Free Mutiny on Outstation Zori by John Hegenberger Page B

shrugged out of his vacuum suit, shoving it deep into an empty bag and tucking the bag beneath one of the folding tables, where it would not likely be found for some time. He checked his elapsed time and slid back into the stealth suit, just as footfalls sounded beyond the room's entrance.
    Two Imperial marines in full combat uniforms angled into the laundry, alerted by the alarm and ready for a confrontation.
    Jamie huddled behind a stanchion, feeling naked. This costume better work. One of the marines scanned the area for life-signs. Or I'm going to spend the rest of my life in some backwater brig. If I'm lucky.
    "You get anything?" the other marine called out, while poking at several bags of dirty clothing with the tip of his mazer.
    The first man looked up, staring directly at Jamie. "The place looks clean." The two men checked the hatch, while Jamie moved silently toward the corridor. "The security circuit must have malfed again."
    In that instant, Jamie knew he was going to sneeze. The force of the reaction built in the back of his head like a stunner on overload. He clamped a palm firmly over his mouth and increased his pace toward the exit. When the sneeze came, it seemed to have blaster-strength, but Jamie kept the sound down to a slight geep! and froze again just outside the doorway.
    The two marines immediately stomped into the passage. They looked around, but saw no sign of Jamie pressed against the bulkhead across the way. One man shrugged and the other wondered aloud how his security report would look with words "skivvy-check" listed on it. They chuckled boisterously, radioed back an all-clear, and passed along the corridor.
    Jamie breathed and un-clinched his jaw.
    * * *
    Admiral Sam "Slag" Sawyer of the Imperial Marines Special Forces was not happy. Even though he controlled the operations of the Starship Ironfist and its compliment of three hundred and fifty highly-trained tactical techs, Sawyer felt that he could always do a better job if the higher command would just leave him alone.
    This latest communique was a perfect example of how disruptive the Imperium's demands were to an organized shock troop.
    ^**You are instructed to leave Outstation Runde immediately this date and proceed to Outstation Zori to investigate situation in FZ13.**^
    Sawyer wondered what the hell was going on. Had Zori been attacked? It wasn't responding to his ship's hailing on the tachyon beam. Had that insufferable bore, Admiral Long, finally screwed things up so badly that the Imperium had to send a Starship over to ensure discipline?
    Shaking his head, Sawyer reflected that it would take him approximately two days to follow these orders, plus another two days to return to normal procedures at Runde. He was not happy about this sudden change in operations, but he knew enough not to complain until after following orders.
    Sawyer functioned by the book, keeping his men at the ready. Some said he enjoyed trouble, others that he a petty tyrant. None of this mattered, of course. The fact was that Admiral Sam "Slag" Sawyer was a damn good officer. And after all this nonsense was over, he would see that someone would pay dearly for disrupting his command.
    "Lay in a direct course for Outstation Zori," he told his helmsman. "And be prepared to go to red alert when we exit hyperdrive."

 
    CHAPTER 6
    Jamie felt strangely exhilarated as he skulked through the hallways of Outstation Zori.
    The various screens inset in the walls cast back his reflection that seemed poised for sudden intrigue. The situation was a lot more exhilarating than any HAVENset he'd ever played, but it was also exceedingly more dangerous. If he were caught, he'd be killed. It was this ever-present prospect of jeopardy that thrilled him as he moved carefully from room to room, corridor to corridor with an extra stealth suit carried over one arm to be used by Aura if—no, when—he found her.
    No sound came to him as he moved toward a bank of drop tubes. He eased