by Jason Kent
Chapter 24
Greetings from Mars
Kate tried to keep calm. It was difficult, knowing she was the key to their entire plan. Plus, she was carrying the equivalent of a kiloton of explosives through a security checkpoint.
Ross and Merrick had been forced to be very creative with the weapons planned for this mission. Mars was not a Colonial Wild West world like Kate usually visited now-a-days. Once the only human foothold beyond the Earth-Moon system, Mars had rapidly progressed beyond a domed colony. Today, the red planet was covered with full-fledged city-states filled with a sophisticated populace. Many of these cities formed around corporate patrons. Such was the case with Huygens City which had EMTEC to thank for much of its growth. It was the ultimate company town in the Solar System. Kate and her friends couldn't just walk around with their usual array of weaponry. Like most cities on Earth, the Martian metropolitan police frowned on their citizens openly carrying military-grade assault rifles or automatic pistols. Even Garrett's crossbow was off-limits.
Using the equipment Georges had brought back to the Archives, along with a little ingenuity from the archivists themselves, they had been able to create replacements for the weapons each preferred. But the problem was the replacements all required micro-fusion packs. Kate figured out how the packs could be shielded to clear the sensors at Huygens City's Port and EMTEC's Research and Development Center, Mars Division. The ubiquitous sensors would have picked up on the new weapons the team wanted to carry. Because it was Kate's brainchild shielding which concealed their weapon power packs, she was voted to carry them all with her.
After standing in line for five minutes, Kate finally reached the security check-point itself. She thought she'd done pretty well appearing bored. There were cameras watching over the terminal. It would take only one rent-a-cop in the back room who saw her start to fidget. He could easily alert one of the many guards lounging about. They would be all-to-happy to have a reason, any reason, to pull someone out of line for a thorough search. Although Kate was sure her trick would fool the scanners she was about to go through, she was less sure the improvised power packs would pass direct visual scrutiny or that an inspector would buy her story about them being hair care products. Kate was a computer nerd, not a conman.
When her turn came, Kate picked up the suitcase she'd been pulling behind her. She set it on a conveyor belt which would whisk her belongings through the sensor they'd worked so hard to fool. As she set the rolling case down, she pushed the handle back into its slot. This motion was set to activate an extra layer of electromagnetic interference, a little trick Kate had learned from her time on Tallinn planets. Crossing her fingers, she stepped away from the conveyor belt and towards the upright body scanner. She stopped obediently at a yellow line painted on the floor. Kate had heard horror stories back when she worked for EMTEC about people who inadvertently crossed that line. Apparently it was one of the many infractions which could single you out for nothing less than a full body search.
A female security agent, her nametag identified her as Officer Marguerite, motioned for Kate to step across the yellow line and into the body scanner. Kate did as she was told with a fake smile plastered across her face. After all, she was simply playing the role of an EMTEC employee returning from a business trip off-world.
"Raise your arms above your head and stand still for ten seconds," Officer Marguerite said in a bored tone.
Kate raised her arms and held her breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her bag sliding into the maws of the x-ray machine. Her ten seconds passed without incident. A green indicator light winked and Marguerite motioned Kate out of the body scanner without another word.
"Thanks!" Kate said brightly. By the way Marguerite eyed her, Kate realized the polite greeting was probably a mistake. She turned away, feeling the Officer's eyes burning into her back. When she heard the Officer begin to talk to the man who'd been in line behind her, Kate knew she made it.
Kate stood beside the scanner's conveyer belt ready to snag her suitcase as soon as it popped out of the machine. The man monitoring the displays was taking his time, attempting to be thorough as he shifted between color palettes and sensor outputs. He was determined to detect any dangerous items and prevent them from entering the city, especially that scourge of security officers everywhere: nail clippers. Kate had to force herself not to smile; if only the Officer knew what was in her carry-on.
The displays were turned just enough toward Kate so she could see them flicker a bit, thanks to her jamming. She'd decided not to fry the system, just confuse it a bit. If the guards couldn't make out what they wanted to see on their screens, the Security Officers would simply pull her bag out of the line and search it by hand. The fuzz on the display caused the man to grunt. He slapped the side of the monitor. Obviously used to working with cheap, sub-standard equipment, the Officer was satisfied when the screen flickered and came back with a slightly improved picture. He leaned close, as if this would help him make out more detail in the blurry image.
Kate held her hands steady, resisting the urge to tap her fingers as she waited. She did not want to give away how nervous she was feeling. She leaned slightly closer to see the display. It was a common enough move, everyone was curious what all their stuff looked like when it went through a scanner. Kate's bag looked just like anyone else's suitcase.
Most prominent in the bag was what appeared to be Kate's hair care equipment. She twirled her long locks as the Officer took in not one, but two curling irons, a hair dryer, a set of curlers with a heating box, and brushes. His eyes flicked to Kate then back to the screen. He zoomed in on her make-up case next, filled with bottles of nail polish, mascara, and powder.
"A girl needs her things, right?" Kate said.
The Officer snorted lightly and pushed the button to bring the next piece of luggage into view. Kate's bag popped out of the machine and trundled towards her. A big hand reached out and took hold of her suitcase before she could react. She looked over, afraid she'd been 'randomly' selected for additional screening. She found a mountain of a man, who'd somehow squeezed into a security uniform smiling down at her. He gently placed her bag, wheels-down on the floor and pulled at the handle. It jammed. Bemused, the big man jerked at the handle and it fully extended and locked into place with a loud click.
Every computer screen and scanner monitor blanked out at once. Kate took the handle out of the Officer's hand. Because of his kindness, she felt she owed him a thank you at least, even though her heart had jumped into her throat. Somehow, the shielding in the case had shorted out when the officer helped with her handle.
"Thanks!" Kate managed to squeak out. She started to roll her bag away as the big guard and all the other security personnel tapped on their screens and tried restarting their monitors. After she'd gone a few steps, all the machines came back to life. An alarm went off on the body scanner, drawing everyone's attention to the man who'd been in line behind Kate.
"Step this way for additional screening," Officer Marguerite ordered the man. She didn't say please.
Kate stepped out of the arrival area and onto the main concourse of Huygens City. She was the last passenger to get past the security check-point before the guards locked it down as they reset their systems. Kate did not look back at the long line of grumbling passengers. She kept moving, afraid someone would call her back. As she got further away from the terminal, Kate took a deep breath and allowed her gaze to roam around the familiar sights.
"Feeling nostalgic?"
The voice made Kate jump. She turned to find Merrick standing behind her. She laughed, "Yeah. I used to come through here a few times a year when I worked for EMTEC."
"You lived on New Seattle though," Merrick remembered. His gray eyes darting from one storefront to the next. Satisfied there were no immediate threats, his attention shifted to the concourse levels above and below them.
"Yes, but we always came to Mars for our pre-deployment briefings," Kate said. She felt
a pang of loss in her chest. She'd always traveled as part of a team when EMTEC sent her out to work with the Stellar Union Marine Corps. As far as she knew, Jess and Rachel had been killed on the Decatur while she'd been boarding a Tallinn ironclad with Merrick and the rest of his unit.
"We should move," Merrick suggested. He hooked his arm through Kate's and gently led her away from the heavy security surrounding the Huygens arrivals section.
Kate let herself be prodded into action. Her grip on the handle of her wheeled case tightened as she remembered what she was carrying. It wouldn't do her or the team any good if the Huygens police decided to come along and perform a search of their bags.
A familiar sign caught her eye. Kate laid a hand over Merrick's and guided him toward a nearby coffee shop.
"Maybe we should find the others first," Merrick said.
"This is a great place to look for them," Kate countered as she claimed one of the outdoor tables.
Merrick turned slowly, taking in the view of the stepped levels across the central opening of the concourse. He lowered himself into the chair closest to the wall. This allowed him to keep an eye on everyone coming and going along the walkway.
"Happy?" Kate asked with a smile. She'd learned during their first trip away from the Archives to let Merrick have the 'gunslinger' position whenever they sat down. Otherwise, he would spend the entire meal turning to check over his shoulder. Kate realized it was easier to simply let the sniper pick the spot he was most comfortable with. She was happy putting her back to the world for a while knowing Merrick was watching it for her.
"Good lines of fire," Merrick noted. He looked from the terminal then pointed down the curving concourse in the opposite direction. "EMTEC is that way?"
Kate followed Merrick's finger and nodded. "Yup. Rachel, Jess and I would always stop here before reporting in at the office." She looked up at the glass roof. Dusty red light streamed down to provide natural illumination within the big open space. The concourse had been carved into the sides of a valley then sealed with the transparent roof. The stores were cut back into the Martian rock and flowed along with the natural lines of the original valley, giving the entire place a relaxed, organic feeling. The rosy light and curving lines made Kate feel like she was inside a living creature.
Ross, Sparrow, and Tivon arrived just as Kate and Merrick finished ordering.
"Did you order for us?" Ross asked as he dragged over two spindly metal chairs from another table.
"Isn't this a little public for our first meeting?" Sparrow asked softly, her silvery eyes taking in the crowded shops and walkways.
"Not if nobody is expecting us," Kate whispered. "I..." She let her words trail off as the waitress brought them their drinks. Kate took the warm coffee cup and lifted it to her nose. She inhaled the steam rising from the hot drink and smiled. "Ah! It's been a long time since I've had a really good cup of coffee!"
"Stop by my place when we get back," Dagger said.
Kate kept her eyes closed as she took her first sip of her caramel-flavored coffee. She heaved a contented sighed. When she finally opened her eyes, she found everyone looking at her. "What?"
"I've just never seen anyone enjoy their coffee so much," Ross said.
"Then you haven't been drinking the right stuff," Kate replied.
"Well, get it to go," Dagger said. "The boss is waiting." She turned and started walking along the concourse.
The waitress came back by the table and looked at Sparrow and Ross. "Have you decided what you want?"
Ross pointed at Kate's cup. "Give us two of what she's having."
Sparrow reveled in the sensation of swimming through the incredible data streams available in Huygens City. She'd dipped into the net as soon as the first weak signals had reached them in orbit and hadn't come up for air since. Her implants allowed her to access the net at the same time she was working her way through security and then along the concourse with the others. What Sparrow was about to try next would take all of her concentration.
"Is everyone ready?" Sparrow asked. She looked around at the others gathered in the storage room they'd commandeered. Thanks to Sparrow's ability to manipulate the locks and security cameras, no one would ever know they'd been here.
Merrick and Ross were finishing their final touches on their reassembled sniper and assault rifles. They'd settled for using the 3D manufacturing equipment Georges had brought back in the shuttle and created their preferred weapons into carbon copies. The materials they'd used were light-weight and would not set off any alarms. The weapons did not have the same life expectancy as the originals, but the marines thought they should last long enough for them to complete this mission. Once they were back aboard Blade, they would rearm with their standard weapons.
Kate's contribution to smuggling in the components was essential. Her case carried the essential power packs for Ross' weapons as well as the blasters everyone now had in their holsters. Garrett had been able to produce a version of his crossbow which broke down into unrecognizable components. These had been easy enough to sneak through security. Once he had his weapon reassembled, he cocked it and fired a bolt into the wall. The bolt flew across the room with a twang and embedded itself halfway up the shaft.
Sparrow eyed the buried projectile and nodded. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."
"Does anyone have any questions about their part of the plan?" Georges asked. He let his steely gaze sweep over everyone.
"Sir, do you think we can stop by that coffee shop on the way out?" Ross asked with a half-raised hand.
"I don't think we'll have the opportunity, Gunny. Anyone else?" Georges asked. After seeing the team members shake his head, he turned to the Link Sprite. "Sparrow, you're up."
Sparrow nodded. She dove down a stream of light she'd identified earlier as the access point for net traffic entering EMTEC's dedicated system. The discordant symphony of the public nets surrounding Mars and Huygens City diminished into the background as Sparrow passed into the EMTEC domain. White light surrounded her and bass-infused music she recognized from the corporation's commercials, dominated her audio inputs.
Swell, Sparrow thought with a smile. At least she'd have their inspiring theme song to accompany her during the upcoming sabotage.
The low rumble of an approaching security sweep focused her attention. She quickly sampled the traffic she was traveling within and found a packet which suited her purposes. Sparrow snagged the data package from a parallel circuit and wrapped it around herself. She was just in time to avoid the sweep.
Something about the pitch emitted by the security program reminded Sparrow of one of her adventures with Georges. They'd snuck aboard an Osilian passenger ship with a particular target in mind; a high-ranking Osilian general. He had been on his way to one of the Empire's core worlds to attend a special meeting and enjoy a little rest and relaxation. Georges hadn't cared about the R&R, it was the meeting which caught his attention.
Stellar Union Fleet Intelligence had picked up indications this particular meeting was being held to finalize the Osilian Empire's plans to renew their conflict with Earth and the rest of the SU. Georges had volunteered to go after the general, promising to get his hands on the plans. Of course, when he said that he would get them, Georges meant Sparrow. After all, it was Georges' job to get the duo to where they needed to be. Sparrow's job was to complete the infiltration using her Link Sprite wiles.
At first, the digital intrusion into the general's stateroom went smoothly. Sparrow had been able to swim through an unprotected wireless link to his personal tablet. The security on the tablet proved to be no barrier for the Link Sprite and she quickly found the data packs Georges was after. The problem had come during the extraction.
Sparrow had accidentally tripped an alarm to the ship-board Osilian Security Element as she pulled out of the stateroom. She was forced to chase the alarm through the ship's circuitry and was able to silence it just before it would have alerted the troops. It wouldn't do for the general
to know the SU had been poking around in his files. Sparrow had been lucky it was so easy to take full control of the Security Element's 'secure' data system. But, she still needed to make a clean exit.
Again, the extraction had been her downfall. Sparrow made a note to report the new use of multiple tripwires to the other Sprites working for the SUMC when...if she got back from the mission. In the end, she'd been forced to take control of the entire Osilian ship; navigation, engineering, life support, entertainment...everything, to outrun the cascading alarms. She'd cursed and admired whoever set the trap. It had nearly caught her. But nearly didn't count in her business.
Georges kept bringing Sparrow the energy drinks she demanded over the three exhausting days it had taken her to completely back out of the ship's multiple layers of security. She'd left no traces and tripped no other alarms. Sparrow had collapsed on the floor as she wiped her last avatar from the system. She heard the docking clamps scrape against the outer hull of the Osilian vessel a moment later. Georges' face came into view, wearing the stupidest grin Sparrow had ever seen on him. He'd exclaimed, "You did good!"
EMTEC possessed a much more complex information system than the one aboard the Osilian ship. Then again, Sparrow had learned a trick or two since then.
As the deep thrum of the scan passed over the data pack, Sparrow decoded the data out of pure curiosity. It turned out she had hidden in a massive compilation of blueprints for a new class of Stellar Union Fleet starship. Interesting. She sampled the top-level designs for later study then peeked out into the data stream again. Unlike the fluid constructs which formed when nets grew over time, the EMTEC domain was an orderly array of data cubes arranged in an even larger cube. Sparrow detached from the starship design package and zipped toward the interior of the well-ordered net space.
