“I take you to be a man who values his life. Earth won’t tolerate you taking potshots at her ships. How many have you destroyed?”

  Redgrave shrugged. It was odd to see a half-man, half-machine perform such a human gesture. “I admit to nothing. But tell me, what will Earth offer to regain the right of free passage to the asteroid belt? I’m a generous man. I can share the mineral wealth of the outer planets with you hot-worlders—for a price.”

  Captain Hansen blinked a few times, absorbing his statement. Then she frowned. “Are you saying that you plan to destroy more Earth vessels? Even mining rigs like mine?”

  “What would your cruisers do if Shadow’s Whisper ventured as far sunward as Venus? What if I landed on Luna and enjoyed the sights of Earth below?”

  Hansen snorted. “We’d probably shoot you down.”

  “There you have it. A sad state of affairs, but that’s how things are at this point. We’ve demonstrated our capabilities with a few carefully aimed shots. We don’t intend to destroy more ships than we must. We only react when threatened—such as when you brought in two stealthy gunboats just off your wingtips.”

  Captain Hansen shook her head. “I didn’t know they were out there. I’m surprised your sensors could pick them up.”

  Redgrave smiled. It was a ghastly sight. “I do have technicians who know something about stealth technology. We saw them and reacted as we must—and I don’t believe you didn’t know they were there.”

  Hansen cocked her head. “Why didn’t you blast me as well, then?” she asked.

  “Because you behaved reasonably out at 944 Hidalgo. I wanted to give you the opportunity to be reasonable again. So, I repeat, what is Earth willing to offer to maintain the peace and the status quo?”

  “I don’t have a specific offer from Earth-Gov,” she admitted. “What arrangement are you seeking?”

  Redgrave’s freakish eyes lit up. I could tell he was waiting for this question to come up. He began ticking things off his metal fingers, which seemed not to feel the frost that coated them. His spacesuit wasn’t even covering his entire body. Instead, it resembled a bloated bag of air that bubbled like a tumor over his fleshly parts.

  “It’s simple enough,” he said. “Mining ships and cargo vessels can come and go as they please in the name of peaceful commerce. Every ship that ventures beyond the orbit of Mars, however, must register with my security forces. When you return—leaving the range of our defensive weapon—you will be stopped and inspected. A fifty percent levy on all ore and goods will be tallied and paid.”

  Captain Hansen laughed. “A fifty percent tariff on my cargo? Is that all?”

  “No,” Redgrave continued, warming to the topic. “In return, we will ensure that all your ships are protected just as surely as our mining rights are. If one of my independent operators gets… unruly… they will be destroyed.”

  “Hmm,” she said, thinking that over.

  Privately, I was both outraged and impressed. I tried not to show it, but there was some merit in what Redgrave was suggesting. Fifty percent was too much, of course, but maybe that was just a starting point in these negotiations.

  If Earth didn’t have to build warships and lose cargo out here to pirates, that was valuable. If there was law and order established among the outer planets, and Earth-Gov didn’t have to pay for it… well, that kind of arrangement would perk up the ears of any accountant who heard it.

  I knew from experience that sharing costs and payments was almost always cheaper in the long run than destructive conflict. All these thoughts bubbled in my head, but I kept them internalized. I was wondering, however, what Captain Hansen was thinking.

  “I’m not sure they’ll go for something like this…” she said thoughtfully. “But it’s actually not a bad idea. If my ship could mine unmolested, I could double my production. Mind you, fifty percent is insane—but the concept isn’t.”

  Redgrave’s eyes brightened again with that light blue glow. It was as if someone had lit the pilot light inside his strange head.

  “Are we in agreement, then?” he asked.

  “In principle. At least, I’m willing to take your thoughts back to Earth-Gov and present them as positively as I can. There’s no way I can guarantee any particular action from them.”

  Redgrave lifted a long, metal finger. “That’s all I can ask for. I can now see why you have a reputation for being reasonable. I wish, upon our first meeting at Proxima Centauri, we’d been more willing to negotiate.”

  They kept talking like that for the next several minutes. I soon grew bored and remained vigilant instead of listening. My eyes scanned our surroundings for any signs of danger, but everyone seemed to be behaving themselves.

  As they exchanged words, I switched to Red Company’s tactical channel. There, I heard a very different talk going on. It seemed my own people were considering the possibility of striking first, taking out Redgrave before he could turn on us. I couldn’t help but wonder if the pirates were entertaining the same thoughts.

  “...just one well-placed shot, and we could take him out,” a voice whispered, barely audible. I recognized it as Corporal Ledbetter. Apparently, his mutation had granted him an acute sense of hearing, but not enough discretion to shut up.

  I glanced back at Ledbetter, giving him a warning look. He met my gaze, his eyes narrowed and unapologetic—but he fell silent.

  Sergeant Cox seemed to be thinking along the same lines, however. “If we could get the drop on him and his crew,” he suggested, “maybe he couldn’t shoot that space cannon at us. Then we’d have a better chance of making it out of this alive.”

  Tuning back into the conversation between Captain Hansen and Redgrave, I wondered if Redgrave’s men were urging him to take advantage of our vulnerability as well. It was impossible to know for sure, but the thought made me even more wary of the fragile alliance we were attempting to form.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the two sides reached a tentative agreement. Captain Hansen and her crew would carry a request for a negotiations team back to Earth-Gov. Redgrave, in the meantime, would pull his troops back and stop firing his alien space cannon. Both parties would take a breather and seek a way to work together—for now.

  Redgrave smirked after these negotiations, clearly pleased with himself. I wondered how he’d feel after he met Malkin, and his terms were gone over with a zeal for details. The very idea made me smile.

  The metal plates on Redgrave’s face shifted in a grotesque mockery of a smile. “Captain, I assure you, the feeling is mutual. Now that the business side of things has been settled, we should move on to the social aspects.”

  “Such as?”

  “I would like to invite you to come into my domain and witness the marvels that lie within. I want you to convey the awesome power of our newly mastered technology to Earth-Gov. How could you do that without actually having witnessed our achievements in person?”

  Captain Hansen arched an eyebrow as Redgrave made his proposition. “You want me to come with you, alone, into your stronghold?”

  Redgrave nodded, his metallic face attempting to convey sincerity. “Yes, Captain. I must show you the alien wonders we’ve discovered, the power we now possess. Earth-Gov must understand why they should keep their distance and cooperate with the newly risen power of the outer planets.”

  I felt uncomfortable with the idea of her walking into the heart of this pirate’s lair. But Captain Hansen seemed fearless.

  “I’ll go,” she said, “but I’m not going alone. Starn will accompany me as my bodyguard.”

  Redgrave’s eyes narrowed, his metal features taking on a displeased expression. He looked me up and down briefly. I got the feeling he didn’t like what he saw. “Very well… but just him. No tricks, Captain.”

  She lifted her hands, palms out, and met his stare with equal intensity. “No tricks, Redgrave—and I expect the same from you.”

  There were a number of objections from Kaine and Lt. Quinn, but Captain Hansen was insistent, and she was in charge.

  Minutes later, with fresh oxygen bottles and power packs, we set off toward the pirate stronghold.

  Chapter 22: The Lion’s Den

  We entered the dimly lit corridors of Redgrave’s fortress, looking around and gawking at everything. We opened our helmets, as the place was pressurized. The air was heavy with the scent of oil and machinery.

  That smell… I felt like buttoning up again, but I didn’t want to offend our nightmarish hosts.

  The walls inside were all smooth, curved metal—as they’d been in other such locations I’d visited. To me, that simple architectural detail convinced me more than anything that this place had originally been built by aliens. Every time I’d encounter the ant-like cyborgs who once infested our Solar System, their bases had looked exactly like this tunnel complex.

  Alien tech appeared now and then. Most of the telltale equipment consisted of gauges and projections coming out of the walls. Some were familiar, while others were entirely foreign. They were all disconcerting. The work of nonhumans always put an unsettling feeling in your gut. It was as if every man had deep within him the instinct to recognize the work of intelligent aliens.

  Redgrave led us deeper into the complex, describing the capabilities of various weapons and other devices as we passed them. The weird thing was, I detected a perverse sense of pride in the mutant. It was as if he thought he’d invented all this stuff, rather than having just discovered it.

  “And this,” he said, gesturing to a massive, pulsating machine that filled an entire chamber, “this is another of our crowning achievements. We call it an “undigester”. It’s really an advanced organic chemical reactor. With it, I can feed an army from mostly inorganic compounds, which we pour into the maw on top.”

  “But how does it taste?” I dared to ask.

  Redgrave and Hansen looked at me in surprise. Redgrave gave me a ghastly smile. “Worse than you can imagine. But it is safe sustenance! I should warn you, however, most of my minions are starving for something with more flavor. They’d kill for a strip of real meat.”

  The entourage of unfortunates who’d been following us since we entered Redgrave’s lair huddled around us. Could they be salivating over me and the captain? That was a disgusting thought, but I couldn’t shake it.

  Redgrave watched my discomfort and granted me a hideous grin.

  Captain Hansen’s face remained impassive throughout this exchange. Noticing the quiet that followed, she saw fit to guide the conversation back to safer topics. “Everything here is impressive, Redgrave. But remember, we’re talking about working together now. I don’t think it serves any purpose for you to threaten your very first visitors from Earth, does it?”

  Redgrave chuckled, his laughter echoing through the chamber. “Of course not, Captain. But it’s always wise to know the true intentions of new friends, don’t you think?”

  His words sounded like a warning to me. To our relief, he continued the tour. It was a tense time for me, as I’d signed on to play bodyguard during this adventure. I watched all the mutants for any sign of treachery—but I figured I couldn’t beat them all if it came down to it. I could probably blast down one or two, maybe gut one more with a surprising show of strength—but that would be it. My epitaph. After putting up a good show, we’d be pulled down and probably eaten in the end, providing a feast for our disgusting hosts.

  The alien-made tunnels burrowed upward, toward the distant crown of the mountain. The higher we went, the more impressive each metal-molded chamber was. Constructed by a long-extinct race of powerful beings, these intricate passages were twisted and irregular. Just as humans seemed to love the straight line in all our structures, the creatures that had built this place avoided such things at all costs. Every wall was curved, every tunnel angled at a slant.

  Taken in their entirety, the tunnels formed a vast, sprawling complex. A network of ant-tunnels, reaching from the highest peaks to the very depths of the moon’s crust.

  Redgrave led us upward relentlessly. Every step we took ventured farther into the labyrinth. As we climbed, I noted that the air grew cooler, and the atmosphere took on a stale, metallic taste.

  At last, we stood outside a massive archway. Redgrave paused at the entrance. He didn’t walk inside.

  Instead, he turned to face us. I could feel his cold, calculating gaze as it swept over the crowd of mutants and cyborgs that had gathered around us. Hushed mutterings filled the alien tunnels.

  “Before we enter this critical chamber,” he said, “there is a tradition we must observe.”

  “What’s that?” the captain asked. “Do we need to wash our feet or something?”

  “It is the custom of my people,” he said, “to establish physical dominance when two leaders meet. A display of strength and power, if you will.” His eyes flicked toward Captain Hansen, who stood tall. “I challenge you, Captain, to a physical contest. Let us show each other who is truly superior.”

  The onlookers stirred, eager for a spectacle of violence and humiliation. I could see the captain hesitate for a moment, but before she could respond, I stepped forward.

  “Captain Hansen is injured,” I said. “I will be her champion.”

  Redgrave’s eyes narrowed as he appraised me, his gaze lingering on my mutated left arm. “Injured?” he asked. “How?”

  Before she could answer him, I jumped in again. I was worried that she would tell the truth, and doom herself in whatever contest was to come.

  “She was injured when we underwent evasive action—when you fired at the ships that were shadowing us.”

  Redgrave frowned. “Then? That was days ago… but I suppose human basics don’t heal very well. All right. You may stand in her place, but know my people expect a contest worthy of our time.”

  There were some murmurs of disappointment. The crowd of mutants had swollen, pouring out of the tunnels before and behind us. How had they so quickly discerned it was time for a spectacle? I wasn’t sure, but it seemed obvious that they were arriving in droves to enjoy the show.

  This reality seemed to affect Redgrave’s behavior as well. He tried to stand taller, to tower over us. The crowd became agitated as I faced Redgrave. They couldn’t hold still. Maybe they thought they’d get to consume me if we failed—or maybe we didn’t understand the stakes we were wagering with.

  “The rules are as follows—” Redgrave began, but I spoke over him loudly.

  “As the challenged,” I said, “I have the right to decide the nature of the contest.”

  Redgrave’s lips curled into a snarl, but he nodded. “Agreed,” he spat out the word. “Choose your contest—but remember that it must be a physical one. My people demand nothing less!”

  I glanced back at Captain Hansen. Her steely gaze seemed unshakably confident—but I wasn’t fooled. A tiny frown of worry played on her lips.

  “I choose arm wrestling,” I declared. “Let’s see whose strength is truly superior.”

  The crowd roared with excitement, eager for the contest to begin. Redgrave’s eyes glittered with a dangerous, cunning light. For the sake of my captain and the Borag, I figured I’d better beat his mechanical ass soundly.

  The crowd of mutants and cyborgs jostled for a better view. A slab of ancient rock served as a makeshift table, and we stood across from each other. Our eyes were already locked in a stare-down. As was typical of such contests in the barracks, we were already in a battle of wills before the physical part even began.

  Redgrave extended his right arm and smirked. It was a cold length of metal. His cyborg limb gleamed in the dim lighting.

  “Let’s see what you’ve got, then,” he taunted, and the crowd gushed and shuffled around us in excitement.

  I hesitated for just a moment before extending my own right arm. I was acutely aware of the disparity between the strength of my two limbs. My right was strong—but it was just human-normal. My left, however, was something special.

  I could tell right off I wasn’t going to get away with switching limbs or backing down. It was go-time.

  Our hands clasped tightly, and the match began. The outcome was never in doubt. Redgrave’s mechanical arm was a force to be reckoned with, and my right arm was no match for it. Within seconds, my hand slammed against the stone. The resounding impact made a meaty slap that echoed in the chamber.

  Disgust and disappointment rippled through the crowd of mutants. I’d dashed their hopes for a thrilling contest.

  I glanced apologetically at Captain Hansen, and she glanced back. She said nothing, and her face didn’t do so much as twitch—but she looked paler than she had a moment ago.

  “How disappointing…” Redgrave said. “You have done more than lost. You have embarrassed yourself, champion.”

  “We’re not finished yet,” I said, pretending I didn’t feel the burning shame of defeat. “I’d like a rematch—this time with our left arms.”

  He eyed my massive mutated left limb, and his smile faltered, but he couldn’t refuse without losing face.

  “Still holding out hope?” he growled, switching arms and glaring at me. “Let’s do it.”

  A hush fell over the crowd as the second match began. My arm flexed and strained. Redgrave’s limb whined with the sound of overtaxed motors.

  This time, I had the advantage. My mutated left arm was unnatural and even monstrous. It felt good when I used it to its fullest, almost like an unreachable itch that was finally getting scratched.

  I could feel Redgrave’s surprise and growing desperation as he struggled to keep up. It was time to finish him. With one final surge of strength, I forced his hand down to the table. The impact popped like a thunderclap. Metal and flesh struck the stone table with shocking force.

  The crowd exploded with shocked cheers and jeers after that. My victory was obviously unexpected.

  Redgrave himself seemed stunned. He stared at me, his freakish eyes glaring in disbelief.