Nellie and the Nanites - Bk3 - Ch.19

Chapter Nineteen

Expansion

Nellie supervised loading the extra Pre Fabs into the Indomitable for a return trip to the moon. There were several of the large cubes, as well as several sets of equipment and then came Paren with her little friends.

Watching them cross the bay was like watching someone part the seas. Her four feet clocked smartly across the deck plating, almost lost by the dozens of sharp feet trotting alongside her.

The security turrets had arrived.

“Hey, Paren,” Nellie called her over as the parting workers scrambled away from the smilers as they trotted along after their master. “They look good.” It was not entirely a lie. She had been making real efforts to appreciate Paren’s little pets, and from a certain point of view, they weren’t altogether horrible. 

“Thanks,” Paren preened. “Look, I gave them hair!”

Nellie had, in fact, noticed the ‘hair.’ Each and every smiler had a tuft of dense green moss running down their backs, and it was quite a sight. Moss green shone against their black carapaces edged in metal as the steel mandibles drew into wide smiles, showing horrific mouths full of teeth. The moss and other modifications had given the creatures a kind of cyber-punk look that was kind of cool.

“Looks great,” Nellie said, “Will it eat me if I pet it?”

“You? No,” Paren giggled, suggesting they would probably eat anyone else who tried it. One of the smiler drones skittered forward, and Nellie bent down and gently rubbed the top of the carapace. 

It trilled a high-pitched purr that was as cute as it was creepy. 

“Huh, They are kind of cute,” Nellie admitted.

“Thanks,” Paren beamed. “Can we start putting them on ships and shuttles then?”

“Let’s see how they do on the moon first,” Nellie hedged but weakened when she saw Paren’s crestfallen look. “And the Indomitable.”

“Really?” Paren danced in place, her four legs doing a complicated little jig. 

“Yeah, go for it,” Nellie smiled. “But only two on the Indomitable to start off with.”

“You’ll love them, I promise!” Paren beamed with pride, and Nellie felt her heart literally melt. 

“Hey, Cap!” Banjo ran up the ramp, leaping over the smilers as if they were completely normal things to see, which made Nellie want to double-check how much time he was spending with Paren. They were both teens, after all. “Can I come down to the moon for a few days?”

“I’m just dropping this stuff off,” Nellie said. “I’m not staying.”

“I’ll take my fours with me,” Banjo promised.

“Your fours?” Nellie asked, wondering what fresh trouble Banjo was brewing.

“He has ‘customized’ versions of us,” Prim called from the Indomitable’s loading bay. “For the record, we are not sure about it.”

“You’ll learn to love it!” Banjo yelled back.

“What did you do?” Nellie asked, putting on the look she had used to make the younger orphans quail. 

“Check it out!” Banjo said, completely ignoring her look. 

Nellie followed his pointing finger and tried not to laugh. 

‘The Fours’ had been tattooed on four long black trenchcoats that were completely unnecessary on the mark 2 centrum units. But then again, that wasn’t all. Each one had moss hair in a punk style, and their arms and legs had been replaced with copies of Banjo’s own cybernetics. 

Instead of rifles, each one had pistols strapped to each hip.

“How long ago did you get hold of these?” Nellie asked suspiciously.

“Uh,” Banjo wiggled his finger in one ear. “What was that?”

“They were the prototype bodies, Cap,” Indomitable’s Quad had wandered over to examine the ‘new’ version of himself. “He got them when we came online.”

“Paren helped!” Bajo said, shamelessly playing his trump card. “That means it’s okay.”

Nellie frowned at Banjo while she thought it over. 

The chances of him getting hurt were relatively low, all things considered. Any real trouble would start in the Colony, and they could pick him up in no time if they redirected a shuttle. 

Worst case, they could launch the Bly herself and come get him.

“Alright,” Nellie sighed. “But you better behave down there, you hear me?”

“Yes, Mum,” Bajo grinned at her. 

“Can your mum make your arms and legs fall off?” Nellie smiled back. “I can.”

“No fair,” Banjo laughed. “I will be good though, I promise.”

“Good,” Nellie said. “This is a lot of trust I’m putting in you.”

“Letting me go to the moon?” Banjo frowned.

“Making you responsible for the base,” Nellie said, inventing things as she went along. “You want to go down there? You work. It’s not a vacation.”

“Yes, Mum!” Banjo saluted smartly. 

“Go on,” She chuckled, “Get on the Indomitable.”

Banjo ran off at full speed, just in case she changed her mind. 

===<<<>>>===

Taking almost another week to get back to the Colony made Crush consider two major points. First, they needed to make some upgrades to their Grav-truck. Second, the next time he was shut in a moving vehicle for a week with Bil-Tor, the man was going to be bound and gagged.

Not since childhood had Crush experienced the amount of fidgeting, arguing, and flatulence that the big man seemed to produce.

Worse, the whole squad got pulled into it, with Cara, at one point, legitimately trying to shoot the man. 

Honestly, he would have been glad to get back to the colony, even if it was on fire when he got there. 

“Vicky’s gonna kill you,” Cara grinned at him. “You know that, right?”

“She’s a strong woman,” And-Aran chuckled. “She could do it.”

“I regret everything,” Crush laughed. “But she’ll be…”

They drifted to a stop, seeing soldiers waiting at the gates to the compound.

“Everyone, get ready,” Crush said, and the relaxed atmosphere vanished. Suddenly, the joking and bickering squad looked every inch like the killers he had trained them to be.

The Grav-truck stopped, and the two soldiers came up, one on each side.

“What’s going on?” Crush asked.

“New orders,” The soldier shrugged. “Welcome back, Marshalls.”

“Any other new orders?” Crush asked angrily.

“The boys and I have left some notes in your office,” The soldier whispered before waving them on. “Have a good day, folks.”

Crush felt every eye on them as they moved through the streets, the truck in low gear to avoid the crowds that weren’t anywhere near as thick as they should have been at this time of day.

All that changed when they reached the gates to Marshall’s Enclave, which were firmly shut until the truck drove up. They swung open to reveal Vicky and Brix's angry faces, making the entire squad immediately abandon him to his fate. They excused themselves by saying they ‘needed to read those notes’ and piled out of the Grav-truck like it was on fire. 

“Sorry, it took a while,” Crush said to Vicky as he stepped down from the cab, “I needed to get a few things settled.”

“It better have been worth it,” Vicky said, but she gave him a hug anyway, which was a good sign. “Because it has been a long couple of weeks.”

“Don’t talk out here,” Brix said tensely, “We’ll go to my place.”

Crush was led deeper into the quarter, which was not where the Mayor lived when he left, wondering the whole way just how much they had missed.

All around him were faces flushed with relief and waving happily, which made him wonder even more.

Finally, Brix turned into a small compartment with ‘Mayor’ over the door. 

“When did you–” Crush started to say when Brix gestured for silence and opened a hatch in the floor.

The three of them climbed down the ladder inside and through a short corridor dug into the ground before coming into a room lined with thick, strong shielding. 

“Welcome back, Crush,” Brix said with a sigh as he pulled out a chair from the table in the center. It and the chairs were the only things in the room. “Things have been happening pretty quickly since you left.”

The day Crush and the squad left to make the long trek to the future embassy site, the Council tried repeatedly to calm the colonists' dissent. 

They had been less than successful, and two main groups had formed. On one side were people from the Marshall’s Quarter and others who had been on the wrong side of the Last Chances crew, while on the other were the members of various Council Member factions and those who were making a roaring trade with the pirate crew.

At first, both sides had agreed that Crush and the Marshalls had been in the right. That changed thanks to the announcement that the deaths of the Last Chances crewmembers were ruled to be suspicious.

The ruling made sense; it was as suspicious as anything, but the two groups' reactions differed. The Marshall’s side said it proved the Last Chances crew were to blame, while the Council side claimed it proved bad faith on the side of Crush and the others.

Several fights followed in the next few days, with the Council eventually forced to release official findings, which Brix claimed were made up at a meeting he was denied entry to.

The official finding was that the Last Chances crew had died due to person or persons unknown and that Crush’s mishandling of the case had led to no surviving evidence of the original action.

No charges were to be filed, and Crush and the Marshalls were to be formally reprimanded on their return. It was intended as a compromise to appease both groups, but it backfired hugely. Brix had stood up, publicly rejected the report… and been promptly expelled from the Council by a vote of four to one.

“Four to one?” Crush interrupted.

“The Council appointed Olga Marsh to sit in for Brenda,” Brix said bitterly. “She was responsible for the investigation.”

“She was allowed to investigate herself?” Crush asked, aghast. “And people accepted that?”

“Not at all,” Vicky said, her face slightly red. “Crush, there was a riot.”

“Fuck,” Crush winced. “How many killed?”

“None,” Brix said. “Lots of injuries, though.”

“Which is when Nancy played her hand,” Vicky growled. “Grasping bitch.”

The morning after the riot had changed everything. Not only had the bubbling distrust erupted into violence and torn the Colony further apart, but Nancy’s long-term plan had been accelerated, and she had capitalized on the situation like a true opportunist. 

For weeks, she had been slowly taking control of certain supplies, all while tempting certain colonists to her side by both fair means and foul. As soon as the Riot had run its course, both sides collected their injured and turned to the medics and doctors for help.

Only, it turned out one side had to pay exorbitant fees, while the others, did not.

Brix had been called, and the Doctors and medics told him that both sides were paying, but Nancy was covering the costs for the others. They even offered terms and contracts for those who could not pay for their injuries to be taken care of. The terms were extortionate, and the contract forbade activity other than that allowed by the Council or their representative, Nancy.

“It’s nothing short of forced servitude if you sign,” Vicky snarled. “It would have caused another riot on the spot, but Brix stopped it by bringing the injured here.”

Within the Marshall’s Quarter, Brix and a few other soldiers who had basic medic training had done what they could, but it was nothing compared to real, modern healing techniques.

Several people figured out that signing up with Nancy or Warrick got them free healthcare, and so they changed sides, while others were disgusted at seeing the sick and injured turned away and joined the Marshall’s Quarter. 

“Now, they are putting out new laws for the Colony by ‘Council Vote,’ and no one is happy with a lot of it.” Brix sighed. “As of yesterday, there is a curfew; only authorized colonists are allowed to leave the camp, and there is to be an election for Mayor next week.”

“You said they kicked you off four votes to one?” Crush asked after a moment.

“Yeah, Duke voted to keep me in,” Brix nodded. “Honestly, I think he has no idea what is going on half the time.”

“He always seemed on the ball to me,” Crush frowned. “Back on the farm, I mean.”

“They keep him pretty busy with meetings all over the place,” Brix said thoughtfully. “And they mostly present him with their own facts rather than let him get his own.”

“So he’s being given the old snow job?” Crush said. “Do you think his sister knows?”

“I imagine so, or she soon will,” Brix asked, “Why?”

“Fed families are strange,” Crush said. “But they tend to be fiercely loyal to each other.”

“We need to decide what to do about it,” Brix growled. “Before this place goes up in smoke.”

“They already showed us how to do it,” Crush replied calmly. “We fix everything they break.”

“And-Aran, can we have a minute?” Crush called as they approached the office.

“Sure, boss,” The man looked like a deer in headlights for a second before his training kicked in, and he straightened. 

“Marshall Aran, what did you do before you joined the army back on the Hub?” Crushed asked loudly. 

“Uh, I was training to be a doctor, boss,” And-Aran looked around at the gathering crowd. 

“Boy your age must have been a first-year student?” Crush asked, again loud enough for everyone to hear.

“No, Boss, I skipped a few years; I was already working in a hospital near the Hub.” And-Aran winced as the cheers started. “Is that good?” He smiled nervously.

“Well, Doctor Aran,” Crush said as he put an arm around the kid. “The good news is you just graduated. The bad news is,” he led the blushing And-Aran into a large compartment that was rapidly filling with patients. “You’re going to be busy.”

“Bit of luck,” Vicky said suspiciously. “Having a trained doctor on your team.”

“Not in the slightest,” Crush admitted. “Every member was chosen because they had excelled in a skill that could come in handy in the field.”

“That’ll help,” Brix said as he came out with a wide grin on his face. “What’s next?”

“Unlocking the monopoly they have built up while I was looking the other way,” Crush said grimly. “They took control? Well, we try and take it back.”

===<<<>>>===

“First, I want those shields down on the next pass,” Brenda snapped as she watched the cargo vessel wallow toward the jump point. “Second, those engines are still running in five seconds; I’ll throw you at them on the next run.” 

“Yes, Captain!” Her officers yelled as the Last Chances closed into weapons range of the long-distance hauler. 

The new weapons fired, causing the entire frame to shudder, and the last salvo hit the hull instead of shields. 

“Targetting laser arrays on their engines,” Second Officer Smidt called. “Firing!”

The bright lines struck out, and the engines flamed out before going dark. “Hit confirmed; engines are offline.”

“Look who doesn’t have to take a spacewalk,” Brenda winked at her second before nodding to the comm tech.

“Last Chances to Freighter. Are you ready to talk yet?” she let her amusement enter her voice. It was important to enjoy your work. 

“This is Freighter Owe’low. Stop firing. I repeat, stop firing.” Anger laced the voice even as it asked for a favor. 

How fun.

“I assume you wish to surrender?” Brenda said, a wide grin on her face.

“We are a ship of the Imperial Line, Last Chances. Are you sure this is something you want to do?” A hint of surprise this time.

“Fire again,” Brenda said with a sigh of satisfaction, leaving the comm line open. “Keep firing until they are dead, or surrender.”

“Wait, wait! We surrender, damn you!” The panic now, that was what she was waiting for.

“Excellent choice,” Brenda laughed. “We will send boarders immediately. I advise you not to interfere with them.” She nodded to her First, who immediately left to organize and lead the boarding party. 

“We will not get in their way,” the voice sounded wrong. “I hope you enjoy the ship, Captain, and the war you have just started.” The line clicked off, and before Brenda could order her second to open fire, a scattering of small pods erupted from the ship, blinking into jumps the moment they were clear of the hull. 

“First, get on that ship right now!” Brenda snapped over ship comms. “I want her under tow in ten minutes.”

“Aye, Captain!” First replied, and Brenda sat back, frowning.

Pods should not have jump drives; she was not even aware that it was possible. Even as she sat here, they were traveling through jump space to report her actions and position.

It would be best not to be here when their backup arrived.

“Who the hell is the Imperial Line?” She muttered to herself.