The river averaged five hundred meters wide at the landing site, and toward the eastern edge it flared out and several small islands broke its flow into channels only a hundred or so feet wide. Trees lined both banks, but otherwise there was little hazardous vegetation on either side of the site.
I can’t see an advantage to doing this. We’re better off pooling our resources with the other crew.
Doubt crept into his mind. The more he thought about it, the less he thought this was a move of safety and the more he thought that it was meant to snub Colonel Dayton. Darius sent a com flash to Captain Quinn.
XCS-02 OPS OWENS: Did you know about this?
XCS-02 ENG QUINN: Don’t worry about it. Colonel’s got a plan.
XCS-02 OPS OWENS: Did he tell you about Colonel Dayton?
Darius waited for a response to show up, but as the time passed, he realized that there would be no answer. The fact that Captain Quinn had sent him a flash to begin with indicated that he knew more than he was giving Darius. The sky was a light overcast gray. Darius felt his weight being pressed deeper into the seat as the thrusters worked to slow the massive ship.
“Thirty seconds to landing, sir,” Schneider reported.
The schematic of the coms lit up from stem to stern on Darius’s terminal as Eriksen activated the shipwide address system.
‘This is Colonel Eriksen. We will be landing in a few seconds. You may feel a bump or a jolt. Don’t worry, this is expected. Remain in your berth until directed by a member of the crew.”
Darius noted the terseness with which Eriksen spoke, even addressing the passengers.
Something’s got to be eating at him.
“Ten seconds.”
Darius drew in a deep breath and wrapped a hand around each of the vertical straps and counted down the seconds in his head. He reached zero, but nothing happened. Then as he turned his head to look at Lieutenant Miller, there was a sudden, sharp jerk and an echoing metallic boom that left his ears ringing. He clutched his head and tried in vain to squeeze the noise from within. Nothing worked, so he just sat until his hearing returned to normal.
As he was about ready to remove his restraints and shut down his station, he felt a hand on his shoulder from behind. He craned his neck to find Colonel Eriksen, kneeling at the railing behind him, reaching down to him. Behind the CO stood a grim-faced Captain Quinn, arms folded across his chest.
“You’re coming with me. We need to talk.”
Calvin McLaughlin
23 March, Year of Landing, 14:10
Michael
An ear-splitting squeal pierced the air in the ship’s lower gallery. Cal winced at the noise made by the heavy rear ramp as it lowered into position. The closed airlock only dampened the noise; Cal wondered if the noise would have been too much to handle had it not been there. He glanced to his left at Alexis. She held her hands up to her ears, and had an expression on her face that was half a squint combined with the puckered cheeks of someone who had just bitten a lemon. She mouthed something to him, but the words were drowned out by the metallic screech.
After nearly two minutes of nerve-grating sound, there was a loud clunk. After the echo faded away, a silence settled in the broad, modestly lit hallway. Cal watched as Colonel Dayton, who stood before him with his back turned, tightened the grip on his M4 carbine rifle. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of Hunter, similarly armed. Even Dr. Taylor and Alexis wore pistols at their hips, though Alexis had only done so at the insistence of Colonel Dayton. Cal looked down at the holster on his own belt, and brushed his trembling fingers against the grip of the Beretta that it held.
In just a few more moments the airlock would open, and they would take their first steps on the alien world that was to become their new home. Cal’s breaths quickened, and goose bumps rose on his skin. He felt a warm hand wrap around his, and looked to see Alexis entwine her fingers with his. She smiled, but he could tell that she was just as apprehensive as Cal.
“We’re here,” she whispered.
“I know. “
The thought ran through his head every moment. He had dreams of Demeter, or at least what his subconscious had made Demeter out to be. He hoped to see vast green fields and rolling hills, but at the same time, was terrified that he might hike over a hill and find the remnants of Raphael littering a valley floor.
Colonel Dayton turned his rotund frame to face them. For a moment, Cal thought he recognized fear and concern in the commander’s eyes. As the man squared his shoulders, the illusion disappeared, and his normal controlled demeanor was apparent.
“History,” he said. There was a slight pause. “Does it really feel like history to you? It’s odd. I know we’re about to make history the moment we step off that ramp. I just didn’t think that making history would feel like this.”
“Like what?” Cal asked.
Dayton shrugged. “Like life. Like Christmas morning as a kid. Or like meeting a pretty girl. Or breathing in the ocean air as you blast down a coastal highway. I don’t know, I just thought it would be more… grand.”
“Those are no small moments,” Dr. Taylor said with a smile. “I can understand the notion. It’s kind of the same thing. I’ve got more than a few butterflies myself.”
“I’m a little excited and a little scared,” Alexis added.
“And I’m hungry,” Hunter chimed in. All eyes turned to him. “What? I thought we were sharing a moment here.”
Dayton chortled and shook his head, then turned back to the airlock. “Open it, Lieutenant.”
Cal tightened his grip on Alexis’s hand as the airlock door slid open with a groan. Light and color filtered in from the gaping maw at the end of the ship. Dayton began to march forward, and the rest followed suit right behind him. They walked down the ramp and emerged under the overcast sky of Demeter. Despite the clouds, Cal still had to squint and adjust to the light.
It’s like coming out of a theater. He smiled and nervously laughed to himself. Except I can’t find my car.
The sound of footsteps clanking on the ramp gave way to the soft rustle of green grass against their boots. The smell of damp earth permeated the air. Tall trees marked the banks of the river, stabbing their green and brown spears deep into the gray skies.
Alexis gasped audibly and clutched at him. With her free hand she pointed to a pair of birds in the sky, diving and dancing in the wind. Cal blinked in disbelief as he counted four wings on each of the large, black birds. Then a brown blur out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he craned his neck just in time to see a large animal loping away over a hill. Its arched back and bounding movements reminded him of a giant slinky with fur.
“Wow. Did you see that one?” he whispered to Alexis.
“Where? What?”
“Damn. You missed it.”
“What was it?”
Cal hesitated. “I’m not sure. It was pretty weird looking though.”
A cold drop of water splashed on Cal’s forehead. He wiped it off, and two more dripped on his arms.
“Come on, up this hill,” Dayton ordered.
The group made their way up a short hill just a few hundred yards from the stern of their ship. As they walked, the rain slowly increased in intensity. The crisp patter of raindrops on the ground filled Cal’s ears. He shivered as a gust of wind blew across the face of the hill. Alexis laughed.
“What?” he asked, slightly annoyed.
“You know, for someone who has spent so much time in that ice bucket back there, you’re really a weather wuss,” she replied with a playful smile.
“I’m cold,” he growled. “Isn’t that what happens when it rains?”
Alexis giggled and ran ahead of him. She twirled in the rain with her arms flung out wide. She threw her head back and seemed to drink in the rain as she spun. Cal shook his head and laughed, and Dr. Taylor joined in with him.
“You’re nuts,” he said.
Alexis ran down to him and grabbed his arms, then d
ragged him up the hill with her. “Come on. A little rain won’t kill you.”
“It’s freaking cold,” he protested.
“Did you forget your jacket on the ship?” she teased.
“Son of a bitch!” Colonel Dayton roared at the top of his lungs.
Hunter bolted past Cal and Alexis. Confused and concerned, Cal sprinted after him, mounting the hill in just seconds. Dayton paced at the top, occasionally looking across the river and letting an expletive escape his lips.
Hunter reached him first. “What is it, sir?”
The disturbed commander shot his arm out, finger straight as an arrow, pointing across the river. On the far side, barely visible above the tree line, was a massive gray shadow. At first Cal took it for a mountain, but after inspecting it again it was definitely not natural.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Hunter said, incredulous.
“Is that… the other ship?” asked Cal.
“It is,” Hunter replied. “What the hell are they doing over there?”
“I knew it,” fumed Dayton. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted that pompous bastard. What the hell was I thinking?” His voice took on a mocking tone. “Let’s land on the north side of the river together, Colonel. We’ll pool our resources and live in the lands of fairies and rainbows.”
“Sir, calm down.”
“Fuck that, Lieutenant. Shut down the extracom when we get back.”
Hunter sighed. “Yes sir.”
“No contact with the other crew at all, do you hear me?
“Yes sir.”
“Wait, why no contact, sir?” Cal asked.
“He’s made a statement today, Mr. McLaughlin.”
“What do you mean? What statement?”
“That we’re not worth his time. That he thinks he’s better off without us. If that’s what he wants, by God I’ll give it to him.”
“Sir, please don’t do anything rash.”
“I’m not, he is.”
“Colonel,” Dr. Taylor interrupted. “Calvin’s right. Just radio them when we get back. I’m sure there’s a good explanation for it. Maybe there was a reason they couldn’t land on this side of the river.”
“Thank you all for your advice,” he sneered, “but I’ve made up my mind.” He looked up at the clouds and the rain that still increased in intensity. “Everyone sleeps inside tonight. I’m not setting up camp outdoors in the rain until we know that we won’t be flooded out. I also want to make sure the local fauna won’t think we’re breakfast. We’ll begin unloading in the morning. Hunter, I want three scouting parties made up. Each team gets a crawler, two rifles, and appropriate supplies for three days.”
“Yes sir,” Hunter repeated.
“That is all. Let’s head back.”
Cal followed Hunter and Dayton down the hill toward the ship. He tried to think of a good reason as to why either commander would react the way they had. He could only think of the animosity that existed between them that Cameron Drisko had mentioned during the voyage.
Whatever this is, it’s not over a sandwich, Cam.
1st Lt Darius Owens
24 March, Year of Landing, 15:07
Gabriel
Colonel Eriksen sat hunched in the command chair, scratching at his beard. Rain streaked the canopy, and the trees beyond loomed like dark sentinels in the dying light. Darius knew that Colonel Eriksen was displeased, and the way he twisted both his face and body made him look like a gargoyle clutching to its perch. To the colonel’s right stood Captain Quinn. His stare was almost dead, as if he was looking through Darius.
What does he want now? He already chewed me out for questioning him about the landing site.
Eriksen had made his disdain for the incident clear. He was not going to give Darius a reason for landing on the south side of the river, counter to his agreement with Colonel Dayton. What shocked Darius was that afterwards, Quinn stonewalled him when he pressed for more knowledge. In the air, the engineer had assured Darius that there was an explanation, and that he would get it when the ship landed. Quinn had never lied to Darius before. He got the distinct feeling that the colonel was behind this sequestering.
And what is he waiting for, anyway? I’m right here. Why doesn’t he just get it over with?
The commander drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. Quinn shifted his weight from one foot to another and back again. Uncomfortable silence weighed on Darius as their stares bore into him. He was about to speak when the com system chirped.
“Lieutenant Miller to Colonel Eriksen. We’re ready.”
“Bring them up.”
Bring up who?
“It’s time to get this over with, Lieutenant.”
Footsteps clanked on the metal stairway to the bridge, and Darius turned around. His confusion melted away and was replaced with a grim solemnity as Saika Reid and Sarah Kimura walked onto the bridge with Lieutenant Miller at their heels. Darius knew what this was about, and yet his recent lecture had pushed it out of his mind. He felt foolish and unprepared for what he was expected to do next.
Damn it, sir, he mentally cursed. Couldn’t you have given me some warning? I mean, Doc wanted me to tell them, but I thought I’d have a little more time. Not just surprise them the second they woke up.
The women glanced at each other and whispered as they approached. Darius couldn’t help but notice the look of worry on Sarah’s face; her wrinkles were more pronounced than usual, and the corners of her mouth were turned down. Her companion, Saika, seemed more interested in gazing at the scenery beyond the windows. She barely made eye contact with the elder Kimura as they came to a stop in front of Darius.
His hands began to tremble as he recalled that Saika was pregnant. He was the bearer of what was sure to be devastating news. Their eyes met his, and his nerves almost erupted. He had to close his eyes and take a deep breath.
“Darius? What’s wrong?” asked Sarah, her voice barely audible over the wash of rain.
Yank the bandage off. Do it quickly.
“I’m sorry to have to give you this news, but Doctor Kimura and Lieutenant Reid are under arrest,” he said. “They’re accused of conspiring to commit treason.”
“What?” shrieked Saika. “No, that can’t be.”
“I’m so sorry. I know this is a shock…”
“No. You’re wrong. Brandon would never do anything like that.”
“I understand this is hard to hear.”
“Understand?” she laughed nervously as her voice cracked. “You don’t understand at all. Where is he? I need to see him.”
“There has to be some sort of mistake, Darius,” added Sarah.
“I wish it was,” he sighed. “Your husband turned himself in over forty years ago. I was the one who took custody of him.”
The women stared at Darius in shock. For a moment, only the rain could be heard. Then Saika uttered a pitiful wailing sound, and fell into the arms of her mother. Sarah cradled her daughter’s head in her hands and whispered into her ear as she stroked her hair.
Darius felt a sharp stab of guilt in his gut. He knew that the news had to be broken at some point, and no matter how or when it was done, it would be a cruel blow. As he watched Sarah try to comfort Saika, barely able to keep her own emotions in check, Darius shook his head and turned to Colonel Eriksen. The man’s face was a stone wall as he surveyed the scene, but a crack soon appeared. Darius could tell that his teeth were clenched, and he took two hard swallows. Darius took his chances and approached the commander, bowing slightly to whisper in his ear.
“Sir, at least let them see their husbands. Just for a couple minutes.”
Eriksen’s hand shot up, as if to silence Darius. But then he closed his eyes, nodded, and activated his com. “Marks, bring them up.”
In less than a minute, Dr. Kimura and Lieutenant Reid were ushered to the bridge by a slick-haired, grizzled sergeant. The approach of the accused showed a very different demeanor between the two. While Dr. Kimura shuffle
d his feet and bowed his head, Lieutenant Reid marched in step, holding his head high. If he was bothered by the accusations against him he did not show it, whereas his father-in-law seemed crushed under the weight of his sins.
Saika looked up from her mother’s arms and caught a glimpse of her husband. She jumped out of the protective arms that held her and ran headlong into the chest of Lieutenant Reid. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Sarah Kimura plodded slowly toward her husband, giving him a much more somber embrace. The couples spent many minutes hugging, talking, kissing, and crying. As much as he tried, Darius could not keep his eyes off of Saika and Lieutenant Reid. The more he spoke with her, the more upset she seemed to get.
Is he admitting his role to her?
“Sergeant Marks,” Eriksen said in a low voice. “Take them back down.”
“Give them a few more minutes, Colonel,” Darius protested.
Colonel Eriksen shot a burning glare back at him. “Damn it, Owens, did our little discussion earlier not sink in?”
“Sir, they’re not going anywhere,” he insisted. “Let them have a little more time. Miss Reid and Missus Kimura are going to be punished enough by their husbands’ imprisonment and trials. Don’t tear them away so soon.”
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have you hauled up on charges of insubordination, Lieutenant,” Eriksen growled.
“I can’t think of one, sir, and I’m proud of that. But I can think of a great reason why you should at least let Miss Reid have a few more minutes with the lieutenant.”
“Try me.”
Darius leaned in to his CO’s ear once more and whispered, “Because she’s pregnant, and Doctor Kimura thinks that the stasis might have been screwing with her body. You tear her away right now and you might just be killing their unborn child.” He paused a second as Eriksen turned his scraggly bearded face to meet his own gaze. In the man’s brown eyes, Darius could see utter shock. He raised his voice to just above a whisper. “Do you want that on your conscience?”
Eriksen paused a moment, and then his eyes dropped away and he shook his head vigorously. “Disregard my last order, Sergeant.”
Project Columbus: Omnibus Page 56
