A Memory in the Black (The New Aeneid Cycle)

by Michael G. Munz

  "It happened pretty fast. You pulled Marc to the floor though, yes?"

  "Yeah," he nodded before finally adding, "Actually I meant for Diomedes."

  "Oh." She turned her gaze back out the window. "Like what?"

  "Well I don't know, but I didn't do anything. It's stupid to say. I was there to protect Marc, so that's what I did. Before I knew it they were shooting Diomedes. I think, what if I'd grabbed for him instead of Marc and stopped him? Which is stupid because he's stronger than me. Then I think maybe if I'd tried. . . he might've survived it."

  "Michael, he opened fire into a crowed of people! In the middle of a space station! He could've killed us all! If you're feeling bad about not trying to stop him once he started I could get that, but—" She shook her head to calm herself. "If you'd tried to protect him then, you'd probably've gotten shot yourself for getting in the way."

  "Yeah, okay, so I guess I can't argue with that."

  "Well you oughtn't, no. He's gotten enough people killed already, I should say. I'm sorry, I know you used to be mates. But it's true."

  "That's just the thing," he answered after a time. "We used him to get up here. Lied to him, put him in danger. Okay, so I guess he's the one who got himself into it, but he helped me, once. Saved my life, too. Probably kept me from. . ." He stopped, and Caitlin turned to find him searching for words. "When I moved to Northgate, I didn't know what I was doing. He took me in. Sure, he's an ass, cruel, greedy, paranoid—"

  "An assassin," she added, and then felt rude for interrupting.

  "Yeah. And I turned my back on him because of it, because I didn't want to be like that. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret that part of it. Maybe I'm just wondering if I'm just like him for using him now. For letting him die without lifting a finger."

  "Because he protected you once?"

  "I don't know. It's just— It doesn't sit right. I can't explain it."

  "So are you mourning him, or just feeling off for your part in it?"

  Michael scowled. "I don't know. Probably both. I don't want to, and then I feel bad for not doing it. And then—" He broke off again, staring ahead.

  Caitlin frowned. "I'm sorry, it's not my business." She turned back forward as well, ruefully congratulating herself on forging a lovely awkward moment. Michael didn't respond.

  For a time they just drove. The rover rumbled about. Some unsecured cargo in back shifted noisily now and again. She wouldn't apologize for it, she told herself. Michael shouldn't be mourning someone like Diomedes. She shouldn't have pushed, but then he didn't say he didn't want to talk about it, either.

  "It's a strange situation, I suppose," Caitlin found herself saying. "I don't pretend to think I'd be feeling anything simple in your shoes, either." She forced a chuckle in an effort to lighten the mood. "With what I'm doing now, I can't throw stones."

  Michael begrudged a chuckle of his own. It was a moment more before he spoke again. "I felt stupid enough back when I realized Diomedes wasn't some noble hero or something. Like some teenager who still believes in Santa. You're right, I shouldn't be mourning him. It's like I'm right back where I was. I bet it sounds like I'm still afraid to let him go, huh?"

  She shook her head. Don't judge. "I honestly can't say how I'd be feeling if I were you. Do you think perhaps you're just sorry he didn't turn out the way you thought he was once?"

  "Yeah, maybe. You'd think I'd get over that."

  Caitlin shrugged. "Perhaps that's what you're mourning, then."

  "Geez, you'd think I'd have other things to think about right now. And maybe that's what it is. I'm sort of on my own up here. I'm not worried, despite how I probably sound. Just anxious."

  "It's the wait."

  Michael nodded, his face hardening with what seemed to be resolve. "Yeah. I'll be fine." He reached into his pocket with a start before Caitlin could think of what more to say. "Oh! Hey, tell me what you make of this."

  She let the change of subject go and turned in her hand the pen-sized device that Michael gave her. It didn't immediately strike her as being anything in particular. There was no visible mic or optics to indicate a camera, just a few buttons and a tiny screen. "What is it? Or where's it from, rather?"

  "Diomedes gave it to me, right before he died. He tried to say something about it, I think, but. . ." He shook his head.

  "Might it be a transmitter? A remote for something? Or perhaps a receiver. I don't see any ports on it. Wireless data storage?"

  "No idea. I think if it was some sort of storage drive, Marc would've recognized it."

  "Weapon of some sort?" She handed it back to him. It didn't much look like a weapon, but if Diomedes had carried it, she expected a chance. "Show it to Felix when he wakes up. He may have seen it somewhere."

  "Yeah." He returned the device to his pocket. "Actually, might want to wake him up now. Omicron's right up ahead."

  Michael was right. Beyond the rim of the crater they were cresting lay a wide, mostly flat structure. There was no sign of Gideon—in fact, no sign of any activity at all. Were they too late? Had they passed Gideon in transit?

  They'd soon find out. Things were coming to a head, and she suddenly wondered what business she had being there at all. Dismissing the thought as useless, she slipped into the back to wake the others.

  CHAPTER 43

  Marc woke to Caitlin's hand on his shoulder and rose to look out the front of the rover. Omicron stood dark. While the place displayed a minimum of lights on the outside to avoid being spotted from space, it nevertheless looked—or felt—darker than it should. Marc thought it was just the subconscious effect of the communications blackout before he realized that the actual base control station, perched slightly above the rest of the complex, was almost completely unlit. Hopefully he would find Marette inside and somehow well enough to tell them what happened.

  Yet she wasn't the only one they needed to find now, was she? "Just how was Gideon supposed to get inside?" he asked. He'd begun to have a plan for how to further fit the man into their puzzle.

  "Ondrea said he'd be able to remember codes that the ESA bloke Curwen knew," Caitlin answered, "and he supposedly has some other hardware in him to bypass security if those don't work."

  "He might just try to hook in externally, if that's possible," Felix added.

  Marc nodded. "I'd say that's less likely to work, but depending on what's going on here it might not be so hard."

  Felix moved up beside Marc, observing. "Speaking of which, do they know we're here?"

  "They shouldn't," Marc said with a glance over Michael's shoulder at the controls. "Our radar cloak's still active, and Omicron hasn't got anything more to pick us up at the moment."

  ESA had gone with a low profile. More active exterior scanners would be detected themselves, and anyone who got curious would wonder just what was so important as to warrant such extensive measures. Beyond very short-range active radar, Omicron relied on passive sensors.

  Marc moved forward a bit. "'Scuse me, Caitlin. Trade spots?" He settled into the front seat beside Michael with a thank-you to Caitlin and flipped on the short-range communications. "Omicron Complex, this is ESA Rover 14AoA, come back?"

  Felix leaned forward a bit himself. "Uh, is that really a good idea, Marc?"

  "We've got the credentials we need," Marc assured him. Making contact would also alert Marette, if she was there to alert.

  "Forged credentials," Felix corrected.

  "Granted. Omicron Complex, this is ESA Rover 14AoA, please respond." They waited, but still got nothing. "Antenna looks down."

  "You didn't have any sort of power drain going on up here earlier, did you?" Michael asked.

  "Nope."

  "Rover feels a little more sluggish suddenly," he went on. "Maybe it's something new."

  Felix leaned in. "Looks like you've still got plenty of battery."

  "I know."

  "Does anyone spot Gideon?" Caitlin asked, looking. No one answered. For his part, Marc couldn't see any sign of anyone
.

  Omicron loomed. Marc tried one more hail that went unanswered. Soon they were rolling toward the side of the complex farthest from the alien ship. Ahead sat a parked ESA shuttle on the exterior landing pad.

  Marc pointed to the side of the complex facing the pad. "There's two airlocks up ahead there. The big one goes to the cargo bay but we should probably—"

  Caitlin pointed to it. "Ought it to be like that?"

  The cargo airlock was open.

  Marc glanced at Michael and tried to recall. "I'm not sure," he said truthfully. "I was about to say we should use the smaller one anyway. Keeps the rover out here."

  "That whole 'stay on the rover as much as possible' thing," Felix said.

  "And out of sight, yes. Something of a problem if we roll right into the cargo bay."

  "Keeps us out of trouble, anyway." Felix grinned. "I'm guessing this thing won't hook right up to the smaller lock, though, huh?"

  "It might, actually, but I think the little gantry there's controlled by the base. There's an exterior door aside the gantry that goes right into the lock itself, though."

  "Given everything we don't know, we'd better wear suits anyway," Michael warned.

  "Aye. I know I'd be more comfortable."

  Michael pulled the rover over to the side near the gantry and parked it against the complex wall where it was hidden from the control station and any other windows. "Know how to use one?"

  Caitlin gave a hesitant chuckle that came on the heels of Felix's question of, "How hard can it be?"

  "Maybe you two'd better stay here."

  Caitlin frowned. "Not until we've at least had a look for Gideon."

  "How much is a look?" Marc turned around to face them.

  The glance Felix and Caitlin shared gave the impression that neither knew how to answer. "Well, the suits are pretty much computer-controlled anyway. Er, right?"

  After getting on their suits and giving Felix and Caitlin the most basic crash course, Michael led them out of the rover. He knew he'd have to make a firm decision on just how far they could go soon, but for the moment he let them come along. If they ran into Gideon, he'd probably need them. His foot hitting the soil outside the rover briefly made him think of the first man to ever do so back in— Well, Felix would know the year. Michael paused where he stood and cast about for any sign of danger. Seeing none, he waved the others forward and made his way to the lock over the footprints of others that still showed clearly in the otherwise undisturbed soil.

  Soon they reached the lock door. "The lock light's green," Marc declared over the suit comms.

  "Green is good, right?"

  "Means it has atmosphere," Marc explained. "I could have sworn it was red when we drove up, though."

  Michael peered inside through the tiny window. From what little he could see, the lock was deserted. "You sure?"

  "Er, not completely, but. . ."

  "So either they're trying to slow us down or someone's coming out."

  "Or going in," Caitlin said.

  "Or I'm just remembering wrong. I'm not Felix, you know."

  "We won't hold it against you," said Felix.

  Michael allowed himself a grin. "I don't see anyone in there. See if you can vent it. Let's get inside."

  Marc nodded and punched in the pass code. If someone was in the lock, Michael remembered, they had an override button to keep their air if they needed to—or just to keep Michael and the others from getting inside. If that turned out to be the case, they'd have a problem.

  There were only moments to consider alternatives before Marc announced it was working and the light turned red. The door slid open. The lock was empty.

  Michael led them inside, taking care to first check around a pillar-like rectangular bulkhead in the corner whose only purpose seemed to be to obstruct their view. As he confirmed there was no one lurking behind it, Felix's voice came over the suit comms. "So do we take this to mean the base has power at least?"

  "If this were the cargo lock it would," Marc came back. "The small one's got its own power supply for safety in case someone finds themselves outside during an emergency. Everybody in?"

  Michael moved forward to the lock's inner door as Marc closed the outer one. Its narrow window showed only darkness beyond. He turned and pointed. "Any way to tell if there's air in there, now?"

  "Not until we get air in here, I think," Marc said. The outer door sealed.

  A flicker of a shadow caught Michael's eye on the obstructive rectangular bulkhead just as Felix moved to put his hand against it. "Think we'll be able to— Aah!"

  Felix's hand passed right through the bulkhead as if it weren't there. As he continued to stumble through it and tried to regain his balance in the suit, a hand appeared at his shoulder and hurled him away. Moments later the entire bulkhead vanished entirely in another flicker of holographic shadow.

  There in the space the hologram had occupied stood Gideon.

  Michael just managed to move and catch Felix, apparently stunned into silence, before he hit the other wall. He steadied his friend and then spun to face Gideon's next move, yet the man only stood in his own wary stance. He wore nothing more than a snug, dark grey jumpsuit, without even a helmet to protect him from the vacuum.

  "Are you okay?" Michael asked Felix without turning.

  "Are you kidding? Did you see that? Amazing! Make him do it again!"

  "We're still on comms, I don't think he can hear us, Felix."

  "Probably better that way, really; the being hurled across the room bit wasn't quite as pleasant."

  "Supposing he can read lips?" Michael asked. They had no way to be sure how Gideon would react, especially if the others were right about what was going on in his head.

  Caitlin stepped in front of Michael to face Gideon directly. "He looks scared."

  Gideon remained where he was. His eyes darted between them like an animal tensed to run—or strike. Michael shook his head. "He looks confused. Unsure. I wouldn't say scared."

  "Gideon?" Caitlin tried, speaking slowly with exaggerated enunciation. "It's Caitlin. Do you remember?"

  "Be careful," Michael warned. Gideon only stared back, unreadable. He reminded Michael of Diomedes.

  Felix moved up beside Caitlin. "We need to get some air in here or this is going nowhere unless you fancy a game of charades."

  "I'm on it," Marc said. He went for the inner door only a moment before Gideon tensed again and took a quick step toward him. Both stopped instantly. "Just, keep him occupied?"

  Michael moved closer to Marc.

  "Ah, move slower," Felix said.

  Caitlin put herself between Gideon and Marc. "We need air, Gideon, that's all. Then we'll talk."

  Gideon kept a haunting watch on them all from the other end of the lock while Marc crept the rest of the way to the panel beside the inner door. The hiss of air soon sounded from outside their suits and grew louder before it subsided.

  "Should be safe," Marc announced.

  Michael released the seal on his helmet and took a breath. The other three followed his example. "Gideon?" he asked.

  "Who are you?"

  "I don't think he's going to remember you, Flynn, even without his. . . trouble." Michael hadn't thought of that.

  "Trouble?" Gideon asked.

  "Gideon, it's me, Caitlin. Do you remember me? Do you remember Felix?"

  Gideon frowned toward Marc and Michael. "Them?"

  "This is Marc, and Michael. They're friends of ours. They helped us get here, to find you."

  "To help you," Felix added.

  Gideon stared. "There is no help coming."

  "There is," Caitlin said. "And we're it."

  "No."

  "Yes. Gideon, your sister sent us. There's something—well, there's something wrong with your brain. Your memory. And we need to fix it."

  "Yeah, just so not the kind of thing you want to hear on the frigging Moon, but we're not as incompetent as we look."

  "Felix," Caitlin warned.
<
br />   "Sorry."

  "You are not ESA?" Gideon asked.

  Michael held out his hands in an attempt to be disarming. "We're not supposed to be here any more than you are."

  "You don't remember Felix and me at all?"

  Gideon scowled without answering further. For a time he simply stood blinking while they held their breath. "You came to help," he stated finally. "The door will not open."

  "There's really very little time, Gideon. Felix and I have to fix your—"

  Gideon stepped closer, seeming to grow larger as he cut her off. "Answer."

  "You've tried?" Marc asked.

  "It won't take my codes."

  Marc tried punching in a few codes of his own into the keypad next to the airlock controls. There was no response. "It's not getting power."

  Michael frowned, still watching Gideon. "But the airlock works?"

  Marc nodded. "Separate systems, like I said."

  "With another power source, could you—" Gideon stopped, blinking as if searching for the word, "—bypass?" Caitlin made a move to say something but he cut her off with a wave. "Stay back."

  "I might." Marc gave Michael a glance. He could tell what the other was thinking. They needed to get the door open somehow.

  "If we help you get it open," said Caitlin, "then will you let us heal your memory?"

  The confused man regarded them all in turn as if sizing them up, and only spoke after a time. "Ondrea Noble?" Caitlin nodded, and Gideon finally gave a grim nod of his own. "After the door is open."

  "Aye, right after."

  Keeping his back to the wall, Gideon moved toward the door where Marc stood. "Stay back," he ordered. Though the others kept their distance, Michael kept close to Marc, ready to jump between the two if need be. Gideon in turn hardly took his eyes off of Michael even as he exposed a part of his arm, drew out some cables, and pushed them to Marc. "Here."

  "These connected to the rest of you in any way?"

  "No. Spare power supply. Insulated."

  Marc nodded and then set to work on the security panel. He asked Gideon a few questions about the power source as he examined the interface and rigged up the cables. Save for a few brief words in reply, Gideon kept silent. If Caitlin and Felix were right, putting his memories back would somehow force out the ESA secrets he held, and then they'd just need to get him out of there before he got in any deeper. Michael wished he knew how likely he'd be then to just do as they asked.