by Stina Leicht
Good, Angel said. Add it to the file marked Battle Plan. I’ll go over it when we get back Any news on when they’ll be headed our way?
Another message arrived marked for your eyes only. It indicates the mercenaries should arrive in six days. I have downloaded the contents of Rosie’s text into your hand terminal.
Six days wasn’t terribly long to plan and execute a solid defense against overwhelming odds, but it wasn’t any worse than what Angel had expected.
Thank you, Kurosawa.
19
TIME: 11:15
DAY: TUESDAY
OGENTH
In a line behind Beak and Paulie, a cold wind fought Angel’s progress as she hiked the steep mountain incline. The forest floor was soft under her heavy boots. It felt good to be free of Ogenth’s thick walls. The forest hugging the mountainside smelled clean and crisp—quite the contrast to Brynner’s sour stench. In the time Angel had lived there, she’d assumed the stink was merely a part of the planet’s atmosphere. Understanding that that wasn’t the case caused a shift in her feelings toward Persephone. For the moment, that was a little unsettling. She wasn’t sure how much of her data on and experience of the place had been colored by a deliberate lie. Being uncertain how cautious she needed to be—if at all—conflicted badly with her survival instincts.
Kirby said it was safe.
Kirby is not human and is capable of immediately adapting to her surroundings. Me and mine are not.
Paulie had warned them that there might be snow flurries. It never snowed in Brynner, and Angel couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen frozen precipitation from outside of a full environment suit. She found herself anticipating big fat flakes floating among the branches. She knew it would mean dealing with the damp, but a partial environment suit was great protection against wet and cold. However, the sentimental reasons she enjoyed snow outweighed any potential discomfort.
Bad weather would complicate the job of protecting Ogenth. On the other hand, it would also add factors with which their attackers would have to contend.
Trusting that Paulie and Beak would alert her, Angel found herself focusing on other aspects of planning. She used Kurosawa to make notes about the possibility of hiding traps in the snow, the need to gather data on the weather patterns for the next few days, and the effects of wind and terrain. Ice and gusting winds would slow down surface troops—particularly on rough ground and a steep incline.
Unless they have mechs and powered armor, of course, she thought. Mechs and powered armor would be bad.
It all depended upon how motivated Serrao-Orlov was to obtain Ogenth and how much money they were willing to invest.
Earlier, she’d talked to the pilot Jackson and consulted Lou as well. The winds around Ogenth were particularly bad except during certain periods of the day and year. It was another reason why Rosie had timed their arrival so precisely. Rosie’s information indicated the company mercs wouldn’t be aware of that problem. It would cause a minor delay as they’d likely be forced to make the last leg of the journey on foot. That was something Angel could work with.
Of course, that meant the use of mechs and power suits would be more likely. Luckily, Rosie had provided a report on the tech specs for the equipment the company would send. Angel told Lou to go over them while she waited for their return to Kurosawa. Lou had wanted to accompany them on the hike up the mountain, but Angel decided it wasn’t worth the risk.
Five days left, Angel thought. Five. She wasn’t going to be getting much sleep. There’s so much to do.
She shifted her focus back to the woods. She couldn’t help comparing the trees around her with the pinchwood forest circling Brynner. These trees were far less menacing than the lacy trunks—in fact, they reminded her of home. Pinchwoods stretched anywhere from seventy-five to two hundred meters tall—a seemingly common arboreal trait on Persephone, at least within the parts of the planet she’d visited. These woods seemed to have more in common with the versions of birches, maples, oaks, pines, and other conifers that inhabited Thandh. There were no pinchwoods and no sign of the deadly beetles that swarmed inside them.
Of course, there were other things that weren’t like home. There were large insects with bright green wings that fluttered around the evergreens. Odd-looking birds nested among the branches. Small brown and black rats with long fur scurried up the trunks and leapt between branches. Once in a while, she heard something large move off in the woods to her left. And once she heard a snarl from what she thought was a large cat. Beak and Paulie didn’t seem disturbed. So, Angel assumed it was all right.
The longer they walked through the forest, the more often she noticed various changes in the smell of the plants and trees around them.
At one point she noted the bright red-and-yellow fungus growing along the edges of the path here and there. It formed in rounded clumps the size of two suit helmets. The surface contained paper-thin ridges that traced wavy lines not unlike a human brain. Whenever the party encountered them, Paulie would carefully direct them to keep to a safe distance. Upon the third such encounter, Angel asked why.
“They’re poisonous. They’re also carnivorous,” Paulie said. “The ridges are designed to attract and trap insects and small animals.”
“Are there any of them living closer to Ogenth?” Angel asked.
“No,” Paulie said. “We keep them away because they kill the baby goats.”
“Is it possible to transport them safely?” Angel asked.
“No one has really tried,” Paulie said. “Why do you want to know?”
Sukyi said, “Angel’s thinking of borrowing one of your tactics.”
“The more we can use our surroundings against the enemy, the less of our resources we’ll have to directly use in defense,” Angel said. And unlike mines and timed explosives, they don’t leave a detectable electronic signature.
Paulie nodded. “Ah. I’ll consult one of the plant biologists. They’ll know.”
Angel made a note and sent it to Kurosawa. She took the opportunity to check on Lou via the com link. How’s it going?
Lou replied, It’s boring is how it is.
I meant the research.
Oh, Lou said. That. There’s a lot of it.
Anything we can exploit?
I’m a mechanic, not an electrical engineer, Lou said. A lot of this shit is proprietary. There’s a reason I don’t work on mechs.
Check with Kirby, Angel said. Ask her if anyone among them can do anything with it.
Will do, Captain.
Beak paused and Paulie signaled a stop. There was a strange scent in the air—one that Angel couldn’t place. It was a cross between a musk and the sharp smell of freshly cut grass. She assumed it was one of the many flowering plants in the area. A few flakes of snow drifted past her face.
Sukyi, next in line behind her, said, “It’s snowing.”
Angel nodded. “How’re you doing?”
“Fine,” Sukyi said. Her helmet visor was up. She seemed to have gotten over their earlier disagreement.
After a short time, Paulie gave another signal, and they resumed their journey, single file. Enid brought up the rear. They’d traveled another three hundred or so steps when Angel heard the eerie moan of wind pouring through a narrow space.
“What is that?” Sukyi asked.
Paulie pointed. “It’s the first air tunnel. Can you see it? It’s right there.”
Angel activated the camera lens in her right eye and searched the mountain face. “I don’t. Where is it?”
It took a few moments, but she found it. The big carbon plate with its vents crosshatched with chain-link and rebar had been nanocoated to match the surrounding granite. Are you getting this, Kurosawa?
Affirmative, Captain.
Winding their way up the trail through the trees, the footing got progressively worse until Angel spotted what they were searching for. The tinted window was hidden under a deep overhang. There was a camouflage net hanging over it to keep it from refle
cting light.
“That’s a long way up,” she said.
“It’s not too high for a ship drop,” Enid said. “Lower a few lines. Use the net to climb. Or simply blow the thing out with a minigun.”
“We’re going to have an interesting time protecting that,” Angel said. “All right. Take a few pictures and let’s go on.”
Enid followed orders, using her hand terminal.
The path was heavily littered with dead leaves and pine needles. Quite a few scattered stones and exposed rock ledges formed obstacles along the trail. Occasionally, she spotted claw marks on some of the tree trunks. She pointed them out to Paulie.
“You don’t need to worry,” Paulie said. “Those are months old.”
“That’s huge. What made them?” Angel asked. “I would guess a really big cat.”
Beak gestured to Paulie.
“Beak says it’s probably a Tanners bear,” Paulie said.
One of the things that killed Rosie’s friends all those years ago, Angel thought. That counts as dangerous.
“You’re not from around here. So, they’re probably not what you’d think of as a bear. They only stay on this side of the mountain in the early summer. They migrate to the eastern side of the range in the fall, you see. The direct sunlight lasts longer on that side of the mountains. For that reason, it’s warmer. There’s more game, too.”
Mammoths hadn’t been the only problem on Angel’s father’s finca. There’d been bears in the Burn Mountains north of her family’s acreage. Burn bears weren’t terribly big—a little over a hundred pounds. From a distance, they were downright cute. They tended to keep to themselves and weren’t a problem most of the time, but in midsummer the streams would dry up. The supply of fish would dry up with them. Then the bears would come down out of the highlands, hunting for food. A lone hungry Burn bear was something to be avoided. More than one—and sometimes they ranged in groups—was downright deadly. A lone bear had mauled her brother when he was seven. Ever since then, her father had shot Burn bears on sight—regardless of hunting restrictions.
War was one thing. Sentient beings could be reasoned with most of the time. They executed tactics that could be, in turn, planned for. Wild animals were another matter.
“Are you sure we’re safe?” Angel asked, uneasy. Stop acting surprised. You knew there would be dangerous animals out here.
Paulie glanced at the scarred trunk. “As sure as we can be. We share the area with the life around us, Captain. It’s as much theirs as ours.”
The incline grew steeper, slowing their progress even more. They had traveled another two hundred feet when Beak and Paulie stopped in front of a cliff face. There were several windows set into the rock nearby. Wind roared through the vents Paulie had pointed out before. The nearby vegetation bent with the force of it.
“Is it always like this?” Angel shouted.
Paulie shook her head and laid a hand on the carbon-plated door next to the air tunnel. “Today is extra gusty. Sometimes the wind is calm. Not very often, though. Not this time of year.”
“After Enid takes the photographs of the windows, we’ll move into the maintenance tunnel. What’s at the end of it?”
“The first set of wind turbines,” Paulie said. “Without electricity, things will get uncomfortable inside.”
Paulie led them through.
It would take a great deal of effort to get up this far, Angel thought, but it wouldn’t be impossible, not for a well-trained group of mercenaries, and Serrao-Orlov didn’t hire any other kind.
Paulie explained the wind turbines were hidden deep inside a huge crevice that faced a sheer drop off.
“It’s not so bad out here,” Lou said over the audio channel.
“What are you doing?” Enid asked.
“I wanted to have a look outside,” Lou said. “Can you blame me? It’s beautiful. Just look at the trees.”
“Lou, get back to your station,” Angel said. “There are wild animals in the woods. I don’t need to worry about whether or not my pilot is getting eaten by one of them.”
“Okay! Inside!”
Angel returned to her assessment of the area. Troops could be landed on the shelf three clicks above and lower themselves down. Once they got to the crevice, it’d be a straight shot down the tunnel to the turbines. The enemy wouldn’t need to access the maintenance tunnels. All they’d have to do is blow up the turbines.
“We do have generators,” Paulie shouted. “But they’ll only provide enough life support for a couple of days.”
Angel nodded and added another item to her growing list.
They were standing inside the maintenance tunnel, looking out. The air flowing through the passage was brisk enough to blow Angel’s hair back from her face and make it necessary to shout. The air smelled clean and cold.
“Do birds or other animals ever get caught in the turbines?” Angel asked.
“This wasn’t a popular spot before,” Paulie said with a shrug. “Most of the wildlife around here stays away. It’s the wind. But sometimes a bird gets unlucky.”
“We should have a look at the other tunnels,” Angel said.
“This way,” Paulie said.
She led them down the passage away from the turbine and into a shaft on the right-hand side. The ground tilted downward as they made their way along the tunnel. The passage itself was black, and the only reason they could see was because Enid had thought to bring a flashlight. Paulie and Beak apparently had no need of light to make their way.
Upon reaching the end, Angel discovered it appeared much the same as the previous shaft. A door with another security panel on the wall nearby.
“How many of these things are there?” Angel asked.
“Six,” Paulie said. “Redundancy is a good idea out here.”
“I imagine so,” Angel said.
“Come on. Let’s go this way.” Paulie placed her palm on the reader and the door opened with a loud clang. “After you.”
Angel followed Beak inside. In truth, the interior wasn’t quieter than the outside, but at least there was less chance of being knocked over by the wind. The door clanged shut behind Enid. Paulie had to force it closed. With everyone inside, Paulie showed them how to buckle on their tethers and connect them to the railing before they went on.
Air gusted through at about seventy miles an hour. Angel felt her body tighten in defense against the onslaught. She zipped her environment suit closed at the neck and wished for more serious thermal protection.
“Can you monitor the winds from inside Ogenth?” she asked.
Paulie shouted back. “Of course.”
Angel paused. “How about reversing the turbines? Can you do that on command?”
Sukyi stared down the tunnel and visibly winced.
“That’s possible,” Paulie said. “I can certainly look into it. But it risks damage to the turbine.”
“Let me put it this way,” Angel said. “There may be no need for electricity if you can’t.”
Paulie nodded.
They completed the inspection and entered the next tunnel—all of them were interconnected by a series of secured passageways. The tour of the remaining tunnels took several hours and miles of walking. For the most part, the passages were reasonably secure. However, there were a few places where humans could break in with some effort.
Luckily, the residents of Ogenth won’t have any ethical issues with traps, she thought. Otherwise, we’d be more screwed than we already are. She and her team could only spread themselves so thin.
Ideas whirling inside her skull, Angel waited for Paulie and Beak outside the exit from the first tunnel before beginning the journey down the mountainside. They hadn’t gone far when Beak abruptly halted. Angel was about to ask what was wrong when she heard an animal roar. The sound of it filled her ears.
She brought up her pulse rifle at once. A crashing noise of snapping wood came from her right. A bulky dark shape entered the path. Its massive form blocked th
e way ahead.
Rearing back on its hind legs, the creature looked nothing like a bear from Earth. All it had in common with one was that it was a quadruped and had small round ears. It had a long tail with a tuft of blue feathers on the end. Its bright orange-and-black-striped hide was scaly like a reptile’s. The blunted nose was wide and moist. When the beast roared Angel saw its elongated jaws were home to two rows of sharp teeth. The outermost incisors were long tusks, and its long tongue was purple. The creature was also bigger than the largest bear she’d ever seen—easily fifteen hundred pounds and two and a half meters tall. Its eyes were the shiny black of a shark. The bigger two eyes were positioned normally. However, it also had four smaller eyes on its forehead. It didn’t look happy.
Several things happened all at once. Most of it was a confusion of shouting and the clack of weapons being readied. Paulie stumbled back, tripping. The creature swiped a huge paw with long claws at her head.
Beak stepped in to intervene. Unfortunately, she blocked the head shot Angel had lined up. Beak made several urgent gestures. Tall as she was, Beak appeared small this close to the creature. She breathed in urgent gasps. Suddenly, Angel was overwhelmed with a series of strong scents. The first was that musky grass smell. Then came a spicy woody scent. A floral perfume almost like a rose combined with citrus followed. In no time the air had grown so laden with odors that Angel’s nose itched with an urgent need to sneeze. Her eyes watered.
“Get out of the way!” Angel shouted, and moved to a better position.
Once again, she pointed her rifle at the bear. Beak shifted so that she was once again standing in between Angel and the creature. Then Beak stretched out her arms in pleading motions.
Angel sensed Enid had moved to cover her back. Sukyi appeared at Angel’s side, rifle at the ready.
“Beak! Move, damn it!” Angel screamed.
Paulie leapt up from the ground. She positioned herself between Angel and Beak. “No! Don’t shoot! Please!”
“That monster is going to kill her!” Angel said. “We have to drop it!”
“No! You can’t!” Paulie was tiny. She jumped up and down, and waved her hands as if to block all of their weapons. “Beak is fine! Just let her talk to her! Please? Your bullets won’t penetrate her skull! You’ll only make her angry! Please!”