Shell Game by J. N. Chaney & Terry Mixon

Author:J. N. Chaney & Terry Mixon [Chaney, J. N. & Mixon, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B0D3456W3Y
Goodreads: 212482082
Publisher: Variant Publications
Published: 2024-08-11T07:00:00+00:00

20

Patrick followed Lisa up the lift shaft past the sensors, alarms, and weapons emplacements. The security personnel hadn’t installed anything to block the shaft from direct access, counting on their precautions to keep intruders out. That was sloppy of them, but he wasn’t going to complain since it allowed them access.

This wasn’t the way he’d have chosen to get into the ad hoc mansion that Alphonso Garibaldi had constructed for himself, but it was effective enough. It might even mean fewer dead bodies in their wake than a more straightforward approach would have done. Getting into a facility like this on a space station was somewhat more difficult than doing so on a planetary surface. There were fewer means of entry, and they could be guarded more heavily.

That didn’t keep him from eyeing the weapons as he passed. Slug throwers that were tied into the sensors created a tripwire that would shred any people who attempted to climb up this lift shaft. Based on some of the damage he saw on the way up, it had been put to the test. The dried blood on the walls indicated that others had made the attempt and failed.

That probably gave the security personnel a false sense of, well, security. While that was a repetitive thought, it was amusing.

Lisa hypothesized that Garibaldi lived on the uppermost floor, which would put him on the top of the station with a view of the space around them. The way stations were oriented, the bottom was where the heatshield was attached, and so the uppermost layers had a clear view of the stars all around without the blazing sunlight that would otherwise blind anyone inside or the smothering darkness beneath the heatshield. It also allowed people on the other side of the station to deal with any raised temperatures.

That was the way of rich people. They always lived in the most exclusive areas and had the very best amenities. It seemed the station was in no way different than any planetary environment, though the amenities were significantly different.

Lisa paused at the first set of lift doors just past the weapons emplacements and began threading a fiber optic cable between them. There wasn’t much space to work with, but when one could insert something the thickness of the hair it was easy enough to get a look.

“There’s a security station here, and it’s occupied,” she said in a low voice. “They don’t look like they’re very concerned about intruders, but I can see four people in uniform, all armed with rifles and pistols. None of them are focused on the lifts, but there are some monitors. I’m not sure they’re watching what’s going on in the rest of the facility, but that seems likely.”

“Can you do anything with their systems from here?” he asked.

“Not from here, but there is a spot further up that I might be able to work with. Come on.”

The two continued climbing higher, and the pair of Marines that were accompanying them followed along behind.

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