Weight of Ashes

by Rook Winters

  He took them to a storage area and hauled a blue and silver suit from a storage crate.

  “This is a long duration EVA suit, meant for use in low gravity. I’m going to have to do some creative accounting to explain this thing going missing. We’ll need to carry it to the pod. They’re one-size-fits-most and it’s pretty easy to get suited up, but once you’re in, you can hardly move in full gravity.

  “It has self-contained atmospheric and biological management, meaning it can keep recycling oxygen into the air and convert your piss into water to keep you hydrated. It’s a closed system, but it relies on some chemicals and batteries. Sunlight will keep your batteries topped up but the chemicals are a fixed quantity. When those run out, the clock starts ticking.”

  “How long will she have?” Court asked.

  “It’s designed to let maintenance crews work in vacuum for up to thirty-six hours. If you don’t exert yourself and you take a few hits from the sedatives to slow your system down, I’d guess you could stretch it to forty-eight hours.”

  “Sedatives?” Elle said.

  “Yeah, when you get in, the suit pops a needle into you. That’s how it manages your hydration level. There are a few things it can pump into you. Some emergency calories, painkillers, sedatives, and stimulants. Just enough to buy you a few extra hours on an EVA in case of emergency.”

  “So I’ve got forty-eight hours for the Willow Wisp to chase down the transponder and pick me up.”

  Elle said it for Court’s benefit, she could sense his anxiety about her decision. She was pretty sure everyone else knew there was no chance of the Reclamation ship finding her in time. She was going to die from carbon dioxide poisoning inside this suit in order to get the data out there.

  Kamil gave her a thorough tutorial on how to operate the suit while Court hovered over their shoulders, his anxious energy nearly palpable.

  “It’s time to go,” Kamil said. “Bear and Court, help me carry the suit. Elle, you bring the package. Britt, I suggest you stay in here. It’s a bit of a jaunt.”

  Tears flowed freely down Britt’s cheeks as she took Elle’s hands in her own.

  “Thank you for what you’re doing, for all of us. Humanity will remember you, I promise.”

  Elle smiled at the older woman and broke eye contact, worried that if she thought about any of it for too long, she would lose her nerve.

  Petra’s voice interrupted their final goodbye. “Hey, folks, we’ve got a situation here. I need to move. Kane’s grav flyer is heading our way. ETA four minutes.”

  CHAPTER 56: ELLE

  “You need to get moving. Now.”

  Britt’s command was fierce, almost harsh, but the sentiment wasn’t ambiguous. Bear carried the legs of the EVA suit, one under each of his arms, while Court and Kamil hustled to keep pace holding on to the arms and sagging torso section. The path from the warehouse to the launch pad in the distance was at least a kilometer by Elle’s estimate, and it was slow going with the heavy suit. It would be impossible to get there before Kane arrived if he was heading their way.

  A whirring sound from behind grew louder. She turned to see a young man driving after them in a six-wheeled open vehicle.

  “Hey, Kamil,” the man shouted. “Why are you carrying that thing? Want a lift?”

  “So much for going unnoticed,” Kamil said softly. “Hold up, everyone.”

  They set the suit on the ground and Kamil waved to the arriving driver.

  “Last minute addition to the payload. I didn’t want to bother you with it since you’re already busy getting the pod ready to go.”

  “Hey, it’s no problem. Everything else’s is all loaded. You can borrow the cart. I’m due for my break anyway.”

  “Thanks, Valentin.”

  “These new trainees or something?”

  “Nah, just private sponsors sending an EVA suit upstairs. They’ve got family on a ship.”

  “Trying to buy some favors. I get it.” Valentin winked at them. “Good luck, folks.” He unwrapped a ration bar, the only food Elle had known until she met Court, then walked toward the warehouse.

  “That was fast thinking,” Bear said. “Can’t believe he bought it.”

  “What can I say? They still only hire guys as slow as you around here. Let’s put the suit on the cart. Its limiter won’t let it go very fast but it’ll beat walking.”

  The cart moved at the speed of a casual jog. If Kane had figured out they were here, he might find them before she was stowed away. Elle chewed on the inside of her cheek and forced her breathing to slow.

  Kamil brought the cart to a sudden stop.

  “They already pulled back the loading ramp. We’ll have to carry it up the rest of the way.”

  They slid the suit from the back of the cart and Kamil stared at its left forearm, empty except for a series of shiny gold contact points.

  “Oh, shit. The op con isn’t here. I can’t believe I missed that.”

  “What’s the op con?” Bear demanded.

  “The operator’s console. We need it to activate the suit. It must still be in the crate.”

  Bear tripled tapped his earpiece. “Britt, you there? We need you to check the crate for the suit. We’re missing a piece.”

  “It’s white, looks like a rugged wrist computer,” Kamil said.

  “Yes, I see it.”

  “She sees it.”

  “I’m such an idiot. We need to go back for it.”

  “I’ll go,” Elle said. “You guys get the suit on the pod. It’ll be faster if I run.”

  She didn’t wait for a discussion; she turned and sprinted. Over her earpiece, she heard Bear say, “Elle’s on her way for it.”

  “Elle, I’ll meet you on the path with it.”

  Her legs burned as Elle pushed herself to maintain maximum speed. She didn’t even speak when she reached Britt, she just grabbed the op con and sprinted back.

  Over the comm, Britt said, “Oh no.”

  In front of her, Elle saw not one but two grav flyers land on the road between her and the pod. Through one hatch, she saw Kane. Behind the other was Petra.

  “Petra, what’s going on?” Britt said over the comm. Petra didn’t answer, but she was pounding on the transparent enclosure. “Bear, you there? We’ve got company.”

  Bear said, “Kamil, you stay here and get the suit ready.” Then Elle saw Bear and Court running back down the road.

  The hatch of Kane’s flyer opened and he slid out.

  “Looks like everyone’s been a bit naughty.” He tilted his head toward Petra, who appeared to be locked in her grav flyer. “Good thing I tracked this one down before you all managed to do something really stupid.”

  Bear whispered over the comm, “Elle, stay out of sight. He doesn’t know you’re there.”

  Bear didn’t waver as he walked toward Kane. Court followed on his heels.

  “You got a lot of nerve selling out your own species.”

  “Oh, please, spare me the melodramatics. We’re all just doing our best in difficult times. We’re all the same.”

  “We’re not the same,” Court retorted.

  Britt said, “Elle, move to the other side of the flyers. My left. I’m heading your way. I’ll help draw his attention. Run when he’s distracted and get suited up.”

  Elle moved to the side, ducking under one of the fin-like stabilizers of Petra’s flyer. Petra looked expectantly and Elle wondered if she could hear what was happening. Kane was talking but Elle could no longer make out the words.

  She heard Bear’s reply clearly over the comm. “That’s a load of crap and you know it.”

  Britt said, “This is a long walk. Bear, tell him I’m coming, let’s see if we can get him to come my way. Elle, be ready to run if I say so.”

  “People up there are dying. We’re trying to help to them. Do you even know what we do? We send medicine to the sick. How dare you stand there and say that we’re the same?”

  “That old bat turned you into a zealot.�
� Bear or Court must have moved close enough for their comm to pick up Kane.

  “She saved me.”

  “Not for long, I daresay. After I’m done with you two, I’ll find her and L37, and this will all be over.”

  “You won’t have to find her. She found you.”

  There was a pause in the conversation and then Bear said, “Whoa whoa whoa. Alright, alright. Just hold on.”

  “What’s going on?” Elle whispered.

  “Kane drew a gun. He’s moving Bear and Court so they’re between him and me. He’s facing away from the pod. You’re clear, Elle. Go.”

  Elle took off, being careful to run with delicate footfalls until she was far enough away to break into a full sprint. Tunnel vision set in and all she saw was the ramp ahead of her. Kane and Britt were beginning a debate about something but the words floated past Elle’s mind as unimportant sounds.

  She went up the stairs and around a corner, nearly slamming into Kamil. Elle slapped the op con device into his hand.

  “Made it,” she said.

  “Hey, folks, nobody react,” Petra said, “but I got the emergency manual release opened on this flyer. Kane’s an idiot thinking he can trap me with a remote override. I have a stun gun. I’m going to come around behind him and put him down, just keep him talking.”

  Britt started into a speech on human moral imperatives and Elle was surprised that Kane let her ramble. Maybe he was actually listening to what she said.

  Then a crack rang out through the air and over the comm simultaneously.

  Britt screamed, “Petra.”

  “She’d have been up on treason charges anyway. This is a better death.”

  There was a long silence and then a series of unidentifiable sounds. Elle took a cautious look around the pod and saw Bear on the ground wrestling with Kane. It was too far to see who had the upper hand.

  Court moved abruptly and then she heard him over the comm. “That’s enough. Don’t move or I shoot.”

  The two men stopped struggling. Bear backed away. If he said anything, the comm devices didn’t pick it up.

  “You’re a nacking pot of goat piss, Kane. After what you did to my people, I should put a hole in your head.”

  “You don’t have the stomach for it, kid. Besides, my gun is paired to my ID. It won’t work for you. You people never learn.”

  “This one’s not,” Britt said, holding up Petra’s stun gun.

  Kane raised his hands, palms out, to shoulder height, and then most of Britt’s upper body vanished, replaced by a cloud of gray dust. The hum of a grav flyer over head provided the explanation—a Qyntarak black hole weapon. The third flyer descended to the ground at an alarming speed and a Qyntarak in full body armor leaped from it before it had even settled into a stable hover.

  “Kamil, there’s a Qyntarak out there. I need to go help.”

  “But the suit’s almost ready.”

  “I won’t let my friends die. They don’t stand a chance.”

  “And what, you’re going to fight off a Qyntarak?”

  “It won’t be the first time.”

  She ran, anger and terror pressing her forward even faster than before. It was time to find out if Master Zheng was right about her. As she closed the distance, the Qyntarak knocked Court to the ground, using a pincer like a boxing glove on his gut. With its other pincer, it lifted Bear by his neck. The big man was struggling to keep some of his weight on his feet so he didn’t suffocate. Kane was getting back up and brushing off his pants.

  Faster.

  She wished she had a weapon. Her biggest risk was Kane seeing her too soon. She adjusted her course a foot to the right so the Qyntarak’s body hid her from Kane. She could still see one of Bear’s legs flailing.

  Faster, faster, faster.

  From Master Zheng’s unofficial training classes, Elle knew that Qyntarak armor was weakest around the long tentacle-like appendages because it had to be flexible. It was strongest over the sensitive feeding slit. The leg armor was plated around the joints to allow for movement. If she hit the lower joint on a back leg, it would have to steady itself with its tentacles. It held Bear in its left pincer. If she went for the rear right leg, there was less chance of the alien’s bulk landing on top of him. Bear would be in a weakened state from lack of oxygen so his reactions might be slow if the alien dropped him.

  Yes, back right leg, bottom joint, that’s the target.

  She saw the alien twitch at the last moment, perhaps hearing her, but she had already launched herself legs-first through the air, one foot extended toward the joint. She heard a welcome crunch as it absorbed her momentum and buckled. The Qyntarak emitted a bone-chilling sound and stumbled backward. Elle scrambled to avoid being trampled under its other legs as the alien tried to get its balance.

  Bear hit the ground with a thud. Elle rolled to her knees and glanced at him. He wasn’t moving.

  The Qyntarak hit Elle and knocked her over. She rolled with the direction of movement to get clear of the other swinging tentacles. As she pushed herself back up to her feet, she saw Court kick the stun gun from Britt’s orphaned hand as Kane was reaching for it. Court jumped back as Kane took a wild swing at him.

  Elle narrowly avoided an incoming swing from a stabbing tentacle. She hit it with her elbow, which hurt her but didn’t seem to bother the alien. Then its other stabbing tentacle and both of its pincer tentacles came looking for her. She scurried underneath its body and drove her shoulder into the leg she’d already hit. The alien bellowed again and used its tentacles to steady itself.

  She caught a glimpse of Court stepping away to dodge another swing from Kane. Court would be in trouble once Kane got his footing.

  “Bear,” she shouted. “Bear, we need help.”

  No response.

  The Qyntarak spun itself around so it was facing her. It was unbelievably fast. The alien lunged at her, long stabbing tentacles swinging out so they could stab her from behind while the pincers came at her from the front. It was a classic Qyntarak attack, one that Master Zheng had taught her to counter until the movements were second nature, requiring no conscious effort. She grasped the pincer arm on her left and hoisted herself over it, her body weight throwing off the symmetry of the attack. The most common outcome was that you moved yourself to safety. If you got lucky, a sharp stabbing tentacle would hit the Qyntarak’s own pincer and do a bit of damage.

  She got a little lucky, the Qyntarak poking itself but not enough to do any serious harm through the body armor. She dove at its injured back leg and landed a blow with the palm of her hand. A few more good hits and the leg would be unusable, dramatically limiting the alien’s mobility.

  Reducing its attack options wasn’t much of a bar for success but one step at a time. She’d taken down a Qyntarak before, once, in a training gym. Never mind that she spent two hours with a surgery bot afterward—she beat it and she intended to beat this one, somehow.

  Court grunted and she looked to see Kane’s fists pummeling his torso; Court’s arms were up to protect his face. She was distracted for too long because the Qyntarak had time to spin in place again, and the sides of two tentacles hit her like a pair of swinging tree trunks. The impact sent her to the ground several feet away and knocked the wind out of her.

  A stabbing tentacle came at her and she rolled to avoid it. The other stabber followed and caught the edge of her shirt, tearing open the fabric. She didn’t have time to look, but it didn’t feel like it punctured the skin.

  She came to a stop on her stomach and saw Petra’s stun gun. Elle pawed at the ground with her hands and feet to build up momentum as she lunged for the weapon.

  It looked like a Morris M14. As the name implied, its standard capacity was fourteen stun rounds. At maximum setting, each one could knock out a human. They weren’t designed for Qyntarak physiology and even if they were, they wouldn’t puncture the body armor. But a hit close to the protective covering over the alien’s thermal-optical organ would be like shining a spotligh
t in a human’s eyes, temporarily blinding and disorienting it.

  Elle sucked in a deep breath while her fingers grabbed the gun. She rolled and landed on her back. Giving herself a fraction of a second to center her focus, she pushed the air out of her lungs and pulled the trigger. Then she pulled it again.

  And again.

  Again.

  Again.

  The alien veered sideways, staggering and thrashing.

  Elle chanced a worried look at Court and was relieved to see Bear with one arm around Kane’s neck and the other hammering on his side. Kane’s hands were scratching at Bear’s head but the big man wasn’t yielding.

  Remarkably, Court still had Kane’s gun in his hand, which was visibly shaking even from thirty feet away.

  Elle tried to shout at him to help Bear but all that came from her mouth was a scream. Unthinkable pain surged through her body, and she looked to where the alien’s sharp tentacle had sunk deep into her upper leg.

  “You are an irritation, human L37.”

  “Court,” she shouted. “Court, you need to go. You need to get on the pod. I can’t, not now.”

  The alien leaned forward, pressing more of its weight into her leg and she screamed as the stabber slid through to the ground beneath her.

  “Please, Court. Go.”

  “She’s right,” Bear said. He released Kane’s twitching body and took the gun from Court. “Hurry.”

  Elle fired several more stun rounds into the body armor, causing the alien to thrash and wail.

  “Go!”

  Court stared at her for what felt like much too long and then he ran, moving at an angle away from the Qyntarak. She fired another stun round before the other stabber sunk into her upper chest. She heard something snap.

  Collarbone? First rib?

  The pain didn’t seem to register. She felt surprisingly clear-headed.

  The alien turned, dragging her body along the ground as it did. It was searching for Court. She tried to raise the stun gun but her arm was no longer working.

  The alien turned its thermal-optical organ in her direction. The protective covering of its body armor was scuffed where the stun rounds had landed.