Keira’s breathing within her helmet had become not only loud, but labored. She was sweating profusely. The fans and cooling unit in her suit just could not keep up with her exertions. She wanted nothing more than to peel off the gumby suit and take a shower. She could even smell herself, and it wasn’t a pleasant odor either. Only, there were no showers in her near future.
She’d be lucky if they were able to create a stable environment at the control center or a nearby room that would permit them to safely remove their suits. They were bringing along the equipment to make that possible, but it all depended upon the condition of what they found and whether or not they could get a near-airtight seal to keep the hazardous pollutants out.
Under those conditions, the best she could hope for, bathing-wise, was a wet towel. There were days she absolutely hated being out in the field, and Keira decided sullenly, as she eyed the never-ending steps, this was one of them.
“Well,” Keira said to herself, “it’ll be all over soon.”
She paused at the next landing, more to give her legs a break than anything else. Lee was right behind her, and just past him were the mules, then came the militia. With the haze, they were indistinct shapes filing their way sluggishly up the stairwell. Half of the platoon that had accompanied them as an escort were up ahead, blazing the way to the control room, and the other half were trailing behind. The rest had remained to guard the vehicles.
Working to catch her breath, and feeling sweat run down her forehead, she looked up the next flight of stairs and wanted to groan at the thought of more climbing. Keira blinked, wishing she could wipe the sweat from her face. It was getting in her eyes, and her facemask was beginning to steam up around the edges.
Just ahead of her, Chris had stopped, turned, and was gazing back in question. The rest of the militia was somewhere up ahead and out of sight. He held his weapon loosely in one hand.
“Is there a problem?” Chris asked. In his armored and powered suit, he appeared disgustingly refreshed, comfortable even. His armor was so much better than her gumby suit.
“So many stairs,” Lee wheezed, before she could reply, as he came up next to her. The two mules were just behind him, their mechanical legs churning away as they effortlessly climbed the steps with a watchful Lee at the controls. “Why does there always have to be stairs? Can you tell me that? It seems like every building, block, tower, or arcology we go to for a repair, there are stairs and then some. It’s downright exhausting.”
“Think of it as a challenge,” Chris said. “You get to the top without having a coronary and you win.”
Keira gave an amused grunt. Her own heart was hammering away in her chest.
“That’s easy to say when you’re wearing power-assisted armor,” Lee griped. “For you, this is nothing more than a casual stroll in the park.”
“I’ve been forced to endure far worse. Trust me on that.” A wicked grin spread across Chris’s face. “Now, stop dragging ass and pick up the pace. By my count, there’s only six more flights to go. That’s nothing, after the twelve you’ve already done.”
Without another word, Chris turned and started forward again, climbing.
“Only six flights,” Lee said to Keira in an exasperated tone as he moved forward and started climbing. Turning slightly to the side and using the controller, he maneuvered the mules by her, one at a time. “Do you hear that? Six flights, that’s all. How lucky we are …”
“Yep.” Keira did not immediately move. Through her boots she could feel the mules’ heavy feet as distinct vibrating impacts. Her attention had shifted to the door that led off the landing upon which she stood. It had been welded shut with a heavy metal bar to make sure it could not be opened without serious effort. So strong had the welds been made, that at the minimum, some form of cutter would be required to remove the bar sealing the door.
A hazard marker stuck at eye height indicated there were high levels of radiation on the other side. She checked the display on her forearm, pulling the readings in the stairwell. It was elevated, a dangerous amount of exposure for sure, but not immediately life-threatening, nor particularly worrying, not with her suit’s protection and the medications she was taking. Still, it was eye-opening and showed the potential dangers of the area. She wondered how bad the radiation exposure was on the other side of the door and where it led. There were no other signs or markers anywhere in view. After a moment, Keira decided she did not want to find out.
Turning away, she started up after Lee. The stairway was broad, the steps a metal composite of some kind that had likely been fabricated by mechs with limited human supervision. Yet again, she found herself struck by the engineering marvel that was Hakagi, even so simple a thing as stairs.
The fact that the tower had been built only a few short years after Asherho had been colonized amazed her more so. That had not even been at the technological height of the empire. It had been before the empire had come and claimed the system. Much of the machinery and equipment in this tower had been old by the time of the Fall, ancient even, and still, a lot of it was beyond their ability to repair and operate, understand or reproduce.
That did not bother her overly much, though. Keira liked figuring things out, tinkering and experimenting. She found it all endlessly fascinating. Next to helping others, it was the best part of her job.
At the next landing, Keira leaned over the railing. With the soupiness of the air, the hazy, moving lights from the militia told her they, like her, were continuing their way up the stairs. After only a few meters, even those lights were swallowed up by a darkness so impenetrable that she thought the drop might continue down to the planet’s core. Only, she knew it didn’t go that far, not even close.
She resumed climbing, the suit, already bulky and heavy, seemed to weigh more with every step. Her legs burned from the effort. Though she was in shape, the climb was kicking her ass. Glancing back at the nearest militia, she decided they seemed to be suffering as well, if not more so.
Knowing the torment would eventually end, Keira began counting the steps to pass the time. Finally, after more than three hundred steps and what seemed like an eternity, she came to a landing, only to find Chris had stopped. So too had the mules.
Lee was over by Artemis. He had knelt and was checking something or other. Keira was too tired to be overly curious as to what he was exactly doing. The mules, like the Beast, were his babies and he lovingly doted on them.
There were no militia in sight and none up the next flight of stairs, at least that she could see. The door to the level that led off from the landing had been forced open. The heavy bar that had secured it had been cut free. It now lay off to the side and out of the way.
“How far beyond this point?” Keira asked between breaths. “How far is the control center?”
“One hundred meters, give or take a few,” Chris said. “From the schematics, this is the level we want. Water purification, filtration, sewage, and recycling systems for the entire block are located here, with service access points and shafts that lead deeper into the tower’s foundation and the planet. Power generation is a few levels down.”
Keira gave a weary nod. Their hike was nearly over. It had only taken them two hours to get here. She checked the radiation and found it hovering around dangerous levels, but still an improvement over what she had encountered below. She noticed some of the haze had gone as well. It seemed the higher they went, the better the air quality and, with it, the less soupiness in the mix. Still, the atmosphere was toxic enough to kill within minutes if you were foolish enough to remove your helmet.
“Captain Pikreet and his militia are clearing the level,” Chris said to her, this time sending a direct transmission to her suit and not using his external speakers. She knew it was a private channel. Like before in the APC, no one would be listening in. “They didn’t want to do it, but I insisted. I am tied into their tactical channel. They’re still bitching, even as they go through the motions of doing a proper search.”
>
“Do they know that?” Keira asked, back on the same comm channel. After the climb, it was taking some effort to get her breathing under control. “Do they know you are listening in on their channel?”
An amused smile tugged at his lips. “Of course not. And there shouldn’t be anyone down here either. Not only have the sublevels been sealed, but it’s been sectioned off from the entire block. At least, that’s what the UPG and Pikreet said. There should be no getting in without a laser torch or some other form of cutter.”
Keira could understand that. Not everyone thought alike. There were more than a few insurrectionist and terrorist movements like the Zen Front. All it would take was a handful of madmen to cause some serious infrastructural damage. She glanced at the doorway, considering what lay beyond. Keira hated coming to places like Hakagi, but at the same time, there would be some very cool equipment waiting ahead in the control room. And more importantly, not only would she get to explore during the repair job, but she’d get to play with some of the equipment as well, at least until they left for the safe house.
“I guess it pays to be careful,” Keira said.
“Exactly my thinking,” Chris said.
A small hatch on Chris’s chest slid aside. It was open for only a moment. A gust of blue-colored air briefly blasted out. Then the hatch closed and became one with the suit again, as if it had never been there.
Keira’s alarm spiked. He had launched a surveillance package of microscopic probes. She was sure of it, for she’d seen him do it once before, years ago.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I don’t fully know yet,” Chris admitted, sounding suddenly troubled.
“What do you mean?” Keira asked, looking at him sharply.
“Best to be careful until we’re sure, right? I thought we’d just settled that.”
“You know what I mean,” Keira said. “Don’t deflect. Why the micro-probes? You don’t have very many of those left.”
“Actually, those were my last.”
“You’re making my point for me. What’s wrong?”
“I don’t like the captain,” Chris said plainly, “and it goes beyond simply not trusting him.”
“I don’t like him either.” Keira decided to press. “More information would be helpful.”
“The sensor package should give me a picture of the entire level, at least for twenty-four hours. Then my little eyes and ears run out of power.” He glanced over at her. “I’ve also been actively tagging the militia that made the hike with us, planting radio frequency transponders on them, so I know where they are at all times.”
“You bugged them?” Keira asked.
“Yeah,” Chris said, “and they never even knew what I was doing. It’s one of the reasons I insisted they clear the floor. It gave me an opportunity to tag the rest of them before they set out. The sensor package will watch those who are tagged and reveal if anyone else is in hiding on the floor. I’ll know it in short order, once my probes complete their search of the level. Anyone who’s not tagged and marked will stick out like a sore thumb. That goes for any new arrivals too.” He sucked in a breath. “Then, there’s also the second ship to consider …”
Two militia, a male and female, reached the landing. They looked at Chris and Keira. Chris for his part gestured toward the door. They got the meaning and stepped by, both eyeing the marine warily. Chris offered them a friendly wave. Though in his armor, he appeared anything but friendly. Intimidating was more like it.
“What about it? What about the ship?” Keira asked. It had become apparent he was seriously concerned for their safety, more so than usual. Otherwise, he would not have used up his last sensor package. There would be no replacing those probes. She rested her hand upon her pistol and felt comforted by the weapon’s presence.
“I called Command and the Security Directorate after we left the Beast,” Chris said. “Neither would speak about the second ship. Something’s not right up there and I don’t like it, not one bit. Until I know more, I’m not taking any chances, at least until we can slip away.” He paused for a long moment. “My gut is telling me something is terribly wrong.”
“Is this one of those ‘get out of the way before things go sideways’ kind of feelings?” Keira asked.
“Something bad is about to happen,” Chris said and sounded certain about it.
That gave Keira pause, at least for a moment. “Are we going to leave sooner for Seri, rather than later?”
“No,” Chris said firmly, “with the militia all around, there won’t be an opportunity, and attempting to do will be dangerous at this point. They might not let us go, at least willingly. No, we’re going nowhere until your aunt and uncle get here. I want the extra firepower on hand in case things do go sideways. Three marines in powered armor gives us an unfair advantage. And anytime you have an opportunity to fight unfairly, take it. Only a fool fights on even ground.”
Keira felt an intense urge to be on their way to Seri, to leave now, this very minute.
“How long until Wash and Vex get here?”
“Hopefully before my sensor package runs out of juice,” Chris said. “I’ve asked them to hurry, before Pikreet decides to do something stupid.”
“What’s got you concerned about him?”
“He’s been sending and receiving high-powered burst transmissions. The captain has an encrypted comm unit on his person. It’s beyond the basic-level stuff, and I can’t break the encryption, at least not without an AI or construct, and they’re all gone. The rest of his boys and girls are sending in the clear.”
“I didn’t know the militia were issued with encrypted comms,” Keira said.
“They shouldn’t have it, butterfly,” Chris said. “Some of the regulators do, like Crecee, but there is no cause for the militia to be issued them. At least, no good reason that I can think of.”
“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Keira said, feeling a stab of irritation at the pet name. After the climb, she was too tired and now worried for such games.
Three more militia appeared on the stairs. Amongst them was Corporal Lang Ho, the man she’d knocked down. Instead of continuing up to the landing, they stopped several steps shy and watched Chris warily. It was almost as if they were afraid to approach him.
“As you wish, your royal highness,” Chris said and offered her a half bow, which looked rather comical in his powered armor.
Keira knew he was trying to divert her attention from what he considered to be a potentially dangerous situation. He’d given her the basics, so she was aware, but Keira sensed there was more he was not telling. He seemed almost reluctant to do so.
“What else?” Keira pressed, refusing to be deterred. “I want to know everything.”
“Are you sure you about that?” Chris asked. There was a strange look in his gaze. She thought it might be anger but was not sure. “It’s not going to be pleasant.”
Keira gave a nod. “Tell me.”
“Well,” Chris said, “for one thing, Pikreet’s been talking on a private channel to his sergeant about our gear, especially the mules. They’ve been debating the value of everything we’ve brought with us and speculating on what we have in the transport crates.” He paused briefly, eyeing her sadly for a moment. “They’ve also been discussing your value.”
Keira frowned at that. “Me?”
“Yes. They think they might be able to sell you.”
“What?” Keira asked. “Sell me? Are you serious?”
“They can’t decide if you are more valuable for your skills or your body,” Chris said, his expression hardening. “They’d willingly sell you to one of the gangs in the tower and have been talking about which one would pay the highest price.”
Keira had forgotten her exhaustion. She stared at him in growing horror. Her anger sparked to life, turning into a full-blown rage.
“The bastards.” Keira’s gaze went to the militia on the stairs a few meters away. There were more standing behind them.
It was as if they were waiting for someone to tell them what to do. The corporal was watching her, with eyes that spoke of hatred and a reckoning to come. At the moment, she found herself hating them for who they were and what they wanted to do to her.
“Yep, that’s what they are. Makes me want to stop playing nice and kill them now.” Chris sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “No matter how much I want to, I can’t do that. Even with my armor as an advantage, it could go badly for us. They might manage to take me down, and make no mistake, they have the numbers to do it if they are determined. There would really be no telling how it would go until the bullets start flying. Some of the militia are carrying heavy weapons too. And I don’t know where he got an S73 pistol, but even Pikreet’s handheld weapon could put a hole in my armor. That is, if he can manage to fire it without dislocating or breaking his wrist. His sidearm is meant to be used only with powered armor. It’s got quite a kick and I’m guessing it’s more for show than anything else.”
Keira glanced toward the doorway, where the militia had gone to clear the level. The captain had been leading the climb. The bastard wanted to sell her. It was almost impossible to believe, and it pissed her off.
“They want to sell me, as in … a slave?”
“Yes,” Chris said, “either for your skills or for sex. The empire eradicated that sort of thing long ago, but it seems with the Fall, the slave trade has reared its ugly head here on Asherho. It’s not surprising really. The conditions on the surface have brought out the worst in humanity. When things get ugly, you always see the worst—and best—in people, those who care at any rate.” Chris reached out an armored hand and rested it gently upon her shoulder. “Until Wash and Vex arrive, you need to play along with the game, understand? Pikreet and his people can’t know we are wise to them.”
Keira gave a wooden nod. “Do you think they’ve sold others into slavery?”
“I do,” Chris said. “Listen, you need to focus on the job at hand. Do your work as you normally do. When Wash and Vex get here, things will change. We will make a break when we can. However, until then, you need to keep your eyes open to everything that is going on around you. Think situational awareness. If something happens, don’t hesitate, act. Worry about the consequences and fallout later. Do what you must to survive. Survival is all that matters. And on Ash—tell me, what does winning mean?”
Fallen Empire: A Military Science Fiction Epic Adventure (Born of Ash Book 1) Page 16
