"I cannot answer these questions, as it is an operational decision for you to make."
"How far is it to the Leighton waystation from here?"
"Approximately 3.2 kilometers."
Mia checked her EVA suit resources. "This suit has around four hours of air. Would it be possible to walk there and back in that time?"
"Under normal conditions it would take less than an hour to walk that distance. But these are obviously not normal conditions. I can navigate there, but you will be effectively blind. From my limited observation of your current abilities, I calculate a four-hour round trip, assuming you want to return to a city entrance."
"Four hours. That's cutting it a bit tight."
"Indeed."
Mia thought about this. It was possible, but only just. There would be no room for dealing with the unexpected. That being said, from what Lloyd had told her, Leighton was more like a small town, so that meant the possibility of getting the EVA suit resupplied. "Gizmo, how much do you know of the layout of Leighton?"
"Fortunately, I had the good sense to acquire the schematics from Lloyd before his untimely demise."
"Okay, let's do it. Everything we've learned so far leads to that place. So, we go and find out what we can. Hopefully it's something we can use to force an investigation into Montecristo and their methods."
"Very well, then. Stay close—this will not be easy."
11
Leighton Waystation
After a half hour of walking and stumbling in the total darkness, Mia became very claustrophobic. She felt entombed in her EVA suit, like some reanimated, twenty-first-century Egyptian mummy.
"Gizmo?"
"Yes, Mia?" the droid's voice crackled in her helmet comm.
"Do you think it's safe enough now to use our lights?"
They had planned to keep them switched off and try to make it to Leighton without using them, just in case they might be spotted. But now Mia was getting desperate for something—anything—to focus her eyes on, even if it was just a swirling cloud of dust.
"I cannot say for sure if it is safe. Our best option is to remain stealthy and minimize our visual footprint."
"Nobody is going to see shit out here. I can't even see my own hand. I need something to focus on and not have to keep holding onto you."
"Very well, but it is not going to help much." With that, the droid switched on a powerful light on its upper body.
Mia also switched on her own helmet lights, and for the first time in over a half hour she could see something other than total nothingness. But Gizmo was right: even with all this illumination, it failed to penetrate the thick dust farther than a meter. Yet it was enough for Mia to let go of the droid and be able to follow it simply by its illumination.
They continued like this for another half hour. The terrain had become rougher, but they were making faster progress now. Soon, Mia began to sense a dim glow emanating from deep within the dust storm.
"I think I see something."
"Yes, the outskirts of Leighton. It is not far now. I am taking us to an airlock on the eastern side. If the schematics that Lloyd Allen provided are accurate, then this should lead us into a little-used sector. Hopefully we can gain access without being spotted."
"How much farther?"
"Ten minutes. I suggest we switch off our lights and travel the rest of the way in stealth mode."
Mia switched hers off and the darkness closed in around her. She reached out to place a hand on Gizmo in case she lost it in the gloom. They journeyed in this manner for a while. All the time, the glow emanating from the dense fog grew in intensity. Soon, Mia began to define several light sources, presumably coming from the outlying buildings of the old waystation.
Gizmo took them past these structures and they traveled along the boundary for a few more minutes, until finally a small, squat dome materialized out of the fog. They had reached the airlock.
It had an old-fashioned industrial look to it, all rivets and interlocking bars. It looked more like the door to a bank vault than an airlock.
"Are you sure this is it, Gizmo?"
"Are you seriously asking me that question?" the droid replied, a little irritated.
It moved over to an illuminated keypad and examined it for a second or two before starting to disassemble it. A few moments later, a green overhead light illuminated and the door swung open.
"Easy-peasy," said Gizmo.
They entered, closing the outer door behind them. The airlock began to pressurize again. "You know," said Gizmo, "it is very inconvenient, all this pressure equalization needed for humans to move from inside to outside."
"Not as inconvenient as dying."
"True, but I do appreciate the fact that, as a robot, I do not need air, nor one atmosphere of pressure to continue to function."
"Well, I'm very happy for you, Gizmo. Just don't suddenly forget that I need it, okay?"
"Of course not. It was simply an observation."
A green light flashed, and the inner airlock door opened into a dimly lit, deserted corridor. To Mia, even this extremely low-level illumination was like being bathed in brilliant sunshine, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Already, Gizmo had exited the airlock and was scanning the area. "Just as I had concluded—deserted."
Mia popped open her visor, and her nostrils were assailed by a foul, acrid stink. "Oh my god, what's that smell?"
"My sensors detect elevated levels of ammonia in the composition of the air. I suspect it is a byproduct of the bioreactors operating in this sector."
"Can you show me a map of our location? We need to figure out what our next move is. Hopefully it's somewhere other than here."
They moved back inside the airlock for a moment, and Gizmo projected a 3D schematic of the area into the space in front of it. "This sector is primarily industrial: water treatment, gas manufacturing, industrial chemicals."
"That smell is probably why they have it located out here and not in the city." Mia pointed to another sector on the 3D map. "What's this area?"
"Warehousing and logistics, then workshops and maintenance," said Gizmo. "And farther along is the main population center and transport hub, with all the accommodations located at the very farthest point from here."
"Warehousing?" Mia thought for a moment. "That would seem like a likely place to store components."
"If I may make a suggestion."
"By all means, but make it quick."
"Most of this sector is controlled by Montecristo. If I can get access to a terminal then I may be able to hack into their systems and get some insight into their operations here."
Mia poked a finger at the droid. "Brilliant. That's exactly the reason I reanimated you and brought you along on this investigation."
"Well then, I shall not let you down. Just give me a moment to do a deeper analysis of the electrical systems in this schematic and find a network interface."
Mia detached her suit gloves, followed by her helmet, into which she stashed the gloves, finally clipping it onto a shoulder strap designed for this specific purpose. With that out of the way, she was free to use both hands. She reached into a cargo pocket on her right thigh, withdrew her plasma pistol, and prepped it for operation.
"If my analysis is correct, and it always is, there should be a network node at the far end of this corridor. It should be unmanned, but that I cannot be certain of."
"Okay, let's get it done. Lead the way."
They moved out of the airlock and down along the dim corridor. Mia had her weapon in hand, set on stun, and was ready to shoot anyone who got in her way. The walls on both sides were punctuated with doors every five meters or so, each with a four-digit alphanumeric identifier stamped on it in large, blocky lettering.
"This is it. A546." Gizmo stopped and examined the door’s keypad. Mia took up a position beside it, her back to the wall. She held the pistol up, ready for action.
"I would suggest not using that weapon inside this room, M
ia."
"Why not?"
"High-intensity plasma and delicate electronics do not work well together."
"Well, too bad. Because if there's someone in there, then we have a problem. So, I'll tell you what, Gizmo: I'll try not to miss."
"Very well, it is your call." The droid had already disassembled the keypad. "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
The door clicked and opened silently inward. The room was bigger than Mia had imagined, around six meters square, and stacked floor to ceiling with racks of servers, their lights blinking and flickering like a thousand multicolored stars. Sitting at a small workbench, a stunned technician had just enough time to register his shock before Mia blasted him square in the chest with a bolt from her plasma pistol. He fell to the floor, his body encased in a flickering mesh of electrical fuzz.
Mia turned to the droid. "Happy?"
"Excellent shooting. True to your word, you did not miss."
"Okay, now it's your turn. Let's see what you can dig up." Mia moved back to shut the door as Gizmo began to interface with the Montecristo network. A 3D rendering of the entire Leighton facility blossomed to life on a small holo-table protruding from a stack of servers, and several other monitors sprang to life with fast-scrolling data. Gizmo twitched a little as it analyzed the incoming data stream.
The holo-table flickered through a multitude of three-dimensional views at a speed far beyond Mia's ability to process.
"Interesting."
"What is?"
"I am aggregating warehouse access data, looking for deviations and anomalies."
"What does that mean?"
"All activity around the storage and warehouse facilities follows a similar pattern as goods are moved in and out. I am looking for facilities where this deviates, and I think I have found one." Gizmo swiveled its head at the 3D rendering, which froze on a static view, and pointed. "It seems to be centered on that location."
Mia moved closer, examining the rendering as it slowly zoomed in on a specific sector close to the transport hub, with several small, secure storage facilities all in a neat row. They were all tagged with an alphanumeric code.
"I have analyzed all activity in these sectors over the last month to establish a base pattern. Then I looked for deviations on this—outliers, so to speak. Things that would highlight activity that does not follow the norm. Of the sectors that deviate, this one is the most inconsistent."
"So, you think they might be storing these components here?" Mia pointed to the location on the schematic.
"Yes. Also, they have conveniently identified it as such." A label popped up on the image, reading Electronic Component Storage.
"Well that's very nice of them. So where is it, and how do we get there?"
"Tricky. It is located adjacent to the transport hub, which means we will need to find a route through the busiest sector in this facility."
"Meaning there's a high likelihood we'll be spotted."
"Correct."
Mia glanced down at the unconscious tech lying on the floor and considered relieving him of his uniform. He was much taller and broader than her, so it wouldn't fit very well, but she might get away with it. However, it would mean ditching her EVA suit, something Mia was loath to do. Not having a suit would lessen her escape options, but on the other hand, it would make her much more conspicuous.
"I have plotted a route that should minimize our interaction with the general populace," said Gizmo as the 3D schematic over the holo-table zoomed out, with a line indicating the route overlaid on the map.
Mia studied the route. "That's going to take us directly through the main transport artery of this facility, Gizmo."
"Correct. But there is no other alternative—we must pass through it."
Mia consider this for a moment, then glanced down at the tech and back to Gizmo. "Can you get a video feed of that area?"
"Yes, that should be possible." The monitors flickered monetarily, and the scrolling data stream was replaced with live camera feeds.
The intersection that they needed to cross was busy with people, droids, and autonomous carts transporting goods. Mia even spotted a few G2 units. This was good; it meant that Gizmo would not be noticed. As for the people, they all wore face masks and an eclectic assortment of work-wear. She might get away with keeping the EVA suit—all she needed was a face mask. If they were quick, they could be through without anyone noticing.
"They have a lot of droids. It looks like there is no shortage of spare parts in this facility." Mia then turned to the unconscious tech and removed his face mask. He was still out cold, but for how long? "What do we do with this guy?"
"Judging by his size and weight, he will be incapacitated for approximately one hour. But that is not a very accurate assessment."
"Well, I don't want to tie him up just in case this is a room no one else comes into for weeks at a time."
Gizmo moved back to the terminal. "Last access in here was...ten sols ago."
"How long will it take for us to get to the storage sector and back to the airlock?"
"Assuming you find what you want without a prolonged search, then I estimate thirty-five minutes."
"Okay, we leave him as he is and take the risk." Mia covered her mouth and nose with the face mask and moved to the door. "Lead the way, Gizmo."
It didn't take long to start meeting traffic. A small autonomous truck came trundling around a corner, followed by another. Then three workers passed them, but paid no attention to Mia or her G2 unit. By the time they arrived at the main artery, they had been passed by several groups, but again, no one seemed to pay any attention to them. Mia kept her head down, her mask up, and focused on following Gizmo.
It took them a further fifteen minutes to reach the secure storage sector—a long, wide, deserted corridor with several heavy metal doors along one side. Although there was no one in this sector, Mia assumed there were cameras everywhere. They would need to get in and out as quick as possible. Hopefully they could get back out through the same airlock they had entered by, and then walk back to Syrtis, where Mia would contact MLOD, present them with the evidence, and push for a full investigation.
"This is it," said Gizmo as it came to a halt before a sturdy vault door. It moved over to the keypad control and started to disassemble it.
Mia stood with her back to the wall, checking the entrance to the corridor in case anyone showed up. The door thumped and hummed as the locking bolts retracted, and it gently swung open. They stepped in.
The room was sizable, with a high ceiling of possibly five or more meters. It was also crammed with packing crates, the type used for interplanetary transport—meaning these goods had come from either Earth or possibly Ceres, out in the asteroid belt.
Mia rubbed a thin film of dust from the side of one of the crates to reveal a stenciled alphanumeric code and the Montecristo Industries logo. She then found the catches and flipped open the lid. Inside, buried in a sea of packing foam, were hundreds of components.
"Looks like you were right, Gizmo."
"I am always right, Mia."
She picked out a small component, vacuum-sealed in a translucent plastic package. "If I'm not mistaken, this looks very similar to the one Lloyd showed me."
"Yes, it is a logic controller, hardened for high-radiation environments."
"I think these are from emergency aid shipments. The packaging is stamped Intervention."
"That is possible. But we do not have access to the shipping manifest, so we cannot be certain."
"Gizmo, go check some of the other crates."
"Mia, I need to stress the urgency of the situation. We must get back to the airlock before the tech in the network room wakes up. We do not have much time."
"Just do it quickly then, Gizmo."
Between them they opened several more crates, all containing components with the same label stamped on the protective wrappers.
"These are all from emergency supplies." Mia looked
at the droid. "Do you realize what this means?"
"They are not circumventing the embargo."
"No, they're not. They're simply siphoning them off from inbound inventory. Basically stealing. These should be destined for critical life-support systems. Holy shit, this is big. We've got to get this out."
"Then I suggest we make haste, as time is not on our side."
Mia began grabbing bunches of components and shoving them into pockets on her EVA suit. "Okay, that should be enough. Time to get out of here."
The lights in the storage area all suddenly came on, and two Montecristo security personnel appeared in the doorway, weapons pointed directly at Mia and Gizmo.
"Hold it right there." They started to advance.
"Shit. Gizmo, there's no way out."
"Indeed. The probability of a positive outcome to this scenario is zero."
"You don't say." Mia thought about going for her plasma weapon, but it was buried in the bottom of a pocket under a pile of components. She considered her options.
She could simply run at them, as the EVA suit would offer her some protection from the PEP weapons. And Gizmo could handle a few shots, too.
"Gizmo, when I give you the word, we run at them, try and barge our way out into the corridor, and lock them in."
"If you say so, but I estimate the probability of—"
"I know, I get it... Zero."
"I was going to suggest that I go ahead of you, as I will be able to absorb more of the weapons fire than you."
"Okay, good plan."
"Stay where you are. Hands in the air." There were only two meters between them now.
"Now," Mia shouted.
Gizmo raced forward. Two shots hit the robot before it reached the guards, but it made little difference to its momentum. It barreled through, knocking one down. The other stepped aside as Mia raced after the droid.
They were nearing the door, and Mia thought they would make it when she felt a plasma blast rip through her lower back. Her muscles went into spasm as searing pain rippled through every nerve in her body. Her legs ceased to function, and she collapsed face down on the floor. Her vision blurred, and her brain struggled to stay conscious. She was aware of Gizmo trying to drag her out the door as it took a barrage of direct plasma fire. But she drifted out of consciousness, and her world went dark.
Colony Mars Ultimate Edition Page 76
