Chapter 3

Chapter 3

C assidy rocketed out of her chair and the galley. Branson followed on her heels. The sound of her heart pounding in her chest was deafening.

“What have we got, VIC?” She communicated through their link but also verbalized their conversation for Branson’s benefit.

“ The vents immediately closed when the censors picked up the radiation, ” VIC reported. “ When it reached a dangerous level, the interior door was activated. There are only low levels of radiation in the hallway outside the unit. No one should enter that room unless they’re wearing a protective suit. If anyone is still alive in there, they won’t be for long. You’re on a retrieval mission, not attempting a rescue. ”

She took a deep breath when they reached the area outside the contaminated unit. The hall sensors only indicated low levels of radiation. VIC’s report had been accurate.

“We’re safe here,” she said. “The unit has been shut off from the rest of the ship. VIC doesn’t believe anyone would’ve survived the levels of radiation on the other side of this door.”

Branson’s stoic expression revealed little related to how the commander felt as he processed the information she’d provided. One of his people was on the other side of the reinforced steel door and the secondary interior one.

“When will we be able to retrieve the body and my equipment?” he asked.

“We have suits that will protect you from the radiation,” she said. “A secondary door closed when the levels became dangerous. There is an area between the contamination and us. You’ll enter that small compartment and we’ll have the air vented into space. You can’t remove anything from that room without a protective coating. I won’t allow you to put us all at risk. You won’t be able to complete your mission if we’re all dying from radiation poisoning. It’s not a pretty death.”

She’d been brutally honest with him. Cassidy had no idea what he’d brought aboard, but she’d disobey orders to save her crew.

“I need to get in there.” Desperation laced his words.

Cassidy scanned his face trying to get a glimpse of some emotion he felt. “If you’re upfront with me, I’ll help you the best way I can. None of this need-to-know crap. I think we’re past all of that.”

It was his turn to examine her face. She wasn’t sure what he looked for. Can a face be trustworthy?

“Fine,” he said between gritted teeth. “I brought three bombs aboard your ship. Mendez was arming one of the devices when something obviously went wrong.”

That was a mammoth understatement. He could’ve blown up her ship. Cassidy needed to control her anger so they could move forward. Panic would only cause an already bad situation to worsen.

“Is there a risk the device could explode?” she asked.

“That’s why I need to get in there,” he shouted.

Cassidy could almost taste his frustration. His anger was directed at the situation, not her.

She moved to the ship’s intercom station. “Elon, please bring two space suits to Cabin 29. Jasper, get in a suit and get your ass up here.” She also verbalized the last order as well as sent it through her neurotransmitter.

“What’s the cat going to do?” Branson asked.

“Bombs always have circuitry,” she replied. “Jasper can assess how to defuse it.”

“He’ll defuse it with a claw?” Sarcasm dripped from Goody’s delivery related to Jasper’s role. The man was wearing thin on her nerves.

“No,” she replied, trying not to release her anger. “He’ll relay the information to me and I’ll let you know what to do.”

“You won’t defuse the bomb?” he asked.

She reached out her shaking hands. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. Do you? I’m a ship’s captain, not a bomb expert. You brought the damned thing aboard and two others.”

His nostrils flared. “This mission is falling into chaos.”

There were a myriad of responses she could make, but she held her tongue. Cassidy wasn’t going to beg for inclusion. Goody was either going to share the information or he wasn’t. He didn’t know her; he’d only read her file. She had to earn his trust. Hopefully, they wouldn’t all be dead by then.

The rest of the commandos arrived to render assistance. She finally met Wendell Parker who was allergic to cats. His nose was already bright red from being blown. They couldn’t put him in a space suit.

Oliver Indio was the oldest among Goody’s soldiers. The commando had more scar tissue on his face than healthy skin. She imagined he could talk for days about all the battles he’d experienced and lived through.

The last of the commandos, Quinn Butler, was a giant of a man. If they were fired upon, he’d make an outstanding shield. He nodded after they were introduced, not bothering to utter a word.

Elon arrived with the suits. Goody confiscated the protective gear, keeping one for himself and handed the other to Reg.

Anger brewed inside her again. “How are you going to translate what Jasper discovers if I’m not there?”

She watched with interest as Branson removed his outerwear. Muscles bulged from his arms and his tight shirt indicated an extremely muscular torso. Her fingers itched to touch him. He ignored her as he slipped on the protective suit. Reg verified that he’d properly sealed all the entry points and he did the same for her.

Branson handed her a small transmitter. “You’ll relay what the cat communicates through this. Once the feline assesses the bomb, I want him the hell out of my way.”

The feline in question sauntered down the hall in a space suit. Jasper wasn’t taking any chances.

“Unbelievable,” Goody mumbled under his breath.

She wasn’t going to justify her crew’s competence to Goody. They’d earn their own respect as they had with her.

As the exterior door to Cabin 29 opened, Cassidy kept her eyes on the hallway radiation monitor. The indicator remained a light yellow, meaning levels were acceptable.

Branson entered the small area between the hall and the interior door. There was just enough space for the three of them. Jasper walked beside Reg as she entered. Cassidy held back wishing them luck.

When the exterior door shut, Cassidy felt a shudder run through her. She didn’t like not having control of her own ship.

It felt like an eternity before Jasper connected with her. “ Whoever built this device was a madman, ” her cat reported. She wasn’t going to share that comment with Goody or Reg.

“ How complicated will it be to defuse it? ” she asked.

“ Let me look at it a little longer, ” Jasper replied.

They must be dealing with a mess of a bomb if Jasper needed more time. He usually provided answers before she believed he’d truly examined whatever was before him. His need for additional time concerned her.

“ Jasper, there’s a salmon with your name on it. ” Rewards worked with cats better than threats. Her felines tended to be vindictive when threatened.

She was surprised Goody hadn’t contacted her demanding a status. He must have been near enough bombs to know defusing one wasn’t done in a rush.

“ Ask Goody if he wants to defuse or neutralize the damage his man did, ” Jasper said.

“Branson, do you wish to still use the bomb for whatever purpose you brought it along for?”

There was silence from the other end of the connection. She wondered if he attempted to communicate with Jasper in the same fashion as he’d done earlier with Titus.

“Is that even possible?” he finally asked.

Her eyes rolled in reaction to that question. “Jasper wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t.”

“If the little kitty can save the unit, that would be fantastic.”

“ Neutralize the damage, Jasper, ” she communicated. “ If you want the salmon cooked, Commander Goody will do it for you. Walk me through what Goody and Reg need to do slowly and I’ll relay what needs to be done. ”

She’d had the option of having the neurotransmitter provide a voice through a special collar for the cats. At the time, she’d turned down the functionality. Since everyone on her ship had a chip in their brain, she thought it would be a waste of money. In hindsight, she’d made a huge mistake.

Jasper communicated the instructions step-by-step as if he were talking to a child. She knew he questioned Branson’s intellect, not her own. It would’ve been so much easier if she’d been able to see what Jasper wanted done while she relayed his instructions.

Branson asked a question or two before he followed Jasper’s orders. After each step, Cassidy wondered how much longer it would take and the risk to the ship the process presented. It was the first question she should’ve asked before relaying the initial question to Branson.

“Remove the secondary plate and cut the blue wire,” she repeated Jasper’s instructions to Branson. In her mind, she visualized the work being performed.

“What happens if there isn’t a blue wire?” he asked.

“We’ll deal with it, if and when it’s a problem,” she replied.

Jasper was beyond competent. Only the most promising animals were chosen for the implant process. She selected cats because she preferred them to dogs. Cassidy preferred a tidy ship and the cats were constantly grooming themselves.

Since neither Jasper nor Branson immediately contacted her, she assumed there had been a blue wire. She didn’t begin to understand how cutting one wire and then another would make the bomb viable again.

“ Have Goody replace the plate and everything else he removed in the reverse order he removed it, ” Jasper relayed. “ Reg has been recording what he did. Tell him I like my salmon rare. ”

Cassidy relayed the final instructions, along with how Jasper wanted his salmon prepared. Branson didn’t reply to the salmon comment.

After the anteroom decontamination was complete, Branson, Reg, and Jasper joined them in the hall. Branson had the bomb underneath his arm. She was surprised how much radiation could’ve seeped through the small device.

A loud meow came from Jasper. She got on her knees and aided the valiant cat in removing his space suit. Cassidy lifted him into her arms and kissed him. It amazed her how quickly the animals burrowed into her heart.

Goody was out of his protective wear soon after she’d freed Jasper. He stared at the closed door to Cabin 29.

“What about your man?” she asked.

“Can the whole compartment be vented into space?” he asked.

She held off asking about returning the fallen soldier’s body home. They were on an off-the-books mission. No questions would be asked. Branson lived in a different world than her. In her mind, life was cherished, not sacrificed.

“We can vent the compartment,” she communicated. “That will leave three-quarters for the five of you.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Branson said before walking away.

“ That’s one cold man, ” Jasper said. “ He didn’t break into a sweat when he worked on the bomb. Not one bead of sweat appeared on his face during the procedure. Look at Reg, she’s soaking wet. ”

Cassidy wasn’t one to judge. She didn’t like when people presumed to know her, it would be wrong to do it to Branson. He probably dealt with a magnitude of demons all on his own.

“Reg, you can shower in my quarters,” she said. “The cats sleep with me, otherwise I’d offer to share my quarters with you.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Reg replied. “It was good of you not commenting about the order to vent the room with Mendez’s body still contained in it. The radiation burns over his body were extreme. No one should see a loved one in that condition. He would’ve loved space being his final resting place.”

She nodded in agreement. Thank goodness she’d kept her mouth shut.

“Our med-lab has a cream for radiation exposure,” Cassidy shared. “You should stop by and pick some up for you and your commander. Jasper will show you the way.”

Reg smiled. “That’s one incredible cat you have there.”

Elon would see to Jasper’s continued care. Her little feline had represented the crew well today. When she got back to her cabin, she’d recommend him for an honorable citation. Because of the nature of their assignment, his acts of bravery would never be announced to the general public. It would’ve made a deep enough impression to bolster the animal enhancement projects.

The ship continued its journey to the asteroid belt and the immediate danger was behind them. It was the perfect time for some downtime. With three bombs aboard and god only knew what else, she figured the next crisis was just around the corner.