Majesty's Offspring (Book 1)

  Chapter 16: Milky Way Farm

  Haylek woke up feeling groggy. They had been working nonstop for days, and even he was forced to indulge himself in Elation to keep up with the pace of the others. They managed to hack all the security systems and rearrange cargo manifests to get Chorus moved. They knew if they had slacked in any way, they would end up like Coredump. Therefore, they gave their employer the appearance of cooperation.

  We’re taking a big gamble, came Haylek’s first conscious thought as he sat up in his bed. He hadn’t slept soundly; with the thought of the risks they were taking invading his mind. He wondered if they were doing the right thing or if they were being foolish. He did not want to share Coredump’s fate, but going back to the mines was probably worse. And he did not really think his employers had any intention of letting them go free anyway.

  No. They were doing the right thing; it was the only thing to do, really. It was agreed they would help Chorus get away somehow. It was Chorus’ idea to alert the UEP and Martian Confederacy of the move. Haylek never understood why, and he tried to talk her out of it. He knew the history of the war with the A.I., and he knew both the UEP and Martian Confed would move worlds in order to destroy any remnant of its old foe.

  Still, he wondered if perhaps this was what Chorus wanted: to be captured. Perhaps, in her own crystalline-based mind, she was in the same position he and the others were—better to be dead than locked forever in a prison. Haylek would miss her.

  “Freeze, Doc,” Haylek called out. “Wake up.”

  Freeze groaned, but would not awaken. Haylek had not realized Doc was already awake behind a terminal. Upon hearing Haylek’s call to wake up, Doc strolled over to Freeze and kicked him in the side. Freeze woke up with a yelp and glared at Doc’s back as he returned to his station.

  “Chink bastard!” Freeze muttered.

  “Korean! Joo azz!” Doc spat back.

  “Enough, you two!” Haylek shouted. “We need to make a plan to get out of here. It’s a matter of time before they put two and two together.”

  “Dey aw-reddy did,” Doc said. “Me fines sumteen. Look hee-ya!”

  They both stood and looked over his shoulder. On his station was a video playback of the battle that took place. It showed a grid overlay with various pieces of tactical information. Target indicators were displayed on every ship visible, which also displayed threat ratings and shield status.

  “Is that a military feed?” Haylek said.

  “No way!” Freeze said. “You hacked into a military-grade encryption algorithm? By yourself?”

  “Shut up en look!” The Doc said.

  The video replayed all the events from the fight that took place, from the initial attack by Hargo’s men, to the retaliation by the naval task force, and finally ending with a group of other pirates hijacking the cargo in the middle of the battle.

  “She got away!” Freeze exclaimed.

  “She knew… somehow, didn’t she?” Haylek mused. “She knew she would get away. This changes everything!”

  They both looked at him with bewilderment.

  “We need to get out of here,” Haylek said. “Not just for our own asses, but to help her!”

  Haylek stood still for a moment, peering at the display consoles. He looked over at the fourth console: the one that had been Coredump’s, but now sat unoccupied.

  “How, Waverider?” Freeze said. “We’re trapped here. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “No!” Haylek said. “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!”

  He moved over to his console and began tapping the surfaceboard. The other two moved in to see what he was doing. It was a long shot, Haylek knew it. But it was the only chance they had. And if it worked, if he could pull this off, it could start the hacker movement they’d always dreamed of.