Solstice 31: The Solstice 31 Saga, Books 1,2,3

by Martin Wilsey

  Hagan was suddenly not as certain. They were alive. He was looking at Barcus. Hagan's HUD was flagging the one designated Wex and an L-Matter being. She was highlighted in a red overlay.

  “They called them a word that the AI would only translate to Scarecrow.” Hagan said, “They crippled their own tech to keep it away from him. Away from her.” Wes pointed at Wex, “The defense grid here. It's not for defense. It's a permanent quarantine. A prison.”

  “This was set up by the same bastards that destroyed the Ventura? Is that what you are telling me?” Hume asked, storming forward.

  Wes was staring at Barcus. His abdomen, his nervous system seemed to be highlighted in red.

  She stood between the suits, and the lasers swung away from her. “That grid was set up by the same people that have been doing genetic experiments on Po and her people?”

  Po stood next to Wex. She remembered her on her knees beside Barcus.

  “To hell with them,” Hume barked as she accessed controls on a cuff device. “Warmarks: Stand down override. Authorization, Hume, Baker-Seven-Niner.”

  The suits retreated and the weapons stowed away. They were no less intimidating.

  “Where the hell did you get two Warmarks?” Jimbo asked, as Hume walked to the nearest war machine and opened a chest plate to reveal a control/status panel. She was obviously very experienced with them.

  Hagan looked uncertain. He was staring at Wex and then Barcus. Becoming less certain.

  “I, er um, we have eleven of them in the lifeboat, sir,” Hagan answered.

  Holding his side, Barcus asked, “How are you driving them?”

  “I have a specialty HUD upgrade. It also identifies...them.” Oddly he was pointing at Barcus absently, not Wex. “But, I'm not driving them, Echo is. The AI.”

  Barcus, Jimbo, and Hume stared at Hagan.

  “You have an ECHO-class AI on that lifeboat? An Extreme Combat Hellfire Operations AI? What the hell is going on here, Jimbo?” Barcus growled, before stepping aside and throwing up an alarming amount of bloody chunks onto the hangar deck.

  “Can we load this boat up and get the hell out of here? I need a nap.” He paused, and continued, “Sir, we will have five months to figure it out.” Barcus spat out another chunk.

  “Captain.” It was Hume, calling out. She stood in front of the lifeboat. “There are also two Javelin modules over here.”

  Jimbo looked at Barcus, who with a broad, bloody smile said, “Em must have gone back. Stu, did you bring these here?”

  “Yes, sir. It was on my task list,” AI~Stu replied, actually sounding abashed. “After the plutonium was transferred to the fuel pods.”

  “Load those up as well,” Worthington said. “We're going home.”

  ***

  “Jimbo, we need to wait,” Hagan said. “If we just show what will you do? You realize that Chancellor Dalton is somehow behind this. A pawn or player. It doesn't matter. If he is involved in any way, we are dead. The ECHO had... orders. I need you to see them. Captain Everett was following specific orders. She knew this might happen.”

  Barcus collapsed just then. Po and the two women in habits caught him.

  Doctor Shaw came over to kneel beside him, “Let's get him back to the med bay on the STU until the one in the Memphis warms up.”

  “He just needs a bed and a bucket,” Wex said, looking down on them. “And water. He'll be thirsty when he wakes but don't give him any food yet. A cold room and low gravity would also help. There are quarters here in shape to occupy. We'll take him.”

  “Wait one damn second,” Shaw said, about to intervene.

  “Doctor Elizabeth Shaw.” Wex Began, “Born in Albany, New York on March first, 2531. Have you ever told anyone that? No. Because you are sensitive about your age even though you started longevity treatments early.” Wex moved toward her slowly, “You got a dog named Penny when you were nine. You killed it by accident the first time you parked the family transport. You never forgave yourself and never got another pet. Did you ever tell anyone that? You are witting of this conspiracy but had no idea that all this would happen. Your cell has a trust word. It's Lohengrin.”

  Shaw was backing away. Fear in her face.

  Everyone else was just staring as the four women lifted the unconscious Barcus in the low G. Po held one arm and his head. Cine and Jude held his legs and Wex was on the other arm, facing the crowd.

  “I know about it all, Beth.” They started to move away, “I also know when you explain it all to Jimbo and Hagan it will be alright.” She scanned all their faces.

  She paused on Cooks face before continuing, “You will be there in time. She will make it to Freedom Station.”

  They moved into the base. Their breath coming out in clouds.

  “She is a witch,” Cook said, just slightly more than a whisper.

  “What did she mean?” Shaw was speaking.

  “My sister is planning to get pregnant next year. She can no longer afford the cost of the permits. It will be her third and wants the baby born on Freedom Station.” Cook replied.

  “Shaw, I should be asking you that.” Worthington was serious now.

  “How could she know?” Shaw asked.

  “Let's make some coffee and I will tell you,” Hagan said.

  ***

  Po and Wex sat in chairs on either side of Barcus's bed. They were wrapped in blankets, and they could still see their breath. The cool and the low gravity seemed to be helping. He looked much improved.

  Heat rose from his body through the sheet. They had cut his ruined clothes away and cleaned him up as best they could. Cine and Jude flanked the open door, allowing people to look in, but not to enter.

  “These are not like other nanites are they?” Po asked over the bed.

  “No. They replace damaged flesh with new, more durable flesh. They will never stop working, even when there is nothing left to do.” She said in low tones.

  “How old are you?” Po stared at her. “Seriously. The truth.”

  “I was born on Earth in 1861. I think I'm about 770 years old. I came here about 120 years ago to find Miles Baytirus. It's his planet you know. He made it.” Wex said it so casually.

  “What do you mean, made it?” Po was puzzled.

  “It's what they do. Or used to do. Before this war. The Scarecrows, I mean. They make these planets. They take a long time. Thousands of years. Tens of thousands. Millions. I don't know really. Now, I don't want to know. I am beginning to suspect.”

  “I don't care about any of this. I just want him to live.” Po said.

  “He will. I promise.” For some reason, she could not explain, but Po believed her.

  He began to stir.

  “I had a dream.” He whispered. “It was of a great ship. And trees.”

  Po brought water to his lips. He drank more than she thought he should.

  “I will take you there,” Wex said to him. “Miles told me where it is. The last of the great seed ships.”

  Barcus fell asleep again.

  Jude said from the doorway, “They come.” She and Cine stepped aside making no attempt to block Worthington and Hagan from entering.

  “How is he?” Worthington asked, looking down at him from the foot of the bed.

  Po looked up and said, “Durable.”

  Worthington smiled and then turned to Wex. “We need to talk.”

  She stood and left the blanket on the chair.

  As they were walking down the wide corridor back toward the hangar, she spoke to them. “I will save you a lot of time. Hagan met Ralta on the surface. The actual surface. She was trapped there for decades. She told you about the Long White.”

  They reached the ramp of the Memphis and Hagan stopped them. “How do you know all this?”

  “Because I remember. For the lack of a better word.”

  CHAPTER TEN:

  The Long White

  “Perception. The collection of data via our senses depends completely on the type and fidelity of th
e sensors involved. We now know there are more than five senses. Far more.”

  --Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: General Patricia Chase, senior member of the Earth Defense Coalition.

  <<<>>>

  “It's the end. It's also a lie. It has to be. The long white I mean,” Wex said, looking at a framed photo of Jimbo and his family. His wife and two daughters. “They are safe.” She looked over her shoulder at him. They are on Freedom Station. You will be with them soon enough. After... all this.”

  “How do you know that?” Worthington was calm.

  Jude had followed them into Jimbo's private quarters, unnoticed. She was standing in the corner when she spoke. Hagan was seated and started when she spoke.

  “Tell him about the bacon,” Jude said as if it was not out of the blue.

  “Bacon?” Hagan asked.

  “I have spent my whole life hiding who I am and what I am, Captain.” She sat at the second chair in front of Worthington’s desk.

  He waited for her to continue.

  “Do you like bacon, captain?” He nodded but didn't interrupt. “When I make bacon, it is very rich in sensory input. All my senses come into play. I can hear it sizzle as it cooks, I can see it when it's perfect, I can smell it and taste it and feel how hot it is with my fingers.”

  Everyone in the room was nodding.

  “And I can do all those things at the same time easily. And more than that I can remember all those things after I am done. Do you know why?”

  “Memory,” Jimbo said.

  “Yes. But what is memory? It is actually another sense. It is how you sense time.” She leaned forward.

  “Did you know that there are life forms that only experience the Now? Even though now is just the intersection between the past and future. More advanced life forms have temporal senses. Memory. Some even experience precognition. Have you ever heard the term My life flashed before my eyes?” She was intense now.

  “You know how other senses work. Some animals can see heat. Some can echo locate in the dark or in the water. Some can perceive density or mass or variations in gravity.” She now paused.

  “And some can preserve the passing of time. Or the approach of time.”

  She let it settle it for a minute.

  “I can close my eyes and it is like I am remembering the future. The things that will happen to me.” She knew they would remain silent.

  “It's how I know that your youngest daughter got nine stitches in her mouth because she fell and hit the coffee table. You will tell that story to the crew one night at dinner.”

  She looked over to Hagan.

  “You are thinking of your favorite number, 91019. It's your favorite because it is prime and the same backward and forward. You people and primes.” She sighed and continued, “You will tell me the other details later, but I won't mention them now as it's super personal.” She smiled and averted her eyes as Hagan blushed.

  “Captain, I am telling you this because you asked me to tell you. You also ask me to keep a few details to myself. You also want me to tell Wes about the Long White. And the lie of it...”

  ***

  Po could tell when the corner was turned. Barcus fell into a natural sleep; she could see it. While he still had a fever, he was not burning like before.

  She was cold and climbed into bed with him. Cine quietly closed the door.

  She slept.

  She woke a long time later with her back to Barcus as he spooned her, snoring softly. She smiled wide and then tears flowed freely. They were alive. They were safe.

  His snoring stopped. She tried to be still and pretend to sleep, but he knew her to well.

  “Good morning, you.” She spun to face him. His eyes were open and bright. She could swear his beard had grown dramatically over night.

  “I don't know what to say anymore,” Po whispered. “My frame of reference to… everything is gone. I'm afraid to take my eyes off you because everything else I would see is totally strange to me.” She ran her hand down his chest, over old scars to his wound.

  It was gone.

  She brushed away a black thin dust from the fresh pink skin below. He was kissing the top of her head as she examined him.

  “I'm thirsty.” He murmured.

  Po realized she was also thirsty and hungry. She slowly sat up, unsure if the movement would hurt him. “How do you feel?”

  “I feel like I have slept for a month. My arms and legs and back are all stiff. And I have this strange feeling of deja vu all the time.” She handed him a glass of water. He first sipped and then gulped it. “Kuss is coming.”

  A moment later there was a soft knock on the door.

  “Come.” Barcus was sitting up now. The sheet providing modesty.

  “You done sleeping yet you lazy cow?” Kuss was smiling to see him upright. “Hagan say I have to wait for you. Done waiting. Move ass.” And she was gone. The door settled closed.

  “Any idea where I can get some clothes?”

  ***

  The main hangar was a buzz of activity. People were laughing and talking over each other while they worked. There were several people on top of the Memphis with flood lights.

  “It's a good thing you didn't try to fly this thing, Cook. This would have never held for those maneuvers.” Hagan said from the flood lights above. “All balls, no brains.” He laughed. Others laughed too.

  “Just how I like my men,” Kuss shouted and the laugher got louder.

  A hand holding a large cup or a small pitcher was thrust in front of Barcus. It was Beth Shaw.

  “Here, drink this. If you don't puke maybe, we will try some mashed potatoes in a few hours.” She said. She waited to watch him.

  He was starving. The drink was some kind of smoothie. Probably the same type he used on his long maintenance runs in his suit.

  He finished the drink. He didn't puke. He somehow knew he wouldn't. Po stood next to Dr. Shaw watching him as if he might keel over again any second.

  Worthington was standing at the top of the ramp talking to Wex. Jimbo looked over at Barcus and then gave him a quick nod to come over.

  “How are you feeling, Bro?” Worthington asked looking him up and down. “You look pretty good for being dead three days ago.”

  “I feel... different.” He looked at Po for a second before continuing. “I'm horribly stiff. It feels like every muscle and joint has been pounded.” He shook his head, “I'm... I can't focus. It's like everything is distracting me and I am losing my train of thought all the time. It's odd. It's like I can see more colors. Not colors really. Details. Like I can tell the gravity is higher on this ramp. By just looking at it.”

  He scrubbed his face like he was trying to wake up.

  “A lot has happened while you took your nap.” He started, but Barcus interrupted.

  “And that. I can feel exactly how much time has passed.” He ran his fingers through his hair and stretched.

  Across the hangar Elkin, Beary, Jude, and Cine were pushing the fabricator down the ramp and out of STU. Barcus inhaled a mighty breath and blew it out.

  “Okay. What's the plan?” Barcus sighed.

  “You still need to rest.” Pointing at Po, “She will make sure you don't overdo it.” Then he looked at Wex, “She wants to go look for the Scarecrows ship. If it's still operable, it may be useful.”

  He stared at Wex, saying nothing.

  “It will only take a few days if we take the STU. If we don't find it in that time, we will just come back.” Wex lied. Barcus knew she was lying.

  “Ben, the AI in the Memphis, is keeping us on track. Not as good as Em used to but good enough. If this pans out, it may save a lot of time.” Worthington spoke as if the decision was made. No one argued. Jimbo nodded and went into the Memphis.

  “We will go as soon as Stu is ready. I want Ash as well. Po, will you please check everything. I'll be okay out of your sight for a few minutes.” Barcus smiled wide at her. Filled with purpose, she ran across t
he hanger past the Sedna to the STU.

  Barcus was alone with Wex on the ramp then. “You know exactly where it is. So do I for some reason. I remember being there before. It's like a dream I haven't had yet.”

  “We needed extra time.” She said.

  Barcus pointed at the bullet holes in the belly of her dress. “Change your clothes at least.”

  ***

  Barcus was surprised Cine and Jude didn't come along. It turned out they were superb with the cutting torches and could easy climb the huge machines in the back of the hangar. They needed raw materials to feed the fabricator, and that giant machine was it.

  Work had to stop to cycle the airlock. When they were through and leaving the moon, Barcus finally spoke.

  “Where are we going?” He was in the pilot seat. Po was across the aisle from him in the front right, co-pilot seat. The dome was full canopy, and the moon fell away at a rapid rate as they moved away from the planet.

  “This system has five planets, including Baytirus. One of them is a gas giant in the outermost orbit. Head there.” Wex said.

  Po replied, “Do it, Stu.” With that word they smoothly sped away.

  “It will be a while before we get there I recommend we get some rest. We all could use it.” Barcus said, and the canopy dimmed a bit and the various status windows minimized. He reclined his seat fully and was asleep in less than a minute.

  Po watched Barcus for a few minutes and then turned to Wex. “Do the thing. With me. What do you know about me?”

  “I know very little. I do know one thing.” She looked at Barcus, deeply sleeping. “All the world will believe he is the greatest mass murderer of all time.” Then she looked at Po, “but he will not care. Because you will know the truth.”

  That sat in silence awhile.

  “We'll all live then?” Po asked.

  “No. Not all. But you and Barcus will survive. Knowing this will make you mighty. You will need to be.” Wex stood and moved to the ladder. “He might save the world. But you will have to save him.”