HAWK

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: INVADER (4/5)

Worm worked restlessly for three full days.

Though her nerves eased a little once she was busy with the task at hand, they returned in full strength every time she had to navigate her way around the large hull back to the hatch. Everybody offered to go out and help her, but aside from a little moral support, there was nothing they could do - it was a one Worm job.

Inside the ship, Pari revealed hidden skills and made herself the most useful by reconfiguring the Pegasus's backup control-panel and turning it into a weapons control system. It was very rudimentary - there was no target-lock function, for example, so all shots would have to be fired manually - but it was the best that she could do. It certainly impressed Worm who was pleased she wouldn't have to do it.

When Worm finally finished installing the last gun, she came back aboard to find the entire crew waiting for her with a huge feast prepared in the lounge in her honour. Even Astrid had taken a short break from her work to come up and celebrate, though it was clear from the distant way she was speaking that she was still connected to the F-88 and continuing her work in the background. She didn't stay long and soon retired to the Infinity Fighter to resume her work on the virus undistracted.

The crew of six ate well and spent a good hour chatting and laughing without a single mention of the IRIS or the ten-thousand X1's protecting it - until Captain Mack decided to speak, that was. While everyone was seated on the sofa, Mack stood and addressed the group.

'I'm not very good at speeches, but I wanted to thank you all for your hard work. I know these past few days have been long - very long - but you've all acted incredibly and I'm really proud you're all here.' He paused and seemed to take a deep, silent breath before continuing.

'I volunteered to go on this mission because I saw it as my responsibility. I found Astrid, I rescued her and took her back to Xeo, and I see it as my duty to escort her to the IRIS. Now don't get me wrong - I'm pleased the rest of you are here, but the fact is your purpose on this mission was to be around in case the alien escaped. Now we know it's safe, I think it's only right that you guys head back home.'

Sudds coughed up a laugh. 'What? Are you kidding me? We're not leaving you now!'

'Hell no,' Pari added.

'You don't have any choice,' Mack replied. 'I'm not asking you to go, I'm ordering you.'

'I don't take orders,' Kas said.

'You never do. But these three will.' Mack looked at Sudds, Pari and Beak and saw them looking at each other with bemused expressions. 'You're all leaving tonight.'

Sudds suddenly smiled like it was all a joke. 'What are you gonna do if we don't, sir? Dishonourably discharge us?'

'No. I'm gonna knock you unconscious and load your asses into the courier ship. Then I'm gonna drop you out of Peggy's rear doors like a hot turd and send you on your merry way.'

Sudds smile faltered. 'What...?'

'He's not serious...' Pari said, though she wasn't even convincing herself.

'I most certainly am,' Mack replied.

Sudds put down his beer bottle and stood up, but by the time he was on his feet, his eyes had rolled back into his head and he collapsed back on the sofa, fast asleep.

Pari shrieked. 'What did you do to him?!'

'I spiked his beer with ceracane - yours, too, I'm afraid. As soon as you stand up, the bloodrush will knock you straight out. Old trick I learned as a cadet.'

Pari and Beak looked at each other as if wondering if this could be true. Kas looked at her water and suddenly questioned whether it had tasted funny.

'Why...?' Pari asked.

'Because I knew you wouldn't leave,' Mack answered. 'I'm sorry, but whatever happens next, I need you off this ship.'

Pari put down her beer bottle and put her hands on her knees. She rose cautiously to her feet and smiled when she didn't immediately fall back down.

'It didn't work!' she said. 'It didn't...'

It worked. She fell forwards, almost landing face first on the table before Beak sprung up and caught her. He looked at Captain Mack with Pari in his arms and shook his head, then fell backwards onto his seat and into a slumber.

Mack looked at Kas and Worm who were still seated.

'You two just gonna sit there?' he asked.

'That's right,' Kas said. 'I'm gonna sit here till whatever's in my system passes, then I'm gonna get up and kick your ass.'

'You're gonna be sitting there a long time then. I didn't drug you.'

'What?'

'I didn't spike your drinks. Either of you. Ceracane only works with alcohol and both of you are sober.'

'Then what are you going to do with us? Knock us over the head?'

'No... I'm giving you a choice. You can either stay behind with me or you can leave with them.'

Kas frowned suspiciously. 'Why give us a choice and not them?'

'Because they're soldiers. They're supposed to follow my orders. And because if I put you two on that ship, somehow I imagine you'd find a way to bring them all right back.'

'How do we know you're not lying just to get us to stand up?'

Mack sighed. 'If I really had drugged you, I could just turn the artificial gravity off and on and that would give you a much bigger bloodrush than standing up would. So you can either sit there and think about it for a while, or you can think about it while you give me a hand loading these three into the courier ship. Which is it going to be?'