by Greig Beck
“I know you will.” Chilton saluted.
CHAPTER 17
Buchanan Road, Boston, Massachusetts
“Mom … help.” Joshua grinned as Alex held him in a headlock.
“Alex, let him go.” Aimee spoke without looking up from her book.
“Let who go?” Alex turned one way, then the other, pretending he wasn’t holding the boy as Joshua laughed madly.
Tor jumped up from behind, placing his paws on Alex’s shoulders for a moment, before dropping down and trying to force his nose between Alex and his son.
“Okay, okay.” Alex let Joshua go. “Sheesh, two against one.”
The boy rubbed red ears, and then chuckled. “Best of three, but you only use one arm this time.”
“Okay, but I get to use my claw-arm.” Alex made a claw of his fingers and held it up. Then he turned to the huge grinning dog. “But this time you sit it out, okay, wolfman?”
“Deal.” Joshua started to approach Alex, arms out.
Alex’s phone rang. Everyone froze. Very few people had the number, and when it buzzed it was either Aimee, or what he referred to as “the office”. And as Aimee was with him it only meant one thing – Colonel Jack Hammerson.
Aimee put her book down and stared straight ahead. “Don’t answer it.”
Joshua stared at Alex’s pocket then up at his face. “It’s Uncle Jack.” His brows came together. “It’s urgent …” His frown deepened. “A presidential order.”
Alex shut his eyes for a moment.
“You’re not ready.” Aimee threw her book to the side and got to her feet, her blue eyes darkening.
“Lifeform,” Joshua whispered, his eyes closed momentarily. “There’s still time to save them.” He then lifted his eyes to Alex’s and nodded once. “There’s still time.”
“Sorry.” Alex winced at Aimee, took his phone out and walked into the next room. “Sir.”
“Alex, sorry to barge into your evening at home. I wouldn’t if I didn’t have to,” Hammerson said evenly.
“Lifeform,” Alex repeated the word Joshua had spoken.
Hammerson laughed softly, but with little humour. “Joshua tell you that?”
“Yes. What does it mean?” Alex looked briefly over his shoulder and saw Aimee pacing, arms folded tightly across her chest, and her lips set in a grim line.
“Yesterday our Kennedy Base on the far side of the moon went dark. Eighty-two people from a coalition of countries, including thirty-eight Americans, are there. Just before communications went offline that was one of the last words they mentioned. And we have no further intel.” Hammerson sounded like he exhaled. “We need to find out what happened, ASAP.”
“Why?” Alex asked. “Why don’t you think it’s just a technology issue? A single word and you’re scrambling a team – you don’t send in HAWCs unless you’re expecting there might be a high-level conflict scenario.”
“Maybe. The Russians have a base there – had a base there, and we believe it has now been destroyed. We’ve spoken to the Russians, and all they tell us is their base also went dark. Seismic readings and now an orbiting Chinese satellite doing a flyby has delivered images that led them to believe the base has been destroyed.”
“How? I’ve heard of the Lenin Base, it’s a significant mining operation.”
“Yeah, and according to the Russians, they use more drilling technology than blasting for their mining operations. They believe the only way the base could have been so completely obliterated was if someone drained the nuclear rod pool and then organized a self-destruct. Or a significant charge was detonated on or within their lunar infrastructure.” Hammerson made a noise in his throat. “The Russians aren’t ruling out we attacked their base, that we planted the charges.”
Alex sighed. “That’s not going to help.”
“No, and it immediately ruled out a joint operation. And in fact, we believe they’re leaning toward us being the culprits rather than an inside job.”
“And now it’s happening to us,” Alex said. “Did you tell the Russians that?”
“We tried. But they’re not talking anymore.” Hammerson’s voice was soft. “The destruction is estimated to have happened ten days after they went into a communications blackout. We need to be there.”
“So, we have nine days, if it’s the same thing that happened to the Russians.” Alex looked briefly over his shoulder and then lowered his voice. “I can’t keep doing this, Jack. I’ll lose her. I’ll lose them both.”
“Five to seven days, max. All you need to do is let us know what’s happening. If there’s a threat, Russian or otherwise, subdue it. All we need is for it to be safe for the supply ships to either restock and/or perform a relay-rescue shuttle home for the crew. But only if needed. Remember, it may turn out to be nothing more than a comms issue.”
“The moon is 240,000 miles from us. A half million-mile round trip for a comms issue?” Alex snorted. “Come on.”
“I hope we’re overreacting. But the commander in chief wants us there, so we’re there,” Hammerson replied. “A week, that’s it.”
“A week. Give me your word, Jack,” Alex said.
“You have my word that is the plan – we’re going to blast you there in under ten hours. If it’s just a comms problem or some other tech issue, you’ll be back even sooner.” Hammerson’s voice was flat. “You’re taking one of the Kennedy Base’s designers. He’ll know how to fix everything, anytime, anywhere.”
“How many?” Alex asked.
“Team of eight, six HAWCs including you. Launch is midday tomorrow. Need you here by 8 am sharp, for kit out.”
Alex exhaled long and low. “She’s gonna skin me alive.”
“Eighty-two people, Alex. General Chilton asked for you personally, and the president has approved it. We’re ready to go.” Hammerson paused. “If you like, I can speak to her.”
Alex scoffed. “That would make things a million times worse.” In the window’s reflection he saw Aimee standing in the doorway behind him, arms still folded. He looked away. “I’ll be ready. Out.” He disconnected and lowered his phone, took a deep breath, then turned to her.
She glared at him from under her brows. “You’re. Not. Ready.”
“I’m healed,” he said and opened his arms wide. “I always do.”
“Only on the outside.” She was seething. “What did he want?”
“Short mission – just a week. We need to check out why one of our, ah, out-of-country bases has gone dark. Back by next weekend. Piece of cake.” He smiled. “And I’ll stay out of trouble, Promise.” He crossed his heart theatrically.
Her eyes were now so dark blue they were like the bottomless ocean. “Every time you get hurt, I feel it. Every time you nearly die, I die a little inside. I can’t do that forever.” She took a deep breath. “You have other priorities and responsibilities now. It’s called being a father. One day you’re going to have to choose which future you want: the one with us, or with Jack damn Hammerson.” She turned and walked away.
Joshua came and stood in front of him, and the huge dog sat close by. Even sitting, it came to his shoulder. Joshua looked up at Alex, his face solemn. “I don’t want you to go, but I know you have to. They need you.” He turned toward the living room. “But Mom is hurting. She doesn’t understand.”
Alex nodded and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and squeezed. “Give me a moment, Josh.”
He found Aimee at the back door staring out over the yard and put his arms around her waist. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“Two years.” She turned to look into his face. “Two years you’ve been gone. Held hostage by your job. You nearly died, this time and every time.”
He kept his mouth shut and let her talk.
“Do you really think that Jack Hammerson would grieve if you were killed? He’d simply find someone to replace you.” She pushed him back a step. Her eyes glistened. “One day, you’ll go and when, or if, you return, we won’t be here. That w
ay I can always pretend you’re safe and alive somewhere.”
“Don’t say that.” He reached out for her. “I’d die without you. You’re the reason I come back. The reason I want to come back.”
She started to cry.
“That entire time I was away I dreamed of you, and Joshua. Every person I fight for and save is you or Joshua, a hundred times over.” He hugged her. “Just say the word and I’ll quit, right now.”
“That would also kill you. Just slower.” She wiped her eyes, and the tears made her blue eyes shine. “I want to come with you and protect you. I want to kill anyone or anything that tries to hurt you.” She laughed softly and then sniffed. “Pretty badass, huh?”
He held her face. “I love you more than anything in this world. Just tell me what you want me to do?”
“Just come home. Always come home. And one day stay home.” She got up on her toes and kissed him, hard.
She pulled back, and her eyes burned into him. She took his hand. “Love me.”
She led him upstairs.
* * *
Later, Alex walked out onto the back porch. Joshua and the dog followed. The dog moseyed into the yard and the father and son sat on the back step and looked up at the night sky.
“You know Uncle Jack lied. He doesn’t really think it’ll only be a week.” Joshua’s face was expressionless. “But he’s under pressure too. I could tell.”
Alex sighed. “Uncle Jack sometimes bends the truth to get what he wants.”
Joshua smiled. “Like you didn’t tell Mom that the base you’re going to is on the moon?”
Alex looked up into the darkness, seeing the near full moon glowing so bright and clear he could see the individual craters and seas of the moonscape. He put his arm around Joshua’s shoulders. “Best we keep that as our little secret for now.” He looked down at his son. “Hey, keep her safe while I’m gone.”
Joshua nodded. “I’ll keep you both safe.”
CHAPTER 18
Baikonur Cosmodrome Spaceport, southern Kazakhstan
Bilov watched as the lunar cosmonauts traveled up to the nose of the modified Proton rocket. The supply and maintenance cargo holds had been stripped down to the minimum, and in their place were basic medical supplies, two scientists, and also seven Spetsnaz, who had to be crammed in.
The Special Forces soldiers were trialling new non-Earth combat armor – the Centurion system exoskeleton. Space was expected to be the battleground of the future, and conflicts would be settled in that medium. Russia had invested many millions in designing new offensive and defensive capabilities. Bilov was looking forward to feedback on the field test for the personal combat chassis with their boosted strength hydraulics and inbuilt weaponry.
The men were issued 9mm Makarov pistols, and even though the weapons usually had an effective range of a little over a hundred feet, on the near frictionless lunar surface, the high-speed bullet would travel indefinitely and not slow down. A good eye could hit and kill a target a mile away.
Bilov didn’t envy the soldiers – they would be as uncomfortable as all hell for the three-day trip. But they had been trained to endure hardship, and sacrifice was built into their psychological training. But this time, their motto – “any mission, any time, any place” – was about to be severely tested.
The spacecraft cabin had little room left for additional returning personnel – at this point, they didn’t really expect any. If any survivors were found, they’d just have to wait for the next supply ship – budget permitting. Sacrifices had to be made. The primary objective was to ascertain what happened to the base and subdue any threat. If that threat came from the American base, then that was the threat that would be subdued.
A small part of Bilov hoped the Americans had attacked their base, as that was something he could understand and deal with. And he would love to teach them a lesson. He still smarted from them halting Russia’s planned expansion into all of Ukraine after Russia swallowed the Crimean ports.
But there was also the tiny seed of fear in his gut from the suspicion that something had gone wrong with their covert research project. The scientists aboard were to immediately undertake an investigation. However, secretly he was relieved that at least the destruction would mean no trace of the project; it had always been distasteful to him.
Major Alexi Bilov folded his arms as he listened to the countdown. When it hit zero, he narrowed his eyes from the brilliant flare of the ignition plume. He could feel the vibration from the thrust blast even half a mile from the launch pad.
The huge rocket slowly lifted. Bilov saluted its occupants and turned away, their fate, for now, put from his mind. There were other jobs he needed to attend to, and it would be days yet before they arrived on the moon.
* * *
Cape Canaveral Launch Base, Titusville, Florida
The massive sky-scraping form of the Space Launch System contained a pair of solid-rocket boosters capped with four RS-25 engines to lift their payload easily out of Earth’s tight grip. On the flat landscape, the SLS gleamed in the morning sunlight like a beacon from an advanced scientific future as it waited patiently to be loaded with equipment and personnel for its high-speed trip to the moon. The huge boosters were being fuelled and the command center had retreated to their far observation post as the thing was basically a giant thermal bomb. If anything went wrong, there’d be nothing to recover, as the remains would be a giant pool of molten slag in a cinder ring a half-mile wide.
The crates of medical supplies, maintenance equipment, and weaponry were loaded and secured, and once finished, the hatch was sealed and bolted closed. Outside work continued with the hiss of escaping coolants and constant blaring of horns. But inside the quiet of the hold, and secreted in one of the crates, two tiny red lights came on as the android listened for any sound of discovery. It tapped into the communication system of the base and monitored progress reports and final preparation activities – plus the time of arrival of the crew. When Sophia had learned of Alex Hunter’s participation, nothing else mattered but being on that craft.
After another hour the tiny lights went out, and Sophia waited.
CHAPTER 19
USSTRATCOM – Sub Basement-4 – two hours before lift-off
Alex Hunter and Casey Franks traveled down in the secure elevator to the second deepest level beneath the USSTRATCOM building. The entire subterranean complex was encased in sealed titanium and lead shielding that made the basement levels impregnable to a nuclear blast and impervious to electromagnetic pulse attack.
The design was like an upside-down wedding cake, with the larger test facilities at the top then the smaller R&D laboratories, and then the lower-level containment cells for biological specimen testing and hazardous materials work. That level also contained “the box”, the heavily fortified room that was used for Alex to restabilize himself following a mission or those times when the inner demon howled too loudly in the core of his mind.
The research floor they headed to was where Sam Reid’s internal MECH endoskeleton had been developed. And where Sophia was created.
Thinking of the android made Alex feel a pang of loss and regret for the small scientist who had emerged from his lab to try and help rescue him, and who had paid with his life for that act of bravery. Like in an old horror story cliché, the scientist had been killed by the hand of his own creation.
“Gonna miss the little guy,” Franks said.
“I was just thinking the same thing.” Alex sighed. “Still can’t work out why Sophia did it. I know she had respect and a form of affection for the man. Walter Gray was a father figure to her.”
Casey snorted. “Some daughter she turned out to be then, huh? But I’ll tell you one thing: Sam told me after the mission that she didn’t even bother to just incapacitate Gray – she killed him, hard and fast. Crushed his freaking head. That’s one cold-hearted motherfucking machine.”
Alex’s head came up at the thought that she had shut him down and quickly.
Maybe because she wanted to shut him up?
“She knew what she was doing,” he said. “I know she knows what love is. She loved him as her creator. But something was so important it overrode that. She wanted to obliterate him quickly and completely so that he could never talk to anyone again.”
Casey turned. “You think there was some sort of secret he had, about the android?”
“A weakness maybe.”
“Lost now. That freaking monster. And we can’t even be sure it’s dead.”
Alex knew it wasn’t dead. He didn’t know how he knew; he just did.
“How’s Kady?” Casey asked.
Alex had visited the towering Rwandan warrior in hospital. She was battered and bruised, with casts on her broken arms and legs, but she was in good spirits. We won, she had said to him through a wide grin.
“Kadisha is still busted up. But she’ll recover, and soon, I hope.”
Casey nodded.
We won, but it was expensive. Alex felt a stab of guilt for no reason other than being a survivor.
The elevator came to a stop and the heavy titanium doors slid silently open. A young man who looked to be no more than in his late twenties greeted them. He had a thin face on top of an angular frame, wire-rimmed glasses, and for the moment, wide and startled-looking eyes.
“Hey, kid, is your father in?” Casey said. “We’re kinda in a hurry.”
Alex stuck out his hand. “Doctor Andrew Quartermain?”
The young man nodded furiously, saluted and then grabbed Alex’s hand. “Yes, sir, and I’ve got to tell you it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He continued to pump Alex’s hand.
Casey grinned. “Easy, fan boy, he’s gonna need that back.”
Quartermain let go of the hand, and his face dropped a little. “I’ve taken over, after Walter …”
“Yeah, we know.” Alex turned. “Lieutenant Casey Franks.”
