“Grace, come in,” said Trace trying to hide the fact that she’d been crying.
“Sorry to bother you; I just wanted to see how you were doing. When you left the service you seemed very preoccupied.”
“We’ve already lost one person on this mission. What if I can’t make this work? Even if I can make it work, was it worth his life?” said Trace slumping down in a desk chair with her hands over her face.
“We all know what space service means. Gallantine knew very well the risk involved, and when Commander Devon announced his intentions to pursue our plan, he was as happy as any of us. I know what you’re feeling. I helped devise this plan as well, so I bear as much responsibility as you. Are you sure that’s all it is?”
“Grace, you really like Commander Devon, don’t you?”
Shou was taken aback by Trace’s abrupt question and really didn’t know how to respond. She was silent as she decided how to answer the question.
“I can tell. It’s written all over your face when you’re on the command deck. I suspect he really feels for you as well, but he’s better at concealing his true feelings.”
“Really there isn’t anything but wishful thinking at this point. We both have our duties to perform first and foremost, and there’s so much uncertainty I don’t know if there will ever be time for anything else.” said Shou.
“That would be a shame. Love can be the greatest thing in the world when you’re in it and bring you to the lowest level of despair when you lose it. But I would argue that it’s worth the risk if you can have it, even for a short time.”
“You’re talking about Dr. O’Neil, aren’t you?” asked Shou.
“I suppose everyone heard about that when it all blew up,” said Trace, standing and walking over to a small bookcase where she kept a picture of her and Will. Yes, I loved him like I’ve never loved any other man in my life. I don’t regret one second of our time together and would give anything to feel those feelings again. When I realized that we had to use the Guardian, it all came flooding back in. I’ve tried to put that period of my life behind me, and now is certainly not the time to rehash all of that. I do regret that others got hurt, and for that I’ll always feel guilt and be sorry.”
“We all do things in our lives that hurt others,” said Shou, thinking of her mother. “Believe me, I know. Once they’re done there isn’t much we can do other than learn from it and try to move on.”
“Most others don’t have their hurtful, selfish actions broadcast across an entire planet. Those bastards wanted to ruin him, so they used me against him, and I allowed it to happen. I should have walked away early on, but I couldn’t. I loved him so much.”
“Anna, I’m not passing judgment on what happened back then, but you have to realize that you were younger then. You and I are both different people than we were then because we’ve learned from our mistakes. You have to find a way to put it behind you or it’ll continue to haunt you.”
“I know you’re right. It’s just something I didn’t anticipate having to deal with right now. I didn’t tell anyone, but the reason I signed on to this mission was to escape everything that had happened. Out here in deep space, I’d hoped to find some healing. Now I’m facing it again and the realization that everyone we ever knew, including Will, will soon be dead, and there isn’t anything we can do about it except warn them it’s coming.”
Shou embraced Trace, and both had tears in their eyes. They’d become good friends and had both suffered great emotional scars, which seemed to make their bond even tighter.
“So have you had a chance to refresh yourself in regards to the Guardian?” asked Shou.
“I’ve been working on pulling all of the data I can from the computer and looking over my old notes. I think we’ll be fine if I can just focus on what needs to be done.”
“I’ll let the commander know. Just try to relax Ginger,” said Shou smiling and leaving the room.
Trace took a deep breath, knowing she was no closer to remembering the final sequence to unlock the Guardian’s communications. It had been years since she’d even thought about that part of her life. Now she had no choice; she had to recall it all down to the last detail, and the pain was overwhelming. She sat on the bed and put her hands over her face. Feeling hopeless and ashamed, she reached for the glass sitting next to her and smashed it off the wall. She watched the glass shatter as her mind played the scene in slow motion. Each shard represented a piece of the greater whole of the glass—like a puzzle of sorts, she thought. In the same way, her mind had to piece together the shards of her memory to recall the Guardian’s access code. She often slowed her thoughts at times of great stress, in order to come to a solution. This was no different, just a sequence that her mind had formulated long ago, and it just needed to be put back together. It had to be, she thought, so she could see Will again—to say one last goodbye.
10
THE FACE
Smoke rose from the great volcano as lava spewed over its steep edges. Will climbed higher, trying to avoid the deadly flow as the smell of smoke and ash choked him. His arms and legs burned with excruciating pain, but that didn’t slow his ascent. He had to see. He had to look into the great abyss. The answers were there. They had to be. The great mountain shook as violent eruptions blasted from the molten cone. His fingertips were numb as he clawed his way to the top. The answers were close now—just a few more feet, and he could look down. As he pulled himself to the top and looked over the edge into the fiery abyss, the rocks underneath him began to crumble, and he plunged toward the molten rock. He was falling but strangely did not feel the sensation of falling, just a freedom as a bird soaring through the sky. He began to feel the heat of the approaching fire, and suddenly his senses returned. He was falling, and was seconds from a torturous, burning death. He screamed as he braced himself.
Will sat up suddenly in his bed, awakened by his own screams. He put both hands to his face and could feel the sweat permeating the sheets. As he climbed out of bed, his aching muscles were a painful reminder of the ascent back to the observatory. As he tried to stretch the stiffness out of his right arm, he glanced at the time.
“Ten damn hours!”
He walked to the com unit and rang Lars Stanzic’s office.
“Will, my boy. Finally awake. Was my lecture last evening that boring?”
“On the contrary, sir. It was very enlightening. I was hoping we could discuss it further before I leave.”
He had so many questions to ask but knew they were being watched and listened to, and that it would be difficult if not impossible for Stanzic to communicate anything further.
“Sorry, Will. Your transport will be leaving shortly. I’ll be down in ten minutes to escort you from the observatory.” Stanzic’s image abruptly disappeared from the screen.
Will quickly packed his clothes and belongings and did his best to clean himself up for the trip back to Manikar. He thought about calling Jonas to let him know about the revelation that Stanzic had shared, but he knew that would have to wait. He heard the door slide open, and Stanzic walked through, exhibiting a similar behavior as when he and Edena first arrived.
“Gather your bags; we have to make sure you don’t miss your transport.”
He and Will walked from the room and down to the main entrance of the observatory.
“Unfortunately I’ve got to leave for a meeting, so this is going to have to be good-bye for now,” said Stanzic winking.
“Lars, I want to thank you for everything, I…”
Before Will could finish his thought, Stanzic embraced him firmly, which he found slightly uncomfortable. He then quickly walked away without looking back.
Will made his way from the observatory to the main transport station and boarded for the flight home. As he walked to his seat, he noticed the tall man who had been waiting for him and Stanzic in the hologram chamber sitting several seats behind him. This was obviously not a coincidence, and he began to feel anxious. There was no way
anyone could have known that they had left the observatory, but if that were the case, why would they be following him? As he scanned the people ahead of him, he saw the shorter man several rows in front, trying to blend in. For all of the mystery surrounding the situation, he couldn’t help but think that these were not the brightest two individuals who could have been assigned to spy on him. More likely, these were low men on the totem pole forced to take this boring assignment, and he might be able to use that to his advantage at some point.
As the transport took flight, Will tried to relax. The two men couldn’t make any kind of a move in public, so he was pretty sure he was safe for now. As he began to make himself comfortable, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small envelope. He immediately thought back to the strange embrace that Stanzic had given him—he must have slipped this to him at that point. He carefully slipped it back into his pocket and sat back until the transport settled into its flight. As he undid his seatbelt, he casually looked around to see what the men were doing and got up to use the hyperflush. He could see the taller man glance up from under his hat as he walked by, trying to look uninterested. With the door closed securely, he took the envelope from his pocket and began to open it. It had something bigger than just paper in it, and Will tore open the top to expose a small explosive orb like the ones Stanzic had used to blow holes in the water tower. There was also a note written by Stanzic.
Will,
I wish I had more of an opportunity to speak with you about the amazing discoveries we’ve found and their importance but we have no time. You’re in grave danger, as you may have already noticed. They monitored your call last night to your coworker and know about the samples from the Folands vegetation. This is evidence they can’t afford to have out there, and I’m not sure how far they’ll go to get it back. You can see that I have enclosed something for you. It worked as a diversion for us and may do the same for you at some point. Tap it twice; it has a twenty-second delay. I truly hope we’ll meet again soon, but for now take care of yourself.
Your friend,
Lars Stanzic.
Will put the orb in his pocket. Then he crumbled the note and placed it into the hyperflush. As he returned to his seat, he could see the two men once again trying unsuccessfully not to let on that they were watching him. He tried to relax the rest of the way to Manikar, but the uncertainty of the situation made it impossible. Another thought crossed his mind: what if they already had gotten to Jonas? He didn’t have his com and had no way to warn him. Once the transport landed, he would have no choice but to head for Space Quorum Headquarters to try to dispose of the samples and the results.
The transport reached Manikar station several hours later, and as it came to a stop, Will raced to the front to assure he would be off first. As the other passengers began to flood the aisles, the two men were cut off from moving up directly behind him. Will could see them peering over other passengers to keep him in sight. The door opened, and he walked with a brisk pace down the stairs and onto the platform that overlooked Manikar Square, a large monument-filled park in the center of the city. The dull, sandy environment looked strange to Will after having been in the lush green of the Folands for three days, and his eyes had to adjust to the brightness of the suns reflection. He tried not to bring attention to himself by running flat out, as the Space Quorum building was on the far end of the square. This was the largest structure in Manikar and was visible from anywhere in the city. He could see the two men following behind, making an effort not to draw attention to themselves, but also making less of an effort to conceal themselves. This was it, Will thought. Whatever their intentions were, it would all play out in a few minutes.
As Will made his way across the square, he saw Jonas sitting on a bench eating his lunch. Out of breath, he quickly walked to where Jonas sat.
“Jonas, thank God.”
“Well, look who it is. You hung up on me last night and now—”
“Jonas, listen to me, there’s no time for this.”
“Oh no, boss. There’s never time for me. I’m just good for holding down the fort.”
Will snapped, “Jonas, shut up!”
Jonas’s already hurt feelings were now shattered as Will tried to get through to him. He knew that fear would be just the thing to snap him back to reality.
“Look over my left shoulder. You see those two men wearing black?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“They’re most likely coming to hurt or kill us. Got it?”
Jonas quickly stood up, dropping his sandwich and spilling his drink. “Got it, but why would they want to—”
“There’s no time to explain. Just listen to me. Where are the samples from the Folands analysis and the data results?”
“They’re up in the office. Why?”
“That’s what they’re after, and they can’t be allowed to get them. C’mon.”
Will and Jonas now began to run toward the main doors of Quorum Headquarters. The giant facility rose one hundred fifty stories high and the top of the building was fashioned to look like an early space helmet. It also served as launch facilities, labs, and offices for the space program. It was Manikar’s most impressive structure and could be seen from anywhere in the city and outer regions. Its upper floors were also where Will had spent the last two years, struggling to keep Telos alive.
“Boss, what’s this about?” asked Jonas.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I still don’t believe it. If we live through this, I’ll tell you all about it later.”
Jonas looked at Will with a shocked and scared expression, realizing that he wasn’t kidding.
They ran to the elevators that went up to the top floor where the planetary study offices were and where Jonas and Will shared a small workspace. As the doors were closing shut, the two men appeared directly in front of them, now sprinting toward them. The doors of the elevator slammed closed, and both Will and Jonas took a deep breath.
“Jonas, when we get to the office, we need to split up. You take the data disk with the lab results, and I’ll take the sample container. We’ll meet up later. Either way, we’ll still have evidence.”
“What evidence? What the hell is going on?”
“Stanzic found something that proves that life here on Mars evolved as a result of an impact from Earth thousands or maybe millions of years ago. The government is trying to conceal this information, and it would appear they sent these two goons to get the samples or us or both. Trust me. I have some history with these two. They’re all brawn and little brains, but it doesn’t take brains to hurt someone.”
“How do they even know we have them?” asked Jonas, sounding totally confused and frightened.
“They’ve been listening in on all communications I made out of the Folands, so they heard everything you said last night about Walker and Davis leaving with those samples.”
“Damn. Is that why you hung up on me?”
“Actually, I was twenty-five thousand feet up on a steep canyon wall covered in bat shit, and you were annoying me.”
“Very funny, boss. Not really the best time for jokes, though.”
Will smiled as they exited the elevator and ran down the hall to their workspace. He glanced up at the monitors and saw the images being transmitted from Earth and for a moment felt the connection to that place that was even stronger than before.
“Quick, take the disk, and head out of here,” said Will.
“Where am I supposed to go?”
Jonas’s eyes widened as the elevators at the far end of the corridor opened, and the two men emerged. They quickly caught sight of Will and Jonas and raised their weapons.
“Get out of here!” Will shouted. If you get cornered, just give them the disk and do anything you can to get away. I really don’t know how far they’re willing to go.”
Jonas took off running down the long hallway away from the elevators, and the two men immediately began to pursue. Will bolted across the corridor
to another long hallway, carrying the case containing the Folands samples. As the two men reached the intersecting hallways, they too split up to pursue Jonas and Will. Will looked back to see the larger man pull a weapon from under his jacket. The man fired, and a cart full of papers was blasted in all directions.
“More sonic weapons. Great,” said Will.
He knew if one of these shots even came close, he would be unable to stay on his feet. As he ran along the corridor, he saw that he was heading for the hangar bay where they were preparing Larsen’s ship. The door ahead led to scaffolding that went high above the launch area and then up to the roof of the giant facility. He knew he would need to use the retina scanner to open the door and that his pursuer would likely not have access to this area. Will ran up to the scanner, looked in, and the door slid open. As he passed through, the door slid shut, and he heard a thud as the large man’s weapon discharged once again. He looked through the small window and could see the man staring at him, not with a look of resignation, but with a cocky smirk, as if to indicate that this wasn’t over. Will could see him adjusting his weapon in some way, and he immediately began to run across the scaffolding walkway. As he did, the large man stepped back from the door and a few seconds later the door blew open, ripping its large metal hinges from the wall.
“I guess Lars was wrong, these weapons aren’t so politically correct after all, great!”
As Will ran across, he looked down at the Sirocco positioned in one of the two launch bays at the top of the Quorum building. The eyes in the representation of the helmet served as launch bays for the deep space vessels and had been used for the Victory and the Shadow. The scaffolding began to angle up as it headed out of the launch area to the rounded roof of the building. Will was amazed at how fast this man could run for his size, and he was now only twenty feet from him. He knew the man hadn’t had time to change the settings on the gun, and if he were hit at this close range, he’d surely be killed.
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