by G J Ogden
“…what about salvage, we might be able to find something serviceable if we search close to the space station wreckage?” Page was saying.
“Maybe, but with transit and salvage time, plus repairs, we’d still be looking at a week or more.”
“I will take this shuttle and launch the probes.”
Page and Ashley stopped dead and stared at Maria wide eyed. There followed an awkward silence, during which time the new security marshall and Maria’s old instructor and friend looked to each other, trying to work out what to say or who should speak first, before both launched a verbal assault on Maria in near perfect unison.
“That’s the dumbest idea I’ve heard…”, “it would be suicide…”, “you’ve nothing more to prove, Sal…”, “there must be another way…” and numerous other variations along the same theme were thrown at her, before Maria managed to silence them.
“There is no other option,” Maria finally managed to cut in. “You both know it, but won’t admit it. The longer we argue, the more people die on the planet. This shuttle is the only option; I’m taking it, and that’s that.”
Everything from the way she had spoken the words to her stance and the way the lines at the corners of her eyes tightened told Page that Maria was resolute. But he still wasn’t ready to give up.
“You don’t have to do this. We could remote-pilot the shuttle, perhaps. If you take the serum…”
“The serum could just as easily kill me as cure me, Karl, you know that as well as I do,” Maria cut in again. “I’d be gambling not just with my own life, but with the lives of everyone on the planet too. No deal.”
Next it was Ashley who cut in, “It doesn’t have to be you to pilot the shuttle, Sal. Let me do it.”
Maria’s resolve hardened like granite.
“No. This was always my mess to clean up!” she cried, slamming her fist against the hull of the shuttle, shocking the others into silence. She then drew back and took a deep breath, trying to think of a more rational way to explain her reasoning, before matters escalated out of control.
“Look, both of you, this is not some kind penance, and I’m not looking to self-destruct, but the fact remains that this is and always was my responsibility and no-one else’s.”
“Sal, I once told you I’d be with you, right until the very end,” said Page, still resolute, “You know what’s changed since I promised you that? Nothing.”
“This is the end, Karl,” said Maria, with more warmth. “At least it is for you. You’ve kept your word and you’ve regained your honor. This last duty is mine and mine alone.”
Page and Ashley fell silent again, and again they looked to each other, but there was nothing more to say. Perhaps there never had been a choice.
Page turned his back to Maria and stared blankly up at the opaque dome. He had exhausted all the arguments, but he still couldn’t bring himself to accept Maria’s decision, because if he accepted that it would also mean accepting that Maria Salus was going to die.
Chapter 31
Ethan woke to the sound of distant banging. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, wincing at the stiffness and soreness of his back and neck, and the general weariness that had crept into his muscles while he had slept. The makeshift cot beds that the doomed laboratory service engineers had set up in their shelter were surprisingly comfortable, but still sleep had not come easy to him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked over at Summer who was lying in an identical cot bed opposite him. She was still unconscious and her condition remained serious, but she looked peaceful and at ease and, in some ways, Ethan was grateful for these restful moments, where the burdens of recent events had been lifted from her shoulders.
He moved quietly to her side and smoothed a few loose strands of hair away from her face. She stirred briefly as Ethan did this and lay still again. If she survived taking the serum, he hoped she would, in time, find more moments like these; moments where she could find peace.
Fight it Summer. I need you to fight it… Ethan silently urged, as he smoothed more loose strands of her flame red hair from her face. If anyone could beat this sickness, it was Summer. She had been born fighting against the odds from the moment she’d been cut from her mother’s roamer-savaged body amidst a raging summer storm and dragged into a broken world that had just taken everything from her. But despite it all she had thrived and faced her challenges head on; he had to believe that her indomitable spirit was still there, buried beneath a mountain of guilt and pain. He needed her to survive as much for his own sake as for hers; the thought of going back to Forest Gate without Summer seemed unbearable. They had both lost so much already.
There was more banging and this time the sounds seemed to reverberate around the room. For a moment, he wondered if Page and Ashley had returned, but the floor wasn’t shaking as it had done when the shuttle landed. He jumped down from the sleeping area and moved back into the main room. Gaia and Yuna were both up working at a console, while the hermit was asleep, propped up against the wall snoring sonorously with his enormous coat snugly wrapped around him like a dirty brown cocoon.
Yuna noticed Ethan approaching and shot him a warm smile. “Hello, did you sleep well?”
“I think so. How long was I out?”
“Oh, probably a good eight hours at least,” said Yuna, returning her attention to the console. “I managed to grab a few hours too. Are you hungry? There’s some food and water over at the table in the corner.”
Ethan realized that amongst the many aches and gripes his body was signaling to him, one of them was actually due to his empty stomach, and the mention of food made it gurgle aggressively. He went to the table and picked up a rectangular beige-colored object that had the consistency of a soft cookie. He had no idea what it was, and was too hungry to care, biting into it ravenously. Despite looking peculiar, he was pleased to discover that it tasted very good. He found a bottle of water and drained half the contents in one long glug, before taking another hearty bite of the food, as the banging sound started again. He finished the food in his mouth and went over to Gaia and Yuna, standing just behind them. The console they were working on cast a soft glow over their faces.
“What’s with the banging, do you know?” asked Ethan, after swallowing the last mouthful.
“That is what we are trying to discover,” Gaia replied. “It started a few minutes ago. We are trying to route some power to the security holo grid to see if we can bring up a feed from the roof outside.”
The mention of the outside reminded Ethan of what they had narrowly escaped before finding the shelter, and a feeling of disquiet took a hold of him. He finished the food and then recovered his tunic and belt from the sleeping area, putting both back on. The belt felt heavy, and he remembered the two grenades that Page had given to him before leaving.
“Ethan, we have a problem,” Yuna called out, and though her voice was controlled, it was also spiked with tension.
Ethan rushed back to her, fastening the remaining buttons of his tunic as he moved. “What’s wrong?”
“We may not be safe here for much longer,” said Yuna, pointing to the holo image displayed on the console screen. “They appear to be smashing though the dome covering that hallway outside the door.”
Ethan studied the holo images, which displayed three angles showing the dome and the heavy door that was barricading them inside. A group of roamers had banded together and were using rocks and metal bars to smash the dome’s paneling and lever it away from the frame, as if they were cracking a giant egg.
“Is there another way out of here?” asked Ethan, feeling his stomach lighten and regretting the food he’d just eaten.
“No, we checked while you were asleep,” Yuna replied. “The only way out would be to break through the far wall, but even if that were possible, without the proper tools it would take hours to smash through.”
Ethan tried to take a count of the numbers outside and reached eight roamers before he stopped. Even eight would be f
ar too many to hold off – especially with Summer still unconscious – and the inner door was not strong enough to hold them off for long.
The light feeling in his stomach intensified and he could feel his heart starting to race, but he held his nerve. Their situation was desperate, and if force was not going to be the solution, they needed clear heads and clear thinking to come up with an alternative.
“What about the serum?” Ethan said, suddenly realizing they hadn’t used it all on Summer. “It kills roamers and the maddened, right?”
“Yes, but the sample we have is not the modified formula for airborne distribution,” Gaia answered. She paused, then her eyebrows lifted, smoothing away the worry lines on her forehead. “However, if we could find a way to atomize it, there’s a chance it would still be effective over a short radius; perhaps twenty or thirty meters.”
“What about using the ventilation systems?” suggested Yuna. “The primary air conditioning system can be accessed from inside this room.”
Gaia’s expression remained hopeful. “I could modify one of the aerosol dispensers in my medical satchel to propel a suspension of the serum into the ventilation system.”
Ethan’s spirits lifted. “How long would it take you to make the modifications?”
Yuna glanced back to the holo display and frowned. “I don’t know. But the ventilation system will distribute the suspension through the laboratory’s interior first; eventually it will be vented outside, but by then who knows how effective it would be, or how long it would take to reach them.”
Ethan reached down and placed his hands on the belt pouches containing the grenades. He had an idea for how he could buy them the time they needed, should it come to that, but it would be a desperate last resort; exactly the scenario for which Page had suggested the grenades be used.
“Work as fast as you can,” said Ethan, ensuring that any suggestion of his own fears and doubts did not creep into his voice. “If the roamers manage to break through, I’ll try to buy you the extra time you need.”
“But how, there are…”
“Let me worry about that, Yuna. Just do what you need to do, and do it fast.”
Yuna looked to Gaia for support, but her mother’s expression only seemed to say, don’t ask questions to which you may not like the answers.
“We will get to work at once,” Gaia said, ushering Yuna towards the air conditioning control system in the far corner of the room.
The sound of metal creaking and bolts snapping came again; Ethan checked the holo display and saw that the roamers had removed one panel of the domed structure. It was still not enough for them to fit through, but at the speed they were working, he estimated it would only be a matter of minutes before they did, and this would almost certainly be before Gaia and Yuna could implement their plan.
He left the console and moved over to the storage rack, where the two pistols lay side-by-side, tarnished and dusty. He removed the two grenades from his belt pouch, realizing that he had entirely forgotten how they operated, and placed them on the rack. He picked up one of the weapons and blew the top layer of dust from it. It was similar, but not identical to the UEC sidearms that Page and Maria had worn, and the differences were enough to confuse him. He managed to slide a magazine into the base of the handle and heard it lock into place, but how to load it and make it ready to fire evaded him.
“More of a hand-to-hand fighter, eh?”
Ethan spun around to see the hermit standing behind him, scratching his wiry beard. The old man’s sudden appearance had startled him, though he was no longer surprised by his uncanny ability to sneak up on people unheard.
“You could say that,” he said with a sigh. “Maria always used to joke about how I was more of a danger to myself with one of these than I was to any potential enemies.”
The hermit picked up the second pistol, knocking off the dust by brushing it against his enormous coat, and then proceeded to load it, chamber a round, disable the safety, and reverse the process, finishing by ejecting the silver bullet from the chamber and pressing it back into the magazine. He placed the weapon and ammo clip back down on the rack and smiled toothlessly at Ethan.
“Now you try, lad.”
“How the hell do you know how to do that?” said Ethan, still fumbling with the weapon in his hand.
“I’ve been around, remember?” the hermit replied, noticing the new addition of the grenades on the rack and picking one up. “In the early days, I used to carry weapons, but that was before I realized that fighting these things was as futile as trying to wipe out an ant’s nest one ant at a time. The only way to survive was to stay out of their way.”
Ethan gave up and slid the weapon back onto the rack. “I’m afraid that’s no longer an option.”
“Aye, lad, I know.”
The sudden melancholy surprised Ethan, as did the hermit’s doleful posture.
“Life has stumbled on for longer than I ever imagined possible, but the truth, lad, is that this planet was delivered a death blow at the very beginning, and we’ve been falling over ever since. The difference now is that we’re finally about to hit the dirt.”
The finality of the hermit’s words scared Ethan more than the roamers outside. “There has to be hope? You, of all people, must believe that?”
There was a sudden crash of metal and the clattering of falling debris outside the door, and Ethan instinctively reached for a handgun. Yuna raced back to the holo console then turned to Ethan, the horror clear in her eyes.
“They’re through!” Yuna cried. “They’ve already broken through the dome!”
“How much longer do you need?” Ethan called back, remaining outwardly calm, despite the fact that his insides were twisting in knots.
The hermit also stayed calm, but unlike Ethan, he actually appeared to be unafraid. The old man gently placed the grenade back on the rack and then picked up the second handgun, expertly loading it and chambering a round, leaving the safety enabled. He then switched the weapon into his left hand and picked up the grenade again, sliding it into one of the deep pockets in his enormous coat.
“We’re not even half-way through the process.” Yuna called out, drawing Ethan’s attention away from the hermit’s curious actions. “We need more time!”
Ethan made for the door, but was caught on the shoulder by the hermit, who spun Ethan around to face him, with the sort of strength that would be uncommon even for a young ranger at the peak of their physical ability. He stripped the weapon from Ethan’s hand and then held up the pistol that he had just loaded.
“Look here, lad,” he said, with an unflustered seriousness that seemed absurd given the impending danger. “See this switch? You flick it that way and the red dot means its ready to fire. You flick it back, and its safe. Have you got it, lad?”
Ethan nodded, transfixed, and the hermit placed the weapon back into his hand. “This weapon is already loaded, so consider it to be as dangerous as any roamer. Use it only if you have to, understand?”
Fists began to hammer against the door; Ethan panicked and twisted away from the hermit to challenge the imminent threat, but again the hermit caught him and forced him to look back into his wise old eyes.
Ethan was frantic. “Let me go, I have to stop…” but the hermit held him firmly, before taking the second grenade from the rack and pressing it into Ethan’s belt pouch.
“Listen to me lad… I never believed this world could be healed. Truth be told, I gave up hope long, long ago.”
Ethan peered into the hermit’s eyes and like staring into black water they shone back at him, but held untold depths.
“You have proven a stubborn old man to be wrong. You have given me reason to truly hope again, Ethan, and I will not let that spark go out.”
The hammering grew louder and the garbled shouts and cries of the roamers could be heard through the door, which flexed and rattled and splintered with each new strike.
“Love your family and give life back to the world.
That is your charge. You are this planet’s custodian now.”
Ethan shook his head; he didn’t understand, but no sooner had the hermit finished speaking the words, he released him and swept him aside with such force that Ethan staggered half-way across the room and then fell to his knees. The hermit loaded the first pistol he had taken from Ethan and marched towards the door, clicking off the safety as he moved, again with the agility and speed of a man a quarter of his age. Ethan felt paralyzed and could do nothing but watch as the hermit aimed the weapon and fired through the fresh gashes in the door. Cries of pain erupted from the other side, and then the hermit unlocked the door and flung it open, firing again and again to thin out the front of the pack, before charging like a bull and driving the roamers back down the corridor in a tangled heap. Bony hands tightened around his arms and legs, but using every ounce of his inhuman strength the hermit managed to reach into his pocket and pull out the grenade. Wrestling against the mass of maddened bodies pressing down on him, he twisted the ring and placed his thumb over the plunger in readiness.
“Shut the door, lad!” the hermit cried out, as the roamers climbed back to their feet and tried to push past the hermit. “Close it now!”
Ethan suddenly realized the hermit’s intention; he scrambled back to his feet and charged across the room, slamming the door shut and sliding the heavy bolt across it.