by Arthur Byrne
“What’s the CO2 reading now?”
“1.5 percent.”
Nash headed back to the others, and the door closed. He led the team back through the production facility, where the air was at three percent carbon dioxide, and stationed the guards at the door.
Both the sealed doors at the ends of the hall had clean air behind them. This time he had PJ hold one door open while he held the other. They stayed in the doorways until the air equalized at one percent carbon dioxide.
Nash said, “Okay, I want to check one more thing, then we’ll try to find some pirate treasure and head back.”
He told the city guards to go back to the intersection they just were at and keep an eye out.
“PJ, take me all the way around the way you came,” he said.
PJ led him back, stopped at the four-way, and asked if they should check out the other two halls.
“Nah, let’s not press our luck.”
When they got back to the city guards, the air quality had fallen some, but less than Nash had imagined. He went back to the first door that had been sealed, opened it, walked through, and let it close.
The reading on the other side showed that the sealed hall had recovered back down below half a mil carbon dioxide in just the short while they had been gone.
He opened the door back up, let the air equalize, and then returned to the others.
PJ asked, “What now?”
From out of his bag, Nash pulled a small device and went to the first locked door. He pushed a button, and the door opened. “Now, we pillage.”
PJ asked, “What if...”
“They aren’t coming back.”
“But we don’t know whose room this is.”
“If you see a picture of someone you know back at 37, then we’ll haul the stuff back to them—they’ll be thrilled. Otherwise, we can assume nobody’s coming back.”
One of the guards said, “Go on then, open another.”
Nash opened three doors and stood guard while the others searched the room. PJ mostly grabbed stuff he thought the commander would think was useful; the city guards weren’t quite as selective.
Nash said, “Okay, let’s keep going.”
They checked rooms until they couldn’t carry any more. Once that was done, they climbed back up the duck hole and headed for home. About thirty minutes out, Nash turned down a side hall and stopped. “Listen, keeping things like this for ourselves is likely frowned upon by Frank. I’m going to make the official report, and we’re not going to talk about our pirate adventures to anyone.”
They all nodded.
“I mean it. Don’t tell the wives or girlfriends. This stuff is your own little bank account for some day down the road, if we ever get out of this mess.”
PJ said, “I like your optimism.”
Nash nodded to one of the guards. “Here, put your hand on the scanner.”
The guard placed his hand on the scanner, and it flashed green.
Nash went to a locked door and hit a few keys on the control pad. The door opened. It was a small storage room with the number AAL-20. “Can you remember that number?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good, this is your vault. Now, try your hand,” Nash said as he closed the door.
It opened just fine.
Nash did the same for PJ and the other guard. “Now, I want you to keep anything in your bag that Frank might deem worthy, so we can show we didn’t come back empty-handed, and then leave the rest here.”
They did as they were told.
“One more time, nobody knows about this.”
***
The first thing they did upon returning was to lay out the stuff they had collected. Frank joined them and asked, “You didn’t find anything on the other bodies?”
Nash said, “Not only did we not find anything, three of them were badly mutilated.”
“Really, why?”
“I would guess they were stripped by scavengers.”
“It seems unlikely that members of the Magellan crew would...”
“Would become barbarians surviving in the wild for ten years? Cargo Bay 37 was uniquely positioned to survive. The hydroponic setups, which just happened to be stored here along with the containers full of seed, have made our lives rather cushy by comparison.”
Frank dismissed Nash’s comment and said, “Regardless, it looks like you did your best to make something of the trip. Well done. Dismissed.”
They all turned to leave, and Frank said, “Not you, Nash.”
He waited behind.
“I didn’t care for your tone.”
“I don’t care for your ear hair.”
“Listen, you little prick, I’ve given you a lot of latitude because you know what you’re doing, but if you keep this up, you won’t be worth the trouble.”
“Is that a threat? Because it wasn’t convincing.”
“Don’t test me, Nash. I can have you out in the wild quicker than it takes to pack a bag. Sure, you’re good, but how do you think you’d do for three months?”
Nash got right up on him and said, “How about I just kick your ass right now and chuck you out into the wild? You think you could stop me?”
Frank started to shake with rage. “Get out!”
Nash scoffed and left.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Nash never liked Frank much, but now the commander was really starting to chafe his butt. It was still pretty early, just a little after lunch, so Nash made for the Lunch Box.
The Lunch Box mostly did breakfast food because the one thing Cargo Bay had plenty of were eggs. On the day of the attack, they were preparing to transport two hundred laying hens from there to Jade City, where a new operation was being set up.
The chicken-raising operation would ship hens, upon request, to any of the five major cities on board. Life in the cities wasn’t vastly different from that back on Earth. Most of the residents weren’t truly Magellan crew; they were colonists who would settle the new planet.
Someone had decided an urban chicken operation would be a worthy undertaking, so that’s where the birds were headed.
Ten years later, Bay 37 had a 3,000-bird population that lived in a section on the other side of the ten-story L-shaped hydroponic agriculture block.
An order or three of Eggs Benedict would help keep him from going back and punching Frank in the mouth. Nash preferred napping to fighting on a full belly.
Ronnie, clipboard in hand, found him at the counter. “Cheers mate, you have time to think...”
“Give it here.”
Ronnie handed over the board. It had a petition for an election to decide who would be the governor of Caro City. Nash signed and said, “I’m not sure about the city name, but good luck with your petition.”
Ronnie moved on to a couple sitting in a booth at the end of the diner.
***
“Fiel, get in here,” Nash said.
She eased herself into his office wearing an air of indifference that always annoyed her brother. She did this whenever he barked commands. “Yes?”
“I’m sending Nash out in the morning,” he said and opened the wall to the hidden map room. “Is there anyone out there right now?”
“We have two runners who are both in the middle of five-day missions.”
“Any reports of scavengers or aliens?”
She moved her hands through the hologram and highlighted one area. “An encampment of scavengers was found here. The runner called it in after retreating to a safe distance. I sent him up three levels to continue.”
“How far out is it?”
“About a day and a half.”
“That will do nicely, thanks.”
“Anything else?”
“Send someone over with his orders. I expect him to be out the gate by oh-nine hundred. Make it a ten-day run.”
Fiel left her brother staring at the map.
***
Nash did feel better after the eggs. His curiosity had gotten
the best of him, and he went to see Stepan at the Worm Hole.
Stepan was glad to see him and said, “My friend is back so soon. You must like Stepan’s vodka.”
“I do, but that’s not why I’m here. Tell me more about this job.”
Stepan said, “Come back to my office.”
Nash followed him. It was small, with only a desk, a computer, some filing cabinets, and a rack of automatic weapons. The walls were covered with the kind of foam used in sound studios. Nash asked, “What’s with the walls?”
“I like quiet, and it makes it hard for people to listen. These shipping containers are like little antennas—very easy to hear what’s going on inside if you have the right equipment.”
“So, you need someone to go to Jade City.”
“Are you my man?”
“I’ve been thinking about it, and my own needs may just take me in that direction. It won’t be quick. There are still a lot of klicks between here and there that are uncharted.”
“I’ve been waiting ten years. I’m a patient man.”
“You know anything about the area around the city?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been there dozens of times but never through the ship or on the MHST. I flew the tunnel up and landed at the interior shipping dock.”
“It must be nice to have your own ship.”
“It wasn’t mine, but yes, being a pilot ain’t so bad. So, I know roughly where Jade City is, but I have no idea what sort of sections are between here and there. If there were any of the agricultural, forest, or live stock pods nearby, then cutting through one of them would shave a big chunk out of the trip.”
Stepan looked confused. “I do not understand.”
“The Magellan, even before the attack, was designed to be a maze, because if it was ever boarded, it made it hard on the bastards trying to seize the ship. Now, after the attack, not only is it a maze, but many of the routes are blocked or impassable, which makes getting from one spot to another nearly impossible. There just aren’t any straight lines on the ship, except for the tunnel.”
“Okay, I get that, but how do farms help?”
“All those pods are 10,000 acres, which is over fifteen square kilometers, so depending upon the layout, one could make a straight shot across a huge swath of land.”
“Ah, yes, I get it now.”
“If there were any of those between us and Jade City, planning my path through there could shave months off the time it takes to find a route.”
“I like the way you think, my friend. Let me see,” Stepan said as he opened up a filing cabinet. “My friends all laugh because I keep some things on paper, but I think this time I’ll have the last laugh. Here, I think this picture might help.”
It was a photo of the Magellan under construction. It showed Jade City and the surrounding area. Stepan pointed and said, “This is Jade City, and look here. This looks like one of those pods.”
“Do you have any more of these photos?”
“Da, I have a whole folder. So, you’re going to help old Stepan?”
Nash said, “For now, all I can promise is I’ll try to find a way to Jade City. When I find a route, then we can talk about what you need me to retrieve...and what’s in it for me.”
“You don’t need to worry about that, my friend. Stepan will make you rich man if you help me.”
They shook hands and Nash said, “Now, about that vodka.”
Nash had a drink and then left to find Holly.
She was easy to find now with her new job. Holly seemed to spend every waking moment in the command center trying to learn everything she could about the job.
Nash pulled her aside and said, “I need to talk to you. When do you get off?”
“I’m not actually working. I don’t work again until you leave in the morning.”
“What? I have another day off.”
“Sorry, I thought you knew. This just came for me.”
Nash read the note. “Fine, whatever. I still need to talk.”
“Okay, let’s go to the break room.”
“No, not here.”
Nash left and Holly followed. They went back to his place. He asked, “You want some coffee or tea?”
“I’ve never been to your place. It’s, well, shocking and more than a little bit disturbing.”
“Disturbing seems harsh.”
“You’ve got a table, one chair, and a couch,” she said, opening the refrigerator. “At least you have food. I never knew you had this minimalist side to you. Do you even have a bed?”
“I have a couch.”
“What does Tempest think of that?”
“She’s never been here. Now, sit down.”
“Oh my, where should I sit? The choices...such a dilemma. Okay, I’ll take the chair. The couch looks a little sketchy.”
“It is, good choice, now shut up.”
She smirked at him.
“Why did you become a tracker?”
“I wanted to help, I told you.”
“Do you know what it’s like out there?”
“I know a little. I know it’s scary and dangerous; that’s why you need a tracker.”
“I don’t need a tracker. I’ve been at this for years and survived just fine without one. How did you end up as my tracker?”
“I requested you.”
Nash wasn’t surprised by this answer. She’d been following him around like a lost puppy for a decade. “How did you get the job?”
“Fiel asked me to join the cartography corps, as she called it.”
“Yeah, nobody really calls it that except her. What I need to know is where your loyalties lie.”
“What do you mean? Is this about the election?”
“No. I mean, do you work for Frank or me? Whose side are you on?”
“I’m on your side.”
Nash looked at her a long time and then said, “Good, because I need you to be my eyes and ears.”
“That’s what trackers do. We give you updates on what’s going on in the wild, so you don’t walk into something. I’ve been trying to tell you that I’m...”
“It isn’t the wild that worries me. It’s what’s going on back here while I’m out there.”
“What do you mean?”
“Fiel, what does she do at command?”
“She’s in charge of all the trackers. Well, she’s in charge of the three supervisors, who all report to her.”
“Does she hang around the command center?”
“Yes, she’s always there. I don’t know when she sleeps.”
“What do you know about these new wrist maps?”
“They’re great. They let me see where you are in real time, and they track the size and shape of every room or hall you walk through. The only thing they can’t do is record the air quality or tell if there is danger.”
“What about when I’m in an area where I don’t have comm connections with you? Do they work then?”
“No, not really, that’s one of their weaknesses.”
“So, do you see the real-time data from all the runners?”
“No, they haven’t gotten that part working yet. We give everything to Fiel, and she puts it in the system.”
“Listen Holly, I know I give you a hard time, but you’re a good kid.”
“I’m not a kid!”
“Whatever. The point is, I believe you. You’ve got my back.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying.”
“I need to tell you something, and it needs to be just between us.”
“Okay.”
“I’m not kidding. Do I have your word?”
“Yes, you have my word. I promise on my mother’s grave.”
“I thought you were an orphan.”
“I still had a mother out there somewhere, who abandoned me, and I can only hope she’s died.”
“You’re a strange one, but you do grow on a person.”
“Thanks?”
“I
don’t trust Frank. I think he’s got an agenda, but I can’t figure out what it is, or what he’s up to.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to not know where I’m going because I can tell you it won’t be where Frank is sending me, at least not all of the time.”
“Why don’t you want to map the areas he assigns?”
“Why do we bother mapping at all?”
“There are three main reasons: to find supplies to help protect the city, to detect threats to the city from Navereen or scavengers, and to try to find a better place to live where we can grow.”
“That’s the company line, but if you had to only pick one, which would you say is the most important part of our mission?”
“That’s easy, number three. Thirty-seven is just too small.”
“Exactly. But for the past year, it feels like Frank’s mission has been the exact opposite. Every time I find something promising, he abandons that section.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he’s a small man who always wanted to be a big shot, and he likes playing God.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to start building a separate map that tells us where the wrist units fail to report. I want to know where those spots are so, if I need to, I can disappear.”
“I can do that, no problem.”
“Can Fiel listen into our comm chats?”
“Yes.”
“How often does she poke her nose into our business?”
“Since I’m new, she jacks in a bunch.”
“I need to know when she’s listening. We need a signal.”
“How about if I use your first name, it means she’s listening and I’ll use Nash for all clear?”
“What if she comes on while we’re talking?”
Holly thought for a second and then said, “I’ll cut you off and ask you to repeat and say we’ve got static. Normally, I’d say you were breaking up.”
“That’s good. We’ve got a plan.”
“Excellent, now, let’s talk about this place of yours. You need a fricking plant or something.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
