The Cold Dead Earth (The Jolo Vargas Space Opera Series Book 3)

by J. D. Oppenheim

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you,” said Greeley. “I’m ready now.”

  Jolo put his hand on Greeley’s shoulder. “I know. We’ll be needing to do some killin’ soon I imagine.”

  Jolo laid down on the ground on some old clothes and fell asleep. George kept watch.

  For a split second before Jolo woke up he thought he was on the Argossy. His first thought was of Katy. Then coffee. He sat up and found himself back in the dim light of the storage area for dead transports. On the wall nearby was a sign: PARKING Sub Level B. And each of the columns had a number-letter combination. They were camped out at 4C.

  “You ready to go killin’,” said Greeley.

  “Good to see you back to normal. Who’s Simone?”

  “Rather not discuss it nor speak of it again.”

  “Alright. We need to come up with a plan. But I’ve got to see Katy first.”

  “Not a wise decision,” said George. “Riley and Korley said it is well defended.”

  “I gotta make sure she is okay or I ain’t gonna be worth anything to anyone,” said Jolo. “Riley says she’s safe, but I gotta see for myself.”

  “I’ll go with you and we can tear a hole right through the front door,” said Greeley.

  “No,” Riley said. “You’ll just die and they throw you into a hole like—” and then he stopped. Everyone giving him the stink eye. “I’m sorry. I’ve been here too long. It is the way of things.”

  “I’ll go alone,” said Jolo.

  “And who’ll lead us out?” said Riley a little too loudly. Korley stood up and motioned with his hands to bring the volume down. “I’ve got family on the core. I need to return.”

  Greeley smirked. “Does he know?” he said to Jolo.

  “He knows. But he holds hope for his loved ones like we do. The ones still locked up and the ones out in space right now being protected by Trant.”

  “But you can get into the hotel. They will kill you,” said Riley.

  Jolo stood up and took a deep breath, reached for the Colt, just to make sure it was there, just to feel the wooden handle. “I’ve got to go. I can’t leave her alone.”

  “I can get you in.” Koba walked up smiling, the blaster strapped to his hip with an old belt.

  “If you ain’t heard yet, Cap. Koba done gone badass on us,” said Greeley. “’Bout time.”

  A few hours later Koba and Jolo were on the ice, a twenty minute walk from the parking lot. Koba was hunched over the remains of the probe jet he used to dig a hole in the ice five days ago.

  “Funny they didn’t take that thing when they took the Argossy,” said Jolo.

  “Maybe they didn’t see it?”

  “Or they didn’t want it.”

  “Who wouldn’t want this?” said Koba, patting the thing on the side like it was his pet. He attached the same cable he used before and then fired up the jet. “Whatever you do, don’t touch this part of the propulsion system,” he said, tapping on a cover plate that was held in place by a large bolt. “That’s what keeps it from going up into the atmosphere.”

  “Why’s that thing workin’ and not the Argossy’s engines?” said Jolo.

  “I don’t know,” said Koba, adjusting his glasses, the blaster hanging down and getting in the way. Soon the jet was several feet down and Koba continued to feed more cable into the hole.

  The hotel was around 250 meters from the edge of the mall according to Riley. The parking lot was on the other side so they had to go up onto the ice again, then cross over the mall. There was an old lightening rod that stuck up out of the ice that marked the north east corner of the hotel.

  An hour later there was a smooth hole straight down, fifteen meters, about just to the south east of the rod.

  “I hope that’s it,” said Jolo.

  “If it ain’t, you’ll know soon enough,” said Koba. “I’ll anchor the cable and wait for you here. Don’t stay too long or I’ll be a popsicle when you get back. I’m thinkin’ thirty minutes.”

  Jolo stared down into the hole. The sides had already frozen again and he wondered if he would be able to get out. The last time he went down a hole he almost got killed and he lost Barth.

  “This thing gonna work?” said Jolo, holding up the modified blaster that Koba had rigged.

  “Yeah, that thing’ll get through alacyte, but the power will drain fast. It’s a one shot deal, so make it count.”

  Jolo grabbed the cable and swung his legs into the hole and stared down into the darkness.

  “You okay?” said Koba.

  “Yeah, fine. This hole’s tighter than an escape pod.” And with that he slid down into the black, but soon it was the cold he feared more than being trapped under fifteen meters of ice.

  The Kawasaki Grand

  Jolo reached the bottom in seconds but the cold had already started to take effect. His hands were numb and he wondered if he could work the blaster. He turned on his light and the white ice shimmered and glistened and it might have been beautiful if his mind wasn’t occupied with staying alive. And finding the door.

  Riley said most of the old Earth buildings had a fire escape on the top that took you right down into the building. Hazuki had a tight guard detail at the bottom, but Jolo was hoping he hadn’t bothered securing a rooftop entrance protected by a good fifteen meters of ice.

  He held the light lower so he wasn’t blinded by the reflection. He did a slow turn, searching through the ice for a wall, a door, anything but the frozen block he was standing in. Visibility was much lower than he expected. If he couldn’t find the door he could use the rigged blaster, but he didn’t want to waste all the power just yet.

  He slowly spun around several times but couldn’t see anything, so he stopped for a moment. He could jump out and they could make another hole, or he could use the blaster. He didn’t have time to make it a long deliberation. He pulled out the gun and aimed it straight away from his body and it cut a hole, but when he stuck the light in, there was nothing but more ice. More white. He did the same thing again about a quarter turn to his right and nothing there either.

  On the fourth try, his hands and body getting cold and numb, he could tell something was different. The blaster cut through the ice and he could see gray on the other end. He kept cutting through until he could get a hand into the hole and he felt something with hard edges. Even through his gloves he could feel the heat. The blaster had melted through the snow and then hit the door. He pulled his hand back so he wouldn’t burn himself, then used the blaster to clear a path.

  Soon he was standing in front of a metal door with an old-style, round door handle. On the ground he noticed something bright orange. It was a tiny little box with wheels: a child’s toy automobile. He pocketed it and reached for the door handle. To his surprise it was open. He stepped into a small, dark room. He turned on his light and he was facing a chained and padlocked set of double doors, sort of like a hatch on a ship. He put his bare hand on the metal, and it, too, was warm. Then he put his ear on it and closed his eyes and concentrated.

  Voices. Women’s voices. Crying, then more voices. Once he thought he heard a deep voice but it was gone quickly. He stared down at the padlock and pondered his next move. The Colt would unlock the door right quick but then half the hotel would know. So he pulled out the blaster, the battery level on 2%, and aimed it right at the old padlock. He pulled the trigger and the lock turned cherry red and a few seconds later the blaster was out of juice.

  Jolo tried to pry the lock open with the end of the blaster but it wouldn’t budge. In desperation he tried to just pull it off but it burned his gloves. He looked around the room and there was nothing he could use to break the lock. He knew the metal was weak. Too close not to make it, he thought.

  He pulled out the Colt and stood there for a moment. It was cold and he’d been down for fifteen minutes. Koba couldn’t last out on the ice for more than thirty minutes or so. He put his ear back on the door and waited until the crying started up again. Sure en
ough, a minute later and the crying had kicked in again. He stood back and shattered the lock with one bullet. He squatted down away from the door, the Colt aimed at the hatch, as the noise bounced off the walls. He sat there for a minute or so, wondering just how many floors down the sound had traveled, then he unwrapped the chain and opened the door.

  The hatch opened into a tube with a ladder straight down, which dumped right into another room on the top floor. It was some sort of maintenance area with a concrete floor and a large metal sink. This opened into a long hallway with a red carpeted floor right down the center with rooms on either side, each with a number. The closest room was 3227. Thirty second floor, twenty-seventh room, Jolo thought. He stood there wishing he had a map in his computer and right there on the wall was a floor map. There were fire exits on either side, the upper exit he just came from and all the room numbers clearly marked. There were two hallways with forty rooms total on this level alone. How was he going to find Katy without anyone seeing him?

  He heard someone coming and jumped back into the store room. And old lady walked by mumbling to herself carrying a tray of food. Jolo hadn’t eaten anything except fed green and more recently the black stuff for the better part of a week. He couldn’t see what the lady was carrying, but it smelled like real food. Like cooked food, warm and savory. His mouth filled with saliva and he had to overcome a powerful urge to rip the tray out of her hands right then and there and let the cards fall where they may. His hand was on the door knob, but then good sense got the better of him. He wouldn’t put Katy’s safety at risk no matter what was on the tray. No matter how warm and wonderful it was.

  When she passed he stepped back into the empty hallway. Just like the passages in the mall, the hallway used torchlight. And so Jolo started down the hallway wondering how he was going to find Katy. He put his ear to the door of the first room and heard nothing, through the second door he heard someone breathing, nice and steady with a hint of a snore. He tried the door and it was open. Inside was a woman laying on a bed asleep. There was a tray on a rolling table by her bed with some rice and curry with an unopened cookie on the side that had Fed markings on it. These were Federation rations stolen from a freighter. So Hazuki had a stash of food.

  Jolo put the tray right up to his lips and scooped the rice and curry into his mouth with his fingers. It was Fed issue, which in normal circumstances would be passable fare at best, but standing here on Earth, nothing but the black stuff in his gut, it was the best thing he’d ever eaten. He ripped open the cookie and wolfed it down, catching crumbs with his free hand. He leaned back on his heels and closed his eyes, the chocolate chip cookie goodness flowing through his body. He took a deep, satisfied breath and looked down at the bed and the woman wasn’t there.

  She was backed into the corner, crouched down, her eyes big and desperate. She didn’t yell out and for some reason Jolo didn’t think she was going to. She was scared.

  “Sorry,” Jolo said. “Don’t tell the old lady. I’m new. I’m just hungry is all and they don’t give us nothing but the black.”

  She relaxed a little and stood up straight. “You can have the food, just leave now.”

  “Okay,” said Jolo, heading for the door. “Hey, do you know where the new girl is?”

  “Skinny, brown hair?”

  “Yeah.”

  “All the way down on the right.”

  Jolo left the tray and ran down the hall. He made it to the last door on the right and it was open just like the other one. And there was Katy asleep on a bed. Her hair was clean and the sheets were white. She was wearing a blue jumpsuit from a Fed merchant outfit. It looked new and had a big G on the sleeve. Garlande. He’d taken from them when he was a pirate.

  And he stood there for a moment and just watched her sleep, her hair flowing over the pillow. And right then, she didn’t look like his pilot. She looked like a woman, and he loved her. And he would kill every man on Earth to protect her. He never should have let her come, but then again she wouldn’t have let him leave without her.

  These are the mad ramblings of a man staring down at the woman he loves, he thought. She’d wake up in a moment and then she would wield her power over him as she had always done.

  He sat down next to her and she woke up with a start, but then saw it was Jolo. They held each other for awhile and didn’t say anything.

  Then Jolo looked her over like Merthon used to do after they’d seen some action lifting boxes from unsuspecting freighter captains. “Are you okay? Have they hurt you?”

  “No. I’m fine.”

  “Did they…?” Jolo got tense and had a hard time getting the next few words out. “Did they touch you?”

  “No. Jolo.”

  “I swear I’ll kill every single one of those bastards if they touch you.” His breathing was faster and he was getting hot and he realized he was standing with his hand on the handle of the Colt.

  “Sit,” said Katy, patting her hand on the bed. “They aren’t going to touch me.”

  Jolo sat down. “I don’t think you understand the situation, Katy. They intend to, uh… you know. And I don’t want any other man near you.” He was standing again. He needed a target. One of those snaggle toothed, skinny bastards would be nice at first. Then Hazuki.

  “They don’t let the men up here and they impregnate the women without sexual contact. But that’s not why they aren’t going to touch me.”

  Jolo knelt down beside the bed. That last bit didn’t make sense. “What are you talking about?”

  Katy reached for Jolo’s hand and looked into his eyes. Now Jolo was a little more worried but wasn’t quite sure why. “Out with it,” he said.

  “I’m already pregnant.”

  Jolo jumped up and was two steps towards the door with the Colt out and ready. “Ahh, Katy. I’m so sorry. I’ll kill that bastard.” But Katy was smiling. The Colt came down slowly to a rest at his side, pointing down at the tile floor.

  “No, you dummy,” Katy said. “We are pregnant.”

  Jolo dropped the gun, picked it up again, holstered it, and took a step back towards the bed. This was too much. Now? In the middle of hell?

  “How?” he said. Katy smile faded and he knew he’d said the wrong thing.

  “How do you think,” her words a little stiff.

  And then good sense finally kicked in. He knelt down beside her. “I love you and I’ll do anything for you and, uh, the…”

  “…baby.”

  “Right. Baby.” He said the word but it scared him a little.

  He gave her a hug and they both settled down. He looked into her eyes. She was crying. “I love you,” he said. “I love the baby. And you’re gonna have to trust me if we’re gonna make it out of here.” He brushed her hair out of her eyes. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes, Jolo. But I don’t like where this is heading.”

  “I had a long talk with George and the rest about this and I convinced them I could break you out of here and bring you back in one piece. But now…” His voice trailed off and he stared at the floor. Blue tile.

  “Jolo. You get me out of here right now.” She used her power on him and in most situations it would work, but not this time.

  “Riley said you’d be safe here and I believe him. They’re giving you real food and a clean room. Out there they don’t care if you live or die. They’ll just throw you in a hole and let the worm eat you.”

  “Jolo. You get me out of here.”

  “I will. But not now.”

  “What worm?”

  “Oh. You haven’t heard? There’s a giant worm that likes to eat… people. They call her the Queen. Hazuki feeds anyone he doesn’t like or is no use to him to her.”

  “George?”

  “He’s fine.”

  “Oh, thank God.” But Jolo couldn’t hide his sadness from her.

  “What? Who?”

  “Barth.”

  Katy started to cry.

  “Katy,” Jolo said. “You have to stay here
or they’ll kill you. Play their game.”

  “They take the babies,” Katy said, still crying. I’ve seen young girls and they look well fed. I don’t know about the boys.”

  “The boys live like animals down in the mall. They’re all young. No one older than fourteen or fifteen.”

  “Hazuki takes them,” said Katy.

  “And the girls end up here.”

  “Repopulation?”

  “No. Hazuki is a synth. He can move like George, faster than me, and I’ve already put a few holes in him and he keeps coming back.”

  “BG.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Shit.” Katy pulled Jolo in close. “You gotta go get some guns and take this shitehole down.”

  “I can’t. Hazuki’s got them too well guarded. I couldn’t’ve gotten Koba and the rest out without George’s help. He saved us.”

  “There’s got to be more than one weapons stash. Think about it. Right before Earth fell there was terrible fighting. Go to a nearby city and search there.”

  “Great idea, but I don’t know where I’m going and the Argossy is probably being dismantled right now as we speak.”

  “Wait here. I’ll be back in a minute.” Katy came back a few minutes later and handed Jolo a small, rectangular booklet made of paper. It reminded him of Korley’s map, but this one was larger and had red and blue lines running all over it.

  “It’s a map of the old transportation system,” said Katy. “I believe we’re here in a city that was called Atlanta. See where I-seven-five and I-eight-five meet.”

  “Where’d you get this?”

  “There’s a room full of books down the hall.” Katy traced her finger on the map south along I-75. “Go south to this town here. Macon. It’s about 120 kilometers away. Look how all of the transpo routes feed right into it. There’s bound to be a weapons stash there.”

  “Yeah, but this weapons stash here was top secret, underground. We had a database of information to pull from. How am I gonna find another secret stash like that?”

  “You’re not. Just find enough guns to take out Hazuki.”