“Thank you, Sergeant Starn,” the leader of the Sarasvati marines said, his voice weary but still prideful. “You and your squad sped up our inevitable victory by at least half an hour.”

  “Marines are all brothers out here,” I replied, smiling.

  The Sarasvati marine leader nodded solemnly, then he leaned in. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Starn, I think you should head back to your ship now. There’s something off about this rock. I can’t put my finger on it, but I have a bad feeling.”

  I considered his words, then nodded. “I appreciate the heads-up. But before we go, can we take one of these dead pirates with us? We want to learn more about their mutations.”

  The Sarasvati marine hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “Certainly. Take your pick. Maybe it’ll help us figure out what’s going on.”

  I carefully selected one of the most mutated pirate corpses, and with my swollen left arm, I carried it back toward Borag.

  The body of the weirdest-looking dead mutant pirate was a grotesque sight. The pirate was unnaturally tall. He easily stood over seven feet high, with elongated limbs. His face was even worse, however. He had twisted, disproportionate features. His skin had a sickly grayish hue. It was the very color of death itself, and it was stretched tight over his angular bones. His mouth was lined with jagged, misshapen teeth that jutted out at odd angles.

  The pirate’s limbs were equally disgusting. His legs were bent and twisted, and I imagined they’d given him an odd walk when he’d been alive. The fingers were long and spindly, with claw-like nails.

  Despite my revulsion, I figured Dr. Sharaf would want to examine this monster. The more we knew about these freaks, the better.

  Chapter 8: New Monsters

  I dragged the sickening mutant corpse through the door of Dr. Sharaf’s lab alone. The rest of my guys had all hit the showers.

  I spotted Ana. She was across the room, working on some experiment. She glanced up and caught sight of my grim burden. Instead of rushing over to greet me with her usual enthusiasm, she turned away and hurried out of the room without a word.

  Dr. Sharaf looked up from her work next. Her eyes widened in disgust. “What on earth is that, Sergeant Starn?”

  “It’s one of the mutant pirates we encountered aboard Sarasvati,” I explained, laying the body on an empty table. “I thought you might be interested in examining it.”

  The doctor’s expression shifted from revulsion to fascination as she moved closer to inspect the creature.

  “Incredible…” she mumbled. She adjusted her glasses to get a closer look. “This appears to be an advanced mutation. Clearly, this unfortunate has never benefited from medications like my Lot Six mixture.”

  I frowned. “You mean... I could end up like this someday?”

  Dr. Sharaf looked me in the eye. Her expression was serious. “It’s a possibility, Sergeant. But as long as you continue to take your Lot Six treatments, the chances are much lower.”

  I stared at the twisted form on the table. My stomach churned at the thought. Ledbetter, who’d apparently decided to follow me up to the lab, leaned against a nearby counter. His face became pale.

  “Doc?” he said, his voice shaky. “Is this going to be our just reward? To turn out like this—if we don’t take our meds? I don’t want to turn into a monster.”

  Dr. Sharaf hesitated for a moment, then she shrugged. “It’s a definite possibility, Corporal. However, with regular treatment, we can prevent the mutations from progressing to this extreme.”

  I clenched my fists. “We’ll keep taking our treatments, Doc,” I said, glancing at Ledbetter, who nodded in agreement. “We won’t let ourselves become like… that.”

  Excusing myself from Dr. Sharaf and her gruesome dissection work, I left the labs. Ledbetter went looking for a drink, while I went looking for Ana. I was kind of wondering about her strange reaction to the mutant. Why was she hiding?

  I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following me, so I stepped into a side room. Less than a minute later, I glimpsed Ana peeking around a corner. I grabbed her ass before she could get away. She pouted and refused to meet my eyes.

  Locating a small alcove, I confronted her. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was troubled.

  “Ana?” I said gently. “Why were you spying on me? Is there something you wanted to tell me?”

  She looked up at me, her eyes filled with wild suspicion. “Devin, I... I don’t want you to touch me until you’ve been thoroughly washed and disinfected.”

  I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her sudden concern for hygiene. “What’s this about, girl? Why are you so worried?”

  She hesitated for a moment before sighing and finally opening up. “Devin, mutations are rampant among my people—those of us you call pirates. We’re shunned by Earth and Mars for our problems. That’s why so many of us turn to piracy—we have nowhere else to go.”

  I frowned, feeling an unaccustomed pang of empathy for these outcasts. “You mean to say that they’re like us? Just people struggling with mutations and trying to survive?”

  Ana nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “Yes. The difference is that my people don’t have the kind of resources men on ships like Borag do. A lot of them don’t have access to the treatments that keep our mutations in check. So… they often become... like that,” she said, shuddering as she glanced back toward the lab.

  I found a sink, and I scrubbed myself as she watched. When I was done, she let me touch her—but not with my bulging left arm. She’d always kind of liked my physical strength, but today it seemed she’d been freaked out by seeing an extreme case.

  “We’ll figure all this out, Ana. We won’t let ourselves or anyone else become a frigging monster.”

  She smiled and touched my cheek with the back of her fingers. “Thank you, Devin. I just... I needed to tell you the truth. These people, these pirates—they’re not only outlaws. They’ve got problems, too.”

  I moved to kiss her, but she shied away, so I didn’t push it. “Hey, Ana? Do you think the medications that Dr. Sharaf administers to us could help the pirates? I mean, if they had access to proper treatments, maybe they wouldn’t become... like that.”

  Ana considered my words, her expression thoughtful. “It’s possible, Devin. But some of these independent people want to become mutants. They consider it a strength. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to look like that thing on the gurney in there—but some do.”

  “Huh… maybe we could offer them something. Instead of fighting with them all the time, I mean.”

  She looked thoughtful. “Maybe… but there’s a lot of hate built up over the years. You have to remember that Earth is pretty much at war with these people. They might not accept our help, even if we offered it.”

  What she was saying made sense. I nodded thoughtfully and stared at the deck. “We have to at least try, right? If we can help them, maybe we can end this conflict and save lives on both sides.”

  Ana smiled at my optimism. “You always see the best in people, Devin. That’s what I love about you.”

  I grinned back and tried to grab her again. She still didn’t let me. That was unusual and annoying. “Well, I think I’ll go up to the upper decks and mention this idea to Captain Hansen. Maybe she’ll be open to it.”

  Ana eyed me with an odd expression. Sometimes, I had no idea what she was thinking about. “Just be careful, Devin. I don’t want you to get in trouble for suggesting something so... unconventional.”

  I carefully gave her a reassuring squeeze. I thought about going for a kiss, but I could tell she was still kind of freaked out, so I passed on the idea. “I’ll be real careful. I promise. But I can’t just stand by and watch people suffer when I know there might be a solution.”

  I released Ana’s hand and turned to leave. My mind was racing with thoughts of how we might be able to help the pirates and potentially end this brutal conflict.

  As I made my way toward the upper decks, I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try. I’d do it for Ana, for the pirates, and for everyone else struggling with the cruel reality of these mutations.

  At my squad headquarters, I paused to clean up and change into a fresh uniform. Then I made my way to the upper decks alone. I approached the entrance to the restricted command deck, where two Green Company security men stood guard.

  One of them, a burly man with an unpleasant lump for a nose, raised his hand to stop me. “Hold it right there, marine. This area is off-limits to Red Company personnel.”

  Before I could respond, his partner, a slightly smaller man with a knowing grin, intervened. “Hey, aren’t you Sergeant Starn?”

  When I nodded, he turned to the other guy. “This Earther is Captain Hansen’s pet.”

  The burly security man scowled at him. “So what? Rules are rules.”

  The smaller man shook his head. “It’s your funeral, Bob—but I say, let him through. The captain is like, in love with him or something.”

  Bob’s eyes ran up and down over me. He sneered and came to an unhappy decision. “Fine—but just this once. Don’t think this means you can just waltz in and out of here whenever you like, Starn.”

  I nodded in appreciation. “Thanks, guys. Here, let’s shake hands, and we’ll all be buddies.” With that, I offered them my fat left hand. Neither one of them shook it, but they did look disgusted and waved me on by.

  With a grudging nod, I passed them and continued my journey to the upper decks. I couldn’t help but feel annoyance at being labeled the “captain’s pet.”

  Regardless of that nonsense, I wanted to share my thoughts with Captain Hansen, so I pressed onward. I was holding out a fanciful notion that we could help the pirates instead of killing them.

  I stood outside the bridge, waiting patiently for Captain Hansen to notice my presence. When she finally did, her brow furrowed with a hint of confusion. She quickly wrapped up her meeting, giving a few final instructions to her crew, and marched over to me.

  “Sergeant Starn, what brings you up here?” she asked. “I didn’t order you to report for bodyguard duty today.”

  “No, ma’am. But I have something important to discuss with you. It’s about the pirates.”

  She eyed me warily and hesitated for about two seconds. Then she nodded. “Let’s hear it.”

  I took a deep breath before continuing. “I’ve been doing some thinking. What if we helped the mutant pirates with medications instead of peppering them with laser bolts?”

  Captain Hansen raised an eyebrow. “An interesting idea, Starn—but it’s not that simple. These pirates have been attacking us and causing harm to innocent people. It’s hard to imagine extending a helping hand to them.”

  “I understand, Captain, but hear me out. I’ve been talking to Ana, and she mentioned that mutations are rampant among this tribe.”

  “Tribe?”

  I shrugged. “Tribe, clan, group—whatever.”

  “Go on.”

  “They’ve been shunned by Earth and Mars for their problems. If we could help them manage their problems, maybe we could find a peaceful solution instead of bloodshed for both sides.”

  Captain Hansen pursed her lips, mulling over my proposal. “It’s certainly a novel idea, Starn. The only reason I’m willing to entertain it at all is because we don’t have enough forces in place out here to take this rock without help.”

  “So… what’s that? A maybe?”

  “Yeah. A maybe. It would require a lot of negotiation and trust-building. There’s no guarantee they’d even accept our help.”

  “I know it’s a long shot, Captain, but I think it’s worth considering. We have the resources to help them, and if there’s even a slight chance, shouldn’t we at least try?”

  Captain Hansen sighed, her eyes reflecting the weight of the decision. “I’ll think about it. I appreciate your initiative and compassion, but I need to weigh the risks and benefits carefully. I’ll discuss it with my senior officers and see what they think.”

  That almost induced an eyeroll from me. I kind of figured I already knew what her officers were going to think of my idea. They’d piss all over it and laugh—but I took her offer, anyway. I was pretty sure it was the best I was going to get.

  “Thank you, Captain. That’s all I can ask for.” The truth was, I was kind of shocked she was willing to entertain the idea at all.

  With a nod, Captain Hansen dismissed me. I left the command deck, daring to hope my suggestion would lead to a better future for both Borag’s crew and the barbarians who’d claimed this rock.

  Chapter 9: Negotiating with Mutants

  Standing at my post in Red Company headquarters aboard Borag, my communicator beeped. I tapped the device, and Lt. Quinn’s voice filled my ear.

  “Starn, we’ve got a bad situation. There are a hell of a lot more pirates out here than we thought.”

  “They’re not playing around, Lieutenant,” I agreed. “We just fought off a bunch of them. War parties attacked both Borag and Sarasvati.”

  Quinn breathed hard over the microphone for a few beats. He was thinking hard, and he sounded stressed. “I’d retreat and bring my two squads back to Borag if you hadn’t repelled them by now. Any idea why we’re seeing the enemy in such big numbers?”

  I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see me. “I think they figure this rock is their territory. They were here first, after all.”

  Quinn was quiet for a second. “Are you shitting me? Are you saying we’re helping Sarasvati claim-jump these independents? That’s quite a charge, Starn. You have any proof to back that up?”

  “Let’s just say I happened to be standing around when it was discussed,” I admitted. “Whatever is happening, they’re not going to give up on this claim without a fight.”

  Just then, Commander Kaine broke into our conversation. His tone was sharp. Had he been listening in? Damn, that wasn’t good. I was pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone what I’d overheard. I hoped it wouldn’t get back to the captain that I was leaking information.

  “Enough chatter, men,” Kaine said. “Lt. Quinn, I don’t care how many pirates are out there. Your orders are to press ahead at all costs.”

  There was a brief pause before Quinn responded. “Understood, Commander.”

  “Keep me updated on your progress,” Kaine said, and that was it. The line went dead.

  Less than half an hour later, my communicator beeped urgently. I’d been going over weapons’ status and checking up on the wounded members of my squad, but it was Lt. Quinn, so I had to answer.

  I tapped the device, and Quinn began talking. He sounded freaked out.

  “Starn, we’re in serious trouble. We’ve been surrounded by pirates, and they’ve forced us to surrender. We didn’t stand a chance.”

  “Oh, shit… what happened, Lieutenant? How did they manage to corner you?”

  “I don’t know. They were organized, and they seemed to know our every move. I’m not going to be able to talk long. Relay this to the captain.”

  “Will do…”

  That was it. He was gone. Why had he called me instead of Kaine? Did he really trust me more than Borag’s own XO?

  Corporal Ledbetter had been listening in. He stepped closer to me. “What are we gonna do, Starn? We can’t just leave them in the hands of those pirates.”

  “We’re going to follow orders. That’s what we’re going to do. Get everyone back into full kit in case we’re ordered out onto the surface.”

  Soon after I’d relayed the message up to the bridge, Captain Hansen and Commander Kaine burst into Red Company headquarters, arguing. They were discussing the situation, seemingly oblivious to the presence of my squad.

  Captain Hansen lifted a finger into Kaine’s face and wagged it. “Commander, we can’t just abandon Lt. Quinn and the others. They’re our people.”

  Kaine, however, was just as adamant. “Captain, we have to think about the bigger picture. If we stay and try to rescue them, we risk losing this entire ship and crew. We’re down to one squad of defenders… Honestly, I think we have to leave this rock and cut our losses immediately.”

  I stayed quiet. It was my job to listen to officers and follow orders. But in my heart, I felt we had to save Quinn and the rest of Red Company. I hated the idea of abandoning them to their fate.

  Hansen locked eyes with Kaine. “I understand the risks, but they’re our boys. How could we ditch them? If word got out about that—we’d never get another recruit from Mars!”

  Kaine’s face hardened. “We can do it because we have a duty to the rest of the crew, Captain. I know it’s a difficult choice, but we have to prioritize the safety of the ship. Borag represents a significant company asset—”

  “Stop right there, Commander. You sound just like Blackwood.”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but numbers are numbers.”

  The argument continued and grew hotter. My squadmates exchanged glances. We all had our own opinions, but we were smart enough to keep them inside our helmets.

  Captain Hansen turned to me. “Starn? You’ve been silent through all of this. What do you think we should do?”

  I was surprised to be asked about a command decision. I opened my big mouth to answer, but another call came in from outside the ship at that moment.

  Captain Hansen answered personally. The rebel leader appeared on the viewscreen. The man was an ugly guy—even for a mutant. His face was marred with grotesque features that made it hard to look at him directly.

  He began reading off a list of demands. Captain Hansen listened with growing impatience.

  “Is that all?” Captain Hansen asked when the fiendish-looking man stopped prattling.

  The pirate leader raised an eyebrow—he only had one. “I should think the list is long enough.”

  Hansen tried to maintain her composure. “Many of your requests are unworkable. We can’t comply with all of them. However, I have a proposal that may interest you.”