A New Beginning Ch. 09

Open? The door was never open... Jenny stopped short and looked around. Something was wrong.

Slowly she approached, inside the lights flickered. Jenny looked inside and gasped in horror, flinging herself backwards against the opposite wall with a hand over her mouth.

"Alice... ohhh... ohh GOD." She whimpered.

The sight of her friends naked and bloody corpse seared itself into her mind. Alice's body splayed open, legs wide, arms flung apart and a grossly twisted neck. Alice was dead.

Jenny crumpled. Sliding down the wall to hug herself.

She shook uncontrollably as everything overwhelmed her.

***

Bill grunted awake. His eyes bleary and his side on fire.

"Come on." He told himself as he hauled his still healing body into motion.

The syringe was empty, even the reserve tube was gone and he knew he must have been out for nearly an hour. Bill pulled it out with another grunt.

"Miss?" he hoarsely whispered. No reply came and he figured she had done as told. Run.

He moved off, wincing in pain as the nanites continued to do their work. He knew it was unwise to move but necessary.

Bill clutched his HG12 as if it were life.

A torn fragment of lace told him Jenny had gone up the next ladder.

"Good girl." He murmured to himself as he followed.

Various sounds filtered through the walls. Sporadic gunfire, screams. General chaos.

Bill grimaced, the sounds told him that this was far worse than just a commons riot. The mess hall had been bad but he was now nearing level 42 which was well above the commons.

"Please don't leave the tunnels." He prayed as he went. Thinking only of his charge. The pretty girl he was meant to protect.

Bill had left the Marines to join Sec-Corp because his wife wanted to take the lucrative job on Heaven five. Then after three years had left him for a fucking hacker. He had reverted to Marine mode after that. Job, the men and women next to you... they were what mattered.

Then he had been given the job of looking after Jenny.

He had shadowed her for nearly two years before being told she was going out to see the Reacher ship. She had never noticed him before. He had never thought too much about it... until now.

The situation focused his mind to the point where he was only thinking of Jenny... she was in danger and the Marine code said she couldn't be left behind.

Bill struggled onward until he reached hatch 42.

"No..." he whispered as he saw the open hatch.

Shaking off his fatigue he pushed the hatch wide and entered the corridor. His nose told him some of the story.

Ozone smell, pulse rifles.

Blood, sex... rape.

His HG12 had six rounds remaining, he holstered it and drew the HG9 that held twenty. The corridor was littered. Empty mags and scorch marks told of a running fight.

Bill weighed his options, he had little ammunition and needed more. Reluctantly he switched on the universal scavenger. It would detect any spare ammunition or medical supplies but had one major disadvantage. The scanner also pinged all HC Channels, giving away his position. Normally not a problem in enemy territory but a major problem on a space station where all Comms were deemed friendly.

He walked carefully, the small but deadly HG9 held at the ready as he neared a corner.

"Miss?" he gasped out as he peeked around the corner to see Jenny crumpled and hugging herself.

"BILL?" she yelped out in surprise.

"Are you alone?" he asked as he scanned the area.

Jenny leapt to her feet and ran to him, flinging her arms around him as she sobbed.

"They... they.. .. Oh GOD... ... ALICE." She sobbed out.

He could guess what had happened and patted her shoulder.

"Miss.. we have to go." He said gently.

"But... last rites?" Jenny replied. Still shocked but indoctrinated to see her friend off properly.

Her innocent eyes looked up. Pleading in a way. Bill knew she was clutching at anything to feel normal.

"Take this... if it's not me... you shoot." He said as he pressed the HG9 into her hand.

Jenny nodded.

Bill walked into the room. The sight was disgusting and he felt his stomach roil. A young girl was naked, her legs spread in an unnatural way, her face a mask of fear.

He swallowed bile and closed her legs, gently folded her arms across her breasts and closed her eyes. Then found a sheet and draped it over her. After that he bowed his head and payed for the first time in ages.

"Lord.. hear my prayer... Alice didn't deserve this, I'm sure she was a good person... take care of her for me... PLEASE... Amen." He prayed. The proper words escaped him but he thought the Company edicts were false, yet god would hear a proper plea.

Jenny had moved. She watched the battered Marine pray over her friend as she also nervously held the HG9.

"Lets go." She said softly. Her eyes filled with tears.

Bill nodded and moved to her side.

"You okay?" he asked.

Jenny shook her head.

"no... but ... Lets go." She replied in a firmer tone.

Bill took her hand.

"you can go see her now... I covered her up." He told Jenny gently.

"I know...I saw... Thank you." She whispered as she looked away.

He nodded slowly.

"Okay.. we'll use the side hatch again, stay behind me, one hand on my back." He instructed.

"Don't you want this back?" Jenny asked as she held out the HG9 pistol he had given her.

"No, you keep it." He said as he drew his much larger HG12. A bit more confident as he had found a half full clip that must have been kicked under the recliner the dead Alice had been on. His scavenger unit locating it as soon as he had walked into the room.

He switched off the unit as he addressed Jenny. Not wishing to risk it pinging any nearby comms.

"You need me to show you how to use it?" he asked but knew the answer. Jenny had thumbed on the safety of the HG9.

"No.. we had instruction." Jenny replied. Her voice firming as she said it.

Bill said no more and moved off cautiously. He had known everyone on the upper levels received firearm training, but letting her say it and realise it was better for her.

Jenny moved with him, her left hand never leaving his left shoulder as she went. The HG9 held in her right hand and her thumb ready to flick off the safety.

***

In the main control room...

Brace and his group had secured the area and were waiting to hear word from the promised support of General Niles.

As they waited he surveyed the Vid Cams and swore softly.

Things had gotten out of hand and he dispatched Ella and Kenan to get more control of his own men. Thinking to further secure his hold before trying to stop the riots on the lower decks. He needed his own people under control first.

Ella shouldered her Pulse Rifle without objection, she knew the people she was being sent to and had little doubt she could get them to stop destroying things.

Kenan grinned in response to his assignment. He liked violence and was eager to smash a few heads into obedience. The only thing separating Kenan from a full on psychopath was his absolute loyalty to Brace. Perhaps not even that.

"Been a lot of needless deaths... rapes too Brace... we should send a few people down below." Said Melody Smith as the two most loyal left.

"Just get me in contact with that ship Melody... who fucking cares if a few of this lot of high and mighty got killed?... or got a cock or two in them?" Brace answered callously to his wife. A wife who was one of the few that had the ability and knowledge to operate the complex communications array.

Melody shook her head. She felt uncomfortable with the way things had spiralled out of control. It had meant to be a harsh but fair coup, not a bloody massacre. The footage of multiple rapes upset her even more.

"I care." She whispered to herself but didn't say it loud enough for Brace to hear.

Lawson however did hear her.

"Channel 4715... listen to it." He whispered. Still on his knees right next to the comm's array.

Melody glared at him but then looked around the room to check if anyone was watching, something made her tune in the channel and send it to her earpiece.

"Your daughter... Brace... come in... Jenny.. Jenny Lawson is your daughter... Brace..." Melody heard the repeated message that was on a loop. Helena's voice easily recognisable to Melody.

Melody's eyes widened. She knew who Jenifer Lawson was, every one did. The pretty girl had opened a new hospital wing just six months ago. Her face was plastered all over Heaven Five's news networks.

"Fucker." Melody swore softly. The news hitting her hard and sending bolts of jealousy throughout her body. She had always loved Brace, she had waited for years until the upper class bitch Helena left.

When Brace had finally noticed Melody she had thought everything would be perfect. But NO, Brace had knocked up the one woman Melody really hated and Jenny was the result. All while Melody remained barren.

"Tell him." Lawson begged as he saw she was listening to the message. Lawson was at the point where it didn't matter to him if Jenny wasn't his biologically. All that mattered was the girl he had raised be safe.

Melody's face changed. Became bitter and twisted.

"STOP." She shouted as she drew her side arm and shot Lawson through the head.

Brace lunged to his feet.

"What the hell happened?" he screamed as he turned and looked between his wife, her still smoking gun and a very dead Commander Lawson.

"He went for the auto destruct... I'm sorry." Melody replied while pointing towards the open switch that would have been in reach of Lawson.

"FUCK... he entered the codes before we breached the doors?" Brace shouted out the question.

"Must have." Melody lied as she reached over and sealed the open switch that she had flipped open before shooting Lawson.

"Why?... what a fucking idiot.. his kid's onboard." Brace grumbled.

Melody was thinking fast, luckily she knew that aside from herself, no one knew exactly how to run the full bridge systems.

"I guess it was Company policy in case of situations like this... he was a cunt.. proper company man.. you know that." She replied with a shrug.

Brace grimaced.

"Fucking Company... Kill their own every time." He said as he kicked Lawson's corpse and then spat on it.

"Helena was company too." Melody said and pointed to footage of Helena shooting two of Brace's men in the back. Melody had been searching for her sister.. a nurse who worked on the lower decks when she had stumbled over the footage.

Brace's face changed colour. He was the kind of person that had a mercurial temper and when it took over, it left little space for reasonable thought.

"Bitch... Fucking BITCH... get Kenan to take some of the boys to her ship." He shouted out in a rage.

***

Deck 47... A few minutes earlier.

Bill had accessed a VID feed of the bridge. Both he and Jenny watched avidly. It was obvious the rebellion had taken over the main command centre and were in control.

"Daddy." Jenny gasped as she saw her father on his knees.

Bill's face was stone.

"Not good.. looks like they had good intel and are well organised." He surmised under his breath.

"But.. But... they will be okay... right?" Jenny asked in a stammer.

Bill wasn't confident but he nodded.

"Maybe... looks like your dad surrendered to keep killing at a minimum... we should go up... check it out." He told her gently. "just ready your side arm first.. double check everything." Bill said with a grim look.

"Okay." Jenny affirmed as she checked her clip and then slid it back into position.

"Ready." She said quietly. The tremble in her voice gone.

Bill shook his head.

"Take off your heels, they make too much noise... also best if we could find you a jump suit, that dress rustles way too much... sorry." He told her.

Jenny blushed briefly and then shook her own head.

"No time to look for a jump suit." She replied as she took off her high heeled boots and then unbuttoned her dress. Discarding all in the cramped space until she was crouched next to him in her underwear. The HG9 held at the ready.

Bill gulped and it was his turn to blush as he looked away. Jenny was a pretty girl with a slim body and medium sized breasts. Breasts that were now cupped by her corset and threatening to spill out if she moved too much.

He charged his own clip with the half full one he had found and tried to ignore the semi-naked teenager beside him.

Jenny watched as he seemed to focus on his gun. A small pang of vexation hit her. He could at least ogle her a little bit. She thought to herself in annoyance. Then blushed at the thought of him actually eyeing her up and down in just her corset, knickers and stockings.

"Get a grip.. daddy's in danger." She told herself silently.

***

The corridor was tight and they moved as quickly as they could. Bill took the lead and moved like he knew what he was doing.

Jenny followed with determination.

The next level held a security hatch and console that Bill tapped into with quick efficiency.

"Okay, lets see what's going on." He said in a whisper. The walls thin enough to hear some of what was happening and making them both understand the need for stealth.

"Daddy." Jenny gasped as she saw her father wipe blood from his mouth and then say something to a rough looking woman with dark red hair.

Both Bill and Jenny watched as the woman flicked open a new channel and seemed to listen.

"Aw fuck." Bill muttered as he saw the expression of the woman change. He understood rage and anger.

Bill clapped his hand over Jenny's mouth as he saw the woman raise her gun. He knew what was about to happen.

"noooooo." Jenny's muffled scream still echoed down the tight corridor as she saw her father shot between the eyes.

The gunshot and the raised voices of Brace and his wife covered Jenny's scream.

Bill held her tight. Both arms around her. One hand over her mouth as he pulled her to him.

"Shush... shush.. I'm sorry... suuuushhhh..." He whispered into her ear as he held her close.

"Jennifer.. I'm so sorry... stay with me... just stay with me." He said softly as she started to sob. He cradled her and rocked her gently, all the while thinking about killing both Brace and the bitch that had killed a good man.

Jennifer surprised him a few seconds later.

She subsided with a shake and then turned her head towards him, her eyes cold as ice. He saw it and nodded slowly, letting go and removing his hand from her mouth.

"We have to go." He said gently.

"Up.. we have to go Up... level 53." She answered and shook him away to move towards the next ladder.

"Miss... I don't have that code.. we should head for an escape pod... Kellos isn't far." He told her. Even if he wanted revenge. She was his charge and he needed to protect her, get her off the station and hopefully get her to safety among the 'Reachers'. Revenge would have to wait.

Jenny shook her head.

"I have the code... we can call for Company help... kill those Basterds." She hissed back as she moved away on hands and knees.

The sight of her long stocking clad legs and tight lacy panties stretching over her rear would have normally turned him on. Yet the sight left nothing but worry in him as he followed the determined teenager.

"It's light years away Miss, nearest ships are at Janus four fighting a battle... " he argued as he followed.

"Daddy said if I called Admiral Jensen he would answer, they were friends and Jensen is commanding that Fleet." She hissed back in a whisper as she scrambled along the next corridor and towards the next ladder.

"Fuck." Bill said to himself. Sure the girl was going to get them both killed before he could get her off the station.

*****

Brace stood at the communications array with his wife. He was getting nervous because Niles had still not replied.

"Any response?" he asked for the sixth time.

"No.. not ye... OH."

"Yes.. Yes.. this is Heaven Five... under control... safe." Melody answered quickly as she got the comm link from one of Niles' ships. Brace pushed her aside and grabbed the headset.

"Done deal Niles... come on in." he said.

"This is Captain Alexander Shelling... General Niles is unavailable... well done, we will be docking a Destroyer at level Five, prepare to be boarded." The Captain said with a dead pan tone.

"We had an agreement... General Niles said he would secure this station personally... give us medical aid and take us in." Brace argued.

"We have Medical aid as requested.. Clear dock five... stand down any hostile actions." Shelling replied in a no nonsense manner.

Brace shook his head. He knew the rioting was out of control.

"Dock five is not secure.. request you hard lock with the upper spire. Level...".. he snapped his fingers at his wife who mouthed the answer... "level Fifty two." He replied while silently cursing the idiots who had taken advantage of his revolution.

Brace held a hand over the mouth piece.

"Get Kenan." He said to Melody with a grimace. Things were not going to plan.

Melody nodded and keyed in her link to the crazy man she had always thought would kill them all one day.

"Kenan, abort mission.. go to level 52 and receive borders... DO NOT SHOOT.. they are friendlies." She said and hoped the idiot who wasn't an actual idiot wouldn't start a fire fight with their one hope.

Brace nodded to her in understanding, her orders were sensible as he too understood how unpredictable Kenan was, even if he was totally loyal to Brace.

Shelling reply sounded annoyed.

"Are you in control or not?... I'm sending a boarding shuttle to level Fifty two." He replied with a sigh and then communicated to his boarding party to go weapons hot.

"Any trouble.. shoot first and we will sort it out later." He told his team tersely.

"Roger that Sir." Replied Sgt Dawes. The well trained man that commanded the new order boarding party.

Dawes had spent twelve years in the Planetary Infantry and was an experienced soldier. If asked why he had joined General Niles' rebellion he would give a simple reply. "Pay's better."

It was a lie and everyone knew it, but when he said it, he left no doubt that what he meant was 'mind your own fucking business'.

********

There was no access tunnel to level 53. It was a secure area that was the size of a Lazball field, roughly four hundred yards long and two fifty wide. Inside, it was unmanned except for a single security droid that ran the systems without much need of human interference. A single lift granted access via level 52.

Jennifer and Bill exited the safety of their access tunnel cautiously, both checking their surroundings with weapons raised.

"Go." Bill whispered to Jenny as he focused his attention on the doors that lay across from the lift to the next and final level. The long spire of Heaven five only had fifty three levels, the rotating rings held more but they were all located on the lower levels. No doubt filled with panic stricken families that were hiding from the riots.

Jenny ran across what was really a large hanger bay.

It held two old style Hornet fighters with the outdated gunner/navigator position and a small survey ship. Those were dwarfed by a Corvette class ship that bristled with weapon systems and the very latest adaptive armour. Small nubs protruded over the whole vessel. Nubs that projected an energy shield when activated.

The Corvette was commander Lawson's pet project, he had been a science officer and with too much spare time on his hands. He had purchased it from the Company before Jenny was born. Spent years updating it and enjoying the hard manual work of welding and power melding the various parts.

Jenny hardly spared her father's obsession a glace as she got to the control panel that would get her and Bill to level 53. The old Corvette was too familiar to her for her to think about.