Landfall (The Reach, Book 2)

by Mark R. Healy

  Knile stepped closer to Mattus and lowered his voice. “Are they really going to do it? Overthrow the Consortium?”

  “We have what it takes,” Mattus said. “No doubt about it. Emil has been getting together some hackers and a fair amount of muscle as well. It can be done.”

  “And you’re treated fairly?” Knile said.

  “Well, this isn’t Lux, if that’s what you mean,” Mattus said. “But it’s safe and we don’t go hungry. That’s enough for me.”

  Roman gripped Knile by the arm. “I say we do it.”

  Mattus turned to Emil. “Mr. Baranek, are you allowing Roman to join as well?”

  Emil shrugged. “I don’t see why not. However, there is one condition.”

  “What’s that?” Knile said warily.

  “You’ll each need to undergo a brief health check before we let you in,” Emil said. “We can’t take anyone who is old or sick. I know that sounds callous, but we just don’t have the room for anyone who isn’t able-bodied. It’s our policy.”

  “Sounds fine to me,” Knile said.

  “Then please step through,” Emil said with a smile, and he moved to the wall and opened the secret panel that led further inside the complex.

  Knile hesitated for a moment longer and then started forward, the others close on his heels.

  26

  “What’s with the tagline?” Knile said curiously as Emil led them down into the bowels of the building.

  “What do you mean?” Emil said.

  “The kid who tagged me said ‘it’s the only way out’. It’s very mysterious and all, but what’s it supposed to mean?”

  Emil smiled over his shoulder. The gesture pulled at the ruined skin around his mouth and distorted his face even further.

  “It’s a bit melodramatic, isn’t it? It’s a phrase I often throw at the team, just a reminder about what we’re doing here. But it’s true, isn’t it? For those who live outside of Lux, Skybreach really is the only chance they have of leaving Earth.”

  “I guess, although you haven’t proven it yet.”

  “The moment is almost upon us. It won’t be long now.”

  “So what’s your plan?”

  “That will be revealed in time, Knile. There’s a lot of complexities involved, as I’m sure someone like yourself would understand. I hope that once you see what I have planned you’ll be able to offer your insights into traversing the Reach.”

  Knile nodded. “I’ll do what I can.”

  Underneath the workshop, the Skybreach complex opened out into a network of concrete passageways, like a bunker of sorts. People were streaming about with tablets and clipboards, intent on their work, barely noticing the newcomers in their midst. Knile passed by a series of rooms set behind large perspex panels, each seemingly with its own purpose. There was a surveillance room lined with terminals, each of them like small monochromatic windows into various parts of Link and the Reach. Another room was filled with plants, another still with maps and diagrams over which several people were hunched. Up ahead, two muscular men and a woman stood in the hallway holding an animated discussion.

  “How many people do you have, Emil?” Knile said.

  “Close to fifty. It’s been a slow grind bringing them all together. It’s not an easy process, finding the best people and convincing them to join. Some decline, of course, which is also disheartening. Imagine investing months in a target, pulling all the strings to reel them in, and then have them walk away at the end of it.”

  “Sounds like every woman I’ve ever been interested in,” Knile said drily.

  As they neared those gathered in the corridor, one of the muscular men turned to observe them. He was smartly dressed in a satin vest and wore a gold chain around his neck. He widened his stance and looked at each of the newcomers in turn without emotion.

  Talia gasped and reached out for Knile, grasping his arm.

  “Wait! Stop,” she said. She was staring at the man in the vest.

  “What’s the matter, Talia?” Knile said.

  “This guy’s a thug. I know him. What’s he doing here?”

  Emil arched an eyebrow, and the man in the vest smiled to himself.

  “Silvestri?” Emil said. “Well, he may be a little rough around the edges, but he also happens to be a master military strategist. His experience is extensive. What rank did you achieve again, Silvestri?”

  Silvestri gave them a wolfish grin, his gold tooth shining.

  “I made it all the way to Dishonourably Discharged,” he said, then laughed.

  “This guy is part of Skybreach?” Talia said, disbelieving. “A couple of days ago he was bargaining with me for his services in a tavern.”

  “This is not a prison, Talia,” Emil said. “People who work here are free to come and go as they like. I prefer it if they limit their extra-curricular activities, but for someone like Silvestri, the lure is often too great.”

  Silvestri was still grinning. “What can I say? I’m always looking for opportunities for new investments.”

  “Except you cut me loose and left me to fend for myself,” Talia said, disgusted.

  “What’s the story with this guy?” Knile said.

  Talia glared at Silvestri. “I was referred to Mr. Silvestri by an old fence of mine, said he might be able to provide protection. I was hoping he would give me an escort over to the Reach.”

  “As I told you, Ms. Anders,” Silvestri said magnanimously, “I didn’t see that as a wise choice for me. You will remember I also told you my time was limited. I have a lot to do here at Skybreach.”

  “So why didn’t you just bring me here while you had the chance?” she said.

  Silvestri shrugged. “I don’t do the recruiting here.” He lifted a finger toward Emil. “He does. As it turns out, I didn’t even know you were on his list until you just walked in here.”

  “She’s not on my list,” Emil said. “I’m recruiting Knile, and she happens to be one of his companions.”

  Silvestri spread his hands. “So it all worked out for the best in the end.”

  “Yeah, no thanks to you,” Talia said.

  “My letting you go was nothing personal, Ms. Anders,” Silvestri said. “Like I said, I’m a businessman.” He lifted the silver coin in his hand. “I invest in the best business opportunities that happen to present themselves, and this one…” He glanced around the bunker. “Well, Skybreach is the best opportunity I’ve seen in a long time.” He inclined his head. “Welcome aboard.”

  Talia hoisted her middle finger at him in response. “Screw you.”

  Silvestri ignored the insult as he seemed to consider something else.

  “What happened to your pursuers? Capper and his men.”

  “They’re still out there, I guess.”

  “Did you shake them?”

  Talia shrugged. “I think so. Again, no thanks to you.”

  Silvestri smiled patiently and glanced at Emil, then turned back to his conversation. Satisfied that the exchange was over, Emil began to walk again. Knile glanced back to see Roman and Mattus lagging behind, deep in conversation.

  “Roman,” Knile called. “Come on, keep up. I don’t want to lose you in here.”

  The two of them jogged forward, and Emil moved forward and clasped Mattus on the shoulder.

  “Mattus, it’s time for you to get back to work,” he said.

  “Hey, the two of us were thinking that we’d make a good team over in horticulture,” Mattus said excitedly. “With all the work Roamer’s done over in Grove–”

  “I’ll allocate tasks later,” Emil said patiently. “Right now, you need to go.”

  Mattus nodded obediently. “Okay. I’ll see you around,” he said to Roman, who nodded in return.

  “For the rest of you,” Emil said, “follow me and we’ll conduct those physical examinations. It won’t take long.”

  They accompanied Emil down the corridor to a room with speckled vinyl floors that was lit by bright white fluoros. Benches
were stacked with hand wipes, swabs, syringes and boxes of rubber gloves. In one corner, an examination table sat waiting, draped in a clean white sheet. In the other corner, a technician in a white coat was fiddling with a machine, the nature of which Knile did not know.

  “This way,” Emil said, nodding to Talia and gesturing to the table. “You first.”

  Talia glanced at Knile, who smiled reassuringly.

  “It’s okay,” Knile said. “We’ll wait here.”

  She went and propped herself up on the table while Emil gathered a basket containing syringes and swabs.

  “I’ll do the exams myself, if you don’t mind,” Emil said. He smiled distantly. “I was a doctor, once, in some long-forgotten life. I promise I won’t break anything.”

  Knile pointed to the basket. “You’re going to jab us?”

  Emil plucked one of the syringes out of the basket. “These are old-fashioned, but they’re all we have right now. We need a blood sample. We don’t know what sort of toxins are floating around in your bloodstreams. If the levels are too high, you could be facing liver or kidney failure in the near future. That’s something Skybreach needs to know.”

  “So you can get rid of us?” Knile said sourly.

  “So we can treat it,” Emil said, unflappable.

  “Okay,” Knile said, placated. “I understand.”

  Emil stepped up to Talia and drew a curtain around the table, hiding them both from view. Knile could vaguely see their outlines through the thin material of the curtain as Emil began to conduct his examination.

  “What did Mattus have to say?” Knile said to Roman as they waited.

  “He seems excited,” Roman said. “He said Skybreach is getting pretty close to its goal. Seems as though we came along at the right time.”

  “It’s about time we caught a break, right?”

  “Yeah.” Roman gestured toward the curtain. “So what do you think this guy is going to have you doing?”

  “I assume he’ll want detailed analysis on the Reach. I’d imagine he’s already done much of that if he’s nearing the end of his plan, but I’m sure I can fill in some of the gaps for him. Tell him some things he doesn’t know.”

  Roman began to relate more of his discussion with Mattus, but he hadn’t gotten very far before Emil drew back the curtain and ushered Talia away from the table.

  “Wait outside, please,” he said to her, moving over and handing the technician a small vial of blood. The technician took it and inserted it into the machine, then turned a dial and punched a sequence of keys. The machine began to hum and vibrate softly.

  “Roman, why don’t you come next?” Emil said, holding out his arm invitingly. Roman did as he was told, walking over and climbing on the table as Emil drew the curtain across once more.

  Knile glanced back through the perspex to where Talia was standing in the corridor, pulling on her lip with a worried expression on her face. Her hand dropped away from her face as she realised Knile was looking at her, and she adopted a relaxed smile that Knile thought seemed a little forced.

  Did it hurt? Knile mouthed silently with exaggerated movements of his mouth.

  She gave him a quizzical look. What? she mouthed back.

  Did it hurt?

  She laughed and shook her head, rubbing at the tiny mark on her arm.

  You’ll be fine, she mouthed.

  The technician’s machine ceased its vibrations and then played a single musical note. Lines of information began to fill its display screen, and the technician bent over and began to pore over it earnestly. Knile craned his neck but could not see what was written there.

  It seemed only a few moments had passed before Emil was opening the curtain once more and showing Roman out the door.

  “Now for you,” he said to Knile. As Knile passed, the technician stepped close to Emil and murmured something in his ear.

  “Very good,” Emil said in return, handing him the vial of Roman’s blood. “Now check this one, please.” Then he stepped inside the curtain and yanked it across with a curt motion.

  “Everything okay?” Knile said.

  “Fine,” Emil assured him. He wrapped a device around Knile’s bicep and began to take readings on blood pressure. “I really don’t expect to find any problems with the three of you. You’re all young, so age isn’t a problem. You look hale and hearty, and normally I would expect to see physical signs if there were raised levels of toxins in your system – yellowed skin, abdominal swelling and pain, shortness of breath. That kind of thing.”

  “I haven’t had any of that.”

  “No, I expect not. The physical exam is merely part of our initiation procedure. Everyone goes through it. As I said, we don’t want any surprises here. If there’s any problems, we want to know about them straight away.”

  “So have you turned anyone away because of health issues?”

  “It does happen from time to time,” Emil admitted, sticking a device in Knile’s ear. After a moment he drew it out again. “There have been heart conditions here and there, cancer. It breaks my heart to cast newcomers out, especially after I’ve gone to so much effort to bring them here, but the rules are there for a reason. We’re not going to drag sick people halfway across the solar system just to have them die when we reach our destination.” He took a syringe and pressed the needle against Knile’s inner elbow. “Hold still, please.”

  The needle bit into his skin, making him wince, and he watched as Emil drew a small measure of crimson fluid into the vial. It was over quickly, and then Emil drew back again and prepared to conduct the next test.

  Before he could do that, the curtain rustled and the technician’s head appeared around the side.

  “A word, Mr. Baranek,” he said urgently.

  “What’s the problem?” Knile said, getting up from the bed.

  “Wait here, Knile,” Emil said, easing him back into place. “Just a moment.”

  He disappeared outside the curtain and Knile waited only a second or two before getting up. This could only be bad news. He drew the curtain back, searching frantically for Roman and Talia and fearing the worst, but they were standing out in the corridor chatting and smiling, blissfully unaware that anything was wrong.

  What was going on here?

  Knile stepped outside the curtain but Emil appeared at his side, stopping him from moving any further. The scarred man gripped his arm, his eyes intent.

  “Did you know about the boy?” he whispered hoarsely.

  Knile stared at him, uncomprehending. “What’s going on? What’s the matter?”

  “That boy of yours. Roman.” Emil glanced out through the perspex to ensure that they weren’t being overheard. “He’s been poisoned.”

  “What?” Knile gasped.

  “Knile, he’s dying.”

  27

  Duran took another mouthful of the grey mush and then dumped the tin plate back on the table, wincing as he swallowed it down. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then clutched at a cup of water and tried to wash the rest of the mush down his throat in the quickest possible fashion.

  Robson watched him from across the room where he was perched on the edge of the kitchen counter, happily slurping down his own plate of the gruel.

  “Pretty good, huh?” Robson said.

  Duran grimaced. “That isn’t exactly the way I’d describe it.”

  Robson seemed genuinely shocked and disappointed. “Really?” He paused, a spoonful of the stuff halfway to his mouth. It quivered on his spoon as he stared at it. “But this is my own recipe. I’ve spent years perfecting it.”

  “Sorry,” Duran said, shrugging. “I’ve eaten cockroach husks that taste better than this.”

  Robson jammed the spoonful into his mouth indignantly.

  “I highly doubt that,” he said from the corner of his mouth as he chewed.

  “What’s in it, anyway?”

  “Only the best stuff. I start off by finely toasting some finest-grade oats, and then I blend
in a combination of zucchini, carrots and herbs that I buy from an old lady up on Seventy-Three. She’s amazing. I don’t even know where she gets her stuff, but I wouldn’t buy from anyone else.”

  “If she’s so amazing, how do you end up with something that tastes so bad?”

  “It’s the basil,” Robson enthused, oblivious to Duran’s mocking tone. “If you add it in just the right quantities, it comes out perfect.”

  Duran pushed the plate further across the table. “Maybe I can have my drip put back in so I don’t have to eat this stuff.”

  “No way. It’s great to see you eating solids again. And that gauze is doing wonders, too.”

  Duran pushed back his shirt and examined the dressings on his shoulder. The pain had lessened significantly in the past forty-eight hours, and now he could manipulate his arm much more freely.

  “What’s with the gauze?”

  “It’s a military-grade dressing,” Robson explained. “Speeds up the healing process by up to five times, if you believe what it says on the packaging.”

  “Where’d you get it?”

  “Somewhere around the place.” Robson seemed to consider. “Don’t remember exactly where. We’re always collecting bits and bobs. I think Jonz might have found them stashed away somewhere up in Lux.”

  “Jonz?”

  “Oh,” Robson said, scraping the last of the mush from his plate, “he was one of our old operatives.” He smiled fondly. “I always liked him. Down to earth, y’know?”

  “What happened to him?”

  “Killed while he was on a mission,” Robson said in a matter-of-fact way. “It happens.”

  “You don’t seem too cut up about it.”

  “Like I said, I liked the guy. You just can’t get too attached to people around here. Things can go bad.” Robson put his plate down and smacked his lips. “Anyway, enough of that. We need to come up with a callsign for you, Duran.”

  “Huh?”

  “A callsign. Y’know, like I’m ‘Switch’. Zoe is ‘Songbird’.” He leaned forward excitedly. “What are you going to be?”

  “Duran.”

  Robson laughed. “You can’t use that. What if someone is listening to our call?”