Space Rogues 2: Big Ship, Lots of Guns by John Wilker

Author:John Wilker
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732628700
Publisher: Rogue Publishing ltd.

The Past

Once he’s got his coffee, Wil opens up the fake laptop. It doesn’t take long for the software Bennie gave him to find a wi-fi network and escalate his privileges. Hello, unlimited and unrestricted data, Wil thinks. It takes only a few more minutes for his wristcomm to figure out how the internet works and begin displaying websites. Glad I don’t have to do this via the command line.

Sipping his coffee, he first accesses his existing accounts: email, media, and so on. Not bothering to look at anything specifically, he simply downloads it all to the wristcomm, which is transmitting back to the Ghost in southern Colorado via a small satellite he left in orbit before landing. Good thing no one closed my accounts down. Hope Lisa isn’t keeping an eye these. Next, he uses another of Bennie’s programs—similar to the cash register hack—to fake fund his account on Amazon, iTunes, and other media repositories. Time to download it all. Sorry big companies, I know I’m stealing from you. He shrugs. Sorry-not-sorry.

While his wristcomm is downloading every movie and TV show possible, Wil looks up his oldest friend, James Hawthorne. “Awesome, still here in Denver,” Wil says, then looks up sheepishly as the young woman at the table next to his glances at him over the top of her laptop. “Sorry,” he says, returning to his laptop screen.

While the status bar for ‘copy all media’ works its way across the screen, he looks around the room: a couple of twenty-somethings working on laptops—Wil bets one is a writer; there’s always a writer—and two guys in suits having a meeting about some real estate deal. Three moms with accompanying toddlers are sitting on the patio having coffee, ignoring their kids as best they can.

The women all stop their conversation to stare up at the sky, pointing and getting their children to look. A few of the folks inside have noticed. “What’s going on?” Wil asks the girl nearest him.

“Space launch, I think.” She goes back to her laptop.

He gets up and walks out the door, looking up. There’s a contrail reaching up from behind the high rises, at its tip a small shape. Looks like a newer model of the Titan Heavy Lifter, Wil thinks, whistling appreciatively. He turns to walk back in when he hears, “Wil?”

Shit.

“What. Are. The. Odds?” Wil growls, under his breath. He slowly turns. James Hawthorne is standing ten feet from him, holding the leash of a small dog. “Uh, hi James.” He raises his hand in a kind of half-wave.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” his old friend says, louder than Wil feels is necessary. One of the patio-moms turns to look at them.

“Oh, uh, ha ha, man. You’re pretty funny.” Glancing around, he walks quickly over to James. “Let’s go inside, I’ll get you a coffee.” He guides the much larger man inside. Looking back over his shoulder to the patio-mom, he adds, “Such a kidder, this guy.”

Walking from the counter with fresh coffee, Wil

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