The Broken Cage (Solstice 31 Saga Book 2) (22 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Found

“Barcus would have easily killed all of those murdering bastards, if we had not found him.”

--
Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Captain James Worthington, senior surviving member of the Ventura's command crew.

<<<>>>

“Rand. It's Hume, come in.” Hume flew low over Salterkirk, on grav-foils only.

“Rand here. Go, Hume,” Rand responded, audio only.

“I just wanted to give you an update, Rand. I’m not going to land. A burst transmission of reports and data is headed your way, now. It will include a set of updated maps, network access credentials, background information and what's going on with the moon team. They are going to be coming down sometime in the next two weeks.”

“Acknowledged,” Rand replied.

“Everything okay in Salterkirk?” Hume asked.

“I've been exploring. This place is huge. The actual mines are massive. Lots of potential,” Rand replied. “I have a Fly that can do autonomous mapping in the dark. It's an incredible place,” Rand said, “Wait one second, I will forward the survey.”

“Got it. Thanks,” Hume confirmed. “Got to jet, Rand. I'll be back soon.”

“Be careful, Hume. Remember, this is a hostile environment,” she said. “Rand, out.”

“Acknowledged. Hume, out.” Hume ascended to cruising altitude.

***

Hume geo-tagged the unfinished tunnel where she was holding up during the days. On the way back from Salterkirk, she fired up her passive scanners and night vision. She shut the turbines down, running silently when she got closer. The unfinished tunnel was just north of the gorge, above a bridge, according to her map.

She dropped below the rim of the canyon and cruised as fast as she could. It was a thrill, and she knew Worthington would be pissed off, if he knew she was taking that risk. She was flying at about 100 kph when she rounded a bend and saw the destroyed bridge. She pulled up, hard, backwashed to a full stop, and hovered, before she reached the burned ruins.

Hume said, out loud, “Sometimes a burning bridge gives the best light...” remembering a poem or a lyric.

She drifted up, between the towers, and followed the road until it terminated at the unfinished tunnel. She flew directly into the tunnel and all the way to the unfinished wall. There were signs of habitation in there. But, not recent signs.

She flew out and back on the exact same line, over the mountains and trees. She found the mouth on the other side. After doing the same survey of the tunnel, she set down just inside the opening. It would be the dawn of another day soon.

Ronan planned to reach the ruins today.

She sat down and sharpened her knives.

***

Hume slept for six hours in the pilot seat of the Hammerhead, with the canopy closed and her helmet on. She had been trained to sleep light and instantly come awake, if required. She had been awake all day and was now worried. Ronan was an hour overdue.

She decided to check in with the
Memphis
while she waited. She quietly flew to the flat, rocky spot, deployed the directional laser antenna and hailed the
Memphis
.

“Wake up, slackers,” was her hail today.

“Greetings, Hume.
Memphis
here. Tell us some good news,” Cook replied.

She instantly read the subtext of Cook's response. It was not going well up there. “Where's Tyrrell? I expected him to be here.”

“Do you still memorize the roster and schedules, even when you’re down there?” Cook asked.

Hume knew he was alone on the bridge by his casual manner on the comms.

“Old habit. Where’s everyone?” she asked.

“Right now, they’re searching the base with a fine-tooth comb. We were just about ready to go, when Bowen fucked us from beyond the grave. Jimbo figures she was going to either use the longevity serum as leverage or save it for herself. My money is on the latter. She thought she was so fucking smart she'd never get caught,” Cook hissed.

“Holy shit. You must be pissed to be cursing that much.” She laughed.

“This is not funny, Hume. Even if we make it to the surface, we’re all dead soon,” Cook said.

Hume thought it out for a second. She had made peace with death, long ago. She didn't expect to die of old age, at 300, warm in a bed, somewhere.

“Cook, I've been thinking. Bowen probably didn't kill Hamilton over some extra rations. But this? Make sure they search Hamilton's quarters and anywhere she may have been.”

“Will do,” Cook replied. She heard him typing. He was messaging them, now.

“What's your status, Hume?” Cook requested. Jimbo probably asked over text.

“I’m currently on hold. Ronan is about an hour overdue.” It was then that Hume noticed a high altitude vapor trail that was still in the sunshine as the sun set. “Something may be up. If he doesn't check-in in two hours, I’m going to look for him, after it gets dark.”

“We will have line of sight for about four more hours,” Cook said. “After that, Kuss will replace the point-to-point antenna with one she salvaged from the shuttle. We will be able to bring the other Hammerhead down and still have access to the sensors here and P2P comms. We will need to test it, at moonrise.”

“Acknowledged. Good luck, Cook. Tell Jimbo to think like Bowen, if he can stand it. Hume, out,” Hume said.

“
Memphis
, out.” Cook disconnected.

***

Hume stayed on the top of the rocks as she watched the sun set. She was emptying her mind and listening to the chatter of birds. This planet was so quiet. That was when she heard it.

There were distant echoes from gunshots. Heavy caliber. They
thumped
, like a 10mm caliber cannon. Then, she heard another, and another. She could now tell the direction—toward the ruins that were Ronan's destination.

She put on her helmet and cloak. She climbed into the Hammerhead, drifted down to the mouth of the tunnel, past the start of the road that went off into the distance, and into a tunnel of tree limbs. She warmed up the turbines and set a countdown clock. Cool and calculated, she waited. Her hover was so precise the Hammerhead looked perfectly still, like it was suspended by invisible wires.

She hung there for sixty-three minutes. The countdown clock had twenty-seven minutes remaining when her comms came alive. “Hume, just checking in. I'm all right. Approach. Sierra-Delta-Niner.” Ronan used one of the pre-designated security codes she had made him memorize.

She smiled, ear to ear, inside her helmet.

“Acknowledged. En route now,” she said, as she punched it full throttle.

He said Delta-Niner. There was a survivor found alive.

***

The Hammerhead screamed through the tunnel of trees, turbines on full. She noted that Ronan left his plate activated. Smart man. She saw where it was on her tactical. A kilometer out, she shut down and secured the turbines as she coasted in at 100 kph. She saw the keep, even before she exited the tunnel of trees like a bullet from a barrel. On foils, she lapped the circular fortress, twice, before pulling up to a slow hover and descent. Night vision and tactical displays showed that there were a lot of people below, maybe as many as 100 within the walls. She landed, directly in front of Ronan and a small crowd of people.

Before she popped the cowling, she unsnapped the straps on her holsters and targeted everyone present, except Ronan. Just in case.

As the cowling hinged up, slowly, Hume stepped out. She left the helmet on for the enhanced night vision and targeting.

Hume asked, “A Delta-Niner? Really?”

She lowered the hood and took off her helmet. Her black, unbraided, close-cropped hair barely covered her ears. She shook out her hair. It was flat after having worn the helmet for so many hours. Then, she saw him.

It was Barcus.

He was taller than anyone that surrounded him. His dark hair was long and unkempt. The beard he had was not enough to hide a new scar on his face that crossed his left cheekbone down to be lost at his jaw line. He looked as strong as she remembered.

She walked right up to him, took off a glove and extended her right hand to him. “Sir, I'm Hume.”

Barcus shook her hand. His mouth gaped, in stunned silence.

“Hume, this is Barcus. This is why I walked all this way,” Ronan said, explaining it to Hume, not Barcus.

“Valerie Hume? Lieutenant Valerie Hume?” Barcus asked, recognizing her. He was stunned.

He suddenly drew her into a hug that took her off her feet. She was tiny, just like the woman standing with him.

“You remember me.” She laughed.

“You're alive?” He set her back on her feet. He touched her arms and shoulders and finally held her head, making sure she was real. “I have so much to tell you.”

Barcus turned to speak directly to a woman named Po, just Po. She was a small, pretty woman with long, braided, blonde hair, wearing a simple dress. Hume could tell she was important to Barcus. When their eyes met, Hume sensed a flash of how fierce she was, how intelligent. It was just an impression, one that would prove itself out before all this was over. “Hume is from the
Ventura
. She was on the third shift command crew. The security chief.”

The woman named Po surprised her, by asking, “What's a Delta-Niner?”

Ronan replied, “It means, survivor found alive.”

“I have someone that would like to speak to you.” She reached into the cockpit and activated some controls. A small, tight beam, directional, laser-based comms antenna deployed from her ship and focused on the sky.

Barcus turned and reached for Po whispering to her, “This is a woman from Earth.”

She put her arm around his waist. He held her close, waiting for Hume.

A dialog box popped up in Barcus's HUD that said, “
A new network has requested protocol handshake. Confirm or Deny?”

Just then, Po gave a huge flinch as he held her.

Barcus looked down at her as she looked up at him. She said, with wide eyes, “Confirm.”

Barcus said, “Confirm.” The dialog box disappeared. He stared at her.

“Barcus, is that you?” the voice over the HUD asked.

He looked back at Hume, incredulously.

“Jimbo?” Barcus asked.

“That's Captain Jimbo, ass-wipe! You're not dead! How's it hanging, bro!?”

***

Barcus was still in shock. “Where the hell are you?” He looked at the point-to-point laser unit and then followed its aim, tracking it to the sky and the moon.

“We’re on a moon base. But, we’re headed your way, soon,” Worthington said.

“Negative. There are weapons platforms surrounding this planet. They will nuke you like they did the
Ventura
.” Barcus was adamant.

“Relax, man. We know. We found a hole, but it will be close. We’re planning to send the crew down in a lifeboat first,” Worthington said.

“Wait. This hole is big enough for the
Memphis
?” Barcus asked.

“Barely. Hume mapped it, in detail, when she went through in the Hammerhead. But, we can't wait much longer. We’re almost out of food. We are good on air and water, but we’re down to emergency rations from the lifeboats,” Jim said.

“How many are with you?” Barcus asked.

“There are fifteen here, including me,” Worthington said.

“Jimbo. I have a Shuttle Transport Unit. Chen's STU. If there is a hole in the defense grid, I can be there in an hour,” Barcus said. “Do you have a dock or a portable gantry?”

“Better than that. A whole hangar bay with functioning airlocks,” Jim said. “Is Chen with you?” he asked, excitedly.

“No.” His voice fell. “She didn't make it. She was the one that saved me. I was the only one to...” He faded off. “I thought I was the only one. This changes everything.”

“Hume, give Barcus the telemetry for the hole.” Jimbo grew more excited. “Wait, Barcus, you have Chen's STU-1138? That model has a small fabricator. Is it damaged?”

“Minimal damage. The fabricator is perfect. I’ve been using it. What's wrong with your fabricators?” Barcus asked.

“Excellent. Elkin and Kuss will be glad to hear it,” Worthington said. “That increases our chances of getting off this ball. Both of our fabricators were destroyed.”

“Screw this, Jimbo. Let's talk, in person.” Barcus looked at Hume and swept her up in another bear-hug. “Let's have that data, Hume. Jimbo, I will be there in less than two hours.” Adding to the end, “Stu, fire up the mains. We’re going on a road trip!”

Barcus looked at the people standing there, and asked, “Who wants to go to the moon?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Rescue

“The people on this planet had never seen a dark-skinned person before. Hume was fascinating to some, and frightening to others.”

--
Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Captain James Worthington, senior surviving member of the Ventura's command crew.

<<<>>>

A man with a badly scarred face smiled and shook his head. “Can this night become any more...surreal?” He walked away. “I have bodies to burn.”

“What did he just say?” Hume asked.

“It's why I was late checking in, Hume,” Ronan said. “Apparently, our friend Barcus here is having a bit of a war with the High Keeper's men.”

“Come into the light.” Po took Hume's hand and walked closer to a lantern, hanging by the door to the paddock. “Are you alright?” she touched Hume's face.

Hume allowed it.

“She's never seen another race before. There are no other races on this planet,” Barcus said, as data and reports began flowing to his personal HUD.

“Does it hurt?” Po asked, which made Hume laugh.

“Stu, prep for an orbital run to these coordinates, precisely, and then to this location on the far side of the moon,” Barcus ordered.

They were walking back to the gatehouse when Hume realized that Po carried an AR, slung on her back beneath her cloak. “How long have you been here, Barcus?” Hume asked, as he opened the door to the gatehouse.

Po, Ronan, and Hume followed him in.

“I have been here since I fell onto this planet. It was just a ruin when I arrived,” he said.

“He saved us all,” Po said, absently, as she swung the kettle over the fire.

“Are you really going to the moon, my boy?” Ronan asked.

“Yes. We leave in about thirty minutes.” Reminded, Barcus turned away and said, quietly, “Em, Par will stay here and keep an eye on the Abbey. Stu and Ash will go with me to get Jimbo and his crew.”

AI~Stu spoke, into his head, “
I have analyzed the sensor data Lieutenant Hume provided and I will be able to navigate the hole in the defense grid, easily. Shall we bring them all down on this trip? I will have to obtain a core dump from Ben, the AI currently on the Memphis, and we can come up with a plan, then.
”

“Thanks, Stu.”

AI~Stu continued, “
Both reactors will be warmed up in eighteen minutes. Inertial Dampening will be available a few minutes later.”

“May I go with you?” Ronan asked. “It may be my only chance.”

“You'll be taking me, as well,” Hume said, “Plus, we’ll need to stop on the way back and get Rand.”

Barcus was dumbfounded, again. He slumped into a chair.

“Rand lives?” Barcus asked.

“Yes. She is a ways west of here, but she is fine. She has an Emergency Module with her as well,” Hume replied. “We detected comms traffic with the EMs. It's how we found you,” Hume said.

“Po, let them know we’ll be back, with my friends, late tomorrow morning. Let's have a celebration. They need it, as well, after today,” Barcus said to her, as she put the Colt AR-79 rifle back into its case.

Barcus quietly explained to Hume that a few hours ago there was a battle of sorts and over a hundred mercenaries and trackers were killed in a very one-sided confrontation. That explained the gunfire she had heard.

“We will now have seventeen men and women from Earth?” Po smiled wide. “We will be invincible.” Her eyes were sparkling as she left the gatehouse.

“Barcus, what are you going to do?” Ronan asked.

He stood, looked at Hume, and then to Ronan.

“Live.” Barcus smiled.

***

EM~Stu was parked beyond the north gate when the four of them boarded, along with Ash. Hume watched the suit everyone called Ash, ascend and dock in its usual pack in the back of the small bridge. Ronan watched the ramp close behind him under the chin of the ship. It was the size of a large house, but shaped like a turtle with all its limbs drawn in.

“How can it be so black? It's like a void in the darkness, it's so black,” Ronan said, as the ramp sealed.

Barcus said, from the ladder, “It's the material it is made of. It absorbs all light, reflects no light, no colors, none at all. Plus, it’s nearly frictionless and heat resistant.”

Hume and then Ronan went up the ladder, followed by Po. When she entered the bridge, she took the front, right seat, and Barcus the front, left seat.

She buckled her five-point harness expertly without a word, just as Barcus did.

“Hello, Stu. How are you today?” Po asked the Shuttle Transport Unit’s Artificial Intelligence program, or AI~Stu.

“Very well, thanks. And yourself?” AI~Stu replied, conversationally.

“Excellent. Full canopy, please,” Po said.

Suddenly, it was like they stood outside, on top of a platform, open to the night sky. Ronan sat quickly and fumbled with the straps. Hume helped him and then sat opposite him.

“Status please, Stu,” Barcus said.

“Reactors idling at sixty percent. Inertial dampeners at 100 percent. Seal is good. Pressure is good. All systems are nominal. Ready for orbital extraction.”

“Full Tactical,” Barcus said.

All of the night sky on the canopy was filled with icons. All the defense platforms were marked and highlighted. The sensor data populated a virtual representation of the sensor net that enveloped the planet. The dead platform and surrounding nodes were indicated near the horizon on the left.

“Let's move out Stu. Grav-foils only until 10,000 meters. Then proceed. Carefully,” Barcus said.

“I recommend we move slowly through the field. It's just a feeling. Maybe 100 meters per second for two minutes,” Hume said.

“Did you hear that Stu?” Barcus asked. “Make it happen.”

“Yes, Barcus,” AI~Stu replied.

***

They watched as the world fell away beneath them. They felt no sense of motion, at all, as they slowed for the transition through the hole. They were close enough to the weapons platforms to see the mouths of hundreds of launch tubes. First on the planet-side, then on the outer plane.

“Did you really fly that Hammerhead all the way from that moon base?” Barcus asked.

“Yes. Don't ask me to do it again,” Hume replied.

“Let's give it another minute before we power up,” Hume recommended. “In fact, can we run on just grav-foils for a bit? Just to be sure.”

“Stu. Do it,” Barcus said.

“They always said the world was round. A great ball. I can see it from here,” Ronan said, in awe.

They let it go a few minutes more. They were through, now. They were oriented, so the foils would make them feel like they were in standard single G fall.

Barcus brought the systems up, starting with artificial gravity, inertial dampeners, and the main engines. The planet fell away, rapidly.

“Stu, how soon before we arrive?” Po asked.

“Twenty-two minutes, Miss,” AI~Stu responded.

“Maybe we should let them know we’re on the way?” Po recommended.

“Good idea,” Barcus said, “Stu, open a channel to the
Memphis
, P2P, please.”

“Open,” AI~Stu said, after only a few seconds.

“
Memphis
, this is Barcus. STU-1138 is en route with an ETA of about twenty minutes. You ready, Jimbo?” Barcus said.

Po looked at him and smiled. He was happy. She didn't know if she had ever seen him happy like this, before now.

“STU-1138, this is the
Memphis
. The hangar has been depressurized and the barn door is open. Get your ass in here, you ugly bucket of spit. We’ve got some crap that needs fixing.” Cook laughed.

“Oh. My. God. Cook. It's so good to hear your voice,” Barcus said.

“Shut up, everyone is on the bridge. Listening. No sloppy kisses for you, dipshit,” Cook said, and laughter could be heard on the crowded bridge.

Worthington spoke, “Is Hume with you?”

“Yes, sir. She can hear you,” Barcus said, as they neared the surface of the moon and began shutting down the main engines.

“Hume, you were right. We found the serum by tracing Hamilton's steps. We found it at the bottom of the water tank,” Worthington said.

“Good news, sir. Are you ready to head out?” Hume asked.

“We will need to cycle the hangar door closed and then repressurize the main hangar. We should load up the shuttle with the equipment, gear, and supplies we have decided to take along with us. Then, we should shut down the nonessential systems on the
Memphis
. We’re planning to keep the heat and the lights on in the base, for when we return to the
Memphis
,” Worthington said.

“Thank you, Barcus,” he added.

“I'm glad you're alive, bro. No sloppy kisses for you, either,” Barcus said.

He looked at Po. She had a strange look on her face. Barcus mouthed silently, ‘
It's a joke!’

***

The moon base came into view a few minutes later. As soon as they cleared the massive door, it closed behind them. The pools of light in the giant hangar revealed the
Memphis
, parked to one side with its shuttle dock wide open and the apron all the way down. Without being asked, AI~Stu flew slowly into the
Memphis
flight deck and landed in the very center.

“I don't know what to say,” Ronan said, in a voice just above a whisper, as the hangar door closed with a
thump
felt in the structure and not heard in the vacuum. “So much lost.”

“Welcome to the
Memphis
. Comfy in there?” Worthington asked, over the comms. “Normally, it's polite to ask permission to come aboard, ass-wipe.”

They heard the smile in his voice.

“Look, man. I'm just MG-42.”

They laughed.

“Pressure in eleven minutes. See you soon,” Worthington said, and closed the channel.

“They are probably packing,” Hume said, unbuckling.

“What does MG-42 mean?” Po asked.

Barcus smiled, “Maintenance guy number forty-two. Also known as JAFMG, just-another-fucking-maintenance-guy. Another joke.”

“Do men from Earth always insult each other?” she asked.

“Only if they’re good friends,” he said, standing. “Stu, don't shut down cold. Low idle, please, and establish data and comms links with the
Memphis
and sync. Notify me of any mission priorities.”

“Yes, sir,” AI~Stu replied.

“Thanks for the nice ride, Stu. I enjoy flying,” Po said.

Barcus stood and looked around at the damage to the dock. He could not believe that the
Memphis
could still fly. There were hull breaches clean through to the center of the reactor room in main engineering. But, the ship had full power.

Beyond the flight apron, he saw the remains of their shuttle. It was three times the size of the STU-1138 and must have absorbed the brunt of the debris that had torn through the
Memphis
.

“They must have been desperate to even consider flying this to the surface,” Barcus said, to no one in particular. Everyone was looking around now.

“We were,” Hume said. “Desperate. Hanging by a thread, really.”

“You flew an unpressurized Hammerhead from here to the planet. On manual grav-foils, tiny ones, because the turbines don't even spin up in a vacuum,” Barcus said, looking at another Hammerhead parked out there.

“Yes...Hanging by a thread.”

She stared at the parked Hammerhead, as well. Barcus couldn't believe her eyes were filling with tears that finally spilled over. He gathered Hume into his arms. She let him. Her shoulders shook.

Po joined the embrace from behind Hume. “He does this to everyone, you know. It's one of his magic powers.”

Hume laughed, and it turned into a sob. But then, she wiped her eyes on Barcus's tunic.

She pulled back, and they separated. But, not before she pounded him on the sternum, and said, “Ass-wipe.”

She laughed again, and Po took her place in his arms, hiding her eyes in his chest.

He let her.

They went down to the cargo bay, and waited until the indicator turned green. He pounded the large activator button, and the ramp descended.

All fifteen stood there.

Barcus said, “Captain Worthington, permission to come aboard?”

“Granted,” he replied.

There was no salute. Just a fierce hug between two old friends.