Hard Nova

by Casey Calouette

  “Then?” Kane said.

  “We’re setting up a screen of mines in the near and far asteroid belts. Past that, we’re hiding fire systems on the lunar surface. And, provided Amit can secure her zones, we’ll set up portable missile launchers as well.”

  Kane had heard enough. It would be as good as it could get.

  “No chance of bringing the orbital defense batteries online?” Hiro said.

  Kane shook his head. No more chance than he had of bringing his son back from the dead. “No.”

  “It’s going to be close, Kane. I’ll be honest with you.”

  Kane thought Hiro was an optimist. They were plainly and simply outgunned. And they couldn’t do a damned thing about it.

  ####

  Jack took another bite of the calorie bar. He was hungrier than he was curious. That and he didn’t trust Rob McCloud a single bit.

  “How did you know you’d find us here? It took us nearly a week to get to that facility,” Gavin said.

  Cross watched Rob closely with his arms across his chest.

  “You were traced near that command node. At that point I knew you’d eventually end up here,” Rob said.

  The display changed screens and displayed a route map. Beneath it the numbers ratcheted up. Finally they plateaued at one thousand meters per second.

  Jack stopped chewing and stared at the numbers. For every second that went by they were traveling a kilometer. He hadn’t heard the sound barrier breaking, so that meant they were traveling in a vacuum.

  “Traced? By what?” Gavin said.

  “You accessed the Qin network there.”

  Gavin narrowed his eyes and stared at Jack. “Did you?”

  Jack swallowed a large lump and stammered. “I…well…things…I just…huh…yah. I did.”

  “Why the fuck did you do that? You had to know they’d trace it!” Gavin yelled.

  “It was just that you wanted to fight, and I’d kind of dragged you into it, so I thought if I could engage the standard encryption protocols then they could do it all from orbit.”

  Rob looked at the two with mild amusement on his face. “And I thought it was an intentional safeguard. This was all just a mistake?”

  Gavin shook his head. “Yes, a mistake.”

  The drone chirped. “Station White.”

  The velocity number dropped until it was flickering around ten meters per second.

  “I’ve got a safe house here, but you have to trust me. First, leave your weapons here. I’ve got an agent that will be leaving us civilian clothing. Understand?”

  Cross looked at Gavin and shook his head. “I don’t like this, Cap.”

  “That’s two of us,” Holly added.

  “You don’t have an option in this matter,” Rob said. “We’re coming into one of our largest subterranean cities; you can’t very well walk out. Trust me. I’ll get us all out safe, and then when the time comes we’ll turn the tide of this war.”

  “About that,” Jack said. “How?”

  Rob grinned. “You’re the locksmith, Gavin is the key. Don’t you see? We can engage the orbital defenses and destroy the Qin fleet.”

  The transport car clunked to a stop. A pleasant, automated voice told them to have a nice day.

  Gavin was the first to stand and lay his weapon on the seat. He looked around the room at the others. “I trust him.”

  Jack pulled the pistol out and set it down. “Well, not much choice.”

  Cross and Holly both sat; neither one looked happy.

  Finally Holly stood. “Aww, fuck it.” He threw the rifle down and pointed a finger at Rob. “I’ll fuck you up, boy, you understand?”

  Cross stood last and set his pistol down. He didn’t say anything.

  Rob stood at the door. “Once we get out, just stick close. This area isn’t used much anymore. My agent should be here soon.”

  The door slid open. Outside, a concrete wall almost touched the car. Rob scooted out and led the way. The others followed and sidestepped along the length of the car until finally they were clear.

  Gavin tapped Jack on the shoulder. “We need to tell the fleet about the leak.”

  “How?” Jack said. He looked ahead at Rob. “Can we ask him?”

  “Maybe, but if the opportunity arises, take it.”

  They walked along the edge of a dirty track. The concrete was old, stained by water, with only an occasional service door. On one side, a huge panel was locked in tight to the wall. A green light blared on one side.

  “Airlock,” Rob said. “The maglev tunnels are a vacuum.”

  They continued to walk, with the only sound being the echo of footsteps. Finally they came to a service door. Rob stopped and turned to the drone. “Tell him we’re here.”

  The drone chirped. “He’s coming.”

  The door swiftly opened and an elderly man plunged through and collapsed on the floor. One eye was a milky white, and his face was a mix of stubble and scar tissue. The odor he gave off was a mix of raw alcohol and body sweat.

  “Oh God,” Jack said. He stifled a gag.

  “This is your agent?” Holly said. “We should get back on that train.”

  The man struggled to stand. Rob helped him to his feet.

  “Gunner’s Mate First Class Eino Heikonen, Terran Union Navy, of the TU warship Mackinac!” The man threw up a salute.

  “Christ, that was old man McCloud’s ship. You guys survived?” Holly said with a touch of reverence to his voice.

  “And with pride,” the old man said.

  Rob reached through the door and pulled out a bag. He popped it open and handed coveralls to everyone. “Get these on.”

  Jack wriggled himself into the suit. It smelled of dust and a touch of mildew.

  Rob spoke to Eino. “Have you seen anyone else?”

  “No, sir,” Eino said. He never made eye contact with Rob.

  They set out through the door with the old man leading the way. He hobbled ahead and guided them through the slums of the underground city. The old part of the subterranean city felt more like the inside of a starship. Through open passages they caught glimpses of the wider main city. Rob and Eino steered them deeper.

  Jack fell in next to Eino. The old man was having a hard time matching Rob’s pace. “So you, uh, knew Erik McCloud?”

  Eino’s eyes lit up at the mention of the name. “I did. I had the pleasure of serving with Captain Erik during—“

  “Eino!” Rob called out. “Check ahead.”

  Eino made his way into the main passage and disappeared from sight.

  Jack sighed and waited.

  Men and women walked through the halls in the same gray coveralls that they wore. Even an occasional soldier walked past. None paid them any mind. Jack watched the civilians. They didn’t look oppressed or even unhappy. Maybe nervous or scared. But if his planet was being invaded, he’d probably feel the same way too.

  A while later, the old man shuffled back up. “It’s clear.”

  “We need to cross through the main hub. Then we’ll get to the safe house.”

  Rob walked out into the main passage with his head held high. The others came in a straight line after him. Eino disappeared into the crowds.

  The passage was filled with men and women, children, and the elderly. Soldiers marched along in groups and squads. Far ahead, a maglev line disappeared into the cavern wall. The tops of squat buildings were covered in gardens. The entire ceiling glowed, with half of it transiting to darkness.

  Jack stared up at it all. An entire city. Completely underground. The nerdy side of him tried to guess the size and the population density. He guessed at nearly ten thousand, but he had a feeling that he was wildly wrong. He walked faster and kept pace with Rob. “How many people live here?”

  Rob barely turned his head when he spoke. “Three million.”

  Jack stumbled. “Where?”

  Rob pointed down.

  Then Jack understood; this was just the surface of the city.

/>   When they entered the main hub, it was a mass of humanity. Multiple levels all converged into ramps. It was like a massive cloverleaf with miniature maglevs running and sending people everywhere.

  They marched down one path and pushed through the crowd. No one paid them any notice.

  Eino merged back into the group. He smiled up at Jack and showed a crooked picket fence of brown teeth. “Now, as I was—“

  A gunshot boomed across the open concourse. Sergeant Major Holly fell to floor without a sound, a bullet hole through his neck.

  The crowd stampeded. A massive crush of humanity fled from every area.

  “Go!” Rob yelled. He ducked and ran and fell in behind a row of civilians.

  Jack ran as fast as he could and struggled to keep pace with Gavin and Cross.

  More gunshots exploded through the cavern. Rounds blasted into the crowd. A woman shrieked and fell to the floor. Then a man fell with his jaw blown off.

  On the far side of the concourse, a wave of soldiers rushed in. They wore pale-tan armor and wielded a mix of rectangular-barreled kinetic rifles and the larger fusion rifles. Each had a small drone floating nearby; the drones darted about like hummingbirds.

  Rob plowed through the crowd. “We can’t get to the safe house! Hurry!”

  They broke through out of the main area and into a commercial zone. Rob knocked over a group of men and ignored the shouts following after. Jack gave a quick apology, but he didn’t think they heard him.

  The group tore through the aisles and passages. Jack lost count of how many lefts or rights. Suddenly, Rob shot a door handle and pushed everyone inside. Automatic lights kicked on and revealed a maintenance room with a vacuum door on the opposite side.

  The little drone flew in and Rob slammed the door shut. “We’re headed through the tunnel.”

  “It’s too far,” the drone replied. “Don’t.”

  “There’s no option,” Rob said. He turned and pulled down a vacuum mask. Stenciled on the front was EMERGENCY USE ONLY.

  “What are we doing?” Gavin said.

  “There’s another way,” Rob said. He turned to the drone. “Drop the cloak, unlock the passage, and prep the copter. Get a maglev here too.”

  “You’ll run out of air,” the drone said.

  Rob snatched an atmosphere tank off the wall. “No, no, we wont.”

  Jack tore open the bag and snugged the mask onto his face. This meant they were going in the tunnels. He didn’t like tight spaces and disliked the fact that there wasn’t any atmosphere there either.

  “You better know what you’re doing,” Cross said.

  “Why don’t you go outside and ask them?” Rob said. He cracked the vacuum door opened and beckoned to the others.

  Jack came in last.

  Rob sealed the door behind them. He opened the spill gate and the air hissed away.

  Jack’s arms tingled.

  Rob opened the door to the maglev tunnel. He wedged a wrench underneath it, and now the pressure in the habitat prevented anyone from opening the door. They’d have to erect a temporary airlock to get through.

  A maglev car slowed and halted. Rob opened the door and pitched in a bag. A moment later, the maglev zipped off.

  Rob jogged down the service ramp.

  Jack sucked at the air and it felt like he just couldn’t breathe enough. On he ran, the last man, following the others. How long will this last? What happens when it goes empty?

  Rob turned and looked but never stopped.

  They kept jogging. A blinking red light was suddenly blasting past, without making a sound or even stirring a breeze. The large maglev disappeared just as quickly.

  Dark dots grew in Jack’s eyes. He tried to wipe them off his face. Then, a second later, a smudge of darkness grew. He couldn’t catch up. It dawned on him, just for a second, that he was out of air.

  Rob stopped. He sprinted back with the emergency tank and quickly hooked it up to Jack’s mask. A hissing sound rushed into the mask. Rob beckoned for the others. Gavin stumbled over with Cross at his side.

  Jack leaned on Rob and the two men stumbled ahead. Rob stopped and then walked right through the wall. Jack stared at it, unsure if he was hallucinating. A hand reached out and pulled him in. They stood before a massive service door with a cloaking system protecting the whole thing.

  Rob opened the service hatch and all four rushed in. He slammed it shut, and stale air flooded inside.

  Jack ripped his mask off and gasped for air. “Oh God, I’m never doing anything like this again.”

  “Where are we?” Gavin said. He stood hunched over, with his hands on his hips, breathing heavily.

  “Almost there,” Rob said. He opened the hatch and led them through.

  On the other side was a cavern, almost as massive as the city. Floating in the center was a heavily armored starship. It had the looks of a Terran Union battlecruiser with the lines of a Qin Raider.

  Rob kept walking.

  Jack, Gavin, and Cross all stared up at the monstrous starship.

  “What is this?” Jack mumbled.

  “Hurry up!” Rob yelled. His voice echoed everywhere, with up up up ebbing away.

  They ran on the dusty floors past heaps of debris and leftover machinery. Assembly robots sat idle and dead.

  Jack was still speechless. He studied it as they walked. A kilometer long? Maybe two? He just couldn’t tell. There was no scale to it other than big. He looked around to see something to compare it with and saw fresh pallets stacked near the far wall. They didn’t have the same old look as everything else.

  Rob halted at an elevator. “I hope this works.”

  A mechanical clunk announced that it did. A basket rattled down.

  Rob turned and looked up. “We were going to win our freedom once.”

  “What happened?” Gavin said.

  The elevator landed with a thud and the door creaked open.

  “We had more to gain being with the Qin than dying alone.”

  They entered the tight service elevator. Rob punched at the button, and it creaked upward. Jack stared out through the wire mesh and took in the massiveness of the starship. Never before had he been so close to something so large.

  It halted at the top. There was a wide-open space with a safety guardrail behind them. Shafts shot upward and disappeared into the darkness. At the bottom of one sat a transport copter. Its turbine hummed gently. The little drone swooped next to it and then disappeared inside.

  “You know it’s a war zone up top, right?” Cross said. “Interceptors and such?”

  “We’ll be fine,” Rob said. He climbed inside the cockpit.

  Jack shook his head. “Not again.” Then he climbed in and sat between Gavin and Cross.

  “I don’t like this, Cap,” Cross said.

  Gavin frowned but didn’t say anything.

  The turbine whirred louder and the copter shot straight up.

  Jack latched onto the armrests and stared out the narrow window. Walls blasted past; it seemed like they would collide into them at any moment.

  Light suddenly exploded, and they shot out the side of a rocky ridge. Stones tumbled down beneath the exit. The copter dropped down and swooped low, just clearing the next ridge.

  A missile zipped in front of the copter and exploded ahead. Shrapnel clanged into the nose.

  Jack clenched his eyes tight just as the copter flew through the expanding fireball.

  “That’s your people this time!” Rob yelled.

  Three shells zipped into the side of the copter. The stubby wing sheared off and the craft tumbled. Rob struggled to pull up and recover.

  “”We’re headed there! Brace for it!”

  Jack opened his eyes just long enough to see a massive wreck and was confused in the few moments it took for him to black out.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  It took Claire three passes to finally land her scout jet inside of the cloaked landing zone. On the first pass, a TU interceptor had chased her off.
The second pass came, and a cloud of drones swarmed past. On the third pass, she swooped low over the water and dropped down into the ocean.

  She sighed in relief as the robotic gantry clamped on and brought her jet deeper. It was so close. They almost caught Rob, almost. Somehow he managed to evaporate into the tunnels and disappear. They’d found an empty maglev a thousand kilometers away, empty. Her crews were scouring the area, but they’d simply disappeared.

  “So he must have gone somewhere nearby,” she mumbled to herself.

  Davos opened the hatch. Water streamed down and dripped into the scout jet. “What did you expect to see?”

  Claire climbed out. Crews immediately came in and started servicing the craft for another run.

  “Something, anything. He didn’t just vanish.” Claire walked out of the landing bay.

  Davos followed after. “It’s not safe out there.”

  Claire glanced over her shoulder and frowned at him. “Where are the interceptors? We have more than enough to cover the TU forces in this zone.”

  Davos opened the door for her. “Strategic reserves.”

  Claire narrowed her eyes. “Is the fleet…?”

  “They came in yesterday.”

  “How long?”

  “I don’t know when they’re coming. We’ve been cut out from that data stream.”

  It made sense. Information was need to know, and that was something she didn’t need to know. But it bugged her, at her current rank, to be kept in the dark. If she knew how long, it would help her plan her capture. Did she have days or weeks?

  Claire burst into her command area.

  Most of the cells were empty; only the core few had any officers. They all looked expectantly up at her. The room was strangely quiet after the events of the past few days.

  She stood in the center of them. “Continue to retrofit our infantry. I want all maglevs covered. If he comes back into view of our surveillance, I want to know. Watch his contacts, his safe houses, everything.”

  A few cells broke into action.

  Claire turned to Davos. “Beg, borrow, or steal drones. I don’t care how old or how small. They’re somewhere nearby. We need to scour every square meter up top until we find them.”