The Admiral and the Assistant

Kinnit sat strapped in one of the Marine jumpseats watching as Grimthorn piloted the shuttle carefully between the two ships.

They'd decided it would be better for Grimthorn to pilot, given Kinnit's last experience behind the controls. Grimthorn still had some residual trauma from the event.

They docked smoothly in the red ship's roomy docking bay. As a former long-haul vessel, the docking bay was spacious and tough, designed for cargo loading and offloading.

The bay closed up, air cycled and they stepped out on board the vessel. They both had rifles slung on their backs, in case of trouble.

Kinnit winced and Grimthorn's mouth stiffened as they stepped out. The psychic oppression rolled over them.

"Feel that?" he said. "I think Flander's right. There's still a Cryptographer aboard this ship." Kinnit nodded her face screwed up with distaste.

"It's different," she said. "Kind of... suppressed somehow."

"Suppressed, and somehow more violent," he agreed. They struggled to find words to describe the greasy invasion of the Aberrant's presence on their psyche.

Grimthorn reached back to grab his rifle, but stopped himself.

"Sir?" Kinnit asked. "What's wrong? Why don't you bring out your rifle?"

"This feeling. I don't know how much influence this Aberrant has. I don't want to be one trigger pull away from a tragedy."

Ordinarily, Kinnit would have scoffed. Admiral Stonefist's iron self-control was legendary. But under the circumstances, she understood completely. She swallowed as she realized she'd already put her hand on her rifle stock unconsciously. She forced her hand down.

"Good thinking, Admiral," she said quietly.

They crept out of the docking bay. The ship was eerily silent. Kinnit was accustomed to the endless bustle and hum of a Navy ship. The stillness felt unnatural. Her hand crept toward her rifle again, but she forced it away.

"The Marines have done a standard sweep, bow to stern and deck to keel," Admiral Stonefist said. "Let's follow it in reverse. Maybe we can pick up something they missed."

Kinnit nodded stiffly.

They crept through, their anxiety steadily ratcheting upwards as they searched the vessel. They peeked in every cupboard, under every mattress. They found nothing, though the oppressive air grew heavier with each step.

"Where is it?" Grimthorn growled. "They didn't tuck a crazed, seven-foot tall Cryptographer in a box somewhere."

"It's definitely here," Kinnit said. "You can feel it." She started as she realized she had her rifle in her hands. When had that happened? She slung it. She was feeling jumpy, but she laid a calming hand on Grimthorn's back. "We'll find it."

Grimthorn nodded tightly.

It took nearly an hour for them to sweep through the ship. They finished up by poking into some unused storage areas in the bow of the ship.

Grimthorn swore.

"How does such a creature even hide?" he snarled.

Kinnit's face was downcast.

"Maybe we should just give up, sir," she said. "Maybe it's just... I don't know, maybe the feel of the Aberrant has sunk into the metal of the ship somehow."

"Yeah," Grimthorn said. "Maybe so." He shook his head as though trying to remember something. "We'll keep looking. Another ship could be what we're searching for."

"You're right, sir," Kinnit said with relief. "We've got lots of stuff to do. We can put this aside until we have a little more time."

"Yeah." Grimthorn checked his scanner. "At least we didn't waste too much time on the both of us sweeping this ship. We can get back to the Swordheart in time for lunch. Let's head for the docking bay."

"Agreed, sir," Kinnit said eagerly. She realized she was ravenously hungry. They started walking.

Grimthorn pulled up short.

"We made good time sweeping this ship," he repeated slowly.

"Yes, sir?"

Grimthorn pulled out his scanner again.

"Very good time. Would you say two people could thoroughly sweep an entire long-haul freighter in an hour?"

She laughed. "Of course not, sir! A freighter's huge. That would be ridiculous!" she stopped. "But we just did, didn't we?"

Grimthorn stood very still.

"What did we miss?"

"Nothing... I don't think?"

"Let's talk through each section of the ship."

"Yes, sir."

They enumerated each section of the ship. Grimthorn would call one out, and Kinnit would respond.

"Engineering."

"We checked that."

"Mess."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Check."

"Maintenance."

"Check."

"Quarters."

"Check."

"Med bay."

"Check."

"Bridge."

"Check."

"Armory."

"Freight ship, so it doesn't have an armory, sir."

"Right. Docking?"

"Check."

Grimthorn frowned, standing with his hands on his hips.

"Well, that's all I can think of," he said.

"Me too, sir."

Grimthorn huffed in annoyance.

"Well this is ridiculous." He pulled out his scanner and contacted the Swordheart.

"Lieutenant Renning here, sir."

"Lieutenant, I need to speak with Captain Minius."

"Yes, sir, I'll patch you through."

The line buzzed quietly. Kinnit watched him. She was tempted to tell him to put his scanner away so they could go back to the Swordheart. But something felt off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Ah, this are Captain Minius," Grimthorn's scanner said. "How can I help you, Admiral?"

"Look, we're still having trouble tracking down this Aberrant. I think it's still on board. Can your robot confirm?"

"Yes, Flander do say that the energy signature are still aboard that ship."

Grimthorn pinched his eyes.

"Look, would you be willing to send him over? We could use a hand here."

"Ah... Admiral, you did say that Flander was not to leave the Ocher Dawn--"

"I know what I said!" Grimthorn yelled. He stopped and took a deep breath, forcing his anger down. "This is a sanctioned exception, Captain."

"Ah... of course, Admiral. He does say he will come and help."

"Good. I'll arrange a shuttle to pick him up. Thank you, Captain."

Grimthorn waited impatiently outside the docking bay. The Marine shuttle carrying the robot lumbered in, settling on the deck.

The docking bay re-pressurized. The operation was profoundly slower on this vessel than it was on the Swordheart. For all that he kept reminding himself that this was a civilian vessel, Grimthorn seethed at every moment of delay.

He growled, his temper shortening.

The docking procedure completed, and the shuttle shut down. Grimthorn and Kinnit strode into the bay. The hatch on the shuttle irised open. Flander peeked out.

"Hi Flander!" Kinnit called.

The robot emerged, moving smoothly on its many arms. It waved twelve of them at Kinnit in greeting. She giggled.

"I thank you for your help, Flander," Admiral Stonefist said, stuffing down his annoyance and fear at the dull, gray-green robot's appearance. "Now, can you help us find the Aberrant on board this ship?"

Flander tapped once on the deck and rolled over to the docking bay exit as smoothly as a drop of oil on a griddle. It pointed at the door.

Grimthorn and Kinnit walked over and paneled open the door. Flander slid out after them and pointed straight down the hallway, to a door at the far end.

Grimthorn's brow furrowed.

"That way? Are you sure?"

Flander tapped once firmly on the deck and pointed with more of its arms.

"But that's just the... the cargo area..." His face stiffened, and he turned to Kinnit. "We didn't check the cargo area."

"That's... I mean, it's just cargo... it's..." she struggled. "Wait, why didn't we check the cargo area? That's the majority of the ship."

"Because someone didn't want us to check it," he said. He stepped forward. "I am going to check the cargo area," he said loudly and firmly. He stepped forward. He shook his head. "The cargo area," he repeated.

Grimthorn stepped forward again. With each step, he repeated "The cargo area" like a mantra. Reminding himself, forcing himself forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kinnit following him, her expression a mix of confusion and determination.

At last he reached the door. With careful deliberation he reached out and laid his hand on the door controls.

The confusion clouding his mind popped like a pricked bubble. Oppressive feelings rushed in, filling him with rage, making his skin vibrate with the need for violence. In a fury, he unslung his rifle and paneled open the door.

The cargo area was open and bare, vast and empty. In the center stood a tall, narrow structure, a series of struts that created a tall, uncomfortably narrow staircase leading up to a steel throne.

Upon the throne sat a creature who was unmistakably the Aberrant. Like all Cryptographers, it was tall, over seven feet. It was dressed in a long red robe with a deep cowl. It had taloned hands and a thick wealth of tentacles spilling out the front of its hood. Waves of malevolence and hatred emanated from it.

"Foolish... Admiral," it said, its voice cutting through Grimthorn's brain like a rusty sawblade.

"Found you," Grimthorn growled. He raised his rifle and squeezed the trigger.

At least, he tried to squeeze the trigger.

The Aberrant stood with slow deliberation. Grimthorn struggled to make his fingers obey.

"I... have... seen... all... futures," the Aberrant said. "You... cannot... kill... me."

"I will," gritted Grimthorn. "You've done enough damage. This ends here."

The Aberrant spread its arms and began descending the stairs.

"You... will... fail. All... your... seeking... has... only... hastened... your... death."

Grimthorn struggled to force his body to obey. The barrel of his rifle trembled, but stayed pointed at the Aberrant's face. His hands shook on his weapon. He couldn't force his finger to depress the trigger. He released the foregrip with his left hand. He reached into the trigger guard with his left index finger to force the trigger back, but his other hand stopped following orders as well.

"The... stronger... the... will... the... more... powerful... I... become." The Aberrant kept descending, drawing closer. "You... are... insufficient."

"I have to stop you," Grimthorn squeezed out. More of his body slipped from his control. The barrel of his rifle dipped, then limply pointed to the floor as he struggled to force it back up. The Aberrant was only a few steps from the bottom now.

"So... ends... the... last... hope... of... the... Solution."

Blaster fire rang out, three shots in succession. The Aberrant was flung to one side, off the stairs, collapsing on the deck.

"Leave Grimthorn alone!" screamed Kinnit, tears standing in her eyes. Her rifle was up. The Aberrant had fallen out of her sight, on the other side of the stairs. She moved in a tactical crouch, gliding over to get the Aberrant back in her sights, keeping her rifle on where she'd seen it fall.

She cleared the stairs and saw the bundle on the floor. She clicked the rifle over to full auto and squeezed the trigger.

At least, she tried to squeeze the trigger.

The Aberrant rose. Three burn marks marred its bright red robe. A psychic whirlwind shrieked through the makeshift throne room, driving both Kinnit and Grimthorn to their knees.

Grimthorn tried to rise, to get his feet under him, but it was all he could do to even lift his head. The Aberrant stepped over to Kinnit.

Grimthorn tried to raise his rifle. The Aberrant casually waved one taloned hand his direction, and he was suddenly filled with a creeping horror, a revulsion of all physical things. The rifle tumbled from his fingers and clattered harmlessly to the floor. Grimthorn retched, repulsed by everything around him: the ship, the weapon, the throne, even the very air he breathed. He wanted to tear himself out of his own clothes and claw at himself, filled with the horror of being entombed in flesh. He convulsed on the floor.

The Aberrant reached out and closed one taloned fist around Kinnit's throat. It effortlessly hoisted her into the air. Her rifle hung loosely from one hand, and her feet kicked uselessly.

"You," the Aberrant hissed into Kinnit's face. It shook her roughly. Her body rattled and twisted in its grip. Her rifle came free from her hand, falling to the floor. "The... golem... in... the... gears," the Aberrant said calmly. "I... will... end... your... interference."

Kinnit choked and gagged in the Aberrant's grasp. She grabbed the talons, trying to pull them apart, to get enough room to breathe freely, but she couldn't budge the thing's grip. Her legs kicked uselessly. All she could manage were tight, squeaking breaths.

The Aberrant reached up and pulled its hood back, slowly, menacingly.

"You... will... look... into... my... eyes," the Aberrant said, reaching for its goggles. "See... eternity."