by Adam Gaffen
Pitt’s body, feeling the return of atmosphere, pulled in a lungful of air, then another.
“She looks horrible,” Phalkon said.
“Vitals are good,” Newling replied, tapping the display on the opposite wrist. “But now what?”
“Well,” said Phalkon, settling back on her heels and taking a few deep breaths. “First we scavenge a few more air packs from the other suits. Then we see if we can override the automatic cutoff and get some air back in here.”
“Okay, then what?”
“Then we start digging,” she said, pointing at the door leading to the Empress. “If she’s alive, she has six armsmen with her who can help us unblock the other hatch.”
“And if she’s not?”
“Then we have a certain opportunity, don’t we, Kreitzer? Assuming we can get out the other hatch. But I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
Newling frowned; not at the thought of a dead cousin but at what possibilities there might be for getting through a two-centimeter-thick hatch.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tycho Under; Cislunar Space
Stardate 12008.29
“I hate waiting.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Thornton’s overly patient tone caught Kendra’s ear and she winced.
“Sorry Oliver. How many times have I said that?”
“Eighteen by my count, Ma’am.”
“And stop calling me ‘Ma’am’; you’re making me feel old.”
Thornton solved his dilemma by nodding, which elicited a smile.
“When I finally get to my ship, I’m taking you with me.”
“Ma—I mean, I have to report back.”
“I’m overriding your orders. I want someone else on Njord who experienced whatever it was, because sure and certain I’m going to be busy.” She looked him up and down critically. “I don’t know much about Marine skinsuits. How are they for g forces?”
“Rated up to four g.”
“Good; you’ll need it.”
Kendra, I’ve got the route for you, I’m downloading it to your ‘plant but I’ve got to go now, good luck and let me know if you need anything else!
Kendra rolled her eyes; even over the ‘plant Mac couldn’t resist running on a bit.
“Saddle up, Oliver, we’re outta here!”
MAC, STONE, AND JORDAN made their way to the headquarters and were immediately put to work. Stone and Jordan took charge of organizing relief efforts with the aid being shuttled down from Njord, and Mac fell to restoring communications. They were deep into their tasks when there was a call from the corridor hatchway.
“Autumn!”
Newling turned at her name and saw Novak walking in, surrounded by ten others.
“Caitlin!” She went over and gave Novak a quick hug. “I was worried about you! Where were you?”
Novak stepped out of the hug. “I was still trying to straighten out some details when the bomb went off; I’m lucky I wasn’t trapped. But you, you were really fortunate to have escaped!”
Stone and Jordan exchanged a look.
“Don’t I know it!”
Did you catch that?
About a bomb? Yeah.
“Caitlin,” Stone said in her most reasonable tone.
“Chief?”
“What did you mean?”
“What?”
“You said a bomb went off. How do you know? Everything’s been out and we’re just starting to restore systems.”
Nobody missed the sudden tension in Novak’s body.
“What else could it be?” she tried to say. “There aren’t any moonquakes, at least nothing so powerful.”
Stone and Jordan subtly stepped apart to get a better angle on Novak.
“A bomb? It would have to be a hell of a big bomb,” Autumn said, frowning. “And where was it? We didn’t see any explosion, feel any blast.”
“No,” said Stone, still edging to the right. “We wouldn’t, if it were on the surface, and that’s the only place a bomb could have been placed without being found by our people.”
“Couldn’t have been a missile,” Jordan added, moving around leftwards. “The CAP would have knocked it down.”
“It could have been a meteor!” Novak said, grabbing on a possibility.
“Ah, but you said it was a bomb, Caitlin, not us. We’re just exploring possibilities. Mac!”
McAllister looked up from her terminal on the far side of the compartment.
“Yes, Chief?”
“How’s the connection coming?”
“Getting there,” she said. “The system is working fine now, and the EM and quantum spectra are clearing nicely.”
“Got a question. Would a ‘quake, a seismic event, have this sort of effect on the Q-Net?”
“No, well I mean it shouldn’t, no earthquakes have ever had this sort of effect when we were developing the system on Earth, a bunch of the work took place in the California Confederacy and they have lots of quakes, all the time, and unless they lost power the network didn’t have issues, not in terms of transmission anyways.”
“What would disrupt the spectra, Mac?”
“Thinks like a really powerful solar flare, that could do it, or a nuclear explosion, you know the EMP would do a number on it, and there isn’t any major solar activity now, been pretty quiet, so the only thing which fits is a nuke, come to think of it a crashing ship might have the same effect if their reactor went critical but most have failsafes against that sort of thing and besides like Jordan said about the CAP goes double for a ship, no it would have to have been a nuke and it would explain so much about what happened, but how could it have gotten in position is my question?”
“Yes, Caitlin, how would it get into position?”
Stone was within a couple meters and Jordan maybe three away the opposite direction, but neither was close enough to react. Novak grabbed Autumn and pulled her in close. A knife appeared in her opposite hand and was pressed against Autumn’s middle.
“Not another step! All of you, back up. Back up!”
Stone gathered her people with her eyes and obeyed as slowly as she could. She hoped Novak was still getting used to the idea of her implant and hadn’t started to use it to contact whoever she was working for. Or reinforcements.
Mac, can you cut Novak out of the Net?
No problem. Done.
Good. Can we get Njord yet?
No, not yet.
Nordstrom? Any of the Marines?
Gimme a minute.
Stone stalled for time. “Why, Novak?”
“Why? Power, of course. You think I was ever going to amount to anything here with a Newling in power, even if we survived? No way!”
“What do you mean?”
“The whole family is rotten, every last one of them.”
Autumn stiffened in anger but relaxed when the point of the knife jabbed her. Novak either didn’t notice or pretended not to.
“They only care about power, and they’re not one for sharing. Sooner or later she’d turn on me, just like her cousin does, so I figured I’d get in first. A few contacts, a little information, and I’d be inside, not outside.”
“Surely you don’t believe the Empress?”
The Marines are tied up; ten minutes, minimum.
It’s up to us then.
Novak’s bitter laugh was still echoing.
“Hell no! No, she’s going down, she just doesn’t know it yet. First, I’ve got to finish the job.”
She pressed the knife harder against the skinsuit.
“Wait!” Jordan said, and Novak’s eyes shifted. “I jes’ figured it out. You killed Sharon! That’s why you were late arriving. I’ll bet you had to change clothes.”
“Bravo, Miss Junior Detective. Yes. She was quite surprised.”
Autumn.
Chief?
You’re wearing the suit you got on Njord, right?
Yes. Kendra told me to always wear it.
Good. When shit happe
ns, lean into the knife. Got it?
Into?
Trust me.
“Now, this really has been fun,” Novak said, taking a step back towards her waiting squad. “But I’m afraid you all have to die now. Terrible tragedy, the leader of the Revolution being killed by her own supporters from the Federation, and only my brave guards there to save me from the same fate. And when I announce our refutation of the double-crossers and our return to the Union, I’ll be hailed as a hero.”
She whispered, “Goodbye, Autumn.”
“Now!” shouted Stone. She, Jordan, and their outnumbered Marines launched themselves at Novak’s troops.
The first shot took down a Marine but then the gap had closed and it was too late for firearms; fists and feet and knives and improvised weapons would decide this fight.
Novak ignored this and plunged the blade deep into Autumn; at least, she tried. The knife skittered off the CeeSea-reinforced skinsuit and she found herself holding a furious Newling, never a safe position for anyone.
“You killed my friend!” Newling spat, spinning around.
“You were going to kill me!” She swung a fist which missed the wildly backpedaling Novak.
“You tried to kill millions!” She kept advancing, swinging her arms and randomly connecting, Novak continuing to retreat until suddenly she couldn’t.
“Whoops,” said Mac. She’d been forgotten at her terminal and had moved quietly, coordinating with Newling’s advance. Novak had backed right into her.
Novak didn’t bother to spin. Instead she lunged at Autumn, driving the knife upward into the unprotected base of her throat. She pulled it out, ignoring the collapsing woman, and turned to face the shorter McAllister.
Mac didn’t even blink before pulling the trigger on her gun. It was a simpler version of Kendra’s preferred weapon, having only the plasma weapon instead of the double barrel, but it was no less effective. The first bolt went into Novak’s solar plexus. The second bolt, her heart. The third and purely superfluous bolt went into her face.
Mac leapt past the standing corpse to Newling. She was clutching her throat, her trachea punctured and unable to breathe.
“Hold on,” Mac said, pulling at a pouch at her belt and searching. She found what she sought: a small flat packet, which she tore open. Inside was what looked to be a standard flat bandage, white on one side, white edge and silver interior on the other. Mac tugged Autumn’s hands away, noting their limpness, and pressed the silver side against the wound.
She checked her ‘plant for next steps then groaned.
“Can’t do that,” she muttered, then tried to improvise.
Meanwhile the fight had continued, though to call it a ‘fight’ might be a bit generous to Novak’s troops. There were more of them, yes, but they were all Loonies. Moreover, though they were tough and loyal to Artemis, they didn’t have the training the Marines had, or the lifetime of experience Stone possessed. By the time Mac had improvised an oxygen exchange, using the variable pressurization capacity of Newling’s suit, it was all over.
“Secure them,” Stone said to Monaco. The four still-surviving guards were roughly trussed and Stone and Jordan joined Mac.
“How is she?” asked Jordan, noting the blood.
“Well Novak stabbed her, which was bad, but she didn’t do a good job of it, she managed to puncture her windpipe but aimed so far up that I think she missed everything else, she’s going to need surgery probably but the nanobot bandage is doing its job, plus her own ‘bots are swarming so maybe she’ll be okay, but it was a close thing.”
“And Novak?” She’d fallen face down.
“Not going to be a problem any longer,” said Mac with a hint of pride.
“Damn and blast!”
Mac looked at Stone in confusion.
“I thought you’d be happy?”
“Yeah, yeah, good shooting, but we don’t know who her contact is, or if there’s anyone else, or what their next plans are!”
“Oh,” said Mac in a tiny voice. “Oops.”
Stone waved it off.
“No worries. You did good, and I’m sure you can pull anything she had on her computer. We’ll make it work.”
“ADMIRAL, YOU’RE CRAZY!”
Kendra laughed joyfully.
“Good to hear!” She edged the throttle just a bit further forward.
“Next stop, Njord!”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Habitat Njord; Artemis City
Stardate 12008.31
“Sweet Zeus.”
“Fairly well sums it up,” agreed Whitmore.
“What do we know and what do we think we know? And what’s just guesswork?”
Whitmore considered Kendra’s question.
The final reports from Free Luna had come in.
Tycho Under hadn’t fared badly. Surviving an apocalyptic scenario was what it had been built for, after all, so a nuclear weapon detonating on the surface was, relatively speaking, child’s play. Between Diana’s sensor logs and the recordings of Novak’s confession from the various implants there was more than sufficient evidence of the Union’s attempt to kill a million Lunar citizens. Kendra, with Diana’s assistance, packaged all the evidence up and sent it Earthside to the UE, asking for a summary judgement against the Union.
Any hope of a quick declaration of violation of the UE Grand Charter was snuffed with the discovery of Mya Hartman’s body. Even though she wasn’t directly involved in foreign policy, she was the single most influential Director in the UE, and her death ground everything to a halt.
But Tycho Under was recovering, and recovering quickly. The 241 dead were a fraction of what could have been. The revelation of the Union’s involvement, combined with Autumn’s speech, had galvanized the people of Free Luna and solidified their support for the Revolution.
Not every warren had gotten off as easily. The smallest ones, the individual farms and two- and three-family domes, had mostly done well. They were generally overengineered for safety, as the compact size and population gave no margin for error. Most of the other warrens in Free Luna had suffered some damage, injuries, and occasional death. The greatest loss of life was at Marseilles en Lune.
Most warrens were built underground and into what caverns might naturally occur, and Marseilles was no exception. However the underground compartments were open to the surface through a network of tunnels and ventilation shafts, for Marseilles en Lune had been constructed with a dome. This had given the warren unique conditions topside, as no other could provide as much direct sunlight. The founders of the warren had imported grapevines from the finest vineyards, reasoning the fine Lunar regolith would be similar to volcanic ash. They were right. With judicious application of artificial sunlight the transplanted grapes produced, eventually, excellent vintages.
The dome was the weak point, and the seismic shock from the detonation shattered it like an eggshell. Ninety thousand people died out of a hundred and ten thousand; only those quick-witted enough to seal into their suits, or deep enough to be behind sealed hatches survived when the dome went.
All told, Free Luna lost slightly more than 95,000 citizens in the Union attack and the aftermath.
“Director McAllister has already taken steps to aid the investigation into Ms. Hartman’s death, with the assistance of Harpo.”
“Good. Something about the timing really stinks.”
“I agree. It couldn’t have been a coincidence.”
“No. What about Luna? Tycho Under? The revolution?”
“Functionally, Free Luna is at probably 85% of where they were before the attack. Except for Marseilles most of the warrens suffered minimal damage.”
“How did that happen?”
“You want a lecture on Lunar seismology? I’m sure Diana would be happy to provide.”
Kendra winced. “No, I’ll pass for now.”
“Politically, it was a jackpot. Whoever thought this up really underestimated the resolve of Loonies. From what the Chief has said,
and some other reports I’ve gotten, they’re about ready to march shoulder-to-shoulder on Artemis City and finish the job. And with Novak out of the picture, the opposition has lost a valuable link in their chain of betrayal.”
“How’s Autumn?”
“Mac saved her life, no doubt about it, and she should make a full recovery. I don’t think she realized how much of a boon the nanobots were until they started repairing the damage Novak did almost before the blow had gone home.” Whitmore considered her next words carefully. “I think her confidence is shaken, though, which could be a long-term issue.”
“I don’t disagree, but explain.”
“I didn’t know her particularly well when she was in her Ministry, but I always had the impression she was playing, you know what I mean?”
“I do, actually,” Kendra said. “When I took over the Phoenix Project I got a lot of resistance because they didn’t think I was serious about their mission. I’d inherited it, and the prior owner hadn’t given it too much direction, or attention. For me, though, it was a dream come true, so I dove right in. Bruised some egos, stepped on toes, but eventually everyone figured out to take me seriously.”
“I think Autumn’s case was, is, worse. She never had to ‘do’ anything she didn’t want to, being part of the Newling Family. She didn’t really take the Ministry job seriously; it wasn’t a passion. When she started agitating for change and reform, it was the voice of a favored child asking for an extra dessert and was taken as seriously.”
Kendra nodded agreement. “I read the report about her internment in the PRC; sounds like it was pretty easy.”
“It was, and that’s not normal. She never really had to face any consequences, nothing real. She was uncomfortable for a bit after her escape, and it hasn’t been easy, but I don’t think it’s really been real to her. Not completely. Not until now.”
“But since Novak betrayed her...”
“Right. Novak betrayed her personally, killed Mwangi, and tried to kill her. Like the Chief said, ‘A knife to the throat is a fair dinkum wake-up call.’”
“So what do we do?”
