The Farthest City

by Daniel P Swenson

  “These aren’t insects,” she said.

  “Of course not,” Kellen said. Despite the insanity happening around him, he just wanted to get out from under the city, get home. “Who’s heard of giant insects in Jesup before?”

  “But what are they, then?” Izmit asked.

  “They’re machines,” Abby said.

  Kellen could tell she was serious.

  She flexed the creature with her hands, exposing its belly, a series of jointed plates and stubby, clawed appendages. It was segmented like an insect, but upon closer inspection, the plates and spines seemed machined, the material more metallic than organic. Its head contained a series of eyes that pulsed with light, white and blue.

  “Could someone build something like this?” Izmit asked.

  “It’s possible,” Abby said.

  She set it on its back. The creature righted itself and unfurled several antennae-like structures. It scuttled up a chine track and disappeared into a small opening.

  “Or they could have been down here all along,” she said, “built by the chines to maintain things.”

  Something banged. Kellen flinched, but nothing else emerged from the room. Its inner three doors remained closed.

  “Let’s go,” Izmit said. “There may be more Hexi down here.”

  Izmit and Abby climbed up the shaft, setting their feet into the grooves of the larger chine tracks. Kellen made no move to follow.

  Izmit looked at him and dropped back to the floor. “We have to leave her.”

  Kellen couldn’t stand the thought of her being carried away. To be…he shuddered. He shook his head. No. “Those things will take her.”

  “I’m sorry, Kel,” Abby said, her voice full of sympathy. “There’s no way we can take her with us on a climb like this.”

  When no one said anything more, Kellen gently laid his burden down. He straightened her limbs and her hair. She looked peaceful. “Goodbye, Sayuri.”

  They climbed, bracing themselves against the shaft wall and winding their way between pipes spanning the tunnel. Kellen thought he could see daylight far above, but mostly he focused on the next handhold. He expected his hands to be raw and bruised from the climb, but they were fine. Perhaps all that digging had made a difference.

  They had to perform various gymnastics to get through tangled cables and pipes. After climbing what seemed like several stories, the light intensified at a bend in the shaft.

  “No wonder we couldn’t see anything,” Abby said.

  The shaft bent at a substantial angle, and Kellen could see sky beyond. They had another ten meters or so to go. No longer facing a vertical climb, they tackled the rest easily. The desire to escape their recent horrors overpowered any fatigue he might have felt. They pulled themselves along toward the end of the shaft, an opening several meters across secured by a metal grid. The bars of the grid were a few centimeters thick, with openings large enough for a person to squeeze through.

  In his mind, Kellen ran through the underground roads and paths of Jesup, trying to recall an opening of this size with bars like this, but nothing came to mind. They were probably in a ventilation shaft for the habs. Izmit must know, but they would see in moments anyway.

  As he pulled himself up toward the grid, sounds of traffic reached his ears. Which didn’t make sense. Traffic ran under Jesup, through the thoroughfares, not above ground.

  The grid fell into shadow. The light returned after a few moments. Abby and Izmit had already reached the grid and passed through. They stood motionless on the other side. He’d expected at least some cries of relief. They’d just gone through an ordeal, though. They must be tired from the long climb up the shaft.

  He pulled himself through.

  “Where did we come up?” he asked shielding his eyes against the light.

  He found his footing, stood up, and forgot what he’d been about to say.

  They weren’t in Jesup at all.

  Chapter 12 – EVA

  White emergency lights popped and alarm tones sounded. Sheemi and Xin donned their vac suits and followed others down-ring toward the bus as per emergency protocol. They’d drilled it at least once a week, stopping work, boarding the bus, waiting ten minutes until the all-clear was given.

  This time, everything was different. Cargo was a mess, containers strewn around by the movement. Sheemi and a few others pushed the obstructing containers out of the way. The fab had been thrown into disarray, tools and materials scattered about. They picked their way through the clutter and emerged into the bus.

  The hatches slid shut. Whatever had happened, they were sealed off now while others dealt with the situation. Experimental ship, she remembered Enzo saying.

  Neecie and Jerrold sat down on the couch with her and Xin.

  “What happened?” Neecie asked.

  “I was hoping you guys would know,” Sheemi said.

  “It’s just a drill,” Jerrold said.

  The bus shook hard enough to rattle Sheemi’s teeth. “Some drill.”

  Xin gave Sheemi a thin smile, her lips pressed tightly together. Her hands clutched the lockdown bars.

  “We’re safe here in the bus,” Sheemi said.

  Xin nodded but looked unconvinced.

  The emergency lights stopped flashing.

  “All clear,” Mertik said over the comm. “All personnel resume normal duties. All clear.”

  Duty calls came next.

  “Bravo Team report to cargo, Bravo to cargo,” Ash said.

  “Back to work,” Jerrold said.

  “I’ll find you later,” Neecie said to Sheemi.

  Xin seemed even more exhausted with the emergency over and left for the dorm.

  Going the other way, Sheemi heard a commotion from the lock. A crowd had formed.

  “Clear the way!” someone shouted.

  The crowd parted, and Major Veillon came through, leading Enzo toward the dorm, where he kept his makeshift infirmary. Enzo muttered something undecipherable, his face covered by an oxygen mask. One of his arms was an angry red, already beginning to blister. Connor and Tilner came next, bearing a stretcher. Despite the horrible burns, Sheemi recognized Don. The senior tech made no movement or sound. She’d seen that stillness before—the violent peace of the newly dead. She only had vague memories of his unhappy demeanor, never saying much, but always insisting on following the safety procedures. Now he was dead.

  So much for safety, she thought as the soldiers disappeared down the ring with their burden. She’d seen a lot of death, but this was the first on Dauntless. It changed things. Everything seemed to have a bit less color. Feet dragging, she made herself trudge back to the lab.

  Gavin seemed relieved to see her. “Have you heard the news?”

  She nodded. “Don is dead. Enzo injured.”

  “There was an explosion in one of the main engines,” he said. “We’re lucky to be alive. Enzo was able to shut down the engine, but Don had already been caught in the blast.”

  Dauntless sailed adrift in an unstable solar orbit as Enzo and Jimmy worked on the damaged engine. Sheemi tried to focus on her tasks despite the creeping fear. What if they couldn’t maneuver? Would they be able to complete their mission? They could still drift, but intra-system movements would be more difficult. It’s only one of two main engines, she told herself.

  The scientists continued their earlier argument. Should they continue on to investigate the third system, or should they try other systems Abbot and Omeri had identified? Sheemi listened, but the technical aspects were above her head. Gavin said little.

  In the meantime, Sheemi kept up with her scans, often accompanied by Neecie. Alpha and Bravo were back to weapons cleaning, and any escape from that was welcome. They had just returned from their latest scanning effort when Ciib summoned her.

  Rubbing her eyes, Sheemi made her way to Command, where Mertik settled his baleful gaze on her. He didn’t seem happy to see her, but that didn’t surprise her. He nodded toward the door to Ciib’s office.
She knocked.

  “Come in,” Ciib said. “How are you, Sergeant?”

  “Fine, sir,” she said, unsure what this was about.

  “Doctor Na has only good things to say about you.”

  She made a mental note. Be even nicer to Gavin. “Thank you, sir.”

  “But I didn’t call you in to talk about that.”

  Doubt leapt into her mind like a fury. What had she done? Had she said something wrong? Offended someone? She’d been so careful.

  “Enzo has requested you accompany him on EVAs,” Ciib said.

  Enzo’s leer spread wide in her mind. If he thought he could get to her like this, she’d have to teach him the error of his ways.

  Ciib sat back in his chair and gave her a quizzical look. “What do you think about that?”

  “I’m not sure, sir. We haven’t worked together, but we’ve exchanged words here and there.” She considered her words carefully. “We’re not friends.”

  “He’s not the most personable member of the crew.”

  “I’ve noticed, sir.”

  “Enzo’s got a spotty safety record. Likes to go solo in the vac. We had Don keeping him in line, or trying to, but Don’s dead.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said remembering the still form on the stretcher.

  “Now we’re down to two technicians. Two people who know how to fix the systems on this ship. My soldiers are good. A few are certified mechanics. But to fix things on this ship? No, not anything like this.”

  Ciib massaged his temples as if the thought pained him. He sighed. Doubt began to gnaw at her. Whatever he was getting ready to say, he didn’t seem to like it. Had Enzo complained about her?

  “So the colonel and I would like you to go EVA with Enzo. Keep him safe. Try to keep him in line. We can’t afford to lose him. We’ve got a mission to complete, and we’re not going to give up just because of one damaged engine. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And Tanamal?”

  “Sir?”

  “Be safe.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  She left, burning with questions. Was this a ploy by Enzo to sleep with her? Or did he think she’d be a pushover, someone he could use to get the brass off his back? I’ll know soon enough.

  #

  Sheemi went EVA with Enzo the next day. The lock opened to the starfield beyond. 071L was on the other side of Dauntless, casting most of the ship’s surface structures in silhouette.

  But if she turned away, her eyes adjusted and she could see innumerable stars and a massive yellow, Jupiter-class planet streaked by white cloud formations. Exiting the lock, they used their EMUs to counter their spin, then proceeded forward and down until they reached the axle. They moved down-axle to the drogue. Going over that huge sphere reminded her of a ghostly moon, smooth and gray.

  They came down the other side to the far axle, then on to the fusion plant and the main engines. As they got closer, Sheemi could see the blackened stain of the explosion that had killed Don. They attached umbilicals and moved along toward the other main engine. Rounding its edge, Sheemi gazed in awe at the dozens of massive cones mounted in the engine’s maw.

  “Follow me.” Enzo clipped his umbilical to a catch-point. “But don’t tangle me.”

  They spent the morning inspecting the components ship diagnostics had identified as needing maintenance. Sheemi accepted the parts Enzo handed to her, gave him tools as he demanded them. It was as if he thought he owned her now. Her joy at being EVA again quickly faded.

  They’d been out over two hours, and Sheemi began to tire. Enzo showed no sign of wanting to return, though. After replacing several parts, he told her to try doing it herself. Surprised, she kneeled by the access panel, removed the retaining bolts with a drill gun, and pulled out the faulty part. It was more difficult than she’d expected with the thick gloves of her suit.

  When she paused for a moment, Enzo was nowhere to be seen. Safety protocol was to never go out of visual range of your buddy. It was common sense, not to mention against the rules. How could someone help you if they didn’t even know where you were? She thought back to Don. Keeping Enzo safe could be a dangerous endeavor.

  “Enzo?” she said, hoping he hadn’t gone out of range of her suit comm. His detached umbilical lay looped next to her. Was he around the ship’s curve? “Enzo!”

  “Yes, what?” he barked, startling her.

  “Where are you?” she asked, feeling stupid for having to ask, for not paying enough attention, angry he’d unclipped and gone without a word. Colonel Go and Captain Ciib had finally placed their trust in her once again, and already she was screwing it up.

  “Wait,” Enzo said. “Wait.”

  His voice dripped with derision. He appeared from behind a heat diffuser ten meters away and made his way back to her, pulling himself along the catch-points. She heard him breathing hard as he approached. He clipped in and stood motionless, his raspy breaths washing over the comm.

  “Four more to get,” he said and set off around the base of the power plant.

  He had her retrieve another part, but this time she kept glancing up to make sure he hadn’t left. When she looked up for the tenth time, he was several meters away at another panel. When she looked up again, he was a small figure in the distance. She cursed inwardly.

  All her professional training screamed rebukes. Then her conversation with Ciib came back to her. Keep him safe, he’d said.

  Sheemi sighed and tried to let go of her anger. Stay calm, she thought, as she hurried to catch up. “You need to stay within my line of sight, Enzo.”

  “You shouldn’t fall behind.”

  “We need to follow the buddy system. That’s EVA protocol. In case—”

  “It’s not a problem. I’m senior technician now. I helped design this ship. I know it like my own hand.”

  “We still need to follow safety protocols.”

  He turned to look at her. She could see his malevolent eyes nestled in that fat face.

  “Will you keep the ship running for Colonel Go?” he asked, an oily smile smeared across his face.

  “No,” he said, providing his own answer. He punched an access panel shut. “No, you won’t, because you can’t. If I want to go solo, I go. If I tell you to do something, you do it. Or I’ll find a new EVA partner and tell Colonel Go what I think of you, and you’ll end up in confinement or worse, you stupid whore. Now, we go back.”

  Enzo turned his back to her and set off toward the ring. She watched the spokes rotate in the distance. Fury rose up inside her. And shame. What should she do? Keep him safe, Ciib said. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to break his legs.

  Back on EVA the next day, neither of them said much. It became a game, her keeping an eye on him and following when he strayed, him putting as much distance between them as possible. What was he playing at? Why couldn’t he follow the safety protocols?

  He moved fast, she had to admit. But what good was that if he died alone on EVA? She’d play this game, much as it rankled. She’d let him keep his distance, but she would always keep him in sight. Keep him as safe as she could, even as she daydreamed of watching him spin off into the void.

  The next day, they returned to reinstall the parts Enzo and Jimmy had repaired. Several hours of EVA. Sheemi had never been so sick of a vac suit. Back inside, Enzo reported to Colonel Go. Dauntless was operational again. Jimmy ran the diagnostics to confirm it.

  Sheemi went to grab some food before they drifted into the next system. She took a seat next to Xin, who’d barely touched her meal.

  “I haven’t seen you in a while,” Xin said.

  Sheemi recounted her recent EVA with Enzo.

  Xin stared at her. “I’ve never liked dealing with that man, but that’s horrible. Are you going to report that?”

  Sheemi shook her head. “I’ve got to keep him safe. No matter what.”

  Xin gave her a sympathetic grimace.

  “Where are we headed next?” Sheemi aske
d.

  Xin looked away and let out a long breath. “Tomorrow we’re going to IFD to the third system I identified, MOA-2007-BLG-400L. Abbot and Omeri are against it, but Gavin took my side. If I’m wrong…”

  Once, Sheemi would have felt contempt if someone revealed so much weakness, but now she could empathize. Her shield had cracked, her emotions freed. Though they threatened to overwhelm her, her own weakness could be an advantage, a connection.

  Sheemi took Xin’s hand and squeezed it. “If you’re wrong, we’ll just keep on looking, Xin. You’re doing the best you can. We all are. We’ll find the chines and return to Earth.”

  She didn’t think Xin believed her, but at least she smiled. Xin returned to the lab and Sheemi to the dorm. She’d never been so tired.

  #

  Sheemi came out of IFD with a massive headache and blood on her face. The all-clear sounded, and she hastened to take her helmet off. She wiped the blood from her nose, waiting for the feeling to come back to her fingers.

  Cheers erupted over the comm, and everyone rushed out of the bus. She stowed her suit and hurried down-ring with the rest of the crew toward Command.

  “Sheemi!” Neecie smiled and grabbed her arm. “Come with me.”

  “But…”

  It was too late, Neecie had her by the arm in a strong grip. She shrugged and let herself be dragged along to the mess. Someone had put up a wall vid and tapped into their scope feeds.

  “Look,” Ash said.

  Most of Bravo was there, along with many others. They were jammed so tight, Sheemi had to crane her neck over Ash’s shoulder to see the vid.

  The scope focused on a reddish brown sphere and its dark gray moon. But that wasn’t what had triggered the cheering. It was the lights. The lights on the moon. And around the moon. Moving lights, blinking lights.

  “We did it!” Sheemi and Neecie screamed.

  She squeezed Neecie’s arm and made her way to the lab to congratulate Xin. Her hard work had paid off—she’d been right after all. They had succeeded.

  Hang on, Dad, she thought. We’ll bring help soon.

  The lab was bustling, the scientists busy at various instruments or poring over data and images. Xin was conversing with Gavin, excitement broadcasting from their tired but happy faces. Colonel Go peppered them with questions over the comm. Sheemi took a seat out of the way and listened to snatches of the scientists’ conversations.