She threw her hand to her side and smiled at him. “Nothing. I was just appreciating the view.”
“Did you know that winds can reach eighteen hundred kilometers per hour on Saturn?” he asked, as if this was something she should know.
Wren held in a laugh. “I didn’t know that, Charles. Thank you for sharing.”
“You are welcome, Wren. How is your hand?” he asked, his orange eyes peering toward the end of her arm.
“It’s fine. A little sore.” Wren observed it and saw the pink healing line from where Charles had done the surgery to remove and reprogram her ID chip. She was now Mara Heart. When he asked what name she’d like, Wren didn’t hesitate, taking her dead friend’s first name. “Your alterations are done?” she asked him.
He nodded like a human. Guards back on Caliban didn’t do gestures like that; they weren’t programmed with human motions. “I belong to you, a well-off socialite who comes from old investment lines. Your great-grandfather was Jonathan Heart, one of the initial Titan investors.”
“Did he really exist?” Wren asked.
“He did, and that’s why I gave you the last name. You also happen to have a hundred thousand credits to your name.” CD6 – Charles – looked pleased with himself as he set his hands to his hips.
Wren was surprised by this. “How’s that possible?”
His eyes glowed brightly. “You don’t want to know. I had to resort to some unscrupulous behavior. I hope that’s permissible.”
Wren shook her head. She really didn’t care where it came from, as long as it resulted in them being safe. She couldn’t return to prison. She wouldn’t.
The screen flashed, highlighting a speck of rock against the bulk of Saturn. It zoomed in, and details about the moon Titan scrolled down the right side of the viewscreen.
“Buckle up, we’re almost there,” Charles said, and Wren swore that if he could smile, he would have worn a cocky grin at that moment.
They arrived at the moon colony a half-hour later. Each minute that passed, Titan grew in the viewscreen, Saturn staying a monolith behind it. The rings around the planet cast out at an angle, and once again, Wren was in awe. It reminded her of the time she’d been to the moon, seeing Earth from a window behind them for the first time. It had taken her breath away. She’d seen countless images of it over her youth; as space travel became more prevalent, so had footage of exploratory flights.
This was much the same. Wren took mental photos as they lowered to Titan. She saw lakes of what might be liquid gases spanning out below them; bright lights shone from the colonies around the world, casting a star-like canopy in the viewscreen. Wren’s pulse quickened, her breath coming fast and shallow.
“Tell me we’re going to be okay,” she begged Charles. “What if the prison has an alert out?”
“Protocol is to protect the Fleet, and the prison falls under Earth Fleet’s domain. They would never admit to such a theft and escape. Could you imagine the press if such a thing were leaked?” Charles asked.
Wren had to admit he was probably right. She also noted how his speech patterns were beginning to change. He had full access to the Interface now, and she suspected he was learning more human ways to converse. “Then they’ll let us be?”
“I do not think they will ignore our escape. They will search for us, likely sending Recon fighters with Marines to bring us to justice.” He said it calmly and coolly, sending shivers down her back.
Wren sat up in her chair. “Then we won’t let them find us.” She’d never been surer of anything in her life.
“No, we will not,” Charles replied. “I’m transmitting our ship’s details now.”
Wren closed her eyes, hoping the android knew what he was doing. For a moment, she expected they’d get gunned down, falling to Saturn’s moon in a fiery blaze. Instead, Charles lowered the ship toward the lights at the edge of a dome. Wren could now see the gentle sweep of the large resin shield, soft white illuminations blinking along its surface.
He landed with a precision he hadn’t had while racing out of the corridors below Caliban’s surface. Wren had to give him this: he was a quick learner.
Wren looked down, knowing her clothes didn’t convey “rich socialite,” but they didn’t scream “escaped prisoner” either. Charles stood, his clothing almost comical on his gray robotic body.
“Let’s do this,” Wren said, and they waited for the green light to come on the hatch, letting them know the seal was safely connected. She opened the door and stepped onto the deck of the hangar on Titan.
16
Flint
Flint had considered getting two rooms so his plan to leave Kat behind would be easier to accomplish, but his co-pilot had begged him to share. She was obviously still shaken up, and he didn’t blame the woman.
The room had two beds, and thankfully, they were each equipped with noise-canceling domes that also doubled as blackout curtains. Flint glanced over to where Kat would be asleep under her dome and placed his bare feet on the cold marble floor. With as much stealth as he could, he entered the bathroom, where he quickly freshened up. He’d steamed the night before, and now he only needed to get dressed and sneak out.
He thought he heard a noise coming from the main room, but when he looked, there was nothing out of place. Kat’s bed still remained as it had been.
Flint slipped into his newly-acquired pants and shirt, adding the colorful jacket. He couldn’t quite get behind the capes, but he also didn’t want to be too out of place, so he’d met the store worker in the middle. Kat had laughed as he’d paraded inside the store with the yellow coat on, but in the end, she claimed it made him look ten years younger. He wasn’t sure if he could take that as a compliment.
He thought about not leaving a note but knew he couldn’t. Instead, he typed a message on his new tablet and would send it to her after he was away, heading toward the address given to him in a bar on Mars.
Kat, I can’t take you with me today. Stay put or go enjoy some sights around town. It’s up to you. Don’t be mad. I know I can’t protect you most of the time, but this is one thing I can do. For all I know, I’m walking into a trap, and I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if you were there with me.
He figured that was good enough and left it unsent. The door to the room closed quietly, and he walked slowly down the hall toward the elevator that would take him down from the thirtieth floor to the lobby, where his ordered holocart would be waiting.
An hour later, Flint was cruising over the dull landscape that made up most of Europa. Everywhere he looked, it was ice, and potential death. The radiation alone out here would kill a human in no time, and he was glad the ships were equipped to protect against this. Each of the domes was built to resist rads, and the same theory had been put into all ships built in the last three hundred years.
This ship had an android pilot. All of the intra-dome transport ships required them. It kept silent as they hovered toward Flint’s destination, and soon they arrived at his new patron’s palatial home. Inside the dome, Flint spotted trees – large oaks, from what he could tell – and they were more out of place on the remote surface of Europa than anything he could have imagined. The cost to have organic life growing within the dome, and at that size, was more than Flint could fathom.
Whoever he was dealing with wasn’t afraid to showcase their wealth. The transport ship entered a blue energy field at the edge of the dome and settled to the ground. Inside sat three other vessels, one a transport much like the one Flint found himself in. The other two were clearly meant for space travel. Flint was also sure the owner of this particular dome had a luxury carrier docked on one of the moon’s many space piers.
The door opened, and Flint let himself out without a word to the android in the pilot’s seat. The ground was a dusty red color, likely neutralized rock from Europa’s surface. It was a nice touch, bringing the harsh world inside the domesticated space.
An android strode toward him with purpose, stopping a
little too close to Flint for his liking. He flinched back.
“Greetings, sir. Please, if you would follow me.” The android had an old-world British accent, which, after centuries of colonies and genetic blending, had been nearly eradicated from the solar system. It was a nice touch from a rich person trying to portray an extra depth of class.
“And where will you be taking me?” Flint asked the android, suddenly wishing he’d come armed.
“Benson is waiting for you as we speak,” the British android said, not looking back as they walked out of the energy-surrounded landing pad. The walk was half a kilometer at least, even though the dome had looked closer. By the time they arrived at the dome’s entrance, Flint was trying to keep his breathing even. Being under an energy field, with certain death on the other side, set his nerves on edge.
He had no issue being inside his ship out there, but down on a place like Europa, he was always terrified of something going wrong. If the energy source blew or some other catastrophe happened, he was a goner. Flint wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as they entered the dome, happy to be a little safer.
“Are you all right, sir? You look a little pale,” the android said, his eyes glowing bright green.
This was what he was resorting to, being insulted by a robot. “I’m fine. Take me to this Benson.” Flint stopped and cleared his throat. He had to be on his best behavior. “Please.”
“Very well. This way.” The android led him down a cobblestone pathway, which surprised Flint to see. He’d almost expected hoverwalks inside the dome. The walkway led through trees and shrubbery, the smell of a rain forest from Earth filled his senses, and he stopped there, taking it all in. When had he last been inside a woodland? At least five years, and even then, he hadn’t taken the time to appreciate it.
“Coming, sir?” the android asked, and Flint noticed the robot was a hundred yards ahead of him, reaching a stone-walled building.
Flint jogged to catch up. He looked at the structure and was impressed, as he seemed to be with everything in this remote dome residence. The slabs of stone were large sections of rock, making up the walls of the home. Windows stretched over the ceiling, making the entire roof see-through. Flint looked up and saw the eye of Jupiter staring back at him, huge in the sky. For a moment, he thought it was going to fall and crush them.
“This way.” The android motioned for Flint to enter the building through the sliding glass door. He stepped inside, instantly feeling cool air blowing on his skin. The foyer was grand; three stories of balconies and art from all over the colonies adorned the area.
Flint followed the android past four or five rooms, toward an office at the end of a hallway. Inside, the walls were stone as well, the floor made of a dark wood. A holographic fireplace was mounted in the rock beside a desk where someone sat, facing a large window.
A man spun in the chair, a smile covering the width of his face. “Mr. Lancaster, how pleasant it is to see you once again.”
The familiar face belonged to the man he’d gotten the address from on Mars. He stuck out a hand, and Flint hesitated before crossing the room to shake it.
“Can you tell me what I’m doing here?” he asked, unable to keep a growl from his voice.
“Please, have a seat. Can Blinky get you anything?” he asked.
Blinky? Flint glanced back to the android and shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”
“Suit yourself. I’ll have a coffee, a hint of cream. Thank you, Blinky,” Flint’s host said.
Flint adjusted in his seat, realizing he hadn’t had a good coffee in over a month. “On second thought, make that two.” He couldn’t help but grin as he said the android’s name. “Thanks… Blinky.”
The android left, closing the door behind it. “Now, where were we? Yes. My name’s Benson, and I work for a very powerful man.”
Flint dropped the smile in a hurry. “That much I assumed.”
“Very good,” Benson said. Flint didn’t know if it was the man’s first or last name, and he really didn’t care one way or another.
“You have piqued my interest,” Flint said sarcastically.
“The universe is changing, Flint. Do you mind if I call you Flint?” Benson asked.
Flint shrugged.
“Flint, things are changing,” Benson repeated. “I see you were a member of the Earth Fleet. A Marine, specifically.”
Flint didn’t like where this was going. “Sure. That’s not secret information. It’s on the Interface if you know where to look for it.”
“Yes. And you left their services, didn’t you?” Benson asked.
Flint answered with a question. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Everything. The Earth Fleet is corrupt, and you saw that. You didn’t like the way they operated then, and I’m sure you still don’t. Why else would someone as decorated as you were leave the force to haul space junk for a living?” Benson grinned as he said the last bit.
They both knew that was just Flint’s cover. “Maybe I got tired of killing innocent people caught up in border disputes back on Old Earth provinces. Maybe, when I close my eyes, I can still smell the charred flesh of children and women as the Marines around me burned hundreds of them in an old barn. Maybe, just maybe, I have my own brain and couldn’t stomach living as part of a network of soldiers any longer.” Flint was leaning forward, his words drawing out with hot breath. He wiped his chin with an arm just as Blinky entered with two steaming cups of coffee.
The smell of the freshly-brewed beans snapped Flint’s mind clear of the anger brewing within him, and he leaned back, relaxing. Blinky set the cups down and left the room, leaving them alone once again.
Benson stared at Flint, not breaking his gaze as he grabbed the coffee. He took a sip, still watching Flint through the steam. “No one makes a cup of coffee quite like Blinky. Why don’t you give it a try?”
Flint came close to laughing. He’d just poured his heart out about the Fleet, but the man in front of him didn’t comment; instead, he suggested drinking the coffee. Flint felt out of place here. He took the cup in two hands, blew on it, breathing in the fresh scent before taking a small sip. He closed his eyes, enjoying every drop. “It’s… damn, Blinky does make a mean cup of coffee.”
Now Benson laughed, and the tension in the room was severed. “I’ll be frank. My benefactor’s doing something big. Bigger than you can imagine. And of everyone out there among the colonies and planets, he chose you to pilot a ship for him.”
Flint was finally surprised. “Pilot a ship? I already have a ship. I’m not interested.”
Benson grinned again, setting his cup down. He stood up and turned to look out the window. “Flint, I said the universe was changing. Something’s going to happen in under a month, with or without you. We know you have no family, no loved ones, no real friends. You’re a loner. Well, not entirely.”
“Leave her out of this,” Flint said, standing so fast his chair fell over.
“I’m afraid we can’t. She knows too much.” Benson turned to him and looked over Flint’s shoulder to the door. It pushed open, and there was Kat. Two large armed men stood behind her, scowls on their faces. “As you can see, this is a package deal.”
Flint walked over to her and took her hand, leading her into the office. “Are you okay?” he whispered in her ear.
“I’m fine. They showed up, and I came with them of my own volition. I can’t believe you abandoned me like that,” Kat said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Flint felt terrible. “I just want you to be safe.”
“I think I’ll be safer here, with these armed guys watching over me,” she said, suggesting they were there to protect her, not the opposite.
“Welcome, Kat. We were just talking about you. Have a seat, you two.” Benson motioned to the floor, where Flint’s chair sat overturned.
Flint set it back upright and offered a seat to Kat before sitting down beside her. “Fine. You want us both to do some mission, flying a
ship. What’s the job?”
Kat watched with wide eyes.
“You saw the videos, correct?” Benson asked calmly.
Flint didn’t know how to respond. There was no point in hiding it, he supposed. “Yes. We know about the… visitors.”
“Good.” Benson looked pleased with himself. “What you don’t know is that we sent a colony ship through sixty years ago.”
“We saw the ship on the footage before it cut off. That was a colony ship?” Kat asked.
“Yes. The Earth Fleet shot probes through three visits ago, and one made it to a planet. The sensors showed it was liveable,” Benson said.
“Are you in communication with the colony?” Flint asked.
Benson shook his head in answer. “Once the Rift closed, communication ended. Only that one probe sent details through after the Rift closed ninety years ago, and that didn’t last long.”
“Sounds a little convenient to me,” Flint said. He took another sip of the coffee and held the cup in his lap.
“You aren’t the first to suggest such a thing, but regardless, the Fleet built and sent a colony ship through sixty years ago.” Benson appeared to wait for comment.
“Ganymede? Is that what happened to that colony? They were the ones sent through this Rift?” Flint asked, putting the pieces together.
“Correct. Very well done.”
“What happened thirty years ago?” Kat asked quietly.
“That will tell you where we are today. The Fleet prepared another vessel, this one to also go through the Rift. The aliens hadn’t harmed us, and we truthfully weren’t even sure if they knew we existed at the time. They’d allowed one colony ship to go through previously, so Earth Fleet got cocky. But thirty years ago, when the Rift opened, the ship that came through was different. It destroyed the colony ship in seconds.”
Flint’s hair rose on the back of his neck in reaction to the news. “They attacked us?”
“Yes. They released a hive of fighters against the Fleet. All but one ship was destroyed. Then the Rift closed, as it always does, and it was over.” Benson stared at the two of them, his gaze flicking between Flint and Kat.
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