In Perpetuity by Bible Jake

Author:Bible, Jake [Bible, Jake]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2015-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

Thirty-Eight

The fighter skiffs floated in the vacuum, a bunch of immobile dots across the massive canvas of space.

“There’s nothing coherent coming from the Perpetuity,” London said over the comm. “Half the people I speak with are pharmaed out of their gourds and the other half are covering their asses and refusing to give me any information.”

“Captain? Are you getting anywhere?” Zenobia called out. “Is Major North responding?”

“I can’t get him on the comm,” Valencio replied as she flew her skiff between the waiting cadet pilots’ vehicles. “I’m getting the same run around as London. I had Ngyuen on the line for a second, but she refused to answer any questions then she cut me off.”

“You’re her superior!” Richtoff snapped. “That woman can’t cut off a captain! You should report her and bring her up on charges!”

“I’ll get right on that, Richtoff,” Valencio said.

“What do we do now?” London asked. “We have Estelian warships heading this way. They’re one punch from reaching the Asteroid Belt stations. If they take those out then it’s only Mars between us and them.”

“We head back to the Perpetuity?” Zenobia asked. “Park these rookies on the flight deck and wait and see?”

“Give me a second,” Valencio said. “Let me think.”

“Not much to think about, Captain,” Richtoff said. “There’re only three of us out here trained to fly combat.”

“You’re forgetting me,” London said.

“No, I’m not,” Richtoff replied. “You’re a cargo jock, not a fighter pilot.”

“Well, that’s just a dick thing to say,” London responded. “I’ve been in as much shit as you have, Richtoff. This cargo skiff isn’t just a mule, you know. It does have two plasma cannons.”

“Good for it,” Richtoff said. “Doesn’t make it effective against Estelian warships, though. They’ll blow you out of the vacuum before you can pull the trigger.”

“Shut up, both of you,” Valencio ordered. “Demon?”

“Yeah, Captain?” Zenobia answered.

“Are there still supply rocks out past the debris field? Or did Commandant Terlinger decommission those?” Valencio asked. “I know he was going to, but North never let me know if he did.”

“Uh…why are you asking me, Captain?” Zenobia responded. “North didn’t inform me either.”

“Because you take joy flights out past the debris field all the time,” Valencio said. “You’re good at hiding your logs, but I’m better at finding them.”

“Shit,” Zenobia said. “I just have to get out of that can every once in a while.”

“I know why you do it, Demon,” Valencio said. “And I obviously have no problem with it or you’d have been busted a long while ago. I just need to know if those supply rocks are still floating out there.”

“Yeah, they are,” Zenobia replied.

“They have fuel cells?” Valencio said. “Enough for all of the skiffs?”

“Not that many, no,” Zenobia said. “Maybe enough for half. Why?”

“Boss? Please tell me you aren’t thinking about doing what I think you are thinking about doing?” London asked.

“That’s a lot more thinking than you normally do, London,” Richtoff said.

“Stop busting my balls, Richtoff,” London said. “Boss?”

“I am thinking about doing it,” Valencio said. “Did you bring enough fuel cells to make up the difference?”

“I did,” London said.

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