Still Falling: Book 1: Solstice 31 Saga (3 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

The Long Slide Down

“The hostile environment protocols in this AI were so advanced that even now, 34 years later, in 2663, they are under consideration for new Emergency Modules. Even after all that happened.”

--Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Emergency Module Digital Forensics Report. Independent Tech Analysis Team.

<<<>>>

Em wanted to wait until nightfall to exit the cave. It was standard ENE protocol. While they were waiting, Barcus explored the cave with some of the BUGs. Em showed Barcus the capabilities of the devices. They had full, high-definition audio and video. They could function as tiny local comm relays, and they were self-powered on minimal light.

They then spent a few hours going over the full inventory of the Emergency Module, the range of capabilities of both its hardware and software. Barcus also configured his internal retinal HUD to remote access the systems within Em. Barcus had a basic maintenance retinal HUD implant. It didn't have any local onboard specialty hardware except the basic 3D vid and short range comms. With a full-time link to Em, his personal HUD was greatly enhanced. It was past nightfall when they were done.

The descent itself from the mountain was harrowing for Barcus initially. It did, however, keep his mind off Chen and the rest of his friends.

“What if this was all just a mistake? What if it was an accident? Should we issue a distress call? “

“Barcus, they were targeting the life pods as they launched.” Em began playback of the descent. Adjusting out the pitch and yaw, Barcus could clearly see that high energy particle beams from the weapons platforms were destroying the life pods.

“Do we know anything about the PT-137 craft we saw? It was so loud.”

Em brought up several high definition images of the ship and ran video loops in other windows.

“From the markings, it was a PT-137, which was the largest of the Personal Transport PT class vehicles at the time of their manufacture. It held four passengers and was mainly designed as a utility transport shuttle for people. But that was 232 years ago. The war stopped their manufacture when the factory was destroyed.”

The images changed to a second, larger craft. “This second one, which I detected on our free fall, I believe was a C-1138a of the same vintage. It was a civilian version of the C-1138 – with no weapons trays. It was used for the transport of large amounts of cargo and personnel. The cargo bay was not pressurized, and they were notorious for not maintaining hull seal in space.”

Barcus asked, “Any theories on how they got here?”

Em paused before answering. “Wartime, unregistered, colonists is the most likely answer.”

“What? That was over 200 years ago.”

“Two hundred twenty-seven years ago. But before and during the war, there were masses of people fleeing from Earth. Most were sponsored by wealthy nations. Most did not survive.” Em was sounding now like the other AI systems Barcus interacted with - facts, and lots of them.

“Registered colonies became hostages in the war. Nearly two billion people died in the colonies before the Contraction. Private colony ships would depart and never arrive at their designated planet. It was always assumed that their ships didn't survive, that they were either intercepted or destroyed. Some were rumored to have simply gone to an alternate planet to avoid destruction or any further involvement in the war.”

“I heard that. But they always gave themselves away - setting up communications,” Barcus added.

A big slide sent Em far too close to a major fall over a cliff. The conversation silenced, they recovered and selected an alternate route. They continued down and south.

Once they cleared the cloud layer, Barcus could see the valley below. Tall pine forests led to deciduous trees farther down the valley. It was clear that autumn was just beginning in this region of the planet.

Em skidded to a halt without notice, making Barcus glad he had his harness on. “What's wrong, Em?”

“It's a distress signal from another Emergency Module.” Em sounded shocked.

“I thought you said it was a bad idea to send a distress call,” Barcus stated, realizing the implications. “Where is it coming from?”

“It's about 1,620 kilometers south-east from here.” EM moved quickly to the top of a near peak.

“Wouldn't that Emergency Module know to keep radio silence?” Barcus asked.

“Only in Hostile Environment Survival mode. I think its user is unaware that the environment is hostile. It is an automated rescue beacon,” Em explained as she reached the peak, hoping for a better signal.

Just then, the signal stopped.

Barcus was watching the status display when it ceased.

“It was destroyed.” Em paused. “Rescue beacons never stop midstream. They always complete the automatic cycle. And when deactivated, they broadcast reason for deactivation. This one didn't.”

“How could they get there so fast? I mean...maybe...” He fell silent.

Em said resignedly, “It was too far away for us to do anything.”

“How long would it take BUGs to get there in autonomous mode?”

“It depends on the weather. But I estimate 190 days.”

“Too far, too long. Can you think of anything else we can do?”

“No, sir,” Em replied.

“Why doesn't the BUGs’ RF give them away?”

“They were specifically designed as clandestine surveillance drones. They use encrypted low bandwidth comms that are designed to look and sound like solar radiation noise. Audio, video, command control and relay only. No local storage.”

“Where the hell would Chen get something like that?” Barcus asked.

“She had friends on the third shift command crew, like Worthington. And many friends in security that were former military.”

It hit Barcus again. They were all dead. Even the best officers he had ever met in the fleet. Worthington, Lewis, Cook, Metzler, Adams, LaRochelle, all of them. They were the only command crew that would come to the Ventura’s best pub, Pecks Halfway, on a regular basis. Peck was dead too, that busted-down, alcoholic, gay, son of a bitch, barkeep… friend.

Barcus covered his face with his hands again. Silently, his shoulders shook.

When he took his hands away, sniffing, his face was wet, and the muscles in his jaw began to work as he clenched and ground his teeth.

A long slide down a slope covered in black shale distracted him for a few minutes, but only a few. His thoughts returned to the 2,067 people that were murdered.

I will make them pay.

CHAPTER FIVE

The Stone Cauldron

“The AI known as Em was collecting data at an incredible rate using the Briggs, Udvar, Green drones. Only a fraction of this data was shared with Barcus. Specifically to ensure his safety.”

--Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Emergency Module Digital Forensics Report. Independent Tech Analysis Team.

<<<>>>

For seven days, Em and Barcus moved south, out of the mountains and into the forests. The trees were very old growth, very much like redwoods, but thinner. They had trunks that were a meter or two across and were over thirty meters tall. The canopy above consumed virtually all the light. Clearings occurred where the rocks reached the surface like exposed bones. Oddest of all, there seemed to be hardly any tree fall. None of these trees seemed to have ever died. There was no evidence of them having burned, either. On two occasions, Barcus found evidence of the undergrowth burning completely off, but the trees were just a bit charred.

They moved at night following rivers, with Em walking in the water. Hundreds of BUGs fanned out from their position to survey and map the area. Infrequently, they would discover forest roads. The BUGs discovered roads that lead to small settlements.

The first of these settlements was little more than a crossroads village at the edge of a giant freshwater lake. It consisted of a tavern, a blacksmith, a trading post and what looked like a primitive meetinghouse. Em quickly cataloged all the people in the village. There were thirty-six adults and nineteen children out and about. They looked happy and productive and prosperous.

Barcus watched them, an observer. Their lives were primitive, medieval even, but reasonably comfortable. Em convinced him he needed to learn the language. This would be a good way. So they left some BUGs there.

They were making good time, even though Barcus had no idea where they were going. One day, he asked Em to stop.

They were on a bluff that overlooked a wide river.

“Em, where the hell are we going?”

“South.”

Is she being a smartass?

“Where? Why? Specifically?” There was a pause. “I know I have checked out a bit. But I'm back now.”

“I wanted to let you mourn. So many lost.” She sounded like she was going to cry. Barcus wanted to comfort her.
Chen, how the hell did you manage this?

He had been mourning. He had spent endless hours, zoned out, watching happy people drink ale in a tavern. Watching because they laughed. It was the same everywhere. Sounded just like the Peck's Halfway, back on the Ventura, his favorite place to relax after shift. Peck had actual beer and good bourbon. And there were friends. It was the closest pub to the outer rings. All the “heavies” drank there. It was a “One G Joint.”

Goddammit, Chen.

“So what's the plan, Em? An AI as smart as you must have a plan.”

There was a pause before she said, “Survive. Gather information. Hide. Be safe. Act on what we discover. Survive.”

“That sounds like a plan.” He was looking at the view. The trees had a hint of fall color here. “I think we have evaded any physical pursuit. We need to find somewhere we can hold up. Maybe for the whole winter.” Barcus was looking at the leaves, wondering to himself how he could think about beauty when all these people were dead.

“I think you’re right. We need somewhere secluded. I don't think the locals would like me.” Her voice was amused. “There is an abandoned village 30 clicks from here. We surveyed it and moved on.” Em replayed a fly-by the BUGs had captured. It looked long abandoned. Almost haunted.

“Okay. Let's go. I want to wear the suit though today. I feel like a run.”

Barcus climbed out of Em to find the suit already waiting for him. It was kneeling, sitting on its heels with its hands behind its back so he could use them to climb up and in. It rose as he did in precise motion that allowed Barcus to easily slide his legs into the lower half. As he leaned forward into the harness, the back closed behind him. The suit stood just over three meters tall.

The suit had a full HUD built into the inner torso dome. To Barcus, it looked like he was walking around in an open top exoskeleton. Nothing could have been further from the truth. As the gel expanded around him to secure and protect him and to sense his movements, the internal HUD came up. The dome was not a helmet, really. There were no visors or transparent ports of any kind. The internal surface was about a uniform 30 centimeters from his face, but it seemed like it wasn't there at all. It displayed the surrounding area in ultra-high definition with brightness and contrast control. It was hyper-real. The Augmented Reality Overlay System Environment (AROSE) showed any data as well, based on the user’s needs - infrared, sound direction and distance, chem scans, radio traffic and many others. Status windows seemed to float a few feet away, reporting everything from the weather, to maps, to tool availability.

“Em, show me where that abandoned village is.” And before Barcus finished his sentence, it was on his HUD with a proposed route indicated on the map and a seeming trail of translucent mist before him.

Barcus didn't want to think. He wanted to run. So he did. He already missed the 2G gravity of the outer rings. The weight of it made him strong. Made him feel more alive.

Em was expecting his move and was away and running an instant after he began, but quickly pulled ahead. Barcus marveled at how gracefully Em moved, so naturally, like a living thing. He was also amazed by how little she disturbed the ground. He was literally tearing the forest up as he ran. The footpads had automatically optimized for maximum traction. Each footfall was about ten meters apart and left great gaping holes in the turf.

“Barcus, this isn't very stealthy.”

Was she being a smartass again?

“Do you think anyone is near enough to see us? The BUGs have not seen a person within 50 clicks of here. That village is definitely abandoned. Besides I need this...” So they ran, in broad daylight, faster than any animal on this planet could run, crashing through the forest like a train.

The two Trackers, a man, and a woman heard them coming from more than a kilometer away. They saw a giant, black spider being chased by a black demon with no face. They had been Trackers their whole lives, an effective team. They had heard the tales of demons from the north but always thought they were just stories to frighten children. Barcus never knew they were there. He never knew that moment had made all the difference.

It only took about 40 minutes to reach the abandoned village. It was large for being so remote. Em released over a hundred BUGs to quickly explore. The images they returned to the dozen windows in the HUD were haunting. It was like the people just disappeared. Pots, thick with dust, hung over cold hearths, tables were set for evening meals, mugs sat on the bar and tables in the inn.

To an observer, it looked like the spider and the demon just stood in the overgrown crossroad. Waiting.

Then one of the BUGs found the stone quarry.

As Barcus looked around, he could tell that this was a village of stone cutters and masons. The vine covered buildings were all made of stone. The roofs were slate. Even the interiors had stone arches instead of wood beams. Built to last.

The quarry that provided the materials was deep but still dry. As he approached, his HUD reported that here it was 51 meters down to the floor. The HUD reported that the distance down was an easy jump for the suit. He vaulted forward because he wanted to land past the mountain of bones at the bottom.

The suit landed with a practiced motion. Barcus had done that a thousand times before. He stood up straight pausing for a moment before he turned.

There were hundreds of skeletons of men, women and even children. He walked to the edge, careful not to step on any bones. The demon knelt, extending delicate looking hands with two opposable thumbs on each side to reach down and lift a little girl’s skull that had rolled down the pile at the impact of his landing.

The skull still had bits of long dried skin attached to the face, as well as most of the scalp, with its long blond hair still ribboned into a ponytail. There was a gash where some kind of ax had entered the orbit of her eye, diagonally down through her nose, the roof of her mouth and into her brain.

Gently, the delicate hands replaced the head. Horrific carnage had been perpetrated on these people.

“Em, what do you make of this?” Barcus asked. He did not need to see her to know she was there. Her BUGs were her eyes.

“They were rounded up and murdered. Some few were kept alive to collect and throw the bodies down here, and then even they were pushed in alive to be broken and die slowly. I estimate that there just over 300 people here. Sixty-eight are children.” She sounded upset. “Who would do this? Why?”

“It was a long time ago?” Barcus asked.

“At least fifteen or twenty years. And no one has ever returned to this village. The forest is taking it back already.” Em showed Barcus a BUG’s eye view of an area where a road once was that was now scattered with tall grasses and saplings, some as big as six inches in diameter. Haunting.

Still being careful not to disturb the dead, Barcus climbed out. The far side had a serpentine road that wound up and out and around. The exposed gray stone of the walls was beautiful in its way.

He found Em in the center crossroads in town. About 200 feet in each direction had cobblestone. Weeds and moss grew between some of the cracks. But, for the most part, the roads here were clean, only occasional autumn leaves blowing around.

“We will stay here tonight if you are sure no one is about,” Barcus said as he began exit procedures in the suit. The suit knelt as the back opened and the sense gel shrank away. He climbed out into the chill breeze of a quiet late autumn afternoon. There was a hush here. The suit closed and stood up. Barcus turned and walked to the gate at the back of the largest building in the village. It was the inn. He suddenly realized he could read the carved sign on the gate post.

The Stone Cauldron.

The actual gate, one of the few things here made of wood, had fallen in the weather. The suit followed him into the courtyard in the back. There were stables and even a few wagons still intact because they were parked under cover. Em stepped over the walls and settled into the middle of the courtyard.

Barcus hugged himself. His one piece coverall was not warm enough. It was designed to be durable and easy to clean with very little care, but not to be warm.

He climbed the steps onto the back porch of the inn. This was the kitchen entrance. The door opened easily. There was enough light in the room to tell it was a kitchen. The high windows had leaded glass, and they were all intact. The dust was very thick and undisturbed, except for what looked like very old mice tracks. Mice and rats must have scurried away with the last crumb from here decades ago.

He moved through double doors to a large main room where there was a bar made of stone, intricately carved and deep in dust. A huge fireplace dominated the room. Even the tables, booths, and benches were made of stone. Shadows were deep here.

“Barcus, on the second floor at the far end of the hall are the innkeeper’s rooms. There is less dust there and a bed.”

“Does it have blankets? If it gets much colder, I will need to sleep in the suit.”

“There are blankets on the bed. And there are several chests.”

Barcus found the room. The door was made of stone and fit so perfectly in the casement, a piece of paper would have been hard pressed to fit.

The heavy drapes were drawn. He opened them. There were some old dust webs, but not a lot. The light showed that the room was about eight meters square and had a large fireplace, a large wood four post bed, two overstuffed chairs. There was also a wash basin, a pitcher and a half a dozen chests and cabinets.

There was even firewood made ready for a light.

“Em, is the chimney clear?”

“Yes, but the flue is closed.”

It took him only a moment to figure out the mechanism for the flue. He drew out a mini torch from a calf pocket and lit the fire.

The wood was dry and caught quickly. The chimney drew the smoke out beautifully. As twilight fell, Barcus lit candles that he found all around the room.

Only the top quilt had any dust. He carefully folded it up to minimize disturbing it.

He found more quilts in a cedar chest at the foot of the bed. In other chests, he found women’s clothes of various sizes and styles. Finally, he found a man’s clothes in two chests. He must have been as big in the shoulders and chest as Barcus but not as tall. Some heavy belted tunics and hooded cloaks would be a good start. Unfortunately, his boots were far too small for Barcus.

All of this had Barcus thinking.

“Em, should we stay here? We only have a few weeks to figure out how we will get through the winter.”

We? I'm alone, he reminded himself. Chen, you brilliant bitch. Memories punched him in the guts once, and suddenly, holding his face in his hands, he was sobbing again.