by Gus Flory
A fiery flash and boom erupted from one end of the arena.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Cassini City Gods.”
A lacrosse team in black and gold uniforms leaped out from a tunnel through sparks and flames. They wore helmets, padding that looked similar to military armor, and carried lacrosse sticks. They bounded across the field in leaps up to three meters high.
The crowd booed as the Gods lined up on one end of the field.
“And now if you’d all direct your attention to the far end of the field…”
A large, fiery explosion flashed and boomed in front of the opposite tunnel.
“The Huygenstown Cooooooosmonauts!”
The crowd erupted into enthusiastic cheers as the local team bounded out onto the field. Energetic music played loudly. Some of the players flipped around in the air as they leaped, tossing lacrosse balls from their sticks out into the crowd.
“The jumps are a lot higher here than on Mars,” Diego said. “It should change the play, make for a more aerial game, like the Moon League.”
“Yeah, we play Moon League rules and train to their standards,” Sonny said. “Our gravity allows for more acrobatics than you’ll see on Mars. I played against a team of newly arrived Martian contractors a couple months ago. We crushed them. They never got their feet right.”
The game got underway. The play was fast as the players leaped high and passed the ball up and down the field. A few hard checks were thrown right at the start. The players launched like missiles into their opponents, checking them hard with their shoulders and sticks, sending them careening through the air.
Each pass and check got a rousing ovation, or loud boos and groans, depending on whether the home team was on the delivering or receiving end.
One of the Huygenstown midfielders leaped athletically and passed the ball upfield before being checked so hard his helmet popped off. The crowd roared angrily and railed threats at the referees.
A Huygenstown attackman caught the ball in his stick’s net. He flipped through the air, landed on his feet and redirected himself with a quick and powerful leap off the turf as several opposing defensemen shot past him. He pulled his stick back, kicked off the turf and whipped the ball toward the net. The ball shot under the goalie’s legs and hit the net as the crowd roared.
“Gooooooooaaaaaaal, Coooosmonauts!”
Sonny and Pristina cheered with the crowd, pumping their fists and slapping each other high fives. Diego found himself caught up in the emotion, cheering the display of athleticism, slapping high-fives to Sonny, Pristina and several of the spectators around him.
“A spectacular shot by attackman Zubin Zaba,” the announcer said. “Zaba is the Titan Lacrosse League leading scorer for the season. This is his third consecutive season leading in goals, assists and steals.”
Zaba’s face and stats appeared on the big screen above the field. He was handsome, with masculine features, cropped black hair, dark eyes and a square jaw.
“That’s the guy we came to see?” Diego asked.
“Yeah,” Sonny said. He leaned to Diego’s ear. “Prissy’s ex.”
The lead changed a few times as the game progressed. Zaba got a couple more goals and performed some athletic plays. He was the crowd favorite. They cheered every time he touched the ball and went wild when he took a shot.
Diego found himself rooting against him, hoping the Gods would smash him.
The score was tied as the clock ran down to the final seconds. Zaba caught a long pass, leaped forward and obliterated a defenseman with a powerful check. He leaped toward the goal. Two defensemen closed in on him. He faked to the left and then flung the ball around his side, shooting it over the goalie’s shoulder for the win.
The crowd exploded in cheers that shook the roof. Fireworks burst, and music blared. Spectators hugged each other. Sonny and Pristina were cheering and hugging everyone around them. Pristina grabbed Diego and gave him a hug. He hugged her back, smiling, but secretly wished Zaba had missed the shot.
The crowd began filing out of the arena. Large groups of excited and rowdy sports fans were hanging around the city center, filing into bars, clubs and restaurants. Titan Police were providing security, standing in twos around various points of the plaza. Soldiers manned checkpoints at the entranceways to corridors and concourses. Diego recognized the soldiers as Dragon Brigade cavalry scouts.
Sonny, Pristina and Diego steered clear of the police and soldiers, blending with the crowd. They walked down a corridor of restaurants filled with boisterous colonists. Diego followed Sonny and Pristina into a Mr. Chiba’s. They walked in the narrow space between the booths, past the cook behind the counter and into a hallway past the restrooms. They headed downstairs and entered a doorway.
Inside the doorway was a long meeting hall filled with people who sat in rows of chairs talking to each other. The buzz was all about the game and Zaba’s winning shot. At the end of the hall was a podium atop a stage.
A man stepped up to the podium. Diego recognized him as Bobby Chiba.
“OK. Yeah. It was a great game, great game. Zube was incredible. Maybe the Cosmonauts victory tonight is a sign of greater things to come. OK, let’s settle down now. Let’s get started.”
“What’s this all about?” Diego asked Pristina.
“It’s the meeting that was supposed to take place in Cassini City. They moved it here after you warned us of the raid.”
“OK, now. Without further ado, I’d like to welcome Tupo Pelagi to the Huygenstown chapter of the Alternative Party for Titan.”
Tupo Pelagi stepped up to the podium to a round of applause. She wore a white collared shirt open at the chest and black slacks. She smiled looking out at the crowd.
“Hello. I’m happy to be here and glad to see that those of us from Cassini City are still welcome in Huygenstown. Maybe if the Cassini City Gods had won today you might run me out of town on a rail. I must say, Zubin was awesome out there. Wow. That being said, I feel I’m on safe ground here with all of you. As you know, these last few days have been dark ones for the Noer, notwithstanding the victory of the Cosmonauts tonight. The very fact that we’re meeting here tonight has become an illegal act under the enlightened rule of our benevolent governor. But as long as we stick together, we can affect positive change.”
“They’re arresting us here in Huygenstown now,” someone yelled out from the crowd. “Soldiers and police are everywhere. We’re being treated like terrorists in our hometown.”
“We need to resist,” someone else called out.
“Not yet,” Tupo said. “Remember what happened the last time we resisted them. And they’re in a better position now than they were then. They have bases here and soldiers. We must not be drawn into another fight. It would be disastrous for us. We must bide our time.”
“It’s disastrous for us now.”
“We must emigrate,” someone shouted. “To Titania and Oberon. Pluto. It’s the only way to escape Federation tyranny.”
“Triton is the next Titan,” someone yelled. “We should make a run for Triton.”
“The time will come when Pluto and the moons of Uranus and Neptune will be ours to colonize,” Tupo said. “I urge you to have patience. Our time will come. We must stay the course and not resort to violence. We must stick together and maintain our faith in the future. We will continue moving forward.”
“Tupo. They killed your husband. And where is Kona?”
Tupo was silent for a moment. She looked down, took a deep breath and looked up again. “My main purpose here tonight is to discuss Marko. His trial will soon conclude, and a verdict will be announced. I fear the Federation is going to railroad him and find him guilty of war crimes.”
“That will mean war,” someone shouted.
“We all loved Marko,” Tupo said. “He was a great leader. We thought he would lead us to victory. But we were overmatched. We overestimated ourselves and underestimated the Federation. We must go out to our constituents and ensur
e that they do not rise up if Marko is found guilty.”
“It would be a travesty of justice,” someone yelled.
“It would. But what would you have us do? Riot? Commit acts of terrorism? Start another war? Where would that lead?”
A commotion broke out in the back of the hall. People were standing and jostling. Everyone stood, with nervous looks on their faces, craning their necks over the jostling crowd.
“We must resist the Federation!” a hoarse voice yelled from the center of the commotion. “We must resist the jack-booted thugs that have been perpetrating false flag terror on the good folks of Titan!”
“What is he doing here?” Pristina said.
Alan James pushed through the crowd and stood in the aisle looking up at Tupo.
“This is not good,” Sonny said. “Someone tipped him off. If he knows about this meeting, then the authorities must know, too.”
“Come on, Tupo,” James bellowed. “They killed your husband. It’s time to fight back.”
“Alan, this is a private meeting,” Tupo said. “You’re being disruptive.”
“Oh, is that how it is now? You use me for my audience but won’t invite me to your little pow-wow? Can you believe this, folks? I’m the one keeping this movement alive. I’m the one leading the resistance. I’m the one with the biggest following.”
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“We can do this together, folks. We need to rise up against the Federation’s tyranny. We’re not going to take it anymore.”
Several men grabbed James under the arms and dragged him back down the aisle.
“Tell them about the Tesla Project, Tupo,” James bellowed as he was dragged out the door.
The crowd went silent. People glanced around the room. They spoke in hushed tones.
“I didn’t come here today to discuss strategy or tactics but to reaffirm our commitment to the cause,” Tupo said. “I’m still here. I’m still committed. I think it’s best we adjourn this meeting before any other uninvited visitors arrive. Keep a low profile for the next few days until our next meeting. Be discrete. Don’t give up hope. Good night.”
She stepped away from the podium, walked off the stage, and disappeared into a doorway.
Everyone stood and began moving toward the exits.
“Come on,” Pristina said.
They made their way to the stage and then exited through the back doorway. They walked down a hallway before heading up a stairwell and through a door, emerging into the lobby of a residential tower.
They stepped on an elevator and rode it up five floors.
“Where are we going?” Diego asked.
“Bobby’s place,” Pristina said.
The elevator opened. They walked along a floor lined with windows that looked out at the city alight in the night and at rugged mountains silhouetted in the dark distance.
Pristina punched a code into a panel by a door. The door clicked open.
They stepped into a large apartment with tall windows that looked out at the city. The crescent of Saturn was aglow in the starry sky.
“Bobby Chiba likes his penthouse suites,” Diego said.
About a dozen people were sitting in the sunken living room beneath the large window. They all turned and eyed the newcomers.
Tupo Pelagi stood up. “Pristina. Sonny. We’re glad you’re here. And you brought the soldier.”
“Yes. Everyone, I’d like you to meet Major Diego Zanger.”
Diego shook Tupo’s hand. Her grip was soft and feminine. She smiled at him.
“Nice to meet you, Major.”
Pristina introduced him to the others in the living room. They were a mixture of men and women ranging from middle aged to elderly. Bobby Chiba was one of them. They all seemed happy to see him.
“You must have a drink,” Chiba said. “What’s your poison, Major Zanger?”
“Club soda with a lime.”
“Vodka?”
“Hold the alcohol.”
Tupo smiled at his choice. “You’re not working now, Major, are you?”
Diego turned to Pristina. “Why did you bring me here? What is this all about?”
“These are the leaders of the Alternative Party for Titan. At least the ones who haven’t been rounded up. You saved them from arrest. They want to speak with you.”
Chiba handed Diego the drink. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the couch.
They all sat on couches and chairs around a coffee table. Behind them, through the enormous windows, was the city skyline and Saturn’s crescent, aglow in the night sky.
“I won’t waste our time with small talk,” Tupo said. “Tell me what you know, Major. Where is my son? Is he OK?”
“Your son? I don’t know.”
“Do you know who killed my husband?”
“Most of what I know is from the news. I only sat through a few briefings. Maybe you know more than me.”
“What do you know?”
“Your husband’s armor was pierced during the attack. He suffocated and then crashed while gliding away from Cassini City.”
“No, the real story. What information do you have?”
“You can tell us,” said a bald man with a white beard. “No need to worry about violating your security clearance. We’ll protect you from the Federation.”
“What is it you want to know?”
“The terror cell that committed the Einstein Plaza Massacre,” the man said. “Who ran it? Was Cone directly involved?”
Tupo Pelagi sat across from Diego, leaning forward, watching him. She leaned back and crossed her legs. She studied him curiously, skeptically. Her white shirt was open at the collar revealing the smooth, brown skin of her chest. Her hazel eyes burned into him.
“Look, I’ll help you however I can, but I don’t know anything about Einstein Plaza other than what I saw with my own eyes, or what was on the news. I told Pristina about the raid on your meeting because I’m sympathetic to your cause. The Army is going to hang me if they catch me. I want to join your side, your team. But first, tell me what I’m getting myself into.”
“You’re a traitor to the Federation,” someone said from above the living room. “That’s what they’re calling you now.”
Everyone turned. Zubin Zaba walked down the steps into the living room. He was tall and muscular, barefoot, in jeans and a T-shirt. His black hair was still wet from a shower.
He stood in front of Diego and looked down at him. “That’s what the news wants us to believe—that you’ve thrown away your Army career to help a down-and-out political party on a faraway moon. Is that what you expect us to believe?”
Diego stood. The two men were about equal in height and build. Diego reached out his hand. Zaba didn’t shake it.
“Yes, I expect you to believe that.”
“Garbage. Tell us who did Einstein Plaza.”
“I can only tell you what I know from the intelligence briefings I sat in on.”
“Tell us,” Tupo said.
“Army Intelligence is laying responsibility for the attack on Amad Robodan. They’ve identified Sonny, Damien Coates, Aiden Popov, Kyle Pelagi and Kona Pelagi as the terror cell. They think you, Ms. Pelagi, were possibly involved in the planning, directly working with Robodan. As far as I know, they have no intel on Zubin Zaba or Bobby Chiba. I recognize some of your faces from an intelligence summary as being members of the A.P.T. and possible targets for arrest.”
“He’s making it sound like T-FORCE actually believes this rubbish,” the bald man said.
“I’m telling you what I know.”
“Please, have a seat, Diego,” Tupo said.
Pristina was looking at him, watching him, evaluating.
Diego sat down.
Zaba remained standing, looking down at him. He pulled out a black cylinder from his pocket and calmly pointed it at Diego. He flipped it on. A red dot appeared on Diego’s forehead, glowing brightly.
“Stop it, Zubin,” Pristina s
aid.
Zaba moved his thumb on a slider on the pointer. Diego felt the red dot on his forehead grow hot.
“Tell us the truth or I’ll burn a hole through your brain.”
Diego sat calmly, looking Zaba in the eyes.
“Tell us the truth.”
“I told you what I know.”
“You’re lying.”
“Please, Zubin,” Pristina said.
Zaba stared Diego in the eyes.
“You people are fools,” Zaba said. “He’s a spy sent by SSIS to infiltrate us. How could you be so stupid to bring him here?”
“Zube,” Sonny said. “He knew about the raid and told Pris because he’s attracted to her. She was in her black bikini at the Venusian when he spilled the beans. He probably regrets it but has no other options now. Maybe we can use him.”
“You’re not helping his case,” Zaba said.
“Zubin, stop it,” Tupo said. “Turn off the laser.”
Zaba turned off the laser and turned to Tupo.
“If we let him go, he’ll rat us out. If we let him stay, we’ll have an infiltrator in our ranks.”
“I’m not a spy. I’ll help you. Look at things from my angle. Sonny’s right. I have no other options now.”
Zaba lifted his cylinder again. A blue dot appeared on Diego’s forehead. Zaba pressed a button and zapped Diego with a powerful electric shock to the brain.
Diego’s body jerked, and he slumped unconscious onto the couch.
10. Simon’s Bay
When he came to, he was unsure how much time had elapsed. His wrists were bound behind his back. He was strapped into the back seat of a rover that was bumping along in the darkness. It was dark inside the rover save for the glow of the display on the dashboard. Zubin Zaba and Tupo Pelagi were up front. The radio was playing a song by the pop star Moira.
Diego sat silently for a while in the back as the rover cruised through the darkness. White beams of light from the headlights illuminated the road and the rocks and sand along the roadway.
“I have some information for you,” Diego said.
