How strange …
What were they hiding?
Then the alien presence was back with her, stronger than ever. Its sudden appearance came as an intense jolt. With its arrival was a deep-seated feeling of worry and dread—and of warning. She felt pain, like she had been shocked by a live wire.
Keira’s eyes snapped open. She took a step back and gasped, sucking in a huge breath, as if she had not breathed in minutes. Her vision swam and her knees buckled. Someone caught her and gently lowered her to the ground.
Groaning, Keira blinked, focused, and looked around, finding herself staring up at the arched ceiling of the station and the dying emergency lighting. Chris was kneeling above her. He had laid his rifle on the ground. Vex was there and so too was Wash. Their faces were filled with concern. MK was standing over her, looking down.
“Can you hear me?” Chris asked, shaking her. “Keira? Can you hear me?”
“What happened?” Keira asked. She had a splitting headache and was having difficulty thinking. Her brain seemed scrambled, but it was improving rapidly, clearing. It was like she had woken up from a deep nap.
“You were frozen in place for over five minutes,” Chris said. “You wouldn’t respond to us.”
“What?”
That didn’t make any sense. It had only been seconds since she touched the train engine. And yet, she felt fully awake. The aches and pains that had plagued her moments before were gone, vanished as if they had never been. The dimness of the station also seemed lighter. She was energized, more alive than she had been in weeks.
“Five minutes?” Keira asked. “Really? That can’t be.”
“MK wouldn’t let us near you,” Vex said, looking at the mech in deep disapproval. “He kept talking about you being connected, whatever that means.”
The machine was staring down at her too. Its eye-light was brilliant in the dimness, piercing. She had the feeling it was scanning her vitals, studying her.
“After this is all said and done,” Chris said to the mech, “you and I are going to have a long talk.”
“Why?” she asked MK.
“You were connected,” MK said, as if that explained everything.
“Connected to what …?” Keira thought back to the experience, going inside the train engine, seeing the station in her mind, the emergency power supply, the alien presence. It all flooded back to her in a rush.
Had the presence meant to warn her of danger?
She sat up, alarmed, blinking furiously as she looked around. There was a pole with a large number three on it just ten meters away and beyond that a number four. She could see both signs through the train’s empty windows. She turned to the left. One track over there was a platform with a number one hanging over it. She hadn’t noticed that before.
“Energy source,” she said quietly, as if afraid to raise her voice.
She scanned track one, looking for something. But what? There was nothing to see. Nothing stirred. Was she crazy? Was she losing her mind? No. There was someone or something out there that meant them harm. The alien presence had warned her again. She was sure of it.
“There’s some sort of energy field over there on track one. I … I saw it, or really sensed the field. It’s so hard to describe, but it’s there.”
“An energy source?” Chris asked. “You found this energy source while you were connected? Do I have that straight?”
“Yes,” Keira breathed, relieved he was taking her seriously.
Chris’s expression hardened ever so slightly, and his gaze tracked in the direction she had indicated. He looked over at Vex after several heartbeats. “You don’t have any probes left, do you?”
“No,” Vex said. “I’m fresh out.”
“Wash? MK?” Chris asked.
“I’m out too,” Wash said.
“Mine are currently deployed tracking the force pursuing us,” MK said and then turned his attention back to Keira. His head tilted to the side as he regarded her. “Keira, are you suggesting there is a masking field out there? If you were connected with the train station’s sensors, you might have been able to detect the scattered emissions from such a field.”
“The station’s dead,” Keira said and for some reason she felt heartbroken by the admission. “It was without power … empty. There were no AIs, nothing.”
“Though sad, that is only to be expected,” MK said without a hint of emotion. “All of the AIs in this star system were killed.” He fell silent for a moment. “Hmmm … this is interesting and very curious. I would love to hear more of your experience, especially if you were connected to something that is nonfunctional. That must have been fascinating.”
Keira did not reply. Instead, she glanced toward the right, before turning her attention back to Chris. “There’s another energy source, a similar field … over on track four.”
Chris blew out a long breath. He eyed her for several heartbeats. “Are you certain?”
“I am sure of it,” Keira said, praying she was not losing her mind. “My abilities may be new to me, but there’s something out there. I don’t know what it is, but I felt it just the same.”
“Then that can only mean one thing.” Chris sounded deeply unhappy as he picked up his rifle.
“We’ve walked into an ambush,” Vex breathed, scanning the gloom.
“Your suit sensors are more sensitive than ours,” Chris said to Vex. “Anything?”
“Nothing,” Vex replied. “I’m not detecting any bleed or heat signatures, certainly no scattering of emissions. But if there is a masking field, a powerful one, say military-grade, I wouldn’t be able to detect it.”
“Just ahead is the perfect spot for an ambush, when we’re completely out in the open and on the platforms. And I walked us right into it. It has to be Pikreet and the rest of his people.” Chris grimaced, like he was in physical pain.
Keira recalled the severed hand with the captain’s gun. He was surely dead.
“Pikreet?” Keira asked. “How?”
“He was the one who shared the schematics of the underground with me.” Chris made a fist and then, with effort, released it. “The bastard was smarter than I thought. He knew this would have been an alternate path back to the APC, that we would have to pass through this station. I should have thought of it as a choke point. Bloody hell. I almost killed us all.”
Keira went cold. The train engine was to her front. To the immediate left was a large pile of chairs. Equipment was piled up to the right, blocking much of the view. Were Pikreet and his people out there? Were they watching them even now? She suspected they were and found the thought unnerving. She was suddenly grateful for the cover around them.
“We’re in trouble,” Wash said.
“When are we not?” Vex countered. “They’re probably watching us right now, wondering what the fuck we’re doing sitting here with our thumbs up our asses.”
“Besides the train,” Wash said, “there’s not much cover other than the tracks.”
“But how?” Vex said. “How did the militia get not one but two masking fields? They shouldn’t have that technology. Perhaps Keira is mistaken.”
“I don’t think she is,” Chris said. “They had a plasma lance. Who knows what else they might have, eh? We have to assume the worst and take this seriously.”
“We can’t go back,” Vex said, glancing in the direction they had come. “That option is closed. They’ve been driving us toward this trap the whole time.”
“You are correct,” MK said. “The enemy force following us are not that far off. At the rate they are moving, I expect we have less than a ten-minute lead.”
“Great.” Chris blew out an unhappy breath. “The two fields mean they plan to hit us from both sides at the same time. Likely when we come to the end of the train and are squarely out in the open.”
“Fucking amateurs,” Vex said with heat. “If they’re positioned on either side, their crossfire will lead to them hitting each other, not to mention us.”
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“We could jump down off the platform and move along the tracks,” Wash suggested. He gestured to the track to their left, on the other side of the platform the train was pulled up to. There was a meter and a half depression that was four meters wide. At the bottom of the depression ran the magnetic tracks.
“The tracks will provide cover as we move forward,” Wash continued. He pointed at the tube Chris had indicated was their destination. “Though, if there is an ambush out there, I’d recommend against going down the tracks they expect us to use.”
“Good point,” Chris said. “They’ve likely rigged those and the platform with traps, stunners maybe, or worse, explosives.”
“We might as well use this line,” Wash said, “just go right down this platform then drop down at the last minute before we think they are going to hit us.”
“That line doesn’t take us where we need to go,” Chris said, pointing down the tracks at the tube in question. “Heck, I don’t even know where it leads. We’d have to climb back out in the open to get to the tracks we need.”
Wash’s eyes narrowed as he studied the far wall. His expression brightened. “Gunny, those tubes down there are relatively close together. At least they are when they leave the station.” He paused, almost dramatically. “You know, it so happens I have explosives. All we need to do is follow this track right to the tube entrance, go a meter or two inside, and blast our way into the one we need.”
“That might work,” Chris admitted grudgingly. “But you know it’s not going to be that easy.”
“With Wash, it never is,” Vex said. “That’s why I love him.”
“Now that’s hardly fair,” Wash protested.
“The loving part or the questioning of your abilities?” Vex asked.
“You know my abilities only too well.” Wash grinned at her with a leer. “It’s why you sleep with me, maybe even married me.”
Vex gave an amused grunt.
“Once in the tube we want, there won’t be any cover,” Chris pointed out. “It’s a straight shot all the way to the garage bay, where the Beast is parked.”
Wash and Vex looked down the platform at the tubes, studying them.
“We’ll be out in the open,” Chris continued. “All they’ll need do is come to the entrance and shoot down it, at us. It’ll be like an indoor firing range. We’ll be sitting ducks. And we don’t even know if they’ve positioned a blocking force at the far end of the tube, in the garage bay.”
There was a long silence that stretched for several heartbeats.
“Gunny, once we’re inside,” MK spoke up helpfully, “we could bring down the roof of the tube on this end. I think that might be fun, kind of like playing a game, only with a big explosion at the finale.” His head gave a twitch and turned. “Keira, I would very much like to play a game with you. Would you like to play a game with me?”
“MK, focus,” Chris said, drawing the machine’s attention. “This is serious.”
“I am sorry, Gunny,” MK said. “But I am just being honest and expressing my desires. I would very much like to play a game. It has been twenty point two years, much too long.”
“We’re gonna have to find you more processing power, buddy,” Chris said, his tone softening a tad. “I don’t think I can deal with your reduced capacity on a continued basis.”
“I would like that too,” MK said. “More capacity and storage sounds swell.”
“Swell?” Chris shook his head before turning his gaze back down the platform toward the tubes set into the far wall. “If we can collapse the tube on this end, it removes the threat of those militia here in the station and those bastards pursuing us. We’ll still have to face whatever is waiting on the other end, though.”
“That’s if there’s anyone there,” Vex said. “Remember, we’re dealing with amateurs here.”
“Amateurs who set an ambush we walked clean into,” Chris said.
“Good point,” Vex said.
“MK.” Wash turned to the mech. “I only have enough focused plasma to blast our way from one tunnel to the next. How do you propose we bring the ceiling down?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” MK said, suddenly sounding excited. “I have two short-range SS-4M anti-air missiles. It should only take one to do the job.”
“Waaait,” Vex said, drawing out the word, as if in disbelief. “If I recall, SS-4Ms have compression warheads.”
“You are correct in your recollection,” MK said. “They are quite effective weapons when employed properly.”
“Let me get this straight,” Vex said. “You want to use a compression warhead to collapse the ceiling of the tube? Those things are nuclear.”
“SS-4Ms are fusion-driven weapons,” MK replied, “to be technically correct in your statement.”
“And you want to use one in a confined space?” Vex asked. “That’s something Wash might do in the heat of the moment, before he’s thought things through.”
“Hey,” Wash protested. “That’s not fair.”
“It still sounds like a dangerous plan, hazardous even,” Vex said.
“Yes.” MK’s tone was matter-of-fact. “I am proposing just such an approach to solve the problem we are faced with. And, if I might add, hazardous or not, I think it is a rather creative solution.”
Chris eyed the mech for a long moment, then turned to Wash. “What do you think?”
“Me?” Wash asked, clearly surprised by the question directed at him.
“Yeah, you,” Chris said. “You’re the resident demolitions specialist. Will it work? And when I say work, I mean without killing us in the process?”
Wash pondering the question for several seconds. “It should work. Then again, it might also collapse the entire tower on our heads. This is a compression warhead we’re talking about. Granted, it’s small, but it still packs a powerful punch designed to pierce a reactive shield.”
Chris looked back over at MK. “I’ll readily admit, I am not too keen about this plan of yours.”
“I calculate only a ten-point-five percent chance of a negative outcome,” MK said, “which leaves an eighty-nine-point-five percent chance of success and continued survival.”
“You readily admit your processing capacity is reduced and you’re quoting me percentages?” Chris asked. “Seriously? You are not exactly filling me with confidence.”
“It was a simple calculation,” MK said, “with a number of small unknown variables, such as composite fatigue of the transit tube’s ceiling, weight, and the structural bearing of the tower overhead. Oh, and there is also the question of how the entire structure weathered the cracking of the planet. I used estimations when it came to such variables and factoring them into the equation.”
“I think that means he guessed,” Vex said.
“If you must, call it an informed guess,” MK replied. “If it is any consolation, I am relatively confident my solution will work without killing us all.”
Chris blew out a heavy breath and looked over at the other two marines. “Do either of you see another way, an alternative?”
Wash shook his head. “It’ll probably work, and if it doesn’t, well, we go out with one hell of a bang.” He suddenly grinned. “Either way, it’s sure to be an impressive display.”
“We’re running out of time. We need to stop dicking around and get moving,” Vex said firmly, “or Pikreet and his people might get suspicious and pop things off early.”
Chris gave a reluctant nod. “Okay, here’s the plan. We continue like normal, but instead of going to the platform they expect us to take, we move down this one, alongside the train. Keep an eye out for traps. With the train blocking track four’s prong of the ambush, they likely won’t kick things off until we reach the end and are out in the open.” He spared Keira a look. “Give them no hint we know anything’s up. Play it cool and act normal. Just before we reach the end of the train, on my signal, drop down into the track here to our left. Keep your head down and haul ass for the tube. It’s si
mple and straightforward. When we get there, Wash will blow a hole into the next one. Once we’re all through and clear, MK can implement his part of the plan. God only knows how that will go.” He ran his gaze around the small group. “Questions?”
“Why not drop down now?” Keira asked. “Just run for it.”
“We want to delay them from kicking off the ambush for as long as possible,” Chris said. “The closer we get to the entrance of the tube and cover before the shooting starts, the better our chances of escaping this mess and their ambush.”
That made sense to Keira. However, she was not terribly keen about walking out in the open before the enemy’s guns. What if someone on the other side got nervous and pulled the trigger early?
“I wish the captain were here,” Vex breathed.
“All right.” Chris’s tone sounded irritated. “Enough talk. All we’ve got to do is get through this station, the tube, and we will be at the APC. Then it’s a short drive to the edge of the city and the safe house.” He paused. “Vex, you’re in the lead again. Stay close to the edge and keep your eyes peeled. Now, let’s move.”
Chapter Twenty
Out in the gloom and toxic haze of the train station, Keira felt like there were a dozen rifles aimed right at her. She was very aware the shooting could break out at any moment as, with each step, they drew nearer to the end of the train. It didn’t seem real that they were doing this, willingly exposing themselves to an unseen enemy.
Following behind Chris, she walked closely along the edge of the wide platform that dropped to the tracks below and to safety. The train was to her right. Despite his warning to act normal, she keenly felt the tension that hung heavily on the air all about them. In a white-knuckled grip, she held her rifle so tight her hands were straining.
After nearly baking in the control room, her hazard suit had long since cooled and was finally blowing cold air. And yet, despite the coolness, Keira was sweating. She knew it was more from nerves than anything else. The suit felt slick against her skin and uncomfortable. More than anything she wanted to be rid of the hated thing.
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