Emmerich was silent for a time, but her eventual belabored sigh signaled her decision. She lowered the barrel and allowed Cole to stand. “I’m only allowing this because of your—”
The violent thunk of bone and flesh colliding interrupted Emmerich’s words. She dropped to the floor in a heap, the sidearm skittering across the floor. Cole rounded on Rig, his fallen jaw unable to speak the necessary words.
The mechanic rubbed his reddened fist, his face devoid of sympathy. “Never got along with military officers,” he said as though it explained his actions. “And this bitch gives us a bad name.”
Cole wasn’t about to argue with him. A part of him wished he had done the deed himself. Now we’re going to have to carry her. He collected the sidearm and holstered it. “I can only imagine what must have happened to make her hate Terracom so much.” He knelt down and slipped his hands under her armpits. “Grab her legs; she’s still coming with us. We can’t trust her to leave her alone.”
“Obviously,” Rig said, reaching down to collect Emmerich’s lower half.
They hauled the unconscious inspector down the hall toward the lift at the ship’s stern. As they descended the loading ramp, both Lin and Forester were waiting for them, unable to mask their confusion. Cole stopped at the bottom and acknowledged the ship.
“Cain?” Cole said, calling out to open air.
“Keep me informed of anyone approaching this building.” He considered something else. “Not only is Terracom going to be hunting us down, but I’m sure SolEx is interested in finding us as well.”
The sheer conviction behind CAIN’s confident words opened Cole’s eyes. He met Lin’s gaze, knowing she had heard the sentiment as well. Her expression was troubled, though she said nothing of the AI’s definitive response.
Cole’s mouth twisted. “Sounds good,” was all he could say. He glanced down at Emmerich’s head hanging slack to one side, then up at Rig, and finally back to Lin and Forester standing on the unkempt path leading toward the closed nature center. He suddenly felt ill. In spite what CAIN promised, he couldn’t help but feel that the real problems were still to come.
12 - COLOSSUS
“Huh. Did you know Olympus Mons is nearly three times higher than Mt. Everest?”
Cole blinked and approached the waist-high sign touting random park. He frowned at Rig. “Have you ever seen Everest?”
Rig scratched his beard and shook his head. “Never even been to Earth.”
He patted the mechanic on his broad shoulder. “You’re not missing much. Besides, it’s probably five times higher than Everest since the Collapse on good old E. It’s a little wet there.”
The two of them continued past the display and wandered into the nature center atrium. The dim glow of the setting sun cast an orange pall on the building’s interior. There was no power of which to speak since the park center had shut its doors nearly ten years ago. A heavy layer of dust had collected on all the surfaces and forgotten memorabilia. The entire building was a time capsule on a planet that had yet to celebrate a full century of human habitation.
The group gathered around a massive, circular table with a detailed two-dimensional schematic of Olympus Mons. Emmerich was still unconscious, her legs and arms retied and secured to a nearby couch. Nobody said anything, watching as Lin silently instructed her Rook to hover toward the center of the table. The cube began a slow rotation, a thin beam of light emitting from the bottom. The table illuminated upon contact with the laser, and an image of a red sphere projected above the surface.
“An Ocunet connection would be a grave mistake,” Cole warned, having already severed all ties with the outside world. He patted his pocket to make sure his lens case was still there.
“For you, perhaps,” Lin said. “Likely your lenses were mass produced with a distinctive digital signature.”
“And yours aren’t?” Cole asked. Even with his lenses’ internet access deactivated, someone searching hard enough could find him. He hoped his open communication with CAIN would not be the group’s downfall. “You’d have to design your own unique...” His words trailed when Lin nodded her agreement.
“Correct. And I did.” She looked up at the translucent red sphere. “I was allowed unprecedented access to all manner of materials during my time with SolEx. That was a grave mistake on their behalf.”
Brains and attitude! Why oh why did she choose the life of a radical?
The sphere changed to a vivid green, and all power was restored to the building. Lights brightened, appliances whirred to life, and the sphere dimmed to a soft white, assuming the shape of a crude, androgynous, humanoid face. It regarded Lin.
“Greetings, Dr. Dartmouth.”
She nodded and took several steps back. “I need you to open the lab.”
“Of course, Dr. Dartmouth,” the face said, and there was a loud metal thud that sent a tremor through the floor. The face, along with the rest of the table, rose upward to reveal a hidden entrance to a lift. The door slid open, inviting the group to enter.
“I don’t remember this part of the tour the last time I was here,” Cole said, shaking his head.
“This nature center doubles as a research facility for the science community elite,” Lin explained, stepping toward the lift. “My father had it built in secret as a means of conducting advanced experiments. The scale of his research eventually outgrew this building, but it remains fully functional.”
“Okay,” Cole said, nodding. “So, what are we doing here?”
Lin glanced down at the orange cube in her hands, then up at Forester. “Salvaging what I can of my father’s memory.”
Rig grunted. “You plan on pullin’ some Frankenstein shit in this lab of yours?”
Lin’s look of revulsion spoke volumes.
Not an altogether unfair question, Cole thought, forcing away his grin. Resurrection’s a bit difficult with the body still aboard the ship. He too wondered just what miracle Lin was hiding in the secret nature center basement lab. He followed her into the lift, eager to visit her father’s former playground.
Below the surface of Mars was a pristine, sterile environment. Seemingly untouched by human hands, the laboratory was the complete antithesis of the forgotten dustball above. It was by no means impressive in size—claustrophobic, even—though there was a certain sense of intrigue revolving around the only noticeable piece of equipment which inhabited the space. Cole had not the slightest idea upon what he was gazing.
“This is the Colossus Collider my father was working on before he was wrongly accused...” She swallowed, seeming to reconsider her choice of words. “Before he was taken into custody.”
“You mean like a particle smasher?” Cole asked, admiring the cylindrical object.
Lin met his gaze. “More of a particle creator.” She approached the collider, laying her slender hand across its nondescript metal surface. “He and I were—at least I thought we were—attempting to create a specific energy mass in order to open a gateway into the multiverse. I salvaged the collider and brought it here before it could be confiscated as evidence.”
Cole’s eyes widened. “That’s...that’s...” He scratched his head. “Is that even possible?”
She breathed a soft, sad laugh. “In this case, I suppose not.” She regarded the cube in her hand for what seemed like the hundredth time. “But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let his genius go to waste.” The flat of her hand slapped against the wall of the cylinder. She wiped tears from her eyes. “I thought I knew what this was; I’m going to discover its true properties and convert it into what we originally set out to create.”
Rig opened his mouth to speak, but Cole silently shushed him. Forester, however, approached with no intention of being quieted. “I understand your need to grieve, but this mission is yet unfinished. Regardless of the outcome, my s
uperiors are expecting us to acquire for them the Singularity.” He glanced down at her hand—the one holding the cube. “In any capacity.”
Lin clutched the cube to her chest. “The transfer failed. He died well before the process could establish proper neural contact.” She exhaled a deep, miserable sigh.
Forested offered a stiff nod. “Yes, of course.”
“I’m sure your ‘superiors’,” Cole held up air quotes with his fingers, “will have to understand, Arthur.” He crossed his arms. “And since this farce of a mission is finished, perhaps you can explain how we should proceed from here. I can’t imagine any one of us—him especially—” he pointed at a confused Rig, “can return to work as though nothing happened.”
The director straightened his immaculate suit. “There is no ‘we,’ Captain. My tenure with SolEx was instituted by the grace of my employer. My name will be cleared one way or another.” He lifted his chin. “I cannot say the same for you.”
“I’m pretty sure we already discussed the topic of leverage,” Cole said. “And I don’t know who it is you work for, but we’re all tied to this mass murder.” He made a circular gesture with his hand to indicate everyone in the lab. “Now, we’re all aware that Lin’s father is to blame, but pinning it on him’s going to be a tough sell.” His gaze alternated between Lin and Forester. “For the two of you, that is.”
“I’m feeling kinda left out here,” Rig said.
“Trust me,” Cole said, to the mechanic, “you’re a big part of this equation.” He pointed to his own eyes as a reminder. “Once Terracom gets wind one of their debtors is off gallivanting with terrorists, they’re going to follow your nice eyeball crumb trail to this park.”
Rig smiled and nodded, approving of his inclusion. “Glad to help.”
“I’m unclear as to your involvement,” Forester said to Rig. “You managed to escape with your life by meddling in our affairs. That is understandable—commendable, even.” He dusted his sleeve with the back of his hand. “What I cannot understand is your continued involvement.”
“Unless you people can fix my eyes like you did for you-know-who back on the boat,” he thumbed back toward the lift, “it don’t matter where I go.” He smiled and rubbed his nose. “Might as well see how things turn out with you good folks before I make my mad dash to freedom.”
Forester’s expression hardened. “Your need to satisfy your curiosity will jeopardize this mission, and that is unacceptable.”
Rig laid a beefy hand on the director’s shoulder. “Hey, c’mon, Forest—”
The mechanic was not a tall man, though his husky frame made up for what he lacked in height. Years of maintaining machinery of all sorts had hardened both his body and resolve. Cole had learned firsthand just how strong Rig was through a crushing handshake. Yet it was the seemingly frail Forester who demonstrated the true meaning of strength. With the speed of an eagle ripping its prey from a river, the director snatched Rig’s unwelcome hand off his shoulder, twisted his wrist, and yanked the mechanic’s arm behind his back, dropping him to his knees as though he were little more than a pesky child.
Holy....
Rig gasped, slapping his strained shoulder. He could not stand, nor gain any advantage. The more he struggled, the worse his situation became. Forester was in complete control, all the leverage in his favor. His face was calm despite the obvious effort being applied to subdue his opponent.
“I suggest you reconsider your current stance,” Forester said to Rig, his voice calm. His grip tightened even more, and the mechanic screamed. “I promise it would be your benefit.”
“Let him go.” The demand had come from Lin, her tone quiet, yet cold. “Our engagement will conclude long before anyone learns of his disappearance from the colony.”
It seemed as though Forester would do the exact opposite of what Lin had asked of him, but he eventually relented, allowing Rig to collapse to the floor to coddle his injured shoulder. The director straightened and shot her a look of caution.
The engineer ignored him and pressed her hand upon a panel on the collider. A section of the cylinder raised up, and she set the cube inside a small alcove before closing the panel. “We should return upstairs and discuss our options there.” She wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze.
Cole’s gloved hands made their familiar creaking sound. “You heard the boss,” he said to Forester, before kneeling down to check on Rig. He stopped short when the mechanic groaned and rolled onto his back, a pained smile distorting his bearded face. Is he laughing?
“That little pecker’s got a hell of a bite.” Rig sat up with Cole’s aid. “Director of what?” he asked, rotating his arm and shoulder to make sure it still worked. “Kung Fu?”
Cole was wondering the very same thing. Just who was this employer who could implant an individual inside a mega corporation like SolEx, have him rise through the ranks, only to have commit espionage and participate in an act of terrorism? Regardless of her current emotional status, he vowed to finally confront Lin and collect his answers.
The quiet stillness of the nature center above the lab threatened to lull Cole into a sense of safety. Were it not for their unconscious prisoner bound to a nearby couch, the stolen multi-billion unicred prototype cargo vessel shining like a beacon outdoors, and the corporate entity fueling terrorism looming over everyone’s head, he might be able to appreciate the view of Olympus Mons through the expansive bay window at the back of the building.
“None of us can ever return to SolEx,” Lin said shortly after Cole and Rig exited the lift. “Not after our encounter with the Kobold-2s outside the Terraport.” She said this, her attention solely upon her Rook.
“What happened to you placing all the blame on her?” Cole gestured toward Emmerich. “Did something change after...” His words trailed when he saw Forester nodding his head in agreement. Then he remembered what the director had done prior to his emergency dock with the ICV-71. “The remaining Kobold-2. The pilot of that ship will relay word of our—your—collusion.” He sighed. “SolEx and Terracom will never believe a single radical inspector had forced all our hands to detonate a terraformer and sack one of their ships.” Cole had to sit down.
“The Terraport came back online far faster than I could have ever anticipated,” Lin explained. “The probability of such an anomaly—”
“I don’t want to hear it.” Cole said, his hand making a slicing motion for her to stop.
Rig chuckled. “Heh. What did you people think was gonna happen when you took on the devil? I’m amazed you made it as far as you did.”
“All we did was free a dead man who lied to and murdered an entire colony of his trusted zealots,” Cole argued. He made sure to look both Lin and Forester in the eyes. “None of this would have happened if I’d called your bluff.”
Forester seemed amused by Cole’s comment. “Bluff? What makes you think for a moment Inspector Emmerich wouldn’t have blasted a hole in your head when she first boarded the ship? Have you forgotten her initial plan to destroy the Terraport?”
“I’m not talking about Commander Crackpot, Arthur!” Cole shouted. “I don’t think there is or ever was manufactured video evidence to incriminate me.”
Lin looked away, and Forester’s lack of a response was all the proof Cole needed. He nodded, oddly calm despite the bombshell revelation. “I suppose the same goes for Emmerich.” He walked over to a desk and slid out the chair and sat on it, stirring a small cloud of dust. He stared off at nothing for a moment before adding, “What was so special about your father? I need to know to what I gave away my freedom.”
Lin looked up, tears in her eyes. However, it was Forester who answered in her stead. “What does it matter? He’s dead.” His tone was harsh, dangerous. “All of this was for nothing.”
Cole did not have a moment to allow Forester’s words to sink in before watching the director turn on his heel and head for the center exit. Is he leaving? “Is there someplace you need to be?”
“I sugg
est you concern yourself with clearing your name, Musgrave,” Forester said with his back to Cole. “My path is clear.”
Cole waved goodbye to him. “It was great working with you today, Art. Enjoy your long walk back to civilization. Sure is a great night to break in those nice loafers. Oh, and make sure you look up tonight and see if you can spot Earth. That blue dot is always easier to see out in the countryside.” The door slammed closed as he finished talking.
The ensuing silence was deafening.
Cole clapped his hands together, startling the others. “Arthur T. Forester. Such a team player. SolEx sure knows how to pick ‘em.”
“Who was that guy?” Rig asked, Cole’s sarcasm lost on him.
“That’s an excellent question, Mr. Solomon,” Cole said, looking to Lin for the answer.
The engineer looked on the verge of hysterics, though she managed to keep calm and offer Cole a nod. “Come with me.”
13 - RESEARCH
Olympus Mons was a monumental freak of nature. The solar system’s largest known volcano engulfed the horizon, blotting out much of the martian sky. Its sheer cliffs vaulted upward for miles, terminating at the equally colossal shield which covered the entire range. Standing in the shadow of its familiar magnificence, Lin could almost forget her father’s passing and the terrible legacy he had left behind. Unfortunately, the whole of the park was a reminder of what had once been, and that only drove the dagger deeper.
“Do you think Rig will be alright by himself inside the nature center?” Cole asked her.
Lin couldn’t care less what became of the criminal stowaway. To her, he was nothing more than a cracked spoke in her shattered wheel. “He’s an adult, is he not?”
“That he is.” He tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. “Still, aren’t you worried he might touch something expensive in there?”
Lin stepped onto the trail leading to the foot of the volcano. “Anything of significance is in the lab below, none of which would be of interest to him.”
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