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.Spitterman rocked with it and then as the hatch started cycling open he keyed the first sensor drone.The little electronic spy floated through the gap and then off.He scanned the interior of the airlock and then nodded.“Clear,” he said as the sensor ball hit the switch to cycle the inner airlock hatch and then move on.He was proud of that little trick, bobbing the ball just right to hit the button took finesse and practice.When the drone reported the companionway around the lock was clear of life signs and no IEDs were around he sent the other balls in and then hand signed his people forward.The ship was a mess, tore up, but he could see a sense of elegance under the grime and damage.It was a civilian ship, from what he'd heard some sort of elegant passenger liner.He was surprised by the large passages and broad open spaces in some areas as they made their way to the bridge.Real carpet, some of it plush.The brass and wood fixtures must have cost a mint.Yes, quite nice.He'd have to see if he could get posted here.It was only fair after all.They met with no resistance, which bothered him more than a fierce fight.The ship was dark; one of the ships that had been hit by the AI virus and disabled.She still had life support, but no gravity.He checked over his shoulder briefly.He trusted his implant sensors, but like that panther said, sometimes the mark one eyeball check was best.He nodded and kept moving.First up to secure was the bridge.He found it and found their first bodies.Each of the Horathians had apparently decided to go down with the ship; they'd splattered their brains all over the place.He found a naked woman too, chained like some sort of dog to the captain's chair.“Dude, that's sick,” Shayne muttered.“Can it.Save it for later,” Clemens growled.Al caught her set face and nodded.The woman was growing up fast.She was seriously pissed, but it was a cold pissed.He knew they'd probably find more by the time they were done.“Plug in and get us something Cheb,” Al ordered, turning to his partner.The neodog nodded and moved to the engineering console.He checked it carefully for traps then moved the body slumped over the station aside.Al turned and noted with a pleased eye two of his people had secured the airlock door, while others had spread the drone eyes out to cover the approaches.Wong had sent one up into the air ducts for a look.Al nodded.In a situation like this, it was never enough to be too careful.Doderman was busy with a vac, sucking up the floating globs of blood and crap to keep them from splattering all over them and anything else.He nodded to Al and kept working.Al made a node to have the doberman clear the bag before they moved on.“I'm in.I'm using the shuttle's sensors; the ship's computers are still messed up.I applied the unlock that the AIs created, but apparently, the Horathians tried to reformat the system so it's not working.”“Great.”“We've got some life readings in main engineering, a couple here and there in some of the quarters, and a hell of a lot in a couple of the holds and large spaces.”“Really?” Al asked.“Yeah,” the dog said, sounding concerned.“I'd estimate hundreds, possibly thousands of people.”“Colonists?”The neodog turned to look at the frail body of the naked woman.“Something tells me.no.”Al turned to follow the dog’s gaze and then set his jaw.He nodded slowly.“Shayne, Doderman, you stay here.Secure the door behind us.Check in every five with us and the shuttle.Do what you can to police the bodies and get the security cameras and life support online.I'll leave you one sensor ball; use it as a door keeper.”“Aye, sarge,” the doberman said.He went out into the companionway, looking around before he reached up and pushed a vent panel up.Al wondered briefly what he was doing until the dog moved a camera up into the vent.Al closed his eyes and selected the camera and then nodded.It showed the corridor area.Not as good as if it was out and bobbing around, but at least it wasn't a target.“Good.Let's move.”“Where we going?” Clemens asked.“Engineering first.You know that.Then we'll secure any leakers.” He was worried about the large masses of people.He wasn't sure what was up with that.As they made their way through the ship to main engineering they paused to check the hatches and rooms along their path.What they found both intrigued and then appalled them.The women of the group became more and more grim, eyes haunted by the scenes of torture rooms.Spitterman winced, feeling their helpless rage.In main engineering Clemens blew the hatch open, knocking a man down.She leaped over the hatch and then clubbed another man to the deck.He hit and then rebounded, floating off, either unconscious or dead.“No one move,” Spitterman said as Wong came in behind her partner.She set herself up on the other side of the hatch.Al directed the drones to scan the compartment and each of the Horathians.Each of the men and women were floating very still, eyes wide in surprise and shock.“Surprise,” Clemens said coldly.She turned enough to see someone shiver.She turned to point her Impaler at him.The man froze, hands in the air.“Think it over,” she murmured softly.“We give up!” a guy said.“Wise decision,” Spitterman said, pulling out plastic zip tie cuffs.Ten minutes later he went through another check with the bridge and then took six Marines with him to their next stop.He'd been tempted to leave Wong and Clemens behind, but he'd decided not to.Something told him there would be fewer prisoners if he did.He seriously didn't need the headache that would cause.They made their way through the ship to the closest of the large groups of people.He paused, scanning the markings on the hatch and frowned.“Dungeon three?” He murmured, not liking the sound of it.“We need to get in there,” Clemens said tightly.“Keep it together, Marine,” Wong said softly, eyes cold.She glared at the door.Each of the women took a side of the hatch and then looked expectantly to Spitterman.He frowned but then waved Cheb forward.Cheb checked the lock, but for some reason he cut it off instead of blowing the hatch.They sent a sensor ball through the hatch before it had fully opened and then paused, stunned by what they saw.“Spirit of space,” Clemens whispered, eyes tearing as she saw the bodies chained to the walls, ceiling and floor.“Medics,” Spitterman said, turning in place.He didn't want to go into that mass of misery anymore.He heard soft whimpering and noted many of the people were crawling into balls, cowering in fear.“Medics!” He snarled over the link.“Get me Medics here on the double! As many as you can get!”He shook his head, looking back into the compartment.Clemens was on her knees, trying to comfort a pair of women.He could hear the fog of tears in the woman's voice.“Poor sods,” Cheb said softly.“Yeah,” Al said roughly.He pulled out his MREs and then handed them to Wong.“Hand these out.Don't spook them.”“Right sarge,” she said quietly.She handed over her weapons to Cheb.Al opened his mouth to protest but then closed it.He frowned but just watched as she stepped into the darkened room and spoke quietly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]