Chapter Two

Salvage Vessel: Eliza

Quietus Star System

Colt chewed on a piece of gum as he watched Sandra brief the crew. The other six who weren't in the mess this morning were now in attendance. Colt looked at the four to his left as Sandra went over some of the basic details of the brief. Cole Dalton was the ship's chief of security and he was a hard man. The man had a shaven head and cold blue eyes that have seen too much in his past career as a police officer. Sara Hood a blonde haired talkative ditz serves as the ship's chief engineer. Sara made sure all of the extremely technical things on board the Eliza and say the space station remained working. Salvaging broken technology isn't too profitable. Lucas Donovan a portly fellow served as the ship's head chef and the fact that he didn't cook the crews first meal today really ticked Colt off. Colt fond Lucas' cooking great but the man was lazy.

The other three to his right who were standing with the rest of the crew were newer to the ship. Everyone but those three served with Sandra and Colt for over two years. The fresh boots were the ones Colt suspected the most. People figured he was just paranoid and maybe he was but he still didn't like fresh boot either way they look. The most decent one was James Vigor who acts as the ships personal hacker and safe cracker. The guy had combed back black hair and brown eyes. If you needed to get your hands on some secure information, James could get it and he seemed like a nice guy but Colt still wouldn't trust him with his bank information. The ship's nurse Cathy Wilmore is a curvy brunette with a questionable bedside manner. At times she was warm and other times she was an utter cold hearted cunt. Colt didn't like her because she loved to gossip. The last one is by far the worse of the three and he is a mechanic. Chris Baker a blonde haired middle age man and a complete utter drunk. Every time Colt turns his back on the guy, good old Chris ends up buzzed on anything he can get his hands on.

"Well from what the computer can tell is that the station is pretty much shut down, power draw is low." Sandra said casually.

James smiled. "Most likely because the station is abandoned? No need for full life support, or if any at all."

Sandra chuckled. "Well someone is paying attention. There is some life support running on the lower engineering levels, mainly by the primary cooling unit and main reactor."

Colt was surprised and butted into the brief. "Wait, why is there any life-support at all, wouldn't the station computer power down all systems when there's no one onboard?"

Sara nodded her head. "Yeah that is a bit strange, but it could be a short, maybe when the station was deserted the computer couldn't power it down all the way."

Sandra cocked her head to the side. "Will some life support be a problem?" She smiled.

Colt chuckled. "No way, now I'm worried about restoring rest of life support to the station."

Sandra nodded. "Good, anyways let's continue." She smiled at Colt, a sign for him to shut up. "We already docked the ship, like most of you know. We just used the starboard umbilical and docked with their port airlock."

Colt liked the sound of that, he wanted to get boots on the station as fast as possible and the port airlock according to the schematics is closer to the station's command center. He wanted to know every little dirty secret that floating metal tomb held. "From there we will split up into two teams. Team one which is headed by me will go to the command center. Team two, which will be headed by Colt will go down to engineering." Sandra explained.

Colt felt like cursing, he wanted the command center but he figured he shouldn't be surprised. Sandra is the captain and she gets the glory first. "I want Eric, Shanti, Sara and Chris to go with Colt. After all engineering will be the best place to access the damage on the station. Everyone else is with me." Sandra smiled. "Lastly, until life support is completely back online I want you all suited up."

Colt glared at the fresh boots as they complained about the suits. "Hey!" Colt barked. "Listen up, those suits are there to save your goddamn lives, but if you really want to asphyxiate and die then be my guest. The rest of us will just collect your share."

James looked back at Colt and back at Cathy and Chris. He shook his head. "There won't be a problem, sir."

Colt smiled and nodded, at least James had a head on his shoulders. "Well now that we are done with all of the issues." Sandra butted in and smiled. "Let's all get suited up. Colt and Dalton I want you guys carrying pulse rifles."

Colt smiled. "Yes, captain. Dalton on me, let's go get armed up, we'll meet everybody in the air lock say, ten minutes."

Sandra nodded. "That will be perfect, Colt."

#

Colt sat on a bench staring in front of his arms locker. His heart was racing. He felt excited about the whole thing. They found the jackpot and it was just lying there, waiting for them. He spent six long years as a salvager. He had salvaged small personal ships to military abandoned frigates and had numerous back room black market deals for his salvage. Now they found a space station, this was the big one. The last great big haul, they just needed to get the product. That will be the tough part after that a buyer should be no problem. A station out here and covered up should carry a lot of secrets with it, profitable secrets.

Colt grinned at his thoughts of rich retirement. He was in his early thirties and he will be able to live like a king after this. He chuckled and stood up. Colt opened his locker pulled out his old M41A pulse rifle. He took that rifle with him after he got out of the corps. Colt and that rifle have been through hell and back together. He put down colonial revolts and took down black markets terrorist cells, even the occasional military skirmish in the outer colonies. He loved this rifle that he named it after his own mother, Rose. The rifle took care of him like his mother did by getting rid of every scum bag that dared tried to hurt him. He slammed a magazine home and pulled on the charge handle. The LED magazine counter on the side read ninety-ninety rounds left in the magazine in red lights. He smiled. Hopefully this will be the last time he will have to carry this rifle. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and grabbed his EVA helmet. "You all set Cole?" Colt barked out.

Cole Dalton came around the corner and looked at him. He chuckled and nodded. Cole held up his rifle and helmet. They both had their EVA suits on, which was nothing but a very slim space suit, looked more like a silver jump suit than anything else. "I'm all set, Colt."

Colt smiled, that's what he loved to hear. He always got along well with Cole. He figured it was because Cole was a cop and Colt himself was a marine. The both of them weren't all too different. Both have seen some form of combat and walked through their own version of hell. Colt nodded and pulled his helmet over his shoulders.

The helmet completely enveloped his head and connected to his suit at his shoulders. Colt double checked his air seals and started his air flow. He took in a deep breath and gave a thumbs up to Cole. Colt watched as Cole pulled on his own helmet and began cycling air through his suit. Cole gave a thumbs up back. Colt spoke on his headset. "You read me Cole?"

"Five by five, loud and clear sir." Cole spoke back.

Colt chuckled. "Alright, let's not keep the others waiting in the air lock."

"You got your side arm sir?" Cole asked out of the blue.

Colt smiled and nodded. He always kept his old Colt M1911 on hand. "It's under my suit, why?" The pistol wasn't vacuum sealed so it wouldn't do him any good in space if he ended up taking a spacewalk.

Cole chuckled. "Just making sure sir, we don't want to forget both Colts now do we?"

Colt laughed and turned for the hatch. "Let's get going, chief."

Colt walked with Cole to the ship's starboard airlock. They cycled the inner hatch open and were greeted by the crew. Colt and Cole were the only ones with their helmets and suits pressurized. He shook his head, he at least expected the captain to have her helmet on. "I turn my back for ten minutes and the rest of you guys get lazy?" Colt spoke through his suit's speakers.

Everyone chuckled and Sandra flipped him the bird. He smiled. "Well c'mon cap you're supposed to be setting the example right?" He teased.

Sandra shook her head and pulled her helmet over her shoulders and began cycling air through her suit. "Alright, everybody do what your upstanding exo is doing." She ordered with a chuckle.

Colt smiled at how everyone pulled there helmets on and started there suit checks. He rolled his shoulders and stretched. His range of movement checked out. Colt unslung his pulse rifle and walked to the outer airlock hatch. He nodded his head at Cole and the man sealed the inner hatch. All twelve crew members of the Eliza now stood in the cramped airlock together. Colt looked at his captain. "So how do you want to do this?" Colt spoke through the comm.

Sandra looked at Colt and he could tell she knew what he was asking. Colt wanted control over the breach and she knew this was his playground now. She smiled and Colt's heart raced. "This is your ball game now, Colt. Get us in safely." She said with a nod.

Colt smiled. "Just like the old days." He turned back to the crew. "Ok, everyone you know the drill. I got the ball so follow my lead." Colt sounded in command, falling back on his experience as a sergeant in the corps. "Cole, I want you directly on my six, I'm on point. Sara and James how are those motion trackers?"

Colt watched as Sara and James held up a metal square shaped object. They flipped a screen open on the object's side and a loud pinging sound came over his head set. He smiled at the sound. He was glad he took the time to buy the trackers on their last drop off. "They check out." Sara replied.

Colt nodded. "Okay, Sara stay behind Cole. Let's move out people."

Colt turned to the outer hatch and hit the release. A screen on the hatch's control panel lit up and stated that air and pressure are in the hold and that did he wish to continue. Colt hit yes and the hatch cycled opened with a hushed hiss. With a pressurized umbilical attached to the station there was no need to vent the hold. They were only wearing suits because they didn't know how safe the air is on the station.

Colt took point and moved out onto the umbilical first. He looked out at the station ahead of him. Its dark steel hull waited ahead of him. He could see the yellow Weyland-Yutani logo on the airlock. He never thought he'd be happy to see that W and Y in his life. Colt looked to his left and gazed out into space through the transparent umbilical wall. The void was impossibly black and it seemed to reach out to him, he had a feeling of dread. He looked over to his right and saw the ringed gas giant. The planet was beautiful. He looked back to the airlock. He had enough gazing at the scenery. Colt started walking with his rifle pointed ahead of him.

Colt could hear his every breath echo in his helmet. He was excited. He just didn't know what could be waiting behind that airlock door. He smiled. He figured his rifle would do little good anyways. Colt figured Sandra only had him bring it out to give the others a false hope of security. This rifle of his was only good against a live threat. Chances are any threats they encounter will be of the technical nature. The station is supposed to be abandoned anyways. Colt reached the outer airlock to the station.

Colt stood to the left of the umbilical wall and took a knee. Cole took the right and did the same. They aimed directly at the hatch. "Sara move up. Run a bypass if you can."

"Roger." Sara said and walked up to the airlock door.

Colt watched as she slung the motion tracker over her shoulder and pulled open the airlock's control panel. Sara pulled out a mobile hacking unit from the bag she carried at her hip. "You know I could hack the door faster?" James said over the comm.

"James?" Colt said.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Shut up." Colt ordered and he heard chuckles over his headset.

Sara remained professional and focused on the task at hand. Colt watched the hatch as the engineering chief worked on bypassing the locks. "Got it." She said and the outer hatch opened.

Colt and Cole stood up and moved as if they were one mind. They walked into the airlock's hold. The airlock was bigger than the Eliza's Colt noticed. The room seemed untouched and it seemed the hold's lighting was out. That was to be expected, life support would be minimal until they got to engineering. Colt reached up turned on his helmet light, everyone else followed his example. "Ok Sara, on my mark open the inner hatch."

Colt waited several heart beats. "Mark." He said and on cue the inner hatch opened.

Colt walked in. He instantaneously took in that the hatch was at a T intersection. Colt automatically went left and Cole went right. "Clear!" Colt called out.

"Clear my side." Cole said.

"Ok, we split up into two teams, engineering team with me. Motion trackers up. Let's move people." Colt said with a smile, they were in.