Sliding Reality: Chapter 9 Part 5 of 5 (Patreon)

Fin sighed. "I work on a terraforming project. It is really complicated and takes a lot of time, there are very few finished projects and there are only a few hundred schools that teach it. Most of them are on Mars, the first terraforming project humanity took on.”

Foster let out a sharp hiss, shaking his head. “Perfect cover.”

“There are hundreds of terraforming projects going on in different systems, turning moons, asteroids and planets into a perfect human soup. Most of the companies are in-system because they'll be there for decades till they finish the job. Their head offices are nearly all in Sol so that they can recruit new talent to their projects." Fin tapped out information on his terminal. The hologram changed to show Maxxel system, zooming in on the sixth planet in the system.

"Martian planet being converted by several terraforming contractors, including the Kronia Terraforming corporation. Several facitilies, but only one of them received a ship that used a blind jump to reach it from Maxxel prime.” He tapped out another command, the map zoomed in on an unremarkable small station at the planet’s lagrange point.

"I give you supply station Three Golf One Six."

The map played, a wormhole appeared and a freighter passed through.

“The Yorel,” Dana said.

It close with the station and docked.

"That was the ship that must have been carrying Jynx and her family. I can trace funds from Sol into this facility. It looks like it is normally a location used for terraforming, but it is also a heavily utilized outpost for the black badges. A spy network controlled by Sol." Mitch said.

Dana pressed commands, blowing up the station and spinning it slowly. "The employees and people on the station, are they all under the Sol government’s employ?"

"Can’t be sure, I doubt many of them know that they are. Some might know that there are odd things that happen in the station, but it is a transit point and there are usually some kind of back of the hand deals going on like this. It is a corporate system after all." Mitch said.

"Thoughts?" Foster asked.

Dana looked at the hologram, her arms crossed as her fingers tapped her ribs. Luke watched her, seeing her eyes flick across the station.

"We come in, aggressive, a fleet at our backs, we set up a live stream, accuse them of the crimes and we show evidence of what they have done. We give them an opportunity to show who they really are, to be good people."

"You think they're going to give them up?" Luke asked.

"I hope so. Everyone in all the systems is going to know that Sol has kidnapped Brad and Stuart's family, two they're going to see that people from Sphere World are going to try and protect them and three. They're going to point right at one of the spy outposts of Sol hiding in an ally's system. The men and women on that station are going to have family and friends outside of that station. With all their crimes laid bare, if they kill Jynx and the family they bring everyone's wrath down on their heads. Everyone is angry right now with the events at Rukian and Orion, we are using that anger."

“What if it doesn’t work?” Fin asked.

“Then we breach the station.” Foster said.

Luke sucked in a breath. “We could depressurize the whole station.”

“That’s why it’s a last resort.”

“Once we have them we have to get them out. Our ships do not have life support. We need a ship in-system to pick them up, one that has life support and a blind jump drive. Minnie, could you make a jumper?" Dana asked.

Minnie's face split into a grin. "Hah, I've been looking into it, I can alter a corvette to have enough capacitors to create two wormholes back to back, it’ll need fifteen minutes to jump a third time and it won’t have weapons."

"Start on it right away." Dana raised one hand, holding her chin. "If we take the Frigate, then four Corvettes, we could strap one dropship to each of the Corvettes and then carry two on the Frigate and one inside."

"Seven dropships, one hundred and forty bots," Foster said. "We know how many there are on staff at the facility?"

"Forty to fifty." Mitch said.

"Okay." Foster leaned on the table and turned his head. "Ichika, you and your howlers made up the second half of Legion, what you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we're all crazy as hell, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside," She smiled. "Jynx is our girl, her family don't deserve this shit." Ichika's smile faded as she looked at the people in the room. "I'm in."

"Same here," Foster said.

"Me too," Dana said.

"Fuck 'em, making a bad name for us good terraformers," Fin said.

Luke stood straighter, standing among these people. "They fucked with our people and thought that we would just take it. Lets show them we don't let others fuck with our people."

"I will help as much as I can, though I think that will be in increasing our material output and setting up our new base in Varuna." Mitch said.

"I'll get you your ships and your guns." Minnie said.

"And Luke, if you might have the inside on a ship coming through Hydrea, I'd like to be on that ship," Fin said.

"And for anything going through Sol. I'm going to be shifting. Preferrably something that has a net connection." Dana said.

"I'll have a talk to some people," Luke said.

"Mitch you got information on the station, floorplans and the like?" Foster asked.

"I have pictures around the station?"

"Leave that to me," Minnie said. "Stations like this are built in flat pack form, shipped into place and then built up, modules attached to one another. I can pick it apart and give you a relatively clear image of what it will look like inside. I'll also be able to see any irregularities in the station. Maybe areas that this spy group uses?"

"I'll leave it in your hands. I'll pull together the other squads to spear head the assault." Foster glanced at Luke.

“We’ll be there.”

“Good.” Foster said. "Right before the mission begins we will accept Orion Belt Enterprises contract, becoming part of OBE. Which then places Brad and Stuart's families under our protection. It’ll give us at least some cover. Ichika, work on getting as many of our people that could be in danger into a safe system and get the contacts from Luke that could assist."

"Will do."

“Lets get Jynx and her family back.”

***

Brad’s body tensed as Aramand Bashir joined the meeting room.

"You fucking piece of shit!" Stuart growled, Brad grabbed his bicep, maybe tighter than normal, draining some of the anger that roared in his chest. Stuart’s jaw worked as he pressed himself back into his seat.

"Sol, so big, resort to kidnapping teenagers, a would be grandmother and a pregnant woman." Stuart snarled.

"I take no more pleasure in this measure than you do. But needs must for balance and stability."

Brad released Stuart. "What do you want?"

Aramand's eyes thinned in thought.

"Speak shit bag or maybe I should start launching nukes through a wormhole!" Brad's bark made Aramand sit up straighter.

"You wouldn't."

"Aramand, Aramand," Brad chuckled, holding up to forestall him, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward as if finding the whole thing hilarious. "Right now I'm about as un-fucking-stable as they come, and you just took my family. I'm sitting in a war station made by aliens. Do you think they picked me because I can't make decisions? I wonder, do you think the Sixth Federation fleets around my station would agree?" Brad chuckled a dark and cruel thing as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs again, seemingly perfectly at ease.

"Mister Lee."

"So much honor." Brad drawled, his smile melting into an unfeeling mask. He steepled his fingertips together.

"You will step down-"

"Not going to happen." Stuart growled.

"As soon as we step down there is no guarantee for our families. No." Brad agreed.

"You might not like it, but humanity will need balance for the coming future. Sphere World, aliens attacking us."

“Federation massacring innocents and attacking this very station to add to their military might. What do you expect to do with them?”

“Reparations will be made, someone will step down and we will continue on with the talks.”

“You want them back after the shit they just pulled?” Stuart yelled.

“Unless you have more information on this ship that appeared in the Rukian system?”

“I will take your silence as a no. If they are not brough to the table then it could to lead to a war between humanity once again. I do not like what I have to do here, but it will guide us forward.”

"Pen up the lies you want us to say to bring them back to the table. We turned the crews of the ships and those marines captured within the station to the coalition."

Aramand grimaced. "That can be figured out."

"You got anything else for us."

"Don't do anything that might mess up our negotiations. You have to trust us in this. We are working for the best of humanity." He brought up a terminal.

"Working for humanity's best with your knife at the throats of five innocents. Noble." Stuart said.

Aramand stiffened. “You might think me cruel, but this concerns all of humanity, not just two developers who think themselves leaders.” He disappeared from the room.

"That mother fucker." Stuart hissed, leaning against the wall screen showing space beyond Sphere World. "So, we going to do what he says?" Stuart asked.

"Yeah, we toe the line. Slow down things enough so that we don’t lose control in the next few days, and we can plan out our next actions with Sphere World."

Stuart let out a breath and looked at the ceiling. "A few months ago we were looking to get out of the rat race. Now we’re going to step on the toes of the factions."

"We have three hours till our first meeting of the morning. At least working game development gave us ample opportunity to practice working without any sleep. After the meetings we’ll talk to Joe and Olivia, they can get things in place for us quietly."

Brad's screen blinked, he quickly scanned through the message. "Foster says that they're onboard."

“Stars I hope they’re okay.”

“He might be a bastard, but Aramand thinks he’s doing what’s best for his people, hell I think that Walker was thinking the same thing.”