‘I would have thought, Casta, that you would have a bit more common sense when it–’
‘Hey, hang on a minute,’ Ed interrupted. ‘It’s my fault. I threatened to blow the whistle, but we agreed,’ he cast sideways glance at Jocasta, ‘that if you didn’t want me along then I’d have to back off, and so I guess from your side of the fence that’s just what I’ll have to do.’ He took half a step back, then paused. ‘Not that I’d tell anyone. And,’ he continued, ‘I have to tell you, that if you’re planning on doing a little exploration, it would be a fool who didn’t want someone along with as much knowledge of this place as me.’
Jocasta looked from one friend to another feeling apprehensive. But then, much to her relief, Will took Ed’s hand in his firm grip and ceremoniously shook it up and down.
‘That won’t be necessary mate. Any friend of Casta’s deserves a second chance – or even a first one, but…’ Here he lowered his voice, so that the others had to move in closer to hear him, ‘I must warn you, my little adventure does have its share of danger and anyone wishing to back out should do so now.’
‘How can we, if we don’t know what we’re doing or where we’re going?’ David asked in a slightly exasperated tone. ‘Come on, Will, fill us in. We need to know what the risks are before we can decide.’
At this Will became noticeably more serious. His eyes seemed to lose their sparkle and he carefully placed his feet a few inches apart and pulled his arms behind his back.
‘Guys- and ladies, I’ve shared a lot of things with you in the past,’ he looked from David to Jocasta and then let his eyes rest momentarily on Ed and spoke directly to him, ‘I sense in you a common spirit: an understanding. Even though we have only just met.’
He paused looking straight into Ed’s strange eyes and felt his gaze returned with equanimity. ‘These two have been my best mates for several years and I trust them implicitly. I only hope I’m right, trusting you too. Several years ago there was an accident here in this very zone. It was all covered up by the authorities and nobody knows or will tell me what happened but I believe it somehow involved my mother and that’s what I’ve come here for, to find out what happened here and what happened to her.’
There was poignant silence which seemed to last for much longer than the few seconds that elapsed, and then Jocasta asked the question that they were all thinking.
‘But what makes you think that you can find out now, Will? Wasn’t it… it must be at least ten years since…’ She stumbled over her words and her voice trailed off as she tried to think of something more positive to say.
‘Yes, it’s twelve, not ten years, almost to the day, since she disappeared somewhere on this planet and I know it’s a long shot trying to find out what happened. But my dad doesn’t know, or won’t tell me and besides,’ he added with a quizzical look that Jocasta recognised from the past, ‘I couldn’t let you two get away from me that easily; it would have been so boring back at Woodbridge Hall without you.’
‘Ok,’ said David, ‘so if we’re in, what next? Remember we’ve only got a few hours before we have to check back in.’
‘So you’re all interested in my plan?’ Will waited until they had all individually nodded in agreement, Ed surprisingly seeming the most enthusiastic, his lilac eyes glowing with anticipation.
Chapter Fifteen
‘Right, follow me. I’ve a vehicle just waiting to be used for the very first time.’
David and Jocasta exchanged looks as if to say here we go again, but quickened their pace to keep up with Will as he moved niftily between the machines, his bag swinging from his shoulder as he strode purposefully towards the far side of the holding area. Jocasta noticed Ed throwing the odd question at Will but was unable to hear what they were saying over the background buzz that reverberated around them.
Will ground to a standstill next to a sleek golden machine that was chained and padlocked to the ground and seemed to be enclosed by an invisible force-field. His gaze shifted expertly over it and with a look of pure delight he reached over and, just as the rest of them held their breath, waiting for the alarms to sound, he retracted his arm and spun around to the rather grimy looking vehicle along side it. A wicked grin spread across his face.
‘Sorry to disappoint, guys. There’s no way I could get through the security clearance and devices on this beauty. But here you see,’ at this he pointed to the roundish, snug machine, ‘is a truly magnificent prototype. It doesn’t look much but it can take us where we need to go and has all the best gadgets, just hasn’t been completed yet, so no sophisticated packaging.’
‘But are you sure it’s safe?’ David queried. ‘Looks only half finished if you ask me.’
‘Well,’ replied Will in mock disbelief, slapping David on the back. ‘You of all people should have more faith in me and this accomplished futuristic machine. This, my man, is the future of travel on Mars. Hop in everyone and you’ll experience the joys of Martian travel courtesy of the… er… establishment.’
Will pointed his index finger at the door and it slid open with a whoosh of power. They all clambered in, Ed and Jocasta to the rear with David alongside Will who was of course in the driving seat. Helmets swung down from the top of the vehicle.
‘Just as a precaution,’ Will announced. The capsule, as he called it, manufactured its own oxygen to keep the atmosphere breathable for them.
‘No need to put them on now but make sure you know where to connect to in case of an emergency. But you will need these-’ he tossed David and Jocasta a pair of sleek, black gloves. ‘Good job I bought a couple of spares in case I’d got the sizing wrong.’ He grinned at Ed. ‘So here’s a pair for you too.’
‘Very neat.’ Ed replied. ‘Suitor gloves to mask the thumbnail signals. Looks like you’ve thought of everything.’
Jocasta couldn’t be sure if it was respect or a touch of sarcasm that she noted in Ed’s voice. But glancing sideways at him she was pleased to see a look of eagerness and anticipation on his face.
Will skilfully manoeuvred around the other prototypes and their robotic workers. Silent sentinels, unseeing as they were only programmed to work with human supervision. Here on Mars, unlike Earth, they had reverted to one day of rest each week, when all but essential work was postponed. Recognition of the importance of ritual and rest in an otherwise work orientated society.
Once outside they followed the main track, it could hardly be called a road, bumping along at about fifty kph, the reduced gravity was mostly counteracted by the oversized tyres but Jocasta still felt as though her insides were hitting places they’d never touched before.
The bleak landscape was dominated by the distant view of Mon Olympus, its giant structure unlike anything back on Earth. Jocasta was struck by the scale of the planet for the first time and realised how cocooned they were inside the dome. A feeling of their vulnerability overcame her as she realised no-one knew where they were or their destination. There would be no-one to raise the alarm if they did not return.
Will seemed oblivious to any such feelings as he turned round and with a broad grin asked her if she was enjoying the ride.
‘Well,’ she replied. ‘I’d feel much happier if I knew what lay ahead and exactly where we’re meant to be going.’
‘Now, where would the fun be in that?’ Will retorted, wrinkling his brow as he turned again to face Jocasta.
‘Hey mate, just concentrate on driving this machine, will you?’ Ed quickly interjected. ‘Otherwise we’ll not be anywhere but stuck in the red stuff.’
‘Got your point.’ Will skilfully managed to bring the wagon back in line with the track just before it made contact with a rock.
They’d been travelling for about twenty Sol minutes when Will began to slow the vehicle. Clicking buttons and setting dials.
‘What’s that?’ David whispered as what appeared to be a landing pad came into view. ‘I didn’t know they had any emergency landers out here.’
‘No, they don’t. That
’s what it’s meant to look like from space. This, my friends, is the entrance to an underground settlement and if I’ve calculated correctly this is where we need to find the hidden security lock.’
Will cut the engines and allowed the space buggy to shudder to a halt. ‘Helmets on guys, we’re going out in order to get in. David and Jocasta bring those special gadgets with you. This is where they come into their own.’
They clambered out of the machine, Ed cracking his head against the top as he struggled to manoeuvre his tall frame out. He went to rub the base of his head where he’d jarred his neck then remembered he had a space helmet on.
‘Can you check there’s no damage to my headgear,’ he spoke to Will through the intercom.
‘You’re okay mate,’ said Will, quickly scanning Ed. ‘No dents on the outside.’
Meanwhile David and Jocasta had been unwrapping the strange objects that Will had presented them with just before they’d left Woodbridge Hall.
‘What are these for, Will?’ David asked turning the object over in his hand. He then held it up to the distant sun as though it might suddenly reveal some mystery.
‘Here give them to me,’ Will responded, ‘and I’ll show you.’
He held out his hands and David and Jocasta duly passed the strange looking articles over.
‘Now follow me, and fingers crossed these little creatures will work some special magic.’
David and Jocasta exchanged knowing looks as they were reminded of previous adventures when they’d been persuaded by Will to trust his latest invention.
He strode, as best he could in the rather cumbersome spacesuit and gravity boots, towards the concreted area which David had mistaken for a landing platform.
The others followed rather apprehensively and wondered curiously what, if anything, was going to happen next.
Will stopped suddenly, seemingly trying to get his bearings and then after a couple more steps sank to his knees and started to brush away the red earth from the edge of the fake landing pad.
He held out the larger of the two objects just a few centimetres from the ground and Jocasta watched in amazement as it appeared to grow larger and wriggled as if alive within Will’s grasp. He held it tightly having to strengthen his grip as it seemingly struggled to escape. Then he stretched out his arm allowing the thing to lock on to a small area just below ground level where the edge of the concrete met the sand.
‘Hey guys, think we should hurry up, looks like a dust storm is heading this way.’ Jocasta peered towards the horizon and did a double take, trying to work out distances in the strange landscape.
‘Ed, check out the other side, can you?’ Will nodded towards an area about six metres away.
‘Can you feel anything there… at the edge? There should be a metal strip or some holes in the surface.’
‘Yep,’ came the reply as Ed’s fingers located what felt like the top of an old fashioned ornate handle. ‘There’s something here, what do I need to do?’
‘Catch!’ Will threw the smaller object towards Ed but he momentarily forgot about the gravity difference and it went high in the air.
They all looked upwards and followed its slowly arching fall back down towards the ground. Jocasta and Ed both ran, trying to catch it and ended up bumping into each other and falling backwards in true slapstick style, allowing David to reach out one handed to neatly enclose it safely in the palm of his hand. As he did so he felt a shudder emit from the thing and noticed a soft light filtering through his gloves,
‘Will, it’s glowing what does that mean?’
‘Not sure, but try to fix it on that point that Ed found.’
David bent down to locate the spot while Ed and Jocasta dusted themselves down, the red sand sticking to their suits.
David felt the warmth spreading through the fabric of his glove and noticed the glow had turned from blue to red. His eyes were drawn towards a point near the ground where it seemed that a strange beeping noise was being emitted. He felt his hand pulled with increasing force towards the noise and as his fingers were prised apart, the contraption jumped with magnetic force to land neatly in a gap where the sandy earth had parted.
With a shake and a shudder the ground beneath them began to move like a giant jaw opening. The concrete parted with the judder of a cranking machine.
As if glued to the spot each one of them gazed in amazement at the vast cavernous space opening up before them. Slowly, oh so slowly, the upper part raised itself skywards, causing small particles of rock to slide down and break as amber dust on the ground around them.
Jocasta raised a hand to wipe her visor clear just as a final jolt locked the two sections into place.
‘Quick, back to the vehicle,’ Will’s urgent tone made them all obey without hesitation. Still strapping their harnesses on, Will moved the vehicle forward towards the entrance.
‘Hey!’ Ed’s voice stung like a barb in Will’s ear. ‘What do you think you’re doing? We’ve got no idea what’s down there.’
‘Oh yes, I have; down there’s the answer to my mother’s disappearance and I’ve waited a long time for the opportunity to find out what happened to her.’
Will’s voice, forcing out his words full of suppressed emotion, silenced any further questions as they bumped and squealed their way down into the stomach of the red encrusted earth.
The eyes of the vehicle sent out narrow beams of light that pierced the darkness illuminating a narrow path that tunnelled further and further downwards. No one spoke as the oppressive atmosphere added to their anxiety. Jocasta and David in the back of the vehicle had little vision of the forward route and both wondered if this time they had allowed Will’s escapade to lead them into more trouble they had bargained for.
They could just make out old lights; some of them still alight but cracked in the rock formations and covered in dust and grime.
‘Where are we going?’ Jocasta couldn’t contain herself any longer. ‘I really think we should be trying to get back to…’
‘I agree,’ David interjected. ‘We do understand why Will, but this is just taking us too far. We’ve no idea what we’re going to find down here.’
‘Or how long it’s going to take,’ Jocasta continued.
‘Where’s your sense of adventure gone?’ Will retorted. ‘Do you know how many people would give their eye teeth to be here exploring the Sin City of Mars?’
Ed spluttered into his helmet. ‘The what?’
*
Silence descended as Will continued to manoeuvre the vehicle through the narrow tunnels until suddenly he hit the brakes as the path divided into two. One appeared to be a continuation of the same passageway as it carried straight on, while the other veered off to the left, but had broadened out with a higher ceiling. ‘Which one, guys?’ Will asked.
‘Neither,’ Jocasta and David replied in unison.
‘How about the reverse gear?’
‘Sorry,’ Will replied cheerfully. ‘There isn’t one and no room to turn around either.’
Jocasta opened her mouth to retort but the words died in her throat. A dark shape slipped from the shadows just around the beam of the headlights, and she found herself clutching David’s arm so tightly that her gloves stretched taunt over her knuckles making them creak with the strain. She looked around, but it appeared to have dissolved once again into darkness.
‘Casta?’ David’s voice faltered a little.
‘Shush!’ she hissed. Her blood was thumping in her veins; she could feel it throbbing in her neck and temples. It was so loud she couldn’t hear anything but the noise of her own terror. ‘I think–’
Something moved in her peripheral vision, and her head, heavy in the helmet, seemed to take an excruciating age to turn.
This time the vehicle was surrounded by figures, all faceless, their identities obliterated by the dozens of high intensity torch lights that they pointed at the four occupants, blinding them and rendering them completely helpless.
Joca
sta, to her shame, let out a girlish squeal, but couldn’t deny the numbing terror that gripped her. Her breathing became laboured; her throat felt swollen and her eyes ached from the lights that seemed brighter than sunlight after the relative dark of the tunnel.
‘What do we do?’ she whispered to no one in particular, her voice shallow and barely audible.
‘Sit tight,’ Will replied, his voice sounding strangled with tension. ‘Wait and see what they do.’
‘What they do?’ Ed questioned; his voice hard, speaking through his teeth. ‘You sound as though you expected this.’
‘Not quite…’ Will flinched as the door to the vehicle was wrenched open by a large gloved hand, and what could be some sort of weapon was flashed just below Will’s neck.
‘Out. Now.’ The voice commanded with an authority that belied its dishevelled appearance.
The four of them scrambled out of the vehicle. David tripped over the ledge of the door and stumbling to his feet knocked into the man’s side. In retaliation the man shoved him backwards with such force that Ed had to seize hold of him to stop him landing flat on his back.
Jocasta’s head seemed to buzz with fear, innumerable thoughts jostling her mind. How come there were people down here? How did they survive? Or perhaps they weren’t humans, at all. Could there really be Martians living here?
Jocasta’s teeth chattered together uncontrollably. She felt almost delirious, delusional; and completely unable to comprehend what was happening. She half expected to see Lt. Wing Commander Wren step out of a pile of rocks and call off this absurd training exercise.
But Lt. Wing Commander Wren did not appear, and with a terrible, hopeless sensation of her stomach falling away and a stark chill running down her neck, as though some invisible phantom had drawn a line with an icy-cold finger down her spine, she feared just what this might mean.
She might never see Imogen again. The thought came to her unbidden and utterly surprised her.
But she couldn’t stop the spinning in her head, the way every nerve ending in her body was ultra sensitive, she couldn’t stop a rising panic that was threatening to override all of her sensibility like a tidal wave.
Deborah Hockney Page 12
