“That’s fair enough,” Farr agreed then said, “Eric, have you ever seen the sun?”
“No, I know what the sun is, but I’ve never seen it.”
“Have you ever been into the growing area where the sun shines?”
“I know the tunnels and the darkness,” he said simply. Farr nodded and then remained silent.
“Commander,” Tegev said gingerly tilting her head toward Farr’s right arm. He still held the leader, who was frog walking along in obvious pain, in his powerful grip. Farr relaxed his hand, gave the man a warning look, a slap on the back that almost floored him and went to talk with Ming.
“So what are your observations?” Farr asked.
“Several actually,” Ming began. “First we were slightly wrong regarding the thermal images. We were expecting a group of people based on the thermals, but these wagons full of decaying matter produce tons of heat. So what we thought was a group of people was actually a few people and a lot of decaying matter. Second, the situation between the Suits and the Workers? It’s nothing we haven’t seen before on Earth during the Dying and afterwards in remote areas. Those with power subjugate those weaker. Seems to be standard operating procedure for the human race,” Ming said and Farr thought he detected a note of cynicism in his voice. “Third, what in Lao’s name are outlawed warbots doing in the lunar colonies?”
“I’ll agree with your assessment up to a point, but the Suits, which I’ve got to believe is some corrupted interpretation of the corporate presence here when the Calamity struck, don’t control the biosphere. Neither do the Workers, so who does?”
“That’s the question we’ve got to answer because whoever does, controls those warbots and they’re breaking down.”
“What did you see?”
“I was keeping my eyes down, by the way thank you for that important safety tip, and from what I could see on the lower half they’re being held together with chewing gum and spit. It’s like whoever is controlling them is running out of material. Most of what I saw had to be recycled several times. But they’re still dangerous as hell without any EMP devices and we don’t have any.”
“I’ve been thinking about our situation. We still don’t know anything about what’s going on here, not really, and we’ve got to reestablish communications with Home Base and Mama Bird. Oh, by the way, think up some more call signs, will you? I don’t really relish saying Mama Bird that much, especially if we get in a tight spot. It just sounds undignified. Anyhow, as I was saying, I was thinking of sending Tegev and Skorsson back like we discussed before. I’m a little worried though if the Suits are roaming the passageways with weapons, as limited as they may be, because they seem to have no problem with killing. The man they shot was just too old according to Eric.”
“It’s not unusual in this kind of situation for life to become meaningless. Whoever goes back is going to be in danger Callum,” Ming said softly. “Those four jokers are going to be missed and I don’t think they’ll believe that the Workers took them out. They’ll send a bigger party and they’ll be cautious.”
“I know,” Farr said just as softly, “And I’d like to get Skorsson out of here while we’ve got the chance. They may not have missed these guys yet. Takashi might work out. He has martial arts training and if we can discipline him a little he could be useful. Why don’t you talk to him?”
“Me? Is this an Asian thing? Because I’ve got to tell you, historically, Japanese and Chinese, not the best of friends?”
“No,” Farr said exasperatedly, “it’s a scientist thing. You can communicate with him in, what do you call it, ‘geek speak’?”
“No, no, no,” Ming interjected quickly, “I said I could translate geek speak for you. I’m not a geek. I think you should speak to him.”
“Your recommendation is noted,” Farr said casually, “and I will evaluate it at the first available opportunity that presents itself, but for now, you speak to him.” Ming grumbled something about pulling rank under his breath but didn’t say anything else. Farr walked toward the front of the group, passing Dr. Takashi as he went.
“That was very brave of you earlier today doctor,” Farr said deadpan as he walked past Takashi.
“Well thank you…” Takashi started but Farr never broke stride as if he hadn’t heard him. Takashi looked nonplussed.
“Let me translate that for you Hitoshi,” Ming said sarcastically. “That’s commander speak for don’t ever do it again. Do you understand?” Ming’s gaze was harsh and Takashi nodded. “Good,” Ming said more pleasantly, “now we can get down to business. The commander thinks you’re not entirely useless in our situation and…” Farr tuned the conversation out as Ming began to condition Takashi. He smiled to himself. Ming might bitch and moan, but he could talk to the scientists and they’d listen. They viewed him as one of theirs and respected him, but he could be downright brutal when necessary, just like a good XO, Farr thought. Farr, on the other hand, they viewed as intimidating and unapproachable, and, he suspected, as not a person who was their intellectual equal.
They reached the branch where the attack had occurred and Eric led the way up the tunnel in the direction the wagons had come from. Farr’s team was alert for possible threats and he noticed Ming had armed Takashi with one of the assailant’s weapons, but there was no indication that anyone was around. Farr knew that without their low vision opticals his team would be helpless in the blackness they traversed and the dark of the passages seemed oppressively evil to him, a darkness out of which no good could come. Finally Eric halted the group and addressed Farr.
“You wait here and I’ll bring the elder to you.”
“Or we can go with you,” Tegev said stepping forward, alert to possible subterfuge on the part of Eric. “Commander, how do we know he’ll even come back?” Farr looked at Eric and spoke.
“We have his word, don’t we Eric? A man’s word is good enough for me until he proves otherwise.”
The effect was electric. “You have my word, man from Earth” he said solemnly. Farr nodded and Eric and his companion left with their two wagons, disappearing around a bend.
“Commander…” Tegev started and Callum raised a hand gently.
“Sergeant, he’s given us the honor of trusting us far more than we’ve trusted him.”
“How so?” she asked perplexed. Farr pointed at the wagon that still remained with them.
“You’ve seen the conditions these people live under and yet he left us with a wagon that means life to his people. That’s a lot more than he’s asking of us.” Tegev nodded, thinking and then strode to her box of toys. She removed the pieces of the DEW and assembled it quickly. The commander didn’t say anything. It was always a good idea to be prepared.
“Okay everyone,” he said after Tegev finished. “We’ve got some decisions to make. We need to reestablish communications with Home Base and the dome is definitely out until we can figure a way around the warbots. With that in mind I want to send Tegev and Dr. Skorsson back to the lander. But I’ve got reservations. We interrupted something in the tunnels and those gentlemen over there may be missed soon. Which means the bad guys may be out there looking for them. Tegev, I need you and Skorsson to be extra careful as you move along the tunnels. They’ve got an advantage on you. They know the terrain and they can literally see in the dark.”
“Ming, I need you and Dr. Takashi to put your heads together on a little project for me. I need to get into that dome, so look at the items we’ve got available and see if you can rig some kind of EMP device. If those things are in as bad a shape as you think Ming, then they won’t be very well shielded and if they’ve got exposed components it won’t take much of an EMP to put them down.”
Ming and Takashi moved away without a word and started discussing options. Farr turned back to Tegev. She motioned him away from Skorsson.
“I can come back as soon as I’ve got Skorsson safely aboard the lander. I can even be a com relay between you and the lander.” Farr shook his head
.
“No Tegev. I want you to get back to the landing craft, contact my ship and have the Master Chief remote fly her home. There are still things here we need to know. I need you and that security team back down here, locked and loaded with live weapons and ready to roll. You can brief them on what to expect. Ming and Takashi will get me into that dome but I’m going to need that security team here after I do. Arm Skorsson. Give him one of those compressed air weapons the Suits use.” Tegev gave him a dubious look and he shrugged. “Look sergeant he may surprise you, hell he may surprise all of us, but whether he does or not, he’s going to have to pull his own weight. Now, you two should start out as soon as you familiarize him with his weapon.”
Ming looked up from his conversation with Takashi and addressed Tegev.
“I think we’re going to need the DEW, Tegev.”
“I intended to leave it with you anyhow. We’ll need to move fast and stealthy and it’s not going to happen if we’re carrying that thing.”
Tegev handed off the Dew to Ming and then moved off with Skorsson in tow. As they walked she explained the weapon that the Suits had used and Skorsson listened obediently. Farr hoped they’d make it with no contact. It was possible, he allowed, if they got past the intersection of the tunnels without discovery.
At about the time Tegev and Skorsson left, Eric returned leading an old man. The man was every bit as tall and emaciated as Eric but was stooped with age. His hair was pure white and his large eyes were inquisitive. He looked over the remaining three members and a kind of awe came over his face.
“Where are the other two?” Eric said immediately tensing. The old man however continued walking till he was in front of Farr.
“I sent them back to communicate with our ship. These tunnels block our signals,” Farr explained looking into the old man’s eyes hovering above him. “I’m Commander Callum Farr of the Earth Space Ship Resolution. If you’re the leader of these people, then I greet you sir on behalf of your long lost kin, the people of Earth.” The old man lifted a trembling, bony hand and touched Farr’s cheek. His eyes widened as he felt the flesh of Farr’s skin and he recoiled slightly then touched him again.
“Welcome to the home of the Workers my long expected brother. We’ve waited so long for your return.” The lined face of the old man was tight, as if he hadn’t smiled before in his life and the effort hurt, but there were tears in his eyes and Eric was watching him with a shocked expression on his face. “I am the Foreman. I speak for the Workers.”
“We came as soon as we could. I presume your people know about the Calamity that devastated the Earth. We’ve only now climbed back from the brink, but we’ve never forgotten the lost children of earth. We gave our pledge to come to your aid when we could and so, here we are.”
The smile did not leave the old man’s face although it looked out of place there among the weary lines of concern etched in his pale skin. Eric whispered something into the old man’s ear and the Foreman replied aloud for all to hear.
“They are who they say they are Eric. You are a Worker; it does not become you to whisper in front of people who’ve shown you friendship. I thank you for saving his life. You must forgive the young. They no longer believe or even listen to the histories.”
“It was our duty and our pleasure to do so Foreman. But we are confused about what happened here after the colony was separated from Earth. Can you tell us how this all came about with the Suits and the Workers and the warbots guarding the dome?”
“Come with me, my son and I will tell you of the histories. Eric, bring the wagon, your brothers and sisters are hungry.” Farr, Ming and Takashi followed the old man and Eric trailed behind them with the wagon. Farr assumed a position next to the old man and offered his arm to help support him. “Thank you,” he said simply, placing a bony hand on Farr’s forearm.
Although the old man looked frail, the hand placed on his forearm projected a subtle strength that belied the stooped body. Perhaps it was the calm the old man projected, or maybe it was the exultation of finding surviving colonists, but for some reason Farr found himself more at ease than he’d been in quite some time. The dark, cavernous tunnels no longer seemed as threatening and oppressive as before.
The tunnel continued on for as far as they could see which in all honesty wasn’t far, without any apparent branches. There was very little of the bioluminescence here and much of the walls were pitch black, so black in fact that the opticals couldn’t make out details at all. Suddenly the Foreman stopped and motioned to Eric who released the wagon and turned to stand guard.
“Commander, please take your prisoners down the tunnel a short distance and sit them down. If you tie their feet that should be sufficient to hold them so they cause no trouble. If I allow you to bring them with us some of my people will try to kill them and I don’t wish to ruin this joyous occasion with a test of wills. I’m sorry, but they’ve caused us much grief over the years and some of the young are becoming harder to control. If you leave them down there I’ll ensure my people do them no harm.”
The old man tapped on the right wall of the tunnel three times, paused, and then tapped twice more. A section of the tunnel wall in deep shadow moved, and even though it was moving, Farr could barely discern that there was an opening. The Foreman walked through the opening, motioning Farr and the others to do the same. The men who’d opened the gate for the Foreman rushed out to bring the wagon in while Eric guarded the passage. Once everyone was in, including Eric, the old man led them down a very narrow passageway that branched left as the wagon continued on.
They were in a proper manmade passageway now that was no more than five meters wide and maybe five high. After a kilometer or so Farr began to see openings in the walls and he heard noise coming from them and saw dim light flickering within where shadowy figures moved.
“These are our homes, such as they are. Mostly we just sleep here and spend our waking hours in the central hall. The corridor was made in the old days but we sealed it off from the main tunnels to hide it from the Suits many years ago. My dwelling is only a little farther ahead.”
In the near total darkness Farr made out an opening on the right.
“Here we are. Please come in.” They filed into the small opening and found a natural cave behind it about five meters wide. There was no furniture within the room except for a rough pile of sleeping mats. It was very dim in the space and Farr doubted that he would’ve been able to see his hand in front of his face if it wasn’t for the opticals.
“Callum Farr, you may rest here and take these bulky suits off if you so desire and then we will formally introduce ourselves.” Farr suddenly realized that he was still wearing his suit as were Ming and Takashi, their weight negligible in this low g environment. They stripped out of the environment suits down to their uniform coveralls below, neatly stowing them in a corner with their helmets. The Dew also went into the corner. They removed the commbuds from the suits and placed them in the pocket at the bottom of their outer ears where they clung, adhering themselves to the warm skin.
The Foreman sat cross legged on the floor and suddenly Farr was reminded of a picture he had once seen of Mahatma Gandhi when he was very old. There was a peace about this man that was almost palpable. Eric sat next to him, his face calm, but difficult to read.
Farr, Takashi and Ming sat across from them.
“Now,” he said. “My given name is Alain´. You already know Eric and you’ve introduced yourself Callum Farr. May I have the names of these two men?”
“I am Ming Lao Tzu, biologist of the Resolution. Please call me Ming,” Ming said inclining his head toward Alain´.
“I am Hideo Takashi, astrophysicist of the Resolution. I am honored to meet you.” Although sitting, Takashi delivered a very formal bow to the old man. Alain´ returned the bow equally as formal.
“And now that the formalities have been observed we’ll exchange information and learn of one another. What can you tell us of the mother planet?”
“There is so much to tell, Foreman,” Farr sighed. “Where does one begin?”
“I find it is best to begin at the beginning, my son, and for us that would be the day we were exiled from our Mother Earth.”
And so Farr did the best he could to condense the last hundred years of humanity into a short dissertation, but he found that all he really needed to do was speak of the leaders Lansing and Lao, for it was from them that the world he now lived in had come to fruition. He told of the devastation of the Calamity and the horror of the Time of the Dying and throughout it all he spoke of the indomitable spirit of Lansing and Lao. And as he spoke to this gentle old man the words came easier and seemed to flow from him effortlessly. And he spoke of the Long Road the leaders had placed humanity on and the Promise given to the saviors of humanity on their death beds and above all else, the resolve and determination of the human race to find those they had lost and return them to the fold. When he finished speaking he looked around the dim room and saw that Takashi and Ming were staring at him with wide eyes.
“Did I miss something,” Farr said self-consciously.
“No,” Ming said shaking his head in admiration, “As a matter of fact I don’t think I’ve ever heard the stories told better. I had no idea you were such an orator.”
“I am honored to have heard your rendition commander,” Takashi said with a slight bow.
“Yes, my son, your telling of the saga was at once passionate and compelling,” the Foreman said placing a gentle hand on Farr’s arm. “How the people must’ve flocked to the anointed ones of the Creators, Lansing and Lao. What fire they must have had to inspire so many.”
“I didn’t mean to infer that Lansing and Lao were prophets or anything of the sort, Foreman,” Farr said aghast at the conclusion the Foreman had drawn from his tale. “They were our political leaders. I’m not even sure they were religious men at all.”
“It does not matter that the anointed did not perceive that they were such, my son, or that their followers did not perceive. Their lack of knowledge could not make them less than what they were. Just because you don’t know that you are brave or courageous does that make you any less so?” the Foreman asked Farr directly, his face a mosaic of serenity.
Children of the Dark World Page 12
