Curious Sols (The Sol Principle Book 1)

by Myron Smith III

  The group consisted of seven well-armed soldiers from her personal escort along with the archon and Dr. Andreou. Four soldiers stood fast as the party walked, securing the loading area to the Argo. Three of them continued into the ship's interior with O-Sophia, Dr. Andreou, and the archon.

  “The Americans were played as the fools they are,” Dominic elaborated as they walked down the ship's corridors. “They had no idea they were funding the construction of this ship or its experimental propulsion systems. The amount of fat in their MARC program was so thick we seldom required the additional funding you provided.”

  “It is ironic the death throes of democracy would give birth to such a perfect instrument,” Dr. Stanton commented as she caressed a panel along the ship’s corridor. “Let us use it to protect our young society as it matures into greatness.”

  As the group continued winding its way through the corridors, Dr. Stanton noticed the flickering of a direction cue in the wall that had been carelessly left on. She stopped suddenly, causing her entourage to follow suit, and tapped the direction cue. A small circular light appeared in the wall. Inscribed on it was the universal symbol for science. The circle flashed, then moved down the wall of the hallway. As it disappeared around the bend to the right, the circle then reappeared next to O-Sophia. It repeated its guidance over and over following her progress down the hall.

  “To your lab I presume, Doctor?” asked the high philosopher. “I'm fascinated more by your machines than the stars.” Without waiting for an answer, she began to follow the light on its course along the corridors.

  Dominic searched for an excuse to delay her. The ideas he conjured would sound insolent or worse... inspire more curiosity.

  The party wound its way around a bend, and then through the doors of the main lab.

  “This must be where the pods originate,” Dr. Stanton declared.

  “Yes it is,” confirmed Dominic. “This is the mechanical room. The true beauty resides in the lobby below.”

  “Actually I enjoy the interworking of machines,” Dr. Stanton explained. “Of all people, Dr. Andreou, you should know I like to see what makes things work.” Walking over to one of the many unused pods, she admired the beauty of the device from the exterior.

  “They are as beautiful on the outside as the inside,” she commented. “We had a remarkably swift ride up from the surface with the help of your captain. How fast can this descend to the surface?”

  “We have not had the time to test the pods fully, O-Sophia,” he answered. “Though I would suspect at maximum speed the occupants would likely pass out from excessive stimuli.”

  “Is that your control center?” Dr. Stanton asked, pointing to Dominic's office.

  “In a manner of speaking yes,” he replied with the least amount of enthusiasm he could project. “I sip a warm beverage there while I process meters of data. This bay is where my experiments come to life.”

  “Indulge me, Doctor,” she said, while heading up the ramp to his office area.

  Dominic could feel the blood coalescing in his face as they entered his main work area. Almost panic stricken, he quickly palmed a small rectangular case he had left on a side workstation.

  Pointing toward the main workstation, he commented, “This chair has endured countless hours of my buttocks you see, all in the name of science.” He tried to laugh at his own joke as a feeble distraction.

  The archon gave the doctor a look of disapproval for his humor’s taste, or lack of it, with O-Sophia present.

  “Not to worry, General,” Dominic said. “I only have that one joke.”

  An incoming page began to flash on the vidcomm. Before the doctor could attempt another distraction, the audio activated. In his efforts to avoid a visual confrontation with Dr. Andreou, the captain conveyed his message quickly via audio.

  “Doctor,” he related in a low voice, “The ore carrier has been detonated, and the MARC station suffered catastrophic damage. The only ship suffering damage, however, was the Columbus.”

  Dominic could feel the blood draining out of his head, his cheeks, and into his stomach. The now pale scientist was looking at a very upset leader of the Order.

  Dr. Stanton swiped off the vidcomm.

  “Dominic,” questioned Elizabeth, “did I just hear the words Columbus as in the U.S.S. Columbus?” Moving slowly toward him, she continued. “You and I both know who is on that ship don't we?” Sensing her displeasure with the Doctor, the soldiers brought their weapons to a ready position. “If one hair of her's is hurt, one single strand of hair, Dominic,” her voice grated and then paused.

  Before she could continue, Dominic brought the rectangular case in front of him. The soldiers, seeing him bring forth an item, brought their weapons up in warning.

  “Wait, wait,” he asked for patience, taking out a small rectangular case. “I can explain it with this.”

  Slowly opening the case, Dominic revealed his latest neuroband. Taking the band out, he drew it over his head in a slow motion.

  “I've been following orders, the general's orders,” Dominic said as he brought the full might of his consciousness to bear on the archon.

  Slowly the archon raised his pistol toward Dr. Andreou. From his position, however, only Dominic could see the look of terror in the general's eyes. Before the soldiers could react, the archon turned, swung his pistol in the high philosopher's direction, and fired a single shot from his pistol. It stuck O-Sophia mid torso causing her fall backward onto the floor. Momentarily frozen in horror, the soldiers overcame their shock and fired multiple bursts into the archon. His body recoiled from the impact, falling lifeless to the floor.

  Dominic continued to think on his feet. Shifting his concentration now to Elizabeth, the neuroband wrapped his thoughts in fire. Pushing through the pain, he fought to complete his hasty plan.

  Dominic knelt down to O-Sophia as she tried to speak. He motioned the two soldiers to her side.

  Seemingly using her last ounce of strength, she uttered the words, “You are the High Philosopher now, my friend. Let these soldiers be my witness.”

  Slowly her hand reached to his arm. Then without another word, her breathing stopped and her eyes stared blankly into space.

  “We must get her to the med station!” Dominic said with his best attempt at urgency in his voice.

  The two soldiers lifted her body and quickly followed Dominic out of the lab and down the corridor.

  #

  Arriving at the med station, Dominic directed the two soldiers to place O-Sophia on an exam bed. A medical technician entered from the adjoining lab room.

  “Do everything you can to save her!” Dominic directed the tech with as much feeling as possible.

  The tech quickly examined her and then directed the soldiers to guide her bed into the next room. At the same time, he summoned his assistants to the med station through the room's vidcomm. Within moments, the technician's assistants had hurried into the room. Dominic summoned the soldiers aside.

  “Bring me that traitor,” he directed the soldiers. “May he live to answer for this treason.” They bowed and followed their new orders.

  Once they left, Dominic returned to the operating room. As the three men worked furiously to resuscitate O-Sophia, Dominic removed a small pistol from under his robe. They didn't stand a chance of defending themselves as he shot them one at a time in quick order.

  “Dead men tell no tales,” he said in a low voice.

  Activating the vidcomm, Dominic contacted the bridge on audio only.

  “Yes, Doctor,” the captain acknowledged his page.

  “I'm assuming your visitors have rushed off to my lab?” Dominic said to check his prediction.

  “Indeed they have,” Captain Dranius confirmed.

  “Dispatch my guard to the med station and then report to my office,” Dominic directed him.

  “By the Order,” the captain replied.

  Dominic terminated the vidcomm's connection. Turning back to his old frie
nd and former leader, he slowly approached her bed.

  “I wish your curiosity did not match your intellect, Dr. Stanton,” Dominic spoke to her motionless body. “This was not meant to happen.” Dominic left the operating room and returned to the larger examination area. Within a few minutes the members of his handpicked guard had arrived. The group of six formed a half circle in front of the philosopher and then knelt on one knee.

  The leader of the group awaited command. “By your Order.” Dominic considered the possibilities of the situation.

  “O-Sophia was the bedrock our society was built upon,” he stated. “We have since spiraled into the heavens. From this day forward address me as O-Arete as I have led our society into greatness.”

  O-Sophia's guard will return shortly with the archon,” Dominic started his instructions to the men. “Direct them to the brig with him, dead or alive. This room is to be put under guard. No one enters it without my permission.”

  Dominic strode through the middle of the semi-circle, his guard falling in behind him as the exited the room. They took positions at the door, three to either side. Satisfied with the immediate circumstances, Dominic left to meet the captain. There were a few new details to arrange.

  #

  Her chest felt as though a hundred pound weight rest on it. The lids of her eyes were locked by dried tears. Blinking repeatedly, Elizabeth tried to regain her vision. She was laying down in a small anesthetic room. Several monitors were angled at different positions around her bed. They were displaying a variety of three dimensional images of a female body… Her body.

  It all rushed back at once. Adonis had turned, his eyes looked upon her with a horror she had never seen before. His weapon rose and with a strange burning in her chest she had fallen. She had fallen straight back, landing with her head turned to the side. Almost in slow motion, she saw his body fall upon the floor beside hers.

  From that point on, she was in a dream. Her hand reached up to Dominic who had knelt beside her. But she did not command her muscles to contract. Her vocal cords stretched and strained to form sounds. But she did not choose the words that left her mouth.

  Elizabeth was a spectator to the scene as she watched her general remain motionless. Within seconds her love and her station had been taken from her again. The last thing she recalled was a warm feeling settling over her and then sleep.

  Shaking her head, Elizabeth forced herself to recognize her own thoughts, her own motions. Sitting up, she was appalled by the bodies that covered the floor. The men were dressed as technicians and bore the insignia of the Argo. Elizabeth surmised she was yet aboard the ship. She dropped to the ground and examined the bodies. A single shot had felled the men.

  She hadn't thought to check her own condition. Looking at her robe, a symmetrical hole in her robes pointed to a mark above her heart. Her skin there was blackened, but she counted herself lucky. A few centimeters lower and she wouldn't be here. A small smile caught her lips, however, as she realized the curse of the Mars had saved her.

  What had happened? That look of terror in Adonis’ eyes, how could he harm her? Did he intend to harm her or had the same unearthly powers that had taken control of her body, of her mind, possessed her love as well? No... It was not an unearthly power. It was his thoughts, Dominic's thoughts filled her head, and thoughts that were filled with a lust for power. He would answer for this. He would answer for this and pay dearly.

  Opening the doorway, Elizabeth saw the central section of the med station. The room was full of medical workstations, beds, and examination equipment. She did not see a technician or anyone else inside the room. Feeling for her Ksync, she smiled as the device conveniently remained.

  She spoke to it in low whispers, “My guard to the med station of the Argo, come immediately!”

  The Ksync wasn't transmitting. Examining the display on the small device, Elizabeth realized personal communications wouldn't work on the ship. If she used the ship's vidcomm, the Argo's crew would be alerted. She couldn't trust their loyalty.

  Before she could plan her next move, Elizabeth heard the door opening. Without hesitation, she darted behind an exam workstation. Two crewmen from the Argo stepped in to the room. They were soldiers bearing plasma weapons and wearing combat uniforms.

  “There's nothing here,” one of them commented. “The bridge has their wires crossed.” The other soldier nodded, and both of them left the room.

  Her suspicions grew as her options for escape dwindled. She likely had been left for dead in the operating room. Elizabeth feared her luck wouldn't save her from a second encounter with Dominic. Her thoughts raced and panic started to set in.

  Scanning the room, she desperately searched for any way to summon help or escape her prison. Her eyes caught a blinking light in the back of the room. With a gleam in her eyes, a daring plan was hatched. Elizabeth started to gather several items from around the room. Finding a medical bag, she opened it up and filled it to capacity.

  “I can't believe I'm even thinking of doing this,” she argued with herself.

  Slinging the pack around her shoulder, she made her way to the back of the room. Lined up along the back wall were several medical escape pods. Elizabeth climbed into a pod shaking her head as she sealed the hatch. Once inside, she surveyed the controls. It wasn't difficult to find the emergency launch button. Flipping the clear lid that covered the button, Elizabeth closed her eyes and smacked the controller. A computer voice spoke through the internal speakers.

  “Emergency launch sequence activated,” the pod indicated. “Launching in five, four, three, two, one...”

  The pod shot out of the Argo firing its thrusters as it pushed away from the ship. Once again, a computer voice sounded in the pod.

  “Planetary object detected. Plotting landing zone,” it informed her.

  “Let's try for a soft landing if you would,” Elizabeth addressed the pod while giving it a gentle tap.

  Chapter 32 Turn of Fortune

  A fireball lit up the daytime sky and for a split second rivaled the sun's intensity. The clouds above were pierced with the streaming remains of the station. Like a massive firework display, they arced across the sky in fiery defiance of the atmosphere. Ashley had watched the vidcomm in disbelief as Phobos collided with the MARC station. She had been born with many gifts, found success in her work, and been blessed with a loving family. In seconds her life suffered a reversal of fortune.

  Ashley's legs gave out from under her as she collapsed to the ground. Before she hit, however, her body was supported by friends who had been watching the vidcomm with her. The events felt like a surreal movie she could not pause.

  Dozens of people had gathered in the aftermath of the exodus around a make-shift command center. Her best friend Glennay, tears streaming down her face, attempted to hold her up. Next to her was Tyler also trying to keep her up. The rest of the faces were strangers.

  “Ashley,” Glennay tried to get out, “I'm, so, so sorry.”

  Although she heard the words, her ears were numb. Her ability to comprehend Glennay's sympathies was lost.

  Tyler fumbled with his words to Ashley. “They were good blokes, I'm sorry for your loss.”

  Ashley nodded as she found her footing again. With the return of her senses came the magnitude of the events. Her eyes began to tear up as she surveyed the surrounding scene. She hoped to find Vic's face in the crowd. Ana and he had the kids right now, squeezed in with a family from The Melbourne, in one of the make-shift camps. How in the world was she going to tell the kids what happened?

  The crew of the U.S.S. Columbus had been taken in by the other colonists of the fleet. A temporary camp site was set up after the last escape pod had landed. Some of the colonists had already left for their dome city on high speed transports. Four colonial groups remained: the Columbus, the Melbourne, the Panyu, and the Mumbai.

  The Panyu and Mumbai colonists had been slated to depart hours before the station's explosion. Both groups, however, were dive
rted due to the lingering problems with the high speed transports to their dome cities. It was agreed that the Panyu would transport to New Russia and the Mumbai would transport to New America. From there they would deploy or wait until the high speed transport was restored to their home city.

  Vic and Ana had been taken in by a family from the Melbourne as had Ashley and her children. Vic had recently stopped by to assure Ashley the kids were settled in with Ana. It was that moment all sorts of chaos had broken out.

  Catching sight of her, Vic had come over from where he was watching the vidcomm and gave her a hug.

  “He's probably telling a bad joke or two already to the folks upstairs,” Vic tried to comfort her.

  Ashley nodded as the tears flowed freely from her now.

  “Hey, Hey!” yelled one of the technician still at the vidcomm. “There's some sort of ship on the scanner. Looks like it blasted out of the belly of the Columbus before it exploded.”

  “What?” Ashley exclaimed. “The Columbus was cleared of personnel.”

  She looked around the control center. They hadn't had time for a full head count, but there were several people from the Columbus she hadn't seen yet.

  Glennay and Ashley rushed over to the vidcomm as did several other colonists.

  “Can you get a lock on the ship?” Glennay asked.

  The technician shook his head. “There's too intense of an electrostatic storm up there to get a read on it.”

  Stepping forward from the crowd the navigation officer of the Columbus, Ensign Simmons, approached the vidcomm.

  “Let me have a go at it,” he indicated to the technician.

  The mobile sensors were an over inflated toy compared to those on the Columbus. Luckily the navigator was used to thinking on his feet as a result of his experiences. He worked to upgrade the sensor's configuration.

  “You have to be joking,” the ensign commented. “That's a duck, it has to be. Probably why you didn't recognize it as a ship, it's not one.”

  “A duck...” mused Ashley. “There's only two people I know who could fly a duck down from orbit, and Steph is planet-side.”