Audacity (Warner's World Book 5) (30 page)

Upon turning Felis could see the tunnel descending at a shallow gradient. He could see a good kilometre ahead and about 500m ahead there were dozens of people getting on and off the walkway. Signs blazed and beckoned pedestrians to come and shop at “Cientium’ which translated to ‘MidCity Plaza.’

Erkum turned back and announced “We get off up ahead.”

At that moment they all noticed the graffiti that had been painted over one of the signs. It said ‘24 no more’. “See” said Erkum “it’s starting.” Evie nodded. It was an encouraging sign she thought. ‘Yes 24
^th
Plenum (referring to the Imperialist government) your time is up’ she said to herself.

They got off the walkway and headed towards an escalator. The density of people increased dramatically once they rose to the ground level concourse. It had been a long time since Felis had been amongst so many people and for someone who had lived crammed into a ship for most of the last fifteen years he somehow succumbed to a feeling of claustrophobia.

They had to slow right down and patiently interweave as bodies traversed the main concourse from all directions. Office workers in a hurry to get their desired brew in the morning break dashed smartly and in some case forcibly. One bumped into Felis and he reacted with a “Watch it!” The worker ignored him completely.

Erkum, up ahead and now separated by several bodies, turned his head, raised his hand to point to a position on his right and then pressed on in that direction. Felis who was next turned to Evie and said “Stay close.” He led with his body slightly side on and carved out a new direction through the milling crowd. Evie tucked in right behind him.

Finally they emerged out of the concourse and sought shelter in one of the restaurants that ringed the area. In fact it was only as he slid into a chair in the restaurant that he realised they were inside one almighty dome. As he looked up the glass roof above the restaurant he saw a series of circular levels. They tapered closer together as they went up. He counted around sixteen levels. Then it looked like the next one widened and the whole process started again. Each of these sections had different coloured lighting. They were in the light yellow section. The one above was a pale green and above that an orange. He could not make out the colours beyond that.

“Stay here. I’ll order” said Erkum. He noted their preferences and made his way inside. One of the reasons he had chosen this one was because there was no table service. He didn’t want anyone interrupting the call.

“Impressive bit of architecture” commented Felis to Evie. He was still looking up through the glass roof to the narrowing concentric rings of different coloured lights.

Evie was too focussed on the business at hand. “Yes I suppose it is” she said with no conviction.

Her tone alerted Felis to her state. “There is no need to worry. This is just a preliminary contact. I’m right here with you.” Evie nodded. She appreciated the support but her nerves were still frayed. “Just remember” continued Felis “we want a neutral location that Erkum’s happy with and we want it tonight.”

“Happy with what?” asked Erkum as he placed the cups down and took his seat.

“The location” said Felis.

“Yes, good point.” He brought out his communicator and entered some text. “Any of these would be good” and he passed it over to Evie. She nodded. He picked up his cup. “Drink up” and he took a sip.

They sat there in silence. Not so the tables around them. After ten minutes they started emptying. The morning break rush was over. Erkum gave Evie a look which said ‘Now?’ She drained the last drop from her cup, picked up her communicator – the one she’d been given earlier this morning – and made the call to the number she had been given yesterday by Melnar’s assistant.

“Yes Evie” said the assistant “transferring you now.”

She recognised the smooth deep voice of Ciantus Melnar as he thanked her for calling back. “I’m sorry I wasn’t available yesterday. It was a busy day.” He laughed lightly. “Every day seems to be busy at the moment. I would like to meet. Perhaps over lunch at Chekka’s. It’s a lovely restaurant in the city. I can send a hopper for you.”

Erkum was listening in to the conversation on his communicator and shaking his head at Evie.

“I can’t make lunch. Dinner would be good. Pegoo’s at 1900 perhaps.”

“Oh I’m sorry I have engagements this evening and I am away tomorrow. The best I can do is mid-afternoon. We could still meet at Chekka’s. As I said transport won’t be a problem.”

Erkum nodded.

“OK Chekka’s at 1500 then. I won’t need your hopper, though thanks for the offer.”

“All right then 1500 it is. I am so looking forward to this.”

“Me too Mr Melnar.”

“Ciantus please.”

“Of course. See you then.” She terminated the call and looked to Erkum. “It wasn’t on your list?”

“No but it’s public enough. I will check it out beforehand. You did well.”

Evie smiled weakly.

“What did you think of him?” asked Erkum.

“Smooth, very smooth” she replied “but you would expect that from a tier one aristocrat.”

“Well you should know my dear” said Erkum.

“We need to have alternate getaway routes” said Felis “and we need to check those out now.”

Erkum stood up. “We need to go anyway. Our times up.”

Felis and Evie followed him out the restaurant. The concourse was almost empty now in stark contrast to when they arrived. Erkum led them back down to the walkway. “Can you find your way back to the apartment?” he asked. Felis nodded. “Right, you two go back now. I’ll check out Chekka’s and the routes and meet you back there in two hours. That will still give us enough time to make the meeting at 1500.”

Chapter 21. Rollinium 1055, 15 August

“I’m pleased with what I’ve seen Ivan” said Dave, which was a bit of an irony considering everything around him was covered in debris or dust. But Dave saw all of that as inconsequential. “As I said before, I think we got away lightly considering. The thing is Ivan we didn’t plan on this, any of it, the deployment, the casualties or the missile expenditure. It’s happened and it was my call, not yours. Yes it’s been brutal but if we handle this right with these rogan in there” he said pointing to the room they had hastily made into a conference centre “then we will have climbed a rung on the ladder, struck a blow. We can turn an isolated group staring down the barrel of oblivion into an ally that can help us win this war.”

“I realise all that” said Ivan. He paused for a bit and then added. “At least with Beta Phi and Klaster we secured territory that we could use for the next stage. Here, well, it’s…all doomed.”

“Look Ivan” said Dave keen to get this out of the way. “Forget the places, forget the things, it’s all about the people. If we play this right in there, then we will have gained four billion supporters give or take.”

Ivan looked at him askance. “Have you forgotten the fact that in twelve months’ time anyone left here is not going anywhere, well not fast anyway.”

“Where there’s a will, often there’s a way. Besides we won’t need all 4 billion.” Dave gave him one of those smiles that carried a sense of mischievousness. Ivan shook his head in disapproval but then couldn’t help himself but smile too.

Dave ushered him to walk to the conference room. “You do realise we need to go back to Chelora and the sooner the better.” Ivan nodded as they entered the temporary conference room.

Chapter 22. Phantom over Checklin 1200, 15 August

“Damm” said Aubrey as she read the signal from Dave. She checked the time. “Damm” she said again.

“What’s wrong?” asked Phil, who had the watch. There was only he and Aubrey in the command centre.

“We have to warn Evie.”

“About what?”

“About the fact that Melnar’s company developed the device that caused that anomaly in Qwantum.”

“Oh shit. The last we heard was an hour ago. She’s supposed to be meeting with him at 1500.” Phil’s mind was racing to analyse the options. “Do you want to break cloak?”

Aubrey shook her head. Phil looked concerned. “Advise Whiskey 8 to power up. I’ll be there in ten.” Phil nodded. Aubrey hailed Tola “Meet me in my cabin.” She walked quickly to the elevator and was back in her cabin in under a minute. She shut the door and was pulling on her combat fatigues when the knock came. “Come in Tola” she yelled.

Tola opened the door and came in quickly, shutting it behind her. “What’s up? You going someplace?”

“Yep” she said and filled her in on what had just happened and what she planned to do.

“So I want you to take charge here. I’m just going for a ride down to Alpha 1, making a call and coming straight back. If anything happens and you don’t hear from anyone within 24 hours, I want you to return to Chelora. Do you understand?”

“Shouldn’t I be going down?”

“Probably” confessed Aubrey “but I’m all dressed now” and she gave her a big smile. Tola frowned anyway. Aubrey grabbed her rifle from her closet, hooked her webbing over her shoulder and ushered Tola out the door. “Now remember do not uncloak for any reason. 24 hours – no word – go home. Got it.”

“Yes I’ve got it. But it’s broad daylight all the way. You could get detected.”

“Minimal” said Aubrey dismissively. “I’m leaving the ship in good hands. Got to go” said Aubrey and she jogged down the corridor to the elevator.

“Good luck” said Tola. She was disappointed in herself for not convincing her skipper that this was a bad idea. ‘But no matter now’ she said to herself. The die was cast and she had no alternative other than to let things play out and this latest intel probably meant that would end badly.

Frustrated she walked back to the elevator. It had already taken Aubrey down. But it was quick and she was soon on her way up. Aubrey’s actions had surprised her. She had not known her to be so impulsive. From her own experience she had found her to be a steady hand.

The door opened and as she stepped out she recalled the Fulmar battle report in which Aubrey, having realised the danger to the transports, committed the Hermes to an attack on the rogan capital ship, the Drakush. ‘Gee’ she said to herself ‘and that was the end of the Hermes.’

She entered the command centre and was immediately asked by Phil “Is she going?” Tola nodded and sat down in the captain’s chair. Phil was pacing around the floor agitated.

“Get everyone else in here Phil” ordered Tola.

Whiskey 8 launched and headed on a bullet run for Alpha 1. There Whiskey 7 and a team of marines were providing a firm base for Evie’s team. There was no time to take the longer and safer route over the pole.

As Whiskey 8 accelerated under cloak to the planet’s surface Alice entered the command centre, saw Phil all agitated and Tola the epitome of concentration and wondered what was up. She didn’t get a chance to ask.

“Here’s the plot” said Tola and gave her a very condensed rendition of what had just happened. “If and only if we have to intervene I want you to send a message to Evie warning her about this Melnar guy.” Alice was still trying to digest it all. “Do it now Alice” said Tola authoritatively. “Phil, I’ve got the watch. You’re on battle systems.” Phil stopped his pacing and looked to Tola but otherwise didn’t respond. “Now Phil!” she reiterated.

“Right” he said - having something specific to do helped.

“Where’s Neo?” barked Tola.

“He should be coming” answered Phil. As he did, Neo entered at a quick pace.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Never mind now” said Tola “take my station and start scanning for active enemy ladar and in particular any that may be directed near Whiskey 8.”

Neo sat down in the XO station and fired it up. “Where is Whiskey 8 and where are they going?” he asked.

“The skipper’s going down to warn Evie. We got some intel from the Resolute that probably means Melnar’s a badass. Evie is scheduled to meet him at 1500.”

“Not good” said Neo. “I’m on it.”

Tola studied the holo and could see Whiskey 8’s icon passing the 25,000 km mark on its way to the planet. ‘So far so good’ she thought. She also thought about how Aubrey had ordered her not to decloak. But she knew she had already made the decision to ignore that. Yes it would announce to the rogan that they were there and they would probably have to warp away but she was not going to lose her captain nor her warthogs and marines. ‘Don’t know about Evie’s group’ she thought. ‘At least they have a chance of lying low.’

“Ooh” said Neo “just detected active ladar at …. Oh shit the whole place is lighting up. I think they’ve seen them.”

“4 missiles launched” advised Phil. “What do I do?” he barked.

“Engage 2 for 1” ordered Tola. “Alice!”

“Sending” said Alice.

“Missiles away” advised Phil.

“Alice Recall Whiskey 8” barked Tola.

“I think they are trying to right now” said Neo. Whiskey 8 was still some 22,000 kms from the surface when her warning systems fired. The pilot immediately aborted but pulling up was not so easy when you were travelling so fast.

Phil was interrogating his battle system displays. “Enemy intercept on Whiskey 8 in 4 minutes. Ours on them in 3. Thank fuck for our faster missiles.”

But no sooner had he said it when he detected fighters taking off. “Oh shit, enemy fighters Foxtrot 1, 2 and 3. Engaging 2 for 1. Missiles away.” Phil knew he had no time to ask for instructions and so used his prerogative as the battle systems operator to initiate the engagement.

Julian walked in at a fast clip “What’s happening?” Tola gave him the briefest of explanations. He could see she needed to focus on the engagement. “Carry on” is all he said and he sat down in the observers chair.

Whiskey 8 was climbing back now and accelerating as hard as it could go. The pilot could see the Phantom’s missiles heading towards the enemy’s. She assessed that they stood a good chance of taking them all out, so she held fire on her two short ranged Storm missiles. The fighters appeared on her screen. She knew they would have to climb at max speed for at least two minutes before they could launch their missiles. She was now only 10,000 kms from the Phantom and hoped to be safe on board within 3 minutes. It was going to be touch and go.