by Cheri Lasota
Solomon had known him a long time, and he knew the man's tactics. They were equals as far as intelligence and wits were concerned. But Solomon had just one question for his longtime friend: was he involved in this betrayal and, if so, why?
Solomon rose up through the lifter's hatch, and with his boot, he touched off the edge to launch himself through the long docking module, situated similarly to a NASA-style module, with white bulkheads, no viewing windows, and little in the way of the “welcome to space” atmosphere so prevalent elsewhere on Solix Sky.
Yet, the Solix Sky Docking Station itself more than made up for its lackluster first impression. The initial technological breakthrough on the Solix Sky's carbon nanotube ribbon had been discovered by Alastair Johns, a genius revered among aerospace engineers and astrophysicists. He had also worked up the original drawings for the Solix Sky Space Elevator, though its final design had gone through many subsequent iterations. The station had retained much of Johns's eclectic design motifs, complete with his clean lines, heavy use of metals in the furnishings, and clever use of paneling to hide the equipment used to run the Solix. The same elements were mirrored in Nautilus's design, which gave it an uncluttered, uber-modern feel.
Yet Solomon saw beyond all this to the dying plants in the pots lining the main concourse bridging the two symmetrical sections of the station. He looked down at the worn synthetic wooden boards beneath him and at the scuffed cement-like walls that rose up toward the Skyway Star Portals where he used to watch the constellations wheel by. But none of this really mattered. Solix Sky was just another element of a dying planet. And it was his job to get everyone out of here. Well, everyone but the people hidden in Serica Sector.
With that thought foremost in his mind, the first face Solomon noticed on the other side of the busy docking area's glass enclosure was Mads Graversen. Along with all members of the Challenge, Solix and Nautilus Command groups, he wore the standard-issue black synth-leather uniform complete with its white patch signifying his director position. Two Founder guards flanked him. They had the look of serious bar bouncers itching for a face to punch. Mads himself zeroed his gaze—and his dour expression—on Solomon immediately. On the way through security—which for Solomon and his crewmates consisted of being waved through without so much as a badge check—Solomon noticed a few of his other crewmembers going past.
“Franklin,” he called out to the most responsible of the three. “Are there any other Reachers on the Solix currently?”
His swarthy lab tech Jeb Franklin glanced over and nodded. “Yes, sir. A few finishing up with some final materials experiments.” Franklin floated over while Ginna and Raro waited in the expansive main throughway of the docking station.
“What can I do for you, sir?”
Solomon floated around so his back was turned to Mads. “I want you to round up anyone on Solix and get them on the next available transporter. Ensure all Reachers aboard Solix and Nautilus make their way to the SS Challenge ASAP. This is an order and it's urgent.”
Franklin's eyebrows rose up to his hairline, but he nodded without a word and rejoined his companions.
Solomon swung around to face Mads, who looked suspicious of his exchange with Franklin. Couldn't be helped, though he should probably come up with a decent lie if Mads called him on it.
“Graversen,” Solomon said, lifting his chin once in acknowledgement.
“You got my message?” Mads said, impatience turning his Danish accent slightly thicker than usual.
“Yes, I had heard from Propulsion that something was going haywire in the Cav, but I don't have any details.”
Mads took a moment to gauge Solomon's response. From experience, Solomon knew he likely wouldn't be able to tell whether Mads thought he was lying. The man had an exceptional poker face.
“The Challenge's Propulsion crew,” Mads began, obviously making a clear distinction between the Reacher crew and the Founder crew in the Propulsion Sector, “were running drive tests all day. The Cavitran suddenly halted in the middle of a run. They suspect sabotage.” He left the comment open-ended with a subtle lilt at the end that turned it into a question.
Solomon did not break eye contact. “Why do they suspect sabotage?” He kept his voice even but inquisitive.
Mads narrowed his eyes slightly at Solomon, and then he shifted his gaze behind him to Kasen, who was about to head toward the transporter docking bays.
“Why did you disable the comms in the lifter's lounge, Vokos?” he asked Kasen.
“Sir?”
“You heard me the first time.” Mads stared pointedly, waiting.
“We heard some unusual beeping sounds coming from the comm unit is all. It was getting annoying, so I disabled it. I plan to let maintenance know on my way over to the Trafero 2 docking bay.”
There was a collective breath while they waited to see if Mads would buy this explanation. Mads blinked a few times while staring at Kasen and Solomon in turns. He gave nothing away.
“If it was sabotage, does Propulsion have any leads on a culprit?” Solomon finally asked Mads.
“Yes, you.”
Mads nodded once to his guards, and they moved toward Solomon immediately.
Solomon never took his eyes off Mads's face. His expression, while unreadable as ever, took on a strange new light. It seemed to Solomon that he might feel a tinge of irritation at such a setback, which would indicate he had been involved in the betrayal. And now Mads suspected Solomon's involvement in the sabotage. Where did that leave their carefully laid plans now?
“Chief?” Vida called back to them when she caught sight of what was happening.
“Vida, it's all right,” Solomon said, holding up his hand to her. “I will answer any questions you have, Mads. I have no reason to sabotage my only ticket off this planet.”
“Yes, you will answer our questions, Solomon,” Mads said, and his hooded eyes betrayed nothing more.
“I'm sure it's just a glitch, sir,” Vida started in, touching the bouncer's arm. “The Cav is my baby. No one can keep her purring like I can. I'll check her out when we get to Nautilus.”
“Stay back, Ms. Rosado, or you'll find yourself in lockdown.” The tone of Mads's voice demanded her obedience, and she immediately floated back away from the bouncer who was glaring at her. She must have realized if she pushed it, she'd end up in custody as well, which would destroy any chance she had to make it to the maintenance compartment to rig Serica Sector's locking system.
“Yes, please check with the Propulsion team when we get to Nautilus, Vida,” Solomon said, reassuring her with a smile. “It's probably an easy fix. They could use your expertise.”
“Certainly, sir.” Vida moved further back and rejoined the others as they headed toward the Trafero 2 docking bay.
Solomon once again faced Mads. “What evidence has Propulsion found? And did they say whether this will likely delay our departure?”
“We'll discuss this with the other members of Challenge Command on the way to Nautilus,” Mads said with his usual cold voice, motioning to his guards for them to proceed.
One of the bouncers tapped Solomon on the shoulder, which prompted him to start moving through the main concourse toward the docking bay sector. The crowd thinned out as they continued on. At this late stage, mostly Solix Sky crew and the occasional Founder were decommissioning equipment or handling maintenance tasks. Solomon didn't see a single civilian or Reacher crewmember, which was a good thing. No matter how this went down, he wanted to save as many as he could before it was all over.
As they passed the Arctic Plunge Lounge, Solomon saw absolutely no one, save for the barkeeper attempting to juggle some packaged drinks in his hands. It wasn't going well. One had hit the ceiling and was on its way back down and on target to smack him in the head. The deserted bar made the decor look even more surreal than usual. The lounge had an arctic theme, complete with synthetic polar bear furs, silver and blue bar stools, and a giant bar shaped like an iceberg. Beside it, t
he Jungle Burger Restaurant, complete with its garish decor and taxidermic tiger, looked similarly empty.
Perhaps a mere thousand or so crew were still finishing things up aboard the elevator and space station before they all boarded the SS Challenge for the last time. Not long now. One way or the other, this would all be over soon. He wondered if knowledge about the disabled Cav Drive had made its way out to the SS Challenge crews as yet. It was probably just a matter of time. Nothing stayed a secret for long in space.
The bouncers moved Solomon through the station's long concourse at a fair clip. When built, the station had been the cutting edge of design and appointments. Alistair Johns had modeled his breakthrough carbon nanotube design for the elevator's ribbon after a shell shape. He used the same fractal design for the Solix Sky Docking Station, which, when viewed from the outside, resembled two conch-shaped shells laid horizontally end-to-end. The west end housed living quarters, eateries, viewing modules, and laboratories while the east end contained Solix Sky Command offices, engineering, systems, crew quarters, lifter connectors, and transporter and cargo bays.
Mads stopped suddenly, noticing Neyve, Dugal Colgan's niece, as she maneuvered through the crowd in the direction of the docking bays.
“Wait here,” Mads demanded, so the bouncers stopped Solomon's forward movement, and they waited while Mads cornered the girl. What he wanted of her Solomon had no idea. She was of no consequence to him. Then again, she had been in the lounge with them while they discussed their plans. Mads could have spotted her on the security cameras. The way he kept cutting off the girl's progress and questioning her didn't bode well. Solomon hoped she wouldn't spill any vital secrets. He had no idea how much she might have overheard.
Mads finally stalked back after he left the girl scurrying away. Solomon hoped she hadn't been traumatized too much. Mads wasn't known for his people skills. He wanted to question Mads about Neyve, but it was too risky. He might give something away; or worse, get the girl in trouble.
“Did you see which way Vida Rosado went?” Mads asked the bouncers when he took up the lead again in their merry party.
“Why?” Solomon blurted, which made him sound immediately suspicious to his own ears. Keep it cool, Reach, or you'll give the game away.
“She and the other two went on ahead toward the docking bays,” Bouncer 1 said, shoving Solomon forward.
“When we get there, detain her after she boards,” Mads said, not bothering to glance back.
“If you have an issue, Graversen, talk to me. Not my crew,” Solomon said, straining to keep his voice as flat and emotionless as Graversen's maddening monotones.
“I am your manager, Solomon. I will talk to whomever I please.”
Solomon started to respond with some strongly worded expletives but thought better of it. The more he protested the more Mads would suspect him. But how could he protect Vida while he was in custody? Surely they would just question her and nothing more?
When they approached the vast expanse of the transporter docking bay, Solomon studied the situation dispassionately. Traferos 1 and 2 were currently loading crew. Looked like they'd make the connection to Nautilus. He already knew Mads would choose Trafero 2, as it was the most luxuriously appointed crew transporter. Mads was never one to forego comfort. He had grown up a rich boy in Amsterdam, and his family was old money born out of an expertise in water management systems, hence the reason why he was slotted to manage the elevator's sea-level liftport. His arrogance about this fact was legendary on Solix Sky. Now that the elevator was being decommissioned, Mads would switch more fully into his newly appointed position in the Challenge Command group, joining SS Challenge Commander Dickson Edge and XO Alexandra Justice.
Solomon glanced around, looking for any Reacher stragglers, but he didn't see any. He hoped Franklin, Raro, and Ginna were already aboard. The Trafero class transporters all had the look of a wolf's head to Solomon. Each Trafero was slate gray in color, though the underbelly gleamed nearly white. Two pinnacles rose up like wolf's ears, and the viewing module atop the flight deck resembled the wolf's eyes.
The passenger class transporters could haul 300 people and crew transports were able to comfortably take 500. Given their limited nuclear propulsion capabilities, the Founders only used the Traferos for travel to LEO, MEO, and GEO Earth orbits as well as the 24-hour haul to the Nautilus-11 Space Station at Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 1 or to the lunar elevator even further away. Occasionally, they were used to transport equipment and materials to asteroids orbiting the moon, but usually the larger Transfero-class cargo ships were put to good use in those endeavors.
Mads led them into the lift that would take them down to the loading deck. He said only one thing to Solomon on the short ride down.
“You will tell us what you know, Solomon. One way or the other.”
Solomon did not reply. There was no need. He had no intention of revealing anything that would incriminate his crew. Solomon had taken over management of Reach Corp at his father's death in 2084. He had inherited 5,000 Reachers who were now fully under his care and command. Reach Corp's mission had always been clear: design, construct, and maintain the Nautilus-11 Space Station and its accompanying spaceship fleet. Their ultimate goal had always been to earn a ticket to ride to the new planet. And now the man who stood beside him threatened this decades-long objective.
All he really wanted to do was strangle this asshole. Times like these, he really wished he had the fighting blood of Kasen Vokos running through his veins. He practiced clenching his fists instead of looping his fingers around Graversen's neck.
Patience. Wait for the moment.
The lift's heavy doors opened, and the bouncers shoved Solomon toward the stair car. Workers milled about on the loading deck as the line of crew slowly moved toward Trafero 2's open hatch.
Once aboard, Solomon smiled at the attendant checking tickets and glanced around, looking for Vida and the others. The Trafero's interiors were much more in line with classic spacecraft design. Rather than the quirky mix of natural and industrial elements in the Solix Sky, the Trafero 2 was full of gunmetal grey bulkheads and seatbacks. Rows and rows of Challenge and Nautilus crewmembers stared at Solomon as they continued on. Chief Engineering Officer Solomon Reach of Reach Corp surrounded by Founder guards wasn't a usual occurrence aboard Solix Sky Station.
Solomon caught sight of his fellow conspirators as he followed Mads toward the fore of the craft. They were already strapped in and awaiting take off. Solomon locked eyes with Vida. He gestured for her silence with a subtle finger across his lips. Vida's resolve was evident in her unwavering gaze. She gave him a single nod even as Mads tilted his head in her direction.
Bouncer 2 immediately stood over her. “You are to come with us for questioning, Ms. Rosado.”
With a single movement, Kasen was unbuckled, upright, and facing the bouncer with a glare of murder written in his eyes.
“Don't even think about it,” Kasen said, voice raised. Everyone in the compartment turned to watch the exchange.
Vida unbuckled herself and lightly touched her boyfriend's arm, obviously realizing his blood would be coursing double-time through his veins right now. He was liable to do anything at this point. He didn't look at her; instead, he held the bouncer's gaze. Neither of them was backing down.
“Babe, it's nothing,” Vida said in her most calming voice. “They just want some info on the Cav, eh? I'll be back before you know it. Isn't that right, Mads?” She leveled her gaze toward him and waited.
Mads raised a single eyebrow while his gaze, the wide plains of his face, and his perfectly stubbled jaw remained utterly motionless. Solomon would love to put this guy in an interrogation chair just to get some kind of emotion out of him. After what seemed like an eon had elapsed, Graversen gave a single nod and smartly didn't elaborate. Everyone knew you didn't rile up mad-dog Vokos without a damn good reason. Frankly, Solomon had always been surprised Kasen had passed his early psych evals, but he supposed Kasen
had turned on his considerable charm during those intensive exercises. Either that, or the man's exceptional expertise in thorium reactors gave him a free pass.
To his credit, Kasen attempted not to give the game away by turning away from Mads as he passed by them. But Kasen touched Vida's face and whispered softly to her before she moved into the aisle.
“Love you,” Solomon saw her whisper back, and when she glanced up at Solomon and moved in behind bouncer 2, the look of courage in her eyes made him wince with both fear and pride.
Bouncer 1 shoved Solomon along again. Once they moved into the less-trafficked forward section of the transporter, Mads glanced back at Vida.
“Vida Rosado, I'll speak with you first.”
She met Solomon's gaze, lifting her chin in defiance of Mads. If he had been able, he would have told her everything would be all right. But fear was exploding in the center of his chest. What if they did more than question her? Surely, they wouldn't go that far. Surely . . .
“It's fine, Vida. Just answer Graversen's questions on what you know about the Cav Drive situation. And remember to include info on drive test 24. That one was glitchy.”
Mads merely heaved an irritable sigh and directed her to enter the nearest meeting room. She smiled at Solomon, and then she was gone.
“James,” Mads said to Bouncer 1, nodding toward the opposite direction. “Lock him in Stateroom 3. At 0600 tomorrow, bring him to Meeting Room Beta. Think it all over, Solomon. We have much to discuss before we arrive on Nautilus.”
