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Chapter 24

The Privateer Ship Andromeda

High Solar Orbit

Danzig-5012 System


It had taken over four thousand hours, according to the ship’s internal clock, but the Andromeda winked into existence two hundred million kilometers from Danzig-5012. The orangeish Type G main sequence star was orbited by six planets: two gas giants, one ice giant, a scorched, barren world closest to the star, a tiny frozen planet furthest out, and one average-sized, terrestrial rock called Zanzibar.

As the ship’s systems recovered from transit shock and came back online, Captain Catherine Blackwood recorded a message for Aristotle Lang. She informed the warlord that she had arrived in system, and would be planeting on Zanzibar within the next several local days. That gave her plenty of time, as the Andromeda slogged across space on her reaction engines, to prepare for the next stage of her mission: finding and recovering her brother.

There were other pressing matters to attend to, however, and Catherine left Wolfram von Spandau in command of the ship and headed down to the ship’s security office. It was here that Mazer Broadbent had his office, as well as a tiny brig with one cell. The captain joined Mazer and Marcus Winchester in watching the security camera feed from the cell. There, the Orlov woman called Lana-90890 was being questioned by Randall Markgraf.

An intelligence officer by trade, Markgraf was in his element. Lana seemed scared and bewildered, so he was applying a softer, friendlier touch. She was beginning to trust him and was becoming very forthcoming with information. Little of it was of any use to the crew of the Andromeda at the moment, but everything was being carefully recorded. First-hand intelligence about the Orlov Combine was hard to come by; such information could likely be sold at a high price.

“He’s good,” Marcus remarked absentmindedly. Lana was sobbing again, and had her head buried in the mercenary’s shoulder. He comforted her as if he were her father. “She’s really warming up to him.”

Catherine raised an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance he’s just being decent to her?”

“Maybe. Either way, she’s an asset now. She’s been involved in the smuggling of refugees to Zanzibar before. She’s heard of this Sanctuary place.”

“Combine political refugees aren’t my immediate concern,” Catherine said, sounding colder than she would’ve liked. “We have a job to do.”

Marcus nodded. “Yes, ma’am. But the only information we have about the situation on the ground on Zanzibar is what Halifax has told us, and that’s years out of date. This woman has information that’s more recent. If we deliver her to Sanctuary, perhaps they’ll trust us enough to share some information on Aristotle Lang and his operation. It might give us a way in, an edge.”

“I’m still planning on simply paying his ransom, you know,” Catherine said.

“I understand, Captain, but I’m preparing for every contingency I can. If simply buying your brother back does the job, that’s all well and good. Until then, I’m going to assume the worst-case scenario and plan for that.”

The captain nodded thoughtfully. “I continue to get my money’s worth out of you, Mr. Winchester.”

On the screen, Markgraf was asking Lana about Sanctuary. “We don’t know anything about it,” he said calmly. “Your father told us to take you there. He said you’d know what that meant.” Lana looked uncomfortable, as if she was afraid to reveal this secret, even after the crew of the Andromeda had saved her life. Markgraf pressed in on her. “Lana, listen to me,” he said firmly. “You’re safe from the Combine. We almost started a war with them to get you out. The crew of this ship risked their lives to save yours. We were told by your father to bring you to Sanctuary on Zanzibar, but none of us know where that is. Help us help you.”

“My . . . my ECCOM is still active,” she said, pointing to the device attached to the side of her head. “With . . . without my programs, I can’t deactivate it or fool it. Everything we say is being recorded.”

“I’m aware, Lana. It doesn’t matter. You’re outside of Combine space, on an independent privateer ship. Your electronic comrade has no one to talk to. It can record, but it can’t upload. We can have the ship’s flight surgeon look into removing it for you, if you like. After that, you can launch it out of the airlock, burn it up in the ship’s exhaust. You’re free now, Lana, but we need to know where to bring you. One way or another, we’re going to Zanzibar. We’re almost there.”

Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, Lana was hesitant, as if she feared this whole thing was some kind of elaborate ruse. Catherine couldn’t imagine the kind of living conditions, if you could even call it living, that could make a person so afraid to think.

“Lana, we need your help,” Markgraf insisted. “Our mission on Zanzibar is not related to this Sanctuary place, but maybe they can help us. We need information about a dangerous warlord, if they have it. We need to know what the situation on the ground is, so we’re not going in blind. If we can even find them, they’re not going to talk to a bunch of off-worlders. But if we bring you to them, explain what happened, maybe they’ll be willing to talk to us.”

Lana, still sitting on the bunk, folded her hands in her lap and looked down. She seemed terrified. “This could be a trick,” she managed after a moment. “InSec could’ve hired you people to find Sanctuary.”

“Lana, you watched the video of your station being destroyed. You saw the message your father left for you.”

“My father could be in on it!” she snapped, tears in her eyes. “Everything else could be faked!”

Catherine could see Markgraf’s frustration, but he kept his professional demeanor and changed tactics. “Listen to me. If you really believed that, you wouldn’t have come with us. Do you want to speak with the captain again?” Lana didn’t answer. “Okay, I’ll bring her in here.” He looked up at the camera. “Captain Blackwood, would you be so kind as to step in here with us, ma’am? I think our guest would feel better hearing this from you.”

Catherine’s eyes went wide for a moment. Marcus shrugged. “I didn’t tell him you were here, if that’s what you’re wondering. He probably just assumed.”

“Well then,” Catherine said, smoothing the wrinkles out of her flight suit. “I suppose I ought to go talk to the woman. Excuse me.” With the ship accelerating at 0.75 gravities, the captain was able to walk to the holding cell instead of pulling herself along by handholds. Markgraf nodded at the skipper and excused himself as she entered the tiny brig and sat on the bunk next to Lana. “Hello,” she said, after a pause.

“Hello, Captain,” Lana said quietly.

Catherine took a soft tone. “Listen to me, child. I know you’re scared. I know your whole world was just turned upside down, but we need your help. We can’t get you to Sanctuary if you don’t tell us how to find it. It’s okay if you don’t know everything. Just tell us what you do know, and we’ll go from there.”

“Why are you going to Zanzibar?”

“I’m going there because a local warlord is holding my brother hostage. My father hired me to pay his ransom and bring him home. Our meeting you was completely unintentional, arranged by your father. He practically blackmailed us into it, as a matter of fact.”

“And you’re just going to let me go?” the young woman asked incredulously.

“Yes, dear. Unless you’re interested in joining the crew, I’ve no cause to keep you on board. One way or another, after we make planetfall, you’re free to go. Zanzibar is a dangerous place. We can help you get to Sanctuary safely, and maybe your compatriots there will be able to help us as well.”

She absentmindedly touched the gray monitoring device attached to her head. “You can really take this off? It’s . . . it’s been on me since I was a girl.”

“We have some time before we land. Doing the procedure in freefall isn’t ideal, but my flight surgeon is very skilled. I’m sure he can remove it. I can take you right to him, if you like.”

Her eyes teared up again. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “Thank you, Captain. I know a way to contact Sanctuary, and an emergency code. It’s old, but it should still be good. If you take this . . . this thing off of me, I’ll take you to them when we land.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Lana,” Catherine said. “Come now, let’s go see Dr. Emerson.”

     



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