Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor

tick.” “But if he is the real thing, then his message must be true too.” “Not necessarily. All those years of torture and captivity could have turned his mind. Or he could have all kinds of reasons for lying. He never said a word about where he’s been, who exactly was holding him captive, or how he finally escaped. He’s already admitted that an alien intelligence spoke through the original Half A Man. Maybe when that toy got broken, its makers just sent us another. No, there’s a lot we’re not being told, and until we know more, I don’t think we should put an awful lot of faith in the message or the messenger.” “He was right about there being something alive in the Darkvoid. Don’t you think we should… ?”
    “No, I don’t,” said Jack firmly. “We have our own mission. Let’s not get distracted. Right now we need to discover just how badly Shub has its hooks into us. Anything else can wait.”
    “It must be wonderful to be so focused.” Ruby shrugged angrily. “I don’t like any of this. I can’t help feeling that whatever we do, we’re getting way out of our depth.”
    “If not us, then who?” said Jack. “We have a lot more going for us than anyone else.”
    Ruby sighed, and shrugged. “So, where do we make a start?” “With Robert Campbell, newly appointed Captain of the Elemental. His Family was known to have dealings with Shub, before the Wolfes destroyed the Campbells in a very hostile takeover. Let’s see what Robert can tell us about it.” “And if he doesn’t want to talk to us?”
    Jack smiled. “Then you get to play with him for a bit. Try not to break him too badly.”
    They took an official shuttle up to the Elemental, armed with a warrant from Parliament to interrogate anyone they damned well felt like. The Elemental was one of the few E-class starcruisers to survive the rebellion, and was currently being outfitted for duty on the Rim. The huge ship was surrounded by smaller craft, buzzing back and forth like wasps around a nest, while hundreds of men in atmosphere suits crawled all over the outer hull, making repairs and working on upgrades. The Captain didn’t reply directly to Jack Random’s request for an urgent meeting, but his communications officer passed on a message that he would make himself available in his private quarters as soon as possible. Ruby docked the shuttle where she was told, and then the two of them waited impatiently in the airlock for someone to open the door from the other side. It was a fairly large lock, as airlocks went, but Jack still felt uncomfortably confined. If the Campbell really didn’t want to talk to them about his Clan’s connections with Shub, he could keep them waiting there forever. Or at least until they got tired of waiting and went
    away. He caught Ruby eyeing the inner door thoughtfully.
    “No, we are not going to try to break it open,” Jack said firmly. “That door was designed to take a lot of punishment.”
    “It wasn’t designed with us in mind,” said Ruby calmly. “Nothing is.” “Quite possibly. But even if we could, I don’t want you trying just yet. I don’t want the Campbell thinking he’s got us rattled.” “I am not rattled,” said Ruby. “Just increasingly peeved.”
    “He may just be busy. He is the Captain, after all.” “No one’s too busy to see us. Not if they know what’s good for them.” Ruby scowled. “No, he’s just another damned aristo, keeping us waiting to show how important he thinks he is.”
    “I don’t think so,” said Jack. “His file suggests he’s always been a Navy man first and foremost, and an aristocrat second.”
    “They’re just as bad. All spit and polish and salute when you’re speaking to me. If he tries to make me stand to attention while I’m speaking to him, I’ll cut him off at the ankles.”
    Jack looked at Ruby thoughtfully. “I think you’d better leave the talking to me. Do try to remember we’re here after answers, Ruby. It really is awfully difficult to get answers out of a dead man.”
    Ruby sniffed but held her peace. She didn’t move her hands away from her weapons, though.
    The inner door finally swung open, and a spit-and-polished junior officer smiled winningly at them both.
    “Jack Random, Ruby Journey; please to come aboard, sir and madam.”
    “Who’s he calling a madam?” said Ruby quietly as she and Jack pushed past the officer and emerged into the corridor beyond. “I’ve never been in a House of