Edge Of The Future

by Andria Stone

  A shard of ice pierced Mark’s heart. Those same thoughts had floated through his mind; however, this was the first time he’d heard them voiced aloud. He also didn’t know if Eric had a neural implant. Wouldn’t that information have been classified? If he had been fitted with one, would he have told Mark? Eric had become much less talkative about the mission the closer they got to departure.

  His head ached again. Mark stoked his jaw, not sure whether thoughts of his brother or the aftermath of his fight with Axel was the cause. He swallowed another of Kamryn’s pills. He had to focus on what was important now; stopping Beth Coulter.

  Mark made a concerted effort to keep his voice to a whisper, but it wasn’t easy. “If she could do it to one of them—then she could do it to someone here. Lunar Base 1 is armored personnel. Some of them have neural implants. The Spacedock and Mars have augmented human cyborg soldiers with neural implants. Hack into one, distribute a behavior-altering code or virus. Use them to blow up one of these bases on Luna. Maybe start a chain reaction. How horrific would that be? All three Lunar Bases? Why stop there? The Orbitals? Mars? She’d decimate our colonization capabilities. We’d come back, of course, rebuild, maybe take us ten to twenty years. By that time, she’d already have a foothold, on the entire outer reaches. Terraforming. World-building.”

  Immediately, Eva’s demeanor plunged. “I’m scared.”

  “You’ve every right to be. This is scary shit. If I weren’t so damned angry…wait—I have one more idea. We need to find out what kind of classified data that cyborg was trying to steal in Washington. I’ve never heard of that research facility? Have you?”

  “No, but I could ask Danny.”

  “I was thinking of asking someone, too. Maj. Torance, back at the base. He seemed to wield some kind of power—influence. Only if you agree, though. We know they can hack, so we’d have to figure out how to send and receive encrypted messages. People have been hurt and killed over what we know. We must be ultra-careful from now on. With what we say. Where we say it. And whom we say it to.”

  “That’s your call. I personally liked him. He struck me as trustworthy.”

  They locked the lab. He escorted Eva back to her quarters to change for dinner in the Plaza.

  Mark noticed Axel’s open door and strolled in to see him doing one-armed push-ups. “How long have you known Torance?”

  “Four years. Why?” Axel stood.

  “What kind of relationship do you have with him?”

  “He’s saved my life—twice.”

  Mark lowered his voice. “Back on Terra, did you or any of your armored personnel have neural implants?”

  “None of us did. Why?”

  “Would Torance know how to find out what that cyborg tried to take from the Washington facility?”

  “He’s been in the military for over twenty-five years. He knows people everywhere, so he probably could. Now tell me why, or forget about asking me any more questions.”

  “If I do,” Mark whispered. “It will put you in eminent danger, Axel. Life or death. You can put me in touch with Torance without my explanation, and maybe you’ll be safe. Or, I can tell you about the kind of pit Eva and I are digging for ourselves, and you’ll be right in here with us. Each person who knows what we’re doing, reduces our chances of survival exponentially.”

  Without hesitation, Axel held up his right hand with two fingers crossed. “You and Eva.” He held up the other hand with two fingers crossed. “Kamryn and me.”

  “It’s your funeral.”

  Chapter 9

  The Plaza was busy when they entered. Not wanting to be overheard, they maintained a safe distance from everyone else in the mall, while deliberately moving in a slow window shopping circuit.

  “Eva and I are working on a theory about this whole Beth Coulter-cyborg scenario. We need more information. There can’t be any record of it being passed to us.” Mark and Eva took turns explaining all the information they’d pieced together, along with their current theories on the worst case scenario.

  The sergeants listened; exchanging looks, nodding to each other.

  Axel spoke first. “I know why Mark wants to do this—because of his brother. He asked us if we wanted in. We both said yes. Kamryn and I are soldiers. We protect our country, our people, our planet. We chose this life because we like delivering justice to bad guys. Why do you want in on this, Eva?”

  “If that woman hadn’t left her DNA on my data chip, I’d be in a military penitentiary. As if that’s not enough reason. She was trying to steal my work. Nine long years I spent getting my degree to do this research—so she could steal it? No way. I’m not strong on the outside like you. But I’m strong in here.” She tapped her temple. “And I need to know why, so I can help figure out how to stop her.” She added with an impish little smile, “Maybe I like catching bad guys, too.”

  Kamryn reached out to shake Eva's hand. In a surprising show of affection, she yanked her into a big bear hug. Kamryn told them about her background in undercover work. “Since we’re being surveilled here constantly, it would be wise to adopt code words and hand signals to minimize detection. We’ll teach you ours.”

  The door to a restaurant called Caesar’s Little Italy opened, spilling people out along with the aroma of garlic bread and meatballs. Eva pointed toward the door, and grabbed Mark’s arm, pulling him along. They entered just as a table was being cleared. An hour later they left filled with pasta, wine, tiramisu, plus a plan for contacting Torance.

  On the return route to their new quarters, Mark spied a candy shop. He went in, picked out his sister’s favorite kind of chocolates, and requested they be sent, “To Lt. Scarlett McDonnell, please.”

  “The general’s daughter?” The woman behind the counter, added, “Well, actually his step-daughter.”

  “Tall, auburn hair?”

  “Yes. Very pretty.”

  “Does she like these?” He pointed to the box of truffles he’d chosen.

  “Yes. I assumed you knew.”

  “May I add a card?”

  She handed him a small card, an envelope, and an antique writing instrument.

  He wrote “Merci,” stuffed it in the envelope, sealed it.

  ***

  Axel sent an encoded message to Ohashi, the cyber unit specialist on Terra, with instructions to hand deliver it to Deering. Everyone lounged around his quarters waiting for a reply. Axel leaned back on the couch, laced his fingers behind his head. He watched the others, sensing the invisible walls melting away, and a genuine bond starting to grow. Leave it to a good old-fashioned ass kicking and some sharing of secrets to pull the four of them into a real team. It was all about respect. It had to be earned on both sides.

  He needed to tread carefully, though. These scientists ate, slept, and bled the same as he did. But they thought differently. The same things mattered to them. But they handled it differently, because they were different. Except, now they all had a common enemy—Beth Coulter. Axel hoped like hell that the worst-case scenario they’d cooked up wasn’t anywhere near becoming a reality. His gut told him just the opposite. They wouldn’t have voiced their fears, if they hadn’t believed it was about to happen.

  An image of Deering flashed on Axel’s vid screen. The tips of her hair had changed from emerald to violet. She established a two-way uplink with Torance, who appeared in pajamas, hair combed, eyes bright, holding a steaming cup.

  “I’m told we’re bouncing this connection around the system. It’s being timed, so we don’t have long. I’ll go down the list as it was sent. Yes, you were right about the Washington data being implants. The thief was not the same one. It’s being dissected as we speak. We will research files for images and DNA to check for anyone we know who might have worked on implants for personnel currently stationed on all Lunar Bases. We’ll start there first. Data on the Europa crew will take longer. Good work people. Watch your butts. I’d hate to lose any of you. Torance out.”

  Deering’s violet-haired ima
ge remained onscreen. “Ohashi and I will devise totally unhackable passwords with keys so each of you can encrypt and decrypt our messages using rotating quantum transmissions. We will send an alarm to one of your tablets. Do exactly the opposite.” She winked at Mark. “Petra out.”

  Silence enveloped the room. Axel waited for someone to say something—anything.

  “I knew it.” Mark laughed grimly. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not happy about this—at all. I just needed to know we were on the right track. Now we try to get in front of this, instead of playing catch up.”

  Axel nodded. “In the morning, after breakfast, we’ll all go to the lab. Put everything on the table. See what kind of a plan we can build.”

  ***

  Mark shed his leather clothing, pulled on black exercise pants and settled in with a well-deserved glass of wine. He needed to unwind.

  There was a knock at his door.

  What now?

  He opened it, expecting to see Eva or Axel.

  “Thought I’d stop by to see how you liked your new quarters. And to thank you for the truffles.” The lieutenant stood in his doorway looking gorgeous. Her long auburn hair down, almost hiding one eye, tumbling over her shoulders. She wore sharkskin-colored leather pants trimmed on the sides with dark red stitching and a matching jacket. “How’d you know they were my favorites?”

  “Lucky guess.” Mark smiled, leaning forward a few inches. She smelled delicious, and she was the perfect height.

  “Oh, what happened to you?”

  Mark glanced down at the bruises on his bare abdomen. “Roughhousing. Horseplay.”

  “Looks like some very rough play.”

  “You should see the other horse.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She hadn’t moved, so he gestured for her to enter. “Please, come in.”

  She walked in slowly.

  He watched her every move. “Those are some fancy pants.”

  She turned, flashing a wicked smile back at him. “Thanks.”

  “No, thank you.”

  She arched an eyebrow.

  “For these new quarters. Much better than the old ones. The lab’s nice, too.” He handed her a glass of wine, and sat on the couch, draping his right arm over the top.

  “Can’t stay long.” She sat beside him and sipped the wine. “I’m meeting the family for dinner.”

  “With the General?”

  “Yes.” She arched her eyebrow again. “And my mother.”

  “You normally eat this late?”

  “Only when it’s obligatory.” She sipped more wine. “Are you getting acclimated to Lunar 3?”

  “Been busy exploring the Plaza, restaurants, gym, the new lab. Especially my new liquor cabinet. It’s the little amenities that make a place feel like home.” He smiled and hoped he wasn’t leering.

  “I’m glad you’re settling in.” She stood and moved toward the door.

  He followed, watching her body move in the figure-hugging leather pants. “Oh, give your mother my compliments. Her chocolate chip cookies were mouthwatering.” He opened the door. “Drop by anytime…Scarlett.”

  “Goodnight…Mark.” She batted her hazel eyes and turned, her intoxicating fragrance fading as she walked away.

  Mark lingered in the doorway, absolutely certain he was leering now, watching her disappear. Hot damn.

  Axel opened his door. “That’s a no-no…a big no-no.”

  “What?”

  “She’s the general’s daughter.”

  “You knew?”

  “I make it my business to know things. I saw the way you looked at her.”

  “You looked, too.”

  “Yeah, but I wasn’t going to make a move.”

  “Well, I didn’t.”

  “Keep it in your pants—and put a shirt on.”

  “You suck the fun out of everything.”

  ***

  Danny Sheppard waited for Eva at a table in the far corner of the dining hall. His cleanly shaved brown-skinned head glowed against the buttercup yellow walls. Eva joined him alone, while Mark, and the others sat one table away, though still within earshot.

  They sipped coffee and talked for almost half an hour. When Danny left, Eva moved over to their table. “He said numerous people, mostly family members of the crew, some coworkers too, noticed small things prior to departure. Not enough to raise suspicions before, just enough so that people remembered afterward. Families got together, began comparing notes, so to speak, until it became clear to everyone in their small group that something had been wrong. Especially since there still hasn’t been any conclusive reason given for the mission’s failure.”

  Everyone looked at Mark.

  He smoothed the stubble on his face. He’d skipped shaving to cover the bruise. “Eric and I were always close. Except I don’t know if he had a neural implant. If he did, he didn’t tell me. I do remember that we talked less as the departure date grew closer. I don’t know if that was normal or abnormal for the other crew members. If he had acted, or looked different in some way, I’d like to think I would have noticed. We need to find out who the mission operations manager was.” Mark rubbed the back of his neck, as if he'd sensed someone staring at him from behind. He looked back over his shoulder. Didn’t see an Asian cyborg, or Beth Coulter. He reached down, checking for the gun strapped to his thigh. He relaxed—a bit.

  “I need a change of scenery. How about having breakfast in the Plaza?”

  Eva jumped up. “I saw a place where they had chocolate covered éclairs, crullers, and cream horns.”

  Everyone laughed except Eva.

  Mark pulled Axel back, walking in step with him. “Can I get another gun? A small one? With a shoulder holster?”

  Axel narrowed his eyes. “Yes. You can carry a concealed handgun. Want to tell me why?”

  “Do you trust your gut feelings?”

  “Hell, yes.”

  “I’m going to start trusting mine.”

  Marquand Axel made a quick trip to the quartermasters. Both registered for new weapons—lethal ones this time. Their current sidearms were stun only. They chose shoulder holsters, plus new short-waisted Recon jackets roomy enough through the chest to accommodate concealed weapons.

  “If Eva’s anything like my sister, we’d better go find that donut shop, before she starts acting like a three-year-old on a sugar rush.”

  Axel commed Kamryn. She and Eva were already on their way to the lab. So he and Mark stopped for breakfast then went straight to the firing range for the first time since they’d landed on Luna. After checking magazines, they “test drove” the deadly new weapons for about an hour before Axel was satisfied.

  ***

  The box of pastries Eva had purchased was half empty on the counter by the time Mark and Axel entered the lab.

  “Oh, Mark, come take a look” Eva scurried over, and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him to the microscope. “I’ve been thinking about something for a week. It came to me this morning. I may have found the perfect protein particle for terraforming. It might just be what B.C. was hoping to steal.”

  He peered dutifully into the electron microscope at a 3-D image of an individual protein particle. Mark knew that finding what you were looking for was one thing. Figuring out how to make it work was the kicker—and much more difficult. “Congratulations. What shall we call it? The Eva Particle?”

  She playfully elbowed him and continued with her explanation of how it would function. “Combined with CFCs, it could help us raise surface temps, atmospheric pressure and produce a greenhouse effect on the surface of a moon or planet. It would help vaporize carbon dioxide at the poles, which would rise, feeding the warming cycle and increasing the temps.” Eva tried to subdue her enthusiasm. “First we’ll do a full spectrum analysis on it. Of course, if it looks promising, we’ll have to test this hypothesis on Mars.”

  Mark could see the sergeants were bored. “Why don’t you to go to the gym. We’re in a Restricted Area. We’re being monitored. It takes ret
inal scans to get in the door. I won’t leave Eva alone. We’ll be fine.”

  After they left, he commed McDonnell, requesting a large mobile double sided whiteboard with a box of markers.

  Within minutes, the buzzer sounded at the lab’s door. He opened it for the lieutenant and unloaded a large box from her hover vehicle. She carried in a small bag. All three of them worked setting up the whiteboard on its rolled frame.

  In a hushed tone, Mark asked her, “Do you know where the video and audio monitoring devices are in this room? We’re working on proprietary information here. A lot of trouble has been taken to make sure it doesn’t leak out.”

  She pointed to her eye and covertly indicated several areas in the ceiling. She tugged on her ear and did the same.

  He positioned the whiteboard so as to hide the side that would be used. Then rearranged lab equipment to indicate the location of audio devices.

  “Are you sure this is necessary?”

  “Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.”

  Chapter 10

  Mark suffered another fitful night’s sleep. He kept waking to the illusion of a shadowy figure reaching out for him. Twice, he got up, and walked around before going back to bed. The third time, he went straight to the liquor cabinet, got a drink, grabbed his tablet, and settled on the couch. He drank, while jotting down ways to eliminate risks until he finally dozed off again, only to dream of impending doom.

  At zero six hundred, his tablet pinged. He checked it. Read a cryptic message: “Meet me in the dining hall for breakfast. Your Pet.”

  Okay, Petra. I’ll stay put.

  After a quick shower, Mark pulled on exercise pants and commed everyone, alerting them that a meeting in his quarters was forthcoming.

  Axel arrived just as the vid screen blinked on with a notice saying the caller was Leslie Warren, Mark’s mother.

  Mark signaled for Axel to move out of sight, before he opened the channel. His mom appeared in mauve colored dental scrubs; a mature but no less beautiful version of his sister.