Isra grumbled but shook his hand. “And you, Cronus? What is your real name and what are you doing here?”
“My real name? At birth I was given a name, but it is not one that I chose. I chose Cronus and it is by Cronus that I am known. If all of the world calls me Cronus- well, that is my real name.”
Cronus peeled the goggles off of his face and grinned at the three of them. He looked like a person who considered sleep a thing that other people wasted their time with among other silly ideas like direct sunlight. It was impossible to tell his age, but a balding patch suggested somewhere in the thirties or possibly forties. Still, Cronus had a kind of pure exuberance in the way he moved and talked that only came from youth or maybe some heavy medication.
Cronus continued, “There is a civilization on Titan-”
Isra interrupted, “We got reports from a leak somewhere in the Corporation but we do not know for a fact—”
“It is there,” said Cronus firmly, “And with it, an ancient computer system. I came here to find it and see what secrets it has. Old data from the ancients, very valuable.”
“If you say so,” muttered Isra, walking toward the crawler.
She grabbed a small data chip from the seat and inserted it into a slot in her EROS suit just below the elbow. She beckoned everyone closer as a holographic map of the area appeared in the air.
“We are here,” said Isra indicating a blinking dot near the South coast of the Ligeia Mare. “We believe the city is located somewhere here.” A large piece of land on the Western side of the ocean, several dozen kilometers away, started blinking.
“We will follow the coast around the Ligeia Mare. Satellite images pick up some sort of structure along the Western coast. Moving at a steady pace, we should be able to reach it in approximately twelve hours. Our mission is to stall for time. We make contact, send word back to the Ministry proving that there is a civilization here and, thus, force the Corporation to stand down operations until the civilization can be studied and protected. Is everyone prepared?”
Viekko did one more visual check of his guns and replaced them in his shoulder holsters. While he did he cupped the capsules of triple-T he had stashed in his inside jacket pocket for reassurance. “Ready.”
Althea patted her black medical bag in the back as if to assure herself that it was there and took a seat in the driver’s side. “Good to go.”
Cronus unpacked a device that looked like two silver vines wrapped around each other. He slipped his arm through the twisting silver coils. Each finger moved into an intricate series of interconnected rings. With that, he pulled his goggles back over his eyes and climbed on top of the crates. Lights came from the strange metal glove and his goggles started glowing a pale green as he laid down. “I am prepared. To a new world.”
“Viekko, you take point,” said Isra.
Althea turned on the crawler’s electric engine and Viekko started walking over the soft sand toward the West.
CHAPTER FOUR
Ostensibly, the Corporation was formed to manage the planet’s resources but its structure has always been and remains self-serving in nature. Individuals and organizations at the top reap the greatest benefits while the rest are meant to scramble for the remains. In times of plenty, people are willing to forgive the excesses of a small portion of the population.
But when thousands are starving in the streets, the winds of change blow strong and it is the top that sways the most.
-from The Fall: The Decline and Failure of 21st Century Civilization by Martin Raffe.
Viekko walked in silence ahead of the crawler. He felt the thick, stinking breeze blowing off the Ligeia Mare and watched as the waves rolled onto a beach made of marble-sized pebbles. Each time the waves receded it sounded like a thousand bubbles popping at the same time. It was enough to drown out the mechanical whine of the crawler behind him. Father away from the water, the pebbles became sand and then soil and disappeared into thick ferns, bushes and towering trees, the tops of which disappeared into the clouds.
Cronus, laying on top of the crates, reached out and touched invisible things with the metal device wrapped around his arm. He was lost and content in a world of his own while Althea drove the crawler with all the speed its name would imply.
“Viekko. Progress report, please,” said Isra, walking beside the all-terrain vehicle.
Isra seemed to be in a good mood. She didn’t normally use the word ‘please’ outside of diplomatic talks. She probably supposed that it was a waste of time.
Viekko pressed a button on his arm and read the data on the screen. “We’re clearing ground at a decent rate. Maintaining a steady pace of about 5.5 kilometers per hour. If we keep this up we could be knocking on someone’s door in time for dinner.”
Isra nodded, satisfied. “It will take Laban and his men several hours to set up for hydrocarbon extraction. At this pace it is possible to get to the location, find proof of civilization and put a halt to his operation before it even gets started.”
On top of the stack of cargo crates, Cronus sneezed.
A rustling sound in the trees overhead caught Viekko’s attention and he looked up to see a bird with a wingspan as large as a condor leap from the canopy and glide out over the Ligeia Mare. Farther down the coast, one of the trees was in full bloom. The flowers added an explosion of color to the bleak, orange sky. Viekko smiled at the serene beauty of this place. It was like a massive wildcat dozing in the afternoon sun. Beautiful, majestic and likely to leave you bleeding out on the ground if the situation goes wrong.
The breeze coming off the water died down. Viekko stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air.
Althea parked the crawler next to him.
“Viekko,” said Isra, “Why did you stop?”
Viekko stuck his nose in the air and took a long breath in. “Somethin’s wrong.”
From on top of the crates, Cronus launched into a minor coughing fit.
Isra looked from the forests to the sea but nothing moved except the leaves in the wind. “What is it?”
“Somethin’ don’t belong. I smell the sea, the leaves, the flowers and… somethin’ else. Somethin’ that ain't natural. It’s faint, though. Can’t quite nail it down.”
“Is it dangerous?”
Viekko watched the coast behind them but nothing moved. “It’s still a ways away. Could be nothing. Still, best thing to do is try and put some distance between it and us.”
Cronus launched into another coughing fit. This one was not so minor. He sounded like his guts were planning a quick and violent escape.
Althea looked over her shoulder. “Cronus, are you alright?”
Cronus wheezed, coughed for a few more seconds, and rolled off the top of the crates. He landed on the pebbly ground with a heavy crunch.
Althea jumped out of the driver’s seat, grabbed her black medical bag out of the back and rushed to where he lay on the ground gasping for air.
Isra and Viekko both knelt down beside him as well. Somehow, in the couple of hours since they left the landing zone, Cronus's head had swelled to the point that he now looked like a pale, distressed pumpkin. He clawed at his throat with fat hands that used to have much longer fingers.
“Cronus,” said Althea with practiced calm, “Cronus! Look at me, can you speak?”
Cronus wheezed and started weakly coughing again, gasping for air as if choking to death.
“What is wrong with him?” said Isra.
Althea opened her bag and started rooting around. “I think he’s having some kind of allergic reaction.”
“To what?” asked, Viekko leaning close. “He ain't touched nothin’ since he got here. Just laid on top of them crates.”
“He could be reacting to pollen, spores, microorganisms or something else in the air.” said Althea, producing syringe from her medical bag. It wasn’t the type that ended in a needle, but one made to be inserted into the RX5’s delivery system through an external port. “One of those crates should ha
ve medical supplies. I’ll need a breather.”
Viekko got up and rushed to the bed of the crawler. He pulled one of the crates down and tried to open it when he saw the electronic lock in front. “Isra, what’s the damn code to these locks?”
Isra pushed him out of the way. “I will get it. You help Althea.”
The tone of Isra’s voice along with the fact that she shoved him out of the way gave him a twist in his gut. There was a touch of fear there and Isra was never afraid. Even if she was, she would never show it and give another person that edge.
“Cronus,” said Althea, holding the syringe front of his face, “I’m going to give you a shot of adrenaline. It should open your airways enough to breathe.”
Viekko’s head swiveled around to watch Cronus struggling under Althea’s grasp and then back to Isra who was staring Viekko down with raw determination.
“Cronus!” said Althea trying to access his RX5, “I need you to relax. I can’t help you if you don’t relax!”
“Go help Althea” said Isra, “You do not even know which crate to open. Or where the breathers are. I do.”
At that moment, Viekko was compelled to ask what was in the crates. Isra went to such lengths to avoid Corporation inspections. And she was afraid. What could possibly...
Cronus bucked and flailed under Althea’s grasp. She could barely hold him in place, much less insert the syringe.
Isra motioned toward them. “Go. Help them. I will find the breathers.”
Viekko grumbled but arguing the point at a time like this was poor form. Viekko went over and knelt by Cronus who was clawing at his own chest and breathing in short, shallow bursts.
“What’s happenin’?” said Viekko.
“I think he’s having a panic attack,” said Althea still struggling with him.
Viekko held one of Cronus's arms down and pressed down on his chest. Cronus fought but Viekko was able to hold him steady enough for Althea to pull his green vest aside enough to reveal the ports on the medical regulator on his shoulder. She jammed the syringe in one of the ports and twisted, locking it into place. She leaned back and touched an icon on her EROS computer and the plunger of the syringe started to descend. As soon as the medicine was in, Cronus took his first full breath in several minutes.
Viekko let go and said, “You all right?”
Cronus took a few more deep breaths before he could answer. “I can breathe. What is happening to me?”
“I don’t know,” said Althea.
“Am I going to die out here?”
Althea grabbed a hand-held laser retinal scanner from her bag, “No, you’re not going to die. We’ll turn back if necessary.” She used her fingers to open one of Cronus's eyes, waited for the green laser to scan across the retina, did the same on the other, and said, “Some swelling in the sclera. No infection detected in the blood vessels. Nothing to indicate anything more than a common allergen.”
Isra returned with a small, clear plastic mask. Althea took it, slipped the strap over Cronus's head and fit the mask over his mouth and nose.
“Try this for now,” said Althea. “It will keep your lungs clear and allow you to breathe.”
“How long?” asked Cronus, his voice partially muffled by the mask.
“Until we can determine the cause and, even then, only if we can find a way eliminate or minimize the symptoms.”
Viekko and Althea helped Cronus to his feet and walked him to the passenger side of the crawler. As they got him settled again, Viekko caught another hint of the odd smell. It was spicy and floral but like nothing really found in nature. And it was stronger.
“Is everything alright?” said Isra.
“No,” Viekko said in a low tone, “We need to get moving. Now.”
The next hour had an anxious feel to it. Cronus rode in the passenger side of the crawler next to Althea. His breathing through the mask was labored and, even though he had barely moved since he fell off the crates, his face was flushed with sweat. Althea paused every once in a while for a quick examination. Retinal, blood and swab tests all came back inconclusive. Althea didn’t know what was happening, but she seemed to know that it wasn’t good.
As a result, their pace had dropped considerably. The beach was gradually getting rockier and the dark forest seemed to be looming closer and closer providing precious little space to maneuver the crawler between the dense forest and the sub-zero sea.
Add to that, the triple T was starting to wear off and the Haze was setting in. Triple T made everything sharper, it made colors more vivid, smells more potent and feelings more intense. But when the ‘T’ started to wear off, it left the mind worse than it found it. The sounds of the waves churning the rocks was less distinct. The vivid colors of the forest started to dull. After the Shard, his mind focused on every sight, sound, smell and texture. Everything was in the now. Already, just a few hours later, it started to slip.
Isra growled and pulled Viekko from his thoughts. “Progress report.”
Viekko pulled up his sleeve and activated the screen. “Three point four five kilometers over the last hour. Looks like we won’t get there until…” Viekko stopped and sniffed the air again.
Isra walked up behind him, “What is it? The same thing you were talking about earlier?”
Viekko couldn’t identify the smell before. It was too distant and the breeze from the sea blew it away before he could concentrate on it. But the way the coast curved and the breeze moved meant that the source was downwind. He could smell it even through the beginning of the Haze. Him and his terrible aftershave. Sergeant Carr.
“I think we’re bein’ followed,” said Viekko.
Isra spun in the direction they came. “Who? Where?”
“Carr. I ain’t seen him but his scent stands out like a priest at a gaarsan. He’s keeping to the forest to stay out of sight,” said Viekko.
“Then we move faster,” said Isra with added force in her voice. “We must outrun him. Lose him somewhere.”
“Isra, we’re four people and a crawler. One of them is laid up and another has to stop and make sure that he keeps to breathin’. The man out there is just one guy who moves as he likes. There ain’t no outrunnin’ him and there ain’t no hidin’ from him as long as we’re out in the open.”
Isra looked back at the beach and the forest that bordered it. The way her face moved, Viekko could feel terrible ideas whipping around her head. “Through the forest then,” she said. “The direct route. It will be more challenging terrain but he may lose us in the underbrush.”
Viekko paused for a moment. “That’s crazy, Isra. It might slow him down a touch but it’s going to stop us near complete. Who knows what Laban will get up to if we’re trudgin’ through the forest for three days?”
“But staying out here will do nothing but lead him directly to the city. If Laban learns that there is a civilization here before we can contact the Ministry, he will find some way to keep it from them.” Isra looked at the dark forest that stretched along the beach back the way they came, “Our only hope is to lose him in the trees.”
Viekko stepped close to her. He was a head taller than most men and it was hard to argue with someone when looking up their nostrils. Isra stood just shy of his sternum.
“You wanna lead this team into unknown and possibly dangerous conditions so you can lose a Corporate marine who don’t pose much of a threat to us. A guy who’s likely under orders not to mess with us?”
Isra’s gaze didn’t move an inch. “Those are your orders, Viekko.”
“Then you best be tellin’ me why. What the hell are you so afraid of? What are you plannin’ that is so bad that the Corporation can’t find out about it? What’s in those crates?”
“They are supplies. Enough for us for the duration of the mission and some extra in case humanitarian efforts are required. Nothing more. I told you what is at stake here and I intend to take no chances. The forest is riskier, but I made sure this mission had, in its ranks, maybe the fines
t interplanetary survival expert available. A man who I had to fight to include on this mission because he spent most of his time looking for gutters to pass out it.”
Isra shifted. She looked at him as if she might disassemble his brain with her look alone, “But I did it. I did it because he, unlike anyone on Earth, actually grew up on another planet and faced the challenges associated with that. Did I make a mistake, Viekko?”
Somehow Viekko’s righteous indignation just slammed into the brick wall of Isra’s rhetoric. He hated her a little bit at that moment.
Viekko turned to Althea who was checking Cronus's vitals again. “What ‘bout him?”
Althea settled back into the driver’s seat, “It’s progressing, but I still don’t see anything life threatening. It’s her call.”
Viekko glanced back at Isra. Her gaze felt even harder. Viekko sighed. “You heard her. Make a hard left into the forest.”
With that Viekko headed for the tree line. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw leaves rustling in the brush back the way they came. They weren’t going to lose Carr in the forest any more than they were on the beach. The best he could hope for was that Carr would stumble across something hungry and that thing would be too full to come after the rest of them.
CHAPTER FIVE
Nature provides our species with everything it needs. Civilization provides it with everything it wants. History shows us that it is important while we develop the latter, we do not destroy the former. That way leads to inevitable ruin.
-from The Fall: The Decline and Failure of 21st Century Civilization by Martin Raffe.
Moving through the forest was proving to be every bit the nightmare that Viekko assumed it would be. It had been four hours with most of it spent pulling the crawler out of the mud or clearing enough space through fallen trees and brush to get through. If it weren’t for the crates of supplies, they would have been better off leaving the damned crawler behind.
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