Hot Day on Titan Read online

  The maintenance path led up to a door above the sewer head opening. Playing a hunch, Rutgers slapped the control panel beside it. As he’d expected, the door slid open. Idiot civvies didn’t even bother to lock their doors.

  Gravity tugged at him the instant Rutgers stepped through the door. Not up to Earth-level – even civvies weren’t stupid enough to hit their folk with a ninety percent weight increase all at once – but after floating along in Titan’s point ten g it was enough to make him feel the drag. Inside, the scuffed gray space looked like a standard detox chamber. Nothing in it except a series of wall niches that held fat, insulated exo-suits stashed between equipment racks. He thumped feet to regain his gravity legs while the chamber’s automated de-tam units sprayed, scoured, and re-sprayed the two of them till the ‘no go’ light above the inside door switched from red to green.

  Rutgers twitched on his gun trigger as he stepped up to the door. “Get ready. Here’s where we start the body count.”

  “Got no staff here.” Fido bared fangs in what Rutgers took for a grin. “This maintenance level. Civvies all too busy come here now. No trouble. You see.”

  “Suits me, either way.” He glanced at his chron. Twenty-two minutes to that second flush. Watchers or not, he didn’t have time to argue about it.

  Like Fido’d said, the passage beyond was just a simple utility corridor winding up toward a bank of elevators on the far curve of the building. Not even any doors, just a series of blue metal benches every five meters or so. The gravity increased meter by meter, building gradually back up to Earth normal. After the near free-fall outside, the change was exhausting. By the time they reached the elevators, every step felt like he was pulling his feet out of taffy. Had he been a civvie peacenik, he sure as hell would’ve used one of those benches.

  Four floors up the elevators emptied them onto another patch of empty grayness. Fido pointed at the far wall. “Katrina’s quarters.”

  It took Rutgers a second to make out the bank of nondescript doors blending into the wall opposite the elevators. “Where are her guards?”

  “All outside. Go your ship.” Fido grinned. “I make sure.”

  “Smart Dog.” Rutgers checked his gun, then slapped the control patch beside the door. The gray panel slid open onto darkness. The barest hint of light showed a wolf-eared figure whirling to face him.

  With a roar of victory, Rutgers flattened himself against the door frame and fired. The wide bore laser of his gun lit the room green.

  “Rut, no!” The cry ended in a green flare. And the impression of other bodies, suddenly separating themselves from the shadows. Wolf-eared shadows.

  Powerful hands sent Rutgers careening off the wall. He landed face down on something that groaned. Sidelong, Rutgers made out the outline of a cheap metal head band holding fuzzy fake ears. “Chon?” He grabbed the man by the shoulders and shook. “What happened?”

  “Smoke was … a decoy… They blew the ship.” He groaned and Rutgers heard the blood-bubble in it.

  Rutgers slapped him back to consciousness. “What the hell you doing here, then?”

  “Dogs brought me.” The bubble sharpened to a rattle but Chon managed a bitter smile. “Sorry, Rut. Kerrar traded my bounty for yours. And I needed the money-” Chon’s body spasmed, then went still.

  Rutgers squirmed onto his back to free his gun arm. No go. Rutgers kicked out but the bastard holding him down just leaned harder, pushing his face plate into the smoking gash in Chon’s gut.

  His captor flipped him onto his back. Rutgers found himself staring up into Fido’s toothy smile. Behind the Dog a ring of rifle muzzles focused on him, their bores glowing red. Lupan rifles. “Scrat you, you miserable son of a bitch-” His defiance ended in a yip as Fido leaned full weight on his arm.

  “Hardly a ‘son’, Commander.” Unhurried, Fido removed its helmet. “My name is Kerrar. Or, as you flat teeth put it, Katrina.”

  Rutgers squirmed to keep his suit dry as the full horror behind the name sank in. “You owe me, damn you!”

  “No debt, remember? It’d be a hot day on Titan before you need a Dog’s favors, was how you put it I believe.” Katrina’s grin stretched to terrifying proportions. She lifted a finger and armored hands yanked Rutgers to his feet. “Haven’t you noticed? I do believe it’s getting warm in here.”