by Phil Maxey
The IM stood and shone a powerful beam through the glass, illuminating a dance floor and bar beyond the seating area, but nothing else.
“You sure you heard something?” said Seth, while trying to make out details in the shadows around him.
“Please listen,” said the IM.
A rustling then some taps played out inside Seth’s helmet.
“This was the location that noise came from.”
“Okay, let’s go inside, if you hear anything—”
“I will let you know,” said the IM.
The glass of the entrance was lying across the floor as they carefully stepped inside.
A floor below, the others moved between stores and bars, quickly checking the inside for survivors, but found none.
“How many people were in this colony?” whispered Casey, sweeping her gun and flashlight across rows of bottles and glasses behind a simple looking bar.
“Around twenty thousand,” replied Taylor looking at similar bottles lying on the floor.
“Well none of them look like they are here, this is a waste of time we need to get down to the living quarters, see what’s what.”
In the gloom, Taylor looked around the modest-sized bar trying not to imagine all the people that must have enjoyed their time there. “I think you’re right. Seth anything up there? Over.”
Seth moved across the dance floor avoiding the dark pools of dried blood, while the IM walked straight across them. A doorway led to a small corridor, with two further doors and a staircase running upwards. “Nothing yet. Over,” he said to the captain. “IM twenty whatever, you check out upstairs.” The robot began marching up the narrow staircase, while he put his hand on the first handle he came to. Slowly turning it, the door opened out into a small utility room, with a few shelves and bottles. He swept his flashlight around, but there was nothing to be seen. He closed the door and was about to try the handle on the second room when he remembered something. Most of these places were run by the syndicates, and had secret rooms or whole areas. He knew of at least three, in bars and stores on other levels in this colony, but this place was run by the Grainers, so he had no idea if it was the same set up. He reopened the door he had just left, and looked more carefully at the shelves around him. He looked down at the floor. With the extreme illumination from his helmet’s lights the contrast in the grooves on the dusty tiles was obvious. Holding his wrist screen towards the far wall, he scanned and found a number of wires running across it. There was no power, so he moved closer putting his hands on it, and pushed. It gave way without much effort and swiveled inwards. Just as he was about to walk into the shadow, he caught glimpse of a form in the gloom ahead of him.
“I think I’ve found something. Over.”
He walked forward slowly, his helmet’s light pushing the shadows around the form away. It was a little girl.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
She stood passively looking back. As he went to take another step a large dog leapt at him.
CHAPTER 20
Luke sat in the officer’s break room scrolling through the new crew manifest, his eyes growing heavy. Two hundred and twenty-four people that were spending their days in a five by five cell were now free to roam and do as they please across the whole ship. Even though he was one of those people, he didn’t like it. When the captain had proposed her plan ten hours earlier he was as skeptical as the others around him, but for different reasons. He knew why Taylor was asking, he just didn’t think it would work. When she had asked him straight what he thought of her idea, he gave her a more optimistic appraisal than he really thought. But what was the alternative? Leave confronting an unknown alien species to a few members of the EA and a hundred untested IM units, while the rest of the ship sat around on its hands?
Taylor was a good captain, no doubt about that. When he gained access to the ship’s databases, the first thing he did was look up her career record. There wasn’t much in the way of actual combat experience, but there were numerous commendations from more senior offices, and they wouldn’t have put her in charge of their new shiny toy if they didn’t think she was up for the job. But overseeing a prison ship didn’t exactly prepare her for what had happened across most of the system over the past twenty-four hours, but he wasn’t sure anything would.
He tapped on options on the large table screen, standing up to get himself another mug of coffee when a woman’s voice came from behind him.
“I was told I would find whoever’s in charge in here?” said the confident looking woman with dark tied back hair.
“Umm yeah that’s me. And you are?”
“Detective Ashley Manning,” she said standing near the table. “You making two of those?” She pointed to the coffee that appeared in the space within the wall.
Luke smiled. “Sure.” He tapped the required options on the screen in front of him. “So, what can I do for you detective?”
Ashley went to say something, then stopped, looking confused. “Are you one of them?”
“One of who?” Luke placed her coffee on the table in front of her and gestured towards the seat nearby.
Ashley remained standing. “You are, aren’t you? One of the inmates who’s been allowed to do what they want? Hell, you’re now in control of the whole ship!” Her eyes looked away. “We’re all screwed.”
“Yeah well, times change.” Luke was too tired to get into an argument. “You wanted something?”
She sighed, while sitting. “Look, I don’t know what you did before and I don’t care, but you’re in charge now and there are twenty-seven people in the visitor’s room, who are tired and hungry. Some of them are kids. Your captain, Taylor. She explained what had happened—” she looked straight ahead at her coffee “—which I’m not sure I believe and okay, I get we’re in a tricky situation but—”
“Are you getting enough food and water?”
“Yeah, well it’s not five-star food, but we won’t die from it. But we got no blankets, nowhere to sleep, just those plastic seats and tables, and they’re not exactly made to relax on. We need proper living quarters.”
Luke tapped on the options for ship layout on the table in front of him. “I don’t know if you know this, but this ship was designed for a crew of three—”
“Three? How is that even possible?”
“It’s the latest ship in the fleet, everything automated, and we have the IMs, they take care of a lot of things that humans used to. So there are living quarters for a small number of people, but that’s it.”
Ashley took a quick sip of her coffee. “Then something’s got to change, make some more quarters somewhere else on the ship.”
“Well there are the cells.”
“Ha, you’re joking, right? You think that’s a good idea? I know some of you suddenly reformed to get your comfortable new jobs, but there’s still plenty of bad people on this ship.”
“Well it’s the room you’re in now, or cells, that’s all I got. If you choose the cells I promise you everyone will be safe. I’ll task some of the IMs to stay with you.”
Ashley got out of her seat, picking up her mug. “I’ll talk to the others, see what they want to do.”
“Good, let me know.”
She walked back to the elevator taking her coffee with her.
CHAPTER 21
“Juno didn’t mean to hurt you I swear it!” shouted a pale looking young girl wearing multiple layers of clothing with straggly long black hair. Her words formed mist in the icy cold air around her.
“I get it kid, but keep that thing under control,” replied Seth, just as the captain and the others appeared through the secret doorway into the large room behind the nightclub. The dog started barking again.
Seth inspected his arm. “I don’t think its teeth got through.”
The captain moved cautiously towards the girl. “What’s your name?”
“Dawn Shields, Shhh Juno, be quiet, they are not here to hurt us.” As she said the last few words
she looked up unsure at the people around her.
Taylor knelt. “My name’s Captain Taylor, but you can call me Kim.”
“Nah, it’s okay, I’ll call you Captain Taylor.”
Taylor smiled. “Okay, where are your parents?”
The dog kept on barking.
“Captain, we really need for that dog to be quiet,” said Seth.
“What kind of robots are they?” said Dawn looking at the IMs.
“They are special robots, here to protect us. Your parents?”
Dawn looked down. “I don’t want to talk about them.”
“That’s ok. Are you here alone?”
“Umm, what do you mean alone? I stay inside here, and when the others come I hide in the warm room.”
Seth turned to the girl. “Others?”
She looked sad. “When the darkness came, many people were hurt. And now they walk around. At the start I tried helping them, but they chased me, so now I just stay in here and the warm room.” She hugged her dog close to her. “Can I go back into the warm room now? It’s very cold here, Juno doesn’t like it.”
“Yes, please. Can you show me where it is?” said Taylor.
Dawn got up and she and Juno walked past the rows of shelves containing drugs and guns until they got to a door hardly noticeable amongst the dark wall around it.
“Ah, now I understand,” said Weber smiling.
Dawn pushed the door open revealing a small space with two beds made up of loose sheets and pillows. One bed was larger than the other. Empty packets of food lay strewn alongside them.
The dog ran in and laid on the smaller bed.
“Please, I need to shut the door,” she said to everyone outside.
They all shuffled inside then Dawn closed the door behind them.
Weber inspected the walls. “Some kind of Carbonium alloy, no wonder we could never find Babel’s good stuff.” He smiled. “Let’s not tell him what we found here.”
The captain looked at Weber, unsure of what he was getting at.
He sighed. “These walls, the whole box that we are in. The Grainers used it to hide things. I don’t know what the exact makeup is of the alloy, but whatever it is kept this little girl alive.”
“Hey, I’m eleven years old! I’m not a little girl!”
Weber ignored her and continued running his hand over the smooth dark walls. “This could be useful. If we can take some of this material back with us, it might prove something we can use against whatever the hidden is.”
Taylor knelt next to Dawn. “You’re going to have to come back with us, you can’t stay here.”
“Go where?”
“Well, I have a very big ship, where you can stay. It’s a lot safer and certainly warmer than here.”
“Can Juno come?”
Taylor smiled and cautiously petted the dog on its head. “He can. Can you tell me if there are any others like you here? Or are they all the bad people that chase you?”
Dawn scrunched up her face while thinking. “Hmm no I don’t think so, just the bad ones.”
“Dawn, have you seen any black swirling mist? Like a fog?” said Seth.
She smiled. “Oh yes! You mean the shadow people? They are my friends.”
Taylor rocked backwards slightly, trying to keep her smile. “Shadow people? Is there any in here now?” she said looking around her.
“No. I don’t see them much, but when I go outside, they tell me things about the people that used to live here. Sometimes those things are not nice.”
Everyone in the small room looked at each other, and the walls suddenly felt closer.
Seth tapped his wrist, turning external comms off. “She’s either crazy, or there’s something else going on here that is new to us. Either way, I suggest we scan her for any sign of the hidden, and if we don’t find any, we take her and move on.”
Everyone else tapped their wrists screens as well. “And what if we do find signs of the hidden? Then what? We just leave her here?” said Casey.
Weber knelt next to Dawn and smiled. “No, no. If she’s infected she will make a good test subject.”
“Why can’t I hear any of you anymore?” said Dawn watching their mouths move but with no sound coming out.
Taylor put her hand on Weber’s shoulder, while still smiling at Dawn. “No one is experimenting on this girl, she’s coming back with us regardless of what your scans find, Weber.”
Weber held his arm out in front of him, and started scanning her. “Nope, nothing untoward with her or her animal. At least nothing this tech can find, might be different when I get her back to Tantalus. I would put her in quarantine anyway.”
It was a possibility Taylor didn’t want to consider right now standing inside this strange little room.
Taylor tapped her wrist. “Dawn, do you have a lead for your dog? We need to leave.”
Dawn shook her head.
“I’ll find something,” said Burnett opening the door and stepping outside.
Weber felt along the wall trying to find a rivet. Finally, he found one, and with a tool that detached from his belt, he set about removing one of the jet-black panels. The door opened once again, and Burnett rushed inside.
“What is it?” said Seth.
“We have a problem.”
CHAPTER 22
Luke didn’t feel the IM’s iron grip on his wrists until it was too late. “Hey, I’m awake, what’s going on, get off me!” He struggled but the IM hoisted him to his feet, it’s synthetic fingers not loosening once. It was then Luke realized that the warden was standing a few meters in front of him, behind IM 001.
“What’s going on?” Luke said, his world suddenly becoming more lucid.
“Mr. Carter. Do you really think I was going to sit back and let you and your kind take over this ship? I told her! I told her what would happen. More than that she’s welcomed all of you!”
“What are you doing Davin?” Luke looked at the red eyes of a man that had even less sleep than he had. “We are trying to keep everyone alive!”
“That’s your perspective, but—” Murlock looked off to the far corner of the room and nodded. Luke looked on confused as to who he was looking at.
“Who are you nodding too?”
The warden turned his attention back to Luke. “—-I see things differently.” He sighed. “Unfortunately—”
“Unfortunately for him he couldn’t hatch his master plan without a little help.”
Luke didn’t need to turn around to recognize the voice, it was Babel’s. “Davin, listen to me, he’s going to get control of the ship, then he’s going to kill you, and probably many others, you can’t trust him.”
Murlock’s eyes widened. “Of course I can’t trust him! He’s a criminal, like you are!”
Babel’s hand slid over Luke’s shoulder. “Me and him have a little understanding. He lets me take control of the ship, and I kill, like you just very accurately said, most of the other inmates.”
Luke looked confused.
“You’re wondering what I get out of it?” said Murlock. “I get what’s holding you right now. I control the IMs.”
Babel put his hand on the rock-solid arm of the IM, patting it. “I must admit I would have wanted to play with these toys, but, well you can’t have everything, can you?” He looked at Luke more directly. “I’m curious, did you ever wonder why Evgeni wanted to keep you from me?”
Luke continued to struggle, but it was more for show than effectiveness. “I don’t know, I’m sure he had his reasons.”
“Reasons? He just did it to piss me off! He doesn’t give a crap about you! Anyway, now he’s going to die along with his annoying syndicate. Oh, and you of course, but I think I’ll leave you to last, so you can see it all happen.”
“The captain won’t let you take the ship.”
“Oh please, how is she going to stop me? I have control of the IMs via my new best pal here—” he put his hand around Murlock's shoulder who looked uneasy about him being
so close “—and no one can stand up to them. Murlock just needs to tell them to kill everyone I want them too, and soon after they are dead. It’s that simple.”
Murlock whispered something to Babel, who rolled his eyes. “I know! But my people will override that, stop worrying, when she’s back it will be taken care of. Right, now Luke, I need that passcode that Taylor gave you when she made you XO. Nice career move that by the way. So, what is it?”
Luke smiled, resisting the pain the IM’s tight grip was already inflicting.
“Great! I was hoping you would keep quiet. Let’s have some fun, shall we?”
CHAPTER 23
Seth looked down upon hundreds of reanimated people slowly walking across the bottom of the hall, filling all the corridors in all directions. He backed off slowly, then ran through the club to the secret room at the back.
“Hundreds of those things are outside. We could shoot our way through but we don’t know how the ‘hidden’ will react,” said Seth standing at the doorway of the small room.
“Oh, this is just the time they go past. If you wait a bit, they will go,” said Dawn.
“Burnett, keep watch out front, if they start to come up the stairs, let me know.”
He nodded and walked away.
Weber walked along the aisles of the shelves, looking at the guns, drugs, and other sundries. “We should take this stuff back with us.”
“Guns and equipment yes, drugs no,” replied Taylor.
Weber started to pick up the pills and packets of powder. “Oh, we’re definitely taking the drugs.”
Taylor raised her plasma rifle and pointed it two inches from Weber’s head. “Put the drugs down, or I put you down.”
Weber froze then smiled. “Seth, tell this woman that Evgeni is going to want this stuff.”
Seth looked at the captain, Weber, and the drugs. “Leave the drugs, we know where they are if need them.” He wasn’t sure how serious the captain was but right now wasn’t the time to test her. Weber dropped the packets back onto the shelves.
