by E. R. Torre
Inquisitor Damien held his tongue. The look in his eyes, however, revealed all.
“We can be honest with each other, Inquisitor.”
“As long as I’m the one doing the talking.”
Commander Meyers’ hands balled up into fists.
“You no longer have a choice in the matter. You wondered why I brought you down here with me. Now you know. Answer the question, Inquisitor. While you still can.”
Inquisitor Damien closed his mouth and Commander Meyers shook his head.
“You’re brave,” Meyers said. “I suppose all Inquisitors are. What about your Lieutenant? What’s her name? Chandler? Is she as brave as you?”
Inquisitor Damien’s eyes blazed.
“It’s only fair that while you were so busy checking up on me I did the same with you. You’ll talk, Inquisitor. You’ll talk because we’re out in the wild and, unfortunately for you, I get to decide who, if anyone, makes it back.”
“You’ve just lost two of your soldiers, Commander. Maybe you should focus on that rather than me.”
For a second Inquisitor Damien thought he pushed Commander Meyers too far. Instead, the Commander approached Unit 1’s side and said:
“Have the Units spread out. Search every building in a ten mile radius.”
Unit 1 didn’t move. Neither did the other ARWs.
“Is something interfering with your comprehension, Unit 1?” Meyers said. “If so, you can be replaced.”
The ARW’s head turned ever so slightly. Its red orbs were on Meyers. Behind them, the remaining ARWs watched and, for several seconds, remained still. Finally, Unit 1 moved. It walked to the other ARWs and they spread out and disappeared into the distance, leaving Unit 1 and a companion behind to watch over Commander Meyers.
“Your children are growing,” Inquisitor Damien said. “They’re not so eager to follow your orders.”
“Get up,” Commander Meyers hissed. “It’s time to go.”
43
H.P.B. Tonkin, in orbit around Arcadia
First Lieutenant Chandler eyed the readouts on the monitors before the Captain’s chair.
In the hours since the departure of Inquisitor Damien and Commander Meyers, the ship’s alert status remained red but the initial excitement of their arrival to Arcadia dissipated. While the crew continued their work and were vigilant there was little doubt the initial tensions waned.
Not, however, for Lieutenant Chandler.
After receiving several updates, Inquisitor Damien’s reports from the surface of Arcadia abruptly ceased. His Personal Health Status readings indicated his body experienced some major stressors but he was alive and healthy. Lieutenant Chandler nonetheless tried to communicate with him but, so far, he hadn’t responded. It was clear Commander Meyers and his crew were now operating under a veil of silence.
With no means to contact them directly, Lieutenant Chandler followed their movements as best she could through the battleship’s visual and thermal equipment. Because of the massive structures surrounding them, it proved difficult.
“Lieutenant Chandler?” the Science OP said.
“Yes?”
“I’m detecting a surface disturbance.”
“Put it on Monitor 3.”
A growing sand storm appeared on the monitor and west of the megacity.
“By the Gods,” Lieutenant Chandler said. “When did this—?”
“Only a few minutes ago,” the Science OP said.
“How did she form?” Chandler asked.
“She was preceded by seismic activity,” the Science Officer said.
“One caused the other?”
“I believe the surface disturbance opened a fissure. A very large one.”
“How much trapped air was there to kick up a storm this size?”
“Unknown, and the storm is still growing,” the Science OP said. “Winds are nearing one hundred miles per hour.”
“Any other seismic activity?”
“None at present. If no other activity occurs, the storm will take at least another hour to die down. Lieutenant, it is moving into the megacity. We should inform Inquisitor Damien.”
“By now they know,” Lieutenant Chandler said. “Regardless, send a general communique and tell them we’re prepared to assist if they should need us.”
“Yes sir.”
The Science OP hit a series of keys.
“Communique sent. Let me double check the—”
The Science OP didn’t finish his thought. He intently stared at the information appearing on his personal monitor. Lieutenant Chandler noticed this and rose from the Captain’s chair. She approached the Officer’s side.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Sensory scans detected an energy blip. It came from the same general area as the original energy disturbance we detected hours ago. It came from deep below the surface. Almost like…”
“What?”
“An energy core activating and then shutting off.”
Lieutenant Chandler reviewed the readings.
“I’m detecting nothing but sand,” she said. “Perhaps it was a glitch or the dying moments of some buried machine’s power cell.”
The Science OP wasn’t so sure.
“Maybe I should take a closer—”
Lieutenant Chandler shook her head.
“Leave that to me,” she said. “Your primary concern is the Displacer and you must focus on it if we’re to have any hope of returning home.”
“Yes sir,” the Science OP said.
Though he didn’t notice, Lieutenant Chandler was relieved by the Officer’s reaction. There was little to be gained by too closely investigating the events going on underneath Arcadia’s surface.
Lieutenant Chandler returned to the Captain’s chair. For what felt like the hundredth time, she cycled through the ship’s readings, alternately checking for any anomalous power fluctuations or crewmember movements.
The results came in and she focused on one person in particular.
Less than an hour after their arrival in Arcadian space, the Personal Health Status of Don Walker, a Salvo Security Guard, was momentarily lost. An alert was issued but his vital readings returned less than five minutes later. They were identical to those previously logged. Staff contacted SG Walker and, after determining he was fine, the alert was cancelled. All appeared normal from that point on.
A minor thing, really.
Personal Health Status signals were known to cut out if a Salvo crewmember was near one of the thicker walls within the ship. These dead areas, however, were well known. SG Walker was in and around L Deck when this occurred. To Lieutenant Chandler’s knowledge, there were few reports of loss of signal in that section.
Curious, Lieutenant Chandler replayed the communique between SG Walker and the ship staff after his signal loss.
On the screen appeared a young man with bushy brown hair. He smiled into the camera and said:
“Sorry about that. I was climbing a shaft in L Deck. Either we’re getting some residual interference from the Displacer or the walls are thicker than we thought.”
The security staff verified the information and SG Walker was sent on his way.
Lieutenant Chandler hit more buttons on her computer. She followed SG Walker’s movements and discovered a second anomaly. SG Walker came in close contact with Engineer Nicholas Talbot in the 14 Storage Level. Since running into him, Engineer Nicholas Talbot hadn’t moved while SG Walker continued circling the ship’s outer sections at a near constant pace. He returned to 14 Storage and Engineer Talbot four times since.
Even more curiously, since their initial meeting neither SG Walker nor Engineer Talbot had stopped at a food station or bathroom. They hadn’t done so for nearly six hours.
While that length of time wasn’t excessive, something about the situation gnawed at Lieutenant Chandler.
His movements are like clockwork.
Lieutenant Chandler’s eyes opened very wide at that thought and she
immediately reached for her Comm button. Before pressing it, she carefully considered the order she was about to issue.
“All crew, this is Lieutenant Chandler,” she said. She made sure the general communique was sent to everyone on the ship but SG Walker and Engineer Talbot. “Those not involved in maintaining the ship’s engine, life support, or weaponry are to report to the ship’s port side immediately.”
Lieutenant Chandler pressed a button on her monitor and watched as personnel moved away from 14 Storage. They left the area empty. Lieutenant Chandler issued another order via text for those still nearby.
All other personnel are to report to the aft side of the ship.
Because of the red alert protocol, the personnel moved quickly and the ship’s center and the decks surrounding 14 Storage were soon bare.
SG Walker continued his route, making his way near 14 Storage and the still Engineer Talbot. If he knew he was the only one in that section of the ship, he didn’t show it.
The Security Guard approached the Salvo’s main energy room and paused before moving on, just like he had the previous times he passed that area. He then walked very close to the Aft Fusion Torpedo storage room.
While he didn’t enter the exclusionary zones, he came very close.
Lieutenant Chandler pulled up her left arm and eyed the buttons of the computer embedded on her suit sleeve. Her fingers hovered over them.
She brought up the ship’s special –and hidden– safety feature.
She pressed a series of those buttons and activated it. She then added slight modifications before getting up. She walked to the Weapons OP Officer and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Sergeant Delano, you have Command,” she said. “I’m going below. Call me if anything happens.”
Lieutenant Chandler stepped out of the elevator and onto Deck 34.
She was less than two hundred feet from 14 Storage.
The corridor before her was empty and silent. Normally dozens of crewmembers walked about and the sounds of conversation filled the air. Now, apart from the faint clicking coming from the red alert light, all was dead quiet.
Lieutenant Chandler walked down the corridor. Now and again she consulted her computer. Its holographic display indicated SG Walker was inside Storage 14. It seemed he was done with his walks and was as still as Engineer Talbot.
As Lieutenant Chandler approached 14 Storage’s entrance, the corridor lights flickered.
“Damn,” she muttered.
The flickering indicated irregular or elevated energy consumption. She again checked her computer. The ship’s computers listed no energy drain. Whoever tapped into the energy systems hid their use.
Lieutenant Chandler reached for her belt and gripped her handgun. She stopped before the door leading into 14 Storage and drew the weapon. She pressed a button hidden near the gun’s trigger and it let out a low buzz. Electricity crackled from within.
Lieutenant Chandler accessed the video feed of the room beyond the door.
On her holographic display she saw a room enveloped in dark shadows. Neatly stacked crates lined the walls. There was no sign of either SG Walker or Engineer Talbot. There was no sign of anyone.
Lieutenant Chandler pressed her hand against the door’s palm reader.
The door’s security system recognized her and it noiselessly slid open. Lieutenant Chandler stepped into the room and froze. The video feed she just saw, she realized, was looped.
Within the room those neatly stacked boxes displayed on the video feed were smashed into pieces.
In the middle of that chaos was a thick trail of blood. It led to a corner of the room. Lieutenant Chandler followed it until she found its source.
Between the emergency supplies and tools were the remains of SG Walker. His skull was crushed and his face barely recognizable. Though clearly dead, Lieutenant Chandler nonetheless leaned in to check for a pulse.
While doing so, she sensed movement behind her and whirled around. Her handgun was pointed directly in front of her. It emitted another crackle of energy.
There was nothing there.
Lieutenant Chandler moved forward. The lights in the storage room were very low and the air within was hot. Hotter than it should have been. A great deal of energy was in use.
“I know you’re here,” she said. “We can talk. Show yourself.”
A glowing green light emanating from the back of the room and beyond a corner. It was the source of the heat.
She neared the corner and the heat grew oppressive. Sweat formed on Lieutenant Chandler’s forehead.
“Show yourself,” she repeated.
Lieutenant Chandler stepped around the corner.
Lying on the floor before her was another body. It was the remnants of Engineer Talbot.
Something punched a grisly hole through his forehead.
She looked up. Before her and at the back of 14 Storage was a strange metallic device. Several dozen power lines flowed from it and disappeared under the floor and into the ceiling. They fed tremendous amounts of energy into it.
Lieutenant Chandler activated her communicator.
“This is Lieutenant Chandler,” she said. “Do you read me, Sergeant Delgado?”
“Yes, Lieutenant,” Delgado responded.
“I’m in 14 Storage. There’s a Proto-Fusion bomb here.”
“Say again, Lieutenant?”
“You heard me,” Lieutenant Chandler said.
“H…how’s that possible?”
“Irrelevant, it is here and being fed directly through the Salvo’s main energy grid.”
“The entire grid?”
“Yeah. Whoever did this hacked the ship’s sensors so we wouldn’t notice.”
“By the Gods, what’s the device’s capacity?”
“Hard to say. I’m guessing it’s large enough to take us out along with half of Arcadia’s Moon.”
44
Laverna drove along the edges of gigantic, soot filled buildings and away from Bordertown’s perimeter. Smokestacks jetted into the sky and stabbed at the low flying clouds. They were as dead as the rest of the city but Laverna imagined them belching out tons of their foul toxins when production was at its full.
The rising sun kissed the horizon and the shadows of night receded. Laverna checked the hovercycle’s power cell reading.
“We’re running out of time,” she said. “See any place to hide?”
Her stowaway pointed to one of the larger buildings before them.
“There,” he said.
The building was imposing. Its massive metal entry double door rose high into the sky and had deep cracks throughout. Sixteen hinges each as large as a transport craft held the door in place but over time two corroded and fell. Acid rains ate away at the door’s base and created an opening large enough for Laverna and her vehicle to enter.
Laverna rode through the rotted crack and into the building. Beyond the doors was an incredibly large and eerily deserted industrial plant.
Well-worn metal rails crisscrossed the floor and disappeared into the shadows at the far side of the building. Old, monstrously heavy machinery stood idle and abandoned. Metal spindles and tanks capable of holding a lake’s worth of molten liquid lay tipped on their sides. The chains holding one of them snapped and the tank fell to the thermacrete floor and cracked it. Other chains dangled from a cargo moving system. Below and under them were enormous containers and a maze of heavy duty magtracks. The trains that once used these tracks stood idle and off to the sides, never to move again.
At the end of several magtrack lines were metal casings. At one time liquid metal poured into these casings and hardened to a desired shape. Most of the casings were rectangular, although some were tubes and pistons. Once cooled, the parts were removed from the casings and transported to the dry dock –wherever that was– and assembled.
Here and there Laverna spotted the remnants of the super-heated liquid metal. Over the years it splashed from containers and hardened, leaving sp
lotches of metal waste sometimes several feet high. A small army of jackhammers would be needed to pry some of them loose.
Laverna stopped the hovercycle and backed it into a dark corner. She shut the machine and the Camouflage Unit off before dismounting. Her stowaway also got off the hovercycle and, along with Laverna, checked the vehicle’s power cell.
“We’ve down to ten minutes of power,” Laverna said.
“It’ll have to do.”
Laverna looked around the foundry and could barely contain her wonder. She pointed to the molds lying before the building’s entry.
“I’ve never seen exterior reinforced panels of that size.”
She eyed the many furnaces while walking to a large glob of what had once been molten metal. It looked like wax fallen from a giant burning candle and was taller than Laverna herself.
She wiped away a handful of accumulated dust and sand from its surface and stared at her distorted reflection.
Outside, the winds kicked up as the enormous sand storm drew near.
“What kind of vessels did they make here?” Laverna asked.
Even as she spoke, she sensed a missing piece of her memory struggling to emerge and make itself known.
“What am I missing?” she said.
Her companion remained in the shadows, his bright blue eyes betraying no emotions.
“You tell me,” he said.
“Who…” Laverna began and stopped. Her mind swirled. Focus. “Who in Hades are you?”
She felt it, just beyond her reach. It was there. It was all…
“I was in the bar when I first saw you. You gave me a drink. None of that was real.”
Laverna’s body shook.
“Neither Max nor Arnold at the Credit Exchange or Carson were real. You, on the other hand, were. What about the Inquisitor and his female companion?”
The stowaway cocked his head.
