Magnet: Scarecrow: Lacuna

By David Adams

My name is Mike “Magnet” Williams. I've come a long way. These days I have my own ship, the Rubens. We stole it from the Toralii Alliance. For the last year the Rubens has been tasked with ‘counter-logistical privateering’ against the Toralii Alliance, attacking their military supply network.

We hit them hard, we get out, we do it all over again. Modern day buccaneers given total autonomy. We're alone, without another Human within a thousand light years.

If only that were true.

Somewhere out in the black, around a remote moon covered in ice that's kilometres thick, we found something. Something that was not supposed to be there. Something we were not supposed to find.

Scarecrow.

I can take a lot of pressure. Fighter pilots are supposed to be able to do that. Whatever the universe throws at me, I can handle it. So far I've faced aliens, friendly and otherwise, and I've seen things that so very few Humans have. I've dealt with it all.

But not this. Not my own conscience.

15,700-word story in the Lacuna universe, set after the events of Magnet: Marauder and Lacuna: The Ashes of Humanity, but suitable for reading as a stand-alone story.

Parts of the Lacuna universe:
- Magnet
- Magnet: Special Mission
- Magnet: Marauder
- Magnet: Scarecrow (new release!)
- Imperfect
- Faith

The Lacuna series:
- Lacuna
- Lacuna: The Sands of Karathi
- Lacuna: The Spectre of Oblivion
- Lacuna: The Ashes of Humanity (new release!)
- Lacuna: The Prelude to Eternity (coming soon!)

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Adams
• Release date: Mar 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781498901611

David Adams

David Adams served as an Officer in the Australian Army Reserve, trained alongside United States Marines Corps and Special Air Services SAS personnel, and served in the A.D.F as a Platoon Commander of Military Police. He has worked alongside Queensland Police Officers and held investigative roles with The Commission for Children and Child Safety.

Book preview

Magnet: Scarecrow By David Adams

Copyright David Adams

2014

Magnet: Scarecrow

As a pilot only two bad things can happen to you (and one of them will):

a. One day you will walk out to the aircraft,

knowing it is your last flight.

b. One day you will walk out to the aircraft,

not knowing it is your last flight.

— Andy Hill

Infirmary

TFR Rubens

Orbit of Velsharn

Six hours after the events of Lacuna: The Ashes of Humanity

And ten months after the events of Magnet: Marauder

I need to speak to Commander Liao immediately.

I felt like the weight of the words would crush me. The battle was over, the Rubens had repaired its damage and was now assisting the survivors. In the middle of the medical bay was large tank full of green fluid. The Rubens was originally a Toralii ship and we were just starting to understand some of our pilfered technology. Beyond the glass floated a woman in a skintight suit. Her left arm was a bandaged stump and I could see that the skin of her head, her left side and probably other bits of her that I couldn’t see was heavily scarred.

Commander Melissa Liao. She was the de-facto leader of the human race and she teetered on the edge of death.

Doctor Saeed, a Persian man who looked far too young to be a full doctor despite some grey flecks in his beard, shook his head resolutely. No. Her condition is still critical. Commander Liao is in a medically induced coma and she’s still far too frail to be woken up. Her body needs more time to recover, and I mean weeks and months. She needs to rest.

I could not imagine that being suspended in fluid would be restful. Even though she was unconscious, I swore Liao’s face was a pained mask, the corners of her mouth tugging out as though in barely suppressed agony. Her burns were severe and my skin itched just looking at her wounds. There was no way she was comfortable even if she was unconscious. Her dreams would be tortured.

I had sympathy, but I had my duty, too. It can’t wait. I’m sorry. It couldn’t either. I had to get the words out or I felt like I was going to explode.

It’s going to have to. Saeed’s voice was firm. Take whatever matter you have to Captains Anderson or de Lugo. Captain Grégoire is in command, officially. He gestured to a lump of blankets on a nearby seat. I realised, now, that it was the shape of a man curled up on a chair, a man using a blanket to shield the bright glare of the ship’s lights from his eyes and get some precious sleep.

Captain Grégoire. His affair with Commander Liao, and their resultant child that was still more or less in my care, was well known but I hadn’t had much of a chance to talk with him. Perhaps now was not the best time.

I thought this over. Captain Anderson it would have to be. Although de Lugo was an option as well. But neither of them, despite their advanced ranks, would probably be more helpful than Commander Liao. The Beijing was always at the forefront of everything, and I had not asked where the Sydney was. Its disappearance was unusual; I had expected it to help defend Eden, but I put the matter out of my mind.

Perhaps I spent too long thinking. Saeed, somewhat worriedly, spoke up. Captain Williams?

Sorry. I tried to shake out my thoughts, my demons, but I couldn’t. Yes?

Are you alright?

No, I said honestly. Not really.

Want to talk about it? Saeed rested his hip up against his desk, a casual, easy listening posture straight out of the Combat Stress Reaction treatment handbook. The modern military was all about feelings and group hugs or whatever, but strangely, despite me recognising what it was and what he was trying to do, I did felt relaxed.

Nah, I said, but I knew that was a lie. Actually, yeah. I do.

Okay, let me hear it. As though sensing my reluctance, he added, If it’s important, I’ll wake up Captain Grégoire to deal with whatever’s troubling you.

I didn’t want to disturb him but I did want to talk. Right, I said, trying to collect my thoughts into something resembling a cohesive lump of story-stuff. "So, it’s not exactly public knowledge, but this ship? We stole it from the Toralii Alliance. For the last year the Rubens has been tasked with piracy—uhh,