Fringe Attack Read online

  Fringe Attack

  Heather Lee Dyer

  Contents

  1. La Muerta

  2. Not A Drill

  3. Space Pirates

  4. Bait

  5. Leaving Delta

  6. New Tech

  7. Mars Connection

  8. Research

  9. Anton Sky

  10. Deadly Alliance

  11. Heart of the Mine

  12. Trapped

  13. Body Ship

  14. Frozen Alive

  15. Thawing Out

  16. Uneasy Truce

  17. Old Evil

  18. Dangerous Faction

  19. Tunnels Again

  20. Escape

  21. Fugitives

  22. Four Words

  23. All Seems Lost

  24. Plan Against All Odds

  About the Author

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  FRINGE ATTACK. Copyright (c) 2018 by Heather Lee Dyer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Heather Lee Dyer.

  www.heatherleedyer.com

  Library of Congress Control Number 2018957937 First Edition September 2018

  ISBN 978-1-7322800-5-2 Paperback

  ISBN 978-1-7322800-6-9 E-book

  Thank you to the Ada County Coroner’s office staff who is always patient with answering all my questions! I appreciate that your work is done with dignity, intelligence, and at times with a dark sense of humor!

  1

  La Muerta

  Bright red blood runs down the pale arm and drips on black uniform pants. “Titan’s moons!” I say under my breath as I dab at the open gash.

  “Not used to the sight of blood, Miss Teves?” The captain’s deep voice has no humor in it.

  The gauze turns pink, and I draw in a deep breath and force my dark eyes up to face my patient, the captain of the Moon Raker. “I have no qualms about blood, sir.”

  “Maybe you should get someone with more experience to do this.” He narrows his pale gray eyes at me.

  Anger bubbles in the pit of my stomach. This is why I prefer my patients dead.

  I clamp my mouth shut and turn back to examine the perfect row of stitches that pull most of the gash together. I just had a few more to do when the captain decided to reach for his tablet on the counter next to the hospital bed. He ended up pulling several stitches free and starting his wound bleeding again. And somehow, this is my fault. My regular patients don’t move. Or bleed.

  “Almost done. Just a few more,” I say, trying to imitate the sweet bedside manner of the nurses I work with. I flick my eyes up to him. I don’t think he buys it. “I’m sure you can handle a few more minutes of this, right?”

  He holds my gaze for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his tablet.

  I let out a quiet breath and quickly finish the stitches. The sooner this captain and his crew get treated and back onto their ship, the sooner I can get some sleep. I turn my wrist slightly as I pull another stitch tight. I can barely read the digital time projected through my dark skin from the implant, but I see enough of the faint glowing numbers to know I’ve been here for over twenty-four hours. My eyes burn, and my hands are starting to cramp up.

  The impatient captain moves again, and I grind my jaw to keep from saying something I might regret. Thankfully, that was the last stitch, and I cut the thread. I look down at the pale arm and smile inwardly at the even stitches.

  “Can I go now?” His voice grates on my tired nerves.

  “Just about.” I quickly wrap his wound and stand up. I step to the wall and scan my Delta implant across the e-log. “Now you’re all ready to go back to your ship.”

  He stands and shrugs his coat on over one arm, then he takes a step toward the door but stops and turns on his heels. “You would think as a captain I would at least rate a real doctor.” He juts his chin up.

  I frown. I should be thankful we’re so busy with injured patients instead of dead ones. But times like this I long to work in the cold rooms where my patients don’t talk back.

  “Actually, Miss Teves has more experience with stitching up bodies than anyone here in the hospital.”

  The captain startles and steps back into the tray next to the bed, knocking blood soaked bandages and metal instruments scattering loudly across the floor.

  Derek’s unapologetic grin peeks around the doorway.

  My heart skips a beat when I see him. I grin and bend down to pick up the mess on the floor as the captain, white-faced now sits down hard on the hospital bed.

  “I’m sorry, Captain. Mr. Paz didn’t mean to startle you.”

  The captain’s eyes flick between Derek and me. He stands up and smooths his uniform shirt with his good hand. “What are you doing skulking around here…” he squints at Derek’s uniform and the markings on his collar, “Security Apprentice Paz?”

  “I’m here to escort you back to your ship, sir.” Derek evens out his facial expression and stands up straight.

  The captain looks at Derek with narrowed eyes. “Good. But what did you mean when you said this girl has more experience than your hospital staff? Don’t they train the doctors properly here on Delta station?” He ends his sentence with a high pitch that almost hurts my ears. Since he works for one of the biggest Sol corporations, he’s probably used to being treated like royalty back there. He’s going to hate being in the Fringe where there isn’t even a station like this to stop at.

  Derek’s eyes narrow, and I give a quick shake of my head. I’m standing behind the captain now, holding the med tray. So I know Derek can see I want him to stay quiet.

  But of course he doesn’t.

  “Miss Teves here is the coroner’s daughter. She has more medical education and experience than most of the doctors here or anywhere in our quadrant.”

  “Coroner!” The captain turns to me in horror. “You work on dead people?”

  I roll my eyes. Screw bedside manner. I’m over being polite. After stitching up twenty of his crew members because they couldn’t handle maneuvering through an asteroid belt, I’ve had enough for the day. “Yes I do, captain. And you know what? I prefer working on dead people because they aren’t rude like you.”

  Tears prick hot behind my eyes, and I push past the captain carrying the tray out the door.

  “Bren,” Derek says as I pass.

  I just shake my head and keep walking. The corridor is full of patients lying on gurneys or leaning against the wall, while nurses attend to their wounds and complaints. Sweat and blood odors mingle with the usual antiseptic smell. I weave as quickly as I can through them and duck into the main supply room.

  The process of disposing of the blood-soaked bandages and instruments calms my temper. I take deep breaths as I place the tray in the large sanitizer.

  I don’t know how long I’ve been standing at the sink washing my hands under the warm water when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I quickly look back and find Derek, his eyes full of concern. I dry my hands and turn, allowing him to envelope me in an embrace.

  “I’m sorry Bren, I shouldn’t have pushed the captain like that.”

  I rest my head on his shoulder and hug him back. “No, I shouldn’t have overreacted. I’m just tired.”

  With one hand I can still feel the bandage on his back. It was infected so badly that he’s still healing from his injury from months ago. The metal that cut him when the station was rammed by the rogue ship was jagged and went deep.

  “How’s it feeling?” I reach under the bottom of his shirt to touch his bandage lightly.
Today is Derek’s first full day back since being released from light duty. He’s only been able go to school and attend security meetings the last few weeks.

  Derek pulls back from me, blushing, as someone comes into the room, a nurse with her hands full of used supplies. We quickly step out of her way and back into the busy corridor. My face is warm as well, and I keep my head down as we walk.

  “It’s fine. All they have me doing today is escorting crew from the Moon Raker back and forth from their ship.” His voice has a dark bite to it, much like the Derek who used to call me la muerta and make fun of me in class. It makes me shiver.

  I stop him with a gentle hand. “You’ll be back up to full speed soon. Just give yourself time.”

  He runs a hand through his short hair. “I know Bren. Sorry to snap. I just feel so useless.”

  “You’re lucky you survived those wounds, Derek.” I run my hand up his arm where another bandage used to be, and now only a thick scar remains. “Besides this gives us more time together since they aren’t sending you off station to deal with all the trouble they’re having with the mining colonies.”

  He grins and grabs my hand up and pulls me down the corridor. “You’re right. And that would be true if you didn’t work such long hours.”

  I grimace as I allow him to lead me. Still holding my hand he weaves us around patients and nurses. I have been working too much. So much that we’ve spent hardly any time together in the last week. “Where are we going, Derek?”

  “Somewhere we haven’t been in a while.” He looks over his shoulder and flashes that amazing smile at me. I can’t help but to grin back. I know I should probably stay and tend to more patients, but he’s right. I’ve been working too many hours. And I can never resist his crooked smile. A shiver goes up my spine as I squeeze his strong hand.

  We leave by the side of the hospital, since the front is still closed off due to reconstruction. We hop on the nearest walkway, and Derek puts an arm comfortably around me. As I lean into him and watch the people go by, I think about where we were a year ago. Complete enemies, hating each other. I was still adjusting to my mom’s death, when Derek and his friends took a dislike to me. Not me personally, but the fact that I worked with my dad in the coroner’s office. Behind his back they used to call my dad Mr. Death, and not so much behind my back they called me la muerta. The dead girl.

  I look up into Derek’s brown eyes. It took a catastrophe and both of us nearly dying for us to realize we actually like each other. And besides Derek, I made several other friends during the attack on the station.

  Derek pulls me off the walkway at the end of the gray sector. We’re at one of the three corners that make up the triangle layout of Delta station. It takes just a few strides and we’re standing before my favorite place in the whole station.

  I grin at Derek. “Have you been here lately?”

  He shakes his head and opens the door for me. “Of course not. I was waiting for you.” He stops just inside and waits for me to come in before sealing the door behind us.

  I take in a large breath of scented moist air. I love the greenhouse, and Derek knows it’s my favorite place to be, other than flying in space. I look over at Derek, and my grin fades. Derek is looking into the forest of trees ahead of us, but he’s stiff and pale.

  The fresh flowers and greenery around us contrast sharply with the dark look on his face. I grab his hand and pull him close, forcing his eyes off the trees and onto me. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Too soon?”

  He stares into my eyes as I search his face to see what’s going on inside his head.

  “Derek?”

  He nods once like he’s made a decision. “I’m all right. This is why I wanted to wait until I was with you.”

  “Because Scott chased us in here trying to kill us or because you almost died in those trees?” I point toward the middle of the large greenhouse.

  In the center of the greenhouse is a pond surrounded by a grove of swamp cypress trees. We hid from Scott in there. I had to leave Derek alone, bleeding and feverish while I went for help. Derek couldn’t walk anymore, and his former boss, Sergeant Scott would’ve killed us both for the information I had.

  Derek’s arm slides around my waist and pulls me toward the trail. “A little of both I guess. But we’ll make happy memories to get rid of those bad ones.” He grins down at me as we walk along.

  I laugh lightly. Everyone who was on Delta station that day is having a hard time feeling safe again. The construction on the damaged parts is a constant reminder of the trauma we went through, all the lives we lost, and how powerless we all felt.

  “Great idea. Let’s start with seeing how Annie’s mother is doing.” I veer off the path and head toward a wooden shack near the edge of the woods. I inhale deeply, enjoying the scent of the flowers blooming all around us. Annie is my new school friend who works in communications. Her mom is the greenhouse manager, and her dad works in security. Mr. Clarke was injured severely during the attack and isn’t back to work yet.

  On her knees with gloved hands full of dirt and flower bulbs, Annie’s mom catches sight of us coming toward her. Her pale face lights up, and she places everything on the ground so she can stand and greet us.

  “Hey Bren. Derek. How are you kids doing?”

  Derek lets go of me to shake her hand, but she takes off her gloves and grabs him up in a hug instead. I see him wince as she squeezes the wound on his back.

  I lean forward so she’ll release Derek and I step into her hug. I’m still surprised by how differently people treat me now. Annie’s parents have all but adopted me into their family, and even Derek’s friends treat me like one of them. Much different than when I first came to Delta station as an outcast and la muerta.

  She finally lets me go, grinning at Derek and me.

  “We’re doing good, Mrs. Clarke. Just looking forward to things getting back to normal around here.”

  Mrs. Clarke opens her mouth to respond but is interrupted by an alarm. The main station alarm. The piercing scream and pulsating lights make all of us turn toward the glass windows of the greenhouse. The emergency lights are going off out there as well. The moving walkways are at a stop, and everyone is standing with the same look of terror on their faces that is probably on mine. We’ve had a few emergency drills since the reconstruction started, so we never know if this is one of those, or the real thing. My pulse races as we wait for an announcement. Is another dangerous ship nearby? Are we about to get rammed again?

  2

  Not A Drill

  The three of us hurry over to the greenhouse door. As a precaution it’s been locked down already. I can feel Derek’s hand start sweating, and I’m sure my pulse is racing way too fast.

  “This way,” says Mrs. Clarke calmly as she hurries along the glass wall toward the other door. She stops at a large shed built down a few feet into the ground so the structure is not visible through the viewing windows. She throws open the door and grabs a portable radio.

  I smile at the familiar, but ancient, radio. When Delta was in lock down we lost all communication inside and outside the station. Annie devised a plan using these old radios she and her dad were working on as a hobby. Now they’re part of our emergency drills.

  I hope this is another drill.

  “Mrs. Clarke?” The radio just sounds like static to me, but she must understand what they’re saying on the other end because her face is tense and her eyes are unfocused.

  Derek leans close and holds my shaking hand with his sweaty one. I wonder if his heart is racing as hard as mine. I’m frozen to the spot waiting for news from Mrs. Clarke.

  That’s when the deep voice fills the air, chilling us all to the bone. Over the station-wide system comes the voice of our new head of security, Master Sergeant Abuchi. “All security personnel, this is not a drill. Security code Bravo Sigma. I repeat, this is not a drill. All non-security Delta personnel and visitors are to go immediately to the nearest emergency station.”


  Mrs. Clarke and I look to Derek. His face is a hard mask of fear and determination, and he lets go of my hand and straightens.

  “Derek? What’s code Bravo Sigma?”

  His jaw flexes before he answers me. “I need to see both of your implants.”

  Mrs. Clarke automatically pulls up her sleeve to show Derek her implant. Married to the head of security she must be used to the rules and regulations keeping us safe. But I hesitate. After being chased by the corrupt security sergeant I’m not so compliant.

  But it’s Derek, I remind myself.

  I watch as Derek glances over her implant. Her pale skin shows the triangle outline easily, but there’s no digital message visible.

  Then Derek turns to me. I’m still wearing short sleeve nurse’s scrubs so I just lift my arm. I catch his gaze before I look down.

  My implant is lit up with a repeating message. I look back up to Derek’s face. He no longer looks determined, now it’s total fear. He grabs my arm and pulls me toward the greenhouse door.

  “Derek, what’s going on? Why does my implant say ‘security risk’? How am I a security risk?” If I thought my heart was pounding hard before, now it feels like it’s going to explode.

  He pauses to look over his shoulder. “Mrs. Clarke, head toward your assigned zone. You’ll get there all right?”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine, Derek.” She waves her hand at us to get going. “Just take care of Bren.” And she turns and heads toward the opposite end of the triangle-shaped greenhouse.

  Derek turns and pulls us again toward the door we just came in. The door allows us to exit now. We take a left instead of a right like I’m expecting. “Derek, where are you taking me? I’m supposed to head to the morgue and you to security.”