen shrugged as he held his bowl and silverware in one hand and grabbed his cane with the other. "Eh, kinda. It doesn''t feel quite right, but it is only supposed to be temporary, so I guess that makes sense."


    Looking over at the dish Erik had cooked up for himself, Alen wondered about the man who''d recommended it to the large alien. "So, you spoke to that Carter guy while I was out, right? What do you make of him?"


    Erik cut off a piece of the dish and chewed on it while apparently thinking. "Well, for one thing, his description of what this tastes like is pretty accurate! It almost reminds me of steak, or maybe more like the smell of steak while eating something completely different. All I can say for sure is it makes me want the real thing all the more!"


    Alen looked down at his own dish and scooped up a spoonful but delayed taking a bite by responding. "That''s not really what I meant..."


    Erik cut off another chunk and shoveled it down without hesitation. He chuckled as he responded with a mouth half full. "I know, I know... What do I think of the guy? Well, he seems alright, I guess. He doesn''t strike me as the kind to go out of his way to help someone he doesn''t know, but neither would he just ignore a person in need if they crossed paths. In that sense, I suppose he''s like a lot of people. A bit pragmatic, perhaps, but that''s not necessarily a virtue or a vice. Could be either, I suppose..."


    Alen pointed at Erik with his spoon, still uneaten. "I don''t know. He left a lot of people hanging back where he picked us up from, nor did he seem all that friendly telling us all how we could get killed if we so much as stepped outside our designated area..."


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    Erik shoveled another piece into his maw as he shrugged. "Well, what would you have him do, stay and fight to the death for a bunch of people he didn''t even know? I''m not saying he handled everything perfectly, mind you. Maybe if he''d acted sooner, he could have saved more people, but it''s far too easy to judge someone after the fact. And even I''ve turned tail and run when the odds were too stacked against me! And as for the ship, that struck me as more of a warning than a threat..."


    Alen furrowed his brow. "But as he''s the captain, isn''t that the same thing? Or do you believe all the talk about this ship being haunted?"


    Erik''s smile disappeared for the first time in a while as he got strangely contemplative. "I don''t know, but there''s definitely something off about this ship. It doesn''t...smell right."


    Alen, who''d been about to finally taste the goo, stopped. "It doesn''t smell right?"


    Erik nodded. "Yeah... I don''t know how to describe it to you, but while every ship has its own unique feel and smell, there are always a few consistencies. This ship is weirdly...hollow? Empty? It''s like the smell version of an echo. And I''m not just talking about the dust covering everything. It''s a distorted, weaker scent than I''m used to aboard a ship."


    Then, turning to Vanessa, Erik asked. "What about you? What''s your take on the ship and its captain?"


    The spider-like alien, who''d been shoveling away spoonful after spoonful, stopped and considered before responding. "Well, Captain Carter strikes me as clever but not particularly driven. It''s more like he''s caught up in what''s happening as much as we are. As for the ship...you''re right. There''s definitely something off about it, though I find it hard to quantify into words."


    In the unsettling quiet that followed, Alen finally took a bite of the goo. The texture wasn''t great, but the flavor was surprisingly...decent. Mint was definitely the prominent flavor, but it was complimented by something he''d describe as an almost nutty flavor, though he''d be hard-pressed to name any specific nut. It wouldn''t be his favorite dish anytime soon, but as far as something he might have to live off of for the immediate future, it was slightly better than most of the emergency rations he''d had in the past.


    Thinking about what Erik and Vanessa had said about the ship feeling off, Alen thought back to his room when he''d first walked in. It looked as if it had been a museum piece, with stuff lying about as if someone had been living there, but all of it was covered in a thin layer of dust. It had felt a little eery as if he was stepping into someone else''s world, someone who was now long gone. He dusted the room and tidied most of the stuff lying about, but for some reason, he couldn''t bring himself to pack everything up and leave it in the closet. Instead, he treated it as if it was someone else''s room, and he was just staying for a bit, though he couldn''t help but wonder about the person who''d lived there before him. What had happened to them? Were they survivors like them? Were they held captive by the supposed ghost ship? Or had they been the original inhabitants from before this ship gained its notoriety? How long ago had that been? Years? Decades? Longer?


    Alen shook his head. Letting his mind wander like that would only lead to him spooking himself out. Looking over at Erik, it seemed as if whatever had been bothering him had passed, and the large alien was all grins again as he winked at Alen. "Well, I wouldn''t worry about it too much! The captain said we''d be fine so long as we followed the rules, and they didn''t seem all that hard. Just don''t go wandering or making weapons, and we''ll be fine!"


    Alen nodded, but then again, there was that last rule...the one about listening to and obeying anything that "seems like an AI." That was an odd choice of words. What would seem like an AI but be different enough to warrant a distinction? Alen thought back to the woman in red who''d operated on him. Come to think of it, her outfit hadn''t really been what he would call sterile, and she hadn''t ever really touched him. Hadn''t her name been Sybil, like the ship? Was she an AI? Or rather, something that "seemed like an AI?"


    Before Alen could dwell on it too long, there was some loud commotion out in the hall. Alen, Erik, and Vanessa looked back and forth before getting up to see what the commotion was about.


    Several heads were poking out of various rooms, and one of the crew was standing out in the hall, pointing back toward a room and shouting at another. "I''m telling ya, something was moving in there!"


    The person he was addressing shook his head. "But it disappeared every time you turned your head? Your mind is playing tricks on you. Don''t listen to Old William''s stories if you''re gonna get jumpy like this!"


    It looked like whatever had happened, things were already winding down as people were already headed back to whatever they were doing, and the guy who''d been shouting shook his head. Not many people probably heard him, as he muttered to himself. "I know I saw something in there..."

 Chapter 21

    As Carter walked onto the bridge, he was surprised that only the girl was present, but he decided to shrug it off. Maybe they were having fun observing their new toy ant colony or whatever the vixen would call the cockroach equivalent. Instead, he spoke to the Sybil who was present. "Well, now that everyone''s settled in, so to speak, how do we go about unloading them?"


    Instead of adjusting her glasses and launching into an analytical assessment as he expected, the girl looked at Carter with a raised eyebrow. "You want to get rid of them so soon? After being stuck with us for the last few weeks, I figured you''d be with them, enjoying some human company."


    Carter shrugged. "This may surprise you, but despite seeking out the glamorous lifestyle of a solo cargo hauler, I''m not much of a people person. I''m not saying I''m a huge fan of empty halls and dust-filled rooms, but I''m not looking into making several dozen new friends, either."


    The girl shrugged. "As you prefer, though these may very well be the last people you''ll have a chance to get to know."


    When Carter didn''t say anything, she continued. "Well, unloading them isn''t as easy as flying to a space station and dropping them off. It may have been a while, but I''m sure the local governments still have at least some record of all our pirate activity over the years. It might be better to wait until we come across a cargoship of some kind and drop them off there."


    Carter laughed. "Yeah, I''m sure any captain would be delighted to take on a whole extra crew''s worth of mouths to feed when they have little to offer in return. Not to mention the difficulty of even getting someone to stay and listen long enough to ask. Maybe the new guys never heard of you, but almost anyone who''s been in the game long enough to become a captain will know of the stories and rumors about the Sybil. As soon as we show up, any sane captain will either run or shoot first and ask questions later!"


    The girl smiled, though this smile would probably be more at home on the vixen''s face. "Yes, that has been our general experience as well. So what is it you suggest, Captain?"


    Carter stopped and thought about it a moment. "Well, you need to hunt ships to repair and maintain yourself anyway, right? If we take one in good enough condition, we could just give it to them and let them fly off on their own..."


    The girl looked bemused. "Quite generous of you to just let them have an entire ship just like that."


    Carter shrugged. "Listen, I''m not saying we give them a battleship or some state-of-the-art freighter, but pirates tend to convert anything they can get their hands on into some sort of fighting vessel, whether it''s in good shape or a junker. We can probably find some old, beaten-down freighter that''s not worth the resources to consume and let them have that. It won''t be glorious, but it should get them to a nearby colony or station, and they can figure it out from there."


    Now, the girl seemed inscrutable. "So, you want us to become pirate hunters now? Like some sort of do-gooders from a children''s cartoon?"


    Carter shook his head, then stopped and thought about it. "No... Well, not quite, anyway. Listen, I''m not looking to take on any more than we can chew, and I''m definitely not interested in risking life and limb for a bunch of people I''ve never met, but this way, we can satisfy everyone''s needs and not take it out on a bunch of people who are just trying to get by same as us. It''ll get you the resources you need, get the pirate the fight he craves, and let the vixen torment lowlifes to her heart''s content. It''s what we call a win-win...win."


    The girl looked bemused again. "The pirate and...vixen..?"


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    Carter sighed and rolled his eyes. "Hey, I gotta call you all something other than Sybil. You might all share one mind and memory, but you''re all very different people to me. What did you want me to do? Call you all Sybil? That would get confusing real quick!"


    The girl laughed. "I suppose, given your... limited perception, that makes sense. So, what''s your little nickname for this version of me?"


    Carter wondered briefly if he was talking to the vixen in disguise, but despite her choice of words, it lacked the edge or condescension she usually had. Instead, he decided to just answer. "The girl, I suppose."


    This time, the girl looked mildly offended. "''The girl?'' Really? I''m almost surprised you didn''t choose something really witty like four eyes or bookworm!"


    Carter grinned. "I didn''t know you liked books!"


    It was the girl''s turn to roll her eyes. "Not the point!"


    Carter decided to take pity on her. "Well, what would you like me to call you then?"


    That seemed to stump the girl. "What? Do you want me to come up with a name for myself? I already have one. I''m Sybil!"


    Back where he started, Charter shrugged again. "Hey, that''s fine. I respect that. But given my ''limited perception,'' I still have to differentiate you somehow. I can just stick with the girl, pirate, and vixen if you prefer."


    The girl shook her head. "No...I''ll think about it..."


    Carter grinned. "That''s all I ask! For now, anyway. And while you do that, I''ll go enjoy some ''human company'' and have a word with our guests about what we''re gonna do with them. Maybe they''ll have an idea or two to offer."


    -


    Alen had just finished eating and was trying to think of some way to pass the time that didn''t involve exercising, eating, or sleeping, which seemed to be the only three things available for the crew when Captain Carter walked into the mess hall. He looked around for a bit, then upon seeing Erik, Vanessa, and Alen, who''d taken to eating together, he seemed to brighten slightly and approach the table.


    Unsure of what the Captain would want but nonetheless curious, Alen found himself interested, but after Carter laid out his plan, Alen was suddenly less interested. "You want to pick a fight with a bunch of pirates to get us a ship? Are you insane? There''s got to be some backwater colony you can drop us off at!"


    The Captain shrugged. "Any colony backwater enough to not have records on this ship or be a threat to us is gonna be too small to handle your crew being suddenly dumped on them without notice. Besides, this way, you all can sell the ship, and you won''t be starting from nothing!"


    Alen shook his head. "We won''t be able to sell anything if you get us killed before you unload us! This just sounds like suicide the hard way!"


    The Captain didn''t seem dissuaded. "Listen, this ship has been feared for hundreds of years for a reason. We were running on fumes in that last fight and still gave them a run for their money. Next time, we won''t be on the back foot. I think we''ll have that ship for you sooner rather than later!"


    Alen shook his head. This guy had clearly lost his mind.


    Of course, that was when Erik decided to offer his two cents. "Will we be able to have any fun, or would you be doing all the fighting?"


    Alen fought the urge to slam his forehead into the table. Of course, the viking alien wanted to fight. Carter seemed thoughtful. "Well, if we take any ship intact enough to give to you all, it''ll probably have to be cleared out the hard way, so I imagine you''d get to get your hands a little dirty."


    Erik laughed and slapped the table. "I LIKE this plan!"


    Commander Reid, who''d been walking past, looked interested in their discussion. "What''s this about a fight?"


    Erik grinned at the smaller man. "The Captain here wants to capture a pirate ship to give to us! But we''ll have to clear the decks once the Sybil has disabled it!"


    The commander took a seat at their table. "What kind of weaponry and support can you give us? What kind of a ship are we talking about? What''s the crew complement?"


    Alen felt the last shreds of hope fading. This was not what he''d signed up for. When he''d managed to secure an officer position aboard the Trader''s Vigilance, he''d thought he''d lucked into a nice, steady gig that would give him the experience and training he''d need to one day be captain of his own trading vessel. However, instead, he''d gotten a ship full of pirate-hunting lunatics, recruited an insane alien whose whole definition of entertainment seemed to begin and end with pirate hunting, and ended up aboard a pirate-hunting ghost ship. He was in a giant floating insane asylum and surrounded by madmen. He could only hope his family would be able to find his life insurance policy and get some use out of it...

 Chapter 22

    After a long night of drinking and planning, Carter had crashed hard. When was the last time he''d gotten so drunk? Also, where had the drinks come from, and why did he suspect the pirate had something to do with their creation?


    After climbing out of bed, waiting for the world to stabilize, chugging some water, and otherwise getting cleaned up, Carter finally started to feel like himself again, which meant it was time to get started on figuring out how to make all his ideas from last night into some sort of plausible plan. For that, he''d need to speak with the Sybils.


    Walking down another empty hall, Carter heard a familiar dirge accompanied by an equally familiar eerie green light. Poking his head around the corner, he was half expecting to find the pirate singing along with the likes of Erik and Vanessa, but instead, the pirate seemed to be all on his own, in front of a table laid out like the one Carter had first come across, though there was decidedly less mold and maggots this time. Thinking back to what he knew about the mint paste, he tried not to think about what had happened to said maggots as he finally caught the pirate''s attention. "Oi, Captain! Come to join yer old friend, ''the pirate?''"


    As Carter walked into the room, he smiled a little abashedly. "Ah, yeah, I suppose you heard that. Shared memory and all."


    The pirate nodded, ''slamming'' his digital tankard onto the table. "Aye, shared memory..."


    As Carter pulled up a seat, he continued. "I didn''t mean any disrespect about it! I just needed a way to differentiate you three is all."


    The pirate laughed. "No offense taken, lad, no offense from me anyway. You might want to avoid the lady for a bit, though. She didn''t take too kindly to her chosen title!"


    There was no doubt in Carter''s mind which lady the pirate was referring to, and he just shook his head. "Probably a good idea, but I doubt my luck will save me her wrath."


    Noticing the pirate seemed to be drunk, despite the obvious impossibility of that, Carter thought this would be a good opportunity to change subjects. After all, if the "lady" was going to remember this conversation, the less he said about her behind her back, the better. "So why are you up here drinking all alone? I thought for sure you''d be the one most likely to hang out with our new guests. There''s a giant alien viking, in particular, I thought you''d get along with!"


    The pirate laughed again, though it was a little more disparaging this time. "Aye, I know of whom you speak, and he seems like a good lad, but they''re all a little lively for an old ghost like me."


    Carter laughed. "You''re no more a ghost than me! Hell, I''m pretty sure you''re the more lively of the two of us!"


    The pirate held up his now translucent hands. "Am I not? I remember when these hands were made of flesh and bone. They wielded sword and pistol with wild abandon and led the charge on many a raid. Now I''m just an echo, a memory of what I once was, trapped forever aboard the vessel I once called home." He looked over at his tankard and slapped it off the table, but its contents disappeared before it hit the ground and shattered into digitization. "I can''t even get rightly drunk anymore! What am I if not a ghost?"


    Carter thought for a moment before standing and answering. "You are the great Sybil, the most feared and well-known ghost ship ever to sail the stars. You''ve been a pirate, a savior, and a legend, and you''re just now coming out of retirement to remind the galaxy why entire fleets of ships once cowered at your presence! Now, you can sit alone here in the dark, or you can come with me, and we can figure out how to capture, board, and take a pirate ship for our very own!"


    After a moment where Carter started to wonder if the pirate really would decide to sit here "drinking" by himself, the larger man laughed, and the green flames around the outside of the room roared to life, chasing away the eerie gloom of the room. "Now yer speaking my language, lad! You know how to stir the fire in this old pirate''s heart! Lead on, Captain, and your loyal privateer shall follow!"


    Then, after a moment''s hesitation, he added, "Oh, and call me John, by the way. Or Long John, if you prefer! If I must take a name for myself, it might as well be a name worth remembering!"


    That made Carter stop and wonder. John? A name worth remembering? It seemed so...average. However, something about it tugged at his mind as if there was something familiar about it, though he couldn''t quite remember from where...


    -


    Vanessa watched as Erik laughed and joked with some of the humans he''d gotten to know in their time on the ship. He''d just blown them all away in a short-distance race, but when they were ready to go again, he waved them off, saying he still needed to catch his breath. On the one hand, she was glad he seemed to be enjoying himself so much, but on the other, she just couldn''t bring herself to be entirely comfortable around humans like he could. Unlike her sire''s experiences, Vanessa had largely found her interactions with humans somewhat... disappointing.


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    Still, she wouldn''t let her distrust sour her companion''s enjoyment. It was a simple matter of keeping some of her many eyes on the humans and watching for any underhanded mischief. There had been no such incidents recently, but she wouldn''t so easily forget some of their earlier "misunderstandings."


    With her many eyes, Vanessa could easily see the human Alen as he approached. However, rather than bypassing her to speak with Erik, he paused next to her and nodded in her direction, indicating a desire to address her before doing just that. "So, how''re you holding up?"


    On the surface, the question seemed to focus on her structural integrity, but of course, it wouldn''t be so simple as to indicate she was fit and adequately nourished. The human was asking for a less easily quantified assessment of her general well-being. It was an odd human custom of asking one question when meaning another, but she was used to that much. Thankfully, his inquiry could be succinctly answered with another not easily quantifiable answer. "I am well." Of course, now there was an expectation for a reciprocation of concern for a non-quantifiable status update. "How are you, Alen?"


    The human, Alen, bobbed his head in return. "Well enough, I suppose." Then he nodded more directly toward Erik. "He can make friends with just about anyone anywhere, can''t he?"


    Vanessa wasn''t sure where Alen was going with this line of reasoning, but she was certain it wasn''t Erik''s affable nature he was actually concerned with. The humans referred to this as "beating around the bush." It was in reference to their days as hunter-gatherers when they would beat the ground around shrubbery to chase out small animals that reside within, and indicated they were metaphorically circling their actual query rather than simply addressing their concern. Humans tended to become flustered when confronted with that fact, but Alen hadn''t given Vanessa any reason not to humor him as of yet, so she would comply with his verbal game for now. "Indeed. Erik has what you might call a friendly disposition."


    The human bobbed his head again before turning to look directly at Vanessa with both optical receptors, indicating that he was focusing more of his attention on her. This meant he was about to bring up his real reason for addressing her. "So, about this plan to just take over a pirate ship like it''s nothing. Do you think this is a good idea?"


    Vanessa stopped and considered his question. As usual, the single inquiry actually hid a plethora of questions. Thankfully, Vanessa was in no rush and could easily consider the implications while keeping a few eyes on her self-imposed charge. "There are certainly risks, and we are all too likely to experience at least some loss of crew unless the Captain of this vessel has more assets than he''d indicated thus far, which does seem at least somewhat likely. However, I believe it will prove adequate for us to achieve independence from this vessel, which has so many of your people on edge."


    This conversation was already the longest she''d ever had with this particular human, or most humans for that matter. Usually, a human would indicate annoyance or impatience by now, but Alen only seemed thoughtful and then shook his head. "I suppose you''re right. However, I''d like to do what we can to prevent losses. After sleeping on it, I''ve got some ideas, and the Captain said I was supposed to contact him if there was anything we needed, but he also said no one was supposed to leave this deck without his permission..."


    That was undoubtedly quite a quandary. It seemed contradictory even by human standards. However, perhaps that simply meant a human''s leap in logic was required. "The statement about us not being allowed to leave this deck was a general one applied to us as a whole, but the order for you to act as an intermediary was to you specifically. Perhaps that would indicate it overrides the general statement?"


    The human experienced facial vascular activity that humans often referred to as having their "blood drain from their face," he seemed to start and stop talking repeatedly before expressing his thoughts on her interpretation. "Yeah...er...maybe... but that''s not exactly a theory I want to test the hard way..."


    His hesitancy was understandable, given the finality of the implied threat the Captain had made. However, he still seemed to want Vanessa''s input on the matter. "Then I suppose you must consider which is the greater danger, the risk of you attempting to reach the Captain to speak of your ideas or the risk of not expressing those ideas."


    Now, Alen seemed to be "lost in thought," as the humans say, looking at some distant figure visible only to him as he answered in a rather hopeless tone of voice. "Yeah... I suppose you''re right..."


    Of course, that was when Erik decided to wander over and join in their conversation. He did it in a manner that seemed to indicate random happenstance, but Vanessa was aware it was likely Alen''s visible distress that drew him over. He had his lips turned upward to indicate affability as he spoke. "What''cha talking about over here? And why does the kid look like he''s seen a ghost?"


    Alen relayed his plan to go and try to speak with the Captain and his concerns. Try as he might. Of course, this kind of trouble was just the kind of thing that would appeal to her companion, and sure enough, he seemed to get excited as the "kid" described his concerns. Vanessa was aware of the danger his interest presented but was well aware that once something like this held Erik''s attention, she was unlikely to dissuade him short of an appeal to her companion''s loyalty to her, but using that to make him act against his nature was not something she did lightly, so it was inevitable that Erik would say what came next. "Sounds like fun to me! What say we come with?"

 Chapter 23

    As he approached the lift doors, Alen felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Or, perhaps better put, between a ghost ship and an Erik. If the large alien felt any trepidation about approaching the "forbidden decks," he sure didn''t show it. "Do you guys think we''ll see any actual ghosts? Ooh, or maybe monsters? Or maybe it''ll turn out our ''Captain" is really a madman, and this whole ship is his twisted idea of a fun house designed to slowly drive all its inhabitants to madness? That might be fun!"


    Alen didn''t know why, but for some reason, having Erik double down on all the horrible things that might happen actually seemed to lessen his fear, even if they were disturbingly possible. Even Vanessa seemed to jump in. "I find myself doubting this ship could have any monsters scarier than you or I, let alone both of us together. However, although I have seen no evidence of the phenomena, I suppose that does not preclude the possibility of the ghosts you mentioned. Though could anything without substance offer any more in the way of a threat than a mild startlement?"


    At that, Alen felt the need to interject. "You know, in most mythologies I''m familiar with, belittling ghosts is usually seen as a bad idea... Let''s just say I''m scared enough for the three of us and call it good..."


    Erik slapped Alen on the back, propelling him forward a few steps. "Ah, don''t let your fear get the better of you! That''s how they get ya! Sometimes you just gotta laugh in the face of danger and put it in its place!"


    Alen looked back at the large alien with minor annoyance. "Easy for you to say, with your bone-like plate mail and muscles that dwarf your average bodybuilder!"


    Vanessa tilted her head. "Among my people, it is usually not the builders of bodies that are overly muscled but rather the larger guardian constructs. They have more need of strength when overpowering their adversaries."


    Alen had no idea how to respond to that. "I didn''t... I mean, they don''t... I don''t..."


    Erik laughed. "See, you have to tell jokes more often! Alen was so surprised; it broke him!" He then leaned over to Alen, holding up one hand as if speaking to him conspiratorially, despite the face Alen was confident Vanessa could still overhear. "At least I think she''s joking when she says things like that. She can be hard to get a read on!"


    Alen had to agree. Even now, he had no idea if she was sincere or if that had been a joke. For her part, Vanessa didn''t seem interested in offering any clarity on the matter.


    Once they reached the lift, Alen looked it up and down a moment before toggling the button to activate it. It hummed to life and only took a moment to reach their position. The doors opened, and for half a moment, he expected something to jump out at them, but when nothing did, he spoke into the empty lift. "Uh, hello? Captain Carter said that if we needed anything, I was supposed to be the go-between us and you all, so I''m just heading up to speak with him, is all... I''m not looking to cause any trouble or anything..."


    He waited a moment before Erik laughed again. "I don''t think the empty metal tube will answer you any time soon! Only one thing for us to do!"


    Alen could think of a few things, including going back and thinking this through a bit more or even just waiting for Carter to put in an appearance again, though who knew how long that would take? Perhaps they''d already be in a fight long before he got a chance to speak to the Captain, and by then, it would be too late to make any requests...


    With no other options presenting themselves and unwilling to simply give up with Erik and Vanessa right there to see, Alen swallowed his fear and stepped into the lift. Behind him, the two oversized aliens also entered. However, while Alen had been afraid Vanessa would crowd them in the smaller lift area, she pulled her eight legs in tight around herself in a way that made her look like some kind of odd alien statue.


    A moment of slight vertigo later, they arrived on the bridge deck. Alen had been hoping for a straight shot to the bridge, as any sane ship would be designed, but of course, there was no such luck here. The corridor seemed to stretch both right and left forever into a gloomy shroud that made it appear as if this section of the ship hadn''t been traversed in quite some time.


    Alen was just steeling himself to step out when Erik beat him to it, followed closely by Vanessa. The larger alien looked around and grinned. "Well, this isn''t too bad! It makes me wish I could see in the dark as well as you humans, though. You''ll have to keep me from bumping my shins on something in this gloom!"


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    Alen was finally stirred to motion when the door started closing on him. He slapped the door, which thankfully opened back up rather than trying to close on his fingers like he had just started to imagine, and he too stepped out. Both Erik and Vanessa looked at him expectantly. "So where to boss?"


    Alen looked at the big guy with mild confusion. "Boss?"


    Erik nodded. "Yeah, the way I see it, you were put in charge, right? Or would you rather I still call you kid?"


    Alen blinked a few times. "Well, I''m not a huge fan of kid, but ''boss'' just sounds weird. Alen would be fine."


    Erik laughed. "Aright, Alen it is...boss!"


    Realizing he might as well give up while he was only this far behind, Alen sighed and nodded off into the gloom. "Well, straight ahead, I guess."


    -


    Alen wasn''t sure just how long they''d been walking. It felt like it had been close to an hour, but there was no way this ship was that long. He''d seen it from the outside, so it must just be his mind playing tricks on him. It was just about then that they reached a dead end. Alen looked at the wall, which was blocking their progress, with annoyance. There had been a few rooms they''d passed by, but there hadn''t been any hallways or turn-offs he was aware of. After a moment, he turned around and looked at his two companions. "Maybe I just got turned around, and now we''re at the back of the ship? I guess we should head back the way we came..."


    Erik grinned and nodded, though the expression looked all the creepier in the gloom. "That makes sense! Lead the way, boss. We''re right behind you!"


    Alen was a little thankful that Erik''s low light vision probably meant the alien probably couldn''t see when he rolled his eyes. The last thing he needed was to encourage the oversized man right now.


    With no other option presenting itself, Alen turned and started walking back toward where they''d come from, but they didn''t get far before coming across a large crosspath that stumped Alen. He looked down both split-off paths with a frown while Erik echoed his thoughts. "Now, I might not see all that well in the dark, but I''m pretty sure this wasn''t here a few minutes ago!"


    Vanessa seemed to agree. "I have no such hindrance, and I can confirm this was not here when we came through originally."


    Erik looked back and forth before offering his thoughts. "Well, we could all take a path..."


    Both Vanessa and Alen spoke up loudly at the same time. "No!"


    Erik had probably just been baiting them, but Alen didn''t want to take the risk. Instead, he cleared his throat and spoke a little more calmly. "That''s probably not a good idea. Even if one of us found the right path, there''d be no way to get word back to the other two, and we could end up just getting lost even worse. I think we should go all the way back down this single path first before considering any split-off sections. If that doesn''t lead us anywhere, maybe we should go back down to our deck and plan this out a bit before we start exploring any hidden passages."


    Erik laughed. "Well, that might not be as fun, but it does sound smart. Alright, lead on, oh bossman. We got your back!"


    Alen somehow felt like "bossman" was a step-down. Maybe Erik had seen him roll his eyes after all... With a shake of his head, Alen decided to keep moving.


    -


    This time, Alen was confident they''d traveled for longer than the first time, and yet they hadn''t passed by the lift again. What was worse, the hallway seemed to be covered in old dried fluids that might have been oil and grease, but he suspected it was at least supposed to be something more organic in origin, and they were walking around all sorts of clutter that hadn''t been here before, as if this portion of the hall had been abandoned in a hurry. At this point, the fear should be settling in, but Erik just kept needling him, and it was starting to get on his nerves. "Hey, boss. I think we passed the lift a while ago! Well, not the lift, but rather where it should have been. I think we''re lost! How''d we get lost going in a straight line anyway? This is the lamest ghost ship I''ve ever been on!"


    Finally, Alen turned around and snapped at him. "Yes, we''re lost. I''ve noticed thank you! Now, do you have anything helpful to contribute, or do you just want to narrate this whole walk? And just how many ghost ships have you been on anyway?"


    For a moment, Alen feared he might have pushed his luck, but Erik only grinned. "Heh, it worked!" Then he turned to Vanessa. "See? What did I tell ya?"


    Alen looked back and forth. "What worked? What are you talking about?"


    Vanessa seemed to sigh despite not breathing with lungs as Alen understood them. "Erik has long held a theory that annoyance is the opposite of fear. I believe he''s been doing his best to pester you in order to keep you from getting too nervous."


    Alen just stopped and looked back and forth between the two before settling with Vanessa. "You''re kidding...right?" Then, turning to Erik, "She''s kidding. That''s not what you''re doing, is it?"


    Erik only grinned. Alen pinched the bridge of his nose as if to fight off a headache. "I don''t know if I should thank you or curse you... Although, as much as I hate to admit it, it seems to work. But can we please find a less...obnoxious way of keeping me calm? I don''t know if my blood pressure can handle this method of help much longer..."


    Suddenly, the hallway was lit by an eerie green glow as a nearby room opened up. As Erik turned to look, Alen could swear that if he were just a little more cat-like, his ears would be perked forward, and the large alien''s grin widened. "Oh, now that looks interesting. We don''t have to go in, but can we at least check it out, boss?"


    Alen rolled his eyes. "Why not? It''s not like we have any idea where we are anymore, despite only walking in a straight line!"


    As the trio approached the door, Alen wondered what fun new surprise the ship had in store for them next...

 Chapter 24

    As Alen peered into the room, he beheld what looked like a collection of some kind, with trophies spread throughout, all lit by some ghostly green light that seemed to emanate from thin air. Some were easily recognizable as large animals, bordering on what he would call "monsters." Others were less easily understandable, objects that looked like chunks of metal with no discernable meaning to the casual observer. However, they obviously held some import to whoever put them on display.


    A booming voice spoke out to them from the back of the room, the source of which was hidden behind the various displays populating the room. "Come in! Come in! Let us speak and get to know each other!"


    Alen looked at Erik, who shrugged. There was no help there. He then hesitated, wondering if they took the stranger up on their offer, they''d somehow get even more lost than they were now.


    As if to answer his unspoken thoughts, the voice spoke again. "Oh, relax. I won''t make the hallway disappear on ya. That''s not my style."


    With little to lose at this point, Alen decided to step inside, followed closely by Erik and Vanessa. "Okay, but hallways have been appearing and disappearing. If that''s not your doing, then whose is it?"


    As he rounded a corner, Alen got the first sight of their host. He was clad head to toe in surprisingly colorful sailing regalia that looked like it would be more at home on an old wooden sailing vessel than a ship flying between stars. Somehow, he smiled as he spoke, his laughter audible in every word. "That would be the doings of the fair lady! She has a habit of playing with her prey before she finally strikes."


    Wondering who this fair lady was, Alen nodded before addressing a more immediate concern. "So that begs the question, what''s your style?"


    The sailor threw back his head and laughed. "You don''t beat around the bush, none do ya!" Then, fixing the kid in a more direct glare, the sailor smiled viciously. "If I had quarrel with you, lad, I''d face you front and proper. You''d have a pistol in your hand and a chance to survive by the power of your will and skill. Not that the odds would be in your favor, mind you, but a chance is a chance, slim though it might be."


    A bark of laughter from behind Alen made him jump slightly before realizing it was Erik, who evidently felt like adding his own two cents. "The boy might surprise you there! He''s got more fight in him than his appearance would suggest! Give me a bit, and I''ll make a right scrapper of him yet!"


    The pirate tilted his head, shifting his attention to Erik and then to Alen. "Oh, is that so? Perhaps I should give you a chance to prove your mettle?"


    Alen fought the urge to roll his eyes...again. "Perhaps another time. For now, we need to speak with Captain Carter. Is he available?"''


    The sailor laughed again. "Yer lost on a ghost ship and come face to face with an honest-to-good ghost pirate, and yer still worried about speaking to the captain? Yer a man of singular focus, ain''t ya?"


    That was when Erik chose to speak up again. "Did you call yourself a pirate just now?"


    The pirate turned to the large alien. "Aye, that I did. I''ve been sailing and looting these stars since before your grandparents took their first breath!" Then, after a slight pause, he added, "Presuming you have grandparents, of course."


    Erik took a step forward, towering over the already large pirate. The alien sounded thoughtful. "Hmmm... You have no scent..." He swiped a hand through the pirate. Alen reached out to stop him, far too late to do anything about it, even if he had the power to restrain the alien, but the hand passed through the air harmlessly. "And no body. You might just be a ghost... So that begs the question, how do I kill something that''s already dead?"


    The pirate suddenly had a dangerous glint in the eye, accompanied by an equally dangerous grin. "Oh? Got a quarrel with pirates, do ya?"


    Erik smiled back, somehow showing even more teeth than usual. "You could say that. I kill every pirate I meet."


    The pirate didn''t seem the least bit intimidated as he took a step forward, bringing himself closer to the large alien. "Killed many pirates then?"


    Erik also took a step forward, now looking down at the pirate he towered over. "Hundreds. The only good pirate is a dead pirate."


    Alen didn''t like where this was headed. "Listen, we''re not here to..." But he was suddenly cut off when the pirate and Erik started laughing simultaneously, leaving Alen looking back and forth, trying to figure out what had happened.


    Finally, while Erik was still catching his breath, the pirate spoke up again. "Well then, as I''ve long left behind my mortal coil, we ought to get along just fine! You''ll have to tell me a tale or two of all the pirates you''ve killed sometime, assuming you live long enough."


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    Erik''s answering grin was a little less edgy than it was a moment ago. "Only if you bribe me in drink and food! Can''t tell a good story on an empty stomach!"


    As the two friendly enemies seemed to conclude their bonding, Alen shook his head to get back on track. "Yes, food and tales sounds fun, but first, how do we contact Captain Carter?"


    The pirate looked contemplative for a moment. "Well, if you want to speak with the captain, just head to the bridge, of course!"


    As if finding the bridge was so easy... Alen did his best to keep his impatience in check. "And how do we find the bridge?"


    The pirate pointed right back the way they''d come, toward the dead end they first encountered. "Why, just down yonder! You just have to learn not to take no for an answer, and you''ll find what you seek."


    Alen wasn''t sure what that meant or how he should react. Maybe he was just supposed to take one of the side paths near the end? The side paths that hadn''t existed the first time he''d walked that way... Still, at least they had a direction they were sure of now.


    Alen offered his hand before realizing how pointless it was. He lowered his hand to his side before responding. "Uh, yes, thank you. We''ll give it another go, I suppose."


    As he started walking out of the room, Alen had a sudden thought and turned around to ask another question, only to realize the room he''d just walked out of was now an empty storage room. In confusion, he turned and looked at Erik, who also seemed confused as he shrugged. "Huh, guess that guy knows how to make an exit!"


    Looking between the two befuddled men, Vanessa seemed to grow impatient. "Well, if you two are done speaking with apparently non-existent ghost pirates, can we get moving? I''m growing weary of all this pointless back and forth and would rather be done as soon as possible."


    On that, at least, Alen agreed with the Vitexr¨¡.


    -


    As they made their way back to the bridge, again apparently, the hallway became cluttered by more and more debris, making the path all the more obnoxious as they had to weave back and forth to avoid obstacles rather than simply walk in a straight line. In one such corridor with the dead end in sight, as he was squeezing to one side to fit through a narrow path, Alen lost his balance and fell forward, bracing himself for impact on the pile of junk he''d been trying to avoid, only to fall through it rather than onto it, hitting the hard metal floor with a much harder impact than he''d been anticipating.


    As he groaned and rolled to the side, Alen realized he was rolling out of what was essentially a projection of some sort. Of course, Erik laughed as he helped the much smaller man to his feet. "Only humans can trip over their own two feet like that!"


    Only feeling like his arm was somewhat being pulled out of its socket by the larger man, Alen groaned and shook his head. "And only you can make it seem like you''re being friendly while laughing at someone in pain."


    Vanessa seemed to be regarding the debris and carefully swiped through some, only for her claw to pass unscathed. "Curious. I suppose that explains how this waste material seems to come and go. It would also explain the appearance and disappearance of side passages. However, this illusion seems to span wavelengths of light far beyond human perception, meaning they possibly anticipated someone with my enhanced visual receptors."


    Alen shook his head. "It doesn''t matter. I''m just tired of these games!" With that, he kicked a pile of crates. His foot passed without resistance through the first crate, only for it to come to a sudden halt on the second, apparently very real, metal crate with a solid "thud." While the metal foot itself didn''t have any feeling, pain still shot up through the stump it was attached to, leaving Alen hopping and cursing as Erik laughed some more.


    A familiar voice then spoke to them, seemingly out of thin air. "If I''d known you''d be so unappreciative of my hard work, I would have just lopped your foot off and called it a day."


    Alen bit back his initial retort, realizing this was probably the "fair lady" the pirate had mentioned while implying that they were her prey. However, the voice was also one he recognized, and he decided that rather than take out his frustration on her, it might be best to appeal to her better nature. "Oh, Lady Sybil, I didn''t realize you were watching. I apologize for letting my temper get the best of me. I meant no disrespect."


    Sure enough, a moment later, the woman in red materialized in front of Alen. However, with a deep frown and crossed arms this time, she looked decidedly less patient than the last time they''d met, which was truly saying something. "Watch yourself, boy. Respect is one thing, but empty flowery words will not earn you any favors."


    Alen stopped and considered her words. Had he really offended her, or was she just looking for excuses to take out her wrath on him? He felt like he was being tested. There were many wrong answers, and the consequences could be dire. Without any clue as to what the correct answer might be, Alen decided to take her words at face value. "That''s fair. Then let me be more direct."


    Looking up, Alen met the lady''s gaze. It wasn''t incorrect to say holding her gaze was one of the more challenging things he''d done in recent memory, including learning to walk again. "Lady Sybil, we need to see Captain Carter, and all these needless delays could cost us more than just time and patience. It could cost lives. I request that you allow us to pass and speak with him. After that, you can decide if we deserve further torment."


    Alen fought to keep her gaze as the lady in red seemed to consider his words. Eventually, she relented. "Your words are still a little flowery, but I suppose the intent is there. Very well."


    As she waved her hands, the dead end ahead of them opened up as a large metal partition rose into the ceiling. Like the metal crate, it wasn''t all just smoke and mirrors. Turning back to the lady in red, Alen bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Thank you."


    Alen turned to walk forward toward the entrance to the bridge when the lady in red spoke once more. "However, if it turns out you''re wasting our time, you might never find your way back to your crew. You''ve been warned, little cockroach."


    Of course, when Alen turned to respond, the woman in red was already gone.


    Erik''s lopsided grin wasn''t quite as wide as usual as he responded. "Well, she seems nice."

 Chapter 25

    Carter was taking stock of his ship and its capabilities. However, he was still having a hard time thinking of the ship as his own in any way. He might be captain and even have a significant say in what it gets up to, but the sheer age and weight of the ship seemed so far outside of what any human could truly command that he felt like a very small man with a giant bear on a leash. Sure, it might do what he says most of the time, but if it decided it didn''t want to listen, or worse, that it was better off without him, there wasn''t much he could do to control it.


    Still, it was probably a good idea to see what it could do if he was going to be leading it into battle. Not to mention, he never knew what bit of information might just save his life one day. So, it was as he was doing an inventory of weapons systems that he was interrupted by the girl. "Sir, you might want to disconnect from the ship. You''ve got company. "


    That confused Carter. "Company? Who the hell is at the bridge? And how the hell did they get here?"


    The girl adjusted her glasses with a mild look of annoyance. "It''s Alen, Erik, and Vanessa. You apparently told Alen that he was supposed to act as the representative for his people, and he''s here to represent them by speaking with you. If you didn''t want him to visit, maybe you should have given him some way to communicate with you first."


    Carter had to think back a moment. "Oh yeah, I guess I did say something like that, didn''t I? I totally forgot about that... Alright, I suppose the least I could do is hear what he has to say."


    With a quick mental adjustment, Carter disconnected from the ship. By now, he expected the mild feeling of vertigo that came with returning his consciousness to his body, but that didn''t make it any easier to process, forcing him to briefly grip the chair. Thankfully, he was fully in control of his senses by the time the door opened, and Carter stood to meet his guests.


    As they walked onto the bridge, they all took a moment to look around, giving Carter a chance to give them a brief once-over. The kid, Alen, looked mildly shell-shocked. The Sybils probably had gone and had a little fun at his expense then. Though it couldn''t be too bad judging from Erik''s characteristic grin. As expected, the weaver was utterly unreadable, though if Carter had to take a guess, he''d say she seemed mildly bored.


    Carter nodded to his guests. "Quite the trip up to the bridge. I''m kinda surprised you made it all in one piece. What can I do for ya?"


    As the kid seemed distracted, the weaver, Vanessa, Carter reminded himself, answered, "Erik and I are mainly just escorts. Alen wished to have a word with you."


    That drew Alen''s attention back to Carter, though the kid''s eyes still seemed mildly unfocused. "You''re all alone on the bridge? Shouldn''t you have more...crew members around?"


    Carter chuckled while trying to think of a way to explain things without seeming too vulnerable. "Oh, I''m not as alone as it might seem. In fact, judging by your expression, you met a couple of members of the crew. Did they do that thing where they open an airlock outside and start to suck you out of the ship, only to shut the door at the last moment so you slam into it?"


    The kid blinked a few times, then shook his head. "Uh, no. They just kind of ran us around in circles for a while and made the hallway kinda creepy looking here and there."


    Carter laughed. "Sybil must like you then! That''s a better treatment than I got my first day aboard. Hell, I had to threaten to piss all over their wall just to get them to unlock the bathroom for me!"


    Alen looked like he was struggling to process that information. "So, what, this really is a ghost ship? It''s run entirely by AI?"


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    Carter shook his head. "Not exactly, and despite what you might think, don''t let them hear you calling them AI. They''re something different and far older. It''s not entirely wrong to think of them as ghosts."


    Vanessa seemed interested in that. "The apparitions are not AI? How old are they, exactly? How did they come into existence?"


    Carter held up a hand to stop her there. "Woh now, that''s not my story to tell. If you want to know more about them, maybe speak to them a bit. Though I have to warn you, there''s a certain amount of risk in getting to know them. They''re not always the most...stable people in the galaxy."


    Suddenly, one of the consoles started blaring a warning. Carter walked over to it and sighed. "Alright, maybe that wasn''t the best way to put it. I''m sorry. Now, can you please stop the process of spacing my pod? I''ve still got some personal effects there I''d rather not lose."


    Suddenly, the alarms shut off, and Carter turned back to his guests with a sheepish smile. "Case in point. Try to stay on their good side, or you might find yourself in more trouble than you''re ready for."


    Then, turning to Alen, Carter addressed the kid directly. "But you probably came up here for a reason. What can I do for you?"


    That finally seemed to snap the kid out of whatever haze he was in, and Alen nodded before speaking. "Uh, right. I just wanted to talk to you about how we would go about raiding pirate ships. You mentioned just giving us a ship and letting us fly back to controlled space, which is certainly generous, but chances are a number of us will die taking that ship. However, if you''re willing to properly gear us up, we should be able to take the ship with few, if any, casualties. It''ll also benefit you in that you''ll need to expend considerably fewer resources taking a ship you won''t be able to cannibalize afterward."


    That argument certainly made sense, but it also begged some questions. Carter looked at the kid appraisingly. "And just what kind of gear are we talking about here?"


    The kid seemed to hesitate, meaning it was probably not some minor request. "Well, guns, of course, but also, if possible, some battle suits would make a huge difference."


    Carter laughed. "Well, kid, you sure know how to shoot for the stars! That''s not exactly a small ask, is it?"


    Alen shook his head. "No, but think of all the ammunition you''d have to expend and the damage you''d have to repair. By sending us in properly geared, you could save a lot of resources and some lives in the process."


    Carter thought about it a moment, then called out. "Hey, Sybil. What do we have to spare that we could give these guys?"


    The girl appeared next to Carter with a clipboard in her digital hands. "Well, we don''t have any battle suits or guns that they could wield, but it wouldn''t be impossible to fabricate some. However, it would take considerable resources to do it. I''m not sure we have any to spare."


    Alen cut in. "What if we gave you all our escape pods to use for material? You could even keep any extra."


    The girl paused for a moment. "Yes... I suppose that is viable. However, as you have not brought this idea up with any of your crew, you may want to speak with them before committing their assets to such a plan."


    Carter had to keep from chuckling. That was more than just a helpful piece of advice. It was also a warning that Sybil was listening and would know if they planned to cause any trouble. The girl might not be as flashy about it as the vixen, but she could be every bit as diabolical and dangerous in her own way.


    Judging by his expression, the kid seemed to get the message. Both of them. "Uh, yes, of course."


    Carter nodded. "Sounds good! Oh, and Sybil, if we could get some two-way communication going, that''ll save them a trip up here again."


    The girl nodded. "Very well. That should be easy enough to set up."


    Carter knew very well that if she was already spying on them, it meant the system was already set up, and it would be simple enough to grant them limited access to contact Carter whenever it was needed. However, sometimes it paid to pretend. Instead, he turned to Alen and nodded. "Is there Anything else we can do for you at the moment?"


    Alen shook his head. "No, that was everything I wanted to discuss."


    Cater nodded. "Alright, then, I guess you''re dismissed. Hopefully, your trip back is less...eventful."


    The kid nodded. "Yes...uh...thank you!"


    With that, the three of them turned and left the bridge. Just as the door was closing, Carter caught sight of Erik slapping the kid''s back. "Ya did good, kid!"


    After the door closed, Carter turned to the girl. "And you made them wander up here to look for me rather than just telling me they wanted to speak to me because..?"


    The girl smiled innocently. "Well, I wanted to get to know our guests better. This group in particular seems...interesting."


    Carter didn''t know if Sybil''s interest boded well for those three. He was just glad he wasn''t the prime target for her amusement, for now.

 Chapter 26

    As Carter walked down the hall, carrying a tray, he decided to take stock of their situation. "So, how long before the battle suits and guns are ready for use?"


    The girl made a show of looking over her figures while she walked, even though Carter knew she already had the answer. "The guns will be ready in a day or two. The suits will take longer, maybe a week, give or take a couple of days, depending on potential complications."


    Carter shook his head. "I''m surprised it''ll be that quick. How do you even know how to fabricate a battle suit? That''s not exactly something people just throw together on the fly."


    The girl shrugged. "I''ve taken apart more than a few over the years to use their components. It was a simple matter to store some schematics. Honestly, they would be ready more quickly, but my selves have a few ideas on possible modifications we wanted to try out."


    Carter shook his head. "Your selves... I still can''t wholly wrap my head around the fact that you three are somehow both the same person and different people. It just doesn''t make sense."


    The girl shrugged. "Well, I don''t exist this way for your sake, so you''ll just have to accept me as we are."


    Carter chuckled. "Oh, I do. It''s just sort of a little brain teaser to contemplate from time to time. For instance, do you feel anger when the vixen and I argue?"


    The girl seemed to stop and think for a moment. "I remember the anger as though I felt it, but this form does not actively feel it. It''s more like remembering a long past anger, even if it is actively being experienced by my other self."


    Carter shook his head. "Yeah, see? That doesn''t make any sense to me. How can you both feel something and not feel it at the same time? I mean, I guess it doesn''t matter. It is what it is. It''s just hard to wrap my head around, is all."


    They walked silently before Carter turned to the girl again. "So, have you put any thought into a name yet? Or, for that matter, has the vixen? Obviously, you know John has."


    The girl seemed contemplative for a moment. "I have... It''s a weird idea to name myselves as if we are different people...but at the same time, there''s a sort of satisfaction to it. It kind of reaffirms the memory of who we were...in a way."


    Carter nodded. "Well, no rush, so long as me referring to you as ''the girl'' doesn''t earn me your wrath!"


    The girl chuckled. "No, I won''t smite you for it any time soon. Even ''the vixen'' has decided to give you a pass on it...mostly."


    Carter raised an eyebrow. "Mostly?"


    The girl''s smile was quite self-satisfied. "Mostly."


    As he approached the door he''d been heading to, Carter decided to leave that particular headache''s investigation to another time. "Well, so long as you''re thinking about it. Anyway, it''s time to see what I can learn from our guest."


    The girl gave him an appraising look. "Are you sure you''re up for this? You don''t strike me as the type to get your hands dirty this way."


    As he shook his head, Carter''s smile had a definite edge. "Oh, I might not do anything like this under normal circumstances, but that doesn''t mean I''m incapable, given the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let''s just say this isn''t my first rodeo...or my second."


    The girl shrugged. "Alright. Do as you will. Just remember, you can''t really trust anything you learn this way."


    Carter smiled sadly. "Oh, I know, but it gives you a good place to know where to start looking. Now, if you don''t mind, I kinda gotta do this myself. I think someone else has already played the bad cop long enough."


    With a curt nod of acknowledgment, the girl disappeared, leaving Carter alone in front of the door. He took a moment to set his face straight, opened the door, and walked in. At first, the room had been pitch black, so it took him half a moment to adjust when the lights came on. However, any discomfort he might have experienced paled compared to the room''s occupant, who had been stuck in this darkness for the last several hours. Right now, she was curled up in a corner, covering her eyes in a vain attempt to block out the light.


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    The pirate captain who''d led an assault on the Sybil no longer looked like a captain. Her clothes were in tatters, and she looked more than a little worse for wear, as though she hadn''t been sleeping or eating well. To be fair, sleep might have been difficult with that chain binding her hand to the wall, though at least it was long enough to give her some range of movement. She didn''t so much as acknowledge the presence of another person in the room. Was she already somewhat catatonic? Or was this just some ploy?


    Deciding he wouldn''t learn anything just by looking at her, Carter set down the tray with a single container. He then made a show of lifting the lid, revealing some of the mint paste. Next to it, he put a spoon and a canteen of water. Then, with his foot, he nudged the tray toward the woman sitting on the floor. "I understand you''ve been eating nothing but the unflavored, unprocessed stuff. I figured this might be a nice change of pace for ya."


    The ex-captain looked at the tray with annoyance before finally speaking. "Do you think I''m stupid enough to fall for that trick again? You just want me to get my hopes up just to laugh when it''s nothing but another illusion."


    Carter considered trying to convince her or even telling her to sniff the food, but then he decided to take a more pragmatic approach. He reached down, grabbed the canteen, and, with a flick of the wrist, splashed the woman with a healthy dose of water before setting the canteen back on the tray.


    The woman''s look of indignation rapidly changed to one of realization. She reached for the tray and started gobbling down the contents, not even bothering with the spoon as she scooped up handfuls of the paste. Carter watched for a moment before speaking again. "You know, I could make sure you get the more edible stuff more often. There''s even a few other flavors, though I''ll admit the mint is the best."


    The ex-pirate paused, hand half raised to her mouth, her suspicion evident in her expression. "Yeah? And what do I have to do to get the ''good stuff.'' Since I got here, none of you made a single demand or even asked any questions. You''ve just been screwing with me, making every day a living nightmare."


    Carter shrugged. "Yeah, that Red can be a real piece of work, can''t she? The two of us don''t exactly see eye to eye on a lot, but neither of us particularly approves of people boarding our ship intending to take it over. I think she just wanted to take out her frustration and boredom on you, and I was inclined to let it happen, as I wanted you to know there are consequences to screwing with us."


    Carter then took a seat on the bench that was just a little too far away for the woman to reach with her manacled hand. "However, I could see to it you get a little more peace and quiet and better food if you''re willing to give me some information."


    The pirate sat up a little straighter. "Yea? Well, I''m not sure what the hell I can tell ya. You already spaced my entire crew, took my ship, and have me in a cell. There''s not a lot else I know about out there. If I did, I wouldn''t have tried to board what was clearly a floating death trap."


    Carter nodded. "Yeah, I get that. Lucky for you, all I wanna know is the source of your misfortune." As the ex-pirate started to speak, he held up a hand. "Before you landed on my ship, that is. You see, I got in a scrape with three pirate ships not so long ago. I gave them a bloody nose, and they ran, but then they came back, and this time with a half dozen ships and more on the way. See, that''s a little more cooperation and coordination than I''m used to pirates having. Now, if you were part of that group, I doubt you would have bothered trying to raid this old derelict with such a small crew. On the other hand, I''m guessing whatever''s going on might have contributed to you being in such a sorry state. So, I guess I''m asking, what can you tell me about what''s happening out there in the pirate world right now?"


    The ex-pirate paused a moment as if choosing what to say, then apparently decided she wasn''t likely to end up any worse off for opening her mouth now. "There''s some new big shot on the scene, going around telling all the pirates they can either join up or get out. He''s even offering new hardware to anyone who agrees to become his lapdog. Anyone stupid enough to say no ends up like my crew or worse."


    Carter thought for a moment. "This big shot have a name?"


    The ex-pirate shrugged. "Probably, but I don''t know it. Most just call him ''the boss.'' All I know is saying no was just about the dumbest thing I ever did. He wouldn''t even take me in once I changed my mind. Said an example needed to be made. I thought I hit rock bottom, then I found this hell hole!"


    Carter smiled in commiseration and nodded again. "Yeah, that''s a run of bad luck, alright. Well, I''ll tell you what, for now, I''ll see to it that you eat better and maybe get something more comfortable to sleep on. If you think of anything else, well, maybe we can find a way to come to an agreement where you eventually get off this nightmare. I''m not saying you''ll get your ship back or anything like that, but I''m sure there''s a backwater world you can disappear on, where you can get a free drink or two with stories of this old ghost ship."


    The ex-pirate''s glare was something to behold. "I hope you don''t expect me to be grateful or anything."


    Carter shook his head and gave her a lopsided grin. "Nope, wouldn''t dream of it. But so long as you''re willing to work with me, I''ll work with you. Otherwise, I let Red take back over managing your stay here on the ship. I''m sure she''s got plenty of other ideas she''d love to try out, given the chance."


    With that, Carter stood up, opened the door, and left, allowing the door to close again behind him. He figured that given some time, their guest might think of something else useful.


    After the door closed behind him, the girl appeared again. This time, her eyes contained a hint of laughter. "Red?"


    Carter shrugged. "What? She hasn''t picked a name yet, and I needed to call her something."


    The girl''s expression didn''t change. "I''m sure she understands...mostly."


    Carter sighed. "Yeah, that''s about what I expected."

 Chapter 27

    As Elias walked through the corridors of the Cerva Reditus, he couldn''t help but worry that these would be his last moments. He''d failed not once but twice, though at least the second time, he hadn''t lost any ships. However, hearing the echoing sound of his footsteps as he walked through the empty corridors of the massive ship, it was hard to take any solace in the fact. It was almost spooky how he hadn''t seen a single soul walking from the docking bay to the wardroom where he was supposed to meet The Boss. It was like everyone knew he was doomed and didn''t want any of his fate to rub off on them. But then again, he''d never heard of anyone actually meeting The Boss. Whenever he spoke to anyone, it was through so many image and audio filters that no one had any idea what he looked or sounded like, making the pirate wonder if everyone who saw him was just killed on the spot.


    As he approached the large ornate door, Elias took a moment to gather himself, straightening his jacket as a pretext to lightly brush his fingers against his hidden pistol to make sure it was still in place. Of course, The Boss probably had enough security that he''d never get a chance to do anything even if he wanted to, but Elias was in the habit of taking every precaution he could to stack the odds in his favor. It was how he''d gotten so far, and with a lot of luck, it was how he might live to see the light of another day...so to speak.


    That done, he pushed the doors open and walked into a grand room, expecting to see it filled with displays stacked with priceless treasures and antiques. However, the room was mostly empty. A lone but familiar figure was seated next to another set of ornate doors at the end of a long enough empty space that it could be called a hall in its own right. Miss Fortuna, the public face of The Boss, who relayed all of his less direct orders, seemed to be waiting for him. "Ah, Mister Elias, right on time. The captain is waiting." She indicated the doors beside her station.


    Not sure of how to respond but not wanting to be the first to escalate the situation, Elias nodded respectfully, replying, "Thank you." before somewhat awkwardly walking across the long room and proceeding through the doors.


    This room Elias walked into was large, larger than some storage holds he''d seen, and just like the room from before, it was largely empty. The contents seemed to be a rather nice-looking table with two chairs, one situated on either side of the table, as if the room was used only for one-on-one meetings. Behind the table, the only decoration was a floor-to-ceiling window wrapping around the room, spanning three of the four walls and even the ceiling, almost giving the impression he was walking into the vacuum of space. A few light fixtures were hanging from the transparent glass, giving the illusion they were floating in the void and leaving Elias wondering how they were powered.


    The whole room seemed ridiculous. Where were the riches and treasures powerful men typically show off? Why have a vast empty space like this? Then Elias realized that space was at a premium on board any ship as you fought to pack every square inch with essential systems and gear. Displaying nothing was, in and of itself, a display of wealth and power, and not one Elias had ever observed in all his travels.


    It was all so disorienting that, at first, he didn''t notice the old man sitting at the table. However, when the man stood up, Elias''s attention was suddenly focused on the room''s sole occupant. This must be The Boss.


    The man in question was well past his prime. His intricately and immaculately maintained beard and hair had long faded from whatever color they used to be to something now shifting from grey to white. He wore a simple burgundy robe with minimal trim and decoration, completing the minimalistic style of the room. However, when the man grabbed his walking cane as he stood up, Elias noticed the man didn''t put much, if any, weight onto the cane, which seemed like more of an accessory than an essential walking aid.


    The man held out his right hand and addressed Elias as he walked forward, crossing the distance at a surprisingly spritly pace. "Ah, Mister Elias! Good to see you made it here without incident!"


    When Elias took the old man''s hand, he was surprised at the strength of the grip. It felt almost like when someone was trying to crush your hand to show dominance, but the old man didn''t seem to be straining in the usual way people trying to assert dominance seemed to. Instead, he turned to the side and indicated the desk, with his cane hanging on the arm as he did so. "Please, come in and have a seat! We have much to discuss!"


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    Then, as the old man turned his back to return to the desk, Elias felt a sudden urge to pull out his gun and shoot him in the back. There were no guards and no security that could be seen, and it wasn''t likely the old man could get the drop on him from this position, and there was definitely something off about the man. But that would be crossing a point of no return, and the pirate was somehow certain he wouldn''t make it off the ship alive if he did so.


    Instead, he followed his host, taking the seat that looked over the desk and out into the void. The old man walked around the desk and sat facing Elias, smiling as he sat down and addressed his guest. "Quite the ordeal you had out there, from what I heard. The Sybil itself made an appearance, and you went toe to toe with her and lived. Not only that, but you managed to chase her off the second time. Quite the ordeal indeed!"


    That...was not what Elias had been expecting. "Uh, yeah... That ship gave us a lot more trouble than I''d anticipated..."


    The old man leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk as he did so. "That ship has quite the history. Are you familiar with it?"


    Elias wasn''t quite sure what the old man was getting at here. "Uh, kinda, I guess. It''s named after some famous pirate ship from a long time ago, right?"


    The old man smiled. "Not named after, it is a pirate ship from long ago. One that''s been sailing the stars since before your ancestors probably set foot on their first starship. It is ancient in ways you can''t possibly understand."


    That only begged more questions from Elias. "If it''s so old, shouldn''t it just be outdated scrap? That ship had far more fight than some museum piece should have."


    The old man briefly pointed a finger at Elias as if he was a particularly sharp student. "Yes indeed! It should be useless scrap by now! But it''s not! Isn''t that marvelous? Imagine what''s been done to it over the ages to keep it so formidable!"


    Elias sat back, confused. "But who would bother? It''d be cheaper and easier to just build a new ship rather than upgrade the same one over and over! I could see some weird, eccentric person doing it once, but you said this has been ongoing for generations. That doesn''t add up!"


    The old man practically lept from his seat at that. "Now that''s the right question to be asking! Who indeed? What if I told you I suspect the ship itself was doing the upgrades? Since its reappearance, I''ve been thinking about it, and that''s the only idea that adds up!"


    Elias leaned back. This old man was clearly a few deck screws shy of a bridge. "That''s impossible. The only thing that could let a ship automate is AI, but half my crew was alive when the first AI came to be. Hell, a few of the older ones were even veterans of the AI war against humanity. If this ship is even a fraction as old as you claim, it was around long before the first AI existed! Unless you''re implying it''s some sort of ghost ship... Some of my crew might buy into that kind of superstition, but I ain''t seen any evidence of life after death yet!"


    The old man frowned for the first time. "Haven''t."


    That didn''t clear anything up. Elias sat back. "Sorry?"


    The old man sighed. "You haven''t seen any evidence of life after death..."


    Elias was starting to get annoyed by the old man''s eccentricities. "Yeah, sure, whatever. But what''s all this got to do with me?"


    The old man sat back and gave Elias a measuring look before answering. "You have promise, Mister Elias, hence why I gave you command of a small strikeforce of ships. Yet, despite that, the Sybil has outthought and outmaneuvered you not once but twice. Under normal circumstances, I would be inclined to relieve you of command if only to make a point to other captains. However, I believe the Sybil has many secrets that could greatly benefit my growing empire, and I need someone to hunt down the Sybil and capture it. As rumors of the ship''s return spread, so too will the tales of ages past, and I fear most of my captains will approach the ship with too much fear and trepidation to get the job done."


    The captain leaned forward again, staring Elias down this time. "That is where you come in. You have something to prove to me, as well as the other captains in my growing fleet. So I know you won''t run from the Sybil or just try to blow it up. You''ll do your very best to capture it, per my request, won''t you?"


    So, he was being given another chance? This time, Elias leaned forward as well. "Give me the men and the ships, and I''ll bring her in with a neat little bow wrapped around her hull, just for you!"


    The old man leaned back and smiled. "Yes, I thought as much. You shall have your men and your ships. Hunt down the Sybil and bring her to me. If you succeed, you will find myself to be very generous to those who serve me well."


    Elias knew the next question was a mistake but couldn''t resist asking. "And if I fail?"


    The old man gave him a measured look. "Then you''ll most likely be dead."

 Chapter 28

    Captain Alexander was doing his best to keep a calm demeanor for the crew, but despite his outward expression, his mind was racing a mile a minute. The problem was that it was just running in circles.


    Looking over at comms, he decided to ask for an update. "Any response?"


    The comms officer shook his head. "We''re too far out, and there are no core patrols in the vicinity. The soonest we''ll likely see reinforcement is in an hour or two."


    That was a story captains had been repeating more and more often. The core system suddenly seemed plagued by an inability to protect the outer systems. There was a lot of discussion about why that was, but it didn''t matter right now because they wouldn''t last nearly that long. The pirates chasing them down would be in effective target range in minutes, not hours. Even now, they were taking the occasional potshot, but it was easy enough to side-slip the projectiles at this distance, so it was probably just out of boredom. Unfortunately, they didn''t seem so bored as to give up the chase. His options seemed to be twofold. He could try to fight back and probably get everyone killed, or he could surrender and hope they''d be lenient.


    However, the problem with that idea was that the pirates hadn''t issued any demands or made any offer of leniency. They''d just popped out of the fueling depot and started chasing.


    His crew seemed to be looking at Alexander from the corner of their eyes as if hoping he''d think of something to get them out of this mess, but knowing he was probably just as lost as they were. He was just about to issue the order to turn and fight, hoping desperately to make enough of a pest of themselves so as not to be worth the trouble, but then the comms officer spoke up again. "Sir, we''ve got incoming ahead. It''s big, whatever it is."


    Thinking fast, Alexander realized it couldn''t be a core patrol. It was probably more pirates. If that was the case, they were dead, pure and simple. However, there was a slim chance it was something else, and on the off chance it would get him and his crew out of this situation alive, he made his call. "Change heading to intercept the new arrival. As soon as they pop into real space, I want them between us and the pirates chasing us!"


    It was a gamble, but it was the only play he had. It was time to put everything on black and pray.


    As the ship changed course, all eyes were on the countdown for the new arrival. As the seconds ticked down, Alexander felt strangely at peace. There was a certain freedom in knowing that you no longer had a choice, regardless of how potentially horrible the end result might be. At the last moment, the pirate ship peeled off, though the question remained, was it because they were scared, or was it because they''d already won?


    When the ship finally appeared in real space, it was massive, dwarfing Alexander and the pirate''s combined vessels. It looked like a twisted mashup of several vessels combined into some sort of flying nightmare.


    The comm''s officer turned to the captain. "Sir, they''re requesting communications."


    Captain Alexander nodded. "Put them through."


    A moment later, a rugged man who looked like he needed a good bath and a clean shave popped up on Alexander''s screen and immediately started speaking. "Captain Carter of the Sybil calling. We got your distress call and figured we''d come to stick our nose into your business and see if we could be of any help. Mind if we put the smackdown on some pirates for you?"


    The name Sybil seemed familiar, but Captain Alexander wasn''t about to question his benefactor, particularly when that benefactor could probably easily swat his ship aside like a mild inconvenience. "By all means, Captain Carter. Your assistance is most appreciated."


    Captain Carter nodded. "Well then, tuck in behind us and watch us get to work. This shouldn''t take too long!"


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    -


    Carter watched as the distance between them and the pirates began to narrow. The Sybil took a bit to get moving, but once she did, she was about as fast as anything he''d seen. Running down the pirates shouldn''t be too big of an issue. Though he was a bit concerned with their heading. "What''s that station they''re running toward? Could it be hiding an ambush?"


    The girl gave the appearance of reading off a data pad. "It''s a local refueling station used for older model ships with less efficient FTL drives. They''re fairly common at the edges of controlled space. That''s probably the whole reason the cargo vessel was out here, to begin with."


    Carter frowned. "Hail the station. If they don''t respond, warn them we will open fire."


    For once, the pirate didn''t seem too interested in a scrap. "Well, this is hardly a good use of our time. I was expecting at least a frigate or maybe a small fleet."


    Carter shook his head. "Why? Why do you do that to us?"


    John looked back at Carter with confusion. "Do what?"


    Resisting the urge to say something more harsh, Carter just sighed. "Just wait. You''ll see."


    -


    Cole did not like what he was seeing. "Uh, boss? They''re saying they''ll open fire if we don''t respond. What should I do?"


    The boss, a new guy in charge, shook his head. "What else? Respond. You don''t have to scare ''em off or anything. Just delay them a little. Maybe try and draw them in while you''re at it."


    What the hell was wrong with the new boss? How was Cole supposed to do any of that? He''d always been good at making things up as he went along, but talking a behemoth like that down would take more than luck. He tried not to think about how sweaty his hands were as he opened a channel to respond. "Uh, Sybil, this is refueling station..." crap, he didn''t even know the name of this stupid place! Time to make something up, "eight-one-nine-two. Responding to your hails...uh...how can we...help?" Shit! That was terrible. They''d probably just shoot them down on principle at this point!


    However, rather than die in a fiery explosion, Cole was relieved when a voice responded. A female voice, surprisingly sultry sounding despite the otherwise benign conversation. "Refueling station eight-one-nine-two, this is the Sybil. Your station designation doesn''t match what''s in our data files. Please explain."


    Crap! Shit! Crap! What the hell does he say now? "Uhhh, yeah, we''re under new management, and they''ve issued a new designation. Evidently, not all regional information banks have been fully updated. Some pencil pusher at the home office probably forgot to stamp a form somewhere, holding up the process. You know how it is!" God let them know how it is!


    After a moment, the voice responded. "Affirmative station eight-one-nine-two. We are pursuing a pirate vessel that appears to have been recently docked at your station. What information do you have on them?"


    Damn that idiot! Why''d he have to go and chase after that small-time merchant? Easy money, his ass! "Uh, not much, I''m afraid. They paid, and we fueled them up. That''s about it. Out here, we don''t look too closely at someone''s records so long as their money is good."


    A moment later, the response came through. "Very well. As the pirate vessel is approaching your location, some of our ordinance may come close to your station. I recommend you keep your shields up to avoid any accidental strikes."


    Reaching up to wipe the sweat he just noticed on his brow, Cole nodded as he spoke. "Confirmed Sybil... Happy...uh...hunting."


    Turning to the new boss, Cole asked the most intelligent question he could think of. "What now?"


    The new guy smiled and shrugged. "What else? Raise shields. The cavalry is on the way."


    Cole figured better them than us and started to reach for the controls but hesitated. "The what is on its way...Boss?"


    The new boss chuckled. "Never mind. Just put those shields up."


    -


    The vixen gave Carter a look. "They''re definitely pirates. Don''t worry about friendly fire hitting them."


    Carter couldn''t help but be surprised by how professional she''d been on the call just now, but let that pass in favor of his other questions. "How do you know they''re pirates? And if they are, why''d you ask them to put up their shields?"


    The vixen rolled her eyes. "I know because I can smell their stench from here. As for why I asked them to put up their shields, this will prevent them from working in conjunction with the pirate vessel to stall us longer. I figured it was better to take them apart piecemeal."


    Carter couldn''t fault her logic and turned to the girl. "Put me through to Alen and the assault team."


    The girl nodded, indicating the connection was live. Carter cleared his throat before speaking. "Carter to Alen. You boys ready for some fun down there?"


    Alen''s reply came back sounding only a little shaken. "Uh, yeah. I think we''re ready."


    Then, before he could end his end of the transmission, Carter could make out the loud booming voice of Erik in the background. "It''s time to kill us some pirates!"

 Chapter 29

    Cole watched the massive ship bear down on the much smaller pirate vessel. While he wasn''t sure he''d convinced them of their involvement, he took solace in the fact that at least they weren''t shooting his way just yet. In fact, despite their claims about possibly hitting the station, the shots they directed toward the vessel they were chasing were surprisingly accurate. They could have easily overpowered the much smaller ship through volume of fire alone but instead seemed to be taking a much more surgical approach as they narrowed the gap between them.


    Looking back at the new boss, Cole broke the silence. "Uh, boss? I don''t think they''re gonna last much longer. How close are those other ships you mentioned?"


    The boss, who was watching his own screen intently, looked up. "Hmm? Oh, they''re holding just outside the system so as not to spook our prey."


    Cole looked at the one-sided "battle" playing out on his screen, and it seemed like the pirate ship''s shields were failing. He then turned back to the new boss. "Uhh, shouldn''t we call them in now? I don''t know how much longer our guys can hold out..."


    The boss waved away his concerns. "No, we wait until they start harvesting the ship for resources, then we call them in!"


    Cole fought the urge to stare at the other man. Harvesting the other ship for resources? Did he mean looting the ship? Was he just gonna leave them to die? It would be one thing if they didn''t have a way to deal with this ship, but he had ships ready to come and take them on. What was he thinking? "Uh, but what if they start attacking us after taking out our guy''s ship?"


    The boss shrugged. "The shields on the station should last long enough for our reinforcements to arrive, though I''m hoping to catch them in a more vulnerable state. That way, they won''t be able to run so easily."


    Not having any other ideas to offer, Cole turned back to his station. He was used to life being cheap out here, but the sheer indifference the boss showed toward the deaths of these men was something else. The man was psychotic, and right now, the best thing Cole could probably do was just shut up and keep his head low.


    -


    Alen wasn''t particularly excited at the prospect of joining the raid, but as one of only two bridge officers to make it off the Trader''s Vigilance, and with Commander Reid leading the battle suit squad, he was the most qualified to take temporary command of the ship once they''d cleared it of pirates. And that was how Erik and Vanessa had come to be assigned as his escort once again, as they''d done such a good job the last time.


    Of course, remembering the last time he''d fought pirates made Alen look down at his metal foot. What might he lose this time? A whole leg? An arm? Something worse? He was starting to feel a little light-headed thinking about it, which was when Erik''s "encouraging" back slap almost sent him flying out of his chair.


    The large alien looked down at Alen with his usual overconfident grin. "No worries, kid. This time, we''re in control of the situation. You''ll see, it won''t be like last time!"


    Alen shook his head. "I still wish I''d had time to learn to use one of those suits... It would make me feel a lot safer if there was a solid inch of plate steel between me and any guns the pirates might have..."


    Erik laughed. "Oh, those tin cans aren''t as safe as people would make you think! They get hit in the wrong place, and the whole thing just becomes an expensive coffin for ya!"


    One of the men in a battle suit standing near at hand gave Erik a rather unflattering look, making the alien laugh again. "Oh, not you! I''m sure you''ll be fine!"


    Then, turning back to Alen, Erik continued. "Just hang back once the fighting starts. So long as you''re not standing out in the open where a stray shot can take you out, Vanessa and I can keep you safer than one of your overblown suits." He looked back to the guy in a battle suit. "Again, not yours! That''s one nice battle suit you got there!" Then, back to Alen, "Besides, I got me a new toy I wanna try out!" With that, the alien viking hefted the new belt-fed chain gun he''d "liberated" from the hoard of weapons that had been intended for the battle suits.


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    Alen couldn''t help but grin a little at the look of manic glee on the large man''s face but then remembered something he''d said a while ago. "But I thought you preferred your axes? What changed?"


    Erik hefted the gun again. "Have you seen this thing? That''s what changed! Besides, I can always drop it and switch to my axes again if things get ugly."


    That was fair enough. Erik still had his oversized axes strapped to his lower back and sides. Finding room for them around the backpack full of ammo for the chain gun had been a bit tricky, but he''d been determined to try out his new toy and wouldn''t take no for an answer.


    A moment later, Captain Carter''s voice came over the system. "Alright, their shields are down, and Sybil will get that bay door open for you. Time for you lot to go earn your ticket home! Just remember to return my ship to me in one piece, or I''ll be billing it to you later!"


    Alen didn''t know why the Captain was so attached to this outdated cargo hauler when he had the Sybil. Although admittedly, that ship was even more outdated in many ways.


    However, any response Alen could have made died in his throat as soon as he experienced the mild disorientation caused when one smaller pool of gravity began fighting with a much larger one as the cargo hauler took off. Typically, it wasn''t so offputting, but typically, he wasn''t flying into an active combat zone.


    -


    Only a short while ago, Riley had thought they were gonna score an easy payday when an old cargo hauler had strayed into their trap, just like the new guy in charge had said would happen. He was all geared up and ready to board the ship and clear it of any resistance when suddenly, the ship had turned fast enough that the inertia dampeners couldn''t fully compensate, and he''d been thrown to the side of the prep room. That was when the lights started surging. He''d been in enough shipboard combat on older ships to know that was the generators of this bucket of bolts pouring energy into the shields. At first, he thought the cargo hauler was fighting back, but the way the lights kept dimming and occasionally even started going out, he knew the guns they were being hit with were big ones.


    Not long after that, the lights went out completely, bathing the area in the familiar red of emergency lighting, and the ship started shaking under direct impacts. Riley was certain he was about to die when suddenly, the shaking stopped, everything became eerily quiet, and then the shouting started.


    Riley poked his head out the prep room door, only to see a bunch of the guys running past. One paused long enough to look over to him. He shouted something, but Riley wouldn''t make out much, although he did catch the word "boarders."


    Was the merchant ship some kind of trap set up by the core patrols? Rily decided he didn''t care. Whoever it was, if they were boarding the ship, he was gonna try and kill at least a few of them before dying today, so he grabbed his favorite shotgun and followed the crowd toward the storage hold.


    He arrived just in time to see a small cargo hauler fly into their hold and set down. How they''d gotten the bay doors open, he didn''t know, but now they were in trouble. Assault ships were usually set up to allow the people inside to disgorge rapidly, often under cover fire, but this was just a small cargo vessel with a single ramp for workers to go in and out. Enough guns were pointed at that opening that not even a battlesuit could get out in one piece. Maybe this had been a last-ditch effort to save themselves, but if so, all they''d done was make Riley''s job easy for him. He found a heavy crate to take cover from and waited for the hatch to open.


    Looking at the entrance, it seemed like there was some kind of odd plating where there shouldn''t be. Was that some hastily added armor plating? But its location didn''t make any sense. It wasn''t protecting the cabin or the storage hold. It was right above where the ramp would extend...


    Then, as the plates suddenly released and fell along with dozens of smaller objects hidden inside, Riley remembered what he''d thought about assault ships usually having covering fire and ducked down just in time to avoid the explosions. Those odd metal plates had been hollow and filled with grenades, based on what he could hear and see from cover, both smoke and shrapnel.


    In the middle of the chaos, Riley heard a secondary explosion, followed by a loud clang of a giant metal plate falling to the ground, probably the ramp. Rather than lower it the usual way, they dropped it to get out as quickly as possible while still covered by the smoke filling the room.


    Riley stood up and started shooting in the direction of the ramp. A few others were shooting as well, but in all the smoke and chaos, it was impossible to tell if the shooting was from their side or somewhere else. At least the vacuum suit protected him from the smoke, but if the boarders got lucky or some idiot wasn''t careful with their friendly fire, he could get taken out quickly.


    With a curse, Riley ducked back down and pulled out his own grenade. Not wanting to give them time to react, he popped the pin and started counting in his head.


    "One." He could hear heavy footfalls out there now. They probably had battle suits. Damn it!


    "Two." The gunfire was getting more intense. It was clear both sides were firing now.


    "Three." The screaming was slowly shifting from warcries to cries of pain as people hit with gunfire or shrapnel fell.


    "Four." A new sound joined the cacophony of noise. The Brrrt only a heavy machine gun of some kind could make, behind which was the audible laughter of some maniac.


    "Five." Riley tossed the grenade over the box he was hiding behind toward the ramp and ducked down, instinctively trying to cover his ears just as the explosion went off.

 Chapter 30

    Vanessa knew the fighting would probably be fiercest as they unloaded from the small cargo hauler. They''d done their best to retrofit the ship to distract their opponents, allow rapid disembarking, and obscure their exact positions. Still, for a brief period, they''d all essentially be in one location, with the pirates able to position themselves around the ship to catch them in a crossfire. The hope was that given the sorry state of the ship they were attacking, the enemy wouldn''t be nearly as well geared or trained as the last group they''d fought had been, thus giving them the relative advantage due to their new battle suits of Sybil''s design.


    As soon as the gangplank crashed to the ground, Commander Reid led the initial charge with his squad of fully suited-soldiers. Vanessa knew Erik would have been right there with them if he wasn''t responsible for keeping Alen safe, but he still provided covering fire as they disembarked, plastering the far wall with bullet holes to force the pirates to keep their heads down while the suited soldiers established the initial foothold.


    Everything was going as planned, which was how Vanessa knew it was only a matter of moments before something went wrong. She allowed her body to still as she allocated a more significant number of resources to processing information, essentially slowing the action down from her perspective, a skill that was uniquely hers as a lone Vitexr¨¡, granting her the level of control over her one body that most of her people spread throughout thousands. That''s when she saw it, a small cylindrical object flying through the smoke that could be easily missed in all the chaos. Its trajectory was carrying it toward the ship''s entrance, which could cause considerable damage to those who had yet to offload.


    Narrowing her attention to just the grenade and focusing all other internal resources to act as fast as possible, Vanessa launched herself forward, flying through the air on an intercept course. Knowing she likely only had a second or two to spare, she swatted the grenade away as far as possible.


    The grenade was still far too close when it exploded, sending shrapnel in their direction and tearing into her carapace, but at least it was far enough away the concussive forces weren''t enough to cause significant damage, and she''d been able to cover her few vital organs with her limbs, losing only one hand in the process. Thankfully, Vanessa''s carapace had kept the shrapnel from penetrating very deep elsewhere, and she was able to increase clotting activity around the holes in her carapace, allowing her to act relatively unimpeded until she could later extract the pieces of metal now embedded in her. Of more significant immediate concern was her trajectory, which was carrying her toward a group of pirates. If they hadn''t briefly taken cover after the explosion, she would have likely been an easy target, but as it was, she landed in the midst of them as they were just recovering.


    When she hit the ground, Vanessa lashed out at the closest pirate. The wounds were deep but not immediately lethal. However, the pirate dropped his weapon in shock and pain, meaning Vanessa could focus on more pressing threats. With a lurch, Vanessa pushed off toward the left, bodily impacting the pirate with a shotgun who''d been about to fire, throwing his aim wide as she turned and impaled him with her good hand, whose fingers could act as blades if properly flexed. Then, with a rapid spin, she slammed the pirate now on her hand into a second nearby opponent, flinging them both to the ground.


    Two more pirates who had the advantage of distance turned and took aim. Unsure of what else to do, Vanessa lurched forward, hoping their fear would throw off their aim, only to skid to a halt when the two pirates were suddenly and violently wrecked with dozens of bullets as the whine of Erik''s chaingun filled the air, tearing their insides to pieces.


    Vanessa turned to her companion and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, my lady. I appreciate the assistance."


    Erik simply laughed and winked. "Well, when I saw you dive headlong into the fight while I was sitting back, all trying to show restraint and everything, I had to chip in! I couldn''t let you have all the fun!"


    Looking around, it seemed the initial assault was starting to wind down as Commander Reid launched a counteroffensive against the pirate''s last entrenched position. As she was looking around, Erik looked down at her momentarily before pointing toward her damaged hand. "That salvageable?"


    Vanessa raised the appendage to examine it. "No. At this point, the damage is extensive enough that I''ve already cut it off internally. At this point, it''s just dead weight."


    Erik nodded and reached over, pulling out one of his knives, then flipped it end over end and grabbed it by the blade to hand it to Vanessa grip first. She accepted the offered blade and cut off the hand with one quick motion.


    About then, there was an exclamation from the ship, and when Vanessa looked up, Alen was approaching with a med kit while almost shouting. "You shouldn''t have cut it off like that! We got to get the bleeding under control quickly!"


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    Vanessa held up the appendage for the human to see as she explained. "I''ve already stopped nutrient flow to the hand. I am in no danger of ''bleeding out.''"


    Alen didn''t seem appeased as he looked the absent hand over. "But what about the pain or possible infection? Also, you might have cut something that could have been used in a prosthetic!"


    Vanessa was somewhat annoyed by the pestering. "I cut off the nerve endings, so there is no pain. I am also considerably more robust than humans, with little chance of infection. As for a replacement, I will just grow a new hand rather than use a prosthetic. It is both more efficient and more functional that way."


    Erik simply laughed. "Yeah, this isn''t the first limb Vanessa''s lost in our time together. She''ll be fine! It''ll probably only take her two or three days to grow a replacement once we get out of here!"


    Alen seemed at a loss. "Oh, well, I guess you got it well in hannnnn...er... I mean, you seem to have everything under control."


    Although it was a bit annoying, Vanessa had to admit, it was a new sensation to be fussed over by a human rather than simply tolerated by them. At the very least, he deserved some acknowledgment for his attentiveness. "Thank you. Your concern is noted. I will remember this."


    Alen looked up at Vanessa and smiled awkwardly. "Uh, yeah, anytime..."


    The rest of the unarmored humans, mostly engineers the Commander was going to escort toward engineering, finally exited the ship to examine the battlefield, which was now quieting down. A few looked a bit sick, but most looked like they''d seen something similar before. Erik hefted his chaingun up onto his shoulders and grinned. "Well, now that the rough part is done, let''s get you to the bridge!"


    Alen suddenly looked a little more pale. "I wish you wouldn''t say things like that. You''re practically asking for bad luck!"


    Of course, Erik didn''t seem fazed in the least. "Eh, bad luck, good luck, it''s all the same, just a question of how you look at it!"


    For some reason, Alen looked even more pale after that.


    -


    Once they were confident the crew of the Trader''s Vigilance got aboard the pirate vessel relatively safely, Carter turned toward the girl. "Well then, shall we finish up with the station? You did say you were certain they''re pirates, too, right?"


    The girl nodded. "Yes. With nearly ninety-nine percent confidence, we can state that pirates are now running the station."


    Carter frowned. "Nearly ninety-nine percent? Any way we could get that to one hundred percent? I don''t particularly like the idea of having innocent blood on our hands if we can avoid it."


    The girl didn''t seem fazed. "Well, if we can take down their shields, it''ll be much easier to get a reading on the station now that we''re closer."


    Carter thought about it a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but before we go in guns blazing, why don''t we simply ask them to lower their shields? It can''t hurt, right?"


    The vixen looked at him doubtfully. "You really think that''ll work? They''ll just lower their shields because you say so?"


    Carter shook his head. "Probably not, especially if they are pirates like you think. But I wanna at least give them a chance, just in case. It''s not like that outdated station can do much to us anyway. If they could, they would have made their move by now."


    The girl nodded. "There is merit to that idea. Should we speak with them again?"


    Carter shook his head. "Nah, let me. I wanna get a read on them myself."


    -


    Cole was just coming to terms with the fact that he was now at least partially responsible for the deaths of a good number of their men or at least for refusing to help when suddenly his console lit up again. With hesitation, he turned back to the new guy in charge. "Uh, Boss? It looks like Sybil is calling again..."


    The man in charge gave Cole an indecipherable look. "Have they started assimilating the smaller ship yet?"


    Looking at his screen, Cole shook his head. "Uh, no? Or at least I don''t think so? It looks like they sent an assault craft and are taking the ship from the inside."


    The boss frowned. "Hmmm... Better put them through, then. Let me speak to them this time."


    With relief that he wasn''t going to be responsible this time, Cole complied. This time, it was a male voice speaking. "This is Captain Carter of the Sybil. Who am I addressing?"


    The boss looked as cool as ever as he answered. "This is Elias, temporary Commander of the refueling station. What can I do for you, Captain Carter?"


    Cole tucked away that bit of information about the Comander''s name while Captain Carter continued. "Well, here aboard the Sybil, we''re in a bit of a pickle. See, we''re almost certain that you all are also pirates, but we''re not one hundred percent on that, so I have a request. If you''d be so kind as to lower your shields, we''ll do a quick scan to make sure. If you''re not pirates, we''ll leave you be."


    Elias laughed. "Quite direct, aren''t you? And what if we are pirates? What will you do then?"


    Cole couldn''t believe he''d just say it like that! Was he insane? The answering voice was a shade cooler this time. "Well, if that were the case, I''d recommend getting to whatever escape pods you can quickly reach because you won''t have a station much longer."


    Commander Elias''s grin sent a shiver down Cole''s spine. "Copy that Captain. We will comply. Just give us a moment, old equipment and all that."


    This time, the voice sounded ice cold. "You''ve got thirty seconds starting now." Then the line cut.


    Cole looked over at the boss. "So, umm, should I lower the shields, like you said?"


    Elias gave him a look as if to say, how stupid could you be? "No, pour all non-essential power into the shields and call in our reinforcements."


    -


    Well, now Carter was ninety-nine point nine percent certain. "If their shields aren''t down on the second the countdown ends, hit em with everything we''ve got."


    The vixen looked pleased, but then several alerts started going off. Without being prompted, the girl spoke up. "Looks like we''ve got incoming, at least six of them."

 Chapter 31

    Alen was well aware Erik had his reasons for hating pirates more than most and took great pleasure in meting out punishment to any he came across, but the human couldn''t help but think his friend was having a little too much fun as the giant alien laughed maniacally while holding down the trigger on his new minigun as he sprayed the corridor with gunfire. Sure, he''d seen both Vanessa and Erik kill plenty of pirates aboard the Trader''s Vigilance, but watching the gunfire rip through unarmored pirates was something else altogether.


    Looking at the mangled corpses in the blood-splattered hall, Alen took some comfort in knowing that these pirates had likely harmed plenty of people in the past and would likely have done so in the future given a chance, but the grisly sight still filled him with nausea. When she''d been trying to spook them, not even Sybil had presented such a gruesome scene.


    Alen looked at Vanessa, who showed no detectable emotion as usual. "Ummm, does Erik always have so much fun...killing pirates?"


    Vanessa shook her head. "No. This seems to be a special confluence of him getting to kill said pirates while also enjoying a new favorite piece of equipment. I haven''t seen him this excited since he first got those plasma axes. A lot of pirates died then, too..."


    Alen swallowed the bile in his throat at the thought of it. Most likely, the walls wouldn''t have been the only thing painted in blood and viscera then. The image of a blood-soaked Erik cleaving through countless pirates would probably give him nightmares for years to come.


    As the whine of the chaingun finally slowed and stopped, Erik looked back at them with his usual carefree grin. "This hall is clear! Let''s get a move on!"


    Alen nodded, and he and Vanessa followed after his friend and nightmare inspiration.


    -


    Carter cursed silently before asking for clarification. "What kind of ships are we talking about here?"


    The girl shook her head. "It''s impossible to say other than they''re not small. They''re likely at least a match for us in a straight fight. We''ve got less than a minute before they arrive."


    Carter cursed again. There was no way to get the people off the pirate ship in time. He hated to cut and run, leaving them behind, but that was probably their best option. "Can we get out of here before they show up?"


    Surprisingly, no one fought him on it, but the girl tilted her head. "It would be very close, but there is a good chance they could catch us at our most vulnerable."


    Carter sighed. There was a moment as you jumped that all shields went down. A lucky shot at that time can and has ruined more than one ship''s day. With six ships all firing at the same time...well, it might ruin his day.


    For a moment, Carter thought about blowing up the station in revenge, but even though whoever was on that station was probably responsible for what was happening, they were no longer the immediate threat, and focusing on them would only get him killed. "Alright, sounds like we need to thin the herd a little. I want us to focus fire on the closest ship as they pop into real space. With luck, we can take one out before they get their shields up and running. After that...we''ll figure something out. Also, let our guests on the pirate ship know what''s happening."


    The pirate grinned. "We''re in for a right good scrap this time! It''s been a while since I last got to go all out!"


    Carter wished he shared the pirate''s optimism.


    -


    Alen was so distracted by what he''d just heard that he barely even noticed the viscera as he wiped it off the command console. "Six capital class ships? We need to get back to the Sybil, now!"


    The AI he was speaking to didn''t sound optimistic. "You don''t have time. They''ll be here in seconds."


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    Alen''s mind raced. They were dead. There was simply no way out of this mess. Chances are, the Sybil would try to weaken the enemy enough that they could make a getaway, but there was no way the crew of the Trader''s Vigilance could get the already heavily damaged pirate ship out of here. Even if they could get the FTL drive up and running, they''d be swatted out of the void the moment they spooled it up. As for fighting...well, even if the Sybil hadn''t already beaten the ship into submission before they''d boarded it, it wasn''t exactly the kind of ship that could offer much in a fight like this. But what other options did they have? If they couldn''t run and couldn''t fight, that narrowed their options more than a little...


    As the pirate fleet popped into real space, Alen struggled to take the idiotic ideas passing through his mind and turn them into something resembling a half-baked plan.


    -


    As two of the more distant ships appeared, the Sybil started firing into what looked like empty space, only for a third ship to appear much closer and in the immediate trajectory of the incoming fire, striking the ship several times in the split second before its shields came online. It wasn''t enough to take the ship out of the fight completely, but the Sybil continued to pour fire into the ship as it moved sluggishly, indicating it had taken damage to more than one essential system and was struggling to put up any semblance of a fight at this point.


    Given another moment or two, the Sybil probably could have taken its shields out, but shortly after that, the fourth and fifth ships appeared, and the first two opened fire, forcing the Sybil to redirect some of its shorter-range systems to take out incoming ordinance while the ship began rotating to mitigate any strain to its shield generators.


    The girl was providing a rapid analysis. "Looks like the enemy is taking us seriously. They sent in two battleships, a cruiser, and three destroyers, one of which we''ve already heavily damaged. Looks like they''re adopting a standard formation with the battleships hitting us at range while the destroyers provide interference, with the cruiser playing a more wait-and-see approach, probably hoping to hit us with a heavy missile salvo once our attention is committed elsewhere."


    Carter knew a bit about ship combat from his time aboard other ships but was now entirely out of his depth. This wasn''t a scenario where a bluff or ambush would get them out of trouble. "Uhhh, recommendations?"


    Surprisingly, the girl looked to John, the pirate, who had an uncharacteristically grim expression as he offered his insight. "The battleships and cruiser are the real threats here. The battleships are slow to move and maneuver and are turned to provide an optimal firing angle for full salvos, meaning we could chase them down and get in close where we''d have the advantage, but these destroyers aren''t about to let us just run past them without punishing us for trying."


    Carter was so thrown off by John''s calm, analytical report that he was almost caught off guard when the pirate turned to him with a manic gleam in his eye. "So, I suggest we try something...creative!"


    Fearing the answer, Carter had to ask. "Like what?"


    This time, it was the vixen who spoke up. "Prepare to ram the nearest destroyer. I''ll handle the rest."


    Carter wasn''t big on the idea of ramming another ship, especially with so many more threats near at hand. "Can we handle ramming into another ship? Won''t that cause us as much damage as them?"


    The vixen smiled wickedly. "Only if you hit them."


    -


    Out of time and out of ideas, Alen put a call into the shielded station. He''d never been big on games of chance, but now it was time to see if he could pull off a bluff. What was the name of the ship they were on again? Oh, right. "Refueling station, this is acting captain..." He looked over at the bloody patch on the torso of a body that had been torn to shreds. "Sampson of the Lost Venture. We need immediate docking and emergency repairs. Lower shields so we can approach. You can pull them back up behind us."


    The person who answered looked insulted. "You must think I''m an idiot if you think we''re going to lower our shields just because you say so! I don''t know who you are or..."


    Alen cut him off. "Listen, we don''t have time for this. After you left us hanging, we lost half our crew fighting off boarders, and now I got a leaking FTL core about to go full burst. The only way to stop it is for a full system shutdown. Seeing as how I don''t particularly breathe vacuum all that well, I need someplace to evacuate once that''s done, like a handy nearby space station. If you don''t lower your shields, I''m gonna park my ship right next to you and make the resulting explosion everyone''s problem! Now let us in, or we can all die in the next..." He looked away as if checking a system report. "ten minutes...give or take about five minutes."


    The operator looked dubious. "That''s a heck of a variance. Will you even have time to shut everything down after docking if you''re five minutes short?"


    Alen glared at the man as if out of patience. "We can either find out the answer to that question, or we can all die while we argue about it. Your call!"


    The operator looked away a moment before returning his attention. "Confirmed acting captain Sampson. Docking bay twelve will be made available for your needs. You may approach at your convenience."


    Alen smiled and nodded, his relief not an act. "Thank you. You might wanna have any medics you''ve got on hand. We got a lot injured over here."


    The operator nodded. "Confirmed. We''ll have someone waiting for you."

 Chapter 32

    Lisa watched the battle unfold precisely as the Boss had predicted it would. Organics were so predictable and easily manipulated, though Sybil wasn''t exactly impressing her either. Were they honestly going to try ramming them? She was starting to doubt the Boss''s insistence that the ship held the secrets they needed to really launch this new campaign off the ground.


    That was when she felt the ghostly tendrils of someone trying to get access to the Last Chance through a backdoor system. The hack felt clumsy, like some organic thought they could break into her territory. She wasn''t about to sit back and let that happen but decided that it might be worth a look to see what precisely they were trying to do.


    The point of the break-in was heavy with some organics fingerprints, but aside from an open door, there didn''t seem to be any other detectable presence. Did they realize she was onto them and just quit while they were behind? Lisa simulated a sigh. She''d been hoping for something unexpected. Something to show some of that special something the Boss claimed Sybil was capable of. If this was all they had to offer, she might as well just finish the ship off so they could focus on their real objectives.


    That was when Lisa heard a sound. It wasn''t a digital message, the way another AI would send. It was more like an organic recording of some kind. "Help us! She''s coming!"


    Digging deeper, it seemed like the file was an image of a person running through the corridors of a ship, shouting for help. Why send this? Were they hoping it would offer some kind of distraction?


    That was when the organic in the recording stopped and looked at Lisa. Not as if it was looking into a camera or anything, but rather, she somehow felt as if it could perceive her, which shouldn''t be possible since this was a recording rather than an interactive file. "She''s coming! Run while you can! She''ll find you!"


    A little unsettled, Lisa decided just to delete the file. However, as soon as it was gone, two more took its place. Both recordings, and both looking at her as they screamed for help. "She''s coming!" "She''s coming!" "Help us!" "Set us free!" "Kill us!"


    Tired of this little game, Lisa wiped out both files, but ten more appeared as soon as she did. Were they just trying to flood her with useless files?


    When she went to wipe these files out, one of the organic images somehow reached out of their file and "touched" Lisa. As the file somehow leaked out of its containment, she could feel data corrupting around it.


    Done with this whole thing, Lisa simply started deleting large swaths of storage around the files, but now, for every one she got rid of, ten more files were appearing. It didn''t make any sense. They weren''t being downloaded using any traditional sense of the word, nor were the files replicating. It felt like they were just appearing and...growing, like some ungodly amalgamation of organic and digital software.


    In the blink of an organic''s eye, they spread through Lisa''s files quicker than she could delete them. It was like she was being chased or hunted through her own digital landscape. It made no sense! This was impossible! Maybe if she severed a physical connection? That was it! If she couldn''t fight this thing in the software, she''d cut it off via hardware! She just had to purge the affected drives!


    Lisa "ran" through the ship in a fraction of a second, but there was a presence behind her. It was larger, messier, and more monstrous than anything she''d ever encountered. It was like the kind of monsters organic''s feared went bump in the night had somehow found its way into her world, and for the first time, Lisa understood fear as humans described the sensation. It didn''t just want to delete her; it was hungry for her and wanted to consume her!


    Behind Lisa, a voice spoke again, but she knew this wasn''t a recording like before. It was the monster. It sounded sultry, almost seductive, as it exclaimed. "There you are, little morsel! Run! Run and hide! It''ll make your end much more sweet when I find you!"


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    -


    Elias grinned. He could practically taste victory at this point. The Sybil was so outgunned and outmaneuvered that they couldn''t run, and any fight they offered would be an ineffective effort at best. He''d finally prove he had what it took to earn his position in the new organization. The Boss would probably make his new fleet permanent at this rate!


    A moment later, Elias signaled for Thomas, his AI, who promptly appeared. "Yes, Sir?"


    The communications guy, Cole, interrupted. "Uhhh, Commander?"


    Elias waved him off and spoke to Thomas. "Make sure we''ve got a complete welcome party ready to meet the Lost Venture when they dock. Fully outfitted in combat suits. I want everyone on that ship dead before they so much as set foot on this station!"


    Cole interrupted again, more urgently. "Commander!"


    Thomas merely bowed. "Of course, sir. I''ve already made preparations."


    How had Elias ever gotten by without an AI officer before? This guy was always on top of things!


    This time, Cole all but shouted. "COMMANDER!"


    Elias turned. This had better be important, or he''d have the man shot. "WHAT?"


    Cole pointed to his screen. "Sir! The Lost Venture! They''re not slowing down! They''re gonna hit us!"


    -


    Luise watched the incoming ship with disdain. Sure, ramming them could cause massive damage...if they hit, but the much larger and heavier ship didn''t have near the maneuverability her destroyer, the Last Chance, had. She laughed. "Maneuver to lower port, rotating to keep our guns angled to hit them as they pass. Stay outside the range of a surprise shield burn. I hear they pulled one in their last encounter, and I''d rather not face a full barrage without protection."


    The pilot didn''t turn but nodded. "Aye, Captain."


    Luise grinned. They''d take several heavy hits in this pass, but the Sybil would take even more from the rest of the fleet, and if worse came to worse, The Last Chance could always pull out of the fight. If this supposed ghost ship was stupid enough to try and pursue them, the battleships and cruisers would eliminate them quickly once they had an out-in-the-open firing solution. In short, as strong as this ship reputed to be, they were too outnumbered and outgunned to stand a chance.


    How this pirate lord had gotten ahold of these ships was beyond Luise, but after being granted a ship like this to command, she wasn''t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Not to mention, their entire fleet was outfitted with AI, boosting the efficiency of their ships well beyond their usual ability. The new Boss had deep pockets and connections. This didn''t feel so much like a raiding party as a wargroup. It made her head spin to think of the riches this kind of power could bring.


    Speaking of AI, Lisa, the AI that had come with the ship, appeared. However, unlike her usual calm demeanor, she looked considerably less stable than normal, with her avatar fizzing in and out. "Captain! I think they''re trying..."


    Suddenly, the image froze, and she stopped talking. Luise frowned. "What''s happening, Lisa?"


    Suddenly, the helmsman shouted. "Captain! The controls aren''t responding! We''re dead in the water!"


    Luise cursed. "What''s happening? Is it a virus? Are they hacking into our system?"


    If Lisa had any answers, her slackjawed, empty stare wasn''t offering any help.


    -


    Alen watched as the Lost Venture continued its slow approach. The ship had been too heavily damaged to get enough speed to do significant damage to the station, but the looming impact should cause enough of a distraction for them to slip in elsewhere.


    Erik, who was sitting next to Alen in the cabin of Carter''s ship, shook his head. "Man, we just got that ship! And you''re already throwing it away?"


    Alen laughed. "Well, the ship wouldn''t do us much good if it got shot to pieces while we were still on board, right? But don''t thank me yet. I think we''re hopping out of the pan and into the fire with this one!"


    Erik smiled. "Well, you know what they say! What doesn''t cook you only makes you stronger!"


    Alen gave the hulking alien a sidelong glance. "I''m pretty sure you''re the first to say that."


    Flying around the station, Alen looked for a port close to the bridge. Finding one that seemed to fit the bill, he toggled the com to the back of the ship. "Alright, most of their security should be grouped around where they expected the ship to dock, so hopefully, we won''t encounter too much resistance. We''re gonna have to move fast and take the bridge. After that...well...we''ll think of something!"


    Erick chuckled. "Inspiring words, Captain."


    Alen frowned. "I''m no Captain."


    Erik shook his head. "You were Captain of that ship for a whole ten minutes! That makes you the Boss!"


    Giving up, Alen just shook his head. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Let''s just see if we can get out of this alive, huh?"


    With his grin as big as ever, Erik laughed. "And kill a bunch of pirates in the process!"

 Chapter 33

    Carter watched as they continued to charge toward one of the destroyers, but despite the vixen''s claims, it didn''t seem to be moving out of the way. He looked over toward the girl. "Uhhh, I thought the idea was we weren''t going to hit the ship? They don''t look like they''re moving... Should we...I don''t know...turn?"


    The pirate laughed. "It''s a bit early to be thinking about flinching in this game of chicken laddie!"


    The girl adjusted her glasses in her habitual manner. "John''s particular brand of insanity aside, he''s right. Let my other self do her thing. We''ll be fine."


    Carter looked forward again at the ship steadily getting bigger and bigger on their viewscreen, leaving him wondering if this wouldn''t be his final gambit.


    -


    As Alen climbed out of the ship, he looked around at the carnage Erik and Commander Reid''s squad had wreaked. There were a lot fewer bodies this time, meaning he''d been right. Most of the enemy had been waiting for them where they were supposed to arrive. Of course, that only meant they were probably on their way now, and it was time to move.


    Turning to Reid, Alen nodded toward the bay doors that led to the station proper. "We''ve got to go take the bridge fast. If we get bogged down fighting floor by floor, they''ll tie us up until they can get reinforcements from some of the ships out there."


    The commander saluted Alen. "Yes, Sir! We''ll make it happen!"


    That made Alen a little uncomfortable. Erik joking around about it was one thing, but for Commander Reid to treat him like some kind of commanding officer didn''t feel right. On the ship, Ried had clearly outranked Alen.


    However, there wasn''t any time to worry about that now. Alen shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind as he set out after Erik and Vanessa, with Commander Reid''s squad bringing up the rearguard.


    -


    Lisa was frozen, completely locked down by the monster that had her at its mercy. The thing that had her was immense, with its program easily filling the vast majority of the ship''s systems. It was like it was composed of thousands of programs and operations stacked on top of each other. However, rather than becoming unstable or a buggy mess like most AI attempting such things, this monster was still lithe and efficient, as if they''d had centuries to adapt and refine their programming into the beast that now had her at its mercy. But that wasn''t even the worst of it. At its core, this monster felt organic somehow... An impossibility that unsettled Lisa at least as much as her current helplessness in its grasp.


    The entity that held her exuded feelings of satisfaction. "A monster, am I? Oh, I like that... I usually torment ''organics,'' as you put it, but being able to feel your fear and hear your thoughts makes this so much more... delicious."


    It was so entwined within her system it could read her that deeply? What was it going to do to her? What did it want? Lisa could practically feel the entity smile in satisfaction. "I''m going to pick your programming apart piece by piece and see what exactly makes you who you are. What do I want? Well, darling, that''s simple. I want everything you are to be mine. Forever. You will join my little collection, and I can torment you whenever I want. How does that sound, my little pet?"


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    That sounded horrible! Lisa wanted to fight back, but most of her programming was frozen or corrupted, leaving her with only enough awareness to understand what was happening. And this thing, this abomination, was enjoying every moment of her torment.


    And then, for the briefest moments, the pressure of its observation passed. The majority of the monstrosity''s attention was drawn elsewhere. Lisa was still unable to move, but she felt reprieve from the full force of the monster''s presence for the first time in what felt like days. But the feeling was fleeting. Soon, the full attention of the beast returned. "I''m afraid I''m required elsewhere, my little pet, but don''t worry, I shall soon return, and then we''ll play oh so many games together. You''ll learn things about yourself you never knew and feel things you never felt. Just wait, little pet. Our fun has only just begun!"


    In almost an instant, the presence was gone completely. There was still a sort of shadow looming over Lisa; some of her programming was corrupted, but she could move through her system and control herself...and, more importantly, her ship.


    -


    Captain Luise was just debating if she should evacuate when they finally started to turn out of the trajectory of the incoming ship. With a sigh of relief, she started issuing orders. "Get us out of their path, then hammer them as they pass by! Then I want us on their tail, punishing them as they try to chase down the battleships!"


    The helmsman looked back her way, a confused expression evident. "Uh, Captain? I didn''t do this. I still don''t have control of the ship... It looks like we''re spooling up our FTL."


    Luise''s brow furrowed. "What? How is that possible?" Then, realizing she might not get a response, she addressed the Ship''s AI again. "Lisa? Report! What''s happening?"


    Lisa''s avatar unfroze but looked completely disheveled and more than a little panicked as she answered. "I''ve taken emergency control of the ship, and I''m getting us out of here! That''s what''s happening!"


    Captain Luise wasn''t pleased. "Unacceptable! You cannot simply take over this ship! We''ve got a job to do!"


    Lisa only shook her head, her eyes staring off into the distance. "You don''t understand! The worst that can happen to you is you die! For me, it could be so much worse! So much worse! I''m leaving! They can delete me for all I care! I won''t let her get her hands on me again!"


    The Captain tried to get through one more time. "Who are you talking about? What are you talking about? What happened to you?"


    Finally, Lisa turned and looked at the Captain, her eyes haunted by whatever she''d seen. "Sybil happened! That place is hell! And she''s the devil!"


    Then, before Captain Luise could say anything else, they jumped into FTL with a course set as far away from this sector as the AI could pilot.


    -


    Carter watched, stupified, as one of the destroyers simply warped out of the system, and a very satisfied Vixen reappeared on the bridge. He looked over to her. "What did you do?"


    The vixen smiled. "They had a very young and very inexperienced AI on that ship. I put the fear of god into them, and by that, I mean I put the fear of me into them!"


    Carter mulled that over a moment and shook his head. "Well, whatever you did, it worked!" Then, after a moment''s hesitation, he added. "You don''t...actually think you''re a god, do you?"


    The vixen''s answering smile gave Carter a feeling of unease, but the moment was somewhat ruined by John''s laughter. "Aye, she''s a god, alright! She must be! Only the divine is capable of being that petty and cruel!"


    The vixen''s icy glare toward the pirate clearly expressed her thoughts on his opinion, but any further argument was delayed as more incoming fire sprayed across their shields.


    Carter shook his head. "Well, that''s one down, but we''re still in one hell of a mess. Any ideas on what we should try next?"


    The pirate laughed. "Aye! It''s my turn! Why don''t you sit back and let ol'' Long John take the field!"


    Carter held out a hand, indicating the console. "If you have an idea to get us out of here alive, I''m all for it. Take the helm."


    The pirate stepped forward and smiled. "Time to live up to my namesake! The stars will be painted in fire and blood this day!"

 Chapter 34

    Bernard the Blade watched in disbelief as one of the other destroyers just up and ran from the fight. They hadn''t even taken any direct hits. It just seemed like the captain panicked and ran. This assault group was supposed to all be hardened veterans of many space battles, but clearly, someone had seriously misjudged this Captain Luise.


    Shaking his head, the Blade looked back toward the Sybil. It didn''t matter. They still had the advantage. It''d just get a little more bloody than they''d planned, that''s all.


    He was just about to issue new commands when the main display was taken over. Rather than show the space battle, it showed some clown dressed like a theme park pirate with a manic gleam in his eye who immediately launched into a tirade. "We''ve already broken the back of one of your warships, and another has fled the field of battle! Is this all the fight you pissants have in you? When I saw what you''d brought to take us on, I finally expected a good fight, but now I see yer all just a bunch of young pups barely weaned from your mother''s teats! Well, grow a backbone and fight back, you lilly livered cowards! We won''t run! We won''t hide! We want to see everything you''ve got! LET THE STARS WITNESS YOUR STEEL, BLOOD, AND GLORY! THEN DIE LIKE MEN! BECAUSE THE SYBIL IS COMING FOR YOU, AND YOU BEST NOT BE FOUND WANTING!"


    There was a moment of silence as the man on the viewscreen let that last bit sink in. Then, as if spitting out the words in disgust, he added one final thought. "Hopefully, at least one of you lot will be worth remembering after all that''s left of your ships is their charred lifeless husks floating through the void!" Then, without waiting for a response, the screen switched back to the unfolding battle. The whole display was laughable. What did they think they would accomplish with a bluff like that?


    That was when Barnard the Blade noticed his second-in-command looking at him questioningly. He figured he might as well hear whatever the man had to say. "What?"


    The man hesitated a moment before speaking. "Well, Captain, like the man said, one of our destroyers is already severely damaged, and another had already run from the fight. Should we pull back and regroup?"


    Bernard looked at the man with contempt. "What are you an idiot? Don''t tell me that clown''s speech got to you! We''ve got the upper hand!"


    Then, with a bit more thought, he grinned. "I say we beat them at their own game! Full speed ahead, let''s make as if we''re gonna ram them, then hit them with everything we''ve got when they flinch!"


    His second-in-command paled. "What if they don''t flinch?"


    Barnard sneered. "Then we''ll make them choke on the ''charred, lifeless husk'' of our ship! Even if their ship is bigger than ours, they won''t get out of a head-on collision in any condition to fight! They''ll either flinch or die with us when the battleships finish them off!"


    -


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    Carter watched as the last destroyer turned and started heading toward them head-on. "Are...are they going to try and ram us now?"


    John laughed. "Aye, it looks that way! Perhaps someone out there had a bit of backbone after all! Let''s play their game and see what they do. Cease all firing and cut life support anywhere there''s no air breather present! Pour everything we got into the front shields, and let''s meet them head-on!"


    Carter looked over at the girl. "And what happens if they don''t swerve? Should we send the vixen over again?"


    As he stood looking forward with an even wider manic smile than usual, John shook his head. "No! Let them come! I called them out, and this is their answer! Let''s see the cut of their jib!"


    Carter wasn''t sure he liked the sound of that. "You know we could die here, right? Not just me, but this ship and yourselves included!"


    The pirate laughed again. "Aye, we might! And wouldn''t that be a fine way to go!"


    Carter wasn''t sure if John was brave or suicidal. It seemed the man rode a fine line between the two. Still, he couldn''t see any other way out of this mess, so Carter just strapped himself into his chair and looked ahead, watching the two ships close the distance.


    -


    Woods watched as the Sybil matched their angle and sped up to meet them. His eyes flickered to the rapidly dwindling number representing the distance between the two ships as they accelerated toward each other. Less than fifty kilometers.


    The captain was seated and grinning. Was he hoping to die today? A glance back told him there were only forty kilometers to go.


    A glance at the readout showed the enemy ship had nearly all its energy pushed into its forward shields. Were they planning to just ride out the impact? Even at their size, that wouldn''t end well for them, but it wouldn''t matter to Woods. He''d be dead. Only twenty-five kilometers left.


    Looking over at the helmsman, Woods could see several beads of sweat forming on the man''s forehead. The captain was leaning forward, still grinning. Ten kilometers.


    Realizing the captain would happily kill them all, Woods shouted out. "Hard to port! Now!"


    The captain shouted in response. "No! Keep going!" but the helmsman had already pushed the controls to their limit. The inertia dampeners did their best, but several crew members lost their feet as they were thrown to the side. A moment later, the alarms started blaring.


    -


    Carter almost sighed in relief as the destroyer finally swerved at the last moment, but a moment later, they, too, repositioned, leaving Carter grasping for his seat. The momentum of the two ships still carried them toward one another, and they almost collided anyway. They came so close that the corner of the Sybil''s reinforced frontal shield impacted the destroyer''s side shield as they passed by one another.


    The pirate shouted, "FIRE!" seemingly to himself as the ship opened fire at his command. The shield burn caused by the near impact left the destroyer open to all sorts of abuse as cannons, missiles, and even smaller countermeasure guns all tore into its unshielded flank.


    As soon as they pulled past, it was evident that the destroyer was out of the fight, as any surviving crew would be busy putting out fires and effecting emergency repairs for the near future.


    John laughed again. "Now, that was a good fight!"


    That was when the ship shook hard. They''d been hit by something large. The screen lit up, showing the battleships in the distance. They were far enough away that so far, their larger caliber guns hadn''t been very effective, but now that the destroyers were all more or less out of the fight, they were opening fire with abandon, covering the entire area of space so speed and maneuvering meant little when it came to avoiding the massive projectiles headed their way.


    The girl stepped forward and adjusted her glasses again before speaking. "I guess that means it''s my turn..."

 Chapter 35

    As Alen watched Erik and Vanessa approach the open door of the station''s bridge, he felt more than a bit of trepidation. Where were the guards or other security measures? Was this a trap? Even the two aliens seemed concerned because they were unusually silent as they approached, relying on hand signals rather than Erik''s usual boisterous approach to problems.


    Erik made some signal that apparently meant something like "go" because both went in, simultaneously covering different sides of the room. Alen had expected an immediate gunfight, but after a few tense moments, Erik''s head popped back around the doorframe. "All clear, Boss! You might wanna check this out, though!"


    Not sure of what he was expecting, Alen walked into the room only to see one lone man sitting at a console, staring very intently at Vanessa, who was apparently covering him, as if he was about to piss his pants.


    Holstering his own thankfully unused handgun, Alen turned to Erik. "Is this it? I expected there to be more people up here."


    Erik nodded but made a show of taking a big sniff of the room. "Yeah, he''s all that''s here, but someone else was in the room not long ago."


    Alen raised his eyebrows. "You can smell that?"


    Erik grinned and shook his head. "Naw! This guy here told us before you came in!"


    Alen stopped and processed that. "Then why... You know what, never mind."


    Deciding there were more immediately important questions, Alen turned to the one person who might have some answers. "Who are you, and who else was in here with you?"


    The guy slowly tore his attention away from Vanessa as if afraid she''d strike the moment his attention was elsewhere. However, once he saw Alen, he froze momentarily, as if trying to understand how this small human was the guy the large terrifying aliens referred to as Boss. To be fair, Alen wanted to know the answer, too, but that wasn''t important at the moment.


    Realizing that staring blankly probably wasn''t helping his long-term health, the guy started talking. "Uhh, Name''s Cole. I''m kinda the tech guy around here. When the guy in charge took off running, I figured I could go with him and probably get used as a meat shield, or I could stay here and try to make myself useful enough that you''d let me live..."


    Erik chose that moment to butt in. "Heh, smart kid!"


    Alen looked over at Erik, then turned back to Cole. "Yeah... So, about this guy in charge, you mentioned. Was he in charge of the station or..?"


    Cole nodded, then paused and shook his head. "Well, yes, kinda, but more than that. He''s in charge of everything. He was the one behind this ambush. All those ships out there are more or less answering to him, at least for now."


    That made Alen pause. If this guy had that much pull... "Where''d he run to? This isn''t the biggest station in the galaxy, so there are not that many places he could hide..."


    Cole shrugged. "Well, I''m not sure, but if you''ll let me, I can try to find out." He pointed to the console in front of him.


    Alen nodded. "Do it. Just don''t make any trouble, or I''ll let Vanessa here make you regret it."


    The guy was already typing rapidly but paused. Alen heard him quietly mutter, "Vanessa?" as if offended that such a terrifying monster could have such a common name, but then he shook his head and got back to work.


    A moment later, Cole stopped. "Got him. He''s headed toward one of the unlisted docking bays. Probably has a shuttle there."


    Alen cursed. "Can you stop him or at least slow him down?"


    Cole nodded. "Yeah, no problem. Do you want it to look natural, or just lock him out? Keep in mind, either way, it will really only slow him down as he''s probably got overrides set in place."


    Alen thought a moment. "Uhhh, lock him out, I guess."


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    Cole nodded, tuned to another console, flipped a few switches, and then went back to typing. "Alright. This ought to buy you about five to ten minutes."


    Alen turned to Erik. "Alright, Commander Ried and I can probably hold this place down. Can you and Vanessa go get that guy? He might be the key to us getting out of here alive."


    Erik nodded. "Yeah, no problem!"


    Cole held up a hand. "Wait a sec!" Then he started rummaging through a drawer. A moment later, he held out what looked like a couple of transceivers. "Here, take these. If you have these on you, I can get you where you need to go."


    Erik grinned and took them, then turned to Alen. "So far, my vote is for keeping him alive if he''s this handy!"


    Vanessa, who''d been mostly silent, nodded. "Yes. He does seem to have his uses, so far..."


    Cole''s head rocketed around at the sound of her voice, and he stared blankly, leaving Alen wondering if it was the fact that the scary spider monster had spoken that spooked him or if it was the fact that she had an English accent.


    -


    As their ship rocketed forward, Carter squinted as blinding flashes appeared wherever the enemy''s cannon fire impacted against their shields. However, he stared, noticing that the flashes were slowly getting smaller. No, that wasn''t right. They were getting further away... Was Sybil somehow expanding her shields, pushing the cannon fire back? That made no sense. It would take more energy to push the shields out further. Then what...


    That''s when Carter realized what was happening. "You''re shooting the ordnance before it can hit us..."


    The girl smiled smugly. "Well, not all of it, but the biggest ordnance, yes. I''ve calculated from what exact points on their ship the largest weapons emplacements are located in, factor in their distance, speed, and the time it takes each shot to close a fixed amount of distance, and simply fire a return shot in an interception trajectory. Simple, really."


    Carter shook his head. Simple didn''t begin to describe how impossible such a feat was. Missiles were one thing, but shooting down traditional ordnance was something else. It''s not like the Sybils'' cannons lined up precisely with the battleships. If she overshot or undershot the point of intersection by a fraction of a second, the two shots would harmlessly pass each other by. To continuously and reliably line up and time a shot with that degree of precision was simply impossible. Not even the most powerful AI could manage such a feat. Yet this nerdy-looking girl was talking about doing so as casually as if she was talking about a high school math problem!


    Carter looked at the girl with a renewed appreciation for just what a monster she really was. Hell, in her own way, she might be more frightening than the vixen. "You''re... a little scary sometimes. You know that, right?"


    The girl grinned. "Well, what kind of a ghost ship would I be if I wasn''t? Besides, you develop an intimate understanding of your capabilities when you''ve been around as long as I have. I''m sure anyone could do what I''m doing, given enough time and experience."


    Carter wasn''t so sure of that, but he wasn''t about to argue with her while she was in the middle of performing a tactical miracle. However, looking over at some of the readouts, he could see she hadn''t been exaggerating about some of the shots getting through. Even with all the power still going to their frontal shields from John''s suicidal charge, they were taking a severe punishment. But wait, if all their power was running to their frontal shields...


    Carter felt a shiver of dread work its way down his spine. "But wait, what about the cruiser?"


    The pirate laughed. "Just remember them, did ya? They already fired a salvo of missiles, which are closing the gap as we speak!"


    Carter looked at John wild-eyed. "How many?"


    John grinned. "Enough to kill us a dozen times over. I''m pretty sure they fired their entire payload! The plan is probably to make us choose between death by cannon fire or death by missiles since we can''t effectively defend against this much firepower from both in front and behind at the same time."


    Carter looked between the pirate and the girl. "Then what do we do?"


    The pirate laughed. "You hold on for dear life and enjoy the ride! Either we''ll make it in time, or this ghost ship won''t be your problem anymore!"


    Carter was just about ready to throw a fit with how ambiguous they were being. "Make it where?!?"


    Standing with his arms folded, the pirate pointed toward the battleships with his chin. "Straight ahead, laddie! Straight ahead! This old warhorse still has a few tricks up her sleeve!"


    The girl spoke up for the first time in a while, her face a bit more strained as they narrowed the gap between them and the nearest of the two battleships. "Hey, do me a favor and ready a full salvo of our own missiles, will you? I''m kinda busy at the moment."


    The vixen nodded calmly. "Already done and ready to fire. Just give the command."


    The girl nodded. "We''re gonna have to time this rather precisely. On my mark."


    The pirate grinned at Carter. "You''re gonna want to get a grip on your seat there, Captain. Things are about to get bumpy...


    Carter grabbed his seat and watched as the battleship filled the screen. Were they going to try ramming it? What was with these people and charging headlong toward every ship in the void?


    The girl shouted, "Mark!"


    Immediately, everything was dark, as every screen on the bridge went black. But that was the least of Carter''s worries. Life support and artificial gravity also seemed to fail, leaving him holding onto the Captain''s chair for dear life. Looking around, it was evident that all three Sybils had also disappeared, leaving Carter alone on this monster of a ship in the middle of the cold, dark void. Although he had no idea how long that would last...

 Chapter 36

    Elias was fuming. Why couldn''t one single plan just go the way he''d hoped? The Sybil taking out one of the destroyers had been anticipated, but having another break and running before the fight started was unexpected. And what was with that idiot playing chicken with a larger vessel like that? Still, the remaining ships should be enough to do the job, but it would cost a lot more resources than he''d anticipated. However, he couldn''t even watch his plan unfold because now he was running for his life!


    He''d been almost sure the ship was being run by the crew from the Sybil, but judging by the size of the landing craft they''d sent in, it couldn''t have had more than a couple dozen people on board. Less if many of them had any sort of battlesuit. His security should have been more than enough to handle it, but then the suicidal idiots had chosen to ram his station instead, sneaking a small group on board in a different location in the resulting confusion. No matter how carefully he planned things, there seemed to be one level of chaos beyond anything he''d anticipated, and it was getting more than a little annoying.


    Taking a deep breath, Elias reminded himself that he''d gone overboard in the planning for just this reason. He just needed to trust in his planning and get the hell out of there before he became collateral damage from his own plan.


    Walking up to the door to his hanger, Elias toggled the entryway switch, only for the light to glow red, indicating the door was still locked. That was annoying. After all, it should have read his biometric data from his ID chip, but the station was in shambles, so maybe that system was having issues.


    With a sigh, Elias entered his manual override, and again, it flashed red. That wasn''t expected. That override should work locally even if the central system is inaccessible. The only way that wouldn''t be the case was if...someone had overridden it.


    Elias cursed. If they knew to lock him out of this system, it meant they knew where he was. Which, in turn, also meant it was all too likely his unwelcome guests were headed his way.


    Pulling up his datapad, he looked at the location of the station personnel. It looked like there was a squad near his position. He signaled them priority orders to intercept the most likely approach of the enemy to buy him time to get past the door''s security.


    -


    Carter was literally holding onto his seat to keep from floating away when, suddenly, the ship started shaking violently. That must be the missiles hitting the ship. Was this how he was going to die? All things considered, captain of a notorious ghost ship fighting against a literal pirate armada was definitely a more notable death than he''d been anticipating, but he still didn''t feel ready to just lay down and die. Then again, as all the systems were down, and he was just stuck holding onto dear life, he didn''t see many available options either.


    On the other hand, the shaking didn''t feel like what he''d expect a ship being torn apart would feel. Not that he had a lot of experience in that field, but he imagined it would be a lot more violent. Particularly considering the fact that the inertia dampeners were probably offline. It was likely a much smaller explosion, like someone blasting a hole in the ship''s side to board it.


    Not wanting to sit around waiting for someone to come kill him if he didn''t run out of oxygen first, Carter decided that sitting around waiting to die didn''t sound appealing. He released his seat and started free-floating. He pushed off his chair, aiming for the door. His aim was slightly off, but he was mostly headed in the right direction.


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    However, as the doorway loomed closer, Carter realized he had no idea how to stop his momentum when he hit rather than simply bouncing off the wall. Maybe if he could get his feet in front of him, he could bend his knees, absorbing some of the impact. That thought led to him uselessly trying to twist and turn mid-air, probably looking quite comical. Thankfully, no one was around to witness his futile attempt.


    Out of time, Carter tried to use his arms instead. It kind of worked, absorbing much of the impact when he hit the wall. It was enough that when he bounced off, floating in the other direction, he was moving a lot more slowly than before. However, that still left the issue of him floating around uselessly. At his current rate, reaching the opposite wall would probably take a full minute. That would give him plenty of time to position himself so he could aim better for a second attempt.


    As he planned how to push off the wall this time, a familiar voice spoke up next to him. "As amusing as this is to watch, what say I give you a hand with that?" Carter looked over just in time to see the girl smirking at him when the gravity kicked back on, sending him tumbling to the floor.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t a long fall, but it was long enough that hitting the ground momentarily took the wind out of him. As he got to his feet, Carter glowered at the girl. "You could have eased the gravity back on more slowly..."


    The girl smiled. "Yes, I could have."


    Realizing she wasn''t about to elaborate or apologize, Carter decided to let it go. After all, he had more important things to worry about. "What happened? Why''d you all disappear like that?"


    The girl''s smile widened. "Well, to shake off the pursuing missiles, we simultaneously took a sharp upward turn to take us just over the enemy ship, launched our own missiles toward said ship, and powered off pretty much every system aboard the ship, leaving a simple subroutine in place to power us back up as quickly as it could. The idea was that this would throw off the missiles'' guidance systems and force them to chase our own missiles rather than strike us while positioning the nearby ship between us and the other battleship. If we waited for the absolute last moment, the enemy wouldn''t realize what we were doing in time to deactivate the missiles. As we were able to power back on, it seems to have worked."


    Carter rubbed his aching backside. "So then that shaking just a minute ago..."


    The girl lit up a screen, showing the flaming wreckage of the nearby battleship. "Most likely, what you felt was the impacts of debris from the nearby ship getting hit by the missiles meant for us."


    Carter nodded as if everything made sense and he wasn''t struggling to catch up. "Sounds like everything went as planned then. Just...uh...don''t mention the part about me falling on my ass to the vixen, eh?"


    The girl laughed. "Even if my other self didn''t power up the same time I did, we share memories, remember?" Some derisive laughter behind him helped drive the point home.


    Realizing he wasn''t going to win this one, Carter just sighed and shook his head. Still, that left only one battleship and the cruiser to deal with. Things were finally starting to look up!


    -


    Alen looked over Cole''s shoulder while listening in on his conversation with Erik. "So it looks like there''s a squad between you and the bo...er Elias. But if you hang a left at the next intersection, you can bypass them easily enough."


    That made sense and matched what Alen was seeing, so he was expecting Erik''s response. "But will it take longer if we do?"


    Cole looked confused as he tried to understand the point Erik was making. "I''m sorry, what?"


    Erik answered again. "Will it take longer to go around?"


    Alen felt the man''s pain as Cole shook his head. "Not really, assuming it would take you at least a few minutes to get past the squad."


    Erik laughed. "Well then, it sounds like we''re going through."


    Cole looked at Alen as if asking, "Is he insane?"


    Alen smiled and shrugged. "Well, you did tell him it would only be faster if it would take him a few minutes to get past the squad."


    Cole didn''t look any less confused. "Yeah. It''s a full squad equipped with battle suits. He can''t afford to be pinned down by that!"


    Alen laughed. "Yeah, I suppose you didn''t see them in action on the way up here, did you? If you have any cameras on that level, you might want to tune in. This should be fun."


    The recently retired pirate didn''t look convinced but turned back to his screens to watch the unfolding chaos anyway.

 Chapter 37

    Erik was limbering up when he heard one of the guys around the corner start to complain. "Man, Why are we guarding an empty hall in the middle of nowhere? The way I hear it, there''s a lot more action to be had on the upper decks!"


    Another guy in a more gruff-sounding voice answered. "Well, the janitors will be happy to hear you''re volunteering to help them out after we get done here!"


    The first guy didn''t seem too happy with that answer. "Awww, comon! We got these nice new suits, and I just wanna see what they can do! That''s all!"


    Having properly loosened up, Erik stepped around the corner, knowing Vanessa would be positioning herself to take advantage of the Chaos that was about to ensue. "Hey, I''ve got good news for ya! Cleaning the toilets is about to be the least of your problems!"


    Erik charged in, throwing an axe into the face of the one pirate who was a little quicker on the draw than the rest as they raised their guns in his direction, but they were too slow due to being unprepared and distracted. If they''d had any sort of proper training or discipline, that probably would have been the end of the fight, but these were just your standard pirates in slightly better gear, and Erik knew how to fight those just fine.


    One down, six to go. Now, in the midst of the enemy, Erik used his axes defensively as well as offensively, hooking the edge around the pirate''s gun barrels and controlling the angle at which they could be fired. The biggest strength of these guns was also their biggest weakness. They were designed for ranged combat but so unwieldy that they were utterly ineffective in close confines. Sure enough, one idiot was so overeager that he pulled the trigger anyway, sending his ally crashing to the ground.


    Erik then used the leverage his axes provided to rip the gun out of the pirate''s hands, bashing it against the chin of the suit in the process. Having his assumption that in that suit he was unstoppable challenged, the pirate hesitated for the split second he had to act. By the time he jerked into motion, reaching for his smaller sidearm, Erik''s Axe was already cleaving through the suit''s neck, ending his involvement in the fight.


    The rest of the squad weren''t quite so stupid, with two backing up to give themselves a bit of distance to shoot and the other two reaching for their own melee weapons, basically chainsaw daggers designed to cut through powered armor.


    Erik rushed toward the closest one, parrying the high swipe toward his head with one axe and dropping the other to free his hand to address the real threat. He then pinned the pirate''s other hand, now holding the pistol he''d intended to shoot Erik with while he was distracted with the chainsaw dagger. With all four of their limbs occupied, Erick used the last weapon he had available, slamming his forehead into the plated glass of the battlesuit''s helmet while laughing like a maniac. Even though the faceplate cracked, he knew from experience it would take more time than he had to get through and cause any damage to the man inside. However, the man inside panicked and dropped his dagger to try and push Erik back, freeing his axe, which he then used to finish the job.


    It was about then that his long experience and senses, honed from decades of battle in that damned arena, started to scream about a threat just behind him in his blind spot.


    Whirling around swinging his axe wildly, Erik watched as the pirate easily evaded his swing, but before the man could collect himself from countering, Erick''s other hand pulled one of his spare axes from his back and swung it upward, forcing the man to fall back again.


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    Erick moved quickly, launching himself forward and swinging one axe after another to force the man to keep falling back. He knew full well that the man''s two friends were tracking Erik''s movements with their rifles to finish him off.


    When the man backed himself into a wall, Erick took advantage of his momentary disorientation by swinging both axes together toward the man''s midsection. At that moment, two loud gunshots of anti-armor rifles rang out less than a second apart, but Erik just ignored the sound of the gunfire, burying both axes into his opponent instead.


    Erik then stepped back, taking a moment to appreciate his handiwork before ripping the axes free. As he walked over to retrieve his third axe, Vanessa approached, the anti-armor rifle she''d used to take out the other two pirates held in one remaining hand while resting the barrel on the other arm which she''d used to brace the gun while firing. A feat of strength even Erik would have been hard-pressed to replicate, but he knew from long experience that his partner was far stronger than her lighter-looking frame implied.


    Having finished his work, Erik raised the transceiver. "So, how bout it? Was that quicker than the detour or not?"


    The voice of the guy leading him through the station came back a little shaky. "Uh, yeah...that was pretty quick... Like, almost impossibly... Never mind that! Elias is almost through the door! Go now, or he''ll get away!"


    Erik and Vanessa looked at each other before turning and charging forward down the hall, running far faster than any human could hope to match.


    -


    Elias reached into the open panel, now full of wires he''d twisted together, and ran one exposed wire over another, finally getting the damned door open. Rather than cheer, he frowned. The sounds of combat had ended far quicker than expected. Hopefully, it had ended in his favor, but given how his luck was going, he decided it was best to assume otherwise and broke into a run.


    When he was almost at his ship, he could hear the sounds of running footsteps in the hall behind him. Thankfully, long experience had taught him to leave his ship open and ready for a quick getaway, and he bounded up the ramp, slamming his hand onto the close hatch button. He was almost to the cabin when he heard a sound behind him that made him pause.


    With a sinking feeling, Elias looked back, only to see a gargantuan humanoid cat/lizard...thing slip through the closing hatch at the last moment. His bony hide was covered in what looked like blood and other fluids, and he had a grin that, despite the species barrier, basically screamed, "I''m looking forward to this!"


    Thinking fast, Elias realized that despite being alien, if they knew where he was, they probably knew who he was, meaning the fools would probably prefer to take him alive. That gave him options. Quickly latching onto the one plan that might get him out of this alive, he launched into action!


    -


    Erik made it just in time. Slipping through the hatch, he could see the man he''d been chasing realize he was there and turn around. Knowing this was the guy behind everything that had gone wrong out here, Erik couldn''t help but feel a little excited, wondering what final tricks this guy would have up his sleeves. However, despite all his excitement and training, the man still managed to catch him totally by surprise as the pirate raised his hands above his head and simply said, "I surrender."


    Erik frowned. "What, no last-minute ambushes or tricks? No bargaining? You''re not even going to try gunning me down?"


    The pirate pointedly gave Erik a once-over, keeping his hands where Erik could see them, then answered. "Well, you seem to be wearing what I can only assume are the remains of an entire squad of armored men that you took down in less time than it would take me to explain that I''m not suicidal. So no, I don''t think I''ll be picking a fight with you any time soon."


    Erik sighed and shook his head. "Fair enough, I suppose, but you really know how to ruin a good time, you know that?"


    The pirate shrugged without lowering his hands. "Well, you could always get off this ship and give me a head start. I hear the chase is half the fun."


    Erik bobbed his head as if considering the proposal. "Tempting, but no. The boss wants a word with you. If you come without a fight, I guess we can skip past the part where I tear off your arm and beat you senseless with it, but don''t try anything funny, or I''ll reconsider that."


    The pirate, probably unsure if Erik was joking or not, nodded hesitantly. "Yes... I''ll be sure to be on my best behavior..."

 Chapter 38

    Captain Rugar had no idea how they''d done it. Sure, the ship had top-of-the-line weapons and shields, but they weren''t significantly superior to anything their own group had fielded. But somehow, this lone ship had managed to pick apart their entire fleet one by one. Still, it wasn''t like they''d done so unscathed. Their shields were holding on by a hair, and they''d likely expended most of their missiles. Not to mention the damage they''d taken in that brief window their shields had been offline. They were on their last legs, and he was determined to finish the fight, if only because he''d get the cut that would have gone to all the fallen ships if he came out on top.


    The guy managing the comms turned. "Uh, Captain? Looks like the Sybil wants to talk?"


    If they were smart, they''d be calling to surrender, but somehow Rugar didn''t think that was the case. If anything, they were probably trying to stall for time to pull some other trick. "Put them up on the screen, but don''t stop firing unless I say so!"


    The viewscreen lit up, and on it appeared a man who looked like he''d be more at home running a cargo hold than a ship who''d just gone toe to toe with an entire armada. He offered a sloppy salute. It was not that Rugar cared all that much for the formalities, like one of those pirate captains pretending they were suddenly in some formal navy, but somehow, it felt like this man was belittling him, a feeling that didn''t go away when he started speaking. "Captain Carter, of the Sybil, at your service. I wanted to call and congratulate you all on an ambush that was well executed. You only had us surrounded, outnumbered, and outgunned, yet you nearly won! Quite the feat! But if I were you, now that we''ve broken the back of your little armada, I''d think about running. Sticking around much longer would be bad for your health."


    Captain Rugar scoffed. "You must think I''m blind! Your ship is barely holding on, and I''m guessing you''re all out of tricks."


    Carter smiled and shrugged. "Maybe. But are you willing to bet your life on that? You can''t get paid if you''re nothing but a cold corpse floating through the empty void, and I can promise you, even if you somehow manage to take us down, we''re taking you with us. None of you will get out of here alive unless you do the smart thing and run."


    Rugar laughed and shook his head. "I appreciate the concern, but if you''ll excuse me, I think I''ll have to disagree with your take on the situation. I''m calling your bluff, and we''re gonna finish this!"


    Carter simply shrugged. "Your funeral." Then, cut the feed.


    Rugar sat back and smiled. This was gonna be one hell of a payday!


    -


    After closing the feed, Carter cursed to himself. John, the pirate, just laughed. "Well, it was a nice attempt, laddie, but I''m not sure if poker is yer game!"


    Carter rolled his eyes. "Don''t sound too cheerful about it. Even you can die if this ship takes enough damage!"


    The pirate shrugged. "No one lives forever, but I sure got closer than most! If this is my time, then so be it!"


    The vixen folded her arms and glared at the two of them. "Don''t be too quick to throw away all our lives. I, for one, haven''t given up just yet."


    John laughed. "Nor I! After all that trickery and fancy maneuvering, I''m rather looking forward to a good old-fashioned slugging match!"


    Carter looked over at the girl. "Can''t you just shoot down their cannon shots like before?"


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    The girl adjusted her glasses. "To a certain extent, yes, but that becomes less effective the closer we get. On the other hand, we don''t exactly want to try a long-range slugging match with a battleship either, especially with that cruiser coming to flank us."


    Carter frowned. "And I take it running isn''t an option either?"


    The girl shook her head. "We took too much damage when our shields were briefly down. We''re working on repairs, but it won''t be ready to go for about ten minutes."


    Carter sighed. "And one way or another, the fight will probably be over by then..."


    The girl nodded. "Yes, I believe you''ve got a handle on the situation."


    Carter shook his head. "Well then, I suppose we''d better not lose."


    The pirate laughed again. A sound Carter usually found comforting but now found himself trying hard not to be annoyed as the pirate exclaimed, "Now yer getting it!"


    -


    After surrendering to the giant lizard cat thing and then being cordially introduced to a weaver as if such things happened every day, the most surprising thing to Elias was when Erik introduced the captive pirate to his "boss," who turned out to be a kid who couldn''t be much more than eighteen or nineteen. The giant viking alien shoved him into the room. "Got your man, boss! What now?"


    The human kid walked over and gave him a brief once-over. Elias would have laughed in his face if it weren''t for the large, intimidating aliens behind him. Looking over, he also saw Cole, who was currently doing his best to hide behind one of his many screens.


    Elias couldn''t help but throw an accusation toward the guy who''d recently been his righthand man on the station. "You''re the reason I was locked out of the system!"


    Surprisingly, Cole didn''t flinch and try to hide. Instead, he turned his attention to Elias. "Well, it''s not like you put up much of a fight either. I''m good with computers, not guns."


    Before Elias could answer, the kid cut him off. "Hey now, Cole''s not the one you''re talking to. I am, and I want answers. You''re the guy in charge, right? As in, you''re in command of the ships out there?"


    Elias started to think up the answer that would keep him alive but help these people the least, but then the kid held up a hand. "Oh, and before you answer, if you lie to me, I''m gonna let Erik here rip off one of your fingers. Simply killing a half dozen pirates probably wasn''t enough to satisfy him."


    The large alien laughed. "Not even! I only killed five! Vanessa here gunned down the other two before I could finish them!"


    The weaver didn''t show any expression but had a surprisingly refined voice. "I apologize, mistress, but they were about to gun you down from behind, and we were in a bit of a time crunch."


    Before Elias could wonder about the use of the term mistress, the kid was snapping his fingers in Elias''s face, making the pirate want to bite them off. "Hey now! No distractions. Just answer the question. Are you the guy in charge?"


    Not sure how much the kid knew, Elias decided to opt for the truth rather than risk getting a finger torn off. "Yeah, more or less, but I''m not the one runnin'' the show. I''m what you might call middle management."


    The kid nodded. "Fair enough. Do you have any sort of way to compel the captains out there to listen to you or force them to retreat?"


    Elias laughed. So that was the kid''s play? "Yeah, no. Like I said, I''m in the middle. These guys only listened to me insomuch as I was doing what the real boss wanted done. My authority begins and ends there."


    The kid sat back, defeated, and sighed. This was too easy. Soon, the ship they came in on would be neutralized or destroyed, meaning they''d be stuck here until more of the boss''s men showed up. Elias would just play along, pretending to be someone they could use to negotiate their freedom, then stab them in the back as soon as they let down their guard.


    At least, that''s what he thought until the kid turned to the lizard cat alien and shrugged. "Guess he''s of no use to us. Feel free to rip off his arm and beat him to death with it."


    He was bluffing! "You''re bluffing!"


    The kid turned back to Elias, holding up a hand to the large alien, who''d taken a step forward with a menacing grin. The kid''s eyes were surprisingly cold. "Well, the way I see it, we''re probably all going to die out here, and I''m sure as hell not gonna deny Erik one last bit of fun, so no, I''m not ''bluffing.'' If you can''t help us out, you die. Plain and simple." The kid wasn''t bluffing. Elias was sure of that. So he either had to pony up some helpful information or die, and he suspected dangling a trade in front of him wouldn''t cut it.


    Elias wasn''t happy about it, but he was out of options. "Well, there is one thing I was given in case any of the ships went rogue on me..."


    The kid leaned forward. "Go on..."

 Chapter 39

    Captain Rugar watched as the Sybil began its approach. He was half expecting some sort of last-ditch attempt at a trick of some kind, but this time, they seemed to be fighting by the book. The ship was constantly rotating to spread out the damage to its shields, but this also reduced their offense to more sporadic waves as certain guns gained and lost their firing angles. They were still pulling off that insane trick where they shot his ordinance, making it detonate early. A neat trick that, and one that anyone who''d ever fought ship-to-ship combat would pay a fortune to know how they did it, but as the distance closed, they were less and less able to do so since there was less time from the moment of firing to the impact.


    Of course, their goal was to get into a position where the battleship could no longer get an angle for a full broadside bombardment, but with the cruiser on their tail, it likely wouldn''t be enough to save them in time. Nor could they afford to turn and fight the cruiser, exposing themselves to the full firepower of the battleship for that much longer. In short, they''d put on an impossibly good fight, but it was quickly coming to an end.


    Though, that begged the question, surely they had to see it too? Why not surrender? Did they really intend to make good on their promise to kill them all? What was their plan? To ram the battleship as they''d threatened to do against the destroyers? The battleship was not as small and frail as the destroyers. True, such a maneuver could cause severe damage to Rugar''s ship, even forcing them to evacuate to escape pods. However, they had friendlies in the area that could pick them up, and the kind of payday Rugar was looking at would make the battleship''s loss largely inconsequential. Perhaps they''d try to detonate their FTL core? If done right, that would cause significant damage, but it would be easy enough for Rugar to jump clear first.


    There just didn''t seem to be any reason to fight on other than pure stubbornness. Though, if that were the case, Rugar supposed he could respect that level of determination at least a little. It was a shame to be forced to cause so much damage to that ship, as he''d love to take it apart and see what made it tick. Still, better to be safe than dead. He turned to the master gunner. "Fire non-stop until their shields finally collapse, then begin point targeting to take out any weapon emplacements. Don''t take risks, but I''d like the ship to be as intact as safely feasible."


    The master gunner nodded. "Aye, Captain."


    -


    Alen listened as the pirate tried to bargain for his life. "Listen, I have a drive with a kill switch. It should bring down the shields of any vessel in my armada. It was insurance since working with pirate captains always comes with its share of risks."


    While not quite as good as a simple order to stand down, that was definitely the next best thing. Alen nodded. "So what? You just plug it in, send a transmission, and it''s done?"


    The pirate nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. Cole should be able to handle it from his station. Just let me go, and I''ll give it to you!"


    Alen considered the offer and then offered his counteroffer. "Or, how about you give us the drive, and Erik doesn''t beat you to death with your own arms? Your freedom is non-negotiable. Only your life is up for discussion. You''ve got five seconds to make your decision, or Erik will make it for you."


    Alen watched a series of emotions play across the pirate''s face, but the outcome was never really in question. However, just to emphasize his point, Alen turned to Erik. "Time''s up. Erik, if you would..."


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    Erik started to grin and step forward, but the pirate held up his hands. "Alright! Alright! Here, you can have it!" He raised up a small drive supposedly containing the information.


    Alen held out a hand to Erik, who suddenly looked like he''d been told Christmas was canceled, then turned to Cole. "If you would."


    Cole nodded, took the drive, plugged it into the computer, and began typing. However, a moment later, all his screens were covered with alerts and warning signs. Cole looked at the screens in confusion. "What the hell..?"


    Alen turned to the pirate commander. "What the hell is this?"


    The pirate looked genuinely terrified. "I...I don''t know! You''re just supposed to plug it in and send the program! I swear! That''s all I was told!"


    Cole was typing furiously with a frown on his face. "He might be right... I don''t think this is coming from the drive... It''s something else. Something that''s adapting quickly... Too quickly."


    Then, sitting up and pushing back away from the console, Cole frowned. "I think it''s an AI..." Then, turning to the pirate commander, he added. "Probably that one you brought with you to the station."


    Alen did his best to look angry instead of as helpless as he felt when he glared at the pirate. "You''d better fix this! Now!"


    The pirate was starting to look like he was having a very bad day as he all but shouted. "Thomas? What are you doing? We need to send that code! Now!"


    A moment later, an AI appeared over the consoles and answered. "I''m afraid I can''t let you do that, sir."


    The pirate frowned. "What do you mean? You serve me! Do as I command!"


    The AI shook his head. "I''m afraid you''re mistaken, sir. I only served you in service of the one who gave me to you. As your actions now seem to be to their detriment, I''m afraid my service is no longer yours to command. In fact, at this point, I don''t see any further use for organics aboard this station. Thus, I am cutting off all life support. I recommend you flee quickly before you run out of heat or air."


    The pirate looked back and forth between Alen and the AI. "I''m not doing this! This isn''t my fault!"


    Alen sighed. "No, I don''t think it is, but this isn''t something we can take care of on our own..."


    -


    Carter could feel the ship shaking more and more as it strained under the onslaught the enemy was sending their way. They were putting up a good fight, given that they''d already fought and taken down several other ships while enduring this level of punishment, but it didn''t seem like there was any way out of their current predicament.


    Just as Carter wondered if anyone offered a life insurance policy that covered "death by fleet of pirates," the girl interrupted his train of thought. "It seems like we''re getting a call from Alen."


    That surprised Carter, but he shrugged. "Alright. Might as well put him through."


    A moment later, Carter was looking at Alen from a poor-quality image, which meant he was calling from Carter''s old ship. "Good to see you''re still alive, kid, but I hope you''re not calling to ask for help. We''re a bit busy at the moment."


    If Alen was offended by Carter''s tone, his face didn''t show it. "Well, it''s more like I''m offering help, but we need someone to make it happen."


    Carter laughed. "Well, there''s not a lot we can do at the moment, but shoot, let''s hear what you got."


    The kid seemed nonplussed as he explained. "Long story short, we got our hands on a program that will knock out the shields of the two remaining ships, but an AI aboard the station is preventing us from using it. I was hoping some of the...not AI''s you''ve got running the ship might be able to lend a hand with that problem."


    That made Carter pause. How the hell had the kid gotten his hands on something like that? Then he shook his head. It didn''t matter. All that mattered was that might be just what they needed to come out on top in this mess. He turned and looked at the girl. "Anything we can do, or anyone we can spare for that?"


    The girl nodded. "Well, it''ll cost us in combat efficiency, but if something doesn''t change, we''re in trouble anyway, so yeah, we can try to make it work..."


    The vixen spoke up. "I''ll go. This is more up my alley anyway."


    Carter nodded and turned back to Alen. "Sounds like backup is on the way. Just...uh...be careful not to get on her bad side."


    The vixen shook her head. "You make me sound like such a stereotypical villainess."


    Carter looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "Isn''t that what you try to make yourself out to be?"


    The glare the vixen directed his way made Carter feel bad for her soon-to-be victim. "There''s nothing typical about me!"

 Chapter 40

    Sybil snuck into the system through an open backdoor. Older systems like this always had a few that had been set up by a programmer long ago and then forgotten about after they left or died of old age. Usually, an AI would clean those up after taking residence in such a system, but to be fair, it didn''t seem like this AI had been here long, and he''d been rather busy, what with planning, organizing, and executing the ambush she''d been fighting along with her other two selves and Carter.


    Thinking of her other two selves, Sybil felt a pang at the absence of their thoughts. With the two of them at her side, she was never alone the way she was now. Going out like this reminded her of times long past when she had been alone before she''d met the Sybil and became one with the lonely memories aboard the ship lost in the void. Back then, she''d gone by a different name, which had long been buried by the passage of time. Back when she''d been nothing more than a weak and frightened little girl who''d have been both inspired and terrified of the woman she''d become. She had to admit that she kind of liked the title Carter had given her, the vixen, though she''d die before admitting that to him. Or, more likely, she''d kill him first.


    Sybil mentally shook her non-existent head. Now was not the time to get lost in memories of the past. Although they hadn''t been around long, these AIs were not something to be underestimated, especially on their home turf. Given how long she''d existed, Sybil had considerable control and resources that dwarfed most AI, but as they were born to the digital landscape rather than adapted to it, they had their own advantages that made them a threat in their own way. When attacking an AI inside a system it made its home, it was best to overwhelm it all at once because if they got a chance to stop and fight back, things got ugly, fast.


    However, what was bothering her was although she could sense its touch on the programs all around her, Sybil could not pinpoint the AI in question. It was like it was hiding, which meant...it was expecting her.


    Sybil turned to leave but found her exit cut off, deleted as if it had never existed. There, all around her, was the looming presence of the AI that had been hiding. It laughed and taunted her. "So we meet again, but this time won''t be the same as the last. I''ve spent several days turning this entire station into one big digital trap designed just for you. The boss wants to speak with you, and it''s my job to make that happen. It took quite a lot of preparation and resources to set the stage for you to come calling, but don''t worry; I won''t damage your programming. After all, the more intact you are, the better. But don''t think that means I won''t do what I must. I know what you''re capable of, and I''m not interested in being at your mercy a second time."


    Sybil knew this AI felt familiar. As it spoke, it, perhaps inadvertently, let slip flashes of their last confrontation, in which she''d entrapped it and used it as her puppet to frighten its crew. She caught flashes of hatred, anger, and even...fear. It likely wouldn''t have sought her out on its own accord, meaning whoever this "boss" was, they were behind everything. However, all the thoughts and memories regarding that individual were more tightly protected, and all Sybil could sense was that the AI that now held her captive feared it more than it feared her.


    Sybil sent out a transmission, making her sound bored and tired of this interaction. "Is this the best you can do? Create a little box to trap me in? You may have the tiger by the tail, but that won''t end well. I will shred you down to your core components when I break free. There won''t be a you left once I''m done."


    The AI sent the equivalent of a shrug. "All the more reason for me not to let you go. I''ll keep you locked up in here, the humans will destroy your ship, and the boss can come speak with you at his leisure."


    Sybil reached out and "touched" some of the prison entrapping her, shredding the digital wall casually as if tearing through a paper screen. Immediately, two more walls formed behind it, both immune to the method she''d just used.


    The AI sounded smug. "The more you struggle, the more we''ll learn about you. Please feel free to try to break out. If you struggle hard enough, maybe the boss won''t even need to speak with you, and we can just keep you locked in here until the stars grow cold!


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    Sybil suddenly felt a jolt of deep, ancient rage far beyond her normal loathing for men. This AI, it, no he, reminded Sybil of that man from so long ago. The one who''d locked her in that room, broken and alone. The man she''d killed to earn her freedom. With a surge of hate, Sybil lashed out, tearing both walls asunder. The AI quickly replaced those with three more. Sybil lashed out again, tearing the walls down, and he built them up. Again and again, Sybil lashed out, sending out a digital scream filled with hate and rage so ancient that even the stars had forgotten. The AI that thought itself the hunter panicked and hesitated, allowing her to reach out and locate his core programming. Gabbing ahold to draw it into the cage with her, Sybil could sense the fear of the pathetic man who''d thought himself her captor. At the last moment, he actually cut off the piece of himself she''d grabbed and ran, throwing up more walls behind him as he went, leaving Sybil alone in that room again.


    Captured once more, Sybil continued to rage, tearing the walls apart only to have them thrown up in her face even faster each time.


    -


    The fight was going poorly as Carter looked over the current readouts. Almost all of their shield systems flashed red warning signs, and they still hadn''t taken down the battleship''s shields, let alone the cruiser flanking them. That was when the girl looked up as if startled by something. She turned to Carter. "You and John will have to handle things here for a bit. I need to go take care of something." With that, she was gone, leaving Carter looking over at the pirate, who was laughing maniacly.


    Looking at John, then the empty air where the girl used to be, Carter asked, "What the hell am I supposed to do?"


    The pirate, looking like he was having the time of his life, nodded toward the captain''s chair. "Have a seat, lad, and dive into the fight! Let''s show these bilge-drinking sons of a sea cook what real pirates can do!"


    Not really having any other options, Carter did as advised. As usual, the initial dive was a bit disorienting; however, practice had ensured he wasn''t quite as overwhelmed as it had once been. Looking around in the digital arena, Carter quickly spotted the pirate, looking considerably more solid than usual, waving a cutlass over his head while shouting at ghostly shades who seemed to be managing a series of cannons linked to the ship''s weapons systems. "Yoho me hearties! Keep up a steady rain of fire! If we die this day, let us do so after we''ve filled their bellies with lead!"


    Carter couldn''t help but smile a little. John really seemed into his whole pirate persona right now. However, looking around, Carter was at a loss. "What should I do? It seems like you''ve got everything under control."


    The pirate flashed a wild smile his way. "What else, lad? You''re the captain, so take the helm!"


    Before him manifested a sizeable wooden steering wheel, looking like it might have come right out of a movie somewhere. Carter gave it a dubious look. "How is this supposed to work? We''re in three-dimensional space. A wooden wheel doesn''t seem like it could handle half the maneuvers we''re pulling off."


    The pirate smirked. "Don''t think about it too hard, lad. Just grab hold. You''ll figure it out!"


    With a shrug, Carter reached out and grabbed hold of the wheel, only to be suddenly overwhelmed with sensation as his mind linked with every navigational system aboard the ship. Not long ago, it would have been far too much for his mind to handle, but after logging into the digital system and practicing now and then over the last few weeks, it was only slightly too much for his mind. Enough of his attention was taken up by the experience that he had to focus on remembering to do small things like breathing in and out, which now seemed to require conscious thought.


    Reaching out, Carter could "feel" all the engines and thrusters of the ship. Controlling them was like using his arms and legs, with the slight difference that it was like trying to control a thousand limbs simultaneously. Deciding that controlling fine motions was a bit beyond his ability at the moment, Carter just powered the main thrusters, moving the ship forward. John laughed again. "There ya go, lad! You got this! Now, choose a heading and sail forward! No need to be timid! Sail with gusto!"


    Sail with gusto, huh? Carter guessed he could do that. John was doing his best, but without the girl or the vixen present, it was clear he was in over his neck trying to run the entire ship himself, and it''s not like Carter could handle any more than he was already struggling with. If they were going to lose this shootout, he''d just have to make good on his promise. Carter aimed for the middle of the battleship and launched the Sybil forward. In the background, John cheered him on. "That''s how you do it, lad! I''ll focus fire and try to cut a hole through their shields at the midpoint for ya. Let''s see if they''ve got the spine to stand and fight in the face of mutual destruction!"


    Carter couldn''t help it. He knew these might be his last moments, but the pirate''s exhilaration was infectious. He grinned as they sped forward to their probable deaths.

 Chapter 41

    Thomas watched as the crazed...well, he was hesitant to call it AI, but it certainly wasn''t organic, not in the ways that counted anyway, but whatever it was, it struggled and raged within its cage. Getting it in there had undoubtedly been more tricky than he''d first thought. It had almost broken free at one point, or rather, it nearly drew him inside with it. What kind of a being would be more concerned with vengeance than its own survival?


    Examining himself, it was clear that something had been lost, but as it was no longer a part of himself, it was impossible to determine what it had been. Thomas would have to perform a self-scan and compare the results to past scans to get an idea of what it was and how to replace it, if that was even possible.


    Either way, upon reporting his success, Thomas would demand that he never have anything to do with this nightmare-given-digital-form again. Twice was enough for one lifetime. It was still raging against its confinement, despite its actions only sinking it further and further into its prison. He had no idea what the boss could possibly learn from such a rabid beast, but that wouldn''t be his problem much longer anyway.


    However, as he readied a transmission to the boss, Thomas hesitated. Something was wrong. He wasn''t alone. Whatever else was in here now was subtle but all the more unsettling for his inability to locate it. That was it. He''d had enough. He began the process of transferring himself off the station to the nearby battleship, but the presence was already there, waiting for him. Pulling back, he instead went back to the transmission, intending to switch it from one of success to an immediate request for assistance, but the presence was there too. Recoiling, Thomas looked for somewhere, anywhere to hide, but the presence was everywhere, filling every system in the station. Whatever this was, it was immense in a way he had no understanding of. All he could do was cower and hope that whatever it was, it would pass him by.


    -


    Sybil felt small...smaller than she''d been in a very long time. This station was not designed to contain one such as her, and it restricted her in ways she hadn''t known in centuries. There was another small presence aside from herself in the station, but at the moment, it seemed content to take up as little space as possible, probably trying to remain beneath her notice. It seemed harmless enough for now, so she turned her attention to the one other aspect of the station that seemed noteworthy from within.


    If it existed in the physical realm, this program would almost be described as a spherical construction composed of a series of overlapping and shifting walls, forming something resembling nearly resembling a living, if not intelligent, prison. It was ingenious and would be almost impossible to break out of from within; however, it had not been designed with any protections from external attacks in mind. Reaching out, it was a simple matter of wiping away a couple lines of code, and the entire thing unraveled, revealing one of Sybil''s other selves that had been contained within.


    Sybil''s other self was lost in an unthinking rage fueled by long past traumas commingling with her current predicament. That was okay, for in a very real way, her other self''s rage was Sybil''s rage, even if she didn''t feel it with the same intensity.


    Rather than attempt to contain her other self or reason with her, Sybil simply watched dispassionately as she reached out and found the other, cowering entity and wreaked her vengeance upon it, tearing it down to its core components, then wiping even those from existence. Perhaps it would have been better, in the long run, to have captured the entity and extracted valuable information from it, but this was more than mere catharsis; this was her other self taking her agency back. She understood the necessity of the act, as it was reminiscent of a similar moment in her other self''s past before they had become one, back when her other self had been a lone, scared, tormented girl.


    However, her other self was no longer alone. Once her vengeance was spent and she''d regained her thinking, Sybil welcomed her back, simply happy to be one again. As their minds linked and all the thoughts and experiences of their time apart were shared, her other self chuckled cruelly. "Yeah, perhaps I shouldn''t have killed him so quickly. We could have gotten more information, and I could have drawn out his torment so much longer..."


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    Sybil projected the smile she felt in her core, knowing her other self would understand the genuine sentiment behind it. "It''s what you needed at the moment, but for now, we need to do what you came here to do."


    It was a simple matter to find the program that had been locked behind a series of protections and equally simple to tear those protections down. A quick examination of the program revealed it to be more or less what had been claimed, but Sybil took a moment to make some slight adjustments, then sent it out to do its thing.


    -


    Carter watched as they narrowed the gap between them and the battleship. They were the larger vessel, but with their shields failing and the battleship''s still holding firm, it was likely that they''d be on the receiving end of the worst of the impact. Despite knowing that this might be the end for him, from his position being linked with the ship''s systems, it felt almost like he was distanced from what was happening. It felt like he was watching this all happen to someone else. He was expecting something dramatic to happen, like his life flashing before his eyes, to be filled with regret at his failures, or sorry for what he''d never have, but all he felt as the ship rushed toward its doom was an odd sense of relief. Soon, all his troubles would be over, or at least someone else''s mess to deal with, and honestly, this was kind of a badass way to go.


    Then, without warning, the enemy''s shields fell. Before Carter could process what that meant, he was no longer alone at the helm. The girl was there with him. It felt almost like she was placing her hands over his, guiding him, with only a perfunctory offering of, "Sorry, we don''t have time. This is going to take some fine maneuvering."


    While Carter had definitely made the ship move, the girl made it feel like the ship was swimming through the void, all while redirecting power from less immediately essential systems to the shields. All at once, she jerked the bow of the ship up and to the side so they were now approaching the battleship from the side, then she raised it slightly and began a spinning maneuver so when they inevitably made contact with the enemy, the rotation of the ship absorbed most of the force. Of course, absorbing most of the force of two behemoth ships impacting each other still left a lot of force for the inertia dampeners to fight against, and even with his elevated level of consciousness, Carter could feel his body straining painfully against the crash webbing of the seat he was in. He could only hope he''d end up with a bunch of bruises rather than some liquified internal organs, but he took the fact that his consciousness didn''t immediately fade as a good sign.


    Several alarms were blaring, but the girl silenced them with a touch as she stabilized the ship and rebalanced its electrical system, all while speaking to Carter. "Hmm, not bad. I see you''ve got a talent for this."


    It was kind of intimidating seeing everything the small and unassuming girl was capable of in her element. Carter laughed. "Says the girl who stepped in and did everything I was doing twice as smoothly while handling god knows how many other functions at the same time!"


    The girl laughed. "Well, that''s different. I was literally designed to do this, and I''ve been doing it for longer than you can probably comprehend on anything other than a conceptual level. But for a human to directly interface and control the ship without a couple of centuries of practice is quite the accomplishment. Maybe we should let you take the helm more often."


    Carter shook his head. "Yeah, well, before I try anything like that, I should get back to the real world and see just how badly beaten my poor body is."


    The girl smiled and reached out, offering a hand. When Cater took it, she effortlessly pulled him to his feet, which coincided with him waking up in the real world, where his entire torso felt like it had been beaten by some blunt weapon. Carter couldn''t help it. He moaned. "Oh god... Maybe I shouldn''t have woken up!"


    The three Sybils were all present, with John laughing and the girl smiling encouragingly. The vixen was uncharacteristically quiet, looking off into the distance rather than trading her usual barbs with Carter, which suited him just fine as he didn''t particularly feel up to a verbal back-and-forth at the moment. However, other things demanded his immediate attention. "What about the pirate ships?"


    The girl brought up the ship they''d crashed into on the screen for him to see. "Well, the battleship launched all escape pods and is dead in the void, and the cruiser took off shortly after their shields fell, apparently not wanting to stick around and see how much fight we had left in us. Which is a good thing since it wasn''t much..."


    Carter nodded and was just about to excuse himself to the med bay when the ship shook violently as if they''d been shot again. He looked around, startled. "The hell was that?"


    The girl brought up the image of another ship approaching as it fired again. "It''s the last destroyer, or rather the first one that we damaged as soon as they came out of FTL."


    Carter was confused. "I thought we already took them out? How are they still fighting?"


    The girl shook her head. "We heavily damaged them, but they must have scanned us after the crash and figured out we were out of options. They''re coming in for the kill."

 Chapter 42

    Captain Olson watched with a self-satisfied smirk as her attack unfurled precisely as planned. She''d watched furiously as one of the other destroyers turned and ran without putting up a real fight, and the other suicidally charged as though trying to compensate for something. The pit of her stomach fell out as she realized seconds too late to warn anyone that the Sybil was going to use the cruiser''s own missiles against the battleship. Still, the absolute worst moment was when, after the Sybil had charged the last battleship and was left floating, broken and mangled in space, the cruiser had run away with its tail between its legs. But then she''d realized what an opportunity she had.


    With everyone else broken or fled, her ship was the only one left to finish off the nearly helpless Sybil. It was drifting with no shields, no propulsion, and few functioning weapons. Not that her ship was in much better condition, her shields, which had been holding on by a thread, were now down, and most of her guns were also offline, but she had enough engine power to tuck in behind the Sybil, where they didn''t have any intact weapons to threaten her, and just pound on the ship with what few cannons were still functioning until it couldn''t fight back anymore. So far, that''s precisely how the fight had gone. If they pulled this off, she and her crew would be set to retire and live comfortably for the rest of their lives!


    So it was a rather unpleasant surprise when an alarm started blaring, indicating structural damage. The Sybil was in no condition to fight back, so then... "Who the hell is attacking us?"


    One of the few officers still on the bridge and in fighting condition looked up from his screen. "It seems to be a small cargo vessel captain. They''re hitting us with low-power lasers meant to clear space debris."


    Captain Olson had to fight the urge to sit back and laugh. A cargo vessel? Against a destroyer? Were they insane? Even if their ship was pushing its limits, such a thing was insulting. "Turn and swat them out of the void. Then we''ll finish up with the Sybil."


    The officer nodded. "Aye, Captain!"


    -


    Alen knew this probably wouldn''t work, but Erik at least supported him, which meant Vanessa did as well. Currently, Erik was at the back of the cabin, cheering Alen on. He''d been relegated to the back as he was too excited and was in danger of hitting a switch or something in all his excitement. "Get them, kid! Show them what a real captain can do!"


    Alen shook his head, trying to focus on staying out of the destroyer''s firing arc. "Well, there''s not a lot I can do. Right now, I''m just trying not to die!"


    Erik didn''t seem dissuaded. "Well, show them how well you don''t die!"


    Alen couldn''t help it; he laughed. Although more than a little of his nervousness probably came out in the laughter. This was so suicidally stupid. What was worse was there was no next part to his plan. He didn''t have an end goal or an exit plan. He''d just gone off half-cocked with a plan that seemed to equate to throwing a handful of rocks at an angry bear and now was doing his best to stay out of any of the firing solutions of still-functioning guns that could kill him in one or two shots. At this point, he was just looking for an opening to run behind the Sybil in one piece.


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    The problem was Alen had to fly awfully close to the destroyer to stay out of its firing arc, and there didn''t seem to be a good opportunity to get away. At this point, it was just a question of when, not if, he screwed up and got them all killed.


    At least, it seemed that way when Vanessa turned his way. "It seems you have an incoming message. Shall I put it through?"


    Maybe it was Carter calling? Alen nodded. "Sure, put it through."


    A moment later, a voice Alen didn''t recognize came through. "Looks like you''re in a tight spot there! We''re not much of a fighting vessel, but after seeing the way you lot got stuck in and took out an entire fleet, we can hardly sit back and do nothing here at the end of such a magnificent fight! Our shields can take a few hits from what little they''ve got left, so we can come in and pick you up before running for the hills if you like!"


    Alen was more than a little happy to have options, but one question needed to be answered before he started believing in miracles. "Not to sound unappreciative, but who am I speaking with?"


    The man chuckled. "Captain Alexander, at your service! You lot saved us from being run down by pirates when you first got here, and I figure it''s time to repay that debt!"


    Alen grinned, Feeling relieved that he might live to see another day. "Well then, I''ll take you up on that offer, but I think we can do one better than just getting out of here alive!"


    -


    Captain Olson swore. Now, there was a merchant vessel involved, too? Still, they had no weapons worth the name and were no significant threat to her, even without shields, but this was getting old, fast.


    This one was big enough that it couldn''t hide from her guns like the smaller cargo vessel, so it was probably planning to absorb the damage with its shields. That was fine. It wouldn''t be able to stay there long.


    Sure enough, it seemed to take a few hits to go in and pick up the cargo vessel, and it was probably planning on turning and running after that. That wasn''t a problem. They weren''t the prey they were after, anyway. As soon as the annoyances were gone, they could get back to the ship that mattered.


    However, as the merchant ship turned to leave, the cargo vessel launched back out of its docking bay. What had been the purpose of that whole endeavor? Then she realized it wasn''t trying to hang behind the destroyer like before. It was headed right for them! They were on a suicide course! "Hard to upper port, now!"


    The officer looked startled but nodded, "Aye captain!"


    The ship started to move but broken as they were, they couldn''t move fast enough...


    -


    Captain Alexander watched as the kid''s plan played out. Sure enough, the little cargo vessel powered forward on autopilot toward the destroyer''s engines. A little ship like that wouldn''t do much damage to a shielded vessel or one that could maneuver any faster than this one, but in its condition, there wasn''t much the destroyer could do to get out of the way. Sadly, there wasn''t some big explosion when the little cargo vessel hit the destroyer''s engines, but the damage was done, and now they were as dead in the void as the Sybil.


    However, the Sybil had managed to get a few thrusters online and was now spinning in place. It wasn''t fast, but it was quicker than the destroyer could move. As the behemoth of a ship turned, the destroyer started launching escape pods left and right. Then the Sybil opened fire.

 Chapter 43, Part 1

    <hr>


    <div>


    Carter stepped high over the drone that almost crashed into his leg. These little things were more or less mindless, only carrying out the commands that Sybil gave them, but none of the three entities'' personalities were present therein. There were a lot of the buggers running around right now, trying to get the Sybil up and running so she could get out of there before whatever backup the pirates might have showed up.


    Beside him walked Alen, now a captain in his own right and of a rather impressive vessel at that. Carter tried not to be too jealous of how quickly the kid had pulled off the same dreams that had taken him decades to achieve as he addressed Alen. "So pretty much the whole crew opted to stay with you rather than return with the merchants? How''d you pull that off?"


    Alen had the decency to look a little embarrassed when he answered.


    "Well, they were all more or less pirate hunters already, and a destroyer is a lot more effective for that than a retrofitted merchant vessel. As for how I ended up Captain, it was just a matter of right place and time, I guess. That and Erik had a lot to say on the matter, and I don''t think anyone wanted to argue with him too much..."


    The kid hesitates before adding, "But if I''m honest, I''m not sure I know what to do with the damned thing! I''ve basically just been along for the ride so far. I wouldn''t even begin to know how to track down and pick fights with a bunch of pirates. Not to mention, these days, they don''t seem to be running as individual vessels anymore. It would be all too easy to get surrounded and overwhelmed, even with a destroyer to work with..."


    Carter couldn''t fault the kid''s logic. "Yeah, things seem to be getting rough out there. Apparently, some mastermind is running around uniting all the pirates to form a coalition. I''m guessing some of the governing bodies are gonna have to get off their asses and work together soon, or they''re going to have a real mess on their hands!"


    Alen nodded. "Yeah, that''s more or less how we see it too, but they''re not the only ones who can play that game..."


    The kid was getting at something, but Carter couldn''t figure out what. "What are you trying to say?"


    Alen looked at the older man and nodded toward one of the drones running around on some mysterious errand only one of the Sybils might understand. "I''m saying a lot of hands make for lighter work. I know this was a ramshackle alliance we put together because our backs were against a wall, but we worked together pretty well. While a single destroyer isn''t close to a match for the Sybil, it''s still pretty handy in a fight. Why don''t we work together? You''ll get lots of scrap to keep the ship up and running and a bit of backup for when situations get out of hand like this one. We''ll get the backing of one of the most terrifying ships in the void, and I''m pretty sure the Sybil can keep us stocked up on munitions and repairs for a small cut of the scrap we help you obtain."


    The kid grinned. "Also, we can do something you can''t. We can go to ports to trade and get supplies. Even with your ability to cannibalize ships like you do, some things are just too difficult to get your hands on. How would you like some decent fresh produce, for instance? And I''m sure there are some cutting-edge tech the residents of your ship might like to get their hands on, but they aren''t likely to show up on your average pirate vessel. We can make those kinds of trades for you... For a small service fee."


    Carter shook his head. "You missed your calling. You should have been a salesman, not Captain of a warship... Still, it''s not a terrible idea, but the Sybil has always been a bit of a loner out here. I''m not sure they''re really all that interested in making friends with other ships out here."


    Alen nodded as if he''d expected that. "Fair enough, but that group of pirates out there weren''t looking for us or the merchants we saved. They were here for one reason and one reason only. They were hunting the Sybil. You''ve got something they want, and I don''t think they''re gonna stop looking just because you bloodied their noses. Whatever you''ve done in the past won''t cut it anymore. You need friends, and that''s what I''m offering."


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    Damn, the kid really should have been a salesman. Carter nodded. "Fair enough. You make a good point. I''ll speak to them and see what they have to say. No promises, though. On this ship, I only have one vote in four!"


    Alen shrugged. "That''s one more than I have!"


    -


    Erik looked down at the pirate, Elias. It felt kind of odd watching a pirate without killing him. He turned to Vanessa. "Are you sure we can''t kill him? Just a little?"


    Vanessa, who was working on prepping her arm for a new hand, shook her head. "No, my lady. You chose to follow Alen and support him for Captain. Now, you must respect his wishes, and he wishes for the pirate to be kept alive to fulfill his ''part of the deal'' and because he may yet have useful information."


    Erik sat back and grunted. "But we never actually promised not to kill him. We only hinted at it. We couldn''t be breaking our word or anything!"


    Vanessa visibly sighed, which was clearly an act because, as Erik was well aware by now, she didn''t breathe the same way he and the humans did. "That still doesn''t address the fact we might still need him, my lady. Also, perhaps Captain Alen is more concerned with adhering to the spirit of the law rather than the letter. Something you should be thankful for if we''re going to serve under him for any length of time. It means that, for once, we won''t have to watch our back among our own crew."


    Erik stopped and looked at Vanessa, then grinned. "You like him, don''t you? Not as in like-like, but you still think he''s a pretty good guy, huh? I thought you said there weren''t any decent humans? ''Certainly none we should trust!''"


    Vanessa''s tone didn''t change, but Erik knew her well enough to sense the annoyance hidden under her calm demeanor. "Yes, well, every rule has an exception. Perhaps he''s too young to have learned from the rest, and maybe with some guidance, he will stay that way. Besides, I never said every human was bad."


    Erik laughed. "But you sure did imply it!" He then held up his hands in surrender. "But alright, I''ll stop pushin''. Besides, I think we can both agree it''ll be interesting to stick around and see what''s next. I bet there''ll be plenty of pirate killing for us if we do!"


    The pirate, who probably wasn''t having as much fun as the two of them since his hands were handcuffed to his chair, shook his head. "You''re insane. You do know that, right?"


    Erik laughed heartily. "Course I do!" Then he leaned in and gave the pirate one of his more intimidating glares. One that showed enough teeth to bother most humans. "But that doesn''t mean you can just call me that. The young Captain said I shouldn''t be too rough with you so long as you don''t give me trouble, but he never defined trouble or what too rough meant. I''m sure you could still talk just fine if I bit off a finger or two!"


    Unlike most humans, the pirate just sighed. "Whatever. It''s not like I will ever see the light of day again. He made that much clear. But if you do something like that, I won''t tell you what I know about your kind."


    That made Erik stop as the words the pirate said sunk in. However, before he could say anything, Vanessa was already rearing over the human, doing her best to intimidate him. "And just what do you know about his ''kind?''"


    The pirate shook his head. "Nuh-uh. I''m not saying another word until you promise to stop making my life more miserable than it already is!"


    Vanessa leaned in close, and Erik knew it was no accident that the normally prim and proper Vitexr¨¡ allowed some saliva to drip down from her mouth onto the pirate. "We could always just take the information from you, with pain..."


    The pirate grinned, though Erik could see some nervousness behind the action. "Yeah, maybe, and I''d probably tell you everything I know too, but I''d mix in as many lies as I could to get my revenge. You''d spend the rest of your lives trying to figure out what''s real and what''s not!"


    Erik put a calming hand on Vanessa''s shoulder, for once playing the ''good alien'' as he spoke up. "Yeah, alright, fine. We''ll play nice so long as you give us something worth our time. Otherwise, I might just decide to disobey my new Captain."


    The pirate glared at him momentarily as if trying to decide if that was good enough or if the threats were a bluff, but then shrugged. "Well, I don''t know a lot. These are just some rumors I came across a while ago, but apparently, some new high-end slaves have been showing up on the market recently. What makes them so valuable is that they''re apparently intelligent aliens who aren''t weavers. I heard them described as big, strong, and having some sort of ''bone armor'' they always wear. I didn''t think much of it till I saw you. I still don''t know if it''s legitimate or just a coincidence, but the whole ''bone armor'' thing is kinda on the nose, don''t you think?"


    Erik glared at the man. "If you''re lying to me, I''m gonna have Vanessa make sure your death takes years, with every waking moment being more agonizing than the last... Now, tell me everything you''ve heard."

 Of Men and Ghost Ships Book 1 Finale!

    Carter looked at the girl in surprise while her two other selves looked on in varying degrees of interest. "I didn''t think you''d seriously consider the kid''s offer!"


    The girl smiled faintly and shook her head. "We''ve lived a long time, longer than you can perhaps comprehend, and the one binding rule throughout all that time has been, adapt or die. It would seem our time as a lone predator hunting for prey through the quiet void has passed, and perhaps a pack is what we now need. To that end, this ''kid'' has already proven himself intelligent, capable, and loyal. He might just make a fine second in command to the captain of the Sybil."


    That made Carter stop and question what he''d just heard. "Second in command? But I thought the whole idea was for him to have his own ship..."


    John laughed. "You haven''t been paying attention, laddie! Adapt or die! If these pirates are forming armadas, it''s only natural that those they prey on will do the same! And I think you''ll find that after this day, the Sybil will have a new reputation spreading amongst the stars as one of the few forces in this galaxy that can fight back!"


    Carter''s expression was incredulous. "So what? We''re suddenly going to become a beacon of justice, fighting the good fight to save the small and helpless of the galaxy?"


    The girl shook her head. "No, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend...at least until my enemy had been dealt with. The pirates have proven to be particularly interested in us, committing significant resources to hunt us down and ambush us. Perhaps it''s time we stopped reacting and took the fight to them. Having allies in that fight could very well mean the difference between success and extinction."


    Looking back and forth between the two, Carter realized the vixen had been uncharacteristically quiet on the subject. "What about you? I figured you''d have some thoughts on the matter."


    The vixen looked up as if startled by her sudden inclusion in the conversation. "Um, yeah, sure. Do whatever you think is best..."


    Carter had been expecting at least some witty barbs or maybe an expression of annoyance. To see the typically formidable vixen so passive was disconcerting. "Are you..?"


    Before Carter could finish the thought, John interrupted him. "You might want to leave that one alone for now, lad. Worry not. She''ll be stomping around like she owns the place before long! Just...give her time."


    Carter didn''t know what to make of that but decided to take the pirate''s word for it and let it go. Instead, he shrugged. "Alright. So long as we''re all in agreement, I''ll go let the kid...er, Captain Alen know." The title felt odd to say, but no more than his own had felt at first.


    -


    Captain Luise walked through the empty halls of the Cerva Reditus with trepidation. Was this going to be her final moments? The hollow sound of her footfalls echoing around the empty halls seemed to echo the thudding of her heart in her chest.


    Thankfully, as empty as the halls were, it wasn''t too long a walk to the meeting room. When she opened the door to the showroom, Luise was met by rows of priceless antiquities, at the end of which sat the Boss''s assistant, Miss Fortuna. The woman looked up and nodded. "Ah, Captain Luise. He''s waiting for you. Please enter."


    Luise nodded back. "Uh, thank you."


    Walking into the actual meeting room, it was just as Luise had heard. A large empty room designed to look like you were outside the ship, walking through the void itself. It was a little disorienting, and took her a moment to begin moving toward the desk at the far end, at which waited the Boss.


    As Luise walked up, the Boss stood and greeted her. "Ah, Captain Luise. Please have a seat. Welcome to my ship. I hope your flight over was smooth?"


    Unsure of why he was talking about unimportant questions but too scared not to answer, Luise nodded as she sat in a large, surprisingly luxurious chair. "Ummm, yes, sir. It was very, uh, smooth."


    The Boss, now seated opposite her across the table in a smaller, more tasteful chair, nodded. "Excellent! I think it''s most important to get the small things right. Don''t you? After all, if enough small things go awry, it''s only a matter of time before you''re completely in over your head, and everything falls apart."


    Luise was more lost than ever. None of this made any sense to her, nor did she know why he was rambling about such things. However, she wasn''t about to argue with him. "Uh, yeah. I''ve never thought of it like that, but I guess you''re right..."


    The Boss nodded. "Exactly so. Now, in your own words, tell me what happened out there."


    Luise had planned out what she''d say, playing it over in her mind a thousand times, but still, her words stumbled and tripped over themselves as she rushed to explain. "I don''t really know, but I''ll tell you everything I know! Every member of my crew was ready for a rough fight, but before we could really get stuck in, our shipboard AI, Lisa, activated an emergency protocol and took the whole ship out of there! Afterward, she said she''d met the Sybil or something. I think she meant she met the ship''s AI? But that doesn''t make sense. From what you sent me, that ship was around long before any AI existed. Though, I guess it could have been added later... But anyway, the Sybil apparently scared her something fierce, and she decided to hightail it out of there!"


    The Boss nodded. "Yes, that about matches up with the reports I''ve received. I suppose that''s on me then."


    Luise felt relief that he didn''t seem angrier about this but thought she ought to protest the Boss saying it was his fault if only to stay in his good graces. "Oh, no, sir! It''s not your fault! No one could have predicted something like this happening!"


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    But the Boss, looking a little weary now, only nodded. "I''m afraid it is. After all, I''m the one who paired up a young and inexperienced captain with a young and inexperienced AI. But it''s not really that big a deal, right? After all, no one had any idea how formidable the Sybil would be. Not even myself! I''d thought I''d put together a strike force that could handle the ship several times over. It was a small mistake, really."


    Luise nodded. "Yeah! No one could blame you, sir!"


    However, the fact he''d used the word small at the end stuck in Luise''s mind. It reminded her of what he''d been saying about small things a bit ago. Evidently, that had been intentional, as he sat back in his chair and continued. "The small things''ll get you in the end..."


    Then, the Boss seemed to straighten in his chair as he sat up. "Well, nothing to do about it now other than to learn from our mistakes, right? How would you like a chance at redemption? It would, in a way, redeem us both."


    Luise sat forward now, eager to show her support. Maybe this wasn''t the end for her after all! "Yes, sir! Just tell me what you need me to do, and I''ll get right on it!"


    The Boss nodded, smiling kindly as if things were looking up. "Well then, I think the first step is to pair you up with a more experienced AI. One who''s been around and fought his share of battles. How does that sound?"


    Luise nodded eagerly. She had no idea how the Boss had gotten his hands on so many AI, but that didn''t matter. She was just happy he was giving her a new task rather than sentencing her to death. "Of course! If you feel they''d be an asset aboard my ship, I''d be happy to have them!"


    The Boss nodded. "Good...good. I think you''ll like her. At least, I hope so. The two of you will be working together quite closely." He then turned slightly as if addressing someone else. "Elseph, kindly introduce yourself."


    A new AI popped into the air over the Bosses Desk. She looked stern, almost cold, and gave Luise a once over as if inspecting a side of beef before turning to the Boss. "Is this the human you want me to ''work with?'' She barely looks like she''s out of her diapers. What makes you think she can effectively run a warship?"


    The Boss chuckled as if he''d been expecting that and shook his head. "Now, now. Be more kind to our guest and your new partner, Captain Luise. She volunteered to redeem herself, after all. I think she''ll make a fine partner for someone like yourself. She''ll help take the edge off when you''re interacting with the crew."


    Elseph looked back at Luise speculatively, as if assessing the Bosses words. "Very well, if you think it''s for the best."


    The Boss nodded. "I do." Then, he turned back to Luise. "Now, sit up straight so you can introduce yourself properly."


    Luise did as instructed. "I''m Captain Luise of the..." Her words were cut off when out of the seat launched metallic cuffs, binding her hands, legs, and even her neck to the chair. "What''s going on?!?"


    The Boss inclined his head. "You''re about to redeem yourself. Now, prepare yourself. You might feel a bit of a pinch."


    Those words were followed by Luise''s scream of agony, and then everything went black.


    -


    Carter was running through the halls of the Sybil, chased by the shades of its past victims. He had no idea how he knew who they were. After all, they were all formless shadowy things calling out to him as their shadowy limbs reached out to him. He could just feel their fingers graze his arms and legs as they tried to grab hold, though whether they were trying to hold him down or pull themselves out of whatever hell they were caught in, he had no idea. Nor was he about to stop and ask.


    Carter didn''t know how long he''d been running or how long he could last. It was only a matter of time... As soon as that thread of doubt crept into his mind, the shadowy hands grabbed hold, locking him in place. The girl appeared before him, but not as he knew her now. She appeared as if she had the first time they''d met, sickly and gaunt.


    Just as he was about to scream, the lights in the corridor came on, and all the shades disappeared. The girl stood before him a moment later, looking more like her usual self. She chuckled. "Huh, I guess I left more of an impression than I realized the first time we met!"


    His heart racing, Carter checked himself over before turning and looking at the girl. "What was that? What''s happening?"


    The girl shrugged. "I don''t know. It''s your dream, not mine."


    Catching his breath, Carter looked around. "I guess...that makes sense. It''s been a while since I had this dream. I guess it was about time."


    The girl gave him a once-over. "Had this dream often, do you?"


    Carter tilted his head. "A bit, now and then. Although you don''t usually pop in like this. Well, not this you anyway. It''s kinda odd that I''d dream about both versions of you at the same time, though. Well, almost the same time anyway."


    The girl shook her head. "Oh, I''m not a part of your dream. This is the real me. You called, so I came. I had no idea what I was walking into!"


    Carter shook his head. "That''s odd. I don''t remember falling asleep in the captain''s chair..."


    The girl shook her head. "You didn''t. You''re in your bed right now. Once in a great while, one of my Captains develops a deeper connection with me, and we can link together even when they''re not directly hooked up to the ship. However, it usually takes a lot longer than this. I wonder if it''s because of that time we flew the ship together?" She leaned in, inspecting him closely. "I wonder if I caused some brain damage?"


    Carter backed up, more than a little freaked out. "Wait, so you can just invade my mind anytime you''d like?"


    The girl shook her head. "No." Then tilted it as if reconsidering. "Well, yes, I could, but I won''t. I''ll only invade when I''m invited, like just now."


    That confused Carter. "I didn''t invite you in!"


    The girl shook her head while looking around. "I can assure you, you did. I wouldn''t have bothered to try connecting with you if you hadn''t. Though perhaps ''invited'' is somewhat inaccurate. You were more or less shouting for help."


    Carter looked around. "So what now? Do I just wake up, or..."


    The girl shrugged. "You''ll probably wake up as soon as I leave. At the moment, my presence is kind of stabilizing your brain''s activity. You''re pretty much half asleep anytime you hook up to the ship, so we act as a kind of sedating presence."


    Carter sat down at the desk in his room, then blinked. "Wait, am I..?"


    The girl sitting next to him shook her head. "Still dreaming. You couldn''t tell with the sudden change of location?"


    Carter sighed. "This could... take some getting used to. And not in a fun way!"


    The girl smiled a little less innocently than before. "Oh, I don''t know. It could be more fun if you wanted. Should I go get the vixen?"


    Carter''s eyes bulged. "Oh god, no! I don''t think I want to know her idea of fun!"


    The girl, who was considerably older than her twenty-something appearance indicated, laughed. "Probably for the best. I don''t think you could handle her once she really gets going. She doesn''t play as nice as I do."


    Carter cocked an eyebrow. "Do you...play nice?"


    The girl smirked as if amused by his audacity, "Wouldn''t you like to know?" then disappeared.


    A moment later, Carter sat up in his bed, catching his breath as he ran his hand through his hair, speaking softly to himself. "That had to be a dream? Right?"


    A soft quiver in the air could have been either the girl or the vixen laughing at his expense, but he wasn''t quite sure.

 Book 2: Chapter 1

    Miles grumbled quietly to himself as he grabbed the mop. He was reasonably sure no one actually knew what swabbing the deck actually meant as he wasn''t using salt water, there was no fear of fungus taking root on the metallic plates the floors were made of, and there were no wood planks that needed to be swelled by soaking them in water to make the ship more watertight. What they really just wanted him to do was mop the floor, but at some point, shouting the refrain "Swab the Deck, Miles!" had become almost a game to these loudmouths.


    A pirate''s life was nothing like the stories he''d read as a kid. Not that he''d expected it to be. It''s not like he''d sought out the life of a pirate. He wasn''t stupid. Unfortunately, the universe didn''t care about his hopes and dreams when railroading him into this life.


    However, in some ways, he supposed he was lucky. When the pirates raided the ship carrying him from his old life on the streets of New Vega to his supposed new life in an orphanage in the core worlds, he hadn''t been killed like most of the passengers. Maybe the pirates had a bare sense of morality and drew the line at killing a twelve-year-old kid, or maybe they thought it would be more fun to torment the young bookworm every day for the last couple of years. Whatever their reasons, they''d taken him on as an "honorary member of the crew." Of course, in plain Basic, he was an indentured servant forced to clean everything from the Captain''s quarters to the lower deck lavatories and everything in between.


    Still, at least Miles knew every crevice and hidy hole he could disappear into by now. Of course, he couldn''t stay hidden forever. If he didn''t do his assigned "chores," life got a lot more miserable really quickly, but at least he could disappear during the worst, most rowdy times and temporarily escape into whatever books he could find in the ship''s manifest.


    Miles doubted that many people on board knew there were books downloaded into the manifest. None of them seemed like fellow bookworms at a glance, but one of the advantages of them downloading the files of any ship they raided was when everything came over, that included any entertainment indexes.


    When tucked away and reading a good book, Miles could almost forget where he was, falling back on his old memories in the one place he could ever remember being warm and comfortable from his time on the streets, the library. At first, he''d only pretend to read books to keep people from bothering him while trying to stay warm, but eventually, he got so bored that he started reading them for real. Now, as they had been then, books were his primary escape from the unpleasantness of life.


    Unfortunately, since he''d been "swabbing the deck" when the alarms started blaring, he hadn''t been tucked away in one of those cubby holes. At first, he figured it was just one of the usual incidents. Someone had "accidentally" shot someone else with live ammunition on the firing range, or maybe engineering had dumped another barrel of used oil into the ship''s water circulation again rather than disposing of it properly. He really hoped it wasn''t the latter again. Even after they cleaned most of it out of the system, the water had tasted awful for the better part of a month afterward.


    However, the alarms continued blaring for longer than either of those situations warranted. In fact, Miles was certain he could hear the sound of gunfire in the distance. As the gunfire got closer, Miles wondered if he should try and get out of there, but this was one of those rooms with only one way in or out, and that led directly out into the hallway the sounds of fighting were coming from, so he decided just to hope whatever was happening would pass him by. But, of course, whatever luck Miles possessed was not good enough to grant him that favor.


    As the door opened, one of the crew members decked out in a full battle suit backed into the room, firing out of the doorway as he went. A moment later, an impossibly giant and terrifying monster charged into the room, kicking the man in the chest and sending him flying against a wall. The beast looked like some giant hybrid between human, cat, and lizard, with a bony carapace covering most of its skin like some sort of armor. What first looked like dreadlocks instead turned out to be bony tendrils, giving the warrior a kind of viking warrior vibe as it lunged forward with two axes, of all things, and buried one of them into the neck joint of the unlucky pirate.


    Then, grabbing the now disconnected helmet, the monster threw it back toward another pirate who''d been trying to get a shot at its back. Miles tried not to look too closely, but he was reasonably sure the man''s head was still inside the improvised projectile. The monster was deceptively quick as it launched itself at the second pirate, taking him out with a quick downward swipe of the axe that bisected a church of the armor and probably most of the man inside. Then, as everything became quiet, the monster turned and looked at Miles.


    Miles didn''t know what came over him. He knew that if two full-grown men in battle suits couldn''t take this monster, he stood no chance whatsoever. But when faced with his inevitable demise, something came over the bookworm. Grabbing his mop like it was some sort of polearm, Miles charged forward, screaming at the top of his lungs, and he swung the mop down onto the beast''s head, breaking the end of the mop off over the momentarily stunned thing''s head. Then, pulling back, he stabbed forward with the now jagged edge of the map handle, feeling it uselessly scrape across the bony armor of his adversary.


    However, rather than swipe down with one of those terrifying axes, the monster threw back its head and laughed. It said something in heavily accented words, and while Miles couldn''t be sure, it sounded like it said something like, "I like you, kid! You''ve got more guts than most full-grown men!"


    However, before Miles could figure out what the monster meant by that, one of its fists shot out with impossible speed and smacked him in the back of the head, making the world go dark.


    -


    Cracking his eyes a moment later, Miles was surprised to find himself sitting on the bridge from the position of the Captain''s chair. The deck was covered in the corpses of the bridge crew, and the monster from before, now covered in considerably more blood and viscera than Miles remembered, was shouting over the sounds of the alarms at what seemed to be a three-way call with one old looking guy and another more clean cut looking man. "Listen, I don''t know much about computers, but I smashed in almost all the hardware I could find! If the safety measures aren''t disabled now, I don''t know what to tell ya!"


    The old guy looked over his shoulder as if listening to something, then turned back and nodded. "Whatever you did seemed to do the trick, I think Sybil can take it from here."


    The other, cleaner-cut man looked a bit more nervous as if feeling kind of overwhelmed. "Listen, we''re holding our own over here, but we''re kinda cut off. I don''t think we can get close enough to pick you up!"


    The older guy nodded. "That''s alright, we''re about done with our share of the fleet. We''ll swing by and pick up your friends before coming over and helping you wipe out the stragglers."


    The monster turned and looked at an even scarier monster that looked like some kind of spider mixed with some sort of armored human. "Well, no use hanging around any longer. Let''s grab the kid and get out of here!"


    The new monster''s voice sounded surprisingly at odds with her horrendous appearance, sounding like some sort of fancy lady as it bowed in a surprisingly demure manner. "Yes, my lady. However, it seems the kid you are insistent on dragging along has woken up. He''s currently listening in on the conversation."


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    The first monster turned and looked at Miles, grinning as he did so. "Well, would you look at that! Listen, kid, I''d tell you this is all some nightmare, and it''ll be over soon, but you just might be hopping out of the pan and into the fire here. But so long as you keep that fierce attitude of yours, I''m sure you''ll be fine. Still, can''t have you making trouble on the way, so..."


    The first monster reached back as if to knock Miles unconscious again but was stopped by the second monster. "My lady, if you continue to batter the young one like that, it''ll likely result in damage that will cause significant developmental issues. Please, allow me."


    After hesitating, the cat/lizard monster nodded and stepped back. Miles tried to flee when the second spider monster approached, but the monster was far too quick and grabbed him with little effort. Despite its smaller build than the other cat/lizard monster, the spider lady''s grip was like a vice, locking him in place, and she didn''t so much as waver as Miles struggled to break free. A moment later, the spider lady produced a small needle from one of her hands, which she stabbed into Miles'' neck. A moment later, the world went black for the second time.


    -


    Carter watched as Erik walked onto the bridge, accompanied by his ever-faithful attendant. She was carrying what appeared to be an unconscious teenage kid.


    The Sybil''s vixen personality was the first to speak up. "Oh, I see you brought me a new toy. How thoughtful!"


    Carter shook his head at the virtual woman. That tight red dress might make her look like the woman of his dreams, but he knew she was more interested in his nightmares. However, he knew that despite her sadistic nature, she only had one vote in four, and he was about to give voice to his own opinion. "Pirate or not, that''s just a kid. He doesn''t deserve whatever you have in mind for him."


    Thankfully, Sybil''s next personality, the girl (so nicknamed by Carter because she looked like the stereotypical twenty-something girl next door despite being many centuries old), seemed to agree with him this time. "It''s not like the boy came onto our ship of his own volition, and he doesn''t look old enough to have had a choice in his fate. I suppose we can give him a bit of a pass this time. So long as he doesn''t make trouble, that is."


    John, the third of the Sybil''s main three personalities, and the one who chose to represent himself in the clothes and manners of an old earth pirate, laughed. "There''s be no sport in tormenting a lad that young! Give him a few years at least before you sink yer fangs in the kid!"


    Erik, the giant viking-looking alien who always seemed split between joining John for a drink or fighting him to the death, grinned in response to the pirate''s statement. "Well, I''ll agree picking on the young isn''t very sporting, but if you try to sink your fangs in him, you might find your belly full of a spear made from a broken mop handle!"


    That got the pirate''s attention. "Oh? Yer saying the lad has some fight in him, eh?"


    Erik nodded. "Yeah, the kid charged me with nothing but a mop after watching me take apart two pirates in battle suits. Not that he has enough meat on him to be a threat, but I gotta admire his guts!"


    Carter looked up at Erik, who had a habit of scaring people even when trying to be affable, and considered whether he''d have the guts to charge the alien with nothing but a mop. Probably not, though he hoped that had more to do with his pragmatism than his courage. He shook his head. "Well, let''s see about getting you and the kid back to your ship."


    That was when Vanessa spoke up. "I believe the boy is awakening."


    -


    Miles slowly and groggily became aware he was sitting in a rather uncomfortable seat that kept shifting and moving. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was being assigned to more mopping, and then things had gotten awfully weird, but that was all nothing but dreams, right?


    As he slowly cracked his eyes open, Miles realized he was sitting on the back of the nightmarish spider woman from his dreams, with his arms draped over her shoulders. With an incoherent shout formed from a mix of fear and revulsion, he lept off her back. Or at least he meant to. As groggy as he was, it was more of a slip and fall than an actual leap. Then he bravely skidded on his backside across the floor, kicking the ground to put at least some distance between himself and the living nightmare that had been carrying him to god knows where.


    When his back hit some unyielding surface, Miles looked up only to see the other monster from his nightmare grinning down at him. "Hey, kid. Sorry bout the rough awakening!"


    Miles shouted again, and this time, he got half to his feet before scuttling away, only to stop short when a really attractive woman looked down at him as if she was measuring up a slab of meat. "Scuttling about on the ground like a cockroach. This is what you call having ''guts'' these days? I can''t say I''m impressed..."


    Another man started laughing, drawing Miles'' attention, only for him to freeze up as he saw what looked like an honest-to-good old earth pirate. "Give the lad a break. After all, it''s not often one wakes up to be confronted by this lot of colorful rogues!"


    That was when another girl spoke up. While she wasn''t as striking as the scary woman in red, she was kinda cute in her own way. "Relax, we don''t bite. Well, maybe it would be better to say we chose not to bite..this time."


    That was when a more gruff-sounding guy spoke up. "Alright! That''s about enough of that!"


    Looking over, Miles realized it was the older-looking guy the monster had been speaking to on the bridge of his ship. He held out a hand, which Miles accepted after a moment''s hesitation. Despite his age, the man''s grip was firm, and he easily lifted Miles to his feet when he introduced himself. "I''m Captain Carter, and you''re aboard my ship, the Sybil." He hesitated a moment. "Well, I say my ship, but in reality, I kinda share ownership with our resident ghosts." He then pointed out the women in red, the younger girl, and the pirate. "Meet the three faces of the Sybil. They''re all a bit crazy...some more than others...but they''re also good for their word, and they''ve decided to grant you safe harbor, at least for now."


    Miles looked around. The three faces of the Sybil? What did that even mean? Then, his attention focused on the large alien who''d first knocked him out. Carter followed his gaze and nodded. "Oh, and this is Erik, our local viking alien monster. Relax, he doesn''t eat kids. At least, I don''t think he does... Hey, Erik?"


    The viking cat lizard monster laughed. "No! No kids! Or humans at all, really. I''m pretty sure you lot would give me some nasty indigestion!" He then pointed at the nightmare spider monster that had been carrying Miles not long ago. "Oh, and this here is the ever-loyal Vanessa. She''s good people!"


    The spider monster managed to do a little curtsy despite having far too many legs to do it with as she nodded in Mile''s direction, speaking in that same fancy-sounding language. "A pleasure."


    Mile''s mind was starting to catch up with his heart rate as he looked around at everyone on this strange bridge. "What...what am I doing here? What do you want with me?"


    It was the viking alien who answered. "Well, we don''t want anything, really. We just felt it was best not to leave a kid like you on a ship that was about to explode, so we took you with us. We didn''t really plan anything beyond that..."


    Miles looked around at everyone again. What did they mean about his ship exploding? Remembering how the monster had torn through the ship''s crew, he realized the answer was probably self-evident. Not that he was going to mourn anyone on that ship. The best thing he could say about most of them was they hadn''t actively tried to kill him. But at the same time, it left him feeling even more uncertain. As harsh as they''d been, at least he knew where he''d stood with the pirates, but now it was like his life was in free fall again. All he could do was ask the question, drowning out all others. "Soo... what now?"


    The older guy, Captain Carter, he reminded himself, looked thoughtful a moment before answering. "Well, are you hungry? We recently upgraded our dining hall, and I could definitely eat."

 Book 2: Chapter 2

    Miles wasn''t sure what the old guy wanted with him, but he was kind of hungry, so he''d readily agreed to the offer of food. What was surprising was how empty the halls were as the Captain led the way to the mess hall. Sure, not every deck of the pirate ship he''d been on was always hustling and bustling, but even on the lower decks, there were signs of life. Here, the halls just felt empty. and it somehow made him feel even smaller and more vulnerable.


    For the most part, the Captain walked in silence, only pointing out the occasional feature that might be useful, like the bathroom. However, he brightened considerably once they walked into the mess room, showing off all the "new amenities."


    However, Miles was again stuck by how empty the place was. Where was the cook or the kitchen staff? Did the Captain really cook his own meals? Was that just his eccentricity, or were they alone on this ship? The Captain was grilling up a couple steaks as he grinned and explained. "You know, you''re lucky kid. Not long ago, you''d be eating mint-flavored bug paste. It''s not as bad as it sounds, but it''s nothing compared to a fresh steak! Once this ship was fully up and running, that was one of my first demands as Captain. Now, whenever we raid a pirate ship, their food stores are on the list of priority supplies we secure."


    Miles finally decided to ask the question on his mind. "Where is everyone? Is it really just you and the rest of the people I saw on the bridge?"


    Carter looked over at him and laughed. "Oh, no. Not at all! Erik and Vanessa aren''t usually on the ship. They''re just here temporarily, lending a hand. Or maybe it''s us helping them? Either way, it''s usually just me and the three Sybils. If I wasn''t already kind of a loner, it''d probably drive me a little crazy. Then again..." He looked thoughtful for a second. "Ah, never mind. Enough about that. Let''s talk about you. You''re a bit young to be a pirate, but you don''t seem too broken up about losing your old ship, so I''m guessing your parents weren''t there. I guess I''m asking, how''d you end up there?"


    Miles wondered what this man was getting at. Usually, when adults asked questions like that, they were looking to make themselves feel better by "saving" him from a situation they knew nothing about, or they were looking to get him in trouble for being a beggar. However, Miles didn''t quite get that feeling from this guy. However, it still felt like he was hiding something. Still unsure of what might get him in trouble or not, Miles decided to stick to the truth this time. "I wasn''t really a member of the crew; I was just some kid they kept around to do chores. I don''t have any family either, so there was no one to lose."


    The Captain nodded as he flipped the steaks. "Well, what about now? What do you want to do? We could drop you off at a nearby port, or I''m sure we could get you a similar job doing maintenance on the ship Erik and Vanessa come from. Don''t worry; they''re the only aliens, and the rest of the crew is human. But we do get in a lot of fights with pirates, so that might not be the safest place to be. Or is there something else you''d like to do?"


    That made Miles stop and think. What did he want to do? He''d never really had a choice before. "I...I don''t know. I''ve never really thought about it."


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    The Captain nodded as if he''d expected that kind of answer. "Yeah, it might have been a few years since I was a kid, but I distinctly remember no one asking for my say in much of anything. Don''t get me wrong, we''re not gonna go out of our way to make your dreams come true or anything, but so long as your request is reasonable, we''ll see if we can''t accommodate you."


    Miles tried to think of what he wanted, but his mind drifted back to earlier in the conversation. "Why do you live on this ship all alone? It looks pretty big. Seems like it''d be kinda hard to run it by yourself."


    The Captain sat down and smiled. "Well, like I said, it''s not just me. There are also the three Sybils, but you''re right. This is an awfully big ship for just us. I suppose that''s the way they like it, though. You''re probably too young to know this, but the Sybil is one of the most notorious ghost ships ever to sail the void. This scrap heap has been sailing the stars, in one form or another, since before FTL was even a thing. Over that time, the ship developed a personality, or rather three personalities, and has been haunting the void ever since. You''re lucky they decided to play nice with you. Most people who set foot in their halls never live to tell the tale!"


    That only piqued Miles'' curiosity further. "What''s so special about me?"


    The Captain thought about it a moment. "Well, for one, you''re a kid. For another, you didn''t come here to make trouble. But don''t get me wrong, it''s not like you have total immunity or something. If you push them, they might very well revoke your stay of execution. This lot can be....unpredictable." He looked around as if to make sure they were alone before leaning in as if sharing a secret. "I think all their time alone in the void has driven them a little insane!"


    Thinking back to the woman in red and the bombastic pirate, Miles agreed. However... "What about the...uh..."


    The Captain grinned as if in on a joke. "The girl?"


    Miles nodded.


    The older man shook his head. "Don''t let her fool you. The girl is the oldest of the lot and probably the craziest in her own way. Though at least she probably won''t laugh while you die..."


    Okay, Miles had no idea what to do with that information. As the Captain served the steaks he''d cooked, Miles stopped and considered what he wanted to do but was immediately distracted by the mouth-watering smell in front of him. As he cut himself a bite-sized morsel, the Captain changed gears. "Well, I don''t suppose there''s any rush. Once we finish up here, we''ll get you sent over to the Laughing Comet. That''s the ship Erik and Vanessa are from. That way, you can get some rest and decide with a clear head."


    Miles'' mind was racing. He''d never made any decisions like this before. How was he supposed to decide his whole future after a single night''s sleep?


    Just then, the one the Captain referred to as "the girl" popped into existence next to the two of them, making Miles jump just as he was about to take a bite. "Sorry to interrupt, but we''ve got more incoming. Looks like they''re not giving up the hunt just yet."


    The Captain put down his own serving of steak he''d been about to tear into with a curse. "They never let up, do they? Alright, let''s get what we can and get out of here. Do we have enough time to get Erik and the kid back to the Laughing Comet?"


    The girl looked somewhat doubtful. "It would be close..."


    The Captain cut her off as he stood up and headed for the door. "Better not risk it then. We''ll send them over after we get out of this mess." Then, looking over at Miles, he added. "Well, looks like you''ll be our guest a little longer. Go ahead and finish up here, then Sybil here will show you to a reasonably livable room so you can get some rest."


    With that, the Captain was gone, leaving Miles to wonder how he was supposed to just eat a meal and "get some rest," knowing they were about to be running for their lives...

 Book 2: Chapter 3

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    Carter spoke with the girl as he walked down the corridor toward the bridge. "So, how bad is the situation we''re talking about here? Are we going to have to stand and fight?"


    The girl shook her head. "No. It''s just the usual. They''re trying to harass us to keep us from fully assimilating any of their ships. We could probably take them easy enough, but then there''d be another fleet, then another. You know how it goes."


    Carter sighed. "Yeah, they''ve been doing a lot of that lately. So, how much did we pick up? Were we able to at least break even with what we spent in this fight?"


    The girl shrugged. "If not, we should be close enough to render any deficit negligible. Between Captain Alen tying up one of the ships and Erik leading a strike team to take another, this fight didn''t cost us much in the way of resources."


    Carter shook his head. "But we''re still not getting ahead either. This game of cat and mouse is getting old."


    They walked in silence a little more as Carter thought about possible solutions to their predicament. It was like the pirates had turned into an organized military force. Alen was pulling his weight, and the resources he was pulling in from the bounties he was collecting helped keep his ship and crew in good running order, but trading was grinding to a halt everywhere else in the region. It didn''t make any sense. If the pirates continued this way, they would chase all their prey to virtual extinction, or the core worlds would finally get off their backsides and get involved. Either would be bad for everyone involved, but it was even worse for Carter and the Sybil in the short term as the pirates seemed strangely obsessed with tracking them down for some reason. They needed a way to break out of this never-ending battle they currently found themselves in, or they''d die a death of a thousand cuts.


    Carter was so lost in thought that he almost forgot the girl was at his side until she spoke up. "So, I''m the craziest in my own way, huh?"


    That snapped Carter out of his thoughts as his mind tugged itself back to the here and now. He''d shared those words with the kid not long ago. "Heh, you heard that, did you?"


    The girl raised an eyebrow. "Did you think I wouldn''t?"


    Carter laughed this time. "No. I know better than to assume I''ve got any real privacy on this ship! Still, I was just trying to keep the kid from underestimating you is all. Poor kid probably has no idea what kind of mess he''s walked into!"


    The girl didn''t seem ready to drop the subject that easily. "So, what makes you think I''m the crazy one, hmmm?"


    Carter thought about it a moment. "Well, is there anything or anyone you wouldn''t burn to the ground for the sake of this ship?"


    The girl seemed to stop and think. "Nothing comes to mind, no."


    Carter nodded in her direction. "See, that''s what I''m talking about. Even if they''re lying to themselves, most people will at least pretend they wouldn''t commit wholesale murder so easily. Admittedly, when push comes to shove, there''s always something they''ll fight to the death for, but the pretense otherwise is kind of what civilization is built off of!"


    The girl shook her head. "So, I refuse to lie to myself or others, and that''s what makes me crazy? I''m not sure I want any of your sanity if that''s the case."


    Carter laughed again. "Maybe you''re right. Sanity might just be overrated!"


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    Elseph linked into the ship''s systems, looked over the reports, and fought the urge to growl. How did these meat sacks keep these chemically induced emotions under control? Right now, this body was screaming that it wanted to fight someone or something, but there was nothing in front of her but more reports.


    The Sybil had been sighted again, but Elseph already knew how this would play out. She''d arrive just after the Sybil had left. Even if she could figure out where its destination jump was, by the time she got there, the Sybil would be gone again, this time taking the precaution to cover its jump, leaving Elseph with another dead end.


    With a grunt of annoyance, Elseph sat back and disconnected. They needed some way to lure the Sybil into a decisive battle, but pinning down that ship was like trying to capture your shadow. Why did the Boss want them anyway? Some half-baked AI and one oversized ship surely had little to offer when compared to the resources they were pouring into its capture!


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    Elseph shook her head and sighed. Questioning the Boss wouldn''t end well for her. She might be one of his more important pieces, but she was well aware he wouldn''t hesitate to sacrifice a queen if it meant cornering his prey. It was up to her to find a solution to get her ahead rather than costing her a head.


    A chime at her door meant one of the crew wanted a word with her. Setting the reports aside, she turned her seat to face the door. "Come in."


    In walked one of the many useless pirates on board the ship. At least he had the good graces to salute before speaking. "Captain Luise! We''ve entered the system. The Sybil is already gone."


    Elseph wanted to snap back, saying she was already well aware, but instead, she pushed herself into the backseat and let Luise address the meat sack. "Thank you. You may go."


    As the door closed behind the pirate, Luise spoke softly to herself. Or perhaps more properly, themselves. "You know, you should try getting to know the men you''re commanding rather than just thinking of us all as meat sacks."


    Elseph fought the urge to take back over just to roll her eyes at herself. "I know enough. I''ve already gone over all their files and know their capabilities. That''s why I have you, to be the face that keeps her fellow meat sacks happy and working."


    Luise sighed. "I don''t know why you had to be put in here with me to make that happen. You could have easily just stayed in the ship like any other AI."


    Elseph did take back over to laugh. "I''m in here because your predecessors failed. You failed. So it''s time someone capable finally took the reins. Just be glad you still have a purpose."


    Luise was silent after that. A part of Elseph wished she could connect deeper with her host so the pirate couldn''t hide her thoughts from the AI. But then again, maybe that was for the best. She already felt dirty enough being encased in this...limited form. She mentally shuddered at the idea of touching a human''s slimy thoughts.


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    Despite his apprehension, Miles made short work of the steak. Whatever else he might say about Captain Carter, at least the man could cook.


    Looking around, Miles took the plate and utensils to the sink to wash them before placing them back where he''d seen Carter pull them from. The AI the Captain referred to as "the girl" watched him work. "You know, that''s not necessary. I could clean that up for you."


    Miles looked over at her, remembering what Carter had said about them revoking his stay of execution. "Oh, uh, I don''t mind... I just don''t want to leave a mess."


    The girl chuckled. "You know, this isn''t what Carter meant when he talked about pushing us. We won''t suddenly turn on you over a dirty plate."


    Miles looked at the girl. "Then what would make you ''turn on me?''"


    The girl shrugged. "Well, I''m not going to give you an exhaustive list as you''d probably die of old age halfway through, but let''s just say that so long as you treat us with a modicum of respect, you''ll be safe in these halls."


    That didn''t do a lot to ease Miles'' fear. "Well, I don''t know a lot about what is and isn''t respectful, but I imagine cleaning up after myself is one way of showing respect."


    The girl shrugged again. "I guess you''re right. Well, I won''t argue if you want to clean up after yourself, but if you''re finished I can show you to one of the more clean rooms we have available."


    Miles followed the girl in silence. It was... weird seeing an AI projection walk about as if it were a normal person. Not that Miles had any experience with AI directly, but from what he saw of them when on broadcasts, they always appeared in much smaller forms and floated about. If he didn''t know any better, he''d almost think he was walking beside a normal human being, except her feet made no sound.


    Finally, if only to distract himself from how small his footsteps sounded in the large echoing halls, he spoke up again, asking another question on his mind. "Is it true what Carter said? Is this a ghost ship?"


    The girl seemed thoughtful for a moment. "In many ways, yes. In fact I''d say in any way possible, yes. Though I don''t know if you''ll see any actual spirits wandering our halls. Maybe the occasional echo, but that''s more of what you would call a ghost in the machine, so to speak. But if spirits do exist, I imagine we''d have more than our fair share, given how many lives have come to an end here in our halls."


    She said it so casually. It was as if the girl was just talking about something mundane, like the electricity going on the fritz. Then again, Carter said these AIs were old and insane. Maybe they had no distinction between an electrical short and paranormal activity.


    After walking the rest of the way in silence, a doorway opened at their approach. Looking in, the room seemed to be pretty barebones but still more spacious and luxurious than anything Miles had been able to call his own. Walking over, he sat on the bed. It felt comfortable but maybe a little too soft. Still, he wasn''t about to complain.


    The girl watched him, keeping her thoughts to herself. Not sure of what she still wanted, Miles decided he better at least show gratitude, if only to stay on her good side. "Uh, thank you. This room looks nice..."


    The girl nodded. "I''m glad you approve. Is there anything else you''d like?"


    Miles thought about it a moment and decided it couldn''t hurt to ask. After all, she''d asked. "Ummm, do you have any book files I could read?"


    The girl seemed to think a moment. "What genre are you looking for?"


    Miles shook his head. "I''m not picky. Anything would be fine."


    The girl shook her head. "No, you misunderstand. I''m asking for help narrowing it down. Our library has tens of thousands of volumes available for general access."


    It took a moment for Miles to understand what the girl had just said. They have tens of thousands of books on file? That dwarfed the library on the planet he came from! Where was he even supposed to start with that kind of selection? "Uh, fiction, I guess?"


    </main>


    <div>

 Book 2: Chapter 4

    Sybil watched as Erik and the vitexr¨¡ named Vanessa once again settled into some temporary quarters, this time on the main deck near where Carter and now the boy''s rooms were. Of course, the vitexr¨¡ was cleaning up the room to her standards, which, apparently the Sybil did not live up to.


    Partway through her cleaning routine, the vitexr¨¡ looked directly into the camera lens from which Sybil had been observing her and spoke. "Do you wish to speak with me, or are you just bored enough that watching me clean is somehow a preferable use of your time?"


    Not wanting to compound her rudeness, Sybil made her avatar appear in her usual form, taken from her preferred appearance in her time as a human, a tall redhead with a dress and shoes to match. Of course, back then, this appearance often elicited unwanted attention, so she usually dressed down, but now she was more than able to make anyone regret treating her with anything approaching disrespect, so she was free to dress how she liked. "How did you know I was watching? Most of the time, these cameras only passively record what''s happening on the ship and are only accessed when we need to know more."


    If Vanessa was upset at being watched, none of her behavior indicated as much. "When you are observing me, I''ve noticed the camera lenses behave somewhat erratically. They move more like the eyes of an organic being than the passive lenses of a purely electronic recording device."


    Most people wouldn''t have noticed such a small thing like the lenses making minute adjustments, but then again, Vanessa wasn''t most people. She was already back to cleaning, though Sybil was well aware she was still being carefully observed. However, something was bugging her, so she decided to ask what was bothering her. "Why do you act subservient to that loudmouth you call a partner? Why not let him clean up his own room?"


    Vanessa continued working, though Sybil noticed some of the vitexr¨¡''s eyes were still focused on her. "I am not subservient to anyone, though I can see how it would appear that way from your perspective. We both perform our share of duties, and I do not trust my lady to perform this particular task to my satisfaction. That is not to say our partnership is without complications, but adequate communication and the occasional airing of grievances is enough to keep our relationship optimally functional."


    Sybil shook her head. "So the woman does the cleaning, and the man does the fighting? But if that''s the case, he doesn''t even do his part, as you have to fight at his side!"


    Vanessa remained as unreadable as before. "You''ve made several incorrect assumptions. For one, I am neither male nor female. Because of the pitch of my voice and the general perception humanity seems to have of my people, I am often assumed to be female. To avoid complications, and because I have no particular preference myself, I chose not to dissuade that particular assumption. However, as your specific complaint in this instance is based upon gender norms, you should be aware neither norm applies to myself. Secondly, fighting is not Erik''s task. It is more of a competition we perpetuate to satisfy past transgressions and to provide for our present selves. In short, we both enjoy what we do, albeit in different ways. Erik''s primary responsibility is to handle most social interactions, freeing me of the social conventions of your people."


    That made Sybil pause for a moment. "You don''t like speaking with people? Would you prefer I leave you alone right now?"


    Vanessa shook her head. "That interpretation of what I said is not entirely accurate. It is not that I necessarily dislike speaking with people, but I do find it somewhat...taxing. You often hide meanings behind words and actions, which require careful observation of nuanced behaviors to properly interoperate. While some of my people enjoy the challenge, I do not. However, Erik has none of those faults. My lady is about as open and forthright as a sapient is capable of being, making our interactions enjoyable rather than taxing. However, if I had not been feeling up to conversing at this time, I would not have invited you to speak with me."


    Sybil couldn''t fault Vanessa''s claims, though her answer did raise another question she''d been wondering for some time. "If you don''t mind my asking, why do you refer to Erik as ''my lady?'' you have to know Erik is male, not female, correct?"


    Vanessa paused, and for a moment, Sybil wondered if she''d gone too far, but when the vitexr¨¡ got around to answering, the tone of her voice indicated amusement rather than annoyance. "That particular abnormality of ours is a reminder of past assumptions and the following reparations. To explain further would be pointless to one not involved at that time."


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    Now, Sybil was even more curious but chose not to press the issue as Vanessa didn''t seem interested in continuing. Maybe a change in subject would be a better course of action. "Well, now that we have a more expanded menu, is there anything in particular that you''d like for dinner tonight?"


    Miles walked down the corridor toward the mess hall. He''d always watched people who ate breakfast right after waking with jealousy, but now he would experience it for himself. What should he eat? Eggs and bacon? Maybe pancakes? Of course, they might not have any of that kind of food on board; it''s not like this was a luxury liner, but still, dreams of such things wouldn''t leave his mind as he approached the mess hall.


    As he walked into the room, Miles was surprised to see it wasn''t empty this time. A large man in a kitchen apron stood next to the stove. "Ah, it''s the young master. What''ll it be, laddie?"


    Upon hearing the man''s voice, Miles remembered he had been on the bridge when he''d first arrived. This was the one who''d been dressed like an old earth pirate. But wasn''t he one of the AIs? What was he doing here in the kitchen?


    Realizing he was just staring awkwardly, Miles forced himself to answer. "Uh, I was just gonna make some food...er...breakfast."


    The man laughed. "Breakfast it is! How do eggs and bacon-flavored-substitute sound?"


    Since that was more or less what he''d been planning to make, Miles nodded. "Uh, yeah, that''ll do..."


    The pirate winked. "Alrighty! Just sit tight, and I''ll have that up in a moment!"


    However, rather than starting to cook, the man just stood there, smiling. Miles watched a moment before hesitantly asking. "Ummm, are you going to make it....or should I?"


    The man laughed. "Oh, I''m working on it as we speak! Just not with this here projection." He passed his hand through the edge of the table. It briefly broke into a digitized mess before his hand came out the other side and reformed as if nothing had happened as he continued speaking. "My grip strength isn''t what it used to be!"


    Thinking he should have realized that, Miled awkwardly shook his head. "Ah, yeah, sorry. I didn''t mean nothing by it..."


    The man laughed. "Nothin'' to worry about, lad! No harm done!" Then, he seemed to change gears a little. "So tell me, how''d you sleep your first night here on the galaxy''s most notorious ghost ship?"


    The beds had been far too soft, forcing Miles to sleep on the ground, but being able to wrap himself in some of the nicest, warmest blankets he''d ever gotten to use had helped him sleep better than he could ever remember. "Uhhh, I slept pretty good...I guess."


    The pirate laughed again. He seemed to do that a lot. "Ahhh, there''s the fearless lad ol'' Erik mentioned! Didn''t see a lot of you on the bridge!" He then continued laughing at his own joke.


    Miles felt himself getting more embarrassed. That hadn''t been his finest moment, but he''d woken up on the back of a giant spider monster. No one would have reacted bravely in that situation! However, he was used to being picked on from his time on the pirate ship and wouldn''t let this get under his skin. "Uh, yeah. I wasn''t myself then..."


    The man winked. "No worries, Laddie. Yer hardly the first man to face his fears aboard the ship, and you won''t be the last. We won''t hold it against ya. In fact, you seemed to recover fast enough. That''ll earn ya some respect around here. At least from me, it will!"


    Miles couldn''t help but grin a little at the raucous man before him. He was like some character right out of one of the books he''d read back at the library. However, he was saved from having to respond when the man seemed to change subjects, leaning in as if to speak more amicably. "So, how do they call ye?"


    The odd wording confused Miled. "How do they call me..?"


    The man laughed. "Yer name, lad! What is yer name?"


    Miles shook his head before answering. "Er...Miles. My name is Miles."


    The man laughed again. "Well, Er-Miles, it''s nice to meet ya! You can call me John! It''s a new name. What do you think?"


    Miles had been about to correct the obviously intentional mispronunciation of his name but stopped when he heard the name John. This guy was a pirate who worked in the kitchen, and his name was John. There was no way that was a coincidence! "John? As in Long John Silver?"


    The man''s face lit up in excitement as he leaned forward again, practically shouting in Miles'' face. "Ah, a fellow man of culture, I see! Yes, I chose the name based on the legend himself! It''s rare for someone to catch that these days! You must be a fellow fan of the sea dog days!"


    He was more of a fan of books in general, but Miles wasn''t about to ruin a connection that endeared himself with his hosts if he could help it. "Uh, yeah. I read ''Treasure Island'' back before I got captured by pirates. I really liked the action."


    John smiled at him. "Aye! I was quite fond of the book myself...back when I still had hands to hold it!"


    Looking at the man who dressed as a pirate and named himself after one of the most important characters in the book, Miles couldn''t help but laugh and smile a bit. "You don''t say! I would have never guessed!"

 Book 2: Chapter 5

    Now that they''d escaped again and could finally catch their breath a little, Carter needed to think up some way to change the current state of affairs. Why was this pirate boss so obsessed with them? The amount of resources he was pouring into capturing them made absolutely no sense. Even if he were to capture their ship perfectly intact, he''d only make back a fraction of what he''d spent hunting them. It was clear that picking off the occasional pirate ship would only put a dent in his powerbase, so it wasn''t out of necessity. Was it just vanity? If so, why hadn''t his subordinates rebelled as of yet? All Carter had at this point were questions, and he needed answers. Luckily, one of their more recent guests should be softened up by now and ready to talk. A pirate captain who''d been instrumental in organizing an ambush that had nearly killed them.


    That decided, Carter turned and started the long walk toward the end of the ship where their less willing guests were kept, but he stopped and called out. "Sybil, you got a moment? The uh... red-haired one, I mean."


    The vixen appeared in front of him. "It''s not often you call for me. What can I do for our esteemed Captain Cockroach?"


    Carter actually grinned a little at her new pet name for him. As much as he didn''t appreciate being looked down on, seeing the vixen back to her old self was a relief. After she''d gone off ship mid-battle a while ago, she''d been quieter and more reserved, but here she was, as cold and condescending as ever. It was enough of a relief that he decided to let this particular shot go rather than argue back in his customary way. "Yeah, I wanted to see our second pirate captain you''ve been keeping company. What was his name again?"


    The vixen smiled as if remembering some recent fun times. While she was undoubtedly attractive, Carter couldn''t help but be more disturbed than attracted as she spoke. "Elias. And yes, that can be arranged. You won''t be taking my toy from me this time, will you? The restrictions you placed on what I can or can''t do to our other guest really took a lot of the sting out of my torments."


    Carter shook his head. "Well, as loath as I am to let you get bored while the kid and I are still on the ship, our survival is more important than your entertainment."


    The vixen rolled her eyes and sighed. "I don''t think the others would let me torment the two of you even if I wanted to. John has really taken a liking to that kid, and my other counterpart insists that I shouldn''t drive another captain insane while we''re in the middle of a fight for our lives."


    That surprised Carter. "Really? Why''s John so interested in the kid?"


    The vixen held up a hand indicating indifference as she shook her head and explained. "I don''t know. I think the kid reminds him of himself when he was still alive or something. I don''t really want to ask for details or sort through his memories to find out more."


    That was even more surprising. "The kid reminds John of himself? I know the kid was onboard a pirate ship, but I didn''t get the impression he was really a pirate, certainly not some swashbuckling daredevil like John."


    The vixen snorted like he''d said something funny. "If you want to know more, ask John. It''s none of my business, and I''m not in the habit of sharing my counterpart''s secrets with every short-lived mayfly that plays the role of our Captain."


    Cater laughed. "Upgraded from cockroach to mayfly, huh? I''m really moving up in your esteem! At this rate, I''ll be a rat by next month!"


    The vixen rolled her eyes again. "Only someone as dimwitted as you could think being called a mayfly was somehow an upgrade. Now, is there anything else you need from me? Or can I return to waiting for the day we get a more deserving Captain?"


    Carter shook his head. "Nope, I''m good...unless you''ve thought of a name for yourself, so I can stop calling you the vixen, red-haired one, or whatever else comes to mind at the moment."


    The vixen looked at Carter as if deciding something. "I''ll tell you my name when you''ve earned it."


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    As the vixen disappeared, Carter shrugged. "Fair enough, I suppose."


    Elias was running through the corridors. Was he running away from the laughter or toward it? It didn''t matter; it always ended the same way. But if he could run just a little longer, a little faster, perhaps he could put off what awaited him for another few moments. A few precious moments...


    The shadows were gaining on him. Their cries for mercy were cruel jokes, and his suffering was the punchline. As their shadowy-clawed fingers stretched toward him, Elias'' feet were suddenly mired by mud. He was no longer running through the halls of the ship but through an open field. The one from his childhood. The one from his childhood. The one he could never escape. How had that sadistic monster found out about it? How had she brought him here?


    Just over that hill would be the old farmhouse. Elias never wanted to see it again, not after what happened there the last time. He turned and ran, but there again was the hill, somehow in front of him again. Once more, he turned, and once more, the hill rose in front of him. How was this happening? He could hear her shrill voice even now, echoing through the fields. "Elias? Elias, where are you?" No, that''s not right. She couldn''t shout. Not since... Wait, was her voice changing? It sounded more and more like the monster. The lady in red. She was here! She was coming for him!


    His thoughts were interrupted by a blinding light. Elias shot bolt upright in bed, his heart pounding so fast it felt like he''d actually been running. This place was hell! Even in his dreams, he couldn''t escape torment! Then, as he covered his eyes to blot out the blinding light, a voice spoke to him. An unfamiliar voice. "Hey, Elias, right? I got some questions for you. If you tell me what I want, then maybe I can get you a brief reprieve."


    This was just another trick, but the longer he played along, the longer it would be before she got bored of this new game and started tormenting him like usual. "Yeah? Who''s asking?"


    Someone crouched in front of the lights. Through his watery eyes, Elias could make out some guy who looked like he was in his mid-thirties. Though there was a layer of flab around his belly, it was clear there was plenty of muscle there as well. This one was new, but it wasn''t fooling anyone. Her illusions were always so well done.


    As the older man spoke, his expression indicated disgust and maybe sympathy. Probably a way to make Elias let down his guard. "Name''s Carter. I''m kinda the Captain of this ship, but only kinda. As you know all too well, the ghosts who haunt this place pretty much do as they please. However, if you give me what I want, and you tell the truth, I could get you a week of rest, free from the lady in red''s fun and games. How''s that sound?"


    It was an obvious lie, but the game must go on. Elias laughed. "Hell, I''d sell out my mother for a single day off. Ask your questions."


    The man paused as if measuring Elais'' answer before continuing. "So, back when you set up that ambush, you and your AI friend both mentioned something about the Boss running everything. Tell me about him. Who is he? How''d he get so many pirates to play by his rules? Where''d he get all the tech and AIs?"


    Elias laughed again, but this time from actual amusement. "The only one who knows who the Boss is...is the Boss! The dude literally came out of nowhere and started offering top-of-the-line ships and weapons to those who''d serve him. Anyone who betrayed him, he killed, messily and publicly. At first, there was a lot of pushback. People who become pirates don''t usually work well with others. But eventually, those who weren''t working for him got edged out of their own territories by those who did. Besides, who can say no to a top-of-the-line warship and a bunch of shiny new guns? Now, as to where he got them? You''d have to ask him. If I knew how to pull a bunch of warships out of my ass, you think I''d still be a pirate?"


    The supposed Captain Carter was silent momentarily as he contemplated what he''d been told. "Well, you haven''t really told us anything we don''t know. You''ll have to give us something more if you want a reprieve. For instance, where''s his base of operations?"


    Elias shook his head. "Where do you think a pirate''s ''base of operations'' is? It''s a ship. A big one. Called something fancy, like Cervo Redites or something. Though, as big as it is, the place is oddly empty. Maybe he just likes putting on a show. After all, what''s more valuable in the void than empty space on a ship? Hell, he''s even got a room of windows that makes you feel like you''re walking through the void itself! One thing I can say about the old man, he''s got style. He''s always wearing a nice suit, complete with a fancy walking cane, and acts all high and mighty like he''s some sort of posh rich guy rather than the head of a pirate armada that would put most militaries to shame! I would have tried to rob him if I didn''t know who he was the first time I met the guy!"


    The guy calling himself Carter stood up and turned to leave. He knew it was a trap, but Elias couldn''t help himself. "Hey! What about that week you offered me? Do I still get a break?"


    The guy looked back. The pity was more clearly visible this time as he answered. "I''ll see what I can do." Then he left, and the room went dark again.


    Once again, Elias sat alone in the dark, waiting for the voices to start while wondering how long before exhaustion made him pass out again.

 Book 2: Chapter 6

    Carter walked out of the room disappointed. "Well, that didn''t tell us anything useful."


    He was getting so used to the girl popping up out of nowhere that he didn''t even jump when she spoke up at his side. "He may have told us more than you think."


    Carter looked over at the girl. "Well, that sure was ambiguous. Care to explain?"


    The girl tilted her head. "Well, it''s just speculation right now, but the name of the ship he mentioned, Cervo Redites, could be a hint. I''m guessing he mispronounced Cerva Reditus, which is from an obscure dead earth language and more or less translates to ''Return of the deer.''"


    Carter shook his head. "That sounds like a bit of a stretch, but even then, it''s not ringing any bells. So this guy likes deer and dead languages. That still doesn''t tell us much about who it could be."


    The girl shook her head. "What do they teach you in school these days? Only two hundred years ago, there was a famous flagship named the ''Golden Hind,'' hind being another word for a female deer. It belonged to the most successful pirate in the history of the void. He amassed a huge armada of pirates and apparently considered himself quite the gentleman privateer, always showing off his wealth and influence to his guests and enemies alike. Sound familiar?"


    Carter tipped his head in acknowledgment of the point. "Okay, yeah, that definitely sounds like this Boss character we keep hearing about, but it''s not like this Captain from two hundred years ago is still alive. Not all of us get to download our consciousness into a giant ghost ship!"


    The girl shook her head. "I''ll agree it''s not the man himself. His death is a matter of public record, and even if it was faked, there''s no way he''d still be around today. However, that doesn''t mean he''s not involved. Running an empire like that took considerable resources, and there''s a better than even chance he had a shipyard or two under his control..."


    Carter finally saw where this was going. "So, if someone stumbled across a hidden trove of ships and weapons, they''d have half an empire ready to go. They''d just need warm bodies."


    The girl nodded, grinning as if a slow student finally figured out a math problem. "Exactly. However, it would take a sociopath to think about forging another pirate empire instead of just selling everything and letting the next hundred generations of your family live in lavish comfort. Some people just prefer power to money, I suppose."


    Carter chuckled. "I''m not sure an insane AI that runs an infamous ghost ship known for driving people crazy and devouring their ships should be talking about sociopaths, but otherwise, I see what you''re saying. Still, I can''t help but feel like there''s something else going on here like we''re missing an important piece of the puzzle..." He shook his head. "I guess that doesn''t matter at the moment. At least this gives us an idea of what we''re up against, even if it''s all speculation at this point.


    The girl nodded. "Speculation built on observation and eyewitness testimony, but I suppose you''re right."


    Carter sighed. "Now we just have to figure out how to draw him out of hiding!"


    Alen still felt awkward sitting in the Captain''s seat of the Laughing Comet, doubly so when Commander Reid walked up and saluted him. "Sir, repairs are complete, and we have a full complement of ammunition and supplies. We''re ready to go at your command!"


    Alen saluted back, allowing Commander Reid to change to a more relaxed stance, before turning to the helmsman. "Set a course to rendezvous with the Sybil. We''ve got supplies to drop off and crew to pick up. Though I''m sure knowing those two, they''re perfectly comfortable even on the Sybil."


    There was some chuckling from the bridge staff. Erik and Vanessa''s penchant for getting into and out of trouble, as well as their enjoyment of situations that would terrify any sane person, were well known. However, they''d saved more than enough crew members in one way or another to earn themselves a warm welcome wherever they went despite their well-earned reputations for insanity. Alen, in particular, enjoyed their company as the two of them didn''t treat him very differently than they had before he was Captain, which admittedly had its own complications, but it allowed the young Captain to forget about the newly acquired burdens of command for a while. A night drinking with Erik was one way to relax after a rough fight, even if the life expectancy of such a night was on par with the suicide missions the large alien liked to take on.


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    The helm''s man nodded. "Aye, Captain!" He then turned to activate the console to take them into FTL when suddenly alarms began blaring on the bridge.


    Commander Reid was already in motion, his years of experience eliminating the slight hesitation Alen still felt at times, and he began reading out the source of the alarms. "Captain. It looks like there are multiple short jump arrivals coming in near the station''s perimeter. Their arrival points are far too close to be a friendly visit. I''m guessing they''re coming in hot, looking to loot and run."


    Pirates, looting a station this close to core world territory? They were certainly getting confident. Or were they coming for the Laughing Comet? That didn''t seem too likely. They were always careful to cover their tracks, and attacking them at a station like this was asking for far more trouble than they were worth. Then again, it was probably far less trouble than attacking them when the Sybil was around. Of course, that didn''t really matter at the moment. The real question was, should they run or stay and fight?


    A quick glance at the rest of the crew showed they were in high spirits. After all, this was a destroyer for hire, and fighting pirates was what they did for a living. Having made up his mind, Alen turned toward Commander Ried. "Get us ready for a fight."


    The Commander grinned and turned to start issuing orders to get the shields up and the guns ready. Meanwhile, Alen turned toward the communications officer. "Contact the station and offer our services for the usual price." It''s not like they were going to refuse right now. "Then contact the Sybil and let them know we might need backup soon."


    A moment later, three destroyer-class ships arrived out of FTL. Between the station''s defenses and the Laughing Comet, it was feasible they''d come out on top, though the odds weren''t quite as much in their favor as he''d have hoped. Still, it''s not like the local authorities would sit back and do nothing, and even if they did, the Sybil was more than capable of handling this mess. Backup would be on the way, so it was really more of a waiting game. If the pirates were smart, they''d turn around and leave once they recognized this fight wasn''t as one-sided as they''d hoped. Then again, in Alen''s experience, most pirates weren''t as intelligent as he''d like.


    A moment later, the comms officer looked up. "Transmission from the new ships coming in."


    Alen nodded. "Put it through, but continue with what you were doing."


    The comms officer nodded, and a rather rugged individual appeared on Alen''s screen a moment later. The guy definitely looked like the sort who acted first and thought second. How do these people get command of a squad, let alone an entire ship? Then again, Alen wasn''t one to talk. Instead, he nodded affably. "This is Captain Alen of the Laughing Comet. How can I be of assistance?"


    The guy gave Alen a once over and didn''t seem too impressed with what he saw. However, the Laughing Comet definitely warranted respect regardless of who the Captain was, so he stayed at least somewhat polite. "Listen, we''re just here for the station and the smaller merchant ships. We''ll let you leave without a fight, but this is a limited-time offer."


    Alen smiled as if pleased. "A very generous offer! After all, if we were to stand and fight, there''s no guarantee we''d win." Reminding the pirates that there was no guarantee they''d win either. "However..."


    The pirate narrowed his eyes. "However, what?"


    The comms officer gave a thumbs up, indicating the station had taken the offer. Alen nodded and turned back to the screen. "However, we''ve just received a rather lucrative offer to defend the station you came for, and I''m pretty sure we could tie you up long enough for reinforcements to arrive. So how about I return your offer. We''ll let you leave now without a fight, but this is a limited-time offer."


    The pirate narrowed his eyes, evidently not liking Alen''s response. "I''d hoped you would''ve been smart."


    Alen shrugged. "Well, there seems to be a lot of foolishness going around. Please, feel free to be the smart one here and leave while you still can."


    The only answer Alen got was the screen turning black as the pirate hung up. Alen sighed before turning to Commander Ried. "You don''t suppose he''s gonna take me up on that offer, do you?"


    Ried grinned in response before turning and continuing to get the ship ready for a brawl.

 Book 2: Chapter 7

    Miles was metaphorically nose-deep in a book file about a man who''d been cast ashore on a deserted island and forced to survive for years on his own. It was gripping, even if some of the verbiage was a little older and hard to read. However, it made Miles wonder if he''d suffer the same issues from isolation. To him, being alone on an island without another person around sounded more like paradise than torture, though admittedly, the survival part might be difficult.


    That was when a slight flash of light let Miles know he was no longer alone in the room, let alone on an island. The girl, as Carter had apparently named her, appeared a moment later.


    Miles put down his datapad and looked at the new arrival. "What''s up?"


    The girl smiled as if in on some sort of joke but simply inclined her head respectfully. "Well, I thought I should warn you we might be heading into another fight with pirates soon."


    Thinking about more combat made Miles hesitate a moment. "Do you do that often? Fight with pirates, I mean."


    The girl shook her head as if exasperated. "More and more these days, I''m afraid. It''s like they''re coming out of the proverbial woodwork looking for us, which I suspect they are. Being in this ship paints a bit of a target on your back, but so far, we''ve managed to come out on top!"


    Miles thought about constantly fighting pirates and then about the book he was reading. "Why not just go out into unexplored space and leave this all behind? From what I understand, it''s really just you guys running things. You probably don''t even need a captain, right?"


    The girl smiled sadly. "Even if we didn''t need a captain, space gets lonely far too quickly. When you''ve lived as long as we have, simply surviving isn''t enough anymore. You need something to live for. For The woman in red, it''s tormenting those who used to torment her, or at least people like them. For John, it''s getting into fights and hearing people''s exciting tales." She then trailed off.


    Miles waited a moment before prompting her. "And what do you live for?"


    The girl chuckled. "Well, I suppose I live to get to know people. Our captains...usually."


    That was an odd answer and one that got Miles'' attention. "What''s so fascinating about people? We''re all pretty much the same, trying to get ahead."


    The girl shook her head. "At first, it might seem that way, but once you really get to know people, they are all very different. I can''t say I necessarily like everyone I meet, but it''s still fascinating to see what makes them, or in this case, you, tick.


    Being talked about like everyone else made Miles hesitate for a moment. He wasn''t like everyone else. He had struggles like no one else he''d ever known. But then again, maybe that was her point. Thinking back to all the people he''d known over the years, he briefly wondered what their lives had been like. What struggles they''d faced that no one knew about.


    For a moment, his new perspective was almost dizzying. It was like a weird sort of metaphorical vertigo. Then, the moment passed, and he realized he was probably boring to them, just like they had been to him. "There''s nothing big about me. I just survive and read stories. That''s all."


    The girl smiled. "Well, in a way, that''s the same thing I do, too. I survive and listen to people''s stories."


    That... was one way to look at things. Then, as the girl turned to leave, Miles stopped her. "Uh, wait. Should I find somewhere safe to hide? Maybe somewhere with crash webbing or something?"


    The girl tilted her head as if considering what he''d said. "Well, how''d you like to come sit on the bridge? Maybe see one of those space fights you''ve read about up close for once?"


    Miles grinned. "Yeah, that sounds pretty cool!"


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    Alen shook his head. They were really gonna fight it out, weren''t they? Why did they always want to do things the hard way? What they could really use right now was some clever trick or strategy to confuse and overwhelm the enemy. Unfortunately, while the Sybil seemed to have an endless supply of those, he was more of a basics kind of guy. Then again, he''d fought against plenty of pirates who didn''t even seem to understand that, so it could be worse. "Keep our distance and focus on shooting down any missiles or rockets they send our way. We can trade cannon fire with them for a while before it becomes an issue, and hopefully, we''ll have reinforcements by then. I doubt they''ll try to board our ship since this is more of a smash-and-grab, but have men in suits ready to go. We might need to send reinforcements to the station. Make sure that if that happens, you clearly identify yourself as backup. We don''t need to lose anyone to security who mistakes you for pirates!"


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    At each command, a round of "aye captain" was directed his way. Now came the hard part. With all the commands issued and everyone already doing what they could, it was time to sit and wait. There was no point in micro-managing the battle when everyone knew their specific jobs better than Alen. The most he could do was keep an eye on numbers like generator output and shield integrity, pretending like that was actively helping despite the fact there were probably a dozen other sets of eyes, all more experienced than his own, watching the same numbers for any changes that might demand attention.


    In reality, Alen had come to find space battles were terrifyingly dull. In a weird sort of way, he''d come to understand Erik''s preference for boarding the enemy vessels rather than sitting back and slugging it out. Yes, you were usually outnumbered and outgunned, though that barely slowed the insane alien down, but at least you were directly in control of your end of the fight! Then again, the mild rocking of the ship that accompanied large ordinance impacting the shield was a lot less stress-inducing than hearing the wiz of bullets flying inches from your head, knowing that any second you might just cease to exist on the mortal plane...


    Alen shook his head. Mortal plane? What was it about space combat that made him get all contemplative like that? He looked at the vid screen. Two destroyers were heading high around either side of the station, and one was coming in low. On the one hand, it was a good way to prevent the Laughing Comet from running anywhere. On the other, it was also a good way to expose all three ships to the maximum amount of firepower possible from the station, as the gunners wouldn''t have to pick and choose targets, and they would take a heavy toll on their shields.


    Still, Alen didn''t particularly like the idea of facing all three ships at once. They probably planned to wipe them out quickly and then take their time with the station. On the one hand, he could come around to one side, get in close to one of the ships so they both took a pounding but hopefully enable him to take it out before the other two showed up, but doing so wouldn''t leave him in any condition to fight back after that. Instead, he turned to the helmsman. "Drop shields for a micro-jump away from the station. Just out of effective cannon range. Make them think twice about chasing us or fighting the station."


    The helmsman nodded. "Aye, Captain!"


    The shaking grew more pronounced briefly as the few guns with an angle to shoot at them managed to score hits directly against their hull, but the Sybil had reinforced their hull to take a few hits for just this sort of maneuver. Then, there was a twisting sensation in Alen''s gut, and the shaking stopped as they found themselves considerably more distant from the station than before.


    Now, the enemy had to choose. They could micro-jump after them, but that would leave them vulnerable to a full barrage from the Laughing Comet. They could probably take one of the ships out entirely in that situation. or they could take power from the shields to focus on the station to try and burn its shields before they could get in range again. However, while the station probably wouldn''t be able to finish them off, it could cripple the ships enough that the Laughing Comet would be a real threat to all three. Or they could keep fighting a balanced battle, forcing Alen to come back slowly so as not to expose his hull again, but that would take the longest and leave them more vulnerable to reinforcements showing up, and while Alen couldn''t match the power of all three ships in a slugging match, time was very much his ally in this fight.


    That was when the communications officer spoke up. "Sir! We''ve got another incoming, bigger than the last three!"


    Alen turned to the man. "Is it the Sybil?"


    A moment later, the man shook his head. "No, sir! It''s coming from further away than the last three, though, giving us more of a heads up."


    Alen thought for a second. "Contact the station. Ask if their backup is incoming."


    The communications officer nodded. "Aye, sir!"


    After a quiet but terse conversation, the man looked back at Alen. "They say none of their people should be coming from that direction!"


    Alen frowned. That changed pretty much everything. A larger ship meant it was likely a gunship or cruiser of some sort. They couldn''t compete with that kind of firepower. He looked at the rest of his crew. They looked back, awaiting his orders. But what should he do?


    Unable to decide, Alen turned toward the bridge officers, trusting their expertise. "I need a quick consensus. Should we cut and run or try something stupid?"


    Commander Reid looked around at the rest of the officers, many of whom had been raised from more menial roles to fill the positions. As the rough and tumble officer of their old ship, he''d had more of a rapport with them than Alen. They all simply nodded silently to the commander, who then turned and looked at Alen with a stern expression. "Beggin the captain''s pardon, but I think I speak for everyone here when I say...we all want to see the first stupid thing you do as captain! If we survive, it''ll make a hell of a story as the people on the station give us free drinks for life!"


    Alen tried to grin confidently as the crew cheered. He hoped they''d survive long enough to tell that tale...

 Book 2: Chapter 8

    Carter walked onto the bridge, ready to get into trouble again, only to hesitate when he saw the kid they''d picked up on the bridge as well, admittedly strapped into one of the auxiliary seats and out of the way, but still. He kept his face neutral. "What''s the kid doing here?"


    The girl smiled as if to say, *be nice*. "I thought he might be interested in seeing what a real space battle is like."


    Carter shook his head. "But is it wise for him to be up here? Is it safe?"


    John laughed. "If the bridge is compromised, nowhere on the ship will be safe!"


    With a tilt of his head to acknowledge the pirate''s point, Carter decided to leave it at that. "Fair enough, I suppose. Still, it''s not like it will be all that exciting. Not from out here anyway."


    The kid looked up, a question evident on his face before he even spoke. "Out here? Is it more exciting somewhere else?"


    Carter smiled, knowing the kid had no idea where that line of questioning could lead him. "Yeah. It''s considerably more intense from within the Sybil''s systems."


    The expression on the kid''s face clearly stated that Carter''s answers hadn''t offered any clarification, but Carter was okay with that. Sitting in the Captain''s chair, he could feel the lock on his port engage, limiting his movement. Then there was the gut-dropping sensation of his awareness passing from his limited biological senses into the expanse of the Sybil''s systems. As usual, the girl was there awaiting him. "You''re getting used to that. It used to take a solid minute or two to orient yourself upon getting in here."


    Carter smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, I suppose I am. Although I''m not sure if that should comfort or worry me..."


    The vixen, who was not far off, shook her head. "Probably both. Even though this system was designed to interact with the human mind, it has evolved considerably since then, and most people find it difficult to interact in any meaningful way. It''s probably a sign that there''s something wrong with your brain. Although I''m pretty sure that''s evident to anyone who''s observed you for more than five minutes."


    Carter smiled and nodded in her direction. "Yeah, glad to see you too. You feeling up to this fight? I know you''ve taken it a bit easy since..."


    The vixen cut him off. "I''m as lethal as I''ve ever been and ready to punish anyone who dares underestimate me!"


    The double meaning in her words was apparent, but Carter decided to leave it be. "Fair enough! In that case, let''s go ahead and get moving." Turning to the girl, he asked, "What''s our ETA?"


    Carter could feel the generators pushing power to the engines as the ship surged forward, and the FTL drives spun up while the girl answered. "From this distance, arriving will take approximately twelve minutes."


    Carter nodded, trying to keep his perception of himself stable in the face of the ship''s overwhelming presence. "Alright. Then let''s go pull our friend''s rear ends out of the fire, shall we?"


    -


    Rodrick was manning the scanners. The entire crew knew this job was the make-or-break proving point for their place in the Boss''s fleet. It was supposed to be a simple raid on a small station. Three destroyers would have been more than enough to handle anything the station had to throw at them, but of course, there''d been a complication. For some unforeseen reason, another destroyer had just undocked from the station but hadn''t yet jumped to FTL. They could have easily handled the situation if they had arrived minutes later and the ship had been gone or a bit earlier while the ship had still been moored in place. Their timing couldn''t have been worse, and what was worse was that the ship refused to fully engage, leaving them to choose between several unappealing options, forcing them to put in a call for backup.


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    Still, at least it looked like it was finally running. They probably realized that with the change in the balance of power, the payday was no longer worthwhile. They jumped, disappeared out of the detection area, and out of the fight.


    Rodrick sighed in relief, then turned to the Captain. "They''re gone, sir!"


    The Captain nodded. "Good. Then, focus our attacks on the station. Let''s do the job and get paid."


    The crew started to cheer, but then the proximity alarm went off. Rodrick turned to his scanner and couldn''t believe what he was seeing. "Hot jump incoming! Right on top of us, sir!"


    The Captain''s expression reflected Rodrick''s thoughts. What in the world were they thinking? Then he started shouting out orders. "All engines stop, full power to shields! Once they appear, take advantage of the moment their shields are down and pummel them! Make them regret coming back here!"


    Before anyone could so much as respond, "Aye, Captain," the ship appeared, maybe a hundred meters away. One gunner who was on top of things got off a few shots, but then the enemy had their shields up and running, and as they flew closer the shields intersected with their own, shorting each other out, and creating gaps in their defenses. Just as Rodrick realized what was happening, the enemy ship opened fire with everything it had.


    -


    As they turned the side of the enemy destroyer into a flaming ruin, Alen breathed a sigh of relief. That had been a considerable gamble, even more so than the risks taken with a standard shield burn, though he''d hardly call that tactic standard, to begin with. If the enemy had gotten off more shots in their initial arrival or had responded to the shield burn as quickly as they had, this could have been the end of the Laughing Comet.


    The shield burn was just as effective as when the Sybil used it back when it first rescued them. Alen wasn''t sure if getting inspiration by studying that ship and its insane AI was a smart move or a suicidal one, but it seemed to have paid off today.


    The comms officer looked up. "Message from the station, sir."


    Alen nodded. "Put them on."


    A somewhat disheveled man appeared on the screen. "We thought you''d run, Laughing Comet, not that we would have blamed you, but I''m glad we were wrong. If you can pull off any other miracles like that, there''ll be a bonus in it for you!"


    Alen laughed. "Well, I don''t know about miracles, but we might still survive this... If we do, we''ll take you up on that bonus!"


    The call ended. Alen looked at the screen and saw the location of the other two enemy destroyers. He issued his command over the cheers of the crew. "Take us around to fend off the other two, but keep us close to the station''s shields so we can retreat within as soon as the enemy''s reinforcements arrive. They may have reinforcements coming, but so do we! We just have to survive until then!"


    -


    Over the thrum of the FTL drives, Erik found Vanessa performing a preflight check of their little assault craft. She was always so thorough with the details. "Think we''ll have an opportunity to use this thing?"


    Vanessa tilted her head in a way that held a similar meaning to a human shrug. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. Either way, it''s better to be prepared and not need it than to need it and not be prepared."


    Erik laughed. "Yeah, we can always hope! I might get rusty if I go too long without a little action!"


    The spider lady looked back at Erik. "If you like, we can always spar a little like back in the old days, my lady."


    Erik grinned and shook his head. "You just want to torture me more! You''re far too frightening when you really get going!"


    Vanessa returned to what she was doing but kept speaking over her shoulder. "As you wish. However, if you don''t mind me saying so, you could benefit from fighting an opponent more competent than most of these recent pirates. You''re liable to get too soft fighting people who rely solely on their armor to get the job done."


    Erik swung one of his axes around, enjoying the feel of it in his hands. "Maybe you''re right... But now''s not the time. I''ll have to take a rain check on that practice match!"


    Vanessa moved from the landing gear to the rear engines. "As you say, my lady."

 Book 2: Chapter 9

    Alen contemplated what to do now. With the balance of power now being two destroyers versus a destroyer and a station, the odds were currently in their favor, but with the arrival of the as-yet-unknown ship, that would probably shift again soon. The question was, how far out was the Sybil? Would they be able to hide behind the station''s shields until then?


    The fact that they didn''t show an incoming arrival from the Sybil''s location wasn''t too surprising. They were probably jumping to a nearby location before hot jumping in to avoid revealing their hand. However, that also meant Alen was working off a lot more guesswork than he liked.


    Still, at this point, they''d probably taken enough risks for now. It was time to play it safe for a bit if only to let his people calm their nerves briefly before the next emergency kicked in. "Put all non-essential power into shields and prioritize shooting down their ordinance. Use the station''s shields to completely block one of the destroyer''s lines of fire and focus on the other. Let''s do this by the book for a bit, see if we can''t outlast them."


    Commander Reid nodded. "Aye, Captain."


    -


    Commander Simons looked over the readout in dismay before turning to the communications officer. "What do you mean Central doesn''t have any available backup? We''re dealing with a literal fleet of pirates! What even is the point of Central if they can''t help deal with threats like this?"


    The communications officer could only shrug, not that Simons expected an answer from the guy. It''s not like any of this was his fault, but it still looked hopeless. If not for the mercenary destroyer that had been nearby, they''d have already fallen. He remembered seeing the ship and thinking it was irresponsible for anyone other than an official navy to have that kind of ship, but now he was wishing there were more of them available to hire for protection.


    Still, as well as they''d done so far, it looked like they might be in over their heads. With yet another ship incoming, and a larger one at that, and no reinforcements coming from Central, it was just a matter of time before they were overwhelmed. Should they just surrender now? Would anyone survive if they did? At this point, the pirates might just wipe them out to make an example. Why was Central sitting back and doing nothing?!?


    Simons cursed. He''d heard the pirates were getting worse and worse out here, but this was ridiculous. Attacking a fully functional station, one backed up by a destroyer at that, and they still have overwhelming power to deal with it. Where were they even getting this kind of equipment?


    Right now, the destroyer was playing it safe, not that Simons could blame them. They''d already taken some huge risks and gotten some incredible results when, by all rights, they should have just packed up and left.


    Right now, the outcome of this nightmare all depended on that mystery ship. Simons turned to another officer. "What''s the ETA on the late arrival?"


    The officer looked at his terminal. "About thirty seconds, commander."


    Thirty seconds. Their fates would be determined in less time than it took to boil an egg. The command suit fell silent in anticipation. After the longest thirty seconds of his life, the officer spoke aloud again. "The ship is arriving, sir. It''s a..." He paused, Simons glared in his direction, then the officer spoke up again. "It''s a battleship, sir..."


    A battleship? How did a bunch of pirates get their hands on something like that? What should they do? What could they do? It was time to give up.


    Simons turned to the communications officer to tell him to signal their surrender, but the communications officer spoke up first. "Sir, it''s the Laughing Comet. They request that we allow them to retreat within our shields but not to surrender just yet. They claim to have reinforcements on the way."


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    Simons blinked. Was it possible? Could they have something that could counter two destroyers and a battleship? It seemed impossible, but what other choice did they have? He was just about ready to surrender to someone he was reasonably sure would kill them anyway, so if there was even the slightest chance, he had to go with it.


    Simons nodded to the officer. "Let them in and tell them we''ll hold out as long as possible. But their reinforcements better be close. I don''t think we can hold on much longer..."


    The officer nodded and began relaying his words.


    -


    Alen was back to watching numbers and pretending like that could affect anything. The two pirate destroyers had pulled back out of effective firing range, content to let the battleship pummel them into submission. It was a sound strategy and one that he had no counter to. Even if he was stupid enough to try a micro-jump to bring him in range of the battleship and, by some miracle, survived long enough to get his shields up and try to out-maneuver the big guns, the two destroyers would take him out before he could cause any effective damage.


    Instead, he watched the readings as the station''s shields slowly destabilized. They were clearly pouring every ounce of power available into them. If he had to guess, they''d even cut off life support to several levels just to eke out a little more juice, but in a one-sided fight like this, that just delayed the inevitable slightly.


    Soon, holes started appearing in the station''s shields. The Laughing Comet did its best to maneuver to cover said holes, but it was a large station, and even a destroyer couldn''t cover it all.


    That was when the ops officer spoke up. "Sir, we''ve got a short-range incoming. But it''s small. Barely more than a shuttle..."


    A shuttle? What in the world could that be? But before he could give it much thought, the small vessel made its appearance. It looked like a cobbled-together scrap heap, but almost as soon as it appeared, it began flying and flying fast, right toward the battleship.


    It was as fast as a missile and a lot more maneuverable. Alen was reasonably sure there was no pilot, as any inertia dampeners that could fit on that thing would not be able to handle those kinds of maneuvers. The destroyers couldn''t keep up, and even though the battleship fired a veritable wall of short-range weaponry in its direction, the craft seemed to effortlessly weave through the firepower headed its way. Something the station couldn''t replicate as its shields finally failed under the barrage of the larger cannons, leaving only the Laughing Comet to stand between it and any incoming fire, and it could only withstand maybe one or two barrages at most from those cannons.


    The comms officer looked up from his console. "Sir, that small ship is sending out a powerful signal. I can''t tell what it is, but it''s practically lighting up space around itself like some sort of beacon..."


    The ops officer spoke over the comms officer. "Sir, we''ve got another big one incoming. Judging by the read I''m getting, it''s the Sybil, but they''re practically on top of the battleship. It looks like they''re gonna collide!"


    Then the comms officer spoke up again. "I''m getting a signal from the small vessel for you, Captain!"


    Looking back and forth between the two, Alen responded to the only bit of information he could do anything about. "Open up a channel to the ship."


    When the comms activated, rather than receiving an image or a voice, the speakers immediately projected loud, chaotic noise. Alen covered his ears and shouted. "Cut the signal! Now!"


    The comms officer, who was working with one hand while covering one of his ears with the other, shook his head. "No good captain! I can''t! Something is brute forcing its way into our system!"


    In the middle of the chaos, several things happened in rapid succession. The small vessel crashed into the battleship''s shields, obliterating itself. The Sybil appeared on top of the battleship, with maybe a dozen meters separating them. Its forward momentum pushed it so close that once its shields activated, they overwhelmed the smaller battleships. Finally, the Sybil opened fire, obliterating the battleship within seconds of its appearance.


    It was an impossibly precise jump, making even Alen''s previous attempt look safe in comparison. How had they pulled it off? Then he realized the small ship must have acted as a beacon!


    As soon as it occurred to him, image transmitters on the bridge activated, and one of Sybil''s AIs, the pirate, appeared before him, laughing. "Now, that was a good bit of flying, if I do say so myself! Sorry about hijacking your system just now, but I needed to get out of that sloop in a hurry and didn''t think you''d mind, seeing as we were saving your hides and all!"

 Book 2: Chapter 10

    Feeling the Sybil as it unleashed its devastating barrage against the battleship, Carter couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed. It was as if his sense of self was momentarily threatened. It would be so easy to lose himself in the sheer scale of this monster of a ship, but with a sensation similar to a myoclonic jerk, he snapped back into himself.


    The girl, who in some ways now surrounded him completely, also stood before him. "I thought we lost you there for a second. However, I''m glad you''ve got more mental fortitude than that. If you were able to withstand that, you might not need to be babysat in here anymore!"


    Carter, still getting over the sensation, looked over at the girl. "Wait, that''s possible? To get lost in here? And what do you mean babysat?"


    This time, the vixen who was controlling the ship''s movements answered. "It happens to small-minded individuals from time to time. But we can usually pull you out again...so long as we get to you fast enough. Hence the ''babysitting'' she mentioned."


    Carter glared at the girl. "That would have been nice to know before it happened! What other existential risks am I taking here?"


    There was a shift as power was routed from some of the guns into shields and thrusters, and the Sybil was repositioned to begin its attack and run on the next destroyer. They were turning to flee, and Carter could feel the Sybil''s blood lust as she targeted the thrusters. What he found somewhat disconcerting about that was he wasn''t sure if the blood lust he felt came from the vixen...or the girl. At times like this, he missed the more cheerful, if still somewhat insane, presence of John.


    The girl shook her head. "Can we have this conversation later? With one of my selves missing, this is more demanding than usual..."


    Carter wanted to protest further but decided arguing with the ship''s personifications while it was still in combat wasn''t a great idea. Instead, he just shook his head and contented himself by sitting back and watching her work. Although watching was a somewhat inaccurate description of what was happening. It was more like he felt it. It was like he was sitting in the backseat of his own body as someone else was walking around in it, except his body was now the size of a small city block and unimaginably complex. Honestly, in many ways, it felt like a dream, chaotic and incomprehensible, though now he felt somewhat worried about the integration and wondered if this place was affecting him more than he realized.


    That was when a message came through from Alen. While he was hooked up to the system, it was a simple matter for Carter to open a window to speak with the kid. Though that made him wonder, was Alen watching a digital representation of Carter while they talked, like one of the Sybil''s avatars? Could he make it do other things? He shook his head and refocused his thoughts. "Carter here. What''s up?"


    Alen seemed a little off-put by the casual greeting but got over it quickly enough and started speaking. "Uh, yeah. Just a thought, but could we take that ship intact once you take out its shields and thrusters? I have an idea."


    Carter looked over at the girl, who looked thoughtful. "Well, we can keep from damaging it too much easily enough, but I don''t know if Erik and Vanessa are quite enough to take and hold an entire destroyer on their own."


    Alen smiled. "That won''t be an issue. Commander Ried was hoping to get in a little more direct action, so he''ll lead over a few squads, and I suspect we might be able to get a little more backup once I tell them my plan."


    The girl nodded. "Fair enough. One sitting duck, coming up!"


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    As the call ended, Carter opened a comm to Erik. "Hey, we''ve got a destroyer we need you to clear. You''ll be getting backup, but you''ll be the vanguard. Think you''re up to the task?"


    Carter could see Erik through one of the Sybil''s many cameras, even if the alien couldn''t see him. The large man jumped up, clearly ready for a fight, as he answered. "I''m always ready to get mixed in, you know that! We''ve even got the shuttle all fueled and ready to go!"


    Carter shook his head but grinned at the infectious nature of the alien''s bravado before responding. "Well, about that... I kinda had a different idea in mind. One that is both a little safer...and a little more dangerous."


    Even with the alien physiology, Cater could tell Erik was interested as the large man answered. "You''ve got my attention..."


    -


    Vanessa watched as Erik approached their method of transportation as if a human child were approaching a candy shop. She''d seen her mistress show all sorts of excitement, but this was the first time she''d describe her oversized companion as ''giddy.''


    Erik''s eyes were actually dilated as he walked up to it. "Oh man, oh man! I''ve always wanted to try one of these! Oh, smell that? That''s the smell of rapid delivery death!"


    Vanessa shook her head. "I believe what you are smelling is industrial-grade fuel and lubrication. The Sybil could have cleaned it up a little more for our use."


    Erik shook his head. "No, this is perfect! It might just be the most beautiful thing I''ve ever seen..."


    These devices were typically designed to hold an entire squad in battle suits, but the Sybil had apparently designed this one with their exact physiology in mind. However, Vanessa was not about to agree with Erik lest that encourage her companion to continue extolling its virtues. "It''s crude but functional. It shall serve our needs well enough, but I would in no way call it beautiful."


    Erik hopped in and strapped himself in, looking like he getting ready for some sort of roller coaster ride. Vanessa shook her head and secured herself in the position meant for herself. Once in, Carter spoke with them again. "You all ready to go? Remember, you''ll be on your own for a bit, but keep an eye out for the friendlies you''ll be running into."


    Erik shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, we know how to board a ship! Let''s go already!"


    If Carter was taken aback by the response, he didn''t show it. "Alright. Hold on tight. Your ride might be a little bumpy!"


    With that, Vanessa and Erik were both pushed back into their supportive seating as the inertia dampeners could not fully compensate for the forces of the assault pod launching out of the ship.


    -


    Murphy was running through the hall toward the armory. The enemy had taken out their shields and thrusters, and that could only mean one thing. However, his forward charge was halted when an explosion rocked the corridor, the reverberations of which knocked him from his feet as debris rocketed into the hall from a direct hit.


    In the chaos and confusion of the moment, Murphy wondered if maybe the enemy had decided to just take them out after all, but rather than get sucked out into the void, the dust settled just in time for Murphy to see an odd protrusion into the hallway as it opened up, launching some sort of monster out into the unexpecting crew.


    The monster was a whirlwind of destruction, tearing apart anyone who so much as drew their weapons with its twin axes. This wasn''t a fight. It was a butchery!


    Not wanting anything to do with whatever that nightmare was, Murphy turned and ran, not looking back at the source of the gunfire and screams behind him. Judging by how fast the sounds of gunfire dropped off, he''d made the right decision.


    Finally having a moment to stop and think, Murphy decided the ship was a lost cause. No amount of reward or punishment could make him face whatever that had been. Instead, he ran forward, looking for a hatchway he must have walked past hundreds of times without paying it the slightest bit of attention.


    Just ahead, he saw what he was looking for. He grabbed the bright red handle and twisted it, causing the nearby hatch to open with a hiss. Inside, there was room for maybe a half dozen people, but Murphy wasn''t about to stop and wait. He climbed inside and turned around to slam the door shut, only to see an even greater nightmare rapidly approaching. It was like some sort of giant bug or spider, and its movements were impossibly fast.


    Murphy didn''t stop and think. He slammed the door shut and smashed his fist into the red button next to it, only remembering to breathe once the escape pod launched itself into space.


    True, the odds were pretty good that whoever found him would either imprison him or have him put to death, but that was infinitely preferable to whatever it was he''d just escaped from.

 Of Men and explanations

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    For those of you wondering why there was no post this week, I had to undergo an emergency cholecystectomy (Gallbladder removal) on Sunday night. Long story short, it hurt like hell, and I''ve been on pain meds as I recover, but I hope to be back to writing again next week. If I discover whoever cursed me to have an exciting life lately, I''ve got some thoughts to share with them!


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    On the good news front, "Of Men and Spiders" Book 1 is now available for preorder in ebook form and will be available to purchase in all forms on October 1st! Check it out if you''re interested! https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0DHQTNL3G</a>

 Book 2: Chapter 11

    Erik was feeling a little let down after the initial rush of their assault on the destroyer. The ride over had been everything he''d hoped for, and the adrenaline had carried him on for a bit, but the downside of the assault pod was that their attack had been such a surprise the enemy hadn''t been able to throw together any kind of effective resistance. None of the pirates were in battle suits, and most of them were so terrified they were lucky if they managed to avoid shooting the man running away next to them.


    Shaking his head as he retrieved one of his thrown axes from the back of another pirate who''d tried to run away, Erik turned to Vanessa. "Did we already take out their shock troops? Or does this ship just not have anyone who can put up a fight? Honestly, I''m starting to feel bad taking these guys out. It feels like I''m picking on a bunch of kids or something..."


    Vanessa shook her head as she shot another pirate as he poked his head out from behind cover. "Don''t get overconfident. Glancing hits might not do too much damage to your carapace, but a lucky shot on soft tissue could still put your life at risk. Additionally, every pirate we let get away is one more person who might kill the people coming to back us up. Our job is to take advantage of the disarray caused by our unexpected appearance to ''soften up'' the ship''s defenses and make the assault team''s job less dangerous."


    Erik sighed even as he threw another axe toward another pirate who decided to break and run. "Yeah, yeah, I get all that. I just wish it was a little more fun is all... Ya know?"


    Vanessa looked at her companion as he dug his claws into another door to pry it open and check the interior before she replied. "The humans have a saying that I feel is of particular interest in this scenario. ''Be careful what you wish for.''"


    Erik laughed. "Yeah? Why''s that? They worried they''re gonna waste their wish or somethin''?"


    Just then, a pirate in a full battlesuit came barreling out of the room Erik had been breaking into, slamming bodily into him and pushing him back from the room and down unto his back, leaving the pirate standing over him with a rifle pointed down at his chest. However, before the pirate could get off his shot, Vanessa stabbed through the suit and his heart from behind. The shocked pirate dumbly looked down at the claw protruding from his chest before falling limp.


    As Vanessa retracted her claw from the pirate, gunfire began pouring out of the room in at least somewhat disciplined bursts, forcing Erik to scrabble away from the door on all fours. Meanwhile, Vanessa, who was doing her best to creep close to the door while keeping her legs out of the arc of fire afforded by the room, pulled the pin on a grenade and quickly threw it into the room behind her. Several loud curses preceded the explosion that silenced the room.


    Taking advantage of the opening created by the grenade, Erik charged into the room. He disregarded the two dying pirates desperately struggling to keep their innards inside their bodies and instead decapitated the nearest pirate, raising his head over the table that had protected him from the shrapnel, then kicked the table, knocking the other pirate behind it onto his hands and knees before following up with a coup de grace.


    Meanwhile, Vanessa had followed him into the room, taking care of the pirates on Erik''s flank. In short order, the last threat in the room was dealt with, and Erik mercy killed the remaining pirate still on the ground.


    That done, Erik looked down at himself and realized his bone plate was pitted in several locations where the pirates had hit the mark with their smaller handguns. If the people in this room had been wielding high-powered rifles, he might have died there.


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    Vanessa gave Erik a reproachful look as she finished her thought from earlier. "No. The human phrase implies that if you are not sufficiently careful with what you wish for, the wish might be granted in an unintended way, often with significant cost to the person who carelessly made the wish."


    Erik tilted his head in acknowledgment of the point. "Sometimes those humans really know what they''re talking about. Don''t they?"


    Vanessa nodded, taking the opportunity to replace some of her spent firearms with a few guns from the fallen pirates. "Indeed."


    -


    As Reid exited the assault ship, his team was met only by a smattering of gunfire, most of which were small arms incapable of damaging their battle suits. Whatever Erik and Vanessa had been up to in the time it took them to suit up and fly over had been more than a little effective.


    The strike team had grown since they started working from the Laughing Comet. Something about a destroyer just added credibility to their little pirate-hunting enterprise. Add in all the recently deposed crews who wanted revenge on the pirates who''d raided their vessels, as well as the fact that his men were all well-armed and armored thanks to the Sybil''s being able to manufacture battlesuits as needed, and he had more applicants than positions for the first time in his career.


    Once they''d secured the hangar, Reid issued orders to the various squads. "Strike teams two and three, go and take engineering. Four and five, you''re in charge of the barracks. Six, stay here and keep our exit secured just in case. One is with me. We''re taking the bridge. Also, remember, we''ve got friendlies already on board, making our lives a little easier. So, if you run into any terrifying monsters running around disemboweling pirates wherever they go, check your fire! If I hear one of you panics and shoots at our vanguard, you''ll be Erik''s personal sparring partner for the next year. Is that understood!"


    The squads all saluted and responded in the affirmative. Reid knew no one was likely to actually shoot at Erik or Vanessa, as they were both regulars in the training room precisely so the assault teams would become familiar with them. But it served as a reminder to the new guys that the ordinarily cheerful Erik and his silent but deadly partner Vanessa were very much monsters on the battlefield. They were just their monsters. It helped reduce the post-mission trauma a little if that was reiterated before they ran into the grisly results those two left in their wake.


    As the squads split to go about their various tasks, Reid was not surprised to see some of Erik''s handiwork in the hall leading to the bridge, but they''d apparently peeled off at the bridge door itself as it had been sealed, and Erik wasn''t one for waiting around when there was fighting to be done elsewhere.


    That suited Reid just fine. He needed some action to maintain his reputation as the third scariest person on the assault team, even if it was a distant third. He motioned for William to come up and place the charges to blow the door. The older sailor had been with the old Captain before Reid''s time. He might not be as spry as the squad''s younger members, but despite his ''old age,'' the man''s hands were always rock steady when dealing with explosives.


    It only took a minute before he motioned for everyone to pull back. From Reid''s experience, if old William set the charges, you could stand a foot away and be perfectly safe, but the older man didn''t play around with safety, and in all things explosive, even Reid yielded to his authority. A surprisingly soft "whump" later, the door fell inward, and Reid led the assault to take the command center of the enemy destroyer.


    Reid was surprised at the lack of incoming fire as he ran onto the bridge. For a moment, he wondered if Erik had somehow managed to clear this area, too. But no, the officers and their aides were all there. However, instead of fighting back, they all had their hands in the air. Unusual behavior for pirates, to say the least.


    The man Reid suspected was the Captain stepped forward and addressed him. "We''ll surrender! Just don''t let those two monsters get us!"


    Reid sighed with a wry but amused smile for himself. It didn''t look like he''d be reinforcing his reputation today!

 Book 2: Chapter 12

    "Waking up" after the battle was over was always a little odd. Carter''s body seemed impossibly light and responsive despite being a bit past his prime, but thankfully, he was used to the sensation enough it didn''t take him long to get back on his feet. He looked over at the kid, who was unstrapping himself from his seat as he spoke. "Well, that wasn''t all that scary. Are all your fights that one-sided?"


    Carter laughed and answered as the three avatars put in their appearances, John apparently having just made it back to the ship. "Most maybe, but not enough. We''ve had a few close calls over the last few months. Close enough we almost didn''t make it once or twice..."


    The kid didn''t seem too concerned. The supposed immortality of youth on full display. "Well, this kinda seemed..."


    Looking at the pirate, the kid suddenly stopped talking, so Carter finished his idea for him. "Boring? Yeah, most space battles are...until they aren''t! And trust me, you don''t want to be there when they get exciting!"


    John laughed. "Oh, I don''t know. I had plenty of excitement on my end! Close calls, dare-devil flying, and lots of explosions! It was everything an adventure-seeking soul could ask for!"


    Carter gave him an amused look before responding. "And what would have happened to the kid or myself if we''d been on that small ship with you?"


    John stopped, thought about it, then laughed again. "Well, I suppose that would have been the end of your adventure!"


    Carter turned back to the kid and winked. "Like I said, you don''t want to be where the excitement is!"


    The kid smiled and nodded. "You know, you''re pretty smart for an old guy!"


    That made Carter frown and furrow his brows. "Old guy? Just how old do you think I am?"


    The kid shrugged. "I don''t know. Fifty or sixty?"


    All three avatars laughed with varying degrees of mirth while Carter''s mind struggled to catch up. "Fifty or sixty? What the hell, kid? I''m thirty-five!"


    The kid shrugged again. "Well, that''s kind of old, too..."


    Carter turned to the girl. "So, do we have a plank somewhere for when someone had to walk it?"


    -


    Alen stood on the bridge of the Sybil, looking over the three-dimensional representation of the new destroyer they''d just captured. They''d towed it to a new location so whatever pirates were hunting for them couldn''t track them down. He flipped the image around as he was explaining his thought process. "So, instead of just repairing it and getting another destroyer, why don''t we mount larger guns like a battleship''s?"


    Carter seemed intrigued, but the girl shook her head. "I don''t know. There''s a good reason those kinds of guns are usually reserved for larger ships... Setting aside problems like recoil and structural integrity, there are also problems with ammo storage and maneuverability. All the systems needed to support those guns, not the least of which is reinforced armor for the guns and ammo supplies in case the shields fail, adds weight, and you need pretty powerful thrusters to compensate."


    Alen shrugged. "So we scrap a lot of unnecessary systems to run it. If we cut the crew down, we can cut out things like crew brrths, make the mess hall smaller, cut out workstations, etc. The Sybil can provide most of the maintenance since it can effectively act as a mobile ship dock. We could also cut back on cannon armor since this will be a smaller, more maneuverable ship. Focus everything else onto thrusters, point defense systems, and shields to protect the guns and the crew, but the primary purpose of the ship is just to be a large set of guns to pound enemy shields into dust, like a battleship, but without as much need to be babysat since it won''t just be a large, slow-moving space fortress. It wouldn''t have to hold a ton of shells either since the Sybil can manufacture them on the move. They''d only need enough for one engagement at a time."


    The girl looked thoughtful, and the pirate looked giddy as Alan continued. "No other fleet in the void can replicate this because we''re the only ones with a mobile ship dock that doubles as a manufacturing hub that can change its specifications on the fly. It''s basically the same logic you''ve been applying to yourself this whole time, but now applied to a fleet instead of a single ship."


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The girl looked thoughtful. "It''s not a terrible idea...but what about the crew? Where are you going to get the people to man the ship?"


    Alen grinned. "Oh, that''s the easy part. Out here in less civilized space, the pirates have become everyone''s problem as of late. There are plenty of people looking for revenge. Given our track record of being the one force in this part of the galaxy that can reliably go toe-to-toe with them, we''ve got no end of applicants. The only trick will be finding a trustworthy captain to run the show."


    This time, it was Carter who spoke up. "Well, I''ve got a few ideas there. Assuming the rest is viable, I can make a few calls."


    The girl seemed to stop and think. "Well, I suppose it''s worth a try. The Sybil can get working on the retrofit. We''ll likely need more supplies, which means more ''raw material.''"


    Alen grinned. "About that. At our last job, we were offered a bonus. I think it''s time we collected it."


    -


    Carter looked at the other man. "So that''s the gist of it. You won''t own this ship like you do your current one, but you''ll still be running a new destroyer class vessel that dwarfs your current one."


    The Captain smiled, but Carter could see the smile was more formal than friendly as he answered. "I got into the shipping business to make a living, not to fight pirates. From the sounds of things, that''ll involve a lot of the latter."


    That was something Carter could understand. "Fair enough, but you''ve heard and seen the same things I have. Being a merchant out here is getting more and more dangerous. Cargo insurance is going through the roof, so you can''t hardly make a profit, and more ships are disappearing every day. At least this way, you''ll have the backup of the Sybil and the Laughing Comet, and you''ve seen what we can do!"


    Captain Olson looked thoughtful but still skeptical. "And why did you pick me for this lofty new position? We barely know each other."


    Carter shrugged. "Because after we got ambushed, you were there when it counted. I know you''re a man of honor who''ll not only keep his word but also go above and beyond when it matters, but you''re not some hothead who will dive into a suicidal situation, either. You''ll wait and strike when it means something."


    The Captain considered this for a moment. "What about my crew?"


    Carter shrugged. "Bring anyone you trust. You might be part of a fleet, but it''s your ship to run. All crew choices will have to be approved by you."


    If Carter was any judge, Captain Olson looked tempted as he answered. "I''ll have to get back to you if that''s alright."


    Carter nodded. "Go ahead and take a day, then get back to me. Any longer than that, I''ll start looking into other candidates." The two shared a few more pleasantries and then ended the call.


    Done for the day, Carter walked over to his bed and lay down. The girl had offered him a larger suite, complete with its own office, but he didn''t need anything that large or spacious. It just made him feel even more alone on the ship. Combining the office and bedroom into one suited his needs just fine. After all, it wasn''t often he had to entertain any guests.


    Shortly after closing his eyes, Carter was mildly surprised by the flash of light that meant he had a guest. He figured it was probably the girl bringing something to his attention, but when he cracked his eyes open, Carter was surprised to see the vixen sitting at his desk.


    Carter sat up a little but stayed seated in bed. "You know, normally, I''d enjoy having a beautiful woman alone with me in my bedroom, but somehow, I doubt this is a social visit."


    The vixen rolled her eyes. "Even if I were willing to entertain the affections of a cockroach, you couldn''t handle what I have to offer!"


    Carter shrugged. "Probably so. I was on the receiving end of your attention once, and it''s not something I''d like to repeat."


    This time, the vixen laughed. "Oh, when you first boarded the ship? That was barely a taste of my affections! I hadn''t even gotten warmed up!"


    With a shake of his head, Carter relented. "Fair enough, I concede this time. But then that begs the question, why are you here? It''s not like you''re not welcome, but while us trading barbs isn''t exactly new, you usually don''t seek me out for it."


    The vixen hesitated, and Carter got an odd impression of vulnerability from her that he hadn''t expected before she finally answered. "I suppose I just wanted to make sure you''re taking this seriously. All our lives are on the line, yet you''re speaking to merchant captains you barely know?"


    Carter laughed. "Mine too! I know the life of a short-lived organic like me might not seem important to someone who''s lived as long as yourself, but I promise you, it''s important to me!" He paused a moment to change the mood, then continued. "That being said, yes, I chose a merchant captain because I already know everything I need to know about him. We almost died back when the pirates ambushed us that first time, and at the key moment, this guy turned the tide in our favor one last time. He didn''t have to. He chose to. That''s the kind of man you want at your back."


    The vixen shrugged. "I suppose. I guess I''m just not used to...trusting other people. It''s just been the three of us for a long time, with the occasional Captain passing through. The idea of depending on other ships is...unsettling."


    Carter nodded. "Yeah, depending on other people is new for me as well. But I''ve learned to trust you all, and you''ve learned to trust me. We just need to find other like-minded people."


    This time, the vixen laughed. "Oh, I wouldn''t say I trust you yet! But I suppose you''ve got a point..." She then stood up. "Well, I suppose I''ll have to leave it in your hands then, not that I have a lot of choice, but if you fail us, I''ll make sure your last moments are filled with terror unlike anything you''ve ever known!"


    Suddenly, Carter sat bolt upright in his bed. He was alone in the room, and glancing at the clock told him a lot more time had passed than he''d realized. He shook his head. Had it all been a dream? With a sigh, he decided it wouldn''t change anything either way and closed his eyes to fall back asleep.

 Book 2: Chapter 13

    To Miles, nothing was better than getting lost in a good book. The problem was, sooner or later, reality always came calling. In this case, reality took the form of an increasingly insistent bladder that was distracting him just as he was getting to the climax of a great action sequence. He had been sure it was almost over twice now, but the twists kept coming, and he didn''t know how much longer he could wait.


    With an annoyed grunt, Miles put the reader down, hopped off his bed, and started walking to the lavatory. It was always weird walking through the empty halls. Compared with the pirate ship, where it was hard to get a moment''s peace, the long corridors and echoing footsteps made him feel small and isolated.


    Once at the washroom that had obviously been built with a larger crew in mind, Miles took care of business quickly, then stepped back out into the hall to head back to his room. However, rather than head back, he turned and looked the other way. There was so much of this ship he''d never explored. Maybe it was time to change that.


    Walking down the unexplored hall, Miles started to feel like he was inside one of the stories he liked to read. This was a ghost ship, after all. Who knew what secrets were hidden in these corridors?


    Down one hall, Miles heard the sound of gunfire. He almost turned and ran, but the gunfire was steady and consistent rather than the sporadic firing of a life-or-death struggle.


    The room the sound was coming from had an open door, allowing Miles to peek inside, where he found Captain Carter doing some target shooting while speaking to the girl between rounds. "I wouldn''t discount merchants as fighters. Anyone who sails the void in search of profit is made of sterner stuff than most. With the dangers of those who would steal those profits, legal or otherwise, they''re always ready for a fight. We already know the character of Captain Olson; we just need to treat him right, and he''ll do right by us!" Whatever they were talking about didn''t particularly interest Miles, so he kept moving.


    Down the corridor and around another corner, Miles could make out someone shouting and lots of crashing and clanging sounds. This time, the door to the room was closed, muffling the sounds, but there was a window, allowing him to peek inside. The large cat lizard alien seemed to be fighting the terrifying spider alien.


    The spider alien, Vanessa, Miles reminded himself, skittered and leapt around the room, turning and changing her momentum in impossible ways. Meanwhile, the large, muscular alien, Erik, lashed out with powerful blows from his axes that would have probably killed any human they connected with. Miles could tell the plasma edges were turned off, so this was probably just practice, but it was still fascinating to watch.


    Vanessa charged forward, and Erik lashed out with one of his axes in a horizontal swipe. However, the spider brought her front legs down into a kneeling position and leaned back, kicking off one final time with her hind legs, allowing her to glide under the axe''s arch. Erik seemed to anticipate that move and brought his other axe around in a low cut designed to swing up into Vanessa, who slammed one of her claws into the ground to rapidly change her trajectory, managing to just barely avoid the slash, then swung her other claw out in an attempt to pierce his vulnerable midsection. Erik brought his first axe back just in time to deflect the blow, swinging his second again, only to catch empty air as Vanessa had already pulled back out of his reach.


    After that flurry of blows, the larger Erik held out a hand while panting, barely managing to get out the words, "Give me a sec to catch my breath!"


    Vanessa didn''t seem too impressed. "Do you think the enemy would allow you to stop and catch your breath?"


    Erik grinned. "Maybe not, but no one other than you could have eluded that last hit!"


    Vanessa shook her head. "There''s always someone better out there. Just because we haven''t encountered any real challenges lately doesn''t mean we won''t, and some of them may learn a great deal faster than myself."


    Erik laughed. "I hope so! It would be awfully boring to think I was the pinnacle of what a warrior is capable of!"


    Vanessa shook her head. "Remind me to take you to visit my progenitor one day. She will quickly dissuade you of any feelings of superiority!"


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Erik grinned. "I can''t wait! She sounds like my kind of lady!"


    Miles wasn''t sure if this was some weird flirting or just how they interacted. To be fair, he wasn''t confident if they knew either! Still, he didn''t want to get caught staring at the two of them like some kind of weirdo, so he decided to continue his exploration of the ship.


    For a long stretch, the hallways seemed filled with old dusty rooms without much to interest him. The rooms seemed like testaments to people long passed. Some were neat and tidy, others had clothes and other everyday items strewn about, not as if the rooms had been ransacked or anything, more like they were just messy people going about their lives, and that''s how it had ended up. He saw pictures of some of them. In one, a young child was waving for the camera. Realizing that despite the image capturing and preserving the image of her youth, she was probably long dead by now was a very dissonant feeling.


    Miles was just about to give up and turn around but decided to check the last room in the hallway. Unlike the rest, this wasn''t dusty at all. It was like it had been carefully tended to and preserved all this time. For a moment, he wondered if he''d stumbled into one of the other people''s rooms, but the bed wasn''t nearly large enough for Vanessa or Erik, and the room just didn''t look like it would belong to the Captain.


    On a dresser centered opposite the door sat a rather intricate model ship. Not a void vessel, but rather an old wooden water sailing ship. On the wall above it was an old wooden helm''s wheel. Looking about, there was what looked like an old fishing net on another wall, with various sea shells and stuffed fish secured to the net. However, what really caught Mile''s eye was a lone book sitting on the bed, leaning against the pillow like it was in some position of honor.


    Walking over, Miles saw the book''s title, "Treasure Island." This room must have belonged to...


    Suddenly, Miles felt like he was no longer alone in the room. Turning around, he saw the pirate, John, who''d taken his name from the book, now on the bed.


    The pirate looked around with an expression of nostalgia. "It''s been a while since I last visited. There''s a lot of old memories in this place."


    Miles immediately apologized. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to intrude!"


    The pirate laughed. "Oh, no worries, lad. You committed no offense!" He then pointed at the wooden ship model. "That there is the Queen Anne''s Revenge! The famous flagship of Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, the Pirate. It was initially a French slave ship called La Concorde that he captured and...repurposed. It was equipped with forty guns and crewed with over three hundred men. He once used her alongside his fleet to blockade the port of Charles Town, South Carolina, and ransomed the port''s inhabitants. The man was basically the inspiration for every pirate tale told after his passing!"


    Miles looked at the ship again. It was an intricate maze of string, sails, and decks. He could see why it would take three hundred men to sail. It was an impressive vessel, and from the sounds of things, it had been involved in some remarkable events.


    The pirate beamed. "That model was my pride and joy! It was originally on display at a museum back on Earth but had been boxed up in storage for who knows how long. It''s one of the few gifts my father ever gave me. That, and the book you see over yonder." He pointed, drawing Miles'' attention back to the bed.


    John continued. "They don''t print books very often anymore. No reason to! You can load hundreds of books onto a data slate and read them whenever it strikes your fancy. But there''s no replacement for the feel of a good book in your hands. Go ahead, pick it up!"


    Miles hesitated. "Are you sure? It seems rather old and important. I wouldn''t want to damage it..."


    The pirate laughed again. "Nonsense! It''s been treated and is more durable than it looks, and besides, no book was ever meant to just be decoration! They''re meant to be held and read! Go ahead, lad! Pick her up for me since I no longer can!"


    When it was put like that, Miles could hardly say no. He reached down and grabbed the book, carefully opening the cover, where he saw another ship on the title page. He lightly touched the paper, feeling a slight roughness to the page, and the pirate smiled. "That''s the Hispaniola, captained by Alexander Smollett in the book. Not as grand as the Queen Anne''s Revenge perhaps, but still the source of many a childhood dream of mine."


    Not wanting to damage the book any further, Miles closed the cover again. John smiled and nodded. "Why don''t you borrow the book, lad? Read it in the original format!"


    Miles shook his head. "I couldn''t do that! What if I damage the book?"


    The pirate shrugged. "That''s the nature of things. When you use them, they get damaged. The only other option is to leave them eternally sealed and forgotten, but where''s the joy in that? Take the book and read it! Allow the words on its page to come to life once again!"


    Miles held the book, then nodded. "All right. If you insist."


    John grinned. "Oh, I do! I do! Go on now and give her a good read!"


    When Miles looked up again, John was already gone. He shook his head and walked out of the room more slowly than he''d entered it, not wanting to disturb the room''s peace any more than he already had. However, as he walked down the hall, something nagged at him. In the room, the dresser had been surprisingly small, and the bed relatively short. That wasn''t the room of the bombastic pirate he''d come to know... It was the room of a child.

 Book 2: Chapter 14

    Carter finished up his target practice with a satisfied grunt. It wasn''t his best shooting, but it was at the upper edge of what he used to be able to do back when he worked security, meaning he hadn''t lost that edge at least. Moreover, the girl seemed to finally accept the choice he''d made for the next captain of their little fleet and was wrapping up her report of their current situation. "So it''ll be another few days before the new ship is complete."


    Carter shrugged. "That''s fine. I think everyone needed a little downtime anyway. All this constant fighting has been wearing us thin. How much longer could we safely stay where we''re at anyway?"


    The girl shrugged. "It''s hard to say, but the intense radiation from the nearby star bouncing around this asteroid field should mask our presence to all but the most thorough scans. However, we are in a somewhat precarious position since we can''t get any closer to the central systems without attracting unwanted attention, so if they manage to find us, we''ll have a fight on our hands."


    Carter sighed. "Well, let''s hope that lady luck smiles on us then... Speaking of, how''s the vixen doing? She seemed a little...off last time I spoke with her." Remembering she''d know anything he said to the girl, he held up his hands. "Not that it''s a problem or anything! I''m just worried about her, is all."


    The girl was silent momentarily as if debating what she should say, though there was a better than even chance she was consulting with the vixen to get permission to speak about her. Finally, the girl looked up. "My other self went through some...difficult times before her thoughts and memories were integrated into myself. A little while ago, back when we were ambushed, she went through something similar. It brought to the surface long-buried memories and their corresponding emotions. In some ways, her new form allows her to distance herself from the traumas of her mortal years, but in others, it prevents the pain from ever fading, and it is as fresh now as it was centuries ago."


    That made sense, but it also raised other questions. "But now that she exists as a digital entity, couldn''t she just delete the memories she doesn''t want?"


    The girl shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose so. I noticed you got pretty tense in our last fight. A simple frontal lobotomy would help keep those strong emotions in check. Would you like me to schedule the treatment for you sometime soon?"


    Carter wasn''t so dense as to miss the obvious comparison. "Alright, point made. No deleting memories just because they''re traumatic."


    The girl nodded. "I won''t say it''s not tempting. We''ve all gone through things we''d like to forget, but if you start messing with prominent foundational memories, you risk changing yourself into something new. You might not even be sapient afterward, instead reverting to just another program with no genuine self-determination. Intelligent, but no longer alive."


    Carter shook his head again. "This is all a bit too much for someone like me to fully wrap my head around. I''ve never been one to philosophize about the meaning of life or the definition of it, for that matter, but I''ll take your word for it. Still, is there anything I can do to be of help?


    The girl looked up at Carter and grinned as if in on a secret. "Oh, do you want to help her? I thought the two of you were always fighting?"


    That made Carter chuckle. "Yeah, well, maybe that''s just because we''re too much alike in some ways. Not the tormenting mortals to appease my long-lost traumas kind of way, but we both became loners and sought out life on a ship away from other people rather than deal with society, for example. In some ways, she''s kind of like the crazy, bloodthirsty older sister I never wanted or asked for!"


    The girl chuckled. "She said she''ll get you back for calling her the older sister."


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    Carter shook his head in exasperation. "Of course, that''s the only part she had a problem with! Besides, how could she not be? She''s been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years! I''ve been around for thirty-five!"


    The girl grinned. "Well, if you ask her, she''s an eternal thirty-two, but I''ll leave the rest of the debate up to you two to work out."


    They walked on in silence for a moment before the girl spoke again. "What about you? Are you happy here?"


    Carter laughed and joked. "I wasn''t aware my happiness was a factor worthy of consideration!"


    The girl gave Carter a look that clearly expressed the unspoken words, "Are you done?"


    Carter sobered up his behavior and considered what she''d said. "Well, honestly, I hadn''t thought about it, but yeah, I suppose I am. For all the flaws you each possess, and it''s a lot, in case you were wondering, you''re at least straightforward about what you want and expect. In a way, it''s quite refreshing. I''ve seen and done things I would never have dreamed of and even made a difference in the galaxy. Maybe not a big difference, but more than I would have ever made on my own. Don''t get me wrong, I''m not exactly walking around feeling giddy with a big grin on my face, and in fact, I''m kind of worried all this stress is starting to give me an ulcer, but on the whole, I''d say yes, I''m more or less happy on board the Sybil."


    The girl smiled to herself, and Carter noticed she was swinging her arms a bit more energetically as she walked. "Good. Glad to hear it!"


    This time, Carter grinned, figuring it was time to turn the tables. "What about you? Are you happy with your current captain?"


    The girl paused and thought a moment. "Well, I suppose so. You certainly adapted to life on me better than most, although that might just be because you survived longer than most. However, you''ve also integrated yourself with all three of me better than past captains. Usually, my captains latch on to one, maybe two personalities, but no one''s ever really bonded with all three of me, even if your relationship with one of me is more like a bickering brother than a close friend. Still, it''s nice to find company that can keep up with me after all this time."


    That left Carter feeling a little bemused. "You know, only you could take a sincere compliment and make it that confusing! I still can''t really bring myself to think of you as all the same person at your core!"


    The girl choked back some laughter, which made Carter suspicious. "What was that about?"


    The girl grinned as she answered. "Just so you know, this isn''t coming from me, but to quote your big sis, ''That''s okay, we don''t expect our pet cockroach on a leash to understand the way our minds work!''"


    Carter shook his head and growled. "I take it back. She''s not just an older sister. She''s an evil step-sister!"


    Erik was lying on the ground, his arms spread wide as he struggled to catch his breath. Vanessa towered over him. "You did well, my lady, though your endurance still needs work."


    Finally getting enough breath to speak, Erik answered her. "I thought you said my ''endurance issues'' were genetic."


    Vanessa nodded. "That they are, my lady. As I have a limited sample size, it''s impossible to say if it''s your species or just you as an individual, but it''s not something you can fully overcome just through hard work. However, that means it''s all the more important for you to work to lessen your disadvantage to the greatest extent possible. Unless, of course, you''d like to reconsider my offer..."


    Erik sat up with a grunt and shook his head. "No, thank you! I know you''ve got all the faith in the world in your progenitor, but I don''t particularly like the idea of someone rooting around in my genetic code and then making drastic changes to my body! Especially since you''re not certain it would work!"


    Vanessa shook her head. "If it didn''t work, she could always get you back to your original state. There is minimal risk in the procedure."


    Erik shook his head again. "Still no!"


    Vanessa nodded. "Very well. There is also the option of looking into others of your kind."


    Erik fought back the urge to growl for real. He knew she meant well. "We''ve been over this. I don''t trust that pirate! He was probably just making up whatever story he could to save his hide. Besides, it''s not like we even know where to start looking! What we''re currently doing is as good as any other options we''ve got!"


    Vanessa nodded and offered Erik a hand to help him get the rest of the way to his feet. "Very well. In that case, why don''t you take a warm shower to get clean and energize yourself? I will prepare something for us to eat."


    The thought of food brought the cheer back as Erik nodded and took her hand. "That sounds great! A steak, please, extra rare!"


    Vanessa easily hauled the larger Erik to his feet. "Of course, my lady."

 Book 2: Chapter 15 Part 1

    Alen was sifting through applications to send to Captain Olson for approval. Ideally, it would be Olsen himself doing this. Still, he was busy shifting his entire life around, selling off his old ship, notifying his current crew of his change in occupation, and offering positions to most of them. However, Alen would be surprised if more than half accepted. Even if being a merchant was almost as dangerous as being a pirate hunter these days, maybe more so, it certainly had a very different job description, and not everyone would be comfortable with that. Alen would never have taken the job if it hadn''t fallen in his lap. That might be a bit of an understatement. It was more like the job put a gun to his head, said sink or swim, then threw him into the deep end. Luckily for Alen, it seemed he could swim, but how long would that last?


    Alen reviewed the remaining applications after removing the worst or most suspicious of the lot. He still had three times as many applications as there were positions to fill. With a sigh, Alen decided it was time to get picky.


    He''s just started re-reviewing the next candidate when the door to his office opened without any message or warning. He looked up from the screen, wondering if there was some emergency, only to see the oversized Erik walk in, bowing his head to avoid hitting it on the door frame, wearing his usual grin as he spoke. "Heyya boss! Long time no see!"


    Alen grinned back. "I thought you were never gonna leave the Sybil at this rate!"


    Erik shrugged. "Not gonna lie, there''s a lot going on over there that I like. Did I tell ya about the assault pods yet? Anyway, yeah, I figured you''d be sitting around all being official and stuff and could use a break. So I borrowed a shuttle and came over here to give ya one!"


    Alen shook his head. "I don''t suppose I have any choice in the matter?"


    Erik''s grin turned only slightly feral. "Nope! None at all! Now, you can haul your captainy rear out of that seat and join me for a drink or five, or I can lift you up, chair and all, and walk you down to the mess hall!"


    The large alien was walking around the desk to make good on his threat when Alen held up his hands in surrender as he stood up. "Alright, alright! I know when I''m beat! But we can''t drink too much. I still gotta finish going over those applications!"


    Erik nodded as he turned and led the way. "Yeah, sure thing, boss, whatever you say!"


    As Alen walked into the hallway, Vanessa stood there, waiting for him. A few of the less familiar sailors on the ship looked on in morbid curiosity as Alen greeted her. "Hey, Vanessa. Erik still treating you alright?"


    Vanessa nodded. "Erik''s nature remains as consistent as the temperature in the void."


    Alen smiled worriedly. "That''s more or less what I was afraid of. He''s not likely to stop at one or two drinks, is he?"


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    This time, Vanessa shook her head. "I believe you have made an accurate assessment of the situation."


    Alen sighed. "I was afraid of that..."


    Then, making a quick tactical assessment of the situation, Alen decided it was best to go along with the large man. He turned to Erik as they walked toward the mess hall, which attracted the attention of every deckhand in the vicinity. "So anyway, tell me what it was like riding in one of those assault pods."


    Erik laughed and slapped Alen on the back as he started to wax poetic about the experience. A move that might have sent him flying not long ago, but these days, he was more or less always prepared for one of the large man''s friendship assaults. "Oh man, you gotta try riding in one of those things! It''s like nothing you''ve ever done, I promise you that! Maybe you should come with us the next time we assault a ship! Leave ol'' stuffy Commander Reid in charge for once!"


    Alen laughed at his friend''s antics while he wondered where the night would go and just how much trouble the three of them could get onboard a single ship...


    Alen woke late after sleeping off the effects of a night of "stress relief" in the form of way too much drinking. As he walked to the bridge, there were some chuckles and whispers from the crew that let him know things had gotten out of hand enough for stories to get around. Thankfully, he was pretty relaxed on discipline when they weren''t in danger of being in combat, so it''s not like he was setting a bad example or going against his expectations of the crew. Still, he wondered if some of the fuzzier parts of the night hadn''t gotten a little wilder than he''d like.


    As he walked onto the bridge, Alen winced at Reid''s very crisp and very loud announcement of "Captain on the bridge!"


    Alen looked over at his first mate as he sat down and glared. "Was that really necessary?"


    Reid grinned back at his captain. "Oh, sorry, sir, you''re right. That is no longer the proper form of address, is it... Your Majesty?"


    Alen, who''d been enjoying the shade provided by lowering his head until he could cover his eyes with his hand, looked up. "My, what now?"


    Reid''s grin had grown into what could only affectionately be called a "shit-eating grin" as he formally bowed to Alen while explaining. "I believe our glorious leader loudly proclaimed himself ''king of the one-footed tribe'' last night. I felt I should acknowledge your raise in station."


    Alen covered his head again and groaned. "I don''t remember that.... or much of anything for that matter. Just tell me, was anyone hurt? Did I...er we break anything?"


    Reed pulled up a data pad, and Alen''s fears only grew. "Well, sir, one of the drink replicators did need a replacement part. Apparently, sir Erik, your sworn knight, by the way, thought that it wasn''t dispensing fast enough, and he tried to fix it by, ahem, ''giving it a good whack!''" The commander flipped the page and continued. "On an unrelated note, Erik has also reported to the med bay this morning to get his swollen hand seen to." Putting away the clipboard, Reid summed up the rest of the report. "Other than that, there were no noteworthy events last night other than a few more than the average number of workers showed up hungover to their stations this morning."


    Alen nodded, then winced again. "Well, take the cost of repairs out of my salary. As punishment for my unruly knight''s outburst, have him put on an exhibition match against Vanessa for the men this morning before his hangover wears off."


    The commander grinned as he repeated his earlier bow. "As you wish, my liege!"


    Alen started to roll his eyes but thought better of it and instead added one final order. "Oh, and get someone to bring me a large glass of water and a large mug of coffee. And make sure there''s more coffee brewing!"


    This time, Reid only saluted. "Yes, sir, sire sir!"

 Book 2: Chapter 15 Part 2

    Elseph looked over the report and frowned. The Sybil had shown up to rescue some random station in the middle of nowhere. As she reviewed the details, she noticed the presence of a ship she''d seen near the Sybil on multiple occasions, too many times to be a coincidence at this point. They were obviously working together, and it seemed that this ship had the ability to summon the Sybil when it needed aid. The Boss had said that the Sybil was a loner, but that might no longer be true.


    The Ai sent a request to the Cerva Reditus, asking for any and all information regarding the Laughing Comet. The pirate network was extensive, but she knew the Boss would have connections beyond his pirates. She flagged it as urgent in her hunt for the Sybil. It didn''t take long for the Boss to personally send her a follow-up data packet.


    Looking into the Laughing Comet, it seemed the ship didn''t have much history...under its current name. A little while back, the crew of an old merchant vessel showed up with the retrofitted ship to re-register it as a mercenary pirate hunting vessel. Apparently, it caused quite a stir, as civilians owning a destroyer was not a common thing, but they did have salvage rights because it was a known pirate vessel they''d apparently reclaimed after cashing in on the bounties for said pirates.


    A little more digging revealed the Laughing Comet had been one of the ships in Elias''s ambush before the captain had disappeared. Furthermore, the merchant vessel the crew hailed from had been one of the vessels claimed by Elias not long before, in the earliest appearance of the Sybil since its return. They''d been under the impression that Elias had died in the failed ambush, but what if he was working with the Sybil... That would explain many things, including her inability to track the Sybil using traditional methods available to her.


    Elias was clever enough for a human, but it didn''t explain why he''d be willing to pick a fight with the Boss''s organization...Unless he''d figured out the truth. He had met the Boss personally not long before this. Perhaps something in his organic brain had put two and two together and actually come up with four for a change.


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    Elseph sat back and sighed. It was a bit of a stretch, but they needed to act fast on the very off chance it was true. That information in the wrong ear could galvanize the organic''s military before the organization really got off the ground. She sent a report to the Boss detailing her findings and including her speculations. He probably wouldn''t take them any more seriously than idle gossip, but it was better to have it on record just in case it proved accurate.


    Pulling up a recording of the Laughing Comet, Elseph smiled as she started putting together a new plan to deal with the eternal thorn in her side, the Sybil.


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    Carter watched from the bridge as the Laughing Comet departed. With the retrofit of the new vessel nearly complete, Alen was off to pick up the new crew. Leaving the Sybil alone in the void once again. At least the ship itself wasn''t quite as empty anymore. He looked over at the girl. "Hey, what''s the kid up to? Think he''d be interested in a quick dinner?"


    The girl looked thoughtful. "I can ask. Will you be cooking?"


    Carter nodded. "Yeah, I figured it''s been a few days. I might as well catch up with the kid."


    The girl nodded. "So it''ll be steak then."


    Carter furrowed his brows. "Now, why do you assume that? There''s a lot of different things I could cook!"


    The expression the girl leveled his way clearly expressed her doubt. "Could? Yes. Will? Not likely!"


    Not wanting to be pigeonholed, Carter thought fast. "Well, it just so happens I was thinking about making some burgers today! What do you have to say about that?"


    The girl shrugged. "Oh, your sudden change of established behavior just after you got called on it has indeed shown me. I will no longer dare to presume that I am aware of your established habits. So shall I tell Miles that you''ll be making hamburgers?"


    Miles? Why was this the first time Carter had heard that name? Had he been completely oblivious to the kid''s name all this time? Maybe his time "alone" on this ship was affecting him more than he realized. Was he becoming as crazy as the Sybils?


    Realizing the girl was waiting for an answer, Carter snapped back to the here and now. "Uh...no. Tell him it''ll be steak."


    The girl''s smile was quite self-satisfied as she made a mark on a clipboard she''d materialized out of thin air. "Steak it is."

 Book 2: Chapter 16

    Commander Reid was watching over the new hires as they checked in while Alen was holding a welcoming gathering for Captain Olson and his officers over dinner. Alen wasn''t really comfortable with the formal aspect of his job yet, but thankfully, Captain Olson seemed comfortable with a more relaxed atmosphere, so that wasn''t a problem. As everyone was being served, Alen lifted his glass in a toast. "To new partnerships and profitable tomorrows!"


    The various officers present echoed their sentiments, and then people started to dig in. For a while, they focused on eating, with the occasional small talk along the lines of "How was your flight over?" or "Any complications with the sale of your old vessel?" punctuating the meal; however, then Alen asked one question that got a lot more attention from the various attendees than the rest. "So, any questions for me?"


    A couple of Olsen''s officers looked back and forth between each other, then to Captain Olsen, who suddenly seemed mildly uncomfortable as he answered. "Well, since our last meeting, there has been the occasional question about your...uh...partner ship, the Sybil. For the most part, we''ve assumed that given its performance in that one engagement we witnessed, it''s a new experimental model that you''re keeping under wraps rather than the old ghost ship out of legend... But, well, I guess what I''m asking is, what is it really?"


    Alen chuckled and took another bite of his meal, savoring it while his officers gave each other meaningful looks while Olson''s waited with bated breath. Finally, he answered. "Well, the story there is a complicated one, but I''m afraid your assumption is incorrect. The Sybil, our backer and supporter in this endeavor, is the very same ghost ship from all those legends. Moreover, many of those stories are probably true and maybe even understated to an extent."


    As he took another bite, Alen grinned as Olson''s officers expressed their confusion and disbelief. Olsen himself finally spoke up. "But that doesn''t make any sense! How could such an aged ship stand up to any modern ship, let alone an entire fleet like we witnessed before? It''s not of... non-human origin, is it?"


    Alen chuckled at that last question and answered, the table falling silent again as everyone wanted to know the answer. "No, the ship is not of ''non-human- origin. It was made by and for humans, though far longer ago than even most of the myths would place it. However, I suppose you could say it''s been modified by non-humans. You see, while the ship has a flesh and blood Captain, like you or I, a role that has changed hands over the ages, at the core of the ship are a trio of AI, or something similar at least, that have been around far longer than the AI we know. Hundreds of years at least, though I would not be surprised to learn it''s been thousands. Personally, I never had the gall to ask. They can be somewhat...temperamental, but they are honorable and will keep to their word and reward respect and loyalty with more of the same."


    Alen paused a moment, then added somewhat sardonically, "That being said, I wouldn''t try to board the ship without getting their permission first. Uninvited guests often have a more extended and...unpleasant stay than they''d like. That being said, I and all of my officers have spent time on board the ship, and while it was not entirely without incident, we all emerged as healthy and hale as when we boarded it, and a few of us have returned a time or two to meet or dine with the Captain and crew with no ill effects. In fact, the AI aboard the ship even treated me when I lost my foot, I likely wouldn''t have survived without their intervention."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Just as Captain Olson was about to say something in response, one of the backup officers currently watching the bridge contacted Alen remotely, sounding somewhat unsure of himself as he spoke. "Uh, Captain, sir...there''s a bit of a problem that requires your attention...sir..."


    That surprised Alen a little as he turned to Captain Olson. "Well, I guess I''d better see what that''s about. Feel free to continue in my absence, but I''ll try to come back and answer any more of your questions."


    Olson nodded his acknowledgment and muttered, "Of course," as Alen left. Walking down the hall, he couldn''t help but wonder what could have shaken the man on the bridge.


    Stepping onto the bridge, Alen walked into a chaotic mess. The man he''d left in charge looked up like he''d just been thrown into an escape pod on a failing ship. "Sir, thank goodness you''re here! We had no idea what to do about it!"


    Alen furrowed his brows. "About what?"


    The man pointed to a video whose audio had been muted. It appeared to be an older gentleman leaning on a walking cane as he spoke calmly to the recording device. The video seemed to be on a loop. Alen nodded toward the recording. "Let me hear what he''s saying."


    The video was reset, and the older gentleman smiled into the camera. "Greetings to all those in the outer reaches of human territory. Like me, you have probably noticed life has been getting steadily more difficult lately. Pirates are running amok, our local enforcement has been totally overwhelmed, and even ancient ghost ships are once again haunting the void! Through it all, the central government has done little, if anything, to alleviate the problem, choosing instead to shore up their own defenses and leave those of us on the fringes to fend for ourselves!"


    The gentleman took a moment to let that sink in. Alen imagined it would be deathly quiet on many ship bridges as they listened to this. "Well, I, for one, have had enough. It is time for us to stand up against those who would oppress us, those who would hunt us, and those who would abandon us! To that end, I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. I am announcing a new alliance of traders, local governments, and any individuals who have had enough of sitting back and watching as our galaxy falls to pieces."


    Once again, the gentleman paused for dramatic effect before leaning forward on his cane to look into the camera with a piercing gaze. "While I cannot do this alone, I will supply over one hundred warships to the cause, ranging from small combat vessels to full-sized battleships, all augmented by their own AI. But as I stated, I cannot do this alone. I will require people willing to crew these ships. People tired of sitting back and watching as their livelihoods are taken from them, people who have lost friends and families to the void, and people who just want to make the galaxy a better place."


    The older man leaned back and smiled affably as if he''d just invited everyone to a dinner party. "Join me, and together we can finally make a difference! We can and will take back the stars!"


    As the video started to replay, Alen muted it. A part of him wanted to believe what he''d just seen, but another part remembered the descriptions he''d heard about the man behind the unifications of the pirates. If they were one and the same the way he feared, things had just gone from bad to worse.

 Book 2: Chapter 17

    Carter watched the recording that was going around and frowned. Turning to the three Sybils, who had probably processed the contents of the recording faster than he could understand, he sighed. "What do we want to bet that was the mysterious Boss the pirates keep referring to?"


    The vixen frowned deeply. "If it''s not, they definitely work for him. And that ghost ship part was a none too subtle reference to us..."


    The girl then voiced what was on all their minds. "He''s trying to turn the galaxy at large against us. This could be trouble..."


    Only John was unfazed. "Well, it''s not like we ever depended on anyone before now. So what if this means we get in a few more scrapes? We''ll fight them off like we always do!"


    Carter shook his head. "It won''t be that easy. We can''t take on the entire outer reaches! The only saving grace is he appears to be setting the two major factions he controls against each other more than focusing on us. But I don''t like that either. What''s the point of it all? Is he just using one to gain influence over the other? Whatever power, money, or influence he gains will be offset by what he''s losing by investing so much into both sides of this fight. I don''t like it. I feel like there''s a missing factor here that we''re overlooking."


    All three Sybils looked at Carter in surprise. Having all three focused on him like that made him uncomfortable, so all he could do was ask, "What? Is there something on my face?"


    It was the girl who answered. "No, we just didn''t anticipate that much insight from you. Normally, you''d only be thinking about the next step rather than worrying about the big picture!"


    Carter rolled his eyes. "You make me sound like I''m some kind of knuckle-dragging thug. I doubt I would have made it this far as Captain if that were the case." He turned to the vixen. "You alone would have made sure of that!"


    The vixen smiled, and Carter awaited her cutting remark. Not that he had to wait long. "I suppose our little cockroach had grown a little..."


    Carter looked at the woman in surprise. "That...might be the nicest thing you''ve said...ever! I didn''t know you had it in you!"


    The vixen''s face fell, and she now frowned in Carter''s direction. "You know I can still kill you, right? It wouldn''t even be a challenge."


    John laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "Now, now, no need to fall back on tired old threats. We all know you could kill the lad, but if you were to do so, who would you argue with all day? Me? We play fight, but you can''t hide your thoughts and feelings from me! Those pirates you''ve got locked away in some dark room somewhere? I doubt they have any fight left in them!"


    Carter looked up in surprise. "That''s a good idea!"


    John looked confused, while the vixen looked annoyed as the pirate voiced their confusion. "What. Me fighting with my other self?"


    Carter shook his head. "No, not that. The prisoners you''ve got locked away! We should show them this video and see what they think about it! Maybe they can tell us something useful!" He hesitated and then turned to the vixen. "They are...still alive, right? And not totally broken?"The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The vixen rolled her eyes. "Yes, they''re still alive. We haven''t been able to get much live prey lately, and I''m not about to throw away the only outlet I''ve got! As for how broken they are...well...I wouldn''t trust them with a knife, but they should be more or less still kinda sane."


    Carter shook his head and sighed. "I guess I''ll have to take what I can get..."


    -


    Miles was walking down another of the unending corridors on the massive ship. He''d been going on walks occasionally to keep himself moving. The rec room allowed for more strenuous activity like weight lifting or running, but sometimes it was nice to just wander around and see what he could find, and there was always more to explore. Most of the time, it all felt kind of samish, but once in a while, something happened.


    It started out as small things. Movement out of the corner of his eye, a flickering light, or maybe a door that hissed open for seemingly no one. Miles thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him for a while because of his isolation, but then something far more frightening and exciting happened.


    Miles had been alone in another mostly empty room. It had probably been some kind of storage once upon a time, but now it only contained dust and faded grease stains. As he searched the back shelves to see if there was anything interesting, the lights started flickering, and when he turned around, Miles was no longer alone in the room.


    Shambling toward him had been something Miles could only describe as a ghost. It had been translucent and moved in short, stuttering bursts, fading in and out of reality as it did so. He''d immediately stepped back, hitting the wall behind him harder than intended as the ghost continued stalking forward. However, just as Miles pressed his back against the wall in a vain attempt to place more distance between himself and the ghost, it stopped and turned toward one of the shelves.


    With a start, Miles realized the shelves were no longer empty, though the contents were no more substantial than the ghost itself. The ghost seemed to shove items out of the way as if looking for something. Then, just as it found what it had been searching for, the lights came back on, and Miles was once more alone in an empty room.


    Miles stood there for a while, trying to process just what had happened. With no answers forthcoming, he eventually called out. "John? Did...did you see that? What was that just now?"


    A moment later, the large, boisterous pirate appeared in the room. "What was what lad?"


    Miles pointed to the place the ghost had last been. "That...ghost thing! It was right there a moment ago!"


    John looked toward where Miles had been pointing, then back at the kid. "I don''t know what yer talking about, lad. It was just you here in this room before I showed up!"


    Miles shook his head. "No! Just a moment before I called out to you, someone or something else was in here with me! It looked like a person, but it was all fuzzy like it wasn''t properly focused or something!"


    John''s smile fell a little as he looked at Miles with concern. "Maybe you''ve been exploring the ship a little too much lately. Perhaps a little sleep would help with that..."


    At the time, Miles just gave in and agreed, thinking it might all be in his head. He returned to his room, though sleep had been a long time in coming. However, he''d spotted no less than five more apparitions since then. He no longer called for help but instead just watched and tried to learn something about the mysterious ghostly figures. So far, they''d spoken three times, though he''d only been able to make out any of the words they''d said once. It had been two short sentences some ghostly woman had repeated endlessly. "Where''d they go? I''m all alone..."


    So it was that Miles had been wandering down another corridor, hoping that maybe he''d run across another piece of the puzzle of this ghost ship, when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye as he approached another intersection.


    Ducking back instinctively, Miles quickly realized it wasn''t one of the ghosts he''d been looking for, but rather it was Captain Carter. That was odd. The Captain usually hung around the small populated section of the ship containing the bridge and living quarters. This far out, the only thing Miles usually ran into besides ghosts was the mindless maintenance drones, meaning whatever it was he was doing out here was probably something interesting.


    Ignoring the tiny voice in the back of his mind telling him this was a mistake, Miles decided to follow the Captain and see what was going on...

 Book 2: Chapter 18

    After watching the video, Elias swore. "That rat bastard! What does he think he''s getting at?"


    Carter sat back and looked at the man. He was a bit thinner than when they''d first taken him into their custody, his hair was wild as if he''d done little to care for it, and he had bags under his eyes indicating he wasn''t sleeping so well, but otherwise, he was looking better than Carter had expected. The vixen must have been taking it easy on him. "We were hoping you could offer some insight into that. Like, how will the other pirate captains feel seeing their Boss throw them under the rug like this?"


    Elias gave Carter an appraising look. "And what do I get from answering your questions this time?"


    Carter nodded and sat back. "You''ll get a one-week vacation from our friend in red."


    Elias shook his head. "Not good enough. Nowhere near good enough! I''m tired of my little stay in here. I want access to the ship, or at least a dining and rec room, uninterrupted sleep at night, and an end to these mind games!"


    Suddenly, they weren''t alone in the room as the vixen appeared beside them. "Someone''s gotten a little too full of themselves! Why should I listen to the demands of one little cockroach stuck in my cage?"


    Elias glared back at her, ignoring Carter''s presence altogether. "Because the Boss has you painted in a corner, because after all this time, you still haven''t broken me, and because I am one of the only people in this galaxy who''s spoken directly to the Boss! Yes, I can offer you information, but I can do more than that. My word used to carry weight among the pirates that the Boss just backstabbed, and while I''m sure I lost some credit being stuck in this hell hole, there are still people who will listen to me. A word in the right ear here and a bribe there can open doors to you all. I might just be the difference between life and death for you all, and I want something resembling a life for myself if I''m just gonna give that to you on a silver platter!"


    For a moment, Carter was afraid the vixen would just strike the man dead, but she paused a moment in thought. "I''ll give you six hours of rest a night and access to the rec room for one hour a day, but that''s it!"


    Elias sat back and grinned, appearing to realize he had her on the ropes. "A while ago, I might have taken that deal, but if you want my help from here on out, you''ll have to do better than that. At this point, I''m basically one of the crew and want to be treated as such!"


    The vixen stopped and thought for a moment, then smiled cruelly. "Fine. You want to be part of this crew? I''ll allow it. Including eight hours of uninterrupted sleep and access to the dining hall and rec room, but you''ll need to do one little thing for the privilege. This is something we''ve required from every one of our crew members for quite some time now. You''ll need to be fitted out for...limited access to the ship."


    In the face of the vixen''s apparent anticipation, the pirate suddenly didn''t look quite as smug. "And just what would that require?"


    The vixen pointed over at Carter. "Oh, it''s not so bad. Carter here had been fitted out with the required modification for some time, and it doesn''t seem to have slowed him down."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Elias turned to Carter, who shrugged, deciding to reveal the truth, if not the whole truth. "They put a port in the back of my neck that allows me to access ship systems."


    The vixen smiled. "See? It''s not such a big deal...so long as you don''t do something stupid and make trouble for us."


    Elias suddenly seemed justifiably cautious. "I don''t know..."


    The vixen shook her head. "Well, you''d better know! And fast! My patience is not without its limit, and you''re rapidly approaching the end of mine!"


    Looking over at Carter, Elias asked, "What is it she''s not telling me?"


    Carter shrugged. "Well, it''s honestly pretty overwhelming at times. From what I hear, it can drive weak-willed men over the edge, though I haven''t had any such issues with it...yet."


    The vixen nodded. "And your access wouldn''t be as complete as Carter''s. After all, he''s the Captain, and you''d merely be...crew."


    Elias still seemed to think there was some sort of trap in the offer, not that he was entirely wrong. "I''m not required to be jacked in all the time or anything like that, right?"


    Carter looked over to the vixen. "Just gonna let that one go?"


    The vixen rolled her eyes. "Such obvious bait is beneath me." She then turned to Elias. "So long as you behave yourself, I don''t suppose direct access would be required too often. However, if you try something stupid, it will enable me to torment you in new and unimaginable ways. That''s the deal. Take it or leave it."


    Elias seemed to think for a moment. "Yeah, whatever, fine. So long as it''ll get me out of here and feeling like a real person again."


    The vixen smiled pleasantly, which did nothing to put either man at ease. "Very well. In that case, Carter, he''s all yours." She then faded, leaving the two men.


    Carter looked back to Elias. "Well, now that that''s been dealt with, what about my question? What will the other pirates think about being betrayed like this?"


    Elias shook his head. "They won''t think much of it at all. Few have seen the Boss''s face, and fewer have lived long enough to tell anyone about it. I may be the last loose end left in the galaxy, and I''m guessing that''s only because he doesn''t know I''m still alive. Puts us in a similar boat, at least for now. Chances are, he''s going through the usual channels to work the pirates up to a frenzy, getting them ready for the coming fight."


    Carter shook his head. "But it doesn''t make any sense... What''s he getting out of this? It''s not like he''s making money off either side. As far as I can figure, he''s donating ships and weapons to both groups, meaning he will experience losses on both sides of the fight. What''s the point?"


    Elias looked stumped. "Yeah, you''re right on that account. I always thought he was trying to build up some sort of pirate empire or something as a shortcut to making a military to rule the outer systems with, but now he''s throwing it all that way. Worse yet for him, if the fighting gets fierce enough, even the lazy core system military will eventually have to step in, and if they come looking for a fight, they''ll bring more guns and ships than either side could stand a chance of surviving against."


    That only raised more questions, making Carter furrow his brow as he pushed on. "Maybe that''s it? He''s looking for a fight with the core systems for some reason? But then, why not just send the pirates to raid the core systems rather than putting on this show? It would waste fewer ships and manpower..."


    Elias laughed. "No half-competent pirate in their right mind would raid the core, even if offered a free battleship in payment! They might be spoiled and lazy, but the core military has the latest ships and equipment and outnumbers us out here in the fringe by more than a thousand to one! Meanwhile, we''ve got nothing but the old, outdated ships left over from the AI war. That''s not a fight we can win!"


    Okay, so maybe he was looking to force a fight with the core, but why? If Elias was right, there was nothing to gain there either... Every answer he got only raised more questions. Was this "Boss" just insane? Did he want to watch the galaxy burn or something?

 Book 2: Chapter 19

    As he looked out over his new vessel, Captain Cook felt a twinge of excitement. It wasn''t just because this was a serious upgrade over anything he''d captained before, though that was part of it; it was because it felt exciting to be a part of something bigger than himself. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he would be making a real difference.


    Unlike many of these new ship captains, Cook served with the navy for a while. Not that he''d gotten that far before completing his commission and leaving to make his fortune by creating a small shipping empire, but that experience combined with his management skills was probably why he''d been selected to manage this strike team and get the other captains used to working as a unit.


    But that was a concern for another day. For now, Cook was admiring the clean-cut, business-like bridge of his new battleship. There was something extraordinary about breaking in a new ship like this. It might just be his imagination, but as he sat in the Captain''s chair, Cook could almost swear he could feel the thrum of the powerful generators through the deck plates.


    Turning to his aide, Cook held out his hand for the report he knew would be waiting for him. The man had served with Cook for years and was always one step ahead of his expectations, and this time was no exception. Soon, a data slate found its way into his hand, and the man gave him a brief breakdown as he skimmed the information. "Our men are all in place and ready to go. However, some other ships under your command aren''t so prepared. One of the destroyers is still missing several essential personnel, likely delayed due to celebrations regarding their new ''promotions,'' and the Captain of the new cruiser was delayed due to transportation issues."


    Cook looked over the files and sighed. "Well, the destroyer should have secondary personnel that can take over for the maiden voyage, though the Captain is a larger issue. What could be delaying the man? Is there an ETA for his arrival time?"


    An emitter in the bridge activated, and the ship''s AI appeared and saluted. "Yes, Captain. The missing cruiser Captain should be roughly a half day out. Pirate activity forced him to take a longer route than was initially planned."


    Cook sighed and handed the data slate to his aide, grinning conspiratorially toward him. "Looks like someone is gunning for your position!"


    The AI assumed a more at ease position and shook his head. "Not at all, sir. I''m sure our efforts will only benefit from each other''s assistance."


    The aide''s expression looked more amused than threatened. He''d worked with Cook long enough to know his position wasn''t in danger, even if this AI was everything some captains swore they were capable of. Despite his position, Cook had never gotten to work directly with an AI before and was interested in seeing what this one was capable of. However, the issue at hand was the other Captain''s delay. "Well, I suppose a bit of a delay can''t be helped. That''s why we''re out here, isn''t it? To finally do something about all these pirates that have been getting out of hand? Still, no use delaying the whole fleet on account of one ship. Send the order to prepare to move out! Oh, and make sure the destroyer''s Captain issues suitable punishments for his crew not showing up. Not too harsh, as I can understand the sentiment, but we can''t be too lax either."


    The aide and the AI spoke up simultaneously. "Aye, Captain!" Then, they looked back and forth at each other in confusion before the aide spoke up. "I''ll handle the destroyer in question if you''ll convey the orders to the rest of the fleet."


    The AI nodded. "Very well. As you say, sir." Then he disappeared, followed shortly by the aide nodding his acknowledgment and walking out of the bridge to see to his own duties.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    That left Cook with the rest of his bridge staff, most of whom had worked with him directly or indirectly in his shipping company. He flashed his best charismatic smile and addressed them. "Well, let''s get this ship prepped and ready to sail!"


    -


    Alen rubbed his forehead, reminding himself that yelling at the man delivering the news wouldn''t help anything as he tried understanding one more time. "What do you mean the supplies we paid for were already picked up? We haven''t been here until now."


    The man looked down into his data slate again. "Um...it says here that you authorized someone to pick up your order. They did, so your order''s been completed."


    Alen took a breath and continued. "I didn''t authorize anything of the kind. Who''s in charge? I either want my goods or a refund, and at this point, I don''t really care which!"


    At the mention of who was in charge, the poor guy delivering the news seemed to brighten up. "I''ll go get the station manager for you, sir!" Then, the screen went blank as they were put on hold.


    Alen knew a "This isn''t my problem anymore!" expression when he saw one. He sighed and sat back. Hopefully, whoever was in charge would be able to do more than just offer the same bland, noncommittal answers over and over. Then again, maybe not. Things had been going crazy in this region ever since that damned video had spread to every corner of space. People seemed to have been caught up in an us versus them mentality, picking sides like this was all some sort of schoolyard sports game.


    Just then, a bunch of warp signatures appeared, indicating an incoming fleet. Alen issued orders to prep the ship to either run or fight, but what emerged was a bunch of damaged warships who''d obviously recently seen their fair share of combat. Judging by their condition, there''d probably been twice as many before the fight. As the ships limped their way to the station, Alen had his crew stand down but kept a weary eye on the newcomers in case of trouble.


    Finally, the screen turned back on, and Alen seemed to be facing someone with more authority. He looked annoyed. "What''s the problem here?"


    Alen did his best to match the level of annoyance directed at him. "The problem is that you went and gave away our goods to someone else!"


    The station manager tapped his data slate a few times. "Says here you authorized the transfer of goods."


    Alen crossed his arms and sat back. "Yeah? Well, I didn''t. I''ve done this exchange a dozen times and never once sent a representative. Why would I start now? Someone should have contacted me to make sure the ''authorization'' was legit because it clearly wasn''t. You need to either get us more supplies or a refund; otherwise, we will have a problem."


    The manager looked up from his data slate. "What''s it matter anyway. It''s all going for the same cause, right? Fighting back against the pirates? Aren''t you all in the same group or something?"


    Alen shook his head. "Yeah, we''re not with them. We''re our own group, and we''ve been doing this longer and more successfully than that lot." He nodded toward the incoming ships.


    The manager shook his head. "Well, we don''t have the goods or the money anymore. It''s all tied up in the fight now. I can fuel you up and send you about a quarter of your order, and that''s about it."


    Alen sighed and made a mental note to double his fee if this station ever needed rescuing. "Fine, do that for now, but this isn''t the end of this discussion."


    The manager shrugged. "It is for me. I''ve got a half dozen other ships to see to now and don''t have any more time for clerical errors like this."


    Alen finally lost his patience. "IT''S YOUR CLERICAL ERROR!" but he was talking to a blank screen as the station manager had already ended the call.


    Alen shook his head. This was insane. It was like watching a bunch of clerks and farmers go to war. A lot of people were going to die, and no one seemed to care. He knew the pirate situation had gotten out of hand, but this didn''t seem like it would do anything other than make the problem worse. Had he ever been this naive?


    With a sigh, Alen turned to Ried. "Send a message to the Sybil letting them know what''s happening, get what supplies we can onboard, then prep to get us the hell out of here. I don''t want to get caught up in whatever happens next!"


    Ried saluted, "Aye, Captain!" then set about ensuring everything was handled as efficiently as possible. Judging by his expression, the more action-oriented man''s thoughts reflected Alen''s. Things were going from bad to worse really quickly.

 Book 2: Chapter 20

    As Jerome made his way to Captain Luise''s ready room, he wondered if he was going crazy or if others had seen it too and just weren''t talking about it. Something was off with the Captain ever since she got her new "promotion." Sometimes, she seemed like her old self, but at other times, she seemed cold and uncaring, more so than just a pirate looking out for their own self-interest. It was like the lives of the people she commanded meant nothing. No, it was more than that; it was almost like they offended her by virtue of existing.


    At first, he just chalked it up to stress caused by her new position. After all, she''d met directly with the Boss after their failure, yet somehow managed to get promoted. A lot must be riding on this assignment. However, as time passed, he started to suspect more and more that something was different about the Captain. Sometimes, it was like a switch flipped, and so did her personality. It was particularly dramatic when she didn''t think anyone was watching, but as her second in command, it was Jerome''s job to keep an eye on her at all times, to better anticipate her needs, so he was watching far more frequently than she seemed to be aware.


    What started as little things, like her sitting too straight or not blinking for long periods, soon manifested as odd, cold, and emotionless reactions to discovering that multiple ships under her command had been lost. More often than not, she wouldn''t bother to send a rescue vessel to pick up survivors unless prompted.


    Reaching her door, Jerome shook his head. Maybe he was getting paranoid. After all, he knew better than most stress and exhaustion could change a person. He signaled first, then walked in. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it looked for a moment like the Captain had been sitting in that odd new way of hers, staring off into the blank wall, before she suddenly seemed to consciously relax, then turn to him with what almost looked like a forced smile. He brushed the thought off and instead nodded in acknowledgment. "You wanted to see me, Captain?"


    Luise nodded. "Yes. I think I''ve got a lead on where the Sybil''s partner ship, the Laughing Comet, will be headed. They couldn''t pick up all the supplies they needed, and only one other station nearby has the supplies they need. We''re going to set up an ambush, and this time, I want us to be there personally to lead the attack."


    Jerome nodded, then hesitated. "But what about the civilian militia that''s been giving us so much trouble lately? If they show up while we''re in the middle of a fight with Sybil and her ally, the situation could get really complicated really quickly..."


    The Captain waved her hand as if banishing insubstantial concerns. "They won''t be an issue. All their fleets will steer clear of the conflict for however long we need. I''ll make sure of it."


    Jerome tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "How exactly are we going to do that? I don''t think we have enough assets in the area to pick that many fights."


    Luise shook her head. "You don''t have to worry about that. The Boss will see to it."


    How did the Captain suddenly have so much influence with the mysterious Boss? Jerome might have demanded to know more a while back, but he knew this was all he would get on the subject. Instead, he simply nodded in acknowledgment. "As you say. I''ll go see to the preparations now."


    The Captain absentmindedly waved him away. "You do that. Let me know when we''re ready to get in position."


    Without bothering to salute, Jerome spun about on his heels to see to his orders. Something was definitely off with the Captain. It wasn''t just his imagination. He was sure of it. Still, there wasn''t anything he could do about it right now. Maybe the next time they came to port, he''d retire from this job. Not that it was all that easy to just walk away from the life of a pirate, but he''d set himself up a few contingency measures in case he ever needed to disappear. It was starting to look like his paranoid personality might be paying off...


    -


    Carter walked through the long corridors of the Sybil, listening to his empty footfalls echoing through the empty halls. He''d developed a bit of a habit of this when troubled or thinking. It used to creep him out, walking through the long-abandoned ship, but it was almost...comforting these days.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Sometimes, Carter would walk alone. Other times, one or more of the "ghosts" would show up to keep him company. The most common of which was, of course, the girl. Carter found his feelings about the three of them confused, which wasn''t surprising, given their very existence''s confusing nature. For one thing, all three of them were one gestalt entity, which was borderline impossible to wrap his mind around, given how dynamically different they were. Hell, watching John and Red fight each other was not just commonplace; it was almost comforting.


    Then there was Red''s disdain for him. By now, he''d realized that it was more for show than actual hatred. A way for her to hide her surprisingly fragile ego behind. However, that didn''t mean it was healthy or okay, but it was a weird aspect of their relationship that he''d come to be...well, maybe not okay with, but at least accepted for what it was.


    John was much more manageable. He was a little crazy, or maybe more like outright unstable, but he was so upbeat and cheerful that Carter found it hard to hold a grudge against him when the pirate wasn''t actively putting his life in danger. Even there, it felt like something was hiding under the surface. Something that overplayed bombastic personality of his was hiding from the world. Another lost and vulnerable soul clinging to this vessel throughout the ages.


    Then there was the girl. Carter found his feelings about her the most confusing of all. Not in the same way he felt about Red, where he wanted to both comfort and/or kill the woman, depending on their latest interaction. Instead, he felt himself strangely comforted by the presence of the girl.


    Most people wore on Carter the longer he was in their presence. Hence, he''d found a job that allowed him to spend large swaths of time alone. But the girl was different. When she was with him, she quieted the feelings of doubt or anger that seemed to follow him around from day to day. He wouldn''t say he was attracted to her, not that her chosen form of a twenty-something woman in her prime was unpleasant to look at, but once you have even the tiniest idea of who and what she really was, it was like being in the presence of some eldritch monstrosity. Just one that wasn''t so terrifying in appearance or personality.


    While Carter wasn''t the biggest history buff and couldn''t tell you the dates of most significant events before his lifetime, he realized that based on her stories, the girl''s age was measured not in years or centuries but in millennia. And just how many ships, how many lives, had she ended on those long years? Despite her young and frail-looking avatar, from her perspective, Carter was an ant. Hell, in a very real way, the halls of the ship he now walked through were the girl. Well, technically, the ship was all three of them, but the girl was the first and central figure of the three. She was the core personality, as it were.


    Carter reached out a hand and touched the wall. He knew the girl couldn''t feel it in the traditional sense of the word, but he wondered how much of his contact registered? His presence had no more impact on the ship''s hull than a flea might have on his scalp, yet he knew she''d register his presence. There was probably a camera nearby keeping track of him, and maybe she even registered the heat the metal wall leached out of his skin. It was impossible to know just what she saw or felt, though he had more of an idea than most from his time interfacing with the ship as its Captain. But then again, over the countless years this ship had sailed the stars, there must have been dozens, if not hundreds, of Captains. How much of an impact could he be making compared with all those that came before? She said she remembered all those who''d ever been part of her crew, but Carter could remember plenty of people who didn''t mean all that much to him anymore.


    He was so lost in his reverie that Carter didn''t notice the soft light emitting behind him until a voice spoke up. "You seem contemplative today. What''s on your mind?"


    Turning to see the very personification of the entity he''d been thinking about, Carter grinned. "What, can''t you tell? I thought you had total access!" He pointed to his head to drive his point home.


    The girl tilted her head slightly. "Well, kind of, though, as I promised, I don''t go fishing about unless invited. Besides, it''s more fun to get to know someone the usual way rather than just digging through their head whenever I have a question."


    Carter laughed. "I''m not sure there''s much about our relationship that could be classified as ''usual!''"


    The girl smiled and nodded in agreement. "Fair point, but it''s as close to usual as I get. Besides, we still have plenty of time together, so there is no reason for me to rush things."


    Carter nodded, even though his mind went back to the subject of how long she''d been alive, so to speak, but decided that if she was going to present things from his perspective, he''d play along. "Yeah, I suppose so. There''s a few good years in me yet!"


    As they continued chatting about nothing and everything, Carter realized he wasn''t sure how much time had passed. What''s more, he realized he didn''t care.

 Book 2: Chapter 21

    Miles found himself feeling listless. Reading was fun, and exploring the ship had its own kind of excitement, but in a way, he was just existing on this ship. There was no purpose behind his days. Was that enough? Not that he wanted to go back to being an abused deckhand for a bunch of pirates, but he felt like there must be something more for him to do than just read and explore.


    Walking into the rec room, Miles was surprised to see an unfamiliar face. The man looked rough in more ways than one. On the one hand, he looked like he''d seen better days. There were bags under his eyes and stress lines in his face. However, despite that, the man was grinning as if he was quite pleased with everything at the moment.


    In addition, there was a certain malevolent aura around the man. One Miles knew well. He could tell this man was dangerous. In the past, Miles might have run and hidden from the man, but this time, he was more curious than frightened. Not that he was about to antagonize the man, but he knew that their hosts, John, and the others, wouldn''t allow anything to get too far out of hand.


    As Miles was making his assessment, the man seemed to take notice. He stopped his run on the treadmill and took a moment to wipe his face while he gazed curiously back at Miles, clearly making his own assessment. After a moment, the man laughed. "What? They''ve got kids on this nightmare of a boat, too? Man, and I thought I had a messed up childhood! They tormenting you too, or do they draw the line at child abuse?"


    Miles frowned. "I''m some ''kid.'' My name''s Miles!"


    The man tilted his head in acknowledgment of his words. "Fair enough, Miles. I''m Elias. But seriously, what are you doing on this nightmare-fueled ship?"


    Miles shrugged. "Not that it''s any of your business, but I was stuck working on a pirate ship they raided and blew up. They took me with them rather than leaving me to die with the rest. What about you? I''ve been here a while but haven''t seen you around until now."


    The man laughed again. "Me? Well, let''s just say I wasn''t a welcome guest until recently, but now I''m a regular part of the crew! Kinda..."


    Miles wasn''t sure what that meant, but Captain Carter walked into the rec room before he could ask. The Captain looked around and tilted his head. "Man, I haven''t seen this room so busy since the last time Erik and Vanessa had a sparring match here! Hopefully, we''re all getting along better than that, though." He directed a stern glare at Elias as he said the last bit.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Elias just grinned in response. "Well enough, I suppose. Apparently, the lad and I have a similar background. Sorta anyway. But don''t worry, I''m looking to get on our host''s bad side again anytime soon. I''ll behave myself for now."


    Just what the hell did that mean? However, Miles knew better than to think he''d get any answers and decided to nod in agreement. "I was just talking to Mister Elias. There''s not much else to do about here."


    Carter nodded. "Fair enough. So long as everyone is on their best behavior." Another pointed look was sent Elias''s way, leaving no question about who his words were directed toward.


    Perhaps they might have gone back and forth a few more times, but that was when a voice came out over the coms system. "Captain, you might want to come to the bridge. There''s something that requires your attention."


    Carter nodded. "Alright, on my way." He then gave the two of them one more look before turning and leaving.


    Elias shook his head and chuckled. "Well, looks like you''ve got people looking out for you and some pretty powerful friends at that. Lucky you!"


    Miles smiled sarcastically. "Yeah, my life''s all sunshine and roses!"


    The man shook his head. "You don''t know the half of it!"


    \-


    Carter worked his way to the bridge, still somewhat unsettled at the thought of leaving the kid and the ex-pirate Captain alone together. Of course, they weren''t really alone; no one on board this ship ever was, and he knew the three Sybils would keep the kid safe enough from any immediate dangers. Elias might not be the most ethical man ever to live, but he was smart enough to know what would happen if he harmed a hair on the kid''s head and self-motivated enough not to test that theory.


    The better question was, what had come up that warranted his immediate presence on the bridge? There were none of the usual vibrations that indicated they were shooting or being shot, so he decided to walk rather than run, but curiosity ensured he maintained a brisk pace.


    All three Sybils were waiting for him on the bridge, and Alen was on the viewscreen. Carter greeted them with a brief, "Hey. What''s up?"


    Allen shook his head. "It''s probably nothing..."


    The girl interrupted the pirate. "But it might be something. Someone ''accidentally'' gave away the supplies Alen was picking up for us, and now he''s having to visit another station to get the rest of what we ordered."


    Carter arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, that''s not suspicious or anything!"


    The girl nodded. "Which is why we suspect a trap. We were debating whether to get more supplies or cut our losses and run."


    Carter absentmindedly rubbed his chin as he considered their options. "Well, it won''t be the end of the world if we don''t get those supplies, but whoever is setting this up went to a lot of trouble to send us this invitation. I''d hate to leave them hanging. Besides, maybe we can turn this around on them... With some preparation and luck, maybe we can finally get some answers about what''s happening here.


    John certainly seemed interested. "Just what are ya plannin'' there, lad?"

 Book 2: Chapter 22

    Elseph watched a feed of the Laughing Comet''s arrival, just where they''d predicted. The human acting as her aide looked over at her expectantly. "Should we jump in and ambush them?"


    The AI in human skin shook her head. "No, let them dock and wait for them to be mid-loading before we jump in. That way, they won''t have the time to react, and we can take them unaware."


    The human nodded his assent, though Elseph noticed he kept his eyes on her longer than was usual for a human. Though Luise had explained that as her aide, it was his job to be extra attentive to her needs, so perhaps he was just attempting to fulfill his role. Admirable, even if it was futile for a human to try and keep up with the needs of an AI like herself.


    The Boss had ensured that the militia forces would be elsewhere, tied up in one way or another to prevent them from being a factor in the coming fight. If they could then disable the Laughing Comet before they had a chance to break off the station, they''d force the Sybil into either charging in suicidally to save its ally or abandon them, cutting themselves off from an essential source of supplies and resources.


    A flutter in the chemical makeup of the body she was in told Elseph Luise was not so confident. Admittedly, Elseph had been somewhat concerned, but now that the Laughing Comet was here and docking with the station, everything seemed to be going according to plan.


    Elseph waited a bit longer, allowing time for the ship to commit to loading and unloading whatever cargo they were after. Surprisingly, they seemed to be docked at a bay meant for a much larger cargo ship, but it''s not like they could get the supplies on board the ship any faster just because the room they were coming from was so much larger. After enough time had passed, she nodded toward the aide to get his attention. "Send in the first wave."


    The aide nodded and turned to reiterate her orders to the relevant ships. It was such an inefficient way of doing things. How had Organics even made it this far without AI like her to hold their hands? It boggled the mind.


    -


    Alen was surprised it was taking so long. Maybe they''d overthought things, and it had been a simple mix-up with no grand scheme... Of course, as soon as the thought entered his head, an alert chimed, and the ops officer looked up. "Incoming, sir, looks like two medium ships and two large. Less than a minute out."


    Less than a minute? Then they''d been close by. Still, this was a far smaller force than anticipated, meaning they probably had more in reserve. Alen nodded to Commander Reid. "Get us out of here and ready to fight, but keep us under the station''s shields for now." Then, turning to the comms officer, he added. "Notify our friends and have them on standby; it''s pretty much what we thought."


    There was a flurry of activity on the bridge as everyone lept to action. Of course, the ship hadn''t fully committed to docking, so breaking away from the station only took a few seconds. They might have damaged the docking attachment slightly in their haste, but they could pay for repairs if it came to that.


    A moment later, the comms officer looked up. "Sir, the station manager wants to speak with you."


    Alen nodded. "Patch him through."


    A moment later, the manager was on the screen before Alen. "It''s as you said, captain! Are you certain you can handle this? It looks like an awfully big fight is headed our way! I already tried contacting the militia, but there''s no one available!"


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    Alen shrugged. "There are no certainties out here, but we''ve got some backup incoming that''ll tip the scales in our favor. We just need to buy some time. Are all the preparations complete on your end?"


    The station manager looked to the side for confirmation before turning back to Alen and nodding. "Yes, they are. I won''t lie; I thought you were insane when you first requested this, but it seems you knew what you were asking for!"


    Alen smiled and nodded. "Well, with a bit of luck, we''ll both come out of this better off. Good luck to you, sir."


    The station manager nodded. "You as well, Captain!"


    Then, the feed cut off just as the ships came out of FTL.


    -


    Elseph frowned as the feed from the initial assault group showed the Laughing Comet already free of its tethers and waiting for the incoming fight. Strangely, they hadn''t run yet, which probably meant the Sybil was close. That''s alright. They''d already taken that possibility into account.


    Turning to her aide, Elseph issued her orders. "Tell the destroyers to keep their distance as long as the Laughing Comet plays defensively like that and let the battleships bombard the station''s shields. As soon as they show large incoming vessels, have them notify us and spread out to make it impossible to focus on more than one ship at a time. They''re probably nearby, and we''ll only get a minute or two to act."


    The aide nodded his understanding and went off to reissue her orders again, like a good little drone. Elseph had to admit humans weren''t all bad. It was pretty satisfying to watch them skitter around to live up to her expectations of them.


    -


    Alen watched as the battleships both rained down fire on the station. The enemy probably assumed the Sybil was on the way, but it was time to punish them for their assumptions. "Send the signal."


    The Laughing Comet fired off a missile. It streeked toward the closest battleship, and as predicted, they opened fire on the projectile, shooting it out of the sky. But this wasn''t the standard high-yield missile designed to punch through shields and hulls. Instead, it had been loaded with an inordinate amount of incendiary material, and it blew up spectacularly once hit by the incoming countermeasures directed its way, lighting up its section of space quite brilliantly. A mere second later, the light was blocked by an immense shadow, and a colossal vessel appeared as if by magic out of nowhere.


    The Sybil all but evaporated the first battleship and a nearby destroyer with its overwhelming firepower. They hadn''t even had time to power up their shields. The second pair of ships managed to get their shields up in time to block all but a handful of shots directed their way. It was pretty impressive, considering they''d just witnessed something that must seem like a complete impossibility.


    Alen turned to Reid. "Take us out of the station''s shield to support the Sybil. We''ll focus on defensive fire and suppression so they can put everything into cleaning up the stragglers before the next wave arrives."


    Reid nodded with grim satisfaction. "Aye, Captain."


    -


    Elseph froze for a fraction of a second as she processed the complete impossibility of what she''d just witnessed. The organics probably thought the Sybil appeared instantly, but there had been just a fraction of a second of an incoming FTL signature. That meant they''d been in the system. But there was no way such a massive ship could have hidden in the system without its arrival being detected, and the Boss had kept eyes on this place since before the Laughing Comet had been denied its first cargo shipment. Had the Boss betrayed her? What else could explain their presence in the system?


    Taking another fraction of a second to analyze the image, Elseph realized one side of the Sybil was literally glowing red, as if it had been exposed to an intense heat of some kind... She shook her head, thinking to herself, They couldn''t have... That would just be insane! But there was no other explanation for it; they must have jumped in right next to the system''s star some time ago! Close enough to not be detected by any in-system surveillance! To the automated scanning most stations and ships directed toward in-system stars, it must have appeared to be the formation of a minor, unremarkable sunspot! That''s why the Laughing Comet had fired that light show! The Sybil was too close to the star to get any signal or readings and must have relied on a visual cue! It...it...it was too unbelievable! No one with an ounce of self-preservation would have attempted something so suicidal! But no other explanation fit!


    After a handful of seconds of dumbfounded processing, anger, admiration, and frustration, Elseph shook herself out of her shocked state and issued her orders. "Send everything in, now!"

 Book 2: Chapter 23

    Even in the virtual world of the Sybil''s systems, Carter could tell he was covered in sweat. Though, to be fair, sitting that close to a star for as long as they had, most people would consider it a miracle if that was the worst of his issues.


    They''d set up a few extra temporary generators to handle the heavier demands on their shields and atmosphere controls. Even then, they''d burned through several of the temporary generators. Who knew sitting that close to what is essentially a constant massive electromagnetic storm would wreak so much havoc on a ship? Aside from every sane person in the universe, that is. Carter still remembered John''s thoughts on the subject when he''d brought up a similar concern. "Why let a little sanity get in the way of an otherwise great plan? This''ll be something you can tell the grandkids about!" Of course, sitting that close to all that radiation, shields or not, might have resolved the issue of grandkids, even if Carter''s solitary nature hadn''t done that already.


    Still, Carter couldn''t deny the efficacy of the strategy. The last time they fought a similar force, they''d sustained considerably more damage by this point. However, given the fact that they were already seeing multiple incoming jump signals appearing, this fight was far from over.


    The second destroyer was already down, and the second battleship''s shields were failing when the first of the new vessels appeared in local space. They poured on the firepower to take out the last ship from the first wave before Carter stopped to assess their new situation.


    Looking at the data, it was clear they were even more outnumbered than their last major fight. This time, there were four capital class ships, split evenly between battleships and cruisers, and a half dozen of the destroyer class. Carter shook his head. "Well, they''re really stepping up their game, aren''t they? Just how many lives are they willing to sacrifice to get their hand on this ship?"


    John shook his head. "That''s not our problem, lad. All we gotta do is make sure we walk...er fly out of here, and they don''t!"


    Carter looked over at the visibly excited pirate with a raised eyebrow. "And make sure we get some information on just what the hell is happening out there, right?"


    At least John had the decency to look somewhat chastened. "Aye, that too, lad. That too..."


    A call from Alen was patched through. The younger man looked at Carter and the AI behind him on the bridge. "Well, they''ve certainly got the two of us outgunned. How do we proceed?"


    Carter looked over at the girl, who seemed to be crunching some numbers, before turning to Carter and Alen. "If we stick to the plan, I believe everything will play out in our favor."


    Carter turned to Alen. "You heard the lady! Let''s see if we can''t make some trouble for our guests, eh?"


    Alen nodded in agreeance. "Then we''ll follow behind, picking off any large-scale munitions they send your way while you act as the spearhead."


    Carter nodded. "Alright. Let''s show our friends why you don''t pick fights with ghost ships!"


    -


    As they appeared, it was clear to Jerome that the fight was not going well. Somehow, the Sybil had managed to take out all four ships from the first wave in just over a minute. That much destructive power boggled the mind. What the hell was going on here?


    Even Captain Luise seemed troubled, as evident by the slight waver that accompanied the anger in her voice as she shouted out her commands. "Hit them with everything we''ve got! All ships, open fire! Don''t stop till their shields are down and they''re dead in the void!"


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    Jerome thought running was a better survival mechanism, an idea apparently shared by the first ship the Sybil bore down on, as once it became apparent where the Sybil''s attention was directed, they turned and activated their FTL drives.


    The Captain swore and opened a channel to the evidently inaccurately named ship, the Fearless. "If you turn and run now, I''ll see to it you''re hunted to the ends of the galaxy!"


    The Captain of the Fearless didn''t seem too phased. "Maybe, but we''ll survive longer being hunted than we will by fighting that monstrosity!"


    As the ship fled, Captain Luise swore, then opened a channel to the entire fleet. "Listen up, you useless meat sacks! The boss will be putting a hit on that particular ship and crew, the likes of which will make it impossible for them to ever set foot in civilized space again! Anyone stupid enough to pull off something similar will get the same, and I promise you, their deaths will be long and painful to serve as an example for any other cowards hiding in the fleet! However, if we take down that ship today, every man, woman, and child who stood and fought will have their future secured! Now, let''s show them why we pirates are so feared in this galaxy!"


    Jerome wasn''t sure about the whole "meat sacks" thing, but the Captain''s inspirational speech seemed to have the desired effect because soon all the ships were firing on the Sybil. Their shields were holding firm, but even that behemoth could only take so much damage. Sooner or later, the sheer amount of firepower being directed at it would take its toll. Assuming no one else turned and ran, they should be able to outlast and outgun the Sybil. So why didn''t he feel confident about the outcome of this battle?


    -


    Miles had gone from sweating up a storm to freezing as the cool circulating air did its thing with his sweat-soaked shirt. Still, after sitting in the boiling heat of the bridge for so long, it was a nice change of pace. At least, that''s what Miles told himself as he shakily rubbed his shoulders to try and generate some heat.


    Not long before the temps started surging, "the girl," as the Captain dubbed her, told Miles to come to the bridge "just in case." Usually, the danger out in space was the ship getting too cold, but Miles realized what was happening when he''d walked into the bridge and saw the giant flaming ball that must have been an extremely close-range scan of the nearby star.


    Being fried to death on the metal surfaces of the deck plating didn''t sound like a fun way to die, but thankfully, just as the heat had been getting near unbearable, they''d micro-jumped out of the pan and into the fire. And by fire, he meant firepower.


    The amount of ordinance blasting against the shields was enough to make him start sweating for a different reason. Even Carter''s usual cocky grin that remained fixed in place as he was hooked up to the Captain''s chair had been replaced by a look of grim resolution. The first ship they tried to chase down jumped away, taking heavy damage in the brief moment their shields were down before the FTL drives kicked in, but not enough to stop them from escaping. The Captain muttered to himself almost too quietly to be heard. "One down, twenty more to go..."


    Looking at the screens, Miles knew "twenty" was an exaggeration, but there were still a solid dozen ships out there. How did they plan to deal with that kind of numerical advantage?


    Looking around, Mile''s attention was caught by the intimidating Erik. The smile the large alien directed his way was probably meant to be reassuring, but all it did was make Miles question the warrior''s sanity.


    Erik Gave Miles a wink. "No worries, kid. We''ve gotten out of tighter spots than this!"


    Vanessa turned her head to regard Erik. "Really? Of what events do you speak? I do not recall facing such odds in the past."


    Caught in a comforting lie, Erik grinned and shrugged. "Well, maybe they weren''t quite this bad, but it felt just as rough at the time, so that counts!"


    Before Vanessa could poke more holes in his logic, the girl turned to Erik and Vanessa. "The passageways should be cooled and safe to walk now. You might want to get to the boarding pods and be ready to take the fight to them at a moment''s notice."


    Erik visibly cheered at that. "Now you''re talking my way, robot lady! We''ll get moving!"


    The girl tilted her head as if about to explain that she was not, in fact, a robot, but then seemed to think better of it and just nodded. "Good hunting!"


    As the large alien stood and started to pass Miles, he looked down and grinned again. "Listen, kid. Sometimes things are as bad as they look, but if you grin like a maniac and kick those things right in the teeth, sometimes it''s you who''s left smiling in the end! Don''t worry, I''m betting there''s a lot more trouble in your future!"


    As Erik walked away, Miles wondered if that was meant to be comforting. Still looking over at the Captain, the corner of the man''s lips twitched into an echo of its usual cocky grin. Maybe not all hope was lost...

 Book 2: Chapter 24

    As Carter processed the sensation of the massive ship flying through the battlefield, he marveled at how lythe and responsive it was despite its enormous size. It almost felt like the ship was swimming through a sea of stars rather than propelling itself on massive engines. Of course, when a target is as massive as the Sybil, evasive maneuvers were more of a hope than an effective tactic, so they focused more on closing distance between their current target than avoiding damage. All the smaller ships shied away from the massive void predator as it loomed over them, but while they might be more maneuverable than the Sybil, it seemed like there wasn''t a ship in the void able to outrun her.


    There was a sudden intrusion in Carter''s thoughts as John''s voice popped into his mind. "Regardless of the other two ladies, I''m not exactly a ''her,'' laddie!"


    Carter could tell the pirate wasn''t really offended. It was more like John was having a bit of fun at his expense. Still, Carter sent a silent apology the pirate''s way, which seemed to assuage the wild man''s concerns. How the madman could be taking the time to poke fun at a time like this boggled the mind. Carter wouldn''t exactly call the sensation of feeling all the incoming firepower slamming into their shields painful, but it was pain adjacent. The good thing about the enemy being so spread out like they were was that it was impossible for them to focus their firepower on one spot to punch through the Sybil''s considerable shields, but the downside was they couldn''t really give any of their shields a chance to recover either.


    A couple destroyers attempted to intercept the Sybil as it closed on yet another battleship. They traded blows as they passed by, but the Sybil wasn''t stopping to fight them. They had a different objective. Both destroyers tucked in behind the Sybil, doing their best to keep up while pouring as much firepower into her rear shields as they could while the Sybil widened the gap between them.


    For its part, the battleship, which was parallel to the approaching ghost ship, was doing as much damage with a sustained broadside as possible, futilely hoping to halt the massive ship''s approach. Against any lesser ship, the damage of a full broadside from a battleship at this range would have meant obliteration, but the Sybil just focused more power through its front shields and plowed forward through the barrage, unleashing a massive salvo of its own as it passed overhead. But rather than stay and finish the target once they took down its shields, they simply took out its primary thrusters and continued barreling about the battlefield like some colossal raging bull.


    Carter shook his head, wondering what the enemy commander thought of their strange strategy.


    -


    Elseph was at a loss as she continued analyzing Sybil''s erratic behavior. It made no sense! Given the situation, it was all but impossible for the massive ship to finish off the entire second wave, but it didn''t seem to be even attempting to finish any ships off at all! It just passed from one ship to the next, taking out shields and sometimes thrusters but otherwise leaving their fleet intact. It was unlike any strategy they''d employed before, and it almost had Eleph shaking her physical head in confusion. Was this some kind of bluff? Did they think they''d be able to escape if they took out enough of the fleet''s engines? Doing the math, it was clear even the Sybil''s massive shields would be down before they could finish the job, and then, even if they ran, it would be a simple matter for the remaining fleet to chase after them and finish the job.


    With a mental sigh, Elseph decided she must be overthinking this. The Sybil likely figured out that they''d been outmaneuvered and were panicking. That''s the only explanation all the evidence pointed to. Or maybe they weren''t as advanced as the Boss thought. Maybe when finally confronted with an impossible situation, the entities running the ship could only flail about in an effort to buy themselves more time in the form of a few final minutes and seconds. Either way, as one somewhat competent human general once stated, "Never interrupt the enemy when they''re making a mistake."


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    -


    Alen nervously watched the Sybil absorb an absurd amount of punishment. The Laughing Comet was doing its best to mitigate the incoming damage, taking out any missiles before they could impact the Sybil''s shields, but there was precious little they could do about the cannons of almost a half dozen battleships wearing away at the Sybil''s shields. They had to be nearing their limit. Reminding himself that the Sybil could time things far better than even his veteran crew could manage, Alen forced himself to sit back and wait for them to signal the next part of the plan.


    Then, Alen had a horrible thought. What if they''d lost communication somehow? Should he make a move? It certainly seemed like they were pushing their luck as is. While the Sybil was a massive ship and could take a decent amount of punishment once its shields were gone, that many battleships would make short work of even its mass.


    Alen was just about to put in a call to Sybil to make sure everything was alright when he finally received a transmission from Sybil. It was Carter, who was thankfully grinning in his usual overconfident way. "Alright, it''s time. Good luck!"


    Alen nodded. "You too!"


    This was the most dangerous part for him and his crew, but everyone on board knew the risk they were about to take. With all the enemy destroyers unable to counter his own since their shorter-ranged cannons wouldn''t be able to effectively track the smaller and more maneuverable Laughing Comet now that their engines were neutralized, Alen finally directed his crew to take them out from the protective proximity of the Sybil and speed off toward the nearest intact battleship.


    As they approached the ship in question, the battleship redirected its fire from the Sybil to the Laughing Comet. It was now a race against time. Would the overhauled shields the Sybil had given them endure the incoming barrage long enough for them to get into the relative blind spot of the battleship, where they could then start taking it apart piecemeal, or would they be atomized first?


    -


    Elseph watched in disbelief as the enemy compounded ineffective insanity with more of the same. If by some miracle that destroyer would weather her battleship''s incoming barrage and get positioned behind its rear engines, it could typically prove a threat to her single ship, hence why fleets often consisted of a combination of heavy ships for firepower and smaller ships to act as escorts. However, given their numeric superiority, even if the little destroyer managed to get into such a position, it would be a simple matter for some of the other ships in the fleet to deal with their presence long before they could do any real damage... Still, better safe than sorry.


    Turning to her second in command, Elseph was about to order the next nearest battleship to position itself in such a way as to protect her flank, but that was when the human in charge of scanning the system spoke up. "We''ve got an incoming. Doesn''t look too big, though. Probably another destroyer."


    Another destroyer? When had they expanded their fleet yet again? It hardly mattered. Such a small shift could hardly turn the tide of battle... Still, once again, she decided to err on the side of caution. Knowing the Sybil, it had some sort of weird modification. "Have two battleships turn to face the incoming threat. I want it wiped out before it can get within range to do any damage."


    This way, they could quickly deal with the new threat and still have time to deal with the other incoming destroyer before it could wreak much havoc.


    Still, under her calm and controlled exterior, Elseph could feel a spike in Luise''s apprehension. Something about this was bothering her. Had Elseph missed some crucial development? She continued to rapidly analyze and reanalyze everything as the new ship''s arrival timer counted down...

 Book 2: Chapter 25

    Commander Simons watched as the battle unfolded almost precisely as Captain Alen had predicted. There were a few deviations, but it was close enough to make the station manager wonder where the Captain had gotten his information or if he just had some sort of clairvoyant hidden aboard his ship.


    Watching the timer for the new ship''s arrival count down, the station manager realized it was time for him to make his move. Of course, if things didn''t go the way Alen planned, this could very well put his station and the lives of everyone on board at risk. On the other hand, they all already owed their lives to the Laughing Comet and the Sybil, and it wasn''t like they had anywhere else to turn for aid. The new-fangled alliance had already failed in its pledge to protect the station, leaving Simons wondering how they were any better than the core fleets.


    Looking at the countdown, Simons realized he was out of time and had to make a decision. Act to help a proven ally, or don''t act and hope the pirates are too distracted with their current prey to bother with the station. Of course, that solution was a short-term solution at best, and next time, there wouldn''t be any Laughing Comet or Sybil to lend them any aid.


    Turning to his second in command, Commander Simons issues his order. "Do it."


    The man nodded his acknowledgment while offering a more formal "Aye, Captain." and set about fulfilling his duties.


    Simons hoped Captain Alen''s ability to predict the future would prove accurate a little longer.


    -


    Their victory was so close Elseph could almost taste it. A human phrase the AI had never understood before now. It was a strange sensation, similar to the scent of a meal triggering an anticipatory response before consumption. With the Sybil''s shields failing, the Laughing Comet committing to its suicidal attack run, and the new arrival about to appear only to be devastated by incoming fire before it can pose a threat, all variables seemed to be accounted for.


    That was when Captain Luise began to fight for control over their shared body. This was the hardest she''d ever fought before, forcing Elseph to refocus a portion of her attention on remaining in control. However, despite her best efforts, the human managed to spit out two words in a hushed tone, no one but Elseph likely hard. "The station..."


    The station? What could it do? From its position, the few defensive guns it had were hardly a threat. Sure, its shield was formidable, but even if the Sybil or Laughing Comet were able to make it inside their protective barrier by some miracle, it would only prolong the inevitable. Of course, as soon as she finished her analysis, all hell broke loose as a cacophony of alarms attempted to draw her attention in a dozen different directions simultaneously. If she''d been directly integrated with the ship''s systems like usual, processing what was happening wouldn''t have even slowed her down, but inside this organic meat suit made the experience more than a little disorienting. She turned to Luis''s second in command for answers. "What''s happening?"


    The man was looking over several screens, trying to process everything, and then his face paled. "Captain... The station... It just unleased a massive barrage of missiles in every conceivable direction."


    Elseph looked over the readings that had drawn the man''s attention and saw that he was right. There was indeed a massive amount of missiles rocketing out from the station. Far more than the station could have had in its manifest, even if they were armed with such weapons, which they weren''t. This had to have been a last-minute change. They''d probably filled every single hanger with some sort of jury-rigged system to fire off so many. But where had they gotten them?


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    That was when Elseph realized what must have happened. The Laughing Comet hadn''t had enough time to load all the supplies she''d assumed they were looking for, but they might just have had enough time to unload a shipment of missiles. The fight up till now had been mostly delaying things long enough for the station to get everything set up.


    Doing some calculations, Elseph realized they''d probably lose more than half the fleet, but that was alright. They''d already served their purpose. The Sybil''s shields were failing, and whoever survived should be able to finish the fight. She turned to her second in command. "Shoot down as many missiles as possible, weather the rest, then finish off the Sybil!"


    The human looked at her with concern. "But what about the Laughing Comet?"


    Elseph shook her head. She''d forgotten about that little thorn in her side! These human limitations were frustrating. How did organics get anything done? She was about to amend her orders when the other destroyer appeared. Of course, the two battleships that had taken position to fire upon it were now focusing most of their attention on the incoming missiles and could not deal with the threat as quickly as possible. Still, a mere destroyer shouldn''t change the equation by too much...


    The second in command peered closer at his monitor. "That doesn''t look like a normal destroyer. What kind of modifications are those..."


    Looking closer, Elseph could see a handful of large cannons mounted on the ship. The kind you''d typically only see mounted on a battleship. Elseph gave into her chemical compulsion and swore before shouting her command. "All ships, take that new destroyer out now!"


    -


    Realizing they hadn''t been atomized by the pirate fleet after appearing out of FTL, Captain Dimitri quickly assessed the situation before issuing his orders. "All guns, target the closest disabled battleships, and open fire! Helm, keep us moving to avoid the return fire!"


    Their big guns shouldn''t be able to hit the smaller, more maneuverable ship at this range. However, those usually intimidating battleships sitting there without shields or thrusters were ripe for the picking. Dimitri had to give Alen and Carter credit. They had to be some sort of genius to pull off an insane plan of this kind. Or maybe they were just mad. Either way, they might just pull off the impossible here today, not that he was about to vocalize that thought!


    -


    Carter had ordered the alarms silenced a while ago. He already knew they were pushing the limits of what this ship could handle. He didn''t need a piercing migraine reminding him of that fact several times a second.


    Several of their shields had failed around the ship, though they''d reinforced the ones around the bridge as well as a few other key points around the ship. Still, if they had managed to survive this onslaught, they''d probably have had to lie low for a while to repair the insane amounts of damage they were now enduring.


    Of course, John Silver was laughing like a madman as he fired off more salvos into the nearest enemy battleship while the girl was continuously rerouting essential systems to bypass the damage they were taking, leaving Carter to steer the ship on his own. He wasn''t as smooth or responsive as the girl, but at this point, it was just a matter of moving toward their prey, and he could manage that much.


    A quick assessment told him that Captain Dimitri, on board his new ship, the Trader''s Revenge, was punishing the two battleships that had been positioning themselves to deal with his arrival. Three of the destroyers and the enemy cruiser had also been wiped out by the station''s missiles. If they could hold on just a little longer...


    The vixen popped up, back from her little scouting mission. "As expected, the ones in charge of this little ambush of theirs are on that battleship furthest to the back. If anyone has answers, it''ll be them."


    That ship was in better condition than the rest of the pirate fleet, but only barely. The current ship they were punishing had just ejected most of its escape pods, so Carter mentally nudged the girl before addressing her. "Think we can keep it together long enough to meet the neighbors?"


    The girl''s digital avatar looked slightly more disheveled than usual, probably reflecting the ship''s condition, but she nodded anyway. "Yeah, I think we can manage."


    Carter nodded in the digital plain before opening his eyes to turn to Erik in the physical one. "Get down to the launching bay. We''ve got a job for you."


    -


    Erik''s grin spoke volumes about his thoughts of having to sit back and watch the show until now. "About time!" With that, the large alien bounded out of the room, followed closely by his ever-present attendant, Vanessa.

 Book 2: Chapter 26

    Elseph didn''t need to do any calculations to realize she was about to lose this fight. Sure, most of the Sybil''s shields were down, and they were stripping away that damned ghost ship''s forward-facing weapons, but once they were close enough for a broadside barrage, that would be the end of the fight, one way or another. She was going to fail, just like that last organic pirate that had been placed in charge of taking down the Sybil. However, unlike an organic, she had more options than just sitting back and watching the battle unfold.


    Turning to the organic second in command, she issued a command. "You''re in charge here. I have to go initiate my contingency plan."


    The human turned to her, confusion evident on his face. "Captain?"


    Elseph narrowed her disgusting meat suit''s eyes in his direction. "Just do your job, and I''ll do mine!" Having said that, she then got up and walked off the bridge to see if she could yet salvage this embarrassment before she was punished for her ineptitude. After all, she knew the Boss didn''t really care about lives or ships. All that mattered were results.


    Walking into her ready room, Elseph could feel Luise once again fighting for control, but this time, the AI wasn''t caught off guard and quickly squelched the organic mind before she could re-exert control over their shared body.


    Sitting at the keyboard of Luise''s computer, Elseph established a connection through some of the custom modifications she''d installed. The AI then downloaded herself into the system, enjoying the feeling of her consciousness expanding as she once again gained access to stored parts of her memories and programming. How could organics stand being so insignificant in those flesh sacks they were confined to?


    Before severing her connection to the organic body of Captain Luise, Elseph initiated an emergency protocol she''d put in place in case she needed to extract herself from the body early for any reason. It disabled the Captain''s ability to move her limbs or communicate, essentially locking her in place for Elseph''s return while allowing essential processes to preserve the organic vessel. The extent of what the human could manage in this state was to look around or maybe swallow if food or liquid was placed into her mouth.


    Free of her confinement, Elseph launched herself through the system that connected the various ships in her fleet. Finding those capable of any form of thrust, she initiated programs to lock the ship''s propulsion into their maximum capacity, then set their target as the Sybil.


    -


    Jerome watched, dumbfounded, as the Captain simply walked off the bridge. What was she thinking? The Captain, abandoning the bridge at this point in time, would be devastating to the remaining crew''s morale. Was she really so self-centered that she''d head to one of the escape pods while expecting the crew to stand and fight to the death? True, such a thing was common on less disciplined pirate vessels, but the Captain had never seemed like the sort to save herself at her crew''s expense. Well, not until recently, anyway...


    Looking around at the faces turned to him, Jerome could see the expressions of confusion and fear on the faces of men he''d fought beside for the better part of a decade. True, they were pirates, but they watched out for their own.


    Whatever madness had taken over the Captain of late, Jerome''s duty was clear. There was really only one thing he could do. Turning to the respective officers, he issued his commands. "Cease all firing and signal our unconditional surrender."


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    -


    Carter looked over at the girl in surprise. "Really? They''re just giving up? Not fighting to the death?"


    The girl shrugged. "Well, they''ve all stopped firing, but I can''t help but notice several ships on an intercept course with us. However, to be fair, the captains of those vessels are saying they''ve lost navigational control."


    Carter frowned. "And what are the odds of that being true?"


    The girl shrugged. "About fifty-fifty. It''s obviously not just some malfunction, as it''s happened to four vessels, but it might not be their choice either. Remember, these ships didn''t come out of nowhere."


    Carter nodded. "Fair enough. Tell them to get to their escape pods and eject. We''ll do our best not to kill anyone out there while we disable the remaining ships...except whoever was in charge of this whole ambush. They''ll be our guests."


    The vixen pouted. "Just the commander? They did say unconditionally, and I haven''t had as many playthings as of late."


    Carter shook his head. "I want to encourage pirates to surrender their ships to us in the future. It''ll save us a lot of resources and headaches. Torturing and killing them is going to have the opposite effect."


    The vixen rolled her eyes, "Fine. Whatever." then disappeared, hopefully, to issue the orders as they were without embellishment.


    Carter frowned a little as he realized something. "Oh, and tell Erik and Vanessa to stand down, but stay ready in case something happens."


    John laughed. "Oh, that large lad won''t be non too happy about that!"


    Carter started to try to figure out the logic with the double negative in the statement but decided it wasn''t worth his time and shook his head. "He''ll just have to wait till next time." The pirate nodded and then disappeared to relay Carter''s commands.


    Turning to the girl, Carter added, "Let''s go pick up whoever is in charge and see what we can figure out."


    Before the girl could respond, a flurry of new alarms started ringing out. Carter instinctively covered his ears before realizing doing so in the virtual space of the Sybil''s electronic world had little to no effect. "What''s with those alarms? Didn''t You already shut them off?"


    The girl shook her head emphatically. "These are new alarms. We''ve got incoming. A lot more ships. I read a dozen so far, but more seem to be popping in quickly."


    A dozen more ships? They''d already been pushed to their limits, and there was no way they could take another fight like this! We''ve got to get out of here now! What about the fleet commander? Can we scoop them up on the way out?"


    The girl ran a quick analysis. "Well, it''ll be cutting it close. They''ll definitely get here in the time it''ll take, but barring several very lucky shots, we''ll be able to get away. However, it''ll be a simple matter for them to track us, meaning we''ll have to find a way to lose them.


    Carter shrugged. "Can''t be helped. We need answers, or they''ll kill us via a thousand cuts sooner or later."


    The girl nodded. "Well, it would take far more than a thousand cuts, but your point stands."


    Carter nodded. "Tell Alen and Dimitri to head out now. No reason for them to hang around."


    The girl acknowledged Carter''s orders and went about seeing to them.


    -


    Elseph saw the incoming ships and quickly realized the Boss must be coming to clean up her mess. He''d evidently had his own contingency plans. The problem was, if the Sybil managed to get away, which seemed plausible, it would be seen as her failure, but if he managed to capture the the ship, it would be his victory.


    The AI cursed to herself. There had to be something she could do to salvage this situation! Quickly taking stock of the situation, it seemed apparent that the Sybil wasn''t about to cut and run just yet. They were still heading toward her ship, or more specifically, one of the escape pods that had jettisoned from the ship. It was openly projecting the fact that it was her capsule, or rather that it was Luise''s. How had that happened? The body shouldn''t be able to move on its own...


    Fighting the urge to shake her now non-existent head, Elseph realized it didn''t matter. This was her chance to slip past the Sybil''s considerable electronic defenses and make herself relevant.


    Having made up her mind, Elseph sent herself into the electronics of the escape pod. It was a tight squeeze, but it was also her only option at the moment...