Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

nodded toward a pair of large duffle bags secured to the deck near the cockpit door. “But it’s got Casey concerned enough to bring along some of my favorite hardware.”

“Won’t gunfire breach the hull?” asked Mike.

“Not that kind of hardware,” said Malmoradan.

“It’s ridiculous that you’re bringing any weapons at all,” said Edison. “Arsenal Bay is at a very mature point in its production lifecycle. My scans suggest they’re only two or three months away from transitioning the population centers. It’s likely Taranis emptied out the space stations to make room and then put them all on autopilot.”

“We’re bringing the gear in case corporate security gives us any trouble,” said Malmoradan. “Make no mistake—Taranis doesn’t give a damn about any of those people down there. If they could get away with it, they’d leave ‘em all down there to die.”

“I’m sorry, but I beg to differ. Even if Taranis’s leadership team were so monstrously depraved—and I highly doubt they are—it would cost a fortune to train another workforce on that scale,” said Edison.

“Edison, ya best stop there,” said Cajun. “Right there. This ain’t a fight worth pickin’.”

“You’re right, of course,” Edison grumbled. “Malmoradan, I respect your opinion and life experiences that shaped it.”

Malmoradan glowered. “Thanks for the bone, Spacebucks, but you can stow it.” Pointedly, he turned away.

Edison frowned at Cajun. “You always wag your finger at me, but never at him.”

“He’s ocelini. Ya ever find somethin’ to wag does any good, ya tell me, hear?”

“You know what? I will,” said Edison.

April’s voice filled the passenger compartment. “We’ll be moving to zero-G in sixty seconds. Get ready for docking maneuvers.”

As soon as weightlessness took hold, Malmoradan unbuckled and pushed himself to the front of the shuttle. He double-checked the contents of the duffle bags, and satisfied everything was in order, he zipped them back up and drifted to the lockers. There, he retrieved the tactical vests. “Here,” he said. “Put these on. As Mike pointed out, hull breaches are bad, so we’re only bringing smoke grenades and lightning guns. We probably won’t need to use any of it, but it’s better to have the firepower and not need it than the other way around.”

“Have you ever considered how many firefights could have been avoided if neither party was thinking exactly that?” asked Edison, and he shouldered his medical pack.

“Nope,” said Malmoradan. “Edison, put on your vest. Casey’s orders.”

Chapter 20

Derelict

Dozens of blade-shaped residence towers fanned out from the station’s cylindrical core. Pitted and streaked with soot, each tower wore a gradient coat of faded coral and white paint. Booms and thrusters extended below the city’s horizon line.

Casey guided the shuttle to precisely match the space station’s trajectory and spin, and the approach status light turned green. Humming quietly to herself, she brought the dorsal hatch alongside the station’s boarding tube. Clamps seized the shuttle’s docking ring, and centrifugal gravity swiftly took hold.

Within the passenger compartment, the overhead hatchway hissed as it formed a seal with the station, and the atmospheric sensor lamp turned green. Casey activated a scrolling ladder recessed in the overhead. It descended quickly, stopping just short of the shuttle deck. She led the way up, and Malmoradan passed her the duffle bags.

They all soon alighted upon a circular walkway within the space station’s boarding passage. It surrounded an enclosed elevator shaft, and Casey’s team gathered at the door. Moments later, they filed in, and Malmoradan brought up the rear with both duffle bags slung upon his shoulders.

Slowly, the lift ascended.

Its overhead motors quietly hummed.

“No music, huh?” asked Orin.

“Apparently not,” said April.

Malmoradan shifted slightly under the weight of the gear. “Which one is Liu-Song’s spike?”

“Cherry Grove,” said Cajun. “Name paints a pretty picture, at least.”

“I’m sure it’s ironic,” said Malmoradan. “Probably the tenth level of hell, down there.”

The elevator continued to climb.

“There are only nine, actually,” said Mike.

Malmoradan glanced his way. “Nine what?”

“Levels of hell.” He cleared his throat. “There are only nine.”

Malmoradan narrowed his eyes. “You get the idea.”

“All the spikes I saw on the roster have picturesque names like that,” said April. “Harrison Hill, Serrano Ridge, Roland Gables, Golden Trees—and those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head.”

“Golden Trees?” asked Orin.

“I wouldn’t complain if I lived in Golden Trees,” said Shona.

“You might, if you actually did,” said Malmoradan.

“Hate to rain on ya parade, but they’re all named after fallen folk,” said Cajun. “Last names, and somethin’ dreamy they liked best when they were livin’ folk.”

“Oh,” said Malmoradan. “I didn’t know that. I take back what I… said. Did the lift just rotate? Did anyone else feel that?”

“I did,” said April. “It felt like the car turned on its back, but somehow we’re still upright. Orin, are you doing this?”

“Not me,” said Orin.

Malmoradan lifted the bags with greater ease. “I feel a little light on my feet, too.”

“I definitely feel that,” said Shona.

“Same,” said Mike. “It’s like someone turned down the gravity.”

“I can fix that if you want,” said Orin, and blue fire sprang from his hands.

“Let’s wait until we know why there’s less gravity, first,” said April. “Station ops might prefer to keep things a little light for any number of reasons.”

“For example, it could be a structural consideration,” said Cajun. “Hate to overstress somethin’ turns out to be a load-bearin’ member, now.”

“That makes sense,” said Orin, and the fire flickered out.

The lift chimed, and at last the doors opened.

Before them stood an embarking chamber, only slightly larger than the elevator car. Diagonal stripes framed numerous panels declaring the presence of manufactured gravity and the potential side-effects of prolonged exposure to the reactor that generated it. Scattered placards advised proceeding slowly, while others warned against jumping.

Casey crossed into the chamber, and her comrades followed.

“Where’s station security?” asked Shona. She pointed to an empty desk.

“They probably stepped away for a bit,” said Casey. “We can wait for them to come back.”

Cajun studied the reactor warning, and Edison double-checked his medical kit. Shona made sure Mike’s tactical