{"data":{"id":14140,"title":"Orbital Supermax: Episode Eleven","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/14140-Orbital-Supermax-Episode-Eleven","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/14140","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/14140","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Orbital Supermax","images":[{"id":1947,"name":"OSM_FI2v4a.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/hqo978t1u2njxr\/source\/OSM_FI2v4a.jpg","alt":"","size":1895039,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2014-07-03T22:49:29+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/1947","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/1947\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Words are powerful little creatures. Even by themselves, the right words, curse words for instance, carry power. Leashed together in the form of sentences they can provoke a feeling of dread in the listener. The sentence that always provokes the most dread in me is, \u201cThere\u2019s something you should know.\u201d\n\nCayla Wyrick uttered that exact phrase while we were rocketing away from the damaged remains of the Orbital Supermax.\n\n\u201cCan this wait?\u201d I asked. We\u2019d finished refueling from the tanker and I was just about to answer a transmission from Morgan. He was currently at the controls of the second fighter in our fleet of three ships.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d said Cayla. \u201cI know who Martin Browning is.\u201d\n\nI slowly eased off on the thrust. Martin Browning was at the heart of everything that had happened to us over the last few days. He was the reason the Nova Dogs had attacked the station in the first place. The deaths of hundreds of people could be directly attributed to his presence on OSP-4. \u201cI was starting to believe he doesn\u2019t exist.\u201d\n\n\u201cHe doesn\u2019t,\u201d said Cayla. \u201cHe\u2019s an alias. That\u2019s why he didn\u2019t show up in your initial search.\u201d\n\nThat made no sense. Lots of prisoners, if not most, have aliases. \u201cI thought aliases were included in searches by default.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey are. That was what threw me for a loop. But there\u2019s not much to do when you\u2019re a hostage, and the Tevarin had a direct connect to the server room. His file was blacked out, but I was able to bypass it.\u201d\n\nI\u2019d tried to search his name earlier and Cayla had been dead set against it. What had changed?\n\n\u201cI had a lot of time to think,\u201d she confessed when I asked. \u201cKilkenny is risking a lot. With every hour the chance that someone alerts the UEE to his little operation rises. But he\u2019s still here. Why? What makes this Browning so special? I looked him up, but not because I wanted to turn him over to the Nova Dogs. I thought he might be able to help us. And it turns out he has been.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s Morgan isn\u2019t it?\u201d I asked, with cold certainty in my heart. He\u2019d been one of the only two prisoners in Maximum Security. If he was Browning, then he\u2019d stayed silent as hundreds of people had been killed. On the other hand, without his help, we would never have made it off the station and there was no way we were going to be able to run the Nova Dogs\u2019 blockade without him.\n\n\u201cWhat do we do?\u201d she asked.\n\nI had no clue. \u201cWhat was he arrested for?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt didn\u2019t say. That part of his file was locked up so tight I couldn\u2019t access it even with the codes I was assigned when Kilkenny destroyed the Command Deck,\u201d Wyrick confessed.\n\nI heard Morgan\u2019s voice hiss over the comm. \u201cEverything okay, Nylund?\u201d\n\nI looked to her, but Cayla\u2019s face had no expression. I tapped on the comm. \u201cEverything\u2019s fine. Konicek\u2019s with us. How\u2019s your fuel?\u201d\n\n\u201cHalf mast,\u201d he said. \u201cGood news\/bad news. Scratch two bogies. On the other hand, I\u2019ve got three in tow and that freighter is sitting between us and the jump gate. Care to assist?\u201d\n\nI hesitated for only a moment. I could see Morgan\u2019s rocket exhaust and three fast-moving stars breaking away from the starscape to follow. The targeting computer highlighted all three, plotting vectors and analyzing them for weaknesses.\n\n\u201cKonicek, we\u2019re uncoupling.\u201d The fueling umbilical retracted from somewhere above me and spooled back into the tanker.\n\n\u201cThis is Corporal Smythe, sir. Mr. Konicek has been \u201c\u2026 staring into space for the last twenty minutes. I\u2019m afraid to wake him,\u201d came the reply over the comm. Smythe was one of the techs who\u2019d helped Konicek fix the tanker. I felt some pity for him and the others. \u201cStay away from the fireworks. Morgan\u2019s coming in to refuel. When he\u2019s done get your ass out of here.\u201d\n\nThe dark shadow that was the fuel tanker lifted up and then rolled over like a breeching whale and disappeared beneath us.\n\n\u201cAll buckled up?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cAre you sure about this, Avery?\u201d asked Cayla. \u201cAll we\u2019d have to do is tell Kilkenny that Morgan is Martin Browning and he\u2019d let us go.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe don\u2019t have a choice. We need Morgan to run the blockade. We\u2019ll deal with this Browning thing on the other side of the jump point.\u201d I couldn\u2019t help muttering \u2018if we make it\u2019 under my breath. The bulk of the Nova Dogs were far behind us, but two antiquated fighters against three modern craft and an armored freighter were not good odds. Added to that, there were a few suspicious smudges on the long-range radar that I didn\u2019t like thinking about.\n\nI gunned the Cutlass\u2019s engines. Our fighters had been configured to run down escaping prisoners and I knew I\u2019d have to keep an eye on my power consumption, but the extra speed gave me a huge advantage in a dogfight. I swung wide, hoping the three fighters were so intent on Morgan that they wouldn\u2019t notice me coming up on their six. When it looked like I had escaped attention, I maxed out my thrust and unloaded on them. One of the fighters went up after only a few pulses and the other two scattered. I jinked left to track one and spotted Morgan chasing after the other bogie. After we finished them off, he rendezvoused with the tanker and began to refuel.\n\nI was about to radio him when I realized the comm was still open. I tried to remember the last transmission I\u2019d sent. No one had said anything during the battle. I felt the blood drain out of my cheeks. It had been with Corporal Smythe. That meant that Morgan and everyone on the tanker had heard Cayla identify him as Martin Browning.\n\nMy hand hovered over the comm button. We had enough fuel to disappear into remote space before Morgan could start after us. We could outrun him if we left now. I closed the comm and hit the throttle.\n\n\u201cUh, Avery?\u201d Cayla asked from the back seat. \u201cShouldn\u2019t we wait for Morgan and Konicek?\u201d\n\nI kept my hand where it was. I set my shields forward. It would be difficult to get past Kilkenny\u2019s armored freighter on my own, but we didn\u2019t have a choice. There was no way Morgan would let us live now that he knew that we were in on his little secret. \u201cHe knows we know.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d she said. I could hear her slump back in her seat. She\u2019d always been bright. I\u2019m sure she figured out what had happened.\n\nThe freighter loomed large in my vision. The HUD brought up its specs, and highlighted the wicked looking particle weapon I\u2019d seen on the Flight Deck. She wasn\u2019t very maneuverable, but she was sitting right between us and the jump point and had enough weaponry on her to pose a serious problem to anyone trying to get by. \u201cThis is going to get rough,\u201d I warned, checking the shields.\n\nSuddenly the freighter lurched into motion and blasted away from the jump point. But not towards us.\n\nGreetings my old friend, my old nemesis, said a voice on the public channel that I recognized as belonging to Captain Martin Kilkenny of the Nova Dogs. Are you surprised that I know you for who you are, Martin Browning? You wear the skin of a pirate king, but the man beneath belongs to the UEE. I have come to eat your flesh and wear your skin and I will rule the pirate kingdoms in your stead.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s a live one isn\u2019t he?\u201d asked Cayla.\n\n\u201cThe livest,\u201d I replied. \u201cCorporal Smythe must have sold Morgan out to Kilkenny. But the good news is that we appear to have a clear shot at the jump point.\u201d\n\nInstead of gunning it, I cut the throttle and let us drift. The freighter dwindled behind us. It was clearly too powerful for one fighter to handle on its own. My hand moved towards the throttle and then dropped again. I tapped on the controls. Looked over my shoulder. Looked back at the construct that was the jump point.\n\nCayla said nothing, not questioning why we\u2019d stopped.\n\n\u201cDammit,\u201d I said as I turned us around and hit the throttle at full burn.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re doing the right thing,\u201d she said.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s great. I\u2019m glad my therapy is progressing so well,\u201d I shot back and then immediately regretted it. Cayla had become far more than my therapist. I respected her. No, it went deeper than that. I didn\u2019t know the word for it exactly. Or at least I wouldn\u2019t admit that I did.\n\nMorgan was still refueling. Smythe must have slowed down the process to entrap him.\n\nMy console lit up with dozens of signals from the direction of OSP-4. Kilkenny had found his man and was collapsing the net around him. Things were about to get very hot, very quickly.\n\nSuddenly I heard a shot over the comm system and then some fumbling. \u201cYou\u2019re all clear, boss,\u201d said Herschel Konicek. The madman had come back to life at just the right moment.\n\n\u201cI knew I could count on you, Herby,\u201d said Morgan. \u201cMy gauge is filling fast.\u201d There was a pause. \u201cYou get lost on the way to the jump point, Nylund?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, but while I\u2019m here, we might as well clean up a little,\u201d I said, locking on to the freighter. I fired at it, but it didn\u2019t even try to evade. Instead, rear-mounted cannon returned fire and we were the ones who were forced to jink. We were fast, but without missiles I couldn\u2019t direct enough firepower on the freighter to bring down its shields.\n\nLuckily, Morgan detached from the fueling umbilical and pulled away from Konicek. With a burst of thrust he was back in the fight.\n\nSuddenly I was thrown violently against the canopy. The starscape swung wildly around me and I realized that we\u2019d been hit with the massive particle beam cannon on the front of the freighter. While I\u2019d been watching Morgan she\u2019d swung around and fired. My controls were unresponsive and my instruments dead. A terrible thought occurred to me. \u201cCayla?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d she said. \u201cA little shook up, but fine.\u201d\n\nI did a quick survey. Our shields were down and there was a wicked dent in the hull, but we weren\u2019t leaking air and the plant, while powered down, appeared to be undamaged. Could it be a main controller? I had no idea.\n\n\u201cWhat can I do to help?\u201d asked Cayla.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I cursed. My fist pounded down on the instrument panel.\n\nKilkenny\u2019s freighter turned away from us, focusing on Morgan\u2019s fighter. Gunfire flew back and forth between them. The freighter was all fight and no flight. Instead of evading Morgan\u2019s blasts it sat there and took them, unworried. It began to drift towards us.\n\nI rebooted the system and, after it cycled, my instruments flashed and came up. Weapons and shields were still offline, except for one gun that flickered on and off. It was the mate of the turret gun that had been damaged in my encounter with the station.\n\nWe were so close to Kilkenny\u2019s freighter that we couldn\u2019t miss.\n\n\u201cLet it fire,\u201d I prayed and then mashed the trigger. Energy pounded the freighter and there was a bright explosion of light. We were jerked back in our seats and then everything went dark as the canopy polarized. When it returned to normal, we saw the punctured hull of the freighter spinning away from us.\n\n\u201cI thought we were dead,\u201d said Cayla breathlessly.\n\n\u201cNot. Quite. Yet.\u201d I said as I punched thrust and followed Morgan towards the jump point. As we neared, twin lasers leapt from the Hornet, and we were suddenly without a jump drive.\n\nThen his voice came through the comm. \u201cNow, don\u2019t panic, but you and the good doctor are going to have to stay in-system while we leave, Nylund. Don\u2019t worry, the Nova Dogs have nothing else they can send after you.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy are you doing this?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cNothing personal. I just can\u2019t have you following me. There should be a UEE team on the way to the Supermax right now. They\u2019ll find you before you run out of air. So sit tight. I\u2019m sure you two lovebirds can think of some way to pass the time.\u201d\n\nAnd then he left us. We watched the bright streak of his exhaust flash into Interspace.\n\n\u201cHe called us lovebirds,\u201d said Cayla with a hint of curiosity. \u201cYou don\u2019t \u2026?\u201d\n\n\u201cIsn\u2019t there a thing about dating your patients?\u201d I asked, looking back at her.\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d she said, a little crestfallen. \u201cI guess there is.\u201d\n\nI unhooked my flight harness and inspected the cockpit. There wasn\u2019t much room, but after everything we\u2019d been through, I was sure we could make this work. I raised an eyebrow and smiled broadly. \u201cIn that case, you\u2019re fired.\u201d\n\n\nThe End\n\nAbout the Author:\nJordan Ellinger has been called a \u201cstandout\u201d in a starred review in Publishers Weekly. He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), is a first place winner of Writers of the Future, a graduate of the prestigious Clarion West writers workshop, an award-winning screenplay writer, and author of more than twenty works of fiction, including popular series and media tie-ins (i.e., \u201cWarhammer\u201d and \u201cStar Citizen\u201d). He has collaborated with internationally best-selling authors like Mike Resnick and Steven Savile (with whom he co-authored \u201cMartyrs,\u201d a military thriller). He is also a game designer. His most recent game, Dragon Assault, has just been released on Facebook.","de_DE":"Worte sind m\u00e4chtige kleine Kreaturen. Selbst f\u00fcr sich allein tragen die richtigen Worte, zum Beispiel Fluchworte, Macht. In Form von S\u00e4tzen zusammengef\u00fchrt, k\u00f6nnen sie beim Zuh\u00f6rer ein Gef\u00fchl der Angst hervorrufen. Der Satz, der mich immer am meisten beunruhigt, ist: \"Es gibt etwas, das du wissen solltest.\"\n\nCayla Wyrick sprach genau diesen Satz aus, w\u00e4hrend wir von den besch\u00e4digten \u00dcberresten des Orbital Supermax wegrauschten.\n\n\"Kann das warten?\" fragte ich. Wir hatten das Tanken vom Tanker aus beendet und ich war gerade dabei, eine Nachricht von Morgan zu beantworten. Er war derzeit am Steuer des zweiten J\u00e4gers in unserer Flotte von drei Schiffen.\n\n\"Ich glaube nicht\", sagte Cayla. \"Ich wei\u00df, wer Martin Browning ist.\"\n\nLangsam lie\u00df ich den Schub nach. Martin Browning war das Herzst\u00fcck von allem, was uns in den letzten Tagen passiert war. Er war der Grund, warum die Nova Dogs die Station angegriffen hatten. Der Tod von Hunderten von Menschen konnte direkt auf seine Anwesenheit auf OSP-4 zur\u00fcckgef\u00fchrt werden. \"Ich fing an zu glauben, dass es ihn nicht gibt.\"\n\n\"Das tut er nicht\", sagte Cayla. \"Er ist ein Deckname. Deshalb ist er bei deiner ersten Suche nicht aufgetaucht.\"\n\nDas ergab keinen Sinn. Viele Gefangene, wenn nicht die meisten, haben Decknamen. \"Ich dachte, Aliase w\u00e4ren standardm\u00e4\u00dfig in der Suche enthalten.\"\n\n\"Das sind sie. Das war es, was mich in eine Schleife brachte. Aber es gibt nicht viel zu tun, wenn man eine Geisel ist, und die Tevarin hatten eine direkte Verbindung zum Serverraum. Seine Akte war verdunkelt, aber ich konnte sie umgehen.\"\n\nIch hatte versucht, seinen Namen fr\u00fcher zu suchen, und Cayla war v\u00f6llig dagegen. Was hatte sich ge\u00e4ndert?\n\n\"Ich hatte viel Zeit zum Nachdenken\", gestand sie, als ich fragte. \"Kilkenny riskiert viel. Mit jeder Stunde steigt die Chance, dass jemand die UEE auf seine kleine Operation aufmerksam macht. Aber er ist immer noch hier. Warum? Was macht diese Browning so besonders? Ich habe ihn nachgeschlagen, aber nicht, weil ich ihn den Nova Dogs \u00fcbergeben wollte. Ich dachte, er k\u00f6nnte uns vielleicht helfen. Und es stellte sich heraus, dass er es war.\"\n\n\"Es ist Morgan, nicht wahr?\" fragte ich, mit kalter Gewissheit in meinem Herzen. Er war einer der einzigen beiden Gefangenen bei Maximum Security. Wenn er Browning w\u00e4re, dann h\u00e4tte er geschwiegen, als Hunderte von Menschen get\u00f6tet wurden. Andererseits h\u00e4tten wir es ohne seine Hilfe nie vom Bahnhof geschafft, und es gab keine M\u00f6glichkeit, dass wir die Blockade der Nova Dogs ohne ihn laufen lassen k\u00f6nnten.\n\n\"Was machen wir jetzt?\", fragte sie.\n\nIch hatte keine Ahnung. \"Weshalb wurde er verhaftet?\"\n\n\"Es stand nicht drin. Dieser Teil seiner Akte war so fest verschlossen, dass ich nicht einmal mit den Codes darauf zugreifen konnte, die mir zugewiesen wurden, als Kilkenny das Kommandodeck zerst\u00f6rte\", gestand Wyrick.\n\nIch h\u00f6rte Morgans Stimme \u00fcber den Funk zischen. \"Alles in Ordnung, Nylund?\"\n\nIch schaute zu ihr, aber Caylas Gesicht hatte keinen Ausdruck. Ich habe auf das Funkger\u00e4t getippt. \"Alles ist in Ordnung. Konicek ist bei uns. Wie ist dein Treibstoff?\"\n\n\"Halbmast\", sagte er. \"Gute Nachrichten \/ schlechte Nachrichten. Zwei Drehgestelle zerkratzen. Auf der anderen Seite habe ich drei im Schlepptau und dieser Frachter sitzt zwischen uns und dem Sprungtor. M\u00f6chtest du helfen?\"\n\nIch z\u00f6gerte nur f\u00fcr einen Moment. Ich konnte Morgans Raketenabzug und drei schnell bewegte Sterne sehen, die sich von der Sternenlandschaft l\u00f6sen und folgen. Der Targeting-Computer markierte alle drei, zeichnete Vektoren auf und analysierte sie auf Schw\u00e4chen.\n\n\"Konicek, wir koppeln ab.\" Der tankende Nabel ist von irgendwo \u00fcber mir zur\u00fcckgezogen und in den Tanker zur\u00fcckgespult.\n\n\"Das ist Corporal Smythe, Sir. Herr Konicek starrt seit zwanzig Minuten ins All. Ich habe Angst, ihn zu wecken\", kam die Antwort \u00fcber den Funk. Smythe war einer der Techniker, die Konicek geholfen hatten, den Tanker zu reparieren. Ich hatte etwas Mitleid mit ihm und den anderen. \"Bleib weg vom Feuerwerk. Morgan kommt zum Tanken rein. Wenn er fertig ist, schaff deinen Arsch hier raus.\"\n\nDer dunkle Schatten, der der Tankwagen war, hob sich hoch und rollte dann wie ein Hinterw\u00e4ldler umher und verschwand unter uns.\n\n\" Ganz angeschnallt?\" fragte ich.\n\n\"Bist du dir da sicher, Avery?\" fragte Cayla. \"Alles, was wir tun m\u00fcssten, ist Kilkenny zu sagen, dass Morgan Martin Browning ist und er w\u00fcrde uns gehen lassen.\"\n\n\"Wir haben keine Wahl. Wir brauchen Morgan, um die Blockade zu leiten. Wir k\u00fcmmern uns um diese Browning-Sache auf der anderen Seite des Sprungpunktes.\" Ich konnte nicht anders, als unter meinem Atem zu murmeln: \"Wenn wir es schaffen\". Der Gro\u00dfteil der Nova Dogs lag weit hinter uns, aber zwei veraltete K\u00e4mpfer gegen drei moderne Schiffe und ein gepanzertes Frachtschiff waren keine guten Chancen. Hinzu kam, dass es auf dem Langstreckenradar ein paar verd\u00e4chtige Flecken gab, an die ich nicht gerne dachte.\n\nIch habe die Motoren des Entermessers abgeschossen. Unsere Kampfflugzeuge waren so konfiguriert, dass sie fl\u00fcchtende Gefangene \u00fcberrennen konnten, und ich wusste, dass ich meinen Stromverbrauch im Auge behalten musste, aber die zus\u00e4tzliche Geschwindigkeit gab mir einen gro\u00dfen Vorteil in einem Luftkampf. Ich schwang weit, in der Hoffnung, dass die drei K\u00e4mpfer so sehr auf Morgan bedacht waren, dass sie nicht merken w\u00fcrden, dass ich auf ihren Sechsern auftauchte. Als es so aussah, als w\u00e4re ich der Aufmerksamkeit entgangen, maximierte ich meinen Schub und entlastete sie. Einer der K\u00e4mpfer ging nach nur wenigen Impulsen nach oben und die anderen beiden verstreuten sich. Ich jinkte nach links, um einen zu verfolgen und entdeckte Morgan, der hinter dem anderen Drehgestell her war. Nachdem wir sie erledigt hatten, traf er sich mit dem Tanker und begann zu tanken.\n\nIch war im Begriff, ihn per Funk zu erreichen, als mir klar wurde, dass die Kommunikation noch offen war. Ich versuchte, mich an die letzte Nachricht zu erinnern, die ich geschickt hatte. Niemand hatte w\u00e4hrend der Schlacht etwas gesagt. Ich f\u00fchlte, wie das Blut aus meinen Wangen floss. Es war mit Corporal Smythe gewesen. Das bedeutete, dass Morgan und alle auf dem Tanker geh\u00f6rt hatten, wie Cayla ihn als Martin Browning identifizierte.\n\nMeine Hand schwebte \u00fcber der Kommunikationstaste. Wir hatten genug Treibstoff, um im entlegenen Weltraum zu verschwinden, bevor Morgan nach uns loslegen konnte. Wir k\u00f6nnten ihm entkommen, wenn wir jetzt gehen w\u00fcrden. Ich habe den Comm geschlossen und das Gaspedal gedr\u00fcckt.\n\n\"\u00c4h, Avery?\" fragte Cayla vom R\u00fccksitz aus. \"Sollten wir nicht auf Morgan und Konicek warten?\"\n\nIch behielt meine Hand, wo sie war. Ich setze meine Schilde nach vorne. Es w\u00e4re schwierig, an Kilkenny's gepanzertem Frachter alleine vorbeizukommen, aber wir hatten keine Wahl. Es gab keine M\u00f6glichkeit, dass Morgan uns jetzt leben lie\u00df, da er wusste, dass wir in sein kleines Geheimnis verwickelt waren. \"Er wei\u00df, dass wir es wissen.\"\n\n\"Oh\", sagte sie. Ich konnte h\u00f6ren, wie sie auf ihrem Sitz wieder zur\u00fcckfiel. Sie war schon immer klug gewesen. Ich bin sicher, sie hat herausgefunden, was passiert ist.\n\nDer Frachter war in meiner Vision gro\u00dfartig. Das HUD brachte seine Spezifikationen zur Sprache und hob die b\u00f6sartig aussehende Partikelwaffe hervor, die ich auf dem Flugdeck gesehen hatte. Sie war nicht sehr man\u00f6vrierf\u00e4hig, aber sie sa\u00df direkt zwischen uns und dem Sprungpunkt und hatte genug Waffen bei sich, um f\u00fcr jeden, der versucht, \u00fcber die Runden zu kommen, ein ernsthaftes Problem darzustellen. \"Das wird hart werden\", warnte ich und \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte die Schilde.\n\nPl\u00f6tzlich geriet der Frachter in Bewegung und sprengte vom Sprungbrett weg. Aber nicht gegen\u00fcber uns.\n\nIch gr\u00fc\u00dfe meinen alten Freund, meinen alten Nemesis, sagte eine Stimme auf dem \u00f6ffentlichen Kanal, die ich als Zugeh\u00f6rigkeit zu Captain Martin Kilkenny von den Nova Dogs erkannte. Bist du \u00fcberrascht, dass ich dich so kenne, wie du bist, Martin Browning? Du tr\u00e4gst die Haut eines Piratenk\u00f6nigs, aber der Mann darunter geh\u00f6rt der UEE. Ich bin gekommen, um dein Fleisch zu essen und deine Haut zu tragen, und ich werde die Piratenreiche an deiner Stelle regieren.\n\n\"Er ist ein lebender Mensch, nicht wahr?\" fragte Cayla.\n\n\"Das Leben\", antwortete ich. \"Corporal Smythe muss Morgan an Kilkenny verkauft haben. Aber die gute Nachricht ist, dass wir einen klaren Schuss auf den Sprungpunkt haben.\"\n\nAnstatt es zu spritzen, schnitt ich das Gaspedal und lie\u00df uns treiben. Der Frachter ist hinter uns verschwunden. Es war eindeutig zu m\u00e4chtig f\u00fcr einen K\u00e4mpfer, um alleine zurechtzukommen. Meine Hand bewegte sich zum Gashebel und lie\u00df sich dann wieder fallen. Ich habe auf die Bedienelemente getippt. Er schaute mir \u00fcber die Schulter. Ich blickte zur\u00fcck auf das Konstrukt, das der Ausgangspunkt war.\n\nCayla sagte nichts und stellte nicht in Frage, warum wir aufgeh\u00f6rt hatten.\n\n\"Verdammt\", sagte ich, als ich uns umdrehte und bei voller Verbrennung das Gaspedal bet\u00e4tigte.\n\n\"Du tust das Richtige\", sagte sie.\n\n\"Das ist gro\u00dfartig. Ich bin froh, dass meine Therapie so gut vorankommt\", schoss ich zur\u00fcck und bedauerte es dann sofort. Cayla war weit mehr geworden als meine Therapeutin. Ich respektierte sie. Nein, es ging tiefer als das. Ich kannte das Wort daf\u00fcr nicht genau. Oder zumindest w\u00fcrde ich nicht zugeben, dass ich es getan habe.\n\nMorgan tankt immer noch. Smythe muss den Prozess verlangsamt haben, um ihn zu fangen.\n\nMeine Konsole leuchtete mit Dutzenden von Signalen aus der Richtung des OSP-4 auf. Kilkenny hatte seinen Mann gefunden und brach das Netz um ihn herum zusammen. Die Dinge waren im Begriff, sehr hei\u00df zu werden, sehr schnell.\n\nPl\u00f6tzlich h\u00f6rte ich einen Schuss \u00fcber das Kommunikationssystem und dann ein wenig Fummeln. \"Du bist sauber, Boss\", sagte Herschel Konicek. Der Verr\u00fcckte war im richtigen Moment wieder zum Leben erwacht.\n\n\"Ich wusste, dass ich auf dich z\u00e4hlen kann, Herby\", sagte Morgan. \"Mein Messger\u00e4t f\u00fcllt sich schnell.\" Es gab eine Pause. \"Hast du dich auf dem Weg zum Sprungplatz verirrt, Nylund?\"\n\n\"Ja, aber solange ich hier bin, k\u00f6nnen wir genauso gut ein wenig aufr\u00e4umen\", sagte ich und schaute auf den Frachter. Ich schoss darauf, aber es versuchte nicht einmal, sich zu entziehen. Stattdessen erwiderte die hinten angebrachte Kanone das Feuer, und wir waren diejenigen, die gezwungen waren zu jinken. Wir waren schnell, aber ohne Raketen konnte ich nicht genug Feuerkraft auf den Frachter richten, um seine Schilde herunterzubringen.\n\nGl\u00fccklicherweise l\u00f6ste sich Morgan vom betankenden Nabel und zog sich von Konicek zur\u00fcck. Mit einem Schubs war er wieder im Kampf.\n\nPl\u00f6tzlich wurde ich heftig gegen die Haube geworfen. Die Sternenlandschaft schwang wild um mich herum und ich erkannte, dass wir von der massiven Partikelstrahlkanone an der Vorderseite des Frachtschiffes getroffen worden waren. W\u00e4hrend ich Morgan beobachtet hatte, schwang sie herum und feuerte. Meine Kontrollen reagierten nicht und meine Instrumente waren tot. Ein schrecklicher Gedanke kam mir in den Sinn. \" Cayla?\"\n\n\"Mir geht es gut\", sagte sie. \"Ein wenig ersch\u00fcttert, aber gut.\"\n\nIch habe eine kurze Umfrage gemacht. Unsere Schilde waren unten und es gab eine b\u00f6se Beule im Rumpf, aber wir leckten keine Luft und die Anlage schien, w\u00e4hrend sie ausgeschaltet war, unbesch\u00e4digt zu sein. K\u00f6nnte es ein Hauptregler sein? Ich hatte keine Ahnung.\n\n\"Was kann ich tun, um zu helfen?\" fragte Cayla.\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df nicht\", fluchte ich. Meine Faust schlug auf die Instrumententafel.\n\nKilkenny's Frachter wandte sich von uns ab und konzentrierte sich auf Morgans K\u00e4mpfer. Das Gewehrfeuer flog zwischen ihnen hin und her. Der Frachter war ein Kampf und kein Flug. Anstatt Morgan's Explosionen zu entkommen, sa\u00df er da und nahm sie, sorgenfrei. Es begann, auf uns zuzugehen.\n\nIch startete das System neu und, nachdem es sich in Gang gesetzt hatte, blinkten meine Instrumente und kamen hoch. Waffen und Schilde waren noch offline, bis auf eine Waffe, die ein- und ausschaltete. Es war der Gef\u00e4hrte der Turmgesch\u00fctze, der bei meiner Begegnung mit der Station besch\u00e4digt worden war.\n\nWir waren so nah an Kilkenny's Frachter dran, dass wir ihn nicht verfehlen konnten.\n\n\"Lass es feuern\", betete ich und stie\u00df dann den Abzug. Energie stie\u00df auf den Frachter und es gab eine helle Explosion von Licht. Wir wurden auf unseren Sitzen zur\u00fcckgeschreckt und dann wurde alles dunkel, als die Haube polarisierte. Als es wieder normal wurde, sahen wir, wie sich der durchbrochene Rumpf des Frachtschiffes von uns wegdrehte.\n\n\"Ich dachte, wir w\u00e4ren tot\", sagte Cayla atemlos.\n\n\"Nicht. Ziemlich. Noch nicht.\" sagte ich, als ich den Sto\u00df schlug und folgte Morgan zum Sprungpunkt. Als wir uns n\u00e4herten, sprangen Zwillingslaser von der Hornisse, und wir waren pl\u00f6tzlich ohne Sprungantrieb.\n\nDann kam seine Stimme durch das Kommando. \"Keine Panik, aber du und der gute Arzt m\u00fcssen im System bleiben, w\u00e4hrend wir gehen, Nylund. Keine Sorge, die Nova Dogs haben nichts anderes, was sie nach dir schicken k\u00f6nnen.\"\n\n\"Warum tust du das?\" fragte ich.\n\n\"Nichts Pers\u00f6nliches. Ich kann einfach nicht zulassen, dass du mir folgst. Es sollte gerade ein UEE-Team auf dem Weg zum Supermax sein. Sie werden dich finden, bevor dir die Luft ausgeht. Also bleib ruhig sitzen. Ich bin sicher, ihr beiden Turtelt\u00e4ubchen habt eine M\u00f6glichkeit, euch die Zeit zu vertreiben.\"\n\nUnd dann hat er uns verlassen. Wir beobachteten, wie der helle Streifen seines Auspuffs in den Zwischenraum flog.\n\n\"Er nannte uns Turtelt\u00e4ubchen\", sagte Cayla mit einem Hauch von Neugierde. \"Du willst nicht...?\"\n\n\"Hat es nichts damit zu tun, mit deinen Patienten auszugehen?\" fragte ich und blickte auf sie zur\u00fcck.\n\n\"Ja,\" sagte sie, ein wenig geknickt. \"Ich sch\u00e4tze, das gibt es.\"\n\nIch hakte mein Fluggeschirr ab und inspizierte das Cockpit. Es gab nicht viel Platz, aber nach allem, was wir durchgemacht hatten, war ich sicher, dass wir das schaffen konnten. Ich hob eine Augenbraue und l\u00e4chelte breit. \"In diesem Fall bist du gefeuert.\"\n\n\nDas Ende\n\n\u00dcber den Autor:\nJordan Ellinger wurde in einer mit Sternchen ausgezeichneten Rezension von Publishers Weekly als \"Herausragend\" bezeichnet. Er ist Mitglied der Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), ist Erster Preistr\u00e4ger von Writers of the Future, Absolvent des renommierten Clarion West Writers Workshop, preisgekr\u00f6nter Drehbuchautor und Autor von mehr als zwanzig Romanen, darunter popul\u00e4re Serien und Medienverbindungen (z.B. \"Warhammer\" und \"Star Citizen\"). Er arbeitete mit international meistverkauften Autoren wie Mike Resnick und Steven Savile zusammen (mit denen er \"Martyrs\", einen Milit\u00e4rthriller, geschrieben hat). Er ist auch Spieleautor. Sein j\u00fcngstes Spiel, Dragon Assault, wurde gerade auf Facebook ver\u00f6ffentlicht.","zh_CN":"Words are powerful little creatures. Even by themselves, the right words, curse words for instance, carry power. Leashed together in the form of sentences they can provoke a feeling of dread in the listener. The sentence that always provokes the most dread in me is, \u201cThere\u2019s something you should know.\u201d\n\nCayla Wyrick uttered that exact phrase while we were rocketing away from the damaged remains of the Orbital Supermax.\n\n\u201cCan this wait?\u201d I asked. We\u2019d finished refueling from the tanker and I was just about to answer a transmission from Morgan. He was currently at the controls of the second fighter in our fleet of three ships.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d said Cayla. \u201cI know who Martin Browning is.\u201d\n\nI slowly eased off on the thrust. Martin Browning was at the heart of everything that had happened to us over the last few days. He was the reason the Nova Dogs had attacked the station in the first place. The deaths of hundreds of people could be directly attributed to his presence on OSP-4. \u201cI was starting to believe he doesn\u2019t exist.\u201d\n\n\u201cHe doesn\u2019t,\u201d said Cayla. \u201cHe\u2019s an alias. That\u2019s why he didn\u2019t show up in your initial search.\u201d\n\nThat made no sense. Lots of prisoners, if not most, have aliases. \u201cI thought aliases were included in searches by default.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey are. That was what threw me for a loop. But there\u2019s not much to do when you\u2019re a hostage, and the Tevarin had a direct connect to the server room. His file was blacked out, but I was able to bypass it.\u201d\n\nI\u2019d tried to search his name earlier and Cayla had been dead set against it. What had changed?\n\n\u201cI had a lot of time to think,\u201d she confessed when I asked. \u201cKilkenny is risking a lot. With every hour the chance that someone alerts the UEE to his little operation rises. But he\u2019s still here. Why? What makes this Browning so special? I looked him up, but not because I wanted to turn him over to the Nova Dogs. I thought he might be able to help us. And it turns out he has been.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s Morgan isn\u2019t it?\u201d I asked, with cold certainty in my heart. He\u2019d been one of the only two prisoners in Maximum Security. If he was Browning, then he\u2019d stayed silent as hundreds of people had been killed. On the other hand, without his help, we would never have made it off the station and there was no way we were going to be able to run the Nova Dogs\u2019 blockade without him.\n\n\u201cWhat do we do?\u201d she asked.\n\nI had no clue. \u201cWhat was he arrested for?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt didn\u2019t say. That part of his file was locked up so tight I couldn\u2019t access it even with the codes I was assigned when Kilkenny destroyed the Command Deck,\u201d Wyrick confessed.\n\nI heard Morgan\u2019s voice hiss over the comm. \u201cEverything okay, Nylund?\u201d\n\nI looked to her, but Cayla\u2019s face had no expression. I tapped on the comm. \u201cEverything\u2019s fine. Konicek\u2019s with us. How\u2019s your fuel?\u201d\n\n\u201cHalf mast,\u201d he said. \u201cGood news\/bad news. Scratch two bogies. On the other hand, I\u2019ve got three in tow and that freighter is sitting between us and the jump gate. Care to assist?\u201d\n\nI hesitated for only a moment. I could see Morgan\u2019s rocket exhaust and three fast-moving stars breaking away from the starscape to follow. The targeting computer highlighted all three, plotting vectors and analyzing them for weaknesses.\n\n\u201cKonicek, we\u2019re uncoupling.\u201d The fueling umbilical retracted from somewhere above me and spooled back into the tanker.\n\n\u201cThis is Corporal Smythe, sir. Mr. Konicek has been \u201c\u2026 staring into space for the last twenty minutes. I\u2019m afraid to wake him,\u201d came the reply over the comm. Smythe was one of the techs who\u2019d helped Konicek fix the tanker. I felt some pity for him and the others. \u201cStay away from the fireworks. Morgan\u2019s coming in to refuel. When he\u2019s done get your ass out of here.\u201d\n\nThe dark shadow that was the fuel tanker lifted up and then rolled over like a breeching whale and disappeared beneath us.\n\n\u201cAll buckled up?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cAre you sure about this, Avery?\u201d asked Cayla. \u201cAll we\u2019d have to do is tell Kilkenny that Morgan is Martin Browning and he\u2019d let us go.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe don\u2019t have a choice. We need Morgan to run the blockade. We\u2019ll deal with this Browning thing on the other side of the jump point.\u201d I couldn\u2019t help muttering \u2018if we make it\u2019 under my breath. The bulk of the Nova Dogs were far behind us, but two antiquated fighters against three modern craft and an armored freighter were not good odds. Added to that, there were a few suspicious smudges on the long-range radar that I didn\u2019t like thinking about.\n\nI gunned the Cutlass\u2019s engines. Our fighters had been configured to run down escaping prisoners and I knew I\u2019d have to keep an eye on my power consumption, but the extra speed gave me a huge advantage in a dogfight. I swung wide, hoping the three fighters were so intent on Morgan that they wouldn\u2019t notice me coming up on their six. When it looked like I had escaped attention, I maxed out my thrust and unloaded on them. One of the fighters went up after only a few pulses and the other two scattered. I jinked left to track one and spotted Morgan chasing after the other bogie. After we finished them off, he rendezvoused with the tanker and began to refuel.\n\nI was about to radio him when I realized the comm was still open. I tried to remember the last transmission I\u2019d sent. No one had said anything during the battle. I felt the blood drain out of my cheeks. It had been with Corporal Smythe. That meant that Morgan and everyone on the tanker had heard Cayla identify him as Martin Browning.\n\nMy hand hovered over the comm button. We had enough fuel to disappear into remote space before Morgan could start after us. We could outrun him if we left now. I closed the comm and hit the throttle.\n\n\u201cUh, Avery?\u201d Cayla asked from the back seat. \u201cShouldn\u2019t we wait for Morgan and Konicek?\u201d\n\nI kept my hand where it was. I set my shields forward. It would be difficult to get past Kilkenny\u2019s armored freighter on my own, but we didn\u2019t have a choice. There was no way Morgan would let us live now that he knew that we were in on his little secret. \u201cHe knows we know.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d she said. I could hear her slump back in her seat. She\u2019d always been bright. I\u2019m sure she figured out what had happened.\n\nThe freighter loomed large in my vision. The HUD brought up its specs, and highlighted the wicked looking particle weapon I\u2019d seen on the Flight Deck. She wasn\u2019t very maneuverable, but she was sitting right between us and the jump point and had enough weaponry on her to pose a serious problem to anyone trying to get by. \u201cThis is going to get rough,\u201d I warned, checking the shields.\n\nSuddenly the freighter lurched into motion and blasted away from the jump point. But not towards us.\n\nGreetings my old friend, my old nemesis, said a voice on the public channel that I recognized as belonging to Captain Martin Kilkenny of the Nova Dogs. Are you surprised that I know you for who you are, Martin Browning? You wear the skin of a pirate king, but the man beneath belongs to the UEE. I have come to eat your flesh and wear your skin and I will rule the pirate kingdoms in your stead.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s a live one isn\u2019t he?\u201d asked Cayla.\n\n\u201cThe livest,\u201d I replied. \u201cCorporal Smythe must have sold Morgan out to Kilkenny. But the good news is that we appear to have a clear shot at the jump point.\u201d\n\nInstead of gunning it, I cut the throttle and let us drift. The freighter dwindled behind us. It was clearly too powerful for one fighter to handle on its own. My hand moved towards the throttle and then dropped again. I tapped on the controls. Looked over my shoulder. Looked back at the construct that was the jump point.\n\nCayla said nothing, not questioning why we\u2019d stopped.\n\n\u201cDammit,\u201d I said as I turned us around and hit the throttle at full burn.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re doing the right thing,\u201d she said.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s great. I\u2019m glad my therapy is progressing so well,\u201d I shot back and then immediately regretted it. Cayla had become far more than my therapist. I respected her. No, it went deeper than that. I didn\u2019t know the word for it exactly. Or at least I wouldn\u2019t admit that I did.\n\nMorgan was still refueling. Smythe must have slowed down the process to entrap him.\n\nMy console lit up with dozens of signals from the direction of OSP-4. Kilkenny had found his man and was collapsing the net around him. Things were about to get very hot, very quickly.\n\nSuddenly I heard a shot over the comm system and then some fumbling. \u201cYou\u2019re all clear, boss,\u201d said Herschel Konicek. The madman had come back to life at just the right moment.\n\n\u201cI knew I could count on you, Herby,\u201d said Morgan. \u201cMy gauge is filling fast.\u201d There was a pause. \u201cYou get lost on the way to the jump point, Nylund?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, but while I\u2019m here, we might as well clean up a little,\u201d I said, locking on to the freighter. I fired at it, but it didn\u2019t even try to evade. Instead, rear-mounted cannon returned fire and we were the ones who were forced to jink. We were fast, but without missiles I couldn\u2019t direct enough firepower on the freighter to bring down its shields.\n\nLuckily, Morgan detached from the fueling umbilical and pulled away from Konicek. With a burst of thrust he was back in the fight.\n\nSuddenly I was thrown violently against the canopy. The starscape swung wildly around me and I realized that we\u2019d been hit with the massive particle beam cannon on the front of the freighter. While I\u2019d been watching Morgan she\u2019d swung around and fired. My controls were unresponsive and my instruments dead. A terrible thought occurred to me. \u201cCayla?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d she said. \u201cA little shook up, but fine.\u201d\n\nI did a quick survey. Our shields were down and there was a wicked dent in the hull, but we weren\u2019t leaking air and the plant, while powered down, appeared to be undamaged. Could it be a main controller? I had no idea.\n\n\u201cWhat can I do to help?\u201d asked Cayla.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I cursed. My fist pounded down on the instrument panel.\n\nKilkenny\u2019s freighter turned away from us, focusing on Morgan\u2019s fighter. Gunfire flew back and forth between them. The freighter was all fight and no flight. Instead of evading Morgan\u2019s blasts it sat there and took them, unworried. It began to drift towards us.\n\nI rebooted the system and, after it cycled, my instruments flashed and came up. Weapons and shields were still offline, except for one gun that flickered on and off. It was the mate of the turret gun that had been damaged in my encounter with the station.\n\nWe were so close to Kilkenny\u2019s freighter that we couldn\u2019t miss.\n\n\u201cLet it fire,\u201d I prayed and then mashed the trigger. Energy pounded the freighter and there was a bright explosion of light. We were jerked back in our seats and then everything went dark as the canopy polarized. When it returned to normal, we saw the punctured hull of the freighter spinning away from us.\n\n\u201cI thought we were dead,\u201d said Cayla breathlessly.\n\n\u201cNot. Quite. Yet.\u201d I said as I punched thrust and followed Morgan towards the jump point. As we neared, twin lasers leapt from the Hornet, and we were suddenly without a jump drive.\n\nThen his voice came through the comm. \u201cNow, don\u2019t panic, but you and the good doctor are going to have to stay in-system while we leave, Nylund. Don\u2019t worry, the Nova Dogs have nothing else they can send after you.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy are you doing this?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cNothing personal. I just can\u2019t have you following me. There should be a UEE team on the way to the Supermax right now. They\u2019ll find you before you run out of air. So sit tight. I\u2019m sure you two lovebirds can think of some way to pass the time.\u201d\n\nAnd then he left us. We watched the bright streak of his exhaust flash into Interspace.\n\n\u201cHe called us lovebirds,\u201d said Cayla with a hint of curiosity. \u201cYou don\u2019t \u2026?\u201d\n\n\u201cIsn\u2019t there a thing about dating your patients?\u201d I asked, looking back at her.\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d she said, a little crestfallen. \u201cI guess there is.\u201d\n\nI unhooked my flight harness and inspected the cockpit. There wasn\u2019t much room, but after everything we\u2019d been through, I was sure we could make this work. I raised an eyebrow and smiled broadly. \u201cIn that case, you\u2019re fired.\u201d\n\n\nThe End\n\nAbout the Author:\nJordan Ellinger has been called a \u201cstandout\u201d in a starred review in Publishers Weekly. He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), is a first place winner of Writers of the Future, a graduate of the prestigious Clarion West writers workshop, an award-winning screenplay writer, and author of more than twenty works of fiction, including popular series and media tie-ins (i.e., \u201cWarhammer\u201d and \u201cStar Citizen\u201d). He has collaborated with internationally best-selling authors like Mike Resnick and Steven Savile (with whom he co-authored \u201cMartyrs,\u201d a military thriller). He is also a game designer. His most recent game, Dragon Assault, has just been released on Facebook."},"links_count":1,"comment_count":65,"created_at":"2014-09-12T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"11 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-08 07:45:46","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":14139,"next_id":14141}}