fiction looked like a grand exaggeration of the truth.
“ This is Captain Alexander Zagadko of the FMA boat, the Novgorod ! ” roared the captain’s voice from above. It was perfectly audible through the open hatch and Katya quickly wound down the volume on the hull sensor relays before the speakers blew. “ By the authority vested in me by the Federal Maritime Authority and by the Russalkin legislature, you’re all under arrest! Drop your weapons immediately! Surrender or die! ”
The pirates, to their credit, had a third alternative. As one, they ran back down the tunnel before the captain could give the order to fire.
Zagadko swore a pithy but venomous oath of the kind that comes easily to sailors. “ Tokarov! Report! ”
“ We just ran into them in the corridors, sir. They looked more surprised to see us tha n we were to see them. We’d already found signs this place was occupied. ”
“ Any idea where their boat is? ”
“ We saw signage about another dock on the other side of the mountain. They must be moored there. ”
“ Kane’s people, ” growled Zagadko. “ No wonder he knew so much about it. Well, perhaps he’s done us a favour. Do you think you could reach this other dock quickly, lieutenant? ”
Tokarov considered the question quickly. “ Yes, sir. If that’s where they’re headed, we’ll be on their heels the whole way. ”
“ Take the marines. I want their boat. It’s our way out of here. What are you waiting for? Jump to it, man! ”
Tokarov was off and running to the captain of the marines in a moment.
Katya didn’t like it. The crew were trained in combat, but wouldn’t have the sharp edge of the marines. She could see the captain’s reasoning, but she really didn’t like the thought of the boat’s defences being cut like this. It made her feel vulnerable and she’d heard too many ugly stories about what pirates did with prisoners to want to take risks.
There was something else she didn’t like either. Something about the pirates she’d seen on the cameras. She sat down and watched the screens as Tokarov and the marines headed off into the tunnels in pursuit and tried to put her finger on what was bothering her. There was an imbalance somewhere, an inequality. On the one hand there were those pirate clowns and on the other, there were… There was…
“ Kane! ” she said, her eyes widening in horror. “ Oh no! Oh no, no, no, no! ”
She skittered up the ladder, her feet on the rungs clattering like gunfire. Once on deck, she ran to where Zagadko was giving orders to the same sublieutenant who’d ordered her to stay below.
“ Captain! ” blurted Katya. “ Please, I’ve got an awful feeling… ”
“ Not now, Ms Kuriakova, ” said Zagadko. “ I’m busy. ” He continued telling the officer his orders to set up defensive positions along the dock.
“ It can’t wait! ” Katya was in a fury of indecision. Was it really worth antagonizing the captain over? It was just a gut feeling she had really. Was it enough?
“ Didn’t I order you to stay below? ” said the sublieutenant.
“ Yes, but this is important! ” Every second Tokarov and the marines were getting further from the moon pool. Every second the danger was increasing. If she was right.
Zagadko sighed. “ Carry on, ” he told the sublieutenant who left to carry out his orders with a backward narrow-eyed glance at Katya. He turned to Katya and looked down at her, crossing his arms. “ Very well, Ms Kuriakova. What is so important? ”
Now she had his attention, she didn’t know where to start. “ Those pirates, didn’t they bother you? ”
“ I’ve encountered worse. What do you know about it, anyway? You were below decks during the attack, such as it was. ”
“ I was watching on the hull cameras. ” She saw the captain’s eyebrows rise and pushed on before he got into a lecture about illicit use of FMA equipment. “ They were a joke. I can’t imagine that bunch getting
“ This is Captain Alexander Zagadko of the FMA boat, the Novgorod ! ” roared the captain’s voice from above. It was perfectly audible through the open hatch and Katya quickly wound down the volume on the hull sensor relays before the speakers blew. “ By the authority vested in me by the Federal Maritime Authority and by the Russalkin legislature, you’re all under arrest! Drop your weapons immediately! Surrender or die! ”
The pirates, to their credit, had a third alternative. As one, they ran back down the tunnel before the captain could give the order to fire.
Zagadko swore a pithy but venomous oath of the kind that comes easily to sailors. “ Tokarov! Report! ”
“ We just ran into them in the corridors, sir. They looked more surprised to see us tha n we were to see them. We’d already found signs this place was occupied. ”
“ Any idea where their boat is? ”
“ We saw signage about another dock on the other side of the mountain. They must be moored there. ”
“ Kane’s people, ” growled Zagadko. “ No wonder he knew so much about it. Well, perhaps he’s done us a favour. Do you think you could reach this other dock quickly, lieutenant? ”
Tokarov considered the question quickly. “ Yes, sir. If that’s where they’re headed, we’ll be on their heels the whole way. ”
“ Take the marines. I want their boat. It’s our way out of here. What are you waiting for? Jump to it, man! ”
Tokarov was off and running to the captain of the marines in a moment.
Katya didn’t like it. The crew were trained in combat, but wouldn’t have the sharp edge of the marines. She could see the captain’s reasoning, but she really didn’t like the thought of the boat’s defences being cut like this. It made her feel vulnerable and she’d heard too many ugly stories about what pirates did with prisoners to want to take risks.
There was something else she didn’t like either. Something about the pirates she’d seen on the cameras. She sat down and watched the screens as Tokarov and the marines headed off into the tunnels in pursuit and tried to put her finger on what was bothering her. There was an imbalance somewhere, an inequality. On the one hand there were those pirate clowns and on the other, there were… There was…
“ Kane! ” she said, her eyes widening in horror. “ Oh no! Oh no, no, no, no! ”
She skittered up the ladder, her feet on the rungs clattering like gunfire. Once on deck, she ran to where Zagadko was giving orders to the same sublieutenant who’d ordered her to stay below.
“ Captain! ” blurted Katya. “ Please, I’ve got an awful feeling… ”
“ Not now, Ms Kuriakova, ” said Zagadko. “ I’m busy. ” He continued telling the officer his orders to set up defensive positions along the dock.
“ It can’t wait! ” Katya was in a fury of indecision. Was it really worth antagonizing the captain over? It was just a gut feeling she had really. Was it enough?
“ Didn’t I order you to stay below? ” said the sublieutenant.
“ Yes, but this is important! ” Every second Tokarov and the marines were getting further from the moon pool. Every second the danger was increasing. If she was right.
Zagadko sighed. “ Carry on, ” he told the sublieutenant who left to carry out his orders with a backward narrow-eyed glance at Katya. He turned to Katya and looked down at her, crossing his arms. “ Very well, Ms Kuriakova. What is so important? ”
Now she had his attention, she didn’t know where to start. “ Those pirates, didn’t they bother you? ”
“ I’ve encountered worse. What do you know about it, anyway? You were below decks during the attack, such as it was. ”
“ I was watching on the hull cameras. ” She saw the captain’s eyebrows rise and pushed on before he got into a lecture about illicit use of FMA equipment. “ They were a joke. I can’t imagine that bunch getting
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