“We can close the door to the bridge, then we can open the main cargo door,” Lana said.
Bulco shook his head. “That’s not a great idea. The cargo hold contains about half the ship’s air supply and with the current state of our life support system I wouldn’t trust it to refill it easily.”
“Nathan, can you raise a force field, like you did on the bridge, to hold the air in when while we open the main door?” Lana asked.
Nori looked sharply at the young man.
Nathan shook his head.
“The normal doorway has a force emitter so we can pass through on foot, but it won’t do for the Hummer,” Lana said disappointedly. “Apparently, the main cargo door was only meant to be opened when the ship is docked. It was never designed to open directly into space. He’ll have to bypass some security measures to even make it happen.”
“I don’t want us on foot out in the open in case something goes wrong,” Nori said. “Maybe after we’ve made sure the area’s safe.”
“I’m pretty sure life support can recover the air after we emptied the hangar, at least once,” Bulco said.
“Good enough for me,” Nori walked to the vehicle. She stopped abruptly as the large Engineer held up a thick arm to block her path. “What are you doing?”
“You should stay here,” he said. “You’re the only one who can fly this ship, in case something goes wrong and we need Unity to come pick us up.”
“Hell no, I’m not staying behind,” the tall woman said. “Besides, you need me to drive.”
“I can drive the Hummer just fine,” he insisted. “Maybe not as well as you, but I can get us there.”
“He’s right, Nori,” Lana said quietly. “Someone has to stay on Unity, and you’re the only one who can fly it if something goes wrong.” She tapped her ear lightly. “We’ll stay in contact; you'll know everything that happens instantly.”
“Damn it,” Nori said, visibly deflated. “I guess you’re right. I’ll stay on the bridge and try to monitor your movements. You be careful.”
Bulco touched an imaginary hat. “Yes, Ma’am.”
Nori grumbled and headed toward the bridge, sealing the door behind her.
The others climbed into the vehicle. Lana and Nathan took the back seat while Bulco sat behind the wheel. “Nori, we’re ready,” he said.
“Everyone got their spacesuits on?” her voice came over the comms.
“Yes,” Lana answered.
“Opening the main hangar door.”
The Hummer shook violently as the air was rapidly sucked out of the hangar and into the void of the moon’s atmosphere. Bulco waited until the hangar door was fully lowered, forming a platform to the surface. A light console flashed on at a wave of his hand and the large engine hummed into life. He started driving, slowly leading them down the platform.
The front wheels touched the surface and an instant later they were speeding along its gray surface.
“Holy shit, we’re driving on the moon!” Bulco shouted.
Lana laughed nervously. “We are, aren’t we?”
Bulco studied the console. “The seal is working; we have breathable air in here. We should take off the masks to conserve the suits’ oxygen.”
They each retracted their suit’s masks, making them fold back around their necks.
Lana wiggled between the front seats, getting into the seat next to the Engineer.
“Hey, what are you doing?” the large man protested.
She ignored him and started working the console. A blinking dot appeared on a holo display and a dotted red line extended from their location toward it. “Just making sure you don’t take a wrong turn somewhere,” she said lightly.
“We’re driving inside a mostly flat canyon,” he grumbled. “Not many options to get lost around here.”
“It’s just up ahead,” she said. “Five hundred meters.”
They rounded the giant boulder that stood between Unity and their target and a vast open plateau spread before them.
“I don’t see anything.” Bulco frowned.
“Just keep driving. Four hundred meters.”
The Hummer plodded forward effortlessly, not even bouncing as they drove over the rocky surface.
“Two hundred meters,” Lana said, her voice starting to sound stressed.
“Still not seeing anything, and I can see all the way to the canyon walls,” Bulco said.
“One hundred meters,” Lana said anxiously. “It’s just up ahead.”
“Still not seeing any-- Hold on!”
The Hummer screeched to a halt, stopping several meters away from the edge of a large hole.
Lana gulped and looked at the crater they had almost plunged into. It was roughly fifty meters in diameter, and almost invisible from a distance against the flat terrain. They only noticed it when they were almost on top of it.
Bulco was first to recover from the shock. “What the hell could be down there?”
With shaking hands, Lana tapped the console. “I don’t know … this Hummer doesn’t have real sensors, only some basic indicators. The outside temperature is about ten degrees warmer. Whatever’s down there gives off a lot of heat.”
“Helmets up,” Bulco said and reached for his door’s handle.
Lana and Nathan hurried to comply, and their spacesuits grew to cover their heads. Bulco opened the door, letting the air out. His feet touched the ground and a soft glow came from his shoes. He looked down. “These zero-grav boots look like LED sneakers.” He walked gingerly, testing their performance. After several steps, he grew confident enough to walk over to the edge of the hole and look inside. His breath caught up in his throat.
“Holy mother of God.”
14 - Moonwalking
“What do you see?” Nori’s voice was tense over the comms.
“It’s a giant, red-hot piece of rock,” Bulco said. “It’s enormous.”
Lana and Nathan approached him and looked down. “It’s a meteorite,” the woman said. “Since it’s still hot, it probably hit the surface not long ago.”
“How did it heat up?” Nori said. “There’s no atmosphere here to cause friction.”
“You’re right,” Lana said in astonishment. “I have no idea.” She bent down and picked up a small piece of rock.
“What are you doing?” Bulco asked.
“This piece looks different from the others,” the woman explained. “I think it’s a little warm too. It could have broken off the meteorite. Maybe we can analyze it back on Unity.”
“Good idea, Lana,” Nori said. “Though we don’t exactly have a science lab over here.”
“It’s worth a try,” Lana said. “I think it’s safe to assume the heat was the energy signature I detected earlier.”
“Well, this has been interesting, but there’s not a lot we can do about it,” Bulco said. “We should get back to the ship.”
Nathan and Lana nodded and followed the Engineer back to their vehicle. The drive back to the ship went smoothly.
Once the door closed behind them and the cargo hold pressurized, the door to the bridge opened and Nori stepped through.
“So for our first moon mission we found a piece of rock?” she asked.
Bulco shrugged. “Looks like it.”
“A glowing rock,” Lana corrected.
“Damn.” Nori looked down for a moment then back up at her friends. “Life support system had a hard time pressurizing the hold. I’m pretty sure we can do it one more time, but we’ll have to take it easy after that.
“But we have two more potential targets,” Lana said anxiously. “Which one are we going to check out next?”
Nori looked at her. “The meteorite was the strongest energy signature, right?”
Lana nodded.
“Then let’s go to the weakest one next. It’ll help give us a perspective to what the sensors are showing us.”
“All right.”
“Then buckle up,” Nori said, walking toward the bridge.
Unity shuddered as the thrusters fired up, and she was soon flying above the moon’s surface, speeding toward their next target. Nori’s eyes narrowed in concentration as she guided the ship with minuscule movements of her holographic-wrapped fingers.
“It’s two hundred kilometers away,” Lana said, checking their course.
“Any idea what we’re looking at yet?” Bulco asked.
“No. All I can say is that it gives off an energy signature about a thousand times weaker than that giant rock, but we’ll soon find out. A hundred and fifty kilometers.”
The distance closed fast, and after several more minutes, Nori eased them down. “Okay, this is close enough, I’m setting us down and--”
“No wait,” Lana said excitedly. “Keep going.”
Bulco frowned. “What are you talking about, girl? If someone’s out there they’ll spot us for sure, if they haven't already.”
“No they won’t,” the dark-haired woman said confidently. “Trust me, just keep flying until we’re over it.”
Nori shrugged. “You’re the Expert.” She pushed her fingers forward and their speed increased. On the main viewscreen, a small dot appeared on the horizon.
“Is that …” Bulco narrowed his eyes.
“I think it is,” Nori said slowly as the dot grew larger.
Lana grinned widely. “Yep. It’s one of our rovers. From the Chang’e 4 Chinese expedition, I think.”
The ship sped over the small robotic vehicle. The picture froze, and they could clearly see a blinking green dot below its solar panels.
“I guess it’s still working.” Lana smiled. “It probably feeds on solar energy during the day and sends signals during the night. I guess we’re lucky our rubbish sensors managed to pick it up.”
“If it’s still working, I guess that means the Tec hasn’t reached the moon,” Bulco commented.
“Looks like it,” Nori concluded. “Lana, now that we know what small and big energy readings look like for real, what can you tell us about the last one?”
“It’s about sixty percent the intensity of the meteor or six hundred times more powerful than the rover.”
“Sounds like just about the right amount for alien technology, don’t you think?” Nori said.
“Yeah, let’s go for it,” Bulco grunted.
“It’s on the other side of the moon. It’ll take us half an hour to get there.”
“Alright, you get us there,” Lana said, getting out of her chair. “I’m going to try and figure out what this rock is made of.”
“How the hell are you going to do that?” the Engineer asked. “We don’t have microscopes here or their alien equivalent,” he paused then added. “That we know of.”
“You’ll see,” Lana said mysteriously and went toward the quarters.
She continued toward the back door, leading to the shuttle bay. The room that hosted the shuttle was empty. Lana placed the rock on the floor and stepped outside. She closed the door and activated the small light console that usually monitored the shuttle.
“Now let’s see …” she said to herself. “Nori unlocked all the ship’s system so I should be able to … just press here and … yes!”
A monitor above the console lit up and displayed a list of options.
“Here we go, active shuttle scan.” She clicked the button decidedly.
Shuttle bay is empty
“I know it’s empty, we had to pawn the shuttle, do the scan anyway, you stupid machine.”
The console flickered at her attempts.
“Damn it. Override and scan the bay!” She pounded the keyboard.
The little monitor flickered and a ‘scanning commencing’ message flashed over it.
Lana straightened her shirt. “That’s right, I’m the Expert, so you do as I say.”
Scan complete. Shuttle bay is empty.
***
A scream pierced the bridge, coming from the direction of the quarters.
“It’s Lana!” Nori exclaimed and the ship veered off course as she fumbled the controls.
“On it!” Bulco shouted. He jumped off his chair and was about to run when Lana returned to the bridge.
“Everything’s alright,” she grumbled. “Sorry if I startled you.”
“What happened?” the large man demanded.
“It just …” she hesitated. “I think we’ll need to visit Alzigo to analyze the meteorite piece.”
“Sit back down, Lana,” Nori said. “We’ll reach our target soon, and I’ll need you to find me a place to land.”
The young Expert returned to her seat, and they continued flying the rest of the way in silence, each preoccupied with his own consoles.
“We’re nearly there,” Lana said, checking one of her side monitors. “Hmm, looks like the terrain is pretty rough. A lot of hills, cliffs, and fissures. I detect an open spot about ten klicks away from the target.”
“Klicks?” Bulco chuckled.
Lana blushed. “It just felt the right thing to say … you know in the movies--”
“Hey, it’s fine by me, girl. Used to be a Marine, remember?”
“I’ve got the location.” Nori sounded strained. “Following course.”
Unity veered left and right, avoiding towering cliffs and protruding boulders until finally reaching an open expanse of land that was barely large enough to accommodate her size.
“Phew, that was intense,” Nori said wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead before disengaging from the holo-controls.
“Nice flying, Ace.” Bulco patted her shoulder. “Alright. Same drill as before? Nori will stay here while the rest of us--”
“Oh, hell no,” the tall woman said. “This is the last location; you’re not leaving me behind this time.”
Bulco frowned. “We went over it. You should stay on the ship.”
“No, I won’t. In all probability, this is the site we’re looking for, and I’m not about to miss visiting an alien base. Besides, the terrain out there is harsh, so you’ll need a competent Navigator to drive.”
“Listen, kiddo,” Bulco said impatiently. “You’re the only one who can fly and bail us out. You’re staying right here and that’s final.”
“Oh?” Nori raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Who made you team leader?”
The large man straightened to his full height. At a head taller and twice her width he struck an imposing figure. “I’m the senior person here and the only one of us with military training. Before any mission into enemy territory, you define an exit strategy and a fall back location for regrouping in case of trouble. And that’s your job. You’re staying right here.”
Nori crossed her arms, not budging an inch. “I don’t care. You don’t call the shots around here.”
Bulco’s tightened his fists and took a threatening step toward the defiant woman.
Nori held her ground. “So this is what it came down to? You’re going to what - force me to stay behind?”
Bulco lowered his hand. “No damn it, it’s just that you don’t listen--”
“Like all those other people you’ve killed who didn’t listen? Or maybe they just didn’t agree with you on something?”
“No, damn it!” Bulco roared. He punched the bulkhead, leaving a visible dent on the metal. “Someone has to be willing to do the hard stuff!” he said, nearly shouting. “And sometimes it means getting your hands dirty. Someone has to step up, and--”
“And be willing to kill.” Nori finished quietly.
The man visibly deflated. “Sometimes,” he said quietly. “Sometimes it is the only thing you can do to change things for the better.”
“No,” Lana said, taking a step to stand next to Nori. “We’ll do things differently. No violence. This ship gives us power and responsibility for the rest of the survivors. We have to set an example.”
Bulco’s shoulders slumped. “You kids and your new age crap. You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re all too young. You don’t know what it means t
o face the horrors of war, to see people you care for die in front of you--”
“Oh, we don’t?” Nori said sarcastically. “So the last six months, watching the world break apart was what? An exotic vacation?”
Lana nodded. “We all lost loved ones. It’s not an excuse. We’re better than that.”
“Fine,” Bulco grunted. “Have it your way. I get it. No need to keep on about that. I can understand new concepts once they’ve been beaten enough times into my head.”
The corner of Nori’s mouth curled upward. “We’ve got to work together here, making the best of each of our Paths and abilities. In my book, that means we each have an equal say on how we do things.”
The large Engineer shook his head. “You can’t run a military vessel with democracy. Someone has to be in charge, so when all shit breaks loose, someone can issue a command and the rest will follow.”
“You’re right,” Lana said. “I nominate Nori to be our captain. All in favor?” She raised her hand.
Nori blinked in surprise at the sudden announcement.
Nathan hesitantly raised his hand up.
“Guys, I’m not sure that you’ve thought it through,” Nori protested. “I mean--”
“Oh, what the hell.” Bulco cut her off and raised his hand as well. “Now it’s unanimous. I guess that makes you our new captain, Nori.”
The tall woman looked at him in surprise. “You’re really alright with that?”
He shrugged. “We pretty much do what you say anyway. Might as well do it officially.”
“Alright,” she said in a business-like tone. “I accept. Everyone, let’s go to the Hummer and--”
“Not so fast,” Bulco cut her off again, sounding smug. “As the captain, it's your duty to stay on the ship, right?”
She frowned at him.
He raised his hand defensively. “Hey, I don’t make the rules.”
“I’m coming and that’s final,” she said sharply. She threw a withering glance at Lana and Nathan. “Any objections?”
The young man took a step back and shook his head.
“Hey, I object.” Bulco raised his hand.
Earth Force (Relict Legacy Book 1) Page 21
