The Last Load Read online

The Last Load

  By Bartholomew Thockmorton

  Copyright 2011 Bartholomew Thockmorton

  And rotate your tires, dad-nabbit!

  This work is dedicated to my mama, who gave me my life-long love for comic books.

  I miss you.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE: DOCTOR LOUISTON, I PRESUME

  CHAPTER TWO: ESCAPE FROM NEW YAK

  CHAPTER THREE: MCNALLY ALMOST HONKS IT

  CHAPTER FOUR: MCNALLY EXPLAINS ALL AND GETS ARRESTED

  CHAPTER FIVE: DOCTOR LOUISTON OPERATES

  CHAPTER SIX: SECTOR PATROL HAS A BAD DAY

  CHAPTER SEVEN: OLD MCNALLY’S FARM

  CHAPTER EIGHT: BAGGING THE LEVIATHAN

  CHAPTER NINE: TIDY ENDINGS

  THOCKMORTON TERRITORY

  CHAPTER ONE: DOCTOR LOUISTON, I PRESUME

  McNally prepared for violence as he approached the four Cranston thugs surrounding Louiston’s table. McNally hated to have witnesses—the bar was crowded—but he needed Louiston’s assistance. Louiston had the stoic look of a man facing eminent danger. His eyes met McNally’s, who nodded with a half-smile.

  McNally silently named them Big Ugly, Fingers, Rover and Potato-nose. Big Ugly was both, Fingers wanted to draw the weapon that bulged beneath his left arm, Rover because of his jowls and Potato-Nose was obvious.

  “Excuse me,” he said stepping between Big Ugly and Fingers. “You’re Louiston, right?” This was addressed to the seated man.

  “Listen stupid, we’re having a little talk with our friend—and you’re not invited,” said Big Ugly, by far the meanest looking of the four individuals.

  “So you’re in charge here,” said McNally, facing the large man. “Just wanted to know.” Before he could reply, McNally struck a blow that sent him skidding across the bar’s polished floor. When Big Ugly struggled to his knees and spit out three teeth, McNally smiled. He was in a foul mood and felt like inflicting some punishment.

  Fingers had at last given in to his desire and begun to draw his blaster. Though the bar’s entrance screened for weapons, McNally knew Cranston men had free access into any secure area. He moved in close and took our Fingers with a swift elbow to the temple. Rover went down after being kneed in the groin. McNally eliminated Potato-Nose with a finger thrust into an eye socket. Screaming, the man clutched at his blood splattered face and fell backwards over the table. Louiston stood, eager to avoid the flowing gore.

  “Are you ready to leave?” asked McNally.

  “Fine by me! Let’s get the blazes out of here!” Louiston glanced at the other patrons, many heading for exits. McNally watched them go also, then turned to Louiston. “Stay close and keep your eyes open…we’re going to have to move fast!”

  Big Ugly had by now regained his feet and was violently shaking his head. McNally stepped toward him, leapt into the air and kicked with his booted foot. When Big Ugly hit the floor this time, he didn’t move. McNally stepped to one side and stomped downward.

  Rover, clutching his wounded groin, convulsed in renewed pain as the side of his face crushed inward. Looking right and left, McNally was satisfied the men in the Cranston uniforms no longer posed a threat.

  Louiston stepped over the four that had been dispatched with such apparent ease, then hurried to catch McNally, who was halfway to the door.

  He stopped in front of the bar and pinned the keep with a steely gaze. “If you sound an alarm, I’ll come back and kick your carcass to Pluto. Got it?”

  The man nodded slightly, then glanced towards the men on the floor. “Whatever you say mister.”

  In the corridor, McNally slowed and turned toward the man he had just rescued. “You are Doctor Louiston, the M.D., right?”

  “Yeah,” the man answered. “What does a fast mover like you want with a rock-doctor like me? Who are you anyway?”

  “You’re evidence,” said McNally, tapping Louiston on the chest with a stiff finger. “Right now you’re the most important person in my universe, and the name is McNally, Randal McNally.”

  “You a cop?”

  “I’ve worked with them. More important, I’m your meal ticket off this flyspeck of a trucker’s asteroid and the guy who most probably just saved your grits from the fire!’

  As McNally continued down the corridor, Louiston looked behind him. Already curious patrons had come outside wondering what all the trouble was about. Not wanting to answer the questions that security was sure to have, Louiston turned and sprinted after McNally.

  For several minutes the two men ran through the metal passages of the asteroid’s interior. By their turns and general direction, Louiston guessed they were headed towards the asteroid’s loading docks.

  At the intersection of the two corridors, McNally stopped. Moments later, Louiston joined him.

  “From here on we’ll encounter more pedestrians,” said McNally. “You can stop the heavy breathing, we’re walking from here. Just remember we’re two guys heading for their rig.”

  “That sounds good,” panted Louiston as he leaned against the metal bulkhead. “But they’ll have sounded the alarm by now! Security is going to be hot for our heads!”

  “Unlikely,” replied McNally. “I’ve got this whole chunk of rock jammed against internal alarms. I just warned the barkeep hoping he would be that much slower sending for help. Here, you may need this.” McNally reached inside his jacket and handed a pistol to Louiston.

  Louiston examined the formidable TS-11 military-grade riot pistol. “Where in the blue-blazes did you get this thing?” cried Louiston. “The bar was screened…not to mention that military hardware is outlawed for civilian use in the Oort cloud…unless you happen to be in the Inner-system Navy.”

  “I’m not actually in the Navy, and I didn’t bring it into the bar. If you had been watching closely, you would have noticed me snatching that weapon from Fingers’ jacket.”

  Louiston shoved the gun in his belt. “Fingers?”

  “Never mind! We don’t have that much time. We’re got to get off this station, and it’s important that you leave with me…in one piece!”

  Suddenly a squad of security guards sprinted around the corner and all but collided with the two men. Louiston drew and fired several rounds in rapid succession. Three of the guards lurched backwards with gaping holes in their body armor.

  “Stop!” screamed McNally. He dove into the remaining four. Louiston held his fire and tried to follow what happened next. McNally moved amongst the security team, raining blows. In moments, the men were down and unmoving.

  McNally moved toward Louiston and leveled a finger at his face. “We have to come to an understanding right now! We don’t kill women! We don’t kill children! We don’t kill innocents! Unless your target is a Cranston agent, or someone else I’ve specified, you do not use that weapon! I don’t mind blood, but it’s got to be the right people or you’re no better than the guy I’m after.”

  Louiston returned the blaster to his belt. “Look McNally, you can’t give me a weapon, then tell me not to use it! As far I’m concerned everyone on this rock is my enemy!”

  McNally moved even closer to Louiston and glared. “You’re wrong,” said McNally. “From now on you don’t draw unless I give you permission! Before I’m done, the body count in this sector of the cloud may skyrocket. But it’s got to be done right! And it’s got to be for the proper reasons. Take it or leave it!” McNally turned and walked away.

  Louiston inhaled deeply. “Look I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry doesn’t cut it,” snapped McNally. “I know what you’ve been through and I know what your problems are! There’s a lot of bad business going down in this sector. Whatever happens, we’re not here to contribute to it. Now let’s get down to the loading bays. We’re
running out of time!”

  Shortly, they stood outside an interior airlock to one of the numerous loading bays. Louiston waited as McNally conferred with the duty attendant.

  “You’re going to be okay, George?”

  “Ah, Randal...what can I tell you? I don’t think anyone is wise to me…yet.”

  “Good, let’s just try to keep it that way,” said McNally looking around and smiling. “I’ll see that an extra thousand credits are zipped to your account back on Titan. Will that do?”

  George smiled and clasped McNally on the shoulder. “Randal my friend, when has The Company ever let me down?”

  “I’ll try to be as gentle as I can. But I’ve got to make it look convincing!” As the man turned, facing the other way, McNally struck him on the back of the neck with his rigid, open palm. George fell like a sack of grain, slamming heavily onto the deck.

  McNally turned to Louiston. “We’ve got a lot to do.”

  Louiston followed McNally, stepping over the attendant lying on the floor at the entrance to the airlock.

  CHAPTER TWO: ESCAPE FROM NEW YAK

  Back in the bar, Security Chief Rogers watched as his team placed the bodies on stretchers. Two dead men—one with a crushed skull, the other from brain damage caused by something shoved through his eye socket. The others were alive, but out cold. Rogers looked at the floor and sighed; he’d question them in the infirmary when they regained consciousness. He motioned for the bartender to join him.

  “Would you like to tell me what happened?” asked Rogers.

  “Not much to tell! Stranger came in and tore them apart like a professional.”

  “A professional, huh? Four men in Cranston uniforms and a trained killer…that’s just great! Ever see him before?”

  “Nope, he was a new one to me! Like I said, he was a stranger! Just walked in here, started the fight and left with that Louiston fellow.”

  “Doctor Louiston?” asked Rogers in surprise. “What would a trained killer want with a space jockey like him?”

  “Hey, Chief,” called a member of the security team. “Report from corridor 17A...Squad Four reports seven of our men down—three dead.”

  Wonderful, thought Rogers. This was trouble...big trouble. Dead Cranston employees were bad enough. Dead security guards would have the Sector Police swarming all over the New Yak asteroid.

  “All right men,” shouted Rogers. “Let’s initiate a full-scale station search. Close down all transports and no flights in until we find these guys…and launch a couple of security ships to scan topside!”

  Rogers turned and headed for the doorway. He had better put in a call to the Cranston main offices over on the Madeira Colony. They would want to know that the Sector Police would undoubtedly be paying New Yak a visit. Rogers prayed that Louiston and the other man would be found before they got off the asteroid. If they did get away…Rogers was not in the mood to think about that complication.

  ***

  Fully suited, McNally and Louiston exited the airlock and headed down the row of docked crafts. Louiston stopped in surprise as they approached a small two-man shuttle.

  “This is your ship? Lord! I’ve seen closets bigger than this thing! No wonder we’re wearing pressure suits!”

  McNally opened a small panel and activated controls, sliding the canopy backwards. “It’s a shuttle craft, dim wit,” McNally replied sarcastically. “My ship’s too big to fit in this little bay.” He scrambled upwards and took the lead seat in the cockpit. “But if you’re particular, you can arrange for other transport! Maybe you want to stay here and convince security the holes in those three corpses back in the corridor didn’t come from the gun you’ve got inside that suit.”

  Louiston joined McNally in the cockpit. “Point well taken! I hope you will forgive me if I have insulted this fine specimen of transportation. Shall we leave?”

  McNally was already running his hands over the control panel. The small craft’s engines hummed into life as the canopy slid forward over their heads. “Say goodbye to Mr. Yak’s asteroid, ‘cause we’re gone!”

  The craft rose from the deck as McNally signaled the loading bay’s shielded doors to open.

  Nothing happened.

  “Why am I not surprised,” muttered McNally, turning switches that activated the shuttle’s radio. “Let’s see if the boys inside have anything to say to us…”

  “—ordered to abandon your craft and re-enter the station. Repeat, this is New Yak Security to unidentified craft! Shut down your engines! You are ord—“ McNally switched off the radio.

  “What do we do now McNally?”

  “What we were going to do all along…we’re going to leave these amateurs far behind.”

  Suddenly, a shimmering field of pulsating force formed about the shuttle. Louiston could still see the details of the loading dock beyond the craft, but it was evident from the flowing patterns of energy that the field was of phenomenal strength.

  The drone of the conversion core climbed in pitch as McNally powered up the engines. A new and unmistakable whine joined the harmonics gently vibrating the craft. “Plasma generators?” Louiston’s voice was almost lost amidst the power hum that surrounded them.

  “You got it! You might want to hang on. When the fireworks start, I’m going to pull 15 gees. The inertials will only hold at 70 percent with this much power diverted to the shields, so it’s going to be a bumpy ride!”

  Before Louiston could protest, multiple blasts of searing plasma exploded outward from the shuttle’s side-mounted weapons pods. Both men were shoved backwards as the small craft launched itself forward and beyond the confines of the asteroid. Louiston did not see the bay’s doors vaporize.

  In moments, the dwindling asteroid was far astern. McNally banked hard to starboard, placing their flight path almost ninety-degrees to their original course. The asteroid was still visible, surrounded by a sea of stars.

  “Let’s see if we have any company,” commented McNally as he inspected the control panel’s small radar screen.

  “I thought the idea was to get out of here!”

  “Patience Doctor! We don’t want any unwelcome visitors following us home! I’m jamming their radar, but I’m sure station security would have no trouble following our radiation trail.”

  As if on cue, twin signals blipped into life on the radar screen.

  McNally again banked starboard, heading back towards the asteroid. “Here they come! Now we just show them the error of their ways!”

  The shuttle accelerated and the asteroid grew with alarming speed. They could now see the pursuing spacecrafts, each many times larger than McNally’s small shuttle. The security crafts rode fiery trails generated by their fusion drives.

  McNally adjusted course to intercept the craft on the left. Their ship shuddered slightly as several bolts of plasma fire grazed off the shuttle’s shield. Louiston licked perspiration from his lips; he had never engaged in ship-to-ship combat. He silently prayed that McNally knew what he was doing.

  For the second time, the ship’s weapons generators screamed in fury as flashing patterns of destruction lashed outward. The vessel they had been closing on erupted with a blinding flash. The other ship veered hard to port. It would take them a few moments to come back around for an attack pattern.

  “Great shooting, you got one!” shouted Louiston.

  “Just their shields. With any luck, their main engines too.”

  There was evidence the ship was indeed in trouble. It turned slowly, seeking to avoid further combat. McNally adjusted course to pursue the damaged craft. As they drew near, McNally launched a small missile, which blazed towards the crippled ship. Seconds later a small explosion blossomed near the rear section of the retreating craft.

  “That will teach them how the cow eats cabbage,” chuckled McNally.

  “What gives McNally? I thought you didn’t want any unnecessary bloodshed!”

  “That was a surgical strike! I just cut off their balls! They’ll be ok
ay…as long as they’re wearing their radiation suits. But someone’s definitely going to have to come out and get them!”

  Unexpectedly, the shuttle shook violently and angled sideways as a tremendous explosion detonated on their starboard shield. The second security vessel had returned on its attack run. McNally swore, adjusting their flight while assessing for possible damage.

  Louiston turned in his seat and looked at the attacking vessel.

  “They’re coming in,” he said, anxiety tainting his voice.

  “We’ve got a problem here,” said McNally, as he slaved over the controls.

  The ship lurched again as another barrage of destruction pounded their shields. Louiston all but screamed as the cockpit began to fill with smoke. “You had better do something fast!”

  “I don’t understand it,” said McNally as he rapidly glanced out the window. “That first hit must have done something to our field generators! We seem to be losing power!”

  “We seem to be about to die,” shouted Louiston, as another series of blasts slammed into their craft. “If you know some tricks, now’s the time to use them!”

  Suddenly, the shuttle lurched forward with renewed speed as McNally feverishly wrestled with the controls. The ship banked sharply as he tried to align the attacking craft in his weapons’ sights. But the maneuver was slow and the other craft followed them into the turn.

  “Blast!” screamed McNally, “Something’s jamming the controls! I’m going to have to try to outrun them!”

  As Louiston watched the trailing vessel, their craft straightened out and again surged forward. The security craft fired an additional volley and missed. Louiston looked to McNally, expecting salvation from their predicament. “Well? What’s the story? Tell me we’re going to get away…tell me we’ll be okay! You lunatic, tell me anything!”

  “This doesn’t look good,” said McNally, glancing over his shoulder. “Our shields are down to forty-percent and I’m having trouble with the weapons!”