“You admit your guilt!” Sigmond screamed. “You know you are a monstrous butcher. I only wish I had succeed when I shot you.”
“Sigmond, I can gag you if you do not remain quiet,” Larissa said. “Or you can be drugged and unconscious. I suggest you remain silent for a while.”
“Why? So I can be a traitorous scum like Brinley? What will it matter? Why should I care what you do to me? You are going to kill me anyway, just like you sent those automacubes to kill my family and friends. Nothing you could do would surprise me ever!” Sigmond raged.
“We will see about that,” Larissa stated in such a manner that even Sigmond’s rage was cooled by the implied threat in her voice.
Brinley bit back a reply as she remembered the words Sigmond had directed at her.
They rode on and Larissa led them as the donkeys began the rough descent on the paths which winded between the rocky spires. The poitevin were well trained and acquainted with those trails. Their surefooted walk was steady and made a good pace.
When they came to a small vale where there were spires of rock all around them, and several other trails which led downward, Larissa called a halt.
“So this is where you torture and kill me?” Sigmond spoke. “I am ready for whatever you do. You cannot hurt me any worse than you already have. And Brinley, you are just as bad as she is. You are both a disgrace!”
Larissa rode the donkey over until it was right next to the one Sigmond was tied to. She slapped his face. “I told you to be quiet. Do not say Brinley is like me. She is not like me at all. You insult her again and I may change my mind.”
Sigmond nearly yelled back but confusion set in, so he said no more.
Larissa then turned to Brinley. “When I served as Constable here in the Wilds, there was a woman named Kaye who lived in this Canyon somewhere. I knew she was working with the smugglers, but we could never find her location.”
“Brinley, do not sell out anyone else!” Sigmond yelled.
Larissa turned her icy eyes on him, and he fell silent.
“I have met Kaye, yes. Why?” Brinley asked.
“Sigmond tried to kill me. He gravely wounded me. It was a remarkable act of marksmanship, his shot. There was a time when I would have killed him without a thought. However, now I have a greater appreciation for what he and you endured by my actions,” Larissa stated.
“What does that have to do with Kaye?” Brinley asked suspiciously.
“She is trying to find her to kill her!” Sigmond yelled. “Do not be responsible for more murders!”
“That is enough!” Larissa spun about and with one of the reins from Sigmond’s donkey she wrapped it about Sigmond’s face and forced it into his mouth. Though he struggled, he was unable to fight off Larissa’s strength. Larissa tied the rein around Sigmond’s head and the gag was secured. He mumbled and tried to chew down on the reins, but could only make vague muffled words.
“Brinley, do you know where Kaye is located? I want Sigmond to go and stay with her. I will not execute him, but his influences cannot be allowed to drive a wedge between the remaining Free Rangers and the troopers under Constable Brock and Governor Konstantin. Those groups must work together to defend the Vanguard, and especially the Wilds,” Larissa said.
Brinley was astounded.
Sigmond’s eyes grew to enormous size in his shock.
Larissa continued. “I had search teams look for Kaye for a long while on various occasions. If she was able to elude my best trackers, I believe she can keep this man safe and away from the towns of the Wilds. Will she do such a thing?”
“I am not sure,” Brinley replied. Her mind was still reeling from the words Larissa had said about not executing Sigmond.
“I understand entirely why neither of you would trust me. Especially him,” Larissa pointed. “So I ask you as a personal favor to me, will you take Sigmond to Kaye and leave him safely there. I will remain here so I will not know her location. You could stay with Kaye as well, if you so desired. I would then press on to accomplish the mission of diverting the lattice and defending the Vanguard. I certainly understand how neither of you could ever forgive me, but offering Sigmond his life is something I must do. And offering you the freedom to quit this quest… well, you have earned that as well.”
“Larissa, you mean that?” Brinley asked. “I am not sure I can find Kaye. I know where she was located, but so much has changed with the Jellies and the destruction of the shuttles. Kaye may not be where she was, but I am willing to take Sigmond there, if you are genuine in your offer.”
“I am completely serious. I owe you both that much and more.” Larissa turned to Sigmond who was still gagged and tied to the saddle of the donkey. “I wish I could change what I did. I am sorry I caused you so much suffering and loss. I apologize.”
Sigmond’s eyes showed a mix of anger, frustration, perplexity, and confusion. As he stared at Larissa his look softened just a bit and he nodded.
Larissa turned back to Brinley and asked, “Can you find Kaye?”
“I can try,” Brinley said.
“It will not be as hard as you think,” a voice echoed around the area.
“Kaye?” Brinley asked.
“They very same one. I dreamed you were coming, and am here,” Kaye said as she stepped out from behind some rocks on the side of the vale.
All three of them turned to look, for Kaye had appeared in a place which was not where her voice had seemed to originate. The woman’s face broke into a smile. She was on the short side with a wide stance. Her long gray hair hung loosely about her shoulders. Her ruddy complexion and rounded nose suited her, and gave her a dignified manner.
“How did you know we were coming?” Larissa asked in surprise.
“Ask me no secrets and I tell you no lies,” Kaye responded. “I will be happy to take that young man with me. He will remain restrained for a bit until he understands what a gift you have given him. I will ensure he does not go to the towns.” Kaye paused for a long moment. Then she looked sternly at Larissa, “Remember this day, the gift you have given yourself.”
Sigmond looked back and forth between Larissa and Kaye in disbelief.
“Brinley, please take this rein to her,” Larissa said and handed the single rein of Sigmond’s donkey to her. “You may accompany her and I will forge onward alone if that is your wish.”
Brinley rode over to where Kaye was standing.
“I would ask you to come with us,” Kaye said, “But Larissa really does need you on that quest. In fact, all of us on the Vanguard need you two to work together.”
Brinley handed the rein of the poitevin to Kaye. “That was my feeling as well. The Jellies must be stopped.”
“Yes, you must try,” Kaye said with sadness in her voice. “Farewell.”
Brinley turned the donkey and headed back toward Larissa.
Kaye led the donkey with Sigmond on it away. He was nodding his head and trying to work the rein gag out of his mouth.
“You just wait,” Kaye said as she walked. “I will undo that soon enough. You need to seriously consider what just happened to you.”
Brinley urged the donkey to trot and caught up to Larissa. “I am not sure what to say about what you just did. You really did not know Kaye was out here at this spot, did you?”
“I do not wish to speak of it again. We have a mission ahead of us that will be difficult enough as it is. Now I know most of this Canyon’s trails, and the one that leads to the very end is over here.” Larissa pointed.
They continued to ride on in silence.
The rock formations around then and in the distance on both sides were unevenly high, but all at least twenty meters or so tall. The winding and twisting path wrapped its way around those jagged upright mounds and bluffs. The ground at the edges of the path was covered by plants and small shrubs some of which were flowering. At one section, a bush was vibrant purple color, but its beauty was marred by the reminder that the alien Jellies were also purplish colored.
The fragrant aroma of the bush did help remind them that all things purple were not threats.
The donkeys picked their way along and after some time the two riders made it to the edge of the wide river about where it came to the end of the habitat. The water flowed roughly parallel to the sky tube far overhead. That flow of water was about twenty meters wide and Brinley could see ahead to where the water disappeared into the opening in the end wall of the habitat. That wall had the same rocky appearance as the rest of the Canyon, yet when her eyes looked up she could see where the rocks ended, and the permalloy extended up and away. They were nearly at the end of the river and also the end of the sky tube far overhead.
“This place is different than last time I was here,” Brinley said as she looked around. Many of the rocks showed nicks and damage from bullets. Several places had significant piles of small rocks beneath deep gouges which had been blasted into the jagged upright rock formations.
“There was a terrible battle here with the Jellies against Constable Brock and our troopers. Too many died in that battle. The water here was turning brown. The vodnee automacubes defended this waterway and were all destroyed. Brock and the troopers saturated the waters with large explosives which drove the Jellies away. They retreated back to the subterranean water passages. We did not learn where they had entered that system, but we suspect it was at multiple locations. So we established monitors here with defense systems.”
“Up there is an exit from the habitat,” Brinley pointed to where some rocks stuck out and made an overhang. Small plants were sprouting up on the slope leading to that spot. She remembered Paul and Gretchen standing there looking at the river and habitat in awe. “Inside there are the maintenance shafts that honeycomb the end of the habitat. There were tagalong animals using the passages behind there when I was last here.” She patted her backpack, “I can get us inside any sealed door. No door can keep me in or keep me out.”
“That is good to know, however, that exit is not the one we need,” Larissa said. “I know you are an expert on the places, the corridors, decks, and whatnot outside of this habitat, which the Free Rangers used.”
“So if we are not using that exit, where will we leave the habitat?” Brinley asked.
“Constable Brock and his team set up guardian stations, after the Jellies withdrew. We have also mined with explosives the entire river system here. One of those stations was where I sent out the automacubes which found the runabouts for our mission. That is the correct term for the small shuttles, runabout?”
“Yes.”
“That guardian station is where we will leave.” Larissa pointed to the opposite side of the river where there was indeed a platform which had been cut into the rock. Sitting on that platform were two red automacubes. “It was not difficult to have the engineering automacubes make the path you see leading across the end of the habitat. We lost too many vodnee automacubes in the river, so they cut a new access passage in the face of the rocks. The engineering automacubes also then installed a new bulkhead pressure door behind the guardian station. That is our exit. It goes past what you called those honeycombed tunnels.”
“That should then lead us to a main corridor,” Brinley said as she sketched out the deck plans in her mind. “I memorized the route from the deck plans you supplied me, but I thought we would be starting from that old exit.”
“You are not angry I withheld the information about the guardian stations being here?” Larissa asked. “I was concerned that….”
“You did not trust me,” Brinley interrupted. “I understand that feeling.”
“I am sorry. You have more than proven your worth and honor,” Larissa replied.
“Well, that newly created exit will save us much time in getting to Exterior Repair Station V-4991. From there we retrieve spacesuits to get the small shuttle at E-71H. Do your automacubes reports any changes from that location?”
“I have not had any contact with them recently. I believe it is due to the CPO and the lattice interfering. They may or may not be there when we arrive. I have not been able to link or couple to them at all.”
“Will these security automacubes recognize us?” Brinley asked.
“They already have. Otherwise they would have engaged us with heavy weapons fire. Shall we dismount and proceed?”
Larissa swung off the poitevin and unloaded the saddle bags. She removed the saddle and all the tack from the donkey. She patted his head and rubbed between his ears. “You have severed me well. Thank you.”
The poitevin walked away, put his head down and started to munch on some of the plants around the area.
Brinley dismounted. Larissa walked over and began to remove the second donkey’s gear as well. “These animals will find their way back, or just have their own adventures in the Canyon. We cannot carry all this stuff, and these fine mounts should not be burdened any further.” Again Larissa showed compassion on the animal.
Slinging the L-RODs over their backs, and repacking their belt pouches and backpacks, they proceeded to climb up toward the rocky ledge which crossed over the river to the guardian station.
The red automacubes kept their focus on the river and the adjacent areas.
The guardian station was cleverly fashioned with rock which shielded most of the place. The automacubes had a readily defensible position, and just behind them, cut deeply into the rock was the new passage and the bulkhead door set into the permalloy of the habitat’s wall. The color pad control panel shined brightly at the back of that passage.
Larissa walked up to it and entered a sequence of colors. The door then gave off a negative function sound.
“Will I need to cut open this door, or rework the controls?” Brinley asked.
“Be patient, Brinley. The negative function reply is but the first step in the combination.” Larissa then raised her arm and placed her forearm against the side of the door. A hidden scanner then sent out a beam of light which enveloped her arm. “This will read my implants and verify it is me.”
The door made a second negative function sound. Larissa smiled and punched in a different access code sequence to the color pad. “This is Larissa.”
Upon hearing her name, the door slid open.
“I am impressed,” Brinley said with a huge smile. “This is one of the most sophisticated door locks I have ever seen.”
“I wanted to make sure no one was able to jeopardize this end of the habitat again. Not just for the Quarantine, but also as a method against the Jellies. The battle that took place here was too close of a thing for me.” Larissa led Brinley out of the habitat. The door behind them closed and sealed itself over.
“Larissa, what you did for Sigmond,” Brinley started to say, but was interrupted.
Larissa turned and faced her. “Please Brinley, I said I do not wish to speak of it. My actions made me feel weak, so do not bring it up again. Our quest here is not completed, and meaningless talk will hinder our progress.”
Brinley recognized the type of corridor they entered, but not the specific one. The new passage which the automacubes had made linked smoothly into a typical companionway. The side walls were dull gray colored, the overhead lighting was adequate and diffuse, and the air was stale. There were automacube tracks in the dust on the floor, but no other signs of anyone or anything passing that way.
“This looks like it was sealed off long ago. The readings you got said it was back at the launch?” Brinley asked.
“Yes.”
“I would have thought the logs would show no activity since the Quarantine instead.” Brinley was thoughtful as they walked. “This area was shut down and sealed over before the problems with Baldwin and the infections? Why?”
“That is a good question, which I hoped you would be able to answer. I found no reason why the area was sealed over like it was. The records are just blank from the launch until my automacubes opened this section up while hunting for a way to fulfill the mission parameters,” Larissa replied.
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��No evidence of Roe or tagalongs?” Brinley was more puzzled the more they walked. “The habitats were sealed, and the Free Rangers made homes in the outer decks and hanger bays, the Roe had the rest of the places. All except here?”
“Too much idle speculation. Let us find this Exterior Repair Station, V-4991, and get the needed spacesuits, tools and items to get the runabout working at E-71H.” Larissa increased the pace of their walk as she followed the route she had memorized.
Brinley pulled out her multiceiver and activated it. “This just seems wrong somehow. Not the mission or our goals, I support that, it is this place.” She hit the switches to call for Paul, and then Gretchen, and then a general summons. None of those received any reply.
“So the CPO has still got us blocked out?” Larissa asked. “That just means it is more important for us to complete this mission. Those stairs leads up to the deck where our goal is located.”
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 161
