Absolve: Lost Fagaran Ship, #2

By Edward Antrobus

Victory comes with a price

 

For Jim and his crew, victory came at a price higher than expected. The Razak have been beaten back, for now, but the Resolve is stranded in the outer solar system.

When Jim, Chris, Bobby and Melissa board a shuttle to explore a destroyed Star Destroyer, the discover not all is as it seems. As they search for survivors, Jim is captured and must use his wits to escape and free the Fagare prisoners aboard. Will Jim succeed in his daring rescue mission? Find out in this thrilling tale of heroism, adventure and redemption!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ash Roberts
• Release date: Mar 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393582717

Book preview

I

Jim slumped onto the bed in his quarters. The adrenaline from the battle was wearing off, and sleep threatened to take him if he sat there too long. Damn the Fagare for making everything so comfortable. He stood again, trying not to move his head too much. The wound on his temple still throbbed. If they had a med drone, he might even be tempted to use it.

The hard chair at the desk better suited his mood. He should be getting dressed in the pressure suit stored in his locker. He’d told the others they needed to hurry. He laughed a short, bitter bark.

That was probably the biggest lie he’d ever spoken. They had all the time in the world. The Resolve had all but been destroyed in the battle. Now, their choices were spend their days adrift in the Asteroid Belt, eating Fagare rations until they died of old age or were obliterated by a space rock, or rob the graves of the enemy they’d defeated. If it were only Jim, he’d take the first option. It was what he deserved. He had never had the taste for fighting.  And now he’d made a series of mistakes that had led to the deaths of more than a thousand Razak on the Star Destroyer.

But he owed it to the others to get them back to Earth and safety. Get them safe. That’s all that matters.

The resolution seemed to energize him a little. He stood again. His injury still ached, but he ignored it. He had a space suit to figure out.

Jim stared at the pieces scattered on the bed. The Fagare procedure that had inserted his ancestor’s skills and memories into his head had left odd gaps. His understanding of orbital mechanics probably matched the best minds at NASA, but this suit eluded him.

He picked up an arm piece, fighting the urge to throw it against the wall. It should fit together with the glove, but the edge was smooth, with no threads. He ran his thumb against it, looking for even the smallest indentation, but there was none.

Resolve. How does this stupid thing work? He’d already asked but gotten no answer. This time wasn’t any different. Resolve, how can the Fagare engineer such marvels but not program a computer to respond with ‘I don’t know’?

The Fagare consider it a waste of time to respond with no answer, the simulated voice of Chemogg answered from a speaker behind his personal view screen.

Sure, answer that question, Jim said to the empty room. He dropped the arm piece. It caught the edge of his bed and bounced. It made no sound when it landed on the floor. It rolled twice and stopped with a loud click.

Jim stooped down. It had caught on the duck-shaped rock he had recovered from their asteroid mining. He’d seen it on the view screen while Chris was reeling the rocks into the cargo bay. Melissa had always loved ducks, and Jim had thought to surprise her with the small gift. The plan had been to grind and polish it first, but the thing had turned out to be more iron than rock.

Jim grabbed the arm piece and pulled at the rock, but it wouldn’t budge. He yanked harder, and the rock came free, but the force flung it from his hand, sending it crashing into his view screen. Like everything else on the ship, the screen was made of some super durable materials and the five-pound lump of metal didn’t make a scratch.

He looked from the duck to the arm piece in his hand and back. Resolve, how do I activate the magnetic couplers on the suit?

It took him nearly an hour to assemble the suit. He met Chris in the hallway, his suit on and his helmet tucked under an arm. Fucking magnets, Chris muttered.

The bridge was empty, so Jim knocked on the wall outside Melissa’s room. Need a hand getting that thing on?

I’ll just be a minute, she huffed through the door.

Jim sat at his station, looking surer about their next act then he felt. He didn’t want to worry Chris, but his weapon’s expert wasn’t paying any attention, using his foot to slowly spin his chair in circles.

Melissa entered, looking flushed. Her suit fit like a glove, and she set her helmet down on the edge of her console. Bobby said he’d be right out. Something about needing a shower. She plopped down at her station, allowing the flowing plastic to catch her. I’m still not sure about this. Maybe some of them survived.

Jim straightened. Believe me; I want that more than just about anything in the world, err, solar system. But you heard what Krazirk said. That gas was toxic.

Maybe we should try hailing them again before we go over. Bobby said, entering the bridge. Unlike the rest of them, he was much shorter than his forebearer, and the shoulders of his suit reached his ears. He waddled slightly. The suit’s knees didn’t quite line up with his own.

If they are alive, that’ll just alert them to our arrival, Chris said. Glad you could join us. Must be nice, taking time to relax in the bath when we’re trying to get stuff done.

Bobby crinkled his nose. Maybe you should have taken the time, too.

Chris was up in a flash, but Jim was next to him immediately. Jim gripped the other man’s shoulders with his gloved hand and activated the small magnets in the finger pads.

Chris tried to pull away, but the Fagare magnets were stronger than either man. This shit’s getting really old, Chris. It’s time to bury the hatchet. Jim’s voice came out low and guttural.

Oh, I’ll bury it alright. Right in his skull. Chris yanked again but made no more progress than before.

Jim shook his head. I swear to God, If you two don’t get your act together soon, I’ll drop you off on opposite ends of the Earth, neither one of you in Colorado.

Fine, Chris muttered. I’ll behave. Now, will you let me go? That grip’s starting to hurt.

Jim released his hand. The shell of Chris’s suit was dented from the pressure of the hold. He looked at his glove and he flexed the fingers. Sorry, I didn’t know this thing was that powerful.

Chris just