Rosetta (Jim Meade: Martian P.I)

by RJ Johnson

  "Back away!" The Alpha shouted and menaced his Rattler to the group. The Rattlers Rincon had provided them were souped up versions of previous models. The Alpha had seen the same model of rifle he carried vaporize a solid block of iron five inches thick - which as any mole could tell you, took some effort.

  The man in the hat raised his arms slowly and backed away from the unconscious form on the floor. The Alpha ran his ArmBar over the body examining it for any life signs. There were none.

  "They're dead..." The Alpha began before turning to see the man in the cowboy hat swing the chair hitting him over the head knocking him to the ground. The Indian boy grabbed the confiscated ArmBars the Alpha had taken from them throwing one to Meade as he shouted a warning.

  "Behind you!"

  Meade grabbed the ArmBar out of midair, sliding it on his wrist as he whirled to face the door. The three security Betas waiting outside heard the commotion and burst into the room. Meade tapped quickly and zapped the first two in the door knocking them to the ground with a few well-placed shots from the Stinger installed on his ArmBar. The third rushed into the room firing his Rattler at Meade. Meade ducked, as the light above his head was vaporized and the room plunged into darkness.

  Meade flipped on the IR radar on his ArmBar and the room lit up with the shape of the Beta raising his rifle aiming it at Meade. The Beta had the same hardware which allowed him to see in the dark and was about to fire and vaporize Meade. Meade squeezed his eyes shut and hoped when the atoms in his body flew apart at the speed of light, it wouldn't hurt too much.

  Fortunately, just before he was about to fire, the Beta exploded into a shimmering mass of energy lighting up their tiny room. Meade opened his eyes and looked behind him and spotted Amla awkwardly holding the Alpha's Rifle her jaw set in grim determination.

  He rose off the floor and turned on the lantern as the room was illuminated once again.

  "Not bad Amla." Meade told the young Indian girl. She smiled at the compliment and wordlessly offered the rifle to him. Meade shook his head. "I'll stick with my ArmBar. Seems like you're a far better hand using that rifle anyway." He turned and looked for Suresh who had taken cover from the firefight. "Suresh, what's Rincon’s next step?"

  Suresh rose from behind the table, "I do not know. He did not trust me with anything beyond installing the virus into Sinjakama's program."

  "Then we warn Sinjakama." Meade decided. "We split up. Em, you and me will find Koschei and warn him what Lazarus is up to. Suresh, you and Amla find Sinjakama and tell him about the flaw in the navigational program. If there's anyone who can fix it so we don't plummet into the Homeworld, he's the man to do it."

  Suresh hesitated. "Sir, I accept full responsibility but..."

  Meade smiled and shook his head. "You don't need to tell him anything about your involvement. Tell him I found out Lazarus killed Sinjakama and installed the virus on his own before his father died." He patted Suresh on the back. "Relax, we won't let anything happen to you when this is all said and done. Hell, you can come crash on my couch if you like."

  Suresh grinned and rushed out the small apartment door with Amla close on his heels. Meade turned to Emeline who grabbed Meade's jacket.

  "I didn't want to say it in front of them," Emeline said worried, "but if Rincon gets to Sinjakama before we do and Rosetta is throttled up to cruise speed, we may not be able to stop the asteroid from crashing into the Homeworld. If I read that plan right, our velocity will be too much to slow down before the Earth’s gravity well takes over."

  "Then I guess we'll just have to save the world." Meade said.

  "Oh is that all?" Emeline asked sarcastically. "I hope you're up to it."

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Lazarus Rincon's security was out in force patrolling through Downtown which was making it very difficult for Emeline and Meade to make their way up to the Rampet and Tun that would take them up to the Koschei's private forest reserve. Emeline and Meade caught up to Suresh and Amla who were hiding behind a corridor.

  "Didn't get far did you?" Meade asked Suresh who shook his head.

  "There is a large contingent of security out right now. They'll know who we are if they see us." Suresh replied terrified.

  "Looks like this is gonna be harder than I thought." Meade whispered to Emeline. Suresh and Amla nodded and they shrank back into the shadows hiding from a passing patrol.

  "Doesn't Koschei have his own security?" Meade asked Suresh.

  "Koschei has his own security forces in Uptown and the mining sectors to prevent any of the underclass from robbing him, but from what I was able to gleam from the kitchen staff, Rincon takes care of the security in Downtown. No sense in spending money where you don't have to."

  "Right," Meade said discouraged. "How exactly are we gonna make past them?"

  Emeline grinned. "That's why you keep me around." She reached behind her and withdrew the three security jumpsuits she had liberated from the men who had been guarding them. "Amla disintegrated one, so we're stuck with three."

  "Great! So who's gonna play the prisoner?" Meade said with a grin on his face, which quickly faded when he saw Emeline's face.

  "That'd be you sweet cheeks." Emeline said sweetly.

  Meade's eyes widened. "Oh come on."

  "Hey, none of these jumpsuits are gonna fit you. Part of the problem of growing that tall." She quickly pulled the Alpha's jumpsuit over her clothing, it snugly fitting her curves. She handed the other two to Amla and Suresh. "You'll be fine."

  "I'll also be the first one killed if anything goes wrong." Meade muttered, but he had to admit, her plan was brilliant. It was the quickest way to get them up to Koschei's office.

  Amla and Suresh finished pulling on the jumpsuits and lowered the visor which covered their faces completely. Emeline lowered the Alpha's helmet over her head.

  "Now your ArmBar." Emeline asked, holding out her hand for Meade's only form of protection. Meade grumbled.

  "You take to the whole authoritarian thing pretty easy."

  "What can I say?" She asked, her voice sounding slightly distorted from behind the mask, "I'm born to lead."

  She snapped a set of plastic cuffs over his hands and loosely tied his hands together. She used her ArmBar to cut small incisions on either side. "Here, now you'll be able to rip 'em off easy enough if we do get caught up in something bad."

  "You're instilling all sorts of confidence in me."

  "Don’t take it personal, I like to be prepared."

  Their disguise complete, Meade followed Emeline through the crowded hallways of Downtown, keeping his head down, and tried to look defeated as Suresh and Amla followed, menacing Meade with their Rattlers to complete the illusion. They got a few strange looks from random passing men and women, but most of the people seemed to be more concerned about the violent revolution they were to be a part of.

  "Slow and easy," Meade whispered as they approached the Rampet platform. "Should be an easy ride to Uptown if we keep out mouths shut."

  "Shut up." Emeline hissed through the helmet. "You're the prisoner, you don't get to say anything."

  "I love it when you want to role-play." Meade quipped and immediately regretted it as she jabbed her Rattler into his back.

  A group of chattering Security walked up next to them, excitedly talking about the future of Rosetta and what the Lightbringers were about to accomplish.

  The Alpha turned to Emeline and noticed her designation.

  "Alpha 554." His ArmBar called up her assignment and displayed it in front of him. He cocked his head confused. "Aren't you supposed to be guarding this man in the apartment?"

  "His presence was requested by Rincon." Emeline replied, thinking fast. "Your orders must not have been updated yet."

  The Alpha refreshed his screen and shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not what the central command says. The revolution begins in less than ninety minutes and personnel not assigned to terminate Elites or provide covering fire for backup teams are to report f
or final briefing." He turned to his Betas and began to bark out orders. "Escort this Alpha and her Betas to the briefing and return this man to holding..."

  Meade began to flex his muscles ready to tear apart the plastic cuffs when a blip appeared on the screen in front of the Alpha.

  "Standing by for new orders." He repeated and glanced at his screen. "Alpha 554, my mistake, I apologize. The influx of communications has made Central Command's system lag on the updates."

  Meade breathed a sigh of relief keeping his eyes to the ground.

  "Understood sir, protocols must be adhered to if the Lightbringers are to succeed." Emeline acknowledged. "I wish you luck in your destruction of the Elites in Uptown."

  The Rampet arrived and scores of men and women in heavy security armor began to pile into the Rampet. The Alpha interrogating her nodded and barked orders to his Betas instructing them to get on the train as quickly as possible.

  "How'd you manage to do that?" Meade asked Emeline when he was sure the Alpha was far enough away from them. "I didn't even see you hack his ArmBar."

  She frowned, "That wasn't me."

  Amla raised her hand meekly. "I did that sir. It seemed… prudent at the time."

  Meade smiled broadly. "Amla if I wasn't trussed up like this, I'd kiss ya!"

  "She's mine Master Meade." Suresh barked at him.

  "No offense kid." Meade smiled, "Purely platonic of course."

  Suresh nodded and smiled proudly at Amla. They made a cute couple Meade decided.

  The Rampet filled quickly and the trip up to the Pit was faster than Meade remembered. Though he supposed that could just be the nerves. The workers flowed out into the Pit and set about taking their positions around the mining equipment waiting for whatever signal that would activate their revolution from Rincon.

  "They're waiting." Meade said as he watched the workers take up their usual positions. Usually, they'd begin by marking the ORI with their Rattlers, but today was different. Today they stood still.

  "No time to gawk." Emeline replied as she nudged Meade towards a personal Rampet. She turned to Suresh and Amla. "Ditch the security clothing, but try and hang onto the Rattlers. You might need 'em." They nodded.

  "Find Sinjakama and warn him of what his father discovered." Meade said as Emeline cut the plastic cuffs off of his wrists, he slide his ArmBar back onto his wrist the familiar weight reassuring. "Ping me or Emeline when you find him and let him know of the vulnerability."

  Suresh nodded and entered the Rampet setting the destination for the Uptown Apartments. Meade stopped the shield from lowering. "Make sure he understands that your role in this is irrelevant. What matters is stopping Rosetta from crashing into the Homeworld. No matter what happens, ignore the revolution, make sure Sinjakama knows what's at stake."

  "I understand." Suresh replied simply. The shield lowered with the audible hiss as the Rampet pressurized for its journey to Uptown. Suresh and Amla waved as their Rampet departed for its journey towards Sinjakama.

  "Well that's a start." Meade said. "Now all we have to do is make sure Koschei knows he's about to be overthrown."

  "Is that really necessary?" Emeline asked hesitantly. "What if we let the Underclass take over." She waved her arm around at the various underclass who were waiting for their chance. "Look at them, they're hungry, starving even. They work in the worst of conditions for little pay, a high chance of being killed and for what?"

  "Maybe," Meade agreed, "But it ain't like every Elite deserves to die and besides, Rincon wants to kill everyone on the Homeworld with this little revolution of his. It ain't right." Meade said firmly.

  Emeline's face fell and she nodded. "Well, I didn't mean we let him kill everyone on the Homeworld, I meant," she nodded towards a miner, "that man is probably neck deep in more debt than he ever knows what to do with and this revolution might be his only way out."

  Meade frowned. "I get what you mean, but there's a better way than killing thousands of people."

  "Is there?" Emeline asked, her eyebrow raising. "Doesn't seem to me there's a lot of hope for things changing without a little violence. It's not like you avoid a bit of physical confrontation when it suits yours needs."

  Meade grinned and shook his head, "I'll grant you that, but I don’t commit wholesale slaughter of civilians."

  "Fair enough," Emeline replied and looked at her chronometer. "We'd better get a move on. The revolution is scheduled to begin in an hour and if we want to get to Koschei before the party kicks off."

  She stripped off the Alpha's jumpsuit and raised the Rattler defiantly. "But, just so you know, if I get the chance, I'm gonna spit in Koschei's eye for what he's done Rosetta's underclass."

  Meade grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

  Their Rampet sprung out and they jumped in as Meade quickly set their destination for Koschei's private office.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The ride from the Pit to Koschei's private office wasn't long, but Meade found himself staring at his Chronometer along the way anyway. Every minute counted. He didn't know where Rincon was, nor how the coup was supposed to begin. From what he could gather from their interaction earlier, it was scheduled to begin just after the normal workday on Rosetta started. That was less than fifteen minutes from now.

  They arrived at Koschei's private office and they excited their Rampet quickly. Running towards the office door, Emeline raised her hand to press the chime to announce their presence. Meade caught her hand and raised a finger to his lips, stopping her. He opened his ArmBar, typing quickly as a display overlaid the door. On it, a projection of five people appeared.

  "Jesus, O'Donnell really knew his tech..." Emeline said impressed as she was. "Sonic Radar. Nice stuff."

  The image projected on the door began to clear as the ArmBar received more information on the interior. Four distinct forms began to slowly appear as the door and wall in front of them became opaque revealing the interior of the office to them. Inside Meade could see Koschei seated behind his desk surrounded from behind by two of Rincon's security members, each pointing their modified Rattler at his head. Sitting behind Koschei was Yanxiong, the ever present toady. And finally, rounding out the group looking very relaxed was Rincon. Meade typed a few more instructions and the audio from inside began to play out the drama for them on the other side of the door.

  "ahei ish as..." The audio was muffled. Meade shook his head and readjusted the settings. He needed to hear what was going on.

  "Your ArmBar is already straining just to project that image." Emeline said. She raised her ArmBar and withdrew a small optic cable attaching it to the the door. "I'll get the audio, if you provide the popcorn."

  Meade grinned and in a few moments, the audio became crystal clear.

  "...believe it's time we readjusted the way things are done here on Rosetta." Rincon said, lazily pushing something off of Koschei's desk.

  "What could you possibly do to me?" Koschei asked calmly. Meade was impressed. The man didn't scare easily, even with two guns pointed at his head.

  "I'm afraid you don't understand. It's already done." Rincon replied. "In less than five minutes, my men will take control of Rosetta, taking charge of every aspect of the station."

  Koschei's laughter was loud, even without Emeline's optic cable, they could hear it through the door.

  "My dear boy, every computer system on my ship has a dead man's hand fail safe." Koschei replied smiling. "Without the codes entered by my trusted associates, life support, water, even the Higgs generators would slowly shut down without being routinely updated with my codes every twelve hours. You can't threaten me. Without my codes, your people would all be dead within a day." Koschei stood and smoothed his tunic. "My dear boy, this station has planned for every eventuality. That is why I am in charge and you are not."

  Rincon just smiled at Koschei not saying a word. Koschei stared back at the man, his eyes narrowing.

  "I think you'll find your dead man's hand fail safe has been
rendered completely inoperative. The life support system, along with every aspect of the station is now under my complete control." Rincon raised his ArmBar and typed a few commands.

  Suddenly Meade and Emeline found themselves rising, beginning to float off the deck of the hallway. Meade grabbed the side of the wall and Emeline grasped onto him, temporarily losing the audio connection. She reoriented herself and placed the optic cable against the door once again in time to hear Koschei screaming.

  "...people will have your head! Do you know what the Consortium does to hackers like you? I assure you, you will be the first to breathe vacuum."