by Paul Grover
Mira stood and the rat scampered into the shadows. She squeezed between two heavy pieces of machinery and onward in the direction Tish had indicated.
The service tunnel snaked haphazardly through the belly of the station. As she walked her nerves calmed and she picked up her pace, eventually running. As she rounded a bend a shadow flickered on the far wall. Mira froze, her heart pounding.
The steel pipe swept out of the darkness. She ducked and it passed over her. A clang echoed through the tunnel as the pipe connected with overhead ducting and sprung from her assailant’s hands.
She staggered and lost her footing, landing on her back. The shadow moved closer. Her hand went for her gun. She flicked the safety switch off and raised it with an instinctive movement, her finger pulling the trigger to the first position.
The kid was terrified. He was thin and covered with dirt; the whites of his eyes glinted in the tunnel’s sparse lighting.
Mira pushed herself backwards, keeping her weapon trained on the kid, her arm was shaking as she released the pressure on the trigger.
“I’m sorry!” the boy said. “I thought you were station security or a gangbanger. They have been clearing the tunnels. Don’t kill me, I don’t care who you work for. I’m a no one.” He prepared to run.
“Just calm the fuck down! I am having a really shitty day,” Mira yelled. She caught her breath. “It’s okay, I’m just trying to get somewhere. I don’t mean you any harm.” She got back to her feet.
The kid relaxed, just a little. She kept the weapon trained on him.
“I’m sorry lady, the station has been going crazy. I came here a week ago on a maintenance shuttle. I have to stay low. I’m Martian Dawn.”
“Is that so?”
The kid shuffled.
“Not officially, I… don’t think what they did was right, but Mars should have the right to govern itself. Yeah?”
His clothes were dirty, his hair full of grime.
“You want to get out of here?” she asked.
The kid nodded.
“Then I can use you. You know these tunnels?”
“Like the back of my hand, lady. I have been down here for a week. I know all the good places.”
Mira clicked the safety back on the weapon and lowered it, keeping her eyes on the kid.
“What’s your name?”
“Reece Murphy.”
“I’m Mira. How old are you?”
“Fifteen.”
“Got any parents?”
“No.”
“I have a ship. There are people I need to get from the Olympic to Pier 83. If you can help me, you can leave with them.”
Reece had been trying to play it cool, but the pretence fell away at the prospect of getting off the station.
“Yes! Yes, Miss,” he said. “I can help. I know a quick way. Come on, follow me. The Olympic is best place to eat for us basement rats.”
“Reece, I need you to understand one thing; you try anything funny and I will shoot you,” Mira said. She kept her gaze fixed on him, despite a pang of guilt at the cruel words.
“It’s a good deal, Miss. Not being shot is one of my favourite things.”
Mira gestured for him to lead on.
She opened her com-link.
“Tish, I have a guide. I’ll keep calling in okay?”
“Affirm, Mira. Stay safe.”
The kid led her through the maze of service tunnels. She half expected to run into an ambush by his gang mates around every turn. True to his word Reece led her to a hatch in the ceiling, accessible with a steel ladder.
“It comes up in a storage room attached to the kitchens. I sometimes come here to steal food, like I said a good place to eat.”
Mira climbed the ladder and popped the hatch open. She lost her grip on the rungs as she did so. Her hand was painful but the swelling had reduced and she had near full movement.
Beyond the hatch, the room was stacked with tinned and packet food in oversized catering packages. She looked down at Reece, getting her first look at him in a proper light. He was thin, with mousy hair, and a lot shorter than her.
“You are not fifteen, are you?”
“Ten, sorry.” He shuffled. “I thought you would not take me seriously if I told you the truth.”
She reached down and helped him up.
“Come on, I need room 245,” she said.
Reece pushed past her and tapped a code into the lock.
“A cook busted me. She was nice; she gave me the code. She said she didn’t want me to starve, but only take what I needed.”
He was skinnier than a boy of his age should be. Rings around his eyes and sunken cheeks pointed to poor diet and dehydration.
“So where are your parents?”
“Ain’t got none. Fucking Navy bombed our Micro Dome during the war. I lived on the streets of Mariner. I’m trying my luck getting to Earth, where the rich people are.”
Mira had been part of that war and was on the wrong side as far as this young man was concerned.
“We’re going to the Frontier. It’s not Earth, but we can make space for you.”
“Thank you lady! I mean it! That ain’t beggar bullshit either. The Frontier? That’s a long way from here. I’ve never been further than… this station… I guess.”
She peered through the crack in the door. The kitchen was deserted. Mira crept out of the storage room. Reece pointed to a door on the far side of the kitchen. It opened into an empty restaurant with tables laid for guests who never came. They crossed to the far side and into the hotel lobby.
“Nice one Reece. My friend Tish’s route would have meant walking through the front door.”
“Local knowledge, you can’t beat it. Today worked out for both of us.”
Mira found a black sign with embossed gold lettering. The corridor to the senator’s suite was on the far side of the lobby. Between them a receptionist was talking to a porter. She could not make out any words but the porter seemed agitated.
She motioned for Reece to follow and did her best to saunter through the lobby.
“Miss? Can I help you?”
Mira froze.
The porter came toward her. His face lined with fatigue. His shirt was more grey than white.
“Have you come for Senator Meyer? She told me to expect someone.”
“Yes.”
“Not a minute too soon,” the man replied. “I have a friend down town who told me D37 and Frontier troops are looking for any members of the old administration. I thought they were just shipping people to safety, but I’ve heard stories. Come on, I’ll take you to her suite.”
Mira turned to Reece.
“Go back and wait by the tunnel. I won’t be long.”
“You won’t leave me?” his voice wavered.
“Of course not; you’re on the team. I’ll come back for you.”
He ran toward the storage room.
The porter motioned for Mira to follow. They hurried down a long straight corridor.
“Are you taking the kid too?” the porter asked.
“Yes, he has no one here.”
“Good, Jenny has been letting him take food, but it’s just a matter of time before he gets caught. The catering manager is already asking questions.”
They rounded a corner. The decor was tired and the carpet worn; one of the lighting strips flickered. Prints of abstract shapes and patterns hung on the walls, adding to the out-of-date vibe the hotel exuded.
“I’ve been looking after Senator Meyer and her friends,” he said. “Whatever your view is on Mars, Conway is up to no good.”
“Is Senator Meyer the only member of the government here?” Mira asked.
“She has two others with her. Aside from staffers and business people, there are no other government types in the hotel,” he replied.
The man stopped abruptly.
“I’m a proud Martian but what Von Hagen did today was not done in my name. I want you to know; it’s how most of us feel
,” he said before continuing onward.
They arrived at an anonymous synth-wood door. The porter rapped on it.
“Senator Meyer, it’s me Kevin. You have a visitor.”
The door opened a crack and a man’s face appeared in the gap.
“Thorn?”
“That’s me,” she replied.
The porter headed back toward reception.
The man opened the door. Vanessa Meyer stood in the hallway.
“The same Commander Thorn who fought at Mizarma?”
“It’s just Mira these days, Senator.”
“Then I am just Vanessa. This is Andrew Benson, a fellow member of the Senate.”
“Anyone else? D37 and Frontier Operators are on the station, so I suggest we move.”
Hofner stepped out of the shadows of the lounge.
“Hoff!” Mira said. “Sorry, Senator Hofner!”
“Mira Thorn, foul mouthed, fast and loose with a fighter. From what I hear from Aussie Jon, not much has changed. If you don’t mind me saying that’s a hell of an implant you have.” He held up his artificial arm. “Perhaps you could give me the name of your surgeon when we get out?”
You don’t know the half of it, Hoff.
Hofner turned to Meyer.
“Thorn was one of my cadets in the Academy. She and I would often have conversations.” Hofner had always tried to be fair and she always pushed the limits; leaving him little alternative than to ground her.
She changed the subject. “Just the three of you?”
“One more,” Meyer said.
There was a noise at the far end of the room. A tall blonde woman with tanned skin emerged from the bedroom. She was fastening the buttons on her soiled, white blouse.
Mira’s eyes widened. Her words dried up and her cheeks and neck burned. “Sh… Shannon Wade!” she stuttered.
“You must be our pilot, Mira?” Shannon replied.
Shannon Wade knows my name!
Mira continued to blush like a star struck teenager. The memory of the attack in the marketplace tumbling from her mind.
“I’m sorry, I must look like a total fangirl. I raced two seasons of J4… You were my hero… sorry… I’m making myself look foolish,” she said, trying to compose herself.
Shannon held out her hand; Mira shook it, her own shaking.
“It’s okay,” Shannon said. “I’m just flesh and blood, like you.”
Her blush deepened as she released Shannon’s hand.
Mira thought of the leg injury and her rapidly healing arm.
Don’t count on the flesh and blood, Shannon, after today I have my doubts…
Mira pulled it together. She explained about the ship and the route through the tunnels.
“Can’t we go straight there? The station is busy; we could just blend in. I don’t know why we don’t find Federal forces and put ourselves under their care. We have done nothing wrong,” Andy Benson said.
“Andy, listen. This situation is more complicated than any of us know. Until the risk is certain I am sticking to the original plan. Once we are off the station you are free to do as you wish.” Meyer replied.
Mira chimed in. “Travelling in the open is risky. You are all well known. Our route takes us through some maintenance tunnels to a market square. From there it’s a straight run to the ship. You’ll be in the open for about half a click as opposed to six if we go topside.”
She led her charges from the room. Kevin was waiting at the end of the corridor. Meyer took a moment to speak to him.
“There are reports of gang violence close to the docks,” Kevin said. “It looks like someone took out three of Caleb Vine’s crew and they’re spoiling for a fight down there. D37 and FRONCO troops are also riling everyone up.”
“Yeah, that might be my fault,” Mira said with a shake of her head. “I had a run in with a local gang.”
“Low profile, Thorn?” Hofner said.
She rounded on him. “I’m sorry Hoff but forgive me for being protective of my vagina. Having it violated is pretty fucking far down my bucket list.” She fought back tears as she spoke.
“I’m sorry, Mira… thank you for taking the risk,” he replied, his voice faltering.
She scowled and turned away.
“My aide, Ben Jones?” Meyer asked. It was as much a diversion as a request for information.
Mira inhaled and reigned in her temper. Her adrenaline was running out and the events of earlier weighed on her mind.
“He’s on my ship. Tish, my girlfriend… my partner… my… whatever, she found him. He’s fine, but anxious about you.”
Diversionary question or not, relief was apparent in Meyer’s face.
“We should go,” Mira said.
Reece was waiting in the storage room, eating a doughnut and drinking Cherry Cola. He offered the bottle to Mira. She took a drink; the stress lifted as the sweet taste took her back in time.
“This is Reece,” Mira said. “He’s our guide and the only person I’ve been taller than for a while.” Spontaneously and not really knowing why Mira ruffled the kid’s hair. He smiled. Mira wondered how long it had been since anyone showed him any affection.
“Come on!” Reece said, leaping into the shaft. Shannon was next. Mira helped Meyer into the tunnel. Hoff and Benson needed no help. Mira entered and closed the hatch and blinked in the half light.
Mira followed Reece as he ran through the tunnel. He seemed to possess an uncanny ability to see in the darkness. He and Mira could both run upright. She glanced behind her; the others were not so lucky. Shannon had to duck and weave between overhead the pipes, but she did it with grace and poise.
Reece stopped at a door ahead of them and peered through the grimy inspection window.
“Oh fuck balls!”
“That’s a new one on me. I thought I knew all the best swears,” Mira whispered.
Six Frontier Shock Troops in battle dress casually patrolled the marketplace. When they encountered locals they checked IDs. Groups of young men and women gathered in shop doorways. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Mira shivered when she saw the shop where she had killed the street gang. Station security had erected a cordon and two armed operatives stood guard.
“Is there another way Reece?”
He shook his head.
“The docks are over there. We have to go this way.” He pointed to the corridor on the far side of the square. It made sense why this little commercial district existed. It was an ideal location to extract a few credits from new arrivals with money burning holes in their pockets. Mira had heard plenty of stories of enlisted crew blowing a week’s pay on a basket of fruit after a long cruise.
“Is there a problem, Mouse?” Hoff asked, his voice a whisper.
“Possibly.” Mira explained the situation. She did not say it outright, but she was worried about putting Meyer and Benson through unnecessary physical activity.
Mira keyed her com-link.
There was no answer. Her heart fluttered; with trembling fingers she tried again.
Tish answered.
“Tish, you had me scared.”
“Sorry, Mira. Ben spotted activity in your area. There seems to be a large group of people heading toward the market.”
“We are there right now. It’s tense.”
“I hacked FRONCO’s comms. They are looking for anyone with Senate connections; they say they are insurgents. Local law enforcement is trying to contain a gang problem, also centred on your location. It will go off Mira. Come back, please.”
The link crackled as localised jamming killed the carrier wave.
Mira gathered her charges. “We need to keep a low profile and thread our way through.”
Benson pushed himself in front of Shannon. Mira noticed a flash of anger in her eyes.
“Listen, Thorn, whoever you are. We are not enemies of the state. I am a close friend of Vice President Conway. I am sure if we approach the security forces they will escort us home; Senator Meyer has iss
ues and I do not want to be part of that.”
“Andrew, you know Conway is the sole beneficiary of this event. It’s a coup and you must be blind if you cannot see it,” Meyer hissed.
Mira stepped between them. “Look, we can debate this when we get off the station. Tish told me they are detaining anyone with government links.” She turned to Benson. “Senator, if you do not want to go with us to the Frontier, that’s your decision. Do not compromise our plan.”
Benson remained silent.
Mira knelt next to Reece. “You can make yourself invisible right?”
“Yes, Miss, invisible is my middle name, actually my middle name is Adam…”
“Reece, focus,” she said.
He calmed himself.
“Okay, Miss. I’m frosty!”
“We need to find our way through to the docks and we need to be invisible,” Mira said.
“Follow me,” he said. “Keep calm, don’t panic. This is what I do best.”
She placed the spider on the door and popped the lock. She slipped through and instructed the senators to stay in cover.
The atmosphere in the market was tense but most of the eyes were looking in the opposite direction; toward the expanding group of gang members.
“Where are they all coming from?” Mira whispered.
“They are Caleb Vine’s people. This is their turf,” Reece replied. He pointed to the knots of young men occupying the square.
They were dressed in a similar style to the gang who attacked her, the same padded gilets and facial markings.
Reece pointed to the balconies. Menacing figures leant over the edge. They were dressed differently yet also wore prominent SkInks. “That lot are Vinnie Rikard’s men. The gangs hate each other. We should wait. They will be a distraction for those tin suited soldiers.”
Mira dropped to her knees and hid behind a piece of redundant machinery.
With the whine of an electric motor an armoured personnel carrier drove into the market; the rear ramp lowered and the Frontier troops loaded their prisoners.
The crowd continued to swell. The square filled with people, the atmosphere growing ever more toxic.
A shout went up from the gang members and the crowd surged toward the APC. People on the balconies jeered and riled the mob.
