Star Law: A Marshal Cole Series

Chapter 21 (C)

Orion woke achy and light headed. Singh's defense against her had left her physically exhausted. Many hours had passed since her coma-like collapse. She groggily made her way to a chair and turned on the comm to see what had happened since she had apported away from the utility room. What she saw horrified her. There was a stream of messaging indicating that death and destruction had befallen the ship and she had slept through every alarm and alert.

She turned up the volume of a video update from the ship's bridge. The caption on the screen read: Commander Anna Chung.

"We are downgrading the ship security to ShipCon to Code Yellow, down from Code Orange. To review, Condition Yellow is an elevated alert status. Bulkhead pressure doors are open all over the ship but please look for barricades where security and clean-up crews are working. If you were injured, please seek out a crew member and make your way to the ship Medical Center."

Orion watched with an open mouth as some background video showed what looked like fire damage and possibly blood in the Central Plaza.

"To update," continued Chung," At 10:30 AM Standard, the ship was hit with a flare from the Black Adder Cloud that created electromagnetic interference amongst passengers and crew. The pain and disorientation resulted in death and injury. Much of the worst of it occurred in the Central Plaza. Ship energy shields are now guarding against further exposure and the ship has withdrawn to a safer distance. Despite the downgrade in ShipCon alert, it is recommended that passengers remain in designated areas until full ship service is restored. If you or anyone you know is suffering from injuries, please contact crew on your deck for assistance. Further information will repeat on this channel in five minutes."

Commander Chung's video faded to black and then text and pictures lit up the screen with the ShipCom alert chart filling the right side. It was a five colour status starting at green and up to red. Condition Green was ranked low, Condition Blue was guarded, Condition Yellow was elevated, Condition Orange was high and Condition Red was severe. During the worst of the crisis, the ship reached the highest level of alert.

Orion turned away from the screen stricken. She hadn't meant to cause this but her taking of Singh had instigated it. She was puzzled at how the blame for it was laid upon the Black Adder Cloud. It felt like misdirection but she had no proof of that. Perhaps the ship's captain truly believed that effects resulted from being in proximity to the cloud but how that link could be made seemed tenuous.

She was left wondering how Singh had escaped notice. He obviously created a trail of destruction that should have been easy to follow. It was all rather confounding.

One person that Orion felt would instinctively know the cloud wasn't responsible was the marshal aboard the ship. They had no direct contact but there was a doggedness about him that would not abate. She felt him at her heels though she sensed no malevolence in it. It was determination borne of duty.

Unsure of how much time she had, Orion quickly showered and made some new clothes for herself including another hat to tuck her hair in. She had considerable talent in evading and avoiding her pursuers but she was not aware of every move they made or if she could fool security measures and AI indefinitely. She was, after all, aboard a ship. There were fewer and fewer places to hide.

She was no closer to the truth. Aubrey Chase Chen was dead. Alexander Singh escaped. She was not sure what her next step and most certainly her enemies now knew she was alive. Worse, she didn't know all of the forces allied against her. They would see her and she might never see them coming. Re-acquiring Singh, if it could be done at all, would be no easy task. She would have to find him again, counter his formidable defense and then extract answers. Where was the man now?

There had been too many deaths already and she'd not meant to be the cause of any of it. Still, she was desperate and it ached inside of her to know the truth. Her thoughts turned again to the marshal. Perhaps he was the key to learning more. There was great risk in reaching out to him but the reward might be worth it.

She was not even sure it would work but regardless, she sat down and reached out with mind. She called out to the marshal in thought and left a set of instructions.