Last Flight For Craggy

by Gary Weston

  Chapter 131

  'Buckle up, people. I repeat, buckle up. This is Captain Rocky Ramshorn, speaking. Estimated time of arrival Mars outer orbit, one hour, seventeen minutes. We will take one full orbit before we enter Mars atmosphere. You may hear a slight roaring sound, which is normal. There will be slight vibrations. This will last no more than eleven minutes, fifteen seconds. One single orbit will see us over the landing strip. There will be a fresh crew to unload the cargo, supervised by Captain Jay Moore. Your job is done. Well done, people. Now buckle up.'

  Dillow deliberately sat with the others, demonstrating her complete faith in Rocky Ramshorn. Amethyst sat at her husband's side at the controls, taking it all in for the time she may have to fly the Big Bird. Cragg sat between Dillow and Roswell, laughing and joking, taking his role of ship's clown seriously by putting everyone be at ease. Inwardly, Dillow smiled, knowing exactly what Craggy was up to. His very presence was a calming influence. In every way, the man was a legend. In no time at all, the time for entry into Mars' thin atmosphere was upon them.

  'Captain Rocky Ramshorn here. We will be commencing re-entry into Mars' atmosphere in two minutes. Stay buckled up.'

  The Big Bird was guided through the re-entry by the computers, Rocky ready to take over for the actual landing. The marsillium coating shook off the fierce friction heat like a dog shaking off water.

  The soft roaring sound stopped and Rocky took over. One slow orbit, Rocky calmness personified using the slightest of hand and finger movements, taking the biggest ship in mankind's history to the landing strip, being guided home by his every command.

  Amethyst was never as in love with her husband than at that exact moment. And soon they would be with the twins, a family again. She said nothing, knowing Rocky was in the zone, as one with the ship, his ship. He took it down to one tenth power.

  'Captain Rocky Ramshorn requesting permission to land this bird.'

  'Permission granted, Captain. Welcome home, Rocky.'

  'Thanks.'

  'Did you feel that, Craggy?' asked Dillow.

  'Feel what?'

  'Exactly.'

  'We touched down?'

  'Welcome home, Craggy.'

  Chapter 132

  'Ah, Morgan.'

  'You wanted to see me, Commander Forbes?'

  'Take a seat.'

  Max Morgan nervously sat. 'Am I in trouble, Sir?'

  'Should you be?'

  'I hope not.'

  Forbes said, 'I've a little job for you, Morgan. In itself, not too much of a job, but its significance could be totally awesome.'

  'Okay. What is it?'

  There was a small metal case on Commander Forbes' desk. He flicked the catches open and turned it to face Morgan.

  'This is a terraforma. This one device can bring life to Mars.'

  Morgan understood the term terraforma. 'That little thing?'

  'Size isn't everything,' said Forbes. 'Okay. I want you to take your freighter to the northern ice cap. You hold this in both hands, one here, one the other end. Then you twist it in a clockwise direction to activate it. It will glow green if it has worked. You must carefully set it onto the ice and get the hell out of there.'

  'It explodes?' said Morgan, staring suspiciously at the artefact.

  'Not exactly. But our understanding is it reacts very fast and it doesn't pay to get in its way.'

  'Right. Take that to the north cap, twist it clockwise, it glows green, I get my ass back here.'

  'Correct.'

  'Sir. What if it doesn't turn green?'

  Forbes shrugged. 'If that happens I guess it must be past its expiry date.' He closed the lid of the metal case down and secured the catches. 'Good luck, Captain Morgan.'

  'Thank you, Sir.'

  Morgan picked up the case and headed off towards his freighter.

  Chapter 133

  Commander Fawn Dillow became mother and loving partner again. At last inside Base Three, she had hugs and kisses for Shyne and Joel.

  'I have missed you two so much. No more long hauls for me, I promise.'

  'Glad to hear it,' said Joel. 'Fawn...'

  'Something wrong? I can see in your face. What?'

  'Commander Potts wants to see you.'

  Dillow groaned. 'Now? You mean tomorrow, right?'

  Joel shook his head. 'Now.'

  'Okay. Shyne. Go with daddy. Mommy has something I have to do.'

  'But I want you, Mommy.'

  'I know, sweetie. I won't be long. I'll come and tell you a story in bed, okay?'

  'Come with Daddy, sweetie,' said Joel.

  Dillow didn't need this, but she headed for Potts's office. Felix Hellicoyle and Raz Berry were also there.

  'Commander Dillow. Please take a seat,' said Potts.

  'Sir. Couldn't this wait until the morning?'

  Potts shared a look with the two geologists. 'Fawn. Your father...'

  'My Dad? What's happened to my Dad?'

  'To be honest, we are not sure.'

  'Where the hell is my father?'

  'Where is he?' Potts shrugged. 'The truth is, we are not sure of that, either. An awful lot's happened while you've been away. It's best if you just listen and let me tell you everything from the beginning.'

  Dillow nodded. 'I'm listening.'

  To an astounded Dillow, Potts told the entire story.

  'So Dad went into that black hole thing and vanished?'

  Potts said, 'He must be somewhere, Fawn, but we're not sure exactly where.'

  Berry said, 'We think he got disorientated in there and went into the wrong tunnel.'

  'Well, what the hell are we hanging around here for? Let's get going after him.'

  'There's a dozen tunnels,' said Potts. 'We don't want to risk losing anyone else. There's something else.'

  'Go on.'

  'The alien told us we have to destroy the pathways.'

  Dillow got up and pounded the desk with her fist. 'My father could be anywhere in the galaxy, maybe the whole damn universe, and you want to shit on him and hang him out to dry? Over my dead body you will.'

  'Commander Dillow...'

  'No. I won't let you do it.'

  'Fawn. We want Lance back as much as you do. But this is beyond our control. You tell me. How can we get him back?'

  Dillow had no ideas. 'My little girl wants me. I'm tired. I'll be back in the morning. Don't you....Anyone does anything to close that pathway thing, I swear to God...'

  'That will not happen, Fawn,' said Potts. 'You have my word on that.'

  Dillow glared at him. She was afraid to say more. She turned and stormed out of the office, to try to smile and tell her little girl a bedtime story.

  Chapter 134

  Commander of Space Security Lance Dillow had become disorientated. He had floated in the blackness, becoming one with it in his all black suit. He felt strangely at peace, but the logical part of his mind warned him he had to get out of there. Around him were the softly glowing ends of the various tunnels, three of which would lead him to the relative safety of either Mars, Mons or Phobos. The others could go anywhere, even possibly to the aliens world, where a warm friendly greeting would not be on offer.

  One tunnel seemed to draw him to it, so he floated towards it. Reaching out, he felt the reassuringly solid lip of the tunnel and pulled himself into it. Did this go to Phobos? All he knew was that if he stayed in the blackness, his consciousness would become one with it and his resolve to escape it would go. He looked out along the perfectly smooth tunnel, his helmet light illuminating the way to...?

  He had no choice. He had to follow it, to go where it took him. He was a big man, and the tunnel seemed to close in on him, like a tomb. From his helmet light, the tunnel took on a yellow glow. He went on for an hour, and thirst was drying his mouth and throat. Still the tunnel stretched out ahead of him, no obvious end in sight. Another hour and he had trouble breathing as his throat became painfully dry and still nowhere near the end of his uncomfortable journey.
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br />   A strange vision from his childhood came into his mind, something of a long forgotten memory of sitting with his parents watching movies from a time long before. It was a song he remembered, and it made him smile.

  'We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz.' He struggled with the rest of the song. 'Follow...follow the yellow brick road.'

  Yet another hour, and even his strong body was giving in. Dehydration was dragging him down. Only his iron will had gotten him this far. He looked back the way he had come. Too far, now. He would die in the tunnel going back that way. He might die in the tunnel anyway, but that was something beyond his control. He pressed on, every part of him aching from the effort of moving in the cramped conditions. After another hour, his head was swimming, and like a man drowning, he wanted to let go and let the spirits take him to hopefully a better place.

  Perhaps if he rested. Just for a few minutes. To lay straight in the tunnel and let his pain racked muscles recover enough to continue. He rolled over onto his back and stretched his giant body out, feeling his muscles scream in relief. He closed his eyes and slept.

  Chapter 135

  Joel Leaming knew it was pointless arguing with his partner. Fawn put a whole new spin on the word stubborn. The look on her face as she suited up told him even suggesting she didn't go after her father, but to stay safely with him and their daughter, would get him nothing but an angry rebuke. He held Shyne in his arms, and they both watched her mommy get ready.

  'Mommy. Stay with me, pleeeease.'

  'I won't be long, sweetie. But your grandfather is missing. You want me to try to find him, don't you?'

  'But if Grandy is missing, you might get missing, too.' Her grandfather had always been Grandy to Shyne.

  Joel gave Fawn a “the kid could be right,” look. She ignored it and cupped her daughter's tearful face in her hands and kissed her.

  'I'll not go far. I just want to see where he last was. Then I'll be right back here with you and Daddy.'

  'Promise?'

  She paused, hoping it was something she could keep her word on. 'I promise, sweetie. I have to go. People are waiting for me.'

  She kissed Joel, her rock, her eyes asking him to trust her. He had always loved and trusted her. He just nodded, watching her enter the airlock of Base Three to join Berry in the buggy. The inner door closed and Joel took Shyne away, knowing his job was to comfort her, somewhere warm and secure.

  * * *

  Fawn Dillow followed Berry along the tunnel to the blackness.

  Berry explained, 'At first we thought this was some sort of black hole, because it swallows light. But physical things, including humans, can go in and get out again.'

  'And the aliens created this?'

  'Yes. Go take a look. I'll hold you with the line and pull you back. Helmet radios don't work in there.'

  Dillow entered the darkness. She could see the ends of all the tunnels, looking like dull yellow lights suspended in nothing. She tugged on the line and Berry pulled her back to the tunnel.

  'See those lights in there? They are tunnels, like this one. One goes to the heart of Mons. Stella is in there right now, working on the alien computers. One of them goes to Phobos. A ten minutes crawl along it, gets you there.'

  'Incredible. What about the others?'

  'We have no idea. Fawn. All we know for sure is, he didn't come back this way, or enter Mons or end up on Phobos. He must have become disorientated, and picked the wrong tunnel. We have no idea where he could be. I am so sorry.'

  'Commander Potts said we have to destroy this.'

  'He's right. One of those tunnels probably leads to the aliens world. That means they could come to Mars at any time. They may be small, but they have a superior technology and they can be ruthless.'

  'We can't shut this down and forget about my father.'

  'Fawn. We have to face facts. We can't risk this thing being kept open for long. We have to hope Lance finds his way back before we make the decision to shut it down.'

  It was a painful reality check. 'How long do we have?'

  Berry sighed. 'At the moment, we don't know how to shut it down safely. Stella is trying to find that out on the alien computer. If she can do that...'

  'Stella's brilliant. She'll find it.'

  'That's when we have to decide.'

  'I want to see Stella.'

  Chapter 136

  Max Morgan put the metal case on the seat next to him and took off. It was only a relatively slow flight for just over one hour to the northern cap. It wasn't a magnetic pole as on Earth, because the internal core had stopped spinning, millions of years before. Much of the water was undrinkable without intense treatment. Little was on the surface, the majority lying below the surface. It was late summer in Mars northern hemisphere, but the temperature was still one hundred below. Morgan's suit would protect him from the worst of the freezing Martian air. Relying on the suit to keep him alive, he picked up the case and went through the airlock.

  Morgan walked across the frozen wasteland, ice crystals crunching beneath his boots. From the air he had seen a reasonable expanse of ice and it was towards that he carried the case.

  * * *

  'Fawn. What brings you here?'

  'Hi, Stella. I'm looking for my father.'

  'Sorry. He's not in here.'

  'I know. He's gone missing.'

  Stella said, 'Missing? I don't understand. I thought he was trying to find a way to close down the pathways.'

  'He was. Then he vanished.'

  'My God,' gasped Stella. 'I've been out of touch up here most of the time. It's impossible to get a signal from anyone in the blackness.'

  'Stella. We think he got confused and took the wrong tunnel. We have no idea which one.'

  'Tried Phobos?'

  Fawn said, 'Yes. He's probably taken a new tunnel. He could literally be anywhere.'

  'Fawn. I am so sorry.'

  'Commander Potts said we have to close the pathways down. My father could be lost forever if that happens.'

  Stella said, 'We have to close it down. Every minute that passes is a threat to us. Your father knew that as well as anyone.'

  'I know. But we have to give him a chance. Berry told me you are trying to find a way to close the pathways down from the computer.'

  Stella nodded. 'And I have.'

  'No. We can't. Stella, please.'

  Stella said, 'It isn't up to me. Only the commanders can make that call. But I know one way to shut it down. Look.'

  Stella worked the computer and the alien appeared on the screen.

  'This is Korlyn. This little guy is a hero. He gave his life to save us.'

  'The commander told me most of it.'

  Stella worked the computer. 'This is an English translation. Watch carefully.'

  They stood together and listened to the alien. There was an image of the terraforma.

  Korlyn spoke. 'When the terraforma is activated, it will close the pathways for ever. I have reprogrammed it to do that so my people may not return here. Activating the terraforma shuts down the pathways.'

  * * *

  Max Morgan reached the expanse of ice and opened the metal case. He took out the artefact and held it carefully in his padded gloved hands. 'Right. Let's do this.' He held the top and bottom as he'd been shown and twisted. Nothing happened. It wouldn't budge. 'Come on, you damned thing. Open.'

  A final effort and something gave. It turned green. He carefully placed the beautiful artefact on the ice. 'Go do your thing.'

  He picked up the empty case and returned to the freighter. As he sat down, the radio started.

  'Morgan. This is Commander Potts. Do not activate the terraforma.'

  'Come again, Sir?'

  'I repeat. Do not activate the terraforma.'

  'Sir. You called me about two minutes too late.'

  Chapter 137

  The deep resonating rumble woke Lance Dillow up. It took a moment to realise where he was and what was happening. As he lay o
n his back, his helmet light revealed a wide crack opening up above him. Small chunks of rock were dropping on his visor. If he were to survive, he had to get out of there fast.

  He scrambled onwards, ignoring the wild shaking, clambering over the larger slabs of rock desperately trying to get to the end of the tunnel which was still nowhere in sight. The shaking became more violent.

  'Move your ass, Dillow.'

  On he went, the tunnel breaking up in front and behind him. A large piece landed on the back of his leg making him yell out in pain, but it didn't slow him down. And suddenly there it was, the end of the tunnel. He hurled himself out of it as the whole tunnel disintegrated behind him.

  Dillow found himself falling and rolling down a steep slope, scattering rocks and dirt along with him. The slope ended and he was falling. He fell ten yards and landed face down on a narrow ledge, the visor of the helmet smashing to pieces.

  Chapter 138

  'Did the Earth move for you?' said Cragg.

  'No,' said Misty. 'But Mars damn well did. Get off me, you big lump.'

  'That's not what you said half an hour ago. Listen. It's stopped.'

  'A quake?'

  Cragg said, 'You know better than that. Mars has no tectonic plates. Only volcanoes. Oh, shit. Mons?'

  They dressed in a hurry. Outside their rooms, they could see many others were also wondering what was going on. They were all staring up at the huge roof of Base Three. For that to break would be a deadly disaster.