Archaea 2: Janis (17 page)

Movement outside of the window caught my eye, and it took me a moment to realize that what I was seeing was Yak and Shorty moving towards the access tunnel of the dome, their mimetic gear almost perfectly blending into the blowing snow.

“Janis, I can't seem to locate this structure on any node of this network. Are there any pipes to this location?”

“Steven, the only data connection to this location is via uplink.”

“I can't see anything on the network layer, Janis”

“Steven, there are no network connections to this location. The uplink is only transmitting, and doesn't have capability to receive.”

“What protocol is transmitting?”

“My best analysis is that it is a modified version of Seedlink, with an expanded 16 byte header.”

“Seedlink? I am not familiar with that, Janis.”

“It is used for seismological data, Steven.”

Well, that explains why I wasn't familiar with it. “Captain, our best guess is that this station is a geologic station. The only data connection we have is outgoing only, transmitting what appears to be seismological data via orbital uplink.”

“Very well Pauli. With no inbound data connections, does that mean Janis is unable to access the dome systems?”

“That is correct sir, there do not appear to be any available access nodes into this station.”

“Very well, Pauli. Do me a favor please, and work with Janis to build--” he was cut short by a burst of static on comms.

“Sir, we have made contact. Yak is speaking with him now, but it looks like the situation here has changed.”

“To what extent, Shorty?”

“Sir, Yak is still getting the details, but it looks like we are too late to save the people at the station. They are currently talking about children, sir.”

“Pauli, I need a route to the station as soon as possible.”

*****

The interior of the dome was much smaller than it looked from the outside, and cluttered with scientific equipment, workbenches, and other technical looking gear. I kept Yak covered, and watched the darker recesses of the dome, the shadowed areas where the monsters live.

Yak towered over the man we were meeting with. He wore cold weather gear, and the dome was cold enough to see his breath. I couldn't imagine living here, but then again, this might be paradise compared to the mining station. At least here it would be nice and quiet.

“Sir, tell me more about the children?” Yak said through his suit speakers. Neither of us were going to pop a seal in here, not with some unknown plague.

“They are being held... everyone is dead. AV had the children isolated... in the creche, used them as motivation... to the end.” He nearly doubled over in a racking cough that sounded wet and thick. I took a half-step back, involuntarily.

“Motivation, sir?” Yak shifted his grip on his chemser.

“We've been trying for years to get help, to get the word out... but the plague... the reprisals... it got worse after the drop ship.”

“Sir?”

“We had to get supplies... the station director, Cal Emerson, he had to do something. We were all dying and AV was letting it happen. He organized a team, the few among us that were still healthy and strong, they overpowered the drop ship guards and used it to boost clear of Solis.”

“We met with Mr. Emerson, and his men on Vega 6. They contracted with us to bring medical supplies--”

“Did he look okay? Was he healthy?”

“He looked fine to me sir. They were hoping to return as soon as they could.”

“No, they can't... it's too late for us here. Solis is dead, we're all dead. AV doesn't care, they are grinding us into dust, they are crushing us. I've been here for weeks now, hoping... but it's hopeless now.”

“What about the children?” Yak said, softly. “What can we do to help?”

“The children are isolated, they're in the creche. AV has them under guard. No one knows... no one has seen them... they used them...” he trailed off, utterly despondent. Yak's helmet light shined across his face, and I could see the swelling under his chin, the flushed, sweaty, feverish skin. His eyes looked runny, shot through with red that seemed to extend to the rims of his eyelids and under his eyes.

“Stand by sir.” Yak said, then added on comms, “Captain, the mining station personnel are all deceased, or close to it. AV is holding, or was holding, the children from the station hostage to motivate the indents to work despite the plague.”

“Copy that, Yak. Is our contact good to go?”

“Sir, he looks pretty sick. Please advise.”

Yak looked back at me, the anguish on his face clear even through his visor.

“Yak, I don't know enough about what we're looking at here. Is this treatable?”

“Sir, stand by.” Yak turned back to our contact, who was leaning against a workbench.

“Sir, the sickness you have, is this the plague you were referring to?”

He nodded, gasping. “We don't think it's airborne, but we don't know for sure... AV dropped some medical staff, but they just took samples.” He lapsed into a horrible coughing fit that racked on and on, until his knees buckled, leaving him gripping the workbench for support.

Both Yak and I took another step back.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” I asked.

“You have to save... save them.” he looked up, a look of desperation on his face. “I am not... I can't...” he looked down at the workbench, his breath on the air. “You can't help me. You have to help... the children”

“Captain, he is pretty far gone, sir. He thinks it is the plague, and there's no treatment.”

“Yak, our mission is clear, son.”

“Sir, yes sir.” He looked over at me and nodded. I stepped back and covered him as he moved past me towards the door.

“We are going to save those children, sir” I said, as clearly as I could. The man waved at me, and looked up with a smile. I stepped backwards into the entry tube of the dome, through the door, and into the howling snow towards the gig.

“Captain, we're oscar mike, loading up now”

“What's the situation, son?”

“Sir, he said the children are being held in the creche, but he hasn't been to the station for a few weeks. He thought most, if not all of the people there are deceased, and that there was likely AV security personnel on site. He said a few times that the children were under guard.”

“Very well Yak. Get secure and prepare for dust-off. Janis, dear – can you locate the children for me?”

“Certainly sir, there are currently eight children located on sublevel 3, administrative wing.”

“Janis, please update Yak and Shorty's handset with schematics for this facility. Can you update that in real time with the locations of security personnel?”

“I will, sir...though I am afraid we may not have enough time, I am tracking a drop-ship inbound to this station, on re-entry from orbit.”

“Janis, there's always time. Shorty, report cabin security”

I looked over at Yak, lit from below by the red lights of the aisle. Our eyes met and he flashed me both thumbs with a smile.

“Sir, cabin is secure for flight.”

“Very well.” Immediately, the turbines started to warm up as the captain raised up on lifters and rotated the gig. I watched the lights from the dome entrance swing past through the cockpit, then it was all dark as we continued to climb.

“Gene, plans have changed. We are en-route to collect passengers, please make all suitable arrangements for a compliment of eight.”

“Dak... we don't have berths for eight.”

“Nonsense, Gene. Of course we do, make it happen, break out hammocks if need be. Also... we are going to need about two liters of the best hot cocoa you can make.”

“Two liters of cocoa, aye.”

*****

The scream of the turbines filled my ears as Jane and I looked over the intel for the mining station facility, bouncing and rattling around in the red-lit cabin.

The schematics were incredibly detailed, and Janis had what looked like real time placeholders for all security personnel. We counted ten hostiles, though it looked like only two of them were up and about at this time of night. One was on patrol in the halls, the other appeared to be in some sort of control room or security room.

“Yak, what do you think, should we take that security office?”

I considered that for a moment, reminded again that this was a bigger job than we really should consider doing with just two of us. I felt that old familiar worry seeping in, seeds of doubt trying to grow.

“Jane, I am not sure. This looks pretty tricky, if we find ourselves cornered in that room, we're just sitting ducks waiting to get quacked...”

Right then the captain banked us hard over and accelerated, shoving us deep into our couches. I fought to breathe as the crash bars locked in tight, then we leveled off and dropped. I fought the urge to panic as I started to lift off the couch, then crushed deep down into the cushions as he pulled back up.

“Jane, I think...” another vicious drop and rebound caught me off guard and I couldn't make words come out. I can't imagine what Pauli's going through up there, strapped out on the nose of this thing. Poor bastard. It's bad enough back here, I can't even imagine what it would be like if I could see what was happening.

“Jane... I think we are probably going to have to either take the patrol and the office or...” another crushing press passed by “...maybe... we can somehow sneak... past...” We were being thrown from side to side, and I figured that it was pointless to try and talk until we got a bit closer.

“Folks, we are two minutes out, and cutting this very close. Janis is tracking an inbound dropship on final approach that will be landing in a few moments. One thing that may work to our benefit, their landing platform is located on the far side of the station. The bad news, or should I say, the worse news, is the dropship appears to be coming to remove the children from the station.”

He paused to let that sink in. Our mission was starting to look even more desperate. If we didn't get those kids, they were almost certainly going to disappear forever. AV was going to see all loose ends tied up nice and tight, and the snows of Solis would eventually drift over everything that remained.

“Yak, I am going to drop you and Shorty a short distance from the surface door of the station, and then pull back to the far side of a nearby rock feature. Keep me posted on comms, and let us know what we can do to help.”

“Aye sir.” I said, but a look at Jane's eyes across the aisle reminded me we didn't really have a plan yet. Unfortunately, we were out of time. The captain kicked off the turbines and we started slowing down, the whine of the turbines dropping as he coasted us in on lifters.

He brought us in smooth and quiet, and Jane and I jumped clear of the hatch and took a knee as he moved back into the blowing snow and out of sight. The howl of the wind was loud, and buffeted us as we held station for a moment, sizing up the approach to the entrance.

The station was almost completely drifted over with snow, frost-rimed reinforced concrete with slit windows packed with ice the only recognizable man-made features. An entrance tunnel ringed with blue lights was about 50 meters away, the lights marked a path to a dome outbuilding with a bay door. I took a moment to scan a circle around our position with thermals amped, but there was nothing hot.

“Pauli, are we good to approach?”

“Yak, we think so, there doesn't seem to be anything other than a telltale when the door opens, and we can suppress that alert.”

“Roger, moving out now.” I waved at Jane and we moved up together, careful to stay out of the light until we were right at the entrance. I held up my fist, and Jane stopped as I moved to the tunnel opening and looked in. A small drift of snow had formed over the first part of the tunnel steps, but it looked clear. I waved her up, and started moving down the steps towards the door.

The door was solid, a crank-handle type, excellent for this sort of facility because the crank handle would help dislodge any ice that may have formed around the door. It was heavy, and completely frosted over with rime ice. At first, the handle wouldn't budge, but Jane grabbed part of the handle and between the two of us we managed to get it to lever over, and the door pulled open in a snap of breaking ice.

Inside was a small antechamber, lit by recessed lights near the floor. Racks of gear, coiled ropes, cables, and other supplies covered the walls. I followed the muzzle of my chemser in, swinging to cover the corners of the room, looking intently for anything that might be a threat.

Jane moved in behind me, and we shut the door behind us, grinding it closed against the ice. The crank-handle was a little easier to operate now, but I took a moment to work it back and forth a bit, while Jane covered the inner door.

Once the handle moved pretty smoothly, I hunkered to the side of Jane's line of fire, and brought up the station schematics on my wrist holo. The patrol was a floor above us right now, and a few corridors over, it looked like we were good to move out.