Saturnius Mons

by Jeremy L. Jones

  Viekko slung the rifle over his shoulder. “About damn time. So what happens now? Are we just here to wade through the mammoth baas or have we got a plan?”

  “The horn from the city goes off at regular intervals,” said Halifaco. “Then the herd moves to a new location. It will stop near the river where my men can show you to a place where water from the city drains. My people will stay with the herd. They will travel close to the city next.”

  Viekko adjusted his hat. “Oh thank the gods. And here I was worried that I wouldn’t get to stomp through more omkhii baas.”

  Althea stepped beside Viekko. “That will be fine. Once we are in the tunnels we can find our way, right Cronus?”

  Cronus extricated himself from the pile and looked down at his EROS suit. “My files contain a thorough explanation of the city systems. Much has changed in the many years, but it should be enough to get us close. Though I fear I may never smell the same again.”

  Viekko shielded his nose. “I smelled you coming off the shuttle, Cronus. I can’t say this is appreciably worse.”

  Althea shushed the both of them and cocked her head. Somewhere in the distance, the horn blew from the city. Just as a flock of birds moves as one, the mammoths all started walking together. The team kept close together in the dark to keep from falling beneath one of the gigantic feet. Above, the Venganto continued their patrol oblivious to the army moving beneath them.

  Viekko waved goodbye to the Perfiduloi soldiers as they darted back into the forest for the safety of the mammoth herd a few meters away. The light from Saturn’s many moons provided enough to cast shadow, but the whole area was bathed in a dense fog rising from the running water.

  Viekko shouldered his rifle and took a quick look at the sky. “We’re clear for now, but I don’t like the idea of bein’ out here in the open. Cronus, got a lock on that sewer entrance?”

  Cronus pulled up his sleeve. “Just a few meters ahead. And I have found a path that should lead us to the pyramid.”

  “Great,” said Viekko, sliding down an icy embankment. He hit the ground next to the river and stumbled, and the world spun around him.

  Althea dropped beside him. “Are you okay, Viekko?”

  Viekko coughed. “My stomach feels like it’s in free fall and I think I can feel my toe rattling around in my boot.”

  Althea stopped him and made him look her in the eye. “Anything else?”

  Viekko wanted to push her away and he did in the gentlest, most polite way possible. “We’re exposed, Althea. I’ll be fine, we can’t stay here long.”

  Viekko helped Cronus down the embankment and they moved on. All the time, the withdrawal effects of the triple-T made itself known. His mind started to wander and it was hard to stay focused. And it was all made worse given that his body was still recovering from an overdose. It had been years since he took enough ’T to rage out and it made his brain feel like he’d just come out of a month-long bender. Nothing felt real; it was all shapes and shadows like from a dream.

  They came to a block of concrete sticking out of the embankment. A slow stream ran out of a metal grate and emptied into the ammonia-laced water of the river. Viekko had to maneuver carefully to keep his feet out of the sub-zero liquid. The grate had been forgotten for an extended length of time as evidenced by the fact the metal bars were rusted all the way through in some cases. It only took a quick jerk to pull the metal away from the concrete.

  Viekko knelt beside it, took a flashlight from Althea and peered inside. It was long, dark and reeked of the worst of humanity.

  Viekko put the flashlight away. “Okay, Cronus, you’re leading the way.”

  The hacker had a disgusted look on his face but he did as he was told. He disappeared into the darkness until, deep inside, there was a splash and Cronus cursed the world.

  Viekko suppressed a laugh. “All right, Althea, you next.”

  Althea paused. “Are you sure you are up for this? You look a little…you don’t look well.”

  Viekko shook his head to try and clear it. “I’m fine. I’ll maintain. Enough to get us through this. But quicker is better so if you please—”

  “Do you need a dose of triple-T?”

  The words ignited a powerful hunger somewhere in Viekko’s mind. He did. More than anything. He wanted to bite the shard and clear his mind. He wanted the Haze to lift and to see this horrible world in color and in high definition. He wanted to feel all his senses operating at their highest level. He wanted…

  Viekko swallowed the urge. “No, I’m fine. I just need—“

  Althea reached into her bag, “Now’s not the time to be brave, Viekko. Do you need it?”

  She held out a small handful of blue capsules, around ten by Viekko’s count, which probably represented the last of his stash.

  Viekko reached out to take one. He placed it between his teeth and bit down. This wasn’t a great place to come out of a Haze. The smell was so thick as to be asphyxiating. There was nothing to see but gloom and fog. They weren’t far from the burning remains of the refineries here and he could almost taste the charred petrochemicals and steel in the air.

  Althea kept a close eye on him as his mind came around to normal. She watched him close, waiting for that tell-tale sign that he was no longer lost. She smiled. “Feel better?”

  Viekko nodded.

  In one swift motion, Althea threw the rest of the blue capsules somewhere in the distance. It happened so fast…if he were to see it coming maybe he could have made a dive for them. Maybe he could have caught a precious few before they smashed against the rocks or dropped to the bottom of the frigid creek. But all he could do was watch dumbfounded as the last of his stash disappeared forever.

  Althea brushed her hands together. “That’s it then. Enjoy that last dose. When we get back to Earth, you’ll be going into a program. You are going to get yourself cleaned up and I never want to hear of you messing with that dreadful stuff again, are we clear?”

  Viekko still stared in the direction that Althea threw the shards of triple-T. He wanted to push her away and go digging through the mud. Even if he found just one, one remaining shard of -T intact, it would be worth it.

  “Yeah, Althea,” he muttered. “I get it.”

  “Good,” said Althea. “Now stay close.”

  She climbed into the tunnel and started crawling into the darkness. Viekko risked one more look back at the debris where Althea tossed the last of the drugs, then he followed.

  The derelict felt empty. A few of the wounded stayed behind but most everyone who was able volunteered for the battle. Aside from the occasional moans or the faint footsteps on metal, the ship was completely silent and it made the ancient freighter feel like a crypt.

  Isra sat on a bench arranging some equipment Cronus left behind for her. They consisted of a portable computer as thin as a scrap of sheet metal that was operated by a holographic interface that floated just above it, a couple of spherical camera drones and, by far the largest piece, a portable microwave transmitter as large as a suitcase.

  She set the thin computer flat on her lap and waved her hand over it's surface to activate it. Several shining spheres with labels orbiting their axes appeared and she selected one that would sync the computer to her EROS suit computer. Cronus assured her that it would be easy to hack into the Corporation’s signal. Time to see if it was worth keeping the miserable little hacker alive or if she would be better off ordering Viekko to dump him in the Ligeia Mare.

  She opened the case and unfolded the transmitter dish. As soon as she did, the hologram over the portable computer took on a life of its own. The spheres disappeared and were replaced by a rapid series of diagrams, numbers and shapes until a window popped up announcing that the signal was locked.

  Isra allowed herself a smile. Maybe he wasn’t completely worthless.

  She sat back down and picked up one of the camera drones. It activated in her hand and she watched as the hologram over
the portable computer changed into an image of her. She raised the drone up, released it and let it hang in the air. She did the same with the second one. She synced both of those with her EROS computer and moved them into position by waving her hand. She adjusted their positions and their built-in lights until the display on the portable computer showed that she was just a barely visible dark figure against a black background. Isra felt it was a little ominous and on the nose, but it would have to work.

  One final step. She patched her radio through the portable computer and started speaking. She used the computer to modulate her voice until it had a low, resonating tone to it. Isra was aware of how the whole production looked. Shadowy figure, deep, booming voice…it sounded good when they discussed it earlier. But, now that she saw it, she wondered how anyone could take it seriously.

  She sat back and closed her eyes, forcing herself to relax. It didn’t matter now. The plan was in progress and it did no good to worry about the semantics. She touched her EROS computer and activated the radio. “Viekko, Althea, Cronus. I am ready to begin the transmission. Let me know when you are in place.”

  Viekko crawled out of the tunnel, keeping low to the ground behind some brush. He surveyed his surroundings and noticed, with no small amount of irritation, that they were not inside the pyramid. They weren’t far, only fifty or so meters, but Viekko felt that it was a small but important distinction given the nature of their operation.

  “Viekko pulled up his sleeve and whispered, “Roger Isra. Just moving now.” He tapped the display on his EROS suit and whispered, “Halifaco, are you in position?”

  There was a pause before Halifaco’s voice came over the radio. “We are. The weapon is in position and ready to fire.”

  Viekko looked around again. There was an air of calm here in the courtyard. There was only one group of soldiers that Viekko could see and they were walking through the grass with a certain relaxed stride.

  “Then fire,” said Viekko. “We’re ready.”

  The radio went to static for a moment. “Very well. Firing the weapon.”

  Viekko was far enough away that when the rail gun went off, all he could hear was a strange high-pitched wail followed by the rumble of stone and concrete collapsing. The soldiers casually patrolling the grassy area stopped and then moved at double-time toward the source of the commotion.

  He helped Althea and Cronus out of the tunnel and activated the screen on his EROS suit. “How much time do we need, Cronus?”

  Cronus glanced at the pyramid. “Once you get the power on, about five minutes.”

  Viekko checked the map on his screen. “And we’ve got to make the substation, four kilos away from here. Halifaco agreed to give us ten minutes. Let’s make ‘em count.”

  Viekko took off running toward the pyramid with Althea and Cronus following.

  The first obstacle was the guards in front of the steel door. Even with the city in crisis, the relic inside was important enough to the City that they would never leave it unattended. But the guards wouldn’t be armed with anything more impressive than their standard issue clubs and snares. The new weaponry confiscated off of dead marines would be used in battle.

  Viekko made short work of them. He crept around the side of the pyramid and caught them unaware and at gunpoint. He made them lay down and Althea bound their hands with some plastic shackles she took from the armory. It took a short few seconds for Althea and Cronus to bypass the ancient keypad, and then the door was open.

  After that, they moved through the empty halls of the pyramid toward the center and the supercomputer. The acolytes were missing, a fact that didn’t cause Viekko much distress at the moment. Fewer people to have to secure and watch. Within five minutes Cronus was back in the chair of the Markee 8700 with his own equipment scattered around him, typing away furiously on the keyboard.

  “You good here, Cronus?” asked Viekko, finishing one last sweep of the area.

  Cronus didn’t answer; he was far too absorbed in what he was doing, and that was a good enough answer for Viekko.

  He and Althea bolted for the exit.

  Althea stopped at the door, bashed open a panel with the butt of her gun, and twisted some wires together. Before Viekko could ask what she was doing, she grabbed and pulled him through the doorway before the metal door slammed shut, damn near catching his white coat in the process.

  Althea observed her handiwork. “I felt it prudent to rig the door closed. Give Cronus more time to work.”

  “We’re gonna to be able to get him out again, right?” said Viekko.

  A smile crept across Althea’s face. “Assuming you want him out, yes, most likely. One way or another.”

  Viekko felt somehow obligated to try and pull the door open. Even if he could find a decent handhold on the solid steel, it wouldn’t budge. “Good enough. Right, just a few minutes left. We need to get to the transformer.”

  They both sprinted through the courtyard and into the city. The soldiers were all moving at a run toward the conflict outside the gates and didn’t notice Viekko and Althea creeping through the shadows.

  Soon, they were in position at the substation. Viekko shut and barricaded the door with some scattered debris inside while Althea followed Cronus's instructions to warm up the equipment.

  The timing was perfect. Viekko finished his work and stood next to a lever as long as his arm.

  “Cronus, are you ready?” asked Viekko.

  Over the sound of typing, Cronus said, “Do it now.”

  Viekko nodded to Althea. She flipped a series of switches and Viekko pulled hard on the lever. It resisted at first but, with some effort, he was able to jam it into place. Somewhere in the bowels of the substation, machinery started spitting, sputtering and finally roaring to life. A red light above the panel flipped to green.

  “That did it,” said Cronus over the radio. “Power back up fifty percent. Diverting to screens now.”

  Viekko ran his hand down the length of his queue. “Okay, Isra, we’re ready.”

  Silence on the other end. Althea and Viekko exchanged worried glances.

  Viekko tried again. “Isra, come in. Are you ready?”

  Still nothing.

  There was static and Halifaco’s voice came in from the field against the background of machine gun fire: “We got soldiers on us. Hundreds. We cannot hold them for very long.”

  “Isra, damn it, we’ve got to do this now!” yelled Viekko.

  Isra’s voice finally came in. “There is a problem.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  The Corporation that emerged from the fire of global warfare was even stronger than before, fearless and without remorse.

  Before, people were just casualties in the Corporation’s grab for power and resources. But now, the Corporation actively sought to punish those who stood in its way.

  -from The Fall: The Decline and Failure of 21st Century Civilization by Martin Raffe.

  The system was locked. No matter what she did, the holographic interface did not respond. She touched every icon floating in front of her. She tried reaching out and grabbing them. As desperation set in, she started to frantically wave her arms through the interface with no improvement. Then she paused, centered herself and said with her voice straining against the calm she imposed on it, “There is a problem. Cronus, I need help—the transmitter is no longer functioning.”

  “That’s impossible,” snapped Cronus against the background noise of his typing.

  “It is possible, Cronus,” said Isra trying, to contain her growing irritation. “It is happening. How do we fix it?”

  “Does the transmitter have power?”

  “Do you believe I would call you if I was not sure there was power?” she asked, stealing a surreptitious look at the transmitter for a tell-tale green light.

  “Did you knock or disturb the dish?”

  “I have not touched it,” said Isra, her voice cracking.

  “Perhap
s I can be of some assistance,” said an oil-slick voice.

  It didn’t take Isra more than an instant to recognize who was on the channel with them. She could taste the bile rising from her stomach, “Laban! What do you want?”

  “Well, to put it simply,” he said in a smooth, soothing tone, “I would like you and your people off my private channel. It is a confidential Corporate channel and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you—”

  “Laban,” said Isra, her voice carrying as much violence as she could manage, “You do not know what you are doing—”

  “Well, I know what you’re doing. You’re piggybacking on a Corporation signal in order to speak directly to the Titanian people posing as the Corporation. Maybe deliver a plea to stop fighting before they all destroy one another?” Isra sat trying to figure out how he could have known all that when he added, “A few of our technicians came up with the theory after they dug your signal out of our system. Were they close?”

  Isra ran a hand through her short, black hair. She wanted it tear it out while screaming curses at the Universe. She wanted to be aboard Innovation where she could rip those stupid office knick-knacks off Laban’s desk and beat him with them. She wanted to smash every piece of equipment in front of her until they were nothing but dust and walk away. But, again, she closed her eyes to center herself and spoke in a plain, clear voice, “Laban, listen to me. This is the only way to save the city.”

  “Well, that is a shame. Seeing how it is a Corporate signal you are using, we have more claim to the technology on the planet than you do and, if you will forgive me Isra, I’ve seen more convincing performances from children with nothing but a light and a bed sheet.”

  The earbud crackled to life and Viekko’s half-mad voice sounded, “Isra, damn it! We’ve got to do this now.”

  “Oh dear,” said Laban. “It appears that you are running out of time. If it helps, I am all set up in the office and I would be willing to speak on behalf of the Corporation.”