Grand Cross

by Merethe Walther

  “Because we’ve just proven that we were able to get into a secure ship, steal information, and handle ourselves against several known human traffickers,” Kita said. “Taav said it himself: he was pleased we were all alive. They didn’t think we’d get this far, and now that our odds have slightly increased in their favor, he’s willing to put a little bit more effort into a return on his criminal investment.”

  When everyone ogled her perfectly reasonable answer, Kita just rolled her eyes and with a spot-on impression of Aralyn said, “What? I do pay attention, you know.”

  “Well okay then,” said Apollo. “In lieu of an emergency situation that we cannot handle, we will call in the dog catchers. But until then, it’s probably best if we work alone.”

  “Agreed,” said Caden. “Now let’s get to Ganymede and find whatever dirt Eladia might have on my father.”

  Chapter Ten

  The traffic in Jupiter’s orbit was much denser than Aralyn had prepared for. It was, in fact, probably the busiest station they’d been to yet; certainly the largest since she’d been arrested on Lyria V. The sheer number of space crafts around them―including UDA ships out on patrol―was astounding. The tension in the air was palpable.

  “Anyone else feel like a cuddly little bunny hopping into a viper’s den?” Kita asked, eyeing a UDA patrol ship as it passed by within a few dozen yards of them.

  “This ship has been scrubbed of any UDA information,” Riordan said, chewing his fingernail nervously. “At least, any that would identify it as such to a casual credential scan. As long as no one boards us, we’ll be okay.”

  Under his breath, Aralyn thought she heard him murmur, “I hope so,” but wasn’t certain. She blew out a long sigh as they neared Ganymede, Jupiter’s tumultuous surface glowing brilliantly in the background.

  “I haven’t been to Jupiter in years,” Apollo said, staring out at the screen. “Forgot how lovely it was.”

  “It is that,” said Aralyn. “But let’s hope it’s not just a scenic place for our funerals. We’ll be landing in just under twenty Terra.”

  She checked the console and guaranteed that everything was running smoothly and their autopilot would take them in to land at the dock closest to the UDA outpost Aliena. From there, it would be a quick ‘veen drone ride or a bit of a slower walk to Eurydice, a small “town” that the UDA had taken over and marked as a secured area.

  “Since the only way to get to Eurydice is through Aliena,” Caden began, defenses are likely to be low. Spectors are… notoriously arrogant in the assessment of their own skills, so if we just act like we belong there, we should be fine.”

  “So basically, you’re telling us your entire plan is that a group of some of the most notorious runners and smugglers in the galaxy are going to march through a UDA outpost to a UDA safe house and just waltz inside?” Riordan asked, guffawing at the notion. “We’ll be shot dead in five seconds!”

  “What about face scanners? Identifiers?” Kita asked. “There’s going to be a shout box there, for sure. It doesn’t matter how far up their own assholes these guys are. They’re Spectors. They’re not going to just leave well enough alone if one of their alarms goes off.”

  “It sounds ridiculous, I know,” Aralyn agreed, facing the half-circle of nervous people around her. “But terraforming on Ganymede never quite took the way it did on Mars. We’ll be able to wear ventilator masks no worry. Facial identifying software won’t be able to mark us.”

  “And Eurydice isn’t the only place you have to pass through Aliena to get to, so travelers frequently go there and head here”―Caden pointed to a mag-lev rail just on the outskirts of Aliena―“so they can get into the shopping and living quarters.”

  “So, we’re counting on some oxygen masks to get us past dozens and dozens of UDA. There’s no checkpoint to scan our IDs―which will fail at an official scanner, by the way,” Apollo said.

  Caden shook his head. “I was here a couple of years ago for training and to pick up some prisoners for transport. The only reason these lugheads had gotten caught is because they tried hacking a high-ranking Spector’s personal wrist module… while sitting across from him at a bar. Statistically speaking, UDA stations actually have the lowest number of arrests. Both because people are on their best behavior around them, and because the Spectors don’t believe that anyone would try anything when they’re there.” He spread his hands, at a loss for words. “We’ll just be walking through a bunch of greenhorn Spectors. No harm in that.”

  “This doesn’t bode well,” Apollo said, frowning. “It would be easier if one of us tried to go rather than―”

  “We’ve been through this, Apollo,” Aralyn said, her voice stern. “You’re not going on your own. You want to disappear on us once we’re done there? Fine. No one’s stopping you. But you’re not going in by yourself, and you’re not separating from us until after we’ve found Eladia… if she’s there, that is.”

  Dismayed, Apollo leaned back against his seat and propped his feet up on the ephemeris table. “Jameela, you wound me. You think I would abandon you in the heart of your pursuit? Never!”

  Aralyn rolled her eyes. “We’ll need to get everyone a mask. We found a kit in the back with the O2 masks, so everyone will need one before we go, and―”

  She looked over and locked eyes with Dror, then realized there was a problem.

  Kita followed her gaze. “We’re both coming.”

  “You should just stay with him on the ship,” Riordan volunteered. “It’ll be safer that way for both of you.”

  “We can’t just leave him on the ship,” Kita argued. “We can’t just idle the engines, so they’ll have to be shut down. That means not generating new oxygen or filtering CO2. He’d be out of air in two hours or less, and the docks aren’t under a holo-field. The atmosphere is too thin to breathe.”

  “Can you use one of the O2 masks?” Caden asked.

  “Those are good for a couple hours each,” Aralyn said. “They’re meant to supplement O2 in thin atmosphere, not to sustain you on your own. There’s still a small chance that hypoxia could occur before we get back… if we do get back at all, that is. Kita’s right. He’s going to have to come with. We’ll help where we can, but you’re his person for the duration, okay?”

  Kita nodded, holding Dror’s hand tightly. “Of course.”

  “We can’t take a kid with us!” Riordan exploded. “What happens to him out there if anything happens to us?”

  “I’ll keep him safe!” Kita shouted back. “I mean, damn, Rio, you’ve got a kid already. You should know how it feels to want to protect them!”

  “That isn’t your kid, and Sophia’s isn’t mine.” Riordan opened his mouth at the declaration, then closed it, then shook his head.

  “What?” Kita asked in a whisper. “What do you mean?”

  “He’s not mine,” he said. “She asked if she could name me as the father because my income level was low enough that she’d get a tax break if I couldn’t “afford” to pay child support. The dad was one of the station managers. Married with three of his own kids, and couldn’t let on about an affair. I only agreed because I was angry. I…” He let out a long sigh and grabbed Kita’s hand. “I shouldn’t have lied to you. I don’t want… I don’t want you to get hurt because you’re trying to protect someone else. Please, just stay here. We’ll handle it out there.”

  The fury in Kita’s eyes could have lit Riordan on fire. She yanked her hand from his grasp and took a step back, keeping a hold on Dror all the while. “You…” she said, but then bit her lip to keep whatever words would have come out next from spilling. “He’s coming with us. I don’t go back on my word. I’m keeping him safe; I don’t care what you say.” She turned and headed for the hall, tugging Dror behind her. “I’ll get the masks. All six of them!”

  Aralyn, Apollo, and Caden stayed quiet while Riordan slumped back to the computer and began typing furiously.

  Finally, to break the uncomfortable silence, Aralyn cl
eared her throat. “So… uh, when we… when we get into Aliena―”

  “You can all stop pretending that didn’t happen,” Riordan demanded, jumping to his feet and slapping his hands on the desktop. “I don’t care what you think of me, but Kita shouldn’t be out there today, and she shouldn’t bring that kid, either.” He said the word as if it was an insult, then pointed an accusing finger toward Aralyn. “You’re the only one she’ll fucking listen to, so tell her to stay here and just leave the ship idling! The fuel burn is replaceable; Kita isn’t.”

  Aralyn bit back her surprise and anger. Riordan should have known better than anyone that Kita didn’t appreciate people trying to make up her mind for her. Being unknowingly enslaved for seven years and then being forced to work for the people who imprisoned her had taken its toll. And now, for the first time in her life, Kita wanted to get involved and stop running. There was no way that Aralyn was going to take that chance from her.

  “I’m not in charge of Kita, Rio,” she said, fighting to keep her voice from raising. “She is a grown woman who can make her own decisions, and she wants to see this through. I respect that, and you should, too. This isn’t just about us. Of course we’re going to do everything possible to keep each other safe, but I’m not going to try and pick a path for someone else. Taking Eladia down is important to her; just as important as it is to me, if not more so. I don’t know how long it could take us out there. We can’t leave a ship idling in the dock for a couple of hours unless we want some do-gooding UDA Samaritan to come along and try and discover why the engines are on. And you said it yourself: if they see inside this ship, they will know it’s UDA, and we cannot afford that kind of attention.”

  Riordan stared at each of them in turn, struggling to find something to say and failing. Without another word, he stormed from the room down the hall.

  “This is going great already,” Caden said, standing up and sweeping the images clear from the table. “I don’t think Dror should come either, but―and I hesitate to say this―it might actually help us get past Aliena with less suspicion.”

  “I think everyone should just keep their opinions on the matter quiet at this point,” Aralyn said. “Kita and Dror can’t stay on the ship. If she wants to get them into a holo-field area where they can hide out for a little while, that’s fine. But Kita rescued him, and he’s clearly attached to her, so it’s her decision. I know she’ll keep him safe.” She pointed to Apollo. “Plus, we have him now, and I’ve seen him fight. We’ll be okay, even if Kita sits this one out.”

  As long as he doesn’t space us, that is.

  Apollo gave a gallant bow from the waist as Kita and Dror returned, carrying the O2 masks. The tanks were little more than inflatable bladders that attached at the back of their necks, as Aralyn had suspected, which meant that unfortunately yes, they would only be good for supplementing O2 in the case of patching a hull breach or passing through a less-than-optimal atmosphere for a short duration. Still, the dark plastic masks would help obscure their faces from any software designed to identify them in the station, which was the only benefit thus far that she could figure Eladia would have had for having Proctor set her up in an otherwise UDA-flooded area.

  As if reading her mind, Kita said, “This location is ballsy, even for that crazy bitch.” She passed out the masks and tanks to everyone, but when she got to the last one for Riordan, paused, then shouted, “Rio, are you with us?” She turned and waited.

  Riordan came around the corner and held out his hand. “Are you sure you won’t just find a place for the two of you to hole up until we’ve dealt with whatever’s in there?”

  Kita handed the mask to him and then walked to stand beside Aralyn and ignored his question completely. Riordan, either out of anger or frustration, hung his head and refused to make eye contact with anyone.

  “Shall we get this over with, then?” said Apollo, slipping the mask over his head and readjusting the holster on his waist carrying his knife and a small handgun.

  Eyeing the gun, as he tightened his own holster, Caden gave a half-smile and said, “Good idea picking the smallest gun you could find. The UDA probably won’t even look twice at that thing.”

  “Ah,” said Apollo, “but the freedom you gain when you’re not trying to compensate for anything is so worth it.”

  Aralyn pulled the mask over her head and rolled her eyes. “Can we please put the machismo aside for three fucking seconds and get our heads in the game?” she asked. When no one answered, she continued securing the shotgun in the holster at her back, slipped her long black coat on, and placed the modded handguns along her belt. With luck, they wouldn’t be scanned, but this was Kragg’s work, after all. She’d gotten through difficult checkpoints but had never tried to get into a UDA-controlled city with one. There was also the chance that they’d uncover the shotgun, either by sheer dumb luck or merely because they were skilled at sniffing out trouble.

  But there was no way she was going back into a fight without a gun that could circumvent a dampening field.

  Kita slung the long Remington into the holster along her back. Though rare to see Old-Earth weapons, likely people would think it was an antique. Metal bullets weren’t exactly easy to come by―unless you knew someone who could make them, that was. Kragg had never let Aralyn near the smelter, but she’d witnessed his work firsthand over the years. These guns would be more reliable than the modern ones, which was the only reason that she was willing to risk losing them. Eladia was smart; they’d have to be smarter. And that could only mean throwing everything at her when it came time to do it.

  Riordan, armed only with some tablets in a carrying case, led the way over to the door as Kita helped Dror put his mask on and told him not to take it off unless she said so.

  It was then that Aralyn noticed he was wearing a much-too-large pair of boots. Even tied as tightly as they could go, they still managed to slip around on his feet with every movement. Dror didn’t seem to mind, however. There was a twinkle of excitement in his eye as he followed after the others.

  “This is do or die, folks,” said Aralyn. “You know the plan. If we get separated, meet back at the ship by 6:00 p.m. Terra Standard. That gives us just about four hours. If everything goes wrong―”

  “Like it usually does,” Riordan muttered.

  “―then head for whatever form of safety you can find. Get the hell away, work on regrouping later,” Aralyn finished. She turned to Apollo. “You have one last chance to tell us what you’re really hoping to accomplish here.”

  He offered a smile. “A gentleman never kisses and tells.”

  “That’s literally all you’ve done since we met you,” Kita said, rolling her eyes. “Whatever. It’s time to make that bitch pay.”

  ****

  Tight, nervous energy filled her gut and sent Aralyn’s nerves dancing with anticipation. All that time of tracking Eladia down. All that impotent rage at running into one dead end after another and never getting anywhere, and now, they finally might have the drop on the bitch. Even in a UDA safe house, Aralyn would make sure that she couldn’t find any respite. She’d probably felt so smart in getting Proctor to set her up there; protected from everyone.

  But not anymore. Today was the day that Aralyn was going to put Eladia in jail and get some dirt on Proctor Madigan. She glanced over at Caden, quiet, nervous, so unlike the version of himself that would always have that little smile and a twinkle in his eye. She wondered if it would be enough to see his father face judgment for his crimes, or if she’d have to step between them. She silently wished on every star she could see in the expansive sky above her that he wouldn’t put her in the position of having to defend his father from him.

  Her mind strayed from that path, however, when she saw the beauty of Ganymede rolled out before her. The surface of the moon was flat; extraordinarily flat and somewhat dusty. The chill air was bracing, but certainly not the frigid, impossible to live in temperatures that had been in place a couple hundred years ago be
fore the terraforming. Little red weeds grew from between the cracks in the dirt, but it was truly the sky that had drawn Aralyn’s attention the most.

  Above them, strands of red light pulsated overhead, moving through the darkness, bands of crimson and pale red flowing like dancers. Beyond them was Jupiter, big and bright. The whole of the planet was overwhelming, and she spent a long time just studying the ribbons above her.

  “Ganymede’s famous auroras,” Apollo said. “Apart from being beautiful, those lights were actually of great scientific value.”

  “No way,” said Kita. “They’ve got auroras on Earth. No one cares about them except douchey tourists who can afford to pay out the nose to go and see them.”

  “No, it’s true,” Apollo insisted. “A long time ago, that’s how Earth scientists actually figured out that the auroras weren’t wobbling as much as they should; realized there was an ocean beneath all the ice that used to be here. And now, that’s why we have that―”

  He turned behind them and pointed to a cliff overlooking a vast distance of ocean spreading out as far as Aralyn could see. The auroras danced closer to the water, like a celestial being coming to play on the terrestrial plane.

  The sight nearly took Aralyn’s breath away.

  With some difficulty, she tore her eyes away from the beautiful view and turned back toward Aliena. “C’mon guys,” she said, her voice muffled beneath the mask and nearly buried beneath the rising and falling of the air bladder at her neck. “We’ve got to go.”

  Without much delay, the others fell in beside her. It didn’t need to be restated what they were there to do. Only tiny Dror, holding Kita’s hand, hesitated and dragged his giant boots just to be able to look at the sky a little longer.

  Aliena was a surprisingly clean town with a couple of ‘veen drone stations outside of the perimeter of the city and some public transit stops near those. There were holo-signs posted everywhere warning about the dangers of breathing in the thin oxygen and warning people to have masks on hand. There were even a couple of vendors near the ‘veen stations hawking holo-masks that they would personalize for you on the spot, some in different colors, some that looked like animals, or even cartoon characters.