Mission Origin View (Final Days Trilogy)

by Knox, Barry

  “Sorry, Commander. Doctor Kastriva couldn’t attend the meeting due to other commitments. I’ll be talking with him soon,” Director Buru said. “Please except my invitation to dinner this evening. I’ll make sure Doctor Kastriva is there. We’ll discuss the expedition with him, and if he would like to accompany you, he has permission from the Communal Tribal Union to do so. Meanwhile, you’ll be escorted to a lounge, where you can relax until dinner.”

  “Thank you, Director. I’d like to contact my ship and inform them of our plans this evening,” Commander Steward requested.

  “Of course, Commander. I’ll arrange for you to contact your ship from the lounge,” the director replied.

  Sensing that the director was stalling and would likely hold the envoy team hostage, Gideon decided to give the director something to think about and possibly assist the extract team in locating Dr. Kastriva.

  “Director, before we departed the Stephen Hawking earlier today, Doctor Kastriva tried to contact us, but his transmission was loss. Do you know what he was trying to contact us about?” Gideon asked.

  Gideon saw the director’s eyes widen as he fought for something to say. The question also surprised the rest of the envoy team, but they said nothing.

  “I’m not sure, Doctor,” Director Buru said in a way that wasn’t as calm as he usually spoke. “I’ll look into it. Please follow your escort to the lounge.”

  “Thank you, Director,” Gideon said.

  The envoy team followed the soldiers to the lounge as Director Buru quickly made his way to Assistant Leeward.

  ***

  “Assistant Leeward, we may have a problem. Connect me to the commander in charge of guarding Doctor Kastriva!” Director Buru ordered almost hysterically.

  Assistant Leeward connected the director to Commander Dewitt.

  “Commander, I’ve reason to believe Doctor Kastriva has access to a communications device. Find it!” Buru demanded.

  “Yes, Director,” Commander Dewitt said.

  The vigilant S-TIC picked up the communication and marked it to be sent in the next message to the Stephen Hawking. The S-TIC also noted the communications source and destination.

  Combat Control Center, SRS Stephen Hawking

  1605—February 21, 2372

  “Captain, Stephen received another message from the S-TIC. We know where Doctor Kastriva is being held,” an excited Ensign Young said. He paused to calm down and continued. “He’s being held in his home.”

  “Very good, Ensign. Connect me to Extract One,” Mary said with a big smile.

  Captain Bowser briefed Captain Neubauer on the location of Dr. Kastriva, and Tidwell immediately prepared to enter the Gliese atmosphere. Mary ordered Captain Neubauer to land at the designated landing zone and wait for further instructions before continuing the extraction mission. If possible, she wanted to know the status of the envoy team before the biosphere was breached. She should’ve heard something from the envoy team by now.

  “Captain, I have a Director Buru standing by to speak with you about the envoy team,” Ensign Young said. “He says it’s urgent.”

  “I bet it is, Ensign,” Mary said with an angry frown. She had a gut feeling it would be bad news. “Put him on.”

  A moment later, Ensign Young nodded that Mary could speak.

  “This is Captain Bowser. What can I do for you, Director?” Mary asked.

  “I’ll get right to the point, Captain. I’ve reason to believe your trip here is a ploy to gather intelligence about the Communal Tribal Union. The so-called envoy team will be held here for interrogation, and your ship will be detained until the matter is resolved. Please make no attempts to leave Gliese space or rescue your team,” Buru said.

  “Director, we’re on a peaceful expedition. Your claims are outrageous! I demand that you release the envoy team and allow our ship to leave,” Captain Bowser responded in a tone that only a ship captain would use to assert his or her authority.

  “Captain, four fighters are on an intercept vector,” Stephen reported.

  “I’ll contact you again soon, Captain,” Buru said, and then disconnected the communications channel.

  Mary selected a com link to the bridge from her console. “Lieutenant LaPalm, monitor those fighters. If they fire on us, take them out.”

  “Yes, sir,” LaPalm replied.

  “Ensign Young, connect me with Captain Neubauer,” Mary said.

  “Captain Neubauer is on the com,” Ensign Young replied a few seconds later.

  “Captain, what’s your status?” Mary asked.

  “We’ve landed at LZ Alpha. Waiting orders, sir,” Captain Neubauer answered.

  “Go ahead with the extraction,” Mary said. She paused a second and added, “I was notified by the Communal Tribal Union that the envoy team is being held hostage and is going to be interrogated. Get Kastriva out of there as quick as you can, and then we’ll deal with getting our envoy team back if they’re not able to link up with you.”

  “Yes, sir,” Captain Neubauer answered, his voice laced with anger at the Communal Tribal Union.

  “Captain Bowser,” Commander Pettway said once Mary had finished speaking with Captain Neubauer.

  “Yes, Doctor.”

  “I have the information you requested.”

  “Go ahead, Doctor.”

  “Bottom line, sir, the atmosphere can’t support human life. No problem with pressure, but the temperature varies between zero to minus-ten Celsius, and there’s simply not enough oxygen to breathe. Anyone without an atmospheric suit would die from suffocation before hypothermia set in.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Mary said. She realized even if the envoy team could somehow escape and link up with the extract team, there weren’t enough atmospheric suits to get everyone back to Bernice.

  Marine Assault VTOL Bernice, LZ Alpha, Planet Gliese

  1620—February 21, 2372

  “We’re a go,” Captain Neubauer said over the VTOL intercom and then turned to Sergeant Tidwell. “You know what to do if there’s a problem.”

  “Yes, sir,” Tidwell answered. “If there’s a problem, wait for any team members who can make it back to Bernice, take off and wait in orbit for orders.”

  ***

  In the cargo bay, Xia was getting the team ready. “You heard the man,” he bellowed. “Get your gear on and prepare to move out.”

  Minutes later the extract team was geared up and ready. Captain Neubauer had made his way to the cargo bay and told Xia to open the cargo bay doors.

  The doors opened, and the ramp extended toward the ground. As soon as the ramp touched the surface, the marines were out and set up a defensive parameter around Bernice.

  Carrying the heavy breaching tool, Joseph followed Sergeant Kindle and lay down beside him until he was told to do otherwise.

  After a few minutes, Captain Neubauer used his Anna to transmit a move-out chime and ordered the team to enable their armor camouflage. He’d decided to use chimes and hand signs during the mission to minimize the chance of being detected.

  As planned, Sergeant Manelly took point as the rest of the team followed. Joseph heard the tone, didn’t understand it, and wasn’t sure if he’d been told what it meant. Anyway, he decided not to move and watched Kindle for instructions. Finally Kindle got up and motioned for Joseph to follow. Joseph stood as Kindle faded into the background. Joseph had been briefed to walk slowly and keep the outline of Kindle’s armor in sight once the team was camouflaged. The armor camouflage, though very effective, left a slight outline of the wearer. If Joseph lost sight, he was to stop and wait for Kindle to come back and get him.

  The team walked to a nearby shallow ravine. They’d follow the ravine to within five meters of the biosphere.

  The ravine’s turquoise-and-gray surface contained patches of snow. The marines’ armor camouflage system continually changed hues and brightness to adjust to the surrounding surface. Joseph had to constantly refocus his eyes to see the vague outline of Kindle ahead
of him. The other team members could see their teammates clearly by using the heads-up display in their helmets that filtered out the camouflage of their armor.

  As they walked, Joseph tried his best to walk as quietly as possible. His heart pounded as adrenaline flowed through his veins. To him, the pounding was so loud that he thought the marines would hear it.

  As the team neared the biosphere, Sergeant Manelly slowed the pace down. He’d take a few steps and wait half a minute as he looked for any signs of movement. At 1705, they were at the biosphere wall. Xia signaled Kindle, Manelly, and Gault to begin breaching the biosphere. Kindle momentarily disabled his armor camouflage and motioned for Joseph to place the breaching tool by the biosphere. Then he pointed to a nearby rock for Joseph to hide behind.

  ***

  Within minutes the marines had set up and attached the breaching tool to the smooth surface of the biosphere. Manelly used the BR34 breaching tool’s control panel to start the breaching process. The tool first expanded to create a small room that would be used as the access and exit hatch to the biosphere. Next the tool cut out a three-foot-wide-by-seven-foot-tall section of the surface of the biosphere wall. The tool quickly added sealing insulation and hatch attachments to this cutout section and turned it into a hatch. A flexible door that self-sealed when closed, offered access to the expanded room from the outside.

  As soon as the process was completed, the control panel indicated that the breach was successful. The marines were ready to enter the biosphere to find and extract Dr. Kastriva.

  Science Division Building, Canton Mie Biosphere

  1630—February 21, 2372

  The lounge where the envoy team had been asked to stay provided a few necessary comforts: a small restroom, couches, chairs, and two tables with bowls, which contained plastic fruit as decoration. There was also a cabinet located between the tables that contained real food and drinks.

  The lounge was located on the outside corridor on the seventeenth floor. The outside wall had a built-in cylindrical, curved window that gave the team a clear view of the north side of the Canton Mie biosphere. The inside lounge walls were painted blue, and the floor was covered with what looked like natural rock cut into pieces resembling a completed jigsaw puzzle. Gideon noted that the lounge didn’t have a communications-access console, and assumed the lounge was being monitored. Conversations among the envoy team were only about the meeting, and nothing was discussed about the extraction mission. If either Dr. Harper or Dr. Jones started talking about anything unrelated to the expedition meeting, either he or Commander Steward would change the subject back to the meeting.

  Half an hour later, Commander Steward hadn’t yet been allowed to contact the Stephen Hawking. Gideon assumed they were now hostages, and began formulating an escape plan. As he was carefully looking at everything in the lounge that may help them escape, the lounge door opened, and Director Buru entered.

  “I apologize that I haven’t visited you sooner, but a few minor things came up which I had to attend to. I’m sure you understand,” Buru explained.

  “Of course, Director,” Commander Steward replied. “May I contact my ship now and let them know we’ll be staying for dinner?”

  “No need, Commander. I contacted Captain Bowser myself and told her of our dinner plans,” Buru said. “I wanted to see if she would join us for dinner, but she declined. I did note that she didn’t look at all ill. Hopefully she’s feeling better.”

  “Thank you, Director, but I’d like to speak to Captain Bowser myself, if possible. I need to-“

  “We’ll have dinner first, Director Buru said. “Then you may speak with your captain.”

  “Very well, Director,” Commander Steward said.

  “I’ll send for you at seventeen hundred, and you’ll be escorted to our dining area,” Buru said. He turned and left.

  Before the sliding door completely closed behind the director, Gideon rushed over and, as quietly as he could, grabbed the edge of the door with his right hand to try to keep it from closing all the way. He was successful; the door sensed his hand and stopped, leaving a crack the width of his hand. Gideon smiled and signaled Commander Steward with his left hand to find something that could be placed in the crack to keep the door open. Commander Steward quickly grabbed a piece of plastic fruit, shaped and colored like a banana, off one of the tables and was walking toward the door when the door suddenly opened. A short CTU armored soldier stood at the entrance.

  “Is there a problem, sir?” the soldier asked through an armored helmet speaker.

  “No problem. I was going to catch up with the director and ask him what we’re having for dinner,” Gideon lied with a smile.

  The soldier said nothing, stood back, and simply closed the door. Gideon tried to reopen the door as soon as it closed, but it wouldn’t budge.

  They were locked in. Dr. Harper and Dr. Jones said nothing, but both looked concerned.

  Gideon looked at his watch and said with a smile, “We have thirty minutes before dinner.” He then walked over to one of the tables, sat down, propped his right arm on the table, and started nervously tapping his fingers on the table. His tapping started randomly and loudly but soon settled down into a quieter, regular rhythm.

  ***

  A few minutes later Commander Steward had had enough of Gideon’s tapping and walked over to the table to ask Gideon to stop. Commander Steward had enough to worry about without having to listen to the lieutenant’s nervous habit. Just as the commander began to speak, it suddenly hit him that Gideon was repeatedly tapping a message: a Morse code message. He listened to it over and over again and finally understood it. It had been many years since Commander Steward had used the ancient communication system and realized the lieutenant knew all naval officers still learned Morse code as a historic tradition, not a requirement.

  Gideon’s tapped message was the following:

  Let me know when you understand this by scratching your nose.

  Commander Steward scratched his nose. Gideon cracked a smile and started another tapping rhythm.

  I can talk as I tap and talk while you tap. Focus on the tapping and just agree with what I say with my voice. I’m sure we’re being monitored, so my talking should cover our communication tapping. Tap back that you understand.

  Commander Steward tapped back.

  Understood.

  Gideon spoke as he tapped, “Well, Commander, I guess we’ll be here a little longer. I hope we can leave after dinner. I have some work to do aboard ship.”

  As Gideon spoke, he tapped this message:

  I’m sure we are being held hostage. I will get us out of here as soon as possible, and we’ll link up with the extraction team. Follow my lead when the time comes.

  Commander Steward verbally agreed with what Gideon had verbally said and tapped back while Gideon kept talking.

  I agree, Lieutenant; you are in charge of getting us out of here. I’ll do whatever you say.

  Gideon continued talking about the make-believe work he had to do aboard ship, and then tapped out another message to the commander:

  We’ll go to dinner as planned and see if Doctor Kastriva happens to be there. I figure we’ll try our escape after dinner on our way back here; be ready.

  Commander Steward verbally agreed again with what Gideon was saying and tapping.

  Marine Extract Team, Canton Mie Biosphere

  1645—February 21, 2372

  The extract team entered the biosphere through the breach hatch with their armor camouflage enabled. They spread out in defensive positions behind some small trees and bushes that lined the circumference of the biosphere’s internal wall. They lay there for a few minutes to make sure their entry hadn’t been noticed before Captain Neubauer ordered them to move out.

  Sergeant Manelly led the extract team through the Canton Mie streets. Following him were Gunny Xia and Captain Neubauer. Corporal Gault covered their rear.

  Manelly used as many side streets and alleys as possible.
The team moved slowly, allowing their armor to blend in with their surroundings. It would take someone with a keen eye to notice the vague outlines of their armor.

  Minutes passed into an hour when the extract team reached Dr. Kastriva’s home. The team kneeled behind some bushes across the street from the house. At least five men guarded the single-story house outside. Sergeant Manelly noted a window on the right side of the house that was guarded by a single soldier and pointed it out to Captain Neubauer. Neubauer acknowledged and used hand signals to say they would wait till dark to move in. The Gliese sun would set in forty-five minutes.

  As they waited, CTU citizens, dressed in the same-colored gray jumpsuits, walked up and down the sidewalk. Sergeant Manelly noted their bland facial expressions. It was as though every man, woman, and child lived a life of hopelessness and were bound to live that way until death.

  Ten minutes later a couple of male teens passed by, and before they reached the next block, a CTU security police vehicle zoomed in from behind them and came to a skidding stop on the sidewalk in front of the teens. Two uniformed men sprang out of the vehicle and, without a word, started beating the teens with clubs. The teens fell to the ground, curling into balls to protect themselves, as the police continued to strike them. Strangely, the teens never cried out or asked questions about their beating.

  ***

  The extract team watched the beating from the bushes for several minutes. Captain Neubauer knew his men wanted to intervene, as he did, but knew they wouldn’t because the mission came first. Just as a precaution, Captain Neubauer used hand signals to tell his team to remain where they were. If circumstances were any different, he would’ve allowed the use of deadly force to stop the beatings.