by Jucha, S. H.
“I’ve already checked, Sir. The bay controller is dead. In fact, everyone in the bay appears dead.”
“You mean stunned,” Kadmir corrected.
“No, Sir … dead. Infrared cams show the bodies cooling. I can’t tell what caused some of the deaths, but I did witness some of Toyo’s people cutting the throats of our people who were downed and struggling.”
“Monsters,” Kadmir murmured. “But they took some prisoners, didn’t they … I mean, especially our service personnel?”
“No prisoners, Sir, I’m sorry to say. Toyo’s people killed everyone.”
Kadmir swore under his breath. His plan to allow the Harakens to take care of Toyo, neat and clean, leaving Toyo’s domes ripe for takeover by O’Brien and him had just blown up in his face. Suddenly, it hit Kadmir what he had forgotten.
“Chief, I need a priority exit to the main dome via the blue lift, and I need some of your best men. Now!” Kadmir yelled, as he raced out of the security office for the blue lift, the one farthest from the landing bay, where he was met by a group of security personnel.
The lift car, controlled by the security chief, stopped on Kadmir’s level, and he hurried a group of civilians off the lift with an apology, telling them to wait here until security could move them on. Kadmir urged his people to pile into the car, and he selected the main concourse for the lift’s destination.
“We have three priority civilians to move, people,” Kadmir announced. “They are in a suite off the main concourse, not far from the green lift.”
“Are we still holding that lift?” the senior officer asked, worried that they were walking into a fight with Toyo’s people.
“The chief assured me that we are, and we’re adding more security personnel to that location with every lift of the car. Under no circumstances must we let anything happen to these three young women.”
“So the rumors are true, Sir? One of these women is Racine’s sister?” a security officer asked. She was a middle-aged woman with a hard look.
“Yes, these girls were kidnapped by Toyo’s people, and we rescued them,” Kadmir explained, trying to keep the story going.
“We rescued them, Sir?” the senior officer asked, dubiously.
“It’s complicated. Suffice it to say, Toyo thought he was in on a plan to take the blame off his shoulders for the kidnapping. Somehow he discovered that wasn’t the plan, and he’s come here as a final maneuver. To accomplish what, I don’t know, but if he gets the girls back, he can point the Harakens at us.”
Nothing Kadmir said to the security personnel hit home as hard as his last statement. Taking on Toyo’s people to rescue three civilians was asking a great deal of them, but rescuing three Harakens to keep Alex Racine off their necks was a different matter entirely. Immediately, every officer pulled and checked their weapon, keeping their stun guns by their sides.
Exiting the car, it was relatively quiet, except for the anxious passengers awaiting transport below the surface. Kadmir nodded to the security officer, who had the job of keeping control of the loading and unloading of the lift. “When I comm you that I’m headed back this way,” Kadmir said to the officer, “hold the car for us. We have priority civilians.”
“Understood, Sir,” the officer said, and loaded the next batch of civilians onto the car, happy to see his girlfriend, who tended bar, in the group. She brushed her fingers against the back of his hand as she passed.
* * *
Christie, Amelia, and Eloise could hear the panic outside their suite — people running and screaming, security officers shouting orders, and then suddenly quiet.
“What do you think is happening?” Eloise asked, not bothering to use her implant comm.
“Haven’t a clue,” Christie replied. “But if I had to guess, I would say Kadmir’s establishment is under attack.”
“Why under attack? Why couldn’t it be a dome accident?” Eloise asked.
The other two girls stared at Eloise with concern. Her fear was eating into her self-control.
Amelia sat beside Eloise on the bed. She took her friend’s hand and said, gently, “If the dome had an accident, the decompression would have triggered the safety doors to slam shut, and we wouldn’t have heard people running and screaming.
“What if the safety doors didn’t close, or what if they don’t have safety doors?” Eloise asked.
“Then we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Amelia said, leaning over to kiss Eloise on the temple.
“I don’t like the quiet,” Christie said, pulling her ear away from the door. “It’s like the lull before the storm strikes.”
“Could this be your brother?” Amelia asked.
Christie looked at Amelia for a moment, surprised the question was being asked. “Alex took over an entire space station in a foreign system without firing a shot or injuring one individual. You think he would come to a bunch of measly domes and start a panic while trying to recover us?”
“Probably not,” Amelia agreed. “But if it’s another force that’s attacking, who is it?”
“Toyo,” both Christie and Amelia suddenly said together.
“Black space,” Christie swore, “We have to get out of here. We can’t get taken by that twisted job.”
“You think they’re fighting over us?” Amelia asked.
“I do,” Christie said. “Now, find something to help me break this door lock.”
Christie and Amelia couldn’t find a tool to wedge the lock so they decided on brute force. They picked up one of the heavier chairs and positioned themselves a few meters back from the door. Counting down from five, they reached two when they heard the lock click and the door slid open.
“Come on, you three,” Kadmir said. “We have to move you to safety.”
“Toyo?” Christie asked, as Amelia and she dropped the chair and dragged Eloise off the bed.
“Very astute of you, young lady. I wouldn’t recommend his hospitality over mine,” Kadmir said, as the girls hurried past him into the corridor, where security ushered them along.
“Where are we going?” Amelia asked.
“We’re headed below surface,” Kadmir replied, running beside her. “Our uninvited guest has taken to firing a plasma rifle to gain territory.”
“Is she okay?” Kadmir asked Christie, his concern evident.
“Worried you might be returning damaged goods to my brother, Kadmir?” Christie shot back.
“If Toyo has his way, I wouldn’t give two credits for your chances of being returned to your brother, and I would thank you to keep that in mind when you address me.” After his retort, Kadmir moved to the head of the group.
Christie had the grace to nod her head in agreement to Amelia.
Kadmir led the group to the blue lift, which was surrounded with civilians anxious to get on the next available car. The security officers cleared the way through the crowd, amidst grumbling and complaints, and the girls ducked their heads in embarrassment.
The lift barely accommodated the group, forcing everyone to squeeze onto the car. Christie made sure that she was close to the controller box when Kadmir selected the level even though it required she squeeze between two male security officers, who had no problem with an attractive young woman crushing against them.
When Kadmir typed into the controller’s keypad “D4-5,” Christie relayed the information to her friends.
The car reached the selected level, and the group piled out. Eloise had yet to reply to her friends.
“You two, take our guests to suite 5M. One of you stays with them at all times,” Kadmir ordered. “The rest of you, we’re headed back to the main concourse.”
As the girls followed the two security officers, Eloise sent,
Eloise smiled at the warm thoughts of her friends that flooded her mind. It was a relief to have control of her fears that had debilitated her throughout many of the recent long days and nights.
At the door of the suite marked 5M, one officer said to the other, “I’m going to swap out my power module on my weapon. I want a full charge.”
“Take mine too,” said the other, handing over his stun gun.
The girls shared looks, and Eloise sent,
Once inside the suite, Christie turned on the charm, leaning into the officer’s space. “Is it possible to get some food? We haven’t eaten today, and I would be quite appreciative of your service.”
The security officer smiled and drew breath to reply when Amelia and Eloise, hoisting a heavy chair between them, smacked the guard over the head.
As blood pooled on the floor, Christie ran for a bathroom towel to wrap around the wound. “A little hard I think,” she commented.
“Had to make sure,” Amelia replied. “Let’s go. His friend will be back soon.”
The girls slipped out of the suite, taking the opposite direction from the one the first officer took. They passed civilians, patrons, service personnel, and security officers, but no one paid them any attention.
Eloise sent.
Inside, Amelia slapped the activator to close the door, and the girls stared at the room, which was lined with emergency suits in all sizes. Unfortunately for Amelia and Eloise, they were all New Terran sizes.
“Should we stay here?” Eloise asked. “If we follow your logic, Christie, this wouldn’t be a good hiding place. If this fight gets any worse, people will be running in here for these suits.”
“Good point, Eloise,” Amelia said, putting an arm around her friend for a light hug. She was greatly relieved to hear Eloise returning to her old self.
Christie’s smile lit her face. “The perfect disguises,” she said, “pointing to the suits. We put these on and walk out of here. Look at the tinted faceplates on the helmets.”
Amelia started laughing, “I have an even better idea.”
The girls donned the environment suits with their compact oxygen tanks and carbon dioxide scrubbers. Christie stuffed small towels she found in a locker into the arms and legs of her Méridien friends to fill out the limbs. She stood back and admired her work, pronouncing both of them as adequately sized New Terrans.
“I believe we have been profaned, Amelia,” Eloise said, getting a laugh from her friends.
Exiting the room, the girls held the door open. Immediately, Christie blocked the path of two young male patrons hurrying toward them. “You’re asked to don environment suits, Sirs,” she said.
Amelia and Eloise grabbed their arms and guided them into the room, helping outfit them, while Christie snatched two service women. Soon the room was full with individuals changing, and Christie appointed three service personnel to continue to help the others.
The idea was catching. Not more than 40 meters along the corridors, the girls passed another crowd who had formed at the door of a second room full of environment suits.
-25-
The traveler’s controller, relaying the telemetry to Ellie’s helmet, displayed Jolares rising over Ganymede’s horizon.
Ellie searched for a way to communicate Willem’s responsibilities and decided on the simplest of approaches.
When Ellie didn’t receive a reply, she glanced over at the SADE, who faced forward, silent. Ellie returned to communicating with her people, updating them on their arrival time, when Willem signaled that he wanted to continue the conversation.
Willem sent.
Willem whipped his head to stare at Ellie, appalled by her suggestion. Then it occurred to him that she was employing humor, and he strove to reply in kind.
After a few more ticks of time, Willem sent,
< I honor your choice, Willem,> Ellie sent.
Ellie searched for a way to help Willem accept the role of passive observer in what might become a fierce fight.
Ellie smiled to herself, wondering how Alex had developed his close relationships with the SADEs over the last decade and a half. Maybe he’s more like the SADEs than the rest of us, Ellie thought.
As the main dome of Jolares came into view, Ellie sent over open comm,
