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  "Sorry."

  "Don't have time for apologies. Let's go." Perez dropped down and moved through an array of towers, going from one box to the other as quickly and quietly as possible. The scan on his wrist found the four aliens all standing around the central core of the server farm as if they were protecting it from the new intruders.

  "Dammit," Perez whispered into the comm.

  Lindgren moved up beside him. "What is it, Sarge?"

  Perez pointed toward the group. "The four big assholes; they're blocking our way out. The access tunnel to the dock is right above them. No way we're getting past."

  Moving back behind a tower, Perez slid down to the ground and kept one eye on the aliens. "Maybe they'll clear out soon."

  "Doesn't look like it," Lindgren said. "I know that stance. They are guarding the tower in the middle. They might be there for hours. Maybe more. Who knows how long one of these things can go without a break?"

  Perez shook his head. "I'll check the map for another way through. See what other options we have left." He scanned his eyes over the multi-layered projection; his pupils darted from one possibility to the next. The ship was full of crawl spaces and service tunnels. The idea was to allow the crew complete access to every deck of the boat should an elevator fail. Perez only managed to find one other way out to the dock. He held the digital map up to Lindgren.

  "We could take this tunnel here down a level into the belly of the ship and crawl our way through this other service shaft and back up. Then, we only need to double back and hope we find a clear path to the transporter."

  "And if there's not a clear path?" Lindgren asked. The kid was starting to accept the reality the two of them might not make it off the ship alive.

  "We'll make one. And don't worry," Perez said, slapping him on the shoulder, "we're getting out of here."

  The private nodded and pushed himself up to offer the sergeant a helping hand. Perez took the young man's hand and felt himself being hauled up from the ground.

  "Follow me," Perez said as he ducked down low again. He swept through the rows of server towers across the room until he found a small hatch. With a gentle press of a button, the hatch opened and revealed a ladder inside. A few lights in the tunnel automatically came to life, making the trip down easier.

  The two Marines traveled down the long ladder until they found the floor of a service tunnel. The area gave them access to large sections of the ship and spanned across the belly of the MDSE Verminus.

  "Let's go," Perez said as he brought up his scanner again and tapped refresh. "I've memorized the map as much as possible, but if we go through here until—"

  He stopped dead and pulled Lindgren to the floor.

  "Sarge?"

  Perez motioned for Lindgren to be quiet and showed the private what had caused him to drop to the ground in such a hurry.

  Blinking away on the tablet were two unknown life signs only a short distance away.

  Chapter Five

  "Shit," Perez whispered. "They're getting closer."

  "Should we go back up?" Lindgren asked.

  "Move slow. Crawl to the ladder and quietly head back to the server farm. I'll be right behind you."

  Perez released his grip on the private and allowed him to gracefully back away and head for the ladder. He turned back to his scanner and hit refresh again. The two life signs had moved closer to their location, forcing him to bring his rifle around.

  Lindgren mounted the first step and signaled Perez. "Sarge, I'm on."

  "Start climbing. I'll cover you."

  "But, Sarge—"

  "Go."

  Another scan showed the two life signs to be just around the corner in the first section of the service tunnel. Perez tightened his grip and flicked the safety off on his rifle. He aimed the scope straight down the line of the path the two bodies would take.

  "Come on out. Show me what you got." His finger moved over the trigger as the shadow from the two creatures bobbed up and down around the corner.

  The first figure popped out and dropped down to the floor upon seeing Perez's weapon. It slithered back around the bend in a hurry.

  "What the hell?" Perez muttered to himself, uncertain why the creature was afraid. "Damn thing. Come back out here and face me."

  "Hold your fire," a voice said into his comm.

  Perez's rifle fell away as his brow rose. The voice didn't belong to Lindgren. "Who's there?"

  "I repeat: hold your fire. This is Lieutenant Robert Fox of the MAF."

  "Jesus," Perez said. "Lieutenant Fox. This is Sergeant William Perez of the MAF. Come on out. I won't shoot."

  Slinging his X762A1 back over his shoulder, Perez saw a tall man come around the corner with both hands raised. "Drop your hands, sir. My weapon is away."

  Fox lowered his hands slowly and stepped the short distance over toward the ladder. He was wearing a similar armored space suit with the faceplate sealed shut. The lieutenant extended his palm for a friendly greeting.

  Perez stood and covered the gap to grip his hand in return. "You've got no idea how relieved I am to see you, sir. Can I ask what you are doing down here?"

  "Could ask you the same thing, Sergeant, but we both already know the answer."

  "No kidding," Perez said as he thought about the attack. "These damn things took out my squad in a matter of minutes."

  "Yeah, they are something else," Fox said, his eyes drifting. "Never thought I'd see goddamn aliens wipe out an entire crew. There's only the two of us left."

  "Jesus," Perez muttered. "Only the two of you left?" He found himself stumbling backward. By the time he refocused on the lieutenant, Fox had turned around.

  "You can come on out, Officer."

  A moment later, a short, young girl came out from around the corner with her hands wrapped around her body. She had an emergency space suit on covering her from head to toe in a thin layer of unarmored material connected to a shape-forming helmet.

  "This is JSO Gabriela Souza. She's the only other survivor on the ship, apart from you."

  Perez extended his hand. Souza returned the gesture and gave him a weak shake in return. "Pleased to meet you, Officer, but I'm not the only one left. Private Lindgren and I managed to survive ... " Perez trailed off as his eyes hit the floor. A few moments later he refocused and said, "Come on out, Private."

  Lindgren slid down the ladder and joined the group. He shook hands with the two survivors and stepped back.

  "So how did you spot us?" Fox asked.

  Perez held up his arm and showed the lieutenant his tablet.

  "Smart. Wish I'd thought of that."

  "Not sure how I managed to. I don't remember the scenario in training for this exact situation. Guess I got desperate to find other survivors. So, where were you headed, sir?"

  "No idea. Just hoping to reach a shuttle or an escape pod at the very least. Those things are crawling over the entire ship. What about you?"

  "Same. We're trying to make it back to our transporter and head over to the Invictus."

  "Good plan. The only problem is no one is on board the Invictus. They all came over here under Aksyonov's orders. Damn CSO is the reason I'm even on this DSE. I was supposed to co-pilot the Invictus and nothing else."

  Perez shook his head. "What the hell was Aksyonov thinking sending over the entire crew?"

  "I can tell you," Souza said. Her accent seemed half Earther and half Martian, sounding South American with a North American twist.

  "And what do you know about the situation, Officer?"

  Souza glanced from Fox to Perez. Her arms wrapped tighter around her body. "I was his second in command."

  "What? A junior science officer as his second? I mean, no offense, sir, but why?"

  "This only happened a few days ago. There were several members of the crew ranked above me as you would expect. A loud argument broke out across the ship and before I knew it, Aksyonov offered me the position. How could I say no?"

  Fox placed an arm on her
shoulder. "Souza didn't know what the CSO had planned until we boarded the Verminus. Turns out the only ones who opposed him coming here were kicked off the ship before they could put a stop to the mission."

  Perez stepped back a little. "What mission? I thought this was a classified rescue op."

  Fox shook his head. "The Verminus wasn't stranded. As far as I can tell, Aksyonov was meeting someone on the crew of the DSE to make an exchange."

  "Exchange? Christ, you're serious. All the way out here? So why did he pull my squad into the mix?"

  "Couldn't tell you. Maybe for the added security if things didn't go his way. Who knows? All I can say is Aksyonov came out here to obtain a high-value package from the commander of the Verminus."

  "This is crazy." Perez brought his hand to his head. "I don't understand what some strange business deal has to do with the aliens up there."

  Souza stepped forward. "It has everything to do with those things. The commander of the Verminus found something remarkable during the ship's visit to the edge of the solar system. Whatever this item was, Aksyonov wanted it for himself."

  The unique device sitting in Perez's suit came to mind the instant Souza mentioned a remarkable object. He clicked open the compartment and pulled out the drive. "I found this on the CSO. He was clutching it pretty tightly. Do you think it's what this whole shit storm was about?"

  Souza took the drive out of his hand and studied it up close. "This has to be it. Don't ask me what it is or why it was so important, but I can tell you I've never seen anything like it before. Until I can get it to a lab for testing, I can't tell you much more other than the fact it was worth dying for."

  She handed the device back. Perez took the petite object between his fingers before placing it back in his suit. "Any ideas what this is, Fox?"

  "Not a clue, but I think it's something to do with our new friends. As I said, when we arrived, the CSO sent everyone on board the Verminus. That move proved to be quite fatal."

  "Do you think he knew about the aliens?"

  Fox shrugged. "Couldn't tell you, but none of us were expecting them to be on board waiting for us."

  "Jesus," Perez said as he turned away. "This is about as messed-up as it gets. Can you at least tell me help is on the way?"

  Another shake of the head answered Perez's question. "We're it. Plus, the only long-range communicator not surrounded by aliens is on the Invictus."

  Perez let out a forced chuckle. "What you mean to say is we're screwed."

  "Sergeant?"

  "No, hear me out, Lieutenant. Four against however many of these alien pricks this ship is crawling with isn't exactly a fair fight. So, you'll forgive me if I don't sound too enthusiastic about dying." Perez walked away from the group and grabbed a rung on the ladder.

  "Where are you going, Sergeant?"

  "Up. I'm guessing the direction you came from is not an option?"

  Fox didn't answer.

  "That's what I thought." Perez started to climb the thin ladder.

  "Wait," Fox said. "Don't throw away your life just yet. There may be another way off this ship."

  With one arm free, Perez lowered himself down a rung. "I'm listening."

  Chapter Six

  Standing with both arms crossed, Perez listened to Fox while he dished out his grand plan.

  "So the server farm is out, right? Plus, I can tell you the direction we came from is compromised. I'm proposing we backtrack a little and deviate through the core."

  "The core?" Perez asked. "Like the ship's core? You can't be serious?"

  Fox nodded without breaking eye contact. "It's our only hope of making it back to a shuttle. The core has access tunnels leading directly to every major section of the ship. There's a tunnel that will take us all the way to the dock. We've got several ships there. I doubt the aliens have moved them yet."

  Perez lowered his crossed arms and tried his best to suppress a sneer. "Sounds like a great plan except for one little detail: the core."

  "I know this is a little risky, but—"

  "A little risky? Try suicidal. Those tunnels you're talking about, there's a reason to avoid them. They are not accessible unless you are wearing the right gear. Last time I checked, we're sporting MAF armored space suits. And Souza's only got an emergency space suit on."

  "Sergeant, I'm not an idiot. I know the dangers of getting this close to the core without an engineers' suit, but frankly, we don't have a choice."

  "There has to be another way. Maybe the server farm is clear now."

  "It won't be. These things stand guard like robots. We waited an hour for a group of them to move or change shifts. They remained still like they were in some low-power state waiting for activity."

  Perez paced about in the small space as he tried to think of an alternative plan. "How are we supposed to avoid getting fried? The core might fluctuate at any moment and kill the four of us in a flash."

  Souza spoke up. "Not if I can reach a particular remote terminal within the core's radius. If I can access it and dial the ship's power needs down by twenty percent, the fluctuations won't be an issue."

  "That will give us the time required to cross the core and find the next access tunnel," Fox added.

  Perez's brow tightened. "Okay. But we still need to get Souza in there, though. How far inside are we talking?"

  "There's a ladder that leads directly into the core's base. The terminal is approximately twenty-three meters from it."

  Dropping his head in defeat, Perez went to speak but remained silent. There was no point arguing anymore. The crazy idea became their only option.

  "Fine. Let's do this. How can we help?"

  Souza's eyes lit up. "The remote terminal will be locked, and I don't know the code. I will need to break it open."

  "I'll go with you."

  "No, I can do that," Lindgren said, stepping forward.

  "What?" Perez asked, turning.

  "Yeah. I can break the lock for her. Simple, right?"

  "Simple and dangerous. Are you sure?"

  Lindgren stood tall. "I can do this, Sarge. Just give me a chance."

  With both arms raised, Perez half turned from the group. "If you're happy to do it, fine by me. Just make sure you smash the lock into pieces as quickly as possible. The less time we spend in the core, the better."

  Fox stepped up to Lindgren and placed an arm on his shoulder. "The private's got this, Sergeant. Don't you, Lindgren?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "That's what I like to hear. Let's move out. We need to do this while we still can."

  The four MAF personnel moved over to the service tunnel and walked through the narrow passage that snaked its way through the belly of the ship. Souza and Fox led the way, allowing Perez to slow down a little and switch comm channels to Lindgren's.

  "Are you sure you want to do this, Private?"

  "Yes, Sarge."

  "I could take your place."

  "No, I've got this. This is my first mission. Let me contribute."

  Perez stopped and faced Lindgren. "All right. The job is yours. And remember, you've contributed plenty to this mission, soldier. The service is not all about dying, you know? Sometimes there are greater ways to serve your planet than to lay down your life in a pointless battle. Whether we're fighting rebel groups on Mars or aliens from another fricking galaxy, you need to think about the bigger picture."

  Lindgren didn't answer. Perez let the kid think for a moment as he started to walk again and close the gap between himself and Fox.

  After a five-minute stroll, they came to a ladder labeled "Core Access." Fox slapped a button to open the blast seals above. "This is it. Lindgren. You're on point followed by Souza. Perez and I will be right behind you."

  "Yes, sir," Lindgren said as he stepped over to the ladder. He locked his rifle to the back of his suit and grabbed the first rung. He turned around to Perez and gave him a slight nod. Perez smiled and returned the gesture.

  After a few minutes, they were all ma
king their way up to the core. With their flashlights all on, a dancing display of light bounced around the cramped space of the tunnel.

  Lindgren and Souza would be rushing out into the dangerous space in a few minutes. They had to lower the ship's power output to decrease the chance of an electrical spike flying out and ending their lives in a heartbeat.

  Trailing behind, Perez couldn't help but wonder if anyone else made it out alive. The deadly firefight he avoided with the aliens weighed on his mind. Despite telling Lindgren otherwise, it would have been much easier to die at the hands of the superior enemy than to run and hide within the ship like a pair of rats.

  "Almost there," Souza said. "The core is through this next section. You'll need to hit the access button to open the protective seal. Be ready to go as soon as you can."

  "Yes, sir," Lindgren said, breathing heavier than normal.

  "When you climb out to the surface, wait for me. I'll point us in the right direction."

  "Got it."

  Fox chimed in and addressed Perez. "Once they've dialed the core down a notch, we need to head for the access ladder across the way. It will take us up to the top-level tunnels. The dock is across a bridge leading out to the port side of the ship."

  "Roger that, sir," Perez said. He prevented himself from voicing his real opinion on the mission. They were all set on Fox's idea in one way or another.

  "I'm at the top," Lindgren said. He placed one hand over the hatch seal switch as Souza caught up. "Ready when you are, sir."

  "Let's do this, Private. Hit the button."

  With a quick slap, Lindgren pressed the manual release for the hatch and waited a few seconds for the core to poke out through the expanding gap.

  Perez gawked up through the group at a giant orb suspended in the center of the ship. Thick cables and struts poked in and out of the blue glowing sphere while a deep hum overpowered Perez's thoughts. One fluctuating spark from the central mass would seek out the nearest foreign object and fill it with enough energy to kill a Marine ten times over.

  "Go, go, go," Souza shouted over the comm to Lindgren. He pumped his legs up the ladder and out onto the metallic surface of the core's dense shielding. Souza followed behind as Fox and Perez waited for the all clear.