Read Online Mutiny on Outstation Zori by John Hegenberger - Free Book Online Page B

appear to approach from a direct path in line with a nearby small planetary system.
    Aura guided her little ship manually, so as to eliminate the flitter's true source from the ship's black box. Then, she carefully programmed the com unit to initiate a hailing message and sat back to wait for a response.
    The small vessel seemed eerie, empty and enormous. Before departing, she had considered bringing along a few of her loyal followers, but rejected the idea, not wanting to be perceived as a threat to whatever force had taken over the station. "If nothing else," she'd said, "a single person approaching from seemingly nowhere is bound to raise curiosity."
    The station turned in her view, only a hundred-thousand meters away. She stepped up the gain on her com unit, as the flitter "knocked" on the huge construct's "door." The only response was a faint hiss. Her teeth were tightly clenched. "Come on. Give me an answer."
    The lights in her small ship suddenly dimmed. She couldn't help but utter a slight gasp. The command control blanked. Fear rushed down Aura's spine. If they'd fired a particle beam at her, she'd be dead in the next few seconds.
    The flitter abruptly changed course, slipping off to starboard without any input from her engines. A weak form of tractor beam repositioned her vessel relative to the rotating station. They're taking me aboard , she thought with relief. They've decided to find out who I am rather than blow me away.
    She mentally transmitted the sensation to the Dagger and got back a quiet encouragement from Kleg. Jamie offered another note of concerned warning to keep on her toes. Good idea.
    The flitter rounded the lower edge of the Outstation's drydock, just below the bank of torpedo tubes. She was out of line with the weapon's trajectory now and knew for certain at long last that she would not be fired upon.
    The small ship moved slowly into dry dock number three. A gravitic grapple locked on and held the flitter fast to the deck with a magnetic embrace. The outside hatch slid back into place and she was fully inside the belly of the whale now.
    Aura again tried to use her com unit to signal the station, but received no reply. Perhaps everything was operating on automatics. But she remembered the life signs that had shown on the sensors, indicating that someone was inside; they just didn't like talking.
    She popped the hatch on her ship, after the recycle signal on her control board turned green, and cautiously stepped out of the flitter. She expected, at any moment, someone would come through the station's inner hatch and take her into custody.
    After ten anxious minutes of waiting, Aura gave up on politeness and strolled to the hatch, activating the cycle to gain entrance.
    The door slide open.
    She stepped back, carrying a handmazer hidden in a holster in the small of her back under her cape. Her right palm felt hot and moist, resting on the weapon's hilt.
    She peered around the edge of the hatchway, expecting anything.
    "How do you do?" a bearded man said in a disarming voice. He smiled warmly and wore a thick cream-colored robe with odd script rippling down one side. His hands were raised in a universal gesture of surrender.
    Aura gambled and emulated his pose.
    The man stepped forward, attempting to press his palms to Aura's open hand in what might have been a form of greeting.
    She backed up a step.
    The man stopped. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to affront you. My name is Ben Zurek. I am the Outstation's Admin Executive. And you are...?"
    "Aura Devor. Doctor of Xenarcheology from Gamma Siegling 6. I received your announcement last week and thought it quite odd, so I decided to come over to see if you could use any help."
    "You'll excuse me," Zurek said, clasping his hands behind him, "but I find that difficult to believe."
    "Well, I…" Aura tried to sound flustered and a little shy. "I guess I wasn't telling the complete truth. But if you only knew how cut-throat academic research has become these