Galaxy of Heroes

“Well, look at that,” Grimes said.

They looked out at the blue-green cloud that glowed in the blackness of space.

Spade gave Genie the coordinates to his ship. She steered the cruiser into the nebula, piloting it through massive columns of glowing gas. The cruiser appeared microscopic as it rocketed between the gaseous columns.

“There’s my girl,” Spade said. “The Red Wrath.”

Spade’s battered ship floated alongside a colossal spire of glowing nebular gas. Genie eased the much larger cruiser beside Spade’s darkened ship. The cruiser’s search lights lit up the skull and crossbones painted on the hull of the Red Wrath. A depiction of Genie holding the ace of spades sat above snarling shark’s teeth.

“I missed you, sweetheart,” Spade said.

Spade’s ship was red, black and muscular and built for speed, but it was badly banged up.

“She’s seen better days,” Grimes said.

Genie docked the cruiser alongside the Red Wrath. Once the two vessels were secure, they began transferring parts and components from the cruiser into the interceptor.

Genie entered the cockpit of Spade’s ship and sat down in the pilot’s chair. She had sat here many times before.

She had saved the memories of the times she had spent in this ship with Spade—the planets they had visited, the blockades they had run, the fortunes they had won and lost in their quest to find the enigmatic Dr. Zander.

But all it took was a full house poker hand and Joe had won Genie from Spade. By design, all those memories were supposed to have been wiped. However, before Spade had initiated the imprinting sequence meant to release her bond to Spade and erase the memories of the times they had spent together, Genie had secretly saved those memories on a chip that she programmed to reinstall whenever her memory was wiped.

The memories of the times spent with Spade remained, but the feelings associated with them were gone. She felt no nostalgia being in this chair again. The memories were coded data that had lost their emotional charge.

Genie interfaced with the interceptor’s computer and was able to isolate the malfunction that had rendered the ship inoperative. The malfunction was located in the fusion reactor core—caused by one too many blasts from the pulse cannons of Craaldan fighters.

The large cruiser and the smaller interceptor drifted through the nebula as Genie and the two men worked long and hard attempting to get the Red Wrath back up to speed.

Finally, Genie ran a diagnostics check that revealed that everything was back in running order. “The Red Wrath is fully operational,” she said.

“Genie, you are a miracle worker,” Spade said.

“That does it then,” Grimes said.

Genie, Grimes and Spade hovered in the cockpit of the Red Wrath in the zero gravity of space.

“We better get going,” Grimes said, extending his hand to Spade. “We’ll see you around.”

“I’ve got a valuable payload in my cargo hold that I’m taking to Portogallos,” Spade said. “You two should come back with me. I’ll cut you in on the profits.”

“No can do, Spade,” Grimes said.

Spade looked at Genie, and then at Grimes. He reached inside his flight suit and pulled out a card and handed it to Grimes.

“Now we’re even,” Spade said. “The credits on that card more than cover what I owe you for those fusion coils.”

Grimes handed it to Genie, who scanned the data on the card. “The card is good,” Genie said. “You have overpaid us, Captain Spade.”

“Come back to Portogallos with me,” Spade said. “I could use the backup. And I’m going to need a crew for my next voyage.”

“Thanks but no thanks,” Grimes said. “Genie and I are voyaging to the Calli Sector.”

“The Calli Sector?” Spade said. “Nobody’s been out there.”

“That’s why we’re going,” Grimes said.

“Well,” Spade said, “the best of luck to the both of you. You’re going to need it.”

Genie and Grimes turned to leave.

“Hey, Grimes,” Spade said. “Any chance I’ll ever get a shot at winning Genie back?”

“Not in a million years,” Grimes said.

“I’ll see you in a million years then,” Spade said.

Grimes and Genie entered the transport shaft.

“I kept her codes, you know,” Spade said. “I should have given them to you when you won her from me, but I always thought somehow she’d find her way back to me and I could reinitiate the imprinting sequence.”

Genie turned and observed Spade closely from across the cockpit, analyzing his body language and temperature.

Spade dug through a pocket and pulled out a small insertable chip attached by a cord to a ring.

“These are the codes right here,” he said. “Take them. Burn them. That’s what I should’ve done. I should’ve burned them before I let her slip away.”

Spade extended his arm and handed the chip to Grimes, who took it, and looked it over.

“What about the retinal scanner?” Genie asked.

“I’ve got that too,” Spade said. “It’s down in storage. I’ll go get it.”

Spade pulled himself down the interceptor’s central transport shaft. Grimes and Genie followed behind him.

They pulled themselves hand over hand through the shaft in the weightlessness of space, down into the depths of the ship, finally emerging into one of the holds where pallets were loaded down with cargo.

“I’ve got enough armonium cannons in here to blast the Craaldans into another galaxial epoch,” Spade said. “These cannons are the primary Diocon infantry weapon. State of the art.”

Grimes’ eyes widened when he saw the cannons. “Where did you get these?” he asked.

“I was fleeing the Roga System with a squadron of Craaldan fighters on my tail,” Spade explained. “They chased me right into a Diocon supply convoy and all hell broke loose. Nukes were detonating left and right, pulse cannons tore through cargo ships and kinetic lasers blasted everything that moved. For all intents and purposes, it was lights out for Captain Jace Spade. Old Red took a thrashing, but she delivered me through the eye of the storm and we emerged alive. When the battle was over, I reconnoitered the burned out hulk of a Diocon weapons transport and salvaged these cannons from one of its cargo bays.”

Spade looked over the pallets, tugging at the security cables. “Gallos is right on the perimeter of the Craaldan Empire,” he said. “The humans of Portogallos will pay a king’s ransom for advanced weapons like these.”

“They don’t have an army on Gallos,” Grimes said. “Even with Diocon weaponry, it’s not enough to stop a Craaldan attack.”

“Maybe so,” Spade said. “Regardless, there will be plenty of buyers on Portogallos.”

Spade pulled one of the cannons off a pallet and showed it to Grimes. It was large, too large for him to lift, if not for the weightlessness of space.

“You can attach this bad boy to the hull of your ship when you’re in a tough spot, then stow it when you want to appear more commercial,” Spade said. “On the ground, these guns have precision accuracy and also make great anti-aircraft weapons.”

Genie watched the two human males and observed their fascination with the weapon. Joe, being a former infantryman and Ranger, had a great deal of admiration for it and asked numerous questions, while Spade explained its parameters like an expert.

“A few well-placed shots from this baby can take down a Craaldan interstellar destroyer,” Spade said.

“Is that a fact?” Grimes said.

“Roger,” Spade said. “You would have to know what you’re aiming for, but it can be done. This baby has the juice.”

“Let’s fire off a few rounds,” Grimes said.

“Right now?” Spade asked.

“Yes, sir,” Grimes said.

“All right,” Spade said. “I’ve got Craaldan mech armor we can take for a space walk.”

“You’ve got Craaldan mech armor?” Grimes asked.

“Yeah, you want to check it out?”

“No, he does not, Captain Spade,” Genie said. “And he does not want to test fire an armonium cannon. It is time for us to depart, Joe.”

Grimes examined the Diocon cannon that he held in his arms.

“Just a couple rounds,” Spade said.

“No,” Grimes said. “Genie’s right. This weapon is a beauty, but we have to head out.”

“Why don’t you two stick around?” Spade asked. “Really. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Whatever payoff you get from those weapons will be short-lived, Spade,” Grimes said. “Gallos is a doomed world, armonium cannons or not. Your king’s ransom will be worthless once the Craaldans arrive.”

“I don’t plan on hanging around for that,” Spade said. “Once I purchase supplies and fuel, I’m voyaging to the Malafax System.”

“Is that where the ghost of Dr. Zander resides now?” Genie asked.

“Maybe,” Spade answered. “I could use a good crew, Grimes. You, me and Genie. Just like old times.”

“Don’t let him lure you into his web of schemes, Joe,” Genie said.

“Web of schemes?” Spade said.

“Genie’s right,” Grimes said. “I’m finished with the Inner Galaxy. Genie and I are leaving.”

“Yes,” Genie said. “Now give us the retinal scanner.”