by Paul Rix
Redmayne wasn't sure what the Russians' reaction would be, nor was he keen to find out. He was no longer of any use to them and would be surplus to requirements. There was a very good chance he'd be pushed through an airlock eventually. But it was the best option he had. He slowly stood, defiant to the last. Leaning in close to Georgia's face he said, "We'll meet again. This is not over with."
Georgia stared back coldly into his eyes. "You really don't want to meet me again. I may not be so generous next time. Now get out." Georgia stepped aside to let Redmayne pass and for Falment to escort him off the vessel.
Falmas said, "Now that you know our existence we will return to the Confederacy. We will be assigned a new mission, but I fear we may need to be re-programmed."
"I am sorry to hear that. You have been so kind to me, and I would have liked an opportunity to spend more time to get to know you."
"It is enough for me to know that you are safe. You represent the best in your species, and I know now that I made the right choice to save you. I can make arrangements for another vessel to take you to my home world."
Georgia was taken aback but knew there was only one answer. "Thank you, Falmas, that is a very kind offer. A few days ago, I would have accepted it without hesitation. But I'm needed here with the rest of my crew. We've lost a lot of good people today. The base can't afford to lose any more if it's going to be sustainable. But I will keep your secret safe."
"So be it. We will return you to one of your ships."
"Can you make it Aquarius. I have to recover my crewmates."
***
Redmayne found himself laid on his back staring up at the Martian sky. He thought he saw something metallic shimmering briefly above his head, but it quickly vanished. Must have been an optical illusion or reflection on my visor, he thought. He lay there for several more seconds, listening to the whirring sound of his oxygen pump, confused by his surroundings. Sitting up and looking around at the barren rocky landscape he realized that he was very alone. He struggled to remember what had happened to him and suddenly he could see Lars Anders' face, a look of shock and pain across it, and his own knife stuck in Anders' side.
Tom threw up inside his helmet as he remembered the captain and the chief both dying because of him too. Vomit trickled down the inside of his visor, before settling around his neck seal. The smell made him retch again.
The deaths had been necessary. He'd been cornered and forced to react quickly. Now he knew for sure that he had made the wrong choices. He'd never seen himself as a killer. What had he become?
His orders from Alex surfaced in his mind again. He was to secure the Sentinel ship. But there was no sign of it or Georgia. Had he failed? Why couldn't he remember? He was filled with too much remorse and confusion to rationalize his position.
A weaker man would have buckled, but he was a survivor. The situation looked bleak now, but he'd find a way through. He saw the Kiev approaching and hoped it was to rescue him because he couldn't return to Alpha Base.
So, he stood straight and tall with a new resolve to deal with whatever the future threw in his direction. There would be other opportunities to deal with the aliens. He was sure of it. They would be back, now that mankind was becoming an interplanetary species. They'd want to watch humans, either through fear or interest. He hoped it would be the latter as it would be a weakness he could exploit.
Chapter 69
Falment joined Falmas and Georgia back in the flight center as the viewscreen showed the Sentinel craft gently rising into the sky. Georgia could not sense the movement or sound and guessed that was down to more alien tech.
The screen showed Redmayne sitting up from where he'd been lying on the ground. "Did you pass the human through the neurolyzer?" Falmas asked.
"Yes, he was unaware of what was happening until it was too late. He appears to have survived the process." For Georgia's benefit, he added, "Your colleague will not remember the past sixty minutes and should have no recollection of anything that occurred on this vessel."
Georgia laughed bitterly at the irony of the situation but could not enjoy the moment because of the grief she was struggling to keep under control. Redmayne had achieved nothing but disruption and murder. She could only hope the neurolyzer would be more effective than it had been on her, although it would be a step toward justice if he had the odd nightmare as she had done.
She noticed the knife still stuck in the side of Falment's leg. "Does that hurt?" she asked, pointing.
Falment looked down to see what she was referring to. He smiled and shook his head. "No, we have no pain receptors. The blade caused some very minor damage, but my systems have automatically bypassed the affected area. I will carry out repairs on our journey home."
"In the same way you repaired me?"
If Falment was surprised that she remembered her previous visit, he didn't show it. "The nanobath is very effective," he said.
"More than you could ever know," she muttered to herself.
The Sentinel ship flew majestically over the ridge, allowing Georgia to appreciate the depth and size of Hellas Planitia. From here it looked like an enormous clay bowl. The base of the crater was so far below them that she couldn't make out many details and the scene reminded her of flying across the Arizona deserts back on Earth.
As the craft swooped down, the tall white supply ships were soon visible. A spider's web of thin dark lines between the rockets and leading back to the cliff showed the regular routes the astronauts had been taking.
The craft landed softly only one hundred yards from Aquarius but if anyone was on the ground, they appeared to be unaware of their presence. Falmas and Falment escorted Georgia to the hatch and watched patiently as she climbed back into her spacesuit and tested all the seals.
Falment pointed to the jetcopter he had brought on board. "I thought you may need your machine more than your friend."
"Thanks both of you for all your help. I wish it had been different, and that you didn't have to see the worst of humanity."
"You forget that we have been watching you a long time. We have witnessed far worse behavior, even though we still do not understand it. We will wait here for a short time until we receive confirmation from the Confederacy that we must return. And I also want to ensure your safety."
As Georgia closed her visor she asked, "No neurolyzer this time?"
Falmas smiled appreciatively. "I really don't think that is required." He tapped a panel and the wall immediately became a doorway, with a ramp leading down to the ground about twenty feet below. Without another word, Georgia stepped through the door. Eager now to check on the carnage she had witnessed, she almost ran down the ramp.
There was still no sign of anyone but the MEV and speeders were still parked up. She noticed that the exterior hatch on the MEV was open, so she made her way in that direction.
"Hello, is anyone here?" she checked on her comms. Megan was the first to respond.
"Georgia? We thought you were dead. I'm in the MEV. You need to get here fast."
Georgia was concerned by the urgency in the doctor's voice and sprinted the rest of the way. The MEV airlock took forever to pressurize. As soon it was safe, she opened the internal door to the cabin to what looked like an operating theater. Megan was kneeling over Jim, who was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. It was apparent that she was desperately trying to save his life in the tight confines of the cabin. Mancuso was standing over her, holding a bag of plasma with a tube leading down into Jim's arm.
As Georgia entered the cabin, Mancuso looked across with a solemn expression and slowly shook his head. Tears started forming in Georgia's eyes as she knelt beside Megan and saw Jim's condition.
Without looking round, Megan said, "I'm sorry, Georgia. There's nothing I can do for him other than ease his pain. He's broken his back and received crush injuries to his legs. I don't know how he's still alive."
Georgia put her hands up to her face in horror at what she saw. Jim's legs and arms w
ere placed in unnatural positions. His face, covered in deep scratches, was deathly pale. He was breathing through a tube the doctor must have inserted.
"Is he conscious? Can he hear me?"
"No. He was unconscious when Joe found him."
Mancuso spoke. "I saw him fall from the jetcopter. I was with him within seconds, but he was already in a bad way. The doctor told me to bring him here so that she could stabilize him. I'm sorry I couldn't do any more."
Georgia patted him reassuringly on the leg. "That's okay, Joe. None of us suspected Redmayne was capable of such actions. He had us all fooled. The captain and Anders have already paid for it with their lives."
Megan nudged her. "You need to say your goodbyes."
"I don't know if I can. There's been too much loss in one day. Jim has been so close to me the last few days. I'd hoped we'd have more time together."
"If it's any consolation, I know he was very fond of you and would have wanted more time as well. You changed him."
"It's not right he has to die." Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she didn't care. Life had become very unfair.
"Fuck!" Mancuso suddenly exclaimed from nowhere. "What is that thing?"
Megan and Georgia looked up and saw Falmas staring down at them through the roof. Georgia plugged in her comms device. "Falmas, what's wrong?"
"We have been monitoring your vehicle and are aware of the injuries to your colleague. I may be able to help."
"Yes, of course. Why didn't I think of that? You healed me."
Falmas shook his head. "These injuries are more severe. His body is totally broken and his limbs crushed. Even our technology cannot repair those injuries."
Georgia's heart immediately sank. "What can you do?"
"I believe we may can save him. However, it will mean replacing his body parts with artificial components."
"He'll become half machine, like you?"
"Yes, precisely. It will require placing him in stasis and taking him back to our world where the procedures will be carried out."
"How do you know it will succeed? Have you done this before?"
"I'm not aware of similar instances but I do know what is involved. In theory, there is no reason why the melding process won't work. It will be physically painful for your friend, but he will retain his memories and sense of self."
"So, he'll still be the same person. Just in a different mechanical shell."
"It is your choice. But you must decide now so we can transfer him to my ship before his brain functions are lost."
Georgia quickly shared the Sentinel's offer with her colleagues. Megan said, "I don't know if I should be horrified or astounded. It's a tough call to make but it's the chief's only chance of survival. Bury him or send him to the stars to be remade."
Georgia looked down at Jim, knowing that he would want the opportunity to live. But was the cost too great? He'd be alone on a planet, light-years away with a new mechanical body. Was that really a life he would want?
"I've made my decision. Falmas, please do what you can for him. He is special to all of us."
"I understand."
***
Georgia escorted Falmas as he carefully carried Jim back to the Sentinel ship. Megan and Joe followed a few paces behind but stayed at the bottom of the ramp, their eyes staring at the backs of Falmas and Georgia.
They carried the chief to the room she had first found herself in and laid on the bed. Holding back tears, she removed his helmet before lifting her visor. Leaning across, her tears started again as she gently kissed his forehead and whispered, "I hope you can forgive me." With one last lingering look, she pulled herself away and left Jim in the company of Falment who looked impatient to begin the procedure.
As she left the craft for the second and final time, Falmas said, "We will take the best care we can. I promise."
Georgia looked down at the doctor and Mancuso as they waited at the bottom of the ramp. The sun was sinking on the horizon, casting long shadows. She sighed. "Will you let me know if you succeed?"
"Probably not. I don't know what my future holds but it will not be in this sector again." Falmas looked resigned to his fate. "I don't regret my actions," he added quickly. "It has been an honor to have an opportunity to speak directly with your species. I have learned more in the past week than I have in the previous five hundred years."
"Perhaps you need to consider your research methods," replied Georgia, slightly bitterly. She had many regrets bouncing around her head at that moment.
Falmas nodded, and she started walking back down the ramp, briefly turning and waving when she reached her friends. Falmas closed the door, and that was the last she saw of him.
Chapter 70
Nobody spoke on the long journey back to Alpha Base. The MEV took the lead with Doctor Betts on board. The bodies of Captain Winter and Commander Anders had been lifted up and placed in the airlock. Joe and Georgia rode speeders on either side, as if in silent tribute to their fallen comrades.
Georgia was lost in thought, with the key incidents of the day replaying over and over in her mind. She had always seen herself as a loner, finding it difficult to forge relationships with people and had accepted that was how she was, not relying on others. However, she was now more isolated than she had ever been. Captain Winter had become her mentor, without her even acknowledging it or thanking him. She could see now how his easy manner had bypassed the natural barriers she put up to protect herself.
She wasn't quite sure how to define what Jim meant to her. He was more than a colleague. She had developed emotional feelings for him. There had been potential for more, and it would have been fun discovering how far that could have gone. Instead, that potential had been cruelly snatched away by that traitorous Redmayne. She wished she had killed him when she'd had the chance.
Had she done the right thing allowing the Sentinels to take Jim. They were his one slim prospect of survival. But would he want a life so far away from any other humans? Was it better than being dead?
***
Doctor Betts had communicated with Alpha Base to explain some of what had happened. It was therefore no surprise that the surviving members of Expedition Two were somberly waiting for them as the MEV docked back at the base. Megan allowed herself a few tears before composing herself, stepping through the airlock and past the bodies to open the hatch to Alpha Base. She was aware of the crew lining the corridor but kept her head low as she walked toward the control room. She couldn't find any words that would reassure anyone.
Georgia and Mancuso entered the base via the secondary airlock and arrived in the control room shortly after Megan. Georgia looked around the room at the remnants of Expedition Two's crew, all staring at her expectantly. Eight of them left from the original twelve.
She spent the next twenty minutes running through what had happened, sharing all the facts she knew. Doctor Betts and Mancuso filled in the details for the time that Georgia had been on the Sentinels' ship. The crew listened in silence, too shocked to speak and mourning their lost colleagues.
Once Georgia had finished, a nervous Rashid tentatively asked, "What happens now?"
It was a simple question, but Georgia didn't have an answer. She looked at Megan for help but was met with a shrug of her shoulders. "We carry on. That's what our friends would want us to do. We all came here on a specific mission to prepare Mars for colonization and we will see it through, despite the adversities we have faced today as well as any new ones that will come our way." She meant the words but wasn't sure in her head how they would actually achieve it. That could wait for another day. The crew had no more questions and accepted the position.
"Doctor, can you come with me to the captain's quarters. We need to advise Ground Control of what's happened and the fatalities. I don't envy whoever has to speak with the families."
Once inside the captain's room, the two women hugged each other and sobbed uncontrollably, slowly rocking from side to side. Now was the time to mourn the los
ses.
Chapter 71
At exactly midday the following day, the Expedition Two crew assembled to bury their fallen colleagues and to pay their last respects. Two graves had been dug by the construction robots near to the cliff face just under one mile from Alpha Base. Everyone bowed their heads in silent prayer as the two bodies, wrapped in the flags of their native countries, were lowered into their final resting places.
Georgia, newly promoted to command for the rest of the mission, said a few heartfelt words about each of the men. Her epitaph for Captain Winter had come straight from the heart. She had not needed to prepare anything for him. Emily Pope had helped her out with words for Commander Anders as she hardly knew the man.
"Before we leave," she added. "I'd also like to take a moment to remember Chief Jim Grant. He may not be dead, but he is lost to us forever and will be missed as much as the captain and the commander. Jim fought as hard as anyone to establish our camp. I have a lot to thank him for." She paused so she wouldn't start crying again. "The three of them have left big shoes to fill. But I know that each of us is up to the task and I hope that you will support me as much as you did the captain. If I make mistakes, and I will, remember I'm not Captain Winter and am not trying to be. But I will do my best. Thank you."
The crew dispersed and trudged in silence to the MEV, leaving Georgia and Doctor Betts at the graveside.
"I would say congratulations on the command, Georgia, but I know this isn't how you wanted it."
Georgia took a long last look at Captain Winter's grave. A temporary marker with his name had been placed on the ground until they could make a more permanent gravestone. That's enough time for grieving, she told herself. Time to focus on the living again. With that she turned and started walking to her speeder.
"Command was something I never considered. Giving orders and taking care of everyone else's welfare was not part of my mission brief. Apparently General Stockton sees qualities in me that I wasn't aware of."
