The Arcadia Legacy (MOSAR Book 2)

by C. R. Turner

  After picking up the Firestorm and its crew, there’s still no sign of the Makri. We can only speculate something pretty big must have got in their way to prevent them returning for us. I suppose, once they acquire another Kyt, they’ll have to come back to pick up the last of the soldiers’ remains. I feel guilty for leaving Teenan and Dropa behind, but I’ll be glad to see the back of this place. It’s only just dawning on me what we’ve accomplished. Not only have we rescued SF Mustang, but we’ve also managed to recapture all the surviving prisoners.

  As blue sky gives way to the blackness of space, Bradley asks, “Taylor, can you send a data burst to the Core letting them know we’re heading to Antarum?”

  “Pos, sir,” Taylor replies and busily types away at her console.

  “What’s the Core?” I ask.

  “It’s a fortified underground facility on Terra Primus from which the Union plans missions and manages all starship communications and movements,” Bradley says. “When there’s a Union starship in orbit above a planet, it can read all the Core-links on the surface and relay that information back to the Core through data bursts.”

  “What’s a data burst?” I ask.

  “The ship creates a micro Bridgeport and fires an encrypted radio data burst of information through it. The Core has satellites and ground-based aerials that pick it up and relay that information to the Core.”

  “How do we know if the Core receives our data burst?” I ask.

  “We’ll receive a return communique from the Core,” Bradley replies. “Taylor, did we receive one?”

  “Pos, sir.”

  “Does that mean that Miller’s theory is correct then?” I ask.

  Bradley’s eyebrows lift, then he nods. “Yeah … that’s right.”

  When we’re well clear of Hikaru, Bradley asks, “Miller, are you ready to activate the Bridgeport?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I smile as it’s the first time I’ve heard Sam address any of the men with “sir”. I think she’s enjoying being given a real challenge. Taylor gives Bradley the thumbs up and they both smile. Bradley and I grin. I learned long ago not to doubt Sam. Bradley gives the order to dive, then everything goes quiet. As the bridge plunges into darkness, I reach out and rest my hand on the windshield to steady myself.

  When we emerge from the Bridgeport, my heart is pounding, though not as bad as the first dive, and there’s a planet and moon over the starboard bow. Antarum is beautiful, deep-blue oceans, green landscapes and white clouds. It’s hard to imagine it’s been on the frontline of the war and is in such a state that people are seeking refuge on Terra Primus, of all places. It must be pretty messed up.

  Emerson heads us toward Infernum. In contrast to the green landscape of Antarum, the moon is red and barren, with just the occasional outcrop of vegetation. It’s a lot like Terra Primus’ moon, Skoll. I can see why they’d build a prison colony on it. The team is quiet, tense.

  Bradley breaks the silence. “Taylor, do you have the flight-track entered into the navigation computer?”

  “Pos, sir.”

  We head toward a canyon – a huge scar on the moon’s surface. It’s got to be two or three miles deep and a hundred miles across. When we pass below the rim, I take a deep breath. All the windshields fill with red rocky earth. Mountains within the canyon go whizzing past as the Equilibria zig zags, following the meandering terrain. The canyon’s rim is now towering above us, and the base, just a few hundred feet below, has several small creeks snaking through its contours. I assume, at one point, Infernum must have had an abundance of water to carve out such a deep canyon. Up ahead, a cave is set into a cliff face.

  Emerson calls out, “Lights,” then slows the Equilibria as we get closer.

  The cave is so large, the lights on the Equilibria fade into nothingness – the darkness just devours us. At the bow of the ship, a bright-blue laser fans out three hundred and sixty degrees, scanning the cave as we go. The laser travels thousands of feet before hitting rock. This cave is huge!

  I just stand there, staring into the abyss. A faint light appears up ahead, then I begin to make out huge prison buildings and concrete walls. Now closer, bright floodlights highlight the prison and several landing pads outside a concrete perimeter wall.

  A voice bellows over the radio, causing my heart to startle. “This is IPC Port Authority. Identify yourself.”

  “Taylor, can you connect me?” Bradley asks.

  “Connected, sir.”

  “This is Prime Bradley on the starship Equilibria. We’re carrying prisoners from Terra Primus. Request permission to land.”

  Daniel, who’s been standing at the rear of the bridge, steps forward. “They were expecting the Equilibria over a month ago. Send them our clearance code.”

  “Starship Equilibria, hold at your current position.”

  “Taylor, send them our clearance code,” Bradley orders.

  A couple of seconds later, Taylor replies, “Code sent, sir.”

  Silence.

  Several tense minutes go by, then, “Starship Equilibria clear to land.”

  As Emerson takes us in to the brightly lit landing pad, a massive door in the concrete perimeter wall opens. Inside, a vehicle is parked face-on, its driving lights obscuring any vision beyond.

  Daniel hands Bradley some paperwork as the team shuts down the ship. “Here’s the prisoner manifest and a copy of the trade agreement.”

  I step closer. Each name has a crime and sentence listed beside it, and it hits me that this is actually happening – the animals who murdered my parents are going to jail forever.

  I’m surprised when Bradley hands me the papers. “You can have the honours.”

  “O … Okay.” I didn’t even think I’d be here when they were imprisoned, let alone handing the guards the papers that will see them locked up for life.

  The vehicle blocking the entrance – a large heavily armoured truck – drives out to greet us in Equilibria’s main dock. As it pulls up at the ramp, Bradley signals to the driver to drive further up. SF Raptor and Mustang are all heavily armed and ready for anything, as usual.

  The gunmetal grey truck looks hi-tech. A door on the side slides opens and guards pour out. Their helmets have tinted visors and their grey body armour matches the truck, but to my surprise, they’re carrying projectile weapons.

  Sam’s holding back tears as our eyes lock, and a wave of understanding passes between us. I feel a hand on my shoulder and spin around. It’s Bradley.

  An older man in uniform steps out of the truck. He seems pissed off. “You’re late.”

  I hand him the paperwork. “We had some technical issues.”

  He glares at me, then thumbs through the papers. “I don’t imagine this deal will be made again.” There’s an awkward silence, then he adds, “Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful to Terra Primus for the food and supplies, and for taking Antarum refugees, but the prison’s full. These new guys are going to be sharing facilities with over two thousand convicts.”

  The first prisoner is brought out, his wrists and ankles shackled with shiny steel devices, which are linked by some sort of white energy that buzzes and crackles like super-charged electricity. I’ve never seen anything like it, and by the others’ faces, neither have they. When the prisoner is escorted into the truck, the officer crosses his name off the list.

  As I watch, I’m wishing I had Max alongside me – I guess because he’s the only one who’s been through this whole journey with me.

  The routine of prisoner transfers continues for some time. There’s just a few to go when my attention is caught by the number on a prisoner’s yellow overalls. I vividly recall it from the prisoner manifest. Though I’ve never even seen his ugly, drawn face before, and the coward won’t even look at me, I know it’s the policeman who killed my mother.

  Finally, the striker scout is led out. My heart pulses in my ears. That face: scarred, rough, like a half-decomposed animal. Knowing what his future holds, I’m glad I
saved his life.

  “I should have killed you when I had the chance,” he slurs.

  A guard hits him hard in the back with the butt of his weapon. “Keep moving.”

  “I don’t regret what I did,” he hollers.

  “You will eventually,” I reply.

  Two guards shove him into the truck and he disappears. I take a deep breath and exhale. How can someone end up like him? When did the striker scout stray from the path, never to return? I’ve spent my whole life on a path less travelled, could that happen to me? I feel like I’ve finally been freed, as though the shackles of darkness have been transferred to him. Bradley pats my shoulder a couple of times, and I give him a half-smile, the type you give just to acknowledge someone’s gesture.

  The truck slowly reverses out of Equilibria’s main dock and heads back to the prison.

  “Thanks to your father’s legacy,” Hawkins says, before walking away with the rest of the team.

  I can’t imagine a more fitting place for those animals: a mass of concrete, razor wire and steel set deep in a cave on a desolate moon. My heart races as an overwhelming sense of justice courses through my body, much like an adrenaline high. As the vehicle disappears, I feel like a new chapter in my life is about to begin. Sam wipes away a tear as she walks over to hug me.

  “Come on,” she whispers.

  After getting a few hours’ sleep, Hawkins and I stand together in the bridge with Max and Jade nearby. We’re heading to Antarum. From high up in the atmosphere, it seems so peaceful and beautiful, hard to imagine anyone would want to leave.

  I think about what Hawkins said earlier: if it wasn’t for my father’s legacy of Arcadia, I probably wouldn’t have left Bessomi. If I hadn’t been on my way to Arcadia, I probably wouldn’t have met Max or been found by the striker scout. I wouldn’t have met Bradley, and I know for sure, I wouldn’t be standing here. It’s admirable how one man’s legacy can affect the course of events long after he’s gone. I picture my parents’ smiling faces. I think they’d be proud, not just of me, but the whole team.

  We descend through the clouds and fly over a deep-blue ocean before levelling off at around a thousand feet. When we reach landfall, we’re met with clear aqua water, beautiful white sandy beaches and palm trees. So beautiful. Then, I see the first signs of war.

  As we move further inland, entire towns lie decimated by weapons fire and bombings. They resemble some parts of Terra Primus. It’s not until we get to one of the major cities that I realise the extent of the carnage. The whole city has been flattened as far as the eye can see. There’s not a living soul to be found; once tall buildings are now reduced to remnants, skeletons, and thousands of piles of rubble lie strewn along the roads. I spot a lone person walking along a road. I wonder if they’re the sole survivor or just passing through.

  Up ahead, another city. It’s severely damaged but habitable. Thousands of people walk about streets lined with cars. Emerson slows the Equilibria and heads toward a spaceport where half a dozen starships are already landed. One is a Union starship, another a Makri. I have no idea where the others are from. As we land on the tarmac, hundreds of waiting people head toward the Equilibria. Some run, some shuffle, many of them carry personal belongs, even poultry. The other Union starship, a short distance away, already has a line of people boarding.

  I ask Bradley. “How many people can the Equilibria take?”

  “In its current configuration, three thousand.”

  “How long will it take to load that many people?”

  “A day or so,” Bradley replies as the team shut down the ship.

  When the main dock door opens, there’s already a crowd of hundreds surrounding the ship. The heat hits me so hard, I feel like I’ve just stepped into an oven.

  As the team unloads massive pallets of food and medical supplies, the Antarum refugees board the Equilibria. Sam brings them food and water while I give others medical attention. I can now appreciate why they’re trying to escape when I see how skinny some of them are, and how old some of their untreated wounds are. Some have nothing but the tattered clothes on their backs. Terra Primus is in bad shape, but I’ve never seen suffering on this scale – this must be what the pandemic was like in Paelagus. After an hour or so, I have sweat dripping off me. My hometown of Bessomi is hot, but it’s a dry heat. This humid heat just sucks the life out of you.

  As the day wears on, fewer and fewer refugees turn up to the spaceport.

  I approach Bradley. “Sir, can Sam and I take Max and Jade for a walk now?”

  Bradley replies with a rare smile, “Yeah. Sure. Don’t forget to take your Ashras, though.”

  It’s almost evening, and the other starships are closing their doors. Sam and I marvel at one as we walk past – it’s foreign but has the same workhorse design about it as the Union ships. It’s fascinating to see the vehicular designs from other civilisations. I try to imagine what strange world it’s from. Is it like Terra Primus? Or a peaceful planet that has no purpose for war?

  Two Antarum starships sit side by side, their hulls glistening as though they’re wet in the last of the day’s light. I’ve not seen this type of exotic material before. The lettering on their sides must be in Antarum – I don’t recognise the language. They’re breathtaking machines. By the looks of it, they’re far more advanced than even the Makri.

  Max and Jade trot ahead, sniffing everything and chasing one another from time to time. Sam and I share a smile and I admire her beautiful face in the soft light.

  “This is so surreal. I never would have imagined our lives changing so much in such a short time.”

  Sam grabs my hand. “I know … I’m excited to be away from home and seeing new things, but I can’t wait to get back home to Arcadia.”

  I bite my lip. There’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a while, and it’s only now I finally pluck up the courage. “When we get back, I’d like to complete my paramedic training.”

  Sam’s mouth curves into a huge smile. “I think you were born to be a paramedic.”

  I pull her in and hug her, burying my face into her neck.

  When I let go, Sam’s face is glowing. “Do you think they’d let me study in the SESS?”

  “I don’t see why not. We wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for you.”

  Sam’s smile melts my heart. It’s incredible how much I love her. I give her a kiss and hug her again.

  As we’re about to head back to the Equilibria, I whistle. Max and Jade stop and stare at me. I whistle again and Max comes bounding along the tarmac, his ears flapping. Jade sprints so fast, she overtakes Max, and seconds later, flies past us in a gust of wind. We both laugh.

  The following afternoon, I kneel in front of a young girl sitting in her mother’s lap. Unable to speak their language, I chat to her softly, to let her know I’m friendly. I wipe a cut on her forearm with an antiseptic swab and apply a bandage. She snuggles into her mother as I stand. Her mother smiles with gratitude.

  Bradley’s in the dock, looking directly at me, and calls out with a smirk. “Walker.”

  I frown. Who’s he talking to? I look behind me. Nothing. I walk out to the dock and gasp – I don’t think I’d ever get used to this heat.

  I approach Bradley, curious. “What did you call me?”

  “Walker.”

  “Why?”

  Bradley smiles. “Because you walked from Bessomi to Arcadia.”

  I chuckle. “Okay.”

  “We’re supposed to be picking up a dozen Union soldiers, but they haven’t showed,” Bradley says. “Would you ride out with Hawkins to where they’re based, and try to find them?”

  “Pos, sir.”

  As Hawkins and I enter the bridge, Taylor and Sam are preparing the Equilibria for our return trip.

  Hawkins approaches Sam. “Miller, do you mind if I borrow Jade for a few hours?”

  “No.” Sam shakes her head and then Sam and I share a smile.

  Chapter 13

 
We set off into the late afternoon heat, the far side of the spaceport a shimmering mirage. Nearby, Union soldiers are hurriedly loading vehicles and people. The foreign starship and the Makri starships have already left.

  We’ve only made it to the edge of the spaceport, but Hawkins and I are already sodden with sweat. Droplets run down my forehead, stinging my eyes. The surrounding buildings are in poor condition, as are the people who walk the streets between them. The road narrows, giving way to markets. We weave between the crowd with their baleful stares. We’re not welcome here. I guess dropping off a mountain of food and taking on refugees can only go so far toward rebuilding the bridges the long war has destroyed.

  Up ahead, I spot several Antarum soldiers yelling at a man in plain clothes on a doorstep. As we walk past, the soldiers shove him. I wonder if we should help him. Hawkins shakes his head. He’s right. I’ll be seen as a member of the Union, and anything I do will have big implications. As we walk on, a loud bang rings out. Max startles and we spin around. The man’s on the ground with blood jetting from his head. I pull on Max’s reins and scowl at Hawkins.

  “Don’t get involved,” he says, as chaos floods the area.

  Traipsing through the bush, we approach a clearing at the foot of a hill. Here, the ground has been pummelled with bombs, and the scorched earth is littered with destroyed military vehicles and bodies. I glance over at Hawkins before wrapping my square MOSAR scarf around my face in an effort to block the tremendous smell of blood and ash. We climb the hill, and I notice a finger lying in the dirt. This is strikingly similar to my dream. Was it a vision of things to come – a warning – or just an enigma?