Space Station Acheron

by F Stephan

  Tasha was taken aback at the proposal. She hadn’t even asked. The Space Spider back on the moon. That would boost morale.

  “Is the air that bad down around you?” she mused tentatively.

  “You wouldn’t imagine, my dear! All our friends shot down. I’m sure I’m on the shooter’s list. I know my old crew members. They will wake up the base fast enough. But the farms, those are my babies. Who did you send? Taisir? Nick?”

  “Both, Madam. Naturally, you’re welcome.”

  “I won’t be able to follow you up there,” said Elisabeth Evans quietly from the side. Tasha didn’t know her well, not as well as she should. She had taken time to meet her. Brian might be like a brother to her, even far away on distant training, but she didn’t really know his sister.

  “And you shouldn’t. With your family! Brian will kill me if anything happens to you. Now, Miss. Evans, I need you to hide until the situation changes. When you’ll make a difference.”

  “Yes, I’ll try.” Her voice was both subdued and relieved. She had already made that choice. The situation must be grave indeed. One is away from the planet, the other back in the ranks.

  Tasha lost the signal for another minute. The cuts were raking her nerves. But when the connection restarted, Jeanne was smiling. “See, Elisabeth, I told you she would grasp this fast. Her father was a shrewd one. Luckily for me, his grandfather wasn’t.”

  “You knew both, Madam?” Tasha inquired.

  “Both were interested in space and my neighbors. Yes, I met them. I even met your esteemed mother. But, that’s another story. Anything we can do to help before we hide?” Blunt and direct.

  “I need a 3D printer to set up a plant up here. We need to manufacture our own spares. Any ideas?”

  Elisabeth looked at her in the eyes. “Impossible to send you one from our plants. They are monitored too closely.”

  “And the old lunar 3D printer in Cape Kennedy? The one you decommissioned ten years ago?” mused Jeanne in her delicate voice.

  Elisabeth’s eyes unfocused as she checked data outside of the conference. “No such equipment appears on the list.”

  Jeanne continued unabated. “That’s normal, since it was decommissioned. You remember the late Iain Mitchell? He stored a few items here and there when he could. Sector ten, hangar nineteen, I think.”

  Elisabeth laughed. “Tasha, if one of your workers was in the next shuttle and transferred crates from this hangar, that’s outside my company’s authority. Or anyone’s, for that matter. You have old-timers who might know people down there?”

  Tasha nodded. I get a Space Spider and a 3D printer. As Dad said, if you don’t ask, you won’t get. It wouldn’t save the day, but maybe it would buy a month more. This was all she could hope for now.

  Wilfried

  Space station Acheron, December 1st, 2140

  Wilfried found Andrew in the engineering module, eating in the cafeteria with Kimi and Reiner. Well, they’re settling in.

  “Good morning, Andrew. Can I talk to you alone for a minute?”

  Andrew cast him a strange look. In the station, there was little privacy and few private conversations. Yet he got up, leading Wilfried to a quiet part of the engineering bay, just next door.

  “Sorry to have to announce this…”

  “Is it Nateiev? He was in the last shuttle back to Earth. He didn’t make it? The re-entry!” Everyone disliked the bumpy ride through the atmosphere, with all its dangers.

  “Well, he made it to the ground and to the hospital. But not through the night. Might be the after-effect of sending him back home. Maybe we shouldn’t have.”

  “We should. We couldn’t handle his burns, Pilot, and we both know it.” Andrew lapsed into a heavy silence. Wilfried turned to leave him alone with the news, when the tech raised his red eyes to him.

  “Pilot. The night before the accident, something happened.” He told Wilfried quickly about the outage and the shouts, and the lights returning afterwards.

  “Do you think this could be related? That he was our mole?”

  “Or that someone leaned on him, maybe.”

  “Every one of you has been scrutinized by the CPC.”

  “They do what they can, Pilot,” sighed Andrew. “But they aren’t liked on Earth and many will help hide what we are doing on the ground. You should know that.” My childhood was bound to get out. Will it help me? “I don’t know how he did it, but Nateiev had a reputation of gambling.”

  Wilfried cursed. The whole planet protected their attackers. How could they fight? “Thank you, Nateiev. I will request a detailed autopsy.”

  He walked grimly out of the bay, out of the module, not able to speak with anyone, even when Reiner tried to catch his gaze. He went straight back to his own room, calling Chief Iakoubi and sharing the news.

  “This may be true,” Iakoubi responded. “We are doing the best we can, but we have limits. Both with privacy laws and locals protecting their own.”

  “So how can we trust all the background checks you’re doing?”

  “They make it harder for the troublemakers. And sooner or later, we catch a detail that doesn’t fit, and we get them.” Chief Iakoubi was in a location Wilfried didn’t recognize, probably preparing another ground operation. “Look. The raids on their plant seem to have been hurting the black market. The drug output is much weaker now, from what our sources are telling us. So, we are progressing one step at a time.”

  “How many deaths, Chief, for those small results?”

  “Too many, and we both know it. But this is a job we must do. Not to survive, but to have all our people survive. Now I have to leave you. I will request an autopsy and follow up on this. Focus on space activities. We haven’t stopped them yet.”

  Tasha

  Space station Acheron, December 5, 2140

  “Emergence in five minutes.”

  Tasha awoke, startled at the sound of Wilfried’s voice.

  “What’s the situation?” she yawned, red-eyed, reaching for her commlink.

  “Four minutes. Rift forming. Every crew member in shelters.” Wilfried continued the ritual they had devised. Tasha had fallen asleep dressed for the arrival.

  She left her office and ran to the bridge. “Three. Right stable.” She arrived to see Jupiter looking back at her. “Two. They are crossing.” Tasha stopped breathing, looking at Charon emerging from the rift. And at last, the spaceship reached the station.

  Wilfried finished his litany. “Charon is back. We have twenty hours to unload it and send it back. The career from Adheek will soon cross the outer reaches of the solar system.” He was looking attentively at her, fidgeting. He was wearing his usual jumpsuit, which was smeared with grease. They couldn’t predict the arrival until the rift began forming. From the look of him, he had come directly from the plant to direct the emergence.

  “We’ve got to meet them and send our cargo. You’re flying out?”

  “Yes. Leopold sent me a message. He needs some rest. He’s exhausted.” Wilfried managed a cheap smile.

  “And you aren’t?” Tasha raised her eyebrows.

  “Someone’s got to go. He needs more rest.” Wilfried projected an optimism Tasha didn’t feel, but she nodded in agreement.

  “Docking in?”

  “One hour at least.”

  “Who’s supervising the unloading?” Tasha had left Wilfried in charge of operations while she spent her days securing the spares and goods needed to run the station. It took more and more work every day.

  She shook herself. Every product they needed was missing or running low. Then, she had had more bad news from Anaru about EarthFirst. EarthFirst’s leader remained in the shadows, but under his guidance, his lobby continued to win support from a population scared by the climate disasters that had struck repeatedly during the year, and it reflected in their supplies.

  “Andrew. With Reiner helping him. He’s level headed.”

  “With Kimi checking on both of them?” Tasha laughed at the su
rprise on Wilfried’s face. “I keep track of what’s happening on the station, you know?”

  “Yes. She’s sturdy. And when she’s there, they work better.”

  Tasha nodded. “OK. We must review all I have to manage while you’re away.”

  “Everything you need is logged in the file I sent you earlier. You’ll have it in your inbox. Now, I would like to suggest something else.”

  “Sorry?” Now he seemed to be the one amused at her surprise.

  “We’ve got a free evening, haven’t we? And I’ll be away for a while.”

  Tasha held her breath, unsure of where he was heading, but hopeful.

  “Would you dine with me?” he finished in a murmur.

  Tasha flashed him a smile and he was nice enough to blush. She gave a silvery laugh and said, “Well, if it’s a date, I certainly will.”

  Two hours later, Wilfried knocked at her door. She had used the time to have a real shower, a rare treat in the station, and had rummaged through her small bag of clothes to find a black suit, an elegant red shirt, open at the neck but not too revealing, and a necklace with a diamond around her neck, glistening on her pale skin. It was the first time in weeks she had worn a fitted suit, a change with her usual overlarge work overalls. She opened the door to find Wilfried in his formal pilot uniform, freshly shaven and hair combed. Probably his nicest outfit.

  “Good evening, Tasha. Will you join me for this evening?” He offered his arm, nervous and blushing.

  She laughed. “I said yes, didn’t I? And I am certainly not a woman who changes her mind. You should know that.”

  “Yes, sorry…” He hesitated but continued, “I have prepared a small something for us.”

  He led her to their small meeting room. He opened the door and she gasped in surprise as she walked in. He had found white linens, a few candles to light the room, and had set up on a side tray smoked salmon, fresh vegetables, clear water and a small flask of vodka. They wouldn’t drink more than a little since he would fly away. But his intention, the reminder of her home, touched her. This is much better than the cupola. And more private. Good.

  She turned toward him and smiled. “How did you find all of this?” Real products. It must have cost him a fortune.

  “It took a while,” he said, shyly evasive.

  She smiled. “Well, let’s eat and talk.”

  She seated herself and he served her an elegant plate with fresh toast and salmon. Everything smelled delicious and she had to restrain herself to avoid wolfing it down. They ate in silence for a few minutes before they began to talk. Initially, Wilfried seemed intimidated, but he soon loosened up. Then, their talk lasted long into the night, only interrupted when Wilfried had to leave for his flight out.

  “Two weeks out?”

  “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Too far away.” She didn’t let him go without a real, deep kiss and a long-lasting embrace. “Don’t stay out too long.” She kissed him again until the alarm called him to the ship. She sang as she returned to her own cabin.

  Wilfried

  Outer solar system, December 18, 2140

  Wilfried made the final course correction to align Charon to the trade route. “Neversaynever, we will meet you in one hour. See you soon.” He was focused on his navigation. The outer solar system was entirely dark, the sun too distant to provide any real guidance. But after four hours of careful calculation, he was sure of his rendezvous.

  “Happy to see you.”

  Wilfried was startled by the voice. He hadn’t expected Observer Althal to come to see him.

  “Welcome to the Solar System. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Couldn’t live without you.” The light banter was belied by her grim expression. Bad news. “Let’s talk later.”

  “You heard the Observer. Let’s show her how we manage our spaceship.” Jay and Tom smiled behind him. Hawkeyes Noul and Rana had appeared on the bridge, watching all their actions sternly. Wilfried enjoyed the quiet efficiency of the crew. Leopold has trained them well.

  The two ships ran progressively on parallel courses. Then, Noul exited into space and launched a nano-line between them. Willfried quickly followed him. Climbing the line was a strange exercise, gravity declining as one got farther away from one ship and flipping to the other ship at the mid-point. Wilfried hated it. The ships were rushing ahead at one percent of the speed of light and dangling at that speed from a rope, even a nanite-reinforced one, scared the hell out of him. Behind him, Anton was moving the crates out of the ship to the transfer platform, seemingly undisturbed. At last, he reached the other ship, his boots hooking into its hull.

  Charon had been found less than a year ago and felt cold within its bare metal corridors. Neversaynever was, on the contrary, heavily decorated. Crew after crew had brought with them wood panels, small tapestries, plants, and all sorts of items. It created a heavy atmosphere that was oddly welcoming. Wilfried met the whole crew, as was the custom, and then was ushered into a private office with the Observer.

  “We’ll break contact in an hour,” Wilfried said. “You don’t have more time.”

  “We don’t need more, Wilfried.” He had forgotten how decisive the brunette was. “We have little time, so I’ll spare you the niceties. Most of your candidates have been doing well in the Academy. We lost two candidates from other worlds this year but, more importantly, one of your pilots will remain permanently maimed.”

  Wilfried’s eyes blurred. He had barely escaped the same doom. The three injections of nanites were dangerous, and many couldn’t manage the sudden capacities they bestowed. Wilfried had nearly succumbed during his first injection.

  “And Emily and Brian?”

  “I barely got news of them before I left. They arrived safely. Emily has a very good standing. Brian’s position is still threatened. I have a message from both of them for you.”

  Wilfried gave a short, raucous laugh. “As usual. She’s the brightest of us all.”

  Althal gave him a few minutes to look at the message from his friends, then inquired quietly, her eyes piercing, “What’s the situation on your side?”

  His shoulders dropped. “Not as I’d like. We lost three Marines dismantling one plant, four special forces dismantling another. I found no trace of drugs on Acheron. I’ve been sniffing every week, randomly. Nothing significant.”

  “Any hints? If it doesn’t transit through the station, it goes directly to your planet. Are you sending any ore from your mine in the asteroid?”

  “Yes, we are. We launch ore nuggets from the station.”

  “Could they launch the same nuggets with drugs instead?”

  “It’s possible. But I can’t find how or from what location they’re sending them.”

  “So, you don’t have a clue?” Her words lashed out at him.

  “None.” He had to concede the point.

  “And your station? How is it going?”

  “We’re barely keeping it in a working state. Opponents on the ground are working against us. We’re losing popular support. We don’t know who they are and why they act. Slowly, we are creating other supply sources, some on the moon.”

  She nodded. “I had guessed what you might face, from what the student of Earth had told me. But I didn’t think it was that bad.”

  “Well, we’re still fighting. So, there is hope.”

  “In that case, Wilfried, I’ve got some information for you. It might help a little.” She called up different 3Ds in the room. “One of our covert agents has given us a few tips. We found out that someone linked to the Origin went to your planet last summer. Maybe left when you arrived.” The Origin was a powerful sect in the Federation, one that believed that men could not safely manage a high level of technology, and that each time he attempted to do so, mankind would fall into chaos and destruction.

  “You think he would have set up the traffic? Why would a sect be interested in selling drugs?”

  “Selling drugs… I don’t think they’d be
that interested. But Archbishop Lapren would accept anything to create a wedge between your planet and the Federation. Anything to create free space where he could send his zealots.”

  “Have you been able to find and interrogate this traveler? The one who went to Earth?” Wilfried was eager for more.

  “No, he slipped through our net. You need to track any foreigners who went up and down from the station last summer. Where did they go? What did they do? Who did they meet?” He began writing down questions and ideas in his console. “Another thing. You said three Federation Marines died while assaulting a drug plant. Were their communications hacked?”

  Wilfried gulped, taken aback by the suggestion. “Our communications are encrypted. No one on Earth has the processing capacity to listen on us.”

  “Except if they have the Federation keys. The Origin sect might have them. Those people on your planet could have those keys.”

  “Althal, you’re mysterious.”

  “I know. I don’t have many details. I came because we believe you’ve been infiltrated.”

  “But if we change our encryption keys, your opponent will understand we’ve found out about his help.”

  She nodded soberly. “You can’t change them until you’re ready to strike. One last thing. Two years ago, the Happynews came through your system. A rare interstellar run for those scum before we stopped their menagerie.”

  Wilfried remembered them. The crew of that ship had been sold the nanite drug to Li Bao before they were discovered.

  “They may have dropped a plant here to produce the nanite drug. It would have moved in-system on low power, hiding somewhere. You’ve got to find it.”

  “Why would they do such a thing?”

  “Maybe to hide it from us. I believe they planned to come back and use it again as their own source.”

  “But they were caught before that, due to Li Bao’s problem. And you think the Origin knew about it and used it.”

  “Maybe. That would make some sense. These drugs are extremely hard to produce. Runners don’t have many factories in space. When we closed in on them on Alkath, they would have removed it from my reach.”