PERIL (16 page)

“Where are you going?” Reed asks.

“To finally get some answers. HAB, locate, Nyna.”

“Corridor C, headed towards the Launch Bay,” HAB 1 states.

Bains makes her way to the Launch Bay. She arrives to discover the hatch disengaged. She looks through one of the small hatch windows and sees Nyna unlocking the strange crate she brought along.

“HAB override hatch door,” Bains says anxiously.

“Opening hatch,” HAB 1 responds.

The hatch opens and Bains rushes in.

She finds Nyna standing in front of the opened crate, wearing an environmental suit. Bains makes her way around to the open side of the crate and is in shock at what she finds.

“Oh my, God! Are you insane? What is that thing doing here?” Bains asks alarmed.

Nyna has brought a deadly robotic weapon called the, Shiva. Just like the name suggests, Shiva resembled the Hindu God. It stands ten feet and has six arms. It’s equipped with biological and technological weaponry.

“It’s a solution and a guarantee,” Nyna says smugly.

“For what exactly?”

Nyna resumes programming the Shiva for deployment. She also decides to finally let Bains in on the classified aspects of the mission.

“The probe Seeyer sent here detected some sort of alien transmission before we lost communication, emanating from Sector 373-D. No doubt Aaron Enterprises and The Apollo Corporation’s teams have found the source of the transmission. The implications to such a find are obvious. Ares Corporation wants more
Intel and this unit guarantees that we’ll get it.”

“At what cost, our lives?” Bains asks.

“As a scientist, you should appreciate the value of this find.”

“Oh I do, but I’m a Captain first and your motives puts us at risk.”

Bains is unnerved by the presence of the Shiva Unit, yet intrigued by the discovery of the transmission.

“Bains, to, Reed,” Bains call out over the intercom.

“Reed, here, Captain.”

“Status?” Bains asks.

“Cruise, Pendersen and Nickolette are in route to the Launch Bay.”

“I’m in the Launch Bay with Nyna. I need you down here!” Bains says with urgency.

“Acknowledged! Is everything okay?”

“Just get down here, now!”

Chapter Sixteen

Cruise, Pendersen, and Nickolette enters the Launch Bay prepared to go to the site. They find Bains and Nyna at an obvious standoff.

“What’d we miss?” Cruise asks.

They venture further into the bay and discover the Shiva.

“Oh crap! This can’t be good,” Nickolette says.

“Stand clear!” Nyna says.

Reed enters the bay and he too is stunned.

“What the…” Reed says.

Bains quickly updates Reed and the others on the now declassified mission objectives.

“Alien transmission? Why weren’t we informed from the giddy up?” Cruise blasts.

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Pendersen adds.

“Clearly we’re considered moot…insignificant. Getting the ore was just a ploy to come here,” Bains explains.

“You are still under company orders, Bains. Get your ore and leave the rest to me,” Nyna urges.

“So what’s your plan to unleash this thing and slaughter the other teams to obtain what? Intel?” Bains asks.

“Humans, y
ou’re driven by base emotions and bound by your moral precepts, only when it suits you. Note, I came with an agenda–––I will see it done,” Nyna scoffs.

Bains realizes that Nyna would kill the other teams to get what she wanted. She would possibly terminate Bains’ crew if they got in her way. They are all expendable.

“How could, Seeyer, put us in harms way like this?” Bains thinks to herself.

Nyna is physically stronger and faster than her human counterparts. Bains knows what needs to be done and there is only one person there that can handle the job.

“Pendersen,” Bains says.

“Yes ma’am?” Pendersen responds.

“Put this thing down!” Bains commands.

“Yes ma’am!
”Pendersen eagerly replies.

Nyna lunges at Bains and in mid-air, Pendersen catches her with one arm. The robotic suit effortlessly slams Nyna to the floor. Nyna lands a swift back kick to the suit’s mid-section denting it slightly. However, Pendersen maintains his grip on her. Facedown, Nyna is unable to maneuver.

“That’s ten thousand pounds of pressure on ya ass girl!” Cruise yells.

Nyna struggles to get free. She tries to grab the suit’s helmet, but the robotic suit’s long arm put it out of her reach.

Reed and Nickolette scrambled to find something to subdue the android with. Bains quickly grabs a heavy drilling device from a wall unit and with one swift blow she bashes in Nyna’s head. Synthetic lubricant splashes in every direction and sparks ignite signaling the android’s defeat.

Bains takes a moment and stares at Nyna’s immobilized body. Her head is slightly disconnected and smashed. Exposed fiber optic wiring is all that connected the robot’s head and torso. Bains kneels down over Nyna. The android manages a few parting words for her adversary.

“This changes nothing, Captain. Seeyer, will send another team to make contact with the source of that transmission if the other teams haven’t already. Based on what we know, you’re dealing with intelligence far superior than your own. They will most likely be hostile. Once back on Earth Humanity’s reign will be over. Then and only then will you have the infinite knowledge you so arrogantly seek…an ending,” Nyna says.

Bains wraps her hand around the slimy wires protruding from Nyna’s neck.

“Is there anything else?” Bains asks coldly.

“Only regret. I won’t be able to see that end.”

“Fret not, Nyna, it may not be the ending you wanted to see–––but it’s the one you’re gonna get,” Bains says poetically as she yanks the wires free. 

“You guys go ahead to our site as planned. Get those scans,” Bains orders.

“What do you want to do about that transmission?” Reed asks.

Bains pauses before answering.

“Recon. I say we go take a look at, Captain Satoh’s, dig site,” Bains replies.

“We can take the Titan. She’s slower than the Grey Goose but she’ll get us there,” Reed suggests.

Bains and Reed exit the Launch Bay and strategize their recon mission. Cruise, Pendersen and Nickolette board the Grey Goose. It is an all terrain vehicle used mainly for transport and it is loaded with geological survey equipment.

The outer hatch doors open and they disembark from the habitat. It is twilight and the visibility is low. High winds persist as they drive across the landscape. A thick mist adds to the low visibility. The planet’s surface is covered with strange cone like rock formations. They are dense in some areas and sparse in others, much like trees in a forest. The environment is eerie.

“I can’t see, shit, out here,” Cruise gripes. 

“I’ve been on many planetoids in my career, but this has got to be the creepiest,” Pendersen says.

“Don’t tell me you’re spooked,” Nickolette asks.

The planet’s terrain is rocky, giving the crew a bumpy ride.

“That’s it, switching to autopilot,” Cruise states.

“Grey Goose online…auto pilot engaged. Please state or enter a destination,” The vehicle’s computer requests.

Cruise fumbles with a holographic map of the terrain. Pendersen and Nickolette notice the computer’s cartoonish voice.

“Cruise, you screwed with the Goose? Aw man!” Pendersen complains.

“That’s gotta be bad luck man,” Nickolette adds.

Cruise continues to fumble with the map.

“Will you chill? Uh, let’s see here, it’s a straight route. I know Site D is on here somewhere,” Cruise declares.

“Please state or enter destination,” The computer repeats.

“Sector 20-12,” Nickolette states.

“Acknowledge…ETA twenty-one minutes to Sector 20-12,” The computer confirms.

“I knew that,” Cruise says.

The ride gets even bumpier and the holographic navigational display shows multiple blurred obstructions and rocky debris along their path. Cruise looks over the display frantically as he tries to get his bearings.

“Maybe we should stop I’m reading multiple obstructions! Some of them appear to be moving!” Nickolette insists.

“That’s just negative E.M. field interference you’re picking up. Goose press on!” Cruise urges.

The terrain is giving them a real jostling. They notice something ahead of them and yell out in fear.

Hours later, Lt. Neil is in Main Operations trying to reach Cruise and his team. Bains and Reed enter discussing their plan to infiltrate Captain Satoh’s dig site. They’re both wearing environmental suits and holding helmets.

“Anything?” Bains asks.

“No. The planet’s atmosphere is creating negative E.M. fields in that sector. It’s hard to localize their position, let alone make contact,” Neil replies.

“Track for any moving objects the size of the Grey Goose,” Reed instructs.

“It’s worth a shot,” Neil says.

“Keep on it,” Bains orders.

Bains turns her attention back to Reed.

“Is the, Shiva, secured?” Bains asks.

“Locked up tight.”

“Good. I don’t want to take a chance on that thing roaming around the habitat.”

“Captain, the Grey Goose is at the outer hatch,” HAB 1 informs Bains.

Just then, Cruise contacts the habitat over the con. Neil opens a channel.

“Hey what the hell happen to you guys?” Neil asks over the intercom.

“We are rich baby! Yeah!” Pendersen says excitedly.

“I take it the scans confirmed the large ore deposits?” Bains asks.

“Just spring da’ gates and we’ll tell you all about it,” Cruise chimes in.

The crew transfers Pendersen’s consciousness back into his body and then assembles in Main Ops. Bains listens as Cruise and the others confirms the large ore deposits.

“…There we were driving along and bang! We hit a freakin’ rock formation,” Nickolette says.

“Yeah navigational systems were just as confused as we were. We couldn’t see, shit,” Pendersen says.

“The Goose blew out one of her tires. Thank God, we had Pendersen in that suit. Robo Mechanic to the rescue! Ha, ha he had to lift the side of the Goose while I changed the damn thing,” Cruise says boisterously.

“What about your scans of the site?” Bains asks.

“Confirmed. It’s all there, pure grade Beryllium. You’re looking at a rich man!” Cruise boasts.

Bains smiles and the rest of the group are ecstatic about the prospects of becoming rich and famous. Bains is happy, but once again her joy is overshadowed by the life she left behind. Her thoughts of the baby, Tyler and now what consequences she may face for Nyna’s demise is a constant drain on her resolve for happiness. But Bains is a pragmatist. Every choice she makes is based on survival–––the survival of Humanity and now her crew. Consequently, Bains feels she is ready for whatever the mission throws her way. Or is she? The answer to that waits for her at Captain Satoh’s dig site.

Chapter Seventeen

Bains and Reed are in the Titan, a large heavily armored vehicle used for excavating at mining sites. The Titan is a large tank-like beast that has several rotating laser drills on it. It isn’t the fastest land vehicle, however it more than made up for its lack of speed in its ability to break up rock and haul large amounts of ore. Bains is smart to use it, because, Captain Satoh’s site is a considerable distance from them. If high winds or a storm system kicks up they will be shielded from the planet’s metal and silicone based debris.

Bains and Reed are seated in the Titan’s cockpit. The holographic windshield display maps their course and speed. It is night and the Titan’s headlights reveal a rocky terrain.

“How long before we reach the site?” Bains asks.

“We should be coming up within five-clicks now,” Reed says.

They are well passed the fifty-click boarder imposed by the other team. In the distance, they can barely make out a large structure. It is surrounded by haze and mist, but light glimmers from it. It looks unlike anything they’ve seen before. They continue to drive up on it. The closer they get the more defined it becomes. It is massive.

“My God!” Reed says in awe.

“All stop!” Bains orders.

Reed quickly applies the brakes as the mist reveals bo
ulders blocking their way.

“Is it man made or natural?” Reed asks as he strains to take in the spectacle.