by Don Viecelli
Ingrid believed him. Ivan was an evil monster. No one could stop him now, except Jack. He was her only hope. She would have to play along with Ivan to buy more time. She had no illusions. She knew what Ivan was capable of. He would kill her as soon as he didn’t need her anymore. She looked out the window. It was so dark, but the universe was full of tiny, bright stars glowing in the distance. Each one gave her hope.
She knew Jack would find her. She could see Jack’s backpack strapped to the floor under the front seat. Inside it were the drug vials and container with the GPS transmitter. She could sense the beacon pulsating out into space. Her heart was beating in rhythm with the signal.
Chapter 26
Jack recognized the voice on the smartcom. He was surprised, but thankful. “Inspector Madison, is that you?”
“Yes, Jack. Please call me Leroy. We’ve been monitoring your transmission. Do you need help?”
“Yes, right away. I need a police shuttle to follow Ivan. He took Ingrid.” Jack told Leroy what happened.
“I understand. How many people are with him?”
“At least two, Tom Wilkerson and probably Wolfgang Strossberg. I don’t know where Captain Black is.”
“We heard everything on the microphone, Jack: even the recording from your earlier meeting with Captain Black. Good work.”
“Where are you guys? I don’t want to lose the GPS signal.”
“I’m with your friend, Sam, on Ares. We’re using his monitoring station to track you and the drugs. We have the locator signal on Ivan’s shuttle. It looks like he’s heading for the main asteroid belt. He must have a lab out there.”
“How soon can you pick me up?”
“I’m getting a crew ready now. We’ll be there in thirty minutes. We’ll pick you up in the shuttle hangar on SpaceMed. Don’t worry, Jack. We won’t lose them.”
*****
Halfway to the space lab, Ivan motioned to Wolfgang that they needed to talk. They retreated to the back of the shuttlecraft where Ingrid could not overhear them.
“We should dispose of the body as soon as we reach the asteroid belt. It will be lost in the debris field,” Ivan said.
“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.” They both returned to their seats.
“What was that all about?” Ingrid asked.
“Nothing to worry about: just a minor detail that needed to be taken care of. We’ll be docking soon at my space lab. After I show you the production lines, I want to test your solution.” Ivan held up the memcard with the new formula on it. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this. I hope you understand how important this is to me.”
Ingrid did not respond. She thought of her father and how excited he was when he found the solution to speeding up the production process. It was simple, really. Ingrid wondered why they didn’t think of it sooner. It was so basic. She smiled as she remembered her father jumping with joy off the floor and floating to the ceiling in the zero gravity lab on Ares. She could hear his voice. Those were happy times for both of them. Ingrid wanted to remember her father as she pictured him then.
A few minutes later, Ingrid heard a hissing sound coming from the cargo bay below them. “What’s that?”
“We’re just cleaning the recycling tanks before we reach our destination,” Ivan lied nonchalantly. In reality, Wolfgang had just ejected Captain Black’s body toward the asteroid belt. As it spun away behind them, the exposed body immediately expanded to twice its size like a water balloon as the organs in the body doubled in size and the blood boiled. Within seconds everything froze solid in the extreme coldness of space. What was left inside the stained uniform now looked like one of the smashed rocks that littered the asteroid belt. Soon it would disappear inside the mass of debris until collisions with other rocks turned the body to dust.
The space lab came into view outside Ingrid’s window. It was larger than she had imagined. She knew Ivan dealt with illegal drugs. According to Captain Stiles and Inspector Madison, he was one of the biggest producers of illegal hallucinogen and synthetic narcotic drugs in space. They were closing in on him, but never had enough evidence to arrest him. Even now, they were counting on Jack to help bring him down. Ivan could have a dozen of these labs scattered throughout the solar system and they would never find them all. This lab looked like a common mining platform. Maybe that’s why they were so hard to find.
The shuttlecraft slowly approached one of the two landing platforms located at each end of the space lab. The top half of the space lab was spinning to generate artificial gravity. The shuttlecraft matched its rotation and gently set down. They waited for a large hangar door to opened and then taxied inside. The door closed automatically behind them. Parked inside were two other shuttlecrafts used to haul workers and supplies back and forth from Mars. It only took a few minutes for the hangar to re-pressurize and allow them to exit the shuttlecraft without space suits.
They split up. Tom followed Wolfgang down one corridor and Ivan led Ingrid down another corridor to a spare cabin. “This is your room for the time being. You can freshen up; then I’ll take you to the lab.”
Ingrid stepped inside and looked around. It was a small room with a bunk bed, desk, chair, bookshelf, wall lights and a separate bathroom. There were no windows. She turned around and spoke to Ivan. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” She heard him lock the door after he left. She took off her jacket and pulled out the laser gun she had hidden in the back of her waistband. She checked the safety and put the gun back. Tom never thought to check her for weapons when he forced her to go to Ivan’s place. She thought of using it to free herself, but the chance never came. Tom had a gun in her back the whole time. She vowed to use it, no matter what, if Ivan made any advances towards her. She just prayed that Jack would find her before it was too late.
Ivan went to his small office further down the corridor. He carried the backpack that contained the stolen drug vials and other items Captain Black had given him. He opened it and put the items on his desk. Then he opened the safe where he kept the drug vials. He placed the container inside and locked the door. He had forty vials now, worth at least 200 million denoms. With the new formula, he would increase production as soon as possible.
Nothing could stop him now. To prove the point, he picked up the agreement that he had signed with the two doctors and put it in the disposer. The machine instantly vaporized it. There was no longer any proof that the doctors ever owned the rights to the discovery. Ivan was ready to visit the lab. He called Doctor Tanaka and told him he was bringing a very important guest to the lab. They would meet him there shortly.
Ivan walked back to Ingrid’s room. He knocked on the door. When she answered, he unlocked the door and opened it.
Ingrid had washed her face and combed her hair. She looked refreshed.
“Are you ready to visit the lab?”
“Yes, I’m ready.” In a way Ingrid was looking forward to it. She had enjoyed working in her father’s lab refining the drug. It was her life’s work and she had missed it these past few months.
Ivan led her to the production facility. It was on the lower level separated from the artificial gravity section. The lab was in a natural micro-gravity environment similar to the one on Ares. They put on magnetized shoes to enter the lab. Ivan led the way.
Inside the room were two long production lines. Ingrid immediately recognized the processing equipment and chemicals being used to produce the anti-aging drug. Everything looked just like the lab on Ares, except bigger. Ivan’s team was trying to increase the quantity of drugs by using more chemicals and processing tanks. It worked to a degree, but it did nothing to increase the speed of the production process. The end result was limited by the size of the lab. Only a bigger facility could increase the output, a costly endeavor.
Ivan led Ingrid to a small, anxious looking Japanese man who appeared to be in charge of the production team. “Ingrid, this is Doctor Akihito Tanaka. He is in charge of the lab. Akihito, this is Doctor Ingrid Johanson.
She and her father discovered the anti-aging drug.”
Doctor Tanaka looked genuinely impressed. He bowed politely and shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Johanson. The drug is a great discovery. I’m most happy to be involved in this project.”
Ingrid was flattered. She wondered if Doctor Tanaka had any idea what Ivan had done to her father to get this drug. “Thank you, Doctor Tanaka. I appreciate your comment.”
“Doctor Johanson has provided me with the new formula that will allow us to increase production substantially. It’s on this card. Put it in the computer and maybe Ingrid will be kind enough to explain how it works.” Ivan handed the memcard to Doctor Tanaka who took it to the computer station and inserted the card. Ivan let Ingrid select the appropriate file. He wasn’t sure what to expect. The last card he opened had been blank. This card, however, contained the information he was after. He was visibly relieved
Ivan sat down and read the complex biochemical phraseology and studied the formula. He asked Ingrid questions as he read. His expression changed from surprise to complete acceptance. The facts were indisputable. He let Doctor Tanaka read the text. Doctor Tanaka was even more amazed at the solution.
“So simple! How did you figure it out?” Doctor Tanaka asked Ingrid.
“My father and I both had the same theory, but we weren’t sure it would work until we did some tests,” Ingrid replied. “We noticed early on that the catalytic process worked better when the lights were on in the lab. As you can see from the data results, the brighter the lights, the faster the chemicals synthesized the telomerase enzyme. We thought it had to do with light waves. So we started experimenting with different electromagnetic wavelengths. We tried infrared, visible light and ultraviolet waves. We theorized that sunlight was necessary to speed up the biochemical reaction. Most organisms need sunlight to live. It’s similar to photosynthesis, which uses light energy to drive the synthesis of organic compounds such as plant life. The molecular process uses radiant energy to drive the synthesis. My father and I figured the same type of energy was required to drive the biochemical process in enzyme production. We just didn’t know which wavelength would produce the best results.”
“How long did it take to find the right wavelength?” Doctor Tanaka asked.
“Only a few weeks. We realized that all ultraviolet waves were prevented from entering the lab. There was no direct sunlight as on Earth. The effects of UV are usually harmful in full doses. But in the beginning of life, UV radiation was essential to the biochemical process. Too little UV and the organisms die. Too much UV and the genes mutate. But add just the right amount of ultraviolet light, specifically the far ultraviolet wavelength, and the biochemical process increases exponentially. The new formula will speed up the production of telomerase over 1000 times.”
“Incredible, Doctor Johanson!” Doctor Tanaka exclaimed. “This is truly amazing. We will try it immediately.”
“You already knew this, didn’t you?” Ivan said sarcastically. “You didn’t need the card to tell me this.”
Ingrid looked at Ivan and held her temper. He was only partially right. “I knew about the ultraviolet light, but I didn’t know which wavelength was optimum. My father was testing the latest process the week he was killed. He told me to safeguard it.”
Doctor Tanaka remained silent during the outburst. He did not know the circumstances of the discovery: who was involved or what had happened. He knew better than to ask. He was just interested in the outcome. He looked at Ivan and asked, “Do you want me to proceed with the new formula?”
“Yes. We’ll leave you to your work. Doctor Johanson will be available if you need any help. Come, Ingrid, we have more to discuss.”
With that, Ivan led Ingrid out of the lab and back to his office. Ivan hadn’t decided what he should do with Ingrid yet, but he had a few ideas, and Ingrid would have to make a choice. He wondered which one she would choose.
*****
The two space marshal police shuttles were closing in on their target. Jack was on the same shuttle as Leroy Madison with five space marshals. Leroy was piloting the first shuttle. Jack sat next to him. Captain Joe Parrish was piloting the second police shuttle with five additional marshals. They were all armed to the teeth. They were expecting trouble when they landed and Inspector Madison did not want to be caught shorthanded.
“What’s our position?” Jack asked Leroy.
“We’re getting close to the asteroid belt. Hellstrom must have a space lab somewhere nearby. We’re locked onto the locator signal. It’s here inside this cluster of asteroids.” Leroy pointed to the control screen in front of them. The locator chip was pulsating a signal out towards them every five seconds. They were getting close.
Suddenly, Captain Parrish called in on the headset. “Inspector, we’re picking up something on radar. It looks like it was ejected from the shuttlecraft we’re tailing. I’m zooming in with the camera.”
“What is it?” Leroy asked.
“It looks like a body, or what’s left of it. Do you want me to bring it in?”
Jack heard the conversation on his headset. He immediately thought of Ingrid and a world of pain hit him between the eyes. It couldn’t be! He looked at Leroy and said, “We better check it out.”
Leroy nodded in agreement. “Haul it in, Joe. We’ll wait for you.”
Captain Parrish maneuvered over to the body. He zoomed in on the monitors. He could make out a police captain’s uniform covered in frozen ice crystals.
“It looks like it might be the missing police captain!” Parrish exclaimed suddenly.
The body had expanded grotesquely from the sudden exposure to zero gravity. Nothing left was recognizable. It would take a DNA test to confirm the identity of the body. The sight was chilling. Fortunately, no one had to venture outside to collect the body. It could all be done by the use of the robotic arm. One of the men used the arm to grab the remains and pull it inside the cargo bay. Captain Parrish reported his findings to Leroy. Jack was relieved. He knew it wasn’t Ingrid. Soon the space marshals were on their way again.
Chapter 27
Inspector Madison could tell from the locator beacon that they were getting close to Ivan’s space lab. The signal had stopped moving. Then it vanished. Leroy was perplexed. “What the hell? The signal just disappeared. Someone must have found it.”
“Maybe it’s being blocked by one of these asteroids,” Jack said, looking at the screen. They were just outside the main asteroid belt that circled the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. There were over 5,000 asteroids in the belt. Most asteroids were only one or two kilometers in diameter. It was a fertile mining area since the asteroids were full of very high-grade metal ore such as iron, nickel, cobalt and platinum. It was a good place to hide a drug lab. The marshals had to be careful not to get hit by one of the fast moving asteroids. Their scanning radar was operating at full power. The two police shuttles slowed down.
“I have the location. We’ll check it out.” Leroy watched the monitor screen. “I see a landing station. We’re getting close. Everybody get ready,” he broadcast over the intercom system.
“How are we going to get inside?” Jack asked.
“I’ll request permission to land. We have search warrants to look for illegal drugs. If they refuse, we’ll have to force our way in.”
Everyone began putting on protective gear and checking their weapons. It would be a full combat assault. The men were specially trained for this type of situation. Everyone assumed the people on the lab would be armed and dangerous.
The space lab came into view. Jack could see it clearly now. It looked like an ordinary mining facility. It was located near a small asteroid. They probably mined the asteroid to produce oxygen and hydrogen for life support systems. There were two main decks stacked on top of one another. The top deck was slowly spinning for gravitational purposes. The lower deck was stationary and probably used for drug production. It was commonly known that zero gravity chambers produced
the best environment for drug production and other basic materials. Jack guessed that Ivan was using this lab to produce the anti-aging drug. He knew from the last recorded signal that Ivan was here; and he had Ingrid. As Leroy moved them closer to the space lab, Jack could see the control tower. Someone in the tower sent out a radio message asking for identification. They had been spotted.
*****
Ivan and Ingrid had just returned to Ivan’s office when Wolfgang burst into the room. “We’ve been discovered! Two police shuttles are approaching the lab. They’ll be here in two minutes.”
Ivan swore out loud. “How in the hell did they find us?” It was a pointless question. There was always a risk marshals would find them. He looked at Wolfgang. “Sound the alarm. How many men do you have?”
“I have two in the control tower, two in the lab and one at each landing pad entrance.”
“Prepare for departure. We’ll leave on the emergency shuttle-pod. Instruct the tower to let them land. Delay as long as you can. Then set the self-destruct sequence for twenty minutes. Tell the others to head for the shuttlecrafts in the hangars. Tell Tom to meet us at the emergency exit. That should give us plenty of time to escape.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll meet you at the shuttle-pod.” Wolfgang quickly disappeared.
Ingrid looked worried. She heard the conversation and wondered what Ivan was planning. “What are you going to do with me?”
“Don’t worry. You won’t be harmed. You’re coming with me. I may need you to keep the marshals off my back.” With that said, Ivan walked over to his safe and unlocked the door. He pulled out all the anti-aging drug vials and placed them in a duffle bag, including the ten vials still stored in the container he took from Captain Black. Then Ivan started collecting the memcards and important papers from his desk. He quickly filled the bag.
Ingrid watched helplessly. She wasn’t sure what she should do. This may be her best chance for escape, but Ivan was keeping a close eye on her. She decided to wait a few minutes and see who showed up. But no matter what, she wasn’t going to get on that shuttle-pod with Ivan. She knew Jack would be looking for her.