Nobody moved; the guy operating the plasma cutter continued working. Through the small window in the door, Mia could see the fear etched into the faces on the other side. She fired.
A blue ball of crackling fury hit the nearest of the group protecting the guys working on the door. It sent him flying back, bouncing off the dome wall. More shots were fired, people screamed and ran, and the plasma cutter stopped. The air smelled of ozone and burnt flesh.
One of the guards grabbed the limp body near the door and dragged it away, as if for some unknown reason it might suddenly reanimate and continue trying to open the door. The others now turned to face the crowd, weapons at the ready.
"Everyone needs to evacuate this area...now!" Mia shouted as forcefully as she could.
There was a momentary silence. All that could be heard was the frantic banging on the door from inside the doomed agri-dome, as those still alive inside realized that all hope of their salvation was now lost.
"You bastards... There's people still alive in there, and they're going to die because you." Someone dashed forward, a young woman. "My father is in there," she screamed.
But she had barely enough time to utter the word before she was cut down by a shot from Mia's pistol. She took the blast square in the chest and collapsed on the floor, a mesh of electrical craziness fizzling and crackling all over her as it slowly dissipated.
"I said everybody outta here, now!" Mia shouted.
The crowd started to thin out, mumbling obscenities as they went. It took a few minutes for them to disperse, during which time the banging from inside the door ceased. The medics arrived, followed by another team of techs and several more guards. A cordon was erected, and finally Mia felt it safe enough to put her weapon away. She let out a long, deep breath and felt the adrenaline drain from her body. She shook.
"You okay?" Bret's hand rested on her shoulder.
Mia took a moment. "Yeah...sort of." She looked around at the carnage and slowly shook her head again. "When will this ever end?"
Bret gave a slow nod. "It's okay, the situation has de-escalated now."
Mia shot him a glance. "It's far from okay, Bret. Look at this." She swept a hand around the area littered with the fallen.
"They'll be okay... They’re just stunned, banged up a bit. They'll live."
Mia remained silent, her gaze resting on the young woman she’d just shot. "We're coming apart at the seams, Bret. How long can this go on?"
"They didn't get the door open, Mia. Imagine the chaos if they did."
"Maybe not this time. But people are getting more desperate. How long before something really catastrophic happens? And it will happen. It's only a matter of time."
But before Bret could answer, Mia's earpiece bleeped. She tapped the side of her ear. "Yeah, what is it?"
The voice of an operator in the situation room echoed in Mia's ear. "Incident at sector C27. Looting in progress—backup required."
"Okay, we're on our way." She tapped the earpiece off and turned to Bret. "The day ain't over yet. Trouble at C27. Call the others. Leave one guard here, and let's get to where we're needed next."
"Sure." Bret moved off to relay the instructions.
Mia took a moment to gather her wits. She took a deep breath and tried to calm the dread that seemed to seep up from her very core. "Easy girl," she said to herself. "It's just another day at the office."
3
Poe Tarkin
When Mia got a call that Poe Tarkin, Director General of Martian Security, wanted to meet her in his chambers, she assumed the worst. Her handling of the incident the previous sol at the agri-dome was not one of Mia's finest hours. It might have been acceptable except for the fact that she had not checked her plasma pistol when she had shot the young woman. If she had, she would have realized that it hadn’t been set back to stun. Instead, it was one notch up. Now, the young woman was hospitalized, and would take quite some time to recover. That being said, it could have been worse. Mia could have killed her.
In Mia's mind, this was just one more error of judgment in a long line that she had accumulated since she had been given the job as head of the new MLOD in Jezero City. That was six years ago. Back then, she had no idea how much the population on Mars would explode. Now, there were over half a million in two main cities. Fortunately, she only had Jezero to deal with, but even that had ballooned in size and complexity over the intervening years.
Yet despite the ever-increasing responsibility and pressure, she could have handled it if it wasn’t for the dust storm—367 sols and counting, the longest and most intense storm ever recorded on Mars. It would never end, and even if it did, Mia doubted she would live to see it.
Tarkin's chambers were located in the administrative sector, the oldest area of Jezero City, which had its roots in the colony's foundation. The building itself was relatively new, one of a great many that had sprouted up in the last number of years. It was a five-story oblong structure, which was the new architectural style—a move away from the domed buildings of the past. Mia was met at the entrance lobby by an aide who politely shepherded her through a series of rigorous security checks and then along winding corridors up to the top floor, finally depositing her outside a set of imposing, highly polished faux-wooden doors with an aura of antiquity and ostentatiousness in equal measure. The aide opened one door and signaled with the sweep of an arm for her to enter.
Mia had met Poe many times, but had not had a reason recently to visit him in his new chambers, so this was her first time entering the room. Judging by the imposing door, she had imagined it to be some grand hall fit for a king, so she was surprised to find it much smaller than in her imagination. It was around seven meters long and half that wide. One wall was all windows looking out across Jezero City, except there was nothing to see—just a thick brown fog. Here and there she could make out the ghostly glow of navigation beacons on the tops of buildings and communication towers, but none of the actual structures could be made out.
Opposite this wall, Poe Tarkin sat behind a large, functional desk. He rose to greet her, a hand extended. "Mia, good to see you. Glad you could make it." They shook hands, and he gestured at a seat in front of the desk. "Sit." Then he turned to an ornate sideboard and reached in. "Drink?"
Mia took a moment to get her bearings. She was expecting a dressing down, maybe even a demotion, but this meeting seemed to be something different. "Eh, sure."
"Bourbon? I believe that's your preferred poison?"
"Bourbon sounds good."
She took the glass Poe presented to her. They clinked. "To health, wealth, and happiness, in your preferred order," said Poe.
Mia took a sip. It was smooth and ambrosial, and she suspected it was the real deal all the way from source, not some Martian knock-off. A fantastically expensive luxury, and she was surprised at Poe offering it to her. Perhaps this meeting was something else entirely; far from her being balled out, it seemed that he wanted something from her, something she may not want to give—hence the drink, a way of buttering her up.
He took his seat behind the desk and leaned back. "I heard you had a bit of trouble over at one of the agri-domes."
Mia sighed and wondered if she had read it all wrong, clung to hope where none existed. "Yeah, things...eh, got a little out of hand."
Poe leaned in with an avuncular look. "These are trying times, Mia. People are on edge. I didn't bring you here to pass judgment on your actions, in case that's what you're thinking. You did what you had to do...what one always has to do in far from ideal circumstances." He paused for a beat. "You'll be happy to hear that the young woman will make a full recovery. So, don't beat yourself up over it."
Mia nodded. "Thanks for letting me know, but..."
"But what? It's over. Forget it."
Mia looked into her drink like she was trying to extract some deeper meaning from the arrangement of ice cubes. "It's all going to rat shit." She looked up at Poe. "Everything is breaking down. The people are scared a
nd frightened and loosing hope. How do you keep a lid on that?"
Poe leaned back, and it was his turn to sigh. "I'll not insult your intelligence, Mia, by trying to sugarcoat the seriousness of the predicament we are in, or the precariousness of our situation. But hold the line we must. The people need to be assured that we can make it through this." He leaned in again and pointed a finger at Mia. "And we can get through it. You need to believe this."
"It’s hard to believe when all I see is the slow, steady breakdown of society. How all sense of human decency gets jettisoned as soon as the shit hits the fan. I'll be honest, Poe...sometimes I truly despair for humanity."
"Yes, well we've all been tested during these times. I too feel it, but I try not to let those thoughts cloud my judgment."
"Then you’re made of stronger stuff than me. What's it been...nearly 370 sols—over one Earth year—since this dust storm started."
She cocked an eyebrow at Poe. "Some say it's our fault. All this human activity on Mars has raised the temperature of the surface, creating more energy for the storm. Some believe it will never end."
"Scientists." Poe waved a dismissive hand. "They say a lot of things. Who knows for sure? All we can do is deal with what's in front of us, find a way to get through this, or find a way to live with it."
He went silent for a moment, his attention drawn to some object on his desk. He picked up a small, flat black square and held it between his thumb and forefinger. "It's hard to believe that this...innocuous looking object, would prove to be our Achilles heel."
"Microchips?"
"Microprocessors, to be precise. Those ubiquitous little black squares that populate every single technological unit on this planet, not to mention Earth. So ubiquitous, in fact, that we take them for granted. This"—he held it up for Mia to see—"is truly the culmination of humanity's technological power. Honed to perfection and hardened to withstand all that Mars can throw at it... That is, until now. It seems nothing we currently have can withstand the toxic cocktail of electrical mayhem and cosmic radiation that now exists on the planet’s surface."
"What about the emergency shipments from Earth?"
Poe set the chip on the desk and leaned back. "It has taken longer than expected to design chips that can withstand the new environmental realities, and get them tested and manufactured. Then, of course, there is the long journey from Earth. As it stands, we're only getting a quarter of what was promised. The shipments that have arrived are far less than we need."
Mia finished the last of her drink. "So, Poe, why am I here? I can't imagine you brought me here just to discuss the limitations of current chip fabrication?"
Poe gave a smile. "No, you're right. I didn't." He paused for a beat, as if choosing his next words carefully. "I have a job that needs doing, one that I think best suits your particular talents."
"Oh?" Mia gave him a circumspect look. "And what particular talents would those be?"
"Let me explain the situation first. A few hours ago, word came to us that Dan Frazer, an MLOD agent in Syrtis, was found dead in his quarters."
"Frazer is dead?" Mia was genuinely shocked.
"I’m afraid so. Sad news. I believe you knew him well—he was a native of Jezero City."
"I did know him. He was a good guy. How did it happen?"
"Apparently the CO2 scrubber in the accommodation module failed, and he died in his sleep. They only found him a few hours ago, when he didn't show up for work."
Mia shook her head. "That's just...terrible."
There was a moment's silence as they both contemplated the tragedy.
"I need you to go to Syrtis and bring the body back here to Jezero. He was one of us and an important member of the team, so we need someone from within the department to do this. There will be some diplomatic duties surrounding the handover; that's why it needs to be someone senior who performs this duty."
Mia sighed. "Sounds like a convenient reason to get me out of the way for a while."
Poe raised a hand. "Don't start thinking like that, Mia. Granted, we in the department feel that you're heading for burnout as you try to keep a lid on things. But who isn't these sols? We're all feeling the pressure. That being said, this needs to be done and... Well, your name came up, and we feel you’re the best person for the job."
"The job of being an undertaker."
"There's more to it." He lowered his voice. "We don't think it was an accident."
Mia sat up. "You're saying he was murdered?"
"I'm saying it's a possibility, and that's where you come in. Let's face it, with your background and training as an investigator, you're the best we have. Your talents are wasted trying to be a SWAT team leader. The department here can survive without you for a while."
Mia shifted in her seat. She had to admit that taking some time away from trying to quell social unrest on a daily basis sounded good to her. But, as always, there were some downsides. Syrtis was not Jezero; she would be entering unknown territory, she wouldn't know her way around, where to begin, or who to trust. It could be perilous.
For one, it was a much bigger city, an industrial heartland. Where Jezero had undergone a quasi-gentrification process by virtue of being the seat of government and the main tourist town, Syrtis had rapidly developed as the primary industrial engine on Mars. It was four times the population of Jezero, most of whom were permanent citizens, unlike here, where at least half were tourists—and those had all gone now. What's more, Syrtis's rapid expansion had seen it fracture into several competing factions, mainly led by corporations, none of whom were predisposed to the Martian government in Jezero. Mia was under no illusion as to the hornets’ nest of vested interests and political backstabbing that went on in Syrtis. It was like the Wild West, where a badge only meant something so long as you were prepared to back it up with firepower.
"Syrtis is a snake pit. Sounds to me like you’re taking me out of the frying pan and dumping me in the fire."
Poe leaned in, placed his elbows on the desk, and opened his hands. "Look, Mia, Frazer was an agent of this department, and therefore a representative of the government of Mars, so we can't just let this go. We can't appear to ignore the possibility that someone, or some group, had him killed. And I understand that our authority over Syrtis is tenuous at best, but we need to at least be seen doing something."
"So, what backup will I have?"
"The MLOD in Syrtis will assist you. But I'll be honest, they're all a bit spooked, and their reach is—how can I put it?—less that we would like it to be."
"In other words, they're worse than useless. Great."
"Frazer was our best man there, and his loss will be felt deeply within the department. If nothing else, your visit will help shore up morale."
"So, this is really a public relations job."
"Partly." Poe glanced down at a personal display on his desk and tapped a few times. "Chief Becker, who is now the current department head over there, will meet you at the freight terminal when the caravan arrives in two days."
Mia sat up. "Caravan? You mean I won't be taking a shuttle?"
Poe shook his head. "There are very few shuttle flights at the moment. In fact, there are virtually none, except for extreme emergencies. So, you'll be taking the overland freight caravan. Believe me, it's safer."
"But Syrtis is like fifteen hundred kilometers away."
"Twelve, to be exact. But it travels nonstop, so you'll be there in twenty-four hours. It's the only safe way to get there now. It's like a train with multiple connected units, so there’s plenty of redundancy built in. If one of the units breaks down, it doesn't affect the rest—it just keeps right on going."
Mia gave him a look as if to say, Yeah, right. She stood and walked over to the long window and tried to see out. There was nothing but the vague outline of buildings wrapped in a dense brown fog. Few people went out in it unless there was no other option, so spending a full twenty-four hours traveling across the surface of Mars was still a risky pr
oposition. Yet as Mia peered into the dust, she felt it pull on her like a perilous escape route might tempt a prisoner. It was a way out, of sorts.
She would do it. She would take the mission.
Mia turned around to face Poe, who was still seated behind his desk. "I'm going to need a droid, and not some dumb service machine. I need one of the diagnostic and analysis droids."
Poe shook his head apologetically. "We simply don't have any, Mia. They are all offline or being used as spare parts for the service droids." He opened his hands. "There's none available."
"Then what you're asking me to do is impossible. If I'm to go snooping around where my badge is meaningless, then I'll need a droid that can do some hacking and system bypassing. I can't do that myself."
"I'm sorry, Mia. I understand, and if there was any way I could get you one, I would. But there just isn't."
Mia thought for a moment. She reached up and scratched her chin before slowly pointing a finger at Poe. "There is one. Gizmo."
Poe stood with an incredulous look. "Gizmo? You can't be serious. It was decommissioned years ago. It's just a relic, like all the other G2 units."
"It's nothing like an old G2 unit. In fact, it's in many ways far superior to any of these newer droids we've got."
"Yeah, but there was a good reason it was decommissioned. You know all the political trouble that droid caused... It's a hot potato."
"Well, exceptional times require exceptional measures. I can't do anything without a diagnostic droid."
Poe was shaking his head in disbelief, or maybe it was at the realization that Mia was right. "I don't know... I mean, does it even still exist? I'm afraid I've lost track of where it ended up."
"It still exists, and it's still intact, as far as I know."
"Where?"
"It's an exhibit in the museum."
Poe considered Mia for a moment before sitting down again.
Mia used this as an opportunity to push her case. "I can't do what you want without a droid."
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